

3D Muscle Journey
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
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 6, 2023 • 1h 8min
#227: Should You Train At Long Muscle Lengths?
Alberto, Nick, and Eric discuss the current hot topic of choosing exercises that challenge your muscles in their most-lengthened positions.
Timestamps
0:00- Introduction2:31- Why and how Alberto and Eric are experimenting with their training10:10- Less joint pain when training at long muscle lengths15:24- What we don’t know38:40- Proceed with caution49:12- How to implement training at long muscle lengths
Selected Links From This Episode
Personalizing Your Program (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/personalizing-your-program
Nick’s Website- https://www.strengthtogetheronline.com
Nick’s Instagram- @nicklicameli
Nick’s YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAWFe5BmaJ_WFAh2aqsOg8g/featured
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

Mar 23, 2023 • 1h 7min
#226: When To Suck It Up
Sometimes you have to go there and sometimes it's smart not to. How do you know when to do what? That's what Jeff and Brad are here to discuss.
Timestamps
0:00- How Jeff and Brad’s training is currently going12:19- How the coaches program their and their athletes’ squat, bench, and deadlift during a contest prep26:17- Calling audibles and being smart36:04- A mental strategy you can use to help get you through a workout when you don’t feel like training41:40- How the coaches use self-talk to guide their training1:00:45- Signs it’s a good day to dig
Selected Links From This Episode
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

Mar 9, 2023 • 1h 10min
#225: Revisiting Rep Ranges
Brian and Eric have an in-depth discussion about rep ranges. They discuss what the research says, the importance of variety, and how they recommend choosing your rep range for each exercise.
Timestamps
0:00- Introduction2:15- Which rep range for which exercise22:07- The benefit of wider rep ranges29:45- What the coaches take into consideration when choosing their rep ranges42:31- If you’re plateaued on an exercise, could switching exercises help?49:10- Rep ranges for isolation exercises during different types of blocks54:53- Doing compound exercises in very high rep ranges1:05:00- Takeaways
Selected Links From This Episode
Calculating Your Macros (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/calculating-your-macros
Calculating Your Calories (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/calculating-your-calories
The Vault- https://www.3dmjvault.com/bundles/vip
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

Feb 23, 2023 • 1h 9min
#224: How To Avoid Coaching Plateaus
Alberto, Jeff, and Brad discuss how they have evolved as coaches. What they do differently than they used to, what they've let go of, and what they are testing now.
Timestamps
0:00- Introduction1:23- Ways the coaches used to coach athletes that make them cringe now14:30- What the coaches do to stay up-to-date on best practices27:21- New things the coaches are trying with their athletes44:50- The value of your experience54:52- Not being afraid to let go of old tools
Selected Links From This Episode
Calculating Your Macros (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/calculating-your-macros
Calculating Your Calories (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/calculating-your-calories
The Vault- https://www.3dmjvault.com/bundles/vip
Eric’s Instagram- @helms3dmj
Iron Culture Podcast- https://www.youtube.com/@IronCulturePodcast
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

Feb 9, 2023 • 1h 8min
#223: What Matters More Than Macros?
Discussing the benefits of not having specific carbohydrate and fat targets, tracking protein intake, transitioning away from comprehensive tracking to focused nutrition, exploring tracking beyond macros for nutrition, navigating precision in nutrition, testing individual dietary response, impact of fiber and macronutrient sources on satiety levels, strategic snacking, and redefining tracking for better fitness outcomes.

8 snips
Jan 26, 2023 • 1h 11min
#222: How To Run A Surplus
Brad, Alberto, and Brian discuss the role of nutrition in building muscle.
Timestamps
0:00- Introduction1:10- Which is more important for muscular hypertrophy, eating in a caloric surplus or progressive overload?8:29- The importance of being strategic with your gaining phases18:20- The variables the coaches like to monitor during a gaining phase30:44- What is too fat? What is gaining too fast?43:14- Red flags during gaining phases52:03- Protein, fat, carb, fruit, and vegetable intake1:00:15- Things the coaches have observed
Selected Links From This Episode
The Vault- https://www.3dmjvault.com
The Recovery Diet (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/the-recovery-diet
Transitioning Away From Tracking (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/transitioning-away-from-tracking
Calculating Your Calories (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/calculating-your-calories
3DMJ Podcast Episode #172: Minicuts: Not So Fast- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jADHoldJ4AE&t=1s
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

Jan 12, 2023 • 1h 13min
#221: Adjusting Training As You Advance
Nick, Brad, and Jeff discuss modifying your training to fit your life as it changes, as you age, and as you acquire more responsibilities.
Timestamps
0:00- When Jeff and Brad realized they weren’t going to be able to train the exact same way they always had10:56- Younger athletes versus older athletes in regard to their openness to changing their approach18:32- How to tell the difference between “positive pain” and “negative pain”25:18- Injuries related to repetitive motion30:26- Listening to your body and starting conservative49:16- How the coaches have had to modify their training to fit their lives as their lives have changed, as they’ve gotten older, and as they’ve acquired more responsibilities
Selected Links From This Episode
Monthly Applications In Strength Sport (MASS)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/mass
Nick’s Website- https://www.strengthtogetheronline.com
Nick’s Instagram- @nicklicameli
Nick’s YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAWFe5BmaJ_WFAh2aqsOg8g/featured
3DMJ Godfather Saga - ‘23 Prep - Ep. 4 - Set Volume & Exercise Selection- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JchUwj8k26o
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

Dec 29, 2022 • 1h 35min
#220: Q&A Session 22
Andrea, Brian, and Eric conduct an audience-supplied Q&A session. 15 questions spanning everything from programming, to cutting, hydration, low-intensity exercise, and more.
Timestamps
0:00- Introduction2:36- How do you develop a program where hypertrophy and strength are both prioritized?10:50- What do the coaches recommend someone do with their calorie intake if they get a cold or the flu during a cut or prep?14:55- Is it possible to develop a competitive physique using only compound movements?19:35- What are the coaches’ thoughts on creating a caloric deficit solely through increasing low-intensity exercise?27:29- How much do the coaches prioritize hydration?30:55- What do the coaches suggest to those who don’t seem to be responding to resistance training very well?35:55- What are the pros and cons of following a body-part split?48:12- Should concurrent athletes avoid cutting?50:42- What is the definition of “mechanical tension”?1:02:23- How do you know when you can no longer recomp and you should shift into a bulk or cut?1:11:57- What are the coaches’ thoughts on long-term volume cycling?1:16:07- How would the coaches program for a powerlifter wanting to stay in the same weight class?1:18:04- How can you judge if you’re overreaching?1:21:36- What are the coaches’ thoughts on powerlifters running very long hypertrophy phases?1:28:50- Where do the coaches see the fitness industry in the next 10 years and what contributions do they hope to make?
Selected Links From This Episode
The Lifting Library (Vault Course)- https://www.3dmjvault.com/courses/lifting-library
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

Dec 15, 2022 • 1h 4min
#219: Are You Training Too Much?
Brian, Brad, and Alberto discuss how they have adjusted their volume throughout their lifting careers and the benefits of lower-volume programs. About how many sets per muscle group did Alberto do this prep? What made Alberto realize his volume was too high? What is the cost and return of higher-volume programs? How have lower-volume programs [...]

Dec 1, 2022 • 1h 7min
#218: Take the Plunge and Prep
Amanda, Brad, and Alberto discuss the benefits of competing and why sometimes you just have to go for it, even if you don't feel ready. How would someone who has never competed before know competing is something they are capable of doing? Why hasn't Amanda competed yet? Why does Brad want to compete again someday? [...]