Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

In this episode I interview John Romaniello, author of the NYT bestseller Engineering the Alpha and founder of the multi-million dollar, multifaceted fitness business Roman Fitness Systems. We’re not going to talk fitness or business, though. Instead, we linked up to discuss something else altogether, and that’s how you and I can use the brilliant and groundbreaking work of a rather obscure comparative mythologist to live better lives. The work is codified in the book The Hero With a Thousand Faces, which was written by the mythologist Joseph Campbell, and it has served as a template for some of the most popular and timeless stories ever told, ranging from King Arthur to Moby Dick to Star Wars, Harry Potter, and more. I know that sounds incredibly abstract and inapplicable to our lives, but bear with me because John does an amazing job making the material accessible and practical, so I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised. It’s really not a stretch to say that our conversation can be the nudge that leads to incredibly positive changes in your life. 5:30 - Natural progression of fitness to self improvement in life. 20:41 - Why does life mirror a hero's journey and how it fits into changes of life 36:34 - Why you need a mentor in life how to get one. 49:13- This is your call to adventure to change your life. RELATED TO THIS PODCAST The Writer’s Journey: www.amazon.com/Writers-Journey-M…6X/?tag=mflweb-20 The Hero With a Thousand Faces: www.amazon.com/Thousand-Faces-Co…36/?tag=mflweb-20 Neil Gaiman’s Epic “Make Good Art” Speech:www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikAb-NYkseI The Hero's Journey graphic:www.thewritersjourney.com/graphictwo.gif Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here:https://www.muscleforlife.com/signup/

This book will show you how to build muscle, lose fat, and get strong:http://goo.gl/lKNKWK In this podcast, I interview fellow writer, trainer, and, well, Mike, Mike Vacanti and we talk about how to get fit when you travel and are just insanely busy, how things change when you're very overweight, and why you shouldn't sweat the "little things" and use the bigger picture to stay on track. 5:27 - How to stick to a diet when you are busy. 25:49 - How to exercise when you are busy. 35:22 - How to diet and exercise when you are obese. 53:05 - Not worrying about the minutia. ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS PODCAST: The 3-Step Skinny Fat Solution:http://www.muscleforlife.com/skinny-fat-solution/ How to Make Meal Plans That Work For Any Diet:https://legionathletics.com/diet-meal-plans/ How Many Calories You Should Eat (with a Calculator):https://legionathletics.com/how-many-calories-should-i-eat/ How Many Grams of Fat Should You Eat Per Day?http://www.muscleforlife.com/how-many-grams-of-fat-per-day/ How Much Protein You Should Eat to Build Muscle:http://www.muscleforlife.com/how-much-protein-build-muscle/ Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here:https://www.muscleforlife.com/signup/

In this podcast I take any and all questions and talk about third party testing for Legion, why some studies associate taking a multivitamin with increased risk of disease, how to eat more protein, taking fat burners while bulking, and much more. If you want to get in on the next one and ask me questions, sign up here:https://legionathletics.com/qa/ 03:26 - Are 5 day split workouts more effective in building more muscle than 3 day splits? 05:21 - How many grams of HMB should I take for fasted cardio/lifting? 05:43 - Are Legion products third party tested? 08:51 - What's your take on the studies coming out about the negative side effects of too many vitamins? 13:28 - When is the Legion fish oil coming out? 13:54 - What is the best macro friendly restaurant? 15:16 - When are you coming out with your online meal plan course? 16:49 - How many calories can I have and remain in a fasted state? 19:00 - Is it possible for your metabolism/TDEE to change while bulking so that your calorie surplus becomes a deficit? 20:41 - Any advice for eating more protein? 25:09 - Would you recommend doing HIIT cardio while bulking to minimize fat gain? 26:58 - What are your thoughts about maintenance calories vs. calorie cycling? 30:45 - My friend stopped cutting and gained 24 lbs in a couple days, what happened? 32:55 - What are your thoughts on cleans and snatches included into a routine with the focus on shoulders? 33:49 - What are your thoughts on the recent report on popular protein brands that were tested for BCAA content and most of them had less than half of what they claimed? 35:39 - Is taking your fat burner Phoenix counter productive while bulking? 36:21 - What are your thoughts on mixing in street workouts with your strength program? 37:23 - How come I don't feel sore anymore after a workout? 38:42 - Can I start the BLS program in the 8-12 rep range until I get the hang of things? 39:45 - What was the rationale that led to including Strength Weeks into the BLS program? 41:57 - How do you feel about all the zero cal energy drinks? 44:49 - Is it easier for someone that used to be fat but got lean to get fat than someone who has been relatively lean their whole life? 46:13 - How's the workout app coming along? 47:52 - Why haven't I seen any strength/size gain in my biceps over the last two months. 50:46 - What do you recommend as a good calf workout in a home gym? 52:06 - Any thoughts on expectations of realistic size/mass as well as how to alter your training to fit with ultra endurance work? 55:18 - What's your golf handicap? 57:19 - In your Fasted Cardio article you mentioned that you take 2 servings of Forge. What is considered 2 servings? 59:44 - I'm 17 and want to do a strength program. Would you recommend Wendler 5/3/1? 1:00:04 - If my compound lifts are going up am I building muscle? Or does every exercise have to go up? 1:01:43 - When are we going to have an EU warehouse for Legion? 1:03:21 - What would you recommend more, isolation or compound exercises? 1:04:20 - Do you consider dietary fiber when tracking calories? 1:07:01 - What should I do to not get so weak during fasted workouts? 1:08:27 - Are there any benefits of taking ice baths after working out? 1:09:04 - What does a typical day look like for you? 1:10:30 - What are your current numbers? 1:13:58 - The ice bath has to do with lactic acid build-up and muscle tension but nothing to do with muscle growth. 1:14:35 - What are so

In this podcast I answer the most common questions I get asked about body fat percentage, including how it's calculated, how to measure it, what's a healthy body fat percentage and what's not, and more... 04:08 - What is bodyfat percentage? 09:08 - What are healthy and unhealthy body fat percentages? 20:09 - How do you measure body fat percentage (DEXA, bio impedance, skin fold, etc.)? ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS PODCAST: How to Actually Increase Your Testosterone (and How Not to):https://legionathletics.com/how-to-increase-testosterone/ How Many Grams of Fat Should You Eat Per Day?http://www.muscleforlife.com/how-many-grams-of-fat-per-day/ Athletic Amenorrhea:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2941235/ How to Calculate Your Body Fat Percentage Easily & Accurately:https://legionathletics.com/how-to-calculate-body-fat/ AccuMeasure Personal Body Fat Tester:http://goo.gl/z2nzey Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here:https://www.muscleforlife.com/signup/

In this episode, I talk about several supplements that are supposed to help you build muscle faster and explain which work and which don't. 03:48 - The truth about supplement companies and "muscle building supplements." Which supplements don't help you build muscle? 13:53 - Natural testosterone boosters 20:41 - ZMA 25:03 - D-aspartic acid 29:20 - BCAAs 36:21 - HMB Which supplements help you build muscle? 40:50 - Whey protein powder 48:49 - Creatine 55:11 - Beta alanine ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS PODCAST: The Absolute Best (and Worst) Supplements for Muscle Growth: http://www.muscleforlife.com/the-best-supplements-for-muscle-growth/ How to Actually Increase Your Testosterone (and How Not to):https://legionathletics.com/how-to-increase-testosterone/ The Definitive Guide to Why Low-Carb Dieting Sucks:http://www.muscleforlife.com/low-carb-diet/ The Ultimate Guide to the Best Creatine Supplements:https://legionathletics.com/best-creatine-supplement/Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here:https://www.muscleforlife.com/signup/

In this episode of the podcast I interview Jordan, who used my Bigger Leaner Stronger program to build the body he always wanted. We talk about switching from brodieting to flexible dieting, cutting while traveling, intermittent fasting, and more. Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here:https://www.muscleforlife.com/signup/ 

In this podcast, I interview author, coach, and fellow podcaster Ru Anderson on how we can gain control of our habits and then our fitness and ultimately our lives. 4:56 - The power of good (and bad) habits. 10:50 - Triggers, habits, and positive vs negative feedback. 15:32 - The 4 keys to forming new habits. 21:30 - The road to successful habits. 27:55 - Avoiding temptation vs. using willpower. 35:35 - Habits and long term success. 39:59 - Your first 5 steps to forming a new habit. RU'S WEBSITE:http://exceednutrition.com/ Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here:https://www.muscleforlife.com/signup/

In this podcast, I answer a handful of questions I'm often asked about teenage weightlifting and bodybuilding, like does it stunt growth or make girls bulky, is it dangerous, what is appropriate for different ages, supplementation, and much more. 3:26 - Will weightlifting stunt your growth? 4:27 - Will weightlifting make girls bulky? 11:44 - Is weightlifting dangerous for teenagers? 14:47 - What age should teenagers start weightlifting? 17:57 - Why teenagers shouldn't try and get super lean. 21:59 - The ideal teenage diet. 25:18 - Dieting for overweight teens. 29:11 - My recommended training method for teenagers. 37:40 - Teenagers and steroid use. 42:57 - The safe and healthy supplements for teenagers. 49:54 - Sleep needs of teenagers. ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS PODCAST: How I Use Calorie Cycling to Build Muscle and Stay Lean:http://www.muscleforlife.com/calorie-cycling/ The Ultimate Bodyweight Workout Routine: http://www.muscleforlife.com/the-ultimate-bodyweight-workout-routine/ A Simple and Accurate Macronutrient Calculator:http://www.muscleforlife.com/macronutrient-calculator/ 6 Things You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Steroids:http://www.muscleforlife.com/side-effects-of-steroids/ The Definitive Guide to Strength Training:https://legionathletics.com/strength-training/ How Many Grams of Fat Should You Eat Per Day?http://www.muscleforlife.com/how-many-grams-of-fat-per-day/Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here:https://www.muscleforlife.com/signup/

The multivitamin supplement is a staple in many people’s lives, but is it really necessary? Can it even harmful? I break it all down in this episode of the podcast. 04:15 - A multivitamin sounds great...in theory. 08:19 - What's wrong with most multivitamins. 16:56 - Supplements vs. real food. 19:33 - Which multivitamin ingredients you are wasting money on? 26:22 - The multivitamin I take and why. 35:28 - The serving size tells you a lot. ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS VIDEO: The Definitive Guide to the Multivitamin Supplement: What Is and Isn’t Worth Your Money and Why:http://www.muscleforlife.com/best-multivitamin/ The Definitive Guide to Vitamins and Minerals:http://www.muscleforlife.com/guide-to-vitamins-and-minerals/ Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here:https://www.muscleforlife.com/signup/

This podcast is a recording of the latest live Q&A I did over at Legion, and this time we're talking artificial sweeteners, ephedrine, weight gainers, doing research, myofascial release, and much more. If you want to get in on the next one and ask me questions, sign up here:https://legionathletics.com/qa/ 03:31 – Is this good HIIT cardio: Incline at 7.5 with 10 mph on a treadmill for 10 minutes. 06:24 – When I take creatine monohydrate I get bad insomnia and have to pee 10 times a night. Is there a different form I can take? 07:50 – I just had surgery and was looking at your joint supplement Fortify. Could you comment on the effectiveness it might have after surgery? 10:27 – Most bodybuilders rag on the Bowflex, is there anything wrong with the actual system if someone is still doing low reps, heavy weights, proper form? 11:42 – What do you consider to be the ideal Carbs/Protein/Fat percentage when cutting for a female? 18:36 – How can I avoid forearm pain during bicep curls? 20:01 – When are you going to come to the dark side and do a powerlifting meet? 22:33 – Could you please address problems with artificial sweeteners? 25:47 – What's the "healthiest" way to get drunk? 28:10 – Can you comment on the use of Ephedrine HCL? 29:50 – What's your go-to method for cooking chicken? 30:32 – When carrying out research for articles, what is your go to reference for trusted information? 32:42 – Is there a certain downside to using mass gainers? 35:29 – Did you work with researchers/scientists to come up with your Legion protein? 37:26 – What's your opinion on taking cleansing diet pills for cutting? 40:03 – What's the ideal amount of time to fast for IF? 40:16 – Do you take into account the afterburn affect of HIIT when counting macros? 41:04 – What are your thoughts on myofascial release? 41:25 – Why wont you go vegan? 43:37 – If you could only shave one part of your body for your next photo shoot, what would it be? 44:06 – What do you think of Tim Ferriss and the whole life hack fitness industry? 45:47 – How often should macros be adjusted as you're cutting? 46:29 – Can women follow the Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger program? 50:02 – Can you explain some guidelines for LISS cardio instead of HIIT? 51:14 – Any news on your app (beta) release? 53:03 – What do you think of yoga for mobility? 53:38 – Can you tell us a bit more about your affiliate programs for 2016? 57:30 – What are your thoughts on the Chest Dumbbell Pullover as a chest building exercise. 58:22 – What are your thoughts on using accessories such as wrist/lift straps, belt, knee sleeves? 1:01:41 – Any advice for dating German girls? 1:02:10 – What are your current max lifts for side lateral raises, squats, deadlifts, bench and overhead press? 1:06:24 – I'm a female NPC competitor at 16 % body fat and have been working out for almost 3 years now. Any exercise that would help my quads show? 1:10:25 – Let's say I put together a a protein bar that tastes better than Quest Bars. What is the first step to bring this product to market? 1:13:06 – Is it ALWAYS calories in vs calories out, or is it true that when people get older their metabolism lags? 1:15:09 – Why have you never been DEXA scanned? 1:18:02 – At what point in your life did you realize you wanted to start a career in the fitness industry? 1:25:04 – Is it possible for a hernia surgery to mess up the abdominal wall?Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength