Travelling, Steroids & How To Build An Audience - Mike Thurston | Modern Wisdom Podcast 249

Mike Thurston is a YouTuber and Fitness Model. Mike is one of the biggest fitness YouTubers in the UK and a good buddy of mine, given that we're both in Dubai right now, it made perfect sense to catch up for the first time in years on the show. Expect to learn Mike's thoughts on the steroid accusations, his core principles for training, where he sees the future of social media going, what he's learned about relationships from travelling the world, how he grows his social media channels and much more... Sponsor: Get 20% discount on Reebok’s entire range including the amazing Nano X at https://geni.us/modernwisdom (use code MW20) Extra Stuff: Follow Mike on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikethurston/ Follow Mike on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzGLDaTu81nJDtWK10MniGg Get my free Ultimate Life Hacks List to 10x your daily productivity → https://chriswillx.com/lifehacks/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom #mikethurston #fitness #chriswilliamson - 00:00 Intro 04:02 A Normal Day for Mike 11:27 Asking Mike if He’s ‘Natural’ 27:48 Principles for Successful Training 35:22 Different Training Partners & Styles 41:18 Impact of Traveling On Relationships 51:01 Life Lessons for Younger Mike 55:04 Advice for Content Creators 1:10:57 Next Steps for Mike 1:24:22 Where to Find Mike - Listen to all episodes online. Search "Modern Wisdom" on any Podcast App or click here: iTunes: https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/modern-wisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: modernwisdompodcast@gmail.com

Mike ThurstonguestChris Williamsonhost

Nov 22, 20201h 24mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Natural Or Not? Mike Thurston On Steroids, Discipline, And Freedom

Mike Thurston discusses his lifestyle as a fitness YouTuber based in Dubai, covering travel, training, business, and how he structures his days without a conventional job. He addresses long‑standing accusations about steroid use, explaining genetics, training history, and why it's nearly impossible to convince skeptics he’s natural. The conversation also explores balancing ambition with partying, the realities of relationships while living a highly mobile life, and the trade‑offs between chasing physique perfection and enjoying life. Thurston finishes by outlining how he built his online business, his content strategy, and future plans, including a training app, clothing brand growth, and potentially starting a podcast.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

You can’t convince determined skeptics about steroids—focus on your work instead.

Thurston notes that once people decide you’re on PEDs, no amount of tests or explanations will change their minds, so arguing online is wasted energy better spent on creating and improving your own output.

Anchor your lifestyle freedom with a few non‑negotiable habits.

Despite an unstructured, travel‑heavy life, he stays on track by writing a short daily task list, prioritizing morning productivity, minimizing alcohol, and ensuring he still gets key work (filming, editing, collabs) done.

Consistency, protein intake, sleep, and session intensity matter more than training complexity.

He emphasizes regular gym attendance, ~2 g/kg protein, adequate calories, and hard, properly executed sets to near‑failure over worrying about exact splits, supersets, or advanced programming details.

Genetics and life circumstances set boundaries on physique goals.

Thurston openly says his genetics are unusually good (e.g., visible muscles at age 10), and that someone with kids, a stressful job, and average genetics shouldn’t expect to look like him, even with perfect effort.

Choose environments and friendships that match your ambitions.

Leaving a tight‑knit but heavy‑party friendship group in Newcastle for London was pivotal; reducing exposure to drugs, alcohol, and constant nights out allowed him to focus, launch YouTube, and dramatically grow his career.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

If somebody is, in their head, convinced that you take steroids, it's almost impossible to change their mind.

— Mike Thurston

Drinking is a recipe for just ruining everything—my productivity, my gym workouts, my sleep, everything.

— Mike Thurston

My physique is almost my business. The way I look is my business.

— Mike Thurston

Sometimes you should just do what you're really good at, at the end of the day.

— Mike Thurston

What you see in the video is me. I've never tried to be someone I'm not.

— Mike Thurston

Accusations of steroid use and the natural vs. enhanced debateLifestyle design in Dubai: travel, freedom, and daily structureDiscipline, training principles, and nutrition prioritiesGenetics, body image, and realistic expectations for followersRelationships, monogamy, and conflicts with a party/travel lifestyleLeaving the UK party scene, ambition, and environment designBuilding an online fitness business and content/audience strategy

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