Self-Selecting

Are you constantly trying to lose more body fat but still aren't getting closer to your dream physique? What if the answer isn't losing another five pounds, but building more muscle instead?

In this episode, I share a real client coaching case study that reveals how easily we can misjudge body fat, muscle mass, and physique goals. Using progress photos from my own bodybuilding career, I break down the differences between competition-level conditioning and a sustainable everyday physique, including what it actually took to achieve those looks.

We also discuss glute growth, building muscle without excessively growing your legs, and the difference between bikini and wellness bodybuilding physiques. I explain how Instagram posing, camera angles, and unrealistic body comparisons can distort your expectations, and why staying lean year-round may actually be preventing you from building the muscle you want.

Finally, I share my experiences with extreme dieting, bodybuilding prep, and the fear of gaining weight during a muscle-building phase. If you're struggling to decide whether to lose fat or build muscle, this episode will help you rethink your physique goals, understand what meaningful progress requires, and create a more realistic, sustainable approach to achieving your dream body.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 03:48] – Setting Realistic Physique Goals: A Client Case Study
- [03:48 – 06:53] – Why Relaxed Progress Photos Matter More Than Posing
- [06:53 – 10:57] – Glute Shape, Body Fat Distribution & Physique Comparisons
- [10:57 – 14:23] – My 2021 Bikini Prep: Extreme Dieting & Getting My Pro Card
- [14:23 – 16:08] – My 2022 Bodybuilding Prep & Getting Too Lean
- [16:08 – 19:10] – My 2024 Fat Loss Phase & Why I Didn't Compete

- [19:10 – 21:51] – The Sacrifices Behind an Elite Bikini Physique- [21:51 – 25:17] – Why Fear of Weight Gain Limits Muscle Growth
- [25:17 – 28:41] – Body Fat, Muscle Mass & Bikini vs. Wellness Physiques
- [28:41 – 31:44] – Glute Growth Without Bigger Legs & Building Phase Expectations
- [31:44 – 35:12] – How Instagram Posing Changes Glute Shape & Body Proportions
- [35:12 – 39:31] – Social Media Comparisons, Body Image & Unrealistic Standards
- [39:31 – 43:53] – Why Staying Lean Can Prevent Muscle Growth
- [43:53 – 46:57] – Overcoming Weight Gain Fears, Coaching & Glute-Building Resources
- [46:57 – 49:15] – Sustainable Physique Goals & Accepting Your Everyday Body

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

Are you stuck at the same weight despite being in a calorie deficit? Or are you training hard, eating more, and still struggling to build muscle?

In this episode, I break down why your body probably isn't stubborn—and what might actually be preventing you from seeing progress.

I walk through how I troubleshoot fat loss plateaus with my coaching clients, why calorie tracking and dietary adherence matter, and how I determine whether someone needs to adjust their calorie deficit.

On the muscle-building side, I explain why eating enough to support growth is essential, how to assess whether you're making progress in a calorie surplus, and why tracking your training performance is just as important as monitoring your weight.

We also get into progressive overload, training close to failure, exercise technique, and stability. I share why increasing weights every week isn't always productive and how to recognize when poor positioning or limited stability—not a lack of strength—is holding back your lifts.

Ultimately, if you're struggling to lose fat, grow your glutes, or get stronger, the answer probably isn't that your body refuses to change. It's about identifying the specific factors limiting your progress and making better-informed adjustments.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 03:24] – Is Your Body Stubborn? Fat Loss & Muscle Growth
- [03:24 – 04:28] – Why You're Stuck at a Weight Loss Plateau
- [04:28 – 05:31] – Adjusting Calories After Checking Diet Adherence
- [05:31 – 08:32] – Tracking Consistency & Breaking Fat Loss Plateaus
- [08:32 – 11:12] – Why You're Not Building Muscle: Calories & Surplus
- [11:12 – 12:36] – Tracking Strength & Progressive Overload
- [12:36 – 14:20] – How Long Does Muscle Growth Really Take?
- [14:20 – 16:03] – Why Increasing Weights Too Fast Backfires
- [16:03 – 18:11] – Training Close to Failure & Rep Progression
- [18:11 – 20:35] – Exercise Technique, Stability & Strength Plateaus
- [20:35 – 21:45] – Fixing Progress Plateaus & Coaching Support

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 quickly should you be losing fat or gaining weight when your goal is to build muscle?

In this episode, I break down how I determine realistic rates of weight loss and muscle gain for my coaching clients, including how to set calorie deficits and surpluses that support progress without sacrificing muscle or accumulating unnecessary body fat.

I explain why I typically start with a 500-calorie deficit for fat loss, when a smaller deficit or maintenance calories might be more appropriate, and why aggressive dieting can compromise training performance, recovery, and muscle retention.

We also discuss mini cuts, weight loss plateaus, and how to evaluate progress when scale fluctuations make it difficult to know whether your diet is working.

On the muscle-building side, I share why I generally prefer smaller calorie surpluses, how to determine when it's time to increase calories, and why accurate food tracking matters just as much during a growth phase as it does during fat loss.

Ultimately, successful fat loss and muscle growth require more than hitting a calorie target. You need realistic expectations, measurable progress, and a strategy you can adjust based on your results.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 04:58] – Setting Realistic Weight Loss & Muscle Gain Goals
- [04:58 – 10:00] – Fat Loss Rate: Choosing the Right Calorie Deficit
- [10:00 – 13:29] – When to Start at Maintenance Calories
- [13:29 – 16:25] – Creating a Calorie Deficit: Diet vs. Cardio
- [16:25 – 21:39] – Aggressive Fat Loss & Preventing Muscle Loss
- [21:39 – 22:38] – When Faster Weight Loss Makes Sense
- [22:38 – 24:04] – Mini Cuts vs. Longer Fat Loss Phases
- [24:04 – 25:32] – Weight Loss Plateaus & Tracking Accuracy
- [25:32 – 30:31] – Muscle-Building Phases & Calorie Surpluses
- [30:31 – 35:55] – When to Increase Calories for Muscle Growth
- [35:55 – 39:25] – Adjusting Your Rate of Weight Loss or Gain
- [39:25 – 43:03] – Fat Loss Coaching, Glute Growth & Final Thoughts

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

What does it actually take to build an Olympia-level bikini physique naturally?

In this episode, I'm joined by natural IFBB Bikini Pro and Olympia competitor Meg D’Ginto to discuss her bodybuilding journey, how she's built muscle without performance-enhancing drugs, and what it takes to remain competitive as bikini bodybuilding standards continue to evolve.

We cover natural versus enhanced bodybuilding, longer offseasons, progressive overload, training intensity, and why recovery is just as important as how hard you train. Meg shares how reducing her training frequency helped her build more muscle, why she continues to compete naturally, and how her approach to training and physique development has evolved.We also discuss glute and quad development, biomechanics, posing, competition pressure, and why patience and consistency matter more than chasing faster results.

Ultimately, building your best bikini physique isn't about training more or taking shortcuts. It's about maximizing your training, recovery, and execution while giving yourself enough time to grow.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 04:43] – Meg D’Ginto's Olympia Journey & Bikini Standards
- [04:43 – 08:44] – Building Muscle Through Longer Offseasons
- [08:44 – 16:59] – Natural vs. Enhanced Bikini Bodybuilding
- [16:59 – 23:50] – IFBB Pro Growth, Posing & Competition Feedback
- [23:50 – 33:04] – Stage Confidence & Bodybuilding Mindset
- [33:04 – 40:01] – Building an Olympia Physique Naturally
- [40:01 – 46:47] – Training Intensity & Progressive Overload
- [46:47 – 52:13] – Glute Training, Biomechanics & Muscle Growth
- [52:13 – 57:38] – Training Less, Recovery & Rest Days
- [57:38 – 64:29] – Bikini Training Split & Physique Development

Links & Resources:

Follow Meg On Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/meg.dginto/?hl=enWork With Meg: https://www.bairaesthetics.com/pages/2024-apply-now

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 Call⁠https://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

What’s the difference between being disciplined with your diet and becoming overly restrictive?

In this episode, I break down the difference between being strict versus restrictive with fat loss, nutrition, and training. Being strict can mean having structure, boundaries, and clear goals while still being able to adapt when life doesn’t go according to plan. Restriction often comes from fear, guilt, anxiety, and feeling like one deviation means you’ve failed.

I cover scale anxiety, overeating, tracking calories, social events, flexible dieting, and diet adherence, and explain why your reaction when the plan breaks can reveal more than the behaviors themselves. I also discuss why saying no to food isn’t automatically unhealthy, why flexibility still requires boundaries, and how unrealistic expectations around weekly weight loss can make dieting harder.

Ultimately, you don’t need to punish yourself to lose fat or build your dream physique. You need a plan you can execute honestly, the flexibility to adapt, and the ability to keep moving forward when things aren’t perfect.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 03:55] – Strict vs. Restrictive Dieting: What’s the Difference?
- [03:55 – 09:10] – Structure, Boundaries & Diet Adherence
- [09:10 – 11:18] – What Makes a Diet Healthy or Unhealthy?
- [11:18 – 14:12] – Scale Anxiety, Control & Dieting Neurotically
- [14:12 – 18:30] – Restrictive Behaviors Around Food & Tracking
- [18:30 – 21:33] – Social Events, Food & Trusting Your Decisions
- [21:33 – 22:47] – Why You Can’t Say Yes to Everything
- [22:47 – 24:16] – Guilt After Going Off Your Diet
- [24:16 – 30:38] – Flexible Dieting & Realistic Weight Loss Expectations
- [30:38 – 37:31] – Why Punishing Yourself Won’t Improve Fat Loss
- [37:31 – 40:46] – How to Stop Being So Restrictive

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