Matthew Mutton
The physique you want, with a lifestyle you can live with.
Former fat guy. 40% body fat to 6%, at 43, with three kids and a business to run. I post the unglamorous middle part.
40% → 6%Body fat
1,268Days logged, unbroken
43Years old
The five rules
- 1Optimize your hormones
- 2Lift weights
- 3Walk daily
- 4Track your food
- 5Track your sleep
Your numbers, free
—Calories
—Protein
—Fat
—Carbs
How to run it
Weigh in and measure your waist the same two days every week. Monday is your high, because the weekend is still in it. Friday is your low, because the week has cleared it. Watch whether both ends drift down and ignore everything in between.
Scale down, tape down, or scale flat, tape down: it is working, change nothing. That second one is where most people quit.
Both flat for two weeks: add steps first. They cost nothing and carry no recovery debt. Only cut calories when the steps stop working, and take it out of carbs and fat. Protein moves last, and barely.
Nothing changes on a schedule. Most people cut by calendar and run out of room by week eight.
Three programs, free
2-Day Full Body
Five compound movements, twice a week, about thirty minutes. For building the habit, or for holding muscle while you cut hard. A barbell, a bench and a rack is all it takes.
Every session
Squat
Barbell back squat · Hack squat · Leg press2 × 8–12
Hinge
Barbell RDL · DB RDL · Back extension2 × 8–12
Flat press
Barbell bench press · DB bench press · Chest press machine2 × 8–12
Vertical pull — Day 1
Lat pulldown · Pull-up · Assisted pull-up2 × 8–12
Horizontal pull — Day 2
Barbell row · Chest-supported row · Seated cable row2 × 8–12
Overhead press
Standing barbell OHP · Seated DB press · Shoulder press machine2 × 8–12
Progression: hit 12 on both sets, add weight next session, start again at 8. Every exercise, every session. Two sets only works if they are hard sets.
3-Day Push Pull Legs
Three sessions a week, three working sets per movement. Run it on fixed days, or rotating so each session comes around every five or six days instead of seven.
Push
Flat press
Barbell bench press · DB bench press · Chest press machine3 × 8–12
Incline press
Incline DB press · Incline barbell press · Incline machine press3 × 8–12
Chest iso
Pec deck · Cable crossover · DB fly3 × 8–12
Overhead press
Standing barbell OHP · Seated DB press · Shoulder press machine3 × 8–12
Side delt iso
DB lateral raise · Cable lateral raise · Machine lateral raise3 × 8–12
Triceps iso 1
Cable pushdown · Rope pushdown · Dip machine3 × 8–12
Triceps iso 2
Overhead cable extension · Skullcrusher · Incline DB extension3 × 8–12
Pull
Horizontal pull
Barbell row · Chest-supported row · Machine row3 × 8–12
Vertical pull
Lat pulldown · Pull-up · Neutral-grip pulldown3 × 8–12
Second horizontal pull
Seated cable row · Single-arm DB row · T-bar row3 × 8–12
Back iso
Straight-arm pulldown · Cable pullover · DB pullover3 × 8–12
Rear delt iso
Reverse fly machine · Cable reverse fly · Face pull3 × 8–12
Biceps iso 1
DB curl · EZ bar curl · Cable curl3 × 8–12
Biceps iso 2
Hammer curl · Preacher curl · Incline DB curl3 × 8–12
Legs
Squat pattern
Barbell back squat · Hack squat · Leg press3 × 8–12
Hinge
Barbell RDL · DB RDL · Cable RDL3 × 8–12
Leg extension
Leg extension · Single-leg extension · Sissy squat3 × 8–12
Leg curl
Seated leg curl · Lying leg curl · Standing single-leg curl3 × 8–12
Calf 1
Standing calf raise · Leg press calf raise · Smith machine calf raise3 × 8–12
Calf 2
Seated calf raise · Standing calf raise · Leg press calf raise3 × 8–12
Pick one movement per slot and keep it for twelve weeks. Front and side delts live on push. Rear delts live on pull. Always.
4-Day Upper / Lower
Upper, lower, upper, lower. Each session runs twice a week, so every muscle gets two windows instead of one. Three sets if you have the time, two if you do not. The frequency is doing the work here, not the volume.
Upper — twice a week
Flat press
Barbell bench press · DB bench press · Chest press machine2–3 × 8–12
Horizontal pull
Barbell row · Chest-supported row · Machine row2–3 × 8–12
Incline press
Incline DB press · Incline barbell press · Incline machine press2–3 × 8–12
Vertical pull
Lat pulldown · Pull-up · Neutral-grip pulldown2–3 × 8–12
Chest iso
Pec deck · Cable crossover · DB fly2–3 × 8–12
Back iso
Straight-arm pulldown · Cable pullover · DB pullover2–3 × 8–12
Overhead press
Standing barbell OHP · Seated DB press · Shoulder press machine2–3 × 8–12
Side delt iso
DB lateral raise · Cable lateral raise · Machine lateral raise2–3 × 8–12
Rear delt iso
Reverse fly machine · Cable reverse fly · Face pull2–3 × 8–12
Triceps iso
Cable pushdown · Overhead cable extension · Dip machine2–3 × 8–12
Biceps iso
DB curl · Hammer curl · Preacher curl2–3 × 8–12
Lower — twice a week
Squat pattern
Barbell back squat · Hack squat · Leg press2–3 × 8–12
Hinge
Barbell RDL · DB RDL · Cable RDL2–3 × 8–12
Leg extension
Leg extension · Single-leg extension · Sissy squat2–3 × 8–12
Leg curl
Seated leg curl · Lying leg curl · Nordic curl2–3 × 8–12
Calf 1
Standing calf raise · Leg press calf raise · Smith machine calf raise2–3 × 8–12
Calf 2
Seated calf raise · Standing calf raise · Leg press calf raise2–3 × 8–12
Run it Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, or any four days with a rest between the pairs. Same session both times in the week — every one of them is an attempt to beat the last.
Matt’s actual current program
6-Day Push Pull Legs
Live · updated as it changes
Push, pull, legs, push, pull, legs, rest. Two working sets per exercise, taken to failure. This is the actual program I am on, and it will always be here and always current. Machines and cables, no barbell squat, bench or deadlift — at 43 I buy frequency instead of heroics.
Push
Pec deck2 sets
Single-arm cable cross4 sets
Iso-lateral chest press2 sets
Lateral raise2 sets
Shoulder press2 sets
Overhead triceps extension2 sets
Triceps extension2 sets
Pull
Lat pulldown, single arm4 sets
Iso-lateral row, single arm4 sets
Lat press down2 sets
Medieval archer4 sets
Hammer curl2 sets
Bicep curl2 sets
Reverse fly2 sets
Legs
Hip adductor2 sets
Leg extension2 sets
Seated leg curl2 sets
Romanian deadlift, cable2 sets
Belt squat2 sets
Standing calf raise2 sets
Seated calf raise2 sets
Two sets only works if they are hard sets. I ran the big three for years and lost six to eight weeks a year to being hurt. What builds me now is quality tension and progressive overload, fifty-two weeks a year. Twenty-five pounds down on this program and every working weight has gone up.
Work with me
Self-Guided Program
$150
Everything I use, built so you can run it yourself.
Five training splits, 2 through 6 days a week, built as slots instead of fixed exercise lists. You get the job that needs doing and a menu of movements that do it, so it works in your gym.
The full program builder comes with it. Pick your split, your days, your muscle groups, your order, your sets and your rep range, and it assembles the whole thing and tells you your weekly set count for every muscle.
40% body fat to 6% on these exact rules, at 43, with three kids and a business to run.
Get the Self-Guided Program
Fully-Guided Program
$1,500 for three months
I build it, I run it, and I am in it with you every week.
Your training and your numbers, set for you and adjusted on what is actually happening. Your weigh-ins, your waist, your logbook. When something stalls I see it and we change it, instead of you grinding out six more weeks hoping.
Weekly check-ins, plus direct access between them. I answer within a day.
Three month minimum. Limited spots. Real contact, not a template with my name on it.
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