Muscle for Life

If you’ve spent any time in a gym in the past decade, you’re probably familiar with the benefits of a good pre-workout supplement. You know, things like increased strength, endurance, and power, and heightened energy, mood, and focus. You’re probably also familiar with their downsides—energy crashes, disrupted sleep, jitters, nausea, indigestion, and more. Even if you haven’t encountered these problems, you’ve probably noticed that your pre-workout supplement has become less effective over time as your body becomes desensitized to caffeine. All of these issues have given rise to the topic of this podcast: stim-free pre-workout supplements. While the idea of taking a stimulant-free pre-workout might seem ridiculous at first blush (aren’t stimulants the whole point?), there are a few reasons you should consider doing so: They will boost your workout performance, although not quite as much as pre-workouts containing stimulants. They’ll help you avoid many of the negative effects of regular pre-workouts. Th

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 three questions: What are some good foods for fueling before cardio? Any advice for bettering my relationship with food? How useful are knee and elbow sleeves and wraps? 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. 4:26 - What are some good foods for fueling before cardio? 15:54 - Any advice for bettering my relationship with food? 26:21 - How useful are knee and elbow sleeves and wraps? Mentioned on The Show: Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://buylegion.com/vip Whey+ & Plant+ https://legionathletics.com/produ

In this episode, I interview Nicole, who read Thinner Leaner Stronger and used what she learned to lose over 100 pounds while gaining significant amounts of muscle. After having her third child, Nicole was over 260 pounds and embarrassed by letting herself get to that point. She got fed up and decided to make a change, but she wasn’t sure what to do to get fit. Like many women, she was intimidated by weightlifters in the gym and ended up spending her time in the cardio section. It didn’t help that she was taught by misguided trainers that she needed to “tone” and lifting weights would make her bulky. She was also following heavily-restricted fad diets, which lead to a lot of binge eating. She eventually lost some weight, but she still wasn’t happy with her physique. She was skinny fat. Luckily, a google search on building muscle helped her find my book Thinner Leaner Stronger, and after implementing what she learned about macros and strength training, she’s now 156 pounds, wearing size 4 jeans, and has visibl

There’s no question that Navy SEALs are veritable ripsnorters. They’ve had a reputation as free-wheeling bruisers since the 1960s, but their recent missions in the Middle East and increased media coverage have propelled them to near mythical status. (There’s even a genre of romance novels about SEALs now). As they’ve gained popularity, journalists, screenwriters, bloggers, YouTubers, and even government officials have been quick to capitalize on the public’s interest in their exploits. For example, a quick google search for “navy seal training” comes up with the following: “How Navy Seals Do the Impossible” “17 gripping images show what it really takes to be a Navy SEAL” “Can You Complete a Navy SEALs Workout Routine?” You’ll also find countless YouTube videos of people attempting Navy SEAL training (or at least what they think is Navy SEAL training). And it makes you wonder . . . what is Navy SEAL training really like? Do I have what it takes to do it? Will it help me get in shape? That’s what you’ll learn i

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 three questions: What do you think about neck training? What are your thoughts on trainer certification? How useful are unilateral exercises? 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://legionathletics.com/fitness-guru/ https://legionathletics.com/muscle-imbalances/ Timestamps: 3:49 - What do you think about neck training? 11:42 - What are your thoughts on trainer certifications? Are they necessary or are they a waste of time? 17:07 - How useful are unilateral exercises?

I’ve recorded hundreds of episodes of Muscle for Life on a huge variety of things related to health, fitness, and lifestyle, ranging from the basics of diet and exercise like energy and macronutrient balance and progressive overload and training frequency and volume to fads like the ketogenic and carnivore diet and collagen protein to more unfamiliar territories like body weight set point and fasted cardio. Some episodes resonate with my crowd more than others, but all of them contain at least a few key takeaways that just about anyone can benefit from (that’s what I tell myself at least). And as cool as that is, it poses a problem for you, my dear listener: Ain’t nobody got time for that. Well okay, 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.

It’s time for your regularly scheduled departure from the usual diet and training escapades. That’s right, my fellow chin-scratchers, it’s time to don your thinking caps because this episode is part of my non-fitnessy series with Pat Flynn in which we discuss philosophical topics. What makes this episode particularly special, though, is we’re joined by Dr. Jim Madden in my first roundtable format podcast. Like Pat, Jim is also into lifting heavy things (especially kettlebells), but he’s also trained in philosophy. Jim has a PhD from Purdue, and is a professor of philosophy at Benedictine College, prolific lecturer, and author, including his book, Mind, Matter, and Nature: A Thomistic Proposal for the Philosophy of Mind. And as a refresher, Pat Flynn is a fellow podcaster and author with a deep understanding of philosophy and religion. While I’m not an expert in philosophy, I do have an abiding interest in the area--particularly in ideas I can use to improve my life and that I can share with other people to ma

Put some weight in a backpack. Put on the backpack. Walk. That’s rucking in a nutshell. While rucking is simple, it’s also one of the most underrated kinds of cardio you can do: It burns a boatload of calories It boosts your cardiovascular fitness It’s easy to recover from It’s versatile (you can do it anywhere) And, it’s social—you can easily do it with a group What’s more, it’s also very easy to progressively overload your workouts. That is, you can continually make your rucks a little bit harder, which isn’t easy with walking. In other words, rucking is one of the best kinds of cardio for people who “don’t like” cardio. 3:22 - What is rucking? 7:16 - What are the benefits of rucking? 16:23 - How do you do rucking right? 25:02 - What kind of shoes should you wear for rucking? 26:46 - How do you program your rucks around your weightlifting? 29:40 - How do you make rucking more comfortable? Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike Want free workout and me

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 three questions: Should I wear a mouthguard while lifting? How beneficial is compression clothing for muscle gain? Should I eat or skip breakfast? 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://legionathletics.com/skipping-breakfast/ 3:44 - Should I wear a mouthguard while lifting? 13:52 - How beneficial is compression clothing is for muscle gain? 21:16 - Should I eat or skip breakfast? Mentioned on The Show: Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/bo

“Hey bro, we’ve been stretching for an hour, can we start lifting now?” “Yeah right! We’ve only stretched our quads so far. It’s time for the hammies!” Conversations like this happen between gym buddies everyday across the iron kingdom, but luckily I’ve never been part of one. In fact, many people in the gym have noticed I don’t stretch much, and asked what my mobility routine is. I’ve touted the benefits of a daily short yoga routine, but beyond that, I don’t do any stretching in the gym. This may be surprising, because over the past decade or so, mobility work has become all the rage for lifestyle bodybuilders, powerlifters, professional athletes, and Crossfitters alike. Some people spend half their time in the gym just preparing to lift. Why is it so popular? Is it really necessary? To help explore the benefits of mobility work and find out what it can (and can’t) do, I’ve invited Sam Visnic onto the podcast. Who is Sam, you ask? He’s a certified massage therapist, expert on corrective exercise, and the fo

Progress comes easy when you first start lifting weights. You show up and get stronger almost without even trying. As you get stronger, though, smooth sailing turns into choppy waters. Progress stops being linear. Some weeks you’re a little weaker, other weeks you’re a little stronger, and it becomes harder to tell if you’re really getting stronger or not over time. At this point, the best way to measure your progress is to start tracking your one-rep max. A one-rep max is the maximum amount of weight you can lift for a single repetition of a given exercise through a full range of motion with proper technique. There’s a problem with actually testing your one-rep max, though: True one-rep max tests are time-consuming, risky, and exhausting, and can significantly disrupt your normal workout routine. Thus, a better alternative is to estimate your one-rep max using what’s known as a rep-max test. While not quite as precise as a real one-rep max test, rep-max testing is far less arduous and still accurate enough t

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 three questions: How do you determine when you need to deload? Does birth control hurt athletic performance? What popular exercises do you like and don’t like and why? 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: 3:58 - How do you determine when you need to deload? 12:08 - Does birth control hurt athletic performance? 17:50 - What popular exercises do you like and don’t like and why? --- Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: buylegion.com/mike --- Want free workout and meal plans? Download my

I’ve recorded hundreds of episodes of Muscle for Life on a huge variety of things related to health, fitness, and lifestyle, ranging from the basics of diet and exercise like energy and macronutrient balance and progressive overload and training frequency and volume to fads like the ketogenic and carnivore diet and collagen protein to more unfamiliar territories like body weight set point and fasted cardio. Some episodes resonate with my crowd more than others, but all of them contain at least a few key takeaways that just about anyone can benefit from (that’s what I tell myself at least). And as cool as that is, it poses a problem for you, my dear listener: Ain’t nobody got time for that. Well okay, 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.

As an author, entrepreneur, and owner of multiple businesses, I get asked a lot about writing, marketing, and how to make money. Of course, if you’re looking for shortcuts and magic formulas, I’m not the Jedi wizard you’re looking for. But if you’re willing to do the work and have realistic expectations, you’re well on your way and I’m happy to share insights on what’s worked for me. In fact, I’ve written about my story here on the blog, and I’ve had several episodes on how the Mike Matthews sausage is made, business lessons I learned building Legion, and the power of great content. And this podcast should be just as insightful, my fellow money-grubbing capitalist. That’s because it’s an interview from Nicholas Jensen’s Unlimited Wealth podcast, in which I shared juicy tiddly-bits on branding, valuable marketing resources, and getting started with creating content. Nicholas’ podcast is focused on helping entrepreneurs grow their business and money, and since many people want to know what goes on behind the cu

There are many different schools of thought on how to set goals. Some swear by the SMART goal-setting paradigm. Others rely on affirmations, meditation, or journaling. And others kibosh goal-setting altogether and simply focus on envisioning a better future, hoping their thoughts transmogrify into reality. If you’ve played with any of these approaches, though, you’ve probably noticed that they tend to go nowhere fast. You keep reviewing your SMART goals, telling yourself to think positive, filling page after page of your diary, or chipping away at a few choice habits, but after a few weeks or months, you lose heart. Many people chalk up their failure to a lack of discipline, determination, or motivation, and while these can be factors, their biggest mistake lies in putting their faith in faulty, facile goal-setting systems. Most of the goal-setting models I just described have merit, but they also tend to be incomplete or ineffective when put to the acid test. Like a map without a compass, they help you feel

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

What if I told you there was one weird trick to realize all of your biggest dreams? Just one thing you could do to achieve success and live your best life. Want to know what it is? The trick is to ignore all the one weird tricks. That’s right. The real secret isn’t shortcuts and fads. It’s hard work, consistency, discipline, and building good habits. That’s the real juice. If I just knocked the wind out of your sails, I understand. Hard work sounds a lot less fun than instant gratification. But what’s more fun? Failing, jumping on the next bandwagon, and failing again, or making real progress and actually achieving what you want? In the long-run, the tried-and-true methods of developing a strong work ethic and discipline have an astounding track record and are far more likely to get you where you want to go. That’s what I’m talking about on this episode with Nick Shaw. He’s someone who’s learned these lessons and honed them through personal hardship, building them into an actionable framework in his book Fit

This episode is part of a 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 free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

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 three questions: Does ecdysterone work? When you’re fasting, when do you start losing muscle? What is the most important life lesson you’d like to teach your children and how will you attempt to teach it? 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://legionathletics.com/intermittent-fasting/ --- Timestamps: 4:34 - Does ecdysterone work? 11:36 - When you’re fasting, when do you start losing muscle? 19:32 - What is the most important life lesson you’d like to teach your ch

I’ve recorded hundreds of episodes of Muscle for Life on a huge variety of things related to health, fitness, and lifestyle, ranging from the basics of diet and exercise like energy and macronutrient balance and progressive overload and training frequency and volume to fads like the ketogenic and carnivore diet and collagen protein to more unfamiliar territories like body weight set point and fasted cardio. Some episodes resonate with my crowd more than others, but all of them contain at least a few key takeaways that just about anyone can benefit from (that’s what I tell myself at least). And as cool as that is, it poses a problem for you, my dear listener: Ain’t nobody got time for that. Well okay, 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.