The Protein Corner

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify | Listen on YouTube Why are calves so hard to grow? Are cool downs necessary? Can Bulgarian split squats replace barbell squats? When will I do a live, in-person meet-and-greet? Why do some people find the carnivore diet so helpful? How can you maintain progress while on an international vacation? All that and more in this Q&A podcast. 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 ( mik...

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify | Listen on YouTube Whether you realize it or not, you’re operating according to a worldview. Your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are all influenced by how you make sense of the world, and so, that worldview determines your quality of life. If that concept sounds interesting, and if you enjoyed my previous philosophical conversations with my friend Pat Flynn, you’re going to enjoy this podcast.  Pat is a repeat guest not only because I find our discussions entertaining, but I’ve gotten great feedback from listeners who like hearing about these deeper, philosophical topics we wade through. Plus, I believe examining these “big” questions can help us live a better life. Not only is Pat a fitness guru with an expertise in kettlebells, but he’s an author, philosopher, and host of multiple podcasters. Specifically, his Philosophy For the People podcast aims to breakdown difficult ideas and make them more accessible, so he’s the...

The leg curl is a hamstring exercise, typically performed on a leg curl machine . It’s unique among hamstring exercises because it trains your hamstrings through a full range of motion while fully stretched, which makes it ideal for building muscle. In this article, you’ll learn what the leg curl is, its benefits, which muscles it works, how to do it with proper form, the best seated leg curl alternatives , and more. Table of Contents What Is the Leg Curl? Seated Leg Curl vs. Lying Leg Curl: Which Is Better? Leg Curl: Benefits Seated Leg Curl: Muscles Worked Seated Leg Curl: Form Step 1: Set Up Step 2: Curl Step 3: Extend The Best Seated Leg Curl Alternatives 1. Lying Leg Curl 2. Nordic Leg Curl 3. Dumbbell Leg Curl 4. Swiss Ball Leg Curl What Is the Leg Curl? The leg curl is a lower-body exercise that primarily trains the hamstrings and involves bending your knees to bring your feet closer to your butt against resistance.  There are two main variations of ...

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify | Listen on YouTube Let’s talk about a controversial condition: adrenal fatigue. This term describes a syndrome that people supposedly suffer from in response to prolonged stress. Long-term stress puts undue strain on your adrenal glands, which can cause them to stop functioning correctly, causing lethargy and other negative effects on your health and body composition. This sounds like a plausible theory, but it’s highly controversial in the medical world, primarily because there is no explicit scientific evidence that adrenal fatigue exists.  And so in this podcast, I’m going to look at the broader body of research on adrenal function and fatigue. Let’s see what we can learn about this theory of adrenal fatigue and whether it’s worthy of further consideration. Timestamps: 0:00 – My award-winning fitness books for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/ 3:37 – What is adrenal fatigue? 6:05 – What are symptom...

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify | Listen on YouTube I hope you and yours are relishing many moments of joyous merriment, reveling in all of their pine-scented butter-lubed and tinsel-laden glory. In this podcast, I’m wishing you a merry Christmas and happy holidays, and laying out all of the wondrous gifts I’m planning to bring next year. So, press play to hear about new flavors of Pulse, Recharge, Whey+, and more, new tools on my blog, new podcasts, new books, and more! And also because this really cannot be said enough, thank you. Bless your cotton socks for your support this year.  Oh and don’t count calories today. Not on Christmas. Feast, drink, and hug your loved ones. Timestamps:   0:00 – A holiday message 4:16 – Please leave a review of the show wherever you listen to podcasts and make sure to subscribe! Mentioned on the show:  Please leave a review of the show wherever you listen to podcasts and make sure to subscribe! What did you thi...

It’s that time again. A time to transform hearth and home into a hellscape of landfill-bound fripperies. A time to trade the quinoa salads and avocado ice cream for mom’s deep-fried mac ‘n cheese balls stuffed with pizza rolls stuffed with a molten core of sugar-soaked gummy worms. And perhaps most importantly, a time to offer moonlit sacrifices of cured grinch hides and spiced elf organs to the dimension-hopping Antediluvian demi-god Santa Claus and his battalion of bionic beast-deer-creatures forged in the Third Epoch of Prehistory to do battle with the dead-eyed demon prince Krampus for command of the multiverse— You know what? This is pretty irrelevant. Moving on. What I really wanted to say was . . . MERRY CHRITHMITH AND HAPPY HOLLANDAISE! I hope you and yours are relishing many moments of joyous merriment and reveling in all of their pine-scented, butter-lubed, and tinsel-laden glory. And what will next year bring? Will the “I’m not a crook just an idiot” defense exonera...

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify | Listen on YouTube In this installment of the Best of Muscle For Life, you’ll hear hand-picked clips from three popular MFL episodes: an interview with Austin Current on the science of strength training, a monologue on how to easily and accurately calculate your body fat percentage, and a Motivation Monday episode on getting fired up for your workouts.  S ome people—my favorite people—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 do at least a little better inside and outside the gym. That’s why I do “best of” episodes that contain a few of the most practical and compelling ideas, tips, and moments from the more popular episodes I’ve published over the years. This way, you can learn interesting insights that you might have otherwise missed and f...

It’s estimated that there are over 2+ million scientific papers published each year, and this firehose only seems to intensify. Even if you narrow your focus to fitness research, it would take several lifetimes to unravel the hairball of studies on nutrition, training, supplementation, and related fields. This is why my team and I spend thousands of hours each year dissecting and describing scientific studies in articles, podcasts, and books and using the results to formulate our 100% all-natural sports supplements and inform our coaching services.  And while the principles of proper eating and exercising are simple and somewhat immutable, reviewing new research can reinforce or reshape how we eat, train, and live for the better.  Thus, each week, I’m going to share three scientific studies on diet, exercise, supplementation, mindset, and lifestyle that will help you gain muscle and strength, lose fat, perform and feel better, live longer, and get and stay healthier. ...

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify | Listen on YouTube I’m often asked about how to make time for fitness when life gets in the way. It’s an especially common question from new parents looking for tips on getting fit or maintaining fitness. Life can be especially hectic for new parents and your health and gym time often take a backseat when your schedule feels out of control. So, this podcast is chockfull of practical tips for staying healthy, rested, and in shape not just as a parent, but as a busy person in general.  I’m interviewing Ben Coomber, who’s not only a fitness professional, coach, nutritionist, educator, and father, but also a podcaster, motivational speaker, and all-around driven guy who runs several of his own businesses. He also just wrote a book that offers a step-by-step formula for transforming your life and finding more fulfillment and success regardless of how busy you are. Ben first appeared on my podcast in 2015, and in his triumphant retu...

Conjugated linoleic acid , or CLA , is a popular supplement purported to improve health in multiple ways. Many people believe it helps you lose fat and build muscle, decreases your risk of poor metabolic and cardiovascular health, and increases testosterone production, all without any adverse side effects. Many others, however, are leery of these claims. They believe the benefits of CLA are based on controvertible evidence and that taking CLA comes with significant risk. Who should you believe? Is CLA all pros and no cons? Is it really safe and side-effect free? Get an evidence-based answer in this article. (Or if you’d prefer to skip all of the scientific mumbo jumbo, and you just want to know if you should take CLA or a different supplement to reach your goals, take the Legion Supplement Finder Quiz , and in less than a minute, you’ll know exactly what supplements are right for you. Click here to check it out .) Table of Contents What Is CLA? What Is a CLA Supplement? ...