Personal trainer and author Mike Matthews returns to talk about his newest release, Muscle for Life: Get Lean, Strong, and Healthy at Any Age!.

Best known for his book Bigger Leaner Stronger and its female-focused counterpart Thinner Leaner Stronger—both released in 2014—Mike has now trained his focus onto longevity for both men and women in their 40s and above who are relatively new to strength training.

Mike is a staunch promoter of making fitness a lifestyle instead of a program. In his own words: "Instead of a 30-day plan, I want to show people how to create a 30-year plan." Creating that 30-year plan for yourself requires going back to basics.

Mike invokes the 80/20 rule, in which 80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes. The rule certainly applies to fitness, where a few fundamental principles—four in particular—can be responsible for the majority of results.

Those four fundamental principles, which he dives into in today's conversation, are controlling your calories, eating a high-protein diet, consuming relatively nutritious and unprocessed foods, and working out three-to-six hours a week.

Asked for his overall view of the role of fitness in one's life, Mike says, "I try not to make fitness my life, an end unto itself." Instead, he looks at fitness as a tool that he uses in service of the things that really matter, such as relationships and career.

Follow Mike @muscleforlifefitness

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Episode resources:

• Save 20% on your entire first purchase with code EVERFORWARD at www.LegionAthletics.com
• Get Mike's new book Muscle For Life at https://amzn.to/3JTz6VM
• Ep. 292 "Training and dieting basics"
• Ep. 460 "Why you don't need supplements"
• Learn more at https://chasechewning.com/podcasts/episode/565