3D Muscle Journey

Brian, Alberto, Jeff, and Brad discuss what they learned in 2025, how so many different approaches work for hypertrophy, and the things people commonly miss in their quest to be optimal that are making them suboptimal. Can cheat meals sometimes be an effective strategy to use during a fat-loss phase? How has Alberto been getting himself to eat more vegetables? How has the way Brian chooses exercises for his athletes changed over time? Are exercises that are more stable better for hypertrophy? What problems can happen when someone is doing too much volume when there is a high degree of tension in a lengthened position? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode.

Timestamps
0:00- Introduction
2:15- You don’t have to be optimal to make progress
16:16- Cheat meals & How Alberto has been getting himself to eat more vegetables
22:05- The importance of community
37:17- Meet people at your gym
45:20- How the way Brian chooses exercises for his athletes has changed over time
52:41- How do we even know what optimal is?
1:02:18- How much do the small details actually matter?
1:07:47- What Brad learned in 2025

Selected Links From This Episode
Coaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Hypertrophy Programming For Bodybuilders Course- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/hypertrophy
3DMJ Podcast Episode #275: Why You Should Gamify Your Gains-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY0aceDpeVE
WNBF Worlds Contest Prep Survey Results- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzomyA72U2U

Thanks for listening to The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 💪 
GET COACHING AND COURSES - ⁠⁠https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/⁠⁠
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Brad, Alberto, and Brian answer audience-supplied questions about pre-workout nutrition, rest periods, belt squats vs. barbell squats, muscle maturity, sleep hygiene, volume, weekly calorie targets, and more. What do the coaches consume before and during workouts when they train in the morning? What is the coaches’ advice for those who keep having unsuccessful fat loss phases? If you are struggling with cravings, hunger, and/or feeling deprived during a fat-loss phase, what can help? Are belt squats better than barbell squats and leg press for a bodybuilder? If the coaches could only do overhead pressing or lateral raises, which would they choose? What advice do the coaches have for those whose sleep is very negatively affected when they are in a calorie deficit? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode.

Timestamps
0:00- Tips for pre-workout meals during prep for athletes who train first thing in the morning
8:22- How long is too long to rest between sets?
14:02- If you are struggling with cravings, hunger, and/or feeling deprived during a fat-loss phase, what can help?
26:52- Are belt squats better than barbell squats and leg press for bodybuilders?
36:35- What is muscle maturity? Is it something only older lifters get?
43:47- Do the coaches include overhead pressing and lateral raises in all of their athletes’ training programs? If the coaches could only do overhead pressing or lateral raises, which would they choose?
53:03- What advice do the coaches have for those whose sleep is very negatively affected when they are in a calorie deficit?
1:03:05- How do the coaches get their clients to buy into doing less?
1:12:00- Do the coaches ever give clients a weekly calorie target instead of a daily calorie target?

Selected Links From This Episode
Coaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Thanks for listening to The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 💪 
GET COACHING AND COURSES - ⁠https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/⁠
Watch our show on YouTube - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/team3dmj

Jeff, Brian, and Brad share their opinions on and the times and places for aggressive fat-loss phases. If someone has a lot of fat to lose, can they be more aggressive with their calorie deficit? Does Jeff personally run aggressive fat-loss phases? What is Brian’s advice to someone who wants to lose weight quickly? Why do the coaches usually recommend a more conservative approach when it comes to fat loss? What are the pitfalls of aggressive fat-loss phases? What can you do to make being hungry easier? What is the role of physical activity in fat loss? What is the coaches’ advice on running fat-loss phases for those who have big bodybuilding goals? The answers to these questions and more are covered in this episode.

Timestamps
0:00- Introduction
1:41- Jeff’s opinion on aggressive fat-loss phases
3:54- Brian’s advice to someone who wants to lose weight quickly
10:02- The coaches’ advice on running fat-loss phases for those who have big bodybuilding goals
26:02- Too much too fast
30:45- Strategies for creating a calorie deficit
38:48- Get habits and structure in place to support your goals
45:45- Fat-loss skills and habits
52:29- The mentality of getting to single-digit body fat
55:39- How physical activity can help
58:53- Final advice for those considering running an aggressive cut

Selected Links From This Episode
Coaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠

Thanks for listening to The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 💪 
GET COACHING AND COURSES - https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/
Watch our show on YouTube - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/team3dmj

Brad, Alberto, Jeff, and Brian discuss different types of evidence, where to get them, how to use them, and the problem with relying too much on one type of data. Who do the coaches learn from? When do the coaches go against science-based recommendations? What is the difference between outcome data and mechanistic data? Why do the coaches caution against being “anti bro”? Who are science-based recommendations for? What is the problem with purely science-based lifting? Which types of evidence do the coaches use to program their own and their athletes’ training? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode.

Timestamps
0:00- Post-workout anabolic window  
3:06- Alberto’s take on evidence-based recommendations and who he learns from
8:52- Jeff’s take on evidence-based recommendations
15:26- Brian’s take on where to get and how to use evidence-based recommendations
23:26- How relying too much on one type of data (including science-based!) can result in less progress
36:07- Who science-based recommendations are for
49:12- There is a lot of room for customization
1:06:52- The different types of evidence 3D Muscle Journey uses

Selected Links From This Episode
Coaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠
Learning From Dirty Jobs- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRVdiHu1VCc
The Muscle & Strength Pyramids- https://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com
Monthly Applications In Strength Sport (MASS)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/mass

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Alberto, Brad, Brian, and Jeff discuss their all-time favorite lifting cues, how and why they prioritize getting a good stimulus over beating the logbook, and the usefulness of focusing on the mind-muscle connection. How do the coaches approach lifting differently in contest prep compared to the offseason? Why do decreases in strength not necessarily mean a loss of muscle? Why can changes in body weight affect how certain exercises feel? What valuable feedback can a pump give you? For hypertrophy, does the concentric phase of an exercise need to be explosive or is a slower tempo just as effective? What are some of the coaches’ favorite cues when performing Romanian deadlifts, the barbell bench press, calf raises, and back exercises? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode.  

Timestamps
0:00- Introduction
1:30- How the coaches approach lifting differently in contest prep compared to the offseason
18:53- Why changes in body weight can affect how certain exercises feel
35:00- Don’t focus on the load, focus on creating a stimulus
39:35- Good cues for executing the Romanian deadlift and barbell bench press correctly
51:27- The pump & The mind-muscle connection
1:08:12- Some of the coaches’ all-time favorite cues

Selected Links From This Episode
Coaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠
3DMJ Podcast Episode #238: Cutting Weight For Powerlifting- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ3B-rC5A1c

Thanks for listening to The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 💪 
SIGN UP FOR ONE-ON-ONE COACHING SERVICES - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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