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If you want to know how to build muscle, lose fat, and be healthier, happier, and wiser…faster than you ever thought possible…then this podcast is for you. Hosted by the bestselling author and entrepreneur, Mike Matthews, each episode gives you simple, science-based know-how and inspiration that will help you build your best body and life ever.
Find out more at www.legionathletics.com
Copyright: © Mike Matthews
"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!
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In this episode I interview Lyell, who’s 46 years old and used my one-on-one coaching service to completely transform his physique and add 300 pounds to his big compound lifts in just 6 months.
In this interview he shares how he found his way to me and my work, including what he had tried previously, how things changed after he started implementing the advice in my books and articles, and how my coaching service helped him take his body to a whole new level.
As with everything, nothing ever goes exactly as planned, and learning to adjust and adapt to conditions is an important part of the fitness game, which is something Lyell experienced firsthand.
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, Lyell shares what has helped him navigate these barriers skillfully and prevent them from getting in his way.
Lyell’s story is particularly interesting, because as you’ll learn in this interview, he had been trying to get fit for a long time and simply couldn’t get the needle to move. As he told me, “I’m blown away by what this has done compared to my previous experience with exercise and diet. It’s just been truly unbelievable.”
So, if you like hearing motivational stories about how people have changed their bodies and lives, and if you want to pick up a few tips that may help you along in your personal journey, then this episode is for you.
Timestamps:
5:20 - What was your diet and fitness like before and after our coaching program?
7:20 - Why were you afraid to go to the gym?
10:21 - What was your training program like before our coaching program?
13:29 - What were some obstacles you had to overcome during our coaching program?
14:15 - How was your experience with our diet plan compared to your previous restrictive diet?
19:55 - How did you make your diet work with your busy schedule?
24:23- What does your current training program look like?
29:42 - Have you had a diet break?
31:46- What were some training obstacles you had to overcome during our
coaching program?
36:43 - What are your current training goals?
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Back pain is the bane of athletes everywhere.
About a third of adults deal with it at some point, and that number is even higher for us fitness folk.
To make matters worse, the cause of back pain, and low-back pain in particular, is rarely obvious and notoriously difficult to diagnose. It also often strikes out of nowhere, lingers for a while, and then suddenly vanishes for no apparent reason. Or not—sometimes it sets in the for long haul.
All this mystery, confusion, and frustration has made low-back pain a reliable honeypot for Internet profiteers, fake doctors, and supplement shysters who aren’t bothered one bit by cashing in on people’s pain.
That’s why I wanted to talk to one of the most respected, experienced, and knowledgeable experts in the world on spinal health and function—Dr. Stuart McGill—to help cut through the noise and get an honest, practical, evidence-based take on treating back pain.
Dr. McGill has spent over 30 years studying the mechanics of the spine and what causes back pain and how to safely and effectively treat it, has published several books including The Back Mechanic, and through his work has helped tens of thousands of people prevent and eliminate back pain without invasive surgery.
In this interview, Dr. McGill and I start more or less from square one and then dive into the nitty gritty details and address a whole host of questions I get asked fairly often, including . . .
-Is back pain always caused by structural damage?
-Can you have structural damage without pain?
-How do different forms of exercise affect the health of your back?
-How common is degenerative disc disease?
-What can people do to self-diagnose and heal their back pain?
-When is surgery a good idea and when it is unnecessary?
-And more.
The bottom line is by the end, you’ll know more about the real science of back pain than 95% your fellow lifters (and more than many doctors and personal trainers).
6:28 - Does back pain mean good or bad structural damage?
16:24 - Can there be structural damage without pain?
25:16 - How does mechanical stimulation damage tissue and correlate to pain?
32:38- What options did the clinicians give your client?
36:49 - What are your thoughts on back surgery?
42:36 - What should back surgeons prove to their patient before recommending back surgery?
45:35 - What is a scenario that requires back surgery?
50:07 - Is deadlifting and squatting safe for the spine?
58:59 - What is the goldilocks zone for squatting and deadlifting?
1:10:51 - Where can people find you and your work?
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Muscle hypertrophy is a confusing subject.
Hell, it’s a confusing word. How do you even say it?
(Hi-PUR-trophy).
And what does it mean, exactly?
(It’s the technical term for muscle growth.)
Some people say that the best way to stimulate muscle hypertrophy is to use different rep ranges to develop different kinds of muscle fibers.
Some say that there are different kinds of muscle hypertrophy—"myofibrillar" and "sarcoplasmic"—and if you aren't emphasizing both in your training then you're leaving gains on the table.
If you want bigger muscles, you're told, you want to maximize sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, and you do that by training with light weights and high reps, supersets, and so forth.
And if you want stronger muscles, you want to maximize myofibrillar hypertrophy, and you do that by training with heavy weights and low reps.
Then, others say that muscle hypertrophy is almost entirely genetic. They say your DNA determines whether you can build a lot of muscle or not, and how you train isn't going to make much of a difference one way or another.
Then, of course, almost everyone says that cardio is horrible for muscle hypertrophy.
When I started working out, I was your average tall, skinny dude, and for the first one and a half years, I followed run-of-the-mill bodybuilding magazine workouts.
It kinda worked. By the end of this period I was, uh, a little less skinny?
Fast forward about five and a half years, and while I had gained a fair amount of muscle along the way, it wasn’t exactly what I would have expected for seven years of dedicated weightlifting.
So I decided to educate myself on the real science of muscle and strength gain and implement what I had learned.
And in this podcast, I’m going to share with you the key lessons I’ve learned so you can follow in my footsteps.
Let's get to it.
6:14 - What is muscle hypertrophy?
7:31 - What are the two kinds of muscle hypertrophy?
16:50 - Can you grow new muscle cells?
21:30 - How do you increase muscle growth?
23:03 - What are the muscle fiber types and how do they affect muscle hypertrophy?
29:44- How does strength training affect muscle hypertrophy?
34:39 - How does your diet affect your ability to gain muscle?
38:46 - How do genetics affect muscle hypertrophy?
42:02 - How does cardio affect muscle hypertrophy?
46:54 - What is the best way to stimulate muscle hypertrophy?
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What is it about six pack abs?
Why are so many people so enamored of a rippling stomach?
Why is it the epitome of being fit and sexy?
Well, I’ll leave those questions to the “fitlosophers” of the world, and instead, answer this one for you:
How long does it take to get six pack abs?
And I mean a real six pack, not some hazy lines that are halfway visible in perfect, “half natty” lighting.
You know: lean, tight, and defined core muscles, and maybe… just maybe… some vascularity too, gods willing.
Well, you’re going to know by the end of this podcast.
So, if you’ve been cutting for months now and are frustrated with your lack of results, or if you’re just getting started and want to know when you’ll finally see abs in the mirror, then you’re in the right place.
Let’s get to it.
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According to a 2016 article in the New York Times, only 40 authors had sold more than 1 million books on the Kindle store in the previous 5 years.
Another survey by Digital Book World found that the vast majority of self-published authors made $1 to $999 per year—with most authors on the lower end of that range.
These numbers are a stark reminder of how grateful I should be to have achieved the level of success that I have as a self-published author. Specifically, I’ve sold about 1.3 million books in the last 6 years, and last year was my best yet, with over 300,000 books sold.
This is why I get a lot of questions from aspiring writers about publishing, writing, and the business of selling books.
Sometimes people are looking for help writing a book of their own and other times they’re just curious about how the sausage is made.
I haven’t spoken much about the ins and outs of publishing here on my podcast, so I thought it might be worth sharing an interview I did on another podcast called The Food for Fitness Podcast.
In this discussion, the host Scott and I get under the hood of my publishing company, the publishing space, and the fitness industry in general and discuss the good, bad, and ugly.
We talk about the genesis, growth, and goals of my publishing efforts, some of the key factors that have made my books so successful, some of the common mistakes, shenanigans, and skullduggery used to sell books, and more.
5:21 - Who are you, what do you do, and how did it all start?
14:37 - Why did you decide to write books and create businesses?
21:34 - Why do you think fitness gurus overcomplicate weight loss and muscle building?
36:36 - What type of diet will be big in the future?
44:52 - What’s the one thing you know now that you wished you knew when started?
47: 02 - Where can people find you and your work?
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I've tried a lot of supplements in my 13 years in the gym.
Protein supplements, pre-workout supplements, fat loss supplements, and, of course, muscle building supplements.
You see, I used to think that supplementation is far more important than it really is.
I naively bought into the myth that supplement companies were on the cutting edge of science.
That they were in the business of selling legitimate products that delivered tangible benefits.
Well, I've since pulled the wool from my eyes.
And here's what I've learned:
The vast majority of workout supplements--and especially those that claim to aid in muscle growth--do absolutely nothing.
Scientifically speaking, they're just overpriced placebos.
That said, not all supplements--including muscle building products--are worthless.
There are natural substances that are scientifically proven to help you build muscle, lose fat, and stay healthy...if they're used properly.
They aren't game changers in the ways that proper diet and training are, but they're result amplifiers.
And in this podcast, I want to talk about "muscle builders" specifically.
I've wasted a small fortune on these types of supplements over the years, and I don't want you to make the same mistake.
Instead, if you're going to spend money on supplements, I want you to get your money's worth.
So let's start with debunking three of the most popular muscle building supplements out there...
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Chances are you’re not a politician, sociopath, or psychopath (*cough* often interchangeable *cough*), so you’re probably not much interested in the arts of obtaining, wielding, and preserving power.
Your primary focus is probably producing a better life for yourself and your loved ones and allowing others to do the same.
Thus, you might think this book isn’t for you. And you’d be wrong.
Your liberal (in the classical meaning, mind you) attitude is a good thing—the type of impulse that promotes peace, security, and prosperity—but it’s naive to assume everyone else operates the same way.
Some people who can’t survive on their own merits are parasites. Others believe they know best and seek to impose their ideas on everyone else. Others still are dominated by antisocial urges that command them to “do unto others before they do unto you.”
Such bad actors are many and often specialize in self-aggrandizement, so you’ll often find them in high places in organizations, commerce, government, and society in general.
This means that unless you plan on operating in complete isolation, you’re going to be involved in the machinations of power whether you realize it or not. And your ultimate success or failure is going to depend at least in part on your ability to advance and protect your interests (power) against those who would stop you.
That, then, is one of the reasons you should read this book: to avoid the tricks and traps of those who would use power to harm and hinder you. That is, to beat them at their own game.
The other, more positive, side of that coin is you should read this book to upgrade your ability to effect your will—to create the body and life you really want. Again, unless your dreams involve you and only you, they’re going to require the considerable accumulation and use of power in the forms of persuasion, inspiration, cooperation, reputation, compulsion, and others.
This book gives you information you can use to form your own “power playbook” to facilitate your goals.
Some people find 48 Laws distasteful because of its cynical disregard of morality, but this is hardly a reason to condemn or avoid it. In fact, I think we can benefit from its clinical, unprincipled posture because it allows us first to observe what works and then decide for ourselves what’s right.
For example, in the book, Greene says the following:
Honesty is one of the best ways to disarm the wary, but it is not the only one. Any kind of noble, apparently selfless act will serve. Perhaps the best such act, though, is one of generosity. Few people can resist a gift, even from the most hardened enemy, which is why it is often the perfect way to disarm people. A gift brings out the child in us, instantly lowering our defenses.
This is true. It works. Honesty and generosity are powerful psychological influencers that can be used for good or evil. Whether you use them to exploit or enrich is up to you.
Let’s get to the takeaways.
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Bodybuilding is a strange sport that requires a special type of masochism.
If you want to make it in the big leagues, you not only need great genetics but you also have to micromanage your nutrition, beat the shit out of your body with absurd amounts of training, and do enough drugs to make Jordan Belfort blush.
It also makes for a rather isolated and lonely life spent mostly in the gym grinding away to add that next pound of muscle, and even when you make it to the professional level, it doesn’t pay all that well.
And so I’ve often wondered why people choose to become bodybuilders and what it’s really like to dedicate your life to the sport.
Well, a couple months ago, I was invited to attend a podcasting event put on by my buddies at Mind Pump and interview the ex-pro bodybuilder Ben Pakulski.
In case you’re not familiar with Ben, he was an Olympia-level competitor who used to step on stage at 280 pounds and walk around in the low 300s during the offseason, and in this interview, I got to ask him about what that experience and lifestyle was really like and how the transition out of the sport has been for him, both physically and psychologically.
Ben also shares some great training advice, including his favorite exercises for developing different muscle groups, observations on the relationship between volume and intensity and muscle growth, how stress affects your ability to gain muscle, and what to do about it, and more.
Enjoy!
5:55 - How much do you weigh?
6:27 - Why did you stop your pursuit for Mr. Olympia?
10:34 - How much do drugs play a role in professional bodybuilding?
14:20 - If you didn’t eat a meal for an extended amount of time, did you lose weight?
14:55 - Why did you want to become a professional bodybuilder?
18:55 - What exercises work well?
23:00 - What is an example of a an exercise that gives good mechanical advantage?
25:25 - What’s the best exercise for the chest?
27:17 - Do you believe in high or low volume?
27:58 - What are the best exercises for you?
30:42 - How should your foot be functioning during a squat?
33:59 - What are the best exercises for you?
37:12 - What are your go-to chest and back exercises?
42:47 - How does stress affect muscle building?
44:29 - What is the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system?
49:28 - What is your pre-sleep routine?
54:31 - What is your new identity after leaving body building?
58:12 - What are your new goals?
1:07:15 - Do you feel a burden as a leader?
1:112:04 - Where can people find you?
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It’s hard to go anywhere nowadays without hearing about the benefits of cannabidiol (can-ab-id-EYE-all), aka CBD (and often CBD oil).
It’s all over the Internet, celebrities are endorsing it left and right, and it’s made its way into everything from lattes to sports drinks to sex lube (seriously).
Sales of CBD are already thought to be north of $350 million per year, and some analysts are predicting that number will surpass $1 billion by 2020.
Proponents say this is fantastic.
While CBD is a drug that comes from the same plant as marijuana, it doesn’t get you high, doesn’t have to be inhaled (no lung damage), and it’s kinda-sorta legal (more on that in a moment).
Purported benefits include alleviating anxiety, addiction, and epilepsy, accelerating post-workout recovery, curing chronic pain and even cancer, and helping with many other psychological and physiological conditions and ailments.
Some people even go so far as to say that CBD has healing properties that’ll help you live a generally healthier and happier life.
It also taps into the desire to indulge in social taboos (drug use, in this case), making it even more appealing to young people in particular.
On the other hand, CBD isn’t without detractors who claim that it’s an unproven, understudied, and potentially dangerous new health fad.
According to the naysayers, at best CBD isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and at worst regular use can lead to major long-term health complications.
Who’s right?
Well, the surprising and disturbing answer is we don’t really know.
As you’ll learn in this podcast, parsing the research on CBD is about as easy as combing your hair with a broom and in the end, you’re left with far more questions than answers.
The short story on CBD is that although it may have some benefits, it’s being wildly overhyped and oversold and it most certainly poses some serious health risks.
Let’s kick the discussion off by first exploring what CBD is.
5:43 - What is CBD?
8:29 - How does our endocannabinoid system function?
11:51 - What are the benefits of CBD?
19:14 - Does CBD reduce chronic pain?
23:42 - Does CBD help with epilepsy?
28:06 - Does CBD help curb drug addiction?
31:14 - Does CBD help curb nicotine addiction?
32:42 - Does CBD help fight cancer?
33:53 - Can you get high from CBD?
36:52 - Is CBD safe?
38:44 - Is CBD legal?
40:00 - What are alternatives to CBD?
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