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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
Caffeine is the most popular drug in the world with a long and rich history, and no single molecule has enriched our culture like the wondrous little 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine.
It’s also a controversial drug as various “experts” like to claim even mild but regular use eventually fries your nervous system, hurts your heart, and flatlines your adrenal glands.
I’m not sure how many people would give caffeine up if this these claims were true–it’s just too damn good–but fortunately for us “users,” they’re either exaggerated or wholly false.
While abusing caffeine can cause health issues, this is harder to do than you might think, but it raises the question of how much does caffeine actually impact our physical performance? Can it make a big enough differences to matter?
Let’s find out.
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“Push pull legs” routines have been popular for decades now.
In fact, just about every time-proven strength and muscle-building program fits this basic mold, and that’s not likely to change.
My bestselling workout programs for men and women are also, essentially, push pull legs (PPL) routines with additional “accessory” (isolation) work to help bring up “stubborn” body parts.
The primary reasons push pull legs routines have stood the test of time are they train all major muscle groups, allow plenty of time for recovery, and can be tailored to fit different training goals, schedules, and histories.
They’re easy to understand, too.
At bottom, a push pull legs routine separates your major muscle groups into three different workouts:
Chest, shoulders, and triceps
Back and biceps (with a bit of hamstrings as well if you’re deadlifting)
Legs
And it has you train anywhere from 3 to 6 times per week, depending on how much abuse you’re willing to take, what you’re looking to achieve with your physique, and how much time you can spend in the gym each week.
So, if you’re looking to gain muscle and strength as quickly as possible, and if you’re not afraid of a bit of heavy compound weightlifting, then push pull legs might be your golden ticket.
And by the end of this episode, you’re going to know exactly how PPL works, who it is and isn’t best for, and how to create a customized routine that’ll work for you.
Let’s get to it.
4:30 - What is the push pull legs routine?
8:23 - What are the benefits to the push pull legs routine?
12:27 - How do I make push pull legs work for me?
17:12 - How can I make a push pull routine?
20:59 - What is push legs pull?
23:37 - How do you continue making progress with these routines?
29:56 - Do you recommend any supplements?
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Are all types of protein equally good for building muscle?
It depends on whom you ask.
Many vegans and vegetarians will tell you that plant proteins are just as good as animal sources, if not better.
And most hard-shell bodybuilders will laugh that at the idea that you can get big on a plant-based diet.
“How many jacked vegans do you know?” they’ll ask. “Exactly. You gotta eat meat to gain mass, bro.”
Well, who’s right?
Is there something about animal proteins that makes them especially anabolic?
Are plant proteins inherently deficient in some way and unsuitable to muscle building?
And, bottom line, what types of protein should we be eating to gain muscle as efficiently as possible?
Let’s find out.
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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.
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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 like to read biographies to find ideas, models, systems, habits, etc. that extraordinary people have used to improve their lives and achieve great things, then you want to read this book because Alexander the Great wasn’t just one of the greatest military geniuses of all time, he was also, to quote the author, “...perhaps more than any other man in history, the absolute embodiment of pure human ambition with all its good and evil consequences.”
In short, Alexander was a man who conquered much of the ancient world simply because he could, and for that reason, he’s one of my personal favorite characters in history. Here’s a guy who took about fifty thousand troops and went on a truly epic journey: he marched them thousands of miles to the ends of the known world and led them to victory in scores of sieges, battles, and skirmishes, including many where they were out-numbered several times over, and ultimately toppled the Persian empire and created what is still one of the largest kingdoms ever. You just can’t help but admire someone who dared such great deeds.
Now, some people are going to be “triggered” by my horrible, violent words and whine about how Alexander was nothing but a maniacal, genocidal, mass-murdering thug LITERALLY HITLER, and to them I say...you’re stupid.
Yes, he killed a lot of innocent people, but writing him off as a psychopath is far too simplistic. He was a man of his times and no better or worse than pretty much every other general in the ancient world, including celebrated figures like Hannibal and Caesar.
Furthermore, as Freeman explains in the end of this book, a compelling argument can be made that Alexander’s escapades laid the foundation of Western culture.
Specifically, in later years, the Romans were so fascinated with Alexander’s exploits that they developed an intense interest in Hellenic philosophy and literature and disseminated far and wide, from the sands of Syria to the shores of Britain. Then there’s the fact that the New Testament and most other popular early Christian literature was written in Greek, which was almost universally spoken as a result of Alexander’s conquests, enabling it to go “viral” in a way that simply couldn’t have happened were it to have been written in Jesus’ native language, Aramaic. It’s very possible, Freeman says, that without Alexander, Christianity would have remained a local phenomenon and we would be living in a very different world today.
Anyway, regardless of how you feel about what he did, I promise that you can benefit from learning about Alexander’s life, and out of the several biographies I’ve read on him, this is my favorite.
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This episode is a change of pace because instead of me babbling about something by myself, I’m babbling with Josiah Novak from The Fitman Project.
Seriously though, Josiah was kind enough to interview me for his podcast and I thought all of ya’ll might like it and so I’m reposting it for your listening pleasure.
Our discussion kind of wanders all over the place, but if you want to hear the rather unusual story of how I got into the fitness industry in the first place and then found a niche that I could excel in--writing--and moved into supplements and the rest of it, then you want to listen to this episode.
We also discuss some of what has worked well for me in terms of maintaining at least a semblance of work/life balance.
5:40 - Where did you begin the fitness journey?
22:52 - What made you get into the supplement business?
29:47 - How do you keep multiple ventures and family life in balance?
38:12 - How do you choose which ideas to move forward with?
47:55 - What are your most valuable habits and routines?
53:53 - What are your favorite books?
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In this episode, I interview Cody Lee, who’s a follower of mine and recent graduate of my 90-day transformation coaching service, which helped him lose 18 pounds of fat AND gain muscle and strength.
Before finding his way to me and my work, he was a new dad who was overweight and unhappy with his body, and unsure what to do about it.
Then, he found my book Bigger Leaner Stronger, gave it a read and figured he might as well try it, and, waddayaknow, it actually worked. Week by week, he was getting noticeably bigger, leaner, and stronger, and he was thrilled.
After riding the wave of newbie gains, Cody wanted to see if he could get even more out of his diet and training, and so he decided to sign up for my one-on-one coaching service. My team put together a custom diet and exercise program specifically for him and his goals, and it exceeded all his expectations.
He not only lost a whopping 18 pounds of fat in 90 days, but he also gained strength and corrected his technique on key lifts, which is still paying dividends.
Cody walks us through the whole story in this interview and shares the big lessons he learned along the way, so if you’re in the middle of your own transformation, then I think you’re going to find it encouraging and motivating.
4:38 - What was your background in fitness and what were you hoping to achieve?
10:27 - After reading Bigger Leaner Stronger, how did the program go?
12:20 - What did you like the most out of flexible dieting and shorter workouts?
17:17 - What made you interested in our coaching service?
21:51 - How did our coaching program go for you?
25:05 - How did you feel after 90 days on our coaching program?
28:02 - How has our program effect other areas of your life?
Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!
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You probably know what kind of physique you want, but you’re not quite sure how to best get there.
My guess is you want to be lean, strong, and muscular, and you’re struggling to understand the next immediate steps.
Should you “bulk” and focus on gaining muscle as quickly as possible, or should you “cut” and strip some fat and then bulk?
Well, both bulking and cutting have pros and cons.
Bulking adds both lean mass (yay) and body fat (boo), and cutting unveils your abs (hooray) but stunts muscle growth (hiss).
Furthermore, many people discover that they look a lot smaller after a successful cut than they anticipated. Maybe, then, they should just bulk for as long it takes to get the size they want and then go on a long cut to show it off?
Well, this is the dilemma that makes for a fitness purgatory of sorts where you don’t really commit to one strategy or another and thus stagnate in terms of progress.
In this episode, you’re going to learn how to avoid this pitfall entirely, and it starts with answering the question on your mind:
Should you cut or bulk?
As you’ll find out, the answer depends mostly on your current body fat percentage.
The long story short is if your body fat percentage is too high, your number-one priority should be getting lean, not gaining muscle, and if it’s relatively low, then you should focus on gaining muscle, not getting even leaner.
And by the end of this episode, you’ll understand why.
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/
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/
No matter how hard you train, how dialed in your diet is, or how smartly you supplement, losing weight is a pain in the ass.
The leaner you get, the more you have to deal with hunger and cravings, the harder your workouts become, and the less you have to eat to keep the needle moving.
That’s why many people turn to drugs like ephedrine for help, which has a special place in the hearts of bodybuilders everywhere.
If you’ve spent any amount of time in the gym, you’ve undoubtedly heard that it’s as close to a weight loss “magic bullet” as you can ask for.
Ephedrine purportedly kills your appetite while also dramatically increasing your metabolic rate and fat burning, which means you’ll not only lose fat faster but will also have an easier time of sticking to your meal plans, as well.
Even better, we’re told, ephedrine is just as safe as caffeine but, unlike the world’s most popular drug, gets more effective the longer you use it.
Poke around online, though, and you’ll find the opposition party, who claim that ephedrine is middling at best as a fat burner and not nearly as safe as many people think. The more strident critics even claim that it can significantly raise the risk of anxiety attack, heart attack, and stroke.
And so, like with many things related to building muscle, losing fat, and getting healthy, you’re stuck in the middle, wondering whom to believe.
How effective is ephedrine, really? How serious are the side effects and health risks? And if it’s safe, how should it be dosed and how long should you take it for?
Well, you’re going to get answers to all of those questions and more in this episode.
You’re going to learn exactly how ephedrine works, how good of a “fat burner” it really is, what the literature has to say about its safety, and more.
Let’s get to it.
3:34 - What is Ephedrine and how does it work?
9:28 - Is Ephedrine safe?
10:07 - Why is Ephedrine labeled dangerous?
12:41 - How much Ephedrine should I take?
14:56 - Is Ephedrine legal?
15:46 - Is there another product similar to Ephedrine?
Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!
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