Meet the coaches: Mike Samuels

This is a post that I'm extremely excited to share with you. You've probably seen me write a lot about Mike Samuels, or Healthy Living, Heavy Lifting. I've been an avid follower of his for a while now, and much of the content that I produce is based on experiences that I've had after following his articles and acting on many of the suggestions that he makes. In my opinion, he's nothing short of a genius with an awesome writing style, and to top it all off - he's a great guy. So without further ado, let's learn a little more about the man himself!

Q: Sum up yourself and what you do.

A: I'm Mike - an online coach, writer and personal trainer from England. I like eating, lifting heavy stuff, and helping others to feel better about themselves.

Q: Tell us a little about your background. Have you always been health and fitness oriented? Have you always been a coach? If not, tell us about what you did before and why you wanted to become a coach.

A: I was always the chubby kid at school and got pissed off with that, so I started running.

I ran myself down from a podgy 15-stone to about 9-stone, while following a low-fat diet. Essentially I got skinny! Then I discovered weights and decided I wanted to be a personal trainer. The only non-fitness jobs I've had were a paper round at age 14, and I did 6 months in a DIY store part-time while I was at college. I started as a full-time PT in 2009, got involved in online coaching in 2014, and have been mostly online since then.

Q: As a coach, what are the key things that you try to instil in your clients?

A: Life comes before diet and training ... ALWAYS.

Q: Have you ever competed in any bodybuilding/powerlifting/sport related competitions?

A: Yup. Last year I competed in both men's physique and bodybuilding, so had to strut my stuff on stage in skimpy pants! I also competed in 5 powerlifting competitions between 2012 and 2014, and am looking at getting back into it later this year

Q: Describe your own training style/approach

A: That's a tough one. I actually prefer not to have to think about my own training, hence I hire someone to program for me. But I suppose I like a mix of heavy stuff and pump work, along with basic powerlifting and "bro stuff." (because who doesn't love curls and pushdowns?)

Q: Who is your biggest inspiration? (Fitness or otherwise) and why?

Okay, these questions just get tougher.

I guess two guys - Nate Green and Jon Goodman - got me passionate about wanting to help loads of people, and live a cool life with purpose.

Q: What would be your words of advice to anyone just starting out?

A: Just do the basics really, really well. Pick a few people to follow, and whatever you choose to do, stick with it. An average program and diet done consistently and with intensity will always get better results than chopping and changing between the latest fads.

Q: Team HLHL is picking up speed and growing rapidly, are there any new projects on the horizon off the back of this success?

A: Plenty more ebooks, potentially a membership site and world domination.

(Two of those are true by the way.)

*Author's note - I have it on good authority that Mike has already invested in a death ray to hold the world to ransom.

Q: Are you currently affiliated with any brands?

A: Nope - I prefer to advise people on different products from a completely unbiased standpoint.

Q: Any favourite/recommended supplements?

I'm a big fan of the Protein Works - they're a UK-based company, and have grown rapidly in recent years but still have a nice personal touch.

Q: As an IIFYM'er, you're always experimenting with foods, what are your staple foods/what's your favourite meal to make at the moment?

Tuna, rice and broccoli.

Or protein sludge mixed with plain vanilla ice cream, digestive biscuits and sea salt.

So, there you have it - you're hopefully a little more familiar with Mike now. Why not head over to his website (link at the bottom of this article) and check his social media channels out to learn some more and get access to the amazing content that he's currently sharing with the world?

I'd also like to thank Mike for taking the time to answer a few questions for Muscle and Macros. You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar. 

Web: www.healthylivingheavylifting.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikesamuelspt

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealthyLivingHeavyLifting?fref=ts