Muscle Science for Women – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode Rachel shares some big life news, Ashleigh discusses recent conversations about health and fitness with family members, and they answer some fun questions from listeners, including questions about the pros and cons of creatine cycling, and how to know if your strength training and sports-specific training is well balanced. The ladies may have also found one of the coolest podcast listeners ever...

Have questions, comments, feedback for us? Send it all to [email protected]

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

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

Or check out the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes 

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

Not everyone is trying to get leaner and smaller - lots of us want to get bigger and grow more size and muscle, and that can be just as difficult as leaning out. In this episode Ashleigh and Rachel answer listener questions about how to train and eat to GROW: training frequency and type, intensity, nutrition, and the tips you may be missing that could be stalling your growth.

We also talk about whether beef protein powder is a complete protein, and how you should be incorporating incomplete proteins into your overall meals and macros.

A reminder that if you are a member of the military, medical, or first-responder community, we offer discounts for all of our programs. Emails us at [email protected] for the discount, or to send us any questions, comments, or topic ideas!

Shouout 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!

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

Or check out the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes 

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

Enjoy this re-release of one of our more popular episodes with Stan Efferding, 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. Stan conducts seminars all over the country for various sports and nutrition and training techniques, and he coined the Vertical Diet - in this episode Ashleigh and Stan talk all things diet, muscle building, and what we can all take from the regimens of elite athletes. 

They cover:

• Stan's morning/daily routine
• His 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 new show Sponsor, Palleovalley - they make amazing healthy snacks, like 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 treat). They also have a range of real-food supplements, like Fish Roe and an Organ Complex. This company doesn't cut corners, they combine the best that plants and animals have to offer for our health, and it shows - get 15% off your order at https://paleovalley.com/musclescience

Let us know your thoughts, or pose more questions or topic ideas to Rachel and Ashleigh at [email protected]

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 

Did you hear the one about the plant-based coach and the meat-based coach who sat down together for a podcast? Well, the punchline is, they have an open conversation about making informed dietary choices, eating disorders, getting enough protein on a plant-based diet, how to adjust your body back to animal protein after years of vegan eating, how to know when someone is using dietary protocols to “excuse” disordered eating, and identity issues around diet, among other topics.

Ashleigh chats with Tiana Pollari, a Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Personal Trainer who specializes in the integration of functional strength training and holistic living. She believes that food should nourish and fuel you and is always in the kitchen creating nutritious and delicious meals to satisfy any skeptic. When she isn’t in the kitchen creating recipes she is also coaching women on how to build sustainable habits and feel confident and sexy in their bodies through her online programs. You can find more information at www.tianapollari.com including access to her workouts, meal plans, and coaching.

A big thank you to our show sponsor, Medicine Man Plant Co, maker of uniquely formulated herbal supplements to support optimal health and immune function. Their products are rigorously third party tested and contain ingredients like elderberry, vitamin c, echinacea, and cordyceps - incredible natural ingredients that humans have used for generations to support their health. Learn more at https://medicinemanplantco.com/ and use the discount code MUSCLEMAVEN for 20% off!

And don’t forget to check out The Muscle Maven’s brand new, interactive online coaching resource! Get one-on-one access to Ashleigh and her expertise, as well as daily info on her favorite health and wellness resources - no micromanaging, just a support system for the enthusiastic health nerd looking to optimize their wellness.

You may not be aware that many of our culinary herbs and spices started out as medicine. Ashleigh asks chemist and plant expert (and product developer for Medicine Man Plant Co) to do a quick but deep dive on a specific herb: sage. You may be only familiar with sage as a tasty seasoning for chicken or turkey, but turns out it has a long list of incredible benefits around brain health and focus, antibacterial benefits, digestive support, hormonal balance, and even more. Find out why you might want to start adding more sage to your recipes!

Mark “Merriwether” Vorderbruggen, Ph.D. grew up in the wilds of Minnesota where his parents and grandparents utilized the wild foods and medicinal plants found in local woods, fields, and lakes. He received a BS in professional chemistry from South Dakota State University followed by a MS in medicinal chemistry and a PH.D. in physical organic chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the oldest technical university in the US.

After graduation a strange twist of fate set him traveling the world as a petroleum chemist rather than in pharmaceuticals. However, his knowledge of natural products blessed him with the ability to tap natural compounds to replace traditionally hazardous oilfield chemicals. During this career he earned fourteen chemical patents that made the petroleum industry safer for all. After 20 years of that he moved on to the position of R&D Manager for a consumer chemical product company. Here Dr. Vorderbruggen reinvented their line of construction chemical products, safely and effectively replacing the dangerous compounds the industry had been using. He also spearheaded the company’s R&D efforts for a whole new line of personal care products designed to protect people from the toxins they encounter daily. Mark wrote Idiot’s Guide Foraging and The Medicinal Plants of Texas (to be published 2022).

To learn more about Medicine Man Plant Co’s products and the ingredients they use, head to medicinemanplantco.com and use the code MUSCLEMAVEN for a 20% discount on anything you purchase.

Thanks to show sponsor BiOptimizers - level up your gut health game with the makers of my favorite probiotic, digestive enzymes, and other gut health promoting products. I’ve been using their P30M and MassZymes product for the past year and have noticed a significant improvement in my digestion especially during times of stress. 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.

And don’t forget to check out The Muscle Maven’s brand new, interactive online coaching resource!

In this solo episode, Ashleigh breaks down her key tips for healthy, beautiful, resilient skin - for both men and women - from a nutritional lifestyle perspective, as well as her key topical skincare tips. She breaks down some skincare ingredients you should avoid and some you may want to try, ways to think about sun exposure, and much more. (Please note that Ashleigh is not a dermatologist and this is not medical advice; please use your own discretion when trying new products or nutrition protocols).

Some resources that may help you:

Cosdna.com

https://primallypure.com/pages/find-your-skin-state

https://philmaffetone.com/sun-and-brain/

Speaking of skincare, one Ashleigh’s favorite companies and partners is Primally Pure - 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.

Steve Liberati is the Founder of Steve’s, a healthy snack food company, and the non-profit organization Steve’s Club Camden. Steve’s is a small, family-owned business that Steve started in 2007 when he saw an opportunity to help make a real and positive impact in his community. Ashleigh has been a fan of Steve’s products and company ethos of fitness, wellness, and giving back to the community for a long time, so she asked Steve on to talk about the origin and growth of his business, how to manage the business side of a company that is founded on non-profit and philanthropic principles, and why it’s so important and rewarding to teach and encourage kids and teenagers about healthy living and eating.

Steve’s Club provides fitness, nutritional guidance and personal development to at-risk youth. Since that day, Steve’s has devoted themselves to creating zero-sugar jerky and other paleo and Keto friendly snacks using the proceeds to fund Steve’s Cub Camden. Learn more at https://stevespaleogoods.com/

A big thank you to our show sponsor, Medicine Man Plant Co, maker of uniquely formulated herbal supplements to support optimal health and immune function. Their products are rigorously third party tested and contain ingredients like elderberry, vitamin c, echinachea, and corcyceps - incredible natural ingredient that humans have used for generations to support their health. Learn more at https://medicinemanplantco.com/ and use the discount code MUSCLEMAVEN for 20% off!

And don’t forget to check out The Muscle Maven’s brand new, interactive online coaching resource!

Dr. Kellyann Petrucci is a New York Times bestselling author, weight-loss and natural anti-aging expert, and a concierge doctor for celebrities in New York City and Los Angeles. She is 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 declone, 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.

Speaking of looking great, shoutout to show sponsor Primally Pure, Ashleigh’s 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.

And don’t forget to check out The Muscle Maven’s brand new, interactive online coaching resource!

In this episode Ashleigh and Kristin, a former lawyer turned nutritional therapy practitioner and coach, talk about stomach acid deficiency; stress management among type A athletes and professionals; how to massively increase your muscle-building potential with less time in the gym; when “biohacking tools” can actually be really effective; and what she means by “nutrition frequency” (spoiler alert - it’s more about the energy and mindfulness you bring to eating rather than actual meal timing)

Kristin Rowell is a former business litigator turned Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and the founder of Energetically Efficient. She consults for companies and organizations around the country on a variety of nutrition, lifestyle and wellness topics as well as works with individual clients one-on-one.

During Kristin’s 16 years as a business litigator, she ran 24 marathons, became an IPE Natural Professional Bodybuilder, became 2018 Ms. Natural Minnesota (Figure) by the National Amateur Natural Bodybuilding Federation, successfully litigated numerous complex business cases to conclusion and, in 2019, was identified by Super Lawyers on the list of Minnesota’s Top 50 Women Attorneys. Now, her passion is helping people get fit, healthy and to finally take control of their lives. Learn more at https://energeticallyefficient.com/

Level up your gut health game with BiOptimizers, makers of my favorite probiotic, digestive enzymes, and other gut health promoting products. I’ve been using their P30M and MassZymes product for the past year and have noticed a significant improvement in my digestion especially during times of stress. 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.

Check out The Muscle Maven’s brand new, interactive online coaching resource!

Dr. Marc Bubbs is a Naturopathic Doctor, Performance Nutrition Lead for Canada Basketball, and Performance Nutrition Consultant for a portfolio of professional and Olympic athletes. Marc is the author of the best-selling book Peak: The new science of athletic performance that is revolutionizing sports - An integrated and personalized approach to health, nutrition, training, recovery and mindset. His new book, Peak40 is all about building a leaner, stronger body and sharper mind in mid-life - and you can check it out here: https://drbubbs.com/peak40

In this episode Ashleigh and Marc talk about the differences, and similarities, in training - both from a mental and physical standpoint - between general population and high level athletes; how crucial the fundamentals are, and how the less time you have to do them, the greater the indication that you SHOULD be doing them; and why happiness and fitness tends to bottom out for people in their 40s, and what we can do about it.

A big thank you to our new show sponsor, Medicine Man Plant Co, maker of uniquely formulated herbal supplements to support optimal health and immune function. Their products are rigorously third party tested and contain ingredients like elderberry, vitamin c, echinachea, and corcyceps - incredible natural ingredient that humans have used for generations to support their health. Learn more at https://medicinemanplantco.com/ and use the discount code MUSCLEMAVEN for 20% off!