Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

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 o...

If you’re like, well, most everyone, you have at least a little bit of joint pain. Maybe it’s your shoulder, or your knee, or your hips, and maybe the pain comes and goes or maybe it lingers. Maybe you’ve tried things to sort it out like stretching, resistance training, foam rolling, anti-inflammatories, and natural supplements like glucosamine chondroitin, only to be disappointed. And now you’re...

What would you rather have—a Rolex watch or more vascular arms, legs, and abs? If you chose the latter, I like you, and you’ve come to the right place. Because while I can’t help you get a shiny new Yachmaster, I’m going to show you exactly what you need to become the proud owner of some new skin-popping veins. And yes, you can get more vascular even if you’re genetically the “smoother” type, like...

Choosing a workout routine can be a daunting task. You have to decide how many days to train, which muscle groups to work on which days, which exercises to do, how many sets and reps to perform, how to program in progressive overload, and on and on. It’s no wonder that so many people find weightlifting overwhelming and confusing, and why they often choose the simplest option: full-body workouts. M...

It’s 6 AM and you trudge toward the bathroom like it’s the gallows. The cold winds of despair howl. Shadowy fingers clamp around your throat. Today you face judgement. Today is weigh-in day. You shuffle onto the scale and wait, like a deer gawking at the hunter’s rifle. The number flashes onto the screen. Not a number but the number. That same…damn…scowling…mocking…number. Why? Why the hell are yo...

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 o...

Every month or so I like to read a book that I hope will just make me a little smarter. Well, this is one of the better “make me smarter” books that I’ve read in a long time. It’s chock-full of simple but profound psychological, behavioral, and economic insights that will make you a better thinker and decision maker and help you avoid some of the more common cognitive pitfalls that lead people ast...

In this episode I interview Cassandra, who recently completed my 90 day coaching service. As you will hear, she had some pretty outstanding results. She lost about 25 pounds and 6% body fat while gaining strength on her key lifts in just 90 days. In this interview, she is going to share a bit of her back story. She is going to share with us what she had done previously and where it got her, what w...

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 o...

You’re probably here because you want to gain muscle or lose fat faster and you’re wondering if estrogen blockers can help. You’ve probably also seen fantastical claims about what these drugs and supplements can do to your physique. You’re not alone. Thousands of others are searching about estrogen blockers every day, too, because they’ve heard the same blarney that brought you here. And in this e...

If you’ve spent any amount of time lifting weights, taken a break for a bit, and then started back up again, you probably noticed that you seemed to regain strength and size much quicker than the first time around. Well, this isn’t your mind playing tricks on you–the acceleration in progress is a scientifically verified phenomenon often referred to as “muscle memory,” but what is actually going on...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Mike Zourdos who’s an assistant professor of Exercise Science at Florida Atlantic University, published researcher, and competitive powerlifter, as well as the head Powerlifting coach at Florida State University. Mike also produces a fantastic monthly research review along with Dr. Eric Helms and Greg Nuckols, called MASS ( www.strongerbyscience.com/mass ), and in...

Let’s face it. A big reason we work out is to look good. Yes, there are many other benefits beyond the physical, but what we see in the mirror every day matters. A lot. That’s why a big part of staying motivated to stick to our meal plans and training programs is seeing progress. And this is where the mirror can mislead. You see, it takes longer than most of us realize to see marked changes in our...

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 o...

I have a rather long list of things in the fitness space that annoy the shit out of me. To name a few… Starvation dieting Low-carb mania Most fitness magazines The cult of “clean eating“ “Weight loss foods“ Supplement shenanigans Celebrity workouts Most weightlifting advice given to women If you feel the same way, you’ve come to the right place. We were tarred with the same brush. And in this epis...

In this episode I interview Jason Phillips from iN3 Nutrition, who runs a thriving coaching business that is particularly popular among Crossfitters. Accordingly, Jason has worked with many Crossfit athletes, and many high-level Crossfit athletes, and has seen firsthand what a lot of extreme exercise and dieting can do to the body, and to the metabolism in particular. In short, if you push the env...

Some people say that anterior pelvic tilt  is caused by weak and tight muscles, and that it’s likely to lead to back pain, injuries, and other dysfunctions. Others say that anterior pelvic tilt is totally normal and can’t be changed, so it’s not worth worrying about. Well, the short story is that anterior pelvic tilt is normal and probably isn’t a major cause for concern. If it is a problem, it’s...

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 o...

Nitric oxide supplements hit the bodybuilding scene about a decade ago, and they hit the ground running. The first one to make waves was called “NO2.” It became an overnight bestseller, and was quickly followed by a pile of “me too” products, which only served to further ratchet up the nitric oxide hype. People were saying it’s the next creatine. A natural and safe alternative to steroids, even. I...

“You have to change up your workouts more.” “You have to eat more protein.” “You have to increase your time under tension.” “You have to use more/less weight in your training.” If you’re looking for advice on building muscle, you’ve probably heard plenty of one-liners like those. If you keep looking, you’ll hear a lot more. And, after it all, you’ll probably wind up like most people–confused, frus...

I don’t know about you, but I like simple. And here’s a simple fact for you: You don’t need to do anything particularly special or fancy to build the body of your dreams. At least 80% of the game is just understanding and applying a relatively small number of physiological principles related to diet and exercise. And I’d go as far as saying that the majority of what’s left is just patience and per...

Don’t buy into the bullshit. You can look and feel great at any age. You don’t have to be in your 20s to be muscular, lean, and strong. In fact, play your cards right and you can show the “kids” how the fitness game really works. Your muscle doesn’t have to wither away as you age. You don’t have to remove “six-pack” from your bucket list. Your metabolism doesn’t have to implode Your hormones don’t...

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 o...

If you want a short but fantastic primer on the basics of good marketing, including the primary goal of marketing, the fundamentals of good branding, product creation, advertising, and more, then you want to read this book. One of the reasons I like it so much is it’s concerned more with high-level thinking than tactical application, and strives to give you principles that you can extrapolate into...

You’ve been eating right. Exercising regularly. Drinking water and even taking your vitamins. Why the hell, then, is your stomach so bloated all the time? Why do you look three months pregnant if you don’t suck your stomach in? Why does eating make it look like you’re carrying twins? Why does your skin feel like a waterlogged sponge? If any of these questions have been echoing around in your head,...