The Drop Set with Darin Starr: Bodybuilding for the Masses

Just how important  is your meal timing in the grand scheme of things?  You’ve got some experience with flexible dieting, but how do you know if it’s really doing what it should?  Is there a time to put it on the shelf or adjust your approach?  I also give my take on some of the more recent bodybuilding fads and trends out there plus a whole lot more – have a listen!

Trouble staying motivated?  The problem may be with your overall approach and spending some time on your “why” might resolve things!  Also, dealing with food-related guilt!  AKA:  “Oops, I ate it again” – how this cycle can be destructive on your overall health and tips on how to break it.

This week’s topics: what is the best time to train and the best time to hit your cardio? Why should you worry about posing, especially if you’re not going to compete? Aaaaaaan, back training 101! Tips and techniques to make your back sessions more effective

One of my favorite topics with some great feedback from live viewers as well – what to do when your show or goal date is over?  How do you transition gracefully into the next phase and avoid a horrible rebound?  I tell some stories of the good and the bad and offer tips to improve the transition going in both directions.  The usual myth/rant/recap sections make their normal appearance as wel...

When does embracing the “hardcore” mentality become a liability?  Is your relentless pursuit of being awesome holding you back?  Also, I talk about ways in which you can truly screw up your macro tracking – some obvious, some less so!  Includes the weekly recap, myth and rants segments as well!                

Everybody loves a good cheat meal, RIGHT????  In this episode I talk about why they AREN’T needed, but why you might want to implement one anyway along with some alternatives and some do’s and don’ts.  Also:  sustainability in bodybuilding.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint – so how can you make sure you’re in it and progressing for the long haul?  As usual also th...

What are the pros and cons of working out in a home gym?  Take it from someone who has done a lot of programming for garage warriors.  Also, are workouts really better if you have a partner?  I go over the good and the bad there as well.  And finally, body fat percentage testing – why should you care, if at all?  I dig deep into the weeds and go over what to trust and what not to!

Gotta lift big to get big, right bro?  Not so fast buddy – in this episode I break down the differences in training for size and strength.  Also, how to identify when you’re stressed, how that can kill your gainz, and how to manage it more effectively!

Chest:  every guy overtrains it, so why isn’t every guy busting out of their shirt?  Because they are doing it WRONG – listen in on how to fix it.  Also, when you need to travel and have to take your gains with you, I have some tips to make the process a little less painless.  A little preparation goes a long way!

After my excursion to the Knox Classic yesterday, I have a *lot* of thoughts on some weird posing I saw and also a bigger picture look at how to fix the horribly broken NPC show structure that makes things unnecessarily hard for everyone involved.

So yeah, I took a  little time off to sell/buy a house and move, but I’M BACK!  A quickie for this week, talking about how to select a weight for an exercise and how to know if you’ve chosen wisely.  Experienced lifters, this one’s for you too.

There’s no sense in getting fancy with partial range of motion until you really understand what FULL range of motion is like and how to know if you’re achieving it.  It might not be as simple as you think!  Also – when life throws something at you that forces you to take extended time off (like surgery or something similar), how do you deal with that?  What can you expect to happ...

Glute training tips for women AND men – because we all could use a little help!  Also, logging your workouts – refer to this post for a companion visual and breakdown of some of the things discussed here. Also:  bodybuilding myth debunked, Q&A, and the weekly rant!

Prep is long and hard, whether for a show or some other goal – finding and developing your strategy for maintaining focus is absolutely key to your success.  Also, how to use the scale to track daily weigh-ins without driving yourself insane.

Every bodybuilder has to meal prep, but how do you make it easier and more efficient (discussion starts at 6:00 in).  Also, the sequel to macros 101:  MACROS 102!  Fine tuning your flexible plan for optimal results (discussion starts at 37:42)

How do you assess your progress?  Should you rely more/less on numbers, or is there more to it than just that?  Also, a very candid talk about supplementation, covering ALL types – what’s good, what’s not, and what should really be avoided.

I’m back!  After an unplanned hiatus I figured I might as well come back with a vengeance – this episode was also broadcast via Facebook Live and covers just one topic:  HYPERTROPHY.  How to build muscle, including concepts and tactics you can employ in your training to make your time more effective.

Coaches come in all shapes and sizes and with a wide range of strengths and weaknesses.  I outline what I consider to be the primary roles a coach can fulfill so you can determine what’s important to you.  Also, how to reduce your risk of injury in a sport that should really be quite safe!

Some advice for the New Year’s crowds, my take on 2 very different approaches for off-season growth, and also a coach’s tips on how to search for an online coach!

More Q&A, a total softball thrown my way in “bodybuilding myths”, a discussion on how to be more efficient in the gym and also how to cope with holidays and all the associated food!

In episode 4 we do a little more Q&A, take a different spin on bodybuilding myths, discuss sleep quality and how to improve it, and finally start digging in to the nuts and bolts of proper lifting technique as we shift our focus on to  creating muscular tension .  Enjoy!

In Episode 3 of The Drop Set, I introduce two recurring segments – listener Q&A as well as a personal favorite of mine, bodybuilding myths.  In the main segment I go over my top 5 do’s and dont’s of contest prep, focusing on planning, seeing the “big picture” and also helping maintain some perspective.

In today’s episode of The Drop Set I offer an introductory course in macronutrient tracking:  what are they, why do we care, and how to do it effectively!

In the first episode of the brand new Five Starr Physique Podcast, I give a brief introduction of myself and also what I hope this podcast will be about in future episodes. I also cover two topics central to why we’re here in the first place:  what exactly is bodybuilding (and who exactly is a bodybuilder), and why you should or shouldn’t compete. Have a listen and share!