Hi there, that is muscle for all times and I’m Mike Matthews. Thanks for tuning in at the moment for a brand new episode, a brand new Q and a episode the place I’m going to reply questions that individuals have requested me over on Instagram. What I do is each week or each different week, I put up a narrative asking for questions. I get a bunch of questions.
I reply a bunch of questions there on Instagram, after which I carry every part over right here to the podcast and reply the questions in additional element. And so if you wish to ask me your questions, observe me on Instagram at MuscleForLifeFitness, uh, MuscleFORLifeFitness. And watch my tales, benefit from the memes. And whenever you see the ask me a query story, submit your questions.
I attempt to evaluate every part. Typically I get lots and I can’t even get via all of them. However I do attempt to evaluate most if not the entire questions after which select ones which are topical or that many different persons are asking about or that I haven’t already. Answered many many instances and so forth and so on this episode I’m going to be answering questions on publish exercise sauna steam room or chilly plunge The stair stepper for cardio versus different forms of cardio What ladies ought to do if they’re feeling too cumbersome the quickest methods to naturally enhance testosterone ranges When my power drink goes to be obtainable Nicely legions power drink And plenty of extra.
Alrighty, let’s begin with TJS 90 who asks sauna, steam room, chilly plunge after weightlifting, good or unhealthy. All are effective. So do no matter you want essentially the most. Though you need to know that I suppose, technically the chilly plunge could be the worst possibility should you have been attempting to maximise muscle development as a result of analysis exhibits that usually exposing your self to very Chilly temperatures, chilly water, or it may very well be chilly air, like within the case of cryotherapy after coaching can blunt muscle development as a result of it reduces entire physique irritation, which could be a good factor.
However within the case of publish exercise is a nasty factor as a result of the inflammatory response. produced by coaching is a part of the physiological course of that leads to muscle development. So should you go straight out of your exercise when irritation ranges are elevated and once more that’s a great factor into the bathtub of ice chilly water for let’s say no less than three minutes possibly three to 5 minutes that’s an ordinary protocol and you’re.
Kind of absolutely immersing your physique within the water, let’s say no less than as much as your neck. That’s going to cut back that publish exercise irritation. And should you do it right here and there, it’s not going to matter. However should you do it after each exercise, it will scale back muscle development to a point over time.
Now, that isn’t to say you possibly can’t acquire muscle should you do this. However In case you are an skilled weightlifter, it’s already actually exhausting to realize muscle. You must practice exhausting. You must eat numerous meals. You must be sure you’re getting loads of sleep, et cetera, et cetera. And you are attempting to get as jacked as you presumably can.
I might not suggest chilly plunging after your exercises as an everyday exercise. Now if you wish to do it. Outdoors of, let’s say, the couple hours after your coaching. So possibly you need to do it earlier within the day otherwise you need to do it a lot later within the day. Then that’s completely effective. Anyway, in order for sauna steam room after coaching, once more, both of these are effective.
However as for advantages, I personally would go along with the sauna. All proper, Disorganized asks, I’ve seen some posts saying the stair stepper isn’t nearly as good for cardio as strolling on a treadmill. Nicely, the stair stepper is normally chosen for the decrease physique stimulus, usually for the glutes, and that’s effective, however it’s in all probability pointless and even unproductive should you’re simply coaching your decrease physique sufficient, and should you’re coaching it Accurately, the additional stimulus that you just’re getting from the stair stepper shouldn’t be making a distinction within the growth of your decrease physique as a result of that’s going to be pushed by your coaching.
And moreover, the stair stepper has a big draw back and that’s that your muscle endurance goes to restrict how exhausting you possibly can push your cardio. endurance. Whereas with a treadmill or a motorbike, you possibly can higher give attention to coaching your cardiovascular system. Uh, the, the main limiting issue goes to be your cardio and never your muscle endurance.
All proper. Hans Mamazni asks 48 12 months outdated feminine persistently lifting, wanting slash feeling cumbersome, constructing an excessive amount of muscle. Wish to recomp query mark. Nicely, in case you are a muscular lady and you feel cumbersome, the very first thing to do is simply Assess your physique fats degree. So in case you are above 25 p.c physique fats, I might suggest weight-reduction plan all the way down to about 20 p.c after which reassessing your physique as a result of chances are high you gained’t really feel cumbersome anymore.
Now possibly You like to be at the next physique fats degree. Perhaps you like 25 to 30%. You prefer to be a little bit bit rounder. You prefer to have an even bigger butt. You prefer to have larger boobs. And at 25 to 30 p.c due to the quantity of muscle that you’ve got, you are feeling cumbersome. That’s potential. And if that’s the case, then you can look into strategically.
shedding muscle to get to the place you need to be to look the way in which that you just need to be, however chances are high you gained’t really feel the necessity to, except you could have simply been a really excessive responder to coaching and genetically you’re made to be huge and powerful and also you’ve gotten Huge and powerful. And so even at 20%, though now you look tighter, possibly a little bit bit extra athletic, you continue to really feel too muscular.
That’s potential, however it’s not the norm. It’s the exception to the rule. Now, should you’re unsure how a lot physique fats you could have, what your physique fats proportion is, what proportion of your weight. Is physique fats and also you’re unsure learn how to precisely assess that head over to legionathletics. com seek for physique fats after which try the article I wrote known as the perfect physique fats proportion calculator for women and men.
And also you’ll discover numerous data in that article. You’ll discover a calculator, however you’ll additionally discover some completely different charts and a few photos which. actually is all most individuals want. In case you have correct photos of various physique fats ranges in people who find themselves slot in individuals who have a bit extra muscle than the typical one that clearly practice, you possibly can simply eyeball the place you’re at.
After which should you do certainly have to lose muscle, no less than in sure components of your physique to attain the look that you really want, seek for legionathletics. com after which learn the article, learn how to lose muscle mass. You don’t. need after which in parentheses make sure muscle mass smaller. Okay. We have now H feather asks, is there any advantage to timing your dietary supplements akin to fish oil on a fasted abdomen?
Nicely, typically you need to take dietary supplements with a blended meal as a result of the fats particularly that you’re consuming that’s within the meals that you just’re consuming goes to assist with the absorption of. completely different vitamins, however there are exceptions of that. So that you’ll him being, for instance, in case you are utilizing your him being since you are reducing, particularly should you’re a lean, desirous to get actually lean, it could actually assist fairly a bit.
You’ll want to take it on a, on an empty abdomen. You must be in a fasted state as a result of in case your insulin ranges are elevated, it utterly negates your him beans, fats burning and fats loss. advantages. After which lastly, there are dietary supplements like completely different amino acids that work equally effectively, whether or not they’re taken with meals or with out meals, like the kind of components that you’d discover in a pre exercise.
So that you’re going to take that for a exercise, clearly, however you don’t have to make sure that you’re fed or fasted in case you are utilizing let’s say my pre exercise which comprises beta alanine, it comprises citrulline, it comprises betaine and some different components that once more will work equally effectively whether or not you’re fed or fasted.
And earlier than I transfer on, I ought to in all probability touch upon creatine as a result of folks usually ask about creatine timing. Does it matter when’s the perfect time to take creatine? Nicely, it largely doesn’t matter. It’s simply essential to take it day-after-day or no less than each different day. So let’s say no less than three to 5 days per week, I might say ideally day-after-day.
However should you miss a day right here and there, it’s not an enormous deal as a result of your physique’s creatine shops will nonetheless be elevated from the common supplementation. In order that’s. That’s crucial level is simply taking it persistently, taking sufficient 5 grams a day. When you’re simply going for the physique comp and energy advantages, if you wish to presumably get pleasure from a few of the cognitive advantages which are popping out in an increasing number of analysis, you could have to take extra, uh, as much as 10 grams a day.
However, uh, dosing apart, consistency is, is crucial level. And as for timing, should you can take it with a publish exercise, meal which may be the perfect time to take it to get the utmost quantity of physique comp and efficiency advantages out of it. However that isn’t important. And it’s not even clear if it’s true. It might be true.
James Jordan, actual property asks quickest methods to spice up testosterone proper? Free. Nicely, the primary one is to just remember to are consuming sufficient meals for most individuals. Most males particularly who’re going to be asking this query or questioning about this, it’s going to be no less than let’s say 14 to 16 energy per pound of physique weight per day.
So let’s be sure you’re not persistently in a calorie deficit is the important thing right here. And also you need to be sure that most of these energy are coming from a wide range of nutritious and comparatively unprocessed meals. So that you’re getting loads of vitamins that assist your physique’s pure manufacturing of testosterone.
The second level right here is to eat a balanced eating regimen, so get about 30 p.c of these each day energy from protein, 30 40 p.c from carbs, and 30 40 p.c from fats. The third level is to incorporate the next issues in your meal plan, so just remember to are consuming 1 2 servings of cruciferous greens per day.
Broccoli is my favourite. Just be sure you are consuming as a lot beef, fish, rooster, turkey, pork, buffalo, and so forth. And so, quote unquote, Meet as you’re keen to eat. Ideally, it’s it’s a serving or two per day and no, that isn’t unhealthy in your well being. Now, should you have been to eat nothing however crimson meat for prolonged intervals of time.
That might be unhealthy in your well being. I don’t suggest that, however I do suggest common reasonable consumption of meat. I additionally suggest consuming loads of wholesome fat, avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil. These are my go tos. You do need to get some saturated fats in your eating regimen as effectively, however you need it to be in all probability within the vary of 5 to 10 p.c of your whole each day energy.
And you need to get there naturally in case you are usually consuming meat, particularly if it’s leaner and in case you are additionally maintaining a healthy diet fat that do usually comprise a little bit little bit of saturated fats as effectively. After which there are a couple of dietary supplements that you may take into account including to your routine. The fundamentals are vitamin D, zinc and magnesium, and you need to in all probability be supplementing with these for different causes.
Uh, anyway, nonetheless, there are a number of different dietary supplements which are a little bit bit extra speculative or which have been proven to extend testosterone in males who’ve low testosterone, however not as a lot. In males with wholesome ranges of testosterone. So, for instance, the aspartic acid ashwagandha fenugreek tonkat Ali boron DHEA.
These are all dietary supplements that will or could not aid you. You’ll be able to’t actually declare or or somebody like me couldn’t actually declare that these are quote unquote testosterone boosters. However when you’ve got low testosterone ranges, analysis exhibits that a number of of them could assist. They usually’re not gonna damage. So the worst case situation is they simply don’t do something.
And a closing and extremely underrated tip for sustaining greater testosterone ranges is attaining difficult targets. Analysis truly helps this. Wins which are produced by vital effort can considerably enhance testosterone ranges. They will additionally enhance neural plasticity. They will enhance stress resilience, whereas winds that come straightforward don’t appear to have all these results within the physique.
So these are physiological rewards for attaining troublesome, difficult targets. Along with the psychological rewards, do you know that research present that sleeping 5 hours as a substitute of eight hours per evening can enhance muscle loss by as much as 200 and thirty three p.c? And, scale back fats loss by as much as 160%?
And do you know that lowering your sleep from 7 hours to five hours for simply 4 days can scale back your athletic efficiency by nearly 10%? And that below sleeping additionally makes it simpler to realize fats and even makes you much less bodily engaging? The fact is that this. Your sleep hygiene is like your eating regimen. It’s both working for or in opposition to you, enhancing or injuring nearly each facet of your life.
And that’s why I simply launched a brand new and improved model of my sleep support complement, Lunar, which yow will discover over at buylegion.com/lunar. That’s B U Y Legion.com/lunar. Now, why do you have to spring for a bottle or three? Is it since you want dietary supplements to sleep effectively? Or that you may simply take dietary supplements as a substitute of implementing essential life-style habits for sleeping higher?
No, in fact not, however analysis exhibits that supplementation with the components in Lunar can scale back the time that it takes to go to sleep, can enhance sleep high quality, it could actually enhance restfulness after sleep. It could possibly scale back signs of jet lag, it could actually enhance reminiscence perform, and extra. That’s, Lunar is supposed to, look ahead to it, complement your life-style, and aid you sleep higher.
So if you wish to see for your self, head over to buylegion.com/lunar now, place your order, and test it out. Additionally, you need to know that in case you are not pleased with Lunar for no matter purpose, You’ll be able to attain out to us and we provides you with a full And immediate refund, no types, no mailing merchandise again to us.
We simply provide you with your a refund. Wow, what an idea. Oh, and lastly, along with upgrading Lunar’s formulation, which you’ll find out about over at bilegion. com slash Lunar, Lunar 2. 0, as I’m calling it, is now not a powder that it’s important to combine with water and drink, however as a substitute It’s a tasty, chewable pill that you may suck and snack on.
And the rationale we made that change is it helps you reduce your water consumption earlier than mattress, which will help scale back nighttime wakings. And in case you didn’t know, should you do get up at evening to pee, it’s a good suggestion to limit your self to no extra Sipping on no matter you drink at evening, water, tea, no matter, inside a few hours of bedtime.
So I am going to mattress normally round 11 and I begin my, my sipping protocol in all probability round 8 PM. So after 8 PM, I’m not taking full drinks of something. I’m simply sipping on one thing, normally water or chamomile tea, and simply sufficient to satiate my thirst. And on account of that, easy change. I went from waking as much as pee in all probability two or 3 times per evening on common down to at least one on common, generally zero, and likewise the occasional two, however nearly by no means three.
Joshua Hageman 8481 asks, timeline in your power drink. Nicely, it’s at present wanting like April or Could. That’s when it ought to be out. And naturally it’s legions power drink. And should you’re not conversant in Legion, that’s my sports activities diet firm, which you’ll try at legionathletics.com. And we’ve been engaged on an power drink for fairly some time now.
And I’m excited to, to get it on the market as a result of it will be one of many few. naturally sweetened and naturally flavored power drinks in the marketplace. And as for the formulation, it has caffeine, in fact, 150 milligrams per can. It has taurine, clinically efficient dose, two grams. It has a clinically efficient dose of L theanine.
It has B nutritional vitamins, together with B12. In addition to a clinically efficient dose of rhodiola rosea, one in every of my favourite adaptogens and cdp choline. And so mainly as typical, I’ve spent as a lot as I presumably can on this product, making it nearly as good as I can presumably make it whereas nonetheless sustaining acceptable margins.
And so yeah, that’s, that’s the plan once more, April or Could, it ought to be obtainable over at legionathletics. com and likewise announce it right here on the podcast when it’s prepared. Kale is bullshit asks learn how to cease snacking to deal with issues like boredom nervousness or apathy How about cease shopping for the potato chips and begin shopping for the kale chips as a substitute, you recognize, mockingly That’s not even nice recommendation as a result of the kale chips that I’ve seen and a few of them truly have been fairly good Do have fairly a couple of energy as effectively due to the oil that’s utilized in making them So my precise tip is to get and keep busy With actually something.
That’s a straightforward, straightforward manner to enhance dietary adherence as a result of the idle thoughts is the satan’s workshop in all that. Idle palms all the time discover their method to the fridge, proper? Linden Sepp asks, Did the considered competing in bodybuilding ever cross your thoughts? No, probably not. It’s simply not attention-grabbing sufficient to me to need.
To pay the value that you just obtained to pay to compete, particularly to compete naturally. For instance, in a case examine that I learn a few years in the past with a pure bodybuilder who knew what he was doing, who went about it the best manner, who dieted over the course of many months and slowly whittled away his physique fats shops.
And naturally did numerous weightlifting, numerous resistance coaching and needed to do cardio to get that lean due to course he needed to. However, I wouldn’t say he abused cardio. Oh, ate loads of protein, didn’t crash eating regimen, blah, blah, blah. It took six months for him to repair his hormones after the present. So when he stepped on stage, his hormones have been obliterated.
His hormone profile was obliterated, which is inevitable. You’ll be able to’t keep away from that. Testosterone goes to be tremendous low, different issues, and it took six months to carry his hormones again to a standard, wholesome. Degree. And naturally, then in case you are a dedicated bodybuilder and you’re pure and it’s going to take 5 – 6 months of weight-reduction plan to get again into stage form, then you definately mainly have to simply begin weight-reduction plan once more.
So that you lastly really feel higher. You lastly really feel regular once more. And now it’s time to repeat the method. Not for me. I’ve one other query right here from Lindensep that I wished to reply. How do you overcome concern? Nicely, for me, a couple of issues have helped. So one, I attempt to search for logical causes to imagine in my capacity to win.
I attempt to remind myself of previous successes in related circumstances. I attempt to discover different people who find themselves similar to me who’ve gained in related circumstances to the place I might plausibly ask the query, Hey, if they will do it. Why can’t I and so forth. I additionally prefer to search for logical the reason why fears are unwarranted.
So I look to knowledge. I look to possibilities with COVID, for instance, by the top of 2020, there was sufficient knowledge for me to really feel snug with the scenario so far as my private well being was involved, as a result of it was already clear within the knowledge at that time that the individuals who have been on the highest threat of contracting a critical sickness and presumably dying have been already very unhealthy.
Uh, however as I used to be very wholesome, if I checked out that knowledge, it confirmed that COVID posed mainly no threat statistically chatting with me. And so, I wasn’t afraid. I additionally prefer to get and keep in motion. I feel that being considerate is sweet, however it has to assist motion. It has to propel motion, not impede motion.
Motion. And the rationale I feel that’s essential is we overcome obstacles. We overcome difficulties. We overcome fears via motion, not pondering that’s the rule. Perhaps you can discover some exceptions, however that’s the rule that’s the best methods to instantly face no matter is inflicting concern, nervousness, and work out how do I resolve this?
What actions can I take to negate or to eradicate this? Luke M81 asks ideas on this pink salt and honey pre exercise development. Clearly it sounds foolish, nonetheless, I’ll give the satan its due. The sodium can provide you a greater pump. The honey can perform simply effective as a pre exercise carbohydrate. In truth, it’s possibly even preferable to different types of carbohydrate which are extra filling as a result of with Honey, you’re not going to really feel something in your abdomen.
And I want that after I’m coaching, particularly if it’s a, if it’s a harder coaching session, if I’m deadlifting or squatting, I prefer to have as little meals and even liquid in my abdomen as potential. I prefer to really feel mainly nothing in my abdomen as a result of it tends to return up, particularly after I’m deadlifting.
And so honey, would work simply effective in that regard. Nevertheless, you don’t want the pink salt. You don’t want the Himalayan salt. You don’t want any particular sort of honey. The additional minerals within the salt are effective, however you’re going to get loads of minerals out of your eating regimen should you’re consuming effectively, and any honey will work effective for simply offering glucose.
Matthew 1 0 asks, how do you keep motivated with all of it eating regimen, train, et cetera, day in and time out? Nicely, my degree of motivation to do the varied issues that I do ebbs and flows. Typically I’m extra motivated and excited and looking out ahead to the issues. Typically I’m much less motivated and fewer excited and never wanting ahead to doing the issues.
And so, I don’t place a lot significance on motivation a technique or one other. I don’t seek the advice of my degree of motivation earlier than taking motion or earlier than. Deciding what I’m going to do. As an alternative, I simply keep on with my routine. I do the issues that I have to do after I have to do them. I don’t suppose a lot about what I’ve to do within the subsequent one, two or three days that possibly I actually don’t need to do.
I simply take it at some point at a time, one motion at a time. And I additionally normally discover that after I begin one thing possibly that I actually didn’t need to do after about 10 minutes or so of doing it. I get into a little bit little bit of a move state. I get targeted and I discover some enjoyment in doing it. And even when that’s not the case, even when it’s simply not a type of days, I’m not going to be in any move state and I’m not going to seek out any enjoyment in a lot of the issues that I’ve to do.
All the time discover enjoyment in having executed the factor. So no less than there’s that to stay up for. There’s the satisfaction of getting executed the factor. So it’s just like coaching. There are all the time exercises that you just don’t need to do. There are all the time exercises which are simply inordinately exhausting. Each rep is difficult.
Each set is difficult. And also you simply must sort of rub some dust on it and grind your manner via. Even these exercises, although, all the time depart you feeling higher. You all the time really feel higher after you’ve executed the exercise in comparison with whenever you began the exercise or whenever you have been doing the exercise. After which there may be getting sufficient sleep, as a result of should you’re not getting sufficient sleep usually, the RPE of life, the speed of perceived exertion, your notion of how exhausting every part is, goes out.
Means, manner up. And conversely, should you’re getting sufficient sleep, the RPE of life goes manner down. There’s a direct relationship between the amount and the standard of your sleep and the RPE of life. And so, I attempt to be sure that I’m usually getting sufficient sleep. Nick v 351 asks, how essential are barbells in case your foremost purpose is hypertrophy?
I’ve seen numerous conflicting points. Information. Nicely, they aren’t terribly essential per se, however they’re very environment friendly for coaching and for rising muscle as a result of you possibly can practice a number of muscle teams at a time. Now that stated, typically, Barbell coaching is extra precious for hypertrophy in newcomers and intermediate weightlifters than superior weightlifters, largely due to the sheer quantity of quantity that’s required for superior weightlifters to develop, particularly in cussed muscle teams.
And all of us have these cussed muscle teams that simply don’t reply effectively to coaching. And hopefully you could have, uh, some muscle teams which have responded very well to coaching as a result of most of us even have that. And that doesn’t imply although that superior weightlifter to coaching shouldn’t be doing barbell work or, uh, can’t productively incorporate barbell work into their coaching.
In fact, they will, however there’s a level the place it’s not optimum for hypertrophy to completely work with Barbells and even largely work with barbells. When a sophisticated weightlifter desires to prioritize hypertrophy, it’s in all probability in very particular muscle teams, their coaching must look far more like a conventional physique constructing routine than a energy routine or perhaps a energy constructing routine.
Pocket Adjunct asks, what are the best workouts to construct up lagging or weak biceps? Nicely, yow will discover loads of viable biceps workouts on-line, however there are two widespread errors that I see, and I’m going to reply this query this fashion. So the primary one is Not coaching shut sufficient to failure and with a small muscle group just like the biceps, mainly each set ought to finish with no a couple of good rep left, which means you can not do a couple of extra rep and you’ll simply go to absolute failure.
In mainly each set if you wish to as effectively, except possibly you’re hammering your biceps with like 20 to 25 units per week. Perhaps you’re not going to failure in all of these units, however you continue to can go to failure in numerous these units. And should you’re doing, let’s say, 6 to 9 units per week, you could have to do extra to develop your biceps.
But when it’s, let’s say, wherever from 6 to 12 units, you in all probability can simply take each set to failure. Do it intelligently, do it safely. Don’t do, let’s say, barbell curls. and begin violently writhing your physique round to attempt to get in additional reps as soon as you possibly can now not carry that bar with good kind and the bar has not simply slowed down, it has come to a cease.
That’s failure. And then you definately would finish that set. As long as you’re. being sensible about it. You’ll be able to practice a small muscle group just like the biceps to failure fairly often, far more usually than you’ll practice your quadriceps to failure. Then you definately would squat to failure, for instance. So essential to coach these biceps intensely.
And you recognize that you’re getting near failure when the rep pace has slowed down. lots. So let’s say you begin out curling at one second to the highest of the curl and then you definately’re decreasing it. And whenever you get near failure, it’s going to be like one and a half seconds, or possibly even two seconds to, to get the load up.
And so when you’ve got not seen a big slowdown in your reps you need to maintain going even when your biceps are burning and It’s painful and also you need to cease you aren’t there but. Preserve going Okay, so the second mistake that I usually see will not be utilizing heavier weights So I imply, let’s say wherever from 4 to eight reps per set now It’s to not say that you might want to do each set in that rep vary or that you need to be doing each set in that rep vary, nonetheless, I Normally see folks coaching their biceps with a lot lighter weights, 12, 15, 20 plus reps per set, and there’s nothing inherently improper with that, however a wide range of rep ranges seems to work finest with sure muscle teams particularly, together with the biceps and the calves.
Analysis has proven that. So what I might suggest is doing a number of units per week and let’s say the rep vary of 4 to 6 reps per set, pushing proper as much as failure. Then a number of units per week. Uh, let’s say someplace between eight and 10 reps per set. After which additionally a number of units per week with, let’s say possibly round 12 to fifteen reps per set.
Nicely, I hope you appreciated this episode. I hope you discovered it useful. And should you did, subscribe to the present as a result of it makes certain that you just don’t miss new episodes. And it additionally helps me as a result of it will increase the rankings of the present a little bit bit, which in fact then makes it a little bit bit extra simply discovered by different individuals who could prefer it simply as a lot as you.
And should you didn’t like one thing about this episode or concerning the present on the whole, or when you’ve got Uh, concepts or ideas or simply suggestions to share, shoot me an electronic mail, Mike at muscleforlife. com muscleforlife. com and let me know what I might do higher or simply, uh, what your ideas are about. Perhaps what you’d prefer to see me do sooner or later.
I learn every part myself. I’m all the time searching for new concepts and constructive suggestions. So thanks once more for listening to this episode and I hope to listen to from you quickly.