Nick Shaw — CEO of RP Strength, author, and IFBB Pro Bodybuilder — returns to the show to discuss how the “science-based lifting” space evolved from education into competing ideologies.
In this episode, Nick and Andrew break down what actually matters for building muscle, why online hypertrophy debates have become tribal, and how context — including training age, anthropometry, and life constraints — should drive training decisions far more than rigid dogma.
THIS EPISODE COVERS:
Where science-based lifting content creators went wrong
Why the hypertrophy space feels like an ideological battleground
The practical reality of low-rep vs high-rep training
Why anthropometry and age influence rep-range decisions
The most important principles for building muscle effectively
Whether you can disagree with someone and still respect them
How Nick maintains his IFBB Pro-level physique
Balancing training with family life and running a company
Using seasons of intensity and maintenance phases in training
And much more
Instagram: @nick.shaw.rp
CHAPTERS
00:16 Nick Shaw Returns: White Monster, RP Strength & catching up
02:17 Why Hypertrophy Content Feels Like an Ideology War
03:44 From Gatekeepers to Algorithms: Social Media Rewards Extremes
08:43 The “Weird Curl” Debate: Novel Stimulus vs Clickbait
15:52 Low-Rep Hypertrophy Absolutism: What Works, What’s Not
22:03 Training Age, Joint Tolerance & Lever Lengths: Context Matters
24:45 Creator Incentives: Education vs Outlandish Content
27:35 Sponsor Break: RP Hypertrophy App
28:58 Muscle-Building Principles: Consistency, Failure Proximity & Progression
33:58 Old-School Debates & Survivorship Bias
34:46 Why Elite Bodybuilders Aren’t Great Templates
35:07 Volume vs Intensity False Dichotomy
37:02 Cancel Culture in Fitness & Context Collapse
39:38 Viral Hot Takes and Stimulus Misunderstandings
46:46 Social Media Outrage and Tribalism
52:13 Sponsor Break: King Kong Bags + Arnold Meetup
53:25 Maintaining an IFBB Pro Physique Training 3x/Week
56:14 Seasons of Intensity & Maintenance Phases
59:03 RP Hypertrophy App Guardrails & Progression
01:02:00 Micro Plates & Home Gym Hacks
01:04:22 Wrap-Up & Where to Follow Nick
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