3D Muscle Journey
3D Muscle Journey

3D Muscle Journey

3D Muscle Journey

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Episodes

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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

Recent Episodes

#306: How Much Does Food Quality Matter?
APR 16, 2026
#306: How Much Does Food Quality Matter?
Brad and Alberto discuss why it’s important to look beyond the calorie and macronutrient content of foods if you want to get the most out of your bodybuilding lifestyle. Have the coaches noticed a correlation between food quality and how the body performs and recovers? How does focusing on food quality make prep easier, more enjoyable, and lead to a faster recovery after prep? What nutrition recommendations around food quality do the coaches have for those who are bulking? Is it okay to just eat for taste sometimes? How does the law of diminishing returns apply to eating? As long as he is still hitting his macronutrient targets, can Alberto get just as lean even if he’s not focusing on food quality? The answers to these questions plus many more are covered in this episode. Timestamps0:00- The fitness community is finally finding balance 4:15- Have the coaches noticed a correlation between food quality and how the body performs and recovers? 12:03- Your health is important 15:47- Just focusing on hitting your macronutrient goals during prep versus also focusing on food quality 31:03- A starting spot for those who want to improve the quality of their diet 33:52- Nutrition recommendations for bulking 45:06- The law of diminishing returns 49:15- The satisfaction of overcoming something hard Selected Links From This EpisodeCoaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hunger-Fullness Scale- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCEHvGVxrlIThanks 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
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57 MIN
#305: Periodization for Bodybuilders
APR 2, 2026
#305: Periodization for Bodybuilders
Brian, Eric, and Brad discuss the misconceptions and utility behind using periodization to help maximize muscular hypertrophy. How important is periodization for muscular hypertrophy? How is periodization different from programming adjustments? Is there a way to sequence your training that maximizes hypertrophy? How do the coaches typically adjust an athlete’s training program from mesocycle to mesocycle? What are the most-common constraints to hypertrophy in the real world? Does research suggest that variation may help increase muscular hypertrophy? What are good reasons for replacing an exercise in your program? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode. Timestamps0:00- The definition of periodization and how it’s different from programming adjustments 8:20- Is there a way to sequence your training that maximizes hypertrophy?18:36- Ways the coaches adjust programming from mesocycle to mesocycle and why they make those adjustments 34:27- The value and roles of education and coaching 40:53- Flexible, enjoyable, and realistic 57:00- The most-common constraints to muscular hypertrophy in the real world 1:02:12- Variation is probably a good thing1:05:50- Example starting structures 1:09:23- Hiding behind variation1:18:44- Make sure to audit your approach  Selected Links From This EpisodeCoaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hypertrophy Programming For Bodybuilders (Online Course)- ⁠https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/hypertrophy⁠Monthly Applications In Strength Sport (MASS)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/massThanks 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
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81 MIN
#304: How to Build a Training Day
MAR 19, 2026
#304: How to Build a Training Day
Jeff, Brian, and Brad go through how to build a training session (exercise selection, exercise order, number of sets, rep ranges, tempo, etc.) and clarify how much flexibility there is when it comes to how you structure your sessions. In what situations can it be beneficial to do isolation exercises before compound exercises? What are the coaches’ thoughts on active recovery days? What are Jeff’s thoughts on the strategy of having newer lifters do extra volume to make up for a lack of skill? How can you manage your total volume if you like doing a lot of different exercises? What have the coaches observed is the sweet spot when it comes to number of sets per exercise? If the coaches were to build a *perfect* training day for a robot, what would it look like? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode. Timestamps0:00- Introduction1:03- Situations where it can be beneficial to do isolation exercises before compound exercises 19:45- Structuring your split based on how many days you can train per week 23:53- How the coaches build a microcycle of training for themselves and their athletes 40:07- How to manage your total volume if you like doing a lot of different exercises 47:33- Recommendations for preserving rep quality 52:33- Jeff’s thoughts on the strategy of having newer lifters do extra volume to make up for a lack of skill 54:31- If the coaches were to build a *perfect* training day for a robot, what would it look like? 1:11:02- Programming tips for older individuals 1:13:26- Programming tips for those who have a lagging body part they would really like to improve Selected Links From This EpisodeCoaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hypertrophy Programming For Bodybuilders (Online Course)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/hypertrophyThanks 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
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76 MIN
#303: Who Still Counts Macros?
MAR 5, 2026
#303: Who Still Counts Macros?
Brian, Alberto, and Jeff discuss the pros and cons of, “If It Fits Your Macros” (IIFYM), why it’s not the cure-all the fitness community wanted it to be, and how the coaches manage their nutrition instead. Why was IIFYM such a big deal? What did the coaches’ eating look like before IIFYM? What were their early experiences with IIFYM? What are the downsides of having very precise macronutrient targets? How do the coaches start the process of educating their athletes about nutrition? Why does Jeff sometimes assign a fat limit? What advice do the coaches have on setting your macronutrient and/or calorie ranges? What are some of the coaches top IIFYM foods? The answers to all of these questions and more are covered in this episode. Timestamps0:00- What the coaches’ eating looked like before, and their early experiences with, “If It Fits Your Macros” (IIFYM)15:21- Having precise macronutrient targets is actually quite restrictive 24:35- Why IIFYM was such a big deal 27:46- How the coaches start the process of educating their athletes about nutrition 39:50- What is the lowest-hanging fruit you’ve missed?45:14- Focus on your calorie and protein intake 52:04- Advice on setting your macronutrient and/or calorie ranges 55:52- There is life after bodybuilding 1:00:01- The coaches’ top IIFYM foods Selected Links From This EpisodeCoaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Nutrition For Hypertrophy And Strength (Online Course)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/nutritionMonthly Applications In Strength Sport (MASS)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/massThanks 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
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65 MIN
#302: Stress Management for Bodybuilders
FEB 19, 2026
#302: Stress Management for Bodybuilders
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. Timestamps0:00- 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 EpisodeCoaching 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
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75 MIN