Muscle Science for Women

This is a fun one! In today's episode, Rachel and Ashleigh discuss the concept of body types: (you've probably heard of these, ectomorph, endomorph, and mesomorph). They talk about: how these body types are characterized if there's real "truth" to these categorizations whether you can change your body composition dramatically outside of your body type how to train to optimize your body type and ho...

Ashleigh and Rachel are VERY excited to answer questions from some younger listeners! They answer questions from a high school listener about weight gain and birth control, training plans for weight loss, training around injury, and optimal nutrition for younger people.  They also dive into pesticides in your coffee (and how to avoid them); why they don't give out free workouts to help sell their...

In this episode Ashleigh asks the CEO and co-founder of Kion, Angelo Keely, to do a deep dive on essential amino acids. As a life-long meat eater, Ashleigh is skeptical about EAA supplements, so they talk about: What essential amino acids are and why they're important The differences between BCAA's and EAA's How much you're actually getting from your food How to make sure you're getting enough to...

In this episode Ashleigh shares her struggles with burnout, comparing her current self to her former self, and struggling with balancing her current goals and responsibilities with her training plan. She and Rachel dive into concepts like identity and fitness, the importance of training in an organized and progressive way, and how to move past boredom and even burnout. They also answer questions a...

In this episode of Muscle Science for Women, Ashleigh and Rachel dive into a case study of a woman looking to start over again in her fitness and strength journey, after kids and taking time away from the gym. They provide practical tips on how to overcome obstacles and mental hurdles, identify small wins and how they add up to big change over time, and how much time and effort a busy person reall...

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel talk about some of the ways their beliefs and behaviors around fitness and nutrition have changed over the past ten years; they discuss what may be missing from your plan if you seem to be doing everything right but just aren't seeing progress; and what the margin of error is when trying to determine your optimal macro ratio.  If you have any questions you want...

In this episode Ashleigh and Rachel discuss whether or not you can effectively grow your legs and glutes with a limited home gym (and give plenty of advice on how you can maximize your workouts no matter where you are or what equipment you have). They both recently invested in some of the trendy new walking office treadmills and talk about whether they think they're worth it; how their meal preppi...

In this episode Ashleigh and Rachel dive into a variety of topics around nutrition, including understanding the difference between a food "sensitivity" and an actual allergy; they talk about whether foods that are widely touted as unhealthy (like gluten) should be avoided even if you don't seem to be sensitive to them; and they discuss their own recent experiments with continuous blood glucose mon...

In this episode Rachel and Ashleigh discuss mindset and the do's and don'ts of staying healthy while traveling. Rachel has just come back from an epic three-week trip to Thailand, and Ashleigh is about to embark on an all-inclusive family vacation, so they chat about stuff like:  How to approach exercise while on vacation - how much should you prioritize it? What's the most effective exercise to d...

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel answer listener questions about: Why creatine may be making you sick; The fun of coming up with new workout challenges; Resources for overcoming hypothalamic amenorrhea; Why most people shouldn't try competitive bodybuilding; New experiences with therapy and how it can improve overall health The ladies get personal in this one, we hope you enjoy it and learn so...

In this episode, Ashleigh sits down with Halie Schoff, functional wellness and nutrition expert and coach who specializes in gut and hormonal health, to talk about how to best support digestive health during different phases of life. They also discuss certain controversial health practices (coffee enema, anyone?) and whether or not someone who practices a healthy lifestyle really "needs" additiona...

In the LAST episode of 2023, Ashleigh and Rachel talk about goals and answer listener questions about: Training around injuries: how to keep training, how to avoid making injuries worse, and how to know when it's time to back off or keep going Reverse dieting - what it means, how to do it, and why your diet may be holding you back from your goals Running training (and how you can train for enduran...

In this episode, Ashleigh speaks with Erin Power, the coaching and curriculum director at the Primal Health Coach Institute about the complex and layered relationship between a health/fitness/nutrition coach and their client. They dive into topics like: How to get the most out of your coach (and pick the right one) Goal-setting: when it's useful, when it's not, and how to feel good in between goal...

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel answer more listener questions, like: What to do when your training goals conflict with your work requirements How to optimize training around high-stress jobs and shift work How to know when you're too sore to work out How to continue to traing your glutes even if they're already "too big".... And much more! Remember, if you're a first responder, medical profe...

Today Ashleigh dives into your most frequently asked hormone questions with Esther Blum, an Integrative Dietitian and Menopause Expert. In the past 27 years she has helped thousands of women master menopause through nutrition, hormones and self-advocacy.  Esther is the bestselling author of See ya later, Ovulator and Cavewomen Don't Get Fat, among others. Learn more about Esther here: estherblum.c...

In this episode Ashleigh and Rachel catch up on their lives, answer listener questions, and get pretty fired up over: Lazy journalism around diet and nutrition Major misconceptions about "super foods" and ideal diets that mainstream nutritionists are still teaching The biggest challenges they see in their coaching practices that hamper client progress Why instant gratification is the enemy of succ...

In this week's episode, Ashleigh speaks with Dr. Stephanie Estima, a doctor of chiropractic and a health expert focusing on improving lifespan, health span, body composition, and optimal performance. They dive into topics like: Optimizing diet and training for longevity and health Optimizing hormones throughout the lifespan The benefits of HRT for women Sexism in the fitness industry and how it im...

In this Q&A episode, Rachel and Ashleigh answer questions about: How to hydrate properly, and how alcohol factors in What to do when you've hit a body composition plateau How to determine if you're actually eating as much (or more, or less) than you think you are - spoiler alert, most of us are not good at accuracy with this! Ashleigh talks about her plan to get fitter by the end of the year and s...

In this episode, Ashleigh talks about the stress of sending her toddler to pre-school and her fitness plans for the rest of 2023; Rachel gives an update on her "mini cut" and they answer questions about how to eat out while on a diet. They also dive into the concept of a "weight set point": what it is, can you change it, and how your understanding of it may help or hinder your body composition goa...

In this episode, Ashleigh speaks with Dr. Bill Schindler, an archaeologist, primitive technologist, chef, and author of the book, Eat Like a Human. They cover: His journey from having an unhealthy approach to food and body image in his younger years, to learning how to enjoy a more nourishing and less punishing relationship with food; The ONE food humans are actually perfectly designed to eat, and...

In this episode Rachel tells us about her "mini cut" for an upcoming vacation, which leads to a discussion on pool party fashion; Ashleigh has a wellness industry rant about "girl dinner;" they talk about their favorite (and most embarrassing) music to listen to while working out, and they get into the business and branding side of Muscle Science for Women. This one is a real mixed bag of fitness...

Ashleigh and Rachel get real womanly in this episode, covering everything about periods including: the period products we like and use; how to avoid premenstrual headaches, a case study about how to get your period back if you've lost it; and why having a period is "a luxury." We also talk more about skincare and have a surprise special guest! If you have topic ideas or questions for the hosts, se...

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel chat about the new American Gladiators documentary, what type of testing is best to determine hormone levels and overall health, and how to optimize unilateral --single limb--training: why it's important, what exercises are most impactful, and how to rest properly for maximum output. If you have topic ideas or questions for the hosts, send them to musclescience...

In this Q&A episode, Ashleigh and Rachel dive into the 75 hard challenge, they talk about safe sun exposure, caffeine consumption, and they revisit their old debate on using wrist straps when lifting...this is a fun one, don't miss it!  If you have topic ideas or questions for the hosts, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com . More info on our flagship strength training program, Muscle Scienc...

In this fun episode Ashleigh and Rachel show off some summer fashion (follow us on YouTube to watch the episodes!) and answer listener questions including: How to fix bloating, and how much stomach bloat is normal How to optimize good digestion How to find a doctor who understands the importance of nutrition What is nutritional yeast and is it good for you? Are good mornings a good exercise? And m...