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Ep. #1171: Dr. David Yeager on Helping Youth Build Confidence & Succeed

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify | Listen on YouTube What motivates young people? How can we help young adults boost their confidence and self-esteem? In this interview, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. David Yeager, a leading behavioral scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, who specializes in youth motivation. He shares insights on the psychological traits of young people, how motivation evolves with age, and practical strategies to help them thrive. Dr. Yeager also discusses his recently released book, 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People, which provides ground breaking insights into effectively engaging and supporting young adults. In this interview, you’ll learn . . . The importance of social status and respect in youth motivation Balancing high standards with strong support for optimal growth Reframing stress for better performance and success Essential mindsets for parents, mentors, and educators to support young people
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Is the Push Pull Legs Split “Dead?”

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The push pull legs (PPL) split is a popular workout plan because it makes training your entire body simple. But in a recent video titled “Push, Pull, Legs, Split Is Dead,” Dr. Mike Israetel and Dr. Milo Wolf argued it’s time to lay this routine to rest: Their case is based on a meta-regression from Florida Atlantic University, which reviewed 67 studies and found that training a muscle more than once per week boosts growth, even when total volume (number of sets) remains the same. For example, the results suggested splitting 8 sets of chest training across Monday and Thursday probably leads to more growth than doing all 8 on Monday. While it’s not completely clear why this happens, it’s likely that training more often keeps your body’s muscle-building processes ticking over instead of letting them idle between workouts. A valid, evidence-based point.  Nevertheless, there are several situations where I think PPL works well.  For beginners , even training a muscle j
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The 9 Best Squat Cues for Picture-Perfect Form

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Perfecting your form for squats can feel like solving a puzzle. You know something isn’t quite right, but no matter how much you tweak your stance, back angle, and bar position, it still feels off.  For many squatters, the key to going from good squat technique to picture-perfect form is mastering a few simple squat cue s. In this article, I’ll share 9 of my favorite barbell back squat cues to help you perfect your squat form, rep after rep.  Table of Contents + The 9 Best Squat Cues for Perfect Squat Form The 9 Best Squat Cues for Perfect Squat Form 1. Lift the Boulder When to Use: Just before unracking the barbell. Why it Works: A common mistake when squatting is only engaging the muscles the bar touches—the rear delts and traps . To squat heavy weights safely, though, you need your entire back involved. Only then can you properly support and balance the load.  Imagining the bar as a boulder covering your entire back helps you engage every muscle from top
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8 Must-Do Horizontal Push Exercises for Chest Mass

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If you’re like most gym-going guys, you’re probably searching for the “secret” to building a bigger chest. And chances are, you’re overcomplicating it. You don’t need a laundry list of exercises or the latest fitness gimmick to see results.  What you need is a carefully selected set of proven horizontal push exercise s—moves that are easy to perform, safe to load with heavy weights, and guaranteed to spark progress. In my experience, the 8 best horizontal pressing exercises for building mass in your chest, shoulders, and triceps are: Barbell bench press Incline barbell bench press Dumbbell bench press Incline dumbbell bench press Close-grip bench press Dip Horizontal chest press machine Push-up  In this article, you’ll learn why these exercises are so effective, discover how to do them to maximize growth, and understand how to put them into mass-building workouts.   Table of Contents + What Is a Horizontal Push Exercise? What Muscles Do Horizontal Presses Work?
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How Kelly Lost 17 Pounds & Dropped 12% Body Fat in 3 Months

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In 3 months of Legion body transformation coaching , Kelly lost 17 pounds, 6 inches off her waist, and lowered her body fat by 12%. Kelly was no stranger to fitness—she’d gotten into fantastic shape in both 2017 and 2019. But balancing social events and frequent work travel made it hard to stay consistent. That’s when she turned to the Legion body transformation coaching program for help. Here are her resul ts: Kelly’s Journey Kelly knew she could get results on her own, but she recognized that having someone hold her accountable would push her further. That’s why she sought the guidance of a coach. Her injuries limited her movement and how much weight she could lift, so she needed a plan that allowed her to keep progressing while working around those setbacks. And when it came to her diet, simplicity was crucial—complicated meals made it harder for her to stay on track. Her coach designed a training plan that suited her perfectly, modifying exercises like squats
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10 of the Best Ways to Fail at Fitness

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Many people want to know what to do to reach their fitness goals faster, but they should care even more about what not to do. Because there are far more ways to fail in fitness than to succeed, and unfortunately, just a few wrong moves can undo a lot of the right ones. Mistakes like these: Train so hard that picking up a jug of milk hurts and walking down a flight of stairs is a life-threatening affair. Don’t worry too much about how much protein you’re eating. After all, horses and gorillas are jacked and only eat grass. Always train to muscular failure. Every exercise. Every set. And keep a really good orthopedic surgeon in your favorites. Wear a continuous glucose monitor to track your insulin levels, but don’t use a meal plan to track your calories and macros. Immediately change training programs every time you feel even a little bored with your workouts or disappointed with the results. Constantly look on social media for people to compare your physique to. With a rigor m
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The 7 Best Vertical Pull Exercises for Back & Biceps Mass

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If you’re serious about building a muscular, balanced upper body, vertical pull exercise s need to be a staple in your training. Contrary to popular belief, vertical pulls train much more than just your lats—they beef up your entire back, build your biceps, and can even help develop smaller upper body muscles like your shoulders, abs, and pecs. Another misconception about vertical pulling exercises is that you need to do endless variations to make progress.  That’s tommyrot.  The truth is, if you stick to the right vertical back exercises , just a handful is enough to deliver outstanding gains. Here are my favorites: Pull-up Chin-up Neutral-grip pull-up Lat pulldown Close-grip lat pulldown Half-kneeling single-arm lat pulldown Cable pullover In this article, you’ll learn why these vertical pulling exercises are so effective, how to perform them for maximum growth, and more. Table of Contents + What Are Vertical Pull Exercises? Muscles Worked by Vertical Pulli
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