Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

Muscle recovery nostrums are an evergreen fad in the fitness industry. Fancy foam rollers, special kinds of stretching, overpriced medical tape, CBD oil, and gimcrack supplements are all à la mode. If you stay up to date on these sorts of things, you’ve probably seen one of the latest recovery trinkets: massage guns. Although massage guns have existed for about a decade, they’ve become popular recently thanks to stylish new branding, celebrity endorsements, and aggressive marketing. And you’ve probably wondered, are they worth it? Massage gun advocates claim these devices replicate the benefits of traditional massage therapy: soothing sore muscles and boosting blood flow, recovery, flexibility, and mood. Skeptics claim massage guns are no more effective than regular massage and not much if any better than cheaper alternatives like a foam roller or lacrosse ball. What does science have to say about all this? Can massage guns boost muscle recovery and provide other benefits, or are they just an extravagant gimmick? You’ll learn the answers to these questions in this podcast, but first, let’s take a closer look at what a massage gun actually is. 4:39 - What is a massage gun? 6:45 - What does science say about massage guns? 22:58 - Which massage gun should I get? 25:17 - How do you use a massage gun correctly to get the best results? 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/

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: 4:36 - Is running bad for gaining muscle and strength? 19:23 - How has having kids changed your approach to diet? 38:12 - What are your thoughts on kratom? Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://legionathletics.com/shop/ --- Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/ --- 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/cardio-weightlifting/ https://legionathletics.com/what-is-kratom/

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: 1. Dr. Cate Shanahan on the Power of “Deep Nutrition” (Originally published July 19, 2017) 2. Q&A: Monthly Fat Loss Targets, Sleep and Muscle Building, Adjusting Meal Plans for Fat Loss, and More (Originally published March 8, 2019) 3. Motivation Monday: What's More Important than Necessity? (Originally published September 24, 2018) And we’ll be starting with number one, Dr. Cate Shanahan on the Power of “Deep Nutrition”. 5:34 - Dr. Cate Shanahan on the Power of “Deep Nutrition” 15:15 - Q&A: Monthly Fat Loss Targets, Sleep and Muscle Building, Adjusting Meal Plans for Fat Loss, and More 24:47 - Motivation Monday: What's More Important than Necessity? Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: legionathletics.com/shop/ --- Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

If you’re here, you probably care at least a little bit about picking up and putting down heavy things. I’m talking about training, of course. The truth is training isn’t hopelessly complex. Find a decent routine, follow it, and you’ll make gains. Unfortunately, you’ve probably found that life isn’t perfectly predictable and sometimes gets in the way of your training. You can’t always hit the gym exactly when you want and with perfect energy levels. Sometimes you have to work overtime or pick up your friend from the airport. Sometimes you get injured or are more sore than usual. And sometimes your sleep is a bit off and you’re dragging more than normal. Whatever the case, life occasionally gives you lemons, and you have to stay flexible and nimble or you’re going to get demotivated by not being able to follow your perfect little plans. Well, what if there was a training system that could ensure you're working hard enough to progress, but not so hard that you overtrain? And what if it could do this no matter how you were feeling--whether you were fresh and spritely or unmotivated and rundown. In other words, a system that could optimize your progress while managing recovery, all while staying flexible and fluid and adapting to you. That's the promise of something called autoregulation. That may sound like a fancy term, but we’re going to get to the bottom of it in this episode. And luckily, I know someone who has a knack for breaking down nuanced, science-y subjects and making them accessible for everyone. That person is repeat-podcast-guest extraordinaire, Dr. Eric Helms. 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. All that is why he’s also one of my favorite guests for offering practical advice you can apply in the gym. In this episode, Eric covers . . . What autoregulation is and who it’s for Implementing RPE and using it to manage both fatigue and load to make faster progress Individualizing training based on feedback instead of following a cookie-cutter program The advantages (and disadvantages) of velocity-based training Autoregulating exercise selection Practical recommendations for adding autoregulation into your current program And more . . . So if you want to learn the ins and outs of autoregulation, and how you can use it to manage fatigue and optimize your progress, this episode is for you. Timestamps: 6:59 - What is autoregulation? 13:52 - Do you think autoregulation is a good technique for elite athletes and more sophisticated workouts? 29:19 - If you are in the middle of a training block and you notice that you aren’t close enough to your one rep max, do you make decisions on the fly or just stay to the program until that training block is over? 33:58 - What is velocity and RPE stops? 44:41 - What are your thoughts on auto regulating exercise selection? 47:19 - What are some other good reasons to change what you are currently doing? 57:35 - How can I implement auto regulation into my existing program? Mentioned on The Show: Eric Helm’s Website: https://3dmusclejourney.com/ MASS Research Review: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/mass/

Modern medicine has a cure for nearly everything. After all, it’s eradicated smallpox, eliminated malaria in most developed countries, and nearly put an end to polio. It’s also created all kinds of pills, potions, and powders to treat ailments ranging from the common cold to cancer. And yet, it still hasn’t come up with a cure for low-back pain. In fact, low-back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and nearly 80% of people will experience it at one time or another. To make matters worse, most cases of low-back pain are chronic or recurring, and symptoms often come and go without rhyme or reason. It affects the young and old, healthy and disabled, active and sedentary. I’m a good example. I’ve been an athlete my entire life, most recently transitioning from collegiate sports to lifting weights to keep myself healthy and motivated. I’ve also dealt with bouts of low-back pain throughout much of my athletic career, starting when I was around 20 years old. I know how frustrating, confusing, and debilitating it can be. Now for the good news. While researchers still have many unanswered questions about low-back pain and no two cases are identical, there are some evidence-based exercises you can use to reduce your chances of developing low-back pain or get rid of it. These exercises don’t just have a sound theoretical basis—they also work in the real world. As a Doctor of Physical Therapy, I see patients every week who are dealing or have dealt with low-back pain, and I know some simple strategies that tend to help. Of course, this article isn’t meant to diagnose or treat anyone, as there are hundreds of potential contributors to low-back pain. That said, I have identified three factors that seem to be common culprits. What’s more, I’ve also experimented with many different stretches, exercises, and other strategies to fix and prevent low-back pain, but the six I describe in this article are the best exercises for low-back pain I’ve found yet. So, if you want to learn what these three causes of low-back pain are, how to know if they’re affecting you, and what you can do to prevent and fix them, keep listening. 4:52 - Define low back pain 6:28 - Exercises to fix a stuck thoracic spine 11:10 - Exercises to fix a shortened quadratus lumborum muscle 18:29 - Exercises to fix glutes not firing properly Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://legionathletics.com/shop/ 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 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: Are there any pre-hab routines or programming you’d recommend prior to starting a weight training program When cutting with limited time would I do 5 days of lifting and 1 HIIT session or 4 days of lifting and 2 HIIT sessions? What’s wrong with taking a cycle or two of steroids and then cutting them out cold turkey? 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/body-recomposition/ https://legionathletics.com/side-effects-of-steroids/ 4:31 - Are there any pre-hab routines or programming you’d recommend prior to starting a weight training program 13:12 - When cutting with limited time would I do 5 days of lifting and 1 HIIT session or 4 days of lifting and 2 HIIT sessions? 23:50 - What’s wrong with taking a cycle or two of steroids and then cutting them out cold turkey? --- 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/

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 a few of the more common or interesting contentions to address here on the podcast. And in this episode, I’ll be tackling the following . . . 4:34 - “Low bar squats shouldn’t be preferred in Bigger Leaner Stronger because they’re difficult for most people to do.” 20:05 - “Cannabis isn’t inherently bad. It can be used recreational without negative consequences and it’s also safer than alcohol.” 26:11 - “Time restricted and fasting should be more widely applied as a health improvement strategy rising almost entirely to the standard of care for a host of conditions and the failure to do this is resulting in the loss of life, limb, eyesight, quality of life, autonomy, time, and of course, the big needle mover, money.” --- 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/

Here’s a ground truth about getting in shape: The same principles that drive muscle growth in men also work just as well for women. In fact, if you look at the differences between most men’s and women’s workout programs, you’ll find they’re mainly due to men’s women’s preferences, not physiological differences between the sexes. (There are a few small exceptions, which you’ll learn about in this podcast). For example, if you want to build muscle, you have to make your muscles work harder over time by forcing them to lift heavier and heavier weights, and this is just as true for women as it is for men. The reason men and women typically follow different workout splits, though, is that most women want to get a bigger butt and more defined legs, and most men want bigger arms, shoulders, and pecs. Thus, the best workout split for (most) women really just boils down to training the same way guys do while focusing on a different set of muscles. Of course, this opens the door to more questions: What muscles should you focus on? How many times per week should you train them? What exercises should you use to train them? And how should you work cardio into your workout split, if at all? All good questions, and you’re going to learn the answers to all of them in this podcast. Keep listening and you’ll learn . . . What a workout split is How to choose the best workout split for your goals How often you should change your workout split And more . . . 5:35 - What is a workout split? 12:56 - The body split 26:51 - The upper lower split 31:43 - The push pull legs split 38:35 - The full body split 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/

A war has been waging throughout the philosophical and psychological community for centuries. Not a war with muskets, armored artillery, or laser guns, but more like professors throwing textbooks at one another and jabbing intellectual foes with concise essays and pointed papers of poignant arguments. I’m talking about the nature versus nurture problem, which is the debate about whether human behavior is determined by genes (nature) or environment (nurture). The answer isn’t so black and white, but needless to say, many people are born with innate talent and skill. One of those people is Michael Chernow, who I’m excited to bring onto this episode of the podcast. He hosts a podcast called Born Or Made, which explores this nature or nurture question through the stories of incredibly successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders. Michael is one of these success stories himself, though. Not only is he a trained chef who hosted the TV show Food Porn, but he’s started several thriving restaurant businesses, including The Meatball Shop (with 8 locations) and Seamore’s (a sustainable seafood restaurant). As a repeat success in the restaurant industry, Michael hasn’t just “gotten lucky,” but knows how to build effective brands and businesses. In this conversation, Michael and I chat about . . . How he turned his life around from drugs, alcohol, and an abusive household How much talent matters versus deliberate practice and conscientiousness The skill of meeting new people and building relationships and networks Why you don't have to be good at everything Effective communication and “how to win friends” The power of branding and knowing how to sell How he transitions a business concept and vision into reality His best cooking hacks (including how to make food tastier and the ultimate hack to eat healthier) And more . . . So if you want to learn from a “serial entrepreneur” what it takes to build a compelling brand and successful business, listen to this podcast! 8:18 - Do you think talent is earned or are people born with it? 12:03 - How did your talent help you get out of tough situations? 14:30 - What are your thoughts on the saying “talent isn’t formed by 10,000 hours but instead deliberate practice”? 24:21 - What do you mean when you say you can acclimate easily to people? 35:42  - What part of your process is most responsible for your success with multiple businesses? 44:41 - How do you know what ideas to follow through with? Do you just follow your instinct or is there a process you go through? 54:05 - Once you have a bunch of ideas and concepts, is it an editorial process from there? 1:22:10 - Are you creating restaurants that you would like to go to? 1:27:15 - Any tips or hacks for cooking better food? Mentioned on The Show: Michael Chernow’s Podcast: Bord Or Made Michael Chernow’s Instagram: @MichaelChernow Michael Chernow’s Twitter: @MichaelChernow Michael Chernow’s Website: michaelchernow.com 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/

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: “Why should we not reduce the amount of weightlifting volume that we’re doing when we cut because you don’t need as much volume to maintain muscle as you do to gain muscle, and when you’re at deficit, you’re not going to gain muscle.” “Are there different ways to train different types of muscle fibers to gain muscle and strength faster?” “What one piece of advice would you give for continuing exercise through your 40s and older?” 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: 0:00 - Intro 4:51 - “Why should we not reduce the amount of weightlifting volume that we’re doing when we cut because you don’t need as much volume to maintain muscle as you do to gain muscle, and when you’re at deficit, you’re not going to gain muscle.” 14:42 - “Are there different ways to train different types of muscle fibers to gain muscle and strength faster?” 22:06 - “What one piece of advice would you give for continuing exercise through your 40s and older?” --- Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://legionathletics.com/shop/ Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/