Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

If you’ve read anything about bodybuilding, you’ve probably heard about something called “the pump.”In a nutshell, this refers to the temporary increase in muscle size that occurs when you lift weights.Bodybuilders have been strangely obsessed with this phenomenon since people started lifting weights, and according to many, it’s the cheat code for unlocking rapid muscle growth.George Butler and Charles Gaines, authors of Pumping Iron: The Art and Sport of Bodybuilding, claimed getting a muscle pump, “feels like one of those fast-frame films of flowers blooming or seeds ripening; the muscles seem actually to go from pod to blossom in seconds under the skin.”This explanation reveals one of the main reasons weightlifters like getting a pump: it’s a visible sign your efforts in the gym are paying off. Your muscles are getting bigger before your eyes!This preoccupation with the pump hasn’t waned, either.You’ll still find articles touting the benefits of “chasing the pump”—bodybuilder lingo for doing lots of reps with short rest periods until your muscles are swollen and sore.Others counter that chasing the pump is a fool’s errand. Temporary muscle swelling has nothing to do with muscle growth, and your time is better spent getting as strong as possible, they say.So, who’s right?In this podcast, you’re going to learn what the pump is, what causes it, why people think it’s important, why it isn’t essential for muscle growth, and why it’s still worth doing some “pump” training in your workouts to get the best results.Let’s get started!---6:20 - What is the pump?8:23 - What is pump training and is it good for building muscle and strength?17:31 - How can I program pump training?---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/

“How many sets should I do?”“When should I add more volume and how?”These are questions I get all the time, and especially lately. That’s because some recent studies have shown that basically, the more you do in the gym, the more you grow.Some studies suggest that doing as many as 40 sets per muscle group per week results in more growth than doing 20 sets.Is that really true though? And if so, how many sets should you be doing every week for optimal growth? Should we just do as many sets as possible?And on the opposite side of the coin, is there a minimum amount of volume we can get away with?To help answer these questions, I invited James Krieger back onto the podcast. Not only is he a published scientist and researcher, but he’s an accomplished writer who’s published a humongous treatise on training volume on his blog Weightology. His work is a legitimate “bible” on training volume that’s examined just about every study you’d be able to find on this hot topic.In this episode, James enlightens us on …- The different methods of counting volume and which one’s best - How many sets beginners should do and how that changes as you get more advanced - Whether you can “resensitize” your muscles to volume increases - If you should “cycle” your volume - How to specialize certain muscle groups - And a lot more!So, if you want practical guidelines on how much volume you should do for optimal training, and how to keep making gains, and breach plateaus, listen to this episode.7:02 - What is volume? 8:56 - Why do you prefer number of hard sets over total reps? 10:13 - How much volume should I be shooting for, for each of the major muscle groups? 14:23 - Why do you have to up the stimulus from intermediate to advance weightlifting? 20:02 - At what point should you consider doing more, how far can you take it, and why? 26:37 - How would you approach focusing on one major muscle group? 36:16 - With the studies that showed growth with lower volumes, were those with experienced weight lifters? 37:22 - Is there a point where volume doesn’t become a stimulus anymore? 45:11 - What are your thoughts on direct versus indirect volume? 49:42 - Where can people find you and your work?---Mentioned on The Show:James Krieger's Website: https://weightology.net/ 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/

“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 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/

In this episode, I interview Chris, who used my work to help turn his life around and even escape depression.When he first started working out, he didn’t know what he was doing with his training or diet. But thanks to newbie gains, he made progress anyway and learned to enjoy lifting weights.Along the way, though, things started to turn sour outside the gym.Financial troubles mounted, his relationship began to unravel, and Chris stopped going to the gym. He gained more and more weight as stress and depression began to take their toll, and then things came to a head: Chris and his wife separated.That was the moment he decided to get back in shape.It was around this time his brother (who lost over 200 pounds following Bigger Leaner Stronger!) introduced him to my work. Chris started following the Bigger Leaner Stronger program inside and outside the gym and, well, it helped him completely transform his life.He lost a boatload of fat, getting down to 15% body fat, added a ton of strength to his big lifts, and perhaps most importantly, was able to stop taking medication for depression.In this interview, Chris and I discuss his story, how he originally fell off the rails, how stress and strained relationships impacted his physical fitness, and how he turned it all around, including the small changes he started making to build long-lasting habits, how he improved his mental health, and more.So if you’re looking for a jolt of inspiration and like motivational stories, I highly recommend you listen to Chris’s.7:10 - Where were you before and after finding Legion?8:08 - How much weight did you lose and what was your body fat percentage at the beginning?12:39 - What was going on in your life before you started getting back into shape?16:33 - At what point in your life did you come across Legion?19:05 - How long did it take your brother to lose 200lbs?19:52 - How has getting back into working out affect your headspace?23:26 - How was it transitioning into a better diet?27:47 - What does your current diet look like?38:29 - What are your future plans?---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/

Well, here we are, quarantined because of this VIRAL BOOGALOO blitzing around the world like it’s 1941, ravaging the defenseless lungs of tens of thousands of men, women, and children.Gyms are shuttered, Charmin Ultra Soft is now worth its weight in gold ammo, and protein bars have become a prized delicacy.The worst part for us fitness folk?HOME. WORKOUTS.Because for most of us, that means instead of our divine daily communion with the iron, we have to putz around with boring bodyweight exercises and bands.Guess what, though? Home workouts don’t have to be an unproductive slog.Although you can’t fully replicate the effectiveness of compound weightlifting, you can still gain (or at least maintain) muscle and strength with a well-designed home workout routine consisting of bodyweight exercises. And if you have some bands or dumbbells, that’s even better.So, if you want to learn how to work out at home when you can’t go to the gym, keep reading. You’ll learn the best bodyweight, band, and dumbbell exercises, and I’ll share workout routines you can start right away to stay swole through these trying times.Before we get to that, though, let’s address a question I’m sure you’ve asked yourself already.---Time Stamps:4:26 - Should I go back to the gym after the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted?15:58 - Are home workouts worth it?26:17 - What are the best body weight exercises?30:00 - What is the best way to use resistance bands in home workouts?13:11 - What is the best way to use dumbbells and kettlebells in home workouts?35:56 - What is the best home workout routine?44:17 - What equipment should I have for home workouts?45:37 - What are some advanced strategies for making my home workouts more effective?48:31 - How do you use tourniquets and knee wraps properly?50:31 - Should I incorporate sprinting to my home workout routine?---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/

The argument over whether or not men and women should train differently is an old one.Years ago, “experts” said women should train with light weights and high reps to “tone” and “sculpt” their bodies, whereas men should train with heavy weights and low reps to pack on muscle.In the past few years, the pendulum has swung in the other direction, with many people claiming women and men should follow the exact same training programs.And others say that while men and women should follow most of the same training principles, they should still follow slightly different programs for optimal results.Who’s right?Well, I tend to fall into the latter camp (the principles of training remain the same, but how they’re applied differs for men and women), but I also wanted to pick the brain of author, coach, and podcaster, Mark Rippetoe.In this episode, Mark edumacates us on ...- How and why women differ from men in terms of strength performance - What neuromuscular efficiency is and why it matters when designing a strength training program - What vertical jumping skill tells us about motor units, power, and raw strength - Why women should train with triples - And more ...Press play and let’s dive in!12:54 - What’s the significance in the difference of a vertical jump?32:26 - Why do singles for women translate into better performance?44:20 - How would you take menstrual cycles into account?---Mentioned on The Show:Mark Rippetoe's Website: https://startingstrength.com/ Mark Rippetoe's Podcast: https://startingstrength.com/radio Save up to 30% during Legion’s Spring Sale: 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/

It’s hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, life was business as usual.Now, we’re just a few weeks into the COVID-19 lockdown, and it’s looking like this will be the “new normal” for at least another few months.And us fitness folks are having a time of it.For one thing, you have to work out from home, and if that weren’t bad enough, some grocery stores are running out of stock on meat, vegetables, fruit, and other healthy staples.So you’re probably wondering, how the heck are you supposed to eat healthy through this mess?Should you cut, bulk, or maintain? And how are you supposed to avoid overeating?You’ve probably seen news stories about people binge eating junk food to mollify their frayed nerves, and others grazing throughout the day to mitigate their boredom, leading some people to call weight gained during the lockdown the “quarantine 15” or “COVID-15.”Well, the good news is that if you know what you’re doing, eating healthy during the quarantine is bat . . . er . . . duck soup.In this podcast, you’ll learn exactly how you should diet to not only avoid getting fat, but to maintain your muscle mass and even lose fat while stuck inside.Let’s get started!2:18 - Should I be cutting during quarantine?12:03 - Should I be lean bulking during quarantine?19:08 - How can I avoid overeating?---Mentioned on The Show: Save up to 30% during Legion’s Spring Sale: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: www.legionathletics.com/signup/

This episode is part of a monthly 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:One Monday every month, 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 for the latest and greatest installment. ---Mentioned on The Show:Legion Supplements: 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 . . .---4:12 - Is heavy compound lifting really best for newbies who are going it alone in the gym?14:14 - Should you really be training your arms in the range of 4-8 reps?22:45 - Is HIIT better for fat lost?---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/

“When’s your next book coming out?”“What kind of supplements are you going to release next?”“What would you name your boat if you had one?”I’m asked questions like these all the time and so I thought I’d start doing monthly updates about what’s new and exciting here at Legion HQ.So here’s a quick hosedown of what me and my jolly band of pirates and bums have been up to lately.Enjoy!---Mentioned on The Show:Legion Rebrand: https://legionathletics.com/new-and-exciting-march-2020/ Legion Health Boosters: 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: www.legionathletics.com/signup/