Q and A with John Jewett

[Rex]

Can you explain what you mean by "cluster set"?
Can you talk more about daily undulating periodizaton (DUP)?

I really enjoyed watching this. Lots of very valuable and detailed information in there.

[Framer]

I really enjoyed watching this. Lots of very valuable and detailed information in there.

yes! definitely!

[npcdusty]

Enjoyed the live Q and A yesterday. You guys did a good job and it was a good look into how your daily goes. Looking forward to seeing more from you and the team.

[JohnJewett]

Can you explain what you mean by "cluster set"?
Can you talk more about daily undulating periodizaton (DUP)?

Cluster set is two exercises performed back to back in a circuit like fashion, but taking a 60 second test period after each exercise. So almost like a super set but timed test interval.

So in the video I did this:

I started off trying to hit 12-15 reps on my first set. Each set is taken at or near failure.
Hack squat
60sec rest
Leg extension
60 sec rest
Hack squat
60 sec rest
Leg extension
60sec rest
Hack squat
60 sec rest
Leg extension

[JohnJewett]

I really enjoyed watching this. Lots of very valuable and detailed information in there.

Thank you! I try to put thought into this and glad I can share it.

[JohnJewett]

yes! definitely!

Thank you for the support Framer

[JohnJewett]

Enjoyed the live Q and A yesterday. You guys did a good job and it was a good look into how your daily goes. Looking forward to seeing more from you and the team.

I really like doing the Live sessions. I think it's cool to be so accessible to fans and share info on the fly.

[Fe-MD]

I know youll obviously get some of these in the animal products you use, but do you ever add any extra goodies to your pre/intra workout stack? Stuff like extra citrulline malate, agmaatine, glycerol, etc?

[Animal Rep]

John Jewett's off-season leg workout

https://www.animalpak.com/thinking-m...uad-routine-2/

[JohnJewett]

I know youll obviously get some of these in the animal products you use, but do you ever add any extra goodies to your pre/intra workout stack? Stuff like extra citrulline malate, agmaatine, glycerol, etc?

I have mixed other ingredients into my intra in the past. I use to add 6g citrulline Malate and 5g hydromax in addition to the things I mentioned. Currently my preworkout has enough citrulline.

[JohnJewett]

Can you explain what you mean by "cluster set"?
Can you talk more about daily undulating periodizaton (DUP)?

I could write a whole article series on Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP), but I will try to keep this short and sweet. DUP is a template for structuring training. This most common periodization template is linear periodization. In Linear, you focus on one phase or rep scheme at a time. So, 3 weeks of 15 reps, then 3 weeks of 10 reps, then 3 weeks of 5 reps. Following this type of periodization it has been shown that whatever adaptations you gain in one training phase start to diminishing moving to the next phase. So moving from a hypertrophy phase to a strength phase may lead to decrease in hypertrophy and muscular endurance from the drop in training volume. Enter DUP!

With DUP each training day we jump back and forth from one phase or rep scheme to the next. So first Leg day is a strength or low rep day, then the next leg day is a hypertrophy or higher rep day. In research, this template has been shown to produce greater strength and muscle mass increases than other forms of periodization. So varying the rep ranges each training day you can gain the adaptations each rep range offers without a detraining effect occurring.

For my set up, my first 4 training days are low to moderate rep work (6-10 reps). I take an off day, then go another 4 training days but with moderate to high rep work (12-20 reps)

[JohnJewett]

In what ways does being a Registered Dietician impact the way you put your meal plans together? Do you think things would be different if you weren't a healthcare professional?
Why is nutrition periodization so important to you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9SNVyXY2rM&t=0s

Being a RD doesn't automatically give you the ability to prep competitors by any means. Our education is heavily clinical, however we have developed the foundations education and skills to build upon. I have studied at the biochemical level how nutrients interact in the body. This allows me to decipher if broscience or nutrition dogma are based on any fact or BS. Outside of education, we work with such a wide variety of the population from infants to geriatrics. I think this gives us a more flexible view of different eating patterns and helps make nutrition more personalized to lifestyles.
Being in healthcare definitely gives me a larger focus on health than other prep coaches. I also know to be the best you need to do something for a long time and maintaining optimal health is primary in doing so. In the hospital, I see the outcomes of poor lifestyle choices, so its a daily reminder how important preventive healthcare is.

[Fe-MD]

Hey John

1. What is a good baseline for most to stat out calorie wise when trying to gain mass, and then they can adjust accordingly. Somewhere along the lines of 15 calories per lb?

2. Do you find that, for most, going past a certain amount of grams per lb of protein doesn't do much, and once you reach that point (lets theoretically say 1.5-1.75 grams/lb) that adding to fat and carbs is wht should be done?

3. Do you use any supplements to aid in digestion such as enzymes, betaine hcl, probiotics, etc?

4. Have you noticed if artificial sweeteners are a problem digestively for some?

5. You mentioned in your offseason meal plan video that you can play around with the amount of water in your cream of rice to alter satiety. If you add less and leave it thicker will it fill you up for longer, and if you make it more "soupy" with more water that it will digest faster?

[JohnJewett]

[QUOTE=Fe-MD;1446689]Hey John

1. What is a good baseline for most to stat out calorie wise when trying to gain mass, and then they can adjust accordingly. Somewhere along the lines of 15 calories per lb?

I would calculate your BMR with the Harris Benedict Calculator and add another 500kcals as a starting point. If you know your body fat % the Katch-McArdle equation is a little bit more accurate. Again you have to factor in activity level on top of these equations, which can drastically vary based on sleep, daily activity, job, and workouts. For the quick math 15 calories per lb should get you close, but I say use one the equations. Regardless, once you set the calorie level, stick with it for 2 weeks and then adjust accordingly.

[JohnJewett]

[QUOTE=Fe-MD;1446689]Hey John

2. Do you find that, for most, going past a certain amount of grams per lb of protein doesn't do much, and once you reach that point (lets theoretically say 1.5-1.75 grams/lb) that adding to fat and carbs is wht should be done?

This could really be a long answer, on what is the optimal amount of protein, but I am going to just get to the point here. This answer will also depend on total calories (deficit or not), total carbs, exercise volume (weights and cardio), satiety issues (protein is great for satiety), and natural vs enhanced athletes (enhanced having a higher propensity for utilizing more protein). It sounds like you are asking about bulking though. I think the highest number I have seen in the literature is 3.6g/kg per day which is 1.6 g/lb of body weight. When dieting I have seen literature showing a benefit especially for satiety with protein as high as 30-40% of total calories. So for a starting point I would set protein to 1.25g/lb, set fats between 25-30% and then add the remaining calories as carbohydrates. I would increase carbs and fats slowly until you feel more is fat gain and then increase protein from there. Hope that helps buddy, again a lot could be said about this and I am just skimming the surface.

[JohnJewett]

Hey John


3. Do you use any supplements to aid in digestion such as enzymes, betaine hcl, probiotics, etc?

Outside of food that aide in digestion, no supplements currently. During prep digestion can be an issue as protein increases and fiber decreases. Then I will add in garden of life super seed for fiber. Also enzymedica digest gold I will use during peak week. I would suggest staying on at least a 10 billion CFU probiotic supplement unless you eat fermented foods daily.

[p2geo]

Hello John, I have a rather lengthy question I would like to ask. Your response would be greatly appreciated.

First off, I've been following you youtube videos on Animals site for the past few months and feel I relate very well to your mindset and thought process. My question surrounds peri-workout nutrition. I work as a Firefighter so that means I work a 24 hour shift every 3rd day and I'm forced to have to workout after shift which ends at 7:30 AM. What would you feel is best as far as peri-workout nutrition goes for my particular situation?

Ill give you a run down on what happens the day after shift. We wake up at 6:30 AM and handle various station duties at that time, washing trucks, cleaning the kitchen, and gathering our belongings. As stated before shift ends at 7:30 AM and usually I'm at the gym by 8:00-8:30 AM. Training last around an hour and then I have about an hour long drive back home. I'm currently overweight and sitting around 20-25% BF at 250lbs, not looking to get into contest condition, I would just like to get somewhere below 15% BF and improve health. I was a competitor in the past and know the benefits of cutting and bulking but I'm just not interested in that at this point in my life. Thank you very much for any insight you can provide.

[JohnJewett]

Hello John, I have a rather lengthy question I would like to ask. Your response would be greatly appreciated.

First off, I've been following you youtube videos on Animals site for the past few months and feel I relate very well to your mindset and thought process. My question surrounds peri-workout nutrition. I work as a Firefighter so that means I work a 24 hour shift every 3rd day and I'm forced to have to workout after shift which ends at 7:30 AM. What would you feel is best as far as peri-workout nutrition goes for my particular situation?

Ill give you a run down on what happens the day after shift. We wake up at 6:30 AM and handle various station duties at that time, washing trucks, cleaning the kitchen, and gathering our belongings. As stated before shift ends at 7:30 AM and usually I'm at the gym by 8:00-8:30 AM. Training last around an hour and then I have about an hour long drive back home. I'm currently overweight and sitting around 20-25% BF at 250lbs, not looking to get into contest condition, I would just like to get somewhere below 15% BF and improve health. I was a competitor in the past and know the benefits of cutting and bulking but I'm just not interested in that at this point in my life. Thank you very much for any insight you can provide.

I realize your question revolves primarily around peri workout nutrition. But I also need to know your meal plan for the day.

When was your last meal prior to training?

Ideally hitting a whole food meal 90minutes prior to training would be best. Something easy to digest like cream of rice and whey protein.

I would only take a calorie free preworkout supplement.

For intra workout 5g BCAA, 5g glutamine, and 6g of citrulline malate would be good

Post workout: If total calories for the day allowed it: 30g branched cyclic dextrin and 30g whey isolate Or just go home and eat a solid meal. Not sure if you go straight to sleep when you get home or not.

[p2geo]

I realize your question revolves primarily around peri workout nutrition. But I also need to know your meal plan for the day.

When was your last meal prior to training?

Ideally hitting a whole food meal 90minutes prior to training would be best. Something easy to digest like cream of rice and whey protein.

I would only take a calorie free preworkout supplement.

For intra workout 5g BCAA, 5g glutamine, and 6g of citrulline malate would be good

Post workout: If total calories for the day allowed it: 30g branched cyclic dextrin and 30g whey isolate Or just go home and eat a solid meal. Not sure if you go straight to sleep when you get home or not.

Calories are floating around 2,500-2,600 daily on a 40/40/20 pcf split. Last meal is between 9-9:30 however I mainly ride rescue which means sometimes im up all night running calls. At times I get hungry but I don't eat because if the concern of the extra calories. It's difficult trying to consume the correct amount of calories cause my activity levels can vary so much from shift to shift. I was doing a whey shake with a 1/2 cup of oats upon waking at 6:30 am but having a hard time digesting those oats fast enough, additionally appetite is pretty low at that time as well. I'm usually awake after due to the pre w/o as well as the hour long drive home however if it was a real hard night I have been known to pass out lol

Thank you!

[JohnJewett]

Calories are floating around 2,500-2,600 daily on a 40/40/20 pcf split. Last meal is between 9-9:30 however I mainly ride rescue which means sometimes im up all night running calls. At times I get hungry but I don't eat because if the concern of the extra calories. It's difficult trying to consume the correct amount of calories cause my activity levels can vary so much from shift to shift. I was doing a whey shake with a 1/2 cup of oats upon waking at 6:30 am but having a hard time digesting those oats fast enough, additionally appetite is pretty low at that time as well. I'm usually awake after due to the pre w/o as well as the hour long drive home however if it was a real hard night I have been known to pass out lol

Thank you!

Buddy, try switch the oats out for cream of rice. Just cook it the night before and mix your protein in. Then have it in the morning. You could make in thin enough to drink it also