Tony

No, the aspartame in diet coke isn’t killing you If you want an easy way to spot bad nutrition advice, remember this: The dose makes the poison. It applies to everything (even the “scary” ingredients you can’t pronounce on a label) But the key detail most people leave out: How much is actually in the product Because it’s not the presence of a thing that makes it harmful, it’s the amount Even the healthiest things in the world can become dangerous in the wrong dose → One sip of water won’t save your life → But a liter every hour can end it And with artificial sweeteners like aspartame, the dose you'd need to reach a harmful level? You’d get water poisoning first That’s not an exaggeration, it’s literally been tested This isn’t to say aspartame is good, or that you need Diet Coke Just that most fear-based health content leaves out the actual science and replaces it with panic, because panic gets clicks Sources: PMID: 30602577 PMID: 17828671 PMID: 29659969 #dietcoke #aspartame #artificialsweeteners #sugar #gym

How to fix hip dips: You don’t @Bret Contreras said it best: Hip dips are a byproduct of stronger glutes and lower body fat (aka what most people are literally trying to build?) At a certain body fat level, every single human will show hip dips They just look different on everyone based on bone structure and where your body stores fat Which, fun fact: is genetic And no, genetics aren’t something that can be changed with a glute workout from TikTok Just like how abs appear differently on every single person based on 10+ genetic factors, hip dips are a normal variation of human anatomy. So instead of finding new things to “fix,” maybe we just start learning to understand our bodies better #glutes #hipdips #glute #workout

Fat burning ≠ Fat loss Yes, there is such a thing as a “fat-burning zone” But no, it doesn’t matter at all when it comes to actually losing fat There’s one BIG problem with thinking that spending more time in the “fat-burning zone” will result in more fat lost… When you burn more fat and less carbs during a workout, you just burn less fat and more carbs later in the day (and vice-versa) This happens because your body “calibrates” how much body fat and carbohydrates you burn over a 24-hour period so that you burn the same amount of each over time, regardless of what you burn during your workouts. For example: Whether you burn 500 calories doing sprints for 30-minutes, with most of those calories coming from carbs OR 500 calories from a 90 minute incline walk, with most of those calories coming from fat You’ll still burn about the same amount of body fat at the end of the day So basically, how much fat you *lose* in response to a cardio workout depends on how much it’s adding to your calorie deficit - not how much fat you burned for energy during the workout Fat *loss* comes down to storing less fat than you burn over time And that comes from whether or not you’re in a calorie deficit Incline walking IS NOT BAD!! I actually prefer it over sprints. It’s easier on the body, it takes less recovery, and for most people it doesn’t increase hunger that much - making it a great option if you’re trying to lose weight It’s just not inherently better than any other form of cardio for fat loss… It comes down to what you can be consistent with, and what you actually enjoy (or hate less lol) Studies/Research: 24-hour fat loss calibration: PMID: 15896087

How to fix “skinny-fat” Most people are trying to solve the wrong problem when it comes to “skinny-fat” Skinny-fat usually doesn’t come from having *too much* body fat… It comes from not having enough lean muscle underneath that fat to give your body any shape or definition So if you try to fix it by doing everything you can to lose more weight… e.g. More cardio, less food, etc. You’re only going to get further away from your gaol Instead, try focusing on building lean muscle to give your body shape By lifting heavy weights 3-5x per week (it won’t make you bulky, I promise lol) And instead of obsessing over eating less food, try eating MORE, of the right foods (especially when it comes to protein) Because you can’t build living in a calorie deficit I have a free calorie and protein calculator in my bio if you want to find out an accurate estimate for where you should probably be But remember, every human body is different So the exact solution for you might need some tweaks, but this should get you going in the right direction Side note so the comment section doesn’t get mad: This is not saying that there’s something wrong with this body composition. How someone looks isn’t good or bad, this video is just here to help people that want to change their physique when they are faced with this common problem. #skinnyfat #gym #workout #Fitness

What does Vitamin D actually do? A LOT more than most people realize… That’s because vitamin D isn’t just a vitamin, it a hormone your body produces when sunlight hits your skin But even if you live in a sunny climate, chances are… you're still not getting enough 50–70% of the global population is either deficient or insufficient I live in San Diego, one of the sunniest cities on Earth, and my blood test last year still came back clinically deficient at 18 ng/mL 🙃 And it matters because low vitamin D doesn’t just affect your bones or your immune system → It impacts your mood → Your hormones → Your energy → Your sleep → Literally how your body functions And from personal experience, supplementing consistently for 3 months made a bigger difference in how I felt than almost anything else I’ve done for my health One last thing though: If you do supplement, make sure you're also getting vitamin K (specifically K2) 
Vitamin D increases calcium absorption, but K2 helps guide it where it belongs (like bones and teeth) instead of places it doesn’t (like arteries) So the two work best as a team For Dosing, between 5,000-10,000IU daily is best for correcting a deficiency, and between 2,000-5,000IU daily is considered a healthy maintenance dose. I take Legion’s (in my bio), but Thorne, NOW Foods, and Bulksupplements have good D+K supplements as well RESEARCH FROM REEL PMID: 39552387 PMID: 30275418 PMID: 39452471 #supplements #vitamind #vitamin #testosterone #hormones

Is “starvation mode” a real thing? Kind of… but not really The idea of starvation mode is when you eat too little for too long, that your body will adapt to the new, low intake, causing your body to hold onto fat and stop losing weight completely And there is some truth to that Your metabolism does adapt as you lose weight, just not to the extent that most people think Sometimes you need an extreme example to show this (like the one in the video) When people *think* that their metabolism’s broken from eating too little, it usually comes from one of two places: 1. They're eating more than they think they are Tracking calories is a skill, and most people suck at it. In a study following overweight individuals who were claiming to eat just 1,200 calories per day but still couldn’t lose weight, researchers found that on average the individuals were underreporting calories by close to 50% It’s easy to underestimate portions, miss hidden calories, and forget seemingly small things through the day So just because you “tracked” a certain amount of calories, doesn’t mean that’s what you ate in reality 2. They aren’t counting weekends or blowout meals Calories don’t “reset” at midnight Your body gains/loses weight from calorie intake over weeks, months, and years A lot of people will barely eat anything Monday-Thursday, then overeat by a massive amount on the weekends completely erasing any progress they made during the week Your metabolism adapts, yes. But not enough to defy the laws of thermodynamics. Sources: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctv9b2tqv https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Starvation_Experiment #gym #Fitness #workout

High rep vs. low rep… Who wins? It turns out you can build muscle with *any* rep range… 
But if these 3 things are locked in: 1. Progressive overload 2. Training close to failure (intensity) 3. How many total sets you do on each muscle group each week (volume) That’s why *only* doing very-high or very-low reps usually fails in the real world Because you end up burning out or breaking before you get enough quality sets But our body responds best to variety So I like to break it down like this: Heavy compound lifts (e.g. squat, deadlift, bench etc.): 3–6 reps (heavy weight) Secondary compounds (e.g. leg press, lat pulldown, DB press, etc.): 6–12 reps (moderate weight) Isolation/accessory work (eg. leg ex/curls, flys, bicep/tricep work, etc.): 12–20 reps (lighter weights) Just don’t forget, whatever rep range you choose, the weight you use should push you close to failure Side Note: No, lighter weights for higher reps don’t “tone” your muscle while heavier weights make them “bulky” How “tone” or “bulky” you look comes from how much body fat you have lying over how much muscle You can’t aestetically change a muscle outside of increasing or decreasing it’s size Great OG video stitched by @Tyler Research: PMID: 28834797 (Meta-analysis) PMID: 33433148 (Meta-analysis) PMID: 25853914 #gym #workout #Fitness #GymTok

Plant-Based vs. Animal-Based Protein (Part 1) This is a topic I’ve genuinely changed my mind on over the years 
(Even if it hasn’t changed my behavior much, I still lean toward an animal-based diet for a few reasons) I used to think plant-based proteins were basically useless Most of them are incomplete, or missing one or more of the 9 essential amino acids, and I assumed that meant they were worse for muscle growth But health isn’t always what it looks like on paper. Because today, multiple studies have shown that when total daily protein is matched (typically ~1.6–1.8g/kg of body weight) Plant-based and animal-based groups build the same amount of muscle and strength So does that mean plant proteins are just as good? Not exactly It’s way harder to hit 150g of protein eating only plants compared to animals 
Most plant sources are low in protein per calorie and less convenient overall, which makes consistently hitting your protein target much tougher But when people do hit those numbers? 
Plant protein works just fine ⚠️ Important note: 
This is specifically talking about protein quality It’s not the same conversation as a vegan diet vs. an omnivorous diet Because a diet is more than just protein… It includes micronutrients, food variety, total calorie intake, bioavailability, gut health, long-term sustainability, and more So even though plant protein can match animal protein in a muscle-building context (when enough is consumed), that doesn’t automatically mean a fully vegan diet is nutritionally equivalent to an omnivorous one (or optimal for everyone) That’s a much bigger conversation for another video STUDIES: PMID: 39813010 PMID: 33670701 PMID: 33599941 #vegan #plantbased #carnivore #keto

Do you want to lose weight? Or do you want to lose fat? There’s a BIG difference… Weight can come from one of two places, either: 1) Body fat 2) Or lean body mass (like muscle/water/etc.) Although the scale goes down for both, the results look (and feel) a LOT different If you take the *weight* loss approach and end up losing muscle, water, and a little bit of fat: - you’ll slow down your metabolism (making it harder to keep losing weight) - end up with more of a “skinny-fat” look (no definition or tone) - and most likely regain any weight you do lose as soon as you stop dieting (that literally all sounds terrible) But if you take the *fat* loss approach: - your metabolism will usually increase - you’ll look leaner and more defined as you lose weight - and you’ll actually be able to keep the progress you made (I think that’s what you actually want…) Yes, focusing on fat-loss takes a little longer… Yes, your diet and exercise might look different than what you’ve tried in the past… But if what you did in the past worked, you wouldn’t be here now, right? #gym #workout #Fitness #FitTok #GymTok #weightloss

Is fish oil worth the hype? I think so. Fish oil is mostly known for its benefits to heart health and inflammation 
(which it does a phenomenal job at) Here (in the video) are 3 places it makes a BIG difference that aren’t talked about as much. But the two important nutrients you get from fish oil that play a role in almost everything you do are EPA & DHA (both omega-3s). The problem with most fish oil supplements is that they contain barely any of those at all 
(meaning you’d have to take 20+ pills to actually get enough to make a difference) The clinical dose for most benefits is 1-2g+ of combined EPA + DHA per day. Some supplements that hit that are: * Triton by Legion Athletics (2g) * Ultra-Omega by Nordic Naturals (1.2g) * Omega-3 Elixir by Gorilla Mind (2g) (These aren’t the only ones that exist, just the ones I’ve found. To be sure, just check that the EPA and DHA on the back of any bottle adds up to over 1-2g.) RESEARCH: Fish Oil & Depression PMID: 21939614 PMID: 12365878 PMID: 17659823 Fish Oil & Body Composition PMID: 36822153 Fish Oil & Cognition PMID: 36381743  PMID: 30111738 #FitTok #fishoil #omega3 #gym

The supplement industry is kind of f***** Companies can make WILD claims with absolutely zero proof. And worse, is that no one’s even checking if what they say is in the bottle is actually there. There’s no FDA pre-approval, no mandatory testing, no clinical trials, nothing is required to prove safety or even accuracy before a company can legally sell their product to you. This is why studies like this have shown the MAJORITY of online supplements, are completely fake to begin with. And it’s not just underdosing, companies have had lawsuits filed against them for illegally putting literal perscription antidepressants into their fatburners to help curb appetite. (seriously… USPlabs got caught putting Prozac into OxyElite Pro in 2015) Your best move is to stick with brands that pay for third-party testing and publish their results. It’s the only real way to know what you’re putting in your body. Some solid ones I trust: - Legion Athletics - Optimum Nutrition - Bulk Supplements - NOW Sports - Thorne Research - Gorilla Mind - 1st Phorm - BPN - Kaged - RAW Nutrition There are 15,000+ supplement companies out there. If you’re not sure about a brand, just check their site or Google and look for seals like NSF, USP, Informed-Sport, or BSCG. Study Link from reel: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2807343 #supplements #creatine #FitTok #gym #workout

Not quite how your metabolism works (thank god😅) The stitched video is funny, and technically not wrong… But it’s not accurate either Thinking of exercise as just something that burns calories that is a slipper slope (i.e. that you have to “earn” the food you eat with exercise) But lucky for us, that’s not how our bodies work If you had to exercise to burn off every calorie you put in your mouth, you’d be on the treadmill 24 hours a day Because even if you put WORK in at the gym, it still only accounts for the smallest portion of where you burn calories in a day So yes you can do it that way… But it’s a million times more productive to use exercise to help build the other pieces up, increasing your metabolic output as a whole Because lifting weights doesn’t burn as many calories as cardio does while you’re in the gym, but it does help you build your BMR (the biggest part of your metabolism, running 24 hours a day) You could also do things to increase the other parts like eating more protein, which burns 3-10X more calories being digested than carbs or fats do By moving more and increasing your NEAT, which can burn up to 2,000 EXTRA CALORIES PER DAY - by setting a higher step count goal, or standing instead of sitting at work Or you could do a lot of other things to build up your BMR up over time like managing your sleep and stress, and getting enough of the important micronutrients through food to make sure your body is running well Like one of my favorite quotes from Eric Robert’s on this app: You’re not a dog trying to earn a treat Work smarter, not harder 🤝🏼 Studies: NEAT burning up to +2,000 calories per day : PMID: 25905303 #FitTok #GymTok #gym

Every question you’ve ever had about creatine 👨🏻‍🏫 Will supplementing with creatine turn you into Sam Sulek Jr.? No No supplement can do that But it can definietly help For weight loss and toning, gaining muscle and getting stronger, brain health, and a whole lot more IMPORTANT NOTES FROM REEL: 1. Creatine monohydrate is the only form of creatine you need. If a company is selling you a different form (Creatine HCl, Kre-Alkalyn, etc.) and telling you that it’s better than monohydrate for any reason - THEY ARE LYING TO YOU TO CHARGE YOU MORE MONEY. No other form has ever outperformed creatine monohydrate in research, yet companies charge 3-10X more money for it. 2. Here’s a list of creatine gummies that failed 3rd party testing: (aka they contain little to no creatine inside) - Astro Labs - Beast Bites - Create - Con-Cret - Greabby - Njord - full report is in the studies and references section 3. Studies/references: Creatine + Depression: PMID: 22864465 PMID: 21831448 PMID: 17988366 Creatine + Cognition: PMID: 16416332 PMID: 1198588 PMID: 17185404 Creatine Gummy 3rd Party Test Results: https://nutraceuticalbusinessreview.com/testing-programme-identifies-creatine-gummy-failings #gym #Fitness #GymTok #FitTok

Do you actually… want to get sore after a workout? Yes, and no… Let me explain Despite everything we know about the human body, science still doesn’t fully understand where muscle soreness comes from? While it’s mostly linked to muscle damage from training, the one thing that reliably causes soreness… is doing something new or different from what you're used to. For example: It a bodybuilder who’s trained for 10 years does 10 sets of heavy squats, it will cause a LOT of damage, but they’ll barely get sore from it because their body is used to it. But if they go run 5 all-out sprints, they’re probably limping for days. Now flip it. A sprinter who’s used to sprinting could do 10 of those without any issue, but would be absolutely wrecked for days after 10 sets of squats. Same body. Different stimulus. Different soreness. But here’s the real question: does it matter? The answer is not really Because muscle growth doesn’t come from muscle soreness or muscle damage It comes from progressive overload Or just continually applying more tension to your muscle over time (increasing the weight you’re doing, the number of reps, etc.) But even though soreness isn’t *needed* to grow That doesn’t mean it’s useless either Personally, I think it’s a good proxy to assess if you’re working hard enough. The sweet spot is not always sore, but not never either. If you’re NEVER sore after a workout, you’re probably not working hard enough to make good progress anyway. But if you’re ALWAYS sore, you’re probably over trained or under recovered, and that will likely prevent you from making any progress. #gym #legday #workout #FitTok #GymTok #Fitness