The Ripped Body Podcast

Andrea is a member of the 3D Muscle Journey bodybuilding and powerlifting coaching team. She is a bodybuilder, Grid competitor, and is my co-author on the Muscle and Strength Pyramid books. Today's conversation covers three main topics:1. Coaching philosophy and building the coach-client relationship.2. The importance of getting "un-lean" after competing when moving into a muscle gain phase.3. How training for another sport has made her a better bodybuilder and may be something worth consideration.At the end of the podcast, we went a little off topic with Andrea schooling me on how to use Instagram and Snapchat. I hope you enjoy this conversation with the absolute bundle of energy that is... Andrea Valdez! :)Show notes- Why Andrea believes 3DMJ is one of the best coaching teams in the industry." [5'30]- The story of how Andrea brought us together to write The Muscle and Strength Pyramid books came about. [10'00]- Coaching philosophy and building the coach-client relationship. [16'00]- "I learned this coaching 10-year-olds and it is the same with adults, but you get to ask the hard questions." [22'00]- Why people need to get "un-lean" during the off-season. [30'00]- Andrea explains her sport, Grid. [40'00]- Why having another physical hobby has been the best thing for her bodybuilding. [44'00]- Client selection and the different coaching packages that 3DMJ offer. [52'00]- Andrea educates Andy on Snapchat and Instagram [58'00]For links to the resources talked about in the podcast, check out the show notes here: http://rippedbody.com/podcast-andrea-valdez/

Spencer is an American family physician who specializes in helping people with obesity. He helps his patients with lifestyle interventions first, via diet and exercise, before using to his prescription pad wherever possible.We talk about many topics: why obesity has been recently classified as a disease, why calories in vs calories out is what determines weight loss, but telling someone to eat less and move more doesn't generally work, how spencer gets buy in from his patients, how certain medicines can cause side effects that hamper weight loss, how to look at and interpret your cholesterol numbers, and the potential dangers of bulletproof coffee.Show notes:- Why Spencer puts diet and exercise first. [0'30]- The reasons why doctors don't generally put diet and exercise as medicine first. [3'00]- How Spencer gets 'buy in' from patients. [6'30]- Why obesity has been classified as a disease [10'30]- "Is it not just about calories in, calories out?" - "Yes but not entirely." [13'30]- The importance of controlling your food environment. [19'00]- "I don't feel that fixing one habit at a time is the best way for people." [22'00]- "The data shows that people who lose weight rapidly in the beginning tend to do the best." [23'30]- Is a donut less delicious to some people? [26'00]- Why Spencer wrote The Fat Loss Prescription [29'00]- Spencer talks about how medicines can cause side effects that hamper weight loss. [34'00]- In the current system I can't do what I want to do for my patients. [39'00]- Cholesterol talk. How to look at and interpret your cholesterol numbers. [41'00]- Bulletproof coffee and the damage it can cause. [47'00]For links to the resources talked about in the podcast, check out the show notes here: http://rippedbody.com/podcast-spencer-nadolsky/

Mark is the man behind Mark Fisher Fitness, a unique gym in New York City. Actually, as Mark will tell you, it's not a gym, it's a club house, they don't have members, they have ninjas, Mark is the ninja master, and their tagline is Serious Fitness for Ridiculous Humans.Now if all of this sounds a bit weird, that's because it is. But embracing weirdness is what has catapulted Mark's gym to huge success over the last five years. In terms of profit per square foot, it's likely the most successful Gym in NYC, which likely makes it one of the most successful gyms in the world. Mark has achieved this by building a unique and vibrant culture, and in this interview, we take a deep dive into exactly how and why he did that.Show notes:- How Mark got into the fitness industry and starting a gym. [2'30]- "Our first year we did $1mil in revenue. Then we did $2mil in the second year, $3mil in next, $4mil the next..."[9'30]- How Mark has created this success [10'30]- "It's like a human behavioral change experiment that's pretending to be a business." [11'40]- "We set a high bar for ourselves and we don't always make it. That is where all growth can happen." [16'30]- The way Mark used 6-week transformation contests to build Mark Fisher Fitness. [19'00]- Mark talking about how they split the client education by personality types and experience level. [22'00]- "We're all a lot more affected by our environment than is maybe immediately apparent." [27'00]- On the accidental creation of 'Fitness Friends Summit' in Mexico. [31'00]- What would you write on a billboard in Times Square? [40'00]For links to the resources talked about in the podcast, check out the show notes here: http://rippedbody.com/podcast-mark-fisher/

Jordan is 25 but already has an 11-year personal training career under his belt. What's most impressive to me about Jordan is how relentless he's been about putting himself in positions where he could intern under some of the best coaches in the world.What he's currently doing right now is no exception, except that he's getting a business education of a lifetime. Jordan is Gary Vaynerchuk's personal trainer. If you know Gary's work then you probably have an idea of how intense this is. Jordan is contracted to train him every day, for three years, with no holiday, and gets flown around everywhere he goes.In this interview, I dig into the details of how Jordan coaches his clients in person and online, and how working with Gary over the last 6 months has influenced his business for the better.Show notes:- "I was thrust into the evidence based industry at a very young age. I got my first personal training job at 14 years old." [3'30]- "Clients took me seriously because I had two mentors who presented me seriously." [5'20]- How Jordan's thoughts on training and nutrition changed since working with Martin Berkhan at the age of 18. [8'30]- "That's what everyone is missing, the patience to stick with a program. That's all it is." [10'10]- How Jordan works with his online coaching clients. [13'00]- "For me, the best business strategy has been to work off referrals. It forces me to maintain a really high level of coaching." [16'30]- The differences Jordan has found with coaching women. [18'30]- "I won't let anyone work with me for less than 6 months." [24'00]- The crazy story behind how Jordan got to coach Gary Vaynerchuk. [27'10]- "I train Gary 7 days a week. I travel with him anywhere he goes" [32'10]- "Basically, the job is 3 years, no vacation. But I'm happy to do it, it's a huge opportunity." [34'30]- How the lessons learned from working with Gary has positively impacted Jordan's business. [36'00]- "My job is to give them the action plan as clearly, simply and effectively as I can." [41'40]- An insane day in the life of Jordan [42'50]- "I think people are looking for the easy road when they try and get into the online space." [46'40]- Advice for coaches looking to build a business online. [50'00]- How Jordan got into business coaching. [53'00]- Jordan's attempt to fix the resting bitch faces of New York. [59'00]For links to the resources talked about in the podcast, go to: http://rippedbody.com/podcast-jordan-syatt/

It is no exaggeration to say that Sol Orwell knows everyone in fitness. He is on the advisory board for Schwarzenegger.com, has built Examine.com into the world’s biggest supplement information site, and yet, he has only been in the industry for five and a half years.This success is no accident. From SEO to online gaming, Sol has been building and selling businesses based out of his interests since he was 16 and retired twice now. How did he achieve this and what lessons are there for us in the fitness industry?I spent the last week hanging out with Sol in Toronto, and took the opportunity to record an interview on the last day before leaving for the airport. We get stuck into the following topics: Building a business and network through cookies, the importance of letting employees shine, the importance of expressing gratitude daily. Controversies, the importance of seeing the bigger picture when looking to make an impact, and where Sol feels fitness professionals get it wrong.Show notes:- Sol’s entrepreneur journey. – “I make businesses around my interests.” [2’30]- What is examine.com? “We analyze research in nutrition.” [4’30]- On the sensationalistic headlines in the media. [5’15 ]- At what point did you monetize your site? – “For the first 2.5 years, we didn’t make a dime in revenue.” [6’30]- How the business was born out of Reddit. – “There’s a big problem and you do your little bit to solve it.” [8’30]- The business case for staying in the background and letting employees take the limelight. [11’30]- On the insane questions they get asked. [17’30]- Sol’s background and first businesses. From Pakistan to Saudi Arabia to Houston, USA to Toronto. [18’30]- The mistakes people make when networking. How to go about it in a better way. [20’30]- “Don’t ever use the phrase, ‘I want to pick your brain,’ instead, try something different, for example, ‘I’m going to bribe you with the best chocolate chip cookie in Toronto!'” [23’10]- “People are too obsessed with the immediate thing they can get from somebody.” [25’30]- Sol’s morning routine. [26’30]- How Sol’s background has affected how he sees the world. [29’10]- Where people go wrong in the fitness industry. [31’30]- “Our job is to get access to more people. We publish anywhere that has an audience.” [34’30]- “If there’s one thing that humanity needs more of, it’s travel.” [39’30]Selected links:- For unbiased advice on supplements – http://examine.com/- Sol’s business musings – http://SJO.com/

Coach JC Deen discusses the underrated mental game when dieting.Show Notes:1. Andy's marvellous introduction of JC. [0'00 ]DIET HABIT RELATED STUFF ↓2. How do you manage to write in such a way that the reader feels like you are in their head? [3'20]3. The need to consider the mental game of dieting. [5'00]4. The story of how JC got into the industry. [8'30]5. The Christmas bodybuilding show bet between friends [10'00]6. "Alan Aragon changed my life one Saturday." [13'45]7. "The media just writes for eyeballs." [16'00]8. The first time JC hired a coach. [19'30]9. "That was the lightbulb moment - realizing that this is just math. I was no longer trying to figure out what the best diet was, no longer looking for the shortcuts." [22:45]10. An introduction to the 6 perils facing dieters. [27'30]11. On setting realistic goals when you're starting out. [32'00]12. "If you believe that nothing works for you then it probably won't." [34'30]13. Quit searching for shortcuts. [40'00]14. "A lot of times, more information is not going to make you better." [43'30]BUSINESS/COACHING RELATED STUFF ↓15. "I decided to head off to live in Northern Thailand." [52'00]16. How did the travel impact your physique? [55'00]17. "You can make anything work if you're prepared to be versatile." [56'30]18. How has travel impacted your business? [58'40]19. "I'm weary of anybody that has a simple answer for something that should require a lot more information." [67'40]20. Do you have any advice for people trying to get into this industry? [73'00]21. Wrap up [77'00]For links to the resources discussed, check out the show notes here: http://rippedbody.com/podcast-jc-deen/

Eric Helms is possibly the most humble man in the industry.He is a coach, athlete, author, and educator. As a part of the 3DMJ Team he coaches drug-free strength and physique competitors at all levels. Eric has competed since the mid 2000’s in natural bodybuilding, unequipped powerlifting and recently in Olympic lifting. He earned pro status as a natural bodybuilder with the PNBA in 2011 and competes with the IPF at international level events as an unequipped powerlifter.Eric has published multiple peer reviewed articles in exercise science and nutrition journals and writes for commercial fitness publications. He’s taught undergraduate and graduate level nutrition and exercise science and speaks internationally at academic and commercial conferences for fitness, nutrition and strength and conditioning. He has a BS in fitness and wellness, an MS in exercise science, a second masters in sports nutrition, and is a strength and conditioning PhD candidate at AUT in New Zealand.In this interview I pick Eric's brain about his online coaching practice. We go into detail on two topics that I believe are the most under-discussed in the industry - progress tracking and the adjustment decision making process. Eric explains exactly what data he looks at, and the different principles that he applies when making decisions for his powerlifting and bodybuilding clients.Show Notes:- Andy's marvellous introduction of Eric. [0'00 ]↓ ON AUTOREGULATION [3'08~]↓- What are the uses of RPE training? [6'05]↓ ON ONLINE COACHING [12'10~]↓- What kind of clients do you work with? [12'15]- How did you get started in the industry? [17'10]- On client communication - E-mail vs video messages, note taking, spreadsheets etc. [19'05~]- "The pros [of online coaching] so greatly outweigh the cons in my opinion that it's worth it. [24'45]- How often do you get clients to check in? What specific data do you ask for? [28'00]- On the pitfalls of body-fat measurement devices: "It's an issue of validity and reliability." [33'30]- How do we tell the difference between muscle loss, fat loss, and water fluctuations? [37'05]- "It's very important if you ask someone to weigh in every morning - especially when you are dealing with physique athletes, who are more prone towards body image and disordered eating type of behaviour - to contextualise why. [To explain] that we do not care about the day to day fluctuations..." [39'40]- On the kind of data that Eric bases his adjustment decisions off of [41'20]- On the mechanical inefficiencies of getting leaner - "Believe it or not, as you lose fat off your ass, your bench [numbers] will go down." [42'45]- "Trying to discern how much of the weight change is muscle and how much is fat is very difficult." [45'00]- On muscle mass change in competitors when dieting for a competition: "At the beginning of the diet, you're probably putting on a little muscle if you're doing things right, in the middle you're probably not seeing much change, and then towards the end you're losing muscle, almost unavoidably if someone is 4 or 5% body fat (if you're a male). So really you're trying to keep as much as possible over the course of it, as a net."- "It's not all just nutritional math..." [47'40]- Eric's explains his fat-loss guidelines. [49'00]- "The way I track and make decisions for a bodybuilder is different than for a powerlifter..." [50'40]- On faster vs slower rates of weight loss. [54'00]- Where you can catch up with Eric and his team. [58'30]- When I say 'punchable,' who is the first person that comes to mind? [61'45]- If you could grant one wish for the industry, what would it be? [62'30]For links to the resources discussed, check out the show notes here: http://rippedbody.com/podcast-eric-helms/

Danny Lennon is the man behind the Sigma Nutrition podcast, which has grown over the last couple of years to become the best podcast on nutrition. Danny is a sports nutrition coach from Ireland, and he's interviewed so many people over the last year that I thought it was about time that people found out more about the man himself. We get into some interesting areas on improving diet compliance for coaching clients, and the nutrition mistakes of MMA fighters. I really enjoyed this interview and I hope you do too.The content can be quite technical and so there are a lot of coaches, academics, and trainers that really appreciate the work he does in getting his interviews out there.Show notes:- The challenges of describing to people what you do. [~1'05 ]- "If you keep putting out good stuff and keep helping people then eventually things take off." [~6'30]- How did you get into the industry? [~7'10]- "I don't think that people that aren't actually coaching should be writing about it." [~12'10]- "Some people want to have more complex plans than they actually need." [~13'50]- What would you say is the key value that people derive from coaching? - "It depends on their current level." [16'00]- "When coaches try to write their own training program, they second guess it all the time." [~17'30]- "It's important to have skin in the game." [~18'40]- How do you help to give a wealthier client the same level of buy-in without unfairly charging them more? [~24'40]- "None of my coaching is based on an hourly rate or fee per hour of time..." [26'05]- What do you mean by, "a traditional, punch yourself in the face, contest diet?" [~29'15]- The mistakes that MMA fighters make with their nutrition [~31'30]- "There is no way they can perform at their best with a low carbohydrate diet." [37'50]- Why should I not take my fat intake really low? [43'15]- Highlights of the EPIC Summit in Birmingham [~45'00]- The value of making industry connections in person [~47'40]- What has been your most rewarding experience thus far in your job? [54'10]- "I think everyone kind of feels like a fraud in what they are doing to a certain extent when they are starting out." [~57'35]- "When you start putting the emphasis on good quality content, and you keep repeating that over time, eventually, people start to take notice." [~60'40]- When I say "punchable" who is the first person that comes to mind? [61'50]- Tim Ferriss' podcast - praise and criticisms from a biased fan. [~63'40]- "It's not about the endpoint, it's the journey that people have to enjoy." [~68'00]- Charging per vegetable change in a meal plan!? [~72'50]- If you could change one thing about our industry, what would it be and why? [74'55]For links to the resources discussed, check out the show notes here: http://rippedbody.com/podcast-danny-lennon/

The guest on the show today is a good industry friend of mine, Greg Nuckols.Greg is the content manager for Juggernaut Training Systems, one of the biggest strength training websites in the world. He's also the owner of Strengtheory.com, a site that has exploded in popularity over the last year due to the quality and originality of the writing that he's putting out. In addition to being a very well educated and exceptional writer, he’s also an elite level powerlifter, with best lifts including 755 pound squat, 475 pound bench and 725 deadlift (so over 1900 pounds total). Greg holds one all-time world record, he used to have two more but those were beaten in the last year, and I know he is itching to get those back.I hope you enjoy this somewhat rambling conversation between two friends. We cover a lot of topics, not just on lifting, but on business, ethics, beer and Greg's terrible taste in music.Show notes- Greg’s surprising music taste confession-On beards & hipsterism- Q) What do you do? - "I try my hardest to not sound like a drug dealer"- Stephen Hawking, Wall-E, Big Boys Aren't Afraid To Cry- Greg's lifting world records & how genetics played their role- 'The Art of Lifting' and 'The Science of Lifting' - Greg's books- The credibility hit we take when recommending fitness products- Q) If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be and why? - "More transparency"- The power of honesty - "When I started doing everything wrong with my website is when things started taking off."- Don't do this for the money - "If you computed my hourly earnings over that 2.5-yearr span, even taking out all the social media stuff, I guarantee you I've averaged less than $3 an hour. You have to embrace the grind. You have to love what you are doing. If money is what drives you, you're going to have a bad time."- Sleep & stress - "The two best strength gain periods of my life were where I was sleeping an average of 11 hours a day."- Greg answers this commonly asked question: "If you know what you are doing with your training, why aren't you any stronger than you were two years ago?"- The importance of 'buy-in'- Andy's ultimate buy-in tool to get Greg shredded... and why it fell through.- Beer talk. "I don't make enough money to become an alcoholic drinking the beer that I like to drink."- The importance of training environment for strength and muscle gains. "The longer that you can think of yourself as weak, the less chance there for your brain to get in the way of you continuing to make progress, and I think that is a big benefit of training in a gym with really strong people."- "Beating my hero, Tavis Mash, flipped a switch. 'I went from thinking, 'I'm done,' to 'I can do anything!'"- How taking fake steroids can gain us size and strength if we believe they are real.- Why it's sometimes best to turn down business.For links to the resources discussed, check out the show notes here: http://rippedbody.com/podcast-greg-nuckols/

My first guest is Chase Erwin. Chase is physique competitor and trainer based out of Little Rock Arkansas. He coaches people online also.Today you’re going to hear us talk about both our training histories, the experiences that made him the coach he is today, how he overcame being skinny, and we discuss what really makes him tick – why he loves his job.Show notes: http://rippedbody.com/podcast-chase-erwin/