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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
In this podcast I interview Dr. Matt Fontaine, who’s a fantastic sports doctor in the Washington DC area that I’ve been seeing for a lingering bit of biceps tendonitis that has been getting in the way of my pressing.
Matt has been practicing sports medicine for nearly 15 years and has worked with everyone ranging from professional baseball players and triathletes to weekend runners and Crossfit warriors, and has helped people through some pretty gnarly injuries and setbacks.
In my case, he has been using a technique called ART (which you’ll learn about in the interview), and it has really helped loosen up the muscles in my shoulder and arm that were aggravating my biceps tendon. I wish I had known about this months ago.
In addition to simply getting results, Matt also really impressed me with the breadth and depth of his expertise and experience. He really knows his shit, which is why I wanted to pick his brain on things like finding and fixing muscle imbalances, predictors of injury, the nature of soft tissue injuries, simple preventative measures you can take at home, and more.
As I get more heavy weightlifting under my belt, I’ve come to appreciate stretching and mobility work even more for the purpose of preventing injury and maintaining optimal performance, and this is one of Matt’s real specialties.
I think you’re going to find the interview really enlightening and helpful, so here it is.
10:08 - Dr. Matt Fontaine's take on Crossfit, how to do it right starting out and the #1 predictor of injury.
19:28 - Tests you can do to find muscle imbalances and improve your performance.
27:49 - The second most common predcitor of injury and why using pain as an indicator of injury is too late.
30:40 - What a repetitive motion injury causes and why soft tissue injuries should not be overlooked.
36:26 - Easy and preventative measures you can take for recovery and when you should see a Doctor.
42:29 - How to find a good Doctor for injuries.
ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS PODCAST:
5 Foam Roller Exercises That Improve Performance: http://www.muscleforlife.com/foam-roller-exercises/
The Definitive Guide to Mobility Exercises: Improve Flexibility, Function, and Strength: http://www.muscleforlife.com/mobility-exercises/
3 Ways to Use Myofascial Release to Reduce Pain and Improve Performance: http://www.muscleforlife.com/myofascial-release/
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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This is the second part of a two-part interview with the always enlightening and entertaining Mark Rippetoe, who you’ve probably heard of if you take fitness seriously.
In case you don’t know who Mark is, though, he was a competitive powerlifter for a decade and is the author of several books, including two classics that everyone that’s into weightlifting should read–Starting Strength and Practical Programming for Strength.
Mark has also coached thousands of people all over the country on proper barbell training through his seminars, which you can learn more about at www.startingstrength.com. He’s also just a fun guy to chat with because he’s colorful and just shares his thoughts and openly and isn’t one for euphemisms or minced words, which I think is refreshing, really.
So, in this interview Mark and I talk about training for sports and why a lot of what goes on in the upper echelons of sports training is nonsensical and even counterproductive and what athletes should be focusing on instead.
I’ve run into a fair amount of this just working with people because I’ve heard from quite a few high-level college athletes and some professionals as well that were a bit perplexed by the types of things their strength trainers were having them do (as well as the things the trainers would leave out). I helped many of them simplify their routines and straighten things out and, one for one, they were amazed at how much of a difference it made in their respective sports.
So, if you have any desire to be a better athlete, I think you’ll like the interview. Here it is...
5:30 - How athletes should tailor their training for their profession and what they do wrong.
11:47 - Do top athletes perform well because of their training programs, or in spite of them?
22:10 - How trainers who only deal with high-level athletes can get away with not knowing their profession.
33:28 - Why any training will give results to an un-trained individual vs. optimized training.
ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS PODCAST:
Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training: www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength…rue&tag=mflweb-20
Practical Programming for Strength Training: www.amazon.com/Practical-Program…54/?tag=mflweb-20
How to Make Meal Plans That Work For Any Diet: www.legionathletics.com/diet-meal-plans/
How to Create the Ultimate Muscle Building Workout: www.muscleforlife.com/muscle-building-workout/
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/
This is the first part of a two-part interview with the always enlightening and entertaining Mark Rippetoe, who you’ve probably heard of if you take fitness seriously.
In case you don’t know who Mark is, though, he was a competitor powerlifter for a decade and is the author of several books, including two classics that everyone that’s into weightlifting should read--Starting Strength and Practical Programming for Strength.
Mark has also coached thousands of people all over the country on proper barbell training through his seminars, which you can learn more about at www.startingstrength.com. He’s also just a fun guy to chat with because he’s colorful and just shares his thoughts and openly and isn’t one for euphemisms or minced words, which I think is refreshing, really.
So, in this interview Mark and I talk about the training for strength versus “aesthetics” and why there isn’t as much of a difference between the two as many people think. This podcast really drives home an important lesson I learned years ago: It’s very hard to build an all-around muscular, visually appealing physique without getting really strong on a handful of key exercises.
If you’ve been following my work for any amount of time, you already know this (and if you’ve implemented any of it, you’ve experienced it), but I think you’ll still get something out of the conversation.
5:19 - The simple truth about training for strength vs. aesthetics.
7:40 - Why strength programs are great for women.
16:00 - How getting strong helps guys get the bodies they want.
21:05- Want to get stronger? Then you probably need to gain weight.
24:00 - The simplest "hardgainer" cure out there.
29:55 - How much "good weight" can a guy in his hormonal prime gain in a year?
41:50 - A simple caveat for guys embarking on strength training.
50:44 - How much do genetics influence our strength and looks?
57:27 - You use training to get big and strong and diet to get lean.
ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS PODCAST: Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training: https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-Basic-Barbell-Training/dp/0982522738?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&tag=mflweb-20
Practical Programming for Strength Training: https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Programming-Strength-Training-Rippetoe/dp/0982522754/?tag=mflweb-20
How to Make Meal Plans That Work For Any Diet: legionathletics.com/diet-meal-plans/
How to Create the Ultimate Muscle Building Workout: http://www.muscleforlife.com/muscle-building-workout/
The Best Way to Gain Muscle Without Getting Fat: http://www.muscleforlife.com/the-best-way-to-gain-muscle-not-fat/
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/
In this episode I interview John Romaniello, author of the NYT bestseller Engineering the Alpha and founder of the multi-million dollar, multifaceted fitness business Roman Fitness Systems. We’re not going to talk fitness or business, though.
Instead, we linked up to discuss something else altogether, and that’s how you and I can use the brilliant and groundbreaking work of a rather obscure comparative mythologist to live better lives. The work is codified in the book The Hero With a Thousand Faces, which was written by the mythologist Joseph Campbell, and it has served as a template for some of the most popular and timeless stories ever told, ranging from King Arthur to Moby Dick to Star Wars, Harry Potter, and more.
I know that sounds incredibly abstract and inapplicable to our lives, but bear with me because John does an amazing job making the material accessible and practical, so I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised. It’s really not a stretch to say that our conversation can be the nudge that leads to incredibly positive changes in your life.
5:30 - Natural progression of fitness to self improvement in life.
20:41 - Why does life mirror a hero's journey and how it fits into changes of life
36:34 - Why you need a mentor in life how to get one.
49:13- This is your call to adventure to change your life.
RELATED TO THIS PODCAST
The Writer’s Journey: www.amazon.com/Writers-Journey-M…6X/?tag=mflweb-20
The Hero With a Thousand Faces: www.amazon.com/Thousand-Faces-Co…36/?tag=mflweb-20
Neil Gaiman’s Epic “Make Good Art” Speech: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikAb-NYkseI
The Hero's Journey graphic: www.thewritersjourney.com/graphictwo.gif
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/
This book will show you how to build muscle, lose fat, and get strong: http://goo.gl/lKNKWK
In this podcast, I interview fellow writer, trainer, and, well, Mike, Mike Vacanti and we talk about how to get fit when you travel and are just insanely busy, how things change when you're very overweight, and why you shouldn't sweat the "little things" and use the bigger picture to stay on track.
5:27 - How to stick to a diet when you are busy.
25:49 - How to exercise when you are busy.
35:22 - How to diet and exercise when you are obese.
53:05 - Not worrying about the minutia.
ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS PODCAST:
The 3-Step Skinny Fat Solution: http://www.muscleforlife.com/skinny-fat-solution/
How to Make Meal Plans That Work For Any Diet: https://legionathletics.com/diet-meal-plans/
How Many Calories You Should Eat (with a Calculator): https://legionathletics.com/how-many-calories-should-i-eat/
How Many Grams of Fat Should You Eat Per Day? http://www.muscleforlife.com/how-many-grams-of-fat-per-day/
How Much Protein You Should Eat to Build Muscle: http://www.muscleforlife.com/how-much-protein-build-muscle/
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/
In this podcast I take any and all questions and talk about third party testing for Legion, why some studies associate taking a multivitamin with increased risk of disease, how to eat more protein, taking fat burners while bulking, and much more. If you want to get in on the next one and ask me questions, sign up here: https://legionathletics.com/qa/
03:26 - Are 5 day split workouts more effective in building more muscle than 3 day splits?
05:21 - How many grams of HMB should I take for fasted cardio/lifting?
05:43 - Are Legion products third party tested?
08:51 - What's your take on the studies coming out about the negative side effects of too many vitamins?
13:28 - When is the Legion fish oil coming out?
13:54 - What is the best macro friendly restaurant?
15:16 - When are you coming out with your online meal plan course?
16:49 - How many calories can I have and remain in a fasted state?
19:00 - Is it possible for your metabolism/TDEE to change while bulking so that your calorie surplus becomes a deficit?
20:41 - Any advice for eating more protein?
25:09 - Would you recommend doing HIIT cardio while bulking to minimize fat gain?
26:58 - What are your thoughts about maintenance calories vs. calorie cycling?
30:45 - My friend stopped cutting and gained 24 lbs in a couple days, what happened?
32:55 - What are your thoughts on cleans and snatches included into a routine with the focus on shoulders?
33:49 - What are your thoughts on the recent report on popular protein brands that were tested for BCAA content and most of them had less than half of what they claimed?
35:39 - Is taking your fat burner Phoenix counter productive while bulking?
36:21 - What are your thoughts on mixing in street workouts with your strength program?
37:23 - How come I don't feel sore anymore after a workout?
38:42 - Can I start the BLS program in the 8-12 rep range until I get the hang of things?
39:45 - What was the rationale that led to including Strength Weeks into the BLS program?
41:57 - How do you feel about all the zero cal energy drinks?
44:49 - Is it easier for someone that used to be fat but got lean to get fat than someone who has been relatively lean their whole life?
46:13 - How's the workout app coming along?
47:52 - Why haven't I seen any strength/size gain in my biceps over the last two months.
50:46 - What do you recommend as a good calf workout in a home gym?
52:06 - Any thoughts on expectations of realistic size/mass as well as how to alter your training to fit with ultra endurance work?
55:18 - What's your golf handicap?
57:19 - In your Fasted Cardio article you mentioned that you take 2 servings of Forge. What is considered 2 servings?
59:44 - I'm 17 and want to do a strength program. Would you recommend Wendler 5/3/1?
1:00:04 - If my compound lifts are going up am I building muscle? Or does every exercise have to go up?
1:01:43 - When are we going to have an EU warehouse for Legion?
1:03:21 - What would you recommend more, isolation or compound exercises?
1:04:20 - Do you consider dietary fiber when tracking calories?
1:07:01 - What should I do to not get so weak during fasted workouts?
1:08:27 - Are there any benefits of taking ice baths after working out?
1:09:04 - What does a typical day look like for you?
1:10:30 - What are your current numbers?
1:13:58 - The ice bath has to do with lactic acid build-up and muscle tension but nothing to do with muscle growth.
1:14:35 - What are so
In this podcast I answer the most common questions I get asked about body fat percentage, including how it's calculated, how to measure it, what's a healthy body fat percentage and what's not, and more...
04:08 - What is bodyfat percentage?
09:08 - What are healthy and unhealthy body fat percentages?
20:09 - How do you measure body fat percentage (DEXA, bio impedance, skin fold, etc.)?
ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS PODCAST:
How to Actually Increase Your Testosterone (and How Not to): https://legionathletics.com/how-to-increase-testosterone/
How Many Grams of Fat Should You Eat Per Day? http://www.muscleforlife.com/how-many-grams-of-fat-per-day/
Athletic Amenorrhea: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2941235/
How to Calculate Your Body Fat Percentage Easily & Accurately: https://legionathletics.com/how-to-calculate-body-fat/
AccuMeasure Personal Body Fat Tester: http://goo.gl/z2nzey
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/
In this episode, I talk about several supplements that are supposed to help you build muscle faster and explain which work and which don't.
03:48 - The truth about supplement companies and "muscle building supplements." Which supplements don't help you build muscle?
13:53 - Natural testosterone boosters
20:41 - ZMA
25:03 - D-aspartic acid
29:20 - BCAAs
36:21 - HMB Which supplements help you build muscle?
40:50 - Whey protein powder
48:49 - Creatine
55:11 - Beta alanine
ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS PODCAST:
The Absolute Best (and Worst) Supplements for Muscle Growth: http://www.muscleforlife.com/the-best-supplements-for-muscle-growth/
How to Actually Increase Your Testosterone (and How Not to): https://legionathletics.com/how-to-increase-testosterone/
The Definitive Guide to Why Low-Carb Dieting Sucks: http://www.muscleforlife.com/low-carb-diet/
The Ultimate Guide to the Best Creatine Supplements: https://legionathletics.com/best-creatine-supplement/
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/
In this episode of the podcast I interview Jordan, who used my Bigger Leaner Stronger program to build the body he always wanted. We talk about switching from brodieting to flexible dieting, cutting while traveling, intermittent fasting, and more.
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/
In this podcast, I interview author, coach, and fellow podcaster Ru Anderson on how we can gain control of our habits and then our fitness and ultimately our lives.
4:56 - The power of good (and bad) habits.
10:50 - Triggers, habits, and positive vs negative feedback.
15:32 - The 4 keys to forming new habits.
21:30 - The road to successful habits.
27:55 - Avoiding temptation vs. using willpower.
35:35 - Habits and long term success.
39:59 - Your first 5 steps to forming a new habit.
RU'S WEBSITE: http://exceednutrition.com/
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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