Skip to main content

What’s New in BC’s World?

By June 15, 2015August 20th, 2016Announcements

Hi Fitness Friends! Time for a quick update.

1. Backed Up and Overloaded!

My sincere apologies to all my colleagues, I can’t keep up with social media and email responses as I’m swamped working on my PhD thesis. I have 6 weeks to complete it and Murphy’s Law has crept its way into my world – everything that can go wrong has gone wrong. EVERYTHING! I’ve been putting out nonstop fires for the past month and have lost at least a year off of my life due to stress. Please be understanding, soon it’ll be submitted and I’ll be able to breathe again. And please don’t take anything personal; lately I don’t even have time to respond to some of my best friends in the field. I have to prioritize this or it won’t get completed.

When I’m quiet and you’re not hearing from me, it means I’m working harder than ever to bring you the bestest information possible.

2. My Physique: He’s Baaaaack!

In the meantime, this happened. I’ve never worked so hard at eating properly in my entire life.

2015-06-12 00.00.00

I got fat for a while due to focusing solely on setting PRs and gaining strength (I warned about this years ago here in The Pitfalls of Progressive Overload, and it’s a consistent theme in my life). One day (2.5 months ago) I looked in the mirror and said, “enough is enough.” I lost 22 lbs in 10 weeks, going from 246 lbs to 224 lbs. The training didn’t change; it was mostly all diet. I’ll write up a blogpost with greater detail in a few days.

And just to beat all the haters to the punch: I don’t think I look that good, I lift with dudes that are far stronger, more muscular, and leaner than me, and I realize that I look like I don’t even lift. So no  need to point that out.

Nevertheless, I’m happy to see that I’ve made progress over the past few years. I’m almost 39 years old and I’m not drifting quietly into middle-agedness. I’m going to jump kick 40 right in the freakin’ face! Check out this pic (which has been my Facebook profile pic for the past few years) compared to last week’s pic:

IMG_1305

I shed my 1990’s shorts. And I’m more jacked, more tan, and more strong, which brings me to my next point.

3. PR’s: Deadlift 405 lbs x 20 reps and Chin Up bw x 15 reps

I posted these videos on my social media channels, but in case you haven’t seen them, last week I deadlifted 405 x 20 and busted out 15 chin ups. Apparently losing weight is great for deadlifts and chin ups but not so good for bench press and squats.

4. One Study Accepted and a Few More in the Pipeline!

I haven’t announced this yet, but I just got my first original research accepted for publishing. This means just as much to me as my patent (for the Hip Thruster) and my first published book (Strong Curves). I’ve been a contributing author to 24 peer-reviewed published articles so far, but so far these have all been review papers, technical notes, special topics, and papers where I was a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th author that wasn’t the primary researcher. Contributing your own original research and injecting it into the literature has a special feeling to science geeks like me which cannot be described.

The article should be published ahead of print in the next few months, and as soon as it goes up I’ll post the link on social media and write a blogpost about the findings. It compares back squats to hip thrusts in lower body EMG activity and examines resistance trained women.

5. Pics for Squat Study

Another paper I’m in the process of getting published examines the lower body EMG activity between full back squats, full front squats, and parallel back squats. I can’t wait to report the data to you. One of the peer-reviewers took issue with the fact that the subjects in the study are women, but the pictures I used in the write-up were of me (a man), so I had my niece Gaby help me with the pictures. I had to laugh – I wonder if the reviewer will be satisfied or have a heart attack with the scantily clad photos. At least he can’t complain about squat depth! When the Glute Guy publishes a study, these are the types of pics you can expect LOL.

pic

6. Case Study on Identical Twins

I’m really excited that my final study for my PhD will involve looking at a pair of identical female twins. One will doing just squats and the other will doing just hip thrusts. Technically it’s not a case study; it’s a single subject design using two subjects. But anyway, I’m going to use ultrasound to see if the acute EMG activity data accurately reflects changes in muscle thickness longitudinally. Knowing how much genetics impacts results, I’m actually just as interested in learning this data as a fully powered training study.

Okay that’s all folks, catch you later!

30 Comments

  • Tiffany says:

    Thank you so much for all the information you continually share. You are appreciated and I am thankful for you. Good luck to you in the next 6 weeks and I am sorry to hear about all the stress you’ve been under. Looking forward to learning more from you in the future 🙂

  • jessica says:

    You look great Bret! Youre great motivation. I would love to lean out and look like I workout. My problem is my cravings and working at a restaurant doesnt help. Do you have any advice? Keep up the inspiration

  • Alina says:

    Good luck with your thesis. I can’t wait to read those studies. Particularly looking forward to the study on the twins. Great info, Bret!

  • msytc says:

    Thanks for the update Bret! By the way, I think it’s idiotic that some people would feel you don’t work out according to your photo. I think you have a fine physique and it looks strong and balanced. Best of luck with completing your PhD. And just joined GetGlutes – I’ve been using Strong Curves for about 5 months and writing my own programs using your templates. Will be great to get more info and join a like minded community.

    • Bret says:

      @msytc, I do feel like I work out, I was just addressing the haters before they got to me first, as whenever I post something inevitably 10 jealous people comment on how weak, skinny, pathetic, etc. I look. I feel strong, athletic, and lean, especially for me. I’m around jacked dudes all day long so I know exactly where I stand, but I’m always just competing with myself so I’m very proud. So glad you like SC and just joined GG – you’ll love the community 🙂

  • Brad says:

    Regarding the twin study, how are you defining EMG activity, e.g. peak amplitude and/or frequency, mean amplitude and/or frequency, total amplitude and/or frequency? How will you assess activity vs. work? E.g. A subject could do heavy partials and elicit greater EMG activity but do less work than a subject using a relatively lighter load with full ROM, and the latter subject may experience more hypertrophy longitudinally.

    • Bret says:

      Brad, with the twin study, I’m not looking at EMG…I’m using ultrasound to examine muscle thickness. I agree with what you said about EMG (the same could be said for force plates as heavy partials will also yield higher forces, powers, impulses, RFDs, etc.).

  • Debbie says:

    What is included in the Get Glutes lifetime subscription? I was thinking about joining anyway as I am just finishing up a year with Precision Nutrition and I think you are my next logical step. I’m glute focused now and devour all your information! I have the book and I just would like to know what’s included in the subscription. Thanks!

    • Bret says:

      Hi Debbie, each month you receive a new program with a video that accompanies it, and this video goes over each exercise, how to perform it, how to modify it, substitutions, things to look out for, etc. You also get access to the forum which is really nice as it’s such a supportive community and you can ask questions and post videos for form critique, etc.

  • Joyce says:

    Bret, You look great. I have been a Get Glutes member for 7 months now and lovin’ the program. Always appreciate that you share so much good information. Also, lovin’ my Hip Thruster.

  • Amanda says:

    Hi Bret, I’m considering your Get Glutes program as I’m in week 10 of your Strong Curves advanced program and I’m loving it. I had been lifting for 1.5 years beforehand in a typical bodybuilding split. To my surprise, I’m seeing gains in my upper body strength and setting PRs throughout this program despite the glute emphasis. Which is awesome! But I have a question: this program has accompanied/aided my main focus right now, which is fat loss; I’ve dropped 8 lbs or so since week 1 with a calorie deficit while maintaining or increasing strength on all lifts. Unfortunately, while fat is coming off my bottom half (my legs are leaning out quite nicely), I’m not seeing the perkiness or hypertrophy in my glutes that I’m hoping for. Is this a calorie deficit issue? When I reach my goal weight (I’m close: guessing that will happen in a couple weeks) and return to a maintenance diet, should I emphasize progression in terms of increasing weight (my hip thrust is up to 205) and maintain the 3-4x week training schedule? Or increase training days? Thanks for all of your work and research!

  • maureen says:

    Appreciate all you do to educate, inform, encourage. All while continuing your education and promoting a positive environment for learning. You are a class act (and a very handsome and strong looking young man also) How you find time for yourself and your lovely fiancé I don’t know. Thanks for all you do .

    A very thankful GG member

  • Tony Ricci says:

    Hey Bret:

    Good luck on your PhD thesis–the last great hurdle, eh? Congrats on your soon to be published research as well. I’d be thrilled (at this point) to simply be a co-author! I’ve got a topic I’d be willing to be you haven’t heard of, and may incidentally relate to the glutes even. As always, I appreciate the information you share, especially your quick reviews of ongoing research. Keep it up!

  • Graeme says:

    Well done Bret. You’re looking great. You’re the epitome of “Walking the Talk” Keep it up.

  • victoria says:

    Congratulations Bret! You look great!
    Best of luck to you in the upcoming weeks. I can’t wait to learn all of the new information you have to teach us. I appreciate you so much, and I am forever thankful to you!. I found you online a little bit over a year ago and your book and these emails we get weekly have truly transformed my body and therefore changed my life. Thank you always for this amazing resource!!!

  • Sonni says:

    Will never understand the haters, got to be jealously as you look fantastic.

    I’m 55, following Strong Curves and love it, used to float around using small weights and doing hours of cardio and felt so weak.

    Probably a dumb question but can a 55 year old women build a butt??! I feel much younger and love to be active, hike a lot etc but my butt is pretty flat which bothers me, with Strong Curves I already feel firmer and the weights are increasing, to start with the 45 pound bar was too much, could hardly breathe lol but now can hip thrust 115 so am proud of myself, so pleased I found your website!

  • Adrian diems says:

    Monday June 22th 2015

    Hey, Bret hanks for all the excellent articles on how to train the glutei-muscles, it is ironic
    that you are the glute-man, in the photograph you show up only your torso. With all my respect
    how well-developed-well-toned are your derriere? It will be nice and professional to demonstrate
    to the public how your hip-thrust has developed your rear. By the way, at the gym I only train my glutei
    muscles performing squats, dead-lifts, back extensions, leg-presses, the tiger barbell-similar to the pendulum, and to conclude my derriere looks fabulous, gorgeous, etc. Anatomically “glutei” is the plural of gluteus in Human Anatomy.

    Respectfully, Adrian T. Diaz, Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin

  • Kirstie says:

    I think its very cute that you think you look like you ‘don’t even lift’ !!! Are you kidding me?? Who are you comparing yourself to? You look hot, hunky, and natural…and like you lift heavy!

  • Gabriele says:

    Well i think you look good. not a huge fan of the incredibly jacked and cut thing, and if you are happy that is the most important thing. your commitment to providing honest, intelligent and well researched information to the masses is arguably the most impressive thing about you. keep up the good work on all counts!

  • Marcia says:

    Looking good, very good. I don’t always have time to read all the articles but when I do they’re always interesting and informative

  • Kiki says:

    The above says the Get Glutes sales is on, but when I clicked in it says it’s no longer valid. What’s a girl to do?

    • Patti says:

      I also tried to look into buying the Lifetime Membership but the link no longer works — SOOO Disappointed!! 🙁
      Any feedback would be great!

  • Duff says:

    You do even look like you lift. Those pecs are poppin’!

    Best of luck with your Ph.D. thesis.

  • Irene says:

    You look awesome Bret. Will you be sharing with us what your diet consisted of to lose this weight? Oh and best of luck to you with your thesis.

  • Bruce says:

    Bret, item #7 – Get Glures Sale. The link for more info returns a 404 Page Not Found Error. And thanks for all the tips, encouragement and knowledge you share with your readers!

  • Melanie says:

    I love your posts, I am an identical twin and look forward to reading your findings on that particular research mentioned…

  • Angela Reichert says:

    Hi Bret! Did you ever post your findings regarding the identical twins research? I’d love to read about it!

Leave a Reply

SIGN UP FOR THE FREE NEWSLETTER

and receive my FREE Lower Body Progressions eBook!

You have Successfully Subscribed!