Steve, Alberto, and Eric discuss habits that make contest preps easier and more successful. What is one factor that influences whether someone gains or loses weight during a refeed or diet break? Why do we continue to do a certain behavior even when we don't want to? What advice do the coaches have on food [...]

#183: The Habits of Highly Effective Preps

The 5 natural bodybuilding and powerlifting coaches from 3D Muscle Journey come together for conversations dissecting the art and science of muscle and strength. Be a fly on the wall as this collective of coaches discuss the ins and outs of helping athletes reach their potential on the stage, platform and in their personal lives. Dedication. Discipline. Desire. #Team3DMJ

Fitness

Health & Fitness

Eric, Steve, and Brad have a unique conversation about tracking and bringing mindfulness to a behavior. The coaches discuss the distinction between tracking to learn more about what you’re currently doing versus tracking to change a behavior. Sometimes just tracking a behavior is enough to get the desired outcome and sometimes *not* tracking something can lead to better outcomes. Along with discussing the different types of tracking, the coaches also go through how to choose what you should track, behaviors and nutrients they have tracked or had their athletes/clients track, moving towards/approach goals versus moving away from/avoidance goals, facilitative versus nonfacilitative perfectionism, what you can do if you want to lose body fat but tracking your calorie intake causes a lot of stress, and a lot more. 


Timestamps
0:00- Introduction
2:30- Tracking to learn more about what you’re currently doing vs. Tracking to change behavior 
8:56- Learning to track before trying to hit specific nutritional goals 
15:08- Sometimes just tracking a behavior is enough to get the desired outcome 
26:46- Sometimes *not* tracking something can lead to better outcomes 
37:43- Behaviors, nutrients, and other data the coaches have tracked or had their athletes/clients track
55:18- Moving towards/approach goals vs. Moving away from/avoidance goals 
1:00:43- Leveraging the client’s knowledge, creativity, and getting them involved in the goal-setting process
1:04:10- Sometimes tracking something can lead to undesirable outcomes 
1:11:00- Tracking body weight and the palatability of foods
1:18:23- Regular breaks from tracking calories and what you can do if tracking your calorie intake causes a lot of stress


Selected Links From This Episode
Monthly Applications In Strength Sport (MASS)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/mass
Transitioning Away From Tracking (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/transitioning-away-from-tracking
Should You Weigh Meat Cooked Or Uncooked?- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH-5oSP0O5E&t;=1s
Steve’s Website- http://stevetaylorrd.com
Steve’s Instagram- @stevetaylorRD
Steve’s YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChfVYx4ck3pY275XlkiumGQ
Steve’s Facebook Page- https://www.facebook.com/stevetaylorRD
Steve’s Mailing List & Newsletter- http://eepurl.com/diZ6Gz
The Energy Balance Model Of Obesity: Beyond Calories In, Calories Out- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35134825/
The Complex Pattern Of The Effects Of Prolonged Frequent Exercise On Appetite Control, And Implications For Obesity- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36754171/#:~:text=There%20are%20multiple%20effects%20of,improvements%20in%20eating%20behaviour%20traits


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#257: You Could Be Tracking The Wrong Nutrition Data

Jeff, Brian, and Brad discuss training to failure, RPE-based programming, and percentage-based programming. What is RPE and RIR? Should you use RPE-based programming? If so, when and how should you use it? How do the coaches help their athletes get better at rating a set’s RPE? What approaches do the coaches use for prescribing proximity to failure with bodybuilders? Can training to failure and leaving reps in reserve both work? Why isn’t all training to failure the same? The coaches answer these questions, plus many more in this episode. 


Timestamps
0:00- What is RPE and RIR?
2:11- Why rate a set? Why not just train to failure?
12:22- Percentage-based programming vs. RPE-based programming
16:00- Approaches the coaches use for prescribing proximity to failure with bodybuilders
37:07- Managing recovery based on the structure of your program
46:20- Not all training to failure is the same
1:01:55- What the coaches think about when they are near the end of a set and it starts getting hard
1:10:03- Rest-pause techniques
1:12:49- Red-light, yellow-light, and green-light sets 


Selected Links From This Episode
Free Newsletter (3DMJ Thursdays)- https://3dmusclejourney.com/
3D Muscle Journey’s Instagram Account- @team3dmj


Thanks for listening to The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 

#256: Is Using RPE Worth It?

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 potential to provide a ton of relief for those who are dealing with pain, injuries, have limited equipment, or just don’t like barbell squatting or deadlifting off the floor. 


Timestamps
0:00- Thinking objectively about your lower-body training 
18:54- Recent revelations Alberto has had about lower-body training
30:52- Are there fundamental movements everyone should do?
38:57- Fun exercise modifications
54:06- Do the coaches think the concepts discussed in this episode will someday be mainstream advice?
1:01:03- The group’s thoughts on hip thrusts, glute bridges, and RDLs 


Selected Links From This Episode
Nutrition Fundamentals For Lifters (Vault Course)- ⁠https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/nutrition-fundamentals-for-lifters⁠


Thanks for listening to The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 

#255: How To Leg Day

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- Introduction
2:24- The lipostatic model, leptin, and the duel intervention point model
12:35- Is it possible to change your set point?
23:56- Modifying your environment
34:30- Capitalize on the time period you are motivated
38:45- Overshooting and metabolic adaptation 
46:48- What is low energy availability?
48:50- At what body fat percentage should experienced competitors be at in the offseason?
1:01:32- Living life slightly below your lower intervention point
1:08:00- What is a healthy body fat percentage?
1:13:44- Where you make the best progress in regard to the rate you put on muscle might not be where you want to be 


Selected Links From This Episode
Nutrition Fundamentals For Lifters (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/nutrition-fundamentals-for-lifters
Monthly Applications In Strength Sport (MASS)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/mass
2023 International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Consensus Statement On Relative Energy Deficiency In Sport (REDs)- https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/17/1073


Thanks for listening to The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 

#254: Is Your Body Fat Set Point Holding You Back?

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- Introduction
3:06- Scope of practice 
7:13- Some of the most common issues Alberto sees and how he deals with them
27:30- The way we frame things is extremely important
29:46- Is the coping mechanism facilitative or debilitative
36:10- Clinical definitions
40:15- Research on tracking and physique checking on disordered eating and eating disorders
49:25- The influence of biology
57:43- Orthorexia
1:02:27- How Amanda deals with nonclassified disordered eating 
1:09:59- Bodybuilding and competing for those who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder in the past or are in the process of recovering 


Selected Links From This Episode 
Nutrition Fundamentals For Lifters (Vault Course)-
https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/nutrition-fundamentals-for-lifters
Minnesota Starvation Experiment-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Starvation_Experiment
Amanda’s Email- amirizo027@gmail.com
Amanda’s Instagram- @rizo_amanda_


Thanks for listening to The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 

#183: The Habits of Highly Effective Preps

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