#400 Holly Baxter - Muscle Building: Volume, Frequency, and Intensity

#400 Holly Baxter - Muscle Building: Volume, Frequency, and Intensity

Author: Andrew Coates September 18, 2025 Duration: 1:04:28

Holly Baxter is a prominent evidence based coach and research communicator with a Masters in Dietetics, all while being a competitive IFBB Pro.

Holly joins me to deep dive into research and practical application of:

-Do we need to train to failure to optimize muscle growth

-Volume and muscle growth

-How many weekly sets do you need to grow muscle and to optimize for muscle growth

-Is one set per week enough for robust muscle growth

-Does training frequency matter

-Do squats, deadlifts, and other heavy compound lifts “thicken your core muscles”

-Self selection bias in body type and sport

-Do older women need more protein

-Plus how Holly manages to balance her coaching and competitive careers

-And much more

00:58 Training to Failure: Do We Need It?

01:52 Research Insights on Training to Failure

04:49 Experienced vs. Beginner Lifters: Knowing Failure

10:20 Effective Reps and Training Volume

12:16 Research on Training Volume and Muscle Growth

18:23 High Volume Training: Pros and Cons

23:11 Practical Advice for General Population

32:01 Exploring Training Frequency and Volume

35:17 Benefits of Full Body Training

38:42 The Debate on Compound Lifts and Core Thickness

49:22 Balancing Life and Competitive Training

01:00:17 Protein Needs for Older Women

I’ve been putting a lot of time and effort into making these new episodes valuable for you. You can help me get these great guests and their knowledge in front of more people by:

-Subscribing and checking out more episodes

-Sharing on your social media (please tag me - I promise I’ll respond)

-Sharing with the friend you think of who needs this episode

Follow Andrew Coates:Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@andrewcoatesfitness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join My Email List:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.andrewcoatesfitness.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get the RP App at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rpstrength.com/coates⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - use the code COATESRP

Use Code ANDREWCOATESFITNESS to save 10% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://justbitememeals.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Use MacrosFirst for tracking nutrition ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.macrosfirst.com/⁠⁠

Go to www.knkg.com/Andrew59676 for 15% off your KNKG bag.


Andrew Coates hosts Lift Free And Diet Hard, a conversation grounded in the belief that strength and wellness are built on more than just routines. This podcast moves beyond quick fixes to examine the principles and personal stories that shape a sustainable, intentional life. You’ll hear from a variety of inspiring guests who share not only their expertise but also the real-world challenges and triumphs they’ve faced. The discussions naturally weave together the science of fitness with the practicalities of daily choices, offering a nuanced look at what it means to truly care for your physical and mental health. Each episode is designed to provide actionable insights you can use to navigate your own path, fostering resilience and confidence whether you're in the gym or the kitchen. By focusing on informed decision-making over dogma, the Lift Free And Diet Hard podcast becomes a resource for anyone looking to cut through the noise of wellness culture. Andrew facilitates these explorations with a focus on empowerment, ensuring every conversation adds a layer of understanding to the complex journey of building a strong, healthy life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew Coates
Podcast Episodes
#392 Dr. Katie Dabrowski - The Pathway Out of Pain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:16
Katie Dabrowski is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Strength Coach who merges her education in behavioural psychology and neuroscience with strength training to help people get out of pain, recover from injury, and get s…
#390 Stu Phillips - How Much Protein Do We Really Need? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:36
Dr. Stu Phillips is a professor at McMaster University and one of the most prominent and respected researchers in resistance training and nutrition especially relating to muscle and aging.Stu joins me to share:-What is a…
#389 Dave Tate - Elite Strength, Coaching, and Community [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:06
Dave Tate is an icon of the strength, powerlifting, and coaching world. The founder of EliteFTS and prolific writer and author, Dave is an institution in the industry.Dave guests to talk about:-What he’s training for now…
#388 Charlie Weingroff - Physical Therapy, Pain, Emotion, and MRIs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:57
Charlie Weingroff is a legendary Physical Therapist and Strength Coach who joins me to share his thoughts on:-Issues with high volume physical therapy business models-Helping people who have been told by a doctor not to…
#386 Dr. Matthew Nagra - Debunking Myths About Plant Based Nutrition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:45
Dr Matthew Nagra is a Naturopathic Doctor and Plant Based Nutrition Educator.Matthew guests to share his experience on:-Dealing with fraudulent AI based marketing, including his own experience having his voice and image…