1) Who is Matty Fusaro? (where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc).
I’m Matty Fusaro, a worldwide online Fitness & Nutrition coach from the Long Island, NY area and I’m committed to helping people look, feel and perform their best.
I started a YouTube channel back in 2011 because I wanted to inspire others to actually LIVE their lives and not just exist, because well, that’s a waste of a great gift…LIFE.
With over 800 YouTube videos and tons of other free content across my social media platforms, every time I get the opportunity to help someone it feels damn good.
There are tons of self-help books and bullshit products that will promise you the body of your dreams. I don’t believe in that. Their are also many successful “coaches” and “trainers” who have gained fame through their ability to market themselves, but most lack passion. My life’s calling was to reach out and help as many people as possible, as I put views and experiences out to those who choose to follow.
I love traveling any chance I get. In addition to that I enjoy photography, videography and editing. Oh, and learning. I know that sounds boring, but the fact that we can learn anything we want at any time, for free is incredible to me, so I am often reading, listening to audiobooks and podcasts or watching YouTube videos.
2) How many years have you been training?
2) How many years have you been training?
I have been training for about 10 years now, more consistently in the last 5-6.
3) What’s been the hardest part of your journey so far? and how have you overcome them (set backs, rejections, injuries, basically anything difficult that you have had to overcome)
Let’s just say growing up I wasn’t exactly a fitness enthusiast. I was always athletics and loved playing sports, but I also loved chips, fast food and ice cream. (I still do.)
I was self-conscious, insecure and had very low self-esteem. I wore a t-shirt while swimming in the pool and refused to be seen shirtless by anyone – friends or family. That was rough.
Aside from that a few years ago I had a lower back injury and that was extremely difficult to deal with. When something you love is taken away from you (training) it’s hard to accept it. I did my absolutely best to keep a positive mindset through it all. I had three herniated discs in my lower back and I couldn’t even walk. Every day I was in excruciating pain, but I knew it was a temporary setback.
A few doctors told me that heavy lifting; deadlifts and squats were out for good.
I took my rehab and PT very serious, made sure to strengthen what I could and documented my entire comeback on YouTube in a series titled “AMPT” which stood for Achieving Mental and Physical Toughness. I wanted to share what I was going through because I knew I wasn’t alone and it got a great response from people dealing with injuries of their own.
Fast-forward and I am doing every lift in the gym and still hitting PR’s.
4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like?
Currently I am training 5-6 days per week and depending on what my goals, I will make sure to setup a program that helps me work towards them.
I recently just finished up a phase with Silent Mike to improve the big 3 with more focus on my Squat and Bench since my deadlift is a bit ahead of the others.
I personally enjoy training high volume and split my training into different phases. As far as the individual days go I vary the sets, rep ranges and even tempo.
One day might focus more on muscular endurance, while others are more focused on strength or hypertrophy.
As for nutrition / diet, in my opinion the most important thing about diet and nutrition is flexibility, which will ultimately lead to a greater adherence.
I believe the majority of ones diet should be comprised of minimally processed, whole, micronutrient dense foods, following an 80/20 or 90/10 approach. With the 80/20 approach, 80% of my caloric intake would come from minimally processed, whole, micronutrient dense foods while the remaining 20% can be used at my own discretion, as long as I met my nutrient intake. I aim for 2-3 fruits and vegetables per day, 30-40g of fiber and drink plenty of water.
Some days I “intermittent fast” just because it’s more convenient, other days I don’t. People should focus less on what’s the new or cool thing to do and more on finding a strategy that they can stick to.
5) What have you learned over the past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition?
Way too much to type. Every single day I am learning more and more. I’ve been a bro, eating every 2 hours and actually dealt with orthorexia year’s back, which is essentially a fixation on healthy eating. I had such an unhealthy relationship with food and it took quite some time to break through that barrier.
To this day, I try to surround myself with people who are much smarter than me and train with a variety of individuals so I can continue to learn and experience new things. As I mentioned earlier, I also read a lot so I do my best to keep up with the science and self-ediuate.
6) What’s your favorite cheat/Treat meal?
All of them. I LOVE ice cream. I can eat it all day, every day. In addition to that you can never go wrong with a nice burger and fries, pizza, some chips…yeah I can go on and on.
7) One supplement that you could not live without?
There is NO supplement that I can’t live without. While I don’t consider whey protein a supplement since it’s more just a convenient source of protein (it’s powdered food) it is something that I just enjoy having in my diet daily, because I like the taste of it. I like shakes, smoothies, protein pancakes etc.
Aside from that I stick to the essentials. Fish oil, vitamin D, multi, creatine. The rest are just extras.
8) If you had to start out from scratch with your physique what would you do differently and why?
I would have been much smarter with my training and more consistent. Everyone goes through the phase of ego lifting, program hopping and thinking they know it all. I would have paid more attention to having a balanced physique and making sure my training was more thoughtfully programmed.
9) Who do you look up to in the fitness industry and why?
Without naming any names so I don’t leave people out, I admire anyone who is genuinely trying to help people. There are people who have mentored me, that I’ve learned incredibly valuable information from them, but again I don’t want to forget to mention anyone.
If you have passion and you really care about others, and you’re willing to help them out…I respect you.
10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be?
It takes time. Everyone wants to transform overnight. Hit PR’s every week. Get the body of their dreams.
We live in a society that wants everything NOW.
I always tell people to be patient and consistent so you can live the lifestyle and not let it control you. Fitness should enhance your life not take away from it.
11) What new goals are on the horizon?
(new goals, aims, etc)
I recently just got my own gym space so that has been occupying a lot of my time. I am excited to see where this new business venture takes me and in addition to that, a goal of mine that is constant aside from self-improvement is to meet the people that have supported me.
I want to continue to travel and inspire more people around the world. I want to see the faces, shake the hands, and hear the stories of the people who have given me their time and attention.
12) Where can people find you? (website, social media accounts)
● Website – http://www.fusarofitness.com
● YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/mattyfusaro
● Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/mattyfusaro
● Instagram – http://instagram.com/mattyfusaro
● Twitter – https://twitter.com/mattyfusaro
