Muscle for Life

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

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 di

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 quest

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 ep

If you’re like most women, you want a very specific type of body. You want to look toned but not “bulky.” You want to be lean but not scrawny. You want the right lines and curves in all of the right places, like your legs, abs, and butt. Well, you can have all of these things–the whole package–no matter your current condition, genetics, or exercise history. You don’t have to live in the gym or eat like a bird, either. It’s pretty simple, really. All you have to do is… Add enough muscle to the right parts of your body. Reduce your body fat percentage to ~20%. That’s it. Do that, and you’ll have the body of your dreams. I guarantee it. And in this episode, we’re going to focus on number one: gaining muscle. Specifically, we’re going to explore the subject of female muscle growth and dispel myths (like the idea that women simply can’t gain muscle effectively, or shouldn’t), establish scientific facts about building a female physique, and lay out simple, practical guidelines that you can implement immediately. So

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/

If you haven’t read much in the way of self-help/personal development and want to learn some simple but powerful lessons on optimism, positivity, goal setting, and creativity, then you want to read this book. There are two distinct types of self-help books: the analytical, “left-brain” books that offer science-based actions and formulas for betterment, and the whimsical, “right-brain” books that are more like fireside chats with wise old mentors who have illuminating experiences and stories to share. This book is the latter, and one of the better ones of this type that I’ve read (and I tend to not like these types of books). I don’t want to oversell it and put your expectations too high, but I’m recommending it because quite a few of its key ideas are spot-on and actually validated by science. Most of them probably qualify as common sense, but the same can be said of most things that make for good living. The trick isn’t just understanding these ideas intellectually but internalizing and organizing our lives

In this episode, I have another chat with my friend Noah Kagan on the psychology of getting and staying in shape. In case you didn’t catch the last episode, here’s a little primer on Noah: he was the 30th employee at Facebook and the Director of Marketing for Mint, and is the founder of Sumo.com and AppSumo.com, and he happens to be an all-around neat dude with interesting ideas about a lot of things. In this show, Noah and I talk about how to deal with some of the common psychological obstacles and difficulties that keep people from getting the body they really want, and we go all over the place, ranging from Noah’s experiences purposely gaining and losing 40 pounds to my thoughts on how to make training more fun and a lot more. Here’s a little sneak peek of what you’ll find in today’s episode: - How people talk themselves out of getting into shape. - How to immediately make your diet and training more enjoyable. - An easy way to motivate yourself to do new things. - How to use your behaviors to shape your a

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/

If you spend any time on Instagram, you can’t help but run into pretty girls promoting the miracles of “detox” teas. You know… Effortless weight loss Appetite suppression Improved digestion More energy Reduced bloating Improved complexion And more… In fact, many of these fitnessistas swear that they’ve never looked or felt better since starting their detox tea regimens. They’re not alone, either. Celebrity endorsements abound, and they’re flanked by countless before-and-after shots of everyday folk losing 20, 30, even 40+ pounds in just a matter of months. Thus, it’s no surprise that detox teas are more popular than ever. The promise of losing fat, looking sexier, and feeling better by just gulping down some mildly appetizing liquids is just too alluring for many to resist. It also smacks of “too good to be true,” and as you’re going to learn in this episode, there’s more to the detox tea story. A lot more. The reality is detox tea “cleanses” can help you lose weight, but not because of the tea, and not not

In this episode, I have a meandering conversation with my friend Noah Kagan about various things related to book marketing, productivity, and fitness. In case you don’t know Noah, he was the 30th employee at Facebook, the Director of Marketing for Mint, the founder of Sumo.com and AppSumo.com, and an all-around neat dude with interesting ideas about a lot of things. In this episode, Noah and I talk book creation and marketing and how I plan to go from where I am--about 1 million books sold--to 5+ million sold in the next few years, as well as various strategies for getting in shape and staying productive, including intermittent fasting, how to stay excited about working out, and how to organize your environment to make it easier to stay in shape, and more. Click the play button below to listen and let me know what you think! 3:10 - What is your writing process? 13:44 - What separates you from other health coaches? 16:30 - Do cheat days and binge eating work or does it reverse the effects of working out? 19:16

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/

If you want a detailed and practical overview of the science of optimizing your mental and physical performance, then you’re going to like this book. It explores three primary topics–how to use stress and recovery to stimulate progress and growth, how to prime and prepare yourself for optimal performance, and how to tap into the power of purpose–and is packed full of insights and practical takeaways. I’ve read quite a bit in this space already and so didn’t find much in Peak Performance that I hadn’t come across elsewhere, but I did enjoy it nonetheless. It’s a well-organized and well-presented review of the performance literature, and is written in a breezy, conversational style that makes for effortless reading. I particularly liked the procedure for finding and formulating a purpose, whether for an individual project or your entire life. It emphasizes transcending yourself and identifying core values and fundamental beliefs, which I believe is spot on, because while they may be worshipped in today’s cultur

The new documentary What the Health is causing quite the stir these days. According to some people, it’s the nail in the coffin for omnivorous eating, conclusively proving that animal products have disastrous effects on your health and the environment. Others scoff at such claims, dismissing the movie as vegan propaganda meant to shock and scare people into changing their ways. Every day I hear from at least a few people who are surprised, concerned, or skeptical about what’s presented in the film and want my take, and so this is an episode I’ve owed you for a little while now. Well, here’s the long story short: What the Health makes some very good points, and all-in-all, will probably help many people make healthier eating choices. Unfortunately, it’s also riddled with factual errors, misrepresentations and oversimplifications, and outright fabrications. I’m going to break it all down in this episode and directly address a number of questions that you probably have after watching the film, including… Does e

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/

If you look into the reading habits of extremely successful people, you’ll notice that many of them spend a lot of time reading biographies and autobiographies. For example, top Nike designer and entrepreneur D’Wayne Edwards attributes much of his unlikely professional success to a biography of Jackie Robinson that inspired him to endure great hardship. Elon Musk has also spoken many times about his love of biographies of brilliant inventors and entrepreneurs, including Howard Hughes, Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, and, fittingly, Benjamin Franklin. There are several reasons why this type of literature is so popular among overachievers. First, we humans love good stories, and if someone has a book dedicated to his or her life, chances are it’s because they have an unusual and compelling story to tell. Second, biographies are the ultimate in self-improvement literature because they provide you with wide-ranging, raw, and unfiltered information and insights as opposed to carefully chosen and pre-digested morsel

Spend enough time in the gym and you’ll inevitably notice that the biggest guys and gals are also often the strongest. Sure, some people are stronger than they look, but for the most part, strength and size seem to be directly correlated. The bigger someone is, the bigger his weights tend to be. This begs a question, then: Is muscle growth simply a byproduct of strength? If you just focus on getting stronger and stronger, will your muscles just get bigger and bigger? Advocates of strength training have been saying this for decades, but their detractors say that muscle growth isn’t that simple. They point to stringbeans that can push, pull, and squat tremendous amounts of weight, and to research that appears to demonstrate that heavy weightlifting–the bread and butter of all strength programs–simply isn’t necessary for getting big muscles. Instead, they counter, you can focus on other training variables, such as volume, time under tension, metabolic fatigue, and others, and achieve the same results. Who’s righ

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/

This is one of my all-time favorite success/self-development books and one that I regularly gift and recommend to others because I attribute much of my own success in business and other areas of my life to the lessons found in Mastery--lessons that I believe can transform anyone’s life for the better if they’re truly taken to heart.The premise of the book is simple: any one of us can become an elite performer in a skill or field if we simply embrace and embody established attitudes and behaviors that have produced past and current champions, and more importantly, that every one of us should strive toward greatness if we want to lead fulfilling lives.I think these messages are sorely needed because they’re in stark contrast to much of our mainstream culture, which is producing more and more people who are less and less interested in self-actualization than worshipping and pursuing meaningless materialism, entertainment, and distractions, and who are then dismayed when they realize that their lives feel hollow