In this episode Ashleigh talks about a reel of hers that went viral; shows the ladies are binging; advice for a teenager just starting her muscle-building journey; how much organ meat you should be eating to get the benefits; and if it's "normal" to have some net weight gain after a cycle of bulking and cutting. See timestamps added below.

Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code. And if you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to [email protected].

Strong & Sculpted Shoulders workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 

Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes  

Learn about our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com  

Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: https://ashleighvanhouten.com/ and https://www.rgfit.com/ 

Time Stamps:

·       02:01 – 03:30 | Ashleigh talks about going viral on Instagram

·       09:01 – 10:30 | Is Protein Trending? Why is it suddenly such a big deal?

·       13:31 – 15:00 | Teenagers and Building Muscle

·       15:01 – 17:00 | How to Tell If You’re Eating Enough

·       17:01 – 18:30 | Training vs. Rest Day Calories

·       20:01 – 21:00 | Do you need a variety of protein sources to maximize benefits?

·       22:31 – 24:00 | How Much Liver is Too Much?

·       26:01 – 27:30 | Should you expect net weight gain after a cycle of bulking and cutting?

·       34:01 – 36:00 | Reflection time: What Have You Changed Your Mind About?

In this week's episode Ashleigh and Rachel answer questions from listeners about:

• How to best train for symmetry, regarding both strength and esthetics: how do you minimize asymetry and strengthen weak muscles/limbs?
• Are kettlebells a good tool for strength and hypertrophy? If yes, what exercises do they recommend and if no, why not?
• Answer questions about progress when training naturally, or drug-free, vs. enhanced

And much more! If you have questions, comments, or topic ideas for an upcoming show, send them to [email protected].

Our show sponsor, Cozy Earth—has a HUGE Mother's Day BOGO deal for you! 

The ladies have personally tested their Bamboo Sheet Set and Bamboo Pajamas and are huge fans - and it's risk-free: Take 100 nights to decide with their sleep trial. AND every Cozy Earth bedding product comes with a 10-year warranty! Visit CozyEarth.com and use the exclusive code MSW for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more. And if you use the code MSWBOGO from May 2-4, when you purchase one set of bamboo pajamas you'll get a second set FREE! Treat yourself and a special mom in your life.

Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code. And if you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to [email protected].

Sign up for our new Strong & Sculpted Shoulders workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 

Or check out the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes  

Learn about our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com  

Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: https://ashleighvanhouten.com/ and https://www.rgfit.com/ 

·      00:00 - 01:12 | Intro + Life Update

·      11:18 - 12:32 | Training for Symmetry

·      12:33 - 14:58 | Muscle Imbalance Tips

·      16:01 - 17:40 | Listener Q: are kettlebells good for strength and muscle growth?

·      25:21 - 28:00 | Bodyweight Training Realities

·      28:01 - 30:00 | Budget Diet Advice

·      30:01 - 31:30 | Supplements - which ones do you need and which ones can you skip

·      33:11 - 36:00 | Natural vs Enhanced Bodybuilding

·      50:01 - 52:00 | Nutrition’s Role in Progress

·      52:01 - 54:24 | Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up

Today is the 100th episode of Muscle Science for Women! We've had a blast learning and sharing our knowledge with each other, and with our listeners, and we appreciate each and every one of you who tune in and spend time with us.

On our 100th episode milestone, we're asking you to help us make it to 200 episodes: please, take five minutes today to make sure you're subscribed to the podcast on whatever platform you listen, and if you haven't yet rated, reviewed, or turned on notifications for the podcast, please do so. Bonus points if you share the pod on social media and tag us. This is how the algorithms learn that our podcast is good, so we can continue to grow and help new listeners on their fitness journey.

On today's podcast: Rachel and Ashleigh discuss at-home body fat scales, the benefits (or lack thereof) of knee wraps, the best ways to track body composition progress, and whether it's true that weight loss is easy and effortless during breastfeeding (and if it's not, what to do about it).

We have a fun new sponsor, Cozy Earth—Because Great Days Start with Better Nights. The ladies have personally tested their Bamboo Sheet Set and Bamboo Pajamas and are huge fans - and it's risk-free: Take 100 nights to decide with their sleep trial. AND every Cozy Earth bedding product comes with a 10-year warranty! Visit CozyEarth.com and use the exclusive code MSW for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more. Better Sleep Starts at Cozy Earth.

Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code. And if you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to [email protected].

Sign up for our new Strong & Sculpted Shoulders workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 

Or check out the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes  

Learn about our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com  

Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: https://ashleighvanhouten.com/ and https://www.rgfit.com/ 

While we wait for Ashleigh to recover from her second birth, we decided to re-release an episode from before the rebranding of the podcast. Back in 2021, when the podcast was called Muscle Maven Radio, Ashleigh did a long deep dive about her pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience with her son Magnus. If you're pregnant, looking to become pregnant, know someone going through this, or simply love hearing these kinds of stories, this one is for you. 

She covers a lot of her decision-making processes around how she decided to eat, workout, her birth plan and birth team, her mindset, how she specifically "prepared" for birth, her recovery journey, and so much more. Hopefully this episode helps you get more clarity on making your own decisions around your birth story.

Thanks for listening and please send your feedback, questions, or topic ideas to [email protected].

Shoutout to our show sponsor Active Stacks! They make high-quality collagen peptide powder and beef protein powder in two delicious flavors, chocolate and vanilla. They're made with cocoa and vanilla paste, not that unexplained "natural flavoring" you see listed everywhere, so it tastes better and mixes well into your protein shakes or baking. The chocolate flavor literally tastes like chocolate milk - it's a great way to get a collagen boost in your daily diet.

Learn more at https://activestacks.com/discount/MSW10 or use the code MSW10 to save 10% on your purchase!

Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code.

Sign up for our new Strong & Sculpted Shoulders workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 

Or check out the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes  

Learn about our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com  

If you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to [email protected].

Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: ashleighvanhouten.com and rgfit.com 

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel answer questions about fasted cardio and their thoughts on male coaches who focus on female clients looking to grow their glutes (there are a lot of them!) 

• Is there evidence that fasted cardio first thing in the morning burns more fat than fed cardio?
• What's the balance with cardio that optimizes fat loss without adding negatively to your overall stress load, increasing hunger, etc?
• And the ladies do their best to convince listeners that more/harder cardio is NOT necessarily a faster and more effective way to burn fat.

We have a fun new sponsor, Cozy Earth - Cozy Earth products are designed to transform your 5-9 (the time that matters most) into the coziest sanctuary. The ladies have personally tested their Bamboo Sheet Set and Bamboo Pajamas and are huge fans - and it's risk-free: Take 100 nights to decide with their sleep trial. AND every Cozy Earth bedding product comes with a 10-year warranty! Luxury shouldn't be out of reach. Visit CozyEarth.com and use the exclusive code MSW for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more. And if you get a post-purchase survey, let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here to support the show. Sanctuary Awaits at Cozy Earth.

Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code. And if you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to [email protected].

Sign up for our new Strong & Sculpted Shoulders workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 

Or check out the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes  

Learn about our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com  

Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: https://ashleighvanhouten.com/ and https://www.rgfit.com/ 

Today is another re-release of a popular episode from a while back you may have missed: in this one, Ashleigh and Rachel discuss the nuances between training for strength and training for muscle growth (hypertrophy). These goals can be achieved together, but don't necessarily have to; you can get bigger without getting much stronger, and you can get stronger without your muscles getting much bigger. They talk about training differences and approaches to make sure you get the most out of your workouts.

Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast, leave a rating or review, and sign up for notifications so you know when a new episode is available!

Send your feedback, questions, or topic ideas to [email protected].

Shoutout to our show sponsor Active Stacks! They make high-quality collagen peptide powder and beef protein powder in two delicious flavors, chocolate and vanilla. They're made with cocoa and vanilla paste, not that unexplained "natural flavoring" you see listed everywhere, so it tastes better and mixes well into your protein shakes or baking. The chocolate flavor literally tastes like chocolate milk - it's a great way to get a collagen boost in your daily diet.

Learn more at https://activestacks.com/discount/MSW10 or use the code MSW10 to save 10% on your purchase!

Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code.

Sign up for our new Strong & Sculpted Shoulders workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 

Or check out the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes  

Learn about our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com  

If you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to [email protected].

Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: ashleighvanhouten.com and rgfit.com 

Today is a re-release of a popular episode you may have missed with Rachel and Ashleigh all about the idea of "intuitive eating" - what does that term mean, exactly? Is it possible to eat intuitively in a food landscape where hyper-palatable, low-nutrient food is so easily available? How can you listen to your body and still achieve body composition goals? All that and more in today's episode.

Send your feedback, questions, or topic ideas to [email protected].

Shoutout to our show sponsor Active Stacks! They make high-quality collagen peptide powder and beef protein powder in two delicious flavors, chocolate and vanilla. They're made with cocoa and vanilla paste, not that unexplained "natural flavoring" you see listed everywhere, so it tastes better and mixes well into your protein shakes or baking. The chocolate flavor literally tastes like chocolate milk - it's a great way to get a collagen boost in your daily diet.

Learn more at https://activestacks.com/discount/MSW10 or use the code MSW10 to save 10% on your purchase!

Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code.

Sign up for our new Strong & Sculpted Shoulders workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 

Or check out the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes  

Learn about our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com  

If you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to [email protected].

Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: ashleighvanhouten.com and rgfit.com 

Today the ladies answer questions around the optimal time to work out, how to make the best of a poor workout schedule, and they provide a lot of actionable tips on how to approach binge eating at night and consistent sugar cravings. 

That and more - make sure you're subscribed, leave a rating or review, and sign up for notifications so you know when a new episode is available!

Send your feedback, questions, or topic ideas to [email protected].

Shoutout to our show sponsor Active Stacks! They make high-quality collagen peptide powder and beef protein powder in two delicious flavors, chocolate and vanilla. They're made with cocoa and vanilla paste, not that unexplained "natural flavoring" you see listed everywhere, so it tastes better and mixes well into your protein shakes or baking. The chocolate flavor literally tastes like chocolate milk - it's a great way to get a collagen boost in your daily diet.

Learn more at https://activestacks.com/discount/MSW10 or use the code MSW10 to save 10% on your purchase!

Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code.

Sign up for our new Strong & Sculpted Shoulders workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 

Or check out the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes  

Learn about our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com  

If you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to [email protected].

Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: ashleighvanhouten.com and rgfit.com 

Today Ashleigh and Rachel talk about the "anabolic window" - what it is, how important is it really, and how you can optimally fuel before and after your workouts to maximize your recovery and your gains.

They also dive into the fraught and touchy subject of dieting for a wedding - how to do it safely and healthily, and when is it "too much"?

That and more - make sure you're subscribed, leave a rating or review, and sign up for notifications so you know when a new episode is available!

Send your feedback, questions, or topic ideas to [email protected].

Our show sponsor is BiOptimizers! Ashleigh's favorite product is Magnesium Breakthrough - it has all seven magnesium forms in one convenient bottle. With this product you'll spend less money, and still get the top 7 forms of magnesium for better sleep, manage stress, balance hormones, improve mood, and feel refreshed. For an exclusive offer, go to bioptimizers.com/science and use the code Science during checkout to save 10% - and if you subscribe, you'll get amazing discounts, free gifts, and make sure your monthly supply is guaranteed.

Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code.

Sign up for our new Strong & Sculpted Shoulders workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 

Or check out the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes  

Learn about our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com  

If you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to [email protected].

Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: ashleighvanhouten.com and rgfit.com 

In this episode Rachel and Ashleigh answer a listener question about how they met, and they reminisce about their "origin story" and talk about how they work now as cross-continental business partners.

They also dive into some brand new goals they have for themselves for 2025 and how they plan to accomplish those goals, and how listeners can better communicate their goals to their coaches in order to really get the results they want.

We also talk about the nuance of working out while sick: when it's fine to power through and when you should take a break and rest instead.

Finally, they give some recommendations for healthier/more natural skincare and makeup companies.

Our show sponsor is BiOptimizers! Ashleigh's favorite product is Magnesium Breakthrough - it has all seven magnesium forms in one convenient bottle. With this product you'll spend less money, and still get the top 7 forms of magnesium for better sleep, manage stress, balance hormones, improve mood, and feel refreshed. For an exclusive offer, go to bioptimizers.com/science and use the code Science during checkout to save 10% - and if you subscribe, you'll get amazing discounts, free gifts, and make sure your monthly supply is guaranteed.

If you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to [email protected]. Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code.

Sign up for our new Strong & Sculpted Shoulders workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 

Or check out the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes  

Learn about our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com