Philife Podcast

Jan 30 2025 56 ep. 37 mins 1
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A rational discussion about health and fitness trends.

  Health & Fitness
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Do You Have to Suffer to Make Weight Loss Count?

Jan 30 2025 29 mins  
In this episode of The Phi Life Podcast, hosts John Barban and Brad Pilon dive into a topic making waves across the media landscape: Oprah Winfrey’s recent admission about using Ozempic to lose weight and the public backlash that followed. The conversation begins with a look at Oprah’s struggles with body image and criticism throughout her career, touching on the relentless rid

Back to Basics: Fixing Your Diet the Right Way

Jan 21 2025 20 mins  
In this episode we dive into the fundamental steps for fixing a broken diet. They define what a “broken diet” truly means and explore how to take control of your eating habits in a way that aligns with your goals—whether it’s improving body composition, gaining muscle, losing fat, or simply feeling better overall. Key Topics Covered: 1. Defining a Broken Diet A broken die

Are You Strong Enough? Here's What REALLY Matters...

Jan 14 2025 29 mins  
When you start lifting weights you find out right away what strength is and how you compare to others in the gym. Everyone starts at a different level of genetic strength and every will max out at a different level of strength. We tend to reach peak strength somewhere around our late 20's or early 30's. After which it's not realistic to expect to continue to get stronger. Depen

How many sets and reps should you do for maximum results?

Jan 06 2025 30 mins  
What is the optimal amount of training volume to achieve maximum results? Some bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger advocate for 30+ sets and 2-3 hour workouts. Others like Mike Mentzer advocate for minimal volume suggesting only one working set is needed. How can we say for certain which training style is better and if there is such thing as unnecessary 'junk volume'. It wou

Can we spot reduce fat? Do fat cells have memory? Do steroids produce life long gains?

Jan 01 2025 30 mins  
Can we spot reduce fat? Do fat cells have memory? Do steroids produce life long muscle gains even after you stop using them? Does working out with weights during teenage years cause more muscle gain than starting lager in life? In today's episode we discuss each of these topics and speculate that there is likely some truth to all of them, but as of yet there is no good scientific

High Lp(a) and CVD. Diet and supplement intervention to reverse the progression of plaque.

Dec 23 2024 41 mins  
In today's episode I share the results of a recent CT Angiogram that revealed a 20% narrowing in one of my coronary arteries. With high Lp(a) and at 50 years old this is not surprising, however it is concerning and I do not want any further narrowing. We discuss the importance of early screening and testing and what can be done with diet exercise and supplements. I share my plan

Is functional training only for elite athletes? Are all workouts “functional”?

Dec 14 2024 35 mins  
It’s common to hear the term “functional training” but do you know what it means? Do the people using the term even know what it means? You can design workouts to optimize for maximum strength, hypertrophy, running, swimming, cycling, climbing, and every other style of movement and sport. The goal defines the function, and the function defines the workout. In today’s ep

Ectomorph, Endomorph, Mesomorph: Do we all burn fat the same way?

Dec 09 2024 23 mins  
In this episode we answer a the question: Does an Endomorph, Ectomorph, and Mesomorph lose weight the same way. These are descriptive categories that describe general tendencies of fat mass, muscle mass, and overall size. Ectomorph is the leaner thinner body type that has less fat but also less muscle and smaller bones. Mesomorph is someone carrying a middling amount of fat and m

6-pack abs: Do you have them? If not, is it worth the effort to get them?

Dec 03 2024 24 mins  
Having visible 'ab' muscles is a goal of many guys who follow a regular workout program. But if you have never got into that condition, do you know what it takes, and will the effort be worth it? In many cases the assumption is 10% body fat is low enough to reveal abdominal muscles, or the proverbial '6 pack'. But this is not necessarily true. Some people can get into the single d

Does bulking up actually work? Can you gain maximum muscle without over eating?

Nov 25 2024 24 mins  
There seems to be a persistent theory that an excess of calories is required to gain muscle. This however has not been shown to be the case. Most examples of 'bulking' are confounded by anabolic steroid use, genetic outliers, or being at a young enough age where your body is naturally gaining muscle. Most people who are beyond their late teens or early 20's cannot force their b