Top Deck Muscle

This week the roles are reversed!

After sitting down with Kwame last week, this time he put me in the hot seat, with no questions off limits.

What followed was probably one of the most personal conversations I've had on Top Deck Muscle.

We talk about who I am outside of bodybuilding, the experiences that changed the direction of my life, becoming a husband and father, resilience, relationships, friendship, overthinking, the values I try to live by, and what I ultimately want my kids and the people around me to remember me for.

If you've followed me through bodybuilding, coaching or Top Deck and only know one side of me, I think this episode will give you a very different understanding of who I am and what actually matters to me.

We hope you enjoy it!

Millions of followers and a world-title-winning physique don’t make you immune to self-doubt. In this episode, Kwame Duah opens up about imposter syndrome, struggling to ask for help and why he sometimes questions whether he deserves a seat at the table.

This week on Top Deck Muscle, Ben takes the interviewer’s seat to get to know the man behind the physique, the videos and the big personality!

Kwame shares how “fake natural” accusations once affected his mood and relationships, how he’s changed the way he handles criticism, and why other people’s opinions no longer carry the same weight.

We also get into how much of our identity is tied to training, what losing the ability to lift would mean, and the role gratitude, faith and good people have played in his life.

There’s plenty of classic Top Deck banter along the way, including behind-the-scenes stories from Gladiators and Ninja Warrior, his unreleased music, and whether we’ll see him back on a bodybuilding stage.

If you’ve ever looked at someone successful and assumed they’ve got everything figured out, this conversation offers a different perspective.

What part of Kwame’s story hit home for you?

Let us know in the comments, and subscribe or follow Top Deck Muscle to stay up to date with all our uploads!

Stay chocolatey fam!

Bro science vs evidence based lifting. Which one actually gets better results?

It has become one of the biggest debates in the gym, and with so much fitness information being thrown at us online, training has somehow become more confusing than ever.

In this episode, we break down what both sides actually get right, where things can get taken too far, and why blindly following either camp can hold you back.

We get into training volume, junk volume, training to failure, exercise selection, machines versus free weights, the pump, mind muscle connection, training splits, progressive overload and the obsession with making everything “optimal”.

Most importantly, we talk about the principles that have built great physiques for decades and how to apply the science without losing the ability to actually listen to your own body, train hard and enjoy what you are doing.

If you have ever found yourself changing your training because of the latest study, Instagram reel or fitness trend, this episode is for you!

Don't forget to sub to the channel so you never miss another episode!

Fitness culture has never been bigger.

After four weeks off, we had plenty to unpack!

Ben had just returned from Bali, where fitness culture has become a huge part of the lifestyle, while Kwami had just been at the Australian Fitness Expo in Sydney, seeing firsthand just how much the industry continues to grow.

Those two experiences sparked a bigger conversation about what happens when fitness goes mainstream.

On one hand, more people are training, looking after their health, joining gyms and becoming part of communities built around fitness. That’s a massive positive!

But there’s another side to it too.

Social media pressure, unrealistic expectations, the rise of fitness influencers, people trying to look like coaches before becoming good coaches, and an industry where 'marketing' can sometimes outweigh actual knowledge and skill sets.

In this episode, we unpack how fitness culture has changed over the years, what we think the industry is getting right, and what may be getting lost along the way.

The rise of fitness culture is exciting, but like anything that grows quickly, it comes with both pros and cons.

We hope you enjoy!

At just 25 years old, Cam Whitters has already built a physique that has him knocking on the door of an IFBB Pro Card, coming incredibly close three times during his most recent season.

But what impressed us most in this episode wasn't just how Cam looks. It was the way he thinks.

Cam spoke incredibly well about what those near misses taught him, how his mindset has changed through competing, and why falling short of the result he wanted may actually have been one of the best things for his development.

We go right back to the beginning of his bodybuilding journey, how his approach to training and nutrition has evolved over the years, the lessons he's taken from competing, what he now believes matters most when building a great physique, and how he approaches the long game rather than getting caught up chasing quick results.

There are plenty of bodybuilding conversations in this one, but there's also a hell of a lot that applies outside of bodybuilding. Handling setbacks, staying patient, learning from losses and continuing to get better when things don't go your way.

Cam has an enormous future ahead of him, and after sitting down with him for this episode, it's pretty easy to understand why.

One of our favourite conversations we've had on Top Deck so far and absolutely packed with value.

We would love to hear your comments!

Who do you guys want on next?

You’ve done the hard part.

You followed the plan, pushed through the hunger, got into the best shape of your life… and then suddenly thought:

“Okay… now what?”

In this episode of Top Deck Muscle, we unpack the part of getting lean that almost nobody talks about: what happens after you reach the goal.

Whether you have competed in bodybuilding, dieted for a photo shoot, prepared for a wedding or simply completed a huge transformation, coming out of your leanest condition can be a strange experience.

You may be eating more food, feeling stronger and looking healthier—yet somehow feel worse about your body.

You may still be incredibly lean—but feel “soft.”

You may spend months dreaming about more food—only to feel guilty when you finally eat it.

And you may wonder why the person who was so disciplined during the diet suddenly feels completely out of control.

If that sounds familiar, you are definitely not alone.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why the post-diet phase can sometimes feel harder than the diet itself
• Why reaching the finish line can leave you feeling a little lost
• How to enjoy food again without falling into the binge-restrict cycle
• What to do after an unplanned meal or overeating episode
• What reverse dieting actually means—and what people often get wrong
• Why some weight regain is not only normal, but necessary
• How stage condition can completely change your idea of what “normal” looks like
• Why your strength, energy and recovery do not instantly return
• How to move from training to burn calories back toward training to perform and grow
• Why the best post-show plans are created before the show even begins
• Our own biggest mistakes, lessons and experiences after competing

This is not an episode telling you to “just accept getting out of shape.”

It is about learning how to move away from peak condition without throwing away your progress, losing control or making yourself miserable in the process.

Because the goal was never to stay at your leanest forever.

The goal is to build a body and a mindset you can actually enjoy living with.

A successful post-show phase is not measured by how little weight you regain.

It is measured by how well you recover, how strong you feel and how confidently you move into what comes next.

Getting stage lean might look glamorous from the outside.

But what does it really take to prepare for a bodybuilding competition, and what happens when the show is over?

In this episode of Top Deck Muscle Radio, we give an honest, unfiltered look behind the curtain of contest preparation.

Drawing on decades of combined competition experience, we break down the physical, mental, financial and personal realities that aspiring competitors need to understand before committing to the stage.

We discuss why your reason for competing matters, who should, and probably should not, begin a prep, how bodybuilding can slowly consume your identity, and the effect it can have on your relationships, social life and relationship with food.

We also cover:

• How to know whether you are physically and mentally ready
• Why most first-time competitors underestimate the timeline
• Choosing the right federation and category for your physique
• The real financial cost of getting on stage
• Why contest prep becomes a 24/7 commitment
• Hunger, exhaustion, food obsession and declining gym performance
• Why your placing should not define whether your prep was successful
• The dangerous pressure to maintain your stage physique
• Why the post-competition period can be harder than the diet itself
• Body dysmorphia, binge urges and the post-show blues
• How to set yourself up for a healthier recovery after the show

This episode is not designed to scare anyone away from competing.

For the right person, at the right time and for the right reasons, bodybuilding can be one of the most rewarding and life-changing challenges you will ever undertake.

But you need to understand exactly what you are signing up for.

Whether you are considering your first competition, currently preparing for a show, coaching competitors or trying to understand what someone close to you is experiencing, this is an episode you need to hear.

If you know someone who is thinking about competing, send this episode to them before they begin their prep, it could really help!

Subscribe to Top Deck Muscle Radio for honest conversations about bodybuilding, training, nutrition and everything that happens behind the scenes.

Sleep is one of the most powerful tools for improving your physique, performance and overall health.

Yet it's also one of the first things people sacrifice.

In this episode, we break down what the research actually says about sleep and why it has such a huge impact on muscle growth, fat loss, cravings, recovery, hormones and injury risk.

We also share practical strategies to improve your sleep, along with a rapid-fire ranking of some of the most popular recovery methods and whether they're actually worth your time.

If you're training hard but not getting the results you expect, this episode might explain why.

Enjoy Fam!

Fat loss doesn't need to be complicated...

Yet most people end up overwhelmed by conflicting advice, chasing the latest trends, or focusing on things that barely move the needle.

In this episode, we break fat loss down into the practical principles that actually make a difference for YOUR results.

No extreme diets.
No unnecessary rules.
No magic supplements.

Just the strategies that consistently work, explained in a way that's simple, realistic and ready for you to start applying.

Whether you're trying to lose your first 5kg or finally break through a plateau, this episode will help you focus on what matters most, and ignore what doesn't!

Let's jump in!

Imagine being able to sit down with your 18-year-old self for one hour.

What advice would you give?

In this episode, we share the biggest lessons, regrets, mistakes, and mindset shifts from nearly four decades in the fitness industry.

These are the conversations we wish someone had with us when we first walked into a gym.

If you're looking to build more than just muscle, and avoid years of unnecessary mistakes, this episode is for you!

Don't forget to like and subscribe, and share with someone who you think may benefit from hearing this!

We have more gyms, coaches, apps, podcasts, YouTube channels, meal plans, training programs, and fitness information available than ever before.

So why are so many people still struggling to achieve the results they want?

In this episode, we explore what we believe is one of the biggest issues in modern fitness:

It's no longer an information problem.It's an implementation problem.

We discuss why so many people get stuck consuming content instead of taking action, the dangers of information overload, and why chasing the perfect plan often becomes a form of procrastination.

We also cover:

• Why knowledge alone doesn't create results

• How social media can leave people feeling more confused than ever

• The difference between learning and implementing

• How to simplify your training and nutrition•

Practical ways to finally start building momentum and break through your current plateaus

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting advice, frustrated by a lack of progress, or stuck in a cycle of starting over, this episode is for you!

Most people think getting lean means giving up their favourite foods, living on chicken and broccoli, and avoiding takeaway forever.

Chris William, better known as"The Calorie Guy" ,has built a massive following by challenging that belief.

In this episode, we dive deep into the truth about calories, fat loss, flexible dieting, food guilt, and why so many people struggle to maintain results long term.

We unpack why most diets fail, the biggest mistakes people make when trying to lose weight, and how understanding energy balance can completely change the way you approach nutrition.

We also discuss:

• Can you actually eat KFC, McDonald's and takeaway while losing fat?
• Why food isn't "good" or "bad"
• The psychology behind cravings and binge eating
• Why restrictive diets often backfire
• Macro tracking and whether it's right for everyone
• The easiest way to create sustainable fat loss
• Why most people overcomplicate nutrition
• How technology and AI are changing calorie tracking forever

Whether you're trying to lose a few kilos, improve your relationship with food, or simply cut through the noise of the fitness industry, this episode will help you focus on what actually matters!

If you’ve ever said....
“I know what to do… I just don’t have the time.”

This episode is for you!

We break down how to actually get great results when life is busy, covering training, nutrition, recovery, routine, time management, and the small changes that make the biggest difference long-term.

No unrealistic routines.
No 2-hour workouts.
No meal prep obsession.

Just practical strategies to help you stay in shape, build momentum, and stop feeling like fitness has to take over your entire life.

Whether you’re balancing work, business, kids, travel, or just a packed schedule in general, this episode is designed to help remove the excuse of “having no time” once and for all.

As always, we keep it honest, realistic, and based on real-world coaching experience.

We hope this helps!

Our most powerful episode yet!

In this episode we sit down with Richie Elliott, an ex-combat sports athlete who competed internationally as both a fighter and coach.

He’s coached national and world champions across boxing, kickboxing, and MMA, served in the elite French Foreign Legion, and now works as both a boxing coach at Rikers Gym and a UFC cutman with some of the best fighters in the world.

But this episode goes far beyond fighting.

We dive into resilience, leadership, purpose, discipline, fatherhood, and what it really means to be a strong human being in today’s world.

One of the most powerful takeaways from this conversation was Richie’s perspective on who the “real hero” actually is, and why it’s often not the person society celebrates most.

This was one of the deepest and most meaningful conversations we’ve had on the podcast so far, and honestly, one we think every person can take something from!

Please share this with someone who you think will benefit from this podcast, you never know know how much they may need to hear it

Much love, Ben & Kwame

In this episode of Top Deck Muscle, we sit down for a completely unfiltered Q&A round, answering some of the most frequent questions we get asked around training, fat loss, muscle growth, recovery, nutrition, and mindset.

We cover questions like:

This episode is packed with practical advice, honest opinions, relatable conversations, and plenty of laughs along the way!

Whether you’re just getting started or have been training for years, there’s something in this one for everyone.

If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone who’d appreciate hearing it!

In this episode of Top Deck Muscle, Ben and Kwame tackle one of the biggest reasons people lose motivation…

Putting in the work, but no longer seeing results.

Whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain, strength, or simply feeling better in your body, this episode is a full troubleshooting guide to help you identify what’s actually holding you back.

We cover:

-Why most people aren’t training as hard as they think

-How to get the best results whilst avoiding injury

-Common nutrition mistakes that stall progress

-Why “healthy” foods can still sabotage fat loss

-The recovery habits most people ignore

-Sleep, stress & cortisol explained simply

-The 'all-or-nothing' mindset trap

-How to rebuild momentum when motivation disappears

This episode is raw, practical and packed with actionable advice you can apply immediately to improve your results!

If you’ve been spinning your wheels lately and wondering why your body isn’t changing, this one is for you!

Stay chocolatey fam!

The fitness coaching industry is booming.

But is it getting better, or just louder?

Episode 13 of Top Deck Muscle features Richard Collins, a coach with 20 years in the trenches from professional sporting athletes to physique competitors.

In this episode, we cover:

Practical, honest, and genuinely one of the best coaching conversations we've had on the pod.

Richard, thank you for your time and wisdom, it has been an absolute pleasure!

Trust us, you'll want a notepad for this one.

🔗 @richard_collinscoach | Full Potential Academy

What does it actually take to walk around at 136kg of lean muscle?

Episode 12 of Top Deck Muscle features the man mountain himself, Matt Hampton. bodybuilder, former elite volleyball player, walking dictionary and one of the most physically impressive human beings you'll ever come across.

But behind the size is a story most people never see.

In this episode: the real financial and physical cost of being that big, two career-threatening injuries (a torn pec and a ripped bicep, an honest conversation about performance enhancing supplements, and why the hardest part of his lifestyle isn't the training, it's everything else.

Matt also breaks down his training philosophy, what he looks for when working with clients, and why patience is the single most underrated trait in fitness and life.

Funny, raw, and with a bunch of usable takeaways!

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

🔗 @matthamptonpt | Zone 6 App — zone6.com.au

In Episode 11, we sit down with Alexandra Milne- online coach, content creator, and one of Australia’s rising voices in the fitness space, for our first-ever female guest on the show.

We dive into the real issues women are facing right now in the fitness industry… and why so many are stuck despite doing “all the right things.”

From chronic dieting and overdoing cardio, to the pressure of social media and the return of the ultra-skinny trend, this is an honest and highly valuable conversation about what actually works, and what needs to change.

We also go deeper into Alexandra’s journey, building a following of over 500,000 people, dealing with criticism online, and what it really takes to back yourself and chase something bigger.

If you’re a female trying to get results, this episode truly matters.

And for the guys listening, this will give you a whole new perspective.

If you got value from this episode, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

And if you haven’t already, follow the show so you don’t miss what’s coming next!

They doubted him. Wrote him off. Counted him out. But Charlie Dixon proved them all wrong.In this episode of Top Deck Muscle, we sit down with AFL star Charlie Dixon to break down the mindset, resilience, and pressure that comes with competing at the highest level.This conversation goes way beyond footy.We dive into:

If you’ve ever felt overlooked or underestimated, this episode will hit home.🎙️ Follow / Subscribe to Top Deck Muscle for more episodes and to never miss an upload!

54 years old… and still in his prime.

In this episode, we sit down with Nick Jones- founder of Gen-Tec Nutrition, multiple-time international bodybuilding champion, and a man who’s still outperforming guys half his age.

But this isn’t just about training.

We dive into the mindset, discipline, and life lessons that have kept him consistent for decades, through business, fatherhood, and the ups and downs of a long career in the industry.

From how he trains and eats to stay in shape YEAR ROUND at 54…to the reality of what it actually takes to maintain a high level over time…to how bodybuilding quite literally changed and saved his life.

This is a powerful conversation about longevity, purpose, and doing the work when most people would’ve already slowed down.

If you’re serious about improving yourself, not just for a season, but for life, this one is a MUST

Drop a comment below with your biggest takeaway 👇

Kwame is back, and we’re getting straight into it!

In this episode, we break down how to actually stay in shape while on holiday (without over-restricting or completely blowing out), when a mini cut actually makes sense and how to do it properly, and whether deloads are essential… or just an excuse to take a week off training.

If you’ve ever come back from a holiday feeling like you’ve undone all your progress, struggled to know when to push vs pull back, or just felt a bit lost with how to structure things long-term, this episode will help you simplify it and stay on track!

You asked the questions; here are my honest answers

In this solo-cast episode, I answer a series of questions submitted through our social media, covering everything from training and nutrition to genetics, recovery, mindset, and the realities of building a great physique.

We dive into topics like:

• Whether peptides are the next big thing or just another shortcut
• How social media has distorted expectations for beginners
• The real relationship between muscle size and strength
• The role genetics actually plays in physique development
• The biggest nutrition mistakes amateurs make
• The supplements that genuinely help natural lifters
• Sleep struggles and recovery strategies that actually work
• Training principles that deliver the biggest return on investment
• Discipline, motivation, and training through different seasons of life
• How becoming a dad changed the way I think about training and priorities

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting advice or wondered what actually matters in the long run, this episode will help you simplify the process and focus on the things that truly make a difference.

What does it take to become one of the strongest humans on the planet?

In this episode, we sit down with strongman athlete and 4× Guinness World Record holder Jordy Steffens to unpack the journey behind the records.

From the training, nutrition, and relentless mindset required to perform at the highest level, Jordy shares what it really takes to push the limits of human performance.

But this conversation goes deeper than just lifting heavy weights.

We talk about discipline, resilience, setbacks, and why Jordy’s focus has shifted from chasing records to helping others unlock their own strength potential.

Whether you're a strength athlete, a gym enthusiast, or someone simply looking for inspiration to push your limits, this episode is packed with powerful lessons.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

The fitness industry is louder than ever.

Cold plunges.
Wearables.
Detoxes.
High-protein everything.

But what actually matters, and what’s just noise?

In this episode, we go head-to-head on what we think is overrated, underrated, and completely misunderstood in the fitness industry.

Because too many people are majoring in the minors.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by trends, confused by conflicting advice, or unsure where to focus your energy, this episode will help you simplify your approach and double down on what actually gives you the best return when it comes to your results!

Some of these may surprise you!

Most people don’t struggle to train hard, they struggle to train correctly for growth.

Muscle gain sounds simple: lift weights, eat more, repeat. But plenty of lifters spend years in the gym without adding real size because they miss the fundamentals that actually drive hypertrophy.

In this episode, we break down what truly builds muscle and what just feels productive but doesn’t move the needle.

We cover:

Why effort and progression matter more than fancy programs

The role of volume and how much you actually need

Training intensity and proximity to failure

The biggest muscle-building mistakes

How to eat for growth without just getting soft

Why sleep and recovery cap your progress

The truth about “bulking”

No gimmicks. No magic exercises. Just the principles that consistently build size, and how to apply them properly.

Fat loss is one of the most talked-about topics in fitness, and still, one of the most misunderstood.

In this episode, we strip it back to the fundamentals and de-bunk the myths!

We cover what actually drives fat loss, why most people stall or regain weight, and how to approach training, nutrition, and habits in a way that’s sustainable for the long-term, not just for a quick 8-week challenge.

If you’ve ever felt confused by conflicting advice, frustrated by plateaus, or tired of starting over, this episode will help you think more clearly about fat loss and what really matters

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Hyrox and running clubs are everywhere right now, and for good reason.
In this episode, we break down why they’ve exploded, what they do really well, and where people often go wrong.

We talk community, competition, injury risk, and the biggest mistake people make when jumping into endurance-style training too fast. Most importantly, we explain how strength training fits alongside Hyrox and running so you can get fitter without sacrificing muscle, performance, or long-term progress.

If you’re thinking about joining a running club, training for Hyrox, or trying to balance cardio with the gym, this episode will help you train smarter, not just harder.

👇 Drop a comment: Are you team gym, team Hyrox, team run club… or trying to combine them all?

New Year motivation is easy. Staying consistent isn’t.

In this first episode of Top Deck Muscle, we talk honestly about why so many people fall off their fitness goals, and why it’s rarely about discipline.

From injuries and longevity to mindset, identity, and playing the long game, this is a conversation about building a body (and life) you can sustain for the long-term!