Watch the full episode and view show notes here: https://bit.ly/3TfScd3 Become a member to receive exclusive content: https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/ Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/ Holly Baxter is an accredited practicing dietician (APD), competitive bodybuilder, fitness and nutrition educator, and coach. In this episode, Holly discusses her experience as an athlete and competitive bodybuilder. She also opens up about her struggles with mental health, her long battle with an eating disorder, and the important steps she’s taken in her road to recovery. From there, she explains how she would design a nutrition and training program for a hypothetical female client wanting to improve her physique through the addition of lean muscle and loss of body fat. She explains reasonable expectations for gaining muscle and the value of a “reverse diet” for maintaining weight loss, and she shares her favorite exercises. She also talks through some female-specific training considerations such as programming, reps, volume, hormone replacement therapy, and more. We discuss: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:00:08 - Holly’s background and passion for sports and nutrition 0:03:07 - Holly’s struggle with depression and an eating disorder 0:19:49 - Reflecting on her eating disorder, body image, and a wake up call 0:30:23 - Road to recovery: therapy, meditation, self-compassion, and a breakthrough 0:43:58 - The effect of competitive bodybuilding on women 0:52:55 - Holly’s competition prep and how she guides her clients wanting to improve their physique 1:05:05 - Training principles for muscle hypertrophy 1:10:16 - Training advice for an inexperienced person wanting to build muscle 1:13:15 - Training program for a hypothetical woman wanting to add lean muscle and lose body fat 1:24:10 - Lower body lifts: Holly’s approach to leg workouts with clients 1:36:32 - Upper body exercises: Holly’s approach with her clients 1:47:03 - Importance of nutrition and protein during the muscle building phase 1:54:20 - Changes to nutrition and training during a fat loss phase 2:04:54 - A “reverse diet” after a cutting phase to help prevent weight gain 2:08:53 - Female-specific training considerations: programming, reps, volume, sex hormones, and more 2:23:34 - Holly’s future in bodybuilding and helping struggling women 2:26:19 - Looking forward: Holly’s focus on longevity, bone mineral density, and wellness -------- About: The Peter Attia Drive is a weekly, ultra-deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing health, longevity, critical thinking…and a few other things. With over 45 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more. Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (delay the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life). Learn more: https://peterattiamd.com Connect with Peter on: Facebook: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDTW Instagram: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDIG Subscribe to The Drive: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveApplePodcasts Overcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveOvercast Spotify: http://bit.ly/TheDriveSpotify Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheDriveGoogle Disclaimer: This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor-patient relationship is formed. The use of this information and the materials linked to this podcast is at the user's own risk. The content on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they have, and they should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. I take conflicts of interest very seriously. For all of my disclosures and the companies I invest in or advise, please visit my website where I keep an up-to-date and active list of such companies.