Nick, Alberto, and Brad discuss the necessity (or lack of) of specific exercises for maximizing the development of your lower body. Are there fundamental movements everyone should do? Does squatting and deadlifting make your muscles more dense? What are the group’s thoughts on hip thrusts, glute bridges, and RDLs? What are some fun exercise modifications you can try to get a similar or better muscular stimulus using less weight? Along with answering all of these questions, this episode has the p...
May 02, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Brian and Eric address many common questions and misunderstandings around body fat set points. Is it possible to change your set point? Are your genetics really the thing holding you back? Along with answering these two questions, Brian and Eric discuss leptin, modifying your environment, metabolic adaptation, low energy availability, some really interesting research on the Amish, and a lot more. This episode is full of takeaways for both competitors and noncompetitors. Timestamps 0:00- Introduc...
Apr 18, 2024•1 hr 21 min
Amanda, Alberto, and Eric discuss disordered eating, eating disorders, body-image concerns, and how they relate to both competitive physique athletes and noncompetitors. They talk about common issues they see and how they deal with them, the importance of framing, the influence of biology, research on tracking and physique checking, and a lot more. The same behaviors can be facilitative or debilitative depending upon how they are framed and what they result in in someone’s life. Timestamps 0:00-...
Apr 04, 2024•1 hr 25 min
Brad, Jeff, and Brian discuss what the ultimate goal of a person’s training should be if their primary goal is muscular hypertrophy. The coaches talk about when to add volume and when to wait, slower reps versus faster reps, training volume across a training career, longevity, and caution against putting the numbers ahead of the stimulus. Progression should be dictated by the rate you’re adapting and not something that should be forced. ------------------------------ Timestamps 0:00- Introductio...
Mar 21, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Eric, Alberto, and Brad discuss the things they feel every powerlifter who wants to be successful needs to understand. The coaches talk about how beneficial being intentional with your nutrition can be and a few simple nutritional strategies they recommend. Other topics discussed include, the best way to make weight for a meet, the coaches’ thoughts on cutting to make a weight class early in your powerlifting career, and the ideal situation to be in from a nutritional perspective as you’re getti...
Mar 07, 2024•1 hr 21 min
Andrea, Brian, and Jeff conduct an audience-supplied Q and A session. Topics include maximizing muscle growth, how to track volume, what you can do if you’re afraid of gaining body fat after your competitive season, and a lot more. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 2:24- How to grow maximally versus slowly and how to tell the difference 13:07- How to balance lifting with other forms of physical activity like running, cycling, basketball, etc. 21:48- If you aren’t working with a coach, how can you kn...
Feb 22, 2024•1 hr 9 min
In this eye-opening episode, Eric and Steve do a deep dive on the risks of testing new supplements, how you can help ensure the supplements you take are high-quality, and the supplements they use and recommend. Along with discussing the effectiveness of various supplements, the coaches go through the research showing just how common supplement contamination really is. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 1:00- Steve’s training on the use and role of supplements in our diet 6:57- What’s the harm of test...
Feb 08, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Brad, Alberto, and Jeff discuss the weird and sometimes scary things that happen when we push our bodies to the extreme. The coaches share crazy things they have seen and had happen to them during prep. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 2:30- What happened when Jeff was vitamin K deficient during one of his preps 19:55- A time when Jeff’s dedication and discipline were too extreme 28:43- You can do everything right and still have issues 36:26- Brad’s fears around prepping this year after not having ...
Jan 25, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Brian, Jeff, and Brad discuss how to be compliant with your plan so you can achieve your goals. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 1:53- How to navigate food prepared by family when prepping 8:46- The importance of a good setup 20:41- Have the coaches ever been perfectly compliant with their plan for an entire prep? 38:59- Things the coaches have seen that can lead to underreporting 43:46- Working with someone who is serious, but not that serious 52:46- Working with athletes who are overzealous 1:03:...
Jan 11, 2024•1 hr 17 min
Jeff and Alberto discuss how they’ve helped and pushed each other, how they go about their bodybuilding differently, and how to get the most out of your bodybuilding journey. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 8:55- The more intrinsically rewarding you keep your bodybuilding the more likely you are to stick around 26:21- The things bodybuilding helped the coaches figure out about themselves and correct 38:31- Why Alberto wants to continue competing Selected Links From This Episode Injury Reduction &a...
Dec 28, 2023•47 min
Brian, Brad, and Alberto discuss why getting yourself in a good position to prep is so important, what a good starting position looks like, and what they are currently doing to prepare for their 2024 season. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 3:28- What Brad is doing to prepare for his 2024 season 8:42- Brian’s plan for his 2024 season 12:08- Alberto’s plan for his 2024 season 14:56- The importance of getting yourself in a good position to start prep 35:00- The goal is not to empty the tank 37:23- Do...
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Brad, Eric, and Alberto discuss how as a bodybuilder becomes more ingrained in the bodybuilding lifestyle, the structure of their contest preps and the structure of their offseasons start to become more and more similar. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 2:51- Where is a good place to start when building your default diet? 6:17- What Eric and Alberto’s offseasons looked like 10+ years ago compared to what they look like now 16:43- Brad’s thoughts on the importance of having structure 22:22- How you ...
Nov 30, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Eric, Brian, and Nick have an in-depth discussion about purposefully altering range of motion to get bigger, stronger, and rehab an injury. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 2:22- Is more range of motion always better? Does increasing range of motion guarantee a reduction in joint pain? 11:23- Modifying range of motion for powerlifting 23:25- Modifying range of motion for bodybuilding 39:18- Lengthened partials 1:06:19- Strategies Nick uses to get injured powerlifters back on the platform 1:16:03- M...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 31 min
Jeff and Eric discuss what they have had to do to continue to improve their physiques as advanced athletes. The coaches also share strategies other advanced athletes can use to continue making progress as well. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 6:40- Eric had to wait 3.5 years to see if what he was doing was working 13:08- What Eric did between his last bodybuilding season and the one he is currently in to improve his delts 27:56- How Eric is going to improve the muscles he wants to improve while ke...
Nov 02, 2023•1 hr 21 min
Jeff and Alberto discuss common and unique scenarios they see when working with athletes. The coaches talk about how they work with athletes as well as the motives and mindsets they like to see. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 11:10- Taking things off people’s to-do list 14:10- Helping people work on the things they aren’t good at 20:38- The hardest athletes for the coaches to work with 29:36- The importance of being coachable 32:01- Competing for the challenge of the process and what you will lea...
Oct 19, 2023•49 min
Andrea, Brian, and Eric conduct an audience-supplied Q and A session. Question topics range from supplementation, to bulking, exercise technique, diet breaks, rest-period length, and more. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 2:32- Do you still get benefits from supplementing with creatine if you don’t take it consistently? How much of a difference does supplementing with creatine make? 14:49- What’s a good ratio of fat to muscle gained on a bulk? Does this ratio change as someone gets older? 26:16- Wh...
Oct 05, 2023•1 hr 17 min
Jeff, Alberto, and Steve discuss the benefits of having a plan, how they put together their weekly eating plans, how they help their athletes/clients build their weekly eating plans, and recommendations to consider when you’re building your plan. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 2:43- How Jeff and Steve build their weekly eating plans 24:52- The balance between building a plan you enjoy and can consistently adhere to while at the same time making sure it makes sense from a scientific perspective 28...
Sep 21, 2023•47 min
Brad, Brian, and Eric discuss who should and shouldn't cut weight for a meet, how to plan out your fat-loss phase if you need to run one, and strategies you can use to lose the last bit of weight needed to make weight. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 1:40- In the coaches’ opinion, who should and shouldn’t cut weight 14:16- Why we often lose strength when we cut 17:02- How to plan your fat-loss phase 32:06- How Brad, Eric, and Brian have cut for meets 57:00- Strategies for making weight 1:17:32- Si...
Sep 07, 2023•1 hr 31 min
Brian, Jeff, and Alberto discuss the things competitive bodybuilders and recreational bodybuilders can learn from each other. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 2:25- How the coaches treat their competitive bodybuilders versus their recreational bodybuilders 13:22- Letting recreational bodybuilding naturally turn into competitive bodybuilding 29:13- Coaching recreational bodybuilders who are a little too relaxed 50:04- Who makes more progress in the long run, competitive bodybuilders or recreational ...
Aug 24, 2023•56 min
Eric, Brad, and Amanda go over what post-contest blues are, why they happen, and what you can do about them. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 1:41- When the coaches have personally experienced post-contest blues and when they’ve seen their athletes experience them 18:07- What post-contest blues look and feel like for Brad and Eric 33:21- How the coaches prepare their athletes for post-contest blues 53:31- How accepting your situation can be beneficial 1:06:23- Final thoughts Selected Links From Thi...
Aug 10, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Alberto, Brad, and Brian discuss the things they think an athlete needs to know and have done before they do their first prep. Timestamps 0:00- What the coaches feel like an athlete needs to know and have done before they do their first prep 33:01- Make sure you know yourself 40:04- When you don’t have access to the foods you normally eat and eating homemade food prepared by others during prep 52:11- Share but don’t overshare 56:43- Prep doesn’t need to suck the entire time 1:02:17- Final though...
Jul 27, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Brian, Jeff, and Alberto discuss the end of one's competitive bodybuilding career, why someone might choose to continue competing after their peak, and life after competing. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 2:03- Your “why” for competing changes over time 13:53- The skill of focusing on the present 24:52- You won’t have regrets if you know you reached your peak 37:00- Looking at prep as a game of refinement 40:11- Why Alberto started bodybuilding and why he still competes 44:34- Jeff’s definition o...
Jul 13, 2023•54 min
Brad, Jeff, and Nick discuss the benefits of making your training more efficient and how to do so. Timestamps 0:00- The coaches’ thoughts on efficiency 18:06- High-quality sets, thinking long-term, and more is not always better 27:47- The benefits of being efficient with your training 36:49- Efficiency does not equal minimalism 40:14- How to get more efficient with your training 59:25- Making things outside of the gym more efficient 1:12:00- How to incorporate a new strategy 1:17:48- Switching t...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 21 min
Eric, Brian, and Alberto have the most thorough discussion on the principle of specificity and how it applies to powerlifting that has ever happened on the podcast or any other 3DMJ platform. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 2:17- Specificity & Exercise Selection 22:42- Focus on what *you* need 29:48- Varied Practice & Contextual Interference 40:12- Where a novice and advanced lifter’s time would be best spent 52:22- Longevity & Injury Rates 1:02:18- Summary Selected Links From This Epi...
Jun 15, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Jeff, Brad, and Alberto discuss everything you need to do and think about the day before and day of your show. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 1:59- Show-day schedules aren’t always accurate 13:29- How to keep stress low the day before your show 21:29- Shaving tips 29:19- Get a pump, don’t train 31:28- Everyone is in the same boat 39:12- What the coaches do when they are in a situation where something is going wrong 42:21- Don’t worry about your placing 54:54- Your demeanor on stage 1:06:34- Deali...
Jun 01, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Andrea, Brian, and Alberto host an audience-supplied Q and A session. Topics discussed include training, soreness, hypertrophy, cutting, bulking, programming, and more. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 2:23- Is 2 hours too long in the gym? 8:10- Ways to increase your calorie intake if you’re struggling to eat enough 15:15- If you’re feeling sore, from a hypertrophy standpoint, is it better to go ahead and push yourself to train or wait until you feel less sore? 26:46- What should you do with your c...
May 18, 2023•1 hr 44 min
Alberto, Steve, and Eric talk about what causes overeating, how you can help prevent it, and what to do when it happens. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 1:41- Binge eating disorder 3:10- Does Alberto think as many athletes slip up on their diet as they did 10 years ago? 7:47- How Steve helps his clients prevent episodes of overeating 15:57- Dealing with stress when you’re dieting and slowing down your thinking 22:19- Does Alberto have his athletes reduce their calorie intake for a few days after t...
May 04, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Amanda, Brian, and Brad discuss the anxieties and stresses that go along with competing. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 11:45- Looping 18:58- What to do if you’re nervous about posing 22:41- When to bail on a prep 26:54- How the coaches define a successful prep for themselves 39:13- Competing against others vs. Competing against yourself 45:21- Being prepared, competitiveness, and failure 55:44- Other people’s opinions 59:36- Dealing with game-day nerves Selected Links From This Episode Personali...
Apr 20, 2023•1 hr 14 min
Alberto, Nick, and Eric discuss the current hot topic of choosing exercises that challenge your muscles in their most-lengthened positions. Timestamps 0:00- Introduction 2:31- Why and how Alberto and Eric are experimenting with their training 10:10- Less joint pain when training at long muscle lengths 15:24- What we don’t know 38:40- Proceed with caution 49:12- How to implement training at long muscle lengths Selected Links From This Episode Personalizing Your Program (Vault Course)- https://www...
Apr 06, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Sometimes you have to go there and sometimes it's smart not to. How do you know when to do what? That's what Jeff and Brad are here to discuss. Timestamps 0:00- How Jeff and Brad’s training is currently going 12:19- How the coaches program their and their athletes’ squat, bench, and deadlift during a contest prep 26:17- Calling audibles and being smart 36:04- A mental strategy you can use to help get you through a workout when you don’t feel like training 41:40- How the coaches use self-talk to ...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 7 min
