In this episode, Eric and Alberto reflect on Eric's 2019 bodybuilding season. The coaches examine many different aspects of Eric's prep and compare them to seasons prior. In regard to difficulty, how did this season compare to previous seasons? What did the hardest periods of Eric's prep look like and how long did they last? [...]
Are you tired of tracking your macronutrient/calorie intake? Are you interested in learning about how you can achieve your goals without tracking? In this episode, Eric and Steve (the team dietitian) share their experience with transitioning away from tracking and how they help others do the same. What are the benefits of not tracking? How [...]
In this episode, Alberto, Jeff, and Brad discuss how cardio methodology has changed over the last 30 years and how they now prescribe cardio to themselves and their athletes during prep and the off-season. What is the coaches’ preferred method of cardio during prep? Which methods do they advise against? What are the benefits of [...]
In this episode, Andrea, Eric, and Amanda (the team's mental health consultant) discuss a variety of topics related to coaching others and being coached. The group explores the qualities of a top-tier coach-client relationship, the importance of self-awareness, vetting coaches, how to be a good coach, and how to be a good client. How can [...]
In this episode, Brad, Alberto, and Eric discuss a variety of topics related to nutrition, mind-set, fat loss, and contest prep. What abnormal eating behaviors have the coaches seen cause issues during prep? What are the beneficial aspects of following a traditional bodybuilding diet when prepping? What does it mean to "accept the suck" and [...]
In this episode, Eric, Alberto, and Jeff step back in time to discuss the history of Muscle Mayhem (a distinguished natural bodybuilding show) and the origin of 3D Muscle Journey. The coaches start in 1999, then progress chronologically to today, detailing their bodybuilding careers and the experiences that bonded them. They cover highs, lows, memorable [...]
In this episode, Andrea, Brad, and Alberto sit down for another community-sourced Q&A session. The questions discussed in today's episode span a variety of topics, including: fat loss, muscle growth, muscle and strength maintenance, and balancing resistance training with cardiovascular training. What is the coaches' recommended length for a cut? If someone's primary goal is [...]
In this episode, Andrea, Eric, Brad, Jeff, and Alberto collaboratively answer four community-sourced questions concerning the post-show recovery period. The questions span a variety of topics and are addressed from physiological, psychological, sociological, and behavioral points of view. What is the physiological rationale behind why bodybuilders struggle with overeating post show? How can you get [...]
In this episode, Andrea and Eric welcome the newest member of the 3DMJ team, Dr. Nicholas Licameli. Nick is a doctor of physical therapy, professional natural bodybuilder, and the team's injury reduction and management specialist. Throughout the episode, the group discuss a host of topics related to injury prevention, pain management, and recovery. Questions covered [...]
In this episode, Andrea, Brad, and Jeff discuss details that matter if you want to be a high-level athlete. Along with covering specific commonly overlooked details, they discuss general practices that every aspiring high-level athlete should adopt to ensure they look and perform their best on meet or show day. If you're training for a [...]
Today's episode is a special edition of the 3DMJ Podcast in which you will hear three separate discussions by Eric Helms, and special guests Greg Nuckols and Mike Zourdos. The first discussion titled, "A Glimmer Of Hope For Weekend Warriors" led by Greg Nuckols, addresses a study which looked at consecutive versus nonconsecutive training days [...]
In this episode, Andrea and Eric are joined by the team's mental health consultant, Amanda Rizo, to discuss bodybuilding's impact on a person's relationships. The group examines bodybuilding's affect on a person's relationships from multiple points of view, including: how the desire for optimality can cause a person to isolate themselves and the dangers of [...]
In this episode, Jeff, Andrea, Brad, Eric, and special guest Omar Isuf share stories that provide an inside look into what a bodybuilding contest prep is really like. What are the most outrageous things they have done or have had clients do while prepping? How has bodybuilding helped them deal with life-changing events? How has [...]
In today's episode, Andrea, Alberto, and Jeff closely examine Jeff's 2019 contest prep. Along with dissecting Jeff's current nutrition, training, and cardio protocols, Jeff elaborates on why he aborted his 2018 contest prep and how his mind-set toward bodybuilding has changed over the last 15 years. What does Jeff consider the pinnacle of his bodybuilding [...]
In this episode, Andrea and Eric talk with Steve Taylor (the team dietitian) about how to achieve sustainable results. The group discuss methods, strategies, and attitudes that facilitate the process of goal achievement and increase the likelihood results will be maintained once they are reached. How does your emotional state affect your decision-making? How can [...]
In this episode, Alberto, Brad, and Andrea discuss the 3DMJ coaching practice and how it has evolved over the last year. They discuss new strategies they are using and what they have learned since starting 3DMJ's newest coaching service. What do the coaches prescribe now that they would never have prescribed a year ago? What [...]
In this episode, Brad, Alberto, and Andrea finish off season 12 of the 3DMJ Podcast with a crowd-sourced Q&A. The team answers eight questions related to training, coaching, the fitness industry, and detaching your physique from your self-worth. In this Q&A, you will hear about the biggest changes the team foresees happening in bodybuilding/the fitness [...]
Eric is about to hit the stage for the first time since 2011 and what better way to describe his thoughts about the experience than a deep conservation with his colleagues and friends. In this episode, Eric, Andrea, and Alberto discuss many different aspects of Eric's 2019 contest prep. Topics covered include: Eric's motives for [...]
In this episode, Alberto interviews coach, powerlifter, and professional natural bodybuilder, Brian Minor. Brian and Alberto discuss in detail the things a first-time competitor should expect during their contest prep. The coaches cover many important topics, including: how contest prep can affect your relationships, how to mitigate food focus, how prep affects your training, and [...]
In this episode, Eric Helms interviews Steve Taylor (the team registered dietitian) and Amanda Rizo (the team mental health consultant) about the issues of disordered eating and eating disorders in physique sports. What is the difference between disordered eating and eating disorders? What is the connection between physique sports and disordered eating/eating disorders? What does [...]
In this episode, Brad, Jeff, Alberto, and Eric are gathered together in person for an audience-sourced Q&A. What are the coaches' thoughts on intermittent fasting? Can pulling sumo help increase your conventional deadlift? What strategies can someone use to bring up a lagging body part? Does nutrition affect where you store fat or are fat [...]
For the final episode of 2018, Jeff, Eric, and Andrea reflect on how the coaches' roles have changed over the last nine years and elaborate on what their roles are now. This episode is full of personal anecdotes about the coaches' past failures, hard times, and weaknesses, all of which have led the coaches to [...]
In this episode, Eric Helms sits down with Greg Nuckols, Bryce Lewis, and Mike Tuchscherer to discuss Emerging Strategies. Emerging Strategies is a system invented by Mike that is designed to help athletes discover which styles of training they respond best to. The group start their conversation by covering what Emerging Strategies is and how [...]
In this episode, Andrea, Eric, and Brad discuss how they have learned to eat in a healthy balanced way after years of restricted, and at points absurd, dietary behaviors. The coaches start the episode by describing their relationship with food pre-bodybuilding. They discuss how they viewed food during this time and how they made decisions [...]
In this episode, Eric Helms interviews Omar Isuf, Jacob Schepis, and Dr. Mike Israetel. One by one, Eric asks each of the guests to share some of their most valuable anecdotes and observations since beginning their careers in the fitness industry. To kick off the episode, Omar and Eric discuss the importance of helping your [...]
Welcome to season twelve of the 3DMJ Podcast! In this episode, Jeff, Alberto, and Andrea discuss the influence of gender differences in online physique sport coaching. This is an important topic that up until now has received very little public discussion. During their conversation, the coaches look at coach-athlete gender differences from multiple perspectives: males' [...]
The 3DMJ coaches are back with another Q&A session! In this episode, Eric, Alberto, and Andrea answer seven questions sourced from the 3DMJ community. The questions addressed during this episode span a wide range of topics, including: the coaches' thoughts on using anger to fuel your training, advice for how to coordinate one's training with [...]
In this episode, Eric Helms talks with special guest Brian Minor (natural pro bodybuilder, USAPL powerlifter, and coach) about the theoretical and hypothetical differences between various repetition ranges and their effects on different fiber types. The coaches begin their discussion by unpacking one of Brian's blog posts on progressive overload, then dive into a stimulating [...]
Coaching strength and physique athletes is much more than prescribing macronutrient targets and writing training blocks, it's an emotional journey. There are highs, lows, fears, sleepless nights, and lingering memories of past mistakes. In this episode, Jeff, Andrea, and Brad offer a deep look into the challenges they face behind the scenes as coaches. They [...]
In this episode, Brad, Andrea, and Alberto discuss nutrition recommendations for powerlifters. In a sport with such high-focus on proper periodization, technique, and equipment to maximize performance, how much does nutrition matter? The coaches begin the episode by going over what they look for when evaluating a powerlifter's application and the most common reasons powerlifters [...]
