Build Your Ideal Physique | Dr. Bret Contreras

In this episode of the Huberman Lab podcast, Dr. Andrew Huberman engages in a comprehensive discussion with Dr. Brett Contreras, an expert in sports science and strength training, renowned as the "glute guy." They delve into the importance of resistance training for health and aesthetics, emphasizing the need for tailored programs to achieve specific body goals. Dr. Contreras highlights the significance of exercises like squats, deadlifts, and hip thrusts for glute development and overall muscle growth. The conversation covers optimizing training frequency, volume, and intensity, addressing common mistakes, and debunking myths about muscle building and fat loss. Dr. Contreras also offers insights into the genetic aspects of muscle growth and the importance of progressive overload and recovery.

• Resistance training is crucial for both immediate and long-term health, with clear scientific backing.
• The discussion focuses on how to effectively resistance train to achieve personal aesthetic and performance goals.
• Tailoring resistance training programs can help prioritize growth in specific body parts without losing progress in others.
• Resistance training can aid in gaining muscle while getting leaner.

"Today's discussion is a very important one because anyone interested in their immediate and long-term health needs to resistance train. The science is extremely clear on that."

• Emphasizes the necessity of resistance training for health.

• Beginners can see results with just one full-body workout per week, though two to three times a week is more effective.
• Most significant results come from hitting each muscle group twice per week.
• The volume of exercise is not linear; the first set contributes significantly to gains.

"I would say two times a week full body would be like the minimum... If you want to maximize your gains, you need to hit a muscle probably twice a week."

• Recommends a minimum frequency for effective resistance training.

• Progressive overload is the key principle in strength training, involving gradually increasing the tension placed on muscles.
• Tracking progress through a logbook or app is essential to ensure gains.
• Many people do not focus on progressive overload, leading to stagnation.

"The main thing is are you progressively overloading the muscles? Are you putting more tension on the muscles over time? And that's how people grow."

• Highlights the importance of progressively increasing muscle tension for growth.

• A common split involves training lower body three times per week and upper body twice, especially for women focused on glutes.
• The choice of exercises and their order can significantly affect recovery and effectiveness.
• Recovery varies among individuals, and training frequency should be adjusted accordingly.

"I like my clients training three times per week. Full body three times per week."

• Suggests a training split that balances volume and recovery.

• MRV is the concept of doing as much volume as possible while still recovering adequately.
• It's crucial to adjust variables like exercise selection, volume, and effort to avoid overtraining.
• Understanding MRV helps in designing effective training programs.

"You want to do as much volume as possible but still recovering from it."

• Explains the balance between training volume and recovery.

• Developing the ability to contract muscles without weights is essential for effective resistance training.
• Beginners benefit from more volume to learn movements and develop neuromuscular control.
• Skill in targeting muscles is a significant factor in determining MRV.

"If you can't flex your muscles, how can you flex your muscles against resistance?"

• Underlines the importance of neuromuscular control in training.

• Training should be personalized based on individual goals, recovery capacity, and skill level.
• Online training programs tend to be more generic, while in-person training allows for more customization.
• Understanding personal recovery genetics can help tailor training frequency and intensity.

"Everyone can recover from two times a week, but you might not be able to recover if you do, you know, touch and go deadlifts to failure."

• Stresses the need for individualized training plans based on recovery capacity.

• Louis Simmons significantly influenced strength coaches in the late 90s and early 2000s with his unique methods.
• His approach included using bands and chains to vary resistance, making exercises easier in the stretch position and harder in the end range.
• He promoted rotating lifts every few weeks to prevent plateau and injury.

"All of us strength coaches back in the late 90s, the early 2000s were he was our primary influence."

• Louis Simmons' methods were foundational for many strength coaches during this period.

"He used a lot of bands and chains. That's a little bit easier in the stretch position, a little bit harder in the end range position."

• Bands and chains were used to modify resistance dynamically throughout the lift.

• Progressive overload is a key principle but has limitations; continuous increase in reps or weight is not sustainable indefinitely.
• Incorporating a variety of exercises can prevent injuries and maintain progress.
• Switching exercises and introducing variety helps avoid the pain and injury cycle.

"You can't get stronger continually over time anyway. Eventually, you get hurt."

• Continuous strength increase is unsustainable and can lead to injury.

"You can't just keep going up. It doesn't happen."

• Progressive overload has limitations, and expecting constant progress is unrealistic.

• The six essential lifts include squats, bench press, deadlifts, military press, chin-ups, and hip thrusts.
• These lifts ensure comprehensive muscle development across the body.
• Variations of these lifts can be used to target different muscle groups and prevent overuse injuries.

"My top six are squats, bench press, deadlifts, military press, chin-ups, and hip thrusts."

• These six lifts are foundational for balanced muscle development.

"In my opinion, you're going to develop all your muscles with these six lifts."

• These lifts cover all major muscle groups, ensuring overall muscle growth.

• The quarantine period led to the development of "strong lifting," focusing on six key lifts.
• Clients trained intensively during this time, leading to significant strength gains.
• The environment of competition and support among clients enhanced performance.

"2020 was, sad enough, probably the best year of all of our lives. We'll say it was the best year. We lifted weights all day long."

• The unique circumstances of quarantine allowed for intense focus on training.

"Strong lifting is the six lifts. Those six lifts I just mentioned. We're going to start competing."

• Strong lifting was developed as a competitive approach to include more comprehensive lifts beyond traditional powerlifting.

• High-intensity training can lead to overtraining and injuries if not managed properly.
• Reset reps and lower reps with strict form are recommended to avoid excessive fatigue.
• The psychological environment, including music and encouragement, can enhance performance but also lead to burnout if overused.

"We're not going to train with music. It beats you up too much. We're not going to do touch and go. We're going to do reset reps."

• Adjustments in training approach can help manage fatigue and prevent injury.

"Most people need to train harder. Then there's the category that people who train too hard."

• Finding the right balance of training intensity is crucial to avoid overtraining.

• Genetic differences can influence how individuals respond to training in terms of strength and volume.
• Some people may benefit more from single sets, while others require multiple sets.
• Understanding personal genetic predispositions can help tailor training programs effectively.

"There's probably a genetic element to how many sets is optimal for us."

• Genetic factors can dictate optimal training volume and response.

"Some people do better with lower body doing single sets versus multiple sets."

• Individual responses to training can vary significantly due to genetic factors.

• Training frequency and intensity should align with lifestyle and personal goals to maintain motivation.
• Real-life constraints, such as time and energy, should be considered when planning training schedules.
• Consistency and enjoyment in training are key to long-term success.

"You look amazing. You're 49 years old. You've been lifting weights since you were 16. Same here."

• Long-term consistency in training leads to sustained results and health benefits.

"You have to make adjustments when you're training frequently."

• Frequent training requires flexibility and adaptation to maintain progress and avoid burnout.

• Psychological factors, such as motivation and enjoyment, play a significant role in training success.
• Training should not feel like a chore; it should be something enjoyable and sustainable.
• Adjusting training to fit psychological needs can enhance long-term adherence and results.

"The psychological component is huge and that gets ignored."

• Psychological aspects are crucial for maintaining motivation and consistency in training.

"You have to keep the goal of the goal. Keep lifting weights to where you enjoy it."

• Enjoyment and motivation are central to successful long-term training.

• Injuries can significantly reduce non-exercise activity levels, affecting overall energy expenditure.
• Maintaining injury-free training is crucial for staying active and healthy.
• Addressing and preventing injuries can help maintain activity levels and prevent weight gain.

"If you have nagging pain, my knees hurt right now. I can't do squats right now."

• Injuries can limit activity and hinder progress, emphasizing the need for injury prevention.

"When we have a nagging pain or injury, we just move a lot less."

• Pain and injuries reduce overall movement, affecting energy expenditure and fitness levels.

• Emphasis on a sustainable approach to training and work schedules to avoid burnout.
• Importance of adjusting routines every few years to accommodate life changes and prevent hitting a wall.
• The guilt associated with feeling you should always be doing more, especially in entrepreneurial and social media-driven careers.
• Finding a balance between work, training, and personal life to maintain long-term productivity and health.

"You need to update these schedules. So I think there's so much truth to this and not just with working out but like even nowadays if you're an entrepreneur on social media you feel guilty the rest of your life because you could always be doing more but it's like what's sustainable."

• The quote emphasizes the necessity of updating schedules for sustainability and the guilt associated with always feeling the need to do more in modern careers.

• Discussion on the anatomical functions of the glutes: hip extension, hip abduction, hip external rotation, and posterior pelvic tilt.
• Importance of glute strength and hypertrophy for both men and women.
• The role of glutes in athletic movements such as sprinting and rotational sports.

"The glutes do three main things. Hip extension, hip abduction, hip external rotation. They also do posterior pelvic tilt which is like hip extension."

• This quote outlines the primary functions of the glutes, highlighting their role in various physical activities and their importance in overall strength and stability.

• Historical focus on squats, deadlifts, and lunges for glute development.
• Introduction of glute activation exercises like glute bridges, fire hydrants, and lateral band walks.
• Explanation of different vectors of glute training: axial loading, ant posterior loading, lateral vector, and rotational vector.
• Rule of thirds for exercise selection: one-third vertical, one-third horizontal, one-third lateral/rotary movements.

"In the past, it was always just squat or deadlift. Squat or deadlift or lunge back in our era... That's all people did."

• This quote reflects on the traditional exercises used for glute development and the evolution towards a more varied approach to target different muscle functions.

• The concept of maximizing recoverable volume through varied exercise selection.
• The importance of balancing training volume and recovery, especially when training multiple times a week.
• Strategies for training glutes multiple times a week without overtraining.

"You do vertical movements to work the stretch position with the glutes. These place the most torque, the most loading on the hip when you're deep down in the stretch."

• Highlights the importance of exercise variety to target different muscle aspects and ensure adequate recovery.

• Recommendations for exercises targeting specific parts of the glutes, such as reverse lunges for the lower glute max.
• The effectiveness of step-ups, hip thrusts, and seated hip abductions for glute development.
• Adjustments in exercise selection based on individual recovery and soreness levels.

"If you're just going to train glutes once a week, reverse lunge is your go-to movement."

• Suggests specific exercises based on training frequency and desired muscle development outcomes.

• Strategies for addressing lagging muscle groups, such as increasing training frequency and adjusting volume.
• The importance of honest self-assessment in identifying underdeveloped areas.
• Utilizing a specialized approach for temporary high-volume training to stimulate growth.

"Add volume to the lagging part and take some volume away. You can't just hammer everything."

• Emphasizes the need to focus on lagging areas by adjusting overall training volume and prioritizing specific muscle groups.

• Discussion on the benefits of neck training for aesthetics and functional strength.
• The role of neck training in improving posture and complementing upper body exercises.
• Recommendations for safe and effective neck training practices.

"You want to grow the neck muscles, you have to train the neck muscles."

• Stresses the necessity of targeted neck training for muscle development and overall strength enhancement.

• Specializing in certain muscle groups can lead to better overall muscle growth rather than trying to train every muscle with high volume simultaneously.
• Prioritizing one upper body and one lower body muscle group per month may enhance growth significantly during the focus month while maintaining other muscles with limited volume.
• This method involves rotating focus through different muscle groups and adjusting training volume and intensity accordingly.

"The first set is the most important. It's for bringing up lagging muscle groups, but also what if you just wanted to maximize hypertrophy?"

• Emphasizing the importance of the initial set in a workout for targeting weaker muscle groups and maximizing muscle growth.

"So month one it's, you know, it's uh quads and pecs. And month two, it's back and hamstrings."

• Illustrates a rotational focus strategy for muscle training, targeting different muscle groups each month.

• Short periods of prioritized training for specific muscles, with higher frequency and varied movements, can lead to significant muscle growth.
• Throttling back on volume for stronger muscle groups is crucial to bring weaker ones up to the same level.
• Incorporating variety in exercises and rep ranges can stimulate muscle growth even without progressive overload.

"Short periods of let's say four to six weeks a prioritization training with more a muscle three times a week different movements perhaps even different rep ranges."

• Highlights the strategy of focusing on specific muscle groups with varied exercises and rep ranges for optimal growth.

"I started training more volume, more frequency. I wasn't necessarily focused on progressive overload either."

• Suggests that increasing training volume and frequency can lead to muscle growth even without focusing on progressive overload.

• Grip strength can be significantly improved with focused training over a few months and maintained with minimal ongoing effort.
• Using chalk, mixed grip, and a well-knurled bar can enhance grip strength, especially for heavy lifts like deadlifts.

"I once I focused on my grip training for like two, three months, I got it super strong."

• Indicates the effectiveness of dedicated grip training in enhancing grip strength.

"Chalk adds like 80 pounds to my grip. mixed grip adds another 80 pounds and using a really nurled bar adds like another 80 pounds to my grip."

• Describes how different techniques and tools can significantly increase grip strength.

• Taking deliberate breaks from training can be beneficial for mental freshness and injury prevention.
• Although breaks do not necessarily enhance muscle growth, they do not significantly hinder it either.
• Listening to the body and incorporating easy days or different exercises can prevent overtraining and injuries.

"It's important to not necessarily take a week off, but chill for at least a few days, maybe a whole week."

• Emphasizes the importance of taking breaks to prevent injuries and maintain long-term training effectiveness.

"You gain it back quickly due to like muscle memory."

• Suggests that muscle memory aids in quickly regaining lost strength after breaks.

• Rotating exercises and focusing on different muscle patterns can maintain strength and prevent monotony in training.
• Single-leg exercises can maintain bilateral strength and offer variety in training routines.
• Changing the order of exercises can help maintain strength and prevent injuries.

"Pick one one exercise from that pattern and trust that you're going to maintain most of your strength."

• Encourages trust in exercise rotation for maintaining overall strength.

"You don't have to do every lift year round. They transfer each other."

• Highlights the interchangeability of exercises in maintaining strength.

• Muscle growth is possible at any age, though the rate may be slower for older individuals.
• Strength training during pregnancy is beneficial and can be continued with modifications based on individual comfort and safety.
• Starting resistance training later in life can still lead to significant muscle gains.

"Absolutely but it just matters when you like whenever you start if you start training in your 80s."

• Affirms the potential for muscle growth regardless of age when starting resistance training.

"Strength training during pregnancy is um very um well researched. It it is absolutely something you should do."

• Supports the safety and benefits of strength training during pregnancy.

• Focused exercises like lunges, step-ups, squats, RDLs, and hip thrusts effectively target glute and lower body muscles.
• Genetic factors can influence fat distribution and muscle appearance in the glute region.
• Maintaining optimal body composition through diet and targeted exercises can enhance the aesthetic appearance of glutes.

"Get strong at, you know, lunges, step ups, squats, RDL's, and hip thrusts."

• Recommends specific exercises for effective glute and lower body training.

"Some women have what I call like genetic BBL programming."

• Discusses genetic predispositions affecting glute aesthetics and fat distribution.

• Recomposition, or gaining muscle while losing fat, is possible and does not necessarily require a caloric surplus.
• Maintaining adequate protein intake and focusing on strength gains can lead to significant body composition changes.
• Mini bulks and cuts are recommended over large weight fluctuations for effective recomposition.

"Most of my clients recmp. They come to me. I attract already fit people who come to me and then I don't I don't I say, 'Do you get enough protein?'"

• Describes the recomposition approach focusing on nutrition and strength.

"Just gain five pounds and lose five pounds. You don't have to put on 30 lbs."

• Advises on using mini bulks and cuts for effective body recomposition.

• One set to failure per exercise can be a time-efficient way to achieve significant muscle gains.
• Rotating exercises and focusing on different muscle groups can prevent training plateaus and injuries.
• Training should be adaptable to individual schedules, preferences, and goals to maintain motivation and consistency.

"One set to failure. Who does it? Who does one set to failure?"

• Highlights the efficiency of training with one set to failure for each body part.

"It's a strategy I wish more people knew about because a lot of people quit lifting because they think they have to do it for periods of time."

• Advocates for efficient training strategies to improve adherence to weight training routines.