Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

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: Eric Helms on Supersets, Dropsets, Forced Reps, and More! (Originally published 7/5/2019) The Top 5 Proven Ways to Build Muscle Faster (Originally published 1/11/2018) Motivation Monday: The Great “Work-Life Balance” Dilemma (Originally published 4/2/2018) And we’ll be starting with number one, Eric Helms on supersets, dropsets, forced reps, and more. Timestamps: 0:00 - Try Pulse today! Go to https://buylegion.com/pulse and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points 3:33 - Eric Helms on Supersets, Dropsets, Forced Reps, and More! 14:07 - The Top 5 Proven Ways to Build Muscle Faster 20:59 - Motivation Monday: The Great “Work-Life Balance” Dilemma Mentioned on the Show: Try Pulse today! Go to https://buylegion.com/pulse and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points

If you’ve paid any attention to what’s trending in the fitness space these days, you may have come across organ meats. Eating liver, kidneys, and heart seems to be on the uptrend in general, and is all the rage in certain corners of the internet. Claims about organ meats can vary wildly. Some people say organ meats are reservoirs of toxins and shouldn’t be consumed at all, while others claim you can not only survive by eating only organ meats, but actually enhance your health. Yes, if you hate veggies, you can make up for it by eating enough of the right organ meats, proponents claim. If you’re like me, you probably don’t eat any organ meats, and opt for more appetizing fare like chicken breast or steak. So what’s the real story here? Should we be incorporating organ meats into our diet? What value do they provide, how much of a difference can they make, and can we get those nutrients from more “normal” foods instead? To chat about this subject, I invited Chris Kresser back onto the podcast. In case you aren’t familiar with Chris, he’s one of the most well-known names in the world of Functional Medicine, a New York Times bestselling author, and the host of the popular Revolution Health Radio. I last had him on the show to talk about The Game Changers film, and I knew he would be a good guest this time around to talk about the nutritional value of organ meats. So, if you want to learn about what makes organ meats healthy, how you can incorporate them easily into your diet (and whether you should or need to), give this podcast a spin! Timestamps: 0:00 - Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/ and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points 12:27 - How big of a difference does it make to include organ meats in your diet? 15:54 - Can you reach vitamin A sufficiency through carotenoids? 18:17 - Can you get too much retinol? 19:26 - An easy way to eat liver 25:55 - Are there other ways to get the nutrients from organ meats? 28:48 - Choline 29:12 - Folate 29:44 - Legumes 29:57 - Vitamin B12 30:39 - Vitamin K2 35:36 - What are your thoughts about taking a well-formulated multivitamin versus trying to get all the key nutrients through food? 37:33 - Bone broth 40:03 - What do you think about plant avoidance? 58:45 - Where can people find you and your work? Mentioned on the Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/ and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points Chris Kresser’s website: https://chriskresser.com/

In this episode, I’m talking about calf training and answering a question I often get about calf genetics. How much can genetics get in the way of calf development? This matters to me because I’ve always had small calves, and it’s a trait I seem to have inherited from my dad. Does that mean that no amount of calf raises will save my spindly lower legs, though? More and more research is coming out that calls the calf genetics theory into question. Tune in the learn more! Timestamps: 0:00 - Order my new fitness book Muscle For Life here: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/ 5:52 - Can you train your calves? 11:22 - What is the proper rep range and volume to optimize calf development? 14:25 - How do you find your best rep range? 16:43 - How do you grow your calves faster? Mentioned on the Show: Order my new fitness book Muscle For Life here: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/

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 onInstagram, 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.Timestamps0:00 - Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $13,000 in splendid swag:https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/2:53 - My partner just had a baby and I’m getting 3 hours of sleep a day. Should I deload for a few weeks?4:11 - Does amending the order of your split majorly affect progress?6:47 - Do you own NFTs? What’s your take on them?7:14 - Do you drink alcohol or smoke weed?8:00 - Do you spend much time on mobility outside of weight training?8:42 - How to get Yuge thicc boi veins? My veins look like angel hair pasta.9:10 - What’s your favorite Pulse flavor?9:31 - Is it effective to alternate push/pull exercises in super sets to save recovery and total workout time?10:46 - How do you personally de-stress after a rough day besides working out?12:30 - What was the last video game you played/enjoyed?13:12 - What are the 3 best movements to do when traveling with no gym access for equipment?13:50 - Why do you change between different types of pull ups in your workouts?16:12 - What should my RPE be before moving up in weight?19:28 - Post and pre meal for cardio?19:57 - What’s your favorite soup?20:54 - What keeps you disciplined to keep prioritizing your physical health?21:37 - Do you have any good baked oatmeal recipes?22:11 - Any insight as to why sumo deadlifts anger my lower back vs conventional?23:11 - By the time it’s 5pm and gym time on bad work days I want chocolate and my blanket. Wtd?23:34 - How to deal with rejection?24:47 -  Will specific muscles stop growing when they hit a certain size? Ie quads etc.Mentioned on the Show:Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $13,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/

This episode of the podcast is a bit different. That's because in this podcast, I chat with Alex Banayan about his book The Third Door, the journey he went on in the process of writing it, and what he learned along the way. We’ll get into the details in the interview, but Alex went on a seven-year quest to interview some of the world’s brightest, most successful people in order to learn how they broke through in their respective fields. It all started with the common existential crisis of “what do I want to do with my life” and his research led him down a road filled with life-changing interviews with Bill Gates, Quincy Jones, Steve Wozniak, Lady Gaga, Warren Buffett, Maya Angelou, Steven Spielberg, Jane Goodall, Larry King, and more (and some wild stories). Now if you're wondering why I thought this was worthy of a podcast, many of my followers are entrepreneurs, people who want to succeed more in their careers, or people who want to improve themselves in general. So while this interview isn’t directly fitness-related, I think you’ll find it interesting and useful. In our discussion, Alex and I talk about . . . How he “hacked” The Price Is Right to raise funds for his book idea How he managed to secure big-time interviews The mindset commonalities he found among famous, successful people The difference between fearlessness and courage Social media and the importance and relativity of money And more . . . If you’re not familiar with Alex, The Third Door has made him the youngest bestselling business author in American history, and the book is a number one international bestseller. He’s been named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list and Business Insider’s “Most Powerful People Under 30,” and been featured in Fortune, CNBC, Businessweek, The Washington Post, MSNBC, Fox News, and NBC News. So if you want to hear some of Alex’s wild stories from his journey and what he learned on his quest to study success, definitely check out this interview! Timestamps: 0:00 - Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $13,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/ 7:07 - What is the premise of the book? 13:01 - How Alex hacked The Price Is Right 15:21 - How did you get interviews with famous people? 17:16 - How successful people treat business 20:14 - The difference between fearlessness and courage 26:12 - What have you found fulfilling and is there anything you thought would be fulfilling that hasn't been? 31:50 - What you think you want and what you really want may not be the same 42:45 - Who is the third door for? 44:05 - Dealing with setbacks 51:48 - The opposite of success isn't failure 53:32 - What types of mistakes are acceptable to you? Mentioned on the Show: Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $13,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/ The Third Door: https://www.amazon.com/Third-Door-Uncover-Successful-Launched/dp/0804136661/?tag=mflweb-20 Alex Banayan’s website: https://thirddoorbook.com/ Alex’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexbanayan/

This podcast was inspired by a question from one of my followers on Instagram: “does the nutritional value of food change based on how it’s cooked?”For example, you may have heard that boiled or steamed vegetables leak nutrients out into the water. Or you may have heard that roasting food can actually boost nutrient absorption.So, do you need to consider cooking methods when meal prepping? How can you make food as nutritious as it can possibly be? Are there any other considerations in terms of how to cook your food?Listen to this podcast to find out!---Timestamps:0:00 - Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $12,000 in splendid swag:https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/4:46 - How does cooking affect food?5:32 - Cooking with water6:11 - What about grilling and broiling?9:09 - Grilling tips9:46 - Microwaving11:24 - Baking and roasting11:52 - Sauteing and stir frying12:11 - Frying14:04 - Key takeaways---Mentioned on the Show:Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $13,000 in splendid swag:https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/

In this podcast, I’m sharing an excerpt from the audiobook version of my new book, Muscle For Life, which is releasing January 11th. Muscle For Life is currently on pre-order, and if you go to www.muscleforlifebook.com, you can learn about the big book launch bonanza that’s underway, where you can enter to win over $13,000 of awesome stuff. In this episode, I’m sharing chapter 10, which is all about strength training. You’ll learn why you should incorporate strength training into your fitness regimen and how to do it right. Let’s get to it! Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio from MUSCLE FOR LIFE by Michael Matthews, read by Chris Henry Coffey with the author. Copyright © 2022 by Waterbury Publications, Inc. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Timestamps: 0:00 - Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $13,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/ 3:01 - Chapter 10, The 5 Commandments of Successful Strength Training Mentioned on the Show: Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $13,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/

In this podcast, I’m sharing an excerpt from the audiobook version of my new book, Muscle For Life, which is releasing January 11th. Muscle For Life is currently on pre-order, and if you go to www.muscleforlifebook.com, you can learn about the big book launch bonanza that’s underway, where you can enter to win over $13,000 of awesome stuff. In this episode, I’m sharing chapter 7, which is the ultimate beginner’s guide to flexible dieting. It teaches you how to determine how many calories to eat based on your goals, how to turn those calories into macros for improving your body composition, and how to make meal plans (without using a scale!). Let’s get to it! Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio from MUSCLE FOR LIFE by Michael Matthews, read by Chris Henry Coffey with the author. Copyright © 2022 by Waterbury Publications, Inc. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Timestamps: 0:00 - Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $13,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/ 3:07 - Chapter 7, Welcome to the Easiest Diet in the World Mentioned on the Show: Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $13,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/

In this podcast, I’m sharing an excerpt from the audiobook version of my new book, Muscle For Life, which is releasing January 11th. Muscle For Life is currently on pre-order, and if you go to www.muscleforlifebook.com, you can learn about the big book launch bonanza that’s underway, where you can enter to win over $13,000 of awesome stuff. In this episode, I’m sharing chapter 5, which is all about mastering the “inner game” of fitness, and I’ll explain what I mean by that and then get into the details. You’ll learn how to hack your habits, willpower, and mindset so your fitness regimen feels like it’s on autopilot. Let’s get to it! Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio from MUSCLE FOR LIFE by Michael Matthews, read by Chris Henry Coffey with the author. Copyright © 2022 by Waterbury Publications, Inc. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Timestamps: 0:00 - Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $13,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/ 2:30 - Chapter 5, How to Master the “Inner Game” of Fitness Mentioned on the Show: Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $13,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/

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 say artificial sweeteners are potentially harmful and cite animal research. How does that apply to humans? Timestamps: 0:00 - Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $13,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/ 7:16 - Can artificial sweeteners be harmful to your health? 8:04 - What are some of the claims about artificial sweeteners? 14:41 - What about artificial sweeteners and cancer? 15:07 - Artificial sweeteners and headaches 15:50 - Artificial sweeteners and seizures 16:11 - Artificial sweeteners and gut health 23:22 - Conclusion 24:23 - Natural sweeteners Mentioned on the Show: Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $13,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/