Muscle for Life

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

Have you ever done an exercise and just not “felt” it? Sure, you performed the lift, but your target muscles don’t feel like they worked very hard. Or maybe you felt it in the “wrong” areas? Like your forearms feeling zapped after barbell curls while your biceps still feel fresh. Or maybe you felt it, but in a bad way. For example, bench pressing started bothering your elbows and you never really felt it in your chest before your triceps started giving out. These sorts of problems aren’t uncommon. And the good news is there are often modifications and tweaks you can fine-tune to make exercises more effective and work better for you. These aren’t necessarily obvious fixes you can discover intuitively, read about in a textbook, or even hear about by word of mouth either. Sometimes you have to experiment. Of course, this is a double-edged sword, because you can end up “fixing your form” for months on end, without ever really settling on anything. This is where experience and intelligent methodology come into pla

You’ve probably heard that eating protein is important for losing weight. You’ve also probably heard that protein powder is particularly effective for weight loss. If you snoop around online for weight loss tips, one of the first pieces of advice you’ll find is that you should start sipping protein shakes to slim down. And that raises the question—what’s the best protein powder for weight loss? Well, before we can answer that question, you first need to understand a ground truth about weight loss: no protein powder, shake, or other supplement can make you lose weight on its own. Instead, weight loss is the result of proper diet and training—supplements only amplify your efforts in the kitchen and gym. Now for the good news: protein powder absolutely can help you lose weight if you use it to support your healthy eating habits and training program. And the kind of protein powder you choose can make a difference in your results. So, in this podcast, you’ll learn . . . Why protein is important for weight loss Wha

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.

I firmly believe in the power of taking ownership over your life. You know, the whole “when life gives you lemons, sell artisanal, organic, first-press lemonade for $15 a glass to rich assholes” mentality. In all seriousness, though, I mean taking the cards life has dealt you, and making the best of them. It’s easy to blame others and get into a victim mindset, but this line of thinking never improves your situation. Everyone has the power to change their lives no matter their circumstances, and this is especially true in fitness. As I say in my books, if you can change your body, you can change your life. This concept is why I was excited to get Doug Bopst on the podcast. I’ll save the juicy details for the interview, but Doug is a fantastic example of “picking yourself up by your bootstraps” and truly transforming your life. A true rags to riches story that begins with drug addiction and a jail sentence, and twists and turns into Doug becoming an award-winning personal trainer, author, podcast host, and bus

“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

“When’s your next book coming out?” “What kind of supplements are you going to release next?” “What would you name your boat if you had one?” I’m asked questions like these all the time and so I thought I’d start doing monthly updates about what’s new and exciting here at Legion HQ. So here’s a quick hosedown of what me and my jolly band of pirates and bums have been up to lately. Enjoy! Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

If you’ve spent much time in the gym (especially CrossFit gyms), you may have seen someone pushing a huge, weighted sled across the turf. By the end of it, they’re gasping for air and all they’ve done is move a bunch of weight from one side of the room to the other. What are they up to? Are they training to be one of Santa’s reindeer? Or is this an almost-too-obvious exercise for unlocking massive strength potential? The truth is, there’s no shortage of people doing unconscionable, foolish things in the gym, so is this one of them? I haven’t done much sled pushing or pulling in my day, so I invited an expert onto the podcast to tell us all about it. That expert is John Welbourn, who spent 9 years as a starter in the NFL and is the CEO of Power Athlete Inc., a strength and performance company that specializes in large group training sessions. He was also the architect of the CrossFit Football program, which was the main reason CrossFit began focusing on strength and performance. So, he knows a thing or two abo

Muscle recovery nostrums are an evergreen fad in the fitness industry. Fancy foam rollers, special kinds of stretching, overpriced medical tape, CBD oil, and gimcrack supplements are all à la mode. If you stay up to date on these sorts of things, you’ve probably seen one of the latest recovery trinkets: massage guns. Although massage guns have existed for about a decade, they’ve become popular recently thanks to stylish new branding, celebrity endorsements, and aggressive marketing. And you’ve probably wondered, are they worth it? Massage gun advocates claim these devices replicate the benefits of traditional massage therapy: soothing sore muscles and boosting blood flow, recovery, flexibility, and mood. Skeptics claim massage guns are no more effective than regular massage and not much if any better than cheaper alternatives like a foam roller or lacrosse ball. What does science have to say about all this? Can massage guns boost muscle recovery and provide other benefits, or are they just an extravagant gimm

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: 4:36 - Is running bad for gaining muscle and strength? 19:23 - How has having kids changed your approach to diet? 38:12 - What are your thoughts on kratom? Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://legionathletics.com/shop/ --- Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/ --- 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.c

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.

If you’re here, you probably care at least a little bit about picking up and putting down heavy things. I’m talking about training, of course. The truth is training isn’t hopelessly complex. Find a decent routine, follow it, and you’ll make gains. Unfortunately, you’ve probably found that life isn’t perfectly predictable and sometimes gets in the way of your training. You can’t always hit the gym exactly when you want and with perfect energy levels. Sometimes you have to work overtime or pick up your friend from the airport. Sometimes you get injured or are more sore than usual. And sometimes your sleep is a bit off and you’re dragging more than normal. Whatever the case, life occasionally gives you lemons, and you have to stay flexible and nimble or you’re going to get demotivated by not being able to follow your perfect little plans. Well, what if there was a training system that could ensure you're working hard enough to progress, but not so hard that you overtrain? And what if it could do this no matter h

Modern medicine has a cure for nearly everything. After all, it’s eradicated smallpox, eliminated malaria in most developed countries, and nearly put an end to polio. It’s also created all kinds of pills, potions, and powders to treat ailments ranging from the common cold to cancer. And yet, it still hasn’t come up with a cure for low-back pain. In fact, low-back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and nearly 80% of people will experience it at one time or another. To make matters worse, most cases of low-back pain are chronic or recurring, and symptoms often come and go without rhyme or reason. It affects the young and old, healthy and disabled, active and sedentary. I’m a good example. I’ve been an athlete my entire life, most recently transitioning from collegiate sports to lifting weights to keep myself healthy and motivated. I’ve also dealt with bouts of low-back pain throughout much of my athletic career, starting when I was around 20 years old. I know how frustrating, confusing, and debi

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: Are there any pre-hab routines or programming you’d recommend prior to starting a weight training program When cutting with limited time would I do 5 days of lifting and 1 HIIT session or 4 days of lifting and 2 HIIT sessions? What’s wrong with taking a cycle or two of steroids and then cutting them out cold turkey? 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/body-recomposition/ https://legionathletics.com/side-effects-of-steroids/

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

Here’s a ground truth about getting in shape: The same principles that drive muscle growth in men also work just as well for women. In fact, if you look at the differences between most men’s and women’s workout programs, you’ll find they’re mainly due to men’s women’s preferences, not physiological differences between the sexes. (There are a few small exceptions, which you’ll learn about in this podcast). For example, if you want to build muscle, you have to make your muscles work harder over time by forcing them to lift heavier and heavier weights, and this is just as true for women as it is for men. The reason men and women typically follow different workout splits, though, is that most women want to get a bigger butt and more defined legs, and most men want bigger arms, shoulders, and pecs. Thus, the best workout split for (most) women really just boils down to training the same way guys do while focusing on a different set of muscles. Of course, this opens the door to more questions: What muscles should y

A war has been waging throughout the philosophical and psychological community for centuries. Not a war with muskets, armored artillery, or laser guns, but more like professors throwing textbooks at one another and jabbing intellectual foes with concise essays and pointed papers of poignant arguments. I’m talking about the nature versus nurture problem, which is the debate about whether human behavior is determined by genes (nature) or environment (nurture). The answer isn’t so black and white, but needless to say, many people are born with innate talent and skill. One of those people is Michael Chernow, who I’m excited to bring onto this episode of the podcast. He hosts a podcast called Born Or Made, which explores this nature or nurture question through the stories of incredibly successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders. Michael is one of these success stories himself, though. Not only is he a trained chef who hosted the TV show Food Porn, but he’s started several thriving restaurant businesses, includin

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: “Why should we not reduce the amount of weightlifting volume that we’re doing when we cut because you don’t need as much volume to maintain muscle as you do to gain muscle, and when you’re at deficit, you’re not going to gain muscle.” “Are there different ways to train different types of muscle fibers to gain muscle and strength faster?” “What one piece of advice would you give for continuing exercise through your 40s and older?” 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 - Intro 4:51

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.

Every holiday season, you see the same kinds of articles make the rounds: “How to avoid holiday weight gain” “How to keep off the pounds this Thanksgiving” “20 tips to avoid weight gain during the holidays” Each article follows the same stock format, sharing stats about how many pounds of weight you gain between Thanksgiving and New Years, and then giving you a long list of hackneyed weight loss tips like “ditch the added sugar,” or “chew your food slowly,” or “drink water before meals.” It’s not that the stats are wrong or the tips are useless, but at this point, you probably know that eating more calories than you burn is the root cause of weight gain, and the only way to not gain weight is to not eat so much. Of course, during the Holidays, this is easier said than done. You’re surrounded by a cornucopia of delicious, calorie-dense food and separated from your normal routine, which makes it remarkably easy to overeat. So, what should you do about it? What’s the “hack” for avoiding weight gain over the holi