Michael Matthews’s Bigger, Leaner, Stronger is essential reading for anyone who trains naturally. Matthews cuts through the myths that clutter fitness culture and replaces them with clear principles built on three pillars: mindset, nutrition, and training. Mastery of each pillar is necessary to build a truly elite physique.
The section on mindset resonated with me most, especially the idea of “future-self discontinuity.” People often assume that a future version of themselves will become more disciplined or motivated, so they postpone taking action now. I have caught myself thinking, “I’ll learn Spanish when I get out of prison,” as if release will somehow give me extra drive. In reality, there is no reason to expect that future me will be any more eager to study than I am today. Recognizing this fallacy pushes me to act in the present because the best time to improve is right now.
Over the past eight months, I have applied Matthews’s advice in the Fort Dix weight room. Careful control of calories and macros, paired with heavy compound lifts and steady progressive overload, helped me move from 128 pounds at 9.5 percent body fat to 146 pounds at 13 percent. My bench press has increased by 70 pounds, my squat by 80, and my deadlift by 120.
This book reshaped my entire approach to training. It taught me to ignore fad diets and focus on evidence-based nutrition, to follow a structured program built on compound movements and gradual load increases, and to accept that visible change arrives over months and years rather than from a single marathon workout. The same principle applies across many other aspects of life, such as becoming a doctor: progress comes from small, consistent steps taken every day.
I look forward to seeing where disciplined application of these principles takes my fitness over the next two years and beyond my release. Physical health is a commitment that must be renewed daily, and Bigger, Leaner, Stronger has given me both the blueprint and the mindset to honor that commitment for life.
