Muscle for Life

“Taking BCAAs in addition to eating plenty of protein is like watering your lawn . . . after a storm.” This episode is filled with similar, fun fitness analogies from my next book project. I’ll talk more about that later, but I wanted to share some of the material from that book. It’s just for fun, and I hope you’ll laugh a bit. Press play and let me know what you think! Timestamps: 0:00 -  Please leave a review and subscribe to the podcast! 6:27 - Want 125 quick, easy, and delicious “fitness friendly” recipes? Get The Shredded Chef: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/the-shredded-chef/ Mentioned on the Show: Want 125 quick, easy, and delicious “fitness friendly” recipes? Check out The Shredded Chef: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/the-shredded-chef/

What are the benefits of massage? Is the pec deck effective at all? Is CLA a dud supplement? Best foods for bulking? 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 episode, let me know. Send me an email ([email protected]) or direct message me o

In this podcast, I chat with scientist and friend Dr. Bill Campbell all about flexible dieting. Specifically, we discuss a study out of his lab that compared a flexible, IIFYM diet with a more rigid, meal plan approach. In case you’re not familiar with Dr. Campbell, he’s a professor of Exercise Science and the Director of the Performance & Physique Enhancement Laboratory at the University of South Florida, who’s also published more than 150 scientific papers. In other words, Dr. Campbell has long been behind the scenes, conducting research on practical, fitness-related matters that can be applied to get us more jacked. The study we’re discussing on flexible versus rigid dieting is no exception. Surprisingly, it’s the first comparison of IIFYM to rigid dieting with resistance-trained athletes as the subjects, which makes it especially applicable to fitness folks. In this episode, Dr. Campbell describes the study, the results, and his practical approach of protein-anchored flexible dieting. We also get into

What is the healthiest diet in the world? That’s something I’m often asked, and a question many researchers have tried to answer. Unfortunately, many of the most popular answers aren’t the best ones. They’re either not quite accurate or ridiculously wrong, which is mostly a function of marketing. A lot of fad diets get attention because they are marketed well. Too many fad diets focus on restricting certain foods or food groups, instead of encouraging you to eat others. Often the restrictions are based on bad science, faulty logic, or marketing puffery. Luckily, the healthiest diet on the planet is quite simple, and I’m going to explain the handful of guidelines in this podcast. Timestamps: 0:00 - My pre-workout Pulse’s seasonal flavors Frosted Cranberry and Apple Cider are 20% off this week only! Go to buylegion.com/pulse to check them out and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% on any non-sale items or get double reward points! 4:28 - What is a healthy diet? 5:41 - Is a vegan diet a healthy diet? 8:43 - Is

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 hearing hand-picked morsels from three episodes: Ben Pakulski on Meditation, Consciousness, Focus, Spirituality, and More (Originally published 4/29/2019) The Easiest Cardio Workout You Can Do (That Actually Works) (Originally published 5/31/2018) Book Club: Alexander the Great by Philip Freeman  (Originally published 10/

In this podcast, I interview Laurie, who did three months of Legion’s VIP one-on-one coaching program to get strong while improving her body composition. In fact, Laurie went from lifting just the bar on her squat and deadlift (and less than the bar on the bench press) to lifting more than double that on each lift with ease. And she did that all while losing 6 pounds and dropping nearly two pant sizes. Laurie had started to read Thinner Leaner Stronger, but was overwhelmed by nutrition and meal planning and didn’t really know what to do in the gym. She was following random workouts from influences and didn’t have a set program to follow, which led to a lot of gym intimidation. Ultimately, she decided to get a coach to handle her training programming and macros and help overcome her fear. In this interview, Laurie and I chat about her story, and the obstacles she navigated along the way, including how she started meal planning and prepping and learned to eat without weighing everything, how she increased her p

The distinction between believed and checked facts is vital to good thinking. How many things do you know because of firsthand verification rather than secondhand instruction? The truth is many or even most of our assumptions about, well, just about everything are believed facts, not checked ones. While we only have time to check so many facts, serious problems arise when we can’t distinguish between believed and checked facts. When too many believed facts are misfiled as checked ones, and when we refuse to review and revise them no matter what we see or experience, or worse, when we carefully filter our observations and experiences to preserve our cognitive status quo, we can lose our ability to successfully navigate reality. There are various reasons we’re all prone to this thinking trap, but the desire to avoid uncertainty is likely a big one. “Yes” and “no” provide security and comfort whereas “maybe” and “probably” are slippery and treacherous. But they’re also a more accurate reflection of reality. And

Have only 30 minutes to train? How much caffeine do I consume per day? How did I meet my wife? Are hydration drinks overrated? What are the best marketing books? 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 episode, let me know. Send me an email (m

If you enjoy my previous philosophical musings with my good buddy Pat Flynn, you’re going to enjoy this podcast. That’s because in it, Pat Flynn and I discuss the concept of scientism, “the Science” with a capital “S,” as well as epistemological questions like “how do we know what we know?” Pat is a repeat guest not only because I enjoy our conversations, but I’ve gotten great feedback from listeners who like hearing about these deeper, philosophical topics we wade through. Plus, I believe the answers to these “big” questions like the ones we discuss in these philosophical tangent episodes (or at least the act of thinking about them) can help us live a better life. In case you’re not familiar with Pat, not only is he a fitness expert who is known for his kettlebell prowess, but he’s also a podcaster, philosopher, and author. In our discussion, we talk about . . . Science with a capital “S” and how we know what we “know” When and why to be skeptical of “the science” What scientism is and what science can

While there’s still no foolproof cure for Covid, the good news is research shows that if you’re a healthy person under the age of sixty, your chances of being hospitalized or killed by the disease are extremely low. Many people can rightly dismiss Covid as “just another respiratory virus.” However, what if they have an underlying health condition like diabetes, heart disease, or chronic bronchitis? Or, what if they’re healthy but want to make themselves as Covid-resistant as they possibly can? What can and should they do? Scientists have collected and analyzed a huge amount of data on Covid and have a good understanding of the major lifestyle factors that increase and decrease the risk of catching a bad case of the latest variant. In this podcast, I’m going to cover the top 9 tips to naturally reduce your risk of Covid. Timestamps: 0:00 - New Recharge flavor Grape is out now! Try Recharge risk-free today! Go to https://buylegion.com/recharge and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points

Is “maingaining” or “gaintaining” better than lean bulking? 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:

When you really break it down, fitness is pretty simple. Want to gain muscle and get stronger? Lift heavy weights and make those weights heavier over time to keep making progress. Want to lose weight? Eat fewer calories than you burn by eating less, moving more, or both. However, dumbing it down to such simple tenets isn’t always helpful. For someone who’s very overweight, for example, blunt “eat less” advice isn’t necessarily the most motivating or even practical tip. Helping people requires a bit more nuance. And it often helps to hear from someone who has made it through that journey themselves rather than a trainer who’s never been a pound above ripped. Enter Ethan Suplee, who has had one of the most impressive transformations I’ve seen. I’ve had him on my podcast before to talk about his journey from over 500 pounds to jacked with abs. In case you’re not familiar with Ethan, he’s a Hollywood actor who’s appeared in quite a few blockbuster movies and hit T.V. shows including Mallrats, Without a Paddle, Am

Is exercise addiction real? Is it something to worry about? In general, the opposite is the problem here in America. Seventy-seven percent of Americans fail to reach the minimum recommended physical activity guidelines, while only about 0.5% of people can be classified as what we might call exercise addicts. However, the numbers change when you look at certain demographics. For example, when you look at “fitness people” specifically, exercise addiction is much more common according to a number of studies. So what is exercise addiction? Could you be addicted to exercise or maybe on the path to becoming addicted? What are the signs of exercise addictions? How do you know if you’re exercising too much? I answer all that and more in this podcast, so press play and dive in! Timestamps: 0:00 - My fat-burners Phoenix and Forge are 25% off this week only! Go to buylegion.com and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% on any non-sale items or get double reward points! 3:55 - What is exercise addiction? 5:25 - What classi

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 episode, let me know. Send me an email ([email protected]) or direct message me on Instagram. And if you don’t like it, let me know that too or how you think it could be better. Timestamps 0:00 - W

This podcast is all about creatine. Specifically, I'm talking with Dr. Darren Candow about common questions regarding creatine, myths, and even some of the latest research on how creatine might even benefit people who aren’t looking to gain gobs of muscle or athletes looking to recover faster. While creatine isn’t a new subject for the podcast or my content in general, Dr. Darren Candow is a fantastic guest to dive deeper on the topic. That’s because he’s studied it directly in the field. Not only is Darren a professor at the University of Regina, but his research is focused on creatine and resistance training, and he’s produced 87 peer-reviewed studies and his work has been cited thousands of times. In other words, he knows a thing or two about science and evidence-based supplementation. In our discussion, we talk about . . . Whether creatine affects balding and hair loss How supplementation affects the body’s natural production of creatine Cognitive and brain health benefits of creatine Whether kids

This episode is part of a 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: 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 for the latest and greatest installment. Timestamps: 0:00 -  Please leave a review and subscribe to the podcast! 2:07 - Get my best-selling books Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger for just 99 cents! This week only: https://legionathletics.com/products/on-sale/ Mentioned on the Show: Get my best-selling books Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger for just 99 cent

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 hearing hand-picked morsels from three episodes: Dr. Mike Israetel on Breaking Through Muscle Gain Plateaus (Originally published 7/10/2019) Should You Use Supersets to Build Muscle Faster? What 18 Studies Say  (Originally published 6/6/2018) Motivation Monday: If You Can Change Your Body, You Can Change Your Life (Origin

In this podcast, I interview my good friend Neil Patel about his approach to goal setting. You may not know Neil, especially because he doesn’t appear on many podcasts, but he’s a true expert in the field of entrepreneurship and business. He’s a real marketing “guru” and the most successful of my close friends in business (and other aspects of life). Beyond his ad agency and SEO expertise, Neil is a New York Times Bestselling author, and he’s been called a top influencer by The Wall Street Journal, as well as a top 10 marketer by Forbes. He was even recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama and a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 35 by the United Nations. The bottom line is Neil knows how to get results and help businesses grow, so he’s the ideal person to discuss the right ways to set big, yet achievable, goals. In our chat, we discuss . . . How to set big goals while staying realistic How to stay on track with long-term goals Staying motivated through passion and s

Reading great health and fitness books is one of the most effective ways to learn how to build your best body ever and a body you can proud of. There are many fitness books out there, but we only have so much time and energy to give to reading. We want to make sure we pick the ones that will have the highest return on our investment. So which books should you read? In this podcast, I’m going to share the nine best fitness books of all time (as of February 2022, at least). So if you’re interested in getting at least a little bit better at losing fat, getting stronger, performing better, or getting healthier, this episode is for you. I’m going to share the books that have helped me do those things and that can help you as well. Timestamps: 0:00 - Our (new and improved) protein bars are back! Try them risk-free today! Go to buylegion.com/bar and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% or get double reward points 4:24 - Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe 8:52 - Bigger Leaner Stronger by Mike Mathews 14:29 - Thinner L

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 s