The term "aging," to many, is a bad word, associated with negative changes and a general decline in health. But many of the negative aspects we associate with aging aren't inevitable. In this episode re-release, Ashleigh speaks with New York Times bestselling author, weight-loss and natural anti-aging expert Dr. Kellyann Petrucci.She is a concierge doctor for celebrities in New York City and Los Angeles, a board-certified naturopathic physician and a certified nutrition consultant. She is a massive proponent of using food to encourage robust health and beauty, and challenging what we think abo ..read more

In this episode the ladies answer questions from listeners including one about how to lower LDL cholesterol on a high protein diet: what might be causing the high LDL reading; what other factors other than diet may be contributing; and their advice for some lifestyle factors and further research to address the potential issue. They also discuss how much is too much protein powder: what percentage of your daily protein amount ideally should come from whole foods, and how much is ok to get from supplements like protein powder? How can you best meal prep or plan when you have a job that keeps you ..read more

In this episode, Rachel and Ashleigh answer listener questions about the efficacy of BCAA's for muscle building and recovery, the concept of "macro thresholds" ie, how much wiggle room do you have with your macros if you're trying to lose fat, and whether or not you should really be doing a coffee detox.  If you want more information on BCAA's and EAA's, check out episode 59 of the podcast. If you have any questions or topic ideas for the ladies, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com Get on the waiting list for their NEW Strong & Sculpted Shoulders Workshop waitlist: https://www ..read more

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel talk about how to enjoy vacation without guilt about taking time off from your training or diet; how to balance "vacation mentality" with enough discipline that provides a sense of control while still allowing you to enjoy time off, new experiences, and a break from your regular life. They also talk about protein powders and their thoughts on vegan protein, and Ashleigh discusses the results of her Genova Metabolomix+ nutritional deficiency test, including whether her meat-forward diet is giving her enough variety, antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals. Y ..read more

In this episode Ashleigh asks the CEO and co-founder of Kion, Angelo Keely, to do a deep dive on essential amino acids. As a life-long meat eater, Ashleigh is skeptical about EAA supplements, so they talk about: What essential amino acids are and why they're important The differences between BCAA's and EAA's How much you're actually getting from your food How to make sure you're getting enough to optimize your health How to best incorporate EAA's to optimize intake, muscle growth, and overall health Can you overdo it and ingest too many EAA's? Are supplemental EAA's necessary, and if you want ..read more

In this episode Ashleigh shares her struggles with burnout, comparing her current self to her former self, and struggling with balancing her current goals and responsibilities with her training plan. She and Rachel dive into concepts like identity and fitness, the importance of training in an organized and progressive way, and how to move past boredom and even burnout. They also answer questions about training with lower back pain, including which exercises may help and setting expectations around recovery time, and Rachel talks about her own struggles with back injury.  Finally, Ashleigh ..read more

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel dive into a case study of a woman trying to figure out her low back pain, and what she should (or shouldn't) do in the gym while trying to stay fit and heal her low back issues. If you're dealing with low back pain, should you stop everything until you figure out the cause? Should you focus on strengthening your core to relieve back pain possibly caused by core instability? Is it a mechanical issue, an overuse issue, or something else altogether? Dive into the episode to find out more - we know low back pain is a very common complaint so chances are you'll ..read more

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel talk about some of the ways their beliefs and behaviors around fitness and nutrition have changed over the past ten years; they discuss what may be missing from your plan if you seem to be doing everything right but just aren't seeing progress; and what the margin of error is when trying to determine your optimal macro ratio.  If you have any questions you want answered, send them to musclescience4women@gmail.com. Get fit with us in 2024 - sign up for the Grow Your Glutes Workshop: https://www.rgfit.com/glutes Or our flagship strength training program ..read more

In this episode Ashleigh and Rachel discuss whether or not you can effectively grow your legs and glutes with a limited home gym (and give plenty of advice on how you can maximize your workouts no matter where you are or what equipment you have). They both recently invested in some of the trendy new walking office treadmills and talk about whether they think they're worth it; how their meal prepping has changed over time; the best way to prep for pregnancy; and they have their favorite "lifting straps vs. no lifting straps" debate, AGAIN. This one is a fun episode, and full of practical takeaw ..read more

In this episode Ashleigh and Rachel dive into a variety of topics around nutrition, including understanding the difference between a food "sensitivity" and an actual allergy; they talk about whether foods that are widely touted as unhealthy (like gluten) should be avoided even if you don't seem to be sensitive to them; and they discuss their own recent experiments with continuous blood glucose monitors - including what raised their blood sugar and what didn't, how stress and exercise impacted their results, and some other surprising findings.  If you've always wanted to test some things o ..read more