Self-Selecting

When should you modify your workout—and when should you stop overthinking it and just follow the program?

In this episode, I break down my framework for making smart training modifications without sacrificing muscle growth. I explain how I decide whether a workout needs to change based on recovery, stress, sleep, menstrual cycle symptoms, stability, warm-up performance, equipment availability, and other factors that can affect how you perform in the gym.

I also walk through exactly how I modify squat and hinge days when I’m under-recovered, including alternatives for barbell squats and RDLs, and why your replacement exercise should still accomplish the purpose of the movement you’re replacing. A kickback isn’t an equal substitute for a squat just because they both train your glutes.

I cover hip thrusts versus squat and hinge patterns for glute growth, cable and rowing substitutions, what to do when a machine doesn’t fit your body, and how to shorten a workout without skipping the warm-up. The goal isn’t simply to check the box and finish your workout—it’s to make modifications that preserve the quality and intention of your training while working with what your body and environment can handle that day.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 05:22] – When Should You Modify Your Workout?
- [05:22 – 09:00] – Why Do You Want to Change Your Training?
- [09:00 – 16:31] – Under-Recovery, Warm-Ups & Training Performance
- [16:31 – 19:00] – Your Menstrual Cycle & Strength Changes
- [19:00 – 21:57] – External Factors That Can Disrupt Your Workout
- [21:57 – 25:32] – How to Structure a Modified Training Session
- [25:32 – 29:45] – How to Modify Squats & Compound Exercises
- [29:45 – 33:58] – How to Modify RDLs & Hinge Movements
- [33:58 – 37:19] – What to Do When Gym Equipment Is Occupied
- [37:19 – 40:22] – How to Substitute Exercises When Equipment Is Unavailable
- [40:22 – 44:00] – The Biggest Exercise Substitution Mistake
- [44:00 – 46:49] – Hip Thrusts vs. Squats & Hinges for Glute Growth
- [46:49 – 50:24] – Cable, Row & Machine Exercise Substitutions
- [50:24 – 54:03] – Short on Time? Don’t Skip Your Warm-Up
- [54:03 – 57:53] – Gym Boundaries, Rest Periods & Staying Focused

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

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If you’re tracking your calories, following your diet, and still not losing weight, there may be something in your food tracking that you’re unintentionally missing.

In this episode, I walk through my 7-point fat loss checklist for figuring out why the scale isn’t moving even when you think you’re 100% adherent. I cover untracked calories, weighing foods raw versus cooked, batch cooking, inaccurate food logs, sodium fluctuations, food variety, and the mistake of tracking net carbs instead of total carbs.

I also explain how water loss during cooking can change food weight, why seemingly small tracking errors can erase your calorie deficit, and how sodium, food volume, and digestion can create scale fluctuations that look like a fat loss plateau.

Before you lower your calories or assume your metabolism is the problem, use this checklist to tighten up your data and identify what may actually be keeping the scale from moving.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 02:54] – Why You’re Not Losing Weight Despite Tracking Calories
- [02:54 – 06:34] – #1 Are You Tracking Everything You Eat?
- [06:34 – 13:54] – #2 Weighing Food Raw vs. Cooked
- [13:54 – 15:35] – #3 Batch Cooking & Hidden Tracking Errors
- [15:35 – 18:16] – #4 Are Your Food Logs Actually Accurate?
- [18:16 – 20:50] – #5 Sodium, Water Retention & Scale Weight
- [20:50 – 25:00] – #6 Food Variety, Volume & Weight Fluctuations
- [25:00 – 26:51] – #7 Net Carbs vs. Total Carbs
- [26:51 – 28:47] – Fat Loss Plateaus: Check Your Data Before Cutting Calories

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:
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If you feel like you’re always dieting but never quite lean enough, it may be time to ask why you’re so afraid to stop.

In this episode, I break down nine reasons people get stuck in permanent dieting and struggle to transition out of a calorie deficit. I cover constantly moving the goalpost on fat loss, believing getting leaner will finally make you happy, fearing weight and body fat gain, and struggling to trust yourself during a muscle-building phase.

I also explain why a previous unsuccessful bulk or diet can keep you trapped in the cycle, how always having another event to get lean for prevents meaningful progress, and why years spent dieting or training don’t necessarily mean those years were productive.

At some point, the physique you want may require you to stop trying to get smaller. Taking time away from fat loss can give you the runway to build muscle, improve your training, and eventually create a physique that dieting alone can’t produce.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 04:42] – Why You Feel Like You Always Need to Be Dieting
- [04:42 – 10:15] – #1 You’re Still Not as Lean as You Want to Be
- [10:15 – 14:59] – #2 You Think Losing More Fat Will Make You Happy
- [14:59 – 17:47] – #3 You Don’t Trust Yourself to Stop Dieting
- [17:47 – 23:12] – #4 You’re Afraid of Gaining Weight
- [23:12 – 26:54] – #5 You Gained Too Much Fat in the Past
- [26:54 – 30:09] – #6 Your Last Diet Ended Without Closure
- [30:09 – 33:15] – #7 There’s Always Another Event to Get Lean For
- [33:15 – 39:09] – #8 You Feel Like You Should Be Further Along
- [39:09 – 45:04] – #9 You Don’t Think Your Physique Is Good Enough

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

How much do genetics actually matter for building muscle, losing fat, and creating an impressive physique?

In this episode, I break down why I think genetic potential is only one piece of the equation. I cover the factors you can’t control—like skeletal structure and muscle insertions—but also the behaviors, environment, motivation, training quality, nutrition, recovery, and ability to learn that can dramatically influence your results.

I also share how my own relationship with food, body image, bodybuilding, and weight gain shaped my progress, why I’ve built more muscle in my 30s than I did in my 20s, and how improving my training helped me add four inches to my glutes during a growth phase.

Before you assume your genetics, age, or hormones are holding you back, I want you to look at the factors you can actually change. Your potential may be far more fluid than you think.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 02:09] – How Much Do Genetics Matter for Building Muscle?
- [02:09 – 04:14] – Genetics, Body Structure & What You Can’t Control
- [04:14 – 08:24] – Genetics vs. Environment, Exercise & Nutrition
- [08:24 – 13:26] – How Your Environment Shapes Body Image & Fitness
- [13:26 – 17:32] – What Actually Determines Your Fitness Potential?
- [17:32 – 21:30] – Hormones, Recovery & Behaviors That Affect Progress
- [21:30 – 25:36] – Why Training & Your Ability to Learn Matter
- [25:36 – 27:53] – Can You Still Build Muscle in Your 30s & 40s?
- [27:53 – 29:03] – Why Genetics & PEDs Aren’t Always the Limiting Factor

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:
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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:
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