Self-Selecting

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

For more content, follow along:⁠Instagram⁠:
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⁠Patreon⁠:
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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

For more content, follow along:⁠Instagram⁠:
https://www.instagram.com/cory_fit/

⁠Patreon⁠:
https://patreon.com/CoryFit?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

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

For more content, follow along:⁠Instagram⁠:
https://www.instagram.com/cory_fit/

⁠Patreon⁠:
https://patreon.com/CoryFit?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

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:
https://www.instagram.com/cory_fit/

⁠Patreon⁠:
https://patreon.com/CoryFit?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Why do some people actually start looking and feeling worse the longer they diet?

In this episode, I break down seven signs that your fat loss phase may be creating more dietary fatigue than your body can effectively manage. I cover declining training performance, rising stress and cortisol, muscle loss from an overly aggressive calorie deficit, poor sleep, extreme hunger-management “hacks,” digestive issues, and declining diet adherence.

I also explain why pushing harder isn't always the answer. If your training is suffering, you're losing muscle, holding more water, struggling with sleep and digestion, obsessing over food, or getting closer to bingeing, continuing to cut calories may take you further away from the physique you're trying to achieve.

The goal of a successful fat loss phase isn't simply to lose as much weight as possible. It's to preserve muscle, manage dietary fatigue, maintain adherence, and recognize when you've reached the point where continuing the deficit is doing more harm than good.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 02:25] – Why You Can Look Worse the Longer You Diet
- [02:25 – 05:24] – #1 Your Training Performance Is Declining
- [05:24 – 09:16] – #2 Cortisol, Stress & Water Retention Increase
- [09:16 – 13:16] – #3 You’re Losing Muscle in Your Calorie Deficit
- [13:16 – 22:43] – #4 Poor Sleep Is Hurting Your Fat Loss
- [22:43 – 28:52] – #5 You’re Using Diet Hacks to Avoid Hunger
- [28:52 – 32:52] – #6 Digestion & Bowel Movements Are Getting Worse
- [32:52 – 39:50] – #7 Diet Adherence Is Slipping & Binge Risk Is Rising
- [39:50 – 41:13] – When It’s Time to End Your Fat Loss Phase

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:
https://www.instagram.com/cory_fit/

⁠Patreon⁠:
https://patreon.com/CoryFit?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink