Q&A: Exercise Selection, Fitness Testing, and Work-Life Balance

In today’s episode, Greg and Eric field listener questions about exercise selection for general strength purposes, testing protocols for overall fitness levels, vegan diets, optimizing exercise selection and execution based on anatomical principles, incline bench pressing, deadlifting on an uneven floor, and work-life balance.

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TIME STAMPS

​If you were building a long-term program for someone who was interested in general, overall strength, which 3-6 exercises would you choose? (3:46)

For someone interested in general strength, fitness, and athleticism, what tests would you use to periodically assess their progress? Call it the “SBS Combine.” (16:41)

Eric mentioned on a recent podcast that he's now fully vegan. Aside from avoiding animal products, I'm curious about any changes he has made or differences he has noticed related to training and nutrition. (26:24)

What are your thoughts on the recent trend of “optimizing” exercises so as to “take advantage of anatomy” (33:07)

Is benching with a low incline (8-15 degrees) a suitable way to reduce strain on the shoulders while effectively targeting the pectoralis major and anterior deltoid? (48:24)

I deadlift on a platform with a 5% incline. It feels pretty awkward, and seems to be negatively impacting my training loads. Is deadlifting on an incline actually affecting my deadlift numbers, or is it just in my head? (59:12)

How do you guys manage work-life balance? (1:08:58)

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• BulkSupplements: Next time you stock up on supplements, be sure to use the promo code “SBSPOD” (all caps) to get 5% off your entire order.
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