Build Your Ideal Physique | Dr. Bret Contreras

My guest is Dr. Bret Contreras, PhD, CSCS, a world-renowned expert on muscle and strength building for women and for men. Bret is known as “the glute guy” for his expertise in helping people build their ideal physique, including how to grow and/or strengthen their gluteus muscles. He explains how to resistance train to improve strength, hypertrophy and aesthetics, and to overcome genetically or injury-induced weaker body parts. We cover ideal training frequency, exercise selection, sets and repetitions and periodization. Our discussion is for women and men of any age and experience level seeking to maximize their aesthetics, performance and longevity.

Articles

• The acute and chronic effects of “NO LOAD” resistance training (Physiology & Behavior)
• Evidence of altered corticomotor excitability following targeted activation of gluteus maximus training in healthy individuals (Neuroreport)
• ACE genotype may have an effect on single versus multiple set preferences in strength training (European Journal of Applied Physiology)
• Daily energy expenditure through the human life course (Science)
• Exercise dosing to retain resistance training adaptations in young and older adults (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise)
• Dose-response of 1, 3, and 5 sets of resistance exercise on strength, local muscular endurance, and hypertrophy (Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research)
• Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise)
• High Resistance-Training Volume Enhances Muscle Thickness in Resistance-Trained Men (Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research)
• Effects of Different Weekly Set Progressions on Muscular Adaptations in Trained Males: Is There a Dose-Response Effect? (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise)
• Gaining more from doing less? The effects of a one-week deload period during supervised resistance training on muscular adaptations (PeerJ)
• Effects of different volume-equated resistance training loading strategies on muscular adaptations in well-trained men (Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research)
• Effect of Small and Large Energy Surpluses on Strength, Muscle, and Skinfold Thickness in Resistance-Trained Individuals: A Parallel Groups Design (Sports Medicine - Open)

Books

• Supertraining
• The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding : The Bible of Bodybuilding

Other Resources

• Testimonials
• 10 Rules of Progressive Overload
• The Truth About Bodybuilding Genetics
• Glute-focused 45 Degree Hyperextension
• 7 Reasons Why Your Glutes Aren’t Growing
• Training Glutes on the Smith Machine: 30 Amazing Glute Exercises
• Standing Hip Abductions for Glute Medius
• Neck Exercises
• To Bulk and Cut or Not to Bulk and Cut: How to Recomp
• Growing Glutes Without Growing The Legs
• Grow Your Glutes Without Growing Your Legs: 12-Week Program

Huberman Lab Episodes Mentioned

• Dr. Stuart McGill: Build a Strong, Pain-Proof Back
• Dr. Kyle Gillett: How to Optimize Your Hormones for Health & Vitality

People Mentioned

• Steve Reeves: American bodybuilder, actor
• Reg Park: British bodybuilder, actor
• John Grimek: American bodybuilder
• Mike Mentzer: American bodybuilder
• Arthur Jones : founder of Nautilus and MedX
• Vladimir Janda: Czech physician, theories on muscle activation patterns including glute "amnesia"
• Louie Simmons: American powerlifting coach, Westside Barbell founder
• Robert Knight: professor of psychology and neuroscience, UC Berkeley
• Jeff Cavaliere: trainer, ATHLEAN-X creator
• Ronnie Coleman: American bodybuilder