Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

This podcast is all about skipping workouts. When does it make more sense to skip a workout than to do a workout (or to swap the workout you were planning with another)? Sometimes you just don’t feel up to a workout due to lack of sleep, stress, soreness, or something else. If you’re warming up and your joints feel achy or your mind is wandering, and you feel like it’s not going to be a great workout, you have two choices. You can suck it up and continue. Good enough is great, after all. Or you can do the workout on another day. Which choice is better? In other words, does it pay to be flexible with our workout programming? Will it pay off in terms of better long-term results? Listen to this podcast to find out. Timestamps: 5:26 - What is flexible programming? 15:43 - What does the science say about autoregulation? 17:50 - What are the benefits of flexible programming? 19:56 - What are the downsides of flexible programming? 21:46 - How can we make flexible programming work? 23:39 - An example of how flexible programming might look. Mentioned on the Show: My New Book Muscle For Life: https://muscleforlifebook.com/

Some people do make the time to 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 get a little better inside and outside the gym. And so I got an idea: how about a “best of” series of podcasts that contains a few of the most practical and compelling ideas, tips, and moments from my most popular episodes? This way, people who are new to the show can quickly determine if it’s for them or not, and those who enjoy what I’m doing but don’t have the time or inclination to listen to all of my stuff can still benefit from the discussions and find new episodes to listen to. So, in this installment of The Best of Muscle for Life, you’ll be hearing hand-picked morsels from three episodes: What Can BCAAs Actually Do For You? (According to Science) (Originally published 7/13/2018) 8 Signs of Overtraining That Most People Don’t Know (Originally published 3/15/2019) Motivation Monday: An Ode to the Gym (Originally published 6/18/2018) And we’ll be starting with number one, what can BCAAs actually do for you? Timestamps: 2:47 - What Can BCAAs Actually Do For You? (According to Science) 13:44 - 8 Signs of Overtraining That Most People Don’t Know 21:49 - Motivation Monday: An Ode to the Gym Mentioned on the Show: Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/

In this podcast, I interview Chanel Collette all about her experience transitioning from a long-time physique competitor to embracing other forms of motivation in her training, and all of the mindset shifts and body image hurdles that come with that. Most people get into strength training and bodybuilding to achieve a certain look, whether it’s losing fat, building muscle, or both. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with training to look good, but once you have a few years of proper training under your belt, progress is so slow that it becomes unnoticeable. So how do you stay motivated and keep training fun once you’re no longer seeing changes in the mirror every week, month, or even year? That’s one of the topics I discuss in this podcast with Chanel. In case you’re not familiar with Chanel, she’s a former physique and wellness competitor who competed in various bikini shows and won Ms. Bikini Universe in 2014 and overall champion at Fitness Universe in 2016. She’s also a strength and conditioning coach, currently serving as the CEO and head coach of Audacious Athletes, who has helped thousands of people (and women in particular) get stronger, not smaller. We’re also glad to have her on board as a long-time Legion Athlete! In this episode, we discuss her history competing and how it led to a body image and scale weight-focused mindset, the psychology of being stage lean, how her concept of a “good physique” has changed, managing training stress, how she’s made training more fun and enjoyable, and a lot more. So if you want to learn how you can move beyond an image-focused training mindset and incorporate other forms of training motivation, definitely listen to this interview! Timestamps: 8:24 - What’s your history with training? Why did you start competing? 14:29 - The psychology of being stage lean. 18:39 - What has helped you deal with body image issues? 19:49 - Has your idea of a good physique or what you like to see in the mirror changed? 25:36 - What elements of your training motivate you? What do you pay attention to in terms of performance? 29:03 - What are your favorite unilateral exercises? 31:00 - Do you track reps in reserve (RIR)? 37:42 - Managing training stress. 41:07 - Now that you’re no longer competing, have you changed your training in ways to make it more enjoyable? Are you doing things in the gym you wouldn’t have before? 56:48 - Should you put accessory exercises near the beginning of your workout if they're not progressing? 1:04:33 - Where can people find you and your work? Mentioned on the Show: Chanel’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chanelcollette/ Chanel’s website: chanelcollette.com Audacious Athletes: audaciousathletes.com Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/

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 6:21 - When should you consider TRT? 12:23 - When should you start using straps for conventional deadlifts? 15:23 - Are bands and bodyweight exercises a waste of time? 16:08 - Should you change macros or calories during a deload week? 17:27 - When should you move on from BLS to Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger? 20:54 - What do you think about vegetable and seed oils? Are they unhealthy? 21:43 - How should your diet look when you're sick? 22:54 - Should you use a weightlifting belt? 23:32 - Do you trust any politician? 23:49 - What body fat should you cut and bulk at? 24:11 - Who rules the world? 24:26 - Should you work out fasted? 25:01 - What's your advice for someone hooked on cardio? 26:53 - How do you keep staying a badass? 27:02 - Which is best: occlusion training or rest-pause? 27:43 - If you can't lift heavy, can you make up for it with more volume? 27:57 - Can I workout in the evening for fat loss? 28:09 - How do you make yourself eat when you're not hungry? 28:33 - Is the hex bar just as good as the barbell for deadlifts? 28:56 - Thoughts on glycerol monostearate supplementation? Is it worth taking? Mentioned on the Show: My New Book Muscle For Life: https://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 . . . Plant foods aren’t essential for optimal health. Timestamps: 2:59 - Are plant foods essential? 8:51 - Do you need to eat plant foods to survive? 10:53 - Why is vitamin C important? 12:53 - How do you get enough vitamin C with a carnivore diet? 14:45 - Is fiber necessary? 16:08 - What are phytonutrients and are they necessary? 17:40 - What are flavonoids and are they beneficial? Mentioned on the Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike

In this podcast, I interview Dr. Aaron Horschig all about lifting injuries, including injury prevention, treatment, and pain management. I thought Aaron would be the perfect guest for this topic because he has a book called Rebuilding Milo, which is all about fixing common lifting injuries, whether it’s knee pain, back pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, you name it. Of course, when it comes to injuries, you can kick the can down the road by loading up on NSAIDs and slathering on Icy Hot, but to really deal with injuries and pain correctly, you need to assess and address the root cause, which Aaron helps you do through his book. In case you’re not familiar with Aaron, he’s the founder of SquatUniversity.com, has a doctorate in physical therapy, and has been involved in olympic weightlifting for over a decade as both a competitor and coach. So, he knows how to approach injury prevention and rehab from the perspective of someone who actually lifts and has experience with professional athletes. In this episode, we discuss injury prevention through technique refinement and load management, the importance of warm-ups, banded joint mobilization, rooting out the cause of pain, why you might not want to ice your injuries, and a lot more. So if you want to learn how to prevent lifting injuries and properly assess and address pain, listen to this interview! Timestamps: 5:40 - Why is your book called “Rebuilding Milo”? 14:34 - Tips for injury prevention and treatment. 16:39 - Why you need to learn proper technique. 17:25 - The importance of load management. 23:06 - The value of filming your lifts. 26:39 - Why warm-ups are more important than you realize. 28:09 - What is banded joint mobilization? 33:20 - How to fix hip impingement. 42:59 - How do you treat injuries? 43:16 - Should you ice your injuries? 50:48 - What else can we do to treat injuries? 56:05 - How to determine the cause of pain through screening. 1:00:51 - Assessing pain and injuries. Mentioned on the Show: Aaron’s book Rebuilding Milo: https://www.amazon.com/Rebuilding-Milo-Foundation-Enhancing-Performance/dp/1628604220/?tag=mflweb-20 Aaron’s website Squat University: ​​https://squatuniversity.com/ Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike

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 2:24 - Does it become harder to build muscle after age 35? 4:18 - Is the earth flat? 4:34 - Can you train for strength and hypertrophy while also improving cycling performance? 5:12 - What are your thoughts on vaccine lockdowns, masks, etc.? 5:55 - What’s your number one lesson learned in the fitness industry? 6:17 - You have the chance to make any person shit their pants at any moment in history: who and why? 6:41 - What’s your favorite cheat meal? 7:23 - Should I work out if I'm really sore? 8:02 - After a bulking phase, should you got to maintenance before cutting? 8:11 - What’s the best part of moving back to Florida? 8:31 - Is counting steps a viable method of determining activity level? 9:03 - What made you decide to pick up golf? 9:10 - How should you handle fitness while you're sick? 9:21 - Which do you prefer: lockdowns or taxes? 9:35 - What's your favorite scientific study? 10:08 - What’s your best advice for creating a scalable business? 10:46 - What event shaped your political views? Mentioned on the Show: Legion's Halloween Sale: https://buylegion.com/

In this podcast, I chat with my friend, Michael Chernow, about his new oatmeal and apparel business called Kreatures of Habit. In case you’re not familiar with Michael, he’s a trained chef and “serial entrepreneur” with repeat success in the restaurant industry, including The Meatball Shop (with 8 locations) and Seamore’s (a sustainable seafood restaurant). It’s clear Michael hasn’t just “gotten lucky,” but knows how to build effective brands and businesses, and I’ve had him on the podcast before to talk about entrepreneurship. And that’s why I wanted to get him back on the show to talk about this new endeavor. A direct-to-consumer oatmeal business is a horse of a different color from a restaurant, so I wanted to ask Michael how things are going and what inspired him to delve outside of his usual realm of restaurant entrepreneurship. In our discussion, we discuss the backstory of Kreatures of Habit, the importance and life-changing benefits of habits in general, money and financial freedom, the challenges he’s been facing with the new business, and a lot more. So if you want to learn all about the entrepreneurship process and what it’s like to start a new business that makes delicious oatmeal, listen to this interview! Timestamps: 7:13 - Why did you delve outside the realm of restaurants and your past success? 34:30 - How has the business been going? What challenges are you facing? 38:41 - What role does the apparel play? 47:03 - What’s the big vision? Where is this business in 10 years? 50:01 - Why you shouldn't chase money. 1:13:10 - Where can people find Kreatures of Habit? Mentioned on the Show: https://kreaturesofhabit.com/ Michael Chernow’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelchernow/ Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://buylegion.com/vip

I’ve churned through over 150,000 emails, social media comments and messages, and blog comments in the last 6 years. And that means I’ve fielded a ton of questions. As you can imagine, some questions pop up more often than others, and I thought it might be helpful to take a little time every month to choose a few and record and share my answers. So, in this round, I answer the following question: Are deadlifts worth the risk? If you have a question you’d like me to answer, leave a comment below or if you want a faster response, send an email to mike@muscleforlife.com. Timestamps 5:22 - Are deadlifts a risky or dangerous exercise for your average lifter or lifestyle bodybuilder? 10:52 - What’s the best alternative to the conventional deadlift? Rack pulls. 11:22 - Do deadlifts hurt your biceps? 15:56 - Is deadlifting especially difficult to recover from? Is 3 sets too much? 16:25 - What is CNS fatigue? 18:42 - Why should you deadlift? What are the benefits of deadlifting? 20:37 - Can deadlifts affect your hormones like testosterone? 24:18 - Do you need to deadlift? Are deadlifts required? Mentioned on the Show: My New Book Muscle For Life: https://muscleforlifebook.com/ Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/

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 4:09 - Republican or libertarian? 6:21 - Why am I getting stronger but I don't look bigger? 6:47 - Do you take every Legion supplement every day? 7:21 - Why do you do so much cardio? 8:49 - How do you improve recovery? 9:35 - Yay or nay to vaccine mandates? 10:19 - Did you catch covid? 11:35 - What exercises should you consider eliminating? 12:51 - Why do you lift your head while benching? 13:22 - What books are you currently reading? 14:10 - Lunges or step-ups? 14:23 - How can I make getting fit fun? 14:45 - Should you take a break from pre-workouts and fat-burners? 15:54 - Do a lot of women flirt with you? 17:53 - How many days per week do you train? Mentioned on the Show: Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/