Exercise and Diet

Safe, healthy, no-BS advice about how to lose weight, build muscle, and get fit.
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"Most people do very little physical exercise, which means they needn’t worry about “exercise addiction.” Research shows, however, that among the more devoted fitness crowd, exercise addiction is far more prevalent, with some studies showing that it affects up to 42% of athletes. What is exercise addiction, then, and is it something you should worry about? And what are the signs of exercise addiction? How do you know if you’re exercising too much or too little? Learn the answers in this article. Fitness Goals, Fitness Tips, Self Esteem Issues, Physical Fitness, Physical Exercise, Body Dysmorphia, What Is Science, Shoulder Workout, Muscle Groups
Is Exercise Addiction Real? What Science Says
"Most people do very little physical exercise, which means they needn’t worry about “exercise addiction.” Research shows, however, that among the more devoted fitness crowd, exercise addiction is far more prevalent, with some studies showing that it affects up to 42% of athletes. What is exercise addiction, then, and is it something you should worry about? And what are the signs of exercise addiction? How do you know if you’re exercising too much or too little? Learn the answers in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
The 10 Best Rear Delt Exercises for Mass and Hypertrophy
Many lifters don't give much thought to training their rear delts. While the side and front delts tend to get a lot of attention, the rear delts are often ignored because . . . well, out of sight usually means out of mind. This is a mistake. Training your rear delts properly not only makes your shoulders look more aesthetic, it may also reduce your risk of injury and improve your athletic performance. Learn the best rear delt exercises in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Because eating a healthy diet has such a profound effect on your health, many people fixate on trying to find the world’s healthiest diet. Unfortunately, if you're looking for the healthiest diet among popular mainstream diet trends, you're probably wasting your time. That’s because too many focus on restricting certain foods or food groups to “revolutionize” your health, even though most of the foods they prohibit are foods you’d be better off eating. Learn a better approach in this article. Manger Healthy, Whole Food Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Healthy Food Shop, Whole Foods, Healthy Shopping, Most Healthy Foods, Healthy Diet Foods, Being Healthy
What Is the Healthiest Diet in the World?
Because eating a healthy diet has such a profound effect on your health, many people fixate on trying to find the world’s healthiest diet. Unfortunately, if you're looking for the healthiest diet among popular mainstream diet trends, you're probably wasting your time. That’s because too many focus on restricting certain foods or food groups to “revolutionize” your health, even though most of the foods they prohibit are foods you’d be better off eating. Learn a better approach in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Is Creatine a Brain Booster?
We all know that creatine can boost our biceps but what about our brains?⁣ I interviewed Dr. Darren Candow to get an answer to this question and many others.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
When it comes to building big, powerful glutes, few exercises are as effective as the hip thrust. Although it’s relatively simple to learn, many people mess it up in ways that greatly reduce its effectiveness. Specifically, they set up the exercise incorrectly, bounce the weights off the floor, and don’t fully extend their hips at the top of each rep. Learn more about how to hip thrust with proper form in this article. Hip Thrust Workout, Dumbbell Hip Thrust, Barbell Hip Thrust, Lower Body Workout, Hip Thrust Bench, Hip Thrust Pad, Bodybuilder, Leg Workout At Home, Advanced Workout
How to Do the Barbell Hip Thrust: Form, Mistakes & Alternatives
When it comes to building big, powerful glutes, few exercises are as effective as the hip thrust. Although it’s relatively simple to learn, many people mess it up in ways that greatly reduce its effectiveness. Specifically, they set up the exercise incorrectly, bounce the weights off the floor, and don’t fully extend their hips at the top of each rep. Learn more about how to hip thrust with proper form in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
In 2021, my team and I published 209 articles on the Legion blog. As you might expect, articles about building muscle, workout programming, and dieting fared well, but there were also a couple of bolts from the blue, including articles on the health implications of very-low-calorie dieting, fitness books, and rucking. Click through to learn the 10 most-read articles on the Legion blog in 2021. Best Workout Split, Split Workout Routine, Workout Splits, Gain Muscle, Good Arm Workouts, Popular Articles, Muscle Memory
The Top 10 Legion Articles of 2021
In 2021, my team and I published 209 articles on the Legion blog. As you might expect, articles about building muscle, workout programming, and dieting fared well, but there were also a couple of bolts from the blue, including articles on the health implications of very-low-calorie dieting, fitness books, and rucking. Click through to learn the 10 most-read articles on the Legion blog in 2021.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Compound exercises are fantastic for gaining muscle and strength, but some people put them on a pedestal as all you need to fully develop every major muscle group. I disagree. Isolation exercises have multiple muscle-building benefits, which is why research shows people who include isolation exercises in their training experience more balanced and proportionate muscle growth than those who don’t. Learn more about why I think you should include isolation exercises in your routine in this article. Health And Fitness Articles, Muscle Building, Gaining Muscle, Compound Exercises, Fitness Activities
Should You Do Isolation Exercises?
Compound exercises are fantastic for gaining muscle and strength, but some people put them on a pedestal as all you need to fully develop every major muscle group. I disagree. Isolation exercises have multiple muscle-building benefits, which is why research shows people who include isolation exercises in their training experience more balanced and proportionate muscle growth than those who don’t. Learn more about why I think you should include isolation exercises in your routine in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Barbell exercises have a number of advantages over dumbbell and machine exercises, with the main ones being that they allow you to move the most weight through a safe, effective range of motion and incrementally add weight over time. It’s still wise to include a handful of dumbbell and machine exercises in your program, but you should pour most of your energy into barbell exercises. Learn the 18 best barbell exercises for every muscle group and how to do them in this article. Heavy Weight Lifting, Lift Heavy, Barbell Workout, Barbell Exercises, Overhead Press, Squat Rack, Heavy Weights, Back Exercises
The 18 Best Barbell Exercises and Workouts for Your Whole Body
Barbell exercises have a number of advantages over dumbbell and machine exercises, with the main ones being that they allow you to move the most weight through a safe, effective range of motion and incrementally add weight over time. It’s still wise to include a handful of dumbbell and machine exercises in your program, but you should pour most of your energy into barbell exercises. Learn the 18 best barbell exercises for every muscle group and how to do them in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
The Safety Bar Squat: How to Use the Safety Squat Bar to Gain Muscle & Strength
You’d be hard-pressed to find a safety squat bar in most gyms a decade ago, but nowadays, more of them have added this specialty bar to their arsenal. There’s good reason for this, too: the safety bar squat has several advantages over the back squat, especially if you have poor mobility (particularly in the shoulders), low back issues, or if you find high-rep sets of other squat variations uncomfortable. Learn more about the advantages (and disadvantages) of the safety bar squat in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
To get the most out of strength training, you must ensure that your “hard” sets are hard enough and produce high levels of tension in your muscles. To do this: 1. End all hard sets of bodyweight exercises 1 rep shy of muscle failure, which is the point where you fail to complete a rep. 2. End all hard sets of machine, dumbbell, and barbell exercises 2-to-3 reps shy of muscle failure (1 to 2 good reps left). Check out this article to learn how to estimate how close you are to failure. Bodyweight Workout, Train Hard, Dumbbell, Strength Training, Body Weight
How Hard Should Your “Hard Sets” Be?
To get the most out of strength training, you must ensure that your “hard” sets are hard enough and produce high levels of tension in your muscles. To do this: 1. End all hard sets of bodyweight exercises 1 rep shy of muscle failure, which is the point where you fail to complete a rep. 2. End all hard sets of machine, dumbbell, and barbell exercises 2-to-3 reps shy of muscle failure (1 to 2 good reps left). Check out this article to learn how to estimate how close you are to failure.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Many people—bodybuilders in particular—say you should include very high-rep sets in your training if you want to maximize muscle gains, but there's little evidence this is necessary. Research shows you can gain muscle doing anywhere from 6-to-20 reps per set so long as you take the sets close to muscle failure, but there's no evidence that sets of 15-to-20+ reps are superior for muscle building to other rep ranges. Learn more in this article. Delts, Healthcare Provider, Bodybuilders
Should You Do Very High-Rep "Finisher" Sets?
Many people—bodybuilders in particular—say you should include very high-rep sets in your training if you want to maximize muscle gains, but there's little evidence this is necessary. Research shows you can gain muscle doing anywhere from 6-to-20 reps per set so long as you take the sets close to muscle failure, but there's no evidence that sets of 15-to-20+ reps are superior for muscle building to other rep ranges. Learn more in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Instead of spending a full workout training just your chest, shoulders, or triceps, I generally recommend training all of these muscle groups together in a "push" workout. This makes it easier to do the right amount of volume (sets) per week without wearing yourself to a frazzle "bombing" and "blasting" a particular muscle group in one workout. Learn the best push exercises and workouts in this article. Push Day Workout, Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise, Dumbbell Press, Frazzled, Bench Press
The Best Push Day Workouts for Building Your Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
Instead of spending a full workout training just your chest, shoulders, or triceps, I generally recommend training all of these muscle groups together in a "push" workout. This makes it easier to do the right amount of volume (sets) per week without wearing yourself to a frazzle "bombing" and "blasting" a particular muscle group in one workout. Learn the best push exercises and workouts in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Many people believe that by maintaining your heart rate in the “fat burning zone” during cardio (usually around 60-to-70% of your max heart rate), you'll preferentially use your fat stores for energy and leave carb stores alone. There’s a kernel of truth here—you do burn both fat and carbs when you exercise, and the proportion varies with the intensity of exercise—but it’s still more wrong than right. Learn why training in the “fat burning zone” is unnecessary for most people in this article. Weight Loss Before, Diet Plans To Lose Weight, Holistic Health, Fat Burning, Cardio, Burns, Intense
Should You Exercise in the “Fat Burning Zone”?
Many people believe that by maintaining your heart rate in the “fat burning zone” during cardio (usually around 60-to-70% of your max heart rate), you'll preferentially use your fat stores for energy and leave carb stores alone. There’s a kernel of truth here—you do burn both fat and carbs when you exercise, and the proportion varies with the intensity of exercise—but it’s still more wrong than right. Learn why training in the “fat burning zone” is unnecessary for most people in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Contrary to what many people say, we can’t “shape” our muscles with specific exercises. We can tailor our training to improve our weaknesses and optimize the size of different muscles to get the look we’re going for, though. Learn how in this article. Concentration Curls, Crunches, Bulge, Get The Look, Lose Weight, Improve
Can You “Shape” Your Muscles With Certain Exercises?
Contrary to what many people say, we can’t “shape” our muscles with specific exercises. We can tailor our training to improve our weaknesses and optimize the size of different muscles to get the look we’re going for, though. Learn how in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Many people feel like they’ve ruined their diet when they overindulge even a little bit, but this isn’t the case. A single bout of overeating doesn’t make you a “slob” or “weak,” and won’t impact your long-term progress if you learn to frame it correctly. In other words, as long as you can see any dietary “discretion” for what it is—a minor hiccup—then forgive yourself and carry on, you’ll never struggle to improve your body composition again. Learn more about how to do this in this article. Body Composition, Overeat, Guilt Free, Bout, The Secret, Improve Yourself
The “Secret” to Guilt-Free Eating and Exercising
Many people feel like they’ve ruined their diet when they overindulge even a little bit, but this isn’t the case. A single bout of overeating doesn’t make you a “slob” or “weak,” and won’t impact your long-term progress if you learn to frame it correctly. In other words, as long as you can see any dietary “discretion” for what it is—a minor hiccup—then forgive yourself and carry on, you’ll never struggle to improve your body composition again. Learn more about how to do this in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
While it’s true that changing hormone levels make muscle gain and fat loss trickier as we age, hormones aren’t the scourge of fitness that many people believe them to be. With the right regimen, you can get fitter, leaner, and stronger, no matter your age or circumstances. Learn how in this article. Get Lean, Health Fitness, Hormone Levels, Leaner
How Much Do Hormones Affect Your Body Composition?
While it’s true that changing hormone levels make muscle gain and fat loss trickier as we age, hormones aren’t the scourge of fitness that many people believe them to be. With the right regimen, you can get fitter, leaner, and stronger, no matter your age or circumstances. Learn how in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Since telomeres were discovered in the early eighties, scientists and anti-aging enthusiasts have been trying to increase their length and decrease shrinkage, and marketers have made a fortune promoting dubious methods of accomplishing the same. We now know that one of the most powerful ways to improve telomere length is simple and free: exercise. Anti Aging Tips, Best Anti Aging, Telomeres, Dubious, Fit Women, Increase
The Best Anti-Aging “Hack” That Actually Works
Since telomeres were discovered in the early eighties, scientists and anti-aging enthusiasts have been trying to increase their length and decrease shrinkage, and marketers have made a fortune promoting dubious methods of accomplishing the same. We now know that one of the most powerful ways to improve telomere length is simple and free: exercise.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
The sumo squat is a squat variation that involves squatting with a wide stance and your feet turned farther out to the side than usual. These little form tweaks substantially affect the mechanics of the exercise and the muscles worked. Specifically, they make your glutes and inner thighs work harder, put less strain on your lower back, and help you maintain a more upright posture (which many people struggle with). Learn how to sumo squat with proper form in this article. Sumo Squats, Yoga Fitness, Fitness Girls, Fitness Body, Thinner Leaner Stronger, Women Squats, Extreme Workouts
How to Do a Sumo Squat: Form, Benefits, and Variations
The sumo squat is a squat variation that involves squatting with a wide stance and your feet turned farther out to the side than usual. These little form tweaks substantially affect the mechanics of the exercise and the muscles worked. Specifically, they make your glutes and inner thighs work harder, put less strain on your lower back, and help you maintain a more upright posture (which many people struggle with). Learn how to sumo squat with proper form in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Does the prospect of always eating piles of bland meat, vegetables, grains, and the like get you down? Well, with some simple seasoning tips, you can take your chow from “weak” to “wow.” Juicy Baked Chicken, Garlic Chicken, Garlic Parmesan, Chicken Asparagus, Grilled Chicken, Avocado Chicken, Crispy Chicken, Easy Chicken, Chicken Wontons
3 Ways to Take Your Chow From “Weak” to “Wow”
Does the prospect of always eating piles of bland meat, vegetables, grains, and the like get you down? Well, with some simple seasoning tips, you can take your chow from “weak” to “wow.”
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
A bunch of people have asked me what my take is on Tonal, so here goes: Tonal isn’t as effective for building muscle and gaining strength as a gym stocked with barbells and dumbbells. However, with the right programming, it's better than many home gym contraptions, and much better than nothing. For an effective Tonal workout program, check out this article. Home Gym Exercises, Gym Workouts, At Home Workouts, High Intensity Yoga, Home Gym Machine, Office Exercise, Dance Cardio
The Best Tonal Workouts for Mass & Hypertrophy
A bunch of people have asked me what my take is on Tonal, so here goes: Tonal isn’t as effective for building muscle and gaining strength as a gym stocked with barbells and dumbbells. However, with the right programming, it's better than many home gym contraptions, and much better than nothing. For an effective Tonal workout program, check out this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
To get the most out of strength training, you must ensure that your hard (heavy) sets are hard enough and produce high levels of tension in your muscles. Tension, Muscles, Levels, Produce
How Hard Should Your “Hard Sets” Be?
To get the most out of strength training, you must ensure that your hard (heavy) sets are hard enough and produce high levels of tension in your muscles.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Strength training has multiple major advantages over cardio, and if you had to pick just one kind of exercise, it should be strength training. That said, there are good reasons to include cardio in your exercise routine as well. Vision Board, Man Crush, Getting Old, Aging, Older
Should You Do Cardio or Strength Training as You Get Older?
Strength training has multiple major advantages over cardio, and if you had to pick just one kind of exercise, it should be strength training. That said, there are good reasons to include cardio in your exercise routine as well.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
How to Preacher Curl: Benefits, Form & Alternatives
Learn proper preacher curl form and the best preacher curl variations for growing bigger biceps in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Want to Start “Eyeballing” Your Calories And Macros?
Many methods of meal planning involve using tools to measure everything you eat—a process that ensures accuracy but also puts many people off, especially those new to evidence-based eating.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
The 12 Best Quad-Focused Exercises for Bigger Quads
The quadriceps are the most voluminous muscle group in the human body, and thus building bigger quads has a significant impact on the appearance of your legs (and physique as a whole). If you want to learn how to build bigger, stronger, more defined quads, then check out this article to learn the 12 best quad exercises you can do.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Just because many women are wont to train their derrieres, though, doesn’t mean men shouldn’t. Strong glutes are a boon to your performance in just about every way, including helping you lift heavier weights, run faster, jump higher, and stay injury-free. Toning Workouts, Butt Workout, High Jump, How To Run Faster, Glutes, Injury
The Best Butt Toning Exercises for Men
Just because many women are wont to train their derrieres, though, doesn’t mean men shouldn’t. Strong glutes are a boon to your performance in just about every way, including helping you lift heavier weights, run faster, jump higher, and stay injury-free.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about losing lower back fat, including what lower back fat is, what causes it, why it’s so stubborn, how to use diet and exercise to lose lower back fat, and the best lower back fat exercises you can do. Fat To Fit, Lose Fat, Lower Body Fat, Upper Body, Lower Back Fat Exercises, Weight Lifting
How to Get Rid of Lower Back Fat
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about losing lower back fat, including what lower back fat is, what causes it, why it’s so stubborn, how to use diet and exercise to lose lower back fat, and the best lower back fat exercises you can do.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
Is Calf Size Genetic?
Ask any fitness nut why so many people struggle to develop their lower legs and they’ll likely tell you it’s because of bad calf genetics. Recent research shows, however, that the “bad calf genetics theory” is more wrong than right, and that you can grow impressive calves regardless of your genetic makeup—you just have to train them correctly. Find out how in this article.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
You can make your health and wellness a priority now, or it’ll make itself a priority later. There is no third choice. So, to Mr. and Ms. “I-really-don’t-have-time-to-eat-well-and-exercise,” I say: you can choose the rigors of healthy living now or the penalties of unhealthy living later. Time To Eat, Have Time, Don T Have, Unhealthy, Eating Well, Like You, Health And Wellness
Feel Like You Can't "Afford" to Eat Well and Exercise?
You can make your health and wellness a priority now, or it’ll make itself a priority later. There is no third choice. So, to Mr. and Ms. “I-really-don’t-have-time-to-eat-well-and-exercise,” I say: you can choose the rigors of healthy living now or the penalties of unhealthy living later.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
How to Do the Arnold Press: Form Guide & Variations
Like other overhead pressing exercises, the Arnold dumbbell press also trains the anterior (front) delts, triceps, and traps, which makes it an effective exercise for developing your entire upper body, as well as increasing your overhead and bench press strength.
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews