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Muscle Science for Women

Hosted by health coach and author Ashleigh VanHouten and nutritionist and strength and conditioning specialist Rachel Gregory - co-creators of the Muscle Science for Women training program - this podcast dives into all aspects of fitness including nutrition, training, recovery, fitness culture, and so much more, all with a focus on addressing women's unique goals and challenges. It's conversational, interactive, and will help listeners understand their bodies and how to achieve their goals.
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Now displaying: 2024
Apr 23, 2024

The term "aging," to many, is a bad word, associated with negative changes and a general decline in health. But many of the negative aspects we associate with aging aren't inevitable. In this episode re-release, Ashleigh speaks with New York Times bestselling author, weight-loss and natural anti-aging expert Dr. Kellyann Petrucci.She is a concierge doctor for celebrities in New York City and Los Angeles, a board-certified naturopathic physician and a certified nutrition consultant. She is a massive proponent of using food to encourage robust health and beauty, and challenging what we think about “natural aging.”

In this episode Dr. Kellyann and Ashleigh discuss eating for beauty; addressing gut health as a means of overall health but also anti-aging; how to slow down brain aging; and ways we can switch our perspective from thinking of aging as an inevitable decline, to thinking of it as an opportunity for growth, improvement, and continued vitality. Aging well doesn’t happen by accident, and there’s so much we can do to feel, look, and perform well as move through life. Learn more about her work at drkellyann.com.

Let us know your thoughts, or pose more questions or topic ideas to Rachel and Ashleigh at musclescience4women@gmail.com

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

Get fit with us in 2024 - sign up for the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes 

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

 

Apr 15, 2024

In this episode the ladies answer questions from listeners including one about how to lower LDL cholesterol on a high protein diet: what might be causing the high LDL reading; what other factors other than diet may be contributing; and their advice for some lifestyle factors and further research to address the potential issue.

They also discuss how much is too much protein powder: what percentage of your daily protein amount ideally should come from whole foods, and how much is ok to get from supplements like protein powder? How can you best meal prep or plan when you have a job that keeps you on the road and yet doesn't allow much downtime for eating?

Finally, Ashleigh dives into yet another social media trend that grinds her gears: the polarizing discussion online about "healthy versions of classic desserts." One side says we should avoid dessert unless we make it ourselves, while the other side says that these healthy versions are just an expression of orthorexia. What do you think?

Let us know your thoughts, or pose more questions or topic ideas to Rachel and Ashleigh at musclescience4women@gmail.com

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

Get fit with us in 2024 - sign up for the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes 

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

If you've always wanted to test some things out and try a CGM, Muscle Science for Women is partnering with NutriSense to help you!  Nutrisense combines cutting-edge technology and human expertise so you can see how your body responds to different food, exercise, stress, and sleep in real time. By pairing a CGM with their app and expert nutritionist guidance, you can help understand which foods impact your glucose levels and how you respond to foods, stress, exercise, and sleep changes. You simply pair a continuous glucose monitor with their Nutrisense app, where you can keep all your data around food, exercise and so on, and their subscription plan also includes a month of free nutritionist support. 

Go to Nutrisenseio.com/MSW or use the code MSW at checkout to receive a $30 discount off your first month which includes 2 CGM sensors, free shipping, and a month of professional Nutritionist support.  

 

Apr 9, 2024

In this episode, Rachel and Ashleigh answer listener questions about the efficacy of BCAA's for muscle building and recovery, the concept of "macro thresholds" ie, how much wiggle room do you have with your macros if you're trying to lose fat, and whether or not you should really be doing a coffee detox. 

If you want more information on BCAA's and EAA's, check out episode 59 of the podcast.

If you have any questions or topic ideas for the ladies, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com

Get on the waiting list for their NEW Strong & Sculpted Shoulders Workshop waitlist: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 

Check out our specialized program, the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes

More info on our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com

Thank you to our sponsor Purity Coffee! Quality coffee can be health promoting and help fight inflammation. Purity Coffee is certified organic and lab tested for pesticides, mold, and heavy metals. They use a proprietary roasting protocol that results (when tested) in up to 65% more antioxidants on average vs other organic coffees. It truly is the best of the best - and it tastes great, with a number of options for you to choose from - even a decaf and a 1/3 caffeinated option! Use our link or the discount code MSW25 to get a full 25% off your first order of the best coffee out there: https://puritycoffee.com/discount/MSW25

 

Apr 2, 2024

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel talk about how to enjoy vacation without guilt, vegan protein powders, and Ashleigh's nutritional deficiency test results. They discuss how to balance "vacation mentality" with enough discipline that provides a sense of control while still allowing you to enjoy time off, new experiences, and a break from your regular life. They also talk about protein powders and their thoughts on vegan protein. Ashleigh discusses the results of her Genova Metabolomix+ nutritional deficiency test, including whether her meat-forward diet is giving her enough variety, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. You'll have to listen to hear what she learns!

Send us your thoughts about today's episode or any questions you have to musclescience4women@gmail.com.

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

Check out our specialized program, the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes

More info on our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com

Have you been thinking about getting some health testing done, without the hassle of getting a doctor's appointment? Genova Diagnostics is a direct-to-consumer testing company that allows you to order specific testing online that you can do easily at home and receive personalized recommendations based on the results.

Testing options include a GI Effects gut health test that provides insight into digestive function and intestinal inflammation; Metabolomix+ nutritional testing that can identify individual needs for certain vitamins, minerals, and amino acids; a hormonal health test that measures sex and adrenal hormones for men and women, and more.

Genova provides educational resources to help you understand results, and you can also work with your own healthcare provider to help further interpret and make use of your findings. Genova makes the testing process easier, so you can do your own research, advocate for yourself, and empower yourself to find the answers you’re looking for to improve your health. Learn more about the options at https://connect.gdx.net/ and use our code, MSW10 for 10% off any of the tests.

And 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 and use the code MSW10 to save 10% on your purchase!

 

Mar 26, 2024

This is a fun one! In today's episode, Rachel and Ashleigh discuss the concept of body types: (you've probably heard of these, ectomorph, endomorph, and mesomorph). They talk about:

  • how these body types are characterized
  • if there's real "truth" to these categorizations
  • whether you can change your body composition dramatically outside of your body type
  • how to train to optimize your body type
  • and how all this may impact your feelings about your body and your capabilities. 

They also talk about specific strength training for sports, gestational diabetes management, and they tease their brand new program launching in April: Strong & Sculpted Shoulders! Sign up to learn more here: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders

If you've always wanted to test some things out and try a CGM, Muscle Science for Women is partnering with NutriSense to help you!  Nutrisense combines cutting-edge technology and human expertise so you can see how your body responds to different food, exercise, stress, and sleep in real time. By pairing a CGM with their app and expert nutritionist guidance, you can help understand which foods impact your glucose levels and how you respond to foods, stress, exercise, and sleep changes. You simply pair a continuous glucose monitor with their Nutrisense app, where you can keep all your data around food, exercise and so on, and their subscription plan also includes a month of free nutritionist support. 

Go to Nutrisenseio.com/MSW or use the code MSW at checkout to receive a $30 discount off your first month which includes 2 CGM sensors, free shipping, and a month of professional Nutritionist support.  

If you have questions or topic ideas, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com.

Leearn more about the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes 

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

 

Mar 19, 2024

Ashleigh and Rachel are VERY excited to answer questions from some younger listeners! They answer questions from a high school listener about weight gain and birth control, training plans for weight loss, training around injury, and optimal nutrition for younger people. 

They also dive into pesticides in your coffee (and how to avoid them); why they don't give out free workouts to help sell their programs, and more.

Any more teens have fitness questions? Looking for advice? Do you have questions about how to talk to your teens about fitness or encourage them? Send us your thoughts about today's episode or any questions you have to musclescience4women@gmail.com.

Get on the waiting list for their NEW Strong & Sculpted Shoulders Workshop waitlist: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders 

Check out our specialized program, the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes

More info on our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com

Thank you to our sponsor Purity Coffee! Quality coffee can be health promoting and help fight inflammation. Purity Coffee is certified organic and lab tested for pesticides, mold, and heavy metals. They use a proprietary roasting protocol that results (when tested) in up to 65% more antioxidants on average vs other organic coffees. It truly is the best of the best - and it tastes great, with a number of options for you to choose from - even a decaf and a 1/3 caffeinated option! Use our link or the discount code MSW25 to get a full 25% off your first order of the best coffee out there: https://puritycoffee.com/discount/MSW25

 

Mar 12, 2024

In this episode Ashleigh asks the CEO and co-founder of Kion, Angelo Keely, to do a deep dive on essential amino acids. As a life-long meat eater, Ashleigh is skeptical about EAA supplements, so they talk about:

  • What essential amino acids are and why they're important
  • The differences between BCAA's and EAA's
  • How much you're actually getting from your food
  • How to make sure you're getting enough to optimize your health
  • How to best incorporate EAA's to optimize intake, muscle growth, and overall health
  • Can you overdo it and ingest too many EAA's?
  • Are supplemental EAA's necessary, and if you want to use them, how best to incorporate into a well-rounded diet

All that and more - if you enjoyed this specific deep dive with a subject matter expert let us know and we can do more like this. Email musclescience4women@gmail.com with your questions, feedback, and topic ideas.

If you want to try Kion's Essential Amino Acids products (which Ashleigh is currently using, as well as their creatine) you can get up to 20% off here: getkion.com/musclescience

Check out our specialized program, the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes

More info on our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com

 

Mar 5, 2024

In this episode Ashleigh shares her struggles with burnout, comparing her current self to her former self, and struggling with balancing her current goals and responsibilities with her training plan. She and Rachel dive into concepts like identity and fitness, the importance of training in an organized and progressive way, and how to move past boredom and even burnout.

They also answer questions about training with lower back pain, including which exercises may help and setting expectations around recovery time, and Rachel talks about her own struggles with back injury. 

Finally, Ashleigh talks about a nutritional assessment test she's taking through Genova Diagnostics.

Send us your thoughts about today's episode or any questions you have to musclescience4women@gmail.com.

Check out our specialized program, the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes

More info on our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com

Genova Diagnostics is a direct-to-consumer testing company that allows you to order specific testing online that you can do easily at home and receive personalized recommendations based on the results.

Testing options include a GI Effects gut health test that provides insight into digestive function and intestinal inflammation; Metabolomix+ nutritional testing that can identify individual needs for certain vitamins, minerals, and amino acids; a hormonal health test that measures sex and adrenal hormones for men and women, and more.

Genova provides educational resources to help you understand results, and you can also work with your own healthcare provider to help further interpret and make use of your findings. Genova makes the testing process easier, so you can do your own research, advocate for yourself, and empower yourself to find the answers you’re looking for to improve your health. Learn more about the options at https://connect.gdx.net/ and use our code, MSW10 for 10% off any of the tests.

Thank you to our sponsor Purity Coffee! Quality coffee can be health promoting and help fight inflammation. Purity Coffee is certified organic and lab tested for pesticides, mold, and heavy metals. They use a proprietary roasting protocol that results (when tested) in up to 65% more antioxidants on average vs other organic coffees. It truly is the best of the best - and it tastes great, with a number of options for you to choose from - even a decaf and a 1/3 caffeinated option! Use our link or the discount code MSW25 to get a full 25% off your first order of the best coffee out there: https://puritycoffee.com/discount/MSW25

 

Feb 27, 2024

In this episode of Muscle Science for Women, Ashleigh and Rachel dive into a case study of a woman looking to start over again in her fitness and strength journey, after kids and taking time away from the gym. They provide practical tips on how to overcome obstacles and mental hurdles, identify small wins and how they add up to big change over time, and how much time and effort a busy person really HAS to dedicate to their workout program to see results. They also chat about Rachel's new part time job and a work trip Ashleigh is excited about!

If you've always wanted to test some things out and try a CGM, Muscle Science for Women is partnering with NutriSense to help you!  Nutrisense combines cutting-edge technology and human expertise so you can see how your body responds to different food, exercise, stress, and sleep in real time. By pairing a CGM with their app and expert nutritionist guidance, you can help understand which foods impact your glucose levels and how you respond to foods, stress, exercise, and sleep changes. You simply pair a continuous glucose monitor with their Nutrisense app, where you can keep all your data around food, exercise and so on, and their subscription plan also includes a month of free nutritionist support. 

Go to Nutrisenseio.com/MSW or use the code MSW at checkout to receive a $30 discount off your first month which includes 2 CGM sensors, free shipping, and a month of professional Nutritionist support.  

If you have questions or topic ideas, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com.

Get fit with us in 2024 - sign up for the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes 

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

Feb 20, 2024

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel talk about some of the ways their beliefs and behaviors around fitness and nutrition have changed over the past ten years; they discuss what may be missing from your plan if you seem to be doing everything right but just aren't seeing progress; and what the margin of error is when trying to determine your optimal macro ratio. 

If you have any questions you want answered, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com.

Get fit with us in 2024 - sign up for the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes

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

We're excited about our new show sponsor: Genova Diagnostics is a direct-to-consumer testing company that allows you to order specific testing online that you can do easily at home and receive personalized recommendations based on the results.

Testing options include a GI Effects gut health test that provides insight into digestive function and intestinal inflammation; Metabolomix+ nutritional testing that can identify individual needs for certain vitamins, minerals, and amino acids; a hormonal health test that measures sex and adrenal hormones for men and women, and more.

Genova provides educational resources to help you understand results, and you can also work with your own healthcare provider to help further interpret and make use of your findings. Genova makes the testing process easier, so you can do your own research, advocate for yourself, and empower yourself to find the answers you’re looking for to improve your health. Learn more about the options at https://connect.gdx.net/ and use our code, MSW10 for 10% off any of the tests.

And shoutout to our show sponsor Active Stacks! They make high-quality collagen peptide 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 and use the code MSW10 to save 10% on your purchase!

 

Feb 13, 2024

In this episode Ashleigh and Rachel discuss whether or not you can effectively grow your legs and glutes with a limited home gym (and give plenty of advice on how you can maximize your workouts no matter where you are or what equipment you have). They both recently invested in some of the trendy new walking office treadmills and talk about whether they think they're worth it; how their meal prepping has changed over time; the best way to prep for pregnancy; and they have their favorite "lifting straps vs. no lifting straps" debate, AGAIN. This one is a fun episode, and full of practical takeaways.

Here's a link to the Versa Gripps product Rachel loves.

Here's a link for a similar product in Canada.

If you have questions, comments, or topic ideas for us, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com.

Thank you to our brand new Sponsor Purity Coffee! Quality coffee can be health promoting and help fight inflammation. Purity Coffee is certified organic and lab tested for pesticides, mold, and heavy metals. They use a proprietary roasting protocol that results (when tested) in up to 65% more antioxidants on average vs other organic coffees. It truly is the best of the best - and it tastes great, with a number of options for you to choose from - even a decaf and a 1/3 caffeinated option! Use our link or the discount code MSW25 to get a full 25% off your first order of the best coffee out there: https://puritycoffee.com/discount/MSW25

Check out our specialized program, the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes

More info on our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com

Feb 6, 2024

In this episode Ashleigh and Rachel dive into a variety of topics around nutrition, including understanding the difference between a food "sensitivity" and an actual allergy; they talk about whether foods that are widely touted as unhealthy (like gluten) should be avoided even if you don't seem to be sensitive to them; and they discuss their own recent experiments with continuous blood glucose monitors - including what raised their blood sugar and what didn't, how stress and exercise impacted their results, and some other surprising findings. 

If you've always wanted to test some things out and try a CGM, Muscle Science for Women is partnering with NutriSense to help you!  Nutrisense combines cutting-edge technology and human expertise so you can see how your body responds to different food, exercise, stress, and sleep in real time. By pairing a CGM with their app and expert nutritionist guidance, you can help understand which foods impact your glucose levels and how you respond to foods, stress, exercise, and sleep changes. You simply pair a continuous glucose monitor with their Nutrisense app, where you can keep all your data around food, exercise and so on, and their subscription plan also includes a month of free nutritionist support. 

Go to Nutrisenseio.com/MSW or use the code MSW at checkout to receive a $30 discount off your first month which includes 2 CGM sensors, free shipping, and a month of professional Nutritionist support.  

If you have questions or topic ideas, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com.

Get fit with us in 2024 - sign up for the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes 

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

Some other links discussed in today's show:

US-based:

Walking Pad: https://amzn.to/48TRHNA
 
Apple Watch Elastic Bands for tracking steps on walking pad: https://amzn.to/3SmcXEz 
 
Stainless Steel Water Bottle: https://amzn.to/3SmuVGY 
 
Canada-based:
 
Walking pad, stainless steel water bottle, Versa Grips: https://www.amazon.ca/shop/themusclemaven/list/34JTH7DP3MJJ8?ref_=aipsflist_aipsfthemusclemaven
 
 
Jan 30, 2024

In this episode Rachel and Ashleigh discuss mindset and the do's and don'ts of staying healthy while traveling. Rachel has just come back from an epic three-week trip to Thailand, and Ashleigh is about to embark on an all-inclusive family vacation, so they chat about stuff like: 

  • How to approach exercise while on vacation - how much should you prioritize it? What's the most effective exercise to do while traveling? How much downtime can you get away with without losing your gains?
  • How to manage eating while on vacation - should you still track your food? How easy is it to gain weight on vacation, or conversely how easy is it to maintain your current state even when taking a break from your normal routine?
  • How much does jet lag and other travel factors impact your health, gut health, sleep, etc and how can you combat this?
  • How can you best balance enjoying yourself, relaxing, and still sticking to your health goals? 

All this and more in this episode - if you have any questions or comments, please send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com

We're excited to introduce a new show sponsor in this episode: Genova Diagnostics is a direct-to-consumer testing company that allows you to order specific testing online that you can do easily at home and receive personalized recommendations based on the results.

Testing options include a GI Effects gut health test that provides insight into digestive function and intestinal inflammation; Metabolomix+ nutritional testing that can identify individual needs for certain vitamins, minerals, and amino acids; a hormonal health test that measures sex and adrenal hormones for men and women, and more.

Genova provides educational resources to help you understand results, and you can also work with your own healthcare provider to help further interpret and make use of your findings. Genova makes the testing process easier, so you can do your own research, advocate for yourself, and empower yourself to find the answers you’re looking for to improve your health. Learn more about the options at https://connect.gdx.net/ and use our code, MSW10 for 10% off any of the tests.

Get fit with us in 2024 - sign up for the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes

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

Jan 16, 2024

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel answer listener questions about:

  • Why creatine may be making you sick;
  • The fun of coming up with new workout challenges;
  • Resources for overcoming hypothalamic amenorrhea;
  • Why most people shouldn't try competitive bodybuilding;
  • New experiences with therapy and how it can improve overall health

The ladies get personal in this one, we hope you enjoy it and learn something that helps you! If you have any thoughts, comments, or feedback, please send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com.

Get fit with us in 2024 - sign up for the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes

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

Shoutout to our show sponsor Active Stacks! They make high-quality collagen protein 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. Learn more at https://activestacks.com/discount/MSW10 and use the code MSW10 to save 10% on your purchase!

Jan 9, 2024

In this episode, Ashleigh sits down with Halie Schoff, functional wellness and nutrition expert and coach who specializes in gut and hormonal health, to talk about how to best support digestive health during different phases of life. They also discuss certain controversial health practices (coffee enema, anyone?) and whether or not someone who practices a healthy lifestyle really "needs" additional detoxifying.

They discuss:

  • Keys to optimizing gut health
  • What are parasite cleanses and do we need them?
  • How to prep for and optimize gut health around travel, and how to minimize any damage done
  • Do we really "need" regular detoxing? Isn't our body supposed to do that for us naturally?
  • Ashleigh asks skeptical questions about some health practices like castor oil packs, coffee enemas, and more. 

And a lot more! If you have any feedback, questions, or other topics ideas send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com.

Thank you to our show sponsor, the Primal Health Coach Institute, an online health and fitness coaching certification school founded by Mark Sisson with a mission to develop highly skilled coaches who are proficient in guiding their clients toward lasting behavior change and excellent health outcomes. Ashleigh was one of the first 50 coaches certified through the program, and she has since developed her own Strength Training for Women Coaching Certification program for coaches through the PHCI. Head to  https://www.primalhealthcoach.com/msw/

Use the code MSW25 at checkout to get 25% off the price of either the Strength Training for Women course or the flagship Primal Health Coach course. 

Check out our specialized program, the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes

More info on our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com

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