Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 8 hours ago
Alberto, Brad, and Brian answer audience-supplied questions about using straps vs. a mixed grip, starting a diet more aggressively vs. more conservatively, warming up, refeeds, training with only dumbbells, and a lot more. Can deadlifting with a mixed grip create muscular imbalances and/or lead to injury? At what age do most bodybuilders hit their max size? What are some strategies for putting on more muscle if you’re over 40? Why is it good to take a defensive approach when prepping? How many warm-up sets should you do for your heavier compound exercises? The answers to these questions and more are covered in this episode.
Timestamps:
0:00- Introduction
3:02- Can deadlifting with a mixed grip create muscular imbalances? What are the coaches’ thoughts on using straps versus a mixed grip?
7:24- At what age do most bodybuilders hit their max size? What are some strategies for putting on more muscle if you’re over 40?
19:35- If your goal is to lose 1 lb. per week, should you immediately decrease your intake by 500 calories per day or should you start with a smaller reduction and slowly decrease your intake?
30:57- If you reduce the number of days you train per week, do you still need to deload?
36:29- How do you know when you need a refeed?
50:15- How many warm-up sets should you do for your heavier compound exercises?
1:00:10- If fruit and vegetables make you bloated, is it really that bad to have a low intake of them?
1:04:47- Do the coaches think it’s possible to keep progressing training only with dumbbells at home 80% of the time? If the coaches only had dumbbells, what exercises would they do for their lower body?
SELECTED LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE:
Team Instagram Account- @team3dmj
Team YouTube Channel- youtube.com/@Team3DMJ
Coaching By Team 3DMJ- 3dmusclejourney.com/coaching
How I Work Up To A Top Set On Squats (Coach Brad)- youtube.com/watch?v=uThAaqOJ6gM
How To Warm Up For Lifting Weights- youtube.com/watch?v=8IdUJ2coLOc
Monthly Applications In Strength Sport (MASS)- 3dmusclejourney.com/mass
Thanks for watching The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 💪
SUBSCRIBE ON SPOTIFY: open.spotify.com/show/4E61iRCD1qSZUTRactySTj?si=kiONmQJqSaC3EWUncGgfsg
SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/3d-muscle-journey-podcast/id1115048476
**3DMJ COACHING: 3dmusclejourney.com/coaching
**3DMJ VIDEO COURSES: 3dmjvault.com
**APPAREL & MERCH: redbubble.com/people/team3dmj/shop
**FULL WEBSITE & BLOG: 3dmusclejourney.com
**3DMJ SOCIAL MEDIA:
Instagram: instagram.com/team3dmj
Twitter: twitter.com/3dmusclejourney
TikTok: tiktok.com/@team3dmj
Alberto, Brad, and Brian answer audience-supplied questions about using straps vs. a mixed grip, starting a diet more aggressively vs. more conservatively, warming up, refeeds, training with only dumbbells, and a lot more. Can deadlifting with a mixed grip create muscular imbalances and/or lead to injury? At what age do most bodybuilders hit their max size? What are some strategies for putting on more muscle if you’re over 40? Why is it good to take a defensive approach when prepping? How many warm-up sets should you do for your heavier compound exercises? The answers to these questions and more are covered in this episode.
Timestamps:
0:00- Introduction
3:02- Can deadlifting with a mixed grip create muscular imbalances? What are the coaches’ thoughts on using straps versus a mixed grip?
7:24- At what age do most bodybuilders hit their max size? What are some strategies for putting on more muscle if you’re over 40?
19:35- If your goal is to lose 1 lb. per week, should you immediately decrease your intake by 500 calories per day or should you start with a smaller reduction and slowly decrease your intake?
30:57- If you reduce the number of days you train per week, do you still need to deload?
36:29- How do you know when you need a refeed?
50:15- How many warm-up sets should you do for your heavier compound exercises?
1:00:10- If fruit and vegetables make you bloated, is it really that bad to have a low intake of them?
1:04:47- Do the coaches think it’s possible to keep progressing training only with dumbbells at home 80% of the time? If the coaches only had dumbbells, what exercises would they do for their lower body?
SELECTED LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE:
Team Instagram Account- @team3dmj
Team YouTube Channel- youtube.com/@Team3DMJ
Coaching By Team 3DMJ- 3dmusclejourney.com/coaching
How I Work Up To A Top Set On Squats (Coach Brad)- youtube.com/watch?v=uThAaqOJ6gM
How To Warm Up For Lifting Weights- youtube.com/watch?v=8IdUJ2coLOc
Monthly Applications In Strength Sport (MASS)- 3dmusclejourney.com/mass
Thanks for watching The 3D Muscle Journey Podcast 💪
SUBSCRIBE ON SPOTIFY: open.spotify.com/show/4E61iRCD1qSZUTRactySTj?si=kiONmQJqSaC3EWUncGgfsg
SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/3d-muscle-journey-podcast/id1115048476
**3DMJ COACHING: 3dmusclejourney.com/coaching
**3DMJ VIDEO COURSES: 3dmjvault.com
**APPAREL & MERCH: redbubble.com/people/team3dmj/shop
**FULL WEBSITE & BLOG: 3dmusclejourney.com
**3DMJ SOCIAL MEDIA:
Instagram: instagram.com/team3dmj
Twitter: twitter.com/3dmusclejourney
TikTok: tiktok.com/@team3dmj
