Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

Imagine if there was a gym that blared a siren when people didn’t re-rack their weights or wipe down their equipment. Or a gym that celebrated your fitness wins. Would you go to a gym like that? Listen to this podcast to hear what I’m talking about and let me know your thoughts! Timestamps: 0:00 - Please leave a review of the show wherever you listen to podcasts and make sure to subscribe! 0:54 -...

Is sugar ruining your health? Is a high sugar diet worse for you than eating lot of saturated fat? Have we been blaming fat for problems caused by sugar? Find out in this podcast. 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 wo...

Do you wear an Oura Ring, Whoop Band, FitBit, Apple Watch, or other fitness tracker, or ever thought about getting one? Advances in technology and people’s desire to take their health and fitness into their own hands have made wearable fitness devices more popular than ever. These tools claim to offer us unprecedented levels of insight into our health and well-being, but how accurate are these dev...

Looking for a dietary supplement that can help you lose fat, build muscle, and improve your overall health? Many people claim CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is the answer. CLA is a widely popular supplement in fitness circles and advocates believe it provides numerous health benefits. From promoting muscle growth to aiding fat loss, and even reducing the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disord...

What’s the best cardio if you only have 10 minutes? Is drinking diet soda ok in moderation? What do I think about the 5:2 diet? Can you train heavy while also preparing for long-distance runs? What are my thoughts on biohacking? Are there different health effects between high-fat and high-carb diets while in a deficit? All of that and more in this Q&A podcast. Over on Instagram , I’ve started...

Most people know newbies can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, but can intermediate or advanced lifters accomplish a body recomposition? In other words, if you’re already fit, can you optimize your body composition by building muscle and losing fat simultaneously, or do you have to cycle through bulks and cuts? More importantly, how do you actually do a body recomp? Is there a difference...

My Book Club series is back! These are my top 10 key takeaways from Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive by Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin, and Robert Cialdini. “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...

In this installment of the Best of Muscle For Life, you’ll hear hand-picked clips from three popular MFL episodes: an interview with Jordan Syatt on building a healthy relationship with food, a monologue on the importance of volume versus intensity for gaining muscle, and a book club episode on Walter Isaacson’s Benjamin Franklin . Some people—my favorite people—listen to most or even all of my po...

In this podcast, I interview Emily, who read my book Thinner Leaner Stronger and joined my one-on-one coaching program to take her health into her own hands, lose 25 pounds, and get leaner and stronger than ever before. Before she found my work, she was 175 pounds and felt skinny fat. She didn’t feel like she knew what she was doing, especially when it came to nutrition, and was spinning her wheel...

Want to know the most common fitness-related regret? I’ve worked with tens of thousands of people over the years, and the answer is pretty clear: not starting sooner. So, don't let fear and lack of motivation hold you back any longer. In this podcast, you’ll learn how even small changes in your routine can lead to major results. The impact of simple habits like strength training, walking, eating v...

How can you break the habit of eating sweets? Should you sacrifice sleep to workout? Why haven’t I started taking steroids? Is training 6 days per week too much? What’s my business motivation and how would I deal with a huge financial failure? All of that and more in this Q&A podcast. Over on Instagram , I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podcast...

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you start eating and just can't seem to stop? Well, you're not alone. Binge eating can be a frustrating and defeating experience for many of us. It can quickly set us back in our health and fitness journey, especially when it comes to reaching our body composition goals. And even if you don't struggle with binge eating disorder, you may still find...

If you want to get into great shape and stay that way, this is the last exercise advice you’ll ever need. In this podcast, I’m giving you the ultimate strength training plan for men. You’re going to learn about volume and intensity, what drives muscle growth, progressive overload, and what you need to focus on to keep gaining muscle and strength. I also offer a “magic” formula you can use for your...

What advice would I give to my younger self? Well, I recently went through a previous episode of the podcast in which I answered this question and wanted to make some updates. So, without further ado, this is my updated advice to my younger self. Listen to this podcast and let me know what you think! What advice would you give your past self? Timestamps: (0:00) - Please leave a review of the show...

There’s a weight loss drug revolution happening right now. Medicines containing semaglutide (like Ozempic and Wegovy) used to treat diabetes have recently gained FDA approval for obesity, and many people are turning to drugs to help them lose weight. Weight loss drugs aren’t new—previous medications like fen-phen turned out to be dangerous, and even taken off the market. However, these newer drugs...

Have you ever heard that some people just don’t have the genetics to get big and strong? Or that you need to change exercises frequently to make progress? Or that exercise is a bad way to lose fat? There are numerous exercise myths out there, and in this podcast, you’re going to learn about the worst offenders. In this podcast, I’m sharing an excerpt from the audiobook version of the latest fourth...

Are home saunas worth it? Should you wear a glucose monitor? What are my thoughts on the Liver King scandal? Tips on reducing muscle soreness and beating a strength plateau. Why am I not more jacked? Do hip thrusts live up to the hype? All of that and more in this Q&A podcast. Over on Instagram , I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podcast listene...

Is calories in versus calories out “bad science”? Are all calories the same? Will dieting damage your metabolism? Do you have to eat big to get big? Does sugar make you fat and unhealthy? Does eating carbs at night cause weight gain? Answers to all those questions and more in this podcast. In this podcast, I’m sharing an excerpt from the audiobook version of the latest fourth edition of my bestsel...

Is weight gain during menopause unavoidable? Most women gain weight during menopause, but does menopause actually cause fat gain? What changes occur in the body that make it easier to pack on the pounds during this hormonal shift? How can you prevent weight gain during menopause and how can you lose the belly fat gained while going through it? You’re going to learn all that and more in this podcas...

In this installment of the Best of Muscle For Life, you’ll hear hand-picked clips from three popular MFL episodes: an interview with Brad Schoenfeld on the science of time-efficient training, a monologue on the “best” workout split for gaining muscle, and a Motivation Monday episode on how the Stockdale Paradox can change your life. Some people—my favorite people—listen to most or even all of my p...

It’s not news that the fitness industry is filled with misinformation. Whether it’s coming from supplement peddlers spewing pseudoscience or fake natties touting the benefits of living like a hunter-gatherer, the fitness space can be tough to navigate (and especially for newcomers). Who can you trust and who makes an effort to seem trustworthy, but is really just wanting to sell you something? Tha...

Whether you're squatting the bar or a pile of plates, if you're in the gym, you deserve to be there. To take up space. To take up time. Anyone who tries to make you feel otherwise can choke on a rusty spoon. Listen to this podcast for a bit of motivational inspiration! Timestamps: (0:00) - Please leave a review of the show wherever you listen to podcasts and make sure to subscribe! (2:48) - Want 1...

What’s my favorite type of cardio? Should you take cold showers after your workouts? My advice for starting a business. When is Legion’s energy drink coming? How much sodium should you eat? Tips for reading on your phone. Is popcorn a healthy snack? All that and more in this Q&A podcast. Over on Instagram , I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podc...

Can you live longer by changing the way you eat? There are many claims out there about intermittent fasting and its impact on health and longevity. Some people say you can extend your lifespan just by rearranging the time window of when you eat every day. Is that true, though? What does science say about fasting in humans and its effects on how long you’ll live? Rather than examining this myself,...

Mushroom supplements are more popular than ever. For really the last couple of years more and more influential people have been claiming that these supplements offer a wide range of benefits including improving your cardiovascular, metabolic, and brain health, reducing your risk of disease and dysfunction, improving athletic performance, and much more. But not everyone is so gung-ho about them. Fu...