020: Muscle, Mind, and Mastery – Insights from Bodybuilding & Strongman with Dr. Pat Davidson

“I think people undervalue tissue development for a given athlete.”

Dr. Pat Davidson

In this conversation, Dr. Pat Davidson shares his diverse background and experiences in the fitness industry. He discusses his journey from being a student to becoming a professor in exercise physiology. Pat also talks about the evolution of training over the past 30 years and how he has developed a model and framework for training based on individual constraints. He emphasizes that there is no perfect posture or movement and that different sports and activities require different shapes and constraints.

Pat also discusses the relationship between posture, movement, and injury, highlighting the importance of diverse movement patterns. This part of the conversation explores the importance of mechanical precision in sports, the debate between generalization and specialization in youth athletes, and the application of the movement framework to these concepts. It also delves into the role of ground in training, the different body types in different sports, and the transition from strongman to bodybuilding.

The chapter on muscle growth in bodybuilding highlights the importance of food and training, while emphasizing the need for periodization and sensitivity to stimuli. In this conversation, Pat discusses the sensitivity to training and hypertrophy, the importance of deloading and sensitization, and the frequency of deloading. He also shares his training approach and the timelines for different adaptations.

The concept of small wins and priorities is explored, along with the first steps to take in making small changes. Pat highlights his teaching and programming, including the Rethinking the Big Patterns seminar and the upcoming Writing Workshop for Professionals.

Key Takeways

• The evolution of training over the past 30 years has seen a shift from bodybuilding to more functional and individualized approaches.
• Posture and movement are influenced by individual constraints, such as skeletal shape and joint articulations.
• There is no perfect posture or movement, as different sports and activities require different shapes and constraints.
• The relationship between posture, movement, and injury is complex, and it is important to consider individual factors and diverse movement patterns. Mechanical precision is crucial in sports, especially in high-intensity activities that put stress on specific structures.
• The debate between generalization and specialization in youth athletes depends on the sport and the individual’s capacity to retain different abilities.
• The ground plays a significant role in training, with higher ground exercises providing more support and external feedback.
• Different sports have different body types, and the demands of the sport often shape the ideal physique.
• Transitioning from strongman to bodybuilding requires a shift in training focus and goals.
• Muscle growth in bodybuilding is influenced by food, training, and periodization, with mechanical overload and lengthened positions being key factors. Deloading and maintenance periods are important for resensitizing the body to training stimuli and nutrients.
• The length of deloading periods can vary depending on individual factors and indicators such as joint pain and psychological well-being.
• Bodybuilding is a simple model that requires aligning mechanical, nutritional, pharmacological, sleep, and lifestyle variables for optimal muscle tissue growth.
• Aerobic and strength adaptations have different timelines, with faster adaptations such as enzyme accrual occurring within days or weeks, and slower adaptations such as hypertrophy taking several weeks to months.
• Small wins and priorities are important for maintaining motivation and progress in training and life.
• Pat offers seminars and programs, including the Rethinking the Big Patterns movement model and a Writing Workshop for Professionals.

episode timeline

00:00 Introduction and Background
10:42 The Evolution of Training over 30 Years
36:15 Posture, Movement, and Constraints
39:05 The Relationship Between Posture, Movement, and Injury
42:18 The Importance of Mechanical Precision in Sports
45:13 Generalization vs. Specialization in Youth Athletes
49:47 Applying the Framework to Generalization and Specialization
56:18 The Role of Ground in Training
59:35 Different Body Types in Different Sports
01:08:04 Transition from Strongman to Bodybuilding
01:17:41 Approaching Muscle Growth in Bodybuilding
01:18:48 The Specificity of Hypertrophy and Muscle Growth
01:31:28 The Importance of Mechanical Overload in Hypertrophy
01:32:37 Sensitivity to Training and Hypertrophy
01:35:05 Deloading and Sensitization
01:39:10 Frequency of Deloading
01:44:23 Patrick’s Training Approach
01:46:38 The Simple Model of Bodybuilding
01:51:43 Timelines for Adaptations
01:53:43 Small Wins and Priorities
01:59:14 Making Small Changes
02:04:20 Teaching and Programming
02:10:57 Rethinking the Big Patterns
02:15:46 Writing Workshop for Professionals