
3D Muscle Journey
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
Latest episodes

Aug 22, 2024 • 1h 5min
#263: Why Is Gaining So Hard?
Alberto, Jeff, and Nick discuss the struggles with gaining weight in the offseason, finding your ideal rate of gain, identifying what your current rate of adaptation is, and advice to help you stay patient when you’re doing all you can do. Who should bulk? What can happen when you get too fixated on gaining weight at a certain rate or weighing a certain amount? What were the coaches’ motivations for and experiences while intentionally gaining weight for the first time? How beneficial is a “dreamer’s bulk”? Can you force-feed muscle growth? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode.
Timestamps
0:00- Introduction
3:43- The coaches’ motivations for and experiences while intentionally gaining weight for the first time
21:37- How beneficial is a “dreamer’s bulk”?
33:09- Finding the ideal rate of gain and offseason weight for you
38:29- Markers the coaches look at to help them determine if an athlete is gaining at a good rate
46:58- Knowing what your/your athlete’s current rate of adaptation is
50:13- Advice for staying patient and on track in the offseason
55:42- Feeling like you have unfinished business at the end of a prep
Selected Links From This Episode
The 3DMJ Vault- https://www.3dmjvault.com/bundles/vip
The Vault Quick Start Guide (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/quick-start-guide
Pro Bodybuilder Case Study (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/pro-bodybuilder-case-study
The Recovery Diet (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/the-recovery-diet
Sustainable Fat Loss (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/sustainable-fat-loss
Blood Flow Restriction Training (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/BFR
Monthly Applications In Strength Sport (MASS)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/mass
Thanks for listening to The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 💪
SIGN UP FOR ONE-ON-ONE COACHING SERVICES
- https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching/
TAKE OUR VIDEO COURSES FOR SERIOUS LIFTERS
- https://www.3dmjvault.com/bundles/vip
Watch our show on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/team3dmj

Aug 8, 2024 • 1h 24min
#262: Is Powerbuilding A Compromise?
Eric, Brad, and Brian discuss methods dual athletes can use to maximize their competitiveness in both bodybuilding and powerlifting. These same methods can also be used by noncompetitors who want to get big *and* strong. Why do the coaches program more bodybuilding work for their powerlifting athletes than they used to? Do the benefits of specificity max out at a certain point? How does specificity change over time? How does the minimum effective dose for novice lifters and advanced lifters differ? For most people, does training for bodybuilding and powerlifting at the same time actually result in suboptimal progress in one or both? Is there a potential benefit to training across a wider variety of rep ranges? How can the stimulus-to-fatigue ratio of an exercise differ between people? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode.
Timestamps
0:00- Introduction
7:06- The biggest changes the coaches have made to the way they work with dual athletes
31:45- The proposed benefits of powerbuilding
50:56- Why Eric eventually had to decrease his powerlifting training so that he could make better progress on his bodybuilding goals
55:46- For most people, does training for bodybuilding and powerlifting at the same time actually result in suboptimal progress in one or both?
1:07:02- Do your training the way it was intended to be done
1:10:27- Why did 3DMJ originally start promoting a blended approach and create a lot of dual-sport athletes?
Selected Links From This Episode
Programs For The Platform (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/programs-platform
The 3DMJ Vault- https://www.3dmjvault.com/bundles/vip
Coaching By Team 3DMJ- https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching
Thanks for listening to The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 💪
SIGN UP FOR ONE-ON-ONE COACHING SERVICES
- https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching/
TAKE OUR VIDEO COURSES FOR SERIOUS LIFTERS
- https://www.3dmjvault.com/bundles/vip
Watch our show on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/team3dmj

Jul 25, 2024 • 59min
#261: How To Act Right During Prep
Brad and Alberto share tips on bodybuilding competition prep. They discuss self-discovery, honest feedback, recovery process, and managing side effects. Emphasize importance of adherence, mental challenges, and balanced perspective during prep. Touch on differences in coaching for competitors and maintenance. Navigating emotional challenges and prioritizing well-being highlighted.

Jul 11, 2024 • 1h 26min
#260: Q&A Session 26
Andrea, Brad, and Brian host an audience-supplied Q and A session covering a wide range of interesting topics. Deep in prep, do the coaches ever have athletes experience serious medical issues? When training for hypertrophy, how many reps should you leave in reserve when doing compound exercises? What about isolation exercises? What is the difference between a movement’s RIR and a target muscle’s RIR? Is it more important to have carbs before your workout or after? Is it necessary to feel the mind-muscle connection when doing RDLs? Which food tracking apps do the coaches recommend? What are the coaches’ thoughts on calorie cycling for noncompetitors? The answers to these questions and many more are discussed in this episode.
Timestamps
0:00- Introduction
2:18- Deep in prep, do the coaches ever have athletes experience serious medical issues? How often do they request someone get blood work done and in what situations do they request it?
10:07- When training for hypertrophy, how many reps should you leave in reserve when doing compound exercises? What about isolation exercises?
19:44- What is the difference between a movement’s RIR and a target muscle’s RIR?
24:16- Is it more important to have carbs before your workout or after?
35:06- Is it necessary to feel the mind-muscle connection when doing RDLs? Should you feel it more in your glutes or hamstrings?
49:15- Which food tracking apps do the coaches recommend?
1:00:11- Things coaches can do that algorithms cannot do
1:03:55- For those who only train 1-3 times per week, are axially-loaded exercises that involve a lot of different muscle groups (such as deadlifts, squats, and standing overhead presses) good exercise selections?
1:10:33- The coaches’ thoughts on calorie cycling for noncompetitors
Selected Links From This Episode
3DMJ’s Instagram Account- @team3dmj
3DMJ’s Twitter/X Account- @team3dmj
3DMJ Podcast Episode #256: Is Using RPE Worth It?- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb0X87odRlQ
Programs For The Platform (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/programs-platform
Why The Calories In Your Nutrition Tracking App And Your Spreadsheet Do Not Match (Article by Brad Loomis)- https://3dmusclejourney.com/macro-discrepancies/
Thanks for listening to The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 💪
SIGN UP FOR ONE-ON-ONE COACHING SERVICES
- https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching/
TAKE OUR VIDEO COURSES FOR SERIOUS LIFTERS
- https://www.3dmjvault.com/bundles/vip
Watch our show on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/team3dmj

Jun 27, 2024 • 1h 39min
#259: How Our Hypertrophy Programming Has Changed
Coaches discuss how their hypertrophy programming has evolved, emphasizing open-mindedness, new training techniques, and the benefits of training at longer muscle lengths. They highlight the importance of range of motion, managing fatigue, and learning from past mistakes in programming. The conversation delves into the shift towards hard sets over total tonnage, individualized programming, and the potential benefits of lengthened partials for hypertrophy.

Jun 13, 2024 • 1h 24min
#258: Dads Who Lift
Experienced bodybuilding dads share insights on balancing fitness goals and parenthood, emphasizing staying competitive, flexibility, optimizing training time, and promoting a healthy body image to their kids. This episode offers valuable takeaways for current and future parents.

24 snips
May 30, 2024 • 1h 23min
#257: You Could Be Tracking The Wrong Nutrition Data
Coaches delve into the nuances of tracking nutrition behaviors and discuss the impact of mindfulness on weight loss. They explore new guidelines for flexible tracking methods and emphasize the importance of behavior change over strict tracking goals. The podcast also highlights unconventional methods for monitoring nutrition and hydration, and the significance of setting positive, approach-oriented goals for long-term success.

5 snips
May 16, 2024 • 1h 19min
#256: Is Using RPE Worth It?
Learn about the benefits of RPE-based programming in training, managing fatigue, and optimizing intensity levels. Explore the differences between training to failure and leaving reps in reserve for muscle growth. Discover various strategies for adjusting load based on RPE and integrating RPE with assigned loads for powerlifters. Delve into the nuances of training efficiency, using cues systems to monitor intensity levels, and balancing pushing to failure with conserving energy for optimal gains.

May 2, 2024 • 1h 9min
#255: How To Leg Day
Discussion on maximizing lower body development without specific exercises, thoughts on squatting and deadlifting, fun exercise modifications, potential relief for injuries or limited equipment. Exploring foundational movements, unconventional strategies for quad and deltoid training, importance of squats, foundational nutrition principles for athletes, optimizing leg day workouts, enhancing hip extensor development in natural bodybuilding.

20 snips
Apr 18, 2024 • 1h 21min
#254: Is Your Body Fat Set Point Holding You Back?
Brian and Eric discuss body fat set points, leptin, modifying environment, Amish research, metabolic adaptation, and energy availability. They address changing set points, genetic influences, and healthy body fat percentages. The episode emphasizes behavioral changes, sustainable habits, and challenges of extreme fitness lifestyles.