Rippedbody.com

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:

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