Muscle Science for Women

3d ago

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel talk about ways to minimize or even avoid those all-too-familiar feelings of sadness, lethargy, and even increased sickness that come with the winter months. If you live somewhere that is cold and dark for a good part of the year, this is for you! While it's very common, and there are good reasons why you may feel crappy during the winter, the good news is there are plenty of things you can do to combat those issues. With a little proactivity and healthy habits, you can find a way to make those dark, short days more bearable - maybe even more fun - and certainly healthier. Rachel and Ashleigh discuss some of the biggest drivers of seasonal depression and discuss key lifestyle habits you should be doubling down on, as well as things like seasonal supplementation, light therapy, social connection, morning routines, and more. If you liked this episode, please rate, review, subscribe, and share with someone who could benefit. If you want to submit a question, offer feedback or just say hi, email musclescience4women@gmail.com . Join our Substack here: https://substack.com/@musclescienceforwomen Learn more about our programs here: https://musclescienceforwomen.com

Dec 2

In this episode with renowned thyroid expert Elle Russ, bestselling author of The Paleo Thyroid Solution, Ashleigh and Elle discuss: -why it can be so difficult to get a proper diagnosis; -symptoms to look out for, including less common symptoms; -a detailed dive on the proper testing and how to advocate for these tests with your healthcare provider; -lifestyle, nutrition, and environmental changes that can have a big impact on thyroid health; -how thyroid issues intersect with fertility and peri- and menopausal changes; -information about treatment of thyroid disfunction, including potential problems with conventional thyroid treatment; -autoimmune disorders, and much more. If you want to dive even deeper and take your health into your own hands, Elle's The Ultimate Thyroid Course is packed with over 20 hours of helpful content, including expert tutorials from Dr. Gary E. Foresman MD and other experts. Whether it's hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's, Reverse T3, post-thyroidectomy, or other thyroid issues, this course has you covered. It is the most comprehensive thyroid resource available, and it's a game-changer. Learn more and sign up here: https://www.elleruss.com/a/2147520265/FFeWmWGP You can reach out to Elle or learn more about her work at elleruss.com. 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 . Learn all about the Muscle Science For Women programs at https://musclescienceforwomen.com and reach out to us for a first responder/military discount.

Nov 18

In this episode Ashleigh and Rachel discuss the differences in body fat percentages between men and women, including what's healthy and sustainable, and how they will look different depending on a range of factors; they dive into the concept of "mental fitness" and how it applies to overall health and fitness; they discuss changes they're making to Muscle Science for Women in 2026, and Ashleigh chats about her newest personal venture: a coaching app! 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 . If you want to learn more about or sign up for Ashleigh's new coaching app, click the link below and get 20% off your first month through November 28: studio.com/ashleigh/fitness-coaching Learn all about the Muscle Science For Women programs at https://musclescienceforwomen.com and reach out to us for a first responder/military discount. Learn more about the hosts at rgfit.com and ashleighvanhouten.com

Nov 11

This week Rachel and Ashleigh answer questions from listeners including: Advice for vegetarians on how to optimize health and muscle How to train around your cycle when your birth control prevents you from having a cycle How long does it take to lose muscle (and gain it back) when you have to take a break due to injury or surgery Thoughts on THC as a replacement for alcohol, and any possible training benefits All that and more! 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 walking through details like safe exercise selection, likely fitness challenges during pregnancy, how to eat to support a healthy fit pregnancy, and so much more. 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

Oct 28

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel have an impromptu mental health chat, talking about their own personal struggles and ways in which we can all face our challenges head on rather than looking for ways to numb or distract ourselves. Mental health is such a huge part of physical health (and vice versa) and it's helpful to take a step back from muscles and macros every now and then to talk about the bigger picture. After all, most of us are working on our health so we can enjoy life to the fullest. And also, to lighten the mood, they talk Halloween costumes. This is a vulnerable one, and if you enjoyed it or found it resonates with you, we'd love for you to leave a comment in Spotify or share the episode on social media. 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 latest 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 walking through details like safe exercise selection, likely fitness challenges during pregnancy, how to eat to support a healthy fit pregnancy, and so much more. 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

Oct 21

In this quickie episode, Ashleigh talks about five key ways to make fitness, strength, health, and body composition improvements even when you have no time - maybe you have young kids, a demanding job, or are just going through a period with very little time to meal prep, work out, or do the things you normally do to feel good. We have answers - because there are always choices to make, and the more informed you are about what factors actually move the needle, the better choices you can make with your limited time. 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 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 walking through details like safe exercise selection, likely fitness challenges during pregnancy, how to eat to support a healthy fit pregnancy, and so much more. 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

Oct 7

In this episode, Ashleigh and Rachel answer user questions about whether or not powerlifting is bad for teenagers' growing bodies; talking about body image with your kids; can you build muscle with a back injury, and more. Plus they talk about some of the exercises they've been loving lately. 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 walking through details like safe exercise selection, likely fitness challenges during pregnancy, how to eat to support a healthy fit pregnancy, and so much more. 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

Sep 23

In this solo episode (a re-release of a popular episode from Rachel's other podcast, MetFlex and Chill) Rachel discusses what happens when your diet stops working for you, and how to fix the problem. 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 walking through details like safe exercise selection, likely fitness challenges during pregnancy, how to eat to support a healthy fit pregnancy, and so much more. 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