Muscle Science for Women

If you consider yourself Type A, this episode is for you. Ashleigh and Rachel go through five big things Type A fitness folks do that can get in the way of their own health and goals, even when they think they are doing the right thing. No spoilers, but they cover stress management, poor long-term planning, rigidity, and an inability to celebrate success as just a few of the elements they see repeatedly in high-performing clients.
Ashleigh shares some findings from her recent blood work and Rachel talks about her online group coaching program.
Interested in joining Rachel's Group Coaching Program? Check it out here: https://rgfit.com/theflexfam
Mentioned in this episode: Fear and your fitness goals: when to listen, when to push https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LhrpUCFlfE
Do you see yourself in any of these five, or have you tried staring at a wall for 10 minutes? Share at musclescience4women@gmail.com and we'll chat about it on the pod!
This episode is sponsored by Peluva, makers of five-toe, zero-drop, barefoot-style shoes. When you put on a pair of Peluvas, you are getting an automatic foot strengthening effect, a toe spacer effect, and a healing effect from the damage caused by regular shoes. Peluva has sufficient cushioning to use for all manner of everyday movement, fitness and athletic activities, and navigating hard modern surfaces. And they look (surprisingly) good, and are super comfortable. Go ahead and use your specialized athletic shoes, work boots or even high heels when you need to, but the more you wear minimalist shoes when walking around and exercising safely, you can reawaken the natural functionality of the human foot to stand, walk, run, and perform. Visit https://checkout.peluva.com/MUSCLEMAVEN and use the code MUSCLEMAVEN for 10% off your first pair!
04:18 Intra-workout candy
09:51 Blood work and ferritin
19:01 Type A fitness habits
22:42 Ignoring stress management
29:46 Majoring in the minors
35:11 Not planning long-term
42:16 Zealous fitness beliefs
46:20 Not enjoying the process
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ztVXZm4wv5I
Programs
Muscle Science For Women, 12-week strength program: https://rgfit.com/msw
Grow Your Glutes, 8 weeks: https://rgfit.com/glutes
Strong and Sculpted Shoulders, 8 weeks: https://rgfit.com/shoulders
Fit Pregnancy Program: https://rgfit.com/fit-pregnancy
Dopamine Reset Challenge, 10 days: https://rgfit.com/offers/BAQj63ya
Newsletter: https://substack.com/@musclescienceforwomen
Ashleigh VanHouten: https://ashleighvanhouten.com, Instagram @themusclemaven (https://www.instagram.com/themusclemaven/)
Rachel Gregory: https://rgfit.com, Instagram @rachelgregory.cns (https://www.instagram.com/rachelgregory.cns/)

Ashleigh and Rachel go through six major food swaps for fat loss for anyone who wants to make more mindful, empowered, and reasonable choices in their diet.
Ashleigh highlights the differences between a healthy diet and a fat loss diet; Rachel shares the frozen blueberry cereal she has been making, and they also talk about smart swaps that can reduce calories without reducing satisfaction and flavor, and how to avoid hidden calories you may not even know you're consuming. It's a nuanced coversation that touches on the balance between food awareness and food obsession.
Got a food swap that works for you that we missed? Tell us at musclescience4women@gmail.com and we'll chat about it on the pod!
Head to truenutrition.com/MUSCLE and use the code MUSCLE for 20% off your custom mix! Head to truenutrition.com/MUSCLE and use the code MUSCLE for 20% off your custom protein mix! Choose from a range of protein bases (egg white, grass-fed beef protein, isolate, and much more), tons of amazing flavors, and add up to four supplemental boosts like essential amino acids, collagen, adaptogens, electrolytes, and so much more. You can even take a quiz to have True Nutrition recommend a formulation to meet your unique needs. 
01:45 Healthy diet versus fat loss diet: are they the same? Why or why not?
05:54 Choose Leaner protein
11:12 The benenfit of High volume foods
17:32 Why you should avoid Plain carbs as snacks
26:38 Adding protein to treats
28:04 Lower fat condiments and add-ons - how to do this without falling into the "low fat everything" trap
32:32 Drinking your calories: the biggest culprit in added calories?
Watch on YouTube
Programs
Muscle Science For Women, 12-week strength program
Grow Your Glutes, 8 weeks
Strong and Sculpted Shoulders, 8 weeks
Fit Pregnancy Program
Dopamine Reset Challenge, 10 days
Newsletter
Ashleigh VanHouten | Instagram @themusclemaven
Rachel Gregory | Instagram @rachelgregory.cns

In this episode, the ladies answer listener questions, including a big one about oral contraceptives and their impact on muscle building, and a fat loss plateau case study. Ashleigh and Rachel answer a listener's question about whether the pill limits your ability to build muscle, then work through a listener's attempt to lose the same 12 pounds again with the exact same plan that worked the first time, but doesn't seem to be working now 
They also talk about training frequency, how important your daily steps are (and what they're important for) how important scale weight is scale weight when working on body recomposition, and much more.
Have a question or a case study you want Ashleigh and Rachel to dig into? Send it to musclescience4women@gmail.com and we might chat about it on the pod!
Head to truenutrition.com/MUSCLE and use the code MUSCLE for 20% off your custom protein mix! Choose from a range of protein bases (egg white, grass-fed beef protein, isolate, and much more), tons of amazing flavors, and add up to four supplemental boosts like essential amino acids, collagen, adaptogens, electrolytes, and so much more. You can even take a quiz to have True Nutrition recommend a formulation to meet your unique needs. 
https://truenutrition.com/muscle
15:42 Birth control and muscle building
23:43 Fat loss plateau case study
25:03 The "fat loss plateau" audit
27:39 Training frequency
28:25 The downsides to tracking scale weight
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dkfVtSqSH5w
Programs
Muscle Science For Women, 12-week strength program: https://rgfit.com/msw
Grow Your Glutes, 8 weeks: https://rgfit.com/glutes
Strong and Sculpted Shoulders, 8 weeks: https://rgfit.com/shoulders
Fit Pregnancy Program: https://rgfit.com/fit-pregnancy
Dopamine Reset Challenge, 10 days: https://rgfit.com/offers/BAQj63ya
Newsletter: https://substack.com/@musclescienceforwomen
Ashleigh VanHouten: https://ashleighvanhouten.com, Instagram @themusclemaven (https://www.instagram.com/themusclemaven/)
Rachel Gregory: https://rgfit.com, Instagram @rachelgregory.cns (https://www.instagram.com/rachelgregory.cns/)

Fear, avoidance, perfectionism and voluntary discomfort: Ashleigh hosts solo this week and talks through how fear works in the brain and body, and how it shows up around fitness goals and your life in general.
She shares some of her own fears, and the fears listeners sent her on social media; covers the difference between fear and danger; how avoidance is actually beneficial (to a point); three questions to ask yourself when something feels scary and you're determining whether or not you should proceed, and much more.
Have a story about something you were afraid of and then overcame? Share it at musclescience4women@gmail.com and we might share it on the pod!
This episode is sponsored by Peluva, makers of five-toe, zero-drop, barefoot-style shoes. When you put on a pair of Peluvas, you are getting an automatic foot strengthening effect, a toe spacer effect, and a healing effect from the damage caused by regular shoes. Peluva has sufficient cushioning to use for all manner of everyday movement, fitness and athletic activities, and navigating hard modern surfaces. And they look (surprisingly) good, and are super comfortable. Go ahead and use your specialized athletic shoes, work boots or even high heels when you need to, but the more you wear minimalist shoes when walking around and exercising safely, you can reawaken the natural functionality of the human foot to stand, walk, run, and perform. Visit https://checkout.peluva.com/MUSCLEMAVEN and use the code MUSCLEMAVEN for 10% off your first pair!
05:43 What fear is
10:50 Fear versus danger
11:52 Fight, flight or freeze
14:10 Fear in fitness goals
15:17 The surprising benefits of avoidance
18:54 Procrastination and perfectionism
24:28 Three questions to ask when you're afraid
37:54 Fitness as a fear practice
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9LhrpUCFlfE
Programs
Muscle Science For Women, 12-week strength program: https://rgfit.com/msw
Grow Your Glutes, 90-minute workshop: https://rgfit.com/glutes
Strong and Sculpted Shoulders, 90-minute workshop: https://rgfit.com/shoulders
Fit Pregnancy Program: https://rgfit.com/fit-pregnancy
Dopamine Reset Challenge, 10 days: https://rgfit.com/offers/BAQj63ya
Newsletter: https://musclescienceforwomen.substack.com
Ashleigh VanHouten: https://ashleighvanhouten.com, Instagram @themusclemaven (https://www.instagram.com/themusclemaven/)
Rachel Gregory: https://rgfit.com, Instagram @rachelgregory.cns (https://www.instagram.com/rachelgregory.cns/)

Sleepmaxxing, peptides, intuitive eating, and AI personal training: Ashleigh and Rachel give their thoughts--underrated or overrated- on a list of fitness trends, food ideas.
Ashleigh shares about a physical app blocker she has been testing for about a week, and they also talk about "wellness raves", the muscle mommy label, dating apps and run clubs, and much more.
Anything else in the fitness world that you think is under or overrated? Share at musclescience4women@gmail.com and we'll chat about it on the pod!
This episode is sponsored by Peluva, makers of five-toe, zero-drop, barefoot-style shoes. When you put on a pair of Peluvas, you are getting an automatic foot strengthening effect, a toe spacer effect, and a healing effect from the damage caused by regular shoes. Peluva has sufficient cushioning to use for all manner of everyday movement, fitness and athletic activities, and navigating hard modern surfaces. And they look (surprisingly) good, and are super comfortable. Go ahead and use your specialized athletic shoes, work boots or even high heels when you need to, but the more you wear minimalist shoes when walking around and exercising safely, you can reawaken the natural functionality of the human foot to stand, walk, run, and perform. Visit https://checkout.peluva.com/MUSCLEMAVEN and use the code MUSCLEMAVEN for 10% off your first pair!
01:07 Ashleigh's app-blocking Brick experiment
05:20 Physical barriers, junk food and the reward pathway
13:10 Sleepmaxxing
16:19 Peptides
20:45 Wellness raves
22:34 Muscle mommy 
23:41 Dating apps and run clubs
26:16 HYROX as a way to meet people
28:59 Intuitive eating
32:28 AI personal training
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ufapWVj9tiE
Programs
Muscle Science For Women, 12-week strength program: https://rgfit.com/msw
Grow Your Glutes, 90-minute workshop: https://rgfit.com/glutes
Strong and Sculpted Shoulders, 90-minute workshop: https://rgfit.com/shoulders
Fit Pregnancy Program: https://rgfit.com/fit-pregnancy
Dopamine Reset Challenge, 10 days: https://rgfit.com/offers/BAQj63ya
Newsletter: https://musclescienceforwomen.substack.com
Ashleigh VanHouten: https://ashleighvanhouten.com, Instagram @themusclemaven (https://www.instagram.com/themusclemaven/)
Rachel Gregory: https://rgfit.com, Instagram @rachelgregory.cns