3D Muscle Journey

Brian, Jeff, and Alberto discuss the things competitive bodybuilders and recreational bodybuilders can learn from each other. Timestamps 0:00-  Introduction 2:25-  How the coaches treat their competitive bodybuilders versus their recreational bodybuilders 13:22-  Letting recreational bodybuilding naturally turn into competitive bodybuilding 29:13-  Coaching recreational bodybuilders who are a litt...

Eric, Brad, and Amanda go over what post-contest blues are, why they happen, and what you can do about them. Timestamps 0:00-  Introduction 1:41-  When the coaches have personally experienced post-contest blues and when they’ve seen their athletes experience them 18:07-  What post-contest blues look and feel like for Brad and Eric 33:21-  How the coaches prepare their athletes for post-contest blu...

Alberto, Brad, and Brian discuss the things they think an athlete needs to know and have done before they do their first prep. Timestamps 0:00-  What the coaches feel like an athlete needs to know and have done before they do their first prep 33:01-  Make sure you know yourself 40:04-  When you don’t have access to the foods you normally eat and eating homemade food prepared by others during prep...

Brian, Jeff, and Alberto discuss the end of one's competitive bodybuilding career, why someone might choose to continue competing after their peak, and life after competing. Timestamps 0:00-  Introduction 2:03-  Your “why” for competing changes over time 13:53-  The skill of focusing on the present 24:52-  You won’t have regrets if you know you reached your peak 37:00-  Looking at prep as a ga...

Brad, Jeff, and Nick discuss the benefits of making your training more efficient and how to do so. Timestamps 0:00-  The coaches’ thoughts on efficiency 18:06-  High-quality sets, thinking long-term, and more is not always better 27:47-  The benefits of being efficient with your training 36:49-  Efficiency does not equal minimalism 40:14-  How to get more efficient with your training 59:25-  Makin...

Eric, Brian, and Alberto have the most thorough discussion on the principle of specificity and how it applies to powerlifting that has ever happened on the podcast or any other 3DMJ platform. Timestamps 0:00-  Introduction 2:17-  Specificity & Exercise Selection 22:42-  Focus on what *you* need 29:48-  Varied Practice & Contextual Interference 40:12-  Where a novice and advanced lifter’s t...

Jeff, Brad, and Alberto discuss everything you need to do and think about the day before and day of your show. Timestamps 0:00-  Introduction 1:59-  Show-day schedules aren’t always accurate 13:29-  How to keep stress low the day before your show 21:29-  Shaving tips 29:19-  Get a pump, don’t train 31:28-  Everyone is in the same boat 39:12-  What the coaches do when they are in a situation where...

Andrea, Brian, and Alberto host an audience-supplied Q and A session. Topics discussed include training, soreness, hypertrophy, cutting, bulking, programming, and more. Timestamps 0:00-  Introduction 2:23-  Is 2 hours too long in the gym? 8:10-  Ways to increase your calorie intake if you’re struggling to eat enough 15:15-  If you’re feeling sore, from a hypertrophy standpoint, is it better to go...

Alberto, Steve, and Eric talk about what causes overeating, how you can help prevent it, and what to do when it happens. Timestamps 0:00-  Introduction 1:41-  Binge eating disorder 3:10-  Does Alberto think as many athletes slip up on their diet as they did 10 years ago? 7:47-  How Steve helps his clients prevent episodes of overeating 15:57-  Dealing with stress when you’re dieting and slowing do...

Amanda, Brian, and Brad discuss the anxieties and stresses that go along with competing. Timestamps 0:00-  Introduction 11:45-  Looping 18:58-  What to do if you’re nervous about posing 22:41-  When to bail on a prep 26:54-  How the coaches define a successful prep for themselves 39:13-  Competing against others vs. Competing against yourself 45:21-  Being prepared, competitiveness, and failure 55...

Alberto, Nick, and Eric discuss the current hot topic of choosing exercises that challenge your muscles in their most-lengthened positions. Timestamps 0:00-  Introduction 2:31-  Why and how Alberto and Eric are experimenting with their training 10:10-  Less joint pain when training at long muscle lengths 15:24-  What we don’t know 38:40-  Proceed with caution 49:12-  How to implement training at l...

Sometimes you have to go there and sometimes it's smart not to. How do you know when to do what? That's what Jeff and Brad are here to discuss. Timestamps 0:00-  How Jeff and Brad’s training is currently going 12:19-  How the coaches program their and their athletes’ squat, bench, and deadlift during a contest prep 26:17-  Calling audibles and being smart 36:04-  A mental strategy you can...

Brian and Eric have an in-depth discussion about rep ranges. They discuss what the research says, the importance of variety, and how they recommend choosing your rep range for each exercise. Timestamps 0:00-  Introduction 2:15-  Which rep range for which exercise 22:07-  The benefit of wider rep ranges 29:45-  What the coaches take into consideration when choosing their rep ranges 42:31-  If you’r...

Alberto, Jeff, and Brad discuss how they have evolved as coaches. What they do differently than they used to, what they've let go of, and what they are testing now. Timestamps 0:00-  Introduction 1:23-  Ways the coaches used to coach athletes that make them cringe now 14:30-  What the coaches do to stay up-to-date on best practices 27:21-  New things the coaches are trying with their athletes...

Steve, Eric, and Brian discuss the benefits of not having specific carbohydrate and fat targets, as well as components of your diet that are important for overall health, the way you feel, and achieving your physique goals. Timestamps 0:00-  Introduction 2:25-  How Steve has his clients track their protein intake when they are no longer tracking their calorie intake 7:10-  Tracking your calorie an...

Brad, Alberto, and Brian discuss the role of nutrition in building muscle. Timestamps 0:00-  Introduction 1:10-  Which is more important for muscular hypertrophy, eating in a caloric surplus or progressive overload? 8:29-  The importance of being strategic with your gaining phases 18:20-  The variables the coaches like to monitor during a gaining phase 30:44-  What is too fat? What is gaining too...

Nick, Brad, and Jeff discuss modifying your training to fit your life as it changes, as you age, and as you acquire more responsibilities. Timestamps 0:00-  When Jeff and Brad realized they weren’t going to be able to train the exact same way they always had 10:56-  Younger athletes versus older athletes in regard to their openness to changing their approach 18:32-  How to tell the difference betw...

Andrea, Brian, and Eric conduct an audience-supplied Q&A session. 15 questions spanning everything from programming, to cutting, hydration, low-intensity exercise, and more. Timestamps 0:00-  Introduction 2:36-  How do you develop a program where hypertrophy and strength are both prioritized? 10:50-  What do the coaches recommend someone do with their calorie intake if they get a cold or the f...

Brian, Brad, and Alberto discuss how they have adjusted their volume throughout their lifting careers and the benefits of lower-volume programs. About how many sets per muscle group did Alberto do this prep? What made Alberto realize his volume was too high? What is the cost and return of higher-volume programs? How have lower-volume programs [...]

Amanda, Brad, and Alberto discuss the benefits of competing and why sometimes you just have to go for it, even if you don't feel ready. How would someone who has never competed before know competing is something they are capable of doing? Why hasn't Amanda competed yet? Why does Brad want to compete again someday? [...]

Today's episode is all about 3DMJ's newest coach, Brian Minor. How did Brian get into lifting? How did he get into competitive bodybuilding? How did Brian earn his Mr. Olympia title? What did Brian get his degrees in? How did he build up his coaching business? How long was he coaching before he left his [...]

Steve, Alberto, and Jeff discuss why they recommend *not* cutting out food from restaurants and other sources of food you didn't prepare from your diet, and how to stay on track with your goals while continuing to eat these types of foods. What strategies do the coaches use to stay on track with their goals [...]

Brian, Jeff, and Eric discuss the benefits of diet breaks, what the research says about diet breaks, and why they like to include them in their preps as well as their athletes'. What is a diet break? What is the difference between a diet break and a refeed? How can diet breaks be beneficial for [...]

Nick, Jeff, and Alberto discuss the role of genetics in recovery, fat loss, muscle growth, perseverance, and more. When did it first become obvious to the coaches that genetics really do play a role in one's bodybuilding journey? How does Jeff feel about his genetics? Does Alberto think it is easier for him to lose [...]

Brian, Alberto, and Jeff discuss what they did well and what they wish they'd done differently when they first got into bodybuilding. The coaches talk about how they went about their nutrition when they first started, how they took it too far at a certain point, and how they've come to see that the basics [...]