Alberto and Eric discuss the path of natural bodybuilding and how it's a real option for those who want to compete in a competitive environment. Why is it important to be well-informed before using performance-enhancing drugs? If someone chooses to stay natural, are there places they can compete where there is good competition? Based on [...]
With 2021 coming to a close, Eric and Amanda sat down to have a conversation about how to set goals in a way that research suggests will maximize your chances of achieving them. How does Amanda approach setting goals with her clients? What is the transtheoretical model of behavior change and how can understanding it [...]
Andrea interviews Eric on the things he thinks about when building his or one of his athletes' training programs. How do programming considerations differ from exercise selection? What are the benefits to having a basic understanding of human anatomy? Which muscles would most likely benefit from isolation work because of their attachment sites? What modifies [...]
Brad and Jeff sit down for an in-person Q&A. Topics include: nutrition on non-training days, fat loss, advice for beginners, and competing. What are the coaches' thoughts on lowering your calorie intake on non-training days? What tips do the coaches have for losing fat without tracking macros? Do Brad and Jeff think it's possible to [...]
Alberto, Eric, and Brad discuss where to start if you're interested in getting into the sport of powerlifting. What are the fundamentals every new powerlifter should know and have in their life? When is a good time to do your first meet? Why does Eric like lifters to miss lifts (in a safe manner) occasionally? [...]
Andrea, Alberto, and Jeff are back with another audience-sourced Q&A session. How do you know when you're physically and mentally ready for another contest prep? What is Jeff's process for learning his posing routine? What is the coaches' advice on setting and adjusting weekly training volume? What are the coaches' thoughts on parenting kids who [...]
Brad, Steve, and Jeff discuss aggressive fat-loss protocols and the reality of contest prep. What does Steve consider when reviewing an aggressive nutrition protocol? Is there a difference between a 170-lb person dieting on 10 calories per pound and a 90-lb person dieting on 10 calories per pound? What happens if you don't consume the [...]
Nick, Alberto, and Eric discuss common perceptions about back injuries, their personal experiences with back pain and nerve symptoms, spine anatomy, and more. How did Alberto hurt his back in 2008 and how did that affect him? When does Alberto tend to get injured? Are the discs in your spine really similar to soft jelly [...]
Jeff and Eric discuss how they help their athletes transition out of prep and reflect on the experience. What should you do if you go off plan after your show? Is it normal to go off plan? What advice do the coaches have when setting calorie targets post show? For coaches, when is a good [...]
Eric, Brad, and Alberto discuss what a taper is, why they work, and how to run one. What is the difference between a deload and a taper? How do you adjust volume and intensity during a taper? What do the coaches take into consideration when setting up an athlete's taper? Do the coaches ever taper [...]
Amanda, Brad, and Eric discuss how to help your clients adjust their expectations when they are too high or too low. What is Amanda's first step when someone comes to her with what she believes are faulty perceptions? How can you help someone adjust their expectations without destroying their drive or enthusiasm? How can you [...]
Eric, Alberto, and Brad have an in-depth discussion around a recent Instagram post and Alberto's coaching strategies with the athlete showcased in that post. The post sparked a debate concerning why the athlete is in such good conditioning so far before his show. Why is Alberto coaching Dirk the way he is? What are the [...]
Steve, Alberto, and Eric discuss habits that make contest preps easier and more successful. What is one factor that influences whether someone gains or loses weight during a refeed or diet break? Why do we continue to do a certain behavior even when we don't want to? What advice do the coaches have on food [...]
Jeff, Brad, and Eric discuss how they create athletes' timelines for contest prep, adjust protocols when desired outcomes aren't being met, and modify timelines when things aren't going according to plan. What do the coaches need to know to plan an athlete's contest prep? What is the athlete's involvement in the creation of their plan? [...]
Nick and Jeff discuss how to choose which exercises to include in your program, when to switch exercises, and how to transition from one exercise to another. What three things does Jeff consider when selecting his exercises? Which controversial exercises does Jeff do and why? Could it potentially be beneficial to change your exercises occasionally? [...]
Andrea, Alberto, and Eric answer 11 audience-supplied questions about protein, training, supplements, contest prep, massing phases, and more. What are Eric and Alberto's current supplement routines? How do the coaches feel about shorter preps with no refeeds? How can someone decrease the amount of muscle and/or joint soreness they feel after a training session? Is [...]
Alberto, Eric, and Brad discuss the value of being efficient and how it can help you in your bodybuilding or powerlifting career. What do the coaches mean by being "efficient"? How can being more efficient lead to a longer bodybuilding/powerlifting career? What do the coaches consider to be inefficient ways to diet and train? What [...]
Amanda, Alberto, and Jeff discuss common sources of stress, adjusting your training according to your life stress, and stress-reducing strategies. How can contest prep affect one's level of stress? Do Jeff and Alberto find it easier to manage bodybuilding-related stress or nonbodybuilding-related stress? How can you alter your breathing and set intentions to reduce stress? [...]
Jeff, Brad, and Eric discuss the importance of gaining weight in the off-season and how to get more comfortable with it. What are the benefits of gaining weight in the off-season? Is having a negative self-perception required for improvement or can someone make progress with a nonnegative view of themself. What advice do the coaches [...]
Alberto, Brad, and Steve discuss the strategies they use and the strategies they have their athletes/clients use to stay on track with their goals when they're struggling with motivation. Do the coaches always feel like lifting? What strategies do the coaches use to get themselves to do something when they don't feel like it? How [...]
Eric, Nick, and Alberto discuss who can benefit from, when to use, and how to perform blood flow restriction (BFR) training. What is blood flow restriction training? What has been Alberto's experience (personally and with his athletes) with blood flow restriction training? What has been Nick's experience with blood flow restriction training as a physical [...]
Brad, Eric, and Alberto discuss how to navigate the overwhelming amount of books, podcasts, and research papers on all of the various health and fitness topics. What is the coaches' advice when it comes to content consumption? How is consuming content different if you're an athlete vs. if you're a coach? What filters and processes [...]
Brad, Jeff, and Alberto discuss how to assess your physique to help you make adjustments and get the best peak on show day. For physique updates, do the coaches prefer photos or videos? What are the coaches' thoughts on measuring body parts to track progress? Why do the coaches like to have their athletes refeed? [...]
Brad, Alberto, and Jeff discuss when, why, and how to minicut. How do the coaches think about and program minicuts? What are the downsides of aggressive minicuts? Why do the coaches oftentimes prefer a slower approach to fat loss over an aggressive minicut? What are the prerequisites for minicutting? What are the coaches' thoughts on [...]
Eric, Jeff, and Amanda discuss the dangers of striving to be optimal in your bodybuilding journey. What problems can occur when trying to be optimal? What can it cost you? How can the fear of missing out affect our decision-making? What strategies can someone use to help them decrease anxiety they are feeling? What are [...]
Andrea, Brad, and Alberto conduct an audience-supplied Q&A session. They cover questions about bulking, cutting, programming, breaking plateaus, and more. What should you do if you miss a training session? What are the coaches' thoughts on correcting asymmetries between sides? What should you do if you miss your calorie target for the day when bulking? [...]
In this episode, Alberto and Eric discuss what it's like to be, program for, and coach elite athletes. What are some programming strategies an advanced bodybuilder or powerlifter can use to help them make progress? How do the coaches define high-quality training? How do the coaches coach big-name athletes? Why is it important for an [...]
In this episode, Brad, Jeff, and Eric discuss their competitive, nutritional, and training-related goals for 2021. What does Jeff's prep currently look like? How does Eric manipulate his food choices and the weight of his food to help him make weight for powerlifting meets? How does Brad train around pain and manage training-related fatigue? How [...]
What are other forms of progress besides increases in load and added reps? Nick, Brad, and Alberto discuss different kinds of progress and what someone can do if they've plateaued. How does Alberto continue to make progress this far into his bodybuilding career? What can you do to jump-start progress if you've plateaued in your [...]
Alberto, Eric, and Andrea discuss the downsides and dangers of contest prep. In 3DMJ's opinion, what are the prerequisites for competing? What attitudes does someone typically have to develop in order to be a successful competitive bodybuilder? What can life be like after your first prep? When should someone not compete? In this episode, the [...]
