Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Mike Roberts, Professor in the School of Kinesiology at Auburn University, and one of the most respected muscle physiologists, to explain how muscle actually grows. Mike shares that mechanical tension—not hormones, metabolic byproducts, or muscle damage—is the primary driver of hypertrophy. We cover why testosterone and androgen receptors don't necessarily predict muscle growth, what separates high responders from low responders, and how these “low responders” should train to best get results. We also work through training volume, load versus reps, lengthened partials, aging and anabolic resistance, and the interference effect between strength and endurance training. If you want to understand the real science of building muscle, this conversation is for you.

Sponsors

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/galpin

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform

Trumed: https://truemed.com/perform

Chapters

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:03:15) How Muscle Grows

(00:17:39) What Drives Growth: Tension, Stress & Damage

(00:24:08) Responders vs. Non-Responders

(00:29:54) Hormones, Receptors & Genetics

(00:48:01) Cell Signaling, mTOR & Myostatin

(00:56:32) Can Some People Not Grow Muscle?

(01:01:34) Training Volume for Hypertrophy

(01:08:34) Loads, Reps & Stretch Under Load

(01:17:13) Range of Motion, Partials & Hyperplasia

(01:31:31) Injury, Unloading & Muscle Banking

(01:39:32) Muscle Memory: Detraining & Retraining

(01:47:42) Aging, Menopause & Anabolic Resistance

(02:01:21) Concurrent Training & the Interference Effect

(02:08:54) How to Combine Strength & Cardio

(02:24:03) Strength Training & Mitochondria

(02:25:21) Closing Thoughts

Disclaimer & Disclosures
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In this episode, I tackle muscle asymmetries and imbalances — when the differences between your two sides help you, when they hurt you, and what to actually do about them. I move past the popular "10% rule" and walk through my three I's framework: how to investigate asymmetries across morphology (muscle size and shape), quality (fat infiltration inside the muscle), and functionality (strength, power, and movement); how to interpret the data using context rather than blanket numbers; and how to intervene with a practical five-step correction program built around unilateral training and plyometrics. I cover testing tools from tape measures to MRI, the research on grip-strength asymmetry and aging, and why lower-body asymmetries warrant more attention than upper-body ones. This is for athletes, coaches, and anyone who moves and wants to reduce injury risk or perform at their best.

Sponsors

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform

David: https://davidprotein.com/perform

Timestamps

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:02:30) The Three Types: Morphology, Quality, Function

(00:09:09) Laterality: Skill vs. Force Dominance

(00:13:21) Why Asymmetries Develop

(00:19:47) The Bilateral Force Deficit

(00:24:43) Investigate: How to Measure Asymmetries

(00:29:27) Morphology: Tape Measures to MRI

(00:30:41) Tissue Quality & Fat Infiltration

(00:36:21) Functionality: The Unlimited Field of Tests

(00:42:30) Interpret: When Do Asymmetries Matter?

(00:43:25) Muscle Size: Is the Asymmetry Even Real?

(00:51:02) Push vs. Pull & the Limb-Length Myth

(00:58:44) Movement Screens & the FMS

(01:01:30) Strength, Power & Injury Risk

(01:04:25) Grip Strength Asymmetry & Aging

(01:09:46) Symmetrical Sports & the Energy Leak

(01:15:53) Red, Yellow, Green: The Real Thresholds

(01:19:35) Intervene: Correcting Asymmetries

(01:20:46) Why Plyometrics Work Best

(01:23:50) The Five-Step Correction Program

(01:31:59) The Volume Game

(01:33:50) Resources & Final Takeaways

Disclaimer & Disclosures
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In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple to examine what the science says about female-specific training and nutrition. We discuss why so little research has historically focused on women, what makes menstrual cycle research so difficult and expensive to run, and what her own dissertation found when she measured muscle protein synthesis across cycle phases. Dr. Colenso-Semple explains the real hormone fluctuations of the menstrual cycle, why testosterone matters far less for women's muscle than people assume, and why men and women gain strength and size at the same relative rate at any age, including through menopause. We also cover low energy availability, scientific literacy, and how to figure out what works for you. This episode is for anyone, coach or lifter, trying to separate evidence from misinformation in women's fitness.

Sponsors

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform

David: https://davidprotein.com/perform

TrueMed: https://truemed.com/perform

Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform

Chapters

(00:00:00) Lauren Colenso-Semple

(00:01:51) The Lit Review That Never Was

(00:07:01) Why Women Got Bad Training Advice

(00:11:23) Individualization & Where Sex Actually Ranks

(00:21:09) Estrogen, Rodent Models & the Anabolic Myth

(00:34:52) Hormones Across the Menstrual Cycle

(00:45:18) The Myth of the Textbook 28-Day Cycle

(00:51:41) Why Female Research Is So Hard

(00:57:55) Inside Lauren's Dissertation: Tracers & Biopsies

(01:06:10) Strength, Power & Hypertrophy: No Phase Effect

(01:14:13) The Real Role of Testosterone & Menopause

(01:23:36) Becoming a Better Consumer of Science

(01:50:10) Low Energy Availability & RED-S

(01:57:30) Advice for the Average Woman

Disclaimer & Disclosures
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Sam Harris to discuss how attention, mindfulness, and clear thinking shape performance. We start by separating intelligence from wisdom, then look at how modern technology is rewiring our attentional capacity — including which tools enhance cognition and which compete with it. Sam walks through three approaches to working with the mind: training concentration, practicing mindfulness, and using cognitive reframing. We also get into how to receive criticism without ego, why institutions and the Scientific Process still matter in an era of independent media, and what AI means  for our future. This episode is for anyone who wants to think more clearly, feel less hijacked by their own thoughts, and build a more durable relationship to attention.

Show notes: https://performpodcast.com/episodes/sam-harris-how-to-think-clearly-in-age-of-distraction

Waking Up x Absolute Rest challenge: https://wakingup.com/andy

Sponsors

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform

David: https://davidprotein.com/perform

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform

Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform

Chapters

(00:00:00) Introduction & Sam Harris

(00:02:30) Intelligence, Smartness & Wisdom

(00:16:13) Outsourcing Cognition: AI as Tool vs. Competitor

(00:21:19) The Death of Boredom & the Inner Voice

(00:30:07) Mindfulness & Three Paths to Mental Freedom

(00:42:20) Overcoming Resistance to Meditation

(01:01:25) Psychedelics vs. Meditation

(01:09:01) Emotion, Reason & Handling Criticism

(01:28:06) Process, Expertise & the Scientific Crisis

(01:50:44) Restoring Trust in Institutions

(02:02:29) Consciousness, AI & the Hard Problem

(02:16:18) Uploading, Teleportation & the Revenge of the Humanities

(02:25:14) Closing

Disclaimer & Disclosures
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In this episode, I cover "athlete's heart" — the paradox where the same cardiovascular adaptations that make endurance athletes exceptional can also mimic, and sometimes mask, real risk. I trace the history of what’s now known as exercise-induced cardiovascular remodeling (EICR), and walk through what's actually happening structurally, functionally, and electrically in a trained heart. I separate adaptive changes like left ventricular dilation and increased stroke volume from genuinely concerning issues such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, coronary calcification, and myocardial fibrosis. I also answer the question, "is too much exercise bad for the heart?" This episode is for endurance athletes, lifters, coaches, along with anyone who might have a family history of heart disease.

Show notes: https://www.performpodcast.com/episodes/athletes-heart-intense-exercise-heart-damage

Sponsors

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform

TrueMed: https://truemed.com/perform

Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform

Chapters

(00:00:00) Introduction & the Athlete's Heart Paradox

(00:07:11) History of Athlete's Heart

(00:09:24) Heart Anatomy & Physiology Primer

(00:28:03) What Goes Wrong: Heart Attacks & Arrhythmias

(00:32:54) Genetic Causes: WPW, LDS & Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

(00:39:59) Exercise-Induced Cardiovascular Remodeling (EICR)

(00:53:12) Endurance vs. Strength Training Adaptations

(01:08:00) When Exercise Goes Too Far: AFib, Calcification & Fibrosis

(01:27:06) Screening, Testing & Interventions

(01:37:37) Summary

Disclaimer & Disclosures
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