Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

This episode of the podcast isn’t your standard health and fitness fare. Instead, it’s about living well beyond fitness, and more specifically, a concept Pat Flynn refers to as “flourishing.” Pat Flynn is a repeat guest not only because I enjoy our conversations, but I’ve gotten great feedback from listeners who like hearing about these deeper, philosophical topics we dive into. In case you’re not familiar with Pat, not only is he a fitness expert who is known for his kettlebell prowess, but he’s also a podcaster, philosopher, and author who just released a book titled “How to Think About God,” a metaphysical and spiritual journey all about the philosophy behind this foundational belief. While I’m not a philosopher, I do have an interest in ideas I can use to improve my life and that I can share with other people to make their lives better as well. Plus, I always enjoy my conversations with Pat, and in this episode, we discuss several topics and questions listeners have been asking me, including … The problems with scientism and higher education Inequality and egalitarianism The concepts of equality of opportunity versus equality of outcome Economics and Marxism The health at any size movement The importance of virtues and the role of nuclear family units Justice, fairness, and “privilege” And more … So, if you enjoy philosophical tangents and want to listen to something a bit different for a fitness podcast, make sure to hit play and listen to this episode! 28:09 - What are your thoughts on equality being unfair? 32:51 - What is egalitarianism? 41:29 - Is equality unnatural? 1:10:49 - What about the idea of fairness? 1:25:05 - What are your thoughts on striving for equal opportunity? 1:35:45 - Where can people find you and your work? --- Mentioned on The Show: How to Think About God by Pat Flynn: https://www.amazon.com/How-Think-About-God-Flynn-ebook/dp/B08D7W9D6Z/ Pat Flynn's Podcast (The Pat Flynn Show): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pat-flynn-show/id1253261458 Pat Flynn's Website (Chronicles of Strength): https://www.chroniclesofstrength.com/ 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 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 episode of The Best of Muscle for Life, you’ll be hearing hand-picked morsels from three episodes: 1. Donata White on How to Get the Most Out of Every Day (Originally published May 24, 2017) 2. How to Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time (Originally published Feb 19, 2015) 3. Book Club Podcast: My Top 5 Takeaways from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (Originally published Feb 11, 2019) And we’ll be starting with number one, Donata White on How to Get the Most Out of Every Day. 6:46 - Donata White on How to Get the Most Out of Every Day 15:11 - How to Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time 25:49 - Book Club Podcast: My Top 5 Takeaways from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Mentioned on The Show: https://legionathletics.com/donata-white-podcast/ (Published 5/24/17) https://legionathletics.com/build-muscle-lose-fat-podcast/ (Published 2/19/15) https://legionathletics.com/meditations-podcast/ (Published 2/11/19) 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/

Most people know that exercise is good for them. And most also know that not exercising is bad for them. Despite that, most people fail to meet even the bare minimum recommendations for physical activity (2.5 hours of moderate exercise or a little over an hour of intense exercise). Just 22.9 percent of Americans hit minimum activity guidelines, not even half (46 percent) of Europeans exercise or play sports, and only 16 percent of Canadians perform the recommended levels of activity. Then, of course, there’s a smaller group of people who go to the opposite extreme. The Ironman triathletes, gym rats, and so forth who spend every spare second in the gym or doing cardio, largely in the belief that more exercise is always better. But, what about the rest of us? What about people who want to be fit, healthy, and happy, who also have jobs, families, and other obligations that limit how much time we can spend working out? And what if we don’t just want to stave off disease and dysfunction, but also build a body we’re proud of? You’ll learn the answers to all of these questions in this podcast. The long story short is you don’t need to exercise all that much to stay healthy, but building a body you can be proud of takes slightly more work. Even then, though, it doesn’t take as much time or effort as you might think. 4:29 - What is the minimum amount of exercise that people should be doing? 11:27 - How does resistance training compare to cardio? 16:16 - How much exercise is optimal for being as healthy and as functional as possible for as long as possible? --- Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://legionathletics.com/shop/ Books by Mike Matthews: 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/

When you look at a celebrity on T.V., a rising star in the office, or an impressively fit person at the gym, it’s easy to attribute their success to in-born talent, circumstance, and luck. This is especially true when it comes to fitness, because your results are inextricably tied to your genetics. That is, you can work just as hard as someone else or even harder, and they still might get better results in the end. And once you realize this, it becomes very easy to rationalize your lack of progress. That person is stronger than you? Must be nice to have so much time to work out. That person is more muscular than you? Must be nice to have won the genetic lottery. That person is leaner than you? If only you had their metabolism. This kind of fixed mindset is comforting, but it’s also pernicious. It erodes your self confidence, saps your motivation, and poisons your perception of what you can achieve. And it overlooks something even more important than genetics, upbringing, and luck for achieving your goals: Grit. Research shows that grit, sand, pluck, spunk, moxie, or whatever else you want to call it, is a much better predictor of your success in almost any endeavor than genetics or luck. As you’ll learn in this podcast, grit is one of the most important common denominators among all high-achievers, whether in the realms of fitness, sports, business, or the arts. So, keep listening if you want to learn . . . What grit is How your grittiness affects your ability to get in shape The four most effective ways to get more gritty And more . . . Let’s get started! 4:58 - What is grit? 17:02 - What can I do if grit doesn’t come easy for me? 19:15 - Four key ways to increase grittiness 19:26 - Pursuing passion with a purpose 25:01 - Believing in positive prospects 29:09 - Practice, practice, practice 34:49 - Find your people --- Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: 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/

“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: Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/ The Simple System I Use to Find, Choose, Read, and Remember Great Books (Blog Post): https://legionathletics.com/the-simple-system-i-use-to-find-choose-read-and-remember-great-books/ The Simple System I Use to Find, Choose, Read, and Remember Great Books (Podcast): https://anchor.fm/muscleforlife/episodes/The-Simple-System-I-Use-to-Find--Choose--Read--and-Remember-Great-Books-eei5kr --- Want to be notified when my next book recommendation goes live? Hop on my email list and you’ll get each new installment delivered directly to your inbox. Click here: https://www.muscleforlife.com/signup/

What if I told you that with one pill, you could boost your energy levels, supercharge your strength, and even melt away mental and physical pain and discomfort? And what if this pill could do those things naturally and safely? And what if I even told you that it’s just a sugar pill, but so long as you truly believe in its ability to work, it will? If that sounds like science fiction, I understand, but the underlying mechanism is actually science fact, and it’s called the placebo effect. Many people have heard of the placebo effect, but it’s much deeper than many people realize, filled with quite a few surprising and interesting aspects. That’s why I invited Kurtis Frank back onto the podcast to give us a little lesson on the placebo effect, including ... The most surprising effects of placebo and how it works How the placebo effect can improve your workouts How resilient is the placebo effect and does it wear off? Why it's important to have researchers blinded from the placebo in experiments Why you shouldn’t seek out the placebo effect How placebo relates to homeopathy, chiropractic, and acupuncture Oh and in case you’re not familiar with Kurtis, he’s the co-founder and former lead researcher and writer of Examine.com, as well as the Director of Research for my sports nutrition company, Legion, which means he’s responsible for improving existing formulations and creating new ones. So if you want a basic overview on what the placebo effect is and why it’s important, listen to this episode! 6:11 - What is the placebo effect? 6:46 - What are some examples of the placebo effect? 10:43 - What are examples of nocebo that are documented in literature? 18:58 - How does the placebo effect work if you are already aware of it? 21:40 - What are some other examples of the placebo effect that could help you with workouts? 26:08 - How durable is the placebo effect? 27:07 - Do you have any anecdotes for the placebo effect? 28:12 - What are your thoughts on medication and the placebo effect? 31:31 - Does not notifying the doctor of the placebo medication eliminate the chances of the placebo effect not working? 39:37 - Is homeopathy a placebo effect? 54:58 - How does placebo affect acupuncture? --- Mentioned on The Show:  Books by Mike Matthews: 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/

Would you like to see a trick? With just one word, I can stimulate electrochemical responses in your brain associated with feelings of affection and joy. By merely uttering this three-letter rune, I can ignite your imagination, drench you in desire, and constrain you to my every command. And no, it has nothing to do with slapping slippery body parts together. Are you ready for this primordial talisman? *leans in close* N-E-W. Hear it again, with the velvety tone of buttery vocal pipes . . . New. Inhale it like the ripe breath of autumn. Let it race through you like chain lightning. Flare with it like a match dropped in a dry patch. New. New what, you wonder? Not one, not two, but a camel-load of only the finest fitness wares this side of Damascus are on the way, including . . . Balance A non-bacterial gut health supplement that'll help your body better process and absorb the food you eat. (Releasing next month.) Lunar Reflavoring A much-needed upgrade to our shuteye supplement’s flavor system, which is currently reminiscent of cheap CVS perfume. (Releasing September/October.) Fortify Reformulation The best all-natural joint supplement in the world solar system is getting even better—more UC-II®️ collagen, a swap for Meriva®️ curcumin, and the addition of agmatine. (Releasing this month.) Genesis Reformulation Already a greens supplement without peer—most others aren’t even fit to sniff its underwear—Genesis is leveling up, too, with lingzi mushroom and dong quai. (Releasing this month.) Whey+ Fruity Cereal Cinnamon cereal fiends rejoice! Soon, you’ll have another cereal-y flavor of scrumptious whey protein to pour into the BONE CAVE that is your MOUTH! (Releasing next month.) Phoenix with Caffeine You take Phoenix, you lose fat faster. You take it with caffeine, you lose fat faster still. Thus, caffeinated Phoenix for those of you who dig on such doings. (Releasing October/November.) To-Be-Named Vitality Supplement A combination of DHEA, blueberry anthocyanin, rhodiola rosea, and B12 for boosting energy, mood, and well-being. This one is going to be particularly beneficial to all you 40+ Legionnaires. (Releasing October/November.) Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger 2.0 An all-new, rewritten-from-scratch, definitive second edition of my book for experienced weightlifters. (Releasing this month/next.) Fitness Science Explained A book I wrote with published scientist James Krieger that gives you a crash course in reading, understanding, and applying scientific research to get fitter, healthier, and happier. (Releasing this September/October.) That feels good, right? That balmy breeze and bucolic buzz. *Italian chef kiss* Go ahead—bask in it a while longer, like snow tasting the sun's delight. And, I don't know, maybe buy something, too, if the spirit so moves you. In any case, until my next trick, bonne journée et au revoir. --- Mentioned on The Show: New Legion Supplements: https://legionathletics.com/shop/ New Books: 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/

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: Books by Mike Matthews: 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/

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 myInstagram 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 . . .4:33 - “Some women have a hard time sticking to an aggressive deficit and do better with a smaller one.”21:33 - “Eating high amounts of carbs is not healthy for brain function and insulin.”37:07 - “While the poor have it well today, wealth equality is still a massive issue”---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/

In this engaging discussion, Paul Ingraham, founder of PainScience.com and an expert on repetitive stress injuries (RSIs), shares valuable insights on staying injury-free. He delves into the mechanisms behind RSIs and discusses effective prevention and treatment strategies. Learn why load management is crucial, the potential downsides of anti-inflammatory drugs, and when to seek medical attention. Paul also addresses the importance of recognizing the difference between acute injuries and gradual wear and tear, ensuring fitness enthusiasts can train safely and effectively.