Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

If you enjoy my previous philosophical musings with my good buddy Pat Flynn, you’re going to enjoy this podcast. That’s because in it, Pat Flynn and I discuss the concept of scientism, “the Science” with a capital “S,” as well as epistemological questions like “how do we know what we know?” Pat is a repeat guest not only because I enjoy our conversations, but I’ve gotten great feedback from listeners who like hearing about these deeper, philosophical topics we wade through. Plus, I believe the answers to these “big” questions like the ones we discuss in these philosophical tangent episodes (or at least the act of thinking about them) can help us live a better life. In case you’re not familiar with Pat, not only is he a fitness expert who is known for his kettlebell prowess, but he’s also a podcaster, philosopher, and author. In our discussion, we talk about . . . Science with a capital “S” and how we know what we “know” When and why to be skeptical of “the science” What scientism is and what science can and can’t tell us The concept of a “bully consensus” How we can use this information to make better choices And a lot more . . . So, if you want to learn what scientism is, why science isn’t always the answer to all questions, and how we really know what we know, listen to this podcast! Timestamps: 0:00 - New Recharge flavor Grape is out now! Try Recharge risk-free today! Go to buylegion.com/recharge and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points 6:58 - Is the science behind the vaccine safe? Is what we think we know real? 26:45 - Why should I be skeptical about science? 30:53- How can we “know things” through science? 36:24 - Do you have examples of scientific research that has proved certainty or truth? 41:40 - What is the human relationship with science? 1:04:48 - Should we be skeptical of science or trust science? 1:23:33 - How can this information help us to make better choices in our lives? Mentioned on the Show: New Recharge flavor Grape is out now! Try Recharge risk-free today! Go to buylegion.com/recharge and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points! The Pat Flynn Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pat-flynn-show/id1253261458 Chronicles of Strength: https://www.chroniclesofstrength.com/

While there’s still no foolproof cure for Covid, the good news is research shows that if you’re a healthy person under the age of sixty, your chances of being hospitalized or killed by the disease are extremely low. Many people can rightly dismiss Covid as “just another respiratory virus.” However, what if they have an underlying health condition like diabetes, heart disease, or chronic bronchitis? Or, what if they’re healthy but want to make themselves as Covid-resistant as they possibly can? What can and should they do? Scientists have collected and analyzed a huge amount of data on Covid and have a good understanding of the major lifestyle factors that increase and decrease the risk of catching a bad case of the latest variant. In this podcast, I’m going to cover the top 9 tips to naturally reduce your risk of Covid. Timestamps: 0:00 - New Recharge flavor Grape is out now! Try Recharge risk-free today! Go to https://buylegion.com/recharge and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points 4:37 - Maintain a healthy weight 6:25 - Exercise 30 min a day 9:06 - Get enough sleep 11:11 - Drink less alcohol 13:08 - Reduce stress 17:41 - Quit smoking 18:05 - Eat well 20:49 - Spend time outdoors 22:48 - Take the right supplements Mentioned on the Show: New Recharge flavor Grape is out now! Try Recharge risk-free today! Go to https://buylegion.com/recharge and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points Take the Legion Diet Quiz to get specific advice about how many calories, how much of each macronutrient, and which foods you should eat to lose weight quickly: www.buylegion.com/dietquiz

Is “maingaining” or “gaintaining” better than lean bulking? 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 . . . You should “maingain” instead of lean bulk. Timestamps: 0:00 - 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! 3:09 - What is maingaining? 5:43 - Is maingaining better than lean bulking? 12:53 - How do you get the most out of maingaining? 14:40 - Who is maingaining for? Mentioned 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!

When you really break it down, fitness is pretty simple. Want to gain muscle and get stronger? Lift heavy weights and make those weights heavier over time to keep making progress. Want to lose weight? Eat fewer calories than you burn by eating less, moving more, or both. However, dumbing it down to such simple tenets isn’t always helpful. For someone who’s very overweight, for example, blunt “eat less” advice isn’t necessarily the most motivating or even practical tip. Helping people requires a bit more nuance. And it often helps to hear from someone who has made it through that journey themselves rather than a trainer who’s never been a pound above ripped. Enter Ethan Suplee, who has had one of the most impressive transformations I’ve seen. I’ve had him on my podcast before to talk about his journey from over 500 pounds to jacked with abs. In case you’re not familiar with Ethan, he’s a Hollywood actor who’s appeared in quite a few blockbuster movies and hit T.V. shows including Mallrats, Without a Paddle, American History X, Cold Mountain, Remember the Titans, My Name Is Earl, Chasing Amy, and many more. Not only has Ethan walked the walk in terms of losing a lot of weight and keeping it off, but he’s using his celebrity and story to help spread the word about proper nutrition and training through his Instagram account and podcast, American Glutton. In our discussion, we talk about . . . Getting emotional eating under control The merits of the motto "food is fuel" The psychology of getting really lean and how to maintain weight loss Being afraid to eat more after losing weight Motivation to keep training once you reach your goals And a lot more . . . So, if you want to know what it’s really like to go from very overweight to lean, and what it takes to lose serious amounts of weight and keep it off, listen to this podcast! Timestamps: 0:00 - My fat-burners Phoenix and Forge are 25% off this week only! Go to buylegion.com and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% on any non-sale items or get double reward points! 6:10 - How is training 6 days a week going for you? 6:57 - Have you added volume? 11:30 - How do you make someone want to change on their own? 16:35 - At what point did you decide to make a change and why? 22:42 - What was holding you back that stopped you from changing yourself? 26:57 - Would you say you were emotionally eating? If so, how did you get that under control? 23:52 - What had to change in order to live your life differently? 32:45 - What are your thoughts on people who disagree with labeling food as “just fuel”? 42:08 - Have you experienced any unique challenges? 48:05 - Was there ever a period where you started to gain weight back? 59:44 - What’s your motivation now? 1:06:03 - Where can people find you and your work? Mentioned on the Show: My fat-burners Phoenix and Forge are 25% off this week only! Go to buylegion.com and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% on any non-sale items or get double reward points! Ethan Suplee’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethansuplee/?hl=en Ethan’s podcast American Glutton: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/american-glutton/id1490933138

Is exercise addiction real? Is it something to worry about? In general, the opposite is the problem here in America. Seventy-seven percent of Americans fail to reach the minimum recommended physical activity guidelines, while only about 0.5% of people can be classified as what we might call exercise addicts. However, the numbers change when you look at certain demographics. For example, when you look at “fitness people” specifically, exercise addiction is much more common according to a number of studies. So what is exercise addiction? Could you be addicted to exercise or maybe on the path to becoming addicted? What are the signs of exercise addictions? How do you know if you’re exercising too much? I answer all that and more in this podcast, so press play and dive in! Timestamps: 0:00 - My fat-burners Phoenix and Forge are 25% off this week only! Go to buylegion.com and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% on any non-sale items or get double reward points! 3:55 - What is exercise addiction? 5:25 - What classifies you an addict? 7:16 - Why do you become addicted to exercise? 11:00 - What are the signs of exercise addiction? 13:04 - Do I have an exercise addiction? Mentioned on the Show: My fat-burners Phoenix and Forge are 25% off this week only! Go to buylegion.com and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% on any non-sale items or get double reward points!

This podcast is a Q&A, but it’s a bit different from the kind you’ll typically find here on Muscle For Life. In my usual Q&A episodes, I take a question from email or Instagram and then fully answer it in an episode of the podcast every week. However, 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 - Want a free meal planning tool that figures out your calories, macros, 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! 3:04 - What is the maximum amount of volume that can be done in a single workout? 4:29 - What are your thoughts on the anti-work movement and people demanding more from their employers? 5:55 - What are your hopes for 2022? 6:21 - How much do you have to maintain after reaching strength and physique goals? 6:50 - What is the proper tempo for calf exercises? 9:30 - Can you bulk for half the week and shred fat the other half? 10:12 - What are some ways to workout calves at home? 10:39 - Is there anything that can help speed up the healing of my wrist due to inflammation besides pausing workouts? Do you recommend any supplements? 11:12 - Do you have to take your post workout shake within 30 minutes? 12:20 - How much meat can you eat daily? 13:39 - Is the new frosted cranberry pulse flavor good? Mentioned 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!

This podcast is all about creatine. Specifically, I'm talking with Dr. Darren Candow about common questions regarding creatine, myths, and even some of the latest research on how creatine might even benefit people who aren’t looking to gain gobs of muscle or athletes looking to recover faster.While creatine isn’t a new subject for the podcast or my content in general, Dr. Darren Candow is a fantastic guest to dive deeper on the topic. That’s because he’s studied it directly in the field.Not only is Darren a professor at the University of Regina, but his research is focused on creatine and resistance training, and he’s produced 87 peer-reviewed studies and his work has been cited thousands of times. In other words, he knows a thing or two about science and evidence-based supplementation.In our discussion, we talk about . . .Whether creatine affects balding and hair lossHow supplementation affects the body’s natural production of creatineCognitive and brain health benefits of creatineWhether kids and teens should take itCreatin and kidney healthBloating and upset stomachsWhy you should probably separate your caffeine and creatine consumptionAnd a lot more . . .So, if you’re interested in learning more about one of the most-researched and best supplements we have available for getting fitter, stronger, and healthier, don’t miss this podcast!Timestamps:0:00 - Get my best-selling books Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger for just 99 cents! This week only: https://legionathletics.com/products/on-sale/6:21 - What is creatine and what does it do to the body?11:29 - Does creatine cause hair loss?19:25 - If you take creatine will your body stop producing it naturally?21:38 - How much creatine should I take when starting out?23:19 - Does creatine increase cognitive benefits?28:06 -  How much protein can I absorb in one sitting?29:48 - Can children and teenagers take creatine?33:42 - Can you combine creatine and caffeine?39:50 - Is creatine better to take post workout?42:46 - Does creatine cause bloating?45:28 - What are some myths about how men and women react differently to creatine?46:53 - Is creatine safe for the kidneys?48:33 - Why are there many different forms of creatine?51:43 - What can I do if creatine upsets my stomach?52:37 - Is it okay to take creatine with food?53:12 - Is creatine good for endurance training?54:01 - How does creatine help with recovery?56:02 - What are other common questions you get about creatine?57:40 - Where can we find your work?Mentioned on the Show:Get my best-selling books Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger for just 99 cents! This week only: https://legionathletics.com/products/on-sale/Dr. Candow’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.darrencandow/

This episode is part of a series that I have dubbed “Motivation Monday.”(Yes, I know, very creative of me. What can I say, I’m a genius…)Seriously though, the idea here is simple:Post a short and punchy episode that I hope gets you fired up to tackle the workouts, work, and everything else that you have planned for the week ahead.As we all know, it’s one thing to know what you want to do, but it’s something else altogether to actually make yourself do it, and I hope that this series gives you a jolt of inspiration, energy, and encouragement to get at it.So, if you like what you hear, then make sure to check back for the latest and greatest installment.Timestamps:0:00 -  Please leave a review and subscribe to the podcast!2:07 - Get my best-selling books Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger for just 99 cents! This week only: https://legionathletics.com/products/on-sale/Mentioned on the Show:Get my best-selling books Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger for just 99 cents! This week only: https://legionathletics.com/products/on-sale/

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: Dr. Mike Israetel on Breaking Through Muscle Gain Plateaus (Originally published 7/10/2019) Should You Use Supersets to Build Muscle Faster? What 18 Studies Say  (Originally published 6/6/2018) Motivation Monday: If You Can Change Your Body, You Can Change Your Life (Originally published 8/7/2017) And we’ll be starting with number one, Mike Israetel on breaking through muscle gain plateaus. Timestamps: 0:00 - Our (new and improved) protein bars are back! Try them risk-free today! Go to buylegion.com/bar and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points! 3:55 - Dr. Mike Israetel on Breaking Through Muscle Gain Plateaus 11:47 - Should You Use Supersets to Build Muscle Faster? What 18 Studies Say 18:08 - Motivation Monday: If You Can Change Your Body, You Can Change Your Life Mentioned on the Show: Our (new and improved) protein bars are back! Try them risk-free today! Go to buylegion.com/bar and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points!

In this podcast, I interview my good friend Neil Patel about his approach to goal setting. You may not know Neil, especially because he doesn’t appear on many podcasts, but he’s a true expert in the field of entrepreneurship and business. He’s a real marketing “guru” and the most successful of my close friends in business (and other aspects of life). Beyond his ad agency and SEO expertise, Neil is a New York Times Bestselling author, and he’s been called a top influencer by The Wall Street Journal, as well as a top 10 marketer by Forbes. He was even recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama and a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 35 by the United Nations. The bottom line is Neil knows how to get results and help businesses grow, so he’s the ideal person to discuss the right ways to set big, yet achievable, goals. In our chat, we discuss . . . How to set big goals while staying realistic How to stay on track with long-term goals Staying motivated through passion and strategic rewards How to learn from mistakes and when to give up on a goal How to increase self-confidence And a lot more . . . So, if you’re at all interested in entrepreneurship, becoming good at marketing, or building a business, and you want to learn how to properly set goals and achieve success, listen to this podcast! Timestamps: 0:00 - Our (new and improved) protein bars are back! Try them risk-free today! Go to buylegion.com/bar and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points 5:58 - How do you decide on which goals to pursue? 8:45 - How do you distinguish between thinking big or being delusional? 11:44 - Does excitement matter when setting goals or should you stay pragmatic? 14:41 - How do you stay motivated when you’re trying to reach your goals? 17:18 - What about giving up on goals when they aren’t feasible? 21:43 - Did you ever have a time where you questioned yourself in business? 24:00 - What are the big lessons you learned from your mistakes? 32:46 - Does your love of working interfere with your personal life? 36:40 - What are your thoughts on mitigating mistakes? 42:26 - When seeking advice, are there specific questions that you like to ask? 51:25 - What drives you to keep going? 54:31 - What is it about business that does it for you? Mentioned on the Show: Our (new and improved) protein bars are back! Try them risk-free today! Go to buylegion.com/bar and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points Neil’s website: https://neilpatel.com/