How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization | Dr. Duncan French

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Duncan French, Ph.D., the Vice President of Performance at the UFC Performance Institute and a world-class performance specialist. We discuss specific resistance (weight) training regimens for increasing testosterone in men and women and how to vary mechanical loads and rest between sets and workouts to optimize hormone output and training results. We also discuss how stress-induced catecholamines can increase or decrease testosterone depending on duration and mindset. We discuss specific cold and heat therapies for increasing resilience, reducing inflammation, promoting heat shock proteins and more. We discuss nutrition for training and how to match nutrition to training goals and metabolic flexibility. We discuss mental focus and how long to train for skill development. Finally, we discuss how mixed martial arts and the UFC Performance Institute are a template for exploring human performance more generally. This episode is intended for anyone interested in athletic and mental performance: athletes, students and recreational exercisers, and includes both science and many practical tools people can apply in their own training. For an up-to-date list of our current sponsors, please visit our website: https://www.hubermanlab.com/sponsors. Previous sponsors mentioned in this podcast episode may no longer be affiliated with us. Dr. Duncan French: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dr_duncan_french LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncan-french-phd-a41bb9122 Social: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Twitter - https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab Website - https://hubermanlab.com Newsletter - https://hubermanlab.com/neural-network Timestamps: 00:00:00 Dr. Duncan French 00:02:27 Roka, Helix Sleep, Headspace 00:05:44 Duncan’s Background in Exercise Science 00:11:45 How Certain Exercises Increase Testosterone 00:16:22 What Kind of Training Increases Testosterone & Growth Hormone? 00:20:19 Intensity: Mechanical Load; Volume: Metabolic Load; Inter-set Rest Periods 00:25:25 Training Frequency & Combining Workout Goals 00:29:35 How Stress Can Increase or Decrease Testosterone 00:36:55 Using Cold Exposure for Mindset, Anti-Inflammation, Muscle-Growth 00:46:55 Skill Development 00:50:05 Why Hard Exercise Creates Brain Fog: Role of Nutrition 00:53:55 Low-Carbohydrate Versus All-Macronutrient Diets on Performance 00:56:15 Ketones & Brain Energy, Offsetting Brain Injury; Spiking Glucose During Ketosis 00:59:13 Metabolic Efficiency, Matching Nutrition to Training, “Needs Based Eating” 01:05:00 Duncan’s Work with Olympic Athletes, NCAA, UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) 01:08:00 Why UFC & MMA (Mixed-Martial Arts) Are So Valuable for Advancing Performance 01:12:40 Voluntarily Switching Between Different States of Arousal 01:14:30 Heat, Getting Better at Sweating, Heat Shock Proteins, Sauna 01:20:12 Using Rotating 12-Week Training Programs; Logging Objective & Subjective Data 01:24:07 Surprising & Unknown Aspects of The UFC and UFC Performance Institute 01:27:45 Conclusions, Zero-Cost Support, Sponsors, Supplements, Instagram Please note that The Huberman Lab Podcast is distinct from Dr. Huberman's teaching and research roles at Stanford University School of Medicine. The information provided in this show is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The Huberman Lab Podcast, its employees, guests and affiliates assume no liability for the application of the information discussed.

Andrew HubermanhostDr. Duncan Frenchguest

Nov 8, 20211h 30mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: November 8, 2021
Duration: 1h 30m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Duncan French, Ph.D., the Vice President of Performance at the UFC Performance Institute and a world-class performance specialist. We discuss specific resistance (weight) training regimens for increasing testosterone in men and women and how to vary mechanical loads and rest between sets and workouts to optimize hormone output and training results. We also discuss how stress-induced catecholamines can increase or decrease testosterone depending on duration and mindset. We discuss specific cold and heat therapies for increasing resilience, reducing inflammation, promoting heat shock proteins and more. We discuss nutrition for training and how to match nutrition to training goals and metabolic flexibility. We discuss mental focus and how long to train for skill development. Finally, we discuss how mixed martial arts and the UFC Performance Institute are a template for exploring human performance more generally. This episode is intended for anyone interested in athletic and mental performance: athletes, students and recreational exercisers, and includes both science and many practical tools people can apply in their own training. For an up-to-date list of our current sponsors, please visit our website: https://www.hubermanlab.com/sponsors. Previous sponsors mentioned in this podcast episode may no longer be affiliated with us. Dr. Duncan French: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dr_duncan_french LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncan-french-phd-a41bb9122 Social: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Twitter - https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab Website - https://hubermanlab.com Newsletter - https://hubermanlab.com/neural-network Timestamps: 00:00:00 Dr. Duncan French 00:02:27 Roka, Helix Sleep, Headspace 00:05:44 Duncan’s Background in Exercise Science 00:11:45 How Certain Exercises Increase Testosterone 00:16:22 What Kind of Training Increases Testosterone & Growth Hormone? 00:20:19 Intensity: Mechanical Load; Volume: Metabolic Load; Inter-set Rest Periods 00:25:25 Training Frequency & Combining Workout Goals 00:29:35 How Stress Can Increase or Decrease Testosterone 00:36:55 Using Cold Exposure for Mindset, Anti-Inflammation, Muscle-Growth 00:46:55 Skill Development 00:50:05 Why Hard Exercise Creates Brain Fog: Role of Nutrition 00:53:55 Low-Carbohydrate Versus All-Macronutrient Diets on Performance 00:56:15 Ketones & Brain Energy, Offsetting Brain Injury; Spiking Glucose During Ketosis 00:59:13 Metabolic Efficiency, Matching Nutrition to Training, “Needs Based Eating” 01:05:00 Duncan’s Work with Olympic Athletes, NCAA, UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) 01:08:00 Why UFC & MMA (Mixed-Martial Arts) Are So Valuable for Advancing Performance 01:12:40 Voluntarily Switching Between Different States of Arousal 01:14:30 Heat, Getting Better at Sweating, Heat Shock Proteins, Sauna 01:20:12 Using Rotating 12-Week Training Programs; Logging Objective & Subjective Data 01:24:07 Surprising & Unknown Aspects of The UFC and UFC Performance Institute 01:27:45 Conclusions, Zero-Cost Support, Sponsors, Supplements, Instagram Please note that The Huberman Lab Podcast is distinct from Dr. Huberman's teaching and research roles at Stanford University School of Medicine. The information provided in this show is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The Huberman Lab Podcast, its employees, guests and affiliates assume no liability for the application of the information discussed.

SPEAKERS

Andrew Huberman
host
Dr. Duncan French
guest

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Andrew Huberman and Dr. Duncan French, How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization | Dr. Duncan French explores train Smarter: Use Stress, Heat, and Lifting to Maximize Hormones Andrew Huberman interviews Dr. Duncan French, VP of Performance at the UFC Performance Institute and a PhD in exercise physiology, about how to design training for strength, hypertrophy, and hormone optimization. They explain how resistance training parameters like load, volume, and rest intervals drive acute testosterone and growth hormone responses and long-term adaptations. The conversation also covers stress hormones and arousal, cold and heat exposure, metabolic efficiency and nutrition periodization, and the unique performance demands of mixed martial arts. Throughout, French emphasizes "adaptation-led programming": using science and individual feedback to structure training, recovery, and diet for both elite fighters and everyday exercisers.

RELATED EPISODES