Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew Coates

Stan Efferding is an icon of bodybuilding, powerlifting, and elite evidence-based coaching.

Stan returns with his unique ability to interpret cutting-edge research and combine it with decades of real-world experience coaching athletes at every level.

We discuss:

• Whether you actually need to be in a calorie surplus to build muscle
• How large a calorie surplus should be if the goal is maximizing muscle while minimizing fat gain
• Whether the traditional “dirty bulk” is finally dead
• Why gaining weight faster does not necessarily mean gaining muscle faster
• Which populations may still benefit from more traditional bulk-and-cut cycles
• How bodybuilding and fitness influencers have distorted expectations around realistic rates of muscle growth
• The impact of performance-enhancing drugs on what people believe is naturally achievable
• What is really happening with so-called “hardgainers”
• Why increases in NEAT can make gaining weight surprisingly difficult for some people
• Practical strategies for eating more when gaining weight is the goal
• Whether people starting at a higher body-fat percentage should get leaner before focusing on maximizing muscle growth
• Insulin resistance, body composition, and recomposition
• What matters more for muscle growth: nutrition or mechanical tension?
• Why training provides the signal and nutrition supports the adaptation
• Why simply consuming more protein cannot compensate for inadequate training
• Mechanical tension and what actually drives hypertrophy
• Effort and effective rep ranges
• Training volume and time efficiency
• Where diminishing returns begin with additional training volume
• Minimum effective volume versus maximizing muscle growth
• Why more exercise does not automatically produce more weight loss
• Common mistakes people make when using exercise for fat loss
• The role of cardio in weight management
• Why cardio calories are more complicated than simply reading the number on a machine
• How to reconcile step counts, structured cardio, and energy expenditure
• Why exercise needs to be enjoyable enough to sustain
• And much more

Follow Stan on Instagram:

@stanefferding

CHAPTERS

01:47 Do You Need a Calorie Surplus to Build Muscle?
05:41 Training Matters More Than the Surplus
09:24 PEDs and Unrealistic Muscle-Growth Expectations
14:36 Hardgainers, Appetite, and NEAT
18:02 Practical Strategies to Eat More
29:55 Training Beats Simply Eating More Protein
31:18 Mechanical Tension Explained
32:48 Effort and Effective Rep Ranges
33:22 Training Volume and Time Efficiency
36:35 Diminishing Returns From More Training
39:21 High-Volume Training Anecdotes
42:20 Minimum Effective Training Volume
44:34 Exercise and Weight-Loss Mistakes
52:43 Make Exercise Enjoyable
53:48 Reconciling Steps and Structured Cardio
55:57 Final Thoughts and Where to Find Stan

SUPPORT THE SHOW

If this episode helped you better understand nutrition, muscle growth, training volume, or fat loss:

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FOLLOW ANDREW COATES

Instagram: @andrewcoatesfitness

https://www.andrewcoatesfitness.com

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I’m honoured to celebrate episode #500 with Dr. Layne Norton as my guest.

Layne is an icon of the fitness industry: a prolific educator, author, champion, world-record-holding powerlifter, and a major influence throughout my own career.

For this milestone, Layne joins me for a wide-ranging and personal conversation about work ethic, resilience, coaching, evidence, public battles, money, family, and the experiences that shaped who he is.

We discuss:

• What Layne means by “You will not outwork me”
• Where his work ethic came from and navigating ADHD
• PhD setbacks, major injuries, and rebuilding
• Business fallout, legal conflict, and career battles
• When relentless hustle stops being productive
• How Layne’s public persona developed
• Who he might be without years of battling industry grifters
• Why hearing “I believe in you” matters
• Great coaching beyond programming and nutrition
• Mentorship and Layne’s coaching tree
• Scrutinizing claims from people with impressive credentials
• Why credentials should never replace evaluating evidence
• Applying the same logic to claims you agree and disagree with
• Higher protein intake and mortality claims
• Saturated fat, seed oils, and nutrition narratives
• Why “the human body is not an algorithm” is misleading
• Calories in versus calories out and the financial-budget analogy
• Being frugal with possessions while prioritizing meaningful experiences
• Cars, homes, watches, heirlooms, and emotional value
• Layne’s proudest powerlifting moments
• And much more

I hope you enjoy this vulnerable peek behind the curtain of one of our industry’s most prominent authorities.

Thank you for being part of the journey to 500 episodes.

I’m far from done.

Follow Layne on Instagram: @biolayne

CHAPTERS

01:22 Layne Norton’s Origins
06:36 Work Ethic, ADHD, and Resilience
08:11 Injuries and the Comeback
09:36 PhD Setbacks and Building a System
12:14 Business Fallout and Legal Battles
19:33 When Hustle Starts to Hurt
24:32 Layne’s Public Persona and Fitness Grifters
27:19 The Pillars of Great Coaching
33:24 Mentorship and the Coaching Tree
34:14 Building a Coaching Legacy
36:12 Credentials Versus Evidence
38:19 Applying Logic Symmetrically
40:04 Protein Intake and the Longevity Debate
45:01 Saturated Fat, Seed Oils, and Nutrition Claims
47:22 Calories In, Calories Out
52:27 The Budget Analogy for Tracking Calories
54:02 Frugal Cars and Dream Homes
56:40 The Meaning Behind a Family Heirloom Watch
59:39 Spend Money on Experiences
01:02:46 Layne’s Greatest Powerlifting Moments
01:04:08 Final Thoughts and Episode #500 Wrap-Up

Save 20% on Dr. Layne Norton’s Biolayne and Certified Nutrition Coach certifications through Clean Health Institute, with extra savings when bundled:
https://cleanhealth.edu.au/sp/liftfree-layne/

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If you enjoyed Lift Free and Diet Hard or this episode helped you:
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• Share the show and tag @andrewcoatesfitness
• Send this episode to someone who would appreciate Layne’s story
• Leave a rating or review

Thank you for helping this show reach 500 episodes.

FOLLOW ANDREW COATES

Instagram: @andrewcoatesfitness
https://www.andrewcoatesfitness.com

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Dr. Sean Pastuch returns to share lessons from his career and his new book, Live More, Hurt Less.

Sean joins me to discuss:

• How he defines “Live More, Hurt Less”
• What that philosophy looks like in real life
• Why helping people feel heard can be such an important part of navigating pain and movement limitations
• The three identities Sean believes are relevant to meaningful change
• The “Be, Do, Have” framework
• The difference between confidence and self-esteem
• Why identity work does not need to become vague or “woo”
• What Sean means when he says, “Discipline is not the cause; it’s the effect”
• Why pain itself is not always the biggest problem
• What Sean means by, “Pain is not the problem. The problem is the compromises pain forces you to make”
• The difference between sacrifice and compromise
• Why accepting a smaller life can become normalized
• What Sean means by, “Compromise is the acceptance that living less is reasonable”
• How social permission can make quitting feel acceptable
• Sean’s own turning point with neck pain
• The role of anchors and action in changing behaviour
• How conflicting identities can interfere with progress
• Why analytical people can sometimes think their way into inaction
• Reconciling “It’s never about you and it’s always your responsibility”
• Why commitment can matter more than endlessly trying
• Why meaningful change is supposed to be difficult
• Coaching people who actually fit your philosophy and process
• Sean’s thoughts on influencers, virtue signalling, and online behaviour
• Lessons from marriage, relationships, and communication
• And much more

Follow Sean on Instagram:

@drseanpastuch

CHAPTERS

00:51 Why Sean Wrote Live More, Hurt Less
02:27 The Identity Model for Change
03:36 The Be, Do, Have Framework
06:11 Confidence Versus Self-Esteem
10:11 Why Identity Work Isn’t “Woo”
13:12 Discipline Is the Result
16:43 Pain, Restriction, and Compromise
21:18 Sacrifice Versus Compromise
24:46 When Society Gives You Permission to Quit
29:04 Sean’s Neck Pain Turning Point
31:34 Anchors, Identity, and Taking Action
36:03 Identity Conflict and Behaviour Change
38:18 The Analytical Mindset Trap
40:28 “It’s Not About You” and Personal Responsibility
44:57 Love Languages, Marriage, and Communication
49:53 Stop Trying and Start Committing
56:40 Coaching the Right Clients
58:51 Influencers and Virtue Signalling
01:03:14 Final Thoughts, Resources, and Gratitude

SUPPORT THE SHOW

If this episode helped you think differently about pain, identity, discipline, or personal responsibility:

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• Share the episode on social media and tag @andrewcoatesfitness
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FOLLOW ANDREW COATES

Instagram: @andrewcoatesfitness

https://www.andrewcoatesfitness.com

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Emma Storey-Gordon is one of my favourite authorities and communicators when it comes to combining evidence-based fitness and nutrition with practical, real-world application.

Emma returns to share her expertise and discuss her new book, The Fat Loss Coach for Women.

We get into:

• Whether fat loss is fundamentally different for women
• Which differences are physiological and which are rooted more in psychology, lifestyle, and lived experience
• The problems with the phrase “women are not just small men” when it is used to justify unsupported fitness claims
• Why smaller body size can create very real challenges for women trying to lose fat
• Portion sizes, restaurants, and an environment designed around larger energy intakes
• Why menopause influencers often tell women they need to lift exclusively in heavy 3–5 rep ranges
• How that overlaps with hypertrophy influencers claiming everyone should live in the 4–6 rep range
• Why moderate and higher rep ranges remain incredibly useful
• How fear around “stress” in women and “fatigue” in men often reflects the same exaggerated concern about training
• Why confusing fitness messaging can lead people to do nothing at all
• The terrible calorie advice frequently given to shorter women
• What NEAT adaptation actually means during fat loss
• Why magnitude matters when discussing research findings
• What insulin resistance is
• How to coach someone with insulin resistance
• Whether insulin resistance meaningfully changes the fundamentals of fat loss
• Protein and the insulin response
• Why women do not need to avoid coffee on an empty stomach
• Why running does not inherently make women gain fat
• How doing more exercise may actually improve energy levels
• The benefits and limitations of increasing cardio and resistance-training volume
• Diminishing returns and why they do not make additional training useless
• Aging, strength, falls, and maintaining independence
• Emma’s new book, The Fat Loss Coach for Women
• Supplement scams and misleading health marketing
• And much more

Follow Emma on Instagram:

@esgfitness

CHAPTERS

00:49 Is Fat Loss Different for Women?
04:49 Why Fitness Myths Feel True
07:25 Smaller Bodies and Bigger Portion Sizes
10:16 Restaurants, Portions, and Energy Intake
12:37 Supersize Me and Food Culture
15:39 What Training Looks Like in the Real World
19:56 Confusing Messaging Leads to Inaction
23:38 Terrible Calorie Advice for Short Women
26:56 NEAT Adaptation and Misleading Headlines
30:47 Why Magnitude Matters in Research
34:37 Insulin Resistance Explained
35:44 Coaching for Better Glucose Control
36:42 Protein and the Insulin Response
43:29 Does Running Make Women Gain Fat?
45:38 Can More Workouts Give You More Energy?
49:53 Aging, Independence, and Fall Risk
54:56 Diminishing Returns and Consistency
01:03:09 Emma’s Book and Supplement Scams

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FOLLOW ANDREW COATES

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Dr. Darren Candow is one of the world’s leading researchers and authorities on creatine and joins me to separate what we know from what is still hype.

Darren joins me to discuss:

• How to sift through the evidence and hype surrounding creatine
• What the research actually says about creatine and brain health
• Whether creatine may have a role in concussion and head-trauma research
• The current evidence around creatine and mental health
• Whether creatine can help mitigate some effects of sleep deprivation
• Creatine and bone health
• How much creatine actually contributes to muscle growth and performance
• Why strength and muscle matter for long-term independence
• How creatine may influence training quality
• Creatine timing and whether the anabolic window matters
• Loading protocols and daily dosing
• Whether creatine may have a role during injury rehabilitation
• How to interpret frightening headlines about creatine and cancer
• Whether creatine has any meaningful role in cancer research
• Creatine safety data, including concerns about kidney health
• Why elevated creatinine does not automatically mean kidney damage
• Whether caffeine interferes with creatine
• The best type of creatine to take
• Why some specialty creatine products may simply cost more without providing additional benefit
• Popular creatine myths
• Microdosing and other exciting areas for future research
• And much more

Follow Darren on Instagram:

@dr.darrencandow

CHAPTERS

00:45 Creatine Basics and Muscle Saturation
04:23 Creatine and Brain Health: Hype vs. Evidence
08:51 Creatine and Sleep Deprivation
13:10 Concussions and Head Trauma
17:51 Creatine and Mental Health
19:47 Safety, Kidney Health, and Creatinine
24:37 Homocysteine, Cancer, and Other Myths
28:37 How Much Muscle Does Creatine Actually Build?
29:27 Strength, Muscle, and Long-Term Independence
30:17 Bone and Brain Health
31:32 Creatine and Training Quality
34:19 The Best Forms of Creatine
37:32 Timing and the Anabolic Window
39:52 Cost, Marketing, and the “Pink Tax”
42:55 The Creatine and Caffeine Myth
45:46 Loading Protocols and Injury Rehabilitation
48:22 Future Research and Microdosing
50:45 Cooking With Creatine and Final Thoughts

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