Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin

The Fundamentals of Training for Muscle, Strength & Longevity

In this episode, I answer your questions in the first-ever open Q&A on Perform, working through the five themes that came up most. I start with how I think about training for longevity—why being well-rounded and resilient matters more than chasing any single marker like grip strength or VO2 max. From there, I break down the basics of training for muscle, strength, and fat loss, including the simple rules I use for each: the 72-hour rule for hypertrophy, the 3-to-5 rule for strength, and the 5-4-3-2-1 rule for fat loss. I then walk through my exact process for program design, what "functional" training really means, and where AI is actually useful—and where it falls short—for your health and performance. This one is for anyone who wants a clear, practical foundation for building their own training. Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/galpin David: https://davidprotein.com/perform LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Introduction: The First-Ever Perform Q&A (00:02:48) Training for Longevity & Resilience (00:05:52) Grip Strength & VO2 Max: Proxies vs. Real Targets (00:12:51) Muscle vs. Strength vs. Fat Loss (00:14:10) Building Muscle: Mechanical Tension & the 72-Hour Rule (00:19:54) Progressive Overload (00:22:39) Training Strength as a Skill (00:26:45) The 3-to-5 Rule for Strength & Power (00:30:10) Fat Loss & the 5-4-3-2-1 Rule (00:36:48) Program Design: The Modifiable Variables (00:38:07) Frequency, Exercise Choice & Order (00:45:24) Intensity, Volume & Rest Intervals (00:48:52) Predicting Problems in Your Program (00:50:24) Functional Training & Movement Quality (00:59:12) Stretching, Flexibility & Lengthened Partials (01:03:26) AI in Health & Performance (01:09:10) Recap & Closing Thoughts Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Drives Muscle Growth & What Doesn't | Dr. Mike Roberts

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Mike Roberts, Professor in the School of Kinesiology at Auburn University, and one of the most respected muscle physiologists, to explain how muscle actually grows. Mike shares that mechanical tension—not hormones, metabolic byproducts, or muscle damage—is the primary driver of hypertrophy. We cover why testosterone and androgen receptors don't necessarily predict muscle growth, what separates high responders from low responders, and how these “low responders” should train to best get results. We also work through training volume, load versus reps, lengthened partials, aging and anabolic resistance, and the interference effect between strength and endurance training. If you want to understand the real science of building muscle, this conversation is for you. Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/galpin LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform Trumed: https://truemed.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Introduction (00:03:15) How Muscle Grows (00:17:39) What Drives Growth: Tension, Stress & Damage (00:24:08) Responders vs. Non-Responders (00:29:54) Hormones, Receptors & Genetics (00:48:01) Cell Signaling, mTOR & Myostatin (00:56:32) Can Some People Not Grow Muscle? (01:01:34) Training Volume for Hypertrophy (01:08:34) Loads, Reps & Stretch Under Load (01:17:13) Range of Motion, Partials & Hyperplasia (01:31:31) Injury, Unloading & Muscle Banking (01:39:32) Muscle Memory: Detraining & Retraining (01:47:42) Aging, Menopause & Anabolic Resistance (02:01:21) Concurrent Training & the Interference Effect (02:08:54) How to Combine Strength & Cardio (02:24:03) Strength Training & Mitochondria (02:25:21) Closing Thoughts Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Identify & Fix Muscle Imbalances & Injury Risks 

In this episode, I tackle muscle asymmetries and imbalances — when the differences between your two sides help you, when they hurt you, and what to actually do about them. I move past the popular "10% rule" and walk through my three I's framework: how to investigate asymmetries across morphology (muscle size and shape), quality (fat infiltration inside the muscle), and functionality (strength, power, and movement); how to interpret the data using context rather than blanket numbers; and how to intervene with a practical five-step correction program built around unilateral training and plyometrics. I cover testing tools from tape measures to MRI, the research on grip-strength asymmetry and aging, and why lower-body asymmetries warrant more attention than upper-body ones. This is for athletes, coaches, and anyone who moves and wants to reduce injury risk or perform at their best. Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform David: https://davidprotein.com/perform Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:02:30) The Three Types: Morphology, Quality, Function (00:09:09) Laterality: Skill vs. Force Dominance (00:13:21) Why Asymmetries Develop (00:19:47) The Bilateral Force Deficit (00:24:43) Investigate: How to Measure Asymmetries (00:29:27) Morphology: Tape Measures to MRI (00:30:41) Tissue Quality & Fat Infiltration (00:36:21) Functionality: The Unlimited Field of Tests (00:42:30) Interpret: When Do Asymmetries Matter? (00:43:25) Muscle Size: Is the Asymmetry Even Real? (00:51:02) Push vs. Pull & the Limb-Length Myth (00:58:44) Movement Screens & the FMS (01:01:30) Strength, Power & Injury Risk (01:04:25) Grip Strength Asymmetry & Aging (01:09:46) Symmetrical Sports & the Energy Leak (01:15:53) Red, Yellow, Green: The Real Thresholds (01:19:35) Intervene: Correcting Asymmetries (01:20:46) Why Plyometrics Work Best (01:23:50) The Five-Step Correction Program (01:31:59) The Volume Game (01:33:50) Resources & Final Takeaways Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Female Training, Hormones & Nutrition: Fact vs. Fiction | Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple to examine what the science says about female-specific training and nutrition. We discuss why so little research has historically focused on women, what makes menstrual cycle research so difficult and expensive to run, and what her own dissertation found when she measured muscle protein synthesis across cycle phases. Dr. Colenso-Semple explains the real hormone fluctuations of the menstrual cycle, why testosterone matters far less for women's muscle than people assume, and why men and women gain strength and size at the same relative rate at any age, including through menopause. We also cover low energy availability, scientific literacy, and how to figure out what works for you. This episode is for anyone, coach or lifter, trying to separate evidence from misinformation in women's fitness. Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform David: https://davidprotein.com/perform TrueMed: https://truemed.com/perform Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Lauren Colenso-Semple (00:01:51) The Lit Review That Never Was (00:07:01) Why Women Got Bad Training Advice (00:11:23) Individualization & Where Sex Actually Ranks (00:21:09) Estrogen, Rodent Models & the Anabolic Myth (00:34:52) Hormones Across the Menstrual Cycle (00:45:18) The Myth of the Textbook 28-Day Cycle (00:51:41) Why Female Research Is So Hard (00:57:55) Inside Lauren's Dissertation: Tracers & Biopsies (01:06:10) Strength, Power & Hypertrophy: No Phase Effect (01:14:13) The Real Role of Testosterone & Menopause (01:23:36) Becoming a Better Consumer of Science (01:50:10) Low Energy Availability & RED-S (01:57:30) Advice for the Average Woman Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Think Clearly in an Age of Distraction | Sam Harris

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Sam Harris to discuss how attention, mindfulness, and clear thinking shape performance. We start by separating intelligence from wisdom, then look at how modern technology is rewiring our attentional capacity — including which tools enhance cognition and which compete with it. Sam walks through three approaches to working with the mind: training concentration, practicing mindfulness, and using cognitive reframing. We also get into how to receive criticism without ego, why institutions and the Scientific Process still matter in an era of independent media, and what AI means  for our future. This episode is for anyone who wants to think more clearly, feel less hijacked by their own thoughts, and build a more durable relationship to attention. Show notes: https://performpodcast.com/episodes/sam-harris-how-to-think-clearly-in-age-of-distraction Waking Up x Absolute Rest challenge: https://wakingup.com/andy Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform David: https://davidprotein.com/perform LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Introduction & Sam Harris (00:02:30) Intelligence, Smartness & Wisdom (00:16:13) Outsourcing Cognition: AI as Tool vs. Competitor (00:21:19) The Death of Boredom & the Inner Voice (00:30:07) Mindfulness & Three Paths to Mental Freedom (00:42:20) Overcoming Resistance to Meditation (01:01:25) Psychedelics vs. Meditation (01:09:01) Emotion, Reason & Handling Criticism (01:28:06) Process, Expertise & the Scientific Crisis (01:50:44) Restoring Trust in Institutions (02:02:29) Consciousness, AI & the Hard Problem (02:16:18) Uploading, Teleportation & the Revenge of the Humanities (02:25:14) Closing Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices