January Q&A: Starting A Business, Haters, Meal Timing, Myths

Alright, Q&A time. So the vlogs, you know, that I do on this channel a lot, you know, they're great, you know, people enjoy them, but the Q&As are really time when I can give something back, you know, give out some good free information and just talk with you guys about some topics. So I posted a picture on my Instagram and we got like a few hundred questions. If you're not following me on Instagram, congratulations, you played yourself. But some really good questions, some really clever questions. I like to think my subscribers are— we're some logical thinkers, we're clever. But so let's get stuck into them. I'm pumped to answer these, right? So let's go. First question: Hi Rob, my chest is lagging, what should I do? What I often prescribe for a lagging chest is to add in pause work. So this is when we're at the bottom of the rep, you would— barbells or dumbbells— just add a slight pause, 1 to 2 seconds, and then explode up. You're going to get more chest activation because it's going to be more difficult for your chest to get that bar moving again from a dead stop position. And most of all, it's going to fix a lot of people's form. So many people in the gym, their shoulders hunched forward and they're not using a full range of motion. Pin your shoulders back and it's going to— you're going to have to do a full range of motion and you're really going to get in that stretch position as well. So whether you're using barbells or dumbbells, I'm going to recommend to add in some pause work. That brought me from like a B cup to a C cup. When I first started watching your videos, you weren't steadily benching 100 kg. Now you do it for reps and sets. My question is, how did you increase your bench press movement? Did you work off percentages or some other way? It's my weakest movement and the only one I'm stalling on. Appreciate it and love the content, man. Well, thank God someone has noticed I've made some gains. And also, thank you for watching my videos from the start. That means a lot to me. Um, I completely understand, you know, percentages, the RPE scale, and working off them, but I follow a really simple progression method for bench. I think it's like an old Russian method, but it's really simple. Basically, it just involves varying rep ranges. You up your reps and then you drop the reps and up the weight. So for example, let's just say for numbers sake, 100 kg. Week 1, you're benching 100 kg, 3 sets of 8. Week 2, 100 kg, 3 sets of 9. Week 3, 100 kg, 3 sets of 10. And then week 4, you would drop the reps back down to 3 sets of 8 and you bump up the weight. So 101 kg, and then the week after, 101 kg for 3 sets of 9, and so on, so forth. It's a really great simple way, and it can be used on any lift, really. And of course, just benching more often. If you want to get good at something, do it more often. What should I do if I want to start my own business but yet to think of an idea? I'm only 16 and doing my A-levels, but my ultimate goal is to build a business. Really enjoying your videos, keep up the good work. You're only 16. Yo, when I was 16, I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do. My advice to you would be finish school, you know, go out, network with new people, meet new people, travel, and you know, you'll figure out what you want to do. One day it will click. But I would advise to do something you're passionate about. If you're not passionate about something, if you're not interested in it, you're just not going to take pride in it and you're not going to love what you do. So find your passion and then make a business out of that passion. Top 3 cutting tips, uh, I could really like do a whole video on that, but quickly, the first things that come to my head is number 1, find a diet or a nutrition plan that puts you in a caloric deficit that you can sustain and adhere to. That is, that is number 1. Second, I would suggest follow a good weights program that focuses on maintaining or even gaining strength in the gym. Same applies for females. The goal in a cut should be to drop body fat while increasing or maintaining muscle size. It's gonna make you look best, keep you healthy, keep your metabolism high. And third would be to not be overly restrictive. You know, there's no reason to cut out any major food groups or anything like that. And that's not me just going off anecdotal evidence. There's actual research to show that people who are more flexible with their diet sustain it for longer and they actually get better results. Have you made it if you get asked for G4P? I know I got asked for G4P like pretty early on. Yeah, you should see some of the stuff that I've been emailed. I don't even know if I could say it, like some of it's actually proper gross. If you were to banish one fitness myth from the world forever, which one would it be? I think this would cover kind of a lot of myths, and it's the whole strict meal timing myth. Like, you've so many people saying, oh, you have to— you can't eat before cardio, you have to eat all your carbs post-workout, no carbs after 6, don't eat your carbs in the morning. It's honestly the biggest load of bullshit ever. Nutrient timing should be based on an individual's personal preferences, because if they can adhere to it, that is what is going to make all the difference. You want a carb backload? Go ahead. You like to eat a big meal after your workout? That's awesome. You like to eat most of your carbs in the morning? That's great. Just do whatever you like to do and will allow you to stick to your diet. When you hear, like, coaches and trainers saying, "You have to do it this way," it just shows that they are uneducated in the field of nutrition. So the strict mealtime myth would be what I would like to banish the most. There are no magic timing protocols. "Hey Rob, what do you think of paleo diets for shredding? You've never talked about them before and I would love to get your opinion on them." Those of us in the evidence-based community, we often kind of joke about paleo diets. It's kind of just like, it's like a Mickey Mouse sort of thing, you know, following it. It just contradicts itself so much. It says you're not allowed to eat grains, whereas there's been grains found in the digestive tract of people from the Paleolithic era. And it says you want to eat like a caveman. Well, cavemen ate each other when they died, you know, they were cannibals. To survive, they had to do things like that. The average living age in the Stone Age, Paleolithic era, was also 35, so I don't know why would you want to follow a diet when the average living age was 35. So yeah, it just doesn't make any sense, and it's very overly restrictive. It puts a lot of perfectly healthy foods on the banned list, including some vegetables. So, um, no, I wouldn't be a fan. When you played rugby, what position did you play? And if you were to go back to it, what position would you like to play? I played flanker, and then towards kind of the end of school when I was in sixth year and stuff, I was in the front row playing prop and hooker. And then when I left school, I played club rugby for a while, and on the first day of training, you know, I rocked up in there like 'Hey, so what position do you usually play?' I was always a prop who had dreams of being a centre, you know. This hair is just way too good to be in the front of a scrum. So on my first day of training, I was like, 'Yeah, yeah, I'm usually in at like second centre.' They put me in there and I wasn't too bad, in my opinion. 'Any particular food that's deemed unreal for you but you think that it's actually a load of crap and why?' I hate the term 'superfood.' It actually, it doesn't mean anything. You know, and it's usually just clickbait or marketing. There is no single food that will change your diet. You shouldn't be focusing on some magical berries or something like that. You should really look to improve your whole lifestyle. That's what's going to make a difference to your health. So exercising more, getting in your 5 a day, don't smoke, get enough sleep, relax, keep your stress levels low. That's what's going to make a difference to your life. Not a single superfood. You know, I'm all for eating nutrient-dense food, but I just— there's no magic to them. To answer the question, I think the term superfood is a load of crap. Would yourself and Shred Bundy do a subscriber meetup if and when the great man graces Ireland again with his vibrant presence and golden curls? I was actually just talking to him on Facebook there. I think in February next month we're going to hit up either Manchester or Newcastle. Which is more important, progressive overload or contraction pump? Um, without a doubt, progressive overload. It's in the name— making progress is obviously more important. But these aren't mutually exclusive. Um, you should be applying progressive overload and of course getting good contraction, and a pump is a good signifier of a good workout. So, um, progressive overload is, you know, making progress is kind of the aim of the game, but contraction pumps should, should go with it. How many calories does it take to burn a pound of fat? To answer your question directly, 1 pound of fat equates to 3,500 calories. But you know, there are so many other things that come into play that you can't just cut out 3,500 calories and you'll exactly lose a pound of fat. But yeah, to answer your question, 3,500 calories. If you are on a lean bulk, should I do cardio 2 to 3 times a week? Yeah, I have Actually started becoming a proponent of cardio on a bulk. It'll keep your surplus moderate, it'll improve your cardiovascular health, it'll increase work capacity, and in the end that will increase your ability to recover. So it is hard to kind of motivate yourself to do cardio on a bulk, but yeah, you should really. And when I start my bulk, I'm gonna try to do some light cardio 2-3 times a week. How necessary are BCAAs while cutting? Not sure whether or not to make the investment. I've talked about BCAAs in the past. They're really like, if you're training 6 days a week and you're an elite-level athlete or an advanced bodybuilder, they may be worth just that tiny benefit to, like, that 1% benefit to increase your recovery. But if you've got a sufficient protein intake and you're taking whey protein or you just are taking in quality protein sources, sources that have a high BCAA profile as is, any additional BCAA is not going to do anything. When counting macros, is it okay to consume whatever you want as long as it fits your macros as calorie intake, i.e., sweets and other bad shit? No. You know, this is why I much prefer using the term flexible dieting rather than if it fits your macros, because you have to eat you know, your 5 a day. You have to get your micronutrients in. You gotta get your fiber in. If you're not eating enough fiber, you know, your body isn't— it's not gonna function properly. So I always promote just eating a diet consisting mainly of whole foods, and just if you really want something, you know, go fit it into your macros, but don't go out of your way to eat it. And, you know, whole foods are delicious, like potatoes, omelets. It's all like my favorite foods. And so no, you can't just just eat whatever you like. And it's just, it's not that easy, you know. There's no way around a healthy diet. Where do you stand on the whole complex carbs versus simple carbs debate, or do you worry about your daily carb intake as a whole? It's funny you mention this. I actually, one of my first ever videos I did was on is a carb a carb. And so you can go watch that. All my first videos are still there. You can go watch that. Just please excuse Excuse the awkwardness, I wasn't used to speaking on camera at that stage. But yeah, I just focus on daily carb intake as a whole. Like you said, when you have a mixed diet, the glycemic index goes out the window. For example, let's say I have a white bread sandwich with chicken breast and avocado inside it. The protein from the chicken breast and the fats from the avocado, when it's all mixed together, they're going to completely change the glycemic index of it. So unless you're eating a single food, unless you're eating pure sugar all day, or your diet consists of just a high glycemic food like white bread, which no one's diet is like that, I'm sorry, no one eats just spoonfuls of sugar all day, and the glycemic index and the whole simple carbs versus complex carbs just goes out the window. But what I will say is that complex carbs just tend to be more nutrient-dense and higher fiber anyways. So I recommend it for that case, but not because they're complex carbs, if you know what I'm saying. And on top of that, the American Diabetes Association have now also pretty much abandoned the glycemic index. So if they're not worrying about it, neither should you. Hey Rob, when training chest, I never get a pump, nor do I feel my chest is really being worked. I tend to feel it more so in my front delts and tend to finish my sets due to fatigue in my delts. Rather than my chest. Any help would be great from the Hitman 5. Um, yeah, so it is very obvious that your form is, is a bit whack. You're probably benching or pressing with your elbows flared out. What you want to do is you want to keep your elbows tucked, so you're taking your delts out of it as much as you can and you're pushing through the chest. So bench with your elbows down here. Do you get much hate from your videos, posts, etc.? Surprisingly not. I actually don't. I thought I'd get a lot more hate. And even when an anonymous profile on the internet leaves some just blatantly hate comments, you know, just some completely negative comments, not even constructive criticism, I really just couldn't, could not give a shit, you know. It's kind of like, alright, cool, I'm just gonna go on with my life now. Have any opportunities arisen for you solely from growing your Instagram following, or do you find YouTube following to be much more rewarding? And Instagram is definitely— it's one of my main profiles that I use, so it's definitely given me some opportunities. But YouTube has definitely set me apart and given me more opportunities because anyone can, you know, get an Instagram following, anyone can make a post. But to make YouTube videos, to actually create content content, you know, edit and put your personality on the internet, that's a lot more difficult. And so yeah, a lot more opportunities have risen from YouTube. Hi Rob, are back squats a must? I try to back squat 2-3 times a week but find the frequency plays havoc with my lower back. I feel like I wouldn't get the same growth by doing lighter front squats or leg press, etc. Back squats are not a must. They are a terrific exercise, but if you're just looking for leg hypertrophy, Leg press or front squats is, it's, you know, it's pretty much the same movement. You're still just pressing with your legs. If you're an athlete, especially in a combat or impact field sport, squats will have carryover to that. You know, they will improve your total balance and your core strength as well. You know, they will enable you to be stronger and giving a hit and taking a hit. But if you're talking about purely hypertrophy, then yes, um, leg press is absolutely fine. I'll actually even link a good article by Lyle MacDonald comparing leg press to squats. There's actually not that much difference. Whenever you gave up your 9-to-6 job and started working fully on your own business, did you ever have a moment where you thought you weren't going to make it and would have to resort back to the dullness of 9-to-6? Or did you always know you were going to make it fully in the fitness industry? Uh, well, I don't think I've made it fully in the fitness industry. I think I have a long way to go. But to answer your question, um, see, I actually waited. I, I didn't just quit one and move on to the other. I actually, you know, my website and everything I do, I was doing that while working, and I actually waited until my own business was earning more than my 9 to 6. So it was definitely a safe call to leave. So if you are thinking of doing that, just make sure, you know, it is safe to go full throttle with your own business. On a carb refeed day, should you increase calories to allow more carbs or stay in your caloric deficit? Um, well, you won't be able to stay in a deficit on a refeed day, but you should drop protein and keep fats as low as possible so you only really go up to around maintenance, if not slightly over, so you're getting complete glycogen replenishment while also keeping your calories in check. And that's how kind of refeeds work, and that's what makes them different from a cheat day. And that's also why we don't gain fat off refeeds. Would you ever go on reality television? Uh, yeah, it depends on the show, of course, but definitely I'd love to if it was a good, good quality TV show. Christian Guzman just opened his athlete gym. Do you think you'll ever do something like that in Dublin? Um, absolutely. You know, if not in Dublin, somewhere. Opening up my own gym is obviously a dream of mine. I think every kind of fitness, gym head, would love to open up their own gym. So yeah, absolutely, it's definitely down the line, you know. I just need to grow myself as a brand, my YouTube channel, you know, my social media. So if I ever do open a gym, I'll have people ready to sign up and go to it. But I'd love to just make an amazing atmosphere. Oh, like, it would be great. So yeah, no, definitely, um, it's, it's in, it's in the plans. Are there times when you're just not feeling it and what gets you through it? Yes, absolutely. You know, I'd be lying if I said I was always on point in my diet and always on point in my training. But what motivates me a lot is kind of like this channel and everything and like my clients. Like, you should— for me anyways, I should be leading by example. And sometimes I'm just like, oh, I'm not bothered going to the gym. I'm just kind of like, shut up, you know. There's people with so much more problems than don't have time to go to the gym, and I'm here complaining like, "Oh, it's too cold outside," you know. So I basically just say, Rob, would you fucking listen to yourself and stop being a fucking pussy? Is it normal to not see strength gains while eating at a deficit? I'm trying to cut, but it sucks hitting the gym so much and not pushing more weight. Yeah, it's completely normal. If you're actually maintaining the weight you're lifting in the gym, that's a great job. A lot of people lose strength on a cut, so if you're maintaining, well done. That's good. Annabelle Hart 13: Do you lift? Are you going to be at BodyPower UK this year? 100%. Last year it was my first ever fitness expo that I went to and I had an absolute blast. But this year I'll know a lot more of what to expect, so I'm looking more forward to it this year. Have you experienced any hate through your rise in fitness industry, especially from old-school bodybuilders who have the mindset of what's he won doing shows, etc.? You get me? Uh, yeah, you'll always kind of get like the, the older crowd who don't understand the way, you know, the kind of fitness industry is pretty much is based on social media nowadays. They don't get it. So yeah, you get a few people hating like that, but it's a different generation and, you know, they just don't really understand. "I saw a picture on Google on the left where there's a diagram of a man. He was obese. His torso was split into 3 sections: breakfast, lunch, and dinner." Okay, you can find this picture on Google by typing in "breakfast, lunch, dinner." I'll just put the picture here. If you could explain if this is true or not, that would be great. Okay, this is just complete bullshit. Don't believe everything you see on the internet because it's a picture with writing on it. I will just give you a perfect example of why you shouldn't believe everything you see on the internet because it's not necessarily true. Right, I'm going to wrap things up there. This has gone on for long enough. I absolutely love doing these Q&As and just chatting with you guys. It's great, it's very fulfilling when people mail me and they say, "Hey, your information has really helped me out." So leave a comment down below if you want to ask any further questions. And I will try my best to reply to you. I always try to reply to all the comments. So thank you so much for watching. Be sure to leave the video a like if you enjoyed it. I will catch you next time. Keep it real.