Guest Dr. John Berardi joins us for another epically long episode about leptin, if dairy is evil, fasting, accountability, perfecting pull ups, and much more!

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FitCast News

• Dr. John Berardi Interview
• Why are we jackasses?
• Training Videos
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• Milk (good or Bad?)
• Ab work everyday?
• Vibram 5 fingers
• NO Supplements

Mailbag

• Any tips on minimizing swinging when doing pullups. -Juraj
• What up Kev, Doctor, and Leigh! I have a question for Kevin about his client Kim. I have been following Kim’s progress on the blog and I was wondering if you could talk about what you have been doing with her for training and nutrition to get her to where she it. And by the way, Kim, if you are listening, you are kicking butt girl! You are going to make all of the women at your wedding sooo jealous! Thanks so much for the podcast. P.S. you guys need to talk about music more! I am hooked on Stars now! -Jenn
• Ive suddenly been getting plantar faciiatis in my left heel. Ive been feeling as though i have excessivly tight calf muscles in my left leg as well. Ive done mobility work, foam rolling, stretching, even rest and ice. all seem to bring mild relief but as soon as i go for a walk with the dog i notice the pain in my heel acting up shortly upon returning. It hurts most after getting out of bed in the morning. I strength train regularly with a full body workout and train with kettlebells in between strength days and always allow one to two full rest days. Ive gone through the assessments as per cresseys neanderthal no more article series. upon studying pics of myself and starting to pay attention to walking, squating, and other biomechanical habits, i seem to have internal rotation in my left femor. Can this lead to problems such as plantar faciatis? What can i incorporate into my program to correct internal rotation, regardless of whether or not its the cause of my plantar faciatis, i know if not corrected it will give me issues down the line. Thanks! -Katie
• (great show i love counting how many times leeh says “you know” try it its great.
  Dan uk
• Hey crew-
  I’ve been helping my fiancee with her diet and workout regimen as she attempts to lose some bodyfat in preparation for our December wedding (and for general health, of course).  I have her reading and following the programs in The Female Body Breakthrough and I myself am reading The Fat Loss Troubleshoot to help plan meals as I do most of the cooking.
  She is about 5’2″ and while I don’t know her weight, she has always been on the heavy side but I would describe her as having above average muscle mass for a female.  Her mother is also undergoing a medically supervised weight loss routine, and during her evaluations, she was told that she has nearly double the lean body mass of the average female (not sure where those numbers came from, though).
  My fiancee is following a 3 day a week strength program (still in the first phase of Female Body Breakthrough) and supplements this with occasional Zumba classes and lunchtime low intensity cardio sessions in the fitness center of the resort where she works.  I know that, fat loss goals aside, she is concerned about her overall muscularity as well.  Is there a safe healthy way for a female in this situation to intentionally cut down on muscle mass and fat, or should she simply focus on fat loss?
  Thanks,
  Matt from Round Lake, IL
• Hey guys,This question is for Jonathan. Im a second year kinesiology student and want to go into physical therapy. I was wondering if you could recommend a few good physical therapy books, perhaps a few that really influenced how you practice. Any advice would be great.

  Thanks,
  Troy.

Q&A with John Berardi

• Also, I have a question about caloric intake. I haven’t tested body fat lately since I’m not sure how to get an accurate read, but I am 5’9 and 135 pounds. I’ve spent my life at about the same weight and have always looked thin, but I was definitely low on muscle until the last year or so when I started lifting consistently. My diet is high in protein and healthy fats, and I limit non-veggie carbs to breakfast and post-workout. I am trying to steadily change my body composition to get leaner and stronger without building much muscle mass. I lift 3-4 times per week and try to do cardio 2-3 times. Lately I have been trying to just listen to my body and eat whenever I feel hungry rather than counting calories, but I am someone who feels starved after just 2 hours without food so I end up eating fairly constantly, especially on lifting days. (my co-workers think I’m insane) Do you think this strategy of just eating whenever I feel like I need food is a bad idea? I’m loving the freedom of not counting calories, but I do want to continue to make progress.
  Thanks so much!
  best,

  Sarah

• If you could only give our audience one piece of advice to help them reach their fitness goals, what would it be?
• What are your thoughts on Peri-workout nutrition, and what guidelines would you recommend for someone who is 180 and looking to build muscle and increase strength. Same question for someone who’s goal is fat loss.
• As a personal trainer, I get several e-mails every day and am approached several times each month about selling my clients something called “structured water”, which has some kind of special, secret “energy”. Have you heard of it, and what is your opinion on it?Ben

• What is your opinion/position on ‘Leptin resistance’?  I have just recently heard of it and was hoping you could explain more. -Jimi
• What are your thoughts on periodic 24-hour fasts?  There is so much conflicting information out there on fasting.  Will occasional 24-hour fasts cause muscle loss or slow metabolism?  I’ve read that fasting can also give a boost of energy since the body isn’t using energy for digestion.  Thanks and I look forward to your input!
  Karen
  New Jersey
• JB: I understand that you recently gave a presentation on keys to body transformation. Any chance that this will be available for purchase on DVD? What is your general advice on best practices for body transformation and what are some of the biggest mistakes you see day in and day out when it comes to long term body comp changes?  -Bob
• John,Many states have rules and laws about what types of diet and nutrition advice we can give our clients. I’m interested in becoming Precision Nutrition Certified, but I’m worried that I’ll learn what to do, but then be severely restricted in how I can use what I’ve learned and still keep it legal.

  Does your program help with this and other business aspects of being a nutrition coach?  Do you have any general or specific guidelines that could help?  I realize there are 50 States, so feel free to narrow it to California, since it’s all about me and MY question. Let Michigan type it’s own question!

  Thanks,

  Roland