Self-Selecting

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

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

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