The Catalyst
by Chris Cooper
Latest episode
Morning Vs. Evening: When's the Best Time to Work Out?
Morning Vs. Evening: When's the Best Time to Work Out?
About this podcast
The Catalyst is your source for information about improving fitness and health. Once a week, host Chris Cooper of Catalyst Fitness bridges the gap between science and ground-level tactics in gyms and coaching practices. The Catalyst is perfect for coaches, trainers, nutritionists, athletes and general exercisers who want to learn more about training. Be sure to subscribe!
Episodes
The newest 20 of 146 episodes
- Morning Vs. Evening: When's the Best Time to Work Out? · 9 min · Season 2 Episode 127I break down what research says about workout timing: evening training often has slightly better performance markers (higher body temperature, reaction time, VO2 max, strength…
- Are You Addicted to Caffeine? The 3-Minute Test (And What To Do About It) · 13 min · Season 2 Episode 126In this episode, I share how I realized I was on track for six coffees in a day and use that as a launch point to explain the difference between a coffee habit and true caffeine…
- "I've just started working out. Why do I feel WORSE?" · 12 min · Season 2 Episode 125You finally started working out. And now you feel exhausted, sore, and maybe a little worse than before you began. Here's what no one tells beginners: this is completely normal —…
- What Really Changes After 40 (And How to Take Control of Your Fitness) · 10 min · Season 2 Episode 124I break down what turning 40 actually means for your body and which changes are real versus hype, focusing on muscle loss (sarcopenia), metabolism, hormones, and cardiovascular…
- How Much Protein Do You Actually Need? · 8 min · Season 2 Episode 123How Much Protein Do You Really Need? (New 2026 Guidelines + Lean Mass Formula) I’m Coach Chris from The Catalyst in Sault Ste. Marie, and in this episode I break down the…
- Is Cardio Making You Gain Weight? The Hidden Reasons the Scale Won’t Budge · 11 min · Season 2 Episode 122I break down why adding cardio (running, cycling, elliptical) often leads to far less fat loss than the calorie math suggests—and why it can even coincide with weight gain…
- What to Eat (and Actually Take) Before a Workout: Food, Timing, and the Truth About Pre-Workout · 12 min · Season 2 Episode 123I break down what the research actually supports for pre-workout nutrition versus what the $15B supplement industry sells. For most people, real food beats any pre-workout: your…
- Is Sitting All Day Undoing Your Workout? · 14 min · Season 2 Episode 121You worked out this morning. You crushed it. And now you've been sitting at a desk for eight hours. Here's something most people don't know: being sedentary and exercising are…
- Does the 30/30/30 Rule Actually Work? What the Research Says + Next Week’s Catalyst Workouts · 14 min · Season 2 Episode 120I break down the viral 30/30/30 rule—30g protein within 30 minutes of waking plus 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise—explaining its origins with Tim Ferriss and Gary Brecka and…
- Can ChatGPT Replace Your Personal Trainer? · 20 min · Season 2 Episode 119A study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine in 2026 found that ChatGPT outperformed certified personal trainers in answering common exercise questions — rated…
- The Truth About Muscle Memory (Can You Really Get It Back Faster?) · 9 min · Season 2 Episode 118If you've taken time off from training — a few months, a summer, a year after a baby, time out for injury — you've probably thought: I'm going to have to start all over again…
- Why Am I Not Losing Weight Even Though I'm in a Calorie Deficit? · 14 min · Season 2 Episode 117You're tracking your food. You're eating less than you burn. The scale hasn't moved in two weeks — or worse, it went up. Before you conclude that your metabolism is broken or…
- Zone 5: Your Highest Gear (And How to Actually Use It) · 12 min · Season 2 Episode 116Zone 5 is the zone most people think they're training in — and rarely actually are. It sits at 90 to 100 percent of your maximum heart rate, at or above VO2max, and can be…
- Ozempic, Diet and Exercise · 10 min · Season 2 Episode 115Everyone has an opinion on Ozempic right now — especially with a Canadian generic hitting the market. But after almost thirty years of coaching, here's what might surprise you…
- Zone 4: How to Get Through the Painful Zone (And Why It's Worth It) · 13 min · Season 2 Episode 114Zone 4 hurts. Not in a vague, uncomfortable way — in a specific, accumulating, burning way. Lactate is building faster than you can clear it. Every second feels longer than it…
- Zone 3: Training the Sweet Spot (Without Getting Stuck in the Grey Zone) · 11 min · Season 2 Episode 113Zone 3 has a reputation problem. Some coaches call it the grey zone — too hard for recovery, not hard enough for maximum stimulus. And when Zone 3 happens by accident, drifting…
- How to Get the Most Out of Your Zone 2 Training · 11 min · Season 2 Episode 112Zone 2 training is the most talked-about topic in endurance and longevity science right now. But most people doing it aren't getting the full benefit — either they're working at…
- METCONs Aren't Everything: Why Hard Workouts Alone Stop Working · 10 min · Season 2 Episode 111METCONs changed fitness. CrossFit popularized them, and before that, training to complete exhaustion in a group setting was unusual. Now it's everywhere — and for good reason…
- What Your Fitness Tracker Is Getting Wrong · 12 min · Season 2 Episode 110Nearly half of all adults now own a fitness tracker. Most are using it to make real decisions — when to push, when to rest, whether to even show up today. The problem: some of…
- Should You Do a Fitness Competition like Hyrox, CrossFit, or Xenom? · 9 min · Season 2 Episode 109When you first start exercising, the competition is you versus you. The heaviest weight you'll ever move is the front door. But after about a year of consistent training…
