3D Muscle Journey

The team’s Head of Content, Andrea Valdez, interviews coach Brad Loomis about his life, his training, coaching, and competing. How old was Brad when he picked up his first weight? How did building and racing cars take him away from lifting for a while? Why and when did Brad buy his town’s local gym? What was his harsh awakening to the roll genetics play in bodybuilding? When and where did Brad meet the rest of the 3DMJ coaches? What was coaching like for Brad early on? When and why did he take a 10-year break from competing? What does Brad’s training look like at the moment? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode.

Timestamps
0:00- Introduction
2:23- How old was Brad when he picked up his first weight?
9:57- When and why did Brad get into bodybuilding?
22:33- When and why did Brad buy his town’s local gym?
37:18- When and where did Brad meet the rest of the 3DMJ coaches?
58:09- What was coaching like for Brad early on?
1:02:31- When and why did Brad take a 10-year break from competing?
1:15:00- How does coaching feel at the moment and what does Brad’s training currently look like?

Selected Links From This Episode
Coaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Hypertrophy Programming For Bodybuilders (Course)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/hypertrophy
MASS Research Review-https://www.massmember.com/a/2147994108/23moa3bQ

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

Alberto, Brad, and Brian answer audience-supplied questions about periodization, warm-up sets, coming back from injuries, recomping, competing, and more. If someone doesn’t want to compete and just wants to build an impressive physique over time, do they need to periodize their nutrition and training? What made Brad and Alberto come to the conclusion that they were ready to compete? What criteria does a set need to meet for the coaches to count it towards their volume for the week? How often do the coaches program an intentional surplus? How do you come back from an injury and trust your body again when you are terrified of reinjuring yourself? What is the best way to prepare for your consultation with a 3DMJ coach? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode.  

Timestamps
0:00- If someone doesn’t want to compete and just wants to build an impressive physique over time, do they need to periodize their nutrition and training?
8:34- How do the coaches know what works for them?
16:42- How do you know when you have enough muscle to compete?
23:16- Do the coaches count their warm-up sets towards their volume for the week?
28:28- For intermediates and beyond, is a caloric surplus necessary to add more muscle tissue?
38:24- How do you come back from an injury and trust your body again when you are terrified of reinjuring yourself?
47:44- What do the coaches talk about and do during a consultation with an athlete?

Selected Links From This Episode
Coaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
The Off-Season Mastery Course- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/off-season

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

Jeff, Eric, and Brian share their perspectives on supplements, what they are currently taking, and advice for those who want to optimize all the variables in order to maximize progress. What were the coaches’ first experiences with supplements? What creates the placebo effect? What actually causes a pump? What is the “supplement treadmill”? Which supplements actually work? Why is it important to have realistic expectations for the supplements you choose to take? If you’re supplementing with creatine but you don’t feel it working, does that mean it’s not working? What are the risks that come with taking a lot of supplements? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode.

Timestamps
0:00- Introduction
4:26- The changing perspective on supplements in the natural-bodybuilding community
9:55- Jeff’s first experience with supplements
23:34- Brian’s first experience with supplements and how his perspective on supplements has evolved over time
32:21- How powerful the placebo effect and groupthink can be  
43:16- The supplements Jeff currently takes
46:19- Having realistic expectations for the supplements you choose to take
52:29- The supplements Eric is currently taking
56:24- The risks of taking a lot of supplements
1:06:56- Remember to keep supplements in perspective

Selected Links From This Episode
Coaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Nutrition For Hypertrophy & Strength (Online Course)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/nutrition
Monthly Applications In Strength Sport (MASS)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/mass

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

Alberto and Brian discuss how athletes commonly feel after their bodybuilding season is over and what you can do to get back to feeling like yourself as soon as possible. What are some strategies to help minimize post-season blues? How normal is it to not feel like yourself physiologically after prep is over? What is the thing that most lets Brian know how recovered he is? Why do the coaches want their athletes to have other things going on while they’re prepping? What frequently stops people from gaining the weight they know they probably need to gain? Why don’t the coaches recommend reverse dieting at a slow pace after your season is over? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode.

Timestamps
0:00- Introduction
2:44- The coaches’ first preps
11:39- How normal is it to not feel like yourself physiologically after prep is over?
21:32- The redistribution of body fat when you first start gaining weight after prep
22:44- Expect to overshoot
31:56- Post-season blues
40:32- Why gaining weight after your season is over is so important and framing to help make gaining weight easier
53:24- There is an element of experience to getting shredded
1:01:26- Additional tips

Selected Links From This Episode
Coaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
The Off-Season Mastery Course- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/off-season

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

Alberto, Jeff, and Brad discuss what the mind-muscle connection is, how important it is for muscle growth, who can benefit the most from focusing on it, and what you can focus on instead. Does the speed of your reps matter? Why is Jeff intentional about maintaining control of the weight when he’s lifting? What are the coaches’ thoughts on stricter reps versus less-strict reps? What do the coaches think about when they’re training and the intensity of the burning sensation is building? What can you think about so that your sessions don’t feel like you’re just checking things off a list? What are some signs that an exercise is a good fit for you? The answers to these questions and many more are covered in this episode.

Timestamps
0:00- Proprioception vs. Mind-muscle connection
9:48- Why Jeff is intentional about maintaining control of the weight when he’s lifting
19:15- Stricter reps vs. Less-strict reps
30:24- More examples of how focusing too much on the mind-muscle connection can be misleading
36:47- What the coaches think about when they’re training and the intensity of the burning sensation is building
50:09- Visualization, intraset focus, and background noise
53:40- The adjustments Brad made to his back training which have led to a more muscular back
59:24- Signs that an exercise is a good fit for you

Selected Links From This Episode
Coaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Monthly Applications In Strength Sport (MASS)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/mass
Strength Training Anatomy (Third Edition)- https://www.amazon.com/dp/0736092269?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

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