The Drop Set: Bodybuilding Discussion on training, nutrition, motivation and more

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY | LISTEN ON APPLE Show of hands – who is sick to DEATH of seeing AI talked about for everything?  Are you inundated all day long with ads in your social media pushing AI tools, or is it just me?  I'm over it, BUT…when it comes to bodybuilding, there are some smart… Read More » The post 282 – AI in Bodybuilding appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Has competing gotten more expensive lately?  If so, what can you do about it?  Where are some places where you can cut a few budgetary corners without totally hosing yourself, and where is it smart to still spend a little money?  Let's dive in on that today. But first…ever notice how people tend to make… Read More » The post 281 – Competing on a Budget appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

How bad am I at responding to text messages?  Bad enough that I actually find it easier to respond to a text with a podcast episode, THAT bad.  I know, I know.  But you see, I'm *beyond* help.  I've tried. My friend Melony texted me asking – more or less – about intermittent fasting so… Read More » The post 280 – The Final Word on Intermittent Fasting appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Well, that fit model thing sure caused a bit of a stir.  In today's episode I clean up some of the carnage from negative comments I got from my take.  I welcome all opinions, but I will also clap back if I think some are misguided.  It's in my nature, sorry.  Blame my parents! Next… Read More » The post 279 – Macro Exchanges, Fit Model Revisited appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

The NPC/IFBB just announced this week a new “Fit Model” category which will be slotted ‘under' bikini in terms of both muscularity and conditioning requirements, making this the new ‘entry level' division for women.  This is the SEVENTH category for women, and with the stated goal of the organizations being to draw more casual eyes… Read More » The post 278 – Why Fit Model Is The Wrong Move appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

In episode 277, I make a TRIUMPHANT RETURN to solo episodes…for now (my interview schedule is clear – insert sad face here).  I've also been wanting to talk for a bit about genetic potential as it relates to bodybuilding so it seemed like a good time while there's a lull between interview guests! LIMITED coaching… Read More » The post 277 – Understanding Genetic Potential appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Lori Conley had been on my “get” list for awhile but due to scheduling and other things it wasn't until now we were able to finally sit down and chat – and, well..it was worth the wait in my opinion. I asked Lori about her competitive history, journey to becoming an IFBB Pro, her experience… Read More » The post 276 – IFBB Pro Lori Conley appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

I won't lie – interviewing Julia Whitesel was on my list after watching her in the Rising Phoenix earlier this year, and after the Olympia I knew we had to chat – just from watching her on social media I knew she had interesting stuff to say, and she's super transparent and self-depricating so I… Read More » The post 275 – IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Julia Whitesel appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Before becoming an IFBB Bikini Pro, Monique Chilcutt had a previous career as a pro dancer for an NBA team – I get her entire story in this in depth interview Online coaching with Darin and a whole lot more (site updated recently!): Five Starr Physique – Contest Prep and Lifestyle Coaching Check out my… Read More » The post 274 – IFBB Bikini Pro Monique Chilcutt appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

IFBB Wellness Pro Teresa Myers has been at this bodybuilding thing for a bit – starting in 2013 in women's physique, eventually turning pro in 2018 and competing as a WPD pro for 3 years before taking a short break and coming back in 2023 in wellness.  She was gracious enough to sit down with… Read More » The post 273 – IFBB Wellness Pro Teresa Myers appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

I've been watching a ton of IFBB Pro bodybuilding shows lately and recording my commentary to post as videos on my YouTube and Patreon channels (links below if you're interested), and in doing so have noticed some pretty stark contrasts in how pro shows are run and operated vs. the amateur shows that I'm much… Read More » The post 272 – Amateur vs. Professional Bodybuilding appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Check out my newly relaunched website featuring my online courses:  Bikini Blueprint, Hypertrophy University, and Macro Boot Camp: https://darinstarr.com/ Ok kids, it's time for a manifesto.  I strongly believe that bodybuilding can achieve a reasonable level of mainstream success, but EVERYTHING about how shows are produced and put on seem to actively discourage that.  This… Read More » The post 271 – How To Make Bodybuilding Mainstream appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Bodybuilding is a funny thing. Following a craptastic showing at Tampa and then a glorious return the top 5 in Tupelo, IFBB Women's Physique Pro Alyssa Coppolino was nice enough to sit down with me for a chat about her most recent season, previous experience, plans for the future, and more. We cover all the… Read More » The post 270 – IFBB WPD Pro Alyssa Coppolino appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

A good home gym can be a great asset. A lousy home gym will set your potential progress back years. In episode 269 I tell you how to build the best possible home gym for bodybuilding purposes – in order of importance with examples of exactly what you want and what you should avoid. https://youtu.be/K2W4jB1E0J8… Read More » The post 269 – Building The Perfect Home Gym appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Maintaining your diet on the road can be, to put it mildly, a pain.  BUT it's worth noting that it is, in all situations and with a bit of advance planning, doable.  It requires more work but then again so does pretty much everything in bodybuilding when compared to the alternative, so that shouldn't come… Read More » The post 268 – The Ultimate Guide to Travel Dieting appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Carb cycling in bodybuilding is something that, for some reason, generates some very passionate opinions. Certainly, most dietary strategies have their fans much look footballs teams do, but as a coach I can't be “Team Keto” or “Team Carb Cycle” because I have to recognize that everything has a place and not everything is right… Read More » The post 267 – Debunking the Myth of Carb Cycling appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

The bodybuilding industry is loaded with coaches – if you're searching for a good one either for contest prep or for a more general transformation, the process can be, frankly, a pain in the ass – IF you approach it more like shopping for a car as opposed to buying a loaf of bread.  Coaches… Read More » The post 266 – Sketchy and Sus Coaches – Finding a Good One appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

You often hear people talk about recomping or “building muscle in a deficit”, but realistically the goal just needs to be to not LOSE muscle while you're dropping fat. Unfortunately that's easier said than done, but today I want to go over some considerations for giving you the best chance at keeping all that lean… Read More » The post 265 – Keeping Muscle on a Deficit appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

In the bodybuilding industry specifically and the fitness industry more generally, confusion abounds. Stuff that was “fact” decades ago we now know to be wrong, but their legends still live on. Let's bust some of 'em today. In episode 264 of The Drop Set I debunk (or possibly agree with?) a whopping 43 fitness and… Read More » The post 264 – Fitness & Bodybuilding Myths – The Truth appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

How much does food quality really matter when it comes to your diet in bodybuilding?  There's “healthy”, but then what about just dropping body fat or building muscle?  And can you be “healthy” even if you eat some junk food?  And how do we want to define that, anyway? In episode 263 I break down… Read More » The post 263 – Does Food Quality Matter? appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

There's been a myth circulating for a long time that after your contest prep phase for a bodybuilding show, or after a hard fat loss phase in general, THAT is when you're most primed to experience your highest rate of building muscle.  And logically, it kinda makes sense. The problem with bodybuilding is that logic… Read More » The post 262 – Post-Show Rebound Myths Exposed appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Being in Oregon to visit family, it seemed like a great opportunity to get some fresh faces on here as I shamelessly exploit my family's lack of bodybuilding knowledge for podcast material. And as one might expect, that ‘lack of knowledge' can cut both ways as you'll see here. Big thanks to my big brother… Read More » The post 261 – The Bodybuilder and the Mathematician appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Well, at long last here we are – 22 weeks of prep, 110 training sessions, mountains of cardio, 17 near flawless weeks followed by 5 that border on “train wreck”, and tomorrow is show day.  I'm not kidding when I say “it's about time” – every prep phase is full of challenges I always say,… Read More » The post 260 – Smooth Sailing Into Show Day? appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Bodybuilding is a funny thing…of this 22 week contest prep phase, the first 17 weeks were pretty quiet…and since then it's been an epic mess. Right now I find myself approaching peak week and a bit behind the 8 ball and not quite ready, so let me walk you through how I'm approaching this penultimate… Read More » The post 259 – Salvaging a Broken Prep appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Body dysmorphia, or body dysmorphic disorder, is yet another serious issue (like binge eating that we talked about last week) that disproportionately plagues bodybuilders.  In today's episode I break down (again) MY experience with dealing with this firsthand, my experience in helping clients deal with this, talk about how it comes up and what we… Read More » The post 258 – Body Dysmorphia: Causes and Solutions appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Binge eating and bodybuilding go together like PB&J, sadly.  It's often thought that you can't have one without the other, but you DEFINITELY can – I've managed to pull it off mostly after years of struggling with it, and today I wanted to share my journey in arriving at where I'm at now with it,… Read More » The post 257 – How I Manage My Cravings and Binge Eating appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Recomping is all the rage these days – dropping body fat and building muscle at the same time.  Every prominent YouTube channel has videos talking about how the traditional bulk/cut methodology is outdated and doesn't work, based on a handful of studies that assess the feasibility of recomping, with one big issue – they completely… Read More » The post 256 – Why Recomping Doesn't Work appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Ah yes, macro tracking apps.  We all use something like MyFitnessPal at some point, right?  Well, maybe some of us don't but it's nonetheless super common.  The problem is, that app is hot garbage and there are WAY better options out there.  In episode 255 I explore 10 of the most popular apps and put… Read More » The post 255 – Macro Trackers: The Best and the Worst appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

In episode 254 of The Drop Set, I'm going to talk about steroids – specifcally, the risks involved in taking anabolic compounds as they relate to bodybuilding. I'll differentiate between “TRT” and what is more widely considered to be ‘common use' in the landscape of competitive bodybuilding, break down exactly what the risks are, what… Read More » The post 254 – Steroid Risks: The Full Truth appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Welcome to episode 253! Today, we're diving into the whole bulk or cut dilemma in bodybuilding. The key? Knowing what your body needs — more muscle or less fat. It's not just a short-term thing; we're talking long-haul commitment here…think years, not just weeks or months. This process can't be about quick fixes; we're in… Read More » The post 253 – Should I Bulk or Cut? appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

In episode 252 of The Drop Set, I delve into the nuanced concept of stage readiness, exploring the subjective nature of preparation for competition. We examine the importance of early competition as a means to gain valuable experience and establish personal benchmarks. I also discuss the essential prerequisites for competing, including discipline, commitment, and a… Read More » The post 252 – Am I Stage Ready? appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

0:00 – Intro 0:40 – Getting Started 3:47 – Supplements: Worth It or Waste It? 26:49 – Adapting to Sickness, Missing Gym Time 43:05 – What Actually Happens on Show Day? In the opening segment of Episode 251, we dive into the world of supplements – starting with the age-old debate: Is creatine worth it?… Read More » The post 251 – Supplements: Worth It or Waste It? appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Welcome to episode TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY! In the first segment, I dive deep into strategies for busting through growth plateaus in bodybuilding. First, I emphasize the importance of consistency and dedication during the off-season or growth phases. I discuss assessing whether you're truly at a plateau and stress the need to attack growth seasons… Read More » The post 250 – Busting Through Growth Plateaus appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

In this episode, we dig in on the finer points of having a successful cut, whether it's for a contest or just a personal transformation. The final point I make here is possibly the most important: remember to have fun with it all – it's a challenging journey, but it should still be enjoyable overall.… Read More » The post 249 – How to Dominate Your Next Prep appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

In episode 248 of The Drop Set, I delve into the intricate journey to becoming a professional bodybuilder in the USA, breaking down the processes of various amateur organizations like NPC, OCB, INBA, and INBF. From earning qualifications to competing at national levels, the road to obtaining a pro card is filled with complexities and… Read More » The post 248 – The Path to Going Pro appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

(3:15) In this episode of The Drop Set podcast, I can't help but unravel the aftermath of the Arnold Classic with a heavy dose of frustration. I find myself questioning the show's BEYOND curious choices, particularly in excluding categories like women's physique, figure, and 212 men's bodybuilding. With a healthy dose of skepticism, I delve… Read More » The post 247 – Why the Arnold Classic Sucks appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

I've had a lot of coaches myself over the past 20 years and I've spent the last 15 years being a coach myself, so I've seen every argument there is on the topic of meal plans vs. macro plans. Let's put this to rest once and for all. Also some training and hormone management discussion!… Read More » The post 246 – The Final Word on Meal Plans vs. Macro Plans appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Episode 245 marks the PERMANENT return of The Drop Set to YouTube – so if video is your thing, check it out there as well going forward.  All episodes will be geared towards an audio only format so listeners here, you won't be missing anything.  No sweat! 0:00 – Intro/story time 1:57 – Technical difficulties?… Read More » The post 245 – Five Things I Wish I Knew as a New Bodybuilder appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

One of the absolute most common questions I get is “when will I be ready for a show”, or “I'm 14 weeks out, will I be ready?” or some variation on the theme.  My usual answer is “well, it's complicated….” and this episode seeks to finish that sentence in 30,000 words or less. Call in… Read More » The post 244 – Being “Ready” For a Show, Supplement Sh!tlist appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Hey Darin, can you be rambling and borderline incoherent for 40 minutes?  CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.  The real question:  drunk or sober?  Sadly, the latter.  Yes, this is sober me and I still behave like this. Prep is underway, let's talk about how it started.  Also, how to mess up your macros in one easy step.  Also… Read More » The post 243 – Prep is Underway! Best Kitchen Tools for Bodybuilders appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Autumn Cleveland has been around for a bit – with a competition history of 20+ years and a couple Olympia appearances to show for it. She has also positioned herself as an authority on posing, offering courses, direct coaching, seminars and more to help competitors more accurately present themselves on stage. And as we discuss… Read More » The post 242 – Figure Olympian and Posing Guru Autumn Cleveland appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

What makes for a good and productive growth season?  Conversely, what makes for a bad one?  How do we define whether it's good or bad?  What should your goals be?  How much balance is too much balance?  Today we dig in to all of those questions and more so let's hit it! Call in and… Read More » The post 241 – The Growth Season Manifesto appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

A little random pre-Christmas catch up on some stuff, and thankfully MUCH lighter fare than last week – and then we dive in to a topic suggested by my former client Jessica who wanted to get my take on semaglutide.  I've talked about this before, and recently, but I wanted to dig in a bit… Read More » The post 240 – Semaglutide – WTF Are We Doing With This? appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Rest in peace to my friend and coach Krissy Lia, you will be missed. The post 239 – Make Every Day Count appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Lots of ground to cover today.  Michelle called in with some solid questions concerning peptides and deloads (separate questions…not a weird combination of deloading peptides), and I ramble on for a bit about trying to find the right mix of what is OPTIMAL versus what is often the most PRACTICAL path forward as it relates… Read More » The post 238 – Optimal vs. Practical appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Throwback episode!  No not a ‘greatest hits' release but just going back to the old formatting.  Call me an optimist but I think after 237 episodes I'm starting to get the hang of this podcast thing.  A few “confessions” to go over today which is really just exposing my ridiculous OCD, but also an update… Read More » The post 237 – Confessions of an Online Coach appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Future generations will look back and see Episode 236 of The Drop Set as a watershed moment for humanity.  Maybe.  Ok, maybe not so much.  But let it be known I'm trying some different stuff here, so as always let me know what you think. This is a solo episode published as audio-only AND video… Read More » The post Fixing the Show Day Experience with Live Streaming appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

Hannah Hussein and I have one thing in common (well, we probably all do) – we both did dumb shit in our 20's. The difference is that today, she's here on the hot seat to talk about hers while mine will continue to go unreported (at least for awhile). Hannah won her IFBB pro card… Read More » The post 235 – New IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Hannah Hussein appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

I recently had the chance to have an extended conversation with IFBB Pro women's bodybuilder Sherry Priami. Sherry turned pro in women's physique in 2018 and quickly turned in a string of steadily improving placements before taking a year off and making the plunge into women's bodybuilding – a decision that has, so far, paid… Read More » The post 234 – IFBB Pro Women's Bodybuilder Sherry Priami appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

In episode 233 of The Drop Set I had the chance to sit down with Paige Sandgren following her narrow miss at an IFBB Pro card at North Americans. We talk about that experience, what's next, and cover a lot of coaching-related topics including binge eating behavior, one of her specialties. Follow Paige on Instagram… Read More » The post 233 – NPC Bodybuilder and Coach Paige Sandgren appeared first on Five Starr Physique.

In episode 232 of The Drop Set I am super excited to have the opportunity to chat with former Olympia competitor Dani Reardon – now OUT of bodybuilding for about 6 years and exploring entirely new areas of her life. We talk about her competitive days, why she got out, how she feels about it… Read More » The post 232 – Former WPD Olympian Dani Reardon appeared first on Five Starr Physique.