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 knew we’d hit it off.

In this chat we talk a LOT about her 2023 and 2024 seasons, dig into a little technical stuff, and then have a spirited discussion about the wave of ‘gotcha journalism’ in the industry which frankly pisses us both off.  Ranting happened, feeling were shared, a catharsis was reached.  Maybe?

Follow Julia on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ifbbpro_mules

Online coaching with Darin and a whole lot more (site updated recently!):

Five Starr Physique – Contest Prep and Lifestyle Coaching

Check out my online course collection, available now! https://www.darinstarr.com/

Check me out on YouTube and subscribe to see what’s coming up next: https://www.youtube.com/@darin_starr

Check me out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropsetpodcast

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 online course collection, available now! https://www.darinstarr.com/

Check me out on YouTube and subscribe to see what’s coming up next: https://www.youtube.com/@darin_starr

Check me out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropsetpodcast

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 me for a chat about her competitive experience, bodybuilding in general, and where she sees herself going.

Onlinr coaching with Darin and a whole lot more (site updated recently!):

Five Starr Physique – Contest Prep and Lifestyle Coaching

Check out my online course collection, available now! https://www.darinstarr.com/

Check me out on YouTube and subscribe to see what’s coming up next: https://www.youtube.com/@darin_starr

Check me out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropsetpodcast

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 more familiar with. Some of the differences are pretty obvious and some are much more behind the scenes, but I thought it would be fun to sit down and spell out the differences here.

Onlinr coaching with Darin and a whole lot more (site updated recently!):

Five Starr Physique – Contest Prep and Lifestyle Coaching

Check out my online course collection, available now! https://www.darinstarr.com/

Check me out on YouTube and subscribe to see what’s coming up next: https://www.youtube.com/@darin_starr

My Patreon is up and running now where you can watch all of my IFBB Pro commentary videos, updated regularly:
https://www.patreon.com/DarinStarr

Check me out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropsetpodcast

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 episode outlines my blueprint for how we can change this.  Agree?  Disagree?  Let me know – share this episode on social media with your thoughts and tag me in it!

Check me out on YouTube and subscribe to see what’s coming up next: https://www.youtube.com/@fivestarrphysique

Check me out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropsetpodcast

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 important stuff including, of course, what her last meal on earth would be if she had to choose. I always go for the hard-hitting questions, folks.

Catch up with Alyssa here:

WEBSITE : www.alyssapro.com

INSTAGRAM : @alyssacoppolinoifbbpro and @coachalyssacoppolino

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@UCsgKVmnb_LvcEI_Pjh6iZzQ

Call in and leave a question! Drop me a voicemail at 865-518-6569

Check out my online course collection, available now! https://www.fivestarrdigital.com/

Check me out on YouTube and subscribe to see what’s coming up next: https://www.youtube.com/@fivestarrphysique

Check me out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropsetpodcast

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

Call in and leave a question! Drop me a voicemail at 865-518-6569

Check out my online course collection, available now! https://www.fivestarrdigital.com/

Check me out on YouTube and subscribe to see what’s coming up next: https://www.youtube.com/@fivestarrphysique

Check me out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropsetpodcast

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 as a surprise.

In episode 268 I go over a bunch of different scenarios, thought processes, and specific examples for how to maintain your diet successfully while on the road, whether for a short trip or long one and whether travelling via car or plan.

Call in and leave a question! Drop me a voicemail at 865-518-6569

Check out my online course collection, available now! https://www.fivestarrdigital.com/

Check me out on YouTube and subscribe to see what’s coming up next: https://www.youtube.com/@fivestarrphysique

Check me out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropsetpodcast

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 for every client.

In episode 267 I cover the basics of carb cycling, when and why it’s useful, and specifically what you should and should NOT expect from it.

Call in and leave a question! Drop me a voicemail at 865-518-6569

Check out my online course collection, available now! https://www.fivestarrdigital.com/

Check me out on YouTube and subscribe to see what’s coming up next: https://www.youtube.com/@fivestarrphysique

Check me out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropsetpodcast

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 are often seen as disposable commodities that can easily be replaced as the need arises, but if you treat your search like you’re finding something to invest in, the outcome will always be better.

Today I wanted to talk about the right way to search for a question – determining what you need, good questions to ask, questions NOT to ask, and some red flags to watch out for.

Online coaching details:  https://fivestarrphysique.com/contest-prep-coaching/

Call in and leave a question! Drop me a voicemail at 865-518-6569

Check out my online course collection, available now!  https://www.fivestarrdigital.com/

Check me out on YouTube and subscribe to see what’s coming up next: https://www.youtube.com/@fivestarrphysique

Check me out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropsetpodcast

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.