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

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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

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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/⁠

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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

Thanks for listening to The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 💪

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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

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Jeff, Brian, Alberto, and Brad discuss the underrated and underleveraged role of consistency in the achievement of one’s strength and physique goals. What keeps the coaches so consistent with their training? If you are struggling with being consistent, what can you do to help you become more consistent? Why and how do the coaches make sure they are enjoying their training? Once you are consistent, what can you do to unlock new levels of progress? What are the potential benefits of purposely having phases where you aren’t doing as much as you are capable of? How can you fall in love with training again after prep is over? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode.

Timestamps

0:00- Introduction

2:39- It’s not the high volume, it’s not the sweet potato, it’s not the squat, it’s the consistency

10:10- Make sure you are doing the *right things* consistently

13:13- Brad’s secret behind why he’s so consistent with his training

22:40- What keeps Brian so consistent with his training

28:09- What keeps Alberto so consistent with his training?

33:45- How the coaches coach clients who aren’t that motivated to train

44:01- Find your minimum effective dose

49:16- Once you are consistent, how to unlock newlevels of progress

Selected Links From This Episode

Coaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠

Thanks for listening to The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 💪

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Alberto, Jeff, and Brian share why they have chosen to stay natural, why they are glad they have, and give advice to younger lifters who are considering using steroids, SARMs, etc. Were the coaches ever tempted to use performance-enhancing drugs? What ultimately deterred them from using them? What are good questions to ask yourself if you are considering using steroids, SARMs, etc.? What are the pros of staying natural? What is the coaches’ advice if you do decide to use performance-enhancing drugs? The answers to these questions and more are covered in this episode.

Timestamps

0:00- Introduction

1:13- Why Jeff has chosen to stay natural

11:25- Why Alberto has chosen to stay natural

21:19- Why Brian has chosen to stay natural

30:43- There is longevity with natural bodybuilding

38:07- Advice for those considering using steroids, SARMs, etc.

50:48- High-level natural physiques are much more impressive than the statistics indicate

1:05:34- Good questions to ask yourself if you’re considering using steroids, SARMs, etc.

Selected Links From This Episode

3DMJ Podcast Episode #294: The Biggest Mistakes Among Intermediate Bodybuilders- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-EpKKDL3hM

Coaching By Team 3DMJ- https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching

Monthly Applications In Strength Sport (MASS)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/mass

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