Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

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 three questions: Does ecdysterone work? When you’re fasting, when do you start losing muscle? What is the most important life lesson you’d like to teach your children and how will you attempt to teach it? 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. Recommended reading for this episode: https://legionathletics.com/intermittent-fasting/ --- Timestamps: 4:34 - Does ecdysterone work? 11:36 - When you’re fasting, when do you start losing muscle? 19:32 - What is the most important life lesson you’d like to teach your children and how will you attempt to teach it? Mentioned on The Show: Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://buylegion.com/vip Forge Pre-Workout Fat Burner: https://legionathletics.com/products/supplements/forge-pre-workout-fat-burner/ --- Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

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: My Interview on Mind Pump Media (Originally published August 23rd, 2017) The Ultimate Fitness Plan for Women (Originally published November 21st, 2018) Book Club: My Top 5 Takeaways from Principles by Ray Dalio (Originally published October 8th, 2018) And we’ll be starting with number one, My Interview on Mind Pump Media 5:51 - My Interview on Mind Pump Media 14:28 - The Ultimate Fitness Plan for Women 23:19 - Book Club: My Top 5 Takeaways from Principles by Ray Dalio Mentioned on The Show: Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://buylegion.com/vip https://anchor.fm/muscleforlife/episodes/My-Interview-on-Mind-Pump-Media-eei637 https://legionathletics.com/fitness-plan-women-podcast/ https://legionathletics.com/principles-book-review/ --- Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

Well well well, 2021 is here, Bad Orange Man is out, Chairman Xiden is in, and we’re still waiting for this grinding fever dream to end. Can we leash this global tornado? Learn to ride this chaos like a horse? Maybe. Who can know? Listen to this episode to find out how we can do our part. Mentioned on The Show: Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://buylegion.com/vip --- Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

This episode is part of a weekly 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: Every Monday morning, 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 every Monday morning for the latest and greatest installment. Mentioned on The Show: Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://legionathletics.com/coaching/ Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

“Can you recommend a book for…?” “What are you reading right now?” “What are your favorite books?” I get asked those types of questions a lot and, as an avid reader and all-around bibliophile, I’m always happy to oblige. I also like to encourage people to read as much as possible because knowledge benefits you much like compound interest. The more you learn, the more you know; the more you know, the more you can do; the more you can do, the more opportunities you have to succeed. On the flip side, I also believe there’s little hope for people who aren’t perpetual learners. Life is overwhelmingly complex and chaotic, and it slowly suffocates and devours the lazy and ignorant. So, if you’re a bookworm on the lookout for good reads, or if you’d like to get into the habit of reading, this book club for you. The idea here is simple: Every month, I’ll share a book that I’ve particularly liked, why I liked it, and several of my key takeaways from it. I’ll also keep things short and sweet so you can quickly decide whether the book is likely to be up your alley or not. Alright, let’s get to the takeaways. -- Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike --- Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

Anyone who cares about health knows the importance of diet. How many times have you been told to eat a “healthy” diet by a doctor or some other authority? Nearly everyone aspires to eating a healthy diet, so much so that “eat healthier” is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions. “Eat healthier” seems simple on its face, but ask a handful of people what that means and you'll get wildly different definitions. How would a carnivore dieter answer compared to a vegan? What about the fat-adapted keto Crossfitter versus a carb-gel-loading endurance athlete? And how would a paleo adherent’s response differ still? The same can be said for any food fad or eating style including keto, IIFYM, blood type diets, and more. One group’s “superfood” (like beans for many vegans, for example) is a veritable, evil “no no” to be avoided at all costs amongst another group of equally fervent zealots (like Dr. Gundry’s plant paradoxers). So, what really constitutes a healthy diet? How can we define it, and thus, create one and follow it? To help answer that seemingly simple question, the one and only Alan Aragon has returned to the podcast. In case you’re not familiar with Alan, he’s a nutrition researcher and educator who’s been at the forefront of the evidence-based fitness movement for over a decade now and has helped countless fitness enthusiasts, professional athletes, and top coaches, and even influenced my own work. Alan has a knack for translating science into practical application, which you can see for yourself if you check out his research review, which was the first of its kind in 2008. In this episode, Alan and I discuss . . . What it means to be healthy and what constitutes a healthy diet Why looking like an elite athlete doesn't necessarily mean you're healthy The negotiables and non-negotiable of a healthy diet Why food preferences matter Relative energy deficiency syndrome, the female athlete triad, and healthy levels of body fat Specific macro recommendations (and food choice recommendations to get there) Why oats are awesome Why you should take a multivitamin And a lot more . . . So, if you want to learn more about what truly makes up a healthy diet, and how you can implement these qualities into your own lifestyle, listen to this episode! 6:19 - What is a healthy diet? 21:52 - What does healthy calorie management look like? 30:28 - What are some of the adverse effects in men if they do not manage calories properly? 31:41 - How long before these effects start to manifest? 39:15 - How do macros play a role in this? 43:07 - What are your thoughts on carbs and fats? 46:44 - What are some food choice recommendations? 55:31 - What do macros look like in the concept of healthy eating? 1:09:13 - What are your thoughts on minimum amounts of nutritious carbs? 1:14:33 - Would you count bread as a “healthy” carb? 1:29:53 - Are multivitamins worth taking? 1:37:51 - Where can people find you and your work? Mentioned on The Show: Alan Aragon's Research Review: https://alanaragon.com/aarr/ Alan Aragon's Website: https://alanaragon.com/ Alan Aragon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealanaragon/ Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike

I don't know about you, but I don't like balls in my face when I'm bench pressing. Or a sweaty dude snuggling with me while I squat. Or being shrieked at to "dig deep," "feel the burn," or "let the big dogs eat." Or trying to catch my breath mid-set in a noxious haze of someone's fart. I'm not speaking hypothetically, either. After 13 years in the gym, I've seen a lot of bad spotting (and a lot of weird shit in general). Hence, this podcast. In it, we're going to talk shitty spotting, good spotting, and everything in between. Let's start with some laughs... --- Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 3:12 - How do you spot well? 4:09 - How do you spot a bench and military press? 7:10 - How do you spot a dumbbell press? 9:04 - How do you spot a squat? --- Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: buylegion.com/mike --- Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

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 three questions: 4:24 - “What are your thoughts on resistance bands?” 16:43 - “How do you convince your wife to have sex with you? You’re a busy man, me too. My wife’s relationship requirement number one is quality time but I really struggle to give her that. I need physical affection to survive and how do we get what we need if we are miles apart in our requirements of each other?” 39:17 - “Do you think that females over 40 who are trying to build muscle should stick as close to maintenance calories as possible? if muscle gain is already a slow process, and particularly for women, is it even slower for women who are 40 and beyond?” 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. --- Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike --- Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

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: Sal Di Stefano on Mastering the Mental Side of Dieting (Originally published May 1st, 2019) 3 “Everyday” Weightlifting Mistakes That Keep People Small, Weak, and Frustrated (Originally published November 23rd, 2018) Motivation Monday: The Wrong Way and Right Way to Set Goals  (Originally published August 20th, 2018) And we’ll be starting with number one, Sal Di Stefano on Mastering the Mental Side of Dieting --- Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 5:07 - Sal Di Stefano on Mastering the Mental Side of Dieting 11:35 - 3 “Everyday” Weightlifting Mistakes That Keep People Small, Weak, and Frustrated 21:08 - Motivation Monday: The Wrong Way and Right Way to Set Goals --- Mentioned on The Show: Books by Mike Matthews: 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/

What’s a 4-letter word that you never want to hear your doctor say to you? Ok it’s actually not a word, but an acronym, and I’m referring to PCOS. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder that affects millions of women. In fact, chances are good that you know someone affected by it, which probably explains why I’m often asked about it via email, Twitter, and Instagram. PCOS has various effects in the body, especially in regards to fertility, but one of the biggest concerns in the fitness space is how it affects weight loss. Specifically, many people believe PCOS is caused by being overweight, and that once you have PCOS, losing weight is nigh impossible. How true is this though? Are you really doomed if you get PCOS and can it truly prevent weight loss? Perhaps more importantly, how can you avoid getting it in the first place? To help shed some light on the truth, I invited Dr. Spencer Nadolsky back on the podcast. In case you’re not familiar with Dr. Nadolsky, he’s a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician, author of “The Fat Loss Prescription,” and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. He’s also part of Legion Athletics’ Scientific Advisory Board and truly knows his stuff when it comes to hormones, fat loss, and yes, memes (which you can find all over his instagram). In this interview, Dr. Nadolsky discusses … What PCOS is and its symptoms The causes of PCOS and how it might cause or be associated with differences in metabolism, appetite, and mental health The effects of PCOS on hormones and how that relates to fat gain and loss The “secret” to weight loss with PCOS and his dietary tips And more … So, if you want to learn about dealing with and overcoming PCOS, listen to this episode! 10:02 - What is PCOS? 16:56 - What is PCOS’s relation to weight loss? 37:18 - Would you recommend trying natural remedies before going to medicine? 39:11 - What are some dietary advice that you would give to people with PCOS? 42:15 - Any supplements you would recommend? Mentioned on The Show: Dr. Spencer Nadolsky's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drnadolsky/ PCOS Templates: https://www.RPstrength.com RP Strength YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfQgsKhHjSyRLOp9mnffqVg?pbjreload=102 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/