I got hit via a couple DMs just the other day on this popular question: “I'm cutting. How do I not lose muscle?” The standard answers are correct and nearly useless. Eat more protein. Keep lifting. Do not slash calories with a chainsaw. Fine. That is standard elevator speech advice. ..but lets strap on our propeller hats and go a$$ first down the nerd chute as my buddies at the University of Arkansas have spent years grinding this question through controlled studies with military...

The ISSN conference in June was a blast—a migration of protein scientists, coaches, supplement degenerates, and sleep-deprived PhDs surviving on hotel coffee while debating leucine thresholds before breakfast. Exactly my kind of vacation. Buried beneath the usual discussion of muscle protein synthesis and hypertrophy was something far stranger: Essential amino acids may help preserve cognitive performance under stress. Not merely muscle. Your brain. Here is the wild part, dear reader: the...

In this episode of the Flex Diet Podcast, I sit down with Cliff Wilson, coach and founder of Raw Intensity, to talk about what actually separates good coaching from great coaching. Getting better doesn't make hard things feel easier — it makes you capable of doing more. Cliff shares the mental skills behind elite physiques, why context beats internet absolutes, and how great coaches turn research, experience, and failure into better decisions. Listen to the full episode here Episode...