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#315: The Identity Trap of Bodybuilding
20 August 2026

#315: The Identity Trap of Bodybuilding

3D Muscle Journey

About

Jeff, Brian, and Brad discuss how a person’s identity as a bodybuilder can change across their training career, why it’s important to see yourself as more than just a bodybuilder, and how having a limited identity can ultimately hold you back. What was Jeff’s relationship with bodybuilding like when he was in his 20s and why does he consider it “ugly”? What did Brad’s life look like when he was too obsessed with bodybuilding? What advice would Brian give his 16-year-old self? How can a person’s identity interfere with them being able to tone things down and have a more balanced approach? How can being hardcore actually be a symptom of being insecure? Why is it important to not tie your identity to a particular type of training? The answers to these questions and more are covered in this episode.


Timestamps

0:00- Introduction

1:39- Who is Jeff without bodybuilding?

13:02- The time in Brad’s life when he was too obsessed with bodybuilding

17:52- What Brian would tell his 16-year-old self

23:31- How a person’s identity can interfere with toning things down and taking a more balanced approach

35:53- Brad’s equalizer analogy

42:36- Sometimes you just need a break from bodybuilding

46:15- Don’t tie your identity to a particular type of training

49:02- How Jeff wears his different hats and how he views bodybuilding as a vessel

55:54- Do the coaches think bodybuilding attracts people with bigger egos, or do they think it attracts people who want to feel better about themself?

1:01:03- Strive for excellence not perfection


Selected Links From This Episode

Coaching By Team 3DMJ- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://3dmusclejourney.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Monthly Applications In Strength Sport (MASS)- https://www.3dmusclejourney.com/mass


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