Muscle for Life: Get Lean, Strong, and Healthy at Any Age!

by Michael Matthews

A life-changing and accessible guidebook on the fundamentals of building muscle, losing fat, and staying healthy at any age and any ability from the million-copy bestselling fitness guru and founder of Legion Athletics.

Forget drastic and dangerous diets or unrealistic workout routines.

Health and exercise expert Mike Matthews’s Muscle for Life will be your new go-to fitness bible, providing you with the science-backed tools to achieve and maintain your best body. Based on the latest research, Mike offers a realistic starting point and doable goals no matter where you are in your fitness journey.

The principles in Muscle for Life are tried and true. Featuring in-depth guidelines for workouts at every skill level, plus an easy-to-follow meal planning guide, Matthews offers encouragement no matter what your challenges are and answers any questions you may have. Whether you want to lower your cholesterol levels, reduce your risk of heart disease, eliminate aches and pains, or simply burn fat and build muscle, Mike’s advice at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels offers actionable takeaways for everyone and every body type.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Fitness, Self Help, Collections

480 pages, Paperback

Published December 3, 2024

About the author

Hi,

I’m Mike and I’ve been training for nearly a decade now.

I believe that every person can achieve the body of his or her dreams, and I work hard to give everyone that chance by providing workable, proven advice grounded in science, not a desire to sell phony magazines, workout products, or supplements.

I’ve helped quite a few people achieve their health and fitness goals, and at their urging, I am sharing what I’ve learned and know works here in this website, and in my books.

So if you’re looking to get in shape and look great, then I think I can help you. I hope you enjoy my website and books, and feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions and I’ll do my best to help.

Sincerely,

Mike

http://www.muscleforlife.com/

Reviews

[Alec]

My problem with working out is that I know enough about fitness to get a decent workout in, but I don’t know enough to improve my workouts or to get stronger. Muscle for Life has lots of great advice that I intend to incorporate into my workout routines, and I definitely recommend it for anyone looking to get into strength training or looking to improve their performance.

However, I take issue with his explanation of soy protein. While it is technically true that soy can have a feminizing effect on men, it takes ungodly amounts of soy for any such effect to occur. The claims against soy about man breasts are so overblown, and Matthews did an irresponsible job of talking about the protein.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Michael Matthews' other books, this one is full of researched fitness and nutrition advice, as well as a functional plan to get started. I had read Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body and have been following the plan for a few months now, seeing results as promised. Due to this I have also devoured the Muscle for Life podcast, so much of what I found in Muscle for Life (the book) is not entirely new. However, the book's audience is for those perhaps not ready for Bigger/Thinner, Leaner, Stronger...and for most people not familiar with Michael Matthews this is a great place to start.

I particularly like that Matthews includes many beginner versions of strength training exercises, which will be useful for anyone just starting out.

[Ian D · Rating 3 out of 5]

O Σεπτέμβρης είναι προ των πυλών κι όπως κάθε άνθρωπος που σέβεται τον εαυτό του, οφείλω να κάνω πρόγραμμα με τρία Δ (Δευτέρα - Διάβασμα - Δίαιτα) ενσωματώνοντας και το προηγούμενο γράμμα του αλφαβήτου (Γυμναστική). Τι καλύτερο λοιπόν από το γυμναστή τούμπανο που μας προτρέπει να Get Lean, Strong, and Healthy at Any Age! (με θαυμαστικό).
Καλά θα πάει αυτό...

[Mark Blane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Save your time with this book and just buy his "Bigger, Leaner, Stronger book, (BLS) third edition, (as of this writing, fourth edition is only available in digital format from his website). The BLS book has the same chapters in this book, but the BLS book is more focused on the progressive overload philosophy that Matthews advocates for superior muscle building.

I am currently doing his BLS program and it is amazing and I can already see the results he discusses and yes, it is backed by real world scientific studies.

This book was written between BLS and the later editions, and I don't know what he was trying to accomplish...maybe to target a different demographic by not going so heavy as he advocates in BLS. If anything, I think this book made had some market confusion to his successful BLS program, which is why I am giving it 3 stars.

[Anant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your inner erudite (if there is one) may pass on this book at first glance. A catchy title and an author appearing larger than life on the cover has the ingredients of a book trying to peddle a quick solution only if you follow their plan exactly as they say. But persevere through, and the book breaks those stereotypes. Yes the author installs himself centrally with "his plan", but barring the style of writing, the content is a no nonsense, back to basics health book focusing on diet and exercises. The simplicity of everything Michael describes, combined with his narrative and references to scientific principles backing the proposals are compelling and will make you want to adopt what he is suggesting for a better, healthier life. His diet plans avoid fads and stick to surprisingly flexible options. His workout proposal while requires gym access are composed of some of the most common exercises. The meal and exercise plans though simple, rest on rigor and discipline in quantity and quality and are accompanied with detailed templates. There is a section in the end about supplements, which to Michael's credit does not have any mention of his own supplement company and offers the reader some advice on that topic. Overall, this is a good read if you are looking for inspiration to eat healthier and exercise regularly to cultivate a better you.

[Jeff Heuer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I've barely begun to "do" this book, as the author recommends, after just "reading" it. The proof will be in the pudding.

That said, this is a very solid, no-nonsense, but thorough book on building strength and losing fat at any life stage or fitness level. The primary topics are diet, exercise, and supplements. It is scientifically-backed and well-sourced and referenced.

Yes, in some small ways this book is marketing for the author's business selling coaching, supplements, etc. But he also offers an abundance of resources for free. The free reference guides at https://muscleforlifebook.com/bonus would serve as a good, condensed summary, and the free Stacked mobile app is a handy tool.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book hoping to be inspired with different weight lifting exercises. This is an excellent book for a beginner or someone that has not worked out in a while (Covid, etc.)

I also like the workout charts and the alternative suggestions. The alternative suggestions offer different exercises if someone cannot do a particular exercise and or does not the equipment.

I skimmed the meal plans and food sections. I have a plan from a Registered Dietician designed for me that works. Also be aware that Michael Matthews owns a supplement company. Quite a few pages on supplements.

[Dana LaShay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written in a way that made it easy to understand. Everything was broken down properly and there was data to back up the claims. It was stuff I already practiced to an extent, but to have the actual formulas to help me manage my weight loss better was a game changer.

I recommend this book to anyone struggling with their relationship with food.

[Azam Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, Honest and the Correct methodology

Mike Matthews and most of his books, which means his way of life towards fitness are all great. Forget the Fad diets, keep it simple and work hard towards it.

[Dunstan Ayodele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael practically connected the dots between diet, exercise and rest, making it easy to understand and implement. Muscle for life is a health and fitness blueprint for the young, adolescent and adult.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid basic advice.

[Power In Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

Totally Garbage 🗑️🗑️🗑️🚮

[Bill Krieger · Rating 4 out of 5]

 
This is another great fitness book by author Michael Matthews, 4 bill-stars.

Muscle for Life (MFL) is a follow-up to the author’s first book, Bigger Leaner Stronger (BLS), which I rated 5 bill-stars. BLS is a pretty aggressive and challenging program to follow. MFL tries to generalize this approach and make it available to people who are older or not as fit to begin with. It’s a great idea.

+ Strong: I really like that the author presents a very specific fitness solution in line with his very specific philosophy. You may not agree with all of it, but that’s okay. Change what you want, but Matthews provides you with a great starting point.

- Not so strong: I had a little trouble following his generalization of the fitness concepts. I wish that Matthews did more to connect MFL to the first book, BLS. I think that would have helped him explain some of the concepts and changes that he presents in MFL. This includes some basic things like how many reps per set, choosing different exercises, rest times, etc.

QOTD

More and more scientific research is showing that while "aging" isn't optional, genetics affect wellness and longevity far less than most people believe. Simply put: what appears to most influence how we age isn't time, but lifestyle. We get heavier and weaker not because of the sands of time, but because we stop exercising and overeat.

- great stuff for oldies, Muscle for Life

Let me address one more thing that I saw in a couple of reviews. Yes, there’s a lot of overlap between this book and Bigger Leaner Stronger. For me, it's an easy call. MFL is definitely worth the twenty bucks; I learned a lot.

I’m going to start using the MFL approach later this month. My goal is strength, rather than six-pack abs or “getting ripped”. (ha) I’m looking forward to it. Injury risk gets a lot more attention in MFL than BLS. For example, Matthews recommends that older workout bees rest every 4-5 weeks, rather than the 8+ weeks recommended in BLS. Good advice!

A good read. thanks...yow, bill
 

[Nate Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I liked it. I've been developing my own health curriculum over the past year so I wanted to see how it compares and if there were take-aways I could use to improve mine. He does a great job explaining the virtues of strength training and how vital it is (especially for aging bodies) to feeling great. I had a few takeaways: 1) I need more varied dumbbell weights so I can slowly progress my strength over time 2) I'm currently doing his intermediate routine and need barbells to hit some specific workouts in his advanced curriculum to continue progressing.

There are some aspects of this book that don't really apply to me. I don't care to journal or record measurements, that kind of motivation isn't necessary for me right now. It might be for others. Also, his chapter on supplements was interesting and I may incorporate some of it, but I think the majority is throwing money at minimal gains. To his credit, he says the same thing, but I think the book dwelt on it for too long.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple system, but needs more meal plans

This is a well thought out book, with good use of science and research to back things up. Easy read and Michael explains things really well. Great explanation on the importance of nutrition and how to build your individualised diet. However, whilst in theory this is simple to do, most people won’t be bothered to do the calculations and build the plans. Whilst it does say that there are meal plans, these are actually quite sparse even on the website. To my mind there needs to be at least a weeks worth to get people started. Otherwise well worthy of purchase if you dedicate the time to doing the work.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a comprehensive look at how you can live a healthy lifestyle at any stage of life. It does a great job of of showing you how to make better food choices and gives workout plans with illustrations of the exercises. The author was very thorough in the book, but it is still readable regardless of your fitness level or experience. There is something here for if you are looking to have a healthier lifestyle, or are already very fit. Before I won this book from Goodreads I was a regular listener of his podcast by the same name. If you want more information like what is in the book check it out!

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest I probably would not have read this book had I not won a Goodreads Giveaway copy. Afterall, what's a another diet book, right? However, I did read it and learned a lot of what I have been doing wrong in the past in regards to managing my weight. Once i finished the book passed it onto my husband to read. We are both entering retirement and looking forward to calculating our daily intake, creating a meal plan, developing our strength training routine and applying Muscle For Life principals to improve our health and well being in our golden years.

[Subhash Jawahrani · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Muscle for Life" serves as an excellent starting point for individuals looking to build muscle, enhance fitness, and prioritize overall health. It particularly caters to those in the aging demographic who aim to mitigate or slow down muscle loss associated with aging while promoting longevity.

The book stands out with its updated content, incorporating recent research from the past few years, and delving into detailed insights on nutrition and supplements. I appreciate the practical information provided, including comprehensive workout plans.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Thinner, Leaner, Stronger and applied the basic concepts and have gotten in great shape. I now have a home gym that I love thanks to him. I listened to Mike’s podcast at times and read articles occasionally. I’m over 40 now, so I got this thinking it would have more information as I age. It really didn’t teach me a lot of new information but I’m still giving this 5 stars. Mike’s research and ability to simplify things is much needed. He covers every topic to get started and I hope many people learn the basics of this book. It’s much more friendly than the previous mentioned book for newbies.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a bad book about fitness; however, like so many others on the market, it is a "one size fits all - do this my way because it's the one way to reach your goals". He also claims supplements aren't needed, then lists a dozen, many of which are not backed by science as safe or effective. If you are new to strength training, it's a good jumping off point. Otherwise, read and take it with a grain of salt.

[Francisco Arizmendi · Rating 3 out of 5]

80% of the content is pretty basic and non-revolutionary for someone with a mild education in fitness and nutrition. While there are interesting perspectives on structuring workouts, there is so much fluff between the nuggets that this book could have been half its length.

That said, it is a solid reference and introduction for anyone new to working out or caring for their nutrition or health.

[Buck Wilde · Rating 5 out of 5]

The same book as Bigger Leaner Stronger, only better. He must have taken my note about all the self-promotion.

Everything's dumbed way down, but that's okay too. I liked the bit about diet being protein and plants, but you've actually got to count calories. Because you do. It's a gastank. Five stars.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I’ve read on starting a workout program. He clearly states the goals and precisely how to implement the program to achieve them. The nutrition plan is very well explained and he simplifies the math to find your calorie and Macros.

I am just implementing the workout now so in 12 weeks I will determine the effectiveness of this program.

[Julian Faulk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matthews is too confident in his assertions and relies on scientific reductionism a lot. I think the most important thing about scientific thinking is always maintaining a measure of doubt about a conclusion, and Matthews likes to take his findings and run with them. Still, a good intro/how-to kind of book for people trying to get healthy.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive book with exercises, nutrition and concurring barriers to doing what you know you should be doing! I would have liked more exercises, but the author is correct that that's only part of the solution. Overall, a serious, comprehensive book.

[Michelle Rodrigue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Mike Matthews! Already putting his system into place. Well thought out and easy to understand and substitute expertises to work around injuries and deficiencies.

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good read.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely recommend this for anyone who is new to macro counting or lifting

[Mo Coghlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy Michael Matthews books. There's no surprises, no gimmicks. Just the basics on fueling your body and working out to be a healthy and strong person.

[Steven Ridgely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book