training

"Bodybuilders don't need sports science to be big, but it can take sport to the next level and help us iron out details".

Meta Description Dr. Eric Helms joins Dave Tate to discuss bridging the gap between "meathead" passion and academic rigor, detailing the origins of 3D Muscle Journey, the science of autoregulation and RPE, and optimal approaches to protein intake and hypertrophy for natural athletes.

I made a promise to John Meadows at his grave site that I would never walk away from the business, meaning I had to show up every single day with integrity and the highest work ethic possible to uphold his legacy. This ongoing commitment involves using a hybrid training approach, rotating between low- and high-volume exercises based on the body's response, and guiding clients through strategic fat loss and rebound phases to maximize progress.

For years, bodybuilding work was treated like fluff, something “real” lifters didn’t waste time on. Powerlifters mocked curls, lateral raises, and cable work as meaningless vanity exercises. If it didn’t build the squat, bench, or deadlift directly, it didn’t matter. But time has a funny way of proving you wrong.

Chris Edmonds' proven bodybuilding routine for massive chest growth: a slight incline dumbbell press focuses on progressive overload and pump, followed by an incline barbell press that employs a shortened range of motion to protect the rotator cuff. For triceps, the routine progresses from a high-rep cable push-down warm-up to a shoulder-width close-grip bench press power movement, concluding with a stretching dumbbell exercise done on a slight incline.

If you’re a powerlifter, whether you compete seriously or love chasing PRs in the gym, there’s a good chance you’ve dealt with some level of aches, pains, or maybe even full-blown injuries. It comes with the territory, to some extent.

Lifters chase novelty because the body adapts, and the mind gets bored. High-volume builds a base, while low-volume refines it. The pendulum keeps swinging because both work — for a while. What matters is not the method but the phase of life you’re in.

The Lifetime Table Talk Crew Membership is open again — and likely for the last time,  giving lifters and coaches a one-time chance to lock in all-access membership for just $299. No renewals, no monthly fees, just lifelong access to exclusive content, community, and support that fuels the future of the Table Talk Podcast.

"I remember just taking that bar and exploding so fast off my chest I want to throw it right through the ceiling... it's like a drug right it's like holy fuck i just hit 405 like 45 pounds... and nobody even knows this except for me. I'm 42 years old why do I keep doing this... but it's all I know it's the greatest feeling in the world man."

On March 7, 2025, I did one of the stupidest things that I could've done: I flipped a tire. However, this decision turned out to be the one thing that propelled me to a place in strongman that I have never been before: at the top of the podium. I want to share my story in the hope that you can draw some lessons and inspiration from it for your own training.