Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

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: 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/

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 . . . 4:20 - “Is a 20% calorie deficit necessary or can you use a smaller one?” 16:31 - “Cheat meals are a bad idea, just use flexible dieting.” 28:31 - “Deadlifts are a back exercise, not a leg exercise.” --- 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/

“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/ --- 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/

As someone who’s helped legions of people (har har) lose fat, get lean, and build muscle, it’s no surprise I also get asked about preparing for natural bodybuilding and bikini competitions.After all, there’s a lot of overlap between natural bodybuilding and getting fitter as a recreational weightlifter.While I’ve never done a bodybuilding show or coached serious competitors, I’ve gotten “photoshoot lean” several times.And while it was fun seeing ab veins in the mirror and I got to take a lot of cool pictures, this physique came with a price: mild lethargy, decreased performance and motivation in the gym, semi-persistent low-grade hunger, and less sex drive.Natural bodybuilders get considerably leaner than I was and suffer a lot more to get in that condition. If you look around for information on what it’s really like to prepare for these competitions, though, you’re likely to come across rose-colored accounts that make getting shredded look like a cakewalk. The truth is that getting down to “stage condition” is very, very difficult, and requires more discipline, perseverance, and masochism than most people are willing to endure.It also takes far longer than most people expect.Even when the contest is over, there are hurdles to leap, like avoiding bingeing while also navigating the emotional turmoil of looking in the mirror and seeing yourself get fatter.That’s why I invited repeat-guest Dr. Eric Helms back on the podcast. Not only has he coached countless athletes over the years, but he’s competed numerous times himself, so he definitely knows the ins and outs of contest prep and recovery.In this episode, we talk about . . .- Misconceptions about what prepping is really like - What it takes to go from someone who looks athletic to someone who can step on stage- Post-show “rebound” and dealing with the emotional “fallout” of getting fatter- The physiological downsides of prepping (even when you're doing things correctly)- How to give yourself the best chance of success- And more . . .So, if you want to learn more about what it takes to prepare for a natural bodybuilding show, give this episode a listen!13:22 - What should people know before dedicating themselves to weightlifting competitions?18:08- What are the key differences between exercising for a competition and exercising recreationally?36:50 - What are some of the physiological downsides when doing competitions?48:14 - What are your best pieces of advice for getting jacked with the best outcome?1:44:50 - How do you bring hormone levels back to normal?---Mentioned on The Show:Eric Helm’s Website: 3dmusclejourney.com/
Iron Culture Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/iron…re/id1452114380
Nutrition Coaching Global: www.nutritioncoachingglobal.com/
Eric Helm’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/helms3dmj/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: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

It’s no secret most weightlifters don’t like cardio. Most avoid it because it’s uncomfortable.Others are worried it’ll interfere with their ability to gain strength and muscle.And others just find it boring and pointless.After all, if you’re already lifting weights several times per week, how much can you really benefit by adding a bit of cardio to your weekly routine? Sure, you’ve heard about the health benefits of cardio. Things like lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol, and improving blood flow and arterial health, but can’t you get most of those benefits from lifting weights, too? And what if you modify your weightlifting to more closely resemble cardio by resting less between sets, lifting weights faster, doing more reps with lighter weight, and so forth? Could this give you the benefits of weightlifting and cardio?The short answer? Sort of. Weightlifting does offer many of the same health benefits as cardio, including improved heart health, insulin sensitivity, and more, but cardio also offers some health benefits you can’t get from weightlifting.Listen to learn what these benefits are, and how to get the benefits of both weightlifting and cardio.Timestamps4:42 - How does cardio help with weight loss?21:54 - How does cardio help with cardiovascular health?31:27 - How does cardio help with capillary density?33:35 - How does cardio help with arterial health?37:28 - How does cardio help with insulin sensitivity?---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 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:1. When is the second edition of Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger going to come out and how is it different from the first edition? 2. How do you increase your biceps peak? 3. What is your current position on reverse dieting? 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/how-to-get-bigger-stronger-biceps/https://legionathletics.com/reverse-diet-steps/---Timestamps:4:49 - When is the second edition of Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger going to come out and how is it different from the first edition?29:30 - How do you increase your biceps peak?34:43 - What is your current position on reverse dieting?---Mentioned on The Show:Part 1 of this episode (Exactly How I'm Eating, Training, and Supplementing Right Now): https://open.spotify.com/episode/0VfvEWe9pfEDCkIZ2MRS14?si=cp7ElWRlT32dyaSPl6WOcA July 4th Sale (Save up to 30%): https://legionathletics.com/products/supplements/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/

Why do food cravings strike when you least want them?You know…you’re at work and locked in the conference room when you remember the cake down the hall. Minutes turn to hours as you fixate on that chocolatey goodness.Or you’ve just crawled into bed, only to find yourself overwhelmed by a hankering for the cold pizza languishing in the fridge (it would be so much happier in your belly!).Or your meal plan’s archenemy: the midday slump, where your brain refuses to work for anything but carbs and sugar.Sigh. If only we craved chicken breasts and vegetables…hitting our macros would be so easy…Well, that may be wishful thinking, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a slave to your food cravings and abandon your quest for the ideal body.The reality is cravings aren’t nearly as vexing when you know why they occur and how to manage them, which is what this podcast is going to be all about.Let’s begin.---Timestamps:3:32 - What is a food craving?5:50 - How does alcohol cause food cravings?8:16 - How does restrictive eating cause food cravings?11:00 - How do emotional triggers cause food cravings?12:52- How does stress cause food cravings?12:47 - How do hormones cause food cravings?15:27 - What do people crave and why?19:45 - How do you beat food cravings?27:16 - How can you adjust your mindset to eliminate food cravings?---Mentioned on The Show:July 4th Sale (Save up to 30%) - https://legionathletics.com/products/supplements/---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/

It has been said that there are two types of weightlifters in the world:On one hand, you have the people who just want to get as strong as possible—“aesthetics” be damned—and on the other hand, you have the people who just want pretty physiques, even if it’s all “show” and little “go.”I don’t know about you, but I’m somewhere in the middle—I got into lifting to look better and that’s still a major motivator, but I also enjoy training heavy and hard and knowing that all this flesh I’ve added to my frame has some function, too. This is why I’ve advocated for a “powerbuilding” style of training from the beginning of my evidence-based fitness journey, even if I wasn’t familiar with the term at the time. Basically, what we’re talking about is blending strength training and bodybuilding in a way that allows us to gain considerable strength and muscle—that delivers steak and sizzle.To help explain how powerbuilding works, I invited Kyle Hunt back onto the show. In case you’re not familiar with Kyle, he’s a competitive powerlifter, coach, author, and owner of Hunt Fitness, who’s worked with hundreds of powerlifters and bodybuilders alike. He’s also the host of The Absolute Strength Podcast, which I’ve been a guest on.In this episode, Kyle and I discuss ...- What powerbuilding is- How a powerbuilding program differs from a traditional bodybuilding routine- Advanced training principles like daily undulating and linear periodization- SImple programming tips for creating a powerbuilding routine- And more … So if any of that interests you and you want to combine powerlifting and bodybuilding into a single, unified routine, tune in!---Timestamps:10:15 - How does a power building program differ from a traditional bodybuilding program? 15:03 - How many sets do you have to do to work up to that single?15:58 - Is this something that you do every week?27:01 - What is your preferred split? Is there a template you can give to the audience?28:17 - What are the exercise selections? How do those pair up with some of these rep ranges?29:51 - How do you track weekly volume? What’s your recommendation?40:28 - Is there a pro and con assessment regarding this style of programming?---Mentioned on The Show:Kyle Hunt’s New Book (Strength Training for Beginners):https://amzn.to/3eunfxcKyle Hunt’s Website:www.KyleHuntFitness.comKyle Hunt’s YouTube:www.youtube.com/huntfitnesstvKyle Hunt’s Podcast: (Absolute Strength):https://goo.gl/sOj9x6Kyle Hunt’s Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/huntfitness/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 get asked quite frequently about my personal training and eating habits.People who read my books, read my articles, or listen to my podcasts know what I recommend in terms of training and dieting, but what does my personal regimen look like? In other words, what’s really going on behind the scenes when you peel back the curtain?What’s my exact training routine and what do my meals look like? And which supplements am I taking and why?Well, if you check out my Instagram stories, you’ll get glimpses now and then. I occasionally post videos of some sets during a workout or pictures of a meal.But in this episode, I’m going to reveal the whole shebang. People ask to see a full day of eating or what a week of training looks like for me, and I understand. Seeing how someone who’s been dieting and lifting weights correctly for over a decade does things can be a valuable learning experience, so I’m going to give the people what they want.And while I’ve answered these sorts of requests in past episodes of the podcast, these routines change over time, so it’s due time I give a little update. My answer got quite long, too, so I also decided to make this its own episode, rather than sticking it into a shorter Q & A episode.So, if you’re curious how I’ve been eating and training during the COVID-19 lockdown, and what supplements I’ve been taking, find out in this episode.Timestamps:4:07 - How are you eating and training during quarantine?52:24 - What supplements are you taking during quarantine?---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: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

In this episode, I interview Andrew, who used Bigger Leaner Stronger to transform his understanding of getting fit and finally start making real progress.When Andrew was 240 pounds and out of shape, he decided to make a change. He wanted to lose some weight, and he did what most people do: hopped on the treadmill for endless hours of cardio, ate way too much, and . . . not much changed.Eventually, he got fed up with spinning his wheels, did a bit of Googling, and found Bigger Leaner Stronger.After reading the book, Andrew understood what he was doing wrong, and had a plan to fix it. He started following the BLS program and it helped him completely transform his physique and life. He ended up losing 80 pounds while getting significantly stronger. In fact, the changes were so significant that his friends and co-workers started asking him what he was doing.In this interview, Andrew and I talk about his story and the key lessons he’s learned along the way, including how he was eating and exercising before BLS, how misconceptions about “healthy” foods held him back, how he turned it all around by learning about macros and the fundamentals of proper training, and more. So if you’re looking for a jolt of inspiration and like motivational stories, I highly recommend you listen to this episode.6:46 - Where was your diet and fitness before you found me and my work?12:01 - How did the enjoyment of exercise change when you started Bigger Learner Stronger?14:21 - How was your perception of the 3rd edition versus the 2nd edition of Bigger Leaner Stronger?16:56 - What were some obstacles you had to overcome?22:02 - How have you improved in the skill of weightlifting?23:03- What does mind muscle connection mean to you?26:53 - Did you run into any obstacles with the types of food thats you were eating?32:29 - What are you doing now for workouts?---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/