Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

You’ve counted every calorie and checked them twice.You’ve logged every step and rep, every day. You’ve bought every supplement that might possibly help.And you’re still not losing weight.What the hell? You know how a calorie deficit works and you’re not overeating.You know how to prevent “metabolic damage” and aren’t starving yourself.And you know you’re working way too damn hard in the gym to see the same dismal sight in the mirror and on the scale every day.Well, when the “obvious” reasons for a weight loss plateau are eliminated, the culprit is often water retention. And when water retention is the problem, it’s important that you address it correctly.If you do what most people do–exercise even more and eat even less–you’ll likely make the problem even worse.The emotional firestorm of anger and frustration will burn even hotter…and the only hope for extinguishing it will likely become a long, greasy binge.I don’t want that to happen to you.So in this episode, I’m going to break it all down: what causes water retention, what works for getting rid of water weight and what doesn’t, and more.Let’s get to it.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/

The health and fitness space is full of gimmicks and gimcracks that promise to help you lose weight, look sexier, and get healthier.You know, things like…-Detox teas and “cleanses” -Starvation (and overly restrictive) diets -Overhyped nutrition “hacks” (like intermittent fasting and ketogenic dieting) -Testosterone boosters -Estrogen blockers…just to name a few.The sad truth is if you simply ignored most everything published in most fitness magazines and on most fitness websites and just stuck to the basics of energy balance, macronutrient optimization, compound weightlifting, and progressive overload instead, you’d be far better for it.You’d be able to gain muscle and lose fat with ease, and you’d be able to do it eating foods and doing workouts that you actually enjoy.If you want to speed up the process, though, or optimize other aspects of your health and performance, you can go a bit further.You can take the right supplements, for example, incorporate mobility work into your exercise regimen, and take simple steps to improve your sleep quality.And that’s where infrared sauna enters the picture. It isn’t necessary by any means, but depending on whom you listen to, it can be a boon to your overall health and wellbeing.That’s why this technology has been getting a lot of attention recently, and if you poke around online, you can find doctors, trainers, and “gurus” singing its praises.According to its proponents, infrared sauna can…-Detoxify your body -Enhance circulation -Promote weight loss -Lower blood pressure -Increase immunity -Relieve aches and pains -Reduce muscle soreness and speed recovery -Improve skin health and appearance -Fight cancerOn the other hand, skeptics and detractors say that most of the hype is humbug, and that these devices are little more than overpriced space heaters.Who’s right?Well, when you look to the scientific literature, you discover that the answer is somewhere in the middle.The long story short is infrared sauna does appear to deliver some health benefits, including reduced joint pain and stiffness and improved blood vessel function, but it can’t do what many people hope: it can’t “detox” your body, help you lose weight faster, boost your immune system, or prevent cancer.And in this episode, we’re going to break it all down.By the end, you’re going to know what infrared saunas are, how they work, how they can (and can’t) benefit you, how to use them properly, and more.Let’s get started.6:26 - What is infrared sauna? 7:22 - Is infrared sauna safe? 11:14 - What are the benefits of infrared sauna? 15:39 - Does infrared sauna improve your physical performance? 18:06 - Does infrared sauna enhance recovery after training? 18:36 - Does infrared sauna improve your mood? 19:34 - Does infrared sauna improve your skin health? 20:16 - Does infrared sauna help fight cancer? 20:39 - Can infrared sauna help prevent sickness? 21:32 - What’s the best way to use an infrared sauna? 23:10 - What’s the best type of infrared sauna?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.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.muscleforlife.com/signup/

You’ve probably heard that herbs, spices, and essential oils can do many wonderful things for your body, like balance your hormones, reduce inflammation, improve your gut health, speed up fat loss, and more.How true are these claims, though?Can you really help “optimize your body” by sprinkling some goodies on your meals and huffing nice-smelling oils?Can the pigment in curry really improve your joint health?Does adding cinnamon to your oatmeal really help control your blood sugar?Is garlic the super antioxidant, immune-boosting, cancer-fighting wunder-spice that many people say it is?Well, this is what we’re going to explore in today’s episode with Kurtis Frank, who is the co-founder and was the lead researcher of Examine.com, as well as the Director of Research for my supplement company, Legion Athletics.Kurtis has researched spices, herbs, and essential oils extensively and has a lot of insight to share. As you’ll see, a lot of the marketing hype used to sell us on these things is unwarranted, but there definitely are a handful of winners that deserve some attention.So...if you’ve wondered if spices like turmeric, cinnamon, garlic, cocoa, and rosemary, and essential oils like lemon, rose, and lavender can actually improve your health and well-being, then this episode is for you.6:47 - What are spices & herbs? 9:00 - What are the health benefits of Cinnamon? 10:12 - How much cinnamon do you need to consume to cause an effect? 11:14 - What are the health benefits of peppermint and saffron? 14:09 - What are the health benefits of turmeric and curcumin? 16:14 - What are the health benefits of garlic? 19:46 - What are the health benefits of rosemary? 22:59 - What are the health benefits of ginger? 25:46 - Do spices promote fat burning and boost metabolism? 29:34 - What are the health benefits of cocoa? 31:14 - Do essential oils have health benefits? 38:41 - What are the health benefits of rose, lavender, and lemon scented essential oils?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 speak with Greg Nuckols who’s a world-record holding powerlifter, researcher, and coach, and one of foremost authorities on the science of strength training.Greg also produces a fantastic monthly research review along with Dr. Eric Helms and Dr. Mike Zourdos, called MASS (www.strongerbyscience.com/mass), and in this interview, Greg is going to break down one of the studies analyzed in their review.The study he’s going to discuss looked at what many people call the “mind-muscle connection” and how it relates to muscle and strength gain. In this discussion, Greg explains what the mind-muscle connection is, what this study has to say about it and how that squares with the rest of the literature, how you might incorporate into your training and what to expect from it, and more.4:30 - What are cues and the mind and muscle connection? 11:43 - What’s the value of cues if you’re already lifting at a high RPE? 19:09 - What are your thoughts on how external cues help muscle growth?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.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.muscleforlife.com/signup/

Salt has been with us for thousands of years.The Egyptians used it in religious rituals and trade.The Greeks bought slaves with it.The Romans paid their soldiers with it (hence the word “salary”).European plutocracies ran on salt, Confederate troops suffered for want of it, and these days, it can be found in pantries everywhere.Salt was once a precious resource and now it’s a humdrum condiment.C’est la vie. 😉Salt–the most important mineral in human history–has become even less than a lowly condiment, actually.It’s now one of the most demonized nutrients in our modern diets.The US government has been warning us about the (supposed) dangers of salt for decades now, which include an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.Newer research casts doubt on these assumptions, though, suggesting that it may not be as harmful as we once believed.Well, in this episode, we’re going to break it all down and learn…-What sodium is. -Why sodium is (apparently) bad for you. -How much sodium you should eat. -How much sodium is too much. -How to control your sodium intake.And more…Let’s get started.3:27 - What is sodium? 5:06 - Why are we told that sodium is bad? 9:32 - How much sodium should I have every day? 12:48 - Does sodium intake affect weight loss? 14:52 - How do you reduce your sodium intake?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/

Most people are preoccupied with trying to lose weight, but here’s something they don’t know:It’s only the first step to getting the body they really want.Because once you’ve lost the weight, you have to keep it off, and that can be just hard, if not harder. That’s why research shows that dieting simply doesn’t work for most people. Sure, they can step into the breach and lose weight, but many regain it all afterward.If you’ve dieted before, you probably know how it goes.After months of restrictive eating and battling with hunger and cravings, it feels downright cathartic to stop worrying about every little calorie and just let go.And it’s just a little horrifying to see just how quickly you can undo months of hard work when you do.It’s also hard to forget that experience the next time you consider dieting. Why bother if you know you’re just going to tumble back to square one?Well, that’s where reverse dieting can help.It involves gradually increasing your calories after a period of caloric restriction, and with it, you can avoid accidental overeating (or, worse, bingeing), and unwanted fat gain.You see, losing weight changes more than your appearance in the mirror.It also produces a host of physiological adaptations that, in short, encourage you to move less and eat more, and prime your body to rapidly regain the fat that you lost.This is why many people find it so hard to smoothly transition from weight loss to weight maintenance.The good news, though, is if you navigate this treacherous post-diet period skillfully, you can come out unscathed, and poised for long-term success.Reverse dieting is a powerful tool to help you with this, and it boils down to three simple steps:1. Do a lot of heavy compound weightlifting.2. Eat a high-protein diet.3. Gradually increase your caloric intake.

Why can some people do things so much better than others?There’s a question us humans have been wondering about for a very long time.Many believe it’s due to extraordinary amounts of innate talent--that nature ultimately dictates who can do what and how well they can do it, and that our strengths and weaknesses are more or less immutable.On the other hand, some people say that talent has very little to do with it, and that outstanding abilities can be mostly explained by hard work and dedication, which anyone has the capacity for.This is a confusing topic for good reason. We’ve probably known people who have gotten very good at things without appearing to work very hard at it, as well as people who initially displayed absolutely no aptitude for something work tirelessly at it for years without ever becoming excellent.What does this mean? That luck and randomness are the best predictors of success in any field and endeavor?Well, according to my guest on today’s episode, Geoff Colvin, both talent and hard work don’t greatly correlate with acquiring top-tier abilities, a specific kind of work does: deliberate practice.In his book, Talent is Overrated, Colvin explores every angle of this conundrum and uses interesting stories, scientific research, and personal experiences to make a compelling case for what it really takes to go from bad to good to great.In this episode, Geoff and I discuss why “talent” is often an illusion, what deliberate practice is and isn’t, and how you can incorporate it into your life profitably, why the infamous 10,000 hour rule is misleading, and more.6:21 - How important is natural born talent in the journey to become the best in your field? 15:06 - What is deliberate practice? 28:33- What drives people to become a master in their field? 34:32 - What is the 10,000 Hours Rule and is it true? 38:16 - How much deliberate practice does it take to master a skill? 43:18 - What are some techniques to improve memory? 50:00 - What is your new book about?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/

Drinking enough water every day is like flossing.It’s one of those “annoying” little habits that’s hard to embrace but pays big dividends.“Wait…is flossing really that important?” you ask? Surprisingly, yes. Research shows that periodontal disease subjects the body to high levels of bacterial exposure, which increases the risk of heart disease.Studies also show a strong association in the elderly between overall dental health and all-cause mortality (death from all causes).So…floss every day! 🙂(This floss by Oral B kick ass by the way–it’s strong, doesn’t fray, and doesn’t get stuck nearly as easily as others I’ve tried.)Anywho, back to the subject at hand: how much water you should drink.Water intake isn’t associated with all-cause mortality like gum health, but it’s still vitally important for optimizing health and performance.The bottom line is if you’re currently not drinking enough water, you’re going to notice several immediate benefits by increasing intake to optimal levels.In this episode, you’re going to learn about those benefits as well as how much water you should be drinking.So let’s get to it!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/