In this podcast, I chat with scientist and friend Dr. Bill Campbell about a new study on rapid fat loss that came out of his lab.

In case you’re not familiar with Dr. Campbell, he’s a professor of Exercise Science and the Director of the Performance & Physique Enhancement Laboratory at the University of South Florida, who’s also published more than 150 scientific papers.

In other words, Dr. Campbell is busy conducting studies that test questions many of us have with answers we all want to know.

His latest study on rapid fat loss is a prime example. While most of us want to strip away fat as quickly as possible, we also don’t want to lose our hard-earned muscle in the process. So the question is, how aggressive should we be during a cutting phase to maximize our fat loss benefits and minimize any negative consequences of being in a deficit.

And that’s exactly what Dr. Campbell’s latest study looked at and the results actually changed his mind about rapid fat loss. In this episode, Dr. Campbell describes the study, the results, practical tips you can implement to lose fat as quickly as possible, and what future studies on this topic might look like.

So, if you want to learn about the latest research on losing fat fast without shriveling into an atrophied raisin of your former self, don’t miss this episode! Press play and let me know what you think.

Timestamps:

15:28 - Why did the study you conducted change your mind about rapid fat loss?

16:21 - How big of a deficit can you go into and for how long?

17:30 - What do you consider to be an aggressive deficit?

24:15 - What were the results of the study?

29:52 - What were the effects on RMR?

32:32 - How does this compare to protein-sparing modified fasts? What is a practical use for this rapid fat loss?

40:44 - What is the constrained energy model?

47:44 - What did training look like in your study?

49:10 - How was compliance among participants?

50:17 - How did people feel on the diet?

57:47 - Where would you implement this rapid fat loss in a cutting phase? At the beginning of a fat loss phase? Near the end?

1:02:02 - Where can people find you and your work?

Mentioned on the Show:

Bill Campbell’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billcampbellphd/

Building Your Ultimate Body: https://cleanhealth.edu.au/shop/bill-campbell-building-your-ultimate-body/

BLACK FRIDAY SALE!

Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/

This podcast is a Q&A, but it’s a bit different from the kind you’ll typically find here on Muscle For Life.

In my usual Q&A episodes, I take a question from email or Instagram and then fully answer it in an episode of the podcast every week.

However, over on Instagram, I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podcast listeners might enjoy hearing these questions and my short answers. So, instead of talking about one thing in an episode, I’m going to cover a variety of questions. And keep in mind some of these questions are just for fun. :)

So if you want to ask me questions in my Instagram stories, follow me on Instagram (@muscleforlifefitness), and if I answer your question there, it might just make it onto an episode of the podcast!

If you like this type of episode, let me know. Send me an email ([email protected]) or direct message me on Instagram. And if you don’t like it, let me know that too or how you think it could be better.

Timestamps

3:46 - Do you train abs in BBLS?

6:06 - What do you think about pyramid sets?

7:09 - Are you living your best life?

7:41 - Tips for making healthy food while dealing with budget/inflation issues.

8:55 - Tips for genetically challenged biceps?

10:45 - Best exercise for chest without having a bench?

11:09 - Pfizer, Moderna, or J&J?

11:29 - Should diet breaks be times to coincide with deloads?

12:33 - How much cardio should be done in a deficit?

13:00 - Should I avoid sex before working out?

13:23 - Does it make sense and is it safe to take creatine all year long?

13:42 - Are higher reps better for growing smaller muscle groups?

15:51 - How are Legion supplements tested for purity?

16:30 - How to handle sweaty crotch in gym?

16:54 - What would you tell Sal Di Stefano about his 15k in book sales

17:26 - Do you still believe those not getting vaccinated are bringing us closer to the abyss?

Mentioned on the Show:

BLACK FRIDAY SALE! 

Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com

This podcast is a Q&A, but it’s a bit different from the kind you’ll typically find here on Muscle For Life.

In my usual Q&A episodes, I take a question from email or Instagram and then fully answer it in an episode of the podcast every week.

However, over on Instagram, I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podcast listeners might enjoy hearing these questions and my short answers. So, instead of talking about one thing in an episode, I’m going to cover a variety of questions. And keep in mind some of these questions are just for fun. :)

So if you want to ask me questions in my Instagram stories, follow me on Instagram (@muscleforlifefitness), and if I answer your question there, it might just make it onto an episode of the podcast!

If you like this type of episode, let me know. Send me an email ([email protected]) or direct message me on Instagram. And if you don’t like it, let me know that too or how you think it could be better.

Timestamps

3:38 - Is decline bench press needed to build chest muscles?

4:46 - SARMS or steroids? Which is best?

4:58 - What're your tips for feeling the mind-muscle connection?

5:55 - Are good mornings worth programming in for legs?

6:36 - Is Mark Rippetoe a nice guy?

6:54 - If you're 50+ pounds overweight, how much protein should you eat?

7:34 - Should you weigh food raw or cooked for macro tracking?

7:46 - What is the release date for Smaller, Weaker, Sicker for Australians still under lockdown?

8:29 - How long do I need to wait after taking creatine to have caffeine or coffee?

8:51 - In Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger should you change rep range and set count while cutting?

9:17 - Prowler versus HIIT?

9:29 - Advice for people losing their jobs due to mandates?

10:11 - Advice for teens interested in business?

11:51 - Is Ashwagandha effective for relieving stress?

12:11 - How many years will it take a thin guy a body like yours?

12:44 - Do women really have to learn how to deadlift and bench press to see results from weight lifting?

Mentioned on the Show:

Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://buylegion.com/vip

In this podcast, Kyle Hunt and I discuss powerlifting. While I’ve written a bit about powerlifting in the past and done some powerlifting-style training myself, I wanted to get a true expert in the field onto the podcast to chat about it in a bit more detail.

In case you’re not familiar with Kyle, he’s a competitive powerlifter, coach, author, and owner of Hunt Fitness, who’s worked with hundreds of powerlifters and bodybuilders alike. He’s also the host of The Absolute Strength Podcast, which I’ve been a guest on a couple of times, and he’s appeared on Muscle For Life twice before to discuss powerbuilding and bodybuilding for beginners.

Even if you don’t aspire to be the world’s strongest lifter and have no intention of competing at a meet, powerlifting still has something to offer. At the very least, a powerlifting training block can help add some spice to your training life and keep things interesting.

In this interview, Kyle Hunt addresses common misconceptions about powerlifting, technique tweaks, what a powerlifting routine might look like, equipment recommendations, why you should consider participating in a powerlifting meet, meet strategies, and a lot more.

So, if you’re at all interested in trying powerlifting or just want to know more about what it is, this is a podcast you don’t want to miss!

Timestamps:

8:07 - Who should do powerlifting?

15:00 - Why you shouldn't always be grinding out your sets.

17:27 - What are some common misconceptions about powerlifting

24:00 - How much of a difference does technique improvement make? Should you increase frequency?

29:41 - Why are heavy singles beneficial?

33:58 - What role does confidence play in your strength and performance?

35:56 - Attempt selection strategy.

37:15 - Should you go for the heaviest lift on your third attempt?

40:31 - How can someone get started with powerlifting?

43:12 - Why should you consider doing a powerlifting meet?

45:22 - Weight class discussion.

49:12 - Should you do cardio during a powerlifting program?

57:06 - What's a good program to get started with powerlifting?

59:41 - How do you assess one powerlifting program versus another?

1:04:40 - What type of weightlifting belt do you recommend?

1:06:10 - What shoes do you recommend?

1:15:53 - Where can people find you and your work?

Mentioned on the Show:

Kyle’s Absolute Strength podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-absolute-strength-podcast/id1146086687

Kyle’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huntfitness/

Kyle’s book Bodybuilding For Beginners: https://www.amazon.com/Bodybuilding-Beginners-12-Week-Program-Muscle/dp/1641523611/?tag=mflweb-20

Beginner’s Guide to Weight Lifting: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082MSZ2XM/?tag=mflweb-20

Strength Training For Beginners: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BW24GQ8/?tag=mflweb-20

Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://buylegion.com/vip

This podcast is all about skipping workouts. When does it make more sense to skip a workout than to do a workout (or to swap the workout you were planning with another)?

Sometimes you just don’t feel up to a workout due to lack of sleep, stress, soreness, or something else. If you’re warming up and your joints feel achy or your mind is wandering, and you feel like it’s not going to be a great workout, you have two choices.

You can suck it up and continue. Good enough is great, after all.

Or you can do the workout on another day.

Which choice is better? In other words, does it pay to be flexible with our workout programming? Will it pay off in terms of better long-term results? Listen to this podcast to find out.

Timestamps:

5:26 - What is flexible programming?

15:43 - What does the science say about autoregulation?

17:50 - What are the benefits of flexible programming?

19:56 - What are the downsides of flexible programming?

21:46 - How can we make flexible programming work?

23:39 - An example of how flexible programming might look.

Mentioned on the Show:

My New Book Muscle For Life: https://muscleforlifebook.com/

Some people do make the time to listen to most or even all of my podcasts, but my wizbang analytics tell me that while many listeners tune in on a regular basis, they don’t catch every installment of Muscle for Life and thus miss out on insights that could help them get a little better inside and outside the gym.

And so I got an idea: how about a “best of” series of podcasts that contains a few of the most practical and compelling ideas, tips, and moments from my most popular episodes?

This way, people who are new to the show can quickly determine if it’s for them or not, and those who enjoy what I’m doing but don’t have the time or inclination to listen to all of my stuff can still benefit from the discussions and find new episodes to listen to.

So, in this installment of The Best of Muscle for Life, you’ll be hearing hand-picked morsels from three episodes:

What Can BCAAs Actually Do For You? (According to Science)

(Originally published 7/13/2018)

8 Signs of Overtraining That Most People Don’t Know

(Originally published 3/15/2019)

Motivation Monday: An Ode to the Gym

(Originally published 6/18/2018)

And we’ll be starting with number one, what can BCAAs actually do for you?

Timestamps:

2:47 - What Can BCAAs Actually Do For You? (According to Science)

13:44 - 8 Signs of Overtraining That Most People Don’t Know

21:49 - Motivation Monday: An Ode to the Gym

Mentioned on the Show:

Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/

In this podcast, I interview Chanel Collette all about her experience transitioning from a long-time physique competitor to embracing other forms of motivation in her training, and all of the mindset shifts and body image hurdles that come with that.

Most people get into strength training and bodybuilding to achieve a certain look, whether it’s losing fat, building muscle, or both. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with training to look good, but once you have a few years of proper training under your belt, progress is so slow that it becomes unnoticeable.

So how do you stay motivated and keep training fun once you’re no longer seeing changes in the mirror every week, month, or even year? That’s one of the topics I discuss in this podcast with Chanel.

In case you’re not familiar with Chanel, she’s a former physique and wellness competitor who competed in various bikini shows and won Ms. Bikini Universe in 2014 and overall champion at Fitness Universe in 2016. She’s also a strength and conditioning coach, currently serving as the CEO and head coach of Audacious Athletes, who has helped thousands of people (and women in particular) get stronger, not smaller. We’re also glad to have her on board as a long-time Legion Athlete!

In this episode, we discuss her history competing and how it led to a body image and scale weight-focused mindset, the psychology of being stage lean, how her concept of a “good physique” has changed, managing training stress, how she’s made training more fun and enjoyable, and a lot more.

So if you want to learn how you can move beyond an image-focused training mindset and incorporate other forms of training motivation, definitely listen to this interview!

Timestamps:

8:24 - What’s your history with training? Why did you start competing?

14:29 - The psychology of being stage lean.

18:39 - What has helped you deal with body image issues?

19:49 - Has your idea of a good physique or what you like to see in the mirror changed?

25:36 - What elements of your training motivate you? What do you pay attention to in terms of performance?

29:03 - What are your favorite unilateral exercises?

31:00 - Do you track reps in reserve (RIR)?

37:42 - Managing training stress.

41:07 - Now that you’re no longer competing, have you changed your training in ways to make it more enjoyable? Are you doing things in the gym you wouldn’t have before?

56:48 - Should you put accessory exercises near the beginning of your workout if they're not progressing?

1:04:33 - Where can people find you and your work?

Mentioned on the Show:

Chanel’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chanelcollette/

Chanel’s website: chanelcollette.com

Audacious Athletes: audaciousathletes.com

Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/

This podcast is a Q&A, but it’s a bit different from the kind you’ll typically find here on Muscle For Life.

In my usual Q&A episodes, I take a question from email or Instagram and then fully answer it in an episode of the podcast every week.

However, over on Instagram, I’ve started doing weekly Q&As in the stories, and it occurred to me that many podcast listeners might enjoy hearing these questions and my short answers. So, instead of talking about one thing in an episode, I’m going to cover a variety of questions. And keep in mind some of these questions are just for fun. :)

So if you want to ask me questions in my Instagram stories, follow me on Instagram (@muscleforlifefitness), and if I answer your question there, it might just make it onto an episode of the podcast!

If you like this type of episode, let me know. Send me an email ([email protected]) or direct message me on Instagram. And if you don’t like it, let me know that too or how you think it could be better.

Timestamps

6:21 - When should you consider TRT?

12:23 - When should you start using straps for conventional deadlifts?

15:23 - Are bands and bodyweight exercises a waste of time?

16:08 - Should you change macros or calories during a deload week?

17:27 - When should you move on from BLS to Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger?

20:54 - What do you think about vegetable and seed oils? Are they unhealthy?

21:43 - How should your diet look when you're sick?

22:54 - Should you use a weightlifting belt?

23:32 - Do you trust any politician?

23:49 - What body fat should you cut and bulk at?

24:11 - Who rules the world?

24:26 - Should you work out fasted?

25:01 - What's your advice for someone hooked on cardio?

26:53 - How do you keep staying a badass?

27:02 - Which is best: occlusion training or rest-pause?

27:43 - If you can't lift heavy, can you make up for it with more volume?

27:57 - Can I workout in the evening for fat loss?

28:09 - How do you make yourself eat when you're not hungry?

28:33 - Is the hex bar just as good as the barbell for deadlifts?

28:56 - Thoughts on glycerol monostearate supplementation? Is it worth taking?

Mentioned on the Show:

My New Book Muscle For Life: https://muscleforlifebook.com/

I’ve written and recorded a lot of evidence-based content over the years on just about everything you can imagine related to building muscle, losing fat, and getting healthy.

I’ve also worked with thousands of men and women of all ages and circumstances and helped them get into the best shape of their lives.

That doesn’t mean you should blindly swallow everything I say, though, because let’s face it—nobody is always right about everything. And especially in fields like diet and exercise, which are constantly evolving thanks to the efforts of honest and hardworking researchers and thought leaders.

This is why I’m always happy to hear from people who disagree with me, especially when they have good arguments and evidence to back up their assertions.

Sometimes I can’t get on board with their positions, but sometimes I end up learning something, and either way, I always appreciate the discussion.

That gave me the idea for this series of podcast episodes: publicly addressing things people disagree with me on and sharing my perspective.

Think of it like a spicier version of a Q&A.

So, here’s what I’m doing:

Every couple of weeks, I’m asking my Instagram followers what they disagree with me on, and then picking the more common or interesting contentions to address here on the podcast.

And in this episode, I’ll be tackling the following . . .

Timestamps:

2:59 - Are plant foods essential?

8:51 - Do you need to eat plant foods to survive?

10:53 - Why is vitamin C important?

12:53 - How do you get enough vitamin C with a carnivore diet?

14:45 - Is fiber necessary?

16:08 - What are phytonutrients and are they necessary?

17:40 - What are flavonoids and are they beneficial?

Mentioned on the Show:

Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike

In this podcast, I interview Dr. Aaron Horschig all about lifting injuries, including injury prevention, treatment, and pain management.

I thought Aaron would be the perfect guest for this topic because he has a book called Rebuilding Milo, which is all about fixing common lifting injuries, whether it’s knee pain, back pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, you name it.

Of course, when it comes to injuries, you can kick the can down the road by loading up on NSAIDs and slathering on Icy Hot, but to really deal with injuries and pain correctly, you need to assess and address the root cause, which Aaron helps you do through his book.

In case you’re not familiar with Aaron, he’s the founder of SquatUniversity.com, has a doctorate in physical therapy, and has been involved in olympic weightlifting for over a decade as both a competitor and coach. So, he knows how to approach injury prevention and rehab from the perspective of someone who actually lifts and has experience with professional athletes.

In this episode, we discuss injury prevention through technique refinement and load management, the importance of warm-ups, banded joint mobilization, rooting out the cause of pain, why you might not want to ice your injuries, and a lot more.

So if you want to learn how to prevent lifting injuries and properly assess and address pain, listen to this interview!

Timestamps:

5:40 - Why is your book called “Rebuilding Milo”?

14:34 - Tips for injury prevention and treatment.

16:39 - Why you need to learn proper technique.

17:25 - The importance of load management.

23:06 - The value of filming your lifts.

26:39 - Why warm-ups are more important than you realize.

28:09 - What is banded joint mobilization?

33:20 - How to fix hip impingement.

42:59 - How do you treat injuries?

43:16 - Should you ice your injuries?

50:48 - What else can we do to treat injuries?

56:05 - How to determine the cause of pain through screening.

1:00:51 - Assessing pain and injuries.

Mentioned on the Show:

Aaron’s book Rebuilding Milo: https://www.amazon.com/Rebuilding-Milo-Foundation-Enhancing-Performance/dp/1628604220/?tag=mflweb-20

Aaron’s website Squat University: ​​https://squatuniversity.com/

Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike