The Ripped Body® Podcast

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.)

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.

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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

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

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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

(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.

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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

(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.

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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

(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!

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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

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