Hammer and Chisel Performance Podcast

Why “Eating Like Our Ancestors” Makes No Sense

In this week's nutrition rant, I push back against the idea that the "ancestral diet" is the most optimal and healthy ways for humans to eat.

Ep.83: Marcus Filly, Elite Crossfit and Functional Bodybuilding

Marcus Filly is a former CrossFit Games athlete, strength coach, and the creator of Functional Bodybuilding (FBB) — a training philosophy that blends bodybuilding, functional fitness, mobility, and longevity-focused performance training. After years competing at the highest level of CrossFit, Marcus shifted his focus toward sustainable training methods that help people build muscle, move well, stay athletic, and avoid burnout. Through his coaching, content, and programs, he’s become one of the leading voices in hybrid performance and intelligent training design.

How to REALLY understand Calories in Vs Calories out (CICO)

In this week's nutrition rant, I dive into "Calories in Vs Calories out" (CICO) and explain why this principle is often highly misunderstood and oversimplified.

Ep.82: Will Ratelle, Our best, worst, and current training cycles

Back by popular demand, Will Ratelle jumps back on the pod and we dive into some pure training program talk. We discuss some of our most successful training cycles of years past, some of the worst cycles we ever ran, and our current training.

Monthly Q&A! Diet strategy, nutrition, training and more

You guys sent in questions to my Instagram page and I am tackling them in depth here! Time stamps below TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro / Monthly Q&A format1:51 Best body fat percentage for naturals to maximize muscle growth4:15 Refeeds breaking fat loss plateaus6:14 Bulk or cut for athletic performance?8:41 High sets low reps vs low sets high reps for strength and hypertrophy11:20 Cocoa powder vs dark chocolate12:40 Carb setup for 4AM training sessions14:28 Training recommendations for pre-teens and teenagers16:07 How long is too long for a fat loss phase?17:32 How to determine your calorie intake and maintenance calories20:16 Best way to get leaner while still getting stronger22:24 Tips for football players trying to gain weight on a budget24:00 Daily water intake recommendations for athletes25:42 Meal plans vs macro plans for nutrition coaching27:12 How to dose retatrutide27:52 Caffeine and nicotine dosing and timing30:22 Diet differences for middleweight vs openweight strongman32:17 Should carbs be reduced on non-training days?33:12 Intra-workout carbs and post-workout cardio for fat loss34:05 Summer shred program vs powerbuilding program35:13 How to stop nighttime binge eating36:43 College strength coaching vs private coaching39:02 How important is meal timing and meal frequency?41:18 Dad bod transformation: bulk or cut first?42:24 Is online sports performance coaching worth it?43:36 How to avoid bloating when eating large amounts of food45:10 Thoughts on store-bought bread and sourdough45:45 Do plant proteins count toward daily protein intake?46:29 Berberine vs retatrutide48:30 Potassium citrate vs potassium chloride49:14 Favorite carb sources besides rice and potatoes50:09 Daily fiber intake recommendations50:53 Fat loss plateaus when calories are already low52:12 Tips for eating higher carbs when appetite is low54:23 Carb cycling for a pro baseball pitcher55:44 Thoughts on mini bulks56:43 Are calves mostly genetic?58:14 Do peri-workout carbs improve fat loss?58:56 Bulking with fruit and honey59:25 Thoughts on Mark Bell’s sugar diet for bulking59:58 Is fasting helpful for fat loss?1:00:39 Sublingual peptides: yay or nay?1:01:20 Pre-workout hype videos and training rituals1:01:54 Non-alcoholic beer and metabolism1:02:45 Whey protein as an intra-workout option1:03:22 Cyclic dextrin vs maltodextrin1:04:10 High glycemic vs low glycemic carbs around training1:04:48 Current training split and when to add cardio1:06:50 Eating carbs 3 hours vs 30–60 minutes pre-workout1:08:17 Closing thoughts and missed questions1:09:03 Coaching, programs, and where to follow