Self-Selecting

What’s the difference between being disciplined with your diet and becoming overly restrictive?

In this episode, I break down the difference between being strict versus restrictive with fat loss, nutrition, and training. Being strict can mean having structure, boundaries, and clear goals while still being able to adapt when life doesn’t go according to plan. Restriction often comes from fear, guilt, anxiety, and feeling like one deviation means you’ve failed.

I cover scale anxiety, overeating, tracking calories, social events, flexible dieting, and diet adherence, and explain why your reaction when the plan breaks can reveal more than the behaviors themselves. I also discuss why saying no to food isn’t automatically unhealthy, why flexibility still requires boundaries, and how unrealistic expectations around weekly weight loss can make dieting harder.

Ultimately, you don’t need to punish yourself to lose fat or build your dream physique. You need a plan you can execute honestly, the flexibility to adapt, and the ability to keep moving forward when things aren’t perfect.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 03:55] – Strict vs. Restrictive Dieting: What’s the Difference?

- [03:55 – 09:10] – Structure, Boundaries & Diet Adherence

- [09:10 – 11:18] – What Makes a Diet Healthy or Unhealthy?

- [11:18 – 14:12] – Scale Anxiety, Control & Dieting Neurotically

- [14:12 – 18:30] – Restrictive Behaviors Around Food & Tracking

- [18:30 – 21:33] – Social Events, Food & Trusting Your Decisions

- [21:33 – 22:47] – Why You Can’t Say Yes to Everything

- [22:47 – 24:16] – Guilt After Going Off Your Diet

- [24:16 – 30:38] – Flexible Dieting & Realistic Weight Loss Expectations

- [30:38 – 37:31] – Why Punishing Yourself Won’t Improve Fat Loss

- [37:31 – 40:46] – How to Stop Being So Restrictive

Links & Resources:

Purchase The Complete Fat Loss Guide:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-fat-loss-guide/

Purchase The Glute Building Blueprint:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-glute-building-program/

https://coryfit.com/

⁠Coaching: Let's Chat⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/15min

⁠Consults: Book a Call⁠

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Is your dream physique actually attainable—and are you willing to do what it takes to achieve and maintain it?

In this episode, I break down the framework I use to determine whether a fat loss or muscle-building goal is realistic. I explain why you need to look honestly at the gap between your current physique and your goal, how social media can distort what you think is achievable, and why you can’t know the day-to-day sacrifices behind someone else’s physique.

I also cover why PEDs and enhancements can’t replace nutrition, training, and commitment, why being afraid to gain weight can sabotage muscle growth, and the physical and psychological consequences that can come with getting extremely lean. Ultimately, achieving your dream physique isn’t just about whether it’s theoretically possible—it’s whether your lifestyle, timeline, and level of commitment can support it.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 04:45] – Is Your Dream Physique Actually Attainable

- [04:45 – 08:00] – Your Current Physique vs. Your Goal Physique

- [08:00 – 15:36] – Are You Really Doing Everything You Can?

- [15:36 – 18:51] – The Reality Behind Physiques You See Online

- [18:51 – 22:21] – Afraid to Eat? Why You’re Not Building Muscle

- [22:21 – 25:45] – Why PEDs Won’t Replace Training & Nutrition

- [25:45 – 27:25] – The Consequences of Getting Extremely Lean

- [27:25 – 30:38] – What Your Dream Physique Actually Requires

- [30:38 – 31:44] – Patience, Progress & Building Your Physique

Links & Resources:

Purchase The Complete Fat Loss Guide:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-fat-loss-guide/

Purchase The Glute Building Blueprint:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-glute-building-program/

https://coryfit.com/

⁠Coaching: Let's Chat⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/15min

⁠Consults: Book a Call⁠

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When should you modify your workout—and when should you stop overthinking it and just follow the program?

In this episode, I break down my framework for making smart training modifications without sacrificing muscle growth. I explain how I decide whether a workout needs to change based on recovery, stress, sleep, menstrual cycle symptoms, stability, warm-up performance, equipment availability, and other factors that can affect how you perform in the gym.

I also walk through exactly how I modify squat and hinge days when I’m under-recovered, including alternatives for barbell squats and RDLs, and why your replacement exercise should still accomplish the purpose of the movement you’re replacing. A kickback isn’t an equal substitute for a squat just because they both train your glutes.

I cover hip thrusts versus squat and hinge patterns for glute growth, cable and rowing substitutions, what to do when a machine doesn’t fit your body, and how to shorten a workout without skipping the warm-up. The goal isn’t simply to check the box and finish your workout—it’s to make modifications that preserve the quality and intention of your training while working with what your body and environment can handle that day.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 05:22] – When Should You Modify Your Workout?

- [05:22 – 09:00] – Why Do You Want to Change Your Training?

- [09:00 – 16:31] – Under-Recovery, Warm-Ups & Training Performance

- [16:31 – 19:00] – Your Menstrual Cycle & Strength Changes

- [19:00 – 21:57] – External Factors That Can Disrupt Your Workout

- [21:57 – 25:32] – How to Structure a Modified Training Session

- [25:32 – 29:45] – How to Modify Squats & Compound Exercises

- [29:45 – 33:58] – How to Modify RDLs & Hinge Movements

- [33:58 – 37:19] – What to Do When Gym Equipment Is Occupied

- [37:19 – 40:22] – How to Substitute Exercises When Equipment Is Unavailable

- [40:22 – 44:00] – The Biggest Exercise Substitution Mistake

- [44:00 – 46:49] – Hip Thrusts vs. Squats & Hinges for Glute Growth

- [46:49 – 50:24] – Cable, Row & Machine Exercise Substitutions

- [50:24 – 54:03] – Short on Time? Don’t Skip Your Warm-Up

- [54:03 – 57:53] – Gym Boundaries, Rest Periods & Staying Focused

Links & Resources:

Purchase The Complete Fat Loss Guide:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-fat-loss-guide/

Purchase The Glute Building Blueprint:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-glute-building-program/

https://coryfit.com/

⁠Coaching: Let's Chat⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/15min

⁠Consults: Book a Call⁠

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If you’re tracking your calories, following your diet, and still not losing weight, there may be something in your food tracking that you’re unintentionally missing.

In this episode, I walk through my 7-point fat loss checklist for figuring out why the scale isn’t moving even when you think you’re 100% adherent. I cover untracked calories, weighing foods raw versus cooked, batch cooking, inaccurate food logs, sodium fluctuations, food variety, and the mistake of tracking net carbs instead of total carbs.

I also explain how water loss during cooking can change food weight, why seemingly small tracking errors can erase your calorie deficit, and how sodium, food volume, and digestion can create scale fluctuations that look like a fat loss plateau.

Before you lower your calories or assume your metabolism is the problem, use this checklist to tighten up your data and identify what may actually be keeping the scale from moving.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 02:54] – Why You’re Not Losing Weight Despite Tracking Calories

- [02:54 – 06:34] – #1 Are You Tracking Everything You Eat?

- [06:34 – 13:54] – #2 Weighing Food Raw vs. Cooked

- [13:54 – 15:35] – #3 Batch Cooking & Hidden Tracking Errors

- [15:35 – 18:16] – #4 Are Your Food Logs Actually Accurate?

- [18:16 – 20:50] – #5 Sodium, Water Retention & Scale Weight

- [20:50 – 25:00] – #6 Food Variety, Volume & Weight Fluctuations

- [25:00 – 26:51] – #7 Net Carbs vs. Total Carbs

- [26:51 – 28:47] – Fat Loss Plateaus: Check Your Data Before Cutting Calories

Links & Resources:

Purchase The Complete Fat Loss Guide:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-fat-loss-guide/

Purchase The Glute Building Blueprint:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-glute-building-program/

https://coryfit.com/

⁠Coaching: Let's Chat⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/15min

⁠Consults: Book a Call⁠

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If you feel like you’re always dieting but never quite lean enough, it may be time to ask why you’re so afraid to stop.

In this episode, I break down nine reasons people get stuck in permanent dieting and struggle to transition out of a calorie deficit. I cover constantly moving the goalpost on fat loss, believing getting leaner will finally make you happy, fearing weight and body fat gain, and struggling to trust yourself during a muscle-building phase.

I also explain why a previous unsuccessful bulk or diet can keep you trapped in the cycle, how always having another event to get lean for prevents meaningful progress, and why years spent dieting or training don’t necessarily mean those years were productive.

At some point, the physique you want may require you to stop trying to get smaller. Taking time away from fat loss can give you the runway to build muscle, improve your training, and eventually create a physique that dieting alone can’t produce.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 04:42] – Why You Feel Like You Always Need to Be Dieting

- [04:42 – 10:15] – #1 You’re Still Not as Lean as You Want to Be

- [10:15 – 14:59] – #2 You Think Losing More Fat Will Make You Happy

- [14:59 – 17:47] – #3 You Don’t Trust Yourself to Stop Dieting

- [17:47 – 23:12] – #4 You’re Afraid of Gaining Weight

- [23:12 – 26:54] – #5 You Gained Too Much Fat in the Past

- [26:54 – 30:09] – #6 Your Last Diet Ended Without Closure

- [30:09 – 33:15] – #7 There’s Always Another Event to Get Lean For

- [33:15 – 39:09] – #8 You Feel Like You Should Be Further Along

- [39:09 – 45:04] – #9 You Don’t Think Your Physique Is Good Enough

Links & Resources:

Purchase The Complete Fat Loss Guide:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-fat-loss-guide/

Purchase The Glute Building Blueprint:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-glute-building-program/

https://coryfit.com/

⁠Coaching: Let's Chat⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/15min

⁠Consults: Book a Call⁠

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How much do genetics actually matter for building muscle, losing fat, and creating an impressive physique?

In this episode, I break down why I think genetic potential is only one piece of the equation. I cover the factors you can’t control—like skeletal structure and muscle insertions—but also the behaviors, environment, motivation, training quality, nutrition, recovery, and ability to learn that can dramatically influence your results.

I also share how my own relationship with food, body image, bodybuilding, and weight gain shaped my progress, why I’ve built more muscle in my 30s than I did in my 20s, and how improving my training helped me add four inches to my glutes during a growth phase.

Before you assume your genetics, age, or hormones are holding you back, I want you to look at the factors you can actually change. Your potential may be far more fluid than you think.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 02:09] – How Much Do Genetics Matter for Building Muscle?

- [02:09 – 04:14] – Genetics, Body Structure & What You Can’t Control

- [04:14 – 08:24] – Genetics vs. Environment, Exercise & Nutrition

- [08:24 – 13:26] – How Your Environment Shapes Body Image & Fitness

- [13:26 – 17:32] – What Actually Determines Your Fitness Potential?

- [17:32 – 21:30] – Hormones, Recovery & Behaviors That Affect Progress

- [21:30 – 25:36] – Why Training & Your Ability to Learn Matter

- [25:36 – 27:53] – Can You Still Build Muscle in Your 30s & 40s?

- [27:53 – 29:03] – Why Genetics & PEDs Aren’t Always the Limiting Factor

Links & Resources:

Purchase The Complete Fat Loss Guide:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-fat-loss-guide/

Purchase The Glute Building Blueprint:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-glute-building-program/

https://coryfit.com/

⁠Coaching: Let's Chat⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/15min

⁠Consults: Book a Call⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/one-time-consultation

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Building muscle isn’t just about eating more and training harder—the off-season can be one of the most challenging parts of changing your physique.

In this episode, I break down 10 ways to prevent off-season burnout, including managing body image and scale weight, maintaining nutrition adherence, tracking progress, training intentionally, and setting realistic expectations for muscle growth.

I also explain why constantly switching between building and cutting can hold back your progress, and how to navigate intentional weight gain without abandoning your muscle-building goals when the process gets uncomfortable.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 04:04] – Why Building Muscle Can Be Harder Than Losing Fat

- [04:04 – 07:15] – What an “Off-Season” Actually Means

- [07:15 – 15:38] – Off-Season Burnout, Body Image & Scale Anxiety

- [15:38 – 16:52] – #1 Start at a Body Fat You’re Comfortable With

- [16:52 – 18:11] – #2 Keep Your Nutrition Adherence High

- [18:11 – 23:30] – #3 Track Your Weight, Data & Progress

- [23:30 – 25:56] – #4 Train Intentionally for Muscle Growth

- [25:56 – 27:35] – #5 Know Your Goal Before You Start

- [27:35 – 34:31] – #6 Know Which Thoughts to Tune Out

- [34:31 – 36:19] – #7 Be Honest About How You Actually Feel

- [36:19 – 40:28] – #8 Protect Your Environment & Set Boundaries

- [40:28 – 42:37] – #9 Define Your Level of Commitment

- [42:37 – 45:51] – #10 Set Realistic Off-Season Expectations

Links & Resources:

Purchase The Complete Fat Loss Guide:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-fat-loss-guide/

Purchase The Glute Building Blueprint:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-glute-building-program/

https://coryfit.com/

⁠Coaching: Let's Chat⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/15min

⁠Consults: Book a Call⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/one-time-consultation

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If your training isn’t driving muscle growth, adding PEDs isn’t going to fix the underlying problem.

In this video, I break down what I actually mean when I say your training needs to be “dialed in” for muscle growth. I cover training stability, proximity to failure, exercise selection, exercise order, training splits, volume, warm-ups, and filming your lifts for feedback—and why each can become a limiting factor in your progress.

I also explain why training harder isn’t enough if you can’t properly bias the muscles you’re trying to grow, why your warm-up should help determine whether you’re ready to perform that day, and how reviewing your own training footage can expose compensations you may not feel during a set.

Whether you’re trying to build your glutes naturally or considering PEDs for bodybuilding, maximizing your training first can help you get more from every growth phase.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 04:20] – Why PEDs Won’t Fix Poor Training

- [04:20 – 06:11] – Training Stability for Better Muscle Growth

- [06:11 – 08:40] – Proximity to Failure: Are You Training Hard Enough?

- [08:40 – 12:22] – Exercise Selection & Exercise Order for Muscle Growth

- [12:22 – 13:15] – Training Splits, Volume & Recovery

- [13:15 – 17:28] – Why Your Warm-Up Matters More Than You Think

- [17:28 – 20:13] – Film Your Lifts to Improve Training Technique

- [20:13 – 22:34] – Training vs. PEDs & How I Added 4 Inches to My Glutes

Links & Resources:

Purchase The Complete Fat Loss Guide:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-fat-loss-guide/

Purchase The Glute Building Blueprint:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-glute-building-program/

https://coryfit.com/

⁠Coaching: Let's Chat⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/15min

⁠Consults: Book a Call⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/one-time-consultation

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I’m back with another rapid-fire Q&A—60 questions covering bodybuilding, PEDs, glute growth, contest prep, fat loss, training, hormones, and more.

In this episode, I answer your questions on anti-estrogens during contest prep, increasing estrogen levels, GH vs. IGF-1, carb cycling, PEDs I wouldn’t use again, and whether stacking Anavar and Primo actually makes sense. I also talk about virilization warning signs, post-cycle bloodwork, GH water retention, and how I think about PED use for women.

On the training side, I break down building a better back, fixing glute imbalances, growing your lower glutes, downsizing an overdeveloped upper body, training abs for different looks, exercise selection based on limb length, and how long it realistically takes to grow your glutes naturally.

I also get into contest prep—when a physique is actually ready to prep, how many shows a first-time competitor should do, returning to maintenance after a deficit, DEXA scans, regaining your period after a show, when I lower calories during prep, and how long I think contest prep should last.

Plus, I answer some more personal questions about competing again, my current training split, moving to NYC, traveling constantly, gym culture, bodybuilding burnout, leadership confidence, and whether I think bikini competitors are using glute fillers.

Sixty questions. No fluff. Let’s get into it.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 02:09] – Anti-Estrogens, Estrogen Levels & Bodybuilding

- [02:09 – 04:47] – Building Your Back, Coaching Relationships & My Favorite Stage Physique

- [04:47 – 07:42] – Peptides, Glute Imbalances, GH vs. IGF-1 & PEDs I’d Avoid

- [07:42 – 10:15] – Getting Abs Naturally, Carb Cycling & Competing Again

- [10:15 – 12:41] – GH Water Retention & Returning to Maintenance Calories

- [12:41 – 14:51] – DEXA Scans & When I’ll Compete Again

- [14:51 – 17:24] – Building Muscle, Limb Length & Exercise Selection

- [17:24 – 20:47] – First Bodybuilding Shows, Glute Growth, Downsizing & Abs

- [20:47 – 23:09] – Muscle Growth vs. Performance & Training After an Ovarian Cyst Rupture

- [23:09 – 25:09] – Post-Cycle Bloodwork & Zone 2 Cardio

- [25:09 – 28:10] – Off-Season PEDs, Bulgarian Split Squats & Extreme Contest Prep

- [28:10 – 31:04] – Competing as a Couple & When to Leave Your Coach

- [31:04 – 33:41] – Anavar Virilization, Ab Training & Pre-Workout Nutrition

- [33:41 – 36:28] – How Long Glutes Take to Grow Naturally & Gym Culture

- [36:28 – 39:29] – Natural Potential, Downsizing Muscle & Anavar + Primo

- [39:29 – 43:02] – Glute Fillers in Bikini Bodybuilding & Moving to NYC

- [43:02 – 45:15] – Traveling, Starting Contest Prep & Muscle Imbalances

- [45:15 – 47:20] – Two Coaches, Cardio Heart Rate & Leadership Confidence

- [47:20 – 49:22] – Bodybuilding Burnout, Anavar, Sleep Supplements & My Training Split

- [49:22 – 51:18] – Regaining Your Period, Dropping Calories & Contest Prep Length

Links & Resources:

Purchase The Complete Fat Loss Guide:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-fat-loss-guide/

Purchase The Glute Building Blueprint:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-glute-building-program/

https://coryfit.com/

⁠Coaching: Let's Chat⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/15min

⁠Consults: Book a Call⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/one-time-consultation

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If you’re a woman using anabolic steroids or other androgenic PEDs, there are certain signs of virilization I don’t want you to ignore.

In this video, I break down seven warning signs I would pay attention to when using compounds like TRT, Anavar, Primo, SARMs, or other PEDs that can produce androgenic effects. I cover changes in vocal pitch, persistent throat changes, clitoral enlargement and sensitivity, acne, changes in body and facial hair, and increased hair-growth frequency.

I also explain why tracking these changes early matters. Some androgenic side effects may be manageable, while others—particularly vocal and anatomical changes—can become difficult or impossible to reverse once they progress.

If you notice new changes after introducing a PED, don’t dismiss them or assume they’ll automatically go away. Track when they started, communicate with the professional overseeing your care, and seriously consider whether the potential physique or performance benefit is worth the long-term trade-off.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 01:12] – 7 Virilization Signs Women Using PEDs Should Know

- [01:12 – 02:57] – #1 Voice Changes & Vocal Pitch

- [02:57 – 05:03] – #2 Clitoral Growth, Swelling & Sensitivity

- [05:03 – 07:05] – #3 Persistent Hoarseness & Throat Changes

- [07:05 – 08:26] – #4 When Other People Notice Your Voice Changing

- [08:26 – 10:20] – #5 Acne & Androgenic Skin Changes

- [10:20 – 12:03] – #6 Facial & Body Hair Changes

- [12:03 – 13:24] – #7 Faster, Coarser Hair Growth

- [13:24 – 14:33] – Irreversible Virilization & When to Reconsider PED Use

Links & Resources:

Purchase The Complete Fat Loss Guide:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-fat-loss-guide/

Purchase The Glute Building Blueprint:

https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-glute-building-program/

https://coryfit.com/

⁠Coaching: Let's Chat⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/15min

⁠Consults: Book a Call⁠

https://calendly.com/coryfit-coaching/one-time-consultation

For more content, follow along:⁠Instagram⁠:

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