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How Robert Sikes Was Eating 70g of Fat Backstage to Win a Bodybuilding Competition – TFP #031
Description
In this episode of The Feldman Protocol, can a ketogenic diet actually build a championship physique — or does elite bodybuilding demand carbs? Robert Sikes (natural pro bodybuilder and founder of Keto Brick) makes the case that fat adaptation outperforms conventional prep, sharing his journey through eating disorders, the origins of Keto Brick, his seven-phase protocol, reverse dieting, and the debate around calories vs. carbohydrate-insulin models.
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⏱ Chapters
4:20 – Dave asks Robert to introduce himself
5:23 – Early life & farm-strong beginnings
6:19 – Starting bodybuilding as a skinny kid
8:44 – Eating 6,000 calories to bulk up
10:16 – First bodybuilding competition in college
12:32 – The bulk/cut cycle explained
16:17 – Losing 80 lbs in 12 weeks
16:52 – Eating disorders after the first show
19:47 – Searching for a better dietary approach
22:13 – Discovery of carb backloading & early keto
25:16 – Keto and explosive vs. hypertrophy training
26:33 – LDL, lipids & muscle recovery hypothesis
29:40 – Being the odd one out going keto at the gym
30:06 – First ketogenic competition prep (2017)
37:02 – Winning on keto — competitors' reaction
39:12 – Origin story of the Keto Brick
42:50 – 142 bricks sell out in two minutes
44:14 – Launching Keto Savage brand & content creation
54:00 – Business growth & knocking out debt
55:47 – Surviving COVID & buying a grocery store
59:04 – Speaking at KetoCon & coaching beginnings
1:01:11 – Is keto's popularity rising or falling?
1:05:45 – High protein debate for muscle building
1:14:27 – Robert's seven-phase ketogenic protocol
1:20:56 – What reverse dieting is & why it matters
1:22:38 – Getting to 3.9% body fat — risks & rewards
1:28:37 – Cholesterol numbers during extreme leanness
1:32:07 – Inside bodybuilding competitions
1:40:27 – Calories & energy balance debate in keto
1:47:27 – The value of coaching & accountability
1:54:07 – What's next: retreats, apparel & fatherhood
1:56:27 – How having kids shifted Robert's spirituality
2:04:05 – Dave discusses the CLEARLY retraction saga
2:10:18 – Integrity, doing the right thing quietly
2:17:44 – Heartflow partnership & silver linings
2:19:10 – The Cholesterol Code movie launch plans
2:20:43 – Where to find Robert & closing thoughts
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