The Protein Corner

  Is intensity or volume more important for building muscle? That’s this podcast’s topic and it’s been a matter of ongoing controversy and debate.  If you asked a panel of fitness experts about intensity versus volume, you’d hear a lot of squabbling.  Some would say you should mostly train heavy and focus on using weights as heavy as possible. Others would say the weight you’re using doesn’t matter as much as simply training a lot and putting in the reps. Both arguments can sound convincing, so which method should you apply?  While you can’t neglect volume or intensity, one of the two is slightly more important than the other. You’re going to learn why in this podcast! Lastly, if you want to support the show, please drop a quick review of it over on iTunes. It really helps!   Timestamps: 5:17 – How do you calculate volume? What is volume load? 10:34 – What’s the best way to track volume?     11:36 – What is intensity? 14:28 – How clo...

The post How Ali Used Thinner Leaner Stronger to Lose 52 Pounds in 18 Months appeared first on Legion Athletics . https://ift.tt/eA8V8J August 29, 2021 at 06:00PM Legion Athletics

Mindless Eating? Here are 6 Things That Cause It Have you ever found yourself eating without really thinking about eating? This is mindless eating.  Mindless eating is when you’re disconnected from experiencing your food and your body, making it difficult for you to enjoy what you’re eating and tune into your body to know when you’re satisfied and satieted.  We’ve all done it before. Maybe we’re eating while watching TV or grazing on food all afternoon.  We’re busy people, so we’re not always going to be 100 percent mindful every single time we’re eating, but the problem with mindless eating is that it can lead to several unwanted results. From binge eating episodes to feeling overly full, causing digestive upset, and even regret and guilt,  mindless eating never serves us well.  In this article, we’re exploring the common reasons you may find yourself mindlessly eating so you can overcome them.  6 Most Common Causes of Mindless Eating Better unde...

I’ve churned through over 150,000 emails, social media comments and messages, and blog comments in the last 6 years. And that means I’ve fielded a ton of questions. As you can imagine, some questions pop up more often than others, and I thought it might be helpful to take a little time every month to choose a few and record and share my answers. So, in this round, I answer the following question: What do you think about companies that do DNA testing to make diet and training recommendations? If you have a question you’d like me to answer, leave a comment below or if you want a faster response, send an email to mike@muscleforlife.com. Lastly, if you want to support the show, please drop a quick review of it over on iTunes. It really helps!   Timestamps: 3:57 – What is DNA testing? 7:20 – Is DNA testing a gimmick? 9:59 – Should you get DNA testing? Can DNA testing help you? Mentioned on the show:  Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://buylegion.com/ vip ...

Everyone seems to have a different opinion on the best workout split . Some people claim that the traditional bro workout split method of training one major muscle group in each workout is optimal.  Others decry the body-part split , as it’s also known, however, and beat the drum for something else, like the full-body split or upper/lower split .  Still others disagree with all of that and are convinced that you should organize your training around “movement patterns” or some other feature or factor.  Separating the sheep from the goats can be difficult, too, because you can find “sciencey” explanations for many of these assertions.  The main problem, however, is that all of these opinions focus on brushstrokes instead of the big picture.  The fact is that there is no such thing as a “best,” “perfect,” or “optimal” workout split for everyone. Instead, there are many workable and worthwhile options to choose from, and which workout split is “best” fo...

  In this podcast, I talk with Todd, who read Bigger Leaner Stronger and used what he learned to go from over 230 pounds to 175 pounds (and 10% body fat) in a year, all while gaining gobs of muscle in the process.  Before finding BLS, Todd was very overweight and unhealthy. He wanted to get in shape, so he started intermittent fasting, but he didn’t know anything about energy balance, meal planning, or what really moves the needle. He ended up stuck in a rut. When Covid hit and Todd got sick, he realized he needed to make a real change and finally get healthy. He couldn’t keep doing what he was doing or he could literally lose his life. Luckily he found my work, gobbled up the information, and started implementing what he learned. He started tracking his food and quickly realized he was eating too much. He also started training properly, and he was finally able to break through weight loss plateaus and get down to 175 pounds with an impressive physique. In this intervie...

Most people who take weight loss (or gain) seriously want to know how to calculate body fat percentage . That’s because tracking your body fat percentage over time (especially when trying to gain or lose weight) helps you measure the effectiveness of your diet and training plan. Specifically, tracking your body fat percentage helps you to understand how successfully you’re . . .  Losing fat and not muscle during a weight loss phase (or cut ) Gaining muscle and not just fat during a weight gain phase (or lean bulk ) In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about body fat percentage, including how to calculate your body fat percentage accurately at home. Table of Contents What Is Body Fat Percentage? How to Calculate Body Fat Percentage Body Composition Scales & Handheld Devices Body Fat Calipers & Skinfold Testing Pictures and the Mirror Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) The Bod Pod Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) How to Calculat...

How to Create a Meditation Space in Your Home Creating a dedicated meditation space in your home is a supportive way to make you more likely to develop a daily meditation practice.  From reducing levels of stress, anxiety, depression, physical pain, heart rate, and high blood pressure to increase and enhancing emotional health, attention span, immune function, brain functioning, mental clarity, mental focus, a sense of calm, and sleep, the long list of health benefits of meditation is evergrowing.  It’s one of the simplest practices you can do for your health and since it can have such a big impact on your eating habits, we encourage all of our clients to develop the practice.  When you’re first getting started, it can be challenging to get into the meditative state, especially if your surrounding environment isn’t providing a calm, serene atmosphere, but with a few simple steps, you can have a mediation area that supports you in developing the habit.  What to I...

  Why a podcast on vaccination? Because I know quite a few unvaccinated people who won’t be getting jabbed under any circumstances, and who also haven’t done anything to mitigate their chances of getting sick or worse from Covid.  The message in this episode has resonated with them, and thus, I think is productive to share widely. Whatever the reason for your reluctance to get vaccinated, at this point, no amount of hectoring is going to change your mind. If you’re unvaccinated and wholly unprepared for Covid, though, you’re not only imperiling your health, you’re preparing the ground for the brave new world. ⁣ There are things you can do to mitigate your risk, though. It looks like SARS-CoV-2 is never going away, so if you haven’t gotten Covid yet, then, it’s not a question of if you will in the future, only when.  So in this podcast, I’m laying out practical advice on reducing your risk of getting Covid, having an especially bad case, or spreading it. Don’t let ...

The post How Nick Used Bigger Leaner Stronger to Gain 10 Pounds of Lean Mass appeared first on Legion Athletics . https://ift.tt/eA8V8J August 22, 2021 at 06:00PM Legion Athletics

Why Fiber is Important to Eat With Each Meal You likely have heard that you should be eating plenty of fiber-rich foods, but you may wondering why fiber is important.  Fiber plays many roles in your health, especially your digestive and gut health.  When you’re preparing your meals, ensuring that you have plenty of fiber-rich foods on your plate will ensure that you’re supporting your digestion, preventing blood sugar spikes that can leave you feeling less than your best, and ensuring that you’ll feel nice and full for a longer amount of time.  Read on to explore why it’s so important and how you can make sure you’re getting plenty of fiber at each meal.  Why Fiber is Important to Consume Daily Fiber, or called dietary fiber, is a plant-based carbohydrate that can’t be broken down into sugar molecules. Fiber is found in whole plant-based foods and acts like a broom that’s gently brushing out your intestines.  Supports Stable Blood Sugar Levels  There...