3D Muscle Journey

Jeff, Eric, and Brian share their perspectives on supplements, what they are currently taking, and advice for those who want to optimize all the variables in order to maximize progress. What were the coaches’ first experiences with supplements? What creates the placebo effect? What actually causes a pump? What is the “supplement treadmill”? Which supplements actually work? Why is it important to h...

Alberto and Brian discuss how athletes commonly feel after their bodybuilding season is over and what you can do to get back to feeling like yourself as soon as possible. What are some strategies to help minimize post-season blues? How normal is it to not feel like yourself physiologically after prep is over? What is the thing that most lets Brian know how recovered he is? Why do the coaches want...

Alberto, Jeff, and Brad discuss what the mind-muscle connection is, how important it is for muscle growth, who can benefit the most from focusing on it, and what you can focus on instead. Does the speed of your reps matter? Why is Jeff intentional about maintaining control of the weight when he’s lifting? What are the coaches’ thoughts on stricter reps versus less-strict reps? What do the coaches...

Brian, Alberto, and Brad discuss the benefits of maintenance phases, why they are sometimes superior to gaining phases, and what to consider when setting your rate-of-weight-gain goal. Why do the coaches program less intentional surpluses than they used to? What is the difference between weight maintenance and progress maintenance? Are DEXA scans helpful for programming? How do elite powerlifters...

Jeff, Brian, and Brad discuss how a person’s identity as a bodybuilder can change across their training career, why it’s important to see yourself as more than just a bodybuilder, and how having a limited identity can ultimately hold you back. What was Jeff’s relationship with bodybuilding like when he was in his 20s and why does he consider it “ugly”? What did Brad’s life look like when he was to...

Alberto, Eric, and Jeff discuss autoregulating your training while dieting and how learning to autoregulate your training is vital if you want to get the most out of yourself. How do the coaches help their athletes develop the skill of being able to autoregulate their training? How can a person’s personality influence the way they autoregulate their training? How necessary are deloads? How has Eri...

Brad, Brian, and Alberto discuss the details that actually matter for fat loss, so you can create an eating routine that works well for you and your schedule. How many times per day do the coaches recommend eating? Does the number of times you eat per day influence your metabolic rate? Do you have to distribute your protein evenly throughout the day? What are the coaches’ thoughts on and what is t...

Brad, Jeff, and Brian discuss the mindset an athlete needs to have to successfully complete a bodybuilding prep and to feel good about the end results, whatever they are. What motivates the coaches to continue to execute when things get hard? How does Jeff utilize comparison to make prep feel easier? Why does getting weaker not necessarily mean you’re losing muscle? Why is training in higher rep r...

The coaches discuss the pros and cons of training with machines versus free weights, what they prefer, and how the value of specific machines differs depending on what stage of your lifting career you are in. How did the coaches view and utilize machines when they first started lifting? What are the downsides of starting with free weights? Which squat pattern does Brian think puts on the most musc...

Brad, Eric, and Alberto answer seven audience-supplied nutrition and training questions. What are good strategies for hitting your protein goal if you’re in a gaining phase and your appetite is making it difficult for you to eat enough? Is it possible to grow your glutes without significantly growing your quads or hamstrings? At what point should you end a bulk? Is it possible to gain muscle eatin...

Brad, Alberto, and Brian discuss how common drugs and alcohol can negatively interfere with your bodybuilding goals and what you can do to minimize their negative effects. What are Brad’s experiences with smoking weed and nicotine? What does Brian’s and Alberto’s relationship with and use of nicotine look like? Would Alberto say quitting drinking has been worth it? Can someone drink alcohol and st...

Brian, Jeff, and Brad discuss how to build a good support system so you can maximize your rate of progress and have fun doing it. What is the origin story of 3D Muscle Journey? How do you communicate what you’re doing and what your goals are so that your support system knows how to support you? What are the benefits of sharing your bodybuilding journey versus bodybuilding in isolation? When preppi...

Brian, Alberto, and Jeff discuss how much you need to know about programming in order to make continued progress. What did the coaches focus on when they first started lifting? How important is effort for making progress? What is more important, working hard or a more optimal program? What advice to the coaches have for novice lifters when it comes to how to go about their training? What movement...

Brad and Alberto discuss why it’s important to look beyond the calorie and macronutrient content of foods if you want to get the most out of your bodybuilding lifestyle. Have the coaches noticed a correlation between food quality and how the body performs and recovers? How does focusing on food quality make prep easier, more enjoyable, and lead to a faster recovery after prep? What nutrition recom...

Brian, Eric, and Brad discuss the misconceptions and utility behind using periodization to help maximize muscular hypertrophy. How important is periodization for muscular hypertrophy? How is periodization different from programming adjustments? Is there a way to sequence your training that maximizes hypertrophy? How do the coaches typically adjust an athlete’s training program from mesocycle to me...

Jeff, Brian, and Brad go through how to build a training session (exercise selection, exercise order, number of sets, rep ranges, tempo, etc.) and clarify how much flexibility there is when it comes to how you structure your sessions. In what situations can it be beneficial to do isolation exercises before compound exercises? What are the coaches’ thoughts on active recovery days? What are Jeff’s...

Brian, Alberto, and Jeff discuss the pros and cons of, “If It Fits Your Macros” (IIFYM), why it’s not the cure-all the fitness community wanted it to be, and how the coaches manage their nutrition instead. Why was IIFYM such a big deal? What did the coaches’ eating look like before IIFYM? What were their early experiences with IIFYM? What are the downsides of having very precise macronutrient targ...

Brad, Alberto, and Jeff discuss strategies they use to manage stress, and how they program for themselves and their athletes based on life stress at the time. What do the coaches do to help ensure they get good sleep? What can you do to improve your sleep quality and quantity? Why is it important to prioritize resting from your work and bodybuilding? How can you undulate your volume based on your...

Brian, Alberto, Jeff, and Brad discuss what they learned in 2025, how so many different approaches work for hypertrophy, and the things people commonly miss in their quest to be optimal that are making them suboptimal. Can cheat meals sometimes be an effective strategy to use during a fat-loss phase? How has Alberto been getting himself to eat more vegetables? How has the way Brian chooses exercis...

Brad, Alberto, and Brian answer audience-supplied questions about pre-workout nutrition, rest periods, belt squats vs. barbell squats, muscle maturity, sleep hygiene, volume, weekly calorie targets, and more. What do the coaches consume before and during workouts when they train in the morning? What is the coaches’ advice for those who keep having unsuccessful fat loss phases? If you are strugglin...

Jeff, Brian, and Brad share their opinions on and the times and places for aggressive fat-loss phases. If someone has a lot of fat to lose, can they be more aggressive with their calorie deficit? Does Jeff personally run aggressive fat-loss phases? What is Brian’s advice to someone who wants to lose weight quickly? Why do the coaches usually recommend a more conservative approach when it comes to...

Brad, Alberto, Jeff, and Brian discuss different types of evidence, where to get them, how to use them, and the problem with relying too much on one type of data. Who do the coaches learn from? When do the coaches go against science-based recommendations? What is the difference between outcome data and mechanistic data? Why do the coaches caution against being “anti bro”? Who are science-based rec...

Alberto, Brad, Brian, and Jeff discuss their all-time favorite lifting cues, how and why they prioritize getting a good stimulus over beating the logbook, and the usefulness of focusing on the mind-muscle connection. How do the coaches approach lifting differently in contest prep compared to the offseason? Why do decreases in strength not necessarily mean a loss of muscle? Why can changes in body...

Jeff, Brian, Alberto, and Brad discuss the underrated and underleveraged role of consistency in the achievement of one’s strength and physique goals. What keeps the coaches so consistent with their training? If you are struggling with being consistent, what can you do to help you become more consistent? Why and how do the coaches make sure they are enjoying their training? Once you are consistent,...

Alberto, Jeff, and Brian share why they have chosen to stay natural, why they are glad they have, and give advice to younger lifters who are considering using steroids, SARMs, etc. Were the coaches ever tempted to use performance-enhancing drugs? What ultimately deterred them from using them? What are good questions to ask yourself if you are considering using steroids, SARMs, etc.? What are the p...