Chasing Clarity: Health & Fitness Podcast

Muscle hypertrophy is one of the most researched topics in exercise science. And yet, it’s still one of the most misunderstood.In this episode, I’m joined by exercise scientist and researcher Derrick Van Every, author of the 2025 review Load-Induced Human Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: Mechanisms, Myths, and Misconceptions, to separate what actually drives muscle growth from what simply shows up alongside hard training.Together, we break down the human evidence, challenge long-standing myths, and clarify how lifters and coaches should actually approach hypertrophy-focused training.In this episode, we cover:MECHANICAL TENSION AS THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF HYPERTROPHYWHAT ROLE IF ANY DOES METABOLIC STRESS PLAY IN MUSCLE GROWTHDOES THE PUMP CONTRIBUTE TO MUSCLE GROWTH?DO ACUTE CHANGES IN HORMONES FROM TRAINING INFLUENCE HYPERTROPHY OUTCOMESHOW SHOULD WE APPROACH TRAINING TO MAXIMIZE MUSCLE HYPERTROPHY?If you want a clear, evidence-based understanding of how muscle is actually built and how to structure your training around the variables that matter most, this conversation will bring clarity.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected]’s Website: https://www.brandondacruzfit.com

Most people think of metabolic health as just managing blood sugar or burning fat efficiently but the ability to adapt to stress, perform under pressure, and recover from it all… that’s the true definition of a resilient body.On this episode of THE CHASING CLARITY HEALTH & FITNESS PODCAST, I’m joined once again by Dr. Mike T. Nelson to break down metabolic flexibility, physiologic flexibility, and how building adaptability across multiple systems of the body creates a healthier, more responsive physique.HERE IS WHAT WE COVER️ WHAT METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY ACTUALLY MEANS & WHY IT’S CRITICAL FOR PERFORMANCE, RECOVERY & BODY COMP️ HOW TO IMPROVE FUEL ADAPTABILITY THROUGH NUTRITION, TRAINING, MOVEMENT, ETC.WHAT PHYSIOLOGIC FLEXIBILITY IS THE 4 SYSTEMS OF PHYSIOLOGIC FLEXIBILITY THAT DETERMINE STRESS RESILIENCE • TEMPERATURE REGULATION • OXYGEN & CO₂ TOLERANCE • FUEL USAGE • ACID-BASE BALANCE️ HOW TO USE COLD, HEAT, BREATHWORK, HIIT & NUTRITION TO BUILD A BODY THAT’S HARDER TO DERAILIf this episode gives you a new lens on health & performance, share it with a friend, post it on your stories, and tag us with your biggest takeaway.A HEALTHY BODY IS A RESPONSIVE BODY.A FLEXIBLE BODY IS A RESILIENT BODY.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/Email: [email protected] Info on Brandon’s Coaching, Consultation & Mentorship Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryBrandon’s Website: https://www.brandondacruzfit.com

Most women don’t struggle with fat loss because they’re doing something wrong. They struggle because they’ve been taught to judge progress using the wrong measurement. The scale reflects body weight, not body composition, and when you don’t understand what drives fluctuations, it’s easy to panic, overcorrect, and sabotage results.On this episode of THE CHASING CLARITY HEALTH & FITNESS PODCAST, we continue the conversation from Part 1 by breaking down why scale weight behaves differently in women, how the menstrual cycle influences day to day changes, and how to track progress accurately without letting a single number dictate your mindset or effort.If you’ve ever felt like you were doing everything right but the scale jumped up a few pounds overnight, this episode will bring clarity. Progress is never linear, and weight is only one small piece of a much larger picture.HERE IS WHAT WE COVER️HOW THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE IMPACTS SCALE FLUCTUATIONS️ WHY WOMEN SEE BIGGER DAY TO DAY SHIFTS COMPARED TO MEN️ HOW TO USE DAILY WEIGH INS AND 7 DAY AVERAGES TO TRACK TRENDS️WHY WEEKLY WEIGH INS CAN MISLEAD YOU️ THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAT LOSS AND WATER WEIGHT️ HOW TO DESENSITIZE YOURSELF TO SCALE ANXIETY️ HOW TO TRACK PROGRESS BEYOND THE SCALE WITH PHOTOS, CLOTHING, PERFORMANCE AND BIOFEEDBACK️ WHY TRUE TRANSFORMATION REQUIRES MULTIPLE DATA POINTSIf you want to stop letting the scale control your emotions, your decisions, or your belief in yourself, this episode will teach you how to interpret the data correctly and stay consistent without second guessing every fluctuation.IF THIS EPISODE HELPED YOU, SHARE IT WITH A FRIEND WHO NEEDS IT.If you’re ready for coaching that respects female physiology and builds results that last, apply for 1:1 coaching through the link in the show notes.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/⁠For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: ⁠https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry⁠Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠Brandon’s Website: ⁠https://www.brandondacruzfit.com⁠

Most women don’t struggle with fat loss because they’re unmotivated or undisciplined. They struggle because they’ve been given the wrong strategy for their biology and they’ve been dieting from a suboptimal position where their body isn’t ready to lose fat in the first place.On this episode of THE CHASING CLARITY HEALTH & FITNESS PODCAST, I break down the physiological realities that make fat loss look different for women, why comparing your progress to a man’s is a losing game and how I coach female clients in a strategic, evidence-based way that protects hormones, preserves muscle and delivers results that last.This episode explains why so many women experience chronic dieting, metabolic slowdown, cycle disruptions, a slower rate of scale change than men, and the frustration of feeling like their body isn’t responding and what to do differently if you want sustainable results instead of another rebound.HERE IS WHAT WE COVER️WHY WOMEN START WITH LOWER MAINTENANCE CALORIES & LOWER TDEE️ THE IMPACT OF CHRONIC DIETING, LOW ENERGY AVAILABILITY & RED-S️ WHY AGGRESSIVE DEFICITS BACKFIRE & LEAD TO HORMONAL DISRUPTION️ HOW TO SET SUSTAINABLE FAT LOSS RATES BASED ON % BODYWEIGHT️ WHY WOMEN LOSE WEIGHT SLOWER THAN MEN & WHY THAT’S NORMAL️ HOW TO PRESERVE LEAN MASS WHILE DROPPING BODY FAT️ THE POWER OF A PRIMER PHASE BEFORE DIETING️ HOW TO BREAK THE WEEKDAY DIETER CYCLE FOR GOODIf you’re tired of dieting harder and seeing less progress, this episode will help you rebuild your metabolism, understand your physiology, and execute a fat loss strategy that actually works for women.IF THIS EPISODE HELPED YOU, SHARE IT WITH A FRIEND WHO NEEDS IT.If you’re ready for a personalized approach that respects female physiology, apply for 1:1 coaching through the link in the show notes.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/⁠For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: ⁠https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry⁠Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠Brandon’s Website: ⁠https://www.brandondacruzfit.com⁠

Functional and “holistic” coaching is more popular than ever but a lot of people are walking away from these programs feeling more confused, more anxious, and more convinced that they are broken than when they started.On this episode of THE CHASING CLARITY HEALTH & FITNESS PODCAST, I sit down with Sam Miller to break down where functional coaching is going wrong, how fear based messaging and diagnosis driven protocols are impacting clients and what a higher standard of coaching should actually look like if the goal is long term health and sustainable results.HERE IS WHAT WE COVER️ WHY COOKIE CUTTER PROTOCOLS HAVE TAKEN OVER A FIELD THAT CLAIMS TO BE “INDIVIDUALIZED”️ HOW PRESET SYSTEMS AND TEMPLATES IGNORE REAL WORLD PHYSIOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, LIFESTYLE AND GOALS️ THE PROBLEM WITH VAGUE DIAGNOSES LIKE “ADRENAL FATIGUE” AND “WEIGHT LOSS RESISTANCE”️ HOW LABELING CLIENTS AS “BROKEN” CREATES FEAR, IDENTITY ISSUES AND DEPENDENCY️ THE RISE OF FEAR BASED MARKETING AND WHY IT DRIVES HYPERFIXATION AND OVER ANALYSIS️ HOW SUPPLEMENT AND PEPTIDE STACK OBSESSION PULLS ATTENTION AWAY FROM NUTRITION, TRAINING, SLEEP AND STRESS️ If this episode hits home for you, share it on your stories and tag us with your biggest takeaway, and if you need support, you can always reach me on Instagram @brandondacruz_ or through the link in the show notes.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/⁠For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: ⁠https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry⁠Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠Brandon’s Website: ⁠https://www.brandondacruzfit.com⁠