The Funny Muscle Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

The Funny Muscle Podcast

Mike Lukas and Chris Stiffler

Comedy

Education

Frequency: 1 episode/13d. Total Eps: 72

Guided by the belief that anyone can learn to become funnier once they understand what to practice, the Funny Muscle Podcast aims to break down how pro comics get their best laughs. Comedian turned author Mike Lukas and cohost Chris Stiffler, an economics professor and open mic-er, use the game plan and concepts outlined in the Funny Muscle Book series to give listeners a better idea of how original (and funny) jokes are crafted.

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RSS

Apple

Data updated on 30/08/2026

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇬🇧 Great Britain - Stand Up
31/08/2026
#90
🇺🇸 USA - Stand Up
31/08/2026
#89
🇬🇧 Great Britain - Stand Up
30/08/2026
#77
🇬🇧 Great Britain - Stand Up
27/08/2026
#93
🇬🇧 Great Britain - Stand Up
26/08/2026
#84
🇺🇸 USA - Stand Up
26/08/2026
#90
🇺🇸 USA - Stand Up
25/08/2026
#70
🇺🇸 USA - Stand Up
24/08/2026
#88
🇺🇸 USA - Stand Up
23/08/2026
#77
🇺🇸 USA - Stand Up
22/08/2026
#72

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.

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https://funnymuscle.com/ten-ways-the-million-words-challenge-made-me-a-better-writer/
1 share
https://funnymuscle.com/funny-muscle-corporate-communication/
1 share
https://funnymuscle.com/great-standup-comedy-mc-tips/
1 share

RSS feed quality and score

Technical evaluation of the podcast's RSS feed quality and structure.

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RSS feed quality

To improve

Score global : 37%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

Year

Latest published episodes

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Old-School Jokes vs. Modern Bits

Episode 72

Friday, August 28, 2026 • Duration 50:36

What changed between old-school stand-up and the way comics write today?

In this episode, we compare Henny Youngman to Mark Normand, Rodney Dangerfield to Taylor Tomlinson, and Steven Wright to Nate Bargatze to see how stand-up evolved from joke-writing into bit-building.

Old-school comedy typically had an efficient structure: setup, punchline, move on. Modern stand-up is more likely to take that first laugh and keep digging by heightening the premise, adding tags, creating act-outs, character points of view and callbacks.

For newer comics, the comparison is especially useful because it makes structure visible. You can see exactly where the punchline used to end the joke and where today it often begins the bit.

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Mike Fixes Chris’s Five Minutes

Episode 71

Thursday, August 20, 2026 • Duration 01:03:01

In this episode of the Funny Muscle Podcast, Mike goes full comedy coach on Chris’s five-minute set. Over the course of an hour, they take the set apart joke by joke and build it back stronger by turning punchlines into heightened scenes, brainstorming better triplets, and throwing different heightening devices at a series of bait-and-switch jokes from Chris’s story about the perils of DIY bike assembly. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at how a professional comedy coach works.

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Mick Napier: Improv Hacks for Stand-Up Comics

Episode 70

Wednesday, July 22, 2026 • Duration 01:03:49

Why is it that the harder you try to be funny, the less funny you become? Like your analytical brain hijacks your comedy brain? That voice that starts judging every idea before it's finished can keep you from ever reaching the loose, playful, creative state.

We bring on a professional to help with that: legendary Chicago improv teacher, actor and director Mick Napier, one of Mike's former instructors/directors and the author of Improvise: Scene from the Inside. Mick shares practical techniques improv actors use to quiet the inner critic, trust their instincts, and be better scene partners. We also dive into the Chicago improv scene, discuss exercises from his book, and leave you with simple homework drills that can strengthen your improv skills—and help stand-up comedians build a more creative, playful comedy muscle.

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Be Likable Then They'll Laugh with Michael Palascak

Episode 69

Thursday, July 2, 2026 • Duration 59:28

On this episode of Funny Muscle Pod, we're joined by comedian Michael Palascak, whose credits include Conan, The Tonight Show, Last Comic Standing, and his hit YouTube special He's Friendly. We discuss earning an audience's trust, finding your authentic voice, and lessons from late-night TV, improv, and nearly a quarter century doing stand-up.

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A Post-Bomb Recovery Plan

Episode 68

Monday, June 15, 2026 • Duration 52:22

What do you do after a bomb? This week, Mike breaks down the difference between a joke bombing, an open mic bombing, and a full-scale set meltdown in front of a real audience, sharing the lessons he's learned from all three. We talk about the productive and unproductive ways to dwell on failure, how long you should let it bother you, and when it's time to stop sulking, start analyzing, get blue-printing and turn disaster into improvement.

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So You Want to be a Comedy Club Host?

Episode 67

Thursday, May 28, 2026 • Duration 45:39

Fresh off a weekend hosting at the Dallas Comedy Club, Mike breaks down the hidden skills required to become a great comedy club host. Surprisingly, being funny is only part of the job. We talk about reading crowds, managing energy, supporting the headliner, and why professionalism matters more than comics think. If you’ve ever wondered why some hilarious comics never get hosting work while others become club favorites, this episode explains why.

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We Serve Only Bait and Switch

Episode 66

Thursday, May 21, 2026 • Duration 43:49

In this episode of the Funny Muscle Podcast, Mike and Chris break down the comedy of Anthony Jeselnik—a comic who, on paper, “shouldn’t work” by our own rules. While we’ve been preaching the power of stacking multiple heightening devices, Jeselnik leans almost entirely on bait-and-switch… and still absolutely crushes. The fellows dissect several of Jeselnik’s bits to show how his exceptional writing does the heavy lifting—and how his exceptional tightly controlled persona does the rest.

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Blue Printing One Comic's Multiple Humor Heightening Devices

Episode 65

Thursday, May 14, 2026 • Duration 48:55

In this episode of the Funny Muscle Podcast, Mike and Chris break down the deceptively simple comedy of Nate Bargatze by Humor Blue-Printing several of Nate’s best bits. The fellows dig into the subtle setup mechanics, hidden assumptions, quiet misdirections, and extra humor tools Bargatze layers underneath his laid-back delivery to make his punchlines land so hard without ever sounding like he’s “trying” to be funny. If you’ve ever wondered why Nate can get huge laughs from stories that sound almost casual, this episode shows the tiny structural choices doing the heavy lifting.

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Comedy Coaching and Bit Blueprinting

Episode 64

Monday, May 11, 2026 • Duration 46:35

In this episode of the Funny Muscle Podcast, Mike jumps into comedy teacher mode and workshops several of Chris’s developing bits, helping tighten setups, sharpen punchlines, and uncover the hidden comedic engines underneath the material. Then the fellows break down clips and jokes from professional comics, reverse-engineering the premise structures, emotions, and humor-heightening devices that turn ordinary observations into killer stand-up.

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Producing a Comedy Special with Michael Pasvar

Episode 63

Thursday, April 30, 2026 • Duration 01:09:37

Dallas comedian Michael Pasvar joins the fellows to break down his new comedy special Blended Feathers (now on YouTube). The special is a perfect case study in the Funny Muscle methodology—built on a clear, consistent comedy lens that carries through every bit.

We dive into the process of producing a special, shaping material to fit your persona, and the role vulnerability plays in making jokes hit harder. It’s part comedy breakdown, part behind-the-scenes, and part reminder that the best material usually comes from the stuff you’re slightly afraid to say out loud.

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The Funny Muscle Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

The Funny Muscle Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other5

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other5

Apple Podcasts

Spotify