Brian and Eric have an in-depth discussion about rep ranges. They discuss what the research says, the importance of variety, and how they recommend choosing your rep range for each exercise. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 2:15- Which rep range for which exercise 22:07- The benefit of wider rep ranges 29:45- What the coaches take into consideration when choosing their rep ranges 42:31- If you’re plateaued on an exercise, could switching exercises help? 49:10- Rep ranges for isolation exercises dur...
Mar 09, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Alberto, Jeff, and Brad discuss how they have evolved as coaches. What they do differently than they used to, what they've let go of, and what they are testing now. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 1:23- Ways the coaches used to coach athletes that make them cringe now 14:30- What the coaches do to stay up-to-date on best practices 27:21- New things the coaches are trying with their athletes 44:50- The value of your experience 54:52- Not being afraid to let go of old tools Selected Links From This ...
Feb 23, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Steve, Eric, and Brian discuss the benefits of not having specific carbohydrate and fat targets, as well as components of your diet that are important for overall health, the way you feel, and achieving your physique goals. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 2:25- How Steve has his clients track their protein intake when they are no longer tracking their calorie intake 7:10- Tracking your calorie and protein intake vs. Tracking your protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake 15:42- Why Steve likes his cli...
Feb 09, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Brad, Alberto, and Brian discuss the role of nutrition in building muscle. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 1:10- Which is more important for muscular hypertrophy, eating in a caloric surplus or progressive overload? 8:29- The importance of being strategic with your gaining phases 18:20- The variables the coaches like to monitor during a gaining phase 30:44- What is too fat? What is gaining too fast? 43:14- Red flags during gaining phases 52:03- Protein, fat, carb, fruit, and vegetable intake 1:00:...
Jan 26, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Nick, Brad, and Jeff discuss modifying your training to fit your life as it changes, as you age, and as you acquire more responsibilities. Timestamps 0:00- When Jeff and Brad realized they weren’t going to be able to train the exact same way they always had 10:56- Younger athletes versus older athletes in regard to their openness to changing their approach 18:32- How to tell the difference between “positive pain” and “negative pain” 25:18- Injuries related to repetitive motion 30:26- Listening t...
Jan 12, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Andrea, Brian, and Eric conduct an audience-supplied Q&A session. 15 questions spanning everything from programming, to cutting, hydration, low-intensity exercise, and more. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 2:36- How do you develop a program where hypertrophy and strength are both prioritized? 10:50- What do the coaches recommend someone do with their calorie intake if they get a cold or the flu during a cut or prep? 14:55- Is it possible to develop a competitive physique using only compound mo...
Dec 29, 2022•1 hr 35 min
Brian, Brad, and Alberto discuss how they have adjusted their volume throughout their lifting careers and the benefits of lower-volume programs. About how many sets per muscle group did Alberto do this prep? What made Alberto realize his volume was too high? What is the cost and return of higher-volume programs? How have lower-volume programs [...]
Dec 15, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Amanda, Brad, and Alberto discuss the benefits of competing and why sometimes you just have to go for it, even if you don't feel ready. How would someone who has never competed before know competing is something they are capable of doing? Why hasn't Amanda competed yet? Why does Brad want to compete again someday? [...]
Dec 01, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Today's episode is all about 3DMJ's newest coach, Brian Minor. How did Brian get into lifting? How did he get into competitive bodybuilding? How did Brian earn his Mr. Olympia title? What did Brian get his degrees in? How did he build up his coaching business? How long was he coaching before he left his [...]
Nov 17, 2022•1 hr 10 min
Steve, Alberto, and Jeff discuss why they recommend *not* cutting out food from restaurants and other sources of food you didn't prepare from your diet, and how to stay on track with your goals while continuing to eat these types of foods. What strategies do the coaches use to stay on track with their goals [...]
Nov 03, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Brian, Jeff, and Eric discuss the benefits of diet breaks, what the research says about diet breaks, and why they like to include them in their preps as well as their athletes'. What is a diet break? What is the difference between a diet break and a refeed? How can diet breaks be beneficial for [...]
Oct 20, 2022•1 hr 10 min
Nick, Jeff, and Alberto discuss the role of genetics in recovery, fat loss, muscle growth, perseverance, and more. When did it first become obvious to the coaches that genetics really do play a role in one's bodybuilding journey? How does Jeff feel about his genetics? Does Alberto think it is easier for him to lose [...]
Oct 06, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Brian, Alberto, and Jeff discuss what they did well and what they wish they'd done differently when they first got into bodybuilding. The coaches talk about how they went about their nutrition when they first started, how they took it too far at a certain point, and how they've come to see that the basics [...]
Sep 22, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Eric, Jeff, and Amanda discuss how to navigate the overwhelming amount of health and fitness related content floating around social media and on the internet. How can you determine if someone's recommendations are beneficial for you? How can you screen content based on the specificity of the advice given and the confidence it was presented [...]
Sep 08, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Brian, Brad, Nick, and Steve go through a series of checkpoints and scenarios that help you reevaluate your current plan and practices, so you can make sure you're working towards your goals efficiently. The coaches and specialists go through different types of clients they work with and how they guide those clients. They cover adjusting [...]
Aug 25, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Brad, Jeff, and Steve conduct an audience-supplied Q&A session. Topics covered include: programming, building a home gym, setting up refeeds, mindsets that don't support sustainability, and more. Does anyone ever come to 3DMJ and the coaches think they don't have a chance at getting on stage? If you are plateaued on an exercise, what are [...]
Aug 11, 2022•1 hr 22 min
Brad, Alberto, and 3D Muscle Journey's new coach, Brian Minor, discuss training burnout and what you can do during these times to help you enjoy lifting again. What have been Brad, Alberto, and Brian's experience with feeling burned-out on training? What did they do during these times? Do the coaches think everyone who is in [...]
Jul 28, 2022•1 hr 10 min
Jeff, Steve, and Alberto discuss how people store fat in different places, how this affects the look they can sustain long-term, and what you can do if you're as lean as you can comfortably sustain, but you're still not happy with how you look. How will Alberto sometimes program for someone who comes to him [...]
Jul 14, 2022•1 hr 16 min
Nick and Eric discuss what the research says about periodization for hypertrophy, why it's misleading, and whether or not someone whose sole goal is muscular hypertrophy should incorporate periodization into their training. According to the research, is periodization beneficial for hypertrophy? How often should someone change the exercises in their program? What is the difference [...]
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 21 min
Eric, Nick, and Alberto discuss super sets, drop sets, antagonist paired sets, blood flow restriction training, myo-reps, partial reps, and a lot more. Why would someone use one of these "intensity techniques"? What is Alberto's ultimate super set for novices? What leads to skeletal muscle hypertrophy? Can blood flow restriction training make you more vascular? [...]
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr 20 min
Brad, Alberto, and Eric discuss how they set up athletes' peak-week protocols. The coaches talk about which variables they manipulate, how they test various strategies, and the ideal peak-week scenario. How does peaking work physiologically? What percentage increase does Alberto think a good peak can give someone? How can stress affect one's peak? What needs [...]
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 18 min
Brad, Eric, and Jeff have an in-depth discussion about if and how the way we eat throughout the day affects fat loss, muscle growth, and lean body mass retention. Does eating more frequently stoke your metabolism? Is eating carbohydrates before your workout beneficial? How often should you consume protein throughout the day? If you utilize [...]
May 19, 2022•1 hr 19 min
Alberto and Amanda have an intimate conversation about how bodybuilding has positively impacted their lives outside of their health and the way they look. What has Alberto's bodybuilding journey given him? What has Amanda's bodybuilding journey given her? Where did they first notice what they were learning through bodybuilding could be applied to other areas [...]
May 05, 2022•49 min
Jeff, Brad, and Alberto have an in-depth conversation about deloading. They discuss the benefits of deloading and go through different ways you can set up your next deload. How do the coaches like to deload? What are some of the different ways they'll have their athletes deload? What do the coaches recommend not doing during [...]
Apr 21, 2022•1 hr 15 min
Eric, Jeff, and Alberto discuss the research on as well as their experiences with training to failure. How is training to failure defined and studied in research? How does what the research suggests apply to most bodybuilders? In which situations is it beneficial to train to failure? In regard to hypertrophy, what is the difference [...]
Apr 07, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Andrea, Brad, and Eric conduct an audience-supplied Q&A session. Topics include: programming, competing, stress eating, training after menopause, velocity-based training, and a lot more. Does everyone eventually reach a point where they have to program their training via RPE targets? Can intraset velocity loss be used as an objective measurement of fatigue? What body-fat percentage [...]
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 32 min
Steve, Brad, and Alberto discuss different eating habits and offer suggestions for how to improve the effectiveness, enjoyment, and sustainability of your diet. How can you identify which eating behaviors are okay and which ones you should probably try to replace? How does Brad like to program an athlete's calorie intake? What is the 80/20 [...]
Mar 10, 2022•59 min
Brad, Jeff, and Alberto talk about the necessity of gaining weight for maximizing your physique. Why is gaining weight so important? What are the coaches' thoughts on cutting before starting a gaining phase? How much body fat is too much? Once you reach your goal body weight, then what? What are the coaches' thoughts on [...]
Feb 24, 2022•1 hr 10 min
This episode is quite the treat, it contains three audio roundtable discussions from The MASS research review. MASS (Monthly Applications in Strength Sport) is a research review by Greg Nuckols, Dr. Eric Trexler, Dr. Mike Zourdos, and Dr. Eric Helms that covers the latest strength, hypertrophy, and nutritional science research in an easy-to-understand and apply [...]
Feb 10, 2022•1 hr 19 min
Nick, Brad, and Jeff talk about why they continue to train even though the rate they progress is significantly slower than it used to be and why they're so happy they haven't quit. How do the coaches view their training and bodybuilding now? What do the coaches do to help increase their and their athletes' [...]
Jan 27, 2022•1 hr 16 min
