Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

Some people claim eating fruit is a problem because modern fruit is very different from the fruit humans were eating thousands of years ago. Not only is modern fruit larger and more sugary, they say, but now we’re eating a much larger quantity and variety of fruit than we ever did. This is contributing to obesity and other diseases. Is there any truth to these claims? Is modern fruit that differen...

What’s the best way to end a cut once you’ve reached your body fat goal? Should you slowly ramp up calories and reap the purported benefits of a reverse diet, or is that a waste of time or worse, potentially negative? Is it better to increase your calorie intake right to maintenance, or will that result in gaining back the fat you lost due to metabolic adaptation? There’s been a bit of controversy...

Do 95% of diets fail, or is the problem dieters? Does counting calories give you an eating disorder? Is it possible to be in a calorie deficit for years without losing weight? In this podcast, you’re going to hear a bunch of common, bad diet takes. Listen to this podcast and let me know your thoughts! What bad diet takes have you heard? Timestamps: (0:00) - Please leave a review of the show wherev...

Should women use different rep ranges from men? What’re the best hamstring exercises? Should women use heavier weights? What’s my skin care routine and why is my workout playlist so good? How much protein you can absorb and digest in one meal? Should you take EAAs? How do I maintain energy levels throughout the day? Is setian a good source of protein? All that and more in this Q&A podcast. Ove...

In this podcast, I chat with scientist and friend Dr. Bill Campbell about training volume. There’s a recent trend in the fitness space that more volume is always better. Is that always true, though? And if you do want to increase your volume, what’s the best way to do it? You’re going to learn all that and more in this interview. In case you’re not familiar with Dr. Campbell, he’s a professor of E...

Did you know that people with stronger forearms live longer? It’s true. Grip strength is associated with lower all-cause mortality. A stronger grip is also vital for progressing on pushing and pulling exercises like the bench press, overhead press, and any type of deadlift. Of course, strong forearms look nice, too. You can have great biceps, triceps, and shoulders, but it's just not complete if y...

In this installment of the Best of Muscle For Life, you’ll hear hand-picked clips from three popular MFL episodes: an interview with Alan Aragon on the science of healthy eating, a monologue on fish oil supplementation, and a motivational episode on what it really takes to be tough. Some people—my favorite people—listen to most or even all of my podcasts, but my wizbang analytics tell me that whil...

In this podcast, I interview Luke, who read my book Bigger Leaner Stronger and did 6 months of Legion’s VIP one-on-one coaching program to finally dial in his training and nutrition, improve his body composition, and get leaner and stronger than ever before. And the best part is he did it while spending less time in the gym, simplifying his fitness regimen, and learning to love the lifestyle. Now,...

In this podcast, you’re going to learn some very simple health “hacks” you can do right away and start benefiting from immediately. These tips actually work and can make a big difference in your health and well-being. Listen to this podcast and let me know your thoughts! Do you have any of your own hacks? Timestamps: (0:00) - Please leave a review of the show wherever you listen to podcasts and ma...

Is coolsculpting legit? Is rest-pause training beneficial? Does casein before bed help with fat loss? Are there any side lateral raise alternatives? Should you build your metabolism before cutting? What’s the best way to deal with “off,” nonproductive days and a lack of motivation? Is there any truth to the idea of vegetables or whole grains being harmful to health? All that and more in this Q&amp...

We’ve all seen the half- or even quarter-squatter in the gym. Maybe you even used to be one of them. And then you may have learned about using a full range of motion, made amends for your sins, and started squatting to parallel (or even ass to grass). Well, what if partial reps actually weren’t so bad after all? What if there was a way to do them that maximized their effectiveness? What if partial...

Ignoring your rear delts is a mistake. Many lifters don’t give much thought to training their rear deltoids because out of sight usually means out of mind. However, training your rear delts properly will not only makes your shoulders look better, it may also reduce your risk of injury and improve your athletic performance. So, it’s time for your rear delts to get their due, and I’m going to help....

Some people believe veganism is the future and that it’s inevitable. Will the vegan diet eventually become the most popular diet in the world? Whether it’s due to animal products becoming too expensive or just no longer being available, it’s certainly a possibility. In this podcast, I’m going to address that potential future and why I don’t think the vegan diet will become more popular any time so...

The fundamental question of “what should we do with our lives and why?” is an interesting one. With life being finite, I’ve long been fascinated with how to make the most of my time. How can we create more satisfying, meaningful, and fulfilling lives? What types of goals should we aim to achieve? Taking care of our bodies and minds through fitness is one avenue, but there’s more to life than muscl...

I’m sharing a collection of simple life “hacks” you can do right now that will improve your happiness, health, success, and well-being. “Hacks” are usually bunk, but these ones actually work and can make a big difference in your life. Listen to this podcast and let me know your thoughts! Do you have any of your own hacks? Timestamps: (0:00) - Please leave a review of the show wherever you listen t...

How can you lose as much fat as possible for an event or vacation a month away? How should you build up to a PR attempt? How can you find your passion? Are sumo deadlifts “cheating?” Should teenagers track calories? Does intermittent fasting improve insulin sensitivity? Lifting advice for people who have to wear suits. All that and more in this Q&A podcast. Over on Instagram , I’ve started doi...

There’s something comforting about knowing exactly what, when, and how much you’re going to eat every day. You never have to think about food, and you’re guaranteed results whether you’re cutting, maintaining, or bulking. That’s the beauty of meal planning. On the other hand, weighing, tracking, planning, preparing, and packaging all of your meals for the day (or week) in advance is very tedious....

This episode is all about lean bulking and how to do it correctly. Many people take the “dirty bulk” route, which results often results in gaining weight too quickly, unnecessary fat gain, having to cut too soon, and spinning their wheels. In this podcast, you’ll learn how to set up your diet and your training to maximize muscle growth while minimizing fat gain. Listen to this podcast to learn wha...

In this installment of the Best of Muscle For Life, you’ll hear hand-picked clips from three popular MFL episodes: an interview with Eric Helms on natural bodybuilding, a monologue on getting back in the gym after a long break from training, and a motivational episode with my top tips on increasing productivity. Some people—my favorite people—listen to most or even all of my podcasts, but my wizba...

Paul Hough joins me to talk about high-intensity interval training (HIIT). I’ve written about HIIT plenty before, but I wanted to get Paul on the podcast to do a deeper dive on the subject. And HIIT is the subject of one of the chapters in his new textbook, Advanced Personal Training , which aims to turn science into applicable practice for personal trainers. So in this episode we’re chatting all...

I’m offering a slew of diet and exercise “hacks” that will immediately boost your results. “Hacks” are usually hogwash, but in this case, I’m sharing simple tips and tweaks that can make a big difference in your nutrition and training. Listen to this podcast and let me know your thoughts! Timestamps: 0:00 - Want 125 quick, easy, and delicious “fitness friendly” recipes? Get The Shredded Chef : htt...

Can you successfully cut without counting calories or macros? What are my thoughts on intermittent fasting? Is MSG bad for you? How do you gain strength without size? What’s a reasonable amount of “incompete” protein in your diet? Should you eat fewer calories on rest days? All that and more in this Q&A podcast. This podcast is a Q&A, but it’s a bit different from the kind you’ll typically...

I’ve had various non-fitness related discussions with my pal Sal Di Stefano (of Mind Pump Media fame) here on the Muscle For Life podcast, but this time we’re combining topics. In this interview, Sal and I chat about the intersection of culture, politics, and health and fitness, and how fear is used to manipulate people. Sound interesting? I don’t want to spoil the discussion, but we cover all sor...

I’m discussing the latest scientific studies on the ways mental fatigue impacts athletic performance, whether caffeine suppresses your appetite, if knee sleeves benefit your performance, and how weightlifting affects visceral fat loss. Listen now to dive into the science! This podcast is another installment in my Research Roundup series of episodes, where I give you concise and practical takeaways...

Did early humans have a better, more nutritious diet than we do? That’s the idea behind popular “ancestral eating” diets like paleo and primal. The pitch appeals to people who believe “caveman” hunter-gatherers were stronger, faster, more robust, and just plain healthier than our modern-day selves. Is that true, though? Should we be eating like our ancient ancestors, avoiding more modern foods lik...