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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:

Today I’m speaking with Sohee Carpenter.I first met Sohee back in 2012, and at the time, she was a Stanford student studying human biology. Then she completed a master’s in psychology and is now finishing up her Ph.D. in sports science under my co-author, Eric Helms.Sohee’s business is evidence-based training and nutrition coaching delivered with empathy and compassion. She has moved away from the “calories and macros for everyone” approach, and her coaching now focuses on behavior change tactics and habits, which comes from her own personal struggles in the past with disordered eating.At some point, we’re going to come across loved ones who are struggling with disordered eating, and we’ll want to help but not necessarily know how. Sohee specializes in this, which is why I invited her on to chat.In this episode, we discuss:

Today I'm speaking with Greg Nuckols, the co-founder of Mass Research Review, Stronger by Science, and MacroFactor.  Greg also held three all-time world records in powerlifting and is one of the smartest people in the fitness industry. In this episode, Greg and I discuss all sorts of topics and lessons, including:

Today I'm speaking with Eric Helms, one of my co-authors of The Muscle and Strength Pyramids, and one of the brightest minds in the fitness industry. Eric is a Research Fellow at the Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand, a natural bodybuilder and powerlifter, co-founder of MASS Research Review, and the co-founder of 3D Muscle Journey, a coaching service for natural athletes.In this episode, Eric shares some of his most important takeaways and lessons, including:

This season on the Ripped Body podcast, I’ve been speaking with readers who find themselves stuck, helping troubleshoot their progress and break through plateaus. For the next part of season 4, I’ll be sitting down with some of my fitness industry friends to discuss their backstories, mistakes they’ve made, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.To kick things off, I’m speaking with Steve Hall. I mentored Steve when he first got into coaching online, and it’s a pleasure to see his growth and how much of an impact his business, Revive Stronger, is now having.Steve became hooked on fitness in his university days. But was nearly killed when he was hit by a van when running.He has since gone on to compete in natural bodybuilding while building a successful coaching and bodybuilding education business.Here are some of the main points we discuss-Judge a fitness expert by the content they share, not how they look.-Muscle growth is exceptionally slow.-Don’t rush recovery after injury. And more. I hope you enjo

Today, I’m speaking with Hemang, who is a 50-year-old father of two who works in finance, and has a work-from-home arrangement. He does the carpool drop-off most days, is co-president of his son’s school PTA, and is a Scout volunteer.Hemang has been around the same weight for most of his life. He’s not what anyone would call fat, but not lean either. However, he managed to drop around 20 lbs of fat and gain 10 lbs of muscle, and hit nearly 900 lbs for his squat, bench, and deadlift total in the last couple of years, which is an incredible achievement.But now he’s stuck.He’s not getting any leaner, not getting any stronger, and his joints are starting to ache.That 1000 lb total is tantalizingly close. He knows he needs to lose 4 inches off of his waist, but family commitments keep getting in the way, and he’s not sure what he can do to get the gains train moving again.I’m sure many of you can relate to this. Let’s see if we can help.

Today, I’m speaking with Gary, a 59-year-old consultant living in Scotland.Gary has been self-described skinny-fat all of his life. He lived in the United States for 15 years, where he gained a little too much weight. In the 10 years since his return to the UK, he’s managed to lose 50 lbs of fat and gain 10-15 lbs of muscle.He doesn’t feel as self-conscious as he once did. But he’s not done yet. The problem is that despite a heavy focus on numbers and data, he hasn’t made any real progress in the last year. This has taken its toll on his motivation. He’s wondering what he needs to do, that can also work with his family life.Let’s see if we can help.ABOUT THIS POD

Welcome to our weekly Q&A series, where Ripped Body coaches Andy and Matt answer your questions.In this episode, we're answering the following questions:1. "Can I eat as often as I want during the feeding window?"2. “Are there separate programs for bulking vs. cutting?”If you'd like us to answer your questions, please send your questions to [email protected] THIS POD

Today, I’m speaking with Tyler (@tyler.lavasseur), a 31-year-old minister living in Jackson, Florida, who has just become a dad.Tyler started training when he was 21. He was fed up with the skinny-fat guy that stared at him in the mirror. In the last 10 years, incredibly, he’s gone from 195 to 245 pounds, with most of that being muscle.He’s looking to compete in his first powerlifting competition in October, and his long-term goal is to get to 230 pounds at 10% body fat.How can he get into his weight class without losing strength? And when should he start cutting?Is his goal of 230 pounds at 10% body fat realistic? What is it going to take to get there? And how can he avoid the mistakes of the past?Let’s dive in.ABOUT THIS POD

Welcome to our weekly Q&A series, where Ripped Body coaches Andy and Matt answer your questions.In this episode, we're answering the following questions:1. "How much training volume is needed to maintain your physique?"2. “Do we need to track macros to see progress, or can we use simpler portion control methods?”If you'd like us to answer your questions, please send your questions to [email protected] THIS POD

Today, I’m speaking with Donald, who is a 59-year-old, former accountant living in Florida.He’s been a runner all of his life, but only started lifting consistently at the start of this year.He’s dropped 25 lbs in the last six months, lost 8 inches off his waist, and has got considerably stronger. He’s now plateaued and is wondering where he should go from here. Should he continue cutting? Bulk? How should he change his training program?I think he’s in a great position. Let’s dive in.ABOUT THIS POD

Welcome to our weekly Q&A series, where Ripped Body coaches Andy and Matt answer your questions.In this episode, we're answering the following questions:1. "Who in the fitness industry would you like to throw on the fire?"2. “When I get busy, I can't stop snacking after I take one bite, and one slip-up leads to days of overeating. What should I do?”If you'd like us to answer your questions, please send your questions to [email protected] THIS POD

Today, I’m speaking with Chris, who is a semi-retired food industry exec living in Arkansas.Chris has been dieting and training in some form for the last 30 years. He said he can remember being body shamed in 5th and 6th grade for being pudgy and unathletic, and even though he knows he is in better shape than most men his age, he needs help to cure his poor body-image hump, and finally uncover his abs.Now, as you’ll hear, he likes to experiment on himself. He said he’s tried everything. And frankly, I think that’s the problem. He’s absorbed too much bad information and he struggles to stick to anything.Let’s see if we can help him.ABOUT THIS POD

Welcome to our weekly Q&A series, where Ripped Body coaches Andy and Matt answer your questions.In this episode, we're answering the following questions:1. "Is it necessary to go through fat loss in phases? I have seen some coaches say that each fat loss phase should take 12-16 weeks, and then we should take a maintenance break that lasts the same amount of time as the fat loss phase."2. “What are your thoughts about machines? Is it worse to do those than the free weights?”If you'd like us to answer your questions, please send your questions to [email protected] THIS POD

Today I’m speaking with Jonathan,  a 57-year-old entrepreneur whose main business is providing insurance for companies operating in high-risk markets, mainly in the security, mining, and oil & gas sectors. He’s a well-built guy who has yo-yo’d with his weight over the years, running marathons, competing in Ironman events, and last year he hit a goal of deadlifting 500 lbs. But he’s sitting 20 lbs too heavy and would look phenomenal if he could drop that. Frankly, he knows he needs to. But his drinking habit might be holding him back.Let’s see if we can help.ABOUT THIS POD

Welcome to our weekly Q&A series, where Ripped Body coaches Andy and Matt answer your questions.In this episode, we're answering the following questions:1. "Do you think body composition goals can be reached while still allowing alcohol to be a part of the formula?2. "I was training 4x/week on a deficit, but I recently got injured and will be out of commission for about a month or so. What would you recommend? Should I keep the same deficit?"If you'd like us to answer your questions, please send your questions to [email protected] THIS POD

Today, I’m speaking with Mark, who is a 49-year-old father of two daughters, working a high-stress job with the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico.A few years ago, Mark lost 60 lbs, but as he didn’t strength train, he felt a little skinny. Since he started strength training, he’s gained around 40 lbs, a lot of that muscle, and before COVID he was hitting some solid lifting numbers. He’ll be turning 50 in August and is hoping to see his six-pack for the first time.Let’s see if we can help.ABOUT THIS POD

Welcome to our weekly Q&A series, where Ripped Body coaches Andy and Matt answer your questions. In this episode, we're answering the following questions:1. “I’m four weeks into a cut. I lost 6 pounds in my first week, but I’ve been hovering around the same weight since. What am I doing wrong?” 2. “Is a front squat a good exercise for a beginner, or would it be too difficult to perform correctly if my back squat form is still not very good? I train at home. I need an alternative to the leg press."If you'd like us to answer your questions, please send your questions to [email protected]. ABOUT THIS POD

Today, I’m speaking with Cybersecurity expert Nick, who specializes in offensive hacking.Nick is not a tall guy, and he used to weigh close to 300 pounds. One day, he reached a breaking point and decided to do something about it, and he lost 180 pounds.He kept the weight off for a few years, but then got married, had kids, and he’s back up to 190 and feeling a bit stuck. He works from home and has built a garage gym, and he’s wondering what he should do from here.Let’s see if we can help him.ABOUT THIS POD