2EZcast

00:00 Intro and catching up 01:58 Ryan drops 10kg in four weeks 02:44 Jack’s priming phase with Kuba 03:29 What priming actually means 04:39 Why getting bigger sometimes starts with dieting 09:51 Why 16 weeks is not a magic prep timeline 14:09 Post-show vulnerability 21:55 The reverse diet debate 25:19 Why staying too lean post-show is not a flex 28:44 Copy-and-paste coaching 34:00 Coaches need to stay in their lane 41:55 The low bar to becoming a coach 46:36 Steroids are not what get you shredded 48:03 Marketing vs becoming a better coach 1:01:46 Comfort vs results 1:03:40 Are you willing to pay the price? 1:05:06 The process is the reward 1:06:26 Should bodybuilding have gatekeepers? 1:09:15 Bodybuilding is a privilege and a choice 1:13:08 The odds of being alive 1:23:09 Prep is not war 1:26:33 Do the hard thing 1:29:16 Passion, football and bodybuilding 1:32:33 Don’t half-ass what you love 1:33:48 Outro

00:00 Intro and podcast chaos 05:52 Jack’s guest posing and off-season look 10:19 Body image, bloating and feeling worse than you look 11:29 Jack gets a “diet” comment 12:08 Why casual fans don’t understand bodybuilding 13:48 Trolls, female bodybuilding and online criticism 18:33 Why successful people get criticised 24:58 Should out-of-shape people step on stage? 29:14 Podcast crashes and restarts 32:17 Bodybuilding stages are made for judgement 38:02 Are we clapping for mediocrity? 44:40 Honest coaching and telling the truth 46:44 Jack’s feedback call with Kuba 52:43 Productive effort vs spinning your wheels 57:46 Obsessing over details but missing the basics 1:01:34 Realistic muscle gain expectations 1:12:21 Genetics, limits and bodybuilding potential 1:33:20 Prep without Tren 1:42:31 Prep insomnia is hell 1:46:24 Ryan’s peak week method 1:53:59 Would you rather look your best or win? 1:55:46 Jack’s pro card and Prague Pro experience 1:58:38 Suffering more doesn’t mean placing higher 2:05:36 The curse of being a tall bodybuilder 2:10:46 Outro

Coaching enquiries: 👉 https://ojvwr75y0dc.typeform.com/to/XYaohN7F 0:00 Intro, the lost episode and warm-up banter 2:25 Protein, digestion and gut issues 5:11 Growth stomachs, midsections and waist control 10:35 More food does not mean more growth 13:19 Can you grow without gaining scale weight? 15:23 Peak week, orals and digestion 16:55 Post-show eating and reverse dieting 20:03 Sarah’s extreme 1000 calorie prep story 26:15 Why scale weight ruins decisions 31:40 Chasing numbers vs building muscle 33:17 Getting more from less food, gear and load 37:23 Bodybuilding teaches balance 38:39 The “send it” set 40:43 Is hard training dying? 42:53 Fake failure and training to failure 44:39 Too small to worry about fatigue 45:28 Deloads need to be earned 48:51 Too much gear too soon 51:39 Is passion cringe now? 53:16 Earn your stripes in the gym 58:01 How to actually learn to train hard 1:01:25 Build something worth showing 1:07:19 Be a student of bodybuilding 1:12:00 Followers are not credibility 1:17:15 Keyboard warriors and online criticism 1:21:38 Category entitlement in bodybuilding 1:23:27 People underestimate classic and pro size 1:27:41 Bodybuilding is an illusion 1:32:26 IFBB Pro, cringe and being proud 1:35:30 Stop watering down your achievements 1:39:54 Jealousy, support and being nice 1:43:38 After-party chaos 1:51:40 Fake gear, low testosterone and the outro

Coaching enquiries: 👉 https://ojvwr75y0dc.typeform.com/to/XYaohN7F
Join Progressive State, A bodybuilding community focused on education, accountability, and long-term physique development: 👉 https://www.skool.com/progressive-state-5229
In this episode of the 2EZ Cast, I sit down with bodybuilding veteran Anth Bailes to discuss how bodybuilding has changed over the years.
We dive into:
• Why hard training is becoming rare
• The problem with fake rivalries in bodybuilding
• Social media's impact on the sport
• Old school vs new school training
• Training to failure and intensity
• Injuries, longevity and learning to listen to your body
• Why authentic bodybuilding content still matters
• The difference between training for content and training for progress
• The future of bodybuilding
 
Anth has spent decades immersed in bodybuilding, from the old-school gym culture through to the modern social media era, giving a unique perspective on where the sport has come from and where it's heading. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to like, subscribe and leave a comment with your thoughts.

James “The Shed” Hollingshead joins the podcast for a conversation on bodybuilding, identity, authenticity, and the pressure of trying to stay true to yourself in a world that constantly rewards the opposite. A British IFBB Pro Men’s Open bodybuilder, James earned his pro card in 2017, went on to win major pro shows including the 2020 Europa Pro and 2022 Tsunami Cup, and has competed on both the Olympia and Arnold stages. From redefining your why in bodybuilding, to the effect social media has had on the culture, to fatherhood, grief, purpose, and the internal battle between contentment and ambition, this is a conversation with real depth. We discuss:
- How your why for bodybuilding changes over time
- Why “fuck you” energy can get you started but won’t sustain you
- Bodybuilding as art and self-expression
- Whether bodybuilding improves your life or exposes what is already off
- Why not everyone who trains should compete
- Cheap dopamine, overstimulation, and modern life
- Social media, marketing, and the loss of authenticity in bodybuilding
- The pressure of building an income around your online presence
- Fatherhood, health awareness, and how having a daughter changed James’ perspective
- Grief, premature loss, and how bodybuilding has been tied to every emotion in life
- Why he nearly stepped away from the sport
- The value of in-person coaching at the highest level
- Why more condition is not always a better bodybuilding look
- Top 5 games, storytelling, and how profit has cheapened art across every industry
- Protecting your energy and staying grounded in reality

OCB Pro and posing coach Hannah Mitchell joins the podcast for a conversation on resilience, identity, and building something from the ground up in and beyond bodybuilding.
From starting with nothing and working three jobs alongside university to build financial security, to being diagnosed with autism, to growing her posing coaching into what it is today, this is a conversation about depth, self-belief, and becoming who you actually are.
We discuss:
- Starting from nothing
- Working 3 jobs alongside university to create financial security
- Hannah’s autism diagnosis
- The depth behind just being a positive person
- Why being happy go lucky gets mistaken for being unserious
- Dealing with negativity in the industry
- How Hannah built her posing coaching to where it is today
- How her relationship with Nat changed and allowed her to become more herself
- Whether Hannah would ever become assisted
- Navigating bodybuilding while staying true to yourself
And much more.

Olympia 212 competitor Dean White joins the podcast to break down the mindset behind his rise, setback, and return to the biggest stage in bodybuilding. From winning his IFBB Pro card and Mr Universe, to competing at the Olympia while building a gym, to rebuilding his body after spinal fusion surgery, this is a conversation about resilience, risk, and what it actually takes to compete at the highest level.
We discuss:
- The spinal fusion that forced Dean out of competing
- A car crash that reset his recovery
- Winning Mr Universe and earning his IFBB Pro card
- Competing at the Olympia while building Falcon Gym
- Bodybuilding with one kidney
- Planning a return to the Olympia stage
- Would he ever move to the Open class?
- Dean’s approach to PEDs
- Training with bodybuilding legends leading into the O
- The true margin for error at the Olympia
- Bodybuilding in America vs the UK
And much more.

Mr Universe winner Dan McNab, known as Big Pale Nasty, joins the podcast to unpack the mindset that built his physique and reputation. From intensity in the gym to the discipline outside it, this is a conversation about what it really takes to win.
We discuss:
- How PED usage has changed
- What's wrong with modern day bodybuilding
- Why losing is important
- What people get wrong about low volume
-Social media and much much more