Anders Varner

Host - @barbellshruggedpodcast

[Anders Varner @AndersVarner]

Becoming a Rural

[Anders Varner @AndersVarner]

@mboyle1959 Same...but I have also been the shirt off guy.

NEVER tank top guy

[Anders Varner @AndersVarner]

@CoachKevinCarr Hyper-local celebrity. Make sure everyone in you grocery store knows your name

[Andy Galpin, PhD @DrAndyGalpin]

The new episode of Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin is out now: Dr. Bret Contreras: Optimize Training & Maximize Glute Development @bretcontreras

This episode is available in full on 𝕏, YouTube, and all podcast platforms.

(0:00) Bret Contreras
(2:10) Women vs Men Training Goals, Glutes
(11:51) Glute Development & Women, Training Goals
(18:51) Sponsor: Momentous
(20:30) Booty by Bret, Glutes
(28:10) Hip Thrust Exercise Development, Skorcher
(38:22) Hip Thrust Popularization, Bench Press Evolution
(47:03) Sponsor: Parker University
(48:30) Tool: Hip Thrust vs Glute Bridge; Women vs Men Lockout Strength
(57:19) Glute Anatomy
(1:05:06) Training Glutes, Recovery, Tool: Rule of Thirds
(1:13:08) Tool: 4 Exercise Categories & Variation; Recovery
(1:20:51) Sponsor: AG1
(1:22:32) Rotating Focus, Periodization, StrongLifting Program
(1:30:32) Monthly Rotating Exercise Focus, Abductor vs Adductor
(1:40:31) Tool: Rule of Thirds
(1:41:32) Common Mistakes, Personal Trainers, Prioritization, Protein, Effort
(1:51:52) Sponsor: David Protein
(1:53:18) Common Training Mistakes
(1:56:20) Individualization, Passive vs Active Muscle Stimulation, Long- vs Short-Length
(2:07:19) Tool: Training Checkpoints; Muscle Engagement During Exercise
(2:15:37) Men vs Women Recovery, Hormones, Physiological Differences, Menstrual Cycles
(2:28:01) Training Glutes vs Other Muscles, Deltoids, Hamstrings
(2:41:12) Hip Thrust & Research, Tempo, Sprint Speed, Range of Motion
(2:55:18) Pivoting with New Research, Changing Training Program
(3:00:11) Hip Thrust Limitations, Equipment, Functional Performance Transfer, Back
(3:09:55) Personalized Goals & Rule of Thirds, Modifications
(3:15:12) Training Glutes Without Legs
(3:21:08) Recap, Bret’s Projects & Links
(3:27:22) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Subscribe & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Social Media, Perform Newsletter

Includes paid partnerships.

[Andy Galpin, PhD @DrAndyGalpin]

Want to speed up your metabolism?

Here's what science says about boosting your metabolism. There are numerous evidence-based ways that actually work! But… most of what you've heard is wrong. So, let’s clear up the confusion on what’s bogus, what’s real, and what ‘speeding up your metabolism’ really means - and what it does not!

A deep dive into the research with surprising findings:

First: You can't actually "speed up" your metabolism. That's like saying you can make your car drive faster when it's parked.

What you can do is influence how many "miles" your metabolism drives each day.

Here's how it works:

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) has 4 components:

1. Exercise Activity (EAT): 0-30% of calories
2. Non-Exercise Activity (NEAT): 5-30%
3. Thermal Effect of Food (TEF): 8-15%
4. Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 40-80%

The research shows there are both acute (temporary; minutes to hours) and chronic (long-term; days to weeks or months) ways to influence these components. Most of the nonsense in this topic comes from people making claims about things that enhance ‘metabolic rate’ acutely - which as you’ll see, is actually quite easy to do. But this is very deceiving because acute increase often means very little in the long-term, especially for outcomes like fat loss, and they aren’t necessarily increasing your metabolism in the way you think (they ramp up RMR, for a few minutes, but then it goes right back down to normal, or even below baseline). So, it’s quite easy to deceive with legitimate science here.

That said, let's look at what actually works for acute changes, and by how much:

Acute Boosters:

1. Spicy foods (peppers, ginger, chilis, etc.)

- Increases RMR by 3-5%
- Effect lasts 1-2 hours
- Often through capsaicin in chili peppers

2. Cold exposure

- Lowering room temp by few degrees
- Can lead to significant fat loss over time

3. Caffeine

- Increases RMR by 3-11%
- Lasts 1-3 hours
- Also reduces appetite

4. Green tea

- 4-5% RMR increase
- Similar duration to caffeine
- Compounds with caffeine for better results

But here's what's really interesting: The chronic (long-term) changes are what really matter for sustainable results.

Research shows 4 key factors for long-term metabolic enhancement:

1. Quality Sleep

- Poor sleep reduces RMR
- Increases hunger hormones
- Can reduce fat loss by 55%
- Affects muscle preservation

2. Fish Oil (3g/day)

- 14% increase in RMR
- 19% increase in fat oxidation
- 4% increase in lean mass over 12 weeks

3. Muscle Mass

- Each pound burns 6-10 extra calories daily
- Primary factor in age-related metabolic decline
- Explains up to 80% of RMR variance

4. Exercise

- Strength training: +100 cal/day RMR
- Cardio: +50-60 cal/day RMR
- Combined: +75 cal/day RMR

The most effective approach? Combining multiple strategies:

- 200 cal from additional exercise
- Fish oil + green tea (+25-50 cal)
- Protein increase (+45 cal from TEF)
- 15-min daily walk (+100 cal)
- Small calorie reduction (-80 cal)

This approach works because it:

- Doesn't crash your metabolism
- Preserves muscle mass
- Avoids adaptive thermogenesis
- Creates sustainable habits

The key isn't finding one magic solution - it's stacking small, evidence-based changes.

Remember: Your metabolism isn't "fast" or "slow."

It's responding to your daily choices in sleep, nutrition, activity, and muscle mass.

Focus on these factors consistently, and you'll create lasting metabolic health.

[Andy Galpin, PhD @DrAndyGalpin]

“Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin” is back! A new episode is out today, with new episodes releasing every Wednesday.

In today’s episode, I share science-backed tools for boosting metabolism and maintaining sustainable fat loss. I break down the key components of total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and explain why some people seem to stay naturally lean with little effort.

I also cover how to assess your metabolism and strategies to boost it in both the short and long term using behavioral tools, nutrition, exercise, supplements, and more.

If you have questions or comments, drop them in the comments section below—I’d love to hear from you.

[Anders Varner @AndersVarner]

@mboyle1959 @Guadango @DeFrancosGym @CoachJosse @Physical_Prep As a caveat, telling your friends how great your body feels doing all this cardio doesn’t have the same ring to it

[Anders Varner @AndersVarner]

We need to require all humans to have exposure to living the life of a meathead and everything will work out just fine.

[Andy Galpin, PhD @DrAndyGalpin]

I'd love MAHA to prioritize renovation of 'peer-review'.

The last ~5 yr have been catastrophic.

Biggest issue: PEOPLE WON'T DO IT. We routinely have papers sitting for 3-6 months w/o even being assigned bc editors can't get reviewers.

@calleymeans @RobertKennedyJr @joerogan

[Andy Galpin, PhD @DrAndyGalpin]

See you all soon!

[Andy Galpin, PhD @DrAndyGalpin]

As of this morning, I have officially joined the team at @ParkerUniv as the Executive Director of their brand-new Human Performance Center.

I've very proud of what we accomplished in my 13 years at CSUF, but I couldn't ignore the enormous opportunity in front of me at Parker

[Coach Derek Cunha @CoachDerekCunha]

So proud of Gabby Thomas ‘15 winning a Gold Medal in 200m at 2024 Paris Olympics🥇! #alwaysawildcat @itsgabbyt

[Anders Varner @AndersVarner]

@chris_polizzi slaying. Atta boy

[Jeremie Poplin @jeremiepoplin]

From media day @chris_polizzi on the different vibe around @tulsafootball heading into year 2.

[Anders Varner @AndersVarner]

Stoked for Gabby and the alma mater today. @Willistonteams @WillistonNS

[Williston Athletics @Willistonteams]

Holy wildcat!!! Gabby Thomas ‘15 wins the 200 at the US Olympic trials to qualify for the Olympics once again!! Look out Paris…here comes Gabby!!! #alwaysawildcat ⁦@NEPSAC⁩ ⁦⁦@WillistonNS⁩

[Andy Galpin, PhD @DrAndyGalpin]

Excited to share this week’s episode of my podcast — Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin! This episode is packed with practical tips for improving your VO2 max and endurance to prevent disease, promote longevity, and enhance overall health and performance.

I cover the essentials for creating an effective endurance training program, including:

- General conditioning
- Warm-ups and cool-downs
- Tissue tolerance and recovery
- Injury prevention
- Maximizing training time

Additionally, I introduce two comprehensive training programs for all levels:

- Metamorphosis: Focused on increasing your VO2 max.
- Faster in 50: A fifty-day marathon training plan.

You'll learn about the methodologies behind these programs, such as resistance and endurance training elements, building volume and intensity, reps/sets, breathing techniques, and how to track your progress.

Whether you're aiming to develop your own endurance program or you're a coach designing programs for athletes, this episode has valuable insights for you.

Drop your questions in the comments below, and I’ll do my best to respond!

https://t.co/8APgtWYPwM

[Anders Varner @AndersVarner]

@DrAndyGalpin "Perform" Podcast is live

[Andy Galpin, PhD @DrAndyGalpin]

In this episode — Building a Strong Heart — you’ll learn all about the special anatomical and physiological characteristics that make your heart the most unique MUSCLE in your entire body, and you’ll learn specific steps you can take to improve your cardiovascular health and VO2 Max.

I cover things like why you breathe, how a heart can keep beating even after it loses nerve innervation (e.g., if it gets pulled out of your chest, Temple of Doom style), why it never gets sore, and how heart function and measures like VO2 Max relate to your short and long-term health and performance.

And, like every episode, I’ll discuss multiple ways to gauge your fitness and how best to improve it. I’ll do this by covering the “Three Is” — Investigate (what and how to measure VO2 Max score), Interpret (are your scores good, bad, terrible, best in world history), and Intervene (how to improve!).

So whether your jam is sports, longevity, physical fitness, or just avoiding death for as long as possible, you all have a heart, so this episode is for you.

Remember, in the words of legendary track coach Bill Bowerman, “If you have a body, you’re an athlete.” And nobody ever complained about their heart performing too well.

I really do my best to keep up with the comments, but given this is the very first installment in our 10-episode season, I’m going to work super hard to respond to all of your questions and comments, and there are far worse ways to spend time on a Wednesday, and I love teaching, so go nuts below!

As always, a million thank you’s to my co-workers at this podcast, RAPID, Vitality, Absolute Rest, BioMolecular Athlete, Anthropy, and elsewhere, my students in the lab, and most importantly, all of you.

The podcast — Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin — can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, across all other podcast platforms, and at https://t.co/Ai31qsKrkS. Enjoy!

[Andy Galpin, PhD @DrAndyGalpin]

One week from today—on Wednesday, June 12—we are releasing the first episode of my podcast, “Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin.”

The show is a continuation of what I’ve been doing for the last 20 years in the lab, classroom, media, and coaching floor. As always, my goal is to create and share information that helps people PERFORM at their best – whatever that means for them. This podcast is years in the making, literally, so it’s surreal even to be typing these words.

The format is a little different because putting out a new show every week for a year or more is not feasible or of interest to me at this time. Given that, Season 1 will have 10 episodes, with one airing every Wednesday for 10 straight weeks. I’ll cover everything from how to build strength and why it is so vital to long-term health, to why we breathe, to the power of sleep extension, to genetic testing for personalized training and exercise, to nutrition for injury recovery.

A sincere thank you to everyone involved in Season One: @scicomm (@hubermanlab, @R_Mohr, @chrisrayfilms, @blabacphoto, @ianmackey, @MartinFobes), Dr. Vince Kreipke, Dan Garner, Joel Jamison, @MashElite, and everyone whose papers and research I read and learned from. I can’t thank you all enough for all the support and love over the years, and I hope this show brings you as much joy as it brought me in making it.

I’ll see everyone next week on YouTube and all the standard podcast platforms.

[Anders Varner @AndersVarner]

@MashElite can you get these guys a barbell.

[Travis Mash @MashElite]

We have been recording some incredible podcasts on @BarbellShrugged lately. Today was my favorite 'Sleep Best Practices' ever. I'm going to give you some insight, but you will want to catch that one when it airs:

1. Sleep Regularity trumps Duration- blew me away.
2. Start dimming light at 7p for a 9:30p bedtime, and then cut light out within an hour of bedtime.
3. Blue light of course is a hard no go 1-2 hours prior to bed.
4. Try to avoid eating two hours prior to sleep for optimal hormonal response.
5. Avoid eating for the first hour after waking up.
6. Temperature at 68 degrees or lower for bedtime.
7. Hot baths or saunas before bedtime might help regulate body temperature for optimal sleep.
8. However, for those of you that are A-Type high stress ballers, an ice bath might be the best.
9. An @ouraring is solid for determining best practices. P.S. I am getting one for sure. Not a sales pitch.
10. Sleep regularity pertains to not only bedtime, but also wake time as there is a thing as sleeping too much.
11. Alcohol and marijuana seems to be a complete to go for optimal sleep, which I agree with based on my own sleep.
12. Waking up and doing a little exercise, rehydrating with water, and catching the sun's natural light prior to coffee and breakfast appears to be optimal as well.

We interviewed one of @DrAndyGalpin 's coaches with his company Rapid Health, Dr. Chris Perry. Where do they find these guys?

This is nothing compared to the whole podcast. You will need to listen to understand the 'why', and for a lot more than I am telling you. I am going to listen, so I can take notes on the information I missed. #sleep