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We’re kicking off a new Q&A series on the Ripped Body Podcast. Today, I sit down with Ripped Body Coach Matt to answer listener questions. In this first session, we cover:

Hi, I’m Andy, and welcome to another episode of the Ripped Body Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to build and maintain a strong, lean physique — without sacrificing your sanity or your life outside the gym.When Jay first reached out, he wanted help refining his plan to build a superhero-like physique — something lean, muscular, and impressive for his young daughter to look up to.But he is already in great shape! And what unfolded in our conversation wasn’t a discussion about macros, training splits, or the fastest way to drop fat.Instead, it became about letting go.Letting go of all-or-nothing thinking. Letting go of pressure to always do more. Letting go of the idea that being "less than perfect" means falling behind.Because when we dug in, he realized that the biggest gift he could give to himself and his family right now, was learning to to do less and be ok with that.------------Since 2011, we’ve helped 2,000+ busy men get lean, strong, and in control — without supplements, gimmick

------------Since 2011, we’ve helped 2,000+ busy men get lean, strong, and in control — without supplements, gimmicks, or sacrificing their lives to the gym.

Hi, I’m Andy, and welcome to another episode of the Ripped Body Podcast where I interview listeners and newsletter subscribers, and help them understand what they need to do, to take their physiques to the next level, without the process taking over their lives.Today I’m speaking with Fred. Fred has lost more than half his body weight — and kept it off for two decades. But this isn’t just a story of fat loss. It’s about persistence, identity, and learning to love the process long after the novelty wears off.In this episode, Fred shares how he went from 360 pounds to a 173-pound marathon runner… and why he still doesn’t see himself as "fit" in the mirror. We talk about the long road to building a new identity, the struggle to push through plateaus, and how he’s now chasing a different kind of finish line: finally seeing his abs, for the first time ever.Let’s get into it.------------Since 2011, we’ve helped 2,000+ busy men get lean, strong, and in control — without supplements, gimmicks, or sacrificin

Last Sunday, I had a freak accident while cycling that resulted in a broken arm and three torn shoulder ligaments. So I decided to jump on a call with Ripped Body Coach Sam to explain my recovery plan.This episode isn’t a pity party. It’s the recovery blueprint I’m following — and the mindset that’s keeping me from spiraling while I can’t train normally.We've worked with thousands of clients over the years. Occasionally, people get injured. We always help them work through it. Now it's my time to walk the walk.We cover:

Brian is an engineer living in New York, a disciplined calisthenics enthusiast, and one of the most thoughtful guests I’ve ever had on.Eighteen months ago, when Brian returned to Malaysia to visit his family, his parents commented they were worried about how skinny he had gotten. — They didn't realize how hard he had been working to unfatten himself after an unsuccessful dream bulk. Nonetheless, he made a promise to his family, that the next time they saw him, he’d be bigger, stronger, healthier, and more confident.Since then, he’s been tracking his calories, weighing himself daily, and has emailed to ask me the kind of smart, self-aware questions that most people avoid.In today’s episode, we talk about how his mindset evolved, the trap of trying to gain muscle without any fat, and what it will take to gain the 10 lbs of muscle he is after.Let’s dive in!

Scott was one of the first clients I ever coached — and one of the first client transformations I ever posted online.At his leanest, he was absolutely shredded. But that was over a decade ago.Since then, life happened — including a multi-year battle with cancer, time off from training, and a long road back to health.Now 50, Scott’s strong again. Back in the gym. Lifting heavy. Building momentum.But recently someone asked him, "Do you still work out?" And that simple comment triggered something he didn’t expect — a wave of doubt, reflection, and ultimately, renewed drive to get lean again.This podcast episode is about what it takes to get back on the path — when you’ve already been through hell and back.

This One’s Personal.While updating our Client Onboarding Guidelines this week, I found myself going off on a bit of a rant.Fifteen years ago, my cousin died of a heart attack. I was too broke to fly back for the funeral. I’ve regretted that ever since.So when I see dangerous diet trends gaining traction — the kind that could quietly send someone else’s cousin to an early grave — I can’t stay quiet.Let me be clear: I don’t dispute that some people have had success with the Carnivore diet in addressing certain health issues. That’s great, and I don’t take issue with people sharing those experiences.What I do take issue with is when those anecdotes are twisted into broad recommendations. Worse: when they’re paired with anti-science claims about seed oils, and used to justify sky-high saturated fat intakes.This boom in saturated-fat-pushing, seed-oil-demonizing advice?It’s not going to end well for a lot of people.---Further Reading 

Savio grew up the chubby kid — avoiding pools, hiding behind crossed arms, and feeling the weight of insecurity long before he ever picked up a weight.Now in his 30s, he moved from Canada to live in Vietnam with his wife, but he is still chasing the same goal that’s been with him for half his life: to finally see abs. But as he tries to diet down, self-doubt, conflicting advice, and the temptation to “adjust something” too soon keep creeping in.We talk about how to stay objective, the hierarchy of training and nutrition priorities, and how to know when to push versus when to hold steady.

Don’t be fooled by how fit he looks.Don is 6’4”, 180 lbs, lean, and strong—but what makes his story special isn’t what you see now. It’s the journey he has been on.He’s a 41-year-old father of three who used to weigh 250 lbs. He’s yo-yo dieted for over a decade. He even got liposuction once because he thought it would help him feel “enough.”But what really changed his life was when he broke the all-or-nothing mindset that held him back.And in this conversation, Don shares exactly how he did that. We explore what he needs to do next, with a particular focus on troubleshooting his training, so that he doesn't get caught in cycles of injury as he has done in the past.

Brian, a 44-year-old father of three, has already done the hard thing — he lost 40 pounds, got lean, built serious strength, and learned to fuel himself like an athlete.But now, years later, with more on his plate and less room for perfection, he’s looking to get back into shape and is wondering: “Why isn’t what worked before working now?”We talk about the pressure of setting an example for his kids, the frustration of stalled progress despite doing everything “right,” how he’s learning to trade perfection for sustainability, and what he needs to do differently to get unstuck.

Today I’m joined by Justin — a 42-year-old stay-at-home dad, former diesel mechanic, and garage business owner who's been working hard to build a lean, muscular physique without letting the rest of life fall apart.He’s been shredded at 189, bulked up to 227, and now he’s trying to land somewhere in the middle — strong, athletic, and confident… while still keeping up with the demands of parenting, working out, and running a small business.This conversation is about physique goals, time pressure

Today I’m speaking with Richard Golden — a longtime Ripped Body reader who’s undergone a dramatic transformation over the last decade.Rich grew up with an identical twin brother who was lean, while he struggled with weight gain, body image issues, and cycles of yo-yo dieting. At his heaviest, he weighed over 230 lbs.Now at 44 years old, he’s sitting at a lean and healthy 155 — and more importantly, he feels in control for the first time in his life.We talk about how a painful breakup triggered a turning point, what he learned about sustainability after years of failure, and why he’s now chasing something new: not just maintenance, but mastery.But can he push through the final plateau now that his health is not on the line — or will comfort hold him back?Let’s get to it.

Today’s guest is Justin Maller — a world-class digital artist and tech founder based in New York. At 41, Justin just completed his first real bulk after years of hovering in maintenance and making no real physique progress.We talk about what finally pushed him to commit, how he gained 30 pounds and made the biggest strength gains of his life, and why cutting back down now feels surprisingly difficult — despite having done it before.This is a conversation about late-stage gains, body image rewiring, and what happens when you finally give yourself permission to grow.Let’s dive in.

Michael opens up about his lifelong struggle with weight, starting in his early 20s when he hit 200 pounds, without any muscle. After the birth of his first son, he realized he needed to change — not just for himself, but to keep up as a dad. That was his first serious cut, and it sparked a 10+ year journey of self-education, strength training, and cycles of cutting and bulking.He’s now stronger than ever but stuck in a long-standing all-or-nothing mindset, especially with weekend eating. During the week, he’s disciplined and in control. But when Friday hits, family time, baked treats, and decompression turn into overeating — not just for enjoyment, but out of habit.Michael wants to set a better example for his four kids, especially his son, who’s now lifting and developing his own self-control. He’s wrestling with how to stay consistent, how to eat in a way that balances discipline with family joy, and how to shift from "perfect or nothing" to something sustainable.He’s not just chasing fat loss —

Alex opens up about his years-long battle with performance obsession, burnout, and a hidden addiction to Adderall. What began as a drive to "get the physique" spiraled into overtraining, under-recovering, and chasing a shredded look at the cost of his mental and physical health. A serious injury and a breaking point in his personal life forced him to confront what he was running from — and how much he’d been avoiding.Alex shares how rebuilding his relationship with food, training, and himself has given him a new mission: to pursue sustainable progress, not perfection. But that doesn’t mean the struggle is over — he's standing at the edge of his next challenge: bulking. And with it comes old fears of bloating, body image, and letting go of his abs.This is an honest conversation about identity, control, and learning to trust the process — even when it’s uncomfortable.

Ryan is stuck in a battle a lot of men never talk about: the fear that changing his body might change how he’s seen - by the world, by his family, and by himself.He’s no longer chasing a six-pack for vanity. He’s chasing a bigger goal: becoming the kind of role model his daughters deserve.But to do that, he has to wrestle down the old fears - of getting too lean, of looking "too small," of not being "enough."This is a raw, vulnerable conversation about what it really takes to fight for growth when staying the same feels safer.Ryan knows the man he wants to be. The question is: **can he stay in the discomfort long enough to become him?

It started with a moment of quiet shame: his girlfriend swooning over a Twilight actor’s abs while Sam sat next to her, skinny-fat and stuck. That moment sent him chasing change — first through generic magazine workouts, then into the hands of a “pro” coach who gave him abs, yes, but also exhaustion, rebound weight gain, and a deep sense of failure.Sam rebuilt himself the hard way — through obsession, mentorship, and reps. He became the coach he once needed. But success brought its own trap: business mentors told him to prioritize profit over people. That wasn’t who he wanted to be.In this episode, Sam shares what pulled him back to coaching for the right reasons, the personal loss that changed how he shows up for clients, and why empathy — not macros — is his real coaching superpower.

Today, I’m speaking with Danny Lennon.Danny is the founder of Sigma Nutrition. He is the long-time host of the popular podcast Sigma Nutrition Radio, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Sports Nutrition Association, the global regulatory body responsible for the standardization of best practices in the sports nutrition profession.In this conversation, we talk about the issues with interpreting research, and why, when someone is trying to persuade you of something, especially a fringe opinion, taking one or two studies they’ve linked to at face value can be a trap.And given Danny’s background working with MMA fighters, we talk about weight-cutting, and how he makes evidence-based recommendations, despite limited research being available.I’ve been listening to Danny’s pod for 8 years now. I consider him a good friend, and I hope you enjoy this conversation.ABOUT THIS POD

Today, I’m speaking with Eric Trexler. Eric has a PhD,  and is a pro bodybuilder,  coach, co-owner of the MASS Research Review, and a metabolism researcher at Duke University.In this conversation, we talk about the physiological changes that happen when weight cycling (i.e. going through diet and bulk phases) and what this means for us when chasing our physique goals.We’ve been friends for a number of years now, and it was great to catch up with him. In this episode, we discuss: