Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

What does it take to make good supplements? How do you decide what types of products to make, what goes into them, and how much of each ingredient to include? While many supplement companies haphazardly pixie dust their products with minuscule amounts of mediocre ingredients and pad their ingredient lists with fancy herbs and compounds, there is a flip side of that coin. That is, if you want to be better than your run of the mill supplement company, there’s a true art and science to formulating good supplements. And that’s what I’m talking about with Kurtis Frank on this episode of the podcast. In case you’re not familiar with Kurtis, he’s the Director of Research for my sports nutrition company, Legion, which means he’s responsible for creating new products and improving existing formulations. And he knows what he’s talking about too--Kurtis is the co-founder and former lead researcher and writer of Examine.com, a ubiquitous supplement resource in the science-based fitness community. In this episode, Kurtis explains exactly how he goes about creating a supplement formulation for Legion, and he discusses . . . What it means to be “science-based” The importance of testing and trusting your manufacturer Patented forms of ingredients and why standardization matters Ingredient list length Manufacturing costs and “elite” formulations And more . . . So, if you’ve ever wondered what goes into the process of creating a supplement here at Legion, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. Press play and let me know what you think! Timestamps: 13:12 - What does it mean to be a science-based supplement company? 36:14 - What are your thoughts on companies that say they are a better company because they use patented ingredients compared to companies that don’t use patented ingredients? 41:11 - What does it mean if something is water extracted compared to oil extracted? 47:15 - What is standardization and why is it important? 52:37 - What are your thoughts on products with a long ingredients list? 59:27 - What about the kitchen sink approach for pre-workouts? --- Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://legionathletics.com/shop/ --- Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter! Click here: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

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 . . . 4:14 - The mind muscle connection and slowing down reps is important to a degree 19:03 - Three to four minutes of rest in between sets feel like too much 35:13 - Chasing money and success is a waste of life #spreadlove --- Mentioned on The Show: Books by Mike Matthews: legionathletics.com/products/books/ My Instagram: www.instagram.com/muscleforlifefitness/ --- Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter! Click here: www.legionathletics.com/signup/

If you’ve read any books on weightlifting, endurance sports, or training in general, you’ve probably come across the termenergy system before.Unfortunately, the more you read about energy systems, the more confused you’re likely to become.Most explanations of energy systems quickly devolve into a complex firehose of scientific jargon likeKrebs cycle,mitochondrial respiration,anaerobic glycolysis, and other tongue twisters.Luckily, you don’t need a degree in exercise science to decipher energy systems. You don’t even need to know what most of these words mean.At bottom, energy systems describe how your body produces energy during physical activity, from squatting a barbell to running a marathon to typing on a keyboard.As you’ll learn in this podcast, gaining a better understanding of how energy systems work can help you improve your performance by optimizing your training and nutrition to support different energy systems, which in turn can improve your performance in different activities.For example, have you ever wondered why your muscles begin to burn and you lose your breath when doing high reps?Or why you start to feel tired after running for more than a few minutes?Or why most people recommend you eat a lot of carbs to perform well as an athlete?Energy systems hold the answers to all these questions.What’s more, understanding energy systems gives you a much better idea of how to fuel your body for exercise, as what you eat can significantly impact the efficiency of different energy systems in your body.In this podcast, you’ll learn:How energy systems workWhy your body uses different energy systems during different kinds of exerciseHow to eat and train to improve the efficiency of different energy systemsHow improving one energy system in particular may help you gain muscle and strengthAnd moreLet’s begin.3:53 - What is an energy system?6:20 - What is the phosphocreatine system?10:54 - What is the aerobic system?18:22 - How do these energy systems relate to weightlifting?---Mentioned on The Show:Books by Mike Matthews:legionathletics.com/products/books/---Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here:www.legionathletics.com/signup/

If you’re not familiar withmy story, the truth is I didn’t always want to have a career in the fitness industry. But after I decided to writea book to help people learn from my own mistakes in the gym, things started snowballing.Not only have I sold nearly 2 million books, but I started my own sports nutrition company, Legion, which has since become an 8 figure business with over 250,000 customers worldwide.If you’re interested in hearing more about my backstory and the beginnings and founding of Legion, you’re going to love this podcast, which is actually an interview fromThe More Than Fitness Podcast with Matt McLeod.In his podcast, Matt interviews some of the brightest stars in the fields of fitness, business, and self-development, with the goal of maximizing life both in and outside of the gym.So, I was happy to oblige when Matt asked to have a conversation with me. In this episode, Matt asks me all about the history of Legion and my background as a do-er of “fitness things,” including . . .How I got into the fitness industry and why I started writingThe origins of Bigger Leaner StrongerWhy I started making supplementsHow I make business decisionsHow and why I continue to learnAnd more . . .So, if you’re interested in hearing how it all started, and maybe pick up some “inside baseball” tips, tune in and let me know what you think!5:03 - When you meet someone for the first time what do you tell them you do for work?6:10 - When you first started, how intentional was all of this? Did it slowly evolve or did you have a big master plan?32:00 - How do you decide what is and isn’t worth doing?54:14 - What drives you to keep learning?---Mentioned on The Show:Books by Mike Matthews:legionathletics.com/products/books/The More Than Fitness Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-more-than-fitness-podcast-with-matt-mcleod/id1454414707Matt McLeod’s Instagram:www.instagram.com/mattmcleod6/---Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here:www.legionathletics.com/signup/

Do you want to know how to use science to optimize your health, fitness, and lifestyle?Do you want to know how to protect yourself against misguided, misleading, and even menacing advice supposedly supported by research?And do you want to get up to speed quickly, regardless of your educational background?If so, then my new bookFitness Science Explained is for you.It’s a crash course in reading, understanding, and applying scientific research, and it teaches you in simple terms what most people will never know about how to not suck at science.Fitness Science Explained covers all of the big moving parts, including . . .The basics of the scientific methodThe differences between randomized trials and observational studiesThe power of the placebo effectThe importance of sample sizesThe anatomy of statistical analysisAnd much moreIn this episode, I’ll be sharing the third chapter of the audiobook “Welcome to the Hierarchy (of Evidence)”So, whether you want to discover and use evidence-based methods for building muscle or losing fat faster, reducing your risk of disease or dysfunction, or maximizing some other aspect of your body, mind, or life, this book will show you the way.Click here to get your copy now:⇒https://legionathletics.com/products/books/fitness-science-explained/And get ready to learn how to use science to get fitter, healthier, and happier.Go for it!P.S. Also, to celebrate this joyous occasion, I’m giving away $1,500 in Legion gift cards!All you have to do for a chance to win is…1)Buy a copy of Fitness Science Explained (any format)2) Forward the receipt email tolaunch@legionsupplements.com. . . and voila, you’re entered in the giveaway.You have to act fast, though, because the winners will be chosen on Friday, September 4th.---Mentioned on The Show:Fitness Science Explained: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/fitness-science-explained/---Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

Do you want to know how to use science to optimize your health, fitness, and lifestyle?Do you want to know how to protect yourself against misguided, misleading, and even menacing advice supposedly supported by research?And do you want to get up to speed quickly, regardless of your educational background?If so, then my new bookFitness Science Explained is for you.It’s a crash course in reading, understanding, and applying scientific research, and it teaches you in simple terms what most people will never know about how to not suck at science.Fitness Science Explained covers all of the big moving parts, including . . .The basics of the scientific methodThe differences between randomized trials and observational studiesThe power of the placebo effectThe importance of sample sizesThe anatomy of statistical analysisAnd much moreIn this episode, I’ll be sharing the second chapter of the audiobook “How to Think About Science”So, whether you want to discover and use evidence-based methods for building muscle or losing fat faster, reducing your risk of disease or dysfunction, or maximizing some other aspect of your body, mind, or life, this book will show you the way.Click here to get your copy now:⇒https://legionathletics.com/products/books/fitness-science-explained/And get ready to learn how to use science to get fitter, healthier, and happier.Go for it!P.S. Also, to celebrate this joyous occasion, I’m giving away $1,500 in Legion gift cards!All you have to do for a chance to win is…1)Buy a copy of Fitness Science Explained (any format)2) Forward the receipt email tolaunch@legionsupplements.com. . . and voila, you’re entered in the giveaway.You have to act fast, though, because the winners will be chosen on Friday, September 4th.---Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

Do you want to know how to use science to optimize your health, fitness, and lifestyle? Do you want to know how to protect yourself against misguided, misleading, and even menacing advice supposedly supported by research? And do you want to get up to speed quickly, regardless of your educational background? If so, then my new book Fitness Science Explained is for you. It’s a crash course in reading, understanding, and applying scientific research, and it teaches you in simple terms what most people will never know about how to not suck at science. Fitness Science Explained covers all of the big moving parts, including . . . The basics of the scientific method The differences between randomized trials and observational studies The power of the placebo effect The importance of sample sizes The anatomy of statistical analysis And much more In this episode, I’ll be sharing the first chapter of the audiobook “Good Science, Bad Science: The Difference and Why It Matters” So, whether you want to discover and use evidence-based methods for building muscle or losing fat faster, reducing your risk of disease or dysfunction, or maximizing some other aspect of your body, mind, or life, this book will show you the way. Click here to get your copy now: ⇒ https://legionathletics.com/products/books/fitness-science-explained/ And get ready to learn how to use science to get fitter, healthier, and happier. Go for it! P.S. Also, to celebrate this joyous occasion, I’m giving away $1,500 in Legion gift cards! All you have to do for a chance to win is… 1) Buy a copy of Fitness Science Explained (any format) 2) Forward the receipt email to launch@legionsupplements.com . . . and voila, you’re entered in the giveaway. You have to act fast, though, because the winners will be chosen on Friday, September 4th. --- Mentioned on The Show: Fitness Science Explained: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/fitness-science-explained/ --- Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster?  Sign up for my free newsletter! Click here: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

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: Should you go straight from a cut to a lean bulk? Is there an ideal heart rate for fat loss? Are massage guns beneficial? If you were arrested with no explanation, what would your friends and family assume you had done? 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/clean-bulking/ https://legionathletics.com/cardio-weightlifting/ Timestamps: 4:23 - Should you go straight from a cut to a lean bulk? 18:47 - Is there an ideal heart rate for fat loss? ` 24:54 - Are massage guns beneficial? 32:12 - If you were arrested with no explanation, what would your friends and family assume you had done? --- Mentioned on The Show: Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://legionathletics.com/coaching/ --- Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter! Click here: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

In this episode, I interview Brian, who used Bigger Leaner Stronger to bulk up from an atrophied 150 pounds to a jacked 220 pounds. Like many guys, Brian learned everything he knew about fitness from magazines. He was following bro splits and celebrity workouts, taking every supplement under the sun, and hardly paid attention to his diet. And thanks to the majestic power of newbie gains, he still made progress despite all this. But then everything changed. Brain was the victim of a crime that landed him in a 6-day coma. When he woke up, his body had atrophied to an unrecognizable 155 pounds. The good news is Brian didn’t give up, and he got back in the gym, determined to heal his body. He experienced newbie gains for a second time thanks to muscle memory, but progress began to stagnate. Along the way, a friend introduced him to Bigger Leaner Stronger, and that’s when things really started to change. Brian learned about progressive overload, how much protein he should be eating, how to track his workouts, and more. And now Brian is lean and jacked at 225 pounds, and in the best shape of his life. In this interview, Brian and I talk about his story and the important lessons he’s learned along the way, including what he was doing with his diet and training before finding BLS, how not eating enough held back his progress, how tracking his workouts lead to rapid progress in the gym, how alcohol became a crutch as he dealt with PTSD from the attack, and more. So if you’re looking for a jolt of inspiration and like motivational stories, I highly recommend you listen to this episode. 8:29 - Where were you at before Bigger Learner Stronger and what drove you to find it? 19:02 - What were the major diet and exercise changes after you woke up from your coma? 34:03 - How has alcohol played into your meal plan? 41:09 - Where do you want to go from here? 46:14 - Where can people find you and your work? Mentioned on the show: Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/ Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://legionathletics.com/coaching/ Brian’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianashleymiller/ Brian’s Website (The Shredded Sommelier): https://www.theshreddedsommelier.com/ --- Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter! Click here: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

When you first start working out, one of the most confusing questions you’ll face is what workout split to follow. A workout split refers to how you’ll organize your training throughout the week. The reason it’s called a split is because most workout plans split up your training in a way that has you train different muscle groups or exercises on different days of the week. Sounds simple enough: some days you train some muscle groups or exercises, other days you train other muscle groups or exercises. Of course, it’s not that simple. There are countless ways to organize a week of workouts, but everyone has an opinion on what works best, and they’ll tell you you’re wrong if you’re not following exactly what they recommend. Should you do traditional bodybuilder workouts where you train each muscle group once per week, obliterating it with as many sets as possible? Or should you follow one of the minimalist full-body strength-training programs that have become popular over the past few years? Or should you do something in the middle, like a push pull legs split? Well, the short answer is that none of these approaches is perfect. There isn’t one “best” workout split, and the best one for you depends on your goals, training experience, and preferences. If you’re having trouble deciding how many days per week to work out, which muscle groups to work on which days, or which workout split would work best for your goals, this podcast is for you. Let’s start by looking at what a workout split is. Timestamps: 4:42 - What is a workout split? 11:05 - What is the best workout split? 13:01 - The body part split 26:43 - The upper lower split 30:16 - Push pull legs 39:24 - The full body workout Mentioned on The Show: Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://legionathletics.com/coaching/ Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/ --- Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter! Click here: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/