Muscle Science for Women

In this episode with Ashleigh and her special guest, postpartum fitness and kettlebell expert Melissa Paris, the two moms discuss the importance of the postpartum period for long-term health and healing, the kinds of breathwork that help improve core stability, the best way to support and strengthen core and pelvic health both before and after birth, how to navigate fitness "as a mom" while juggli...

In this episode, Rachel and Ashleigh dive deeper into the topic of hormone replacement therapy for women, attempting to clear up some misconceptions and provide information for listeners to better inform their own further research. (As a reminder, this episode does not contain medical advice and is meant for general information and entertainment purposes only.) The ladies cover topics including: S...

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel try (and fail) to do a rapid-fire Q&A, but they still cover a lot of ground: they chat about the latest fat-loss drug, Ozempic; the new social media food trend of making everything out of cottage cheese; and answer other questions about gut health, whether there's value in core-specific workouts, and how often you should "go to failure" in your workouts. All th...

In this Q&A episode, Rachel and Ashleigh catch up on what's going on in their lives after a brief break and chat about: Impactful glute exercises Learning new skills The misconceptions around hormone replacement therapy for women And that's just the tip of the iceberg! If you have more questions for Ashleigh and Rachel, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com Check out our new program, the Grow...

In this re-released episode, Ashleigh discusses what she's seen/experienced as the issues in the coaching industry today, and what we can all do to improve it. As a professional in the health and fitness industry for more than a decade, Ashleigh has worked as a coach and has experience as a client; she's also worked with, observed, interviewed, and learned from some of the top coaches in the indus...

In this re-released episode, Ashleigh welcomes back her friend Dr. Elly Michelle Lieppman, a licensed naturopathic doctor who specializes in individualized women's medicine, optimizing hormones, digestion, and energy. Learn more at drellymichelle.com. Dr. Elly and Ashleigh tackle the complex and spicy topic of sexual health and libido - discussing topics like: How libido is an indicator of overall...

In this Q&A episode, Ashleigh and Rachel are asked about their body fat percentages, our favorite lifts, what to do with rest day restlessness, and more chats about optimizing training around your monthly cycle.  Have more questions or topic ideas for us? Email them to musclescience4women@gmail.com . Check out our new program, the Grow your Glutes Workshop. More info on our flagship strength train...

Since May is a busy month for the Muscle Science for Women ladies, please enjoy the re-release of one of the most popular podcast episodes Ashleigh ever recorded: her interview with Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and a professor in the department of neurobiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. If you haven't heard this episode before, it's full of usable, accessible tools to...

This week is all about reverse dieting: Ashleigh and Rachel discuss what a reverse diet is, and why you should do it after spending time in a caloric deficit. They also talk about what many people get wrong about reverse dieting; how changing your body size changes your nutritional and metabolic needs; and how to find your new "maintenance" calories after you've changed your body composition. This...

In today's episode, Ashleigh and Rachel talk all things High Intensity Interval Training: What exactly is it, and what are the common ways people do it wrong? What are the potential benefits? What are the potential downfalls? Can it be effective for women looking to lose fat, build muscle, and who have limited time for workouts? What are their favorite HIIT workouts? The ladies also discuss their...

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel talk about cutting and bulking in tandem with the seasons; whether or not you can/should try to change your body composition without losing or gaining weight; how to know when it's time to move on from a current goal and start a new challenge; and of course, they talk about healthy protein treats for those of us who are trying to chaise gains but who also need...

"A healthy body is a responsive body." Have you ever found yourself frustrated with a body composition or fat loss goal - you feel like you're doing everything right but not seeing the results you want? It could be that you're missing some of the foundational health principles that will help encourage body composition changes. Many of the most important factors for fat loss or muscle gain - things...

In this episode of Muscle Science for Women, Ashleigh gives an update on her short but intense photo shoot prep and fat loss plan, revealing the challenges she's having (they're not what you think!) and they talk about the importance of motivation in goal setting - as well as what to do when motivation fails. They dig into the role cardio can play in fat loss, and how to implement it in a strategi...

Join the Build Your Glutes Workshop interest list HERE ! This week, Ashleigh and Rachel answer listener questions about training around your cycle; Rachel shares details about her business rebranding; and the two ladies announce their first new workshop product since Muscle Science for Women was born...hint, it's all about the glutes :) Learn more about the new course and how you can sign up for a...

In this episode, hosts Rachel and Ashleigh answer your questions, including whether their feelings about themselves or about beauty in general have changed as their "online careers" have grown. They also offer their own tips or advice for how to cultivate contentment, compassion, and self-love in an online world that can be increasingly judgemental and negative. Ashleigh also gives an update on he...

In this episode, the girls nerd out about the benefits and uses of creatine and collagen; they discuss the nuances of nutrition timing when in a deficit; Ashleigh talks about her experience with Rachel's Training program so far, and more. If you have any questions, topic ideas, comments or feedback, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com Shoutout to our show sponsor Active Stacks! They make hi...

Even coaches need coaching - Ashleigh is working on a short but intense "prep" for an upcoming photoshoot, and she discusses her plan and goals with her surprise coach - including things she does and doesn't like about having a coach, the difficulties of a prep after having a child, her changing values, the non-negotiables required when looking to make body composition changes, and ultimately, the...

In this short solo episode, Ashleigh answers listener questions about whether fasting for women is a good idea; when you know you've reached a goal and when it's time to take a break/maintain, and her thoughts on the current state of fitness coaching and accreditation.  Learn more on her episode with women's fasting expert Cynthia Thurlow here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hmsWBTLSmU&t=276s Li...

One of the questions most frequently asked of the Muscle Science for Women podcast hosts is around optimizing hormonal health as we age, so we can maximize muscle, minimize stress, and live vibrant, healthy lives. It's a complex topic, though, and one that requires more than one podcast episode to dive into! This week, Ashleigh chats with Dr. Halie Schoff, a licensed and practicing Functional Chir...

Ashleigh and Rachel answer some of the most commonly asked questions they get about: How much protein can you really metabolize at once? How do you know how much protein you should be eating per meal? They provide actionable strategies to help you figure it out for yourself How to come back to training after injury and illness in a safe smart way and how to minimize muscle loss during injury What...

In this episode, Rachel and Ashleigh catch up after the holidays and talk about their new year's challenges and resolutions and some things they're working on. Rachel talks about improving gut health and Ashleigh discusses a new exercise goal she's scared to try. They also answer a very unique listener question about spot REDUCING muscle, rather than spot reducing fat: can you do it, and if so, ho...

In this episode, Ashleigh speaks with health and fitness coach Laura Ruspis (@coachlaura.fit) and mom of four about her fitness and motherhood journey, and together they answer your questions about prenatal vitamins, training in the postpartum period while breastfeeding, postpartum food prep, how partners can support postpartum women, how to look at fitness post-birth, and so much more. If you'd l...

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of intra-workout fuel (I.e., eating something during a workout). We dive into the details of why it might help performance, what intra-workout fuel is best, and how it could promote unhealthy attitudes toward food if you're unaware of how you're using it. They also answer questions about rehabbing injuries, and the t...

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel chat with Functional Bodybuilding Master Coach Bri Lamb about her journey from college athlete to CrossFitter to training for health and aesthetics. She talks about her struggles with overtraining and how she's worked to find balance while still chasing goals and, of course, wanting to look good naked...and how she applies her experiences and training to help h...

In this fun - and overdue - episode, you can get to know your hosts Rachel and Ashleigh as they answer your rapid-fire personal questions about how they met, what it's like being an entrepreneur in the fitness industry, how they spend their "rest days", whether they were into sports and fitness as kids, their favorite junk food, and more. They also answer some health questions around recovery and...