In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel answer questions about:

-the importance (or lack therof) of dynamic warm-ups for strength training;

-why some coaches program "ego" workouts and whether they're helpful or a waste of time;

-whether sweating, exhaustion, and soreness is an accurate indicator of a good workout;

-what crossfit gets wrong about strength training

Thank you to our show sponsor, Optimal Carnivore, the makers of high-quality, nutrient-dense whole food supplements. We love their grass-fed organ complex, and you'll get 10% off your first order with the discount code MUSCLESCI on their Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/optimalcarnivore  

If you want to sign up for the MSW program and have Ashleigh and Rachel as your personal coaches, along with a comprehensive 12-week training plan and hours of high-level content on nutrition, training, recovery, and much more, you can sign up now by going to this link: musclescienceforwomen.com

Email your questions, comments, and feedback to musclescience4women@gmail.com

In their second live webinar/podcast episode, Ashleigh, Rachel, and their guests discuss the fears, misconceptions, and tactics around eating during the holidays. They cover topics including:

• Do people actually tend to gain weight around the holidays, or is it a myth?
• How to balance enjoying special meals with loved ones while also feeling good and sticking to your goals and boundaries
• How to manage peer pressure around eating and drinking with family and friends
• Straightforward strategies to plan ahead around holiday meals, and also what you can do during meals to enjoy your food without guilt, and without the junk food hangover the next day!

The hosts also decode some of their dreams and ask the question: is it ever ok to approach strangers in the gym?

If you have questions, topic ideas, or suggestions you'd like the hosts to answer or discuss, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com.

We're excited to introduce our new podcast partner, Active Stacks! They make high-quality beef protein isolate 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. Beef protein is often easier to digest than whey protein for many people, and it's high in glycine, an amino acid that is the main building block for collagen and can help improve sleep and muscle building. Learn more at activestacks.com and use the code MSW10 to save 10% on your purchase!

If you want to sign up for the MSW program and have Ashleigh and Rachel as your personal coaches, along with a comprehensive 12-week training plan and hours of high-level content on nutrition, training, recovery, and much more, you can sign up now by going to this link: musclescienceforwomen.com

This episode marks the first time that Rachel and Ashleigh recorded a “live” podcast, allowing listeners to attend the zoom call and participate, asking questions and giving input. It was super fun, so watch out for more of these in the future! This week, they discuss overcoming body composition plateaus, focusing on challenges with fat loss. They cover:

• How to ensure your goals align with your lifestyle and your behaviors
• How to conduct a “body composition” audit on yourself to ensure you’re actually doing the right things to meet your goals
• How to know the difference between a fat loss stall and your body just being happy where it is
• Different ways to monitor success aside from the weight on the scale
• How to know when you need to change your plan, or stick to it a little longer

We also gave away the biggest discount EVER on our Muscle Science for Women program…so make sure you sign up for our next live podcast/workshop so you don’t miss special discounts and offers. Sign up here: https://www.metflexlife.com/registration-page

Thank you to our show sponsor, Optimal Carnivore, the makers of high-quality, nutrient-dense whole food supplements. We love their grass-fed organ complex, and you'll get 10% off your first order with the discount code MUSCLESCI on their Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/optimalcarnivore  

If you want to sign up for the MSW program and have Ashleigh and Rachel as your personal coaches, along with a comprehensive 12-week training plan and hours of high-level content on nutrition, training, recovery, and much more, you can sign up now by going to this link: musclescienceforwomen.com

Email your questions, comments, and feedback to musclescience4women@gmail.com

Rachel and Ashleigh are answering your questions today on topics like the importance of veggies when building muscle, how to add carbs intelligently to support training and muscle building, and more - but first Rachel talks about her new healthy treat obsession and Ashleigh tells a story about the strangeness of online coaching, which leads her to an idea for a "reverse Only Fans"...you have to listen to this one to hear what she's talking about! This episode is a little adult, a little funny, and educational too.

Thank you to our show sponsor, Optimal Carnivore, the makers of high-quality, nutrient-dense whole food supplements. We love their grass-fed organ complex, and you'll get 10% off your first order with the discount code MUSCLESCI on their Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/optimalcarnivore  

For Rachel's ice cream recipes, head here: https://www.metflexlife.com/blog/ninja-creami-protein-ice-cream-low-calorie 

If you want to sign up for the program and have Ashleigh and Rachel as your personal coaches, along with a comprehensive 12-week training plan and hours of high-level content on nutrition, training, recovery, and much more, you can sign up now by going to this link: musclescienceforwomen.com

Email your questions, comments, and feedback to musclescience4women@gmail.com

This one is spicy! In this Q&A episode, Rachel and Ashleigh start out by discussing workout and exercise order selection, but then dive deep into a fun, but respectful, debate about whether or not you should “pre-exhaust” your muscles before doing your big lifts, or whether you should keep it simple and do the big, challenging lifts first and exhaust your muscles at the end.

They also get into whether more people could benefit from machine-assisted movements or if we should prioritize old-school compound lifts with barbells. Wherever you fall in this debate, it’s a good lesson that there is never a one-size-fits-all approach to fitness and that the best approach is the one that works for you.

The ladies also decide to come up with a Spotify workout playlist – if you want to send in your suggestions, email your fave songs to musclescience4women@gmail.com

If you want to sign up for the program and have Ashleigh and Rachel as your personal coaches, along with a comprehensive 12-week training plan and hours of high-level content on nutrition, training, recovery, and much more, you can sign up now by going to this link: https://www.metflexlife.com/msw

And thank you to our show sponsor, Optimal Carnivore, the makers of high-quality, nutrient-dense whole food supplements. We love their grass-fed organ complex, and you'll get 10% off your first order with the discount code MUSCLESCI on their Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/optimalcarnivore 

In this solo episode, Ashleigh talks about some of the key elements largely missing from the strength and fitness coaching industry, especially regarding coaching women - the biggest challenge being the lack of women's focused research, study, and resources to better inform coaches programming and support. The industry as a whole needs more resources, formal scientific study, and compassionate listening in order to best understand, support, and guide our clients to their reaching their goals and finding their healthiest selves.

Ashleigh also briefly discusses her new coaching resource, the Strength Training for Women Specialist Certification offered through the Primal Health Coach Institute, designed for all coaches who work with female clients. For more information or to sign up, head here: https://nm356.isrefer.com/go/STW/themusclemaven/

In this episode Rachel and Ashleigh answer listener questions about carbs (carbs aren't bad, it's how we use-or abuse-them), talk about some upcoming trips and exciting life plans, and discuss the latest launch of their Muscle Science for Women training program!

If you want to sign up for the program and have Ashleigh and Rachel as your personal coaches, along with a comprehensive 12-week training plan and hours of high-level content on nutrition, training, recovery, and much more, you can sign up now by going to this link: https://www.metflexlife.com/msw

In this episode of Muscle Science for Women, Ashleigh and Rachel discuss Kim Kardashian's new job as "chief taste consultant" for Beyond Meat, and also talk about Rachel's experience with a doctor giving her bad nutrition advice. We dive into advocacy, misleading marketing, and why understanding and listening to your own body is so important.

Please sign up for the Muscle Science for Women e-mail list to be the first to know about our program, new launches, and more: https://www.metflexlife.com/msw

Reach out to us with questions and comments at musclescience4women@gmail.com.

And thank you to our show sponsor, Optimal Carnivore, the makers of high-quality, nutrient-dense whole food supplements. We love their grass-fed organ complex, and you'll get 10% off your first order with the discount code MUSCLESCI on their Amazon Store: amazon.com/optimalcarnivore

Follow and learn more about Rachel at metflexlife.com and on IG at @rachelgregory.cns

Follow and learn more about Ashleigh at ashleighvanhouten.com and on IG @themusclemaven

Today's podcast is a big one, and comes with an announcement: Ashleigh is officially changing the Muscle Maven Radio podcast to the Muscle Science for Women podcast!

First: please sign up for the Muscle Science for Women e-mail list to be the first to know about our program, new launches, and more: https://www.metflexlife.com/msw

Moving forward, Ashleigh and her co-host Rachel Gregory, the creators of the Muscle Science for Women program, will answer listener questions and address key elements of wellness and fitness including nutrition, training, recovery, hormonal health, and more - all with a focus on women's unique physiology, goals, and challenges. We encourage EVERYONE, male and female, to continue to listen, engage, and learn, because the more we all know about strength and fitness, the better!

Reach out to us with questions and comments at musclescience4women@gmail.com.

And thank you to our show sponsor, Optimal Carnivore, the makers of high-quality, nutrient-dense whole food supplements. We love their grass-fed organ complex, and you'll get 10% off your first order with the discount code MUSCLESCI on their Amazon Store: amazon.com/optimalcarnivore

Follow and learn more about Rachel at metflexlife.com and on IG at @rachelgregory.cns

Follow and learn more about Ashleigh at ashleighvanhouten.com and on IG @themusclemaven

In this episode Ashleigh takes a deep dive on fitness culture with Erin Power, Coaching & Curriculum Director at the Primal Health Coach Institute about the current state of fitness culture, it's impact on women specifically, and whether or not leaders in the fitness and wellness industry can hope to change or dismantle the harmful aspects of fitness culture in an increasingly digital, instant-gratification world. 

Ashleigh also reveals that she is developing a course for Primal Health Coach Institute for coaches aimed at creating a deeper understanding around strength training for women: the physiological, psychological, hormonal, and cultural aspects as well as practical knowledge that is sorely lacking in generic strength training programs. It will cover practical aspects around recovery, hormonal health, physical changes throughout a woman's lifecycle, as well as nutritional requirements, physiological differences and the impacts on training programming, and how coaches can better inform themselves about these topics to provide better support to strength-training women. 

Erin and Ashleigh cover the following topics:

• Is it naive to ask people to aim for non-esthetic goals, or will body image always be a significant part of fitness?
• How can coaches promote self-efficacy?
• How can we help determine the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic goals in our social media obsessed culture?
• Is competition (and comparison) inherently bad?
• Is #fitspo ever inspiring?
• How can we work to lessen the influence and impact of fitness culture?
• So much more!

For more information about the courses offered by Primal Health Coach Institute, visit: https://www.primalhealthcoach.com

To follow Erin, head to @eat.simple.erin on Instagram

And stay tuned for more information about Ashleigh's course, launching soon!

Muscle Maven Radio is sponsored by BiOptimizers, makers of Ashleigh's favorite probiotic, digestive enzymes, and other gut health promoting products. After using their P30M and MassZymes product for the past year and noticing a significant improvement in digestion especially during times of stress, Ashleigh has not looked back and recommends thee product to everyone (their Magnesium supplement is excellent as well). Even those of us with optimal diets can use some help now and then - check out their products here and use the code MUSCLEMAVEN for a discount.

Dr. Will Cole is a leading functional medicine expert who consults people around the world via webcam, having started one of the first functional medicine telehealth centers in the world. Named one of the top 50 functional and integrative doctors in the nation, Cole specializes in clinically investigating underlying factors of chronic disease and customizing a functional medicine approach for thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, hormonal imbalances, digestive disorders, and brain problems.

He is also the bestselling author of Ketotarian, The Inflammation Spectrum, and the New York Times bestseller Intuitive Fasting. In this episode, Will and Ashleigh cover the following topics:

• What is Intuitive Fasting and why is it so misunderstood?
• What is functional medicine
• The impact he sees clinically on wellness with consistent incorporation of mindfulness/meditation/gratitude/spiritual practices
• Why he thinks we need a cultural reframing around alcohol consumption 
• Social media, raising healthy kids, and more!

Learn more about Dr. Will Cole, his work, podcast, and books at www.drwillcole.com

Please check out our show Sponsor, Palleovalley - they make Ashleigh's favorite healthy snacks, 100% grassfed and fermented beef sticks and Superfood bars made with bone broth protein and packed with plant-based superfoods (while still managing to taste like a delicious, chocolatey treat). This company doesn't cut corners, they combine the best that plants and animals have to offer for our health, and it shows - learn more at paleovalley.com and use the code MMR to save 15% on anything you buy!

Ashleigh chats with functional podiatrist and movement specialist Dr. Emily Splichal today about mobility and strength work we can all do to improve our foot function and health. She talks about her functional approach to foot health and pain and how strongly connected the feet are to the rest of our bodies, including our hips, pelvic floor, and even jaw. She also offers suggestions for how we can encourage proper mechanics with our young kids as they learn to walk and run. 

Learn more about Dr. Splichal at www.dremilysplichal.com and her company Naboso and its proprioceptive products at www.naboso.com

Muscle Maven Radio is sponsored by BiOptimizers, makers of Ashleigh's favorite probiotic, digestive enzymes, and other gut health promoting products. After using their P30M and MassZymes product for the past year and noticing a significant improvement in digestion especially during times of stress, Ashleigh has not looked back and recommends thee product to everyone (their Magnesium supplement is excellent as well). Even those of us with optimal diets can use some help now and then - check out their products here and use the code MUSCLEMAVEN for a discount.

This episode is an excerpt from a talk Ashleigh did recently for Robb Wolf's private community health and fitness platform called The Healthy Rebellion. She spoke to the community about the origins of her organ meat cookbook It Takes Guts, the importance of incorporating organ meats into your diet, and then a breakdown about one specific cut: heart. She discusses how to source, prep, and cook heart, the health benefits, and why it may be a tasty and relatively easy addition to your meal planning!

To learn more about The Healthy Rebellion: https://join.thehealthyrebellion.com/

Please check out our show Sponsor, Palleovalley - they make my new favorite healthy snacks, 100% grassfed and fermented beef sticks and Superfood bars made with bone broth protein and packed with plant-based superfoods (while still managing to taste like a delicious, chocolatey treat). This company doesn't cut corners, they combine the best that plants and animals have to offer for our health, and it shows - learn more at paleovalley.com and use the code MMR to save 15% on anything you buy!

This week Ashleigh chats with chef James Berry, founder of Pluck, which is an organ-meat based seasoning blend. James is also a former private chef for celebrities including Tom Cruise and George Clooney! Ashleigh and James chat about how subtle dietary changes can reap big rewards, and James offers tips to make meal planning and cooking at home easier and less of a chore. He also shares some pretty crazy stories of his time making meals for some of the world's biggest celebrities! 

If you'd like to try Pluck organ meat seasoning, head to eatpluck.com and use the code MAVEN10 to save money on your first order. 

Muscle Maven Radio is sponsored by BiOptimizers, makers of Ashleigh's favorite probiotic, digestive enzymes, and other gut health promoting products. After using their P30M and MassZymes product for the past year and noticing a significant improvement in digestion especially during times of stress, Ashleigh has not looked back and recommends thee product to everyone (their Magnesium supplement is excellent as well). Even those of us with optimal diets can use some help now and then - check out their products here and use the code MUSCLEMAVEN for a discount.

Muscle Maven Radio is sponsored by BiOptimizers, makers of Ashleigh's favorite probiotic, digestive enzymes, and other gut health promoting products. After using their P30M and MassZymes product for the past year and noticing a significant improvement in digestion especially during times of stress, Ashleigh has not looked back and recommends thee product to everyone (their Magnesium supplement is excellent as well). Even those of us with optimal diets can use some help now and then - check out their products here and use the code MUSCLEMAVEN for a discount.

In the last episode of 2021, Ashleigh talks about her pregnancy and birth story:  her experiences being pregnant; including how she adjusted her diet and workout regimen; her actual birth experience, which involved an unmedicated birth at a birth center with a midwife and doula (and a couple surprises); and how she approached recovery, health, and life in the fourth trimester, aka the first few months after birth.

While this episode is not meant to be formal advice to any potential or new mom, it is a deeply personal story where Ashleigh shares her thoughts, feelings, experiences, and some suggestions or things to think about when you're going through this incredible journey - questions to ask yourself, and areas you may want to research more, learn about, or ask your care provider about. This episode is for moms-to-be and also their support people, spouses, and family.

If you'd like to know more specifics about Ashleigh's birth preparation, recovery, fitness plan, products used, and so on, send her a message through her website: ashleighvanhouten.com

Ashleigh is back with another episode co-hosted by her friend and Muscle Science for Women co-creator Rachel Gregory! In this episode the two podcast hosts and health coaches answer questions from listeners about the differences between muscle building and strength building; how to get back into the gym after injury; how to start working out in your 40's and 50s, and they talk about the next round of their Muscle Science for Women course starting again in January 2022.

If you want to learn more and sign up for this 12-week course all about the theory and application of strength and muscle building, sign up here to be notified when spaces open up.

If you want to learn more about Kabuki Education Week and register to listen to our lecture, you can do that here. 

Thanks to our show sponsor BUBS Naturals - stock up on the best quality grassfed collagen and MCT powder at here (www.bubsnaturals.com) and use the code MM20 for a massive 20% discount!

Jill Coleman is a veteran of the fitness industry, with a history in figure competitions, fitness magazine cover modeling, personal training, and more - now, she has her own range of programs and certifications and offers business coaching for people looking to grow and level up in the health and fitness industry. Ashleigh worked with Jill personally on a fitness business consultation, and they got together recently to talk all things efficiency, work/life balance, the importance of daily commitments to your health and your business, how to approach investing in yourself, and so much more. 

In this episode Ashleigh and Jill chat about: 

• How to prioritize a few thing (instead of trying to prioritize everything) to become more productive
• What moderation in life, nutrition, and exercise means for Jill
• What "anchor actions" are and how they help productivity 
• Why she thinks you should play to your strengths instead of focus on your weaknesses
• A discussion on investing in yourself as an entrepreneur - how to know when to spend money
• And more!

Learn more about Jill and her programs at jillfit.com, her #moderation365 course, and check out her business podcast Fit Biz U.

Please check out our show Sponsor, Palleovalley - they make Ashleigh's new favorite healthy snacks, 100% grassfed and fermented beef sticks and Superfood bars made with bone broth protein and packed with plant-based superfoods (while still managing to taste like a delicious, chocolatey treat). This company doesn't cut corners, they combine the best that plants and animals have to offer for our health, and it shows - learn more at paleovalley.com and use the code MMR to save 15% on anything you buy!

Dr. Carrie Jones is a Naturopathic Physician who is board certified in Naturopathic Endocrinology (FABNE) with a Master's in Public Health (MPH) and over 15 years in the field of functional and integrative medicine. She lectures all over the world on the topic of hormones and helps "hormonally challenged people feel less crazy." Ashleigh brought her on the show to explore the complexity of our hormonal cycles and what we can do to optimize them so we feel and perform our best.

In this episode Ashleigh  and Dr. Jones discuss:

• The natural cycles of our hormones, and what they do for our body
• Options for hormonal testing if you think something is off
• The impact of cortisol on your body and your hormones
• Lifestyle factors that play important roles in optimal hormone health; how to reduce your toxic load
• And more!

Speaking of reducing toxins, shoutout to show sponsor Primally Pure, my favorite skincare company - they use a few natural ingredients like beef tallow, shea butter, and essential oils, and their products are beautiful and luxurious like high-end skincare without the pricetag or the sketchy ingredients. The natural deodorant and body butter are lifechanging! Head to primallypure.com and use the code MUSCLEMAVEN for a discount.

If you want to learn more about hormonal health, check out the three day workshop I did with women's naturopathic doctor Dr. Elly Michelle. This workshop consists of three in-depth lectures and discussions around key aspects of female hormonal health, and additional reading material and resources for you to keep. This intimate and thorough workshop allows you inside access to a naturopathic doctor who specializes in hormonal, sexual, and fertility issues, as well as an experienced health and wellness coach.

Cassy Joy Garcia is the bestselling author of Cook Once Dinner Fix, Cook Once Eat All Week, and Fed and Fit as well as the creative force behind the popular food blog Fed + Fit, which she started in 2011 and has grown exponentially. Eager to share her healthy living secrets with the world, she started Fed + Fit in 2011. She is a holistic nutrition consultant and mom, and wrote her new book to address the challenges that many people have with creating healthy meals for their families that are inexpensive, easy, and delicious. 

In this episode Ashleigh and Cassy chat about: 

• How to save time, money, and energy when trying to get a home-cooked dinner on the table
• Her experience with eating and cravings during pregnancy, and how to get young kids to eat the same healthy foods you're eating
• As a holistic nutritionist, Cassy shares how to sneak in healthy choices for your family in addition to special diet modifications

Please check out our show Sponsor, Palleovalley - they make my new favorite healthy snacks, 100% grassfed and fermented beef sticks and Superfood bars made with bone broth protein and packed with plant-based superfoods (while still managing to taste like a delicious, chocolatey treat). This company doesn't cut corners, they combine the best that plants and animals have to offer for our health, and it shows - learn more at paleovalley.com and use the code MMR to save 15% on anything you buy!

The question, "can you build muscle and lose fat at the same time?" may be one of the most pervasive in the fitness industry, and the answer, as usual, is more complex than many of us would like. But it's not all bad - there is plenty to be learned about our bodies and how they work while we explore the most efficient and healthy ways to achieve these two separate (but often combined) goals.

In this episode Ashleigh covers:

• Who may be able to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, and who may have a harder time
• The ways in which these two goals can work with each other, and against each other
• A discussion on the practical applications of caloric surpluses/deficits, and how to apply them to your life in a realistic way
• A better, more sustainable solution to the "gain muscle, lose fat" question
• Resources to learn more about how to apply this to your lifestyle

If you'd like to dive even deeper into this topic, sign up for the Muscle Science for Women program - our second run will begin in January 2022 and tickets are limited! Add your name to the "first to know" list here: https://www.metflexlife.com/muscle-science-women  

Try the Precision Nutrition calorie/macro calculator: https://www.precisionnutrition.com/nutrition-calculator

Thanks to our show sponsor BUBS Naturals - stock up on the best quality grassfed collagen and MCT powder at here (www.bubsnaturals.com) and use the code MM20 for a massive 20%  discount!

Stan Efferding is an IFBB Professional bodybuilder and World Record Holding Powerlifter. He is one of only 10 men in the world to ever total over 2,300 pounds raw in competition. Stan holds the title as the World's Strongest Bodybuilder. 

He conducts seminars all over the country for various sports and nutrition and training techniques, and he coined the Vertical Diet - his book, The Vertical Diet, just came out and in this episode Ashleigh and Stan talk all things diet, muscle building, and what we can all take from the regimens of elite athletes. 

In this episode:

• Stan's morning/daily routine
• His new book, The Vertical Diet
• Some of his key nutrition tips around fiber and protein
• Practical tips for the rest of us gained from the worlds of powerlifting and bodybuilding
• Stan's experience dealing with depression and anxiety, and how he addressed it
• Working with elite athletes like Hafthor Bjornsson and Jon Jones
• And much more!

Please check out our show Sponsor, Palleovalley - they make my new favorite healthy snacks, 100% grassfed and fermented beef sticks and Superfood bars made with bone broth protein and packed with plant-based superfoods (while still managing to taste like a delicious, chocolatey treat). This company doesn't cut corners, they combine the best that plants and animals have to offer for our health, and it shows - learn more at paleovalley.com and use the code MMR to save 15% on anything you buy!

• Why grass-fed beef tallow is good for your skin
• How it’s processed for use in skincare
• What is emu oil and why it’s a great skin care ingredient
• How to simplify and detoxify your skin care routine
• And much more!