Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

Let’s talk about a controversial condition: adrenal fatigue. This term describes a syndrome that people supposedly suffer from in response to prolonged stress. Long-term stress puts undue strain on your adrenal glands, which can cause them to stop functioning correctly, causing lethargy and other negative effects on your health and body composition. This sounds like a plausible theory, but it’s highly controversial in the medical world, primarily because there is no explicit scientific evidence that adrenal fatigue exists. And so in this podcast, I’m going to look at the broader body of research on adrenal function and fatigue. Let's see what we can learn about this theory of adrenal fatigue and whether it’s worthy of further consideration. Timestamps: (0:00) - My award-winning fitness books for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/ (3:37) - What is adrenal fatigue? (6:05) - What are symptoms of adrenal fatigue? (8:03) - Is adrenal fatigue real? (14:19) - What are your final thoughts on adrenal fatigue? Mentioned on the Show: My award-winning fitness books for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/

I hope you and yours are relishing many moments of joyous merriment, reveling in all of their pine-scented butter-lubed and tinsel-laden glory. In this podcast, I’m wishing you a merry Christmas and happy holidays, and laying out all of the wondrous gifts I’m planning to bring next year. So, press play to hear about new flavors of Pulse, Recharge, Whey+, and more, new tools on my blog, new podcasts, new books, and more!And also because this really cannot be said enough, thank you. Bless your cotton socks for your support this year.Oh and don't count calories today. Not on Christmas. Feast, drink, and hug your loved ones.Timestamps:(0:00) - A holiday message(4:16) - Please leave a review of the show wherever you listen to podcasts and make sure to subscribe!Mentioned on the Show:Please leave a review of the show wherever you listen to podcasts and make sure to subscribe!

In this installment of the Best of Muscle For Life, you’ll hear hand-picked clips from three popular MFL episodes: an interview with Austin Current on the science of strength training, a monologue on how to easily and accurately calculate your body fat percentage, and a Motivation Monday episode on getting fired up for your workouts.Some people—my favorite people—listen to most or even all of my podcasts, but my wizbang analytics tell me that while many listeners tune in on a regular basis, they don’t catch every installment of Muscle for Life and thus miss out on insights that could help them do at least a little better inside and outside the gym.That’s why I do “best of” episodes that contain a few of the most practical and compelling ideas, tips, and moments from the more popular episodes I’ve published over the years. This way, you can learn interesting insights that you might have otherwise missed and find new episodes of the show to listen to.So, in this installment of The Best of Muscle for Life, you’ll be hearing hand-picked morsels from three episodes:Austin Current on Understanding the Science of Strength Training(Originally published 9/1/2021)How to Calculate Your Body Fat Percentage Easily & Accurately(Originally published 6/3/2019)Motivation Monday: 6 Reasons to Get Fired Up For Your Workout(Originally published 4/16/2018)And we’ll be starting with number one, Austin Current on Understanding the Science of Strength Training.Timestamps:(0:00) -  My free meal planning tool: buylegion.com/mealplan(5:24) - Austin Current on Understanding the Science of Strength Training(20:16) - How to Calculate Your Body Fat Percentage Easily & Accurately(31:17) - Motivation Monday: 6 Reasons to Get Fired Up For Your WorkoutMentioned on the Show:Want a free meal planning tool that figures out your calories, macros, and micros, and allows you to create custom meal plans for cutting, lean gaining, and maintaining in under 5 minutes? Go to https://buylegion.com/mealplan and download the tool for free!

In this podcast, Ben Coomber discusses his new book, living an awesome life, and the challenges of staying fit and healthy as a parent. He provides tips on meal prepping, dealing with sub-optimal sleep, and adjusting fitness expectations after having kids. The speakers also talk about the influence of income and career on lifestyle and happiness, the importance of self-care and balance, and the benefits of asking for help and subtracting things from your life to create positive change.

Who else can vividly remember the satisfaction of the moment when you realized that your warm-up sets used to be your working sets? Or that you don’t have to choose between looks and health and can just train for both? In this podcast, I’m sharing some fun fitness wins that will help you remember how far you’ve come in your fitness journey and help keep you motivated. Listen and let me know what you think! Timestamps: (0:00) - Please leave a review of the show wherever you listen to podcasts and make sure to subscribe! (2:48) - Find the Perfect Strength Training Program for You: www.muscleforlife.show/trainingquiz Mentioned on the Show: Find the Perfect Strength Training Program for You in Just 60 Seconds: http://www.muscleforlife.show/trainingquiz

What’s the best rep range for newbies? Should you do long fasts? How do sleep problems affect muscle gain and fat loss? How often should you refeed while cutting? How can women be healthy while minimizing weight gain during pregnancy? All that and more in this Q&A podcast. Over on Instagram, I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podcast listeners might enjoy hearing these questions and my short answers. So, instead of talking about one thing in an episode, I’m going to cover a variety of questions. And keep in mind some of these questions are just for fun. :) So if you want to ask me questions in my Instagram stories, follow me on Instagram (@muscleforlifefitness), and if I answer your question there, it might just make it onto an episode of the podcast! If you like this type of episode, let me know. Send me an email (mike@muscleforlife.com) or direct message me on Instagram. And if you don’t like it, let me know that too or how you think it could be better. Timestamps: (0:00) - Join my podcast giveaway! http://muscleforlife.show/giveaway (2:09) - What is your motivation to keep training since your strength gain has drastically slowed down? (7:16) - Would you recommend 8 to12 or 4 to 6 reps for slim newbies during the first steps? (14:19) - What are your thoughts on long fasts done regularly for 48 hours or longer? (16:26) - How often should refeed days happen? (19:32) - Does sleep apnea have a big effect on muscle gain and fat loss or is it minimal? (20:30) - How can women be healthy and minimize weight gain during pregnancy? (21:17) - Do I need specific gym shoes or do running shoes work? (21:52) - What are some of the signs your body needs to reverse diet? Mentioned on the Show: I’m giving away over $1,000 worth of prizes to commemorate the 1,000th episode of Muscle For Life! Join the giveaway here: http://muscleforlife.show/giveaway

Learn about the concept of minimalist training programs and their effectiveness in achieving progress and maintaining muscle. Explore the idea of a minimum effective dose of exercise, the importance of quality sets in strength training, and the muscle wasting effects of detraining. Discover the benefits of minimalist training programs for beginners and experienced lifters, the importance of incorporating different movement patterns, and the impact of not doing specific exercises. Also, understand the importance of setting goals in minimalist training programs and learn about the Legion blog and its extensive training-related articles.

Refined oils (and especially vegetable and seed oils) have become a big part of the Western diet, and they’re generating a lot of controversy these days. Especially on social media, many people are saying that these oils are one of the driving factors in the large increase in various diseases like cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Do we need to eliminate refined oils from our diet altogether? If we don't, are we imperiling our health and dramatically increasing our risk of various types of disease and dysfunction? This podcast is my evidence-based answer to those types of claims and to the questions that more and more people are asking me these days about these oils. Timestamps: (0:00) - Join my podcast giveaway! www.muscleforlife.show/giveaway (2:16) - What are refined oils? (3:20) - What happens to our body when we eat refined oils? (8:58) - How do refined oils oxidize when you cook them? (11:24) - What are the cardiovascular effects of refined oils? (13:19) - What are trans fat? (15:48) - What is your position on refined oils? Mentioned on the Show: I’m giving away over $1,000 worth of prizes to commemorate the 1,000th episode of Muscle For Life! Join the giveaway here: www.muscleforlife.show/giveaway

Is reverse pyramid training (RPT) the best way to periodize training for most people? What are the pros and cons compared to the double progression and linear progression schemes I recommend in my books? In what circumstances would I recommend reverse pyramid training instead? Find out in this podcast. I’ve written and recorded a lot of evidence-based content over the years on just about everything you can imagine related to building muscle, losing fat, and getting healthy. I’ve also worked with thousands of men and women of all ages and circumstances and helped them get into the best shape of their lives. That doesn’t mean you should blindly swallow everything I say, though, because let’s face it—nobody is always right about everything. And especially in fields like diet and exercise, which are constantly evolving thanks to the efforts of honest and hardworking researchers and thought leaders. This is why I’m always happy to hear from people who disagree with me, especially when they have good arguments and evidence to back up their assertions. Sometimes I can’t get on board with their positions, but sometimes I end up learning something, and either way, I always appreciate the discussion. That gave me the idea for this series of podcast episodes: publicly addressing things people disagree with me on and sharing my perspective. Think of it like a spicier version of a Q&A. So, here’s what I’m doing: Every couple of weeks, I’m asking my Instagram followers what they disagree with me on, and then picking the more common or interesting contentions to address here on the podcast. And in this episode, I’ll be tackling the following . . . Reverse pyramid training is better than double progression and linear progression and is the best way to periodize your training. --- Timestamps: 0:00 - Join my podcast giveaway! http://muscleforlife.show/giveaway 3:08 - What is reverse pyramid training? 10:58 - What are the benefits of reverse pyramid training? 19:52 - What are the downsides of reverse pyramid training? 32:26 - What are your final thoughts on reverse pyramid training? --- Mentioned on the Show: I’m giving away over $1,000 worth of prizes to commemorate the 1,000th episode of Muscle For Life! Join the giveaway here: http://muscleforlife.show/giveaway

In this podcast, I interview Enrique, who read my book Bigger Leaner Stronger and joined my VIP one-on-one coaching program to take all the guesswork out of his training and nutrition and get leaner and stronger than ever before. And here’s the kicker: he also managed to quit smoking and excessive drinking. As a result, Enrique is now fitter and healthier at 40 years old than he was at 25. In fact, Enrique has enjoyed the coaching program so much and gotten so much out of it, he’s stayed on as a client since 2016 for the accountability. Before finding my work, Enrique’s party lifestyle caught up with him in his 30s, and he was overweight and out of shape. But once he read my book, got over the simplicity, and began following the program, he made such fast progress that he was motivated to take it to the next level and hire one of my coaches. In the next 4 months, he went from squatting just the barbell to squatting his bodyweight, all while losing 45 pounds. In this interview, Enrique and I chat about . . . - What motivated him to finally get in shape - How he got down to 8% body fat without going hungry - How his meal plan took all the unnecessary thinking out of his daily life (while still allowing him to enjoy food) - How being part of the coaching program motivated him to quit drinking and smoking - How he navigated a shoulder injury to keep making progress - And more . . . So if you’re looking for a jolt of inspiration and like motivational stories, definitely listen to this episode. Timestamps: (0:00) - Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://www.muscleforlife.show/vip (3:05) - What was your health and fitness journey like before you started the program? (8:52) - How was the muscle growth and strength building experience? (10:43) - What helped you the most with being consistent in the kitchen and in the gym? (20:20) - Were you aggressive with your calorie deficit? (27:11) - How did you overcome bad lifestyle habits? (32:59) - Where was your strength before the coaching program? (33:29) - What did your workout schedule look like? (35:57) - Have you had any significant obstacles during your training? (41:15) - How was the transition from training by yourself to training with a personal coach? (45:34) - How has it been since you restarted the program? (50:19) - What are your fitness plans? Mentioned on the show: Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://www.muscleforlife.show/vip