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LEARN WITH MATTER
Podcasts, athlete stories, guides and ideas to help you think, train and grow.
We believe that human potential deserves exploration; making it FREE is how we help others give that potential back and change the world.
When we first started Matter Athletica back in 2020, we had many, many business gurus tell us, "Don't give so much away for free! It will devalue your business!"
To which we gave the middle finger to all of them and went to town on giving and creating as many resources as we could possibly create because our vision is and always has been bigger than money, and it is our firm belief that if sharing what you know takes away from your core product, well, then your core product isn't worth it...
The way we coach has led us to work with high-performing mums, dads, CEO's of multi-million dollar companies, IBO Boxers, Fighter Pilots, IFBB Athletes, Pro Winning Physique athletes, NFL athletes, MLB athletes, and has taken us around the world to share our method and approach... the best part, our content was free the entire time, and it never held back any of these incredible athletes or professionals from working with us individually.
Our Blog
Our blogs dive deep into philosophy, including stoicism, existentialism, accountability, and insights from athletic and coaching careers. If you love a deep read, these are the perfect places to start to wrap your head around the kind of thinking we operate in, and if this is something you also enjoy as an individual or athlete. Read from the below or access our complete blog catalogue via the selection below.
Our "Lock-in" Gym Playlist
If you have ever read our Environment E-Book, you will know we are big on how you set up your surroundings and environment that you learn in, recover in, and train in is important for the success of your goals.
Since we love bodybuilding, train with intensity, have a background in team sports behind us, and know how to lock in psychologically, you can assume there are some stellar selections on this playlist. Enjoy...
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Recommended Reading List
Authors we love, books that changed us as people and coaches, and got us through significant phases in life. From entry-level, heartfelt, and action-inspiring reads to advanced-level philosophy that will leave your brain hungry for more understanding of self, accountability, morality, and more. We are building a base of studious athletes who think critically, not robots who can simply follow a program.
Shoe Dog
- Phil Knight
Beginner Friendly:
Shoe Dog is Phil Knight’s memoir of building Nike from a small idea into one of the world’s most recognisable brands, through years of uncertainty, setbacks and hard decisions. It’s a reminder that meaningful progress rarely follows a clean plan; it comes from staying committed, adapting and continuing to put the work in. For readers building a career, business or physique, the appeal is in seeing what it takes to keep backing a long-term vision when the outcome is far from guaranteed.
The Obstacle Is The Way - Ryan Holiday
Beginner Friendly:
The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday draws on Stoic philosophy to show how challenges can be met with clear thinking, purposeful action and resilience. It encourages readers to focus on what they can control and use setbacks as a reason to adjust, learn and keep moving forward. For anyone working towards a demanding goal, it offers a practical reminder that progress often depends on how you respond when the plan gets difficult.
The Score Takes Care of Itself - Bill Walsh
Beginner Friendly:
The Score Takes Care of Itself is Bill Walsh’s philosophy of leadership, drawn from his experience transforming the San Francisco 49ers through clear standards and attention to the details of performance. His central idea is to focus on doing the work well and building the right habits; results follow from the quality of the process. For Matter readers, it connects closely with the idea that physique and performance are built through consistent standards, not by fixating on the outcome alone.
The Mindful Athlete
- George Mumford
Intermediate:
The Mindful Athlete by George Mumford explores how mindfulness can help athletes build focus, manage pressure and perform with greater awareness. Drawing on his work with elite athletes, Mumford offers practical ways to bring that mindset into training and everyday life. For Matter readers, it’s a useful reminder that progress is shaped by more than what you do in the gym; how you respond to discomfort, distraction and pressure matters too.
Relentless & Winning ( 2 books) - Tim Grover
Intermediate:
Relentless and Winning by Tim Grover explore the mindset, standards and discipline behind performing at a high level, drawing on his experience coaching elite athletes. Together, they challenge readers to examine what they’re willing to commit to, how they respond under pressure and what it takes to keep improving when the goal gets demanding. For Matter readers pursuing progress in training, competition or work, they offer a direct look at the intensity ambition can require—and a prompt to decide what winning means to you.
12 Rules for Life -
Jordan B. Peterson
Intermediate:
12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson brings together psychology, philosophy and lessons from ancient stories to explore how to live with greater responsibility and purpose. Its twelve principles include putting your own life in order and measuring yourself against who you were yesterday, rather than someone else today. For Matter readers, that emphasis on personal responsibility and steady self-improvement connects with the work of building a physique and a life you’re proud of.
Marcus Aurelius - Meditations
Advanced:
Meditations is a collection of personal reflections in which Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius returns to Stoic ideas about character, duty and facing life’s challenges. Rather than offering a step-by-step system, it reads like a series of reminders to act with integrity, focus on what you can control and meet difficulty with perspective. For Matter readers, its value is in the mindset behind consistent effort: showing up, taking responsibility for your actions and staying grounded in the process.
Ordinary Men - Christopher R Browning
Advanced:
Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning examines how members of Reserve Police Battalion 101 took part in the mass murder and deportation of J*wish people in N*zi-occupied Poland. Drawing on postwar testimony, Browning explores the roles of conformity, group pressure and gradual moral compromise in their actions. For Matter readers, it’s a confronting study of how the standards we accept and the choices we make shape who we become, and a reminder to take responsibility for both.
The Gulag Archipelago - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Very Advanced:
The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn combines his own experience with accounts from other prisoners to examine the Soviet system of prisons and forced-labour camps. It documents the machinery of repression and the lives of people caught inside it, while reflecting on courage, suffering and moral responsibility. For Matter readers, its connection is a sobering one: it asks what integrity looks like under pressure, and why personal responsibility and human dignity matter.
Athlete Documentaries
Our athlete documentaries take you beyond the final physique and into the work, decisions, and experiences behind it. Hosted on our YouTube channel, they follow the realities of preparation: the progress, the pressure, the setbacks, and the people doing the work. For Matter viewers, they offer a closer look at how the process builds more than a stage-ready physique: it develops the discipline, perspective, and capability to carry into life beyond the gym.
Athlete Documentaries
Athlete Documentaries
Road to Stage - Season B 2022 | Episode 6
Matter Athletica - State Titles NBA & IFBB Athletes Season B 2023
The Road to Nationals: Ben’s 2026 Bodybuilding Documentary
Season B | Natural Bodybuilding Australia | Womens Figure Category
Ideas to Put Into Practice
A collection of e-books written by us, exploring the ideas behind growth, direction, and a more intentional life both inside and outside the gym.
Nerds Matter
Nerds Matter. We, the founders of Matter Athletica, are huge nerds. If you're working on your physique with us, chances are, you're working on your mental game all the same!
Nerds Matter Club is designed to be a private hub hosted within Matter Athletica, where you can download and keep our full-length research articles to read up on in-depth subjects and develop your knowledge further.
Conversations Beyond the Gym.
The Matter Mentality Podcast is where we sit down with people who have spent years learning their craft and get into what their experience can teach the rest of us.
We’ve had conversations with Special Forces leaders, Olympic coaches, athletes, and specialists across training, nutrition, psychology, biomechanics, business, and philosophy, including Edose Ibadin, Coach Kav, Tom Sheppard, Dr Mike T. Nelson, Ali Gilbert, Phil Gerard, Chris “Tex” McQuilkin, and CJ Appenzeller.
Some episodes get into the science; others go deeper into identity, adversity, coaching, leadership, and purpose, but the aim is always the same: to leave you with ideas you can take into your own training and the rest of your life.