
Dave Smith BSc(Hons), FHEA, PhD, CPsychol AFBPsS
His research interests include psychological issues in bodybuilding and strength training, psychological skills training (particular imagery), and low back pain. He is a former personal trainer with a specific interest in high-intensity training, and also has interests in target and precision sports, and thought/decision making processes in sport and other contexts.
In this podcast, Dave and I discuss his effort to acknowledge Arthur Jones’s contribution to exercise education, the most important factors that determine exercise results, body dysmorphia, training adherence and motivation, training programming, and much, much more.
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Show Notes
Click the link below to listen from the exact time stamp on Overcast:
- How did Dave become interested in Arthur Jones and HIT? [3:00]
- How did Stewart and Dave investigate Arthur Jones’s exercise claims? [9:50]
- How did Arthur Jones’s volume and frequency recommendations change over time? [12:30]
- What might Arthur Jones’s exercise recommendations be today? [14:25]
- The most important determinant of exercise results [17:05]
- The importance of adherence and consistency [18:50]
- Why more health and fitness influencers don’t admit that most resistance training programs will probably reach the same end point [20:10]
- Dave’s criticisms of the resistance training meta-analyses [25:10]
- Cultural influences driving Body Dysmorphia and performance enhancing drugs [34:45]
- How to become more confident in your own skin and appreciate your genetic limitations [47:20]
- How to become more motivated and motivate others to participate in resistance training [55:40]
- Dave’s training program [1:07:20]
Selected Links from the Episode
- Strength training methods and the work of Arthur Jones
- MedX
- Iron Man Magazine
- MedX Lumbar Extension Machine
- Stewart Bruce-Low
- And God Laughs… (The Autobiography of Arthur Jones)
- The Iron Game: An Illustrated History of Weight-Lifting by David Pirie Webster
- Mike Mentzer Consolidation Routine: Workout A
- Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men
- Single vs. multiple sets of resistance exercise for muscle hypertrophy: a meta-analysis
- GI Joe muscularity evolution
- James Bond
- Hugh Jackman evolution
- Survivorship bias
- Jason and the Argonauts
- Musée du Louvre
- Mona Lisa
- Dr Doug McGuff – Why You Should NOT Bulk Up (#161)
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Kieser Training
- Discover Strength
- Fit20, UK locations:
- Heavy Duty II: Mind and Body by Mike Mentzer
- Nautilus, Inc.
- Body by Science: A Research Based Program for Strength Training, Body building, and Complete Fitness in 12 Minutes a Week by Dr Doug McGuff and John R. Little
People Mentioned
- Arthur Jones
- Mike Mentzer
- Dr Ellington Darden
- Dorian Yates (Listen to my episode with Dorian here)
- Dr Doug McGuff (Listen to my episodes with Doug here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5)
- Dr James Fisher (Listen to my episodes with James here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7)
- Dr Brad Schoenfeld (Listen to my episodes with Brad here: Part 1 and Part 2)
- James Krieger (Listen to the episode with James here)
- Mark Hamill
- Sean Connery
- Werner Kieser
Great episode really enjoyed it. Well done for talking about issues such as body dysmorphia and being so open and honest.
I think it’s worth mentioning that a lot of the top sports stars nowadays as well are using PEDs. Just look at boxing loads of them have tested positive.
This is a really interesting article on steroid use in rugby https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/26/rugby-steroids-olympic-games-rio
There’s high profile advocates of HVT who look like they use or have used steroids as well to me.
Like Dave said it would definitely help if people were honest as this would really help. I think people just need to look to improve themselves and not compare themselves to other which is of course easier said than done. Also trying not to be offended when you get comments such as you look too skinny, “do you even lift” etc!
Thanks Matt. It’s something that has affected me very negatively in the past. I think it has something to do with the amount of self-worth I tied to my physique. It’s less impactful now, but occasionally rears its ugly head.
I feel really strongly about this because I worry about all the young lads and ladies who don’t understand that most of them will never obtain the body they think they can get because they do not know better. This is just exacerbated by social media influencers and the like who ever don’t know better or are just unethical.
Thanks for the article.
I loved this episode – I appreciated the flexible, pragmatic approach of the guest regarding exercise protocols. I suppose a more rigid, purist/elitist approach can be an effective marketing message for the enthusiast market. But I doubt that it is effective from a public health perspective.
Regarding body dysmorphia: he focused mainly on the issue of big muscles. But there is another kind, where you develop an obsession with having abs and an extremely lean and ripped look. I’m starting to see this more in the HIT world.
Hey Greg,
Yes, it was a pleasant reminder from Dave that consistency is key. You raise a good point about this obsession with leanness. I probably skew toward that but maybe because it’s easier for me!