The Upgrade w/ Ben Craughwell

In this episode, Ben will break down the 10 most common reasons men struggle to lose body fat, even when they feel like they're doing everything right.

Most men wait far too long to hire a coach. They spend years jumping from program to program, watching YouTube videos, trying new diets, buying supplements, and convincing themselves they can figure it out alone. The problem isn't a lack of information, it's execution. In this episode, Ben breaks down exactly when hiring a coach makes sense, when it doesn't, and the warning signs that you're wasti...

Most men approach muscle gain the wrong way. They spend months bulking, gain 20 pounds, and end up looking softer than when they started. Then they spend months dieting just to get back to where they were. In this episode, Ben breaks down how to build muscle without losing your abs in the process.

Most men think they need more discipline. More motivation. More willpower. More grit. But if you've been trying to get lean for years and still aren't where you want to be, the problem probably isn't your effort. It's that you're relying on willpower to do a job that should be handled by systems. In this episode, Ben breaks down why willpower is one of the biggest reasons high-performing men stay...

After spending months focused on getting lean, there comes a point where the goal shifts: building muscle properly without losing control of your physique. In this episode, Ben will break down exactly how he is approaching my current muscle-building phase, including the biggest mistakes most people make when trying to “bulk” and how to add size without just getting unnecessarily fat.

Most men think the scale tells the full story. It doesn’t. In this episode, Ben discusses why so many people are losing weight but still don’t look lean, defined, or athletic and the biggest mistakes keeping them stuck in the “skinny fat” stage.

In this episode, Ben will break down the testosterone crisis that’s quietly affecting millions of men. Low energy. Brain fog. Poor sleep. Low motivation. Increased body fat. Weak training performance. Declining sex drive. Most men think it’s just stress, getting older, or “part of being busy” - but in many cases, testosterone levels are far below where they should be. He discusses why testosterone...

Retatrutide is one of the newest weight loss drugs getting a lot of attention right now. Appetite suppression. Reduced food noise. Rapid fat loss. But just because something works does not mean it makes sense for you. In this episode, Ben breaks down what Retatrutide actually is, how it works, and where it fits into the bigger picture of getting lean and staying lean. Medical disclaimer: This epis...

Most men Ben speaks to aren’t lacking effort at all, it's structure that's the problem. They train hard, try different diets, stay “kind of consistent”… and still look the same year after year. In this episode, Ben breaks down the exact 11 steps required to build a jacked, lean physique without guesswork or extremes. This is the system used inside the program with high-performing men who want resu...

Peptides are everywhere right now. From fat loss and muscle growth to recovery, sleep, and anti-aging, they’re being sold as the shortcut most men think they’ve been missing. But do they actually deliver… or are they just another expensive distraction? In this episode, Ben breaks down what peptides are, how they work, and whether they’re worth your time, money, and attention if your goal is to get...

Whether you’re just starting in the gym or you’ve been training for years, muscle growth comes down to the same core principles, but most men either overcomplicate it or completely miss the fundamentals. In this episode, Ben delves into exactly how to train for muscle growth from beginner to advanced, and how your training needs to evolve as you get stronger, more experienced, and harder to grow.

Most men say they want to lose weight. But if your goal is to get jacked, losing weight isn’t the goal, losing fat is. In this episode, Ben will break down the difference between losing weight vs losing fat.

Most men over 35 aren’t failing because they’re not working hard enough. They’re failing because they’re doing the wrong things consistently. In this episode, Ben breaks down the 11 biggest muscle-building mistakes that keep high-performing men stuck looking the same year after year, despite training regularly and eating “pretty well.”

In this episode, Ben dissects exactly how he approaches testosterone replacement based on real-world experience, not theory. What actually works, what causes problems, and how to get the benefits without wrecking your health, physique, or long-term hormones.

In this episode, Ben discusses the number one thing that sets men in phenomenal shape apart from those that stay looking the exact same year after year. 

In this episode, Ben breaks down the 5 Levels of Nutrition you need to master if your goal is to get lean, defined, and truly shredded over 35 without wasting years in the gym with no result.

In this episode, Ben discusses his top methods for meal planning to get the best results possible. 

In this episode, Ben discusses the importance of listening to those who have walked the walk.

Most fat loss plans fail for one simple reason. They’re built for short-term results, not real life. In this episode, Ben breaks down why anything you can’t sustain for a decade has no place in your plan right now. Extreme calories, rigid meal plans, all-or-nothing training, cutting out foods you enjoy… it might work for a few weeks, but it’s exactly what leads to rebounds, frustration, and starti...

Most men fail because they’re unknowingly doing the exact things that keep them stuck. In this episode, Ben breaks down the 6 biggest mistakes that quietly sabotage your progress, even when you feel like you’re doing everything right. If you’ve ever felt like you’re working hard but your body isn’t changing, this will show you exactly why and what to fix. No fluff. Just the real reasons you’re not...

Most men who train consistently still carry fat around the lower stomach and sides, because the way they’re approaching fat loss is completely wrong. In this episode, Ben will break down why lower belly fat and love handles are usually the last places to lean out, why endless ab exercises won’t fix it, and the common mistakes high-performing men make when trying to get lean.

Most high performing executives assume the solution to stubborn body fat is simple. Eat less. So they cut calories again. Skip meals. Add more cardio. Push harder. And the scale stops moving. Or worse. They start gaining fat while eating less than ever. This is the exact trap that keeps busy executives stuck in the same frustrating plateau for years. In this episode Ben breaks down why aggressive...

Most men think they need more motivation to train harder. They don’t. What they actually need is a better system. Because if you’re already someone who shows up to the gym, the difference between average results and an elite physique usually comes down to small adjustments that massively improve the quality of your training. Tiny things that compound over months and years. In this episode, Ben wil...

Most men looking at Ozempic are chasing a shortcut. But the real problem usually is not a lack of medication. It is a lack of structure.   In this episode we break down the exact steps to fix your training, nutrition, and lifestyle before you ever consider using weight loss drugs. Because most driven men over 35 can get lean, strong, and in control of their body without relying on injections.   If...

If you’re a high performing man and want to get into the best shape of your life, stop doing this common thing.