In this episode of SRP, I sit down with Joe Franco to talk about what contest prep should and should not cost you. We get into relationships during prep, social media comparison, unrealistic timelines, intuitive eating, peak week mistakes, and why the truly hardcore part of bodybuilding is consistency, not needless extremes. If you want a more balanced, sustainable way to think about natural bodybuilding, this one is worth your time.

What really happens to your body and mind during contest prep?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Peter Fitschen, Pro Natural Bodybuilder, PhD in Nutritional Sciences, contest prep coach, and one of the leading researchers studying physique athletes.

We go beyond macros and training plans to talk about the real experience of contest preparation, including the physiological stress, psychological challenges, and practical strategies athletes can use to succeed without losing themselves in the process.

If you compete, coach competitors, or are simply curious about the science behind bodybuilding prep, this conversation breaks down what actually matters.

In this SRP episode, I sit down with Alec Armstrong to discuss his pro-card win, contest preparation, placing second at his pro-debut to a legend, and some of the psychological strategies he utilized.