Muscle for Life

In this episode, I have Sohee Lee back on the podcast to talk about some of the key habits and mindsets of people that succeed in achieving their fitness and goals versus those that don’t. In case you’re not familiar with Sohee, she’s a writer, coach, and bikini competitor, and, like me, she works hard to spread the good word about the actual science of proper diet, nutrition, and exercise. In this interview, I wanted her to talk about something she has really dived into in her own research and writing, and that’s the mental side of fitness. I’ve written and spoken a fair amount about it myself, but I think it’s generally undeserved and underappreciated. I’d actually like to put together an entire book on the subject, but I also want to do like 8 million other things, so, uh, we’ll see how it plays out. Anyway, my point is we tend to get so focused on the physical things--calories, macros, training variables, supplementation, etc.--and forget that none of it really matters if we can’t stick to the plan and

Andrea is a figure competitor, powerlifter, and natural bodybuilding coach working with the 3D Muscle Journey team, who I’ve been interviewing one after another because, well, they’re great. When I reached out to Andrea, she proposed that we talk about something I myself have been wanting to comment on: the state of the online coaching space. With Instagram, Snapchat, and fitness getting more and more popular, everyone and their brother is a coach these days, and unfortunately, many of these people have no idea what they’re doing, and many others are outright frauds. Just because someone looks good themselves doesn’t mean they can help others get there, and just because they post impressive before and after shots of “clients” doesn’t mean those shots weren’t just swiped from the Internet. And I say all this based on firsthand experience, because I hear every week from people working with one coach or another that hate their diets and workout programs and are frustrated with their lack of results. Well, in

In this podcast I interview the one and only...the inimitable Lyle McDonald. Lyle is a health and fitness researcher and writer, and I have to say, one of my favorite authors in the space. He’s the first person that I found in my journey whose work really resonated with me, so it’s pretty cool to sit down and chat fitness with him. What I like most about his work is not just that he really knows his stuff and deals with subjects very holistically, he also does a fantastic job breaking down dense, complex subjects in terms that anyone can understand. In this interview, we talk about a subject that has consumed much of Lyle’s life for the last year and half or so, and that’s female fat loss. Specifically, he breaks down how things differ between men and women in the realm of losing fat, and especially when we’re talking about getting really lean. As Lyle points out, the fundamentals like energy and macronutrient balance are what they are, but the strategies that work beautifully for men wanting to get shredd

In this episode I interview Eric Helms, who’s one of the premier natural bodybuilding coaches in the game. He’s a member of the 3DMJ coaching team and is himself a professional natural bodybuilder and strength athlete, as well as an author and credentialed scientist with several peer-reviewed publications under his belt. I reference his work quite frequently in my writing, actually, so it was a real pleasure to get the chance to interview him. And as you’ve gathered from the title, this interview is on how to prep for a natural bodybuilding show, and Eric covers everything ranging from caloric intake and macro breakdowns to weightlifting and cardio strategies, supplementation, and much more. So if you’re getting ready to prep for a show or are considering doing one, you definitely need to listen to the interview. It can save you from all kinds of trials and tribulations. And even if you’re like me and have no intention of competing but are just working on building your best body ever, you’re going to get a

In this podcast, I interview Lisa J., who followed my Thinner Leaner Stronger program for 9 months and lost just 3 pounds but completely upgraded her physique. Before finding TLS, Lisa had felt "skinny fat" for as long as she could remember, and now she has guys coming up to compliment her on her strength and ask for weightlifting advice. Hah! In the interview, we talk about Lisa's journey and what key lessons she learned along the way, what obstacles she had to overcome as a working mom and how she made it work, how she overcame a wrist injury, and more. 6:25 - How was your training and diet before BLS? 8:34 - What is your exercise and fitness history? 9:35 - How did you hear about Mike Matthews? 10:19 - What were your expectations for the program? 12:30 - What were your thoughts after a few weeks? 14:27 - What have the results been up until now? 19:03 - What obstacles did you run into on the program? 21:03 - How do you make time for your workouts? 23:06 - Were there any sticking points on the progr

This episode of the podcast is a recording of my last live Q&A, and in it I answer questions on things like the limits of newbie gains, how to improve posture, teenage weightlifting and stunting growth, training for strength, hypertrophy, and endurance, and more. If you want to get in on the next live QA, go here: https://www.legionathletics.com/qa. 03:05 - Is there an age when newbie gains won't happen? 06:53 - How can I improve my posture? 10:34 - You say that newbies can gain muscle and lose at the same time, how does this work and why can't seasoned gym warriors do this as well? 11:57 - I'm 16 yrs old should i be lifting heavy or just focus on getting taller/growing? Will doing squats with 150lbs stunt growth for a 16 yr old? 14:22 - When doing a shoulder press should I keep my elbows pointing towards the front or is it okay be opening them up? 16:28 - When are you releasing your app? 17:35 - How do you get so much work done? 20:00 - How can I train for strength as well as hypertrophy, while

In this podcast I interview Dr. Matt Fontaine, who’s a fantastic sports doctor in the Washington DC area that I’ve been seeing for a lingering bit of biceps tendonitis that has been getting in the way of my pressing. Matt has been practicing sports medicine for nearly 15 years and has worked with everyone ranging from professional baseball players and triathletes to weekend runners and Crossfit warriors, and has helped people through some pretty gnarly injuries and setbacks. In my case, he has been using a technique called ART (which you’ll learn about in the interview), and it has really helped loosen up the muscles in my shoulder and arm that were aggravating my biceps tendon. I wish I had known about this months ago. In addition to simply getting results, Matt also really impressed me with the breadth and depth of his expertise and experience. He really knows his shit, which is why I wanted to pick his brain on things like finding and fixing muscle imbalances, predictors of injury, the nature of soft ti

This is the second part of a two-part interview with the always enlightening and entertaining Mark Rippetoe, who you’ve probably heard of if you take fitness seriously. In case you don’t know who Mark is, though, he was a competitive powerlifter for a decade and is the author of several books, including two classics that everyone that’s into weightlifting should read–Starting Strength and Practical Programming for Strength. Mark has also coached thousands of people all over the country on proper barbell training through his seminars, which you can learn more about at www.startingstrength.com. He’s also just a fun guy to chat with because he’s colorful and just shares his thoughts and openly and isn’t one for euphemisms or minced words, which I think is refreshing, really. So, in this interview Mark and I talk about training for sports and why a lot of what goes on in the upper echelons of sports training is nonsensical and even counterproductive and what athletes should be focusing on instead. I’ve run in

This is the first part of a two-part interview with the always enlightening and entertaining Mark Rippetoe, who you’ve probably heard of if you take fitness seriously. In case you don’t know who Mark is, though, he was a competitor powerlifter for a decade and is the author of several books, including two classics that everyone that’s into weightlifting should read--Starting Strength and Practical Programming for Strength. Mark has also coached thousands of people all over the country on proper barbell training through his seminars, which you can learn more about at www.startingstrength.com. He’s also just a fun guy to chat with because he’s colorful and just shares his thoughts and openly and isn’t one for euphemisms or minced words, which I think is refreshing, really. So, in this interview Mark and I talk about the training for strength versus “aesthetics” and why there isn’t as much of a difference between the two as many people think. This podcast really drives home an important lesson I learned years

In this episode I interview John Romaniello, author of the NYT bestseller Engineering the Alpha and founder of the multi-million dollar, multifaceted fitness business Roman Fitness Systems. We’re not going to talk fitness or business, though. Instead, we linked up to discuss something else altogether, and that’s how you and I can use the brilliant and groundbreaking work of a rather obscure comparative mythologist to live better lives. The work is codified in the book The Hero With a Thousand Faces, which was written by the mythologist Joseph Campbell, and it has served as a template for some of the most popular and timeless stories ever told, ranging from King Arthur to Moby Dick to Star Wars, Harry Potter, and more. I know that sounds incredibly abstract and inapplicable to our lives, but bear with me because John does an amazing job making the material accessible and practical, so I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised. It’s really not a stretch to say that our conversation can be the nudge that

This book will show you how to build muscle, lose fat, and get strong: http://goo.gl/lKNKWK In this podcast, I interview fellow writer, trainer, and, well, Mike, Mike Vacanti and we talk about how to get fit when you travel and are just insanely busy, how things change when you're very overweight, and why you shouldn't sweat the "little things" and use the bigger picture to stay on track. 5:27 - How to stick to a diet when you are busy. 25:49 - How to exercise when you are busy. 35:22 - How to diet and exercise when you are obese. 53:05 - Not worrying about the minutia. ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS PODCAST: The 3-Step Skinny Fat Solution: http://www.muscleforlife.com/skinny-fat-solution/ How to Make Meal Plans That Work For Any Diet: https://legionathletics.com/diet-meal-plans/ How Many Calories You Should Eat (with a Calculator): https://legionathletics.com/how-many-calories-should-i-eat/ How Many Grams of Fat Should You Eat Per Day? http://www.muscleforlife.com/how-many-grams-of-fat-per-day/ How

In this podcast I take any and all questions and talk about third party testing for Legion, why some studies associate taking a multivitamin with increased risk of disease, how to eat more protein, taking fat burners while bulking, and much more. If you want to get in on the next one and ask me questions, sign up here: https://legionathletics.com/qa/ 03:26 - Are 5 day split workouts more effective in building more muscle than 3 day splits? 05:21 - How many grams of HMB should I take for fasted cardio/lifting? 05:43 - Are Legion products third party tested? 08:51 - What's your take on the studies coming out about the negative side effects of too many vitamins? 13:28 - When is the Legion fish oil coming out? 13:54 - What is the best macro friendly restaurant? 15:16 - When are you coming out with your online meal plan course? 16:49 - How many calories can I have and remain in a fasted state? 19:00 - Is it possible for your metabolism/TDEE to change while bulking so that your calorie surplus becomes a d

In this podcast I answer the most common questions I get asked about body fat percentage, including how it's calculated, how to measure it, what's a healthy body fat percentage and what's not, and more... 04:08 - What is bodyfat percentage? 09:08 - What are healthy and unhealthy body fat percentages? 20:09 - How do you measure body fat percentage (DEXA, bio impedance, skin fold, etc.)? ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS PODCAST: How to Actually Increase Your Testosterone (and How Not to): https://legionathletics.com/how-to-increase-testosterone/ How Many Grams of Fat Should You Eat Per Day? http://www.muscleforlife.com/how-many-grams-of-fat-per-day/ Athletic Amenorrhea: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2941235/ How to Calculate Your Body Fat Percentage Easily & Accurately: https://legionathletics.com/how-to-calculate-body-fat/ AccuMeasure Personal Body Fat Tester: http://goo.gl/z2nzey Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free news

In this episode, I talk about several supplements that are supposed to help you build muscle faster and explain which work and which don't. 03:48 - The truth about supplement companies and "muscle building supplements." Which supplements don't help you build muscle? 13:53 - Natural testosterone boosters 20:41 - ZMA 25:03 - D-aspartic acid 29:20 - BCAAs 36:21 - HMB Which supplements help you build muscle? 40:50 - Whey protein powder 48:49 - Creatine 55:11 - Beta alanine ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS PODCAST: The Absolute Best (and Worst) Supplements for Muscle Growth: http://www.muscleforlife.com/the-best-supplements-for-muscle-growth/ How to Actually Increase Your Testosterone (and How Not to): https://legionathletics.com/how-to-increase-testosterone/ The Definitive Guide to Why Low-Carb Dieting Sucks: http://www.muscleforlife.com/low-carb-diet/ The Ultimate Guide to the Best Creatine Supplements: https://legionathletics.com/best-creatine-supplement/ Want to get my best advice on how to gain musc

In this episode of the podcast I interview Jordan, who used my Bigger Leaner Stronger program to build the body he always wanted. We talk about switching from brodieting to flexible dieting, cutting while traveling, intermittent fasting, and more. 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 podcast, I interview author, coach, and fellow podcaster Ru Anderson on how we can gain control of our habits and then our fitness and ultimately our lives. 4:56 - The power of good (and bad) habits. 10:50 - Triggers, habits, and positive vs negative feedback. 15:32 - The 4 keys to forming new habits. 21:30 - The road to successful habits. 27:55 - Avoiding temptation vs. using willpower. 35:35 - Habits and long term success. 39:59 - Your first 5 steps to forming a new habit. RU'S WEBSITE: http://exceednutrition.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.muscleforlife.com/signup/

In this podcast, I answer a handful of questions I'm often asked about teenage weightlifting and bodybuilding, like does it stunt growth or make girls bulky, is it dangerous, what is appropriate for different ages, supplementation, and much more. 3:26 - Will weightlifting stunt your growth? 4:27 - Will weightlifting make girls bulky? 11:44 - Is weightlifting dangerous for teenagers? 14:47 - What age should teenagers start weightlifting? 17:57 - Why teenagers shouldn't try and get super lean. 21:59 - The ideal teenage diet. 25:18 - Dieting for overweight teens. 29:11 - My recommended training method for teenagers. 37:40 - Teenagers and steroid use. 42:57 - The safe and healthy supplements for teenagers. 49:54 - Sleep needs of teenagers. ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS PODCAST: How I Use Calorie Cycling to Build Muscle and Stay Lean: http://www.muscleforlife.com/calorie-cycling/ The Ultimate Bodyweight Workout Routine: http://www.muscleforlife.com/the-ultimate-bodyweight-workout-routine/ A Simple and

The multivitamin supplement is a staple in many people’s lives, but is it really necessary? Can it even harmful? I break it all down in this episode of the podcast. 04:15 - A multivitamin sounds great...in theory. 08:19 - What's wrong with most multivitamins. 16:56 - Supplements vs. real food. 19:33 - Which multivitamin ingredients you are wasting money on? 26:22 - The multivitamin I take and why. 35:28 - The serving size tells you a lot. ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS VIDEO: The Definitive Guide to the Multivitamin Supplement: What Is and Isn’t Worth Your Money and Why: http://www.muscleforlife.com/best-multivitamin/ The Definitive Guide to Vitamins and Minerals: http://www.muscleforlife.com/guide-to-vitamins-and-minerals/ 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 podcast is a recording of the latest live Q&A I did over at Legion, and this time we're talking artificial sweeteners, ephedrine, weight gainers, doing research, myofascial release, and much more. If you want to get in on the next one and ask me questions, sign up here: https://legionathletics.com/qa/ 03:31 – Is this good HIIT cardio: Incline at 7.5 with 10 mph on a treadmill for 10 minutes. 06:24 – When I take creatine monohydrate I get bad insomnia and have to pee 10 times a night. Is there a different form I can take? 07:50 – I just had surgery and was looking at your joint supplement Fortify. Could you comment on the effectiveness it might have after surgery? 10:27 – Most bodybuilders rag on the Bowflex, is there anything wrong with the actual system if someone is still doing low reps, heavy weights, proper form? 11:42 – What do you consider to be the ideal Carbs/Protein/Fat percentage when cutting for a female? 18:36 – How can I avoid forearm pain during bicep curls? 20:01 – When are you

In this episode I talk about some of the things I think are crucial to succeeding in the fitness industry, such as having a great physique (6:02), being educated (10:24), knowing how to get results (16:15), being helpful (24:09), and much more. Have questions for me? Go here: http://www.muscleforlife.com/mike-matthews-ask-me-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/