Stronger by Design for Women with Michelle MacDonald

At seven weeks out from a bodybuilding show, the margin for error is getting smaller. You're leaner, more fatigued, more emotionally invested, and probably starting to wonder: Am I actually going to be ready?
But there's another question every competitor should be asking:
Does your coach actually have a plan?
In Part 2 of their show prep series, Stronger By Design™ host Michelle MacDonald sits down again with top natural physique coach and FMG Mexico promoter Jean Jacques Barrett to break down what a strategically coached contest prep should look like as an athlete moves closer to the stage.
This isn't just about macros and cardio. Michelle and Jean Jacques explain why your coach needs to understand your training performance, recovery, sleep, digestion, stress, menstrual cycle, travel, posing and other biofeedback, and why seemingly insignificant information can completely change a coaching decision. Jean Jacques makes the point that while the athlete may not be “driving the car,” she should understand the destination
They also turn the conversation around: what does your coach need from you?
From athletes quietly adding extra cardio or steps, to leaving out missed workouts, food struggles, poor sleep or upcoming travel, Michelle and Jean Jacques explain how incomplete information can lead even a good coach toward the wrong decision.
They also tackle one of the hardest questions in contest prep: when is feeling terrible simply part of getting stage lean, and when is it a warning sign that something needs to change? Jean Jacques shares his own experience with severe fatigue, swelling and other symptoms during prep, while Michelle explains why “push harder” isn't always the right answer when an athlete is already executing the plan.
You'll learn what a coach should be able to tell you about your current conditioning, division criteria and rate of progress, why posing videos provide valuable coaching data, how individualized a contest-prep diet really is, and why peak week should never be treated like a last-minute magic trick.
Michelle and Jean Jacques also identify red flags that may indicate your prep isn't being managed strategically and explain the questions athletes should be asking their coaches as the show gets closer.
Because at seven weeks out, you shouldn't just know what you're doing.
You should understand where you're going, what your coach is watching, and why.

Favorite Moments
1:00 Seven Weeks Out: Does Your Coach Actually Have a Plan?
2:29 Your Coach Isn't Driving Blind, But You Need to Know the Destination
5:29 Think You're Bugging Your Coach? Please Bug Them
11:40 Can Mental Toughness Actually Hurt Your Prep?
17:06 "Where Am I Right Now?" What Your Coach Should Be Able to Tell You
21:37 Are You Actually on Track for Your Division?
26:49 Stop Comparing Your Prep to Someone Else's
27:56 Peak Week Isn't the Time for Magic Tricks
33:24 When Should You Start Questioning Your Coach?
37:23 Sometimes the Right Answer Is a Total Rest Day
40:36 The Photoshoot Mistake That Made JJ a "Water Buffalo" on Stage
42:33 Normal Prep Discomfort vs. Signs You Actually Need to Intervene
45:02 When the Athlete Is the Problem: Stop Changing the Plan
47:14 The Scale Went Up. Don't Automatically Cut More
50:38 Five Questions You Should Be Asking Your Coach

GUEST: JEAN JACQUES BARRETT
Jean Jacques Barrett is the head of Tulum Strength Club, promoter of the FMG Mexico show, a two-time world champion and an experienced contest prep coach. He has coached world champions and professional titleholders across multiple federations, as well as amateur athletes pursuing their pro status and first-time competitors preparing to step on stage.
His approach combines the perspective of an elite competitor, coach and show promoter, with an emphasis on individualized preparation, athlete development, communication and the details required to compete at the highest levels.
CONNECT WITH JJ:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanjacquesbarrett/
🔗 Website: https://tulumstrengthclub.com/

Info on FMG Mexico 2026
Join Jean Jacques Barrett and the FMG community for the FMG Mexico PRO/AM, November 7, 2026 at Teatro De La Ciudad in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The show features amateur and professional categories and is a 2027 FMG World Championship Qualifier.
Show details, athlete registration & tickets:
FMG Mexico PRO/AM 2026 Official Event Page
Competitor registration:
Register for FMG Mexico 2026

HOST: MICHELLE MACDONALD
Michelle MacDonald is the creator of the FITNESS MODEL BLUEPRINT™ and host of the Stronger By Design™ podcast. Known internationally for her evidence-based approach to women's fitness, Michelle has coached thousands of women since 2012 through strength training, nutrition and mindset. She is a Physique Champion, ISSA Strength and Conditioning Specialist, co-founder of Tulum Strength Club, and founder of The Wonder Women™ (TWW).
Michelle is also recognized for helping inspire the remarkable transformation of her mother, Joan MacDonald (Train With Joan™), and continues to empower women to redefine aging through science-backed fitness education and coaching.
Connect with Michelle:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellemacdonaldofficial/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.macdonald.yhhedonista
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michellemacdonaldofficial
🔗 Website: https://www.michellemacdonaldofficial.com/

Major surgery can temporarily change what your body can do. But being strong before surgery, physically and mentally, can change how you approach everything that comes next.
In this episode of Stronger By Design, Michelle MacDonald sits down with two remarkable women who know that firsthand: Susan Thiessen, 67, and Joan MacDonald, 80.
Susan has faced four hip operations in a little over a year, including an unexpected surgery following a serious infection that interrupted her return to bodybuilding and the competitive stage. Joan recently underwent a full knee replacement after years of pain, following a reverse shoulder replacement the previous year. Both women entered these challenges with something incredibly valuable already in their corner: strength.
Together, Susan, Joan and Michelle have an open conversation about what recovery really looks like for women over 60. They discuss preparing your body before surgery, maintaining strength and movement as you age, following the recovery process without losing sight of who you are, and dealing with the frustration that comes when your body temporarily can't do what your mind wants it to do.
Susan shares how her identity as an athlete helped her through weeks in the hospital and how focusing on what she would be able to do, rather than what she couldn't do, gave her something to work toward. Joan discusses the mental challenge of accepting limitations, her determination to return to the gym after knee replacement, and how dramatically different this recovery has been from her first knee surgery more than a decade earlier.
They also explore the importance of accountability and community, listening to your medical team, knowing when not to push, nutrition and recovery habits, and why preparing for surgery can begin long before you enter the operating room.
Most importantly, this conversation isn't about pretending recovery is easy. It's about building a body and mindset capable of meeting difficult moments when they arrive.
Whether you're facing surgery, recovering from an injury, rebuilding after a setback, or simply want to stay strong and capable as you age, Susan and Joan offer living proof that getting older doesn't mean you stop moving forward.

Favorite Moments

0:00 How Much Does Strength Before Surgery Matter?
 Susan and Joan immediately establish the central idea of the episode: surgery is a major physical stress, and preparation matters.
3:11 Four Hip Operations at 67: How Strength Changed Susan's Recovery
 Just days after an unplanned surgery, Susan was already walking without a walker. She explains why she believes entering surgery in exceptional physical condition made such a difference.
7:27 When Recovery Challenges Your Identity as an Athlete
 Michelle and Susan discuss what happened when training, macros and normal check-ins had to give way to simply recovering.
9:57 Accountability Isn't Someone Judging You
 Michelle reframes accountability as having someone who knows what you're capable of and can remind you who you are when you're struggling.
12:00 Learning to Give Yourself Permission to Recover
 After three and a half weeks in the hospital, Susan describes something that's normally very difficult for her: slowing down.
14:13 The Hardest Part of Recovery: Accepting Your Limitations
 Joan talks about impatience, believing she should be healing faster and eventually recognizing how much progress she was actually making.
18:20 Two Knee Replacements, More Than a Decade Apart
 Michelle looks back at Joan's first knee replacement and contrasts who Joan was physically then with the dramatically stronger woman entering surgery this time.
23:27 "I'm Going to Be Able to Get All That Strength Back"
 Joan explains how surviving the harder recovery from her first knee replacement gave her confidence that she could rebuild again.
25:48 "Wow, I Can Actually Do It"
 Only weeks after surgery, Joan discovers what her new knee can already do, while also learning an important lesson about not pushing recovery too quickly.
29:47 When Physical Therapy Becomes Your Workout
 Unable to train normally, Susan turns her rehabilitation exercises into a structured daily training plan and keeps her athlete mindset alive.
33:23 "Even Your Warmups Are Heavy": What Happens When You Get Strong
 Michelle recalls Susan questioning her increasingly heavy deadlifts and the simple coaching statement that completely changed how she approached them.
34:10 What Can You Control When Everything Else Is Uncertain?
 With Susan still facing uncertainty about another surgery, Michelle talks about aging, change and controlling how we show up when circumstances are outside our hands.
35:05 Facing Surgery Later in Life? Get Strong First
 Joan's advice to other women is simple: don't wait passively for surgery. Prepare your body for what's coming.
36:17 Susan's Advice: Allow Yourself to Grieve the Setback
 Susan explains why anger, sadness and disappointment have a place in recovery, but why eventually you have to accept what's happened and move forward.
38:10 How to Prepare Your Body Before Surgery
 Michelle brings the lessons together with practical preparation around strength, nutrition, inflammation, habits, food planning and post-surgery support.
43:38 At 80: "I Can Do Most of the Things I've Always Wanted to Do"
 Joan puts the entire conversation into perspective by describing what being strong at 80 actually gives her: the ability to continue doing things, taking chances and accepting challenges.

GUEST: JOAN MACDONALD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trainwithjoan
Website: https://www.trainwithjoanofficial.com/
Joan MacDonald, known to millions through Train With Joan™, is an 80-year-old fitness inspiration whose transformation has helped challenge conventional ideas about aging, strength and what's possible later in life.
In this episode, Joan shares her experience recovering from a full knee replacement following a reverse shoulder replacement the previous year. Her perspective is especially powerful because she can compare her current recovery as a strong, active 80-year-old with her experience undergoing knee replacement more than a decade earlier, before transforming her health and fitness.

GUEST: SUSAN THIESSEN

Susan Thiessen is a 67-year-old competitive bodybuilding athlete who has demonstrated extraordinary resilience through a series of major medical setbacks. After preparing for and recovering from a planned hip replacement, Susan experienced complications that ultimately led to multiple additional hip operations and an extended hospital stay.
Before her latest setback, Susan had returned to training, was hitting personal records and deadlifting more weight than ever as she prepared to return to the competitive stage. Today, she continues to approach rehabilitation with the same structure and determination she brings to bodybuilding, using physical therapy, training, nutrition and her athlete mindset to work toward getting strong again.

HOST: MICHELLE MACDONALD

Michelle MacDonald is the creator of the FITNESS MODEL BLUEPRINT™ and host of the Stronger By Design™ podcast. Known internationally for her evidence-based approach to women's fitness, Michelle has coached thousands of women since 2012 through strength training, nutrition and mindset. She is a Physique Champion, ISSA Strength and Conditioning Specialist, co-founder of Tulum Strength Club, and founder of The Wonder Women™ (TWW).
Michelle is also recognized for helping inspire the remarkable transformation of her mother, Joan MacDonald (Train With Joan™), and continues to empower women to redefine aging through science-backed fitness education and coaching.

Two athletes can step onto the same stage with the same goal and need completely different strategies to get there.
In this episode of Stronger By Design, Michelle MacDonald sits down with her Tulum Strength Club partner Jean-Jacques Barrett to break down what really goes into building a successful show prep strategy around the individual athlete.
From starting physique and muscle maturity to division requirements, conditioning, training performance, recovery, adherence and mindset, Michelle and Jean-Jacques explain why great contest prep is a constantly evolving process. The job of the coach isn't simply to push harder. It's knowing when to push, when to hold and when to pull back.
They explore the difference between simply getting stage ready and becoming truly competitive, why first-time amateurs require a different approach than seasoned champions, and how the margins become razor thin as athletes progress to higher levels of competition.
You'll also hear why giving yourself enough time can completely change a prep, how coaches evaluate progress beyond the scale, why communication and execution become increasingly important as show day approaches, and why peak-week strategy actually begins much earlier than most competitors realize.
Perhaps most importantly, Michelle and Jean-Jacques explain why athletes shouldn't copy someone else's prep and may not even want to repeat their own previous prep. Your physique, experience, conditioning, psychology and capabilities should evolve from one competition to the next.
Whether you're preparing for your first show, chasing a pro title, defending a championship or coaching athletes yourself, this conversation offers an inside look at the strategy, judgment and collaboration required to bring your best physique to the stage.

Favorite Moments

0:00 Stage Ready vs. Competitive: There's a Difference
2:39 Muscle Maturity: Why Training Age Changes Your Prep
4:54 The Show Date Doesn't Move: Why Your Prep Timeline Matters
7:09 Why Smart Coaches Give First-Time Athletes More Time
10:24 "I'm Tired" vs. "I Can't Perform": Knowing the Difference
11:47 13 Weeks Out: Why You Can't Afford to Lose Time
13:39 Stage Ready vs. Competitive: What Changes as You Advance?
18:12 A Game of Millimeters: What Separates Champions
19:44 Why You Shouldn't Make Emotional Prep Decisions for Yourself
22:08 Push, Hold or Pull Back: How Coaches Make the Call
27:17 Sometimes the Smartest Move Is NOT to Push Harder
29:51 Your Coach Can Only Fine-Tune What You're Actually Executing
32:44 Give Your Coach Everything They Need to Help You Win
34:23 Peak Week Starts Much Earlier Than You Think
36:30 Why You Can't Even Copy Your Own Previous Prep
36:56 Give Yourself Permission to Win

GUEST: JEAN-JACQUES BARRETT
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanjacquesbarrett/?hl=en
Website: https://tulumstrengthclub.com/
Jean-Jacques Barrett is the co-founder of Tulum Strength Club, promoter of the FMG Mexico show, a two-time world champion and an experienced contest prep coach. He has coached world champions and professional titleholders across multiple federations, as well as amateur athletes pursuing their pro status and first-time competitors preparing to step on stage. His approach combines the perspective of an elite competitor, coach and show promoter, with an emphasis on individualized preparation, athlete development and the details required to compete at the highest levels.

HOST: MICHELLE MACDONALD

Michelle MacDonald is the creator of the FITNESS MODEL BLUEPRINT™ and host of the Stronger By Design™ podcast. Known internationally for her evidence-based approach to women's fitness, Michelle has coached thousands of women since 2012 through strength training, nutrition and mindset. She is a Physique Champion, ISSA Strength and Conditioning Specialist, co-founder of Tulum Strength Club, and founder of The Wonder Women™ (TWW). Michelle is also recognized for helping inspire the remarkable transformation of her mother, Joan MacDonald (Train With Joan™), and continues to empower women to redefine aging through science-backed fitness education and coaching.

What if cortisol isn't the reason you can't lose weight — and your metabolism isn't broken either?
Michelle MacDonald brings back nutrition scientist and coach Dr. Allan Bacon for a conversation that dismantles two of the most persistent myths circulating in women's fitness right now. 
Together they break down exactly what cortisol is actually doing in your body during exercise, why zone two cardio lowers cortisol for the rest of the day even though it raises it for two hours (and why no one selling you a supplement is going to show you that part of the graph), and why elevated cortisol simply cannot prevent fat loss when you're in a calorie deficit: because there's nothing left to store. 
They also dig into the landmark Pontzer research tracking resting metabolic rate in thousands of men and women from ages 20 to 63, including through the menopause transition, and what it actually shows about metabolism, muscle loss, and the claims being made by wellness influencers selling mushroom tea. 
Then they get practical, covering calorie tracking errors, raw vs. cooked food measurements, pre-planning meals, and the three things Dr. Bacon tells every client who has been doing everything right and still isn't seeing results. This episode is for anyone who has been told their hormones are working against them and is starting to wonder if there's a simpler explanation.
Favorite Moments*
- 2:10 What Cortisol Is Actually Doing — and What It Isn't
- 3:27 Cortisol Spikes During Exercise Are a Feature, Not a Bug
- 4:46 Zone Two vs. HIIT: Why Both Get Fear-Mongered for the Same Hormone
- 5:57 Cortisol Is Both a Fat-Storing and a Fat-Burning Hormone (and Supplement Sellers Only Tell You Half the Story)
- 7:57 Zone Two Cardio Raises Cortisol for Two Hours — Then Lowers It Below Baseline for the Rest of the Day
- 21:19 "If You Really Want to Spike Your Cortisol, Worry About Cortisol"
- 24:45 The Pontzer Research: Resting Metabolic Rate Doesn't Change From Age 20 to 63
- 28:14 The Swan Study's "Double Muscle Loss" Claim — What the Actual Numbers Look Like
- 36:30 Calorie Tracking Errors: The Average Person Is Off by 500 Calories a Day
- 40:26 Raw vs. Cooked: The Measurement Mistake Almost Everyone Makes
- 52:18 The Three-Part Audit for Anyone Who Isn't Seeing Progress
- 56:00 Motivation Is the Result of Action, Not the Cause of It
- 58:54 Why Intensity Becomes the Name of the Game After Newbie Gains Are Gone
- 59:57 Stretching Reduces Injury Risk 0 to 4%. Strength Training: Up to 69%

"If you really want to spike your cortisol, worry about cortisol. If you want to not spike your cortisol, learn when it works for you, when it works against you, get rid of the extra stress, and start progressing."
— Dr. Allan Bacon

About Dr. Allan Bacon:
Nutrition & Fitness Coach | Researcher
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drallanbacon/?hl=en
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8vX4qjwi9WTr5sIqxKAXeA
Dr. Allan Bacon is a nutrition scientist, researcher, and coach known for cutting through fitness misinformation without stripping away the nuance. He has collaborated with some of the most respected names in exercise science and brings both the research depth and the real-world coaching experience to show clients not just what the data says — but what it actually means for their training, their diet, and their results. He and his wife coach together and are regular voices in the evidence-based fitness space.

About Michelle MacDonald:
Michelle MacDonald is the creator of the FITNESS MODEL BLUEPRINT™ and host of the Stronger By Design™ podcast. Known globally for her transformation programs, Michelle empowers women to redefine aging through evidence-based strength training, nutrition, and mindset practices. Since 2012, she has coached thousands of women online, leveraging her expertise as a Physique Champion and ISSA Strength and Conditioning Specialist. She co-founded Tulum Strength Club and established The Wonder Women (TWW), inspiring countless transformations including her mother, Joan MacDonald (Train With Joan™). Michelle continues to lead the charge in women's fitness, launching the Stronger by Design™ fitness app in fall 2024.

==========================================================

If this conversation gave you something to think about, subscribe so you never miss an episode. New conversations drop regularly, all built around the same goal: giving you the tools to take your health and performance seriously, for the long term.

==========================================================

Stronger by Design Podcast
🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7uljSBX7oSNQWhDVutk29m

🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stronger-by-design-for-women-with-michelle-macdonald/id1677831398

==========================================================

Connect with Michelle:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellemacdonaldofficial/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.macdonald.yhhedonista
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michellemacdonaldofficial
🔗 Website: https://www.michellemacdonaldofficial.com/

What builds muscle... and what have we been getting wrong?

In this episode of Stronger By Design, Michelle MacDonald sits down with exercise science researcher Max Coleman, MS, to separate evidence from internet fitness myths.
A respected researcher, coach, and educator, Max earned his master's degree under renowned hypertrophy researcher Dr. Brad Schoenfeld and is known for translating complex exercise science into practical, real-world advice. Through his social media channels, he makes the latest research accessible while helping lifters focus on what truly matters.
Together, Max and Michelle unpack the three variables that drive muscle growth: effort, progression, and training volume, while explaining why concepts like training to failure, progressive overload, and optimal volume are so often misunderstood.
You'll learn:
Does every set need to go to failure?
How many sets are enough to build muscle?
The biggest misconception about progressive overload.
How to know if you're training hard enough.
How little training is needed to maintain muscle.
Why progress photos may be your best measurement tool.
Practical strategies for building muscle when time is limited.

Favorite Moments
1:34 The 3 Things That Actually Build Muscle
3:30 Do You Really Need to Train to Failure?
8:17 How to Know If You're Actually Training Hard Enough
10:59 The Progressive Overload Mistake Almost Everyone Makes
14:16 Why Building Muscle Is Supposed to Feel Uncomfortable
20:25 Why Adding Weight Every Week Isn't Progress
21:31 Progress Photos Beat the Scale Every Time
24:25 How Many Sets Does It Actually Take to Build Muscle?
26:57 The Shocking Truth About Maintaining Muscle
29:30 Can You Really Maintain Muscle in Just 30 Minutes?
35:21 The Smarter Way to Bring Up Lagging Muscle Groups
39:43 The First 3 Things to Fix If You're Not Growing
41:18 Fitness Is Simple... But It's Not Easy
42:08 Why You Probably Are Making More Progress Than You Think 

Whether you're new to lifting or you've been training for years, this conversation will help you cut through the noise, train with confidence, and focus on the principles that actually produce results.

GUEST: MAX COLEMAN, MS
Max Coleman is an exercise science researcher, educator, and strength coach specializing in muscle hypertrophy and resistance training. He earned his M.S. in Exercise Science from Lehman College under the mentorship of renowned hypertrophy researcher Dr. Brad Schoenfeld and is pursuing doctoral studies in exercise science. Max is known for translating complex scientific literature into practical, evidence-based guidance through his popular social media content, helping lifters and coaches better understand what the research actually says about building muscle, training volume, effort, progression, and exercise selection.
Follow Max Coleman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coleman.et.al/

HOST: MICHELLE MACDONALD
Michelle MacDonald is the creator of the FITNESS MODEL BLUEPRINT™ and host of the Stronger By Design™ podcast. Known internationally for her evidence-based approach to women's fitness, Michelle has coached thousands of women since 2012 through strength training, nutrition, and mindset. She is a Physique Champion, ISSA Strength and Conditioning Specialist, co-founder of Tulum Strength Club, and founder of The Wonder Women (TWW). Michelle is also recognized for helping inspire the remarkable transformation of her mother, Joan MacDonald (Train With Joan™), and continues to empower women to redefine aging through science-backed fitness education and coaching.

==========================================================
If this conversation gave you something to think about, subscribe so you never miss an episode. 
New conversations drop regularly, all built around the same goal: giving you the tools to take your health and performance seriously, for the long term.
==========================================================

Stronger by Design Podcast
🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7uljSBX7oSNQWhDVutk29m

🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stronger-by-design-for-women-with-michelle-macdonald/id1677831398

==========================================================

Connect with Michelle:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellemacdonaldofficial/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.macdonald.yhhedonista
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michellemacdonaldofficial
🔗 Website: https://www.michellemacdonaldofficial.com/