Muscle Science for Women

In this episode the ladies talk about "maintenance," - what does it mean, how do you get to maintenance, how do you stay there, how long do you stay there, why is maintenance a good thing and when is it hindering your goals? Why is it so hard to get to and stay there? How do you know if you're really eating for maintenance? If you've been wondering about a maintenance plan, or are thinking you want to maintain your current body composition or level of fitness, this episode is for you. We hope you find this episode helpful; if you do, please rate/review/subscribe and share it with someone who could benefit! If you have comments, feedback, or questions please send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. Check out the BRAND NEW program from Muscle Science for Women: The Fit Pregnancy Specialization program! The program offers a customizable training program that will adjust throughout your pregnancy, a full exercise video library, a downloadable resource document and a 90 minute lecture from your coaches. Read more about our new program at this link, and reach out if you would like the military/first responders discount: https://www.rgfit.com/fit-pregnancy  You can also learn about the flagship strength program at https://www.musclescienceforwomen.com  Learn more about the hosts at rgfit.com and ashleighvanhouten.com

In this vulnerable episode, Rachel and Ashleigh talk about the intersection of grief and health - it's a topic that we'll all deal with at some point, but isn't often discussed. Behavioural and lifestyle changes can dramatically impact our health in times of acute grief, which can exacerbate the pain we're already feeling. In this episode, the women share personal stories and go over some of the ways grief can negatively impact our health, as well as ways we can work to mitigate those impacts and care for ourselves even in times of acute sadness, stress, and devastation. We hope you find this episode helpful; if you do, please rate/review/subscribe and share it with someone who could benefit! Check out our BRAND NEW program from Muscle Science for Women: The Fit Pregnancy Specialization program! The program offers a customizable training program that will adjust throughout your pregnancy, a full exercise video library, a downloadable resource document and a 90 minute lecture from your coaches. Read more about our new program at this link, and reach out if you would like the military/first responders discount: https://www.rgfit.com/fit-pregnancy  If you have comments, feedback, or questions please send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. Learn more about the hosts at rgfit.com and ashleighvanhouten.com Timestamps 2:00: Rachel shares life updates 11:20: How to manage health in times of acute grief 15:00: Self-help book recommendations 22:00: The immune response to stress 25:30: Tools for sleep 33:00: Importance of routine 39:55: Accelerated aging with grief 42:55: Coping strategies  

This episode is a deep dive into pelvic health, an incredibly important aspect of overall health, function, and quality of life for women that many of us don't know enough about (and aren't taught). In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel cover: The basic anatomy and function of the pelvic floor The most common pelvic floor issues, from pain to prolapse to incontinence and more Risk factors for pelvic floor dysfunction How to tell if your pelvic floor may not be functioning optimally Prevention and protection Self-care and lifestyle tips for avoiding or mitigating these issues Other steps if you're experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction that you can't manage on your own We hope you find this episode helpful; if you do, please rate/review/subscribe and share it with someone who could benefit!  You'll learn even more about pelvic health in our NEW program from Muscle Science for Women: The Fit Pregnancy Specialization program! Read more about our new program at this link, and reach out if you would like the military/first responders discount: https://www.rgfit.com/fit-pregnancy  If you have comments, feedback, or questions please send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. Learn more about the hosts at rgfit.com and ashleighvanhouten.com

This week is another episode of the Healthy Aging Series, and this time Ashleigh and Beth are diving into motherhood, a deeply personal and lifechanging event. They discuss the ways motherhood changed them (and the ways they have stayed the same), the experience of being "older" mothers, the balance of caring for children and aging parents, managing your kids' hormonal shifts at the same time as their own, and much more. See timestamps below. And listeners learned about the NEW program from Muscle Science for Women: The Fit Pregnancy Specialization program! There has been a slight delay in launch, but if you want to be the first to gain access to the program (and our early bird discount) you can email and let us know at musclescience4women@gmail.com  The whole Healthy Aging Series can be found on Ashleigh's YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@musclemaven  If you're interested in listening to Ashleigh's episode all about her first pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience, you can listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4FHQRW8LMDEXt2lLUgpLVz?si=eb5dab46d9ba4e6b If you have comments, feedback, or questions please send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. Support for this podcast comes from Kion. Use code MUSCLEMAVEN at this link to save on high-quality protein powder, creatine, the tastiest EAA's (I recommend watermelon!) and other tested supplements to support your goals.  Learn more about the hosts at rgfit.com and ashleighvanhouten.com Timestamps: 7:00: Things that have changed about us since motherhood, if anything 18:00: Our experiences being “older” mothers 27:00: Our decision-making process to have kids (and how many to have) 36:00: Differences in parenting expectations with different generations 40:30: Managing your own hormonal changes as well as your children's 45:00: How we talk about our bodies and hormones, and how that impacts the way women feel about themselves 47:45: Parenting while also helping aging parents 53:00: The sometimes fraught relationship between mothers and daughters 1:01:00: Balancing how to love your kids equally but engage with them differently according to their personalities 1:05: How the parenting dynamic shifts as both you and kids age 1:09: Combatting losing your sense of self in motherhood  

In this episode, Ashleigh answers listener questions about: -how to work around "limiting factors" like grip strength and weaker muscles when trying to challenge the lower body -can you heal and "tighten" fascia in your stomach and get rid of "mommy pooch" after multiple pregnancies -how to avoid being "skinny fat" when you're looking to lose fat and change body composition -advice for people looking to become a professional health coach And more! Check timestamps below. And listeners learned about the NEW program from Muscle Science for Women: The Fit Pregnancy Specialization program! There has been a slight delay in launch, but if you want to be the first to gain access to the program (and our early bird discount) you can email and let us know at musclescience4women@gmail.com If you have comments, feedback, or questions please send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. Support for this podcast comes from Kion. Use code MUSCLEMAVEN at this link to save on high-quality protein powder, creatine, the tastiest EAA's (I recommend watermelon!) and other tested supplements to support your goals.  Learn more about the hosts at rgfit.com and ashleighvanhouten.com Timestamps: 2:00: how to work around limiting factors like grip and upper body strength 7:45: can you tighten stomach fascia after pregnancy? 13:00: how to reverse the "skinny fat" look after years of sedentary living 22:30 advice for folks who want to get into the health coaching business

In this vulnerable episode, Ashleigh shares her pregnancy and birth story from the recent birth of her daughter. She covers topics including: Her symptoms and overall experience during pregnancy, and how it differed from her first How she managed severe pubic symphysis pain, and her experience with pelvic floor physiotherapy All the details of her unmedicated water birth and the immediate postpartum period Information on her exercise and nutrition The ups and downs of being a parent of two, and how this is impacting her fitness and overall health And much more! And listeners learned about the NEW program from Muscle Science for Women: The Fit Pregnancy Specialization program! There has been a slight delay in launch, but if you want to be the first to gain access to the program (and our early bird discount) you can email and let us know at musclescience4women@gmail.com  If you're interested in listening to Ashleigh's episode all about her first pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience, you can listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4FHQRW8LMDEXt2lLUgpLVz?si=eb5dab46d9ba4e6b If you have comments, feedback, or questions please send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. Support for this podcast comes from Kion. Use code MUSCLEMAVEN at this link to save on high-quality protein powder, creatine, the tastiest EAA's (I recommend watermelon!) and other tested supplements to support your goals.  Learn more about the hosts at rgfit.com and ashleighvanhouten.com

In this exclusive sneak peek, Ashleigh shares the first full episode of a new series on Healthy Aging she has developed with friend, Carnivore-ish co-author, wellness writer, and chef Beth Lipton. Over the course of seven episodes they dive deep on topics like beauty, motherhood and pregnancy, relationships, nutrition, mental health, and more, all through the lens of healthy aging for women: what does it mean to age in a healthy way? How do we balance our desire to remain youthful with the inevitability of getting older? Can we find more peace and joy in the way our bodies and priorities shift through life?  The series is honest, real, vulnerable, and created in an effort to create community and share with other women who are no doubt juggling the same questions and uncertainties. There are questions, answers, personal stories, and laughs as they learn. These are just a few of the questions the women dive into, starting with this first episode on fitness, which covers the ladies' thoughts on: what they learned about wellness and fitness from their own mothers; whether or not fitness HAS to change as we age, and if so, how; their own personal journies through various forms of fitness, and more. The full Healthy Aging Series will be published on Ashleigh's YouTube channel, which you can find and subscribe to here: https://www.youtube.com/@musclemaven  If you have any feedback, questions or comments, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. Learn more about Beth at bethlipton.com and Ashleigh at ashleighvanhouten.com Support for this podcast comes from Kion. Use code MUSCLEMAVEN at this link to save on high-quality protein powder, creatine, the tastiest EAA's (I recommend watermelon!) and other tested supplements to support your goals.   

In this episode Ashleigh talks about a reel of hers that went viral; shows the ladies are binging; advice for a teenager just starting her muscle-building journey; how much organ meat you should be eating to get the benefits; and if it's "normal" to have some net weight gain after a cycle of bulking and cutting. See timestamps added below. Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code. And if you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. Strong & Sculpted Shoulders workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/shoulders  Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes   Learn about our flagship strength training program, Muscle Science for Women: http://www.musclescienceforwomen.com   Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: https://ashleighvanhouten.com/ and https://www.rgfit.com/  Time Stamps: ·       02:01 – 03:30 | Ashleigh talks about going viral on Instagram ·       09:01 – 10:30 | Is Protein Trending? Why is it suddenly such a big deal? ·       13:31 – 15:00 | Teenagers and Building Muscle ·       15:01 – 17:00 | How to Tell If You’re Eating Enough ·       17:01 – 18:30 | Training vs. Rest Day Calories ·       20:01 – 21:00 | Do you need a variety of protein sources to maximize benefits? ·       22:31 – 24:00 | How Much Liver is Too Much? ·       26:01 – 27:30 | Should you expect net weight gain after a cycle of bulking and cutting? ·       34:01 – 36:00 | Reflection time: What Have You Changed Your Mind About?

In this week's episode Ashleigh and Rachel answer questions from listeners about: How to best train for symmetry, regarding both strength and esthetics: how do you minimize asymetry and strengthen weak muscles/limbs? Are kettlebells a good tool for strength and hypertrophy? If yes, what exercises do they recommend and if no, why not? Answer questions about progress when training naturally, or drug-free, vs. enhanced And much more! If you have questions, comments, or topic ideas for an upcoming show, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. Our show sponsor, Cozy Earth—has a HUGE Mother's Day BOGO deal for you!  The ladies have personally tested their Bamboo Sheet Set and Bamboo Pajamas and are huge fans - and it's risk-free: Take 100 nights to decide with their sleep trial. AND every Cozy Earth bedding product comes with a 10-year warranty! Visit CozyEarth.com and use the exclusive code MSW for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more. And if you use the code MSWBOGO from May 2-4, when you purchase one set of bamboo pajamas you'll get a second set FREE! Treat yourself and a special mom in your life. Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code. And if you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. 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   Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: https://ashleighvanhouten.com/ and https://www.rgfit.com/    ·      00:00 - 01:12 | Intro + Life Update ·      11:18 - 12:32 | Training for Symmetry ·      12:33 - 14:58 | Muscle Imbalance Tips ·      16:01 - 17:40 | Listener Q: are kettlebells good for strength and muscle growth? ·      25:21 - 28:00 | Bodyweight Training Realities ·      28:01 - 30:00 | Budget Diet Advice ·      30:01 - 31:30 | Supplements - which ones do you need and which ones can you skip ·      33:11 - 36:00 | Natural vs Enhanced Bodybuilding ·      50:01 - 52:00 | Nutrition’s Role in Progress ·      52:01 - 54:24 | Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up

Today is the 100th episode of Muscle Science for Women! We've had a blast learning and sharing our knowledge with each other, and with our listeners, and we appreciate each and every one of you who tune in and spend time with us. On our 100th episode milestone, we're asking you to help us make it to 200 episodes: please, take five minutes today to make sure you're subscribed to the podcast on whatever platform you listen, and if you haven't yet rated, reviewed, or turned on notifications for the podcast, please do so. Bonus points if you share the pod on social media and tag us. This is how the algorithms learn that our podcast is good, so we can continue to grow and help new listeners on their fitness journey. On today's podcast: Rachel and Ashleigh discuss at-home body fat scales, the benefits (or lack thereof) of knee wraps, the best ways to track body composition progress, and whether it's true that weight loss is easy and effortless during breastfeeding (and if it's not, what to do about it). We have a fun new sponsor, Cozy Earth—Because Great Days Start with Better Nights. The ladies have personally tested their Bamboo Sheet Set and Bamboo Pajamas and are huge fans - and it's risk-free: Take 100 nights to decide with their sleep trial. AND every Cozy Earth bedding product comes with a 10-year warranty! Visit CozyEarth.com and use the exclusive code MSW for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more. Better Sleep Starts at Cozy Earth. Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code. And if you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. 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   Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: https://ashleighvanhouten.com/ and https://www.rgfit.com/ 

While we wait for Ashleigh to recover from her second birth, we decided to re-release an episode from before the rebranding of the podcast. Back in 2021, when the podcast was called Muscle Maven Radio, Ashleigh did a long deep dive about her pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience with her son Magnus. If you're pregnant, looking to become pregnant, know someone going through this, or simply love hearing these kinds of stories, this one is for you.  She covers a lot of her decision-making processes around how she decided to eat, workout, her birth plan and birth team, her mindset, how she specifically "prepared" for birth, her recovery journey, and so much more. Hopefully this episode helps you get more clarity on making your own decisions around your birth story. Thanks for listening and please send your feedback, questions, or topic ideas to musclescience4women@gmail.com. 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! Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code. 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   If you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: ashleighvanhouten.com and rgfit.com 

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel answer questions about fasted cardio and their thoughts on male coaches who focus on female clients looking to grow their glutes (there are a lot of them!)  Is there evidence that fasted cardio first thing in the morning burns more fat than fed cardio? What's the balance with cardio that optimizes fat loss without adding negatively to your overall stress load, increasing hunger, etc? And the ladies do their best to convince listeners that more/harder cardio is NOT necessarily a faster and more effective way to burn fat. We have a fun new sponsor, Cozy Earth - Cozy Earth products are designed to transform your 5-9 (the time that matters most) into the coziest sanctuary. The ladies have personally tested their Bamboo Sheet Set and Bamboo Pajamas and are huge fans - and it's risk-free: Take 100 nights to decide with their sleep trial. AND every Cozy Earth bedding product comes with a 10-year warranty! Luxury shouldn't be out of reach. Visit CozyEarth.com and use the exclusive code MSW for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more. And if you get a post-purchase survey, let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here to support the show. Sanctuary Awaits at Cozy Earth. Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code. And if you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. 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   Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: https://ashleighvanhouten.com/ and https://www.rgfit.com/ 

Today is another re-release of a popular episode from a while back you may have missed: in this one, Ashleigh and Rachel discuss the nuances between training for strength and training for muscle growth (hypertrophy). These goals can be achieved together, but don't necessarily have to; you can get bigger without getting much stronger, and you can get stronger without your muscles getting much bigger. They talk about training differences and approaches to make sure you get the most out of your workouts. Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast, leave a rating or review, and sign up for notifications so you know when a new episode is available! Send your feedback, questions, or topic ideas to musclescience4women@gmail.com. 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! Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code. 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   If you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: ashleighvanhouten.com and rgfit.com 

Today is a re-release of a popular episode you may have missed with Rachel and Ashleigh all about the idea of "intuitive eating" - what does that term mean, exactly? Is it possible to eat intuitively in a food landscape where hyper-palatable, low-nutrient food is so easily available? How can you listen to your body and still achieve body composition goals? All that and more in today's episode. Send your feedback, questions, or topic ideas to musclescience4women@gmail.com. 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! Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code. 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   If you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: ashleighvanhouten.com and rgfit.com 

Today the ladies answer questions around the optimal time to work out, how to make the best of a poor workout schedule, and they provide a lot of actionable tips on how to approach binge eating at night and consistent sugar cravings.  That and more - make sure you're subscribed, leave a rating or review, and sign up for notifications so you know when a new episode is available! Send your feedback, questions, or topic ideas to musclescience4women@gmail.com. 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! Don't forget, we offer program discounts to first responders, military, and medical personnel. Send us an email for the code. 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   If you have any questions for the pod, comments or funny stories, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. Learn more about Ashleigh and Rachel at their websites: ashleighvanhouten.com and rgfit.com