Live Coaching Calls: Topic Index  

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Welcome to the LCC Index!

This index allows you to browse the topics we have covered in the Live Coaching Calls (LCCs) each week.

Finding a particular topic (by doing a page-search for a word or phrase):

From your desktop, to do a search for a word or phrase, Ctrl + F is a simple way of finding any term or phrase on a given page. More explicitly, while holding down the Ctrl key, hit the F key. NOTE: Macs do not use the Ctrl + F search function, but instead use: command + F. This will bring up a search field on your screen that will allow you to type in the word or phrase you're looking for.

Here’s how to search for a term on this page with an Iphone (other mobile devices may vary in this function). First scroll up until the bottom set of icons appears, and hit the box with an up arrow. This will lead you to the next step, where you swipe the bottom row of options to the left until you arrive at the “Find on Page” magnifying glass icon. Selecting that will bring up a field that allows you to type in your search term or phrase. 

To view any of the LCCs (on replay):

Head over to the Masterclass section, and scroll down to the Live Coaching Calls module, and navigate your way to the LCC containing the answer you're seeking.

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September 30, 2025:

  • 2:40: Close to prediabetes (HbA1C = 5.4) despite low body fat & high training volume -- how to approach this?
  • 14:50: Do you have a resource for how I can put together a training program?
  • 30:11: Reactive hypoglycemia - how to approach/deal with it as well as the concept of sugar crashes after a fast?
  • 33:45: Reductions in insulin sensitivity with age in women due to the loss of estrogen?
  • 37:19: Clean eating plus 10K steps a day but still struggling to lose weight, what sport of metrics to investigate what's going on?
  • 47:40: How to approach tracking intake versus just going with a value generated by an online calculator? 

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October 7, 2025:

  • 3:40: Programming resistance training for muscle hypertrophy 
  • 7:40: How to decide between pursuing the goal of fat loss and muscle gain.
  • 12:12: Reverse dieting, finding new maintenance intake.
  • 23:00: Finding a theoretical maintenance calorie target (including a walk-through of my diet calculator (alanaragon.com/dietcalculator)
  • 39:50: Programming differences for muscle strength vs. muscle hypertrophy. 
  • 48:25: How do you deal with a client who does not want to track intake?
  • 52:00: Why is height always factored into certain methods for estimating body fat percent?
  • 55:42: How do you feel about 10 sets per muscle group per week for advanced trainees seeking hypertrophy?

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 Oct 14, 2025:

  • 0:58: Dealing with various people online & offline advising you to get on a GLP1 drug.
  • 2:15: Max time in a deficit vs max time at maintenance?
  • 5:10: Are there data to support phases versus a steady deficit until the goal is reached?
  • 9:26: Most clients don’t want to track calories their whole lives. Any advice?
  • 11:13: Can someone with obesity lose fat & gain muscle at the same time in a calorie deficit?
  • 11:35: How do you help clients who eat to self-soothe (emotionally eat)?
  • 16:10: How would you respond to a client whose body fat goal you disagree with (fat loss when they are already at a healthy/low level of leanness)?
  • 18:12: How to deal with a client whose doctor put her on 1200 kcals (too low for her body compo & goals) with 50 g protein (too low for her body comp & goals)?
  • 20:35: Should you still have people track at maintenance while they are on a diet break?
  • 23:28: Recommendations for tracking apps?
  • 24:22: Alan, do YOU still track your intake?
  • 28:54: How do you feel about measuring food with the "hand method"?
  • 30:25: How quickly does muscle grow back after a significant time off and significant muscle loss?
  • 32:27: Do you think that changing one habit at a time is a better way to start, versus starting on a meal plan?
  • 34:32: Is there an upper limit of protein intake if calories are restricted overall? (By default: what are the minimum amounts of carbohydrate & fat to consume)? 

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Oct 21, 2025:

  • 0:24: Genetics vs the environment; nature versus nurture; bodyweight set point vs settling point; dual-intervention hypothesis.
  • 11:30: Hormones vs calories on appetite and bodyweight/body fat regulation (insulin, ghrelin, leptin, cortisol).
  • 18:29: Cortisol mini-lecture.
  • 24:45: Diet break variations: 1 day off per week vs 1 week off per month.
  • 26:36: What's the most effective dose & type of cardio during dieting for fat loss?
  • 30:32: Consumer Reports protein supplementation (powders, shakes) lead scare. 
  • 39:00: What are the barriers for men trying to reach sub-10% body fat.
  • 42:15: Is there minimum amount of time that we need to maintain a "settling point" in order for it to become permanent? 
  • 43:38: Can some people's results be be more highly influenced by cortisol than others?
  • 45:26: Can chronic stress lead to chronically elevated cortisol lower RMR via the HPA axis?
  • 49:34: How do you respond to someone claiming that it's all about hormones and NOT calories during the menopausal transition?

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Oct 28, 2025:

  • 1:00: Overview of the questions.
  • 1:31: What is the relationship between insulin resistance and obesity? Do insulin resistant folks require a carb-restricted diet?
  • 8:49: Practical implications of the evidence at-large.
  • 11:07: Resistance training is superior to aerobic training for improving glycemic control.
  • 11:07: Resistance training is superior to aerobic training for improving glycemic control.
  • 12:53: Do fat cells that experience obesity have a greater propensity to return to an obese state? Is there a such thing as obesogenic memory at the cellular level?
  • 16:00: The National Weight Control Registry leaves clues about what's needed for long-term weight loss success 
  • 18:15: Is it possible to grow new fat cells as you gain body fat, or do existing fat cells just get larger? Fat cell hypertrophy vs hyperplasia. 
  • 20:00: Do genes predispose people to obesity, and is there an obesity gene?
  • 26:31: Fasted training in women: what are the potential health consequences versus fasted training in men.
  • 32:27: How long of a duration of no change qualifies as a bona fide progress plateau?
  • 32:27: How long of a duration of no change qualifies as a bona fide progress plateau?
  • 36:55: Would it be possible to have almost zero visceral fat, but still have insulin resistance? 
  • 38:13: Do we have to seek a particular proportion of soluble versus insoluble fiber? Is one better than the other?
  • 40:05: Is it possible to be overtraining and undereating so much that it forces the body to hold on to water and seemingly gain weight? If so, what's the solution?
  • 43:17: Any pro tips on how to lose the last 5 pounds without losing lean mass?

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November 4, 2025

  • 5:30: Health behavior change/mindset: goal setting, striving, attainment.
  • 16:17: Fueling resistance training sessions - carbs and/or protein before and/or during and/or after? How does creatine timing fit into the mix? 
  • 23:30: Health creatine supplementation - timing relative to training. 
  • 26:00: Health Dairy: full-fat versus reduced fat - effects on health and body composition.
  • 32:37: BPC-157 - does it work for tissue rebuilding & injury recovery?
  • 38:37: Prolonged fasting, inflammation, platelet activation, big picture. 
  • 43:30: Protein timing for a training bout consisting of 45 minutes of resistance training followed immediately but 45 minutes .
  • 45:28: Are there potential health benefits of having some saturated fat outweighing the negatives?
  • 49:30: Is creatine as effective if it sits in water?
  • 50:28: Almond milk versus dairy milk?
  • 52:00: Does the very high-volume (sets) research showing more hypertrophy mainly show increased edema since it's not accompanied by strength increases?
  • 50:28: BPC-157 Almond milk versus dairy milk? 
  • 54:00: Opinion of 15 g protein pre-exercise (the training bout is 45 minutes of lifting immediately followed by 45 minutes of relatively intense cardio)?
  • 58:00: What is your opinion of counting collagen towards the protein total?

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November 11, 2025

  • 1:00: Guest lecturing at University of North Carolina Wilmington.
  • 4:15: Agenda/topics list. 
  • 5:45: How does hypothyroidism impact energy balance? 
  • 15:20: Recomposition: who can achieve it, and what state of energy balance should be targeted?
  • 27:53: Addressing the RDA for protein and protein dosing-related controversies. 
  • 35:52: Carb cycling: how does it work, who does it work for? 
  • 47:30: Severe hypothyroidism and sleep?
  • 49:00: How does carbohydrate influence thyroid production in hypothyroidism? 
  • 50:35: Is there an average amount of weight loss and an average timeframe to target for recomposition?
  • 53:50: Was Kellogg's involved with the creation of the grain-focused Food Guide Pyramid?
  • 58:26: Is recomposition a good target for a long-term chronic dieter (who is training for endurance competition) with a liposuction procedure?

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November 18, 2025

  • 0:01: Agenda/topics list. 
  • 2:30 Difficult client case: 2-3-month bodyweight plateau with after having lost significant girth/circumference in waist & hips during the initial 2-3 months of program.
  • 19:08: Difficult client case: 15-lb loss regained due to compliance/adherence issues on the weekend despite pre-emptive lowballing during the week.
  • 25:29: Difficult client case: 100 lbs to lose, prediabetic, has lost 10 lbs in the first 2-3 months, seeking quicker progress. Doc is suggesting a GLP-1 drug.
  • 34:34: Internet dive revealed the “evils” of antinutrients in vegetables (which supposedly makes veggies not good). How to respond?
  • 41:24: Non-drug strategies to lower cholesterol 
  • 44:48: Is MyPlate a good model to follow?
  • 47:27: How does hydration status affect DXA readings?
  • 49:34: Is body recomposition possible without tracking macros; is it possible to achieve with intuitive eating?
  • 50:36: Protein intake recommendation for lean/trained individuals in a caloric surplus for the goal of maximizing hypertrophy?
  • 51:25: Is body recomposition possible without tracking macros; is it possible to achieve with intuitive eating?
  • 52:24: How to handle clients that do not have formal check-ins (ie, in the Trainerize app) [issue of online client non-response]
  • 56:17: Protein Grass-fed beef instead of grain-fed to get more omega-3?
  • 57:48: What are your thoughts on MCT oil? 

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November 25, 2025:

  • 2:49: DIFFICULT CLIENT CASE: New client reporting an intake of 900-1000 kcal/day for many months but not losing weight. How to approach & solve this?
  • 24:04: How can we define "strong" in terms of normative standards?
  • 38:00: Do we need to combine different plant proteins in a meal in order to achieve a complete protein?
  • 39:23: Given the goal of weight loss (at least 20 lbs), does it make sense to still lift heavy and to failure when you’re in a caloric deficit and your energy reserves are low?
  • 48:54: Advice for newly certified coaches on how to get your first client(s).
  • 52:11: Thanksgiving overeating - how to handle it?
  • 54:00: Accuracy of resting metabolic rate (RMR) devices?
  • 55:00: Microdosing GLP1's promoted by fitness folks?

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December 2, 2025:

  • 3:07: Agenda 
  • 5:45: With 4 weeks left in the year, what fat mass & lean mass improvements can be accomplished, and how to do it (optimally)?
  • 11:55: The major program variables for resistance training (strength & hypertrophy).
  • 27:19: Given the goal of weight loss (at least 20 lbs), does it make sense to still lift heavy and to failure when you’re in a caloric deficit and your energy reserves are low?
  • 37:18: How to handle the food & festivity challenges of the holiday season.
  • 44:50: What is the justification for caloric surplus for the goal of lean mass gain?
  • 53:33: How do you deal with someone who eats compulsively (due to anxiety)?
  • 55:50: What is the mechanism behind surplus calories for gains in muscle?

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December 9, 2025:

  • 0.30: Agenda 
  • 4:15: With How does alcohol affect appetite? 
  • 7:15: How does alcohol affect bodyweight?
  • 11:30: What degree of fat gain occurs with carbohydrate overfeeding? (de novo lipogenesis)
  • 18:05: How to program a resistance training program for my 77 year-old mom?
  • 22:10: Programming resistance training for strength vs hypertrophy - why is there a difference?
  • 29:15: Why is muscle so calorically expensive?
  • 31:55: Crash dieting (PSMF)?
  • 35:07: Non-stick cookware - is it harmful? Cast iron cookware?
  • 37:40: How is "trained" and "untrained" defined in research studies?
  • 39:33: Circuit training versus traditional training
  • 41:20: Is my diet calculator (alanaragon.com/dietcalculatordesigned to figure out maintenance or a deficit?
  • 42:32: Pelland et al meta-analysis (muscle strength versus muscle hypertrophy - set volume)
  • 45:17: How to market better to get/keep clients as a personal trainer, and how much should I charge?
  • 51:25: Do women need to do high-intensity/HIIT cardio to lose fat?

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December 16, 2025:

  • 0.25: Agenda 
  • 2:17: Recomposition in midlife – how to target calories, and how much cardio?
  • 11:00: Grounding/earthing – how solid is the evidence? Any practical value for improving health, or…?
  • 19:40: Supplemental calcium versus calcium exclusively from the diet for bone mineral density and overall health outcomes, as well as safety outcomes?
  • 28:56: Is there a minimum amount of fasting hours to achieve the longevity benefits of autophagy?
  • 33:45: Ultra-processed foods and health: clarifying the misconceptions.
  • 37:00: Is it beneficial to increase calories on heavy lifting days and lower calories on rest days vs an average calorie amount on all days of the week?
  • 39:15: Diet break details: How can we safeguard a “relaxed” phase from going completely off the rails?
  • 41:45: Struggling to get more clients – is it time to consider getting a formal degree?
  • 46:22: Andrea discusses her involvement with the transformation contest, including a question on how to deal with the challenges of the holidays.

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December 23, 2025:

  • 0:59: Agenda 
  • 2:17: How to individualize an upper-lower training split?
  • 21:30: How should we eat to optimize gut health?
  • 34:50: When fat-free mass isn’t available (and indirect calorimetry isn’t feasible), which RMR equation do you consider the most accurate—or least biased—for athletic populations?
  • 37:57: PAL/activity-factor tables can be arbitrary. In practice, what method or tool is best for estimating the TDEE of endurance-oriented athletes training multiple hours per week?
  • 43:40: Is it possible to aim for recomposition at age 51, as someone who already trains 5 days a week?
  • 46:57: Is there a problem with doing squats and deadlifts in the same session?
  • 48:45: How do you externally load the 45-degree hip extension?
  • 51:00: Do you track your volume in an app or a notebook?
  • 53:30: Cronometer track micronutrient intake?
  • 52:10: Do you track your volume in an app or a notebook?
  • 54:46: Have I tried loaded single-leg hip extensions? 

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