The Drop Set with Darin Starr: Bodybuilding for the Masses

I won’t lie – interviewing Julia Whitesel was on my list after watching her in the Rising Phoenix earlier this year, and after the Olympia I knew we had to chat – just from watching her on social media I knew she had interesting stuff to say, and she’s super transparent and self-depricating so I knew we’d hit it off. In this chat we talk a LOT about her 2023 and 2024...

Before becoming an IFBB Bikini Pro, Monique Chilcutt had a previous career as a pro dancer for an NBA team – I get her entire story in this in depth interview Online coaching with Darin and a whole lot more (site updated recently!): Five Starr Physique – Contest Prep and Lifestyle Coaching Check out my online course collection, available now! https://www.darinstarr.com/ Check me out on...

IFBB Wellness Pro Teresa Myers has been at this bodybuilding thing for a bit – starting in 2013 in women’s physique, eventually turning pro in 2018 and competing as a WPD pro for 3 years before taking a short break and coming back in 2023 in wellness.  She was gracious enough to sit down with me for a chat about her competitive experience, bodybuilding in general, and where she sees he...

I’ve been watching a ton of IFBB Pro bodybuilding shows lately and recording my commentary to post as videos on my YouTube and Patreon channels (links below if you’re interested), and in doing so have noticed some pretty stark contrasts in how pro shows are run and operated vs. the amateur shows that I’m much more familiar with. Some of the differences are pretty obvious and some...

Check out my newly relaunched website featuring my online courses:  Bikini Blueprint, Hypertrophy University, and Macro Boot Camp: https://darinstarr.com/ Ok kids, it’s time for a manifesto.  I strongly believe that bodybuilding can achieve a reasonable level of mainstream success, but EVERYTHING about how shows are produced and put on seem to actively discourage that.  This episode outlines...

Bodybuilding is a funny thing. Following a craptastic showing at Tampa and then a glorious return the top 5 in Tupelo, IFBB Women’s Physique Pro Alyssa Coppolino was nice enough to sit down with me for a chat about her most recent season, previous experience, plans for the future, and more. We cover all the important stuff including, of course, what her last meal on earth would be if she had...

A good home gym can be a great asset. A lousy home gym will set your potential progress back years. In episode 269 I tell you how to build the best possible home gym for bodybuilding purposes – in order of importance with examples of exactly what you want and what you should avoid. https://youtu.be/K2W4jB1E0J8 Call in and leave a question! Drop me a voicemail at 865-518-6569 Check out my onl...

Maintaining your diet on the road can be, to put it mildly, a pain.  BUT it’s worth noting that it is, in all situations and with a bit of advance planning, doable.  It requires more work but then again so does pretty much everything in bodybuilding when compared to the alternative, so that shouldn’t come as a surprise. In episode 268 I go over a bunch of different scenarios, thought p...

Carb cycling in bodybuilding is something that, for some reason, generates some very passionate opinions. Certainly, most dietary strategies have their fans much look footballs teams do, but as a coach I can’t be “Team Keto” or “Team Carb Cycle” because I have to recognize that everything has a place and not everything is right for every client. In episode 267 I cover...

The bodybuilding industry is loaded with coaches – if you’re searching for a good one either for contest prep or for a more general transformation, the process can be, frankly, a pain in the ass – IF you approach it more like shopping for a car as opposed to buying a loaf of bread.  Coaches are often seen as disposable commodities that can easily be replaced as the need arises, b...

You often hear people talk about recomping or “building muscle in a deficit”, but realistically the goal just needs to be to not LOSE muscle while you’re dropping fat. Unfortunately that’s easier said than done, but today I want to go over some considerations for giving you the best chance at keeping all that lean tissue on your next cut. In episode 265 of The Drop Set I ta...

In the bodybuilding industry specifically and the fitness industry more generally, confusion abounds. Stuff that was “fact” decades ago we now know to be wrong, but their legends still live on. Let’s bust some of ’em today. In episode 264 of The Drop Set I debunk (or possibly agree with?) a whopping 43 fitness and bodybuilding related myths. Call in and leave a question! Dr...

How much does food quality really matter when it comes to your diet in bodybuilding?  There’s “healthy”, but then what about just dropping body fat or building muscle?  And can you be “healthy” even if you eat some junk food?  And how do we want to define that, anyway? In episode 263 I break down the pros and cons of eating as “healthy” as possible and als...

There’s been a myth circulating for a long time that after your contest prep phase for a bodybuilding show, or after a hard fat loss phase in general, THAT is when you’re most primed to experience your highest rate of building muscle.  And logically, it kinda makes sense. The problem with bodybuilding is that logic and the human body often have a disconnect, and this is one of those ca...

Being in Oregon to visit family, it seemed like a great opportunity to get some fresh faces on here as I shamelessly exploit my family’s lack of bodybuilding knowledge for podcast material. And as one might expect, that ‘lack of knowledge’ can cut both ways as you’ll see here. Big thanks to my big brother Colin for humoring me and sitting down to chat on camera for a bit. C...

Well, at long last here we are – 22 weeks of prep, 110 training sessions, mountains of cardio, 17 near flawless weeks followed by 5 that border on “train wreck”, and tomorrow is show day.  I’m not kidding when I say “it’s about time” – every prep phase is full of challenges I always say, but my goal with this prep wasn’t necessarily to redefine...

Bodybuilding is a funny thing…of this 22 week contest prep phase, the first 17 weeks were pretty quiet…and since then it’s been an epic mess. Right now I find myself approaching peak week and a bit behind the 8 ball and not quite ready, so let me walk you through how I’m approaching this penultimate week of prep to try and get the nose of the plane pointing back up a little...

Body dysmorphia, or body dysmorphic disorder, is yet another serious issue (like binge eating that we talked about last week) that disproportionately plagues bodybuilders.  In today’s episode I break down (again) MY experience with dealing with this firsthand, my experience in helping clients deal with this, talk about how it comes up and what we can do about it. After that it’s listen...

Binge eating and bodybuilding go together like PB&J, sadly.  It’s often thought that you can’t have one without the other, but you DEFINITELY can – I’ve managed to pull it off mostly after years of struggling with it, and today I wanted to share my journey in arriving at where I’m at now with it, in hopes that other people can find some helpful tidbits in my journ...

Recomping is all the rage these days – dropping body fat and building muscle at the same time.  Every prominent YouTube channel has videos talking about how the traditional bulk/cut methodology is outdated and doesn’t work, based on a handful of studies that assess the feasibility of recomping, with one big issue – they completely discount the practical, human elements involved. ...

Ah yes, macro tracking apps.  We all use something like MyFitnessPal at some point, right?  Well, maybe some of us don’t but it’s nonetheless super common.  The problem is, that app is hot garbage and there are WAY better options out there.  In episode 255 I explore 10 of the most popular apps and put them into 2 categories – the bin, and the contender pile.  My favorite?  Well,...

In episode 254 of The Drop Set, I’m going to talk about steroids – specifcally, the risks involved in taking anabolic compounds as they relate to bodybuilding. I’ll differentiate between “TRT” and what is more widely considered to be ‘common use’ in the landscape of competitive bodybuilding, break down exactly what the risks are, what might be overblows, a...

Welcome to episode 253! Today, we’re diving into the whole bulk or cut dilemma in bodybuilding. The key? Knowing what your body needs — more muscle or less fat. It’s not just a short-term thing; we’re talking long-haul commitment here…think years, not just weeks or months. This process can’t be about quick fixes; we’re in it for the long run. Next, we dive deep...

In episode 252 of The Drop Set, I delve into the nuanced concept of stage readiness, exploring the subjective nature of preparation for competition. We examine the importance of early competition as a means to gain valuable experience and establish personal benchmarks. I also discuss the essential prerequisites for competing, including discipline, commitment, and a positive mindset throughout the...

0:00 – Intro 0:40 – Getting Started 3:47 – Supplements: Worth It or Waste It? 26:49 – Adapting to Sickness, Missing Gym Time 43:05 – What Actually Happens on Show Day? In the opening segment of Episode 251, we dive into the world of supplements – starting with the age-old debate: Is creatine worth it? What about BCAA’s? Glutamine? Pre-workouts can be effec...