#23 - Dr. Robert Santana, PhD, RD, SSC | Weight Gain & Lean Body Mass Increases for Strength Athletes - Does gaining weight make you stronger?

Caloric intake is important for building strength and muscle mass, but just how much you need depends on your goals and your current body composition. In this episode, PRS Clinical Coaches Dr. Rori Alter and Dr. Alyssa Haveson sat down with Dr. Robert Santana to discuss the concepts of dietary intake and muscle mass development in barbell strength and powerlifting  athletes.    Robert has an extensive background in all things health and fitness. Earning his Ph.D. as a Registered Dietician while excelling in various settings, from the hospital to high-performance athletes, Dr. Santana is also a Renaissance Periodization coach, Starting Strength Coach, owner of Weights & Plates in AZ, and the host of the Weights & Plates Podcast.   In this episode we dive deep with Robert into all things nutrition and training, covering important topics every strength athlete can benefit from including:   Mechanisms for lean body mass increase from a nutritional perspective  Various phases of dieting for strength athletes including "bulk phases" and "cut phases" The correlation of weight gain to strength increases and the risks associated with it Tips on how to manage body weight close to your ideal physique without it compromising training or requiring low calories How to achieve goals for both strength development and fat loss The truths of building muscle as a natural athlete and how much muscle mass you can actually put on in various timeframes  The time it takes to lose muscle after cessation of training and how to combat it through diet if you cannot train for a period of time Supplementation recommendations    This episode could have gone on for hours, and  it contains so much information you might want to listen twice! Progressive Rehab & Strength will definitely have Dr. Robert Santana, RD, back in the future.  Resources: Website: https://weightsandplates.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weights__and__plates/ The Weights & Plates Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weights-and-plates-podcast/id1557830248    If you're enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify.   Join our Facebook Community for free form checks, live Q&As & more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PRS.Barbell.Mastery    Got questions or guests you'd like to hear on the show? Submit them here: https://forms.gle/7Vu2HmgHoeQY9xM59    Get in touch with the show! Web: https://www.progressiverehabandstrength.com Email: [email protected] Rori IG: @rorimegan_prs Alyssa IG: @alyssahope_prs