What is the V-taper and Adonis? The V-taper is ratio of waist to shoulders. John and Brad have researched this for over a decade and it started with "Why do people go to the gym?” Is it health, or is it optimal shape? Whatever your motivation the outcome is BOTH. When you achieve the ratio or the pleasing shape (not necessarily a body builder shape) you get the health benefits of optimal testosterone along with optimal levels of the other important hormones and health markers. You get the best of both worlds.

Having trouble getting started on your fitness routine? Whether you are just getting started or getting back into your routine after a break, it can be hard to get moving. John and Brad give you some ideas for getting started in today’s podcast.

What are the most basic items that you must get a handle on if you want to change your body? In today’s podcast, we’ll discuss the basic principles that are essential for getting in shape. It’s simpler than you think!

You might be surprised how much your environment impacts your ability to make and maintain a lifestyle change. In this podcast we discuss how these factors affect your abilities, attitudes and success level with improving your fitness and health.

So, what are the real "rules" for fitness and fat loss? How do you sort out what is truly important to focus on vs. what is just "white noise"? In this podcast we discuss the primary drivers to focus on that will keep you on track and maximize your efficiency.

We review the latest research on muscle adaptations to strength training & determine how much of a muscle we can really activate while working out & what is necessary for maximum muscle growth.

John Barban & Brad Pilon talk about the conspiracy supporting "bulking". They expose the perpetrators, show you that almost everyone is working against you, & why you need to be aware of the truth.

Orthorexia is defined as an unhealthy obsession with health food. Ironic to say the least. In this podcast we discuss how many of the diets that people follow take over other parts of their lives.

In this podcast, we discuss where the break points are for using body weight, body fat % and measurements as an accurate way to track progress. In the end, all that matters is the mirror.

Do you ever wonder what it means when fitness gurus say that the calorie is “broken”? Brad and John break it down for us. They explain what calorie estimates are and how we can best use them to achieve our fitness and fat loss success. Just remember that the calorie is not really broken, but how we use it and measure it can be.

Can you lose fat without losing muscle? Yes! John and Brad break down a recently published study that proves what they’ve been teaching all along with the Venus and Adonis systems. All body composition in the study was measured BIA, DEXA, and BodPod, which are all really good ways of measuring changes in body composition. Don’t let this fear stop you from achieving your fitness goals any longer. The calorie deficit will reduce the fat. Continuing to push hard with those weights will build muscle.

Nutrition and training routines may be optimal, are they ideal or even practical? This podcast will strive to analyze what is optimal and provide you with ideal advice to fit within your lifestyle.

Nutrition, supplements, ability to lose fat, ability to gain muscle, & ability to train are all interrelated. John & Brad discuss our pyramid is unique & how to look at your health & fitness needs.

This podcast is about the amount of food/calories you need to consume to build muscle and that if you are only considering calories you are missing two critical factors to your success.

Find out what John & Brad have to say about research that shows genetic differences effect performance in sports. How you respond to exercise & diet is unique, all that matters is your own results.

Popular fitness media would have you believe that starvation mode is something you can fall victim to within a few hours after eating a meal. So what is it and are you really at risk?

In this podcast, you’ll learn how and why things change in your body depending on how much fat you are carrying and what this means from a hormone, diet, and nutrition standpoint.

In this podcast we will use an analogy of escalators to explain how you should view the process of gaining muscle & losing fat. Achieving the body you desire is one thing but staying there is another.

There is a different degree of effort required to ascend the escalators vs staying at the top. This podcast is about changing your mentality and what should be done to get to the top and stay there.

What is a net calorie burn VS what you see on the screen of an exercise machine? It’s not would you would think. If you are attempting a calorie deficit for fat loss it is best to assume you have burned less and to assume you have eaten more. John and Brad also talk about what homeostasis is and how it fits into your fitness plan. Why do rebounds happen when you push too hard and how can you avoid that from happening?

In this Uncensored podcast, Pilon digs deep into his inflammation theory and ties in body fat, leptin, testosterone, calorie intake, and inflammation and even vitamins and antioxidants.

We discuss the two major factors that override all others with respect to how much muscle you’ll ever build- Juvenile Muscle Growth & Work Induced Muscle Growth. We also talk case-by-case supplements.

In this podcast, we get to the bottom of what is behind metabolic rate calculators & what we know about metabolic rate to release any potential roadblocks you have about your ’metabolism being broken’.

In this podcast, we explain why getting locked into one way of eating can lead to inflexibility if you ever try to change that pattern & how being flexible is a much better answer for long term health.

In this podcast, we talk about the Venus philosophy of weight loss & how to change your shape for life. Two diets are needed- from food and from fitness media (limit your reading of fitness media).

People push themselves too hard with both a calorie deficit and exercise, get fatigued, and then blame their metabolism. In this podcast, we discuss metabolism and metabolic rate.

Brad & Brad discuss what goes on behind the scenes at a bodybuilding photo shoot & the fallacy of big eaters in the muscle building industry- calories required for muscle gaining are over estimated.

John & Brad explain the main philosophy of the V-Taper Workout- to remain physically active most of your life. John will tell you how to work around an injury & how to avoid over use injuries.

Why are there different fitness programs for men and women? Well one example is most men can lose weight by just adding exercise. This does not work for women. Women tend to get hungrier after exercise. Women have to exert more willpower in order to lose weight. This opens her up for more disinhibited eating. The hormones are completely different for men and women. The female body tends to want to retain the weight for survival of the species. In this episode John and Brad talk about the differences.

What foods and water cause bloating and water weight? There are certain things we do that cause water retention and sore muscles. There are also foods we eat that cause bloating. When should we be concerned about this and how does it effect our progression towards our goals? John and Brad talk about exactly this subject in this lesson.

Brad & I went to get our RMR clinically tested. In this podcast we’ll talk about the procedure, the results, the inherent biases, & margin of error that are associated with even a clinical RMR test.

This podcast is John’s interview with Professor Mark Haub. Dr. Haub lost a significant amount of fat eating out of a vending machine and canned food as an experiment dubbed the "the Twinkie diet".

What’s the reason you search for better options in your life? And how can that lead you to developing disorders like orthorexia? This podcast covers the side effect of modern society- orthorexia.

In this podcast, we look over the steps you can take to recover from Orthorexia and start eating for flavor. Many cuisines are very rich in different flavors and tastes, just start experimenting!

We discuss adequate recovery from workout to workout is dependent on multiple factors & that specific adaptations you get from your workout are determined by the amount of rest you take between sets.

In this podcast, we discuss the limits of muscle growth. We propose that the golden V-Taper ratio is likely a close estimation of what the upper limit is and potential ways to blow past it.

In this podcast we answer many questions about low fat & low carb diets. Why did low fat diets come about? What brought about low carb diets? What was found on the latest trial on low fat VS low carb?

In this uncensored podcast, we discuss everything you need to know about dietary fat and how to have clear view of how much mind space and plate space it should take up in your life and your diet.

The golden measurements and golden ratio are the primary measurements. For men it’s the ratio of shoulders to waist. For women it’s the ratio of shoulders to waist to hips. What about other measurements and how they relate to health? This discussion is about the upper thigh measurement and how does it relate to the golden measurements? It is surprising to learn how this measurement for women compares to men. Listen to this lesson to find out more.

Protein is the one macro that has the most praise from a health standpoint, marketed to help build muscle & burn fat. This podcast we discuss dietary protein & what you really need to know about it.

In this podcast, we review recent research that looked at the effect of high or low protein on weight loss. We discuss the merits/limitations of this research & what it means to build muscle/burn fat.

In this podcast we discuss how to adequately dose protein for your fat loss and fitness goals. How much do you really need, when should you be consuming it and how often?

In this podcast, John & Brad speak to us about Exercise-Induced Rhabdomyolysis. There is some glorification regarding extreme exercise exhaustion but this is a serious condition that can be fatal.

John speaks to Bruce McIntyre who is VP of the World Powerlifting Congress. In this podcast you learn: How do you switch to weight training for strength? How does a physical size fit in with strength?

Recent research pointed out that obese vs lean people have very different bacteria population within their bodies. This podcast discusses if gut bacteria can help you lose weight more successfully.

In this podcast listen to what John and Brad have to say about what to eat and why: Is there a perfect diet? What about healthy foods? What about human bacteria and health? What about organic foods?

Listen to what John & Brad have to say about what a typical day of eating is like for each of them: How much protein? What about the expectation of eating? What about breakfast, snacks, or alcohol?

In this podcast we discuss what is pseudo nutrition, nutritionism, or nutrition as a hobby. Why do we seek these patterns with food? How does this relate cause and effect relationship with food?

This podcast with John Barban & Brad Pilon compares the two dieting styles of traditional bodybuilding ”forward tapering” vs the V-Taper approach of “reverse tapering” using a recent research paper.

What the set point theory suggests is that a person’s body, metabolism, & caloric drive strive to maintain a specific preset weight. This podcast, John and Brad talk about this theory & its validity.

We review research dealing with increases in lean body mass. It explains that being obese causes too much lean body mass which must come down to normal levels before you can have the body you want.

We look at the research on breakfast and differentiate between the results & the opinion of the researchers. We determine what breakfast even is & if there is a way to use this meal to your advantage.

In this podcast, John & Brad cover food addictions & finding the right diet for you: Can we diet without a plan? How can we overcome being addicted to food? How can we diet while addicted to food?

In this podcast we explain what autophagy is & how it relates to muscle growth, aging, & the overall health of a given cell. We detail what anabolism/catabolism mean & fasting with or without BCAA’s.

John Barban and Brad Pilon explain the difference between intermittent fasting and intermittent feeding and also describe which is more useful as a fat loss or body fat maintenance tool.

"Cardio." You’ve heard the word but do you know what it even means? In this podcast we discuss how important cardio really is for getting lean, how to approach it, & incorporate it into your workout.

In this podcast, we discuss a critical review on strength training which shows us that many of the truths we cling to might not be grounded in as much evidence as we might be led to believe.

There is a growing body of research that indicates people could be addicted to food in the classic definition. How do you overcome an addiction when you need to consume it on a daily basis to survive?

Everyone has an opinion on your journey. This podcast is about how to protect yourself from information overload & paralysis analysis. Learn how to keep from getting distracted from your goals.

In this podcast, we discuss the capacity for change & how to manage a body transformation with this concept. We also explain how our reverse taper ensures you do not rebound after your transformation.

In this podcast, John interviews Dr. Nicola Bird about the process of change and how we learn to blame external factors for stumbling and falling. We also differentiate blame vs responsibility.

This podcast explains how location & context are important. Your environment and the people around you, both in person & online, have a lot of influence on your actions and ultimately your success.

This podcast, we discuss how the flow toward weight gain seeps into almost every social interaction & how to deal with it. Also how you view yourself plays a role in the way people interact with you.

We discuss the calorie equation & how it changes depending on what state you are in. Managing fat will always be about calories in vs out but it’s worth defining calories in & where the ’outs’ are.

The view of what is acceptable from a diet/exercise standpoint is largely dependent on your surroundings. Research from the Victorian era sheds some light on how activity and nutrition has changed.

Once you get to your goal, your new model is you. It is your proximity to the target. You have a range you like to stay in. This podcast discusses goals, targets, and missions for maintenance.

John & Brad discuss flexible vs. structured training & diet approaches. While some structure is necessary, how much do you actually need? At what point does too much structure hinder your progress?

VI measurements & your visual look are the supreme metrics however there are other more sophisticated tests if you want to learn more about your body. In this podcast we look at DEXA & BodPod testing.

Follow up DEXA scan to see what John & Brad’s body composition was after a 5 week experiment using the reverse taper diet protocol to reduce fat mass and maintain or gain lean body mass.

Brad & John look at data, focusing on two female fitness competitors who were both approximately 15% body fat which is very low for a female. Do people look similar at similar body fat percentages?

You know that a DXA is used to track your progress, but did you know that it’s also a useful tool for experimenting with your body? This podcast John & Brad use DEXA scans to measure effectiveness.

During any research, the results are usually presented as an average. In this podcast, John & Bryan Chung talk about evidenced based medicine/fitness & how to understand what fitness claims mean.

The concept of fairness & equality of human rights seems to get blurred when we think of diet & fitness BUT as biological organisms we’re not built the same & transformation paths will be different.

In this podcast, we talk about drivers for appetite in our modern society. We also discuss how research is slowly uncovering more mechanisms and pathways that influence appetite.

In this podcast we discuss how restrained eating leads to vicious cycles of shame, disappointment, and guilt which leads to more compensatory eating. We will also share how you can stop this for good.

John & Brad talk about an experiment you never want to be part of- 24 sets of male twins were sequestered in a university dorm for 120 days to see what happens when you overeat by 1000 calories a day.

In a study from Oct 2011, subjects were put on a hard low calorie diet for 10 weeks then followed up with exactly a year later. We review this research paper and show you what the results really say.

People are notoriously bad at admitting what they eat when they’re being studied. In this podcast, we dig into the diet record research and show you how flawed this research is.

Silo science is doing research, but only focusing on one specific area & ignoring the rest. This podcast looks at the reality of current research & how it is misinterpreted online & in fitness media.

Lauren Jacobsen is a national level figure competitor & has been working in the supplement industry for the last decade. In this podcast, she will reveal some of the secrets behind the photos & look.

Don Gauvreau owns Pharma Freak supplements & has coached many top level competitors besides doing shows himself. In this podcast he gives advice/insights on the process of getting in shape for a show.

Erik has over 11 years of experience coaching people into the best shape of their lives. We dig into the psychology of diet, training, and the common post contest malaise that hits many competitors.

This is the 2nd part of an interview with Erik Ledin. We talk about supplements & that the path gets harder the leaner you get. We also discuss the law of diminishing returns from doing more cardio.

In this podcast, we look into the history of the black market for performance enhancing drugs & examine how a drug or supplement can start out as a legitimate market item & end up on the black market.

In this podcast, John talks to an industry insider about the world of performance & physique enhancing drugs. We discuss just how pervasive drug use is in athletes, fitness competitors, & celebrities.

We discuss the prevalence of depressive disorders in men and women and some of the potential causal links. We also delve into the research on the effectiveness of testosterone therapy for depression.

John chats with an industry insider about getting ready for a contest/photoshoot with or without the help of pharmaceuticals, what supplements come into play, and how the diet will change over time.

In this podcast, we discuss what maintenance is, how to define what it is, how often you should expect to be in maintenance mode, and the phases of muscle growth vs fat loss.

In this podcast, John and Brad share successful maintenance strategies used by successful Adonis and Venus members: the tools, tips and tricks of the trade, workouts, eating, and mental mindsets.

Brad & John discuss the history of diet & fitness information, what is truly free, and how you are under constant advertising. Why do we do uncensored podcasts? What resources you should look at?

Dr. Conquer has 10 years of experience in clinical trials on dietary supplements, now she is fitting the research together. In this podcast, she explains research trials, reviews, and claims.

In this podcast we review claims of a self experiment done by Nate Green who gained 20lbs of lean mass in only 28 days. Was it new or did he ’re-inflate’ the same 20lbs of muscle mass he used to have?

John and Brad discuss what overeating vs having just enough food feels like. When do you realize it? What are the three ways to eat and how do you learn how to eat by feel?

How much do you weigh? How much should you weigh as an adult? What about the set point theory? How about emotional life events? What’s different when you are younger compared to an adult?

How do we learn to eat like an adult? What is the whole mind and body approach to diet & fitness? Why is taking responsibility for your own body so important? How does consistency fit in?

John and Brad discuss what Justified Eating is & why we do it. What is the halo effect on food? How does the concept of dieting effect cravings, hormones, & hunger? How is taste subjective?

Listen to what John & Brad have to say about an unhealthy obsession with food: Can it come from the fitness industry? What can you do to avoid the orthorexic pitfalls? What is a cheat day vs a binge?

In this podcast, you’ll learn if manipulating macronutrient ratios can affect weight loss & you’ll also learn if manipulating protein content can change the type of mass you will gain.

Listen to what John & Brad have to say about the difference in military research studies compared to mainstream research studies. What do these studies have to do with Adonis/Venus programs?

In this podcast, we discuss the research on BCAAs, what the methods & results mean, & if you should even take them. We also look at the effect popular fitness media has on our choices in supplements.

John talks to an expert in the fish oil industry, Colin Garrioch from Nutrasource Diagnostic Inc. to discuss everything about fish oils from the raw materials, to the processing & final product doses.

In this first part of our two podcast series on supplements, we discuss the definition of what a supplement is, how the industry got started, and what it has evolved into.

John & Brad reveal more about the supplement industry & coach you how to ask the right questions to find supplements that help with building muscle, losing fat, improving health, & boosting energy.

In this podcast, John & Brad speak about how managing calories is like managing a calorie budget. How is food like credit cards? How can you be aware of pay day or leaks? How do you stay out of debt?

In this podcast, John & Brad explain why carbon is a better measurement than calories. What is the caveat about the calorie measurement? What is a carbon? How can you measure carbon & carbon balance?

There are 1000 solutions to fat loss but you can only do one of them. Why is collecting solutions is not THE solution? Why is application more important than theory? We discuss what works for Fat Loss

Everyone is on the same journey, some are further ahead & some are behind where you are. We just keep learning as we go. Listen to what John and Brad say about their own evolutions in diet and fitness

Barban & Pilon show you how the typical stimulatory approach to building muscle, as explained by others who focus on bro-science in this industry, is the opposite of how your body REALLY works.

In part 2 of this podcast series, you will learn what’s the genetic ideal shape for you? Can you go beyond it? What body are you capable of building when you remove all of the inhibitors?

Podcast topic: Brad’s 7 week experiment and DXA scan – PART 1. Brad talks about his experiment after having just completed almost 7 weeks of no workouts and no fasting. What happens to his body?

Podcast Topic: Brad’s 7 week experiment & DXA scan – PART 2. Brad’s recovery from not exercising and not fasting for 7 weeks. What did he do to regain the muscle & lose the fat? How long did it take?

In this podcast, we explain how some of the most commonly held beliefs in the diet/fitness industry come from a misinterpretation of academic research by the media and why this gap exists.

In this podcast, we go over research that indicates many top level athletes in various sports all have the ideal Adonis Index waist, muscle mass, and are within our projected weight ranges.

Inside entertainment & sports some are referred to as heroes by fans. How does hero worship skew the reality of physique goals especially with the growing popularity of performance enhancing drugs?

It’s not uncommon for people to have artificial ’parts’ to their body. Does it even make sense to strive for what is ’natural’ with our diet and fitness if our bodies are becoming less natural?

What is EPOC and how much does it matter? In this podcast we explore the topic of “afterburn” and why it might not matter as much as you think.

How much should you exercise? In this podcast we discuss how to treat exercise as a prescription and determine the appropriate doses to maximize your results in the gym.

In diet and fitness marketing, unethical claims are everywhere. In this podcast we explore how to figure out who and what to believe and how to avoid being taken in by deceptive practices.

In this podcast you’ll learn how to think your way through any article you read to decide if the message is credible, has any real backing in science, and is ultimately worth taking action on.

In this podcast we explore “survivor bias”. Find out what it is and how it affects your own fitness attitudes and goals.

In this podcast we will explore the in depth science behind why we should exercise and exactly what benefits we can expect to gain from it. The answers may surprise you!

How do you apply diet and exercise principles to your fat loss or maintenance strategy? It is different depending on your level of body fat and physical conditioning. It will be different for you when you get close to your goal compared to when you are just starting out.

Do you want to know what happens in your life once you start dieting? There is a lot more going on than just eating less and losing fat. Not only does it change your awareness of what you eat, but it changes your awareness of what others eat. It improves your health and it will change your relationships in almost every aspect of your life.

Do you ever wonder why some diets work for some people? How do you find out what eating style works for you? Our hormones can be effected depending on our level of body fat and age. Some of us are more susceptible to the negative health effects of overeating certain types of food.

Find out about carbohydrates and how they interact with your body. There is an aggregate of 4 calories or energy per gram, but that is not always that amount that gets absorbed into your body. The chemical makeup of the food changes as it’s cooked, or cooled, and some of it is irreversible. Different versions will effect your gut bacteria differently.

Just how far back in recorded history is there evidence for people who followed a diet? Is it possible that poetry, politics, and religion influenced our desire to shape our bodies? Learn what role modern industrialisation plays in our diet and how it may even be related to our socioeconomic level.

When did the diet and fitness media start using social media and why? What is link baiting? How does diet and fitness use “infotainment” to get people to click and read for marketing purposes? John and Brad will give you some insight into determining the validity of marketing claims.

Did people at one time really believe that the health of the nation was in the hands of women? Are diet experts more concerned about whose system is better rather than actual weight loss itself? Discover how to overcome judgement from others who solicit unsupported diet advice with you.