Muscle for Life

My books for men and women—Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger—include an entire section on the “mental game” of getting fit. I’ve also recently published an entire book on the topic called The Little Black Book of Workout Motivation. The reason I’ve put a lot of time into discussing the “softer” side of fitness is just knowing what to isn’t enough. You also need a strong enough why—strong enough to help you persevere through the struggles and setbacks, pick yourself up when you fall, and ultimately see your goals through to completion. Fortunately, you don’t need a psychology degree to accomplish this, either. It mostly boils down to understanding and applying a few powerful mental strategies that effectively combat many of the mental hobgoblins that can sabotage you. If you can overcome these obstacles, you’ll probably get the body you really want, and if you can’t, you probably won’t. It’s really that simple. All that is why I invited my friend and fellow fitness professional, Sal Di Stefano

“Sugar is the new crack cocaine!” Yeah, people are actually saying that these days. They're telling us that sugar is as addictive as cocaine, and the more we eat, the more likely we are to get fat, sick, and, ultimately, dead. It sounds bad. Really bad. How true is it, though? Does every dessert we eat push us a little further down the slippery slope of disease and dysfunction, and make it ever harder to claw our way back to optimal health and vitality? Can we develop a “sugar dependence” in the same way we can become physically dependent on alcohol, cocaine, or heroin? Can it get so bad that we can experience legitimate withdrawal symptoms if we stop eating sugar? Well, the short answer is this: The “addictive properties” of sugar are being grossly exaggerated by many mainstream diet and health "gurus." Yes, it’s tasty and pleasurable, and yes, many people might think they're addicted to it, but as you’ll soon see, that doesn’t make for a valid medical condition. Likewise, most discussions of “sugar withdraw

Meditation has become wildly popular in the past decade or so. So popular, in fact, that’s it’s easy to write it off as another “woo woo” fad, like water fasting, cupping therapy, or lectin-free diets. It’s not, though. While the health benefits of meditation are often overblown, it’s hard to argue with the subjective benefits it provides. I don’t have much personal experience with meditation, so I wanted to pick the brain of someone who does: Ben Pakulski. Ben has been through intense highs and extreme lows in his life as a professional bodybuilder, and he’s used meditation to help him grow from these experiences for over a decade. So . . . if you’re curious if carving out some time every day to meditate can actually improve your ability to cope with and benefit from life’s many stressors, this episode is for you. 5:50 - Why are you getting into meditation and what does it do for you? 13:21 - How did it look before and after you had overhauled your ability to focus? 19:57 - Do you find it hard to switch hats

If you want to lose fat or gain muscle, then you need to know how many calories you burn every day. If you don’t, it’s going to be a lot harder than it should be, if not impossible. But if you’re here, that’s probably not news to you. (And if you don’t, read this article first and come back.) You just aren’t sure how to actually do it – how to easily and accurately calculate how many calories you’re burning. You’ve probably also poked around for an answer already and discovered that you have quite a few options. Mathematical formulas, fitness and activity trackers, workout machine readouts, and so on. Which can you rely on, though? Which will be best for you? Well, that’s what you’re going to learn in this podcast. By the end, you’ll understand which methods of calculating calories burned work, which don’t, and which are the simplest and most practical. 3:30 - How do scientists measure energy expenditure? 11:23 - How accurate are the calorie readouts on workout machines? 16:45 - How can you figure out how man

Chiropractic is a controversial subject in the fitness community. On the one hand, some people claim it can fix all kinds of aches, pains, and ailments ranging from low-back pain to indigestion, headaches, brain fog, and more. On the other hand, some say that chiropractic is a pseudoscientific discipline run by greedy charlatans who provide absolutely no value beyond the placebo effect. And if you poke around on the Internet and there’s plenty evidence of the latter, what with the myriad Internet “gurus” who use their “Doctor of Chiropractic” credentials to mislead people into thinking they’re medical doctors and thus experts on anything and everything related to health and wellness. What’s the real story though? Is chiropractic a science or a sham? Well, that’s what prompted me to invite Jordan Shallow on the show. Jordan’s a licensed chiropractor but also a high-level strength coach and competitive powerlifter, and in this interview, he helps shed light on the pros and cons of chiropractic, how it works, wh

You probably know drinking water is good for you. You probably also know dehydration is bad for you, and you’ve probably heard you should drink water frequently throughout the day and err on the side of drinking a little more than you feel necessary rather than less. And you’re probably here because you heard that instead of drinking boring peasant water, you should avail yourself of the miraculous health benefits of alkaline water, including . . . - Less inflammation and oxidative stress in the body - Better hydration - Anti-aging effects - Weight loss - Less joint pain and fewer headaches - Lower risk of cancer, fatigue, leaky gut, osteoporosis, and basically every other ailment - More energy, drive, and vitality - And more In fact, according to some of the self-professed H20 experts shilling alkaline water, you should never drink anything but high-pH water. To do that, all you have to do is fork over a few grand for a contraption that uses a process called ionization (magic, basically) to transmute toxic t

Ten years ago, pre-workout supplements were for the unhinged looking dudes in the gym who nobody made eye contact with. You know the type: steroids, stringers, water jugs, strutting and peacocking, and the like. Back then, the pre-workout space mostly consisted of products like Craze, Jack3d, and Detonate (all of which have been banned, by the way) that contained mega-doses of amphetamine-like stimulants and little else. Fortunately, times have changed, and now we have pre-workout supplements that contain lower levels of much safer stimulants plus clinically effective doses of safe, natural ingredients scientifically proven to enhance performance and muscle and strength gain. That’s why people who take their training seriously aren’t asking whether they should take a pre-workout supplement anymore but instead which they should choose and why. And that’s what Kurtis Frank and I talk about in today’s interview. In case you’re not familiar with Kurtis, he’s the director of Research and Development for my supplem

As you’ve probably guessed, these are shorter-than-usual cuts and bulks, normally in the range of three to four weeks, and in this podcast, Layne and I talk about how well they work. Are they worth the trouble or should you just stick to the traditional bodybuilding approach of “lean bulking” until you’re uncomfortably fat, cutting until you can see your abs again, and then repeating? That’s the question we answer in today’s interview, where we share what we’ve learned from our experiences with our own physiques as well as the thousands of people that we’ve worked with over the years. So, if you want to know the pros and cons of continuous versus intermittent lean bulking and cutting and what’s probably going to be best for you, keep listening. 8:25 - Is it better to do longer or shorter periods of bulking/cutting? 13:30 - Should women do mini-cuts? 18:00 - What are the benefits of implementing diet breaks while cutting? 24:10 - What’s the body’s evolutionary response to caloric restriction? 28:00 - Is exerci

I'm running a giveaway on my Instagram! Five (5) will receive a bottle of the newest flavor of Legion Athletics Whey+ - Salted Caramel!⁣⠀⁣⠀ ⁣⠀⁣⠀ The flavor maestros at my manufacturer spent months working on this, and they really outdid themselves here.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Imagine . . . a caramel-flavored protein powder that tastes like caramel and not burned wallet. That you don’t slam down but sip slowly. That makes sweet, dulce de leche love to your tongue.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ That’s what awaits you in every serving of salted caramel Whey+.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀⁣⠀ Listen to this episode to learn how you can enter to win or click here for more details:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvwq4luDJfr/

Every time I go to the gym, I see the same crowd of overweight people grinding away in their spin classes and treadmill, StairMaster, and elliptical sessions. Every day they're there, sweating on the same machines--probably reserved and named by now--and they're just as fat as they ever were. Some are even fatter than when they started. After all this time do they really think anything is going to change or am I witnessing some twisted kind of Stockholm Syndrome between fleshy slaves and mechanical lords? Jokes aside, the truth is these people are just following decades of bad exercise advice centered around long hours of cardio, which has produced millions of overtrained, overweight, underfit people addicted to burning calories instead of getting fit. Now, you might be thinking I'm staunchly anti-cardio. I'm not. I do cardio regularly and as you'll see, it has its benefits and uses. When done properly, cardio can improve your health, help you lose fat faster, and even help you build muscle. But when done imp

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. 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/

Since the first affordable microwave ovens arrived in 1967, they’ve become an indispensable tool in most people’s kitchens. They’re one of the quickest, easiest, and, compared to open flame, safest ways to cook food. Or maybe not. Some say that microwaves make your food “radioactive” and release toxic radiation, which raises your risk of cancer. Others say that microwaves destroy the nutrients in food, which could increase your risk of nutrient deficiencies. And still others say there isn’t enough research on microwaves, so we should all play it safe and avoid them. On the other hand, people say that the claims against microwaves are unfounded. They’re just one more example of better living through science that people need to stop handwringing about. So, who’s right? Well, despite the constant Internet fearmongering, there’s no evidence that microwaves are dangerous. They have been studied repeatedly, and not only are they safe, they may actually be a healthier way to cook some foods. There are legitimate con

"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 and MFL HQ. So here’s a quick hosedown of what me and my jolly band of pirates and bums have been up to lately. Enjoy! Mentioned on the Show: Bigger Leaner Stronger: geni.us/BLSBook Birthday Cake Whey+: https://legionathletics.com/products/supplements/whey/?flavor=birthday-cake Stim-Free Pulse: https://legionathletics.com/products/supplements/pulse-stim-free/ Hafthor World Record Deadlift Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RacP3CN0Wkc 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/   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: http

In this interview, I talk with Jake who’s 32 years old and used my Bigger Leaner Stronger program to completely transform his physique. He shares his personal fitness journey, including what he was up to before finding me and my work and how it was going, and how things started to change after implementing the advice in my books and articles. The bigger picture looks like this: When Jake first found Bigger Leaner Stronger about six years ago, he was about 16% body fat at about 155 pounds, and today, he’s about 10% at 167 pounds and has added a ton of strength to all of his major lifts. Jake’s transformation wasn’t without struggles, of course. He ran into a number of roadblocks along the way that most of us can relate to, including issues with workout and meal scheduling, hunger and cravings, dietary temptations, and more. And in our chat, Jake shares what has most helped him navigate these barriers skillfully and prevent them from derailing his progress. So, if you like hearing motivational stories about how

Every day I hear from people in their 40s and even 30s who are worried it’s too late to get into great shape. If you’ve spent any time around these parts, you know this isn’t true. So long as you know what you’re doing with your diet and training, you don’t have to be in your 20s to build a body you can be proud of. You can do it just about any age, really. There are a few things you have to do differently as you get older, though. The main thing that changes is your ability to recover from your workouts declines, and this often manifests in more muscle, joint, and tendon soreness after training, and particularly if you’re working hard in the gym. Many middle-aged people aren’t prepared for this and think they can just grind through the pain like they did in college, but this usually leads to further injury, overtraining, and burnout. My friend and fellow researcher and writer, Christian Finn, knows a thing or two about this himself. He’s over 40 himself and in great shape, has worked with thousands of people

If you’re like most people, your hips feel tight all the time, and especially right at the top of your thighs. They probably flare up when you do lower body exercises too, like the squat and deadlift. Such is life with tight hip flexor muscles. What can you do about it, though? Should you stretch? Strengthen? Something else altogether? Well, poke around on the Internet and you’ll find a lot of conflicting opinions on what causes tight hip flexors and what to do about it. Some people say that sitting is to blame because it shortens and weakens the muscles, others say exercise--and weightlifting in particular--is at fault, and others still say that muscle weakness is the root cause. There isn’t much agreement about how to best fix the problem, either. “Stretching is the key,” says one expert. “No,” counters the other, “strengthening must come first.” And there you are in the middle, wondering whom to believe and what to do. Well, the truth is hip flexor tightness isn’t as cut and dried as many people would have

It’s high time I reviewed this book because it’s one of my favorite self-development books. To understand why, close your eyes and think back to an instance where you were doing something that made your consciousness feel harmoniously ordered, that absorbed all of your focus and attention, and that dissolved your awareness of time, worries, and even yourself. Maybe it was playing an instrument, spending an evening with loved ones, coding a website, cooking a meal, driving a car, whatever. Csikszentmihalyi refers to such occurrences as “optimal experiences” and the psychological and emotional state they produce as “flow,” and this book is a scientific investigation of these phenomena and how to increase their frequency and intensity in our lives. Flow is cool, clinical, and sometimes discomfiting, which some people find off-putting. It wasn’t written to lift spirits, alleviate insecurities, or justify weaknesses and failures, and it doesn’t contain flowery prose or resonant stories. Instead, this book reads mo

There’s a basic law of living that goes like this: If you want more, do more. It applies more or less across the board. You tend to get out of life in proportion to what you give. Want more money or a bigger business? Work harder at it and you’ll have the best chances of success. Want deeper, more fulfilling relationships with friends or family? Spend more time building those relationships and watch them blossom. Want to be the best player on your team? Practice longer and harder than your confreres and you’ll slowly pull ahead of the pack. You get the point. Working out isn’t that simple, though. The “more is better” approach works…until it doesn’t. And then it becomes counterproductive. That is, in terms of building muscle, strength, and endurance, more training is generally better than less…but once you exceed your body’s ability to recover, the wheels start to fall off. Here’s a short list of what can happen next: -You struggle to finish your workouts. -You lose strength and endurance. -You sleep poorly.

The first few weeks of a cut are usually smooth sailing. You aren’t that hungry, your energy levels are good, and you’re still enjoying your workouts. Somewhere around the four- to six-week mark, however, the other shoe begins to drop. You’re starting to feel hungrier leading up to meals and less satisfied after. Your energy levels begin to sag, and especially in the afternoons. You’re no longer progressing in your workouts, which are feeling harder and harder. There are two schools of thought on what to do next: 1. Grit your teeth and keep dieting so you can move on to the fun stuff as soon as possible (maintaining and lean gaining). 2. Take periodic diet breaks where you increase your calorie intake to maintenance for several days or weeks, then continue dieting after your reprieve. Many diet break advocates say that taking a break here and there can speed up your metabolism, help preserve muscle mass, and even “hack” your hormones to supercharge fat loss. Others claim diet breaks offer no real benefit beyo

I’ve churned through over 100,000 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 five questions: 1. What do you do when resting between sets in the gym? 2. Can I still gain muscle and strength while training for long-distance running and, if so, how should I set up my training? 3. How much fat can you lose in the first 30 days of a cut if you’re doing everything right? 4. Do you need to adjust your meal plan while losing fat, or can you stick to the same plan from start to finish? 5. How many hours of sleep should you get to maximize 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. Recommended rea