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, gimmicks, or sacrificing their lives to the gym.

👉 Get our Free 15-Day Transformation Kickstart Bundle

(Training program, nutrition guide, and 15-step course to help you avoid the most common mistakes.)

------------

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.

👉 Get our Free 15-Day Transformation Kickstart Bundle

(Training program, nutrition guide, and 15-step course to help you avoid the most common mistakes.)

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 sacrificing their lives to the gym.

👉 Get our Free 15-Day Transformation Kickstart Bundle

(Training program, nutrition guide, and 15-step course to help you avoid the most common mistakes.)

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:
👉 How I’m adapting my training during rehab.
👉 The nutrition changes I’m making to support healing (without gaining excess fat).
👉 Why this might actually be the perfect time to improve other areas of my fitness.
👉 How I'm mentally framing things to deal with the frustration.

Whether you’re sidelined by injury now or just want to know how to handle it if it happens, this may be worth a listen.

------------

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.

👉 Get our Free 15-Day Transformation Kickstart Bundle

(Training program, nutrition guide, and 15-step course to help you avoid the most common mistakes.)

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!

------------

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.

👉 Get our Free 15-Day Transformation Kickstart Bundle

(Training program, nutrition guide, and 15-step course to help you avoid the most common mistakes.)

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.

------------

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.

👉 Get our Free 15-Day Transformation Kickstart Bundle

(Training program, nutrition guide, and 15-step course to help you avoid the most common mistakes.)

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

 📘 From Sigma Nutrition:

• ​Cholesterol, Lipoproteins & Lipids: Understanding CVD Risk​
• ​The Impact of Diet on Blood Lipids​
• ​How Diet Influences Heart Disease Risk​
• ​The History of Fat, Cholesterol & Heart Disease​ (Podcast)

🧠 From Uproot Nutrition:

• ​A Comprehensive Rebuttal to Seed Oil Sophistry​

------------

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.

👉 Get our Free 15-Day Transformation Kickstart Bundle

(Training program, nutrition guide, and 15-step course to help you avoid the most common mistakes.)

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.

------------

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.

👉 Get our Free 15-Day Transformation Kickstart Bundle

(Training program, nutrition guide, and 15-step course to help you avoid the most common mistakes.)

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.

------------

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.

👉 Get our Free 15-Day Transformation Kickstart Bundle

(Training program, nutrition guide, and 15-step course to help you avoid the most common mistakes.)

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.

------------

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.

👉 Get our Free 15-Day Transformation Kickstart Bundle

(Training program, nutrition guide, and 15-step course to help you avoid the most common mistakes.)