The Funny Muscle Podcast

Old-School Jokes vs. Modern Bits

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 Tomlins

Mike Fixes Chris’s Five Minutes

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

Mick Napier: Improv Hacks for Stand-Up Comics

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

Be Likable Then They'll Laugh with Michael Palascak

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 sp

A Post-Bomb Recovery Plan

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 audi

So You Want to be a Comedy Club Host?

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 p

We Serve Only Bait and Switch

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’v

Blue Printing One Comic's Multiple Humor Heightening Devices

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.

Comedy Coaching and Bit Blueprinting

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 punchli

Producing a Comedy Special with Michael Pasvar

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

Humor Blueprint Homework

In this episode of Funny Muscle Pod, Mike assigns Chris a deceptively simple task: break down five professional stand-up bits using the full Humor Blueprint—subject, prem

Misdirection (Improving Your Set-Ups)

On this episode of FMP, we break down how professional comedians use misdirection to make punchlines hit harder: like highlighting a safe, obvious detail so the audience

Traditional Stand-up vs Straight Act Out Comedy

On this episode of Funny Muscle Pod, we break down how professional comedians build laughs using the Funny Muscle Humor Blueprint and why the structure of stand-up is qui

Enhance Your Bits with Emotion (How the Pros Do It)

In this episode, Mike goes into full Comedy Teacher Mode, the kind of mode where you half expect a pop quiz. We break down how to transform a topic into a real premise by

Diagramming Humor Heightening Devices

In this episode of The Funny Muscle Pod, we diagram pro comics’ bits by circling the underlying structure, then highlighting the specific techniques—what we call Humor He

The Road to Headlining with CAIN

Dallas comedian CAIN, fresh off winning the 2025 Pervis Wilson Funniest Stand-Up in Dallas Competition, returns to the FMP to discuss the mysterious and lightly regulated

What Comics can Borrow from Improv with Brittany Taylor

Brittany Taylor---Improv Guru and Instructor---- joins Mike and Chris to yes-and their brains into shape with a crash course in all things improv: the formulas, the frame

Moving the Pen with Sean O’Brien

We sit down with St. Louis comic Sean O’Brien who has opened for legends like Bill Burr, Norm Macdonald, and Nikki Glaser. Sean got his start bartending at the St. Louis

Crowd Work with Michael Halcomb

This pod’s guest is Michael Halcomb — a professor, pastor, comedian, and podcaster from North Carolina, proving once and for all that the best way to handle hecklers is w

Two Hours of Funny, Every. Single. Day. With Pete Schwaba

In this episode of The Funny Muscle Podcast, we welcome Pete Schwaba — veteran comedian, screenwriter, actor, and radio host — to prove that comedy isn’t just about punch