You Don't Need More Sets | Training Hard, Failure & Earning Volume - Steve & Mike
The Improvement Season PodcastShow Notes
Steve Hall and Magic Mike open with a candid catch-up on training, recovery, and the realities of bodybuilding prep.
They also break down a weekend of show support for Rob and Anthony, including posing tweaks, show-day nerves, judging differences, and how to stay grounded when placings do not match expectations.
Plus a long Q&A covers recreational clients, elbow-friendly arm training, adductor work, stiff-leg deadlift mechanics, photos in the off season, prep fatigue red flags, cutting calories, refeed use, peak week foods, biceps tendinitis, and show-day nerves
Join the hypertrophic time chamber to ask questions: https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbazLhBRouBrMkCq/
Chapters 00:00 Opening Catch-Up & Training Week Check-In 14:23 Mike's Weekend With His Dad & Nutrition Reflections 23:22 Rob's Show Weekend & Supporting Athletes in Person 38:35 Anthony's Show in Cyprus & the Value of Live Support 47:13 Q&A Begins + Coaching & Lead Generation 48:08 How Much of the Client Roster Is Recreational Lifters? 51:48 Pec "Dancing" – Can Either Host Do It? 53:01 Are Direct Adductor Exercises Necessary? 54:21 0 RIR vs 2 RIR: Why the Full Program Matters More 57:15 What Determines Maintenance Calories Over Time? 57:46 What the Hosts Think the Other Could Improve On 1:01:04 How a Book on Self-Esteem Is Helping Mike 1:01:51 Stiff-Leg Deadlifts: Knee Bend, Pauses & Digestion 1:03:53 Progress Photo Frequency for Off-Season Clients 1:06:35 Elbow-Friendly Ways to Train Biceps & Triceps 1:08:36 How to Know When Prep Is Going Too Far 1:11:25 Where to Cut Calories First When Starting a Diet 1:13:36 Managing Lower-Back Flare-Ups on Leg Movements 1:14:45 Losing Definition While Gaining: The Psychological Challenge 1:17:38 When Is a Refeed Actually Needed? 1:19:15 What Science Doesn't Clearly State — But May Still Help Bodybuilding 1:21:23 Do Pump Workouts & Carb Loads Work During Peak Week? 1:23:11 How to Manage Biceps Tendinitis 1:26:00 Steve's Coaching Process & Client Check-Ins 1:29:49 Feeling Suboptimal in Prep & What Recovery Scores Mean 1:30:42 Skills Each Host Would Love to Learn From Another Coach 1:34:17 Food Tracking, Bodybuilding Eating & MyFitnessPal Confusion 1:35:25 How Rest-Pause & Drop Sets Fit Into Training 1:36:39 Best Peak Week Foods: Easy Digestion & Low Volume 1:38:14 Backstage Nerves & Show-Day Comparisons 1:41:00 Closing Thoughts + Coaching Applications & Questions
Thanks, please comment, like and subscribe!
COACHING: https://revivestronger.com/online-coaching/ INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/revivestronger NEWSLETTER: https://bit.ly/2rRONG5
__________________________________________________________________
Epic Workout Clothing (use code STRONGER):
• US: https://www.raskolapparel.com?snowball=STRONGER • Europe: https://raskolapparel.eu/ • Canada: https://raskolapparel.ca/
__________________________________________________________________
Our Ebooks!
Ultimate Guide To Contest Prep Ebook: • https://revivestronger.com/product/the-ultimate-guide-to-contest-prep/
__________________________________________________________________
Stay up to date with the latest research and educate yourself!
MASS (Research Review): • https://www.massmember.com/a/2147994108/MxeV4T3M
Muscle & Strength Pyramids • https://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1uk0lvv6e1rqv
__________________________________________________________________
When you're interested in online coaching, please go visit our website and follow the application form: https://www.revivestronger.com/online-coaching/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from The Improvement Season Podcast
Steve Hall and Magic Mike open with a light, personal catch-up before moving into a wide-ranging Q and A on contest prep, training, tracking, and coaching decisions. They also touch on current personal updates, recent body composition changes, and a few reflections on bodybuilding life, travel, and old prep memories.
WMBF Supernaturals, judging takeaways, and listener Q&A Steve Hall and Magic Mike recap the WNBF Supernaturals weekend, discussing standout athletes, judging nuances, and the rising standard of UK bodybuilding.
Magic Mike and Steve Hall kick off with podcast housekeeping, then dive into a wide-ranging conversation about the Olympia, WNBF results, coaching, recovery, and listener questions. The episode is especially useful for listeners who enjoy bodybuilding analysis with a practical coaching angle—and candid updates on training, fatigue, and life after a cut.
Mike and Steve catch up on physique updates, prep timing, judging, and a weekend of competition watchalongs. They also answer listener questions about knee pain, training progression, supplement safety, autoregulation, and bodybuilding at different ages.
In this episode, Steve and Mike discuss the importance of sleep, training volume, and progress tracking for muscle growth and performance. They share personal insights, recent competition updates, and answer listener questions about supplements, training, and nutrition.