Muscle for Life

Well well well, 2021 is here, Bad Orange Man is out, Chairman Xiden is in, and we’re still waiting for this grinding fever dream to end. Can we leash this global tornado? Learn to ride this chaos like a horse? Maybe. Who can know? Listen to this episode to find out how we can do our part. Mentioned on The Show: Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://buylegion.com/vip --- Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

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. Mentioned on The Show: Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://legionathletics.com/coaching/ Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

“Can you recommend a book for…?” “What are you reading right now?” “What are your favorite books?” I get asked those types of questions a lot and, as an avid reader and all-around bibliophile, I’m always happy to oblige. I also like to encourage people to read as much as possible because knowledge benefits you much like compound interest. The more you learn, the more you know; the more you know, the more you can do; the more you can do, the more opportunities you have to succeed. On the flip side, I also believe there’s little hope for people who aren’t perpetual learners. Life is overwhelmingly complex and chaotic, and it slowly suffocates and devours the lazy and ignorant. So, if you’re a bookworm on the lookout for good reads, or if you’d like to get into the habit of reading, this book club for you. The idea here is simple: Every month, I’ll share a book that I’ve particularly liked, why I liked it, and several of my key takeaways from it. I’ll also keep things short and sweet so you can quickly decide wh

Anyone who cares about health knows the importance of diet. How many times have you been told to eat a “healthy” diet by a doctor or some other authority? Nearly everyone aspires to eating a healthy diet, so much so that “eat healthier” is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions. “Eat healthier” seems simple on its face, but ask a handful of people what that means and you'll get wildly different definitions. How would a carnivore dieter answer compared to a vegan? What about the fat-adapted keto Crossfitter versus a carb-gel-loading endurance athlete? And how would a paleo adherent’s response differ still? The same can be said for any food fad or eating style including keto, IIFYM, blood type diets, and more. One group’s “superfood” (like beans for many vegans, for example) is a veritable, evil “no no” to be avoided at all costs amongst another group of equally fervent zealots (like Dr. Gundry’s plant paradoxers). So, what really constitutes a healthy diet? How can we define it, and thus, create one and

I don't know about you, but I don't like balls in my face when I'm bench pressing. Or a sweaty dude snuggling with me while I squat. Or being shrieked at to "dig deep," "feel the burn," or "let the big dogs eat." Or trying to catch my breath mid-set in a noxious haze of someone's fart. I'm not speaking hypothetically, either. After 13 years in the gym, I've seen a lot of bad spotting (and a lot of weird shit in general). Hence, this podcast. In it, we're going to talk shitty spotting, good spotting, and everything in between. Let's start with some laughs... --- Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 3:12 - How do you spot well? 4:09 - How do you spot a bench and military press? 7:10 - How do you spot a dumbbell press? 9:04 - How do you spot a squat? --- Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: buylegion.com/mike --- Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: 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: 4:24 - “What are your thoughts on resistance bands?” 16:43 - “How do you convince your wife to have sex with you? You’re a busy man, me too. My wife’s relationship requirement number one is quality time but I really struggle to give her that. I need physical affection to survive and how do we get what we need if we are miles apart in our requirements of each other?” 39:17 - “Do you think that females over 40 who are trying to build muscle should stick as close to maintenance calories as possible? if muscle gain is already a slow process, and particularly for women, is it even slower for women who are 40 and be

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.

What’s a 4-letter word that you never want to hear your doctor say to you? Ok it’s actually not a word, but an acronym, and I’m referring to PCOS. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder that affects millions of women. In fact, chances are good that you know someone affected by it, which probably explains why I’m often asked about it via email, Twitter, and Instagram. PCOS has various effects in the body, especially in regards to fertility, but one of the biggest concerns in the fitness space is how it affects weight loss. Specifically, many people believe PCOS is caused by being overweight, and that once you have PCOS, losing weight is nigh impossible. How true is this though? Are you really doomed if you get PCOS and can it truly prevent weight loss? Perhaps more importantly, how can you avoid getting it in the first place? To help shed some light on the truth, I invited Dr. Spencer Nadolsky back on the podcast. In case you’re not familiar with Dr. Nadolsky, he’s a Board Certified Family Med

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’s the best time of day to lift weights? Search for an answer to that question online and you’ll learn that there are basically two schools of thought on this issue: It’s best to train in the late afternoon or evening. It doesn’t much matter when you train. Proponents of the first position point to studies that show athletes perform better later in the day and claim that if you do the same, you’ll be able to use heavier weights in your workouts and gain more muscle and strength as a result. Advocates of the second position claim that although most people have better workouts in the evening, your body can also adjust to morning workouts over time, nullifying any benefits of training in the evening. Who’s right? Is training in the latter half of the day really superior to training in the first half? And if so, is the difference enough to matter? Or, can you get equally good results regardless of what time you train? Keep listening to learn what science says. 3:16 - What are circadian rhythms? 4:45 -

I’m often asked about how to make money in the fitness space. One obvious route is becoming a coach or personal trainer. This can be done in-person or online, but if you can help people get into shape, build muscle, and lose fat, and know how to market yourself, you can earn a decent income. And I’ve talked before about building an online coaching business and becoming a successful coach. Another path, though, is content marketing. This can be monetized in various ways, but it all begins with creating high-quality content that provides value. This is also something I’ve discussed on the podcast with the likes of Lou Schuler, but today’s episode is a bit different. Specifically, I’m having a fireside chat with David Tao, the founder and CEO of BarBend. In case you’re not familiar with BarBend, it’s a hub for all things strength related: news coverage, training and nutrition articles, product reviews, and more. And David isn’t a new kid on the block—he wrote for Fortune and Greatist.com before creating Barbend

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.

More and more people are looking to build a home gym these days. Whether you want to save on membership fees, cut down on your commute time to the gym, or are currently dealing with a closed gym due to corona, building a home gym makes a lot of sense. The prospect is exciting. You’ll never have to wait for equipment, smell that one StinkyGuy™, or withstand awful gym playlists again. But once your eyes have begun to sparkle with the promise of an iron utopia, how do you actually realize the dream? What equipment should you buy and how should you set everything up? The good news is thanks to high-demand for home gym equipment and the power of the unfettered free market, supply is ample and options are plentiful. So whether you want to set something up in your studio apartment or have a 3-car garage you can convert into a full-fledged gym, there’s probably a slew of products that will fit the bill. In fact, the choices can be downright daunting. That’s why I’ve tagged in a home gym equipment expert, Cooper Mitch

Clap your hands if you’ve heard this one before: “Muscles don’t know weight, only tension.” It’s an old bodybuilding saw that’s been around for decades, and it’s shorthand for the theory that the key driver of muscle growth is how long your muscles are working (contracting) during your workouts. For example, if you do one set of 8 reps and each rep takes about 5 seconds, your time under tension for that set is 40 seconds (8 x 5). If you do three sets of the exercise, your total time under tension is 120 seconds (40 x 3). According to proponents of this idea, the more time under tension you rack up over days, weeks, months, and years of training, the more muscle you’ll gain more or less regardless of any other training variable (intensity, frequency, volume, etc.). Is this true, though? Is time under tension really the biggest lever you can pull to build muscle? Not really. You see, time under tension is an important element of the training stimulus that produces muscle growth, but it’s best to think of it as

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: 1) Do you consider fiber intake in your daily total carbohydrate?  2) Should I stay away from soy?  3) Should you not combine certain macronutrients in certain meals? 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/how-much-fiber-should-you-get-every-day-and-why/ https://legionathletics.com/soy-protein-isolate/ Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 4:59 - Do you consider fiber intake in your daily total carbohydrate? 8:52 - Should I stay away from so

Whether you’re totally new to the gym or have plenty of experience, you’ve likely struggled with trying to make sense of conflicting diet, training, and supplementation advice. No matter where you go online, for instance, you’re sure to find seemingly-credible people with completely different and often contradictory viewpoints and suggestions. Instagram influencer XYZ says the key to losing fat is a keto diet, with a strict 6-hour eating window on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. But Fitness Blog #532 of Guru Zed claims that studies show you can get ripped eating all of the carbs you’d like on any schedule you’d like. The key, he claims, is you just have to stop eating harmful, gut-destroying lectins found in nutritious foods like tomatoes, potatoes, beans, and peanuts. In fact, if you look hard enough in this space, you can find someone with bonafides making a seemingly plausible argument for doing just about anything you can imagine to boost fat loss and muscle growth. How do you separate the sheep from

Keep on imagining, because all of this is a mirage. The reality is no food can directly cause fat loss. (Some foods are more conducive to fat loss than others, but that’s not the same as causing fat loss. More on this soon.) “What about foods that boost your metabolism, though?” you might be thinking. And that’s what brings us to the topic of this podcast: the thermic effect of food. Fitness magazines and “miracle diet” hucksters claim that eating foods with a high thermic effect is the secret to getting the body of your dreams. If only it were that simple. The thermic effect of food does play a role in your metabolism and weight loss and weight gain, but not in the way that many people would have you believe. That is, the foods you eat do affect your metabolism and the speed at which you lose or gain weight, but they aren’t the primary determinants. And in this podcast, we’re going to break it all down. By the end, you’re going to know what the thermic effect of food is and several science-based ways to use

Picking a workout routine can feel like picking a political candidate. Many people have strong opinions as to which is best and are often quick to denounce all other options. For instance, after reading about why the push pull legs routine is the best, you’ll find someone claiming that upper lower routines are better, and then another who plumps for body part training, and so on. It shouldn’t be this complicated, you’ve probably thought to yourself. And you’re right. It shouldn’t, and it doesn’t have to be. To escape this quagmire, you need to . . . Clarify your goals. Survey your options and learn their pros and cons. Choose the one that’ll help you achieve your ends as efficiently as possible. Now, if you’re like most people listening to this podcast, your goals are to build a muscular, proportionate, and strong body and maintain low but healthy levels of body fat. At first blush, full-body training would appear to be a perfect fit for the first goal, because, well, it trains every muscle in your bo

If you’re familiar with my books, blog, and even my line of supplements, Legion, you know I’m all about the science, baby! Anecdote and experience are useful, of course, but it can be easy to get fooled. There are too many variables at play, and psychological trickery can wreak havoc without us even realizing it. That’s where science comes into play. It can give us a more objective look to help us spot real trends and pinpoint mechanisms. And I have a lot of respect for researchers and scientists like Dr. Bill Campbell, who I’m excited to bring onto this episode of the podcast. 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 running studies that test questions with answers we all want to know. As the author of several books, including the Sports Nutrition: Enhancing Athletic P

This episode is part of a monthly 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: One Monday every month, 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 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/a