Muscle for Life

You’ve counted every calorie and checked them twice.You’ve logged every step and rep, every day. You’ve bought every supplement that might possibly help.And you’re still not losing weight.What the hell? You know how a calorie deficit works and you’re not overeating.You know how to prevent “metabolic damage” and aren’t starving yourself.And you know you’re working way too damn hard in the gym to see the same dismal sight in the mirror and on the scale every day.Well, when the “obvious” reasons for a weight loss plateau are eliminated, the culprit is often water retention. And when water retention is the problem, it’s important that you address it correctly.If you do what most people do–exercise even more and eat even less–you’ll likely make the problem even worse.The emotional firestorm of anger and frustration will burn even hotter…and the only hope for extinguishing it will likely become a long, greasy binge.I don’t want that to happen to you.So in this episode, I’m going to break it all down: what causes

The health and fitness space is full of gimmicks and gimcracks that promise to help you lose weight, look sexier, and get healthier. You know, things like… -Detox teas and “cleanses” -Starvation (and overly restrictive) diets -Overhyped nutrition “hacks” (like intermittent fasting and ketogenic dieting) -Testosterone boosters -Estrogen blockers …just to name a few. The sad truth is if you simply ignored most everything published in most fitness magazines and on most fitness websites and just stuck to the basics of energy balance, macronutrient optimization, compound weightlifting, and progressive overload instead, you’d be far better for it. You’d be able to gain muscle and lose fat with ease, and you’d be able to do it eating foods and doing workouts that you actually enjoy. If you want to speed up the process, though, or optimize other aspects of your health and performance, you can go a bit further. You can take the right supplements, for example, incorporate mobility work into your exercise regimen, and t

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: www.muscleforlife.com/signup/

You’ve probably heard that herbs, spices, and essential oils can do many wonderful things for your body, like balance your hormones, reduce inflammation, improve your gut health, speed up fat loss, and more. How true are these claims, though? Can you really help “optimize your body” by sprinkling some goodies on your meals and huffing nice-smelling oils? Can the pigment in curry really improve your joint health? Does adding cinnamon to your oatmeal really help control your blood sugar? Is garlic the super antioxidant, immune-boosting, cancer-fighting wunder-spice that many people say it is? Well, this is what we’re going to explore in today’s episode with Kurtis Frank, who is the co-founder and was the lead researcher of Examine.com, as well as the Director of Research for my supplement company, Legion Athletics. Kurtis has researched spices, herbs, and essential oils extensively and has a lot of insight to share. As you’ll see, a lot of the marketing hype used to sell us on these things is unwarranted, but t

In this episode, I speak with Greg Nuckols who’s a world-record holding powerlifter, researcher, and coach, and one of foremost authorities on the science of strength training. Greg also produces a fantastic monthly research review along with Dr. Eric Helms and Dr. Mike Zourdos, called MASS (www.strongerbyscience.com/mass), and in this interview, Greg is going to break down one of the studies analyzed in their review. The study he’s going to discuss looked at what many people call the “mind-muscle connection” and how it relates to muscle and strength gain. In this discussion, Greg explains what the mind-muscle connection is, what this study has to say about it and how that squares with the rest of the literature, how you might incorporate into your training and what to expect from it, and more. 4:30 - What are cues and the mind and muscle connection? 11:43 - What’s the value of cues if you’re already lifting at a high RPE? 19:09 - What are your thoughts on how external cues help muscle growth? Want to get my

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: www.muscleforlife.com/signup/

Salt has been with us for thousands of years. The Egyptians used it in religious rituals and trade. The Greeks bought slaves with it. The Romans paid their soldiers with it (hence the word “salary”). European plutocracies ran on salt, Confederate troops suffered for want of it, and these days, it can be found in pantries everywhere. Salt was once a precious resource and now it’s a humdrum condiment. C’est la vie.

Most people are preoccupied with trying to lose weight, but here’s something they don’t know:It’s only the first step to getting the body they really want.Because once you’ve lost the weight, you have to keep it off, and that can be just hard, if not harder.  That’s why research shows that dieting simply doesn’t work for most people. Sure, they can step into the breach and lose weight, but many regain it all afterward.If you’ve dieted before, you probably know how it goes.After months of restrictive eating and battling with hunger and cravings, it feels downright cathartic to stop worrying about every little calorie and just let go.And it’s just a little horrifying to see just how quickly you can undo months of hard work when you do.It’s also hard to forget that experience the next time you consider dieting. Why bother if you know you’re just going to tumble back to square one?Well, that’s where reverse dieting can help.It involves gradually increasing your calories after a period of caloric restriction, and

Why can some people do things so much better than others? There’s a question us humans have been wondering about for a very long time. Many believe it’s due to extraordinary amounts of innate talent--that nature ultimately dictates who can do what and how well they can do it, and that our strengths and weaknesses are more or less immutable. On the other hand, some people say that talent has very little to do with it, and that outstanding abilities can be mostly explained by hard work and dedication, which anyone has the capacity for. This is a confusing topic for good reason. We’ve probably known people who have gotten very good at things without appearing to work very hard at it, as well as people who initially displayed absolutely no aptitude for something work tirelessly at it for years without ever becoming excellent. What does this mean? That luck and randomness are the best predictors of success in any field and endeavor? Well, according to my guest on today’s episode, Geoff Colvin, both talent and hard

Drinking enough water every day is like flossing.It’s one of those “annoying” little habits that’s hard to embrace but pays big dividends.“Wait…is flossing really that important?” you ask? Surprisingly, yes. Research shows that periodontal disease subjects the body to high levels of bacterial exposure, which increases the risk of heart disease.Studies also show a strong association in the elderly between overall dental health and all-cause mortality (death from all causes).So…floss every day!

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: www.muscleforlife.com/signup/

What determines the true limits of our physical performance? It it mostly hard-wired physiological factors that can’t be changed, or is it more nuanced than that? What about psychological factors? How much does the “inner game” affect the “outer game,” and how much is this under our control? People have been searching for answers to these types of questions for decades now, and new research has provided some pretty surprising insights. That’s why I wanted to talk to Alex Hutchinson, who’s been studying all of this for over a decade. In case you don’t know of Alex, he’s an award-winning science journalist, former physicist and national-class runner, regular columnist for publications like Runner’s World, Outside, and The New York Times, and in my opinion is one of the best fitness writers around. He has a new book out called Endure that dives deep into the fascinating science of human performance and potential, and in this interview, he shares with us some of the key takeaways from the extensive research that

Losing weight fast is really easy. Eat as little food and do as much cardio as you can for the next month or two, and you’ll lose weight fast. I promise. You might be disappointed in the end, though, even if you can suffer through it. Why? Because while the scale will proclaim a victory, the mirror will disagree. You may not look as fat as before, but you’re going to look more skinny fat, and that’s not the goal. You see, the standard “starve yourself skinny” approach to dieting burns fat, but it also burns muscle, and that’s no good for your body composition. That’s why your goal shouldn’t be to “lose weight,” but to “lose fat, and not muscle.” And that’s what you’re going to learn about in this episode. You’re going to learn how to lose weight fast, but also how to do it in a way that preserves your muscle (and sanity). It’s pretty easy, too. There are just five steps: 1. Use an aggressive (but not reckless) calorie deficit. 2. Eat a high-protein diet. 3. Do a lot of heavy compound weightlifting. 4. Use hig

The fitness industry is extremely tough to navigate as a beginner because of the sheer amount of “gurus” proclaiming they have the “secrets” to getting ripped. If you hit the popular fitness sites, you’ll find contradictory advice at every turn. -Some people say you have to eat bland “clean” foods to get ripped, while others will say you can do it eating junk food. -Some say you should focus on higher rep “pump” training, while others say you have to focus on heavy lifting. -Some say you have to eat meals every few hours, while others say meal frequency is irrelevant. -Some say high-protein diets are key, while others say it’s not that important. -Some say genetics play a huge role, while others say they’re barely a factor. How can you know who’s right and who’s wrong? How can you know who to listen to? Well, I used to wrestle with all these issues and have not only escaped the maze but, ironically, have become something of a fitness guru myself. In this episode, I want to share with you 5 criteria you can us

Imagine if you could fall asleep easily and quickly. Imagine if you slept deeper and didn’t wake up several times per night. Imagine waking up feeling rested, restored, and rejuvenated. Well, this isn’t supposed to be a fantasy. In fact, it’s how your body is programmed to work. Unfortunately, though, we can screw this programming up through simple, innocent mistakes. Many people making these mistakes and, unwittingly, turn to hypnotics and sedatives to combat their sleep troubles. This opens the door to some rather serious side effects, such as… -Depression -Delirium -Nightmares -Hallucinations -An increased risk of infections, cancer, and overall mortality. Not to mention problems relating to drug tolerance, which necessitates ever-increasing prescriptions and dosages. The good news, though, is many people experiencing sleep troubles don’t need drugs to get a good night’s sleep. Instead, they just need to change some of their daily habits and routines. And that’s what you’re going to get from this episode:

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: www.muscleforlife.com/signup/

Today I talk with Steve Magness, an elite-level runner, running coach, exercise physiologist, and author. His latest book, Peak Performance, is a detailed and practical overview of the science of optimizing your mental and physical performance, and in this interview, we discuss some of the key takeaways from the book, including how to use stress and recovery to stimulate progress and growth, how to prime and prepare yourself for optimal performance, and how to avoid overwhelm and burnout. Here’s a little sneak peek of what we talk about: - How much “deep work” can we really do in a day? - A handful of simple recovery strategies we can use in our day-to-day lives. - How self-talk affects our mental and physical state. - How we can positively change the way we view and react to stress. And more… 4:30 - What is the stress and recovery model and is it effective? 9:00 - How much time should people do deep work per day? 15:48 - What are some recovery strategies we can use in our day-to-day life? 21:49 - How can we

I’m not sure any of us can say why, but having abs is cool. They’re sexy, something to be proud of. To show off, even. They’re the fitness equivalent of “having arrived.” That’s probably why many people start working out with the sole purpose of getting a six pack. And then the confusion begins. Diet after diet, workout after workout, supplement after supplement, all claiming to be the key to getting a ripped core. Frustration is next. After months of trying anything and everything, still no abs. Just belly flab. Well, if you can relate to any of that, you’ve come to the right place, because in just a few minutes, you’re going to know the exact steps to get abs. And I think you’re going to be happy to see that it’s much easier than you’ve been led to believe by mainstream “gurus.” At bottom, there are just three things you have to do to get the abs you really want: 1. Lose the belly fat. 2. Do a lot of heavy compound weightlifting. 3. Do the right ab and core exercises. Yup, that’s it. No “weird tricks” or st

In this episode I interview Jared, who recently completed my 90 day coaching program, which helped him lose 23 pounds, 6% body fat, and 5 inches off his waist while also gaining a significant amount of strength on all of his major lifts. Even more impressive is the fact that he did this at 42 years old with a family and a full-time job, and in this interview, he’s going to walk us through his journey. He’s going to share with us what he’d done previously and what worked and what didn’t, how he found his way to me and my coaching service, and how he and his coach worked through a number of challenges and the biggest lessons he learned along the way. 4:09 - What was your fitness journey like before starting our coaching program? 7:31 - How did you find us? 9:29 - What are some of the obstacles you had to overcome? 13:11 - What was your body fat and weight before and after our coaching program? 13:52 - Are you currently maintaining or bulking? 21:02 - How did you manage your diet during the holidays? 22:34 - Wha

Bulking is a controversial topic.Some say it’s the only way to gain muscle effectively, and others say it’s a relic of the Dark Ages bodybuilding.“You gotta eat big to get big,” the former say. “No,” the latter reply, “you just have to eat right.” That is, traditional bulking maintains that, to achieve maximum muscle growth, you should do whatever it takes to cram down thousands of calories per day (GOMAD, for example), and accept rapid fat gain as a price to be paid.Followers of the new philosophy, however, say that you don’t have to eat a large surplus of food and gain a large amount of body fat to build muscle effectively.If you train right, and ensure you’re recovering adequately, they claim, you don’t need to cudgel your body with calories to grow.Who’s right? Well, both are.Old-school bulkers are correct in that you need to eat more food than usual to build muscle efficiently, and new-schoolers are correct in that ballooning your body fat percentage is not only unnecessary for muscle building, but det