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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
If you want to lose weight, one of the most helpful things you can do is start tracking your calorie intake.
This improves your awareness of how much you’re eating, where you can cut back, and how to budget your calories so as to eat your favorite foods while still losing weight.
Many people take this a step further and start tracking their calorie expenditure (“burn”) using an activity tracker like a FitBit, Apple Watch, or Jawbone.
If you’ve used one of these trackers, though, you’ve probably noticed that on some days you burn a lot more calories than others. A hike, bike ride, or jog can jack up your calorie expenditure by several hundred calories.
In this case, the person set a daily calorie budget of 2,000 calories, and they’d already eaten and tracked all of those calories. But they also went on a bike ride that burned 327 calories, which opens the question . . . should you “eat back” those ~300 calories?
Even if you don’t use an activity tracker, you’ve probably wondered the same thing: if you burn more calories on a particular day, should you eat more to compensate?
The short answer is that no, you probably shouldn’t eat back the calories burned during exercise.
If you want to know why this is the case and learn a better way to manage your calorie intake that doesn’t depend on activity trackers or constantly balancing your daily calorie budget in this way, keep listening.
Timestamps:
2:51 - The problem with eating back calories
20:06 - Does that really work if your actual calorie expenditure changes a lot day to day?
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Mentioned on The Show:
Shop Legion Supplements Here:https://legionathletics.com/shop/
Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/
“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 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 takeaways from it.
I’ll also keep things short and sweet so you can quickly decide whether the book is likely to be up your alley or not.
Alright, let’s get to the takeaways.
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Mentioned on The Show:
Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/
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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/
What’s the deal with athletic footwear?
On the one hand, you have fancy, expensive running and sports shoes coming out every couple of months claiming some new technological “breakthrough” for more comfort, safety, and even performance.
And then you have the crowd that dismisses those products as pure marketing puffery and that swears by minimalist shoes for all athletics or even none at all.
What are we supposed to make of this?
I’m no expert when it comes to running or the best footwear for healthy feet, so I invited someone onto the podcast who is. Specifically, my guest is Steven Sashen, who’s a Masters All-American sprinter—meaning he’s one of the fastest men over the age of 50 in the US—as well as the founder of Xero Shoes, a brand dedicated to designing thin and flexible shoes for walking, running, and all other athletic activities.
In this episode, we chat about . . .
So, if you want to learn about how to build stronger, healthier feet, listen to this episode!
4:31 - Is it better to run barefoot or with shoes?
11:26 - Are padded shoes worse for you than running barefoot?
13:12 - What is the proper method of running?
17:35 - Why is it hard to run properly with a fancy pair of running shoes?
29:33 - What about people with flat feet?
30:35 - What are some other benefits of strengthening your feet?
39:32 - Are there any tips for transitioning from fancier shoes to a more minimalist approach?
Mentioned on The Show:
Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/
https://xeroshoes.com/
https://www.instagram.com/xeroshoes/
Steven's Podcast - The MOVEMENT Movement: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-movement-movement/id1456342261
Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/
Mosy around any gym, and you’ll see some dudes lifting heavyweights they can't even lift.
And a few questions come to mind.
Is he really getting anything out of those reps?
Is he just doing that to stroke his ego?
Should I train like that?
Some say yes, that partial reps, or repetitions where you only complete part of the movement, lead to superior gains in strength and size.
Others say that unless you take every single rep in your training through the full range of motion, you’re cheating. This pretty much sums up their view: "Your reps are partial and you should feel bad."
The truth?
They’re both wrong, and you’re going to learn why in this podcast.
By the end of this episode, you’ll know the pros and cons of a partial and full range of motion reps, how each affects muscle growth, and when you should and shouldn’t use both in your training.
3:12 - What is a partial rep?
6:02 - Why do people do partial reps?
7:20 - Do partial reps make sense?
18:01 - How do you program in partial reps?
Mentioned on The Show:
Books by Mike Matthews:https://legionathletics.com/products/books/
Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/
I’ve churned through over 150,000 emails, social media comments and messages, and blog comments in the last 6 years.
And that means I’ve fielded a ton of questions.
As you can imagine, some questions pop up more often than others, and I thought it might be helpful to take a little time every month to choose a few and record and share my answers.
So, in this round, I answer the following three questions:
If you have a question you’d like me to answer, leave a comment below or if you want a faster response, send an email to mike@muscleforlife.com.
4:22 - “I burn a lot of calories at work and have a hard time gaining weight and training hard because of low energy levels. What should I do?”
28:28 - “I wake up tired even when I sleep 7 or 8 hours. What can I do?”
43:13 - “Have you had any long term training beliefs changed by research in the last year or two?”
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Mentioned on The Show:
Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://legionathletics.com/shop/
Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/
I’ve recorded hundreds of episodes of Muscle for Life on a huge variety of things related to health, fitness, and lifestyle, ranging from the basics of diet and exercise like energy and macronutrient balance and progressive overload and training frequency and volume to fads like the ketogenic and carnivore diet and collagen protein to more unfamiliar territories like body weight set point and fasted cardio.
Some episodes resonate with my crowd more than others, but all of them contain at least a few key takeaways that just about anyone can benefit from (that’s what I tell myself at least).
And as cool as that is, it poses a problem for you, my dear listener:
Ain’t nobody got time for that.
Well okay, some people do make the time to 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 get a little better inside and outside the gym.
People have also been saying they’d like me to do more shorter, multi-topic episodes, like my Q&As.
And so I got an idea: how about a “best of” series of podcasts that contains a few of the most practical and compelling ideas, tips, and moments from my most popular episodes?
This way, people who are new to the show can quickly determine if it’s for them or not, and those who enjoy what I’m doing but don’t have the time or inclination to listen to all of my stuff can still benefit from the discussions and find new episodes to listen to.
So, in this episode of The Best of Muscle for Life, you’ll be hearing hand-picked morsels from three episodes:
1. Bret Contreras on Understanding Nutrition & Exercise Science
(Originally published March 3, 2017)
2. How to Lose Fat Faster With Fasted Cardio (and Keep Your Muscle)
(Originally published October 31, 2018)
3. Motivation Monday: How to Use “Environment Design” to Accomplish Your Goals Easier and Faster
(Originally published Sept 17, 2018)
And we’ll be starting with number one, Bret Contreras on Understanding Nutrition & Exercise Science.
5:45 - Bret Contreras on Understanding Nutrition & Exercise Science
16:01 - How to Lose Fat Faster With Fasted Cardio (and Keep Your Muscle)
25:35 - Motivation Monday: How to Use “Environment Design” to Accomplish Your Goals Easier and Faster
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Mentioned on The Show:
Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://legionathletics.com/shop/
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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/
Politics and religion—the two taboo topics you’re never supposed to bring up on a first date.
Podcasting is similar.
Unless your show is explicitly on either of these subjects, as soon as you even comment on them, the “stay in your lane” comments and emails start flying.
Well, I’ve never been one for orthodoxy, so here we are, with yet another deviation from the usual fitness content—a discussion with my friend and fellow podcaster and author Pat Flynn on religion, and specifically why us moderns should care about it more, not less.
In case you’re not familiar with Pat, he’s a fitness expert known for his kettlebell prowess, a podcaster, and author with several books to his name, including his most recent How to Think About God, which is an illuminating, philosophical look at faith.
Pat’s also a philosopher by training who has made the spiritual trek from atheism to catholicism, so he has not only read widely and thought deeply about this stuff, he also understands what it’s like to be all over the spectrum on the many issues that religion touches.
In this episode, Pat and I discuss . . .
So, whether you’re religious or not, if you’re committed to flourishing to the best of your ability, and certainly if you’ve enjoyed other episodes I’ve done with Pat Flynn, I think you’ll like this one. Press play and let me know your thoughts!
12:37 - Do you think religion in general is good? Do you think having some kind of religion is better than having none?
17:39 - Do you think religion has benefits on a societal and personal level?
38:26 - What if islam becomes the number one religion in the world? What does that mean?
40:40 - What does indefectibility mean?
52:25 - What are your thoughts on what’s happening with child molestation inside the catholic religion?
1:03:38 - Do you think we have an imperative to fight evil?
1:11:29 - Have you ever thought that maybe one day the religion you believe in might be wrong? Would you give up that religion if you knew it was wrong?
1:17:26 - How can you determine for yourself what religion is true to you without becoming a professional philosopher?
1:21:17 - What if you’re wrong?
1:32:57 - Where are some good resources for people who want to know more about catholicism?
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Mentioned on the show
Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://legionathletics.com/shop/
Articles and Docs Pat Mentioned:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AAPQ9UAoKjN6kItIozrPggVqXkg156mfDuJhZd3Hdqk/edit
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3671693/
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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/
As a woman, you face some challenges that guys don’t.
One of the most obvious is the menstrual cycle.
Not only can this affect your mood and daily routine, but it can also throw your diet and training plans for a loop.
If you’ve read anything about the science behind good ol’ Aunt Flo, then you probably know that it can affect your metabolism, how easily your body stores fat, and your appetite.
Your hunger and cravings intensify and your energy and enthusiasm for training wane during your period, all of which works to sabotage your fitness routine.
What should you do when this happens?
Should you stop training and start eating whatever you want, and then try to make up the damage later?
Should you force yourself to stick to your normal diet and training plan, gutting it out until you feel good again?
Or, should you modify your diet and training plan to minimize the meddling of your menses? And if so, how?
You’re going to learn the answers to all of these questions in this podcast.
You’ll learn . . .
Let’s get started.
Timestamps:
4:00 - What goes on during the menstrual cycle?
9:05 - How does the menstrual cycle affect athletic performance?
12:52 - How can I modify my workouts to my menstrual cycle?
Mentioned on the show:
Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://legionathletics.com/shop/
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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/
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 with their positions, but sometimes I end up learning something, and either way, I always appreciate the discussion.
That gave me the idea for this series of podcast episodes: publicly addressing things people disagree with me on and sharing my perspective.
Think of it like a spicier version of a Q&A.
So, here’s what I’m doing:
Every couple of weeks, I’m asking my Instagram followers what they disagree with me on, and then picking a few of the more common or interesting contentions to address here on the podcast.
And in this episode, I’ll be tackling the following . . .
4:50 - “You recommend too much protein and meat in general to be healthy. Blue zones don’t eat much meat or protein.”
14:14 - “Collagen supplementation is more beneficial than you acknowledge.”
19:56 - “All gun laws are an infringement.”
Mentioned on The Show:
Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://legionathletics.com/coaching/
Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/
“Hey Mike, any advice on becoming an online coach?”
“How can I start my own fitness business?”
As an entrepreneur and creator of several successful businesses in the fitness space, I’m often asked how people can break into the industry themselves.
I can understand the enthusiasm. Lots of people who go through a life-changing fitness journey end up wanting to help others make similar changes in their own lives. That was certainly the case for me.
While I’ve built my own thriving online coaching program, I came at it from a different angle--I already had a niche carved out for myself in the fitness world that I could use as a platform to build from. Not everyone has the books, blog, or podcast to launch a new coaching business, so to help people just starting out, I thought I’d talk to an expert.
In this episode, I chat with Jonathan Goodman, who created the first-ever (and only!) certification for online fitness trainers, the Online Trainer Academy. This is a program specifically for online coaches, teaching them how to earn more money and better serve their clients. Jonathan has also written several books on the topic, and is a host on the Online Trainer Show, a podcast chock-full of insights and advice for fitness professionals looking to build an online career.
In our conversation, Jonathan breaks down . . .
So, if you want to learn how to start your own online coaching business or how to take your current business to the next level, definitely give this podcast a listen!
30:28 - What is the difference between maximizers and satisficers?
36:00 - Why is marketing so important?
42:16 - How do you build momentum once you start a business?
1:09:19 - Would you recommend training for free at the beginning to get a better following?
1:22:49 - Where can people find you and your work?
Mentioned on The Show:
Online Trainer Certification: https://www.theptdc.com/online-trainer-academy-certification
The Online Trainer Show: https://www.theptdc.com/online-trainer-show-podcast
Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://legionathletics.com/coaching/
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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/
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