Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

Organic food is big business these days.Here in the US, it raked in about 50 billion dollars last year alone, and that number is projected to exceed 135 billion by 2025.What does “organic” really mean, though? And is it worth it?Are you really improving your health by eating organic food, or is it just a marketing ploy to exploit the common belief that if something is more “natural,” it’s automatically better for you?Some people say you should eat as much organic food as possible, full stop. Avoid conventional produce, dairy, meat, and any GMO products at all costs, they say.Others claim there’s nothing special about organic food whatsoever beyond its price tag.Well, as is often the case, the truth is somewhere in the middle, and I invited Lacey Dunn on the podcast to break it all down.In case you’re not familiar with her, Lacey is a personal trainer, registered dietician with a master’s degree in nutrition, and the owner of UpliftFit Nutrition, where she provides science-based diet and fitness coaching for people around the world.So, if you want to learn the truth organic versus conventional food and what this ultimately means for your long-term health and well-being, this episode is for you.5:42 - What is organic food and how does it differ from conventional farming? 8:10 - Are there any downsides to organic farming? 13:17 - What is the nutritional quality in organic food compared to non-organic? 24:38 - Why is it important to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables? 33:46 - If you want to save money, what foods should you focus on buying organic? 39:57 - What are GMO’s and how do they affect food? 43:44 - What are some tips to eating organic? 48:54 - What are some key things to remember for organic dairy? 1:02:17 - Where you can people find you and your work?Mentioned on The Show: Books by Mike Matthews:https://legionathletics.com/products/books/Legion Triumph: https://legionathletics.com/products/supplements/triumph/Lacey’s Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/faithandfit/?hl=enLacey’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/laceyadunnLacey’s Website:http://www.upliftfit.org/Lacey’s Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/upliftfit-nutrition/id1207668246?mt=2Want 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 Maariana, who used my Bigger Leaner Stronger program to radically transform not only her physique, but also her career and life.Before finding her way to me and my work through her boyfriend, she had fallen into just about every health and fitness trap out there—excessive cardio, very lightweight lifting, inadequate protein intake, and on and on.Despite working at it very hard for very long, the best she was able to accomplish was a “skinny fat” physique that left her constantly hungry, tired, and frustrated.Bigger Leaner Stronger changed all of that.Through the magical wonders of heavy compound weightlifting, proper meal planning, and effective supplementation, Maariana has gained a bunch of muscle and strength while still being able to fit into the types of clothes she was wearing in college.What’s more, Maariana is a professional opera singer and Bigger Leaner Stronger has made quite a difference there, too. She’s more confident and less nervous on stage and has even noticed improvements in her singing capabilities.So, in part one of this interview, Maariana and I discuss her story and some of the key lessons she learned along the way, including how she dealt with gym intimidation, how to travel the world without gaining weight, and much more.Now, why part one of two?As you’ll find out, as we were wrapping up our interview, Maariana shared a whopper: soon after starting Bigger Leaner Stronger, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. I knew this going into the interview but as she hadn’t mentioned it up until that point, I thought she didn’t want to talk about it.Well, it turns out she did, and it also turns out she has a neurobiology degree and abiding passion for self-improvement, and so we then went on to have a whole new discussion along those lines.All in all, our conversation clocked in at around 3 hours, so I figured it’s probably better to break it up into two parts.So, here’s part one, and part two will follow in the next week or so.6:09 - What was your diet and fitness like before Bigger Leaner Stronger? 17:46 - What were your numbers before and after Bigger Leaner Stronger? 46:41 - Was it intimidating for you to start weightlifting? 36:39 - How do you fit in exercise when you travel? 43:42 - Is Triumph for men and women? 48:22 - How long did it take you to get from 30% body fat to 20% body fat? 54:50 - Did you run into any hunger problems while cutting?Mentioned on The Show:Shop Legion supplements: https://legionathletics.com/shop/Maariana's website: https://maariana.com/Maariana's app: https://fulfillapp.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/

“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.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.legionathletics.com/signup/

“Lose fat by drinking fat!”“Turn on the fat-burning power of ketosis with the flip of a switch!”“Supercharge your brain with this super-oil!”These are just a few of the many reasons MCT oil peddlers say you should give them your money (and a lot of it—this stuff ain’t cheap).In fact, according to many of these self-styled gurus and “biohackers,” MCT oil is one of the most effective supplements you can take for upgrading your mind and body.Just a few tablespoons per day, they say, and you’ll drop weight, turn on ketosis (which can help you drop more weight), boost exercise performance, and increase your brainpower . . . and that’s just the first week!Now, how much would you expect to pay for such a privilege? Hundreds? Thousands? Billions?Well, would you believe that it’ll only set you back a mere $1.60 per ounce!? Yes, that’s right, for just $205 per gallon, you too can basically have superpowers!You don’t want just any MCT oil, though. You want mine, which is grass-fed, gluten-free, organic, non-GMO, blah blah blah will that be cash or credit?Okay, so I think you get the point. Here’s the long story short:The benefits of MCT oil have been wildly inflated by the reigning health and fitness propagandists and their minions and unwitting dupes. As you’ll soon see, it’s more or less just another overpriced, overhyped weight loss supplement that doesn’t work as advertised.Let’s get started.3:56 - What is MCT oil? 8:38 - What are the benefits of MCT oil? 17:30 - What is the research on MCT oil and weight loss? 22:31 - Does MCT oil help you lose weight faster on a ketogenic diet? 24:34 - Does MCT oil lower cholesterol levels and improve your heart health? 28:20 - Does MCT oil improve athletic performance? 32:35 - Does MCT oil improve brain function? 35:57 - Is MCT oil better than coconut oil? 40:01 - What are the side effects of MCT oil?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’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!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/

There are two very different philosophies of dieting.One revolves around planning or counting/tracking the calories and macros of everything that you eat.The IIFYM Diet is a good example of this method.The other eschews numbers and opts for rules about how, what, and when you should eat, instead.All forms of dieting that agitate for one form of “clean eating” or another fit into this category, including the subject of this podcast: intuitive eating.Both of these approaches can work, and both have pros and cons.The first, quantitative approach more or less guarantees results, but it requires a fair amount of technical know-how, and it can be rigid, impractical, and tedious.The second, qualitative method is generally easier to understand and apply and more flexible and accommodating, but it’s also easier to screw up, and thus comes with a higher failure rate.Now, I’m going to assume you’re here because you don’t want to go through door number one.You don’t want to have to weigh and measure everything that you cook, you don’t want to fiddle with My Fitness Pal every day, and you don’t want to learn how to count macros on the fly.Instead, you just want to eat a few balanced and enjoyable meals every day without gaining weight or ruining your body composition.Well, intuitive eating is the answer.Let’s find out why.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/

If you’re new to working out or weightlifting in general, the world of bodybuilding can be intimidating, confusing, and contradictory.Maybe you’re getting mixed signals about how much muscle you can gain or how lean you can get.Maybe you’re struggling with the terminology of sets, reps, mesocycles, cutting, bulking, and so forth.Maybe you’re unsure of exactly what you should be doing in your workouts.Well, today’s guest, Kyle Hunt, addresses all of these things and more in his new book, Bodybuilding for Beginners, and I invited him onto the show to discuss some of the key takeaways from his book.In other words, Kyle shares a “bodybuilding 101” crash course that will help newbies get up to speed faster and remind more experienced lifters of the fundamentals that never change.We also touch on a few other topics including fitness quackery and credibility, exercise science degrees, evaluating scientific studies, and more.If any of that strikes your fancy, hit that play button!32:43 - What is the book Bodybuilding for Beginners about? 35:27 - What are some practical tips for nutrition? 38:02 - What are some tips to sticking to a diet? 44:01 - What does the training program look like in Bodybuilding for Beginners? 45:05 - Are there options for different types of strength building in Bodybuilding for Beginners?Mentioned on The Show:Books by Mike Matthews:https://legionathletics.com/products/books/Kyle’s website:https://www.kylehuntfitness.com/Kyle’s Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/huntfitness/?hl=enKyle’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0oaevqIdo0CrYGIUJqjtRQBodybuilding for Beginners by Kyle Hunt: https://www.amazon.com/Bodybuilding-Beginners-12-Week-Program-Muscle/dp/1641523611Want 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/

These days, there are a variety of companies offering DNA testing so you can learn about your genealogy, origins, and genetic makeup. Chances are you’ve already used one of them, like 23andMe or Ancestry.com.There’s even more you can do with these services, though.Poke around online and you’ll find quite a few self-styled experts who are eager to review your raw DNA data and provide you with very specific lifestyle recommendations that will purportedly maximize your health, performance, and well-being, including specific foods to eat and avoid, exercise programs to follow, supplements to take, and more.On the other hand, you’ll also find plenty of credentialed guys and gals saying that such DNA-based plans are little more than pseudoscientific scams that won’t have any meaningful impact on your life beyond your wallet.As is often the case, the truth is somewhere in the middle, and that’s what Dr. Anthony Jay and I discuss in today’s episode.And to make it more interesting, I sent Dr. Jay my raw data from Ancestry before the episode so he could not only explain the ins and outs of genetic testing and how our DNA can affect our sleep, mood, body composition, risk of disease and dysfunction, and more, but also demonstrate what a solid, science-based DNA consultation looks like.In case you’re not familiar with Dr. Jay, he’s a scientist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota who earned his Ph.D in Biochemistry from Boston University School of Medicine and provides genetic consulting to everyone from professional athletes to special forces soldiers and everyday gymgoers and everybody in between.Dr. Jay’s also the author of the book Estrogeneration, which is all about a class of estrogen-like chemicals that are prevalent in our society and contributing to many different widespread health problems, including weight-gain, depression, infertility and many others.(And if you want to learn more about that, check out the previous interview I did with Dr. Jay on it!)So, if you want to learn more about how to use your unique genetic blueprint to live a longer, healthier, and happier life, this episode is for you.7:54 - How does atrazine affect humans? 14:26 - What is a snip? 29:43 - What are the five categories of genes? 37:24 - How do our genes affect stress, anxiety, and caffeine metabolism? 48:06 - What is HRV and is a higher HRV better? 50:51 - How does the blue light gene affect our sleep? 58:39 - How do our genes affect obesity? 59:55 - What is brown fat and white fat? 1:09:20 - Which genes increase your risk for leaky gut? 1:23:07 - How do our genes determine our muscle types? 1:26:46 - Which genes determine how weak or strong our joints are? 1:31:49 - Which genes determine if you’re a gout risk? 1:37:55 - Where can people find you and your work? 1:38:56 - Have you found commonalities in the genes of professional athletes?Mentioned on The Show:Shop Legion supplements here: https://legionathletics.com/shop/AJ's Consulting Company: https://www.ajconsultingcompany.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/

If you’re a regular listener of this podcast, you’ve heard me talk about many things related to training.I’ve covered how to squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, break through plateaus, utilize different rep ranges, deload, and on and on.Something I haven’t talked about before, though, is kettlebell training.This isn’t because I think it’s without merit, though—it’s simply an unintentional oversight—and that’s why I invited Pat Flynn back on the show to break down kettlebell training for beginners.Why Pat?Well, he was once the youngest person to ever pass the Russian Kettlebell Certification, and he’s coached many people over the years on how to properly use kettlebells to lose fat, build muscle, and get stronger.In this episode, he delivers a fantastic kettlebells 101, including his favorite exercises for gaining muscle and improving conditioning, how to do the exercises properly, how to program kettlebell training, and more.4:51 - What are kettlebells good for? 7:57 - What do kettlebells have to offer? 15:35 - How do you use kettlebells effectively? 19:25 - How do you program in kettlebells? 29:19 - What’s the difference between a single and double arm swing? 30:18 - What other variations are there for the swing? 47:57 - What type of technical advice do you have for kettlebell exercises? 53:36 - Where can people find you and your work?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/

If you’re like most people, you don’t just want “big muscles”--you want defined muscles.For example, if you’re a guy, would you rather be big and “fluffy,” or smaller but ripped?And if you’re a gal, would you rather be skin and bones or lean and toned?Well, if you chose the second option, then you’re in the right place, because in this podcast, I’m going to teach you the simple science of not just gaining muscle, but gaining muscle definition.We’re going to cut through the myths and lies, too.“Clean eating” isn’t the key, and neither is exercise choice, rep ranges, or supplementation.Genetics aren’t the answer, either (fortunately!).You may not have the genetics to look exactly like your favorite Instagram model, but you don’t need singular genes to be a shining example of muscle definition.You have the same types of physiological hardware as the rest of us, and your body (and muscles) will respond fantastically if given the proper stimuli.So, if you’re ready to learn what muscle definition is, and what doesn't increase muscle definition and what does, then listen in.3:51 - What is muscle definition? 10:22 - Do you have to eat clean to gain muscle definition? 14:42 - Do you have to do a lot of high rep training to gain muscle definition? 19:32 - Do you have to use cables and machines to gain muscle definition? 20:47 - Do you have to eat a low carb diet to gain muscle definition? 24:39 - Do you have to do a lot of cardio to gain muscle definition? 28:01 - How do you increase muscle definition? 32:48 - Do I need to take supplements to gain muscle definition?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/