The Drop Set with Darin Starr: Bodybuilding for the Masses

Allow me to slowly crawl out of my post-holiday stupor at my own pace!  We’ll get back to more meaty topics soon enough but today I am strictly OFF topic and discussing the first thing that I know is on everyone’s mind:  TV!

And now, the continuation!  In part 2 of the discussion on being your own contest prep coach I dive into – generally – some technical considerations for how to manage your own contest prep. There’s a LOT more to consider than what I go over in these 2 parts – if there’s enough demand I’ll do a part 3 as well which would tackle the mental and evaluation parts of...

It’s always good to save a few bucks, right?  HELL NO, says the coach – but yeah, I get it.  Sometimes it’s just not an option, so in this episode I go over many of the logistical concerns of being your own coach.  Stay tuned for Friday’s episode and in part 2 we’ll dig in on the technical side of things.  

All right I’m back!  Miss me?  Ok, I didn’t think so.  Nonetheless I enjoyed my little mini-break and we’re diving back in today talking about GOMAD – do I have your attention yet?  Listen for all the details, as well as a GOOD (if I do say so myself!) talk about positivity and its importance in bodybuilding.

Aaaaaand the conclusion!  Thanks to all who contributed, and stay tuned as we’ll likely do this again soon so if you missed your chance, you CAN BE REDEEMED!

Time for a big-ass Q&A with some motivated people interested in winning the current raffle AND with something to contribute!  Still time to enter, just call in and leave your question at 865-518-2974 before Monday, when I’ll be recording part 2!

When checking in with clients this is something that comes up pretty much with every single check-in every time there’s a holiday, so it’s ALWAYS worth revisiting the ways in which we as bodybuilders can keep our sanity through the holidays!

Happy Turkey Day and a hearty “good luck!” to all Black Friday shoppers (yuck – no thanks!) – today’s episode is mostly Q&A following a quick weekly recap and I also announce a new raffle that will be going on for the next week and how you can enter!

We’re running the gamut here in episode 91 with a Q&A section and then just some rapid fire topics covering everything from allergies to stupid trainers!

Well, my prep wrapped up yesterday so I thought it would be a fun exercise to look back and reflect on the whole and dig in to some details.  Always a healthy exercise to do a little post-mortem and see what went well and what you can improve upon next time around!

For episode 89, it just happens to be MY peak week so I thought it a good time to revisit what a proper peak week looks like and what IS normal/expected and what is just there to create useless suffering.  And then we’ll talk about what’s next for me – but more importantly what’s next  generally for anyone following a peak week and how you transition from a hardcore prep ph...

Two fun topics for today – first up, what to make of doctors dishing out nutritional advice?  And let’s keep it in the realm of nutrition after that and talk about digestive issues of all varieties and how you can go about troubleshooting them.

Today, I talk about excuses.  Some things are REASONS, and others are excuses.  Last week I had some experience with both, so I share my story and go over how I struggled with it, how I failed, how I WILLFULLY elected to suck unnecessarily, and what we can do about it after the fact.

Ever had a prep that didn’t turn out quite the way you had envisioned when you started?  If your hand isn’t up, your a liar – there, I said it!  Today I break down my top 10 reasons WHY so that we can strategize on how to prevent things from turning south.  Also, it’s becoming ever popular to cite scientific studies and research on nutrition and training tactics – is...

So much stuff is changing here at The Drop Set and with Five Starr Physique in general!  Very excited and I run down all the latest developments, including my prep update for the week at 20 days out.  Also, we talk about the importance of routine building and elements to consider as well as how to refine it over time.  And finally, a few client horror stories!  From the general to the very specifi...

If you’re a fan of macros, you probably use MyFitnessPal – today we’re going to dive into the Premium version and see if it’s worth or not.  ALSO:  some of my best tips for busting through fat loss plateaus, and a quick tip on pressing for chest and shoulder days.

Back in the studio after last week’s “road episode” – a somewhat lengthy intro (sorry/not sorry) and then two good topics:  common macro screw-ups you might be making, and a comparison of risk/benefit between SARM’s and AAS.  Interested in more?  Listen and let me know what you think!

The Drop Set has gone mobile!  Recorded entirely on my phone from the backyard at my parents house with a special guest appearance from my mom (ha!), I give the full rundown on my (mostly minor) travel snafus, how I’ll fix them going forward, and also tackle a great question:  “how do I know if/when I’m working hard enough?”

This episode is all about my extended interview with IFBB Figure Pro and posing coach Kimberley Helm.  She shares her passion for all things bodybuilding as we discuss how she approaches the sport mentality, the differences between prep and offseason and why  both are needed to be successful, and shares some posing tips and tricks as well – LOTS of info in this discussion, you don’t wa...

It’s finally here, a GREAT compendium of listener-provided questions that I take the opportunity to riff on for 5-15 minutes each.  Covering topics ranging from “only one bodybuilder in a household” to “why does the NPC basically sanction drug use?” to a follow-up on Monday’s “cheat hacks” discussion.  You won’t want to miss this!

A discussion near and dear to all of our hearts…cheat meals!  What’s best, what to avoid, and if situations might dictate a different answer to those questions at times.  Also, cheat HACKS – things that might  feel like cheating but are totally ok – realistically, how to make your diet more palatable while on a deficit and calories are more restricted.  Give it a listen and...

At last my prayers have been answered as I got a couple of GREAT questions this week that really gave me the opportunity to flesh out some proper discussion on topics that will apply to a lot of people.  Also, an update on all my goings on!

Time to break down the 2018 Olympia in relatively quick fashion, but first a weekly recap of my week that was surely WAY more exciting than that and a segment covering three topics I’ve gone into depth on previously but felt the need to address again briefly – quick hits!

Something a little different today – a peek into my life as a coach and, for those curious about whether it’s something THEY can do, I break down the good/bad points of it and discuss some of the skills necessary to be good at it!

Back after a mini-break last week!  A quick recap on my prep and then diving in to how to make YOUR next prep perfect from top to bottom.  Hint:  it ain’t easy.