Brad, Alberto, and Jeff discuss strategies they use to manage stress, and how they program for themselves and their athletes based on life stress at the time. What do the coaches do to help ensure they get good sleep? What can you do to improve your sleep quality and quantity? Why is it important to prioritize resting from your work and bodybuilding? How can you undulate your volume based on your schedule? What does advanced bodybuilding look like? What can you do if you’re plateaued on an exercise where you are using double progression? Why is Jeff currently lifting two times per day? What does his setup look like? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode.

Timestamps

0:00- The negative effects of poor sleep

3:07- Why Alberto decided to improve his sleep and the benefits he’s experienced from doing so

8:13- Strategies for improving your sleep quality and quantity

21:21- Prioritize resting from your work and bodybuilding

31:48- Undulate your workload

37:30- What advanced bodybuilding looks like

40:40- What you can do if you’re plateaued on an exercise where you are using double progression

46:41- Why Jeff is currently lifting two times per day

51:34- Deep thinking vs. Long thinking 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

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/⁠⁠

Watch our show on YouTube - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/team3dmj

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