Creator of the Flex Diet Cert & Phys Flex Cert, CSCS, CISSN, Assoc Professor, kiteboarder, lifter of odd objects, metal music lover. >>>>Sign up to my daily FREE Fitness Insider newsletter below
Weekly Wrap Up August 9, 2026
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Greetings from Minnesota, where the mornings are finally starting to hint at that first crisp bite of fall — hands down my favorite time of year to be out banging around in the garage gym. Between updating / creating new programs for my online 1-1 M3 clients, writing, and even getting the ole cold plunge freezer dumped and cleaned, it has been a good week. Here's what went down this week: Newsletters:
Flex Diet Podcast:
Iron Radio: Instagram posts of the week:
Calendar — Where's Dr Mike?
Gym Tune of the Week: Demon Hunter "My Place In The Dirt" As a metalhead and a Christian, I’m a massive Demon Hunter fan. The wonderful wifey and I got to see them several months ago, and it was an amazing show. One reason I love this song is that it’s unapologetic about something that can be uncomfortable to say: not everyone who loudly claims to be a Christian acts like one. Obviously, that’s not true in every case. But I’ve generally found that the people who make the most noise about who they are can sometimes be the same people I wouldn’t personally count on when the chips are down. That goes way beyond religion. You see the same pattern in the gym, in business, and pretty much everywhere else. Some of the strongest people I’ve met are also the quietest. They aren’t pounding their chest or delivering speeches about how hardcore they are. They show up, do the work, then come back and do it again. I tend to notice the same thing outside the gym. I care far less about what someone says they are. I watch what they do. Actions have always been a much better scoreboard. I love his line: "I'll be the weapon, I'll be the work" Regardless of what your faith is—or isn’t—thank you for being here and reading. I appreciate you. "I buried my hands in a mountain of hurt Much love, Dr. Mike ________ Mike T Nelson CISSN, CSCS, MSME, PhD Mike T Nelson is a PhD and not a physician or registered dietitian. The contents of this email should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem - nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. |
Dr Mike T Nelson
Creator of the Flex Diet Cert & Phys Flex Cert, CSCS, CISSN, Assoc Professor, kiteboarder, lifter of odd objects, metal music lover. >>>>Sign up to my daily FREE Fitness Insider newsletter below
A few of you hit reply after yesterday’s creatine email with basically the same question: “Okay Dr Mike, what creatine do YOU use?” Easy. Creatine monohydrate from Driven Nutrition. I’ve used the same stuff for almost 12 years. Twelve. Years. Which is roughly 874 years in supplement-industry dog years where every six months somebody discovers a NEW ULTRA-BOLIC CREATINE that apparently makes boring old monohydrate look like it arrived on the Mayflower. Yet there it sits on my shelf. Creatine...
Every few years the internet tries to bury the supplement creatine under kidney panic, hair-loss hysteria, dehydration warnings, or some new rule handed down from a guy named Chad between his 7th sets of cable crossovers. Meanwhile, the actual research keeps ruining the story. For example… • The blood-test number that can suddenly look “bad” after starting creatine — even when your kidneys are perfectly fine. (p. 2) • Why your doctor may see elevated creatinine and reach for the wrong...
Your max heart rate equation may be wearing a fake mustache and carrying forged documents. You know the one: 220 − age = maximum heart rate Simple, clean, and easy to remember. It is also about as precise as throwing a lawn dart over your shoulder after 3 Guinness and declaring wherever it lands to be your new training zone. Here is the strange history. The famous 220 − age equation did not come from Karvonen. In their 1957 study, Karvonen and colleagues used heart rate reserve, but they...