Healthy vs unhealthy, good vs bad, nutritious vs non-nutritious - these are the kind of ideologies that some companies rely on in order to sell their products

Given how much information there is regarding nutrition on the internet, knowing what, when, and how much to eat each day can be very confusing. Therefore, we’ve done our best to simplify things for you by creating this FDOE framework!

For many years short rest periods of 30-90 seconds have been touted as being superior to longer rest times (>2 minutes) for the purpose of hypertrophy. We can totally understand this line of thinking. It FEELS like you’re working harder by reducing your rest time, heart rate is likely higher, and you may even obtain a more intense pump! It makes sense that this would be better for muscle gain, right?

While this celebratory homestretch before show day holds much anticipation and excitement, peak week shouldn’t be interpreted as “magical”. Rather, peak week should be seen as putting the finishing touches on a canvas, not trying to paint the Sistine Chapel in seven days…

When it comes to enhancing exercise performance we understand that it’s easy to get caught in the weeds. Supplement protocols, superfoods, anabolic windows and the like can unfortunately blind us from what’s most important – nailing the basics.

Branch Chained Amino Acids (BCAAs) refer to three of the nine essential amino acids, these being Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. Over the years the consumption of BCAAs around the exercise window has gained immense popularity, with claims that supplementation can improve exercise performance, endurance, recovery, reduce appetite, build muscle, and even enhance mental focus. However… scientific evidence to back-up these claims is severely lacking, and the overall consensus is that BCAA supplementation is unnecessary.

The quality of a diet isn’t determined by what you exclude... but rather the variety of foods that you choose to INCLUDE!

The sport of bodybuilding encompasses SO much more than just training and nutrition!

Tracking “To The Gram” Isn’t Mandatory. Nutrition is often viewed in a black and white context; however, we like to view nutrition in different shades of grey. The dietary strategies someone chooses to implement should be unique to them, therefore the approach they take really does “depend” on the context.

If you ask any passionate bodybuilder to elaborate on their “why”, they’re highly likely to explain that living this lifestyle isn’t solely for the purpose of building muscle mass.

It goes without saying that a calorie deficit is required for weight loss. However, there’s arguably nothing more frustrating than embarking on a weight loss journey, THINKING you’re in a calorie deficit, yet watching the scale stay stagnant.

It can be easy to understand the appeal of fast-tracked weight loss. Why diet for 15 weeks when you can get the job done in less than half the time? Rapid results don’t come with any negative consequences, right? Not necessarily…

Bodybuilding is a competitive sport, and those who succeed at the highest level do so for many reasons. Therefore, if you aspire to be a top-level athlete yourself, take the time to identify common characteristic traits shared amongst your greatest idols.

A deload is usually warranted after an individual has progressively overreached at the end of a 6+ week training block. This week often involves a reduction in normal training volume and intensity. It aims to reduce systemic fatigue, risk of injury, promote overall recovery, and prepare an individual both mentally and physically for their next training block. In order to maximise rate of progression in the gym and prevent the risk of injury or burn-out, deloads should be considered a fundamental and pre-planned component of your training.

Bodybuilding, similar to many sports, is multi-phasic.

In the fitness industry it’s not uncommon to hear competitors and coaches preach “Don’t compete for the experience, compete to WIN!”.

From an outside view it’s understandable why bodybuilding, particularly on show day, can seem so enticing. Smiling faces with chiseled bodies, eating candy and winning trophies – what’s not to aspire to?! Well… the truth is that this is just a small glimpse into what a bodybuilding journey entails. The vast majority of a competition prep requires necessary, meticulous steps to be taken to achieve the desired outcome, and with these steps often comes respective “consequences” which aren’t particularly appealing.

While recomping at a maintenance bodyweight is possible… it will eventually reach a point of diminishing returns.

During prolonged periods away from the stage it can be easy to become complacent and think that “there’s still so much time”. However, the reality is this is where the vast majority of changes are made to your physique.

Who else has been told that you need to “shock” your muscles to make maximum progress? Don’t worry, once upon a time we were confused about this topic too!