Muscle Science for Women

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel answer questions about: -the importance (or lack therof) of dynamic warm-ups for strength training; -why some coaches program "ego" workouts and whether they're helpful or a waste of time; -whether sweating, exhaustion, and soreness is an accurate indicator of a good workout; -what crossfit gets wrong about strength training Thank you to our show sponsor, Optim...

In their second live webinar/podcast episode, Ashleigh, Rachel, and their guests discuss the fears, misconceptions, and tactics around eating during the holidays. They cover topics including: Do people actually tend to gain weight around the holidays, or is it a myth? How to balance enjoying special meals with loved ones while also feeling good and sticking to your goals and boundaries How to mana...

This episode marks the first time that Rachel and Ashleigh recorded a "live" podcast, allowing listeners to attend the zoom call and participate, asking questions and giving input. It was super fun, so watch out for more of these in the future! This week, they discuss overcoming body composition plateaus, focusing on challenges with fat loss. They cover: How to ensure your goals align with your li...

Rachel and Ashleigh are answering your questions today on topics like the importance of veggies when building muscle, how to add carbs intelligently to support training and muscle building, and more - but first Rachel talks about her new healthy treat obsession and Ashleigh tells a story about the strangeness of online coaching, which leads her to an idea for a "reverse Only Fans"...you have to li...

This one is spicy! In this Q&A episode, Rachel and Ashleigh start out by discussing workout and exercise order selection, but then dive deep into a fun, but respectful, debate about whether or not you should "pre-exhaust" your muscles before doing your big lifts, or whether you should keep it simple and do the big, challenging lifts first and exhaust your muscles at the end. They also get into whe...

In this solo episode, Ashleigh talks about some of the key elements largely missing from the strength and fitness coaching industry, especially regarding coaching women - the biggest challenge being the lack of women's focused research, study, and resources to better inform coaches programming and support. The industry as a whole needs more resources, formal scientific study, and compassionate lis...

In this episode Rachel and Ashleigh answer listener questions about carbs (carbs aren't bad, it's how we use-or abuse-them), talk about some upcoming trips and exciting life plans, and discuss the latest launch of their Muscle Science for Women training program! If you want to sign up for the program and have Ashleigh and Rachel as your personal coaches, along with a comprehensive 12-week training...

In this episode Rachel and Ashleigh chat about how Rachel is prepping for her latest photoshoot - they talk nutrition and caloric deficits, how much cardio you really need to do to change your body composition, how to achieve aesthetic goals without driving yourself crazy, and lots more! If you have any fitness or wellness topics you want us to cover, reach out! Please sign up for the Muscle Scien...

In this episode, Ashleigh chats with Dr. Stacy Sims, an exercise physiologist and leading voice in women's performance. She has directed research programs at Stanford, AUT University, and the University of Waikato, focusing on female athlete health and performance and pushing to improve research on all women. She's written two books, Roar and Next Level, and is well known for her ted talk women ar...

In this episode of Muscle Science for Women, Ashleigh and Rachel discuss Kim Kardashian's new job as "chief taste consultant" for Beyond Meat, and also talk about Rachel's experience with a doctor giving her bad nutrition advice. We dive into advocacy, misleading marketing, and why understanding and listening to your own body is so important. Please sign up for the Muscle Science for Women e-mail...

Today's podcast is a big one, and comes with an announcement: Ashleigh is officially changing the Muscle Maven Radio podcast to the Muscle Science for Women podcast! First: please sign up for the Muscle Science for Women e-mail list to be the first to know about our program, new launches, and more: https://www.metflexlife.com/msw Moving forward, Ashleigh and her co-host Rachel Gregory, the creator...

In this episode Ashleigh takes a deep dive on fitness culture with Erin Power, Coaching & Curriculum Director at the Primal Health Coach Institute about the current state of fitness culture, it's impact on women specifically, and whether or not leaders in the fitness and wellness industry can hope to change or dismantle the harmful aspects of fitness culture in an increasingly digital, instant-gra...

Dr. Will Cole is a leading functional medicine expert who consults people around the world via webcam, having started one of the first functional medicine telehealth centers in the world. Named one of the top 50 functional and integrative doctors in the nation, Cole specializes in clinically investigating underlying factors of chronic disease and customizing a functional medicine approach for thyr...

Ashleigh chats with functional podiatrist and movement specialist Dr. Emily Splichal today about mobility and strength work we can all do to improve our foot function and health. She talks about her functional approach to foot health and pain and how strongly connected the feet are to the rest of our bodies, including our hips, pelvic floor, and even jaw. She also offers suggestions for how we can...

This episode is an excerpt from a talk Ashleigh did recently for Robb Wolf's private community health and fitness platform called The Healthy Rebellion. She spoke to the community about the origins of her organ meat cookbook It Takes Guts, the importance of incorporating organ meats into your diet, and then a breakdown about one specific cut: heart. She discusses how to source, prep, and cook hear...

This week Ashleigh chats with chef James Berry, founder of Pluck, which is an organ-meat based seasoning blend. James is also a former private chef for celebrities including Tom Cruise and George Clooney! Ashleigh and James chat about how subtle dietary changes can reap big rewards, and James offers tips to make meal planning and cooking at home easier and less of a chore. He also shares some pret...

Ashleigh is back with her Muscle Science for Women co-creator Rachel Gregory! This time they're tackling the topic of Intuitive Eating: what is it? Is it possible to eat intuitively in a food culture where everything is hyperpalatable? Can you eat intuitively and still lose body fat? Do you need to track calories to lose weight? They cover all of this and more, don't miss this episode if you're lo...

In the last episode of 2021, Ashleigh talks about her pregnancy and birth story:  her experiences being pregnant; including how she adjusted her diet and workout regimen; her actual birth experience, which involved an unmedicated birth at a birth center with a midwife and doula (and a couple surprises); and how she approached recovery, health, and life in the fourth trimester, aka the first few mo...

Ashleigh is back with another episode co-hosted by her friend and Muscle Science for Women co-creator Rachel Gregory! In this episode the two podcast hosts and health coaches answer questions from listeners about the differences between muscle building and strength building; how to get back into the gym after injury; how to start working out in your 40's and 50s, and they talk about the next round...

Jill Coleman is a veteran of the fitness industry, with a history in figure competitions, fitness magazine cover modeling, personal training, and more - now, she has her own range of programs and certifications and offers business coaching for people looking to grow and level up in the health and fitness industry. Ashleigh worked with Jill personally on a fitness business consultation, and they go...

Dr. Carrie Jones is a Naturopathic Physician who is board certified in Naturopathic Endocrinology (FABNE) with a Master's in Public Health (MPH) and over 15 years in the field of functional and integrative medicine. She lectures all over the world on the topic of hormones and helps "hormonally challenged people feel less crazy." Ashleigh brought her on the show to explore the complexity of our hor...

Cassy Joy Garcia is the bestselling author of Cook Once Dinner Fix, Cook Once Eat All Week, and Fed and Fit as well as the creative force behind the popular food blog Fed + Fit, which she started in 2011 and has grown exponentially. Eager to share her healthy living secrets with the world, she started Fed + Fit in 2011. She is a holistic nutrition consultant and mom, and wrote her new book to addr...

The question, "can you build muscle and lose fat at the same time?" may be one of the most pervasive in the fitness industry, and the answer, as usual, is more complex than many of us would like. But it's not all bad - there is plenty to be learned about our bodies and how they work while we explore the most efficient and healthy ways to achieve these two separate (but often combined) goals. In th...

Stan Efferding is an IFBB Professional bodybuilder and World Record Holding Powerlifter. He is one of only 10 men in the world to ever total over 2,300 pounds raw in competition. Stan holds the title as the World's Strongest Bodybuilder.  He conducts seminars all over the country for various sports and nutrition and training techniques, and he coined the Vertical Diet - his book, The Vertical Diet...

In this episode Ashleigh and Bethany, the founder of natural skincare brand Primally Pure, discuss specific animal-based skincare ingredients: how they're processed and used, their benefits, how they've been used historically, and much more.   Bethany McDaniel started Primally Pure by personally rendering tallow from the animals at her family's organic lifestock farm in Southern California, and ha...