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.

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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 (https://rippedbody.com/)

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

 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. 

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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 (https://rippedbody.com/)

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

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.

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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 (https://rippedbody.com/)

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

 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. 

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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 (https://rippedbody.com/)

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

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.

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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 (https://rippedbody.com/)

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

Most people don’t quit training because they don’t get results. They quit because their expectations didn’t match reality.

In this episode, Sam and I dig into a real coaching application where someone claimed to have gained 20 pounds of muscle in six months, based on body fat devices and faulty tracking.

We talk about why this isn’t possible, the bigger problem in the fitness industry (coaches telling clients what they want to hear), and why being brutally honest up front is our preferred way to build trust.

We cover:

• Why body fat progress-tracking methods like BIA machines give false hope.
• The real pace of muscle gain for intermediates vs. beginners.
• How unrealistic expectations poison coaching relationships.
• Why intelligent people often get stuck questioning instead of doing.
• What a realistic bulk-and-cut cycle actually looks like.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your expectations are helping or hurting your progress, this episode is worth your time.

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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 (https://rippedbody.com/)

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

What if the reason you’re stuck isn’t a lack of knowledge or skills… but mindset?

That’s the core idea behind Itamar Marani’s new book [*Elite Performance*](https://itamarmarani.com/book/).

I'm delighted to have Itamar back on the Podcast. He is a former Israeli special forces operator, coached by the Mossad’s former chief psychologist, who now helps entrepreneurs and high-performers get out of their own way.

In this conversation, we talk about:

- The "face-punch" question that reveals whether mindset is holding you back.
- Why adding more pressure usually lowers performance instead of raising it.
- The five-step blueprint from his book to win the war within.
- How to build guardrails that protect your family, fitness, and happiness while chasing goals.
- The difference between *pursuing excellence* and falling into *perfectionism.*

This episode is about doing more — sustainably, strategically, and without sabotaging yourself.

Itamar’s book, “Elite Performance: The Israeli special ops mindset system to win the war within and achieve audacious goals” is available for pre order now and will be released October 1st. https://itamarmarani.com/book/

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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 (https://rippedbody.com/)

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

In this episode, Ripped Body coaches Matt and Sam break down the biggest mistakes people make when starting a diet — and the smarter, sustainable strategies to replace them with.

They discuss:

• Why going “all in” backfires (and what to do instead)
• The hidden danger of quick fixes and fitness fads
• Why motivation won’t save you — but systems will
• The overlooked importance of having an “exit plan”
• How information overload kills consistency

By the end, you’ll know exactly what to avoid — and how to start your next diet the right way.

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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 (https://rippedbody.com/)

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

In 2014, Jason went from 225 lbs to 145 lbs in just nine months — and he’s kept it off for 10 years.

At 52 years old and has the physique of a boxer in his prime

Jason is a former Navy rescue squadron member with the mental toughness to diet on 750 calories a day, train hard, and never look back.

But now, he’s sick of the plateau and has a new goal in mind: adding 10 lbs. of muscle and finally hitting a 225 lbs. bench press.

The catch?

It means eating more, losing his abs for the first time in a decade… and facing the mental battle that comes with it.

In this episode, we talk about:

- How extreme weight loss shaped his relationship with food and body image
- Why visible abs have become a mental anchor — and a barrier
- Two different strategies to gain muscle without losing his mind
- The trade-offs between “doing it right” and “doing it safe”
- How to set progression targets when you’re already close to your potential

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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 (https://rippedbody.com/)

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

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:
👉 Should you adjust calories when deloading?
👉 What's a good alternative for dips if they hurt?
👉 Are strength drops normal?

We also dive into progression systems — linear vs. double progression — and why chasing perfection with the wrong approach can leave you frustrated or even injured.

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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 (https://rippedbody.com/)

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