Ep. #220: “Muscle Memory” is Real and Here’s How It Works

01/25/18 • 15 min

If you’ve spent any amount of time lifting weights, taken a break for a bit, and then started back up again, you probably noticed that you seemed to regain strength and size much quicker than the first time around.

Well, this isn’t your mind playing tricks on you–the acceleration in progress is a scientifically verified phenomenon often referred to as “muscle memory,” but what is actually going on?

Neurological mechanisms can explain the rapid regain of strength, but not muscle size. Do muscle fibers have some sort of “memory” of their previous, more conditioned states? Or is something else responsible for these effects?

Let’s find out.

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Well, this isn’t your mind playing tricks on you–the acceleration in progress is a scientifically verified phenomenon often referred to as “muscle memory,” but what is actually going on?

Let’s find out.

Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!
Click here: https://www.muscleforlife.com/signup/

Previous Episode

Ep. #219: Research Review: Dr. Mike Zourdos on Training to Failure

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Mike Zourdos who’s an assistant professor of Exercise Science at Florida Atlantic University, published researcher, and competitive powerlifter, as well as the head Powerlifting coach at Florida State University.

Mike also produces a fantastic monthly research review along with Dr. Eric Helms and Greg Nuckols, called MASS (www.strongerbyscience.com/mass), and in this interview, Mike is going to break down one of the studies analyzed in their review.

The study he’s going to discuss is on training to failure, and in this discussion, Mike explains what training to failure is, how it relates to muscle growth, how necessary it is, how to best incorporate it into your training, and more.

6:36 - What is the study of training to failure and is it necessary
13:02 - When should you incorporate training to failure?
20:24 - How does training to failure effect strength and muscle growth?
27:10 - Does cardio with HIIT harm or improve muscle hypertrophy?
31:26 - Where can people follow you and find your work?
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Next Episode

Ep. #221: Everything You Need to Know About Estrogen Blockers

You’re probably here because you want to gain muscle or lose fat faster and you’re wondering if estrogen blockers can help.

You’ve probably also seen fantastical claims about what these drugs and supplements can do to your physique.

You’re not alone.
Thousands of others are searching about estrogen blockers every day, too, because they’ve heard the same blarney that brought you here.

And in this episode, we’re going to get to the bottom of it all.

Now, the war against estrogen is at a fever pitch these days because it’s riding on the coattails of its big brother, testosterone, which is also on a lot people’s minds.

It’s common knowledge that raising your testosterone levels can help you gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster, which is why more and more people are snapping up testosterone booster supplements and signing up for testosterone replacement therapy.

Most people also know that raising testosterone levels also raises estrogen levels, and that high estrogen levels is generally associated with higher levels of body fat, erectile dysfunction, and feminizing effects like gynecomastia.

Furthermore, it’s also often assumed that lowering estrogen levels in and of itself can improve body composition and virility, and especially in people that are “estrogen dominant” and thus incapable of gaining any considerable amount of muscle and strength.

Is all the estrogen hype warranted, though? And are estrogen blocking drugs and supplements effective, safe, and legal, like many people claim?

Well, here’s the long story short:

Synthetic estrogen blockers absolutely work. With the right drugs, you can plunge your estrogen to rock-bottom levels.

Unfortunately, however, that isn’t going to help you build a better physique, and it’s going to screw up your health, to boot.

And what about natural estrogen blockers?

Well, they’re even more worthless in that they won’t even significantly impact your estrogen or testosterone levels, let alone help you gain muscle or lose fat faster.

By the end of this episode, you’re going to understand all this and more, so let’s start at the top...

5:39 - What is estrogen?
7:01 - What are estrogen blockers?
9:38 - How do pharmaceutical estrogen blockers work?
11:31 - Why are estrogen blockers popular?
17:08 - Are estrogen blockers safe?

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Click here: https://www.muscleforlife.com/signup/