Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

I don’t know about you, but I like simple.And here’s a simple fact for you: You don’t need to do anything particularly special or fancy to build the body of your dreams.At least 80% of the game is just understanding and applying a relatively small number of physiological principles related to diet and exercise.And I’d go as far as saying that the majority of what’s left is just patience and persistence.You don’t need convoluted training programs or diets. You need fundamentals.That said, once you have the fundamentals firmly in place, you can look to gain slight edges.This is where things like supplementation, fasted training, periodization, and carb cycling come into play.In this episode, we’re going to dive deep into carb cycling and learn what it is, how it (supposedly) works, and how to do it.We’re also going to review many of the fundamentals that supercede it, and ultimately, we’re going to get an answer to the most important question:Is carb cycling better than traditional dieting?That is, can it really beat the simplest way to diet?Let’s get to it.3:49 - What is carb cycling? 5:29 - Why do people carb cycle? 7:48 - What are the myths of carb cycling? 12:12 - How much protein should I take on a carb diet?16:55 - What is insulin and how does it work in the body? 19:15 - What is energy balance? 21:12 - How does protein effect insulin levels? 23:50 - Is carb cycling better for fat loss? 23:56 - Can you use carb cycling to build muscle? 29:37 - How do you do carb cycling? 30:42 - How do use carb cycling to lose fat? 34:11 - How do you use carb cycling to build muscle?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/

Don’t buy into the bullshit. You can look and feel great at any age.You don’t have to be in your 20s to be muscular, lean, and strong. In fact, play your cards right and you can show the “kids” how the fitness game really works.Your muscle doesn’t have to wither away as you age.You don’t have to remove “six-pack” from your bucket list.Your metabolism doesn’t have to implodeYour hormones don’t have to slump. If you’re willing to put in the work, you can become a shining paragon of health and vitality that time just can’t extinguish.It’s not hard or complicated either. One part know-how, one part persistence, and one part patience, and voila, you’re there.You see, less changes with age than you probably think.The fundamentals of good dieting and effective training remain. Your body’s machinery still operates on the same instructions and still responds to the same stimuli. Take good care of it and it’ll serve you faithfully until your wheels finally stand still.In this episode, I want to share with you a handful of strategies for maximizing your fitness at every age.As you’ll see, the major difference between your younger and older years isn’t what you can do but how much. Older bodies love use but struggle with abuse.So, let’s get started.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/

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/

If you want a short but fantastic primer on the basics of good marketing, including the primary goal of marketing, the fundamentals of good branding, product creation, advertising, and more, then you want to read this book. One of the reasons I like it so much is it’s concerned more with high-level thinking than tactical application, and strives to give you principles that you can extrapolate into many types of actionables. In this way, much of its advice is universal and timeless.I’m also recommending it because it has informed many of the better marketing decisions I’ve made in building my businesses, and is a book that that’s worth reviewing regularly as your business expands and evolves, and as mistakes and missteps become more expensive and painful.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/

You’ve been eating right. Exercising regularly. Drinking water and even taking your vitamins.Why the hell, then, is your stomach so bloated all the time?Why do you look three months pregnant if you don’t suck your stomach in?Why does eating make it look like you’re carrying twins?Why does your skin feel like a waterlogged sponge?If any of these questions have been echoing around in your head, I understand. Bloating is incredibly frustrating because it seems to come and go without rhyme or reason. It follows you like a curse.Fortunately, though, it’s not hard to banish…for good. And this episode is going to break it all down for you.So, if you’re sick of “flat belly tips” and other nonsensical non-solutions for stomach bloating, and all forms of bloating, really, listen to this episode.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 Wendy, who’s a recent graduate of my 90-day transformation coaching service, which helped her cut fat, gain muscle and strength, and significantly transform the shape of her body in just a few months. Before finding her way to me and my work, she had been working out for years and had tried many different things, and most recently had spent 9 months working with an in-person trainer only to see no real change in her body. At that point, she was frustrated and disappointed and feared that she simply couldn’t get the type of body that she really wanted--that her genetics wouldn’t allow it. Then, she found my book for women, Thinner Leaner Stronger, gave it a read, liked what it had to say, learned about my coaching service, and signed up, figuring that she might as well go all-in if she’s going to try at all. She had her doubts going in, of course, and was actually pretty sure it wouldn’t work, just as everything else she had done hadn’t worked, but she decided to hang in there and see how it panned out. Well, as you’ll hear in the interview, my team put together a custom diet and exercise program specifically for her and his goals, and within the first 4 weeks, she knew that she had a made a great choice. She was starting to see real changes in her body and realized that all she had to do to reach her ultimate goal was keep showing up and putting in the work. In this interview, Wendy walks us through the whole story and shares the big lessons she learned along the way, including how she overcame her initial reluctance to go to the “scary” side of the gym--the free weights section, so if you’re in the middle of your own transformation, then I think you’re going to find it encouraging and motivating. 4:48 - What was your health and fitness background before you started our coaching service? 8:36 - How has our coaching helped you? 9:49 - At what point in the program did you start seeing results? 11:16 - What did your customized diet and exercise plan consist of? 14:10 - What kind of meal plan did we put together for you?   14:43 - What were your sources of protein? 15:50 - What were your cheat meals? 20:29 - At what point did you stop being self conscious in the gym? 27:18 - What’s your fitness plan for the future? 28:34 - Why did you choose to bulk? 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 your goal is to get or stay lean and maintain your cardiovascular health, you don’t have to grind out a single long session of grueling cardio.Ever.That’s right…- No boring jogs. - No droning away on one of the hamster wheels in the gym. - No sacrificing hours and hours every week.In fact, if you know what you’re doing (and you will by the end of this episode), you can get a lot more out of doing a lot less cardio than you think.If you know what you’re doing with your diet, you don’t need to exercise more than 4 to 6 hours per week to get as lean as you’d like.Yup, just 3 to 5 hours of weightlifting and 1 to 2 hours of cardio per week is more than enough.So, in this episode, I’m going to explain 5 reasons why high-interval intensity training is my cardio of choice and almost a bit of a “secret weapon” for getting and staying lean.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/

In this episode I interview Kurtis Frank about one of his favorite topics, nootropics, or “brain boosters.”Chances are you don’t know of Kurtis, but you probably know of his work. He’s the co-founder of Examine.com, which is the premier resource on the Internet for learning about the science of supplementation. Today, it boasts guides on over 500 supplements containing over 41,000 scientific citations, and Kurtis was responsible for researching, compiling, and writing the vast majority of that body of work.Kurtis also just recently became the Director of Research for my supplement company Legion Athletics, and I’m really excited to have him on board because he’s simply one of the most knowledgeable people I’ve ever met on the subject of supplementation, and in this interview, he’s going to share with us his insights on nootropics generally, as well as his favorite and least-favorite options and why.So whether you’re a die-hard noot fan, on the fence about them, or completely ignorant, I think you’re going to find this discussion interesting and helpful.Here’s a little sneak peek of what you’re going to learn in this episode…- The three most important functions that every good nootropic should perform. - The problems with many of the best-selling nootropics on the market, and what you can do to avoid them. - How your lifestyle habits affect brain grown, cognitive performance, and mental health. - The best three nootropics for supporting brain health long term. - The worst three nootropics for brain health (they’re some of the most popular).6:00 - What are nootropic supplements and are they safe? 7:03 - How do nootropic supplements promote brain growth? 8:48 - What lifestyle factors affect brain growth? 12:20 - What are your favorite nootropic supplements? 12:41 - What is bacopa monnieri? 14:18 - What are the side effects of nootropic supplements? 15:57 - What is agmatine? 21:58 - What is fucoxanthin? 23:23 - What is spirulina? 25:10 - What is Gilbert’s syndrome? 27:55- Whatr is alpha GPC? 38:51 - What nootropic supplements do you dislike? 46:12 - What is dangerous about nootropic supplements? 47:56 - What is vinpocetine? 49:05 - What is huperzine a? 53:30 - Where can people find 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/

“How the hell can I be this skinny with a stomach this big and fat?”That’s the first line from an email I received earlier this week.And it inspired this episode.You see, I’ve worked with thousands of men and women and if there’s one thing that frustrates people most, it’s having too much belly fat.I’ve written quite a bit about how to lose belly fat, but visceral fat deserves its own treatment because it’s a different beast than the run-of-the-mill ab fat.So, in this episode we’re going to cover what visceral fat is, why it’s dangerous, why some people have more than others, and how to lose 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/