Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

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 haven’t used steroids so anything you say about them is invalid, probably wrong, and you’re not qualified to talk about them. Timestamps: 3:14 - You haven't used winstrol, testosterone, ecdysterone, trenbolone, SARMS, or other drugs, so you can't comment on them. 4:45 - Why do some people use steroids? 6:41 - How big of an effect do steroids have? 8:40 - Does the risk to reward ratio make sense for everyday gym-goers? 10:08 - What are the risks of steroids? 11:09 - Do you have to try a drug to be qualified to advise against it? Mentioned on the Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike

In this podcast, I chat with Austin Current all about the science of strength training. Austin recently released a book called the Science of Strength Training, which is a visual encyclopedia and comprehensive resource that dives into the nitty gritty details of resistance training. Specifically, it covers physiology, anatomy, how muscles work, exercise selection, and much more. Austin’s book will help anyone understand what happens in our bodies as a result of strength training and why it’s so beneficial. And the book is visually captivating to boot! In our chat, we talk about the main drivers of muscle growth (including mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress), sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar hypertrophy, workout programming, the importance of deloads, and cardiovascular fitness. And we only scratch the surface of what’s in Austin’s book. If you’re not familiar with Austin, not only is he an educator and author, but he’s a coach and co-founder of Physique Development, a coaching collective that works with everyday fitness folks and competitors alike. Not only has Austin had a successful competitive career as a natural physique bodybuilder, but I was impressed by his ability to break down complex topics into actionable information that anyone can use, which is why I wanted to get him on the podcast. So if you want to learn about the physiology of muscle growth and how we can use science to tweak our workout programming, check out this interview! Timestamps: 32:21 - What are the mechanics of muscle growth? 32:43 - What are the three stimuli that contribute to muscle growth? 34:29 - What is the hormonal cascade that occurs from resistance training? 41:05 - What is muscle damage and how much does it contribute to muscle growth? 47:02 - Should you try to maximize muscle damage in your training? 53:18 - What are the signs you're creating enough muscle damage? 1:02:23 - Should you incorporate deloads? 1:08:44 - What is metabolic stress or metabolic fatigue? 1:11:54 - Are styles of training that prioritize metabolic stress useful? 1:23:44 - The importance of cardiovascular fitness and the aerobic system. Mentioned on the Show: Bigger Leaner Stronger: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/bigger-leaner-stronger/ Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/beyond-bigger-leaner-stronger/ Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike Science of Strength Training - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0744026954/?tag=mflweb-20 Austin’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austincurrent_/ Physique Development - https://physiquedevelopment.com/

Is intensity or volume more important for building muscle? That’s this podcast’s topic and it’s been a matter of ongoing controversy and debate. If you asked a panel of fitness experts about intensity versus volume, you’d hear a lot of squabbling. Some would say you should mostly train heavy and focus on using weights as heavy as possible. Others would say the weight you’re using doesn’t matter as much as simply training a lot and putting in the reps. Both arguments can sound convincing, so which method should you apply? While you can’t neglect volume or intensity, one of the two is slightly more important than the other. You’re going to learn why in this podcast! Timestamps: 5:17 - How do you calculate volume? What is volume load? 10:34 - What's the best way to track volume? 11:36 - What is intensity? 14:28 - How close should you get to failure during a set? 15:33 - Should you use a percentage of your one-rep max (1RM)? 16:32 - Is volume or intensity better for muscle growth? 24:31 - Do you have to keep getting stronger to gain muscle? 27:00 - How heavy should you lift? 30:17 - How do you get stronger? 31:59 - Why do we have to keep adding weight to the bar over time? Why is strength gain correlated with building muscle? 33:58 - Should you do very high-rep sets? Do high-rep sets increase muscle tension? 38:39 - How should you program your training? Mentioned on the Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike

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: What do you think about companies that do DNA testing to make diet and training recommendations? 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 3:57 - What is DNA testing? 7:20 - Is DNA testing a gimmick? 9:59 - Should you get DNA testing? Can DNA testing help you? Mentioned on the Show: Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://buylegion.com/vip

In this podcast, I talk with Todd, who read Bigger Leaner Stronger and used what he learned to go from over 230 pounds to 175 pounds (and 10% body fat) in a year, all while gaining gobs of muscle in the process. Before finding BLS, Todd was very overweight and unhealthy. He wanted to get in shape, so he started intermittent fasting, but he didn’t know anything about energy balance, meal planning, or what really moves the needle. He ended up stuck in a rut. When Covid hit and Todd got sick, he realized he needed to make a real change and finally get healthy. He couldn’t keep doing what he was doing or he could literally lose his life. Luckily he found my work, gobbled up the information, and started implementing what he learned. He started tracking his food and quickly realized he was eating too much. He also started training properly, and he was finally able to break through weight loss plateaus and get down to 175 pounds with an impressive physique. In this interview, Todd and I chat about his story, the biggest epiphanies he had after reading BLS, how he continues to stay on track and motivated, the importance of having a willingness to change, the value of cheat meals, and more. So if you’re looking for a jolt of inspiration and like motivational stories, definitely listen to this episode. Timestamps: 5:13 - What was your situation before finding my work? 23:22 - What has been your experience with cheat meals? 30:59 - How does overeating affect your workouts? 39:32 - Was intermittent fasting helpful? 42:37 - Did you use any supplements? 45:51 - Do you think you'll have trouble maintaining what you've achieved? Mentioned on the show: Bigger Leaner Stronger: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/bigger-leaner-stronger/ Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://buylegion.com/vip

Why a podcast on vaccination? Because I know quite a few unvaccinated people who won't be getting jabbed under any circumstances, and who also haven't done anything to mitigate their chances of getting sick or worse from Covid. The message in this episode has resonated with them, and thus, I think is productive to share widely. Whatever the reason for your reluctance to get vaccinated, at this point, no amount of hectoring is going to change your mind. If you’re unvaccinated and wholly unprepared for Covid, though, you’re not only imperiling your health, you’re preparing the ground for the brave new world.  There are things you can do to mitigate your risk, though. It looks like SARS-CoV-2 is never going away, so if you haven’t gotten Covid yet, then, it’s not a question of if you will in the future, only when. So in this podcast, I’m laying out practical advice on reducing your risk of getting Covid, having an especially bad case, or spreading it. Don't let Covid catch you out. Mentioned on the Show: Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://buylegion.com/vip

I’ve recorded hundreds of episodes of Muscle for Life on a huge variety of things related to health, fitness, and lifestyle, ranging from the basics of diet and exercise like energy and macronutrient balance and progressive overload and training frequency and volume to fads like the ketogenic and carnivore diet and collagen protein to more unfamiliar territories like body weight set point and fasted cardio. Some episodes resonate with my crowd more than others, but all of them contain at least a few key takeaways that just about anyone can benefit from (that’s what I tell myself at least). And as cool as that is, it poses a problem for you, my dear listener: Ain’t nobody got time for that. Well okay, 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. People have also been saying they’d like me to do more shorter, multi-topic episodes, like my Q&As. 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: Kurtis Frank on the Best Functional Foods for Improving Health and Wellbeing (Originally published 2/9/2019) Are Compound Exercises Better Than Isolation Exercises? (Originally published 3/6/2019) Motivation Monday: What Got You Here (Probably) Won’t Get You There (Originally published 11/5/2018) And we’ll be starting with number one, Kurtis Frank on the Best Functional Foods for Improving Health and Wellbeing. Timestamps: 5:16 - Kurtis Frank on the Best Functional Foods for Improving Health and Wellbeing 14:45 - Are Compound Exercises Better Than Isolation Exercises? 20:40 - Motivation Monday: What Got You Here (Probably) Won’t Get You There Mentioned on the Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike

In this interview with Eric Helms, we chat all about the concept of staying too lean. That is, we discuss body fat percentage from the standpoint of health and performance. Many people set their crosshairs on getting a six-pack when they first get into fitness. “I’ll be happy once I have abs!” they fantasize. And that’s all well and good from an aesthetics point of view. Most of us like how we look when we’re really lean, but when it comes to general health or strength training, is having ripped abs actually beneficial? The truth is staying super lean year-round can have an impact on other areas of your life beyond how you look, including your training, sleep, mood, and hunger. In other words, staying too lean for too long can impede your progress if you have other goals beyond looking shredded, and that’s what Eric is here to talk about. In case you’re not familiar with Eric, he’s not only an accomplished bodybuilder, powerlifter, coach, author, scientist, and member of Legion’s Scientific Advisory Board, but he’s also one of the guys behind the Monthly Applications in Strength Sport (MASS), which is one of the best research reviews out there. In this episode, we talk about . . . How body fat relates to health and athletic performance Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) and energy availability Energy compensation and how extreme amounts of activity affect energy expenditure depending on energy availability The easiest way to tell if you're too lean Reasons for getting (and staying) lean And more . . . So, if you want to learn how staying too lean for too long could be hurting your progress in the gym, or just want a little motivation as to why you should lean bulk, this podcast is for you! Timestamps: 6:12 - How do you know if you're trying to stay too lean? 12:09 - What is the sweet spot in terms of body fat percentage and weight? 16:35 - What is RED-S? 31:12 - What are symptoms of RED-S for women? 35:37 - What's the best and easiest way to know if you're too lean? 40:10 - What is the optimal calorie range for you? 51:41 - What if you notice negative effects at the level of leanness you want aesthetically? Mentioned on the Show: Eric Helms’s Website: https://3dmusclejourney.com/ MASS Research Review: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/mass-issue-1?dst=massmuscleforlife Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike

This episode of Muscle For Life is part of a monthly 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: One Monday every month, I’m going to 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. Mentioned on the Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike

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: Being an intermediate lifter, how fast should I progress on the bench press, squat, deadlift, and overhead press when lean bulking? 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 7:43 - What are good strength targets for natural weightlifters? 9:57 - What are reasonable strength goals for women? 11:02 - How do you get as strong as possible? 13:30 - What does strength gain look like year to year? 17:41 - Why do strength and muscle gain progress so similarly? Mentioned on the Show: Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/ Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/