Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

In this podcast, I talk with my friend and fellow podcaster, Adam Schafer, who’s the co-host of the popular podcast Mind Pump.Unlike most of my interviews, this isn’t a focused discussion so much as a fireside chat about things on our minds, and in particular, on the current trend of business mastermind groups that have been popping up left and right over the last few years like mushrooms and roadkill.In case you’re not familiar, the pitch for these groups goes like this: pay us $1,000 to $10,000 or more per month and we’ll give you the inside baseball on how to achieve some highly coveted goal or status like becoming an Internet millionaire to superstar “influencer.”Not only that, you’ll also get exclusive access to our VIP Inner Circle of beautiful people who will deign to shake your hand and pretend to give a shit about you a few times per year at our annual “retreats” that you’ll be invited to attend on your own dime.Just think of how impressed your 500 followers on Instagram will be when they see you fist bumping with people as rich and amazing as me and my friends and how jealous they’ll be when you tell them about all the 7-figure businesses opportunities being tossed around--opportunities for you to give and risk everything for a chance at absolutely nothing.So if you’re ready to progress on your personal path of manifesting higher vibrations for a better tomorrow . . . blah blah blah infinite income loop opportunities . . . will that be cash or credit?Well, I guess I’ve kind of tipped my and Adam’s hand regarding what we think about most masterminds out there, but in this interview, you’ll learn why.Before we go there, however, we do a bit of meandering on esports and gambling as Adam is interested in and I’m more or less ignorant of both. For instance, I was surprised to learn that in 2018, esports had more viewers in the United States than every traditional sport except the NFL, and major esport events are held in huge stadiums and attract over 100,000 fans to come and watch.Anyway, I hope you find this discussion interesting.9:03 - What type of gambling do you like? 8:59 - What does line mean in sports betting? 12:26 - Do you think video game gambling will bring more attention to the gaming industry? 13:07 - Do you think video game gambling will bring more attention to the gaming industry? 14:37 - Do you think video game gambling is culturally good? 1:20:37 - What are the differences between you and your brother? 1:23:47 - What do you splurge on? Do you collect anything?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.muscleforlife.com/signup/

I'm going to make a couple assumptions as to why you're here.Sure, I know you want to learn about meal planning, but I'd wager a cheat meal that you're looking to achieve something very specific.Namely, weight loss or muscle growth or, God willing, a little bit of bothIf I'm right, this might be the most important meal planning piece you ever hear.I know I know...but seriously. That's not hyperbole.By the end of this podcast, you'll know a lot more than "how to make a meal plan."You'll know how to have the body want eating the foods you love...for the rest of your life.Imagine...No more fad diets.No more forcing down joyless, tasteless meals.No more battling hunger and cravings.No more struggling to lose or gain weight.What if you could confidently soar above all of the mainstream diet hysteria and gimmicks?What if you could use your diet to feel completely in control of your body composition and health?And what if you could do it without having to follow a bunch of restrictive rules or give up everything you actually like to eat?Well, all those things are possible. Easy, even, when you know what you're doing.So have I got your attention?Good. Let's get to work.4:42 - Is clean eating the key to getting and staying lean? 8:26 - Will you gain weight if you eat certain foods? 12:19- Is low carb dieting the best way to lose fat? 17:04 - Is low calorie dieting the best way to drop pounds quickly? 19:36 - Do you have to eat frequently to speed up your metabolism? 21:43 - How can meal planning save you from dieting? 29:39 - Which foods are good and bad for weight loss and weight gain? 34:52 - How do you create meal plans for losing weight? 41:17- How do you create meal plans for building muscle? 44:55 - Which apps help with meal planning?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.muscleforlife.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 four questions:1. Is it bad if I don’t sweat while I work out? 2. What should I do if I struggle to maintain good form on accessory exercises? 3. Any recommendations for staying in shape during pregnancy? 4. Do you have to train abs on a cut?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://www.muscleforlife.com/tdee-calculator/ https://www.muscleforlife.com/pregnancy-exercises/ https://www.muscleforlife.com/weight-gain-during-pregnancy/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.muscleforlife.com/signup/

In this episode I interview Laura, who recently completed my 90-day coaching service and dropped 8.5 pounds and 6.5% body fat, while getting stronger on all of her key lifts, and at 49 years old!She’s a perfect example of how it’s never too late to get into great shape. Regardless of your current age, condition, and history, you can lose fat, gain muscle, and get healthy, you can enjoy the process, and you can stay fit for the rest of your life. Full stop.You may not be able to get as jacked as you were or could’ve been when you were younger, but how much does that really matter? Especially if you love the way you look and feel?That’s what this episode is all about.Now, as with everything, nothing ever goes exactly as planned, and learning to adjust and adapt to conditions is an important part of the fitness game, which is something Laura experienced firsthand.She ran into a number of roadblocks along the way that most of us can relate to, including issues with balancing work with her workouts, getting her meal planning just right, and dealing with hunger and cravings, dietary temptations, peer pressure, and more, and in our chat, Laura shares what has helped her navigate these barriers skillfully and prevent them from getting in her way.So, if you like hearing motivational stories about how people have changed their bodies and lives, and if you want to pick up a few tips that may help you in your personal journey, this episode is for you.4:09 - What did you look like before and after our coaching program? 5:16 - How long were you traveling for? 8:02 - What type of traveling did you do? 8:47 - Why did you go on a plant-based diet? 11:19 - What benefits did you have from a no-dairy diet? 13:46 - What did you learn from taking things away from your diet? 14:58 - How long were you on our coaching program and what were the results? 15:28 - What were you doing for workouts? 16:18 - What changes did you experience after you increased your protein? 23:52 - What obstacles did you have to overcome? 27:23 - What are your current goals and what’s next for you? 33:26 - Do you feel any physiological difference with training in your 40s compared to yours 20s? 33:48 - What did you do to fix your tight hips? 34:57 - Are you able to do squats comfortably now? 36:38 - How did you go from a client to a coach for our coaching program? 41:32 - What is your advice for people considering our coaching program?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.muscleforlife.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.9:50 - When do I read and for how long? 12:20 - Should I read hardcopy books or audio books? 14:45 - How do I choose books? 20:23 - How do I choose one book among a list of worthy candidates? 23:03 - How do I read for maximum retention?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.muscleforlife.com/signup/

For better and worse, online fitness coaching has exploded over the past decade or so.I say that because on the one hand, this has enabled many people to affordably connect up with legitimate experts and get into great shape, and on the other hand, it has also led many others into the gaping jaws of the legions of charlatans, shysters, and phonies who have swarmed the online coaching space.And unfortunately, the coaches who get the most eyeballs and buzz often aren’t the ones who offer the best services, and many superior coaches are struggling to gain any traction whatsoever let alone become a screaming success.I have quite a few of the latter folk in my orbit and so I thought a longform discussion on how to become a successful fitness coach would be worthwhile.I’ve spoken about this before as I have a coaching service that will do just over seven figures in revenue this year, but I felt like I couldn’t fully do the topic justice as I was able to “shortcut” the process by first achieving notable success as an author, podcaster, blogger, and entrepreneur.By the time I launched my coaching service, I already had a large and loyal following, and it’s not exactly helpful for me to tell aspiring coaches to just do what I do—to first write a few bestselling books, then create a top-100 health podcast, then create an 8-figure supplement business and a couple blogs that get a couple million visits per month, and then voila, your coaching business will soar.That’s why I wanted to get somebody who a) has a bigger coaching business than me and b) has built it more traditionally to come on the show and share their insights about how to go from nothing to something in the online coaching game.There are probably quite a few of those somebodies out there, but I particularly liked what Cody McBroom is doing and so chose him for the interview. As you’ll learn, Cody has done very well for himself, his business, and his clients, and in this episode, he shares a very down-to-earth, practical roadmap for following in his footsteps.10:27 - What is your advice to people who want to become a personal trainer and have their own business? 29:08 - How do you become a better coach? 33:37 - Are there certain personality types that wouldn’t work well as a coach? 1:18:41 - What are your thoughts on how to find passion? 1:28:26 - 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.muscleforlife.com/signup/

In the past few years, collagen protein has become a glittering moneymaker.According to some, it’s the new fish oil, what with its long list of benefits for nearly every major part of your health and physiology.The most popular claims include . . .-Reducing joint pain and improving joint health -Improving the health and appearance of your skin and nails -Increasing muscle growth and recoveryAnd if none of that tickles your processors, then maybe you’d be interested in boosting immunity, making your hair prettier, and improving your digestion?On the other hand, collagen protein detractors say that the benefits are misrepresented, overblown, or flat out false. You know, like most supplements.Who’s right? Well, the short answer is this:Collagen protein is basically garbage—literally and figuratively.While some forms of collagen can help your joints, most, are nothing more than low-quality but highly profitable fodder for supplement shysters to separate people from more of their cash.And in this podcast , you’re going to learn why.4:17 - What is collagen protein? 6:35 - What are the three most common and most effective selling points of collagen protein? 10:49 - How is collagen protein digested in the body? 16:52 - What form of collagen protein help joints? 20:44 - Does collagen protein help with skin, hair, and nail health? 26:09 - Does collagen protein help with muscle building? 31:53 - Why is collagen protein so popular?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.muscleforlife.com/signup/

If you're a skinny guy or gal struggling to gain weight…Or a "fluffy" one struggling to "shift" fat…Or somewhere in between…This is going to be the most important fitness podcast you listen to.Seriously.And I want to start it with some good news:Your genetics can't stop you from getting the body you really desire.Yes, some people's bodies respond better to training than others', but I don't care how much of a "hardgainer" you think you are or how "stubborn" your body fat seems to be…-You can build muscle. -You can lose fat. -And you can do it faster than you think.Now, if you were to tell me your goal is to be an elite, competitive weightlifter or bodybuilder or physique competitor...that would be another story.In those cases, genetics are hugely important.Yes, steroids are involved and yes, training experience and methodologies matter...but the biggest and strongest guys and gals in the world were abnormally big and strong their entire lives.My point is this: at the top, where everyone works smart and hard, genetics determine who's truly great and who's not. That doesn't mean that us mere mortals are screwed, though.Your genetics will influence how quickly you can reach your goals but aren't going to keep you small, weak, and fat.And in this podcast, you're going to learn the three major body types, how to determine which you (primarily) are, and how to approach dieting and training for maximal results.Let's get to it.8:09 - How do I determine my body type? Which body type do I have?15:48 - What is the best type of body for ectomorphs?37:16 - What are the best type of workouts for ectomorphs?40:48 - How much cardio should ectomorphs do?41:38 - What are the best supplements for ectomorphs?43:53 - What is the mesomorph body type?45:17 - What is the best diet for mesomorphs?47:59 - What are the best type of workouts for mesomorphs?50:13 - What is the endomorph body type?51:34- What is the best diet for endomorphs?54:52 - What are the best type of workouts for endomorphs?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.muscleforlife.com/signup/

If you’re over age 65, you’re more likely to die from heart disease than any other cause.Why, though?Is it due to stress? Over or under exercising? Eating too much fat, cholesterol, and junk food? A bit of each or something else altogether?Scientists have been searching for answers to those questions for a long time now, but if there’s one culprit that has been fingered more than any other, it’s diet. For a couple decades now, we’ve been told by experts everywhere that saturated fat, cholesterol, and often just dietary fat in general increases our your risk of heart disease, full stop.This idea has been further bolstered by the promotion of the food pyramid, which tells us to get most of our calories from whole grains like pasta, cereal, and bread, and as few calories as possible from added fats like oils, butter, lard, and others.Is it really that simple, though? Is reducing our dietary fat intake really the best way to avoid heart disease?Frankly, while I’ve read enough to know there are some major holes in the “less fat = less heart disease” hypothesis, I’m not an expert on the topic, so I invited my buddy Dr. Spencer Nadolsky on the show to break it down.I caught him at a good time, too, because he’s currently studying for certification on this very topic and shares some great insights on the most current scientific understanding of how our diets actually affect our tickers.6:16 - How was the food pyramid created? 8:30 - What are the different types of fats and how do they affect your cholesterol? 10:25 - Does eating cholesterol raise your cholesterol? 14:09 - If you usually eat no cholesterol and start eating cholesterol, will you have a jump in your blood cholesterol? Does that normalize over time? 15:49 - What’s the purpose of having two different types of lipoproteins? 18: 27 - What does endogenous and exogenous mean? 19:39 - What is familial hypercholesterolemia? 21:03 - What does the research say about the mediterranean diet? 23:41 - What kind of effect does the stearic acid in chocolate have on LDL? 26:27 - What foods should people limit their intake of? 28:24 - Have you seen doctors go to the dark side? 37:07 - At what number is our LDL cholesterol a risk of heart disease? 40:06 - How much red meat should we have? 43:52 - Any more advice you had on saturated fat? 43:42 - How many servings of butter should we have per day? 51:11 - Can eating poorly from a young age have irreversible damage to your body? 53:55 - 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.muscleforlife.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 and MFL 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.muscleforlife.com/signup/