Stan Efferding | Lessons learned training elite athletes

Stan Efferding | Lessons learned training elite athletes

Author: Ashleigh VanHouten & Rachel Gregory October 19, 2021 Duration: 1:38:25

Stan Efferding is an IFBB Professional bodybuilder and World Record Holding Powerlifter. He is one of only 10 men in the world to ever total over 2,300 pounds raw in competition. Stan holds the title as the World's Strongest Bodybuilder. 

He conducts seminars all over the country for various sports and nutrition and training techniques, and he coined the Vertical Diet - his book, The Vertical Diet, just came out and in this episode Ashleigh and Stan talk all things diet, muscle building, and what we can all take from the regimens of elite athletes. 

In this episode:

  • Stan's morning/daily routine
  • His new book, The Vertical Diet
  • Some of his key nutrition tips around fiber and protein
  • Practical tips for the rest of us gained from the worlds of powerlifting and bodybuilding
  • Stan's experience dealing with depression and anxiety, and how he addressed it
  • Working with elite athletes like Hafthor Bjornsson and Jon Jones
  • And much more!

Please check out our show Sponsor, Palleovalley - they make my new favorite healthy snacks, 100% grassfed and fermented beef sticks and Superfood bars made with bone broth protein and packed with plant-based superfoods (while still managing to taste like a delicious, chocolatey treat). This company doesn't cut corners, they combine the best that plants and animals have to offer for our health, and it shows - learn more at paleovalley.com and use the code MMR to save 15% on anything you buy!


Ashleigh VanHouten and Rachel Gregory, the co-creators behind the Muscle Science for Women training program, bring their combined expertise as a health coach and a nutritionist-strength specialist into a regular, down-to-earth conversation. This isn't about generic fitness advice; it's a deep, practical look at how women can build strength and wellness on their own terms. Each episode feels like pulling up a chair with two knowledgeable friends who genuinely understand the specific physiological and cultural landscape women navigate in gyms and kitchens. They tackle the real questions-from optimizing nutrition for energy and recovery to designing effective training sessions and critically examining fitness trends. The dialogue is always rooted in science but delivered without jargon, making complex topics like metabolism, hormonal influences, and sustainable habit change both accessible and actionable. Tuning into this podcast offers a reliable source of clarity amidst the noise, transforming the principles of muscle science into a personalized roadmap for anyone looking to feel stronger and more confident. You'll hear honest discussions that blend evidence with experience, all aimed at empowering your individual health journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 200

Muscle Science for Women
Podcast Episodes
Rachel Gregory | Answering your nutrition questions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:50
Nutritionist, coach, podcast host and honorary co-host of Muscle Maven Radio Rachel Gregory joins Ashleigh again to answer listener questions about nutrition! They cover topics like eating for healthy hormones; how sleep…
What's wrong with coaching, and how we can fix it [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31:02
Coaching is big business - perhaps even more so now, when our options for going to the gym and working out can be more limited. As a professional in the health and fitness industry for more than a decade, Ashleigh has wo…
The science of muscle building and strength training for women [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:14
It's finally here! Ashleigh has teamed up with nutritionist and coach Rachel Gregory to develop the Muscle Science for Women program, a three-month course on the theory and application of strength and muscle building tha…
Holistic Nutritionist Amanda Carneiro | Gut Health 101 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:29
Amanda Carneiro is a personal trainer, fitness nutritionist, and holistic nutritionist specializing in gut health and fat loss (which are often closely linked). She works one-on-one with remote clients and also offers fa…
Demystifying fears around childbirth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:34:34
Today Ashleigh speaks with a family dedicated to ancestral health and lifestyle, including natural home birth: Colin Stuckert, founder of Wild Foods Co, and his wife, Allison Bingham. It's a wide-ranging conversation abo…