Muscle for Life

I hope this podcast finds you in a mesmerizing holiday haze of holly jolly hearth and home, because here’s the deal with the winter festivities: They were a tough row to hoe in the Before Times and are even more so in these Quacky Quarantimes. There’s shopping, wrapping, baking, cooking, decorating, entertaining, eating, imbibing, friends you never see, family you’ve never liked, and a gimlet-eyed elf monitoring every minute and reporting every move to a schizoid list-making demi-god living on the frozen nipple of the globe with battalions of undying eldritch-gnomes and bionic beast-deer. Press play to hear more (plus, a psycho-delicious cookie recipe!). Timestamps: 0:00 - A holiday message 5:39 - Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $12,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/ Mentioned on the Show: Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $12,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/

In this podcast, I’m sharing my appearance on The Pat Flynn Show, in which I discussed easy fitness wins. These are simple changes you can make right now to start establishing a healthy lifestyle that you can stick to long-term. Many people try to jump straight into the deep end when they try to get fit and healthy. Grueling workouts with no days off, and extreme diets that deprive you of your favorite foods and leave you hungry and tired. The “all-in” method can work for some, but most people do better with the tiny-habit approach. That is, fostering small behavioral changes that you sustain and build on over time. So in this episode, I share some easy, simple changes you can make that can help build momentum and overcome the inertia that pulls you toward staying sedentary and unfit. Timestamps: 0:00 - Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $12,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/ 21:14 - Walking 29:24 - What's my motivation? 34:33 - Be flexible with your programming

In this podcast, I talk with Dr. Flint McGlaughlin about marketing, which is something he knows quite a bit about. In fact, I’ve known about Flint and followed his work for over a decade now, so this was a treat for me. In case you’re not familiar with him, Flint is an academic and business leader who served as the Director of Enterprise Research for Transforming Business at the University of Cambridge (UK) and is the founder of the MECLABS Institute, a marketing research institute dedicated to figuring out how people make choices and what influences those choices. Not only has Flint written and edited hundreds of articles and texts and won multiple awards, but he’s patented ten offer conversion-related heuristics, conducted large-scale research projects in partnership with companies like The New York Times, Google, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Royal Bank of Canada, and has lectured at conferences and universities around the world, including New York University, Columbia University, Oxford University. He

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 question: Are peptides a safe and effective alternative to steroids? 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. Timestamps 0:00 - Pre-order my new fitness book now for a chance to win over $12,000 in splendid swag: https://www.muscleforlifebook.com/ 5:26 - What are peptides? 7:16 - Why are peptides popular among bodybuilders? 9:07 - How effective are peptides at increasing HGH production? 11:56 - The biggest problem with peptides 12:25 - Are peptides safe? What are the side effects and long-term consequences? 13:21 - Are p

This podcast is a Q&A, but it’s a bit different from the kind you’ll typically find here on Muscle For Life. In my usual Q&A episodes, I take a question from email or Instagram and then fully answer it in an episode of the podcast every week. However, over on Instagram, I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podcast listeners might enjoy hearing these questions and my short answers. So, instead of talking about one thing in an episode, I’m going to cover a variety of questions. And keep in mind some of these questions are just for fun. :) So if you want to ask me questions in my Instagram stories, follow me on Instagram (@muscleforlifefitness), and if I answer your question there, it might just make it onto an episode of the podcast! If you like this type of episode, let me know. Send me an email (mike@muscleforlife.com) or direct message me on Instagram. And if you don’t like it, let me know that too or how you think it could be better. Timestamps 0:00 - P

Are we too comfortable? Do we complain too much? Modern life is filled with modern conveniences that are engineered to make life easier and more enjoyable. But what if these contemporary comforts masquerading as a panacea of pleasure are really a double-edged sword? What have we lost in the process of gaining comfort? Is there value in choosing to be uncomfortable and adding discomfort to our lives? What are the benefits? These are questions Michael Easter addresses in his book The Comfort Crisis, and in this interview. As he’ll explain in the podcast, he’s traveled all around the world and interviewed an interesting cast to learn why you should inject challenge into your life and not get too comfortable. In case you’re not familiar with Michael Easter, he’s not only an author, but a contributing editor at Men's Health magazine, columnist for Outside magazine, and professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His work can be found in Men's Journal, New York, Vice, Scientific American, and Esquire. So if y

So much fitness advice is framed like this: FACT CHECK LOSER. IF YOU CAN’T WAKE UP AT 3 AM AND DEADLIFT DOUBLE YOUR BODY WEIGHT FOR DOUBLES IN YOUR DRIVEWAY IN THE DEAD OF WINTER, UNFOLLOW ME ALREADY BECAUSE YOU’LL ALWAYS BE WEAK, FAT, AND PATHETIC. LGBFJBLFG!!!!!! I’ve shared plenty of tough love myself. Make excuses or make it go, “secrets” never work unless you work for them, train hard even when the motivation carcass is being picked by crows, whatever. Here, however, I want to talk to you in gentler tones about fitness. Why? Although fitness requires work and effort and sometimes feels like a stormy love affair that you just can’t quit, too much lectern-pounding bust-your-assery can hold you back and even burn you out. The key is balance, in knowing when to steam and when to stroll, when to brace up and bear down and when to back off and breathe. Go, go, go versus slow, slow, slow. And that balance is often hard to find in the fitness racket. Everywhere you turn there’s another hard-faced hardo bellowing

Some people—my favorite people—listen to most or even all of my podcasts, but my wizbang analytics tell me that while many listeners tune in on a regular basis, they don’t catch every installment of Muscle for Life and thus miss out on insights that could help them do at least a little better inside and outside the gym. That’s why I do “best of” episodes that contain a few of the most practical and compelling ideas, tips, and moments from the more popular episodes I’ve published over the years. This way, you can learn interesting insights that you might have otherwise missed and find new episodes of the show to listen to. So, in this installment of The Best of Muscle for Life, you’ll be hearing hand-picked morsels from three episodes: Menno Henselmans on How Genetics Influence Muscle Building (Originally published 1/21/2017) How to Make Meal Plans That Work For Any Diet (Originally published 5/29/2019) My Top 5 Takeaways from Mastery by Robert Greene (Originally published 9/15/2017) And we’ll be starting with

Almost everyone knows someone who is unfit and lives an unhealthy lifestyle. In fact, chances are good that someone you care about or even a family member fits this description, whether they’re overweight, obese, a heavy drinker, smoker, or completely sedentary. So, it’s not too surprising that I’m often asked by people who have started their fitness journeys and seen the benefits of getting healthier, “how can I convince my friend/dad/wife/cousin to lose weight, start working out, or get fit?” Of course, we all want our loved ones to live long, healthy lives. But avoiding disease, dysfunction, and an early death aren’t enough. We want to see our closest friends and family thrive and live out the best version of themselves. And this is what I’m talking about on this podcast with Danny Matranga. We discuss the first step to helping someone else get fit, habit stacking, the importance of not giving “blanket” fitness advice, why you should be positive rather than critical, and a lot more. In case you’re not fami

In this podcast, I’m going to give an in-depth answer to a question I’ve been getting asked more and more frequently over the last 6 months: what’s my take on testosterone replacement therapy? When should you use TRT? Why would you start TRT? Is it safe? What are the benefits and what are the risks? One of the reasons I’ve been getting asked about TRT more often is that it’s getting more popular. So in this podcast, I’m going to talk about what TRT is, when is it clearly indicated, when is it less appropriate, and what you should consider if you’re thinking about starting (or have just started) TRT. If you’ve ever wondered what TRT is or whether you should consider starting it, you don’t want to miss this podcast! Timestamps: 4:46 - What is TRT? 5:31 - When is TRT given to men? 7:41 - Why do people take TRT? 9:11 - What effect does TRT have on testosterone levels and what are the benefits of TRT? 12:51 - What are the risks of TRT? 19:02 - What's my recommendation regarding TRT? 24:53 - How do you increase te

This podcast is a Q&A, but it’s a bit different from the kind you’ll typically find here on Muscle For Life. In my usual Q&A episodes, I take a question from email or Instagram and then fully answer it in an episode of the podcast every week. However, over on Instagram, I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podcast listeners might enjoy hearing these questions and my short answers. So, instead of talking about one thing in an episode, I’m going to cover a variety of questions. And keep in mind some of these questions are just for fun. :) So if you want to ask me questions in my Instagram stories, follow me on Instagram (@muscleforlifefitness), and if I answer your question there, it might just make it onto an episode of the podcast! If you like this type of episode, let me know. Send me an email (mike@muscleforlife.com) or direct message me on Instagram. And if you don’t like it, let me know that too or how you think it could be better. Timestamps 3:40 - A

This podcast is all about sperm. That’s because I’m talking with Khaled Kteily about male fertility. The reason I thought this would make a good topic is it’s an aspect of health I haven’t really touched on before and male fertility isn’t something many people talk about. And what better person to speak about male fertility than the CEO of Legacy, a Harvard-backed company that offers at-home sperm testing, cryostorage (freezing your little swimmers for future use), and educational resources to help men understand and protect their fertility. In this episode, Khaled and I chat about how fertility is changing (and possible reasons why male fertility is on the decline), why it matters, what you can do to improve your fertility, how family planning is changing, what conception might look like in the future, and more. And even if you’ve already had kids (like me) or don’t plan on having kids, this podcast is worth a listen because you probably know someone who is trying to have kids or wants to have kids in the fu

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 question: Does turkesterone safely and effectively boost muscle growth? 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. Timestamps 3:31 - What is turkesterone? 5:26 - What do companies selling turkesterone claim? 7:16 - What does human research say about ecdysteroids? 11:10 - How might these ecdysteroids work in the body? 12:41 - Are ecdysterone supplement labels accurate? 14:26 - What's my position on turkesterone? Mentioned on the Show: BLACK FRIDAY SALE! Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com

I’ve written and recorded a lot of evidence-based content over the years on just about everything you can imagine related to building muscle, losing fat, and getting healthy. I’ve also worked with thousands of men and women of all ages and circumstances and helped them get into the best shape of their lives. That doesn’t mean you should blindly swallow everything I say, though, because let’s face it—nobody is always right about everything. And especially in fields like diet and exercise, which are constantly evolving thanks to the efforts of honest and hardworking researchers and thought leaders. This is why I’m always happy to hear from people who disagree with me, especially when they have good arguments and evidence to back up their assertions. Sometimes I can’t get on board with their positions, but sometimes I end up learning something, and either way, I always appreciate the discussion. That gave me the idea for this series of podcast episodes: publicly addressing things people disagree with me on and s

In this podcast, I chat with scientist and friend Dr. Bill Campbell about a new study on rapid fat loss that came out of his lab. In case you’re not familiar with Dr. Campbell, he’s a professor of Exercise Science and the Director of the Performance & Physique Enhancement Laboratory at the University of South Florida, who’s also published more than 150 scientific papers. In other words, Dr. Campbell is busy conducting studies that test questions many of us have with answers we all want to know. His latest study on rapid fat loss is a prime example. While most of us want to strip away fat as quickly as possible, we also don’t want to lose our hard-earned muscle in the process. So the question is, how aggressive should we be during a cutting phase to maximize our fat loss benefits and minimize any negative consequences of being in a deficit. And that’s exactly what Dr. Campbell’s latest study looked at and the results actually changed his mind about rapid fat loss. In this episode, Dr. Campbell describes th

This podcast is a Q&A, but it’s a bit different from the kind you’ll typically find here on Muscle For Life. In my usual Q&A episodes, I take a question from email or Instagram and then fully answer it in an episode of the podcast every week. However, over on Instagram, I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podcast listeners might enjoy hearing these questions and my short answers. So, instead of talking about one thing in an episode, I’m going to cover a variety of questions. And keep in mind some of these questions are just for fun. :) So if you want to ask me questions in my Instagram stories, follow me on Instagram (@muscleforlifefitness), and if I answer your question there, it might just make it onto an episode of the podcast! If you like this type of episode, let me know. Send me an email (mike@muscleforlife.com) or direct message me on Instagram. And if you don’t like it, let me know that too or how you think it could be better. Timestamps 3:46 - D

This podcast is a Q&A, but it’s a bit different from the kind you’ll typically find here on Muscle For Life. In my usual Q&A episodes, I take a question from email or Instagram and then fully answer it in an episode of the podcast every week. However, over on Instagram, I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podcast listeners might enjoy hearing these questions and my short answers. So, instead of talking about one thing in an episode, I’m going to cover a variety of questions. And keep in mind some of these questions are just for fun. :) So if you want to ask me questions in my Instagram stories, follow me on Instagram (@muscleforlifefitness), and if I answer your question there, it might just make it onto an episode of the podcast! If you like this type of episode, let me know. Send me an email (mike@muscleforlife.com) or direct message me on Instagram. And if you don’t like it, let me know that too or how you think it could be better. Timestamps 3:38 - I

In this podcast, Kyle Hunt and I discuss powerlifting. While I’ve written a bit about powerlifting in the past and done some powerlifting-style training myself, I wanted to get a true expert in the field onto the podcast to chat about it in a bit more detail. In case you’re not familiar with Kyle, he’s a competitive powerlifter, coach, author, and owner of Hunt Fitness, who’s worked with hundreds of powerlifters and bodybuilders alike. He’s also the host of The Absolute Strength Podcast, which I’ve been a guest on a couple of times, and he’s appeared on Muscle For Life twice before to discuss powerbuilding and bodybuilding for beginners. Even if you don’t aspire to be the world’s strongest lifter and have no intention of competing at a meet, powerlifting still has something to offer. At the very least, a powerlifting training block can help add some spice to your training life and keep things interesting. In this interview, Kyle Hunt addresses common misconceptions about powerlifting, technique tweaks, what a

This podcast is all about skipping workouts. When does it make more sense to skip a workout than to do a workout (or to swap the workout you were planning with another)? Sometimes you just don’t feel up to a workout due to lack of sleep, stress, soreness, or something else. If you’re warming up and your joints feel achy or your mind is wandering, and you feel like it’s not going to be a great workout, you have two choices. You can suck it up and continue. Good enough is great, after all. Or you can do the workout on another day. Which choice is better? In other words, does it pay to be flexible with our workout programming? Will it pay off in terms of better long-term results? Listen to this podcast to find out. Timestamps: 5:26 - What is flexible programming? 15:43 - What does the science say about autoregulation? 17:50 - What are the benefits of flexible programming? 19:56 - What are the downsides of flexible programming? 21:46 - How can we make flexible programming work? 23:39 - An example of how flexible

Some people do make the time to listen to most or even all of my podcasts, but my wizbang analytics tell me that while many listeners tune in on a regular basis, they don’t catch every installment of Muscle for Life and thus miss out on insights that could help them get a little better inside and outside the gym. And so I got an idea: how about a “best of” series of podcasts that contains a few of the most practical and compelling ideas, tips, and moments from my most popular episodes? This way, people who are new to the show can quickly determine if it’s for them or not, and those who enjoy what I’m doing but don’t have the time or inclination to listen to all of my stuff can still benefit from the discussions and find new episodes to listen to. So, in this installment of The Best of Muscle for Life, you’ll be hearing hand-picked morsels from three episodes: What Can BCAAs Actually Do For You? (According to Science) (Originally published 7/13/2018) 8 Signs of Overtraining That Most People Don’t Know (Origina