Muscle for Life

These are my key takeaways and notes from Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages. “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 is 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

In this installment of the Best of Muscle For Life, you’ll hear hand-picked clips from three popular MFL episodes: an interview with Dr. Susan Kleiner on “power eating” and sports nutrition, a monologue on how fast you can “safely” lose body fat, and a motivational piece explaining why I took cold showers every day for a year. Some people—my favorite people—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 do at least a little better inside and outside the gym. That’s why I do “best of” episodes that contain a few of the most practical and compelling ideas, tips, and moments from the more popular episodes I’ve published over the years. This way, you can learn interesting insights that you might have otherwise missed and find new episodes of the show to listen to. So, in this installment of The Best of Muscle for Life, you’ll be

Are all body fat scales equally inaccurate? Are some accurate enough to actually be useful when tracking our body composition? That’s what Dr. Grant Tinsley wanted to test in the latest study out of his lab, and he’s discussing the surprising results in this interview. Many fitness enthusiasts want to track their body fat levels and body composition to keep tabs on their progress and ensure their training and diet are on the right track. So it’s no surprise that many have been tempted to buy relatively inexpensive body fat scales and home devices that claim they can assess your body composition just by stepping on a scale or holding special electrodes. I’ve never recommended these devices due to their inaccuracy, but are some bio-electrical impedance analysis (BIA) devices good enough to actually help people keep track of their body composition? That’s exactly what Dr. Grant Tinsley wanted to find out and what he and his team put to the test in their latest study. Grant and his colleagues bought some of the m

Do women actually prefer dad bods? Is it ok to bend your back on deadlifts? What’s the best way to lose visceral fat? Do electrical muscle stimulators work? Can a high-protein diet lower your testosterone? Who do I idolize? When can kids start lifting? All that and more in this Q&A podcast. This podcast is a Q&A, but it’s a bit different from the kind you’ll typically find here on Muscle For Life. In my usual Q&A episodes, I take a question from email or Instagram and then fully answer it in an episode of the podcast every week. However, over on Instagram, I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podcast listeners might enjoy hearing these questions and my short answers. So, instead of talking about one thing in an episode, I’m going to cover a variety of questions. And keep in mind some of these questions are just for fun. :) So if you want to ask me questions in my Instagram stories, follow me on Instagram (@muscleforlifefitness), and if I answer your qu

Remote voluntary contraction sounds like technical mumbo jumbo, but is actually a pretty simple concept to understand and very practical. You'll immediately be able to use this whenever your next workout is to perform better in the gym. What's more, you’ll be able to use remote voluntary contraction regardless of your programming and you won't have to make any programming changes. You can keep doing the exercises that you always do and train exactly the way that you are training, but by including this remote voluntary contraction technique in your training, you’re going to be stronger. So what is remote voluntary contraction, how does it work, how effective is it, and how can you use it in your training? You’re going to find out in this podcast. --- Timestamps: 0:00 - Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://www.muscleforlife.show/vip 3:20 - What is remote voluntary contraction? 7:37 - Why does remote voluntary contraction work? 9:52 - How big of a difference will this make? 11:46 - How do I implement remote

Does hyperventilating between sets help you get more reps? Does using exercise variations help you gain muscle and strength faster? Can low-carb dieting actually reduce your testosterone levels? Are expensive forms of creatine actually effective? Answers from the latest research on these topics is in this podcast. This podcast is another installment in my Research Roundup series of episodes, where I give you concise and practical takeaways from studies that I think are interesting and that can help us gain muscle and strength faster, lose fat faster, perform better athletically, feel better, live longer, or get and stay healthier. There is a ton of scientific research that gets published every year, and even if you narrow your focus to fitness research, it would still take several lifetimes to unravel the hairball of studies on nutrition, training, supplementation, and related fields. That's why my team and I put a lot of time into reviewing, dissecting, and describing scientific studies in articles, podcasts

Kyle Hunt and Mike Matthews talk shop about business and marketing, what it’s like writing books, how they decide what books to read and why, how they efficiently get the most out of those books and put the information they learn to use, and more. This podcast is a low-key discussion with my buddy Kyle Hunt where we share a “behind the scenes” look at the process of writing, revising, publishing, and marketing books, how we pick and choose books to read, how we take notes and learn from those books, and more. Specifically, we chat about . . . The “sausage process” of writing books and what it’s like working with editors How we revise and update books to take them from “minimum viable product” to masterwork How we decide what books to read (and how we take notes) Publishing books and marketing them The “magic” of finding the right timing for a business or idea And more . . . In case you’re not familiar with Kyle, he’s a repeat podcast guest and author of several books, including Bodybuilding For Be

What’s my go-to evening snack? Should you try “fat freezing?” How do you fix butt wink? How long will it take to get down to 10% body fat? How much does muscle boost your TDEE? All that and more in this Q&A podcast. This podcast is a Q&A, but it’s a bit different from the kind you’ll typically find here on Muscle For Life. In my usual Q&A episodes, I take a question from email or Instagram and then fully answer it in an episode of the podcast every week. However, over on Instagram, I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podcast listeners might enjoy hearing these questions and my short answers. So, instead of talking about one thing in an episode, I’m going to cover a variety of questions. And keep in mind some of these questions are just for fun. :) So if you want to ask me questions in my Instagram stories, follow me on Instagram (@muscleforlifefitness), and if I answer your question there, it might just make it onto an episode of the podcast! If you l

Many people are afraid of losing muscle, especially when they can't train. The good news is it takes a lot longer to lose muscle when you stop training than many people think. And the even better news is if you do lose actual muscle tissue, there’s something called muscle memory.  In this podcast, I’m going to describe what this phenomenon is, how it works physiologically, and how you can take advantage of it. Can we actually use muscle memory to “hack” muscle building by purposely de-training? You’re going to find out in this podcast. --- Timestamps 0:00 - Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://www.muscleforlife.show/vip 4:01 - What is muscle memory? 5:45 - How does muscle memory work? 12:44 - Can we use muscle memory to hack muscle building and grow faster? --- Mentioned on the Show: Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://www.muscleforlife.show/vip

Is the high-bar squat more effective than the front squat for targeting your quads? Or does the front squat beat the high-bar back squat? What does research say about these variations of the squat and how they affect muscle activation? 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

In this podcast, I interview Jose, who used the information he learned through my articles, podcasts, and my book Muscle For Life, to finally overcome his bingeing and purging eating disorder, start losing weight the right way, and get healthy and fit. In fact, Jose successfully lost 120 pounds while getting stronger and reversing several conditions, including pre-diabetes and high blood pressure.  Before finding my work, Jose was close to 300 pounds, and had tried various diets and weight loss hacks, including keto, Atkins, acupuncture, and even hypnosis. Nothing stuck, and nothing worked for him. He felt lost with his health and struggled with a bingeing and purging eating disorder and was even hospitalized for it at one point. Luckily, Jose started to find good information online by following some Legion athletes on Instagram, and once he saw transformations of people who had accomplished his dream—of going from fat to fit—everything changed. He finally saw it was possible to reach his goal. He contin

What’s wrong with slow cutting? If you’re low on protein, but already hit your calorie target, should you stop eating? How can you prevent muscle loss while on vacation? Should you lift your head off the bench while pressing? What’s the most effective type of cardio for sports? All that and more in this Q&A podcast. This podcast is a Q&A, but it’s a bit different from the kind you’ll typically find here on Muscle For Life. In my usual Q&A episodes, I take a question from email or Instagram and then fully answer it in an episode of the podcast every week. However, over on Instagram, I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podcast listeners might enjoy hearing these questions and my short answers. So, instead of talking about one thing in an episode, I’m going to cover a variety of questions. And keep in mind some of these questions are just for fun. So if you want to ask me questions in my Instagram stories, follow me on Instagram (@muscleforlifefitness),

Many people want to know how we can get a better world. I want to know how we can deserve a better world. And I know that starts with giving far more to others than we take. More consideration. More service. More love. Because the person who lives on the emotion and effort of others–the sponge, the freeloader, the deadbeat–is really a consumer of human life, no better than a cannibal or parasite. Listen to this podcast for some motivational inspiration on the concept of give and take. --- Timestamps: 0:00 - Please leave a review of the show wherever you listen to podcasts and make sure to subscribe! 3:15 - Energy Surge and Performance Surge are two new supplements to augment Pulse for an even better pre-workout stack: https://muscleforlife.show/epstack --- Mentioned on the Show: Energy Surge and Performance Surge are designed to be added to Pulse for even more energy, focus, strength, and endurance for an even better pre-workout supplement. Check them out here: https://muscleforlife.show/estack https://muscle

Does aging cause weight gain? Can you train glutes (or any muscle group) every day? What are my secrets to a happy marriage? How do I handle sleepless nights? All that and more in this Q&A podcast. This podcast is a Q&A, but it’s a bit different from the kind you’ll typically find here on Muscle For Life. In my usual Q&A episodes, I take a question from email or Instagram and then fully answer it in an episode of the podcast every week. However, over on Instagram, I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podcast listeners might enjoy hearing these questions and my short answers. So, instead of talking about one thing in an episode, I’m going to cover a variety of questions. And keep in mind some of these questions are just for fun. :) So if you want to ask me questions in my Instagram stories, follow me on Instagram (@muscleforlifefitness), and if I answer your question there, it might just make it onto an episode of the podcast! If you like this type of e

In this podcast, I’m interviewing Legion Athlete Zach Coen all about meal planning and meal prepping. I don’t mean the basics like figuring out your calories or macros, but planning out delicious meals and practical tips on making healthy foods tastier and easier to prepare. In case you’re not familiar with Zach, he’s a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who shares recipes, educational nutrition content, and meal planning tips on his TikTok and Instagram accounts, which have over one million followers. Zach’s content is all about incorporating foods you actually enjoy into your meal plan and making food planning and prepping simple and fun so you can stay on track and make progress with your fitness, all without breaking the bank. In our chat, we discuss . . . Practical tips for snacking and incorporating more vegetables into your diet Tips on making your own versions of store-bought items and prepared foods Crafty shopping tips so you can save money (including Zach’s favorite affordable protein sources)

All of the following is based on the studies I’m covering in this podcast: Want to live longer? Walk more. Want to boost your mood, energy, and mental acuity? Get extra sleep. Want to perform better in the gym? Take betaine. Want to retain your muscle while losing fat? Don’t follow the OMAD diet. Want to improve your agility and sports performance? Go with unilateral exercises over bilateral ones. This podcast is another installment in my Research Roundup series of episodes, where I give you concise and practical takeaways from studies that I think are interesting and that can help us gain muscle and strength faster, lose fat faster, perform better athletically, feel better, live longer, or get and stay healthier. There is a ton of scientific research that gets published every year, and even if you narrow your focus to fitness research, it would still take several lifetimes to unravel the hairball of studies on nutrition, training, supplementation, and related fields. That's why my team and I put a lot of tim

Most people think cardio is the best type of exercise for losing weight. While it’s true that cardio can help you lose fat and that you should do cardio for its health benefits, strength training is often unfairly criticized as ineffective when it comes to losing weight. For example, many people say strength training doesn’t burn enough calories to matter, which isn’t exactly true. Others say that while strength training can help you build and maintain muscle, that doesn’t make weight loss easier, which isn’t true. This podcast covers everything you need to know about using strength training effectively for losing fat as quickly as possible. Timestamps: 0:00 - New chocolate peanut butter protein bars are here! Try them risk-free today! Go to buylegion.com/proteinbar and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points! 11:56 - Is strength training good for weight loss? 14:14 - What is the best way to maximize fat loss while strength training? 17:05 -What exercises do you recommend? Mentioned o

In this installment of the Best of Muscle For Life, you’ll hear hand-picked morsels from three popular MFL episodes: an interview with Maria who got fit while raising three kids and how she stays fit in her 50s, a monologue on whether you should still do cardio if you lift weights, and a motivational piece called “In Filth It Will Be Found.” Some people—my favorite people—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 do at least a little better inside and outside the gym. That’s why I do “best of” episodes that contain a few of the most practical and compelling ideas, tips, and moments from the more popular episodes I’ve published over the years. This way, you can learn interesting insights that you might have otherwise missed and find new episodes of the show to listen to. So, in this installment of The Best of Muscle for

I’m often asked about Olympic weightlifting. Specifically, I’m asked about lifts like the clean and jerk, snatch, and power clean, and how to incorporate them into a more general strength training or even bodybuilding program. Should you even include Olympic-style lifts? What are the benefits of Olympic weightlifting? Can it increase your power, speed, explosiveness, and athleticism? Is it dangerous? All that and more in this podcast. I wanted to get an Olympic weightlifting expert on the podcast to help answer these questions. So, I tagged in Greg Everett, owner of Catalyst Athletics, which is a USA Weightlifting National Champion team and a huge educational resource for Olympic weightlifting content. Not only is Greg an accomplished Olympic weightlifter himself, but he’s a coach at the world championship level. He’s also an author of a dozen books, including Olympic Weightlifting, the world’s best-selling book on the subject. So I was happy to have him join me for an interview. In this podcast you’ll learn

There's no shame in admitting that at least 50% of the reason you exercise is that you have a “complicated” relationship with carbs or a sweet tooth and don't want to get fat. Or that you literally can’t afford to gain weight because then you’d have to buy a new wardrobe. Or that you want a good excuse to buy a new one. No matter how zany your reasons may seem to others, if you can use them to fire your fitness furnace, there’s no shame in exploiting them to the fullest. Listen to this podcast for a bit of motivational inspiration! Timestamps: 0:00 - Please leave a review of the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and make sure to subscribe to the show! 2:48 - Save up to 25% during my July 4th sale! https://buylegion.com/ Mentioned on the Show: Go to buylegion.com and save up to 25% during my big July 4th sale! Use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% on any non-sale items or get double reward points!