Ep. #1159: Dr. Stephen Seiler on the Right (and Wrong) Ways to Improve Endurance
Muscle for Life with Mike MatthewsShow Notes
What’s the best way to boost your endurance without overtraining or getting injured?
Should you try to “hack” your physiology with hard intervals, Tabata workouts, and HIIT?
Should you mimic the training methods of famous athletes?
Or something else entirely?
In this episode, I chat with Dr. Stephen Seiler, an exercise physiologist renowned for his work studying and documenting the training practices of elite endurance athletes, including cross-country skiers, cyclists, rowers, swimmers, runners, skaters, and others, and for extracting the key principles from these training programs and adapting them for recreational athletes.
In this episode, you’ll learn . . .
The importance of endurance training for overall health and fitness How to use optimize your endurance workouts with the “three-zone model” The best intensity for improving your cardiovascular fitness over time How to effectively balance the frequency, duration, and intensity of your workouts Practical tips for setting and achieving fitness goals, such as running a 5k or 10k race The scientific reasons for rest days How to set up your training program for long-term enjoyment and success
And more . . .
So, whether you're aiming to enhance your cardiovascular health, set PRs in your endurance sport of choice, or simply get more out of your existing cardio routine, you want to listen to this episode.
---
Timestamps:
(06:13) What are the benefits of endurance and cardiovascular training?
(11:24) How to properly balance the frequency, duration, and intensity of your endurance workouts
(15:33) The importance of cardiovascular training for young people
(25:01) What is the 3-zone model?
(32:13) What is polarized training?
(40:15) What does programming for a 5k look like?
(45:34) Is one interval day per week sufficient?
(46:25) What does progression look like after one year of endurance training?
(49:14) What is the sweet spot for marathon training?
(54:04) A scientific argument for rest days
(58:56) What is a suitable timeframe for someone starting endurance training to prepare for a marathon?
(01:04:29) Why is intrinsic motivation important? How can we optimize our training plan for this?
---
Mentioned on the Show:
Bigger Leaner Stronger
Thinner Leaner Stronger
Muscle for Life
Phoenix
Legion Diet Quiz
Stephen Seiler Google Scholar
Stephen Seiler YouTube
More from Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews
Yup—it’s true—after more than 10 years and nearly 1,200 episodes, I’ve decided to step away from the Muscle for Life podcast… at least for now. In this final episode, I share how I came to the decision to pause the pod, what’s next for me and Legion, and how I’ll continue creating content to help you get fitter, healthier, and happier. I also reflect on what the show has meant to me, what I’ve learned along the way, and why now feels like the right time to move on. So, to everyone who has listened, shared, worked on, appeared on, and supported the podcast—thank you. It’s meant a lot. Farewell for now.
In this episode, I discuss strategies to beat bad eating habits, my favorite free-weight exercises for leg day, upcoming developments with Legion Clear Protein, and more. As always, these questions come directly from my Instagram followers, who take advantage of my weekly Q&As in my stories. If you have a question you're dying to have answered, make sure you follow me on Instagram (@muscleforlifefitness) and look out for the Q&A posts. Your question might just make it into a podcast episode! If you like this type of episode, let me know. Send me an email ([email protected]) or direct message me on Instagram. And if you don’t like it, let me know that too or how you think it could be better. --- Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:03) Intermittent fasting—fad? (06:33) Beat bad eating habits? (10:39) Dream Whey+ flavor? (11:25) TLS workouts—full coverage? (11:52) Dexa scans reliable? (12:50) Butter healthy? (13:24) Best Adonis belt exercise? (14:34) High urea—lower protein? (14:54) Fastest way to first pull-up? (15:21) Green powder worth it? (16:00) Bicep tendonitis—alternatives? (17:11) Biggest Legion challenge? (26:03) Count all protein? (29:03) Train on period? (29:46) Raising what cows? (30:47) Check nutrients without bloodwork? (31:19) Compound vs. machines? (34:47) 100g+ protein needed? (36:01) Phosphatidic acid thoughts? (37:16) Natural or enhanced? (38:54) Best leg exercise no machines? --- Mentioned on the Show: Coaching Page The Little Black Book of Workout Motivation Whey+
What’s the secret to living a long, happy life? How do relationships influence happiness and longevity? How does social connection impact stress and well-being?
In this episode, I discuss the best carb and calorie-efficient foods for muscle growth, how to optimize deadlift variations, my top tips for problem-solving, and lots more.
How do Hollywood stars transform their physiques for the big screen? Are Hollywood transformations really achievable without performance enhancers? Can you achieve your fitness goals with limited time and imperfect nutrition?