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Jon has been training for 15 years.He tracks his calories, hits his protein, plans his cuts, and sticks to the plan.And yet he's still never been able to get as lean as he wants...Which means he's always stopped his bulks short of the time needed to grow enough muscle to make a difference.Sound familiar?In this week’s episode, we dig into why.Because this isn’t a motivation problem, nor a knowledge problem either, it’s what happens when you’re doing almost everything right, but missing a few key pieces that are holding you back.------------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.

This week’s podcast is about a frustrating place many people eventually reach.Ryan, 47, a father of four, is on a mission he calls Project 50.He started strength training three years ago and has done an incredible job transforming his health, dropping 30 lbs — which I'd estimate means 40 lbs of fat loss and 10 lbs of muscle gain. Bravo!But now he’s stuck.Not because he doesn’t know what to do, but arguably, because he knows (and consumes) too much, and he can't decide.Should he keep cutting? Start a lean bulk? Take a break?Every option seems right… and wrong… at the same time.In this episode, I help Ryan move forward from his decision paralysis.We talk about:Is it time to purge his algorithm of fitness content?How to decide between cutting and bulking (without overthinking it).Why the feelings about your body will never fully line up.The mistake that causes most people to spin their wheels for months or years.And how to make a decision he's actually stick to.If you’ve ever felt stuck and unable

This week’s podcast covers situations that I am sure many busy working dads will recognize in themselves.Today's guest, Sayer, is now fit, lean, and athletic. He lifts, rock climbs, officiates high-level sports, works a demanding remote IT job, and shuttles two very active kids between practices and games. From the outside, there’s nothing "wrong."In the last three years, he has escaped the skinny fat trap by cutting and dropping 20 lbs of fat, and then successfully bulking for 14 months after that. But he now finds himself gaining and losing the same 5–10 lbs, struggling for motivation, and wondering whether to push forward, pull back, or simply protect what he’s built.Instead of forcing another bulk or cut, we explore a different idea:What if we turn his next phase into a 6-month experiment to find how little he can do while maintaining his physique?------------Since 2011, we’ve helped 2,000+ busy men get lean, strong, and in control — without supplements, gimmicks, or sacrificing their lives

This week’s podcast is one of my favorite kinds of conversations.Shelby, 41 from Oklahoma, describes himself as a "regular guy with regular guy problems." In reality, he’s a single dad of four boys who’s lost close to 90 pounds, rebuilt his health, and designed his life so progress happens by default — not through white-knuckle discipline.This isn’t a transformation story driven by obsession. It’s about preventing bad decisions before they happen, making workouts unavoidable, and redefining success as the ability to say yes when life offers something physical.In this episode, we talk about:Why environment beats willpower every time.How Shelby trains seven days a week without burning out.The power of "non-negotiable" routines.Why food rules can work better than food restraint.And how long-term fitness is really about capability, not leanness.Let’s get into it.------------Since 2011, we’ve helped 2,000+ busy men get lean, strong, and in control — without supplements, gimmicks, or sacrificing

Today I’m joined by Paul. He is 50, lives in Switzerland, has a demanding corporate job, and is an avid alpine skier. He’s also someone who’s stayed naturally lean most of his life — abs included — without much effort.This conversation is about what happens when that natural leanness becomes the thing holding you back. We talk about rebuilding after repeated injuries, training for robustness rather than aesthetics, and why deliberately gaining weight — even losing your abs — can be a smart investment if your real goal is staying strong, athletic, and injury-free for the next 10 to 15 years.Let’s get into it.------------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.

Today’s conversation is with Don Selkirk. Don is 52, has trained consistently for decades, and has a physique most people would be more than happy with. But like many experienced trainees, a small visual cue in the mirror was enough to trigger a familiar thought: “I should probably tighten this up before it gets away from me.”In this episode, I help Don plan his cut to trim the 15 lbs of fat he’s slowly gained over the past year, and then return to maintenance in a way that minimizes intrusions into his life, so he can maintain it forever.Let’s get into it.Relevant links:https://rippedbody.com/finding-calorie-maintenance/https://rippedbody.com/diet-break------------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.

This week’s podcast is for the people who already know what to do, but can’t seem to make it stick.Nico (42), originally from Venice, Italy, but now living in Austin, has a demanding career, trains regularly, eats well, and stays lean year-round. From the outside, he’s doing everything "right."Yet for the last five years, he’s felt quietly stuck — unable to push past the same plateau, unable to regain the muscle he once had, and slowly losing motivation despite having all the knowledge.This wasn’t a conversation about macros or programming. It was about why progress stalls when life gets full — travel, work, relationships, comfort — and how losing momentum often has less to do with discipline and more to do with belief, tracking, and commitment.If you’ve ever thought, "I should be further along than this," this one will hit close to home.------------Since 2011, we’ve helped 2,000+ busy men get lean, strong, and in control — without supplements, gimmicks, or sacrificing their lives to the g

Today, I’m speaking with Jon. He’s a Brit who used to be ripped at 50. — That was when he lived in Australia.But for the past 7 years, he’s been back in the UK, and his fitness has gone downhill.He’s heavier than ever, and coming off a knee replacement, a fused foot, and months of disrupted training. The gap between what he remembers and what he sees in the mirror is messing with his head.In this episode, we unpack a problem I see all the time in experienced trainees:When your past best physique becomes your worst comparison point.Jon’s notunfit. He’s disciplined, consistent, and still training hard. But clinging to the idea that he should look the same at 55 as he did at 50 has sapped his motivation.We talk through how to reset expectations without lowering standards, why rushing to get his abs back is the wrong move, and how leaning out first will make everything else easier — from joint health to cardio to long-term consistency.Links mentioned:https://www.strongerbyscience.com/research-spotlight-metabolic-

2026 has arrived, which means you’ve probably been bombarded with all sorts of fitness advice, hacks, and shortcuts. We know it can be hard to sort through the noise, and we want to help you avoid the most common fitness mistakes we see as people are making New Year’s resolutions.In this episode, Ripped Body coaches Sam and Matt go over the most common mistakes, and how to avoid them, to make sure you start the year on the right foot. They also share a few of their own resolutions for the year, discussing goals both in and out of the gym.------------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.

If fitness feels more confusing now than it did five or ten years ago, you’re not imagining it.This week on the podcast, I’m joined by **Dr. Eric Helms** to talk about *why* we wrote the Muscle & Strength Pyramid books in the first place, and why, a decade later, we decided to completely rewrite them for the third editions.This isn’t a marketing episode. It’s a conversation about information overload, false precision, and why most people aren’t stuck because they lack effort — they’re stuck because they’re trying to do too many things at once.In this episode, we discuss:- Why fitness advice has become noisier, not clearer.- How the Pyramid frameworks help you filter what matters from what doesn’t.- Why flexibility done right *improves* results instead of watering them down.- The difference between “progressive overload” and actual progression.- How to train, eat, and live without sacrificing relationships or sanity.We also walk through what’s new in the third editions.If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by fi

This week on the podcast, I’m joined by my good friend Chad Landers, a coach who’s been training people hands-on for more than 30 years and recently published ​Building Strength and Muscle After 50​. Chad isn’t an influencer. He’s someone who’s spent decades watching real people train, get hurt, recover, and keep going.If you’re over 40 and still want to train hard and stay healthy, Chad is someone worth listening to.------------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.

Whether you’re just starting your fitness journey, you’ve been a little inconsistent in the gym and want some routine, or you’re simply looking to change up your workout program, choosing the right training split can be a little confusing.In this episode, Ripped Body coaches Sam and Matt explain how to choose the right training program for your goals. They talk about the important factors to consider, the pros and cons of popular workout splits, common splits we give our clients, and share the programs they’re currently using for themselves.------------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.

Once the diet ends, most people don’t know what to do next.In this episode, Coach Matt and I talk about how to transition from fat loss to maintenance without panic or rebound. And then we talk about finding the least training you can do to maintain your physique.We use Fred’s story — a reader who dropped from 360 lbs to 166 — as a real-world example of what to expect when you stop cutting and start maintaining.We cover:How to calculate your maintenance calories after a deficit.Why regaining 5–10 lbs after a cut is normal (and not fat).What "maximum maintenance" means — and how to find it.How to reduce training volume without losing muscle.Why maintaining your physique is often harder mentally than dieting.This episode will help you end the "yo-yo" cycle and finally hold onto the results you’ve worked for.------------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.

Todd, a father of six, spent two decades in engineering and renewable energy. At 48, he decided it was time to re-engineer something else: his own life.Todd walked away from his career — not because he had to, but because he wanted to. He called it an "environment change." His goal was simple: finally take his health seriously, rebuild family connections, and reinvent himself.Three months later, he’s down nearly 40 pounds and delighted with the success he has had. But he’s also confronting new challenges: how to avoid the all-or-nothing mindset, how to eat sustainably instead of obsessively, and how to set goals that last beyond the initial rush of progress.In this episode, we dig into:Why Todd’s “temporary retirement” became the forcing function for change.How he lost 28 lbs in 34 days, and what really happened behind the numbers.Why aggressive dieting works short-term but fails without a plan afterward.How to reintroduce carbs without fear, and why this is necessary for his path forward.----------

This week, Coach Sam joins me for a new Q&A episode. I put him to the test by asking him to answer a reader’s question — one I’d already answered myself — to see how closely his advice matched mine.**Q: “Two months ago, I finished a two-month weight loss program. I’m 6'0" and weighed 248 lbs. I lost 41 pounds and feel great. I ate twice a day — each meal was about 5 ounces of lean meat, high-fiber veggies, and berries. I was full, but my daily intake was around 1,000 kcal.I’m now in maintenance, but would like to lose another 20 pounds of fat and gain some muscle. I’m 56 and just started swimming three times a week. I also want to add lifting. Your [macro calculator](https://rippedbody.com/macro-calculator/) put me at almost 3,000 kcal per day — that seems high. Can you help? I’m committed. Thanks.”How do our answers compare? Listen to find out.------------Since 2011, we’ve helped 2,000+ busy men get lean, strong, and in control — without supplements, gimmicks, or sacrificing their lives to the

Today, I’m joined by Chris, who went from 170 lbs to an unsustainable 118 lbs by eating just five foods and hammering cardio. That crash diet left scars — binge-restrict cycles, fear of weight gain, and self-doubt.But over the past few years, Chris has rebuilt. He bulked up slowly, learned sustainable habits, and is now cutting again — this time without obsession or burnout. We talk about breaking free from the numbers game, training smarter, and learning to live a full life while chasing progress in the gym.------------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.

 This week, Ripped Body coaches Sam and Matt break down why people often feel “stuck” in their fat loss journey, even when they’re consistent with training and nutrition. They walk through the most common reasons for stalled progress, how to troubleshoot your fat loss, and when (and how) to make adjustments. ------------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.

Chandler is a form of client of mine. He’s a 42 year-old father of two young boys living in Savannah, Georgia. We work together 11 years ago when he got stuck, and we managed to make a level change in his physique. In the year since Chandler has diligently kept up his training and progress tracking, tried different training styles, and tried cutting and bulking many times, but he hasn't been able to break through the plateau since.Has he reached his genetic potential? Is there something that has been missing? I think so. And frankly, I think the answer is hiding in plain sight and it goes back to what we did when we first work together.I hope you enjoy this conversation with Chandler. I'm sure it will resonate with many of you who have made some good progress but are now feeling stuck and unsure how to break through the plateau.------------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.

 Andy and Coach Matt talk about dieting during the holiday season, getting back on track after losing momentum, and how their coaching philosophies have evolved over the last decade. ------------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.

Joe’s beaten obesity and kept the weight off for years — but every bulk ends in failure. Why?On the face of it, it looks like he has been doing everything right. But when we dig in, there are a couple of simple tweaks I believe he can make that will help him take his physique permanently to the next level. Best of all, I'm confident he can do it within two years.We talk about:- The *moment* he decided to change after hitting rock bottom.- How CrossFit helped him kickstart his transformation.- The mistakes that cost him hard-earned muscle during past cuts.- Why long, patient bulks are the missing piece in his journey.- How to push through the mental battles of seeing the scale climb.------------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.