Muscle Intelligence

On this solo episode, I walk you through the tools that are - in my opinion - prerequisites in becoming a a peak performer. Listen to hear what I do with the top-level athletes I am coaching, what I learnt through my own pro bodybuilding career, and what the incredible guests and experts that we've had on this podcast have taught me.  Please look at the timestamps below for the extensive list of topics covered on today's show.    Mentioned: Ryan Smith: M.I. Episode 164 - Epigenetic Aging and Aging Backwards Dr. Jay Wiles: M.I. Episode 162 - A Deep Dive on HRV Dr. Andrew Huberman: M.I. Episode 74 - Understand How Your Brain Works Patrick McKeown: M.I. Episode 161 - The Power of your Breath and M.I. Episode 23: Relieving Stress, Improving Cognitive Function, and Increasing Performance Through Breath Brian Mackenzie: M.I. Episode 60: The Art of Breath and Human Performance James Nestor: M.I. Episode 136: The Physiology of Breath, and It's Life-Changing Effects Timestamps:  [0:22] Today's topic [2:00] My own experience as a high-level athlete [3:00] Looking at the body as a whole [5:00] What determines your ceiling? [6:05] Start creating a checklist. [7:00] Start testing! [8:10] Look at objective data. [9:10] Genetic data [9:45] Stop guessing. [10:06] Measure your HRV. [11:55] How to choose your recovery modalities. [14:05] Train your aerobic system. [16:36] Energy production [17:44] Breath work [20:55] CNA & central fatigue [22:48] BLUBlox - use code MUSCLE to get 15% off [24:00] Cellular health & organic acid test [25:05] Movement & mastering your skill [29:00] What to do when progress stalls. [30:50] Control your mind. [34:20] Mobility [35:00] Intentional discomfort [36:50] Detriments to the high-performance mindset [38:12] Measure your progress. [39:09] Projects Ben is currently working on [40:00] The book Ben is reading [40:30] The podcasts Ben listens to [41:33] Belcampo - use the code MUSCLE to get 20% off [44:30] Disclaimer    Today's sponsors:  BLUBlox - get 15% off with the code MUSCLE. BLUBlox make stylish glasses with specialised BluLite lens filters, which reduce the harmful high energy artificial blue light emitted by digital devices across the entire blue light spectrum. This can help reduce eye strain and sleep disorders. They have day-time and night-time versions and offer free world-wide shipping. Check out BLUBlox and use code MUSCLE to get 15% off. Belcampo - use the code MUSCLE to get 20% off! We're very excited to announce this new partnership. Belcampo is is on a mission to revolutionize the meat industry for the well-being of people, the planet, and animals by farming meat the right way. Try their products - you'll taste the difference! Head over to Belcampo and use the code MUSCLE for 20% off!    Please share this episode with someone you love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. 

Ryan Smith has previously been a guest on the show to teach us all about peptides. Today he joins me to talk about epigenetic aging, DNA testing, changes in the market and new regulations for peptides, predictions, interventions and individual diagnostics. This is a fascinating conversation for me, as I put my body under a lot of stress during my career and am always interested in longevity and living my best life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and please don’t hesitate to contact the team at TruDiagnostic if you have any questions about the fascinating things they are doing. Ryan Smith graduated with a degree in Biochemistry from the University of Transylvania. In that time, he had multiple research internships, studying large scale protein synthesis and physical chemistry. After graduation, he attended medical school at the University of Kentucky for 2 years. After finishing all the educational curriculum and passing USMLE Step 1 he decided to leave and help open up a pharmacy in the United States that focused on peptide synthesis and formulations for pharmaceutical preparations. Since that time, Tailor Made compounding has become the 4th fastest growing company in healthcare and 21st fastest growing business in the US. Tailor Made Compounding was the first pharmacy to offer an extensive list of peptides in the US and continues research and expansion for the use of these products for the integrative medicine space. Since then, Ryan has opened many businesses including TruDiagnostic, a company focusing on methylation array based diagnostics for life extension and preventive healthcare.   More about Ryan and TruDiagnostic here: https://trudiagnostic.com/ @ryansmith_PMed https://www.a4m.com/ryan-smith.html   Previous Episode with Ryan: Muscle Intelligence #101 A deep-dive on peptides with expert Ryan Smith Mentioned: Book: Dr. David Sinclair - LifespanPodcast: A New Perspective on Aging: How to Optimize the Quality of your Lifespan with Dr. David Sinclair Podcast: Optimize Your Life the Philosopher’s Way with Brian Johnson  Podcast: Exploring Epigenetics and Optimizing Health in Times of Stress with Dr. Dan Stickler Sponsor: BUBS Naturals - you know I love their products just as much as I enjoy working with them - an amazing company, that is always giving back. Check out their Collagen and MCT powder, which goes in my morning coffee every day without fail. Use code MUSCLE at checkout to get 20% off sitewide.  Timestamps: [0:23] Introduction to guest Ryan Smith[1:01] Show sponsor BUBS Naturals [3:12] Changes in the Peptide space in 2020[6:38] Change in the definition of ‘biologics’[10:25] Quality-variability in compounding pharmacies[11:54] TruDiagnostic and Ryan’s new focus[12:55] Epigenetics and biological aging [15:50] What’s methylation?[16:30] Transcribing your DNA[18:47] Aging (and aging backwards)[20:00] Testing aging rate[22:35] Control your epigenetic expression[24:22] Snapshots of DNA[25:50] Predictions through epigenetics[30:25] Interventions and individual diagnostics[31:15] Show sponsor Optimize.me/muscle code Muscle10[35:57] Intrinsic vs extrinsic age[40:05] DHEA [41:17] Triglycerides and diabetes[43:20] Applications and predictions[47:30] Vaccines and genetics[50:15] Immunsystem support[52:10] Intervention protocols[53:50] Vitamin D - liposomal and injections [56:50] NAD vs NMN[59:16] Ketone esters[59:36] Anti-aging peptides[1:01:05] What your testing kit tells you[1:03:05] How to find a practitioner[1:04:10] The benefits of testing[1:07:20] Disclaimer

Dr. Kelly Starrett joins me on today’s episode to share his expertise about the prerequisites of movement and training, and a systems approach to improving your ranges of motion and ultimately your performance. Dr. Kelly Starrett – also known as the Supple Leopard - is a coach, physical therapist, two-time New York Times & Wall Street Journal bestselling author, speaker, and co-founder of The Ready State, the world's most comprehensive collection of guided movement, mechanics, and mobility instructional videos. To find out more about Kelly, please visit: Website: The Ready State Instagram: @thereadystate  YouTube Kelly’s 10min Morning Routine: https://members.thereadystate.com/blogs/10-minute-morning-mobility-routine/ Kelly’s books: https://members.thereadystate.com/product-category/books/ Time Stamps: [0:55] – Introducing guest Kelly Starrett [2:26] – Real Mushrooms [5:50] – Kelly’s approach to mobility in bodybuilding [8:35] – Bio-motor-output [9:15] – Bookmarks around function [10:30] – Mobility and movement control [11:20] – Pain is a request from your body [12:00] – Normative ranges of motion [12:45] – How to program for mobility progress [14:35] – Determining the starting point [18:15] – Identifying patterns [19:20] – Assessment framework [24:10] – Your range of motion changes daily [26:40] – Working on density [29:30] – Flexibility, mobility, stretching? [32:00] – Language is key: You’re not in rehab, you’re training. [33:35] – Creating shapes [35:35] – Comprehensive models [36:19] – Breathing and the spine [39:40] – Lower back pain [41:10] – Kelly’s morning practice [43:13] – Foot function [49:55] – Eye tracking [53:10] – Kelly’s non-negotiables [55:25] – What are you training for? [56:50] – Kelly’s new book [1:00:07] – Find Kelly here Mentioned: Slack Block - https://www.slackbow.com Today’s Sponsor: Thank you to our sponsor Real Mushrooms for supporting our podcast and for bringing you the best quality organic mushroom extracts on the market. Real Mushrooms emphasizes the REAL, because many so-called “mushroom” products on the market don’t contain 100% mushrooms. To learn more, please visit Real Mushrooms. Code BEN at checkout gets you 30% off your first purchase, and code MUSCLE 20% off for returning customers.

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr. Jay Wiles, cohost of the Ben Greenfield Fitness podcast and host of Mindhacker’s Radio w/ Dr. Jay Wiles, to speak about all things HRV. This is a deep dive, so get out your pen and paper. Ever wondered how to measure? What you are measuring? How to use the data? We get into all of it in this episode. Dr. Wiles is a clinical health psychologist who is board-certified in biofeedback, HRV biofeedback, and Tai Chi for rehabilitation. He has a passion for helping others reach their full potential from an integrative and holistic perspective and has worked closely with elite athletes and executives on enhancing peak performance through training and regulating psychophysiology. He focuses on how we can utilize sunlight, water, exercise, and food to mitigate the damaging effects of stress, anxiety, and depression.   Timestamps: [0:28] Intro to today’s topic: HRV [1:52] Intro to my guest Dr. Jay Wiles [2:17] Today’s sponsor: BiOptimizers [6:43] What is HRV? [8:45] The Autonomic Nervous System [11:26] Should you be measuring your HRV? [13:06] Stress response and adaptation [15:10] Subjective vs. objective [16:00] What and how do you measure? [18:19] The data metrics [19:54] The BEST tools to measure HRV [20:50] HOW and WHEN to measure [22:35] Frequency domain values [31:50] 24h HRV readings [35:00] Cardio-vascular health [38:00] Focusing on the basics [39:18] Dr. Jay’s daily basics [42:35] Breathing [46:40] Respiratory cycle [47:47] Heart-brain coherence [54:54] Vagal tone [1:02:00] CO2 tolerance and training [1:04:00] Breathing mechanics – Patrick McKeown   To find out more about Dr. Jay Wiles: @drjaywiles www.drjaywiles.com www.thrive-wellness.com   Mentioned: Patrick McKeown Polar H10 Chest Strap EliteHRV  www.8weeksout.com www.firstbeat.com   Thank you to our sponsor BiOptimizer – use code MUSCLE10 for 10% off. Check out P3-OM Probiotics to reduce cortisol, improve sleep and relaxation and to reduce stress. P3-OM is a patented prebiotic and probiotic supplement that helps break down protein, has antiviral capabilities and is full of “good guy” bacteria. Check out their special offer exclusive to our listeners at www.bioptimizers.com/muscle10

Patrick McKeown is THE authority when it comes to breathing.  Since 2002, Patrick has helped tens of thousands of people worldwide. His work focuses on breathing pattern disorders, sleep disordered breathing and anxiety. We cover a myriad of breathing related topics on this episode - please check the timestamps below. His book "The Oxygen Advantage" is referenced worldwide as the most complete and scientifically-proven guide on various breathing techniques. His newest book (out Feb 15th) "The Breathing Cure"- deemed "the definitive book on breathing" - offers exercises to develop new breathing habits to mitigate common illnesses and improve your quality of life.  To find out more about Patrick, please visit https://oxygenadvantage.com - You can pick up his books on his website! https://www.youtube.com/user/Oxyathlete @oxygenadvantage Please check the timestamps to see the multitude of topics Patrick covers on this episode. Timestamps:[0:20] My guest Patrick McKeown [3:15] Show Sponsor Real Mushrooms [5:12] Breath impacts all disciplines of medicine [10:00] The impact optimised breathing patterns can have [12:12] Anxiety and breathing [13:00] Nose breathing during exercise [13:40] Diabetes and breathing [14:40] Concentration [18:24] Bio-chemical aspects of breathing [22:15] Bio-mechanical aspects of breathing [25:30] Slowing down the breath [27:00] HRV [28:50] Mouth-taping at night [30:40] Oxygen [36:30] Autonomic Nervous System [37:20] Every-day breathing patterns [40:30] "Normal" breathing [44:35] CO2 in the blood [51:20] Sleep Apnea and it's side effects  [56:20] Snoring [59:58] Breathing and physical exercise [01:03:15] Post-workout breathing [01:05:10] Patrick's opinion on what we NEED to look at next [01:08:30] Dentistry and breathing [01:10:20] 2020 was the year of the breath... but there's more to do! If you found this episode helpful, please share it with someone you love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Come join me on Instagram @muscleintelligencepodcast and let me and Patrick know your biggest take-aways from this episode and how breath-work has improved your life! Thank you to our sponsor Real Mushrooms for supporting our podcast and for bringing you the best quality organic mushroom extracts on the market. Real Mushrooms emphasizes the REAL, because many so-called “mushroom” products on the market don’t contain 100% mushrooms. To learn more, please visit Real Mushrooms . Code BEN at checkout gets you 30% off your first purchase, and code MUSCLE 20% off for returning customers.

My friend Dr. Michael Miletic, renowned Neuropsychiatrist and former Olympic weightlifter, joins me on today's episode for a deep conversation about embracing and transforming emotions, mental health and his approach on helping his clients.  We cover topics such as trauma in athletes, the feeling of hope, negative self-talk, repressing emotions and many more. Dr. Miletic has brought his life experience to his work as a pioneer of the Brain-Body-Mind approach to medicine. In his clinic, The Miletic Center, he specializes in the treatment of athletes, executives, and adolescents looking to reach their full potential by evaluating the brain, mind, and body and utilizing the latest science and evidence-based approaches for health optimization. To find out more about Dr. Michael Miletic, please visit https://themileticcenter.com www.instagram.com/michaelmiletic/ Please share this episode with someone you love who you feel will benefit from this conversation. We feel it's an important message that needs to be heard.  Thank you our sponsor BUBS Naturals for their continued support and for providing YOU with an amazing 20% discount with code MUSCLE on ALL of their products! I personally use their MCT and collagen every morning in my coffee, but they've also just recently release a new Fountain of Youth Collagen Protein, with added Vitamin C and Biotin.  Head over to BUBS Naturals now, use the code MUSCLE for 20% off and enjoy their amazingly creamy products!

Over the past 12 years, today's guest Luke Leaman has taught thousands of personal trainers and coaches how to get better at their craft, and how to build great careers. The co-founder of Muscle Nerds first picked up a barbell at 8 years old and never stopped. After attending a Poliquin seminar, he was hooked and eventually ended up working for Charles and travelling the world teaching. Helping others and this industry are his passion. Luke’s seen it all, has coached high level athletes as well as gen pop, has an endless thirst for information and is an absolute wealth of knowledge. In this conversation we get into programming and periodization, client assessment, the application of aerobic fitness, exercise selection and more. If you're a coach, I highly recommend you get out your pen and paper for this conversation and check out Muscle Nerds via the link below.  To find out more about Luke and Muscle Nerds, visit:@musclenerds_health www.musclenerds.net Muscle Nerds on YouTube Sponsor: Thank you to our sponsors Bioptimizers. Use code MUSCLE10 for 10% off any order. P3OM are probiotics that improve your digestion and nutrient absorption, helping ensure your digestive tract and immune system stay strong and healthy. It's been clinically proven to give you more energy, less bloating, more mental clarity, and to shift your metabolism into fat-burning mode. Check out Bioptimizers P3OM http://www.bioptimizers.com/muscle10 and use code MUSCLE10 for 10% off any order. Timestamps: [1:14] Today’s guest: Luke Leaman [2:03] Sponsor: Bioptimizers [4:26] Periodization and programming [7:23] Exercise Selection [10:46] German Body Composition training [14:53] Programming for Hypertrophy [16:11] Least mode [18:22] The art of coaching [19:16] Client assessment [26:18] Gut infections [34:02] Essentials for success in bodybuilding [37:37] Putting on mass vs. getting fat [40:04] Getting good at the basics [49:46] Aerobic fitness [1:12:25] Where to find Luke and Muscle Nerds If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on ApplePodcasts and if you'd like to submit a question for the next Q&A, send us a DM on instagram @muscleintelligencepodcast

In today's solo episode, I let you in on how flipping my consciousness gave me the clarity to let my soul determine my values and the simple tools you can use on your journey to finding your purpose and living a life that you love.  Timestamps:  [2:50] View obstacles as opportunities [3:50] Getting clarity on purpose [9:15] Wake up inspired [13:30] Embrace your humanness  [15:20] Designing your future [17:50] Inspired living [20:00] Break the negative spiral [24:20] Practice these tools, develop these skills [26:16] Embody your values [28:16] Optimize.me use code MUSCLE10 for 10% off [33:50] Get real with yourself  [36:10] Who are you putting out?  [39:20] Living in alignment [40:45] BLUBlox - use code MUSCLE for 15% off If you enjoyed today's episode, please share it with someone you love and leave us a review to support the Muscle Intelligence podcast! Mentioned in this episode: Dr. John D. Martini on the Muscle Intelligence Podcast Dr. John D. Martini's Value Determination Process Dr. Huberman on the Muscle Intelligence Podcast Dr. Huberman's podcast: Huberman Lab Muscle Intelligence Podcast on Instagram Check out our sponsors:  Thank you to our sponsor BLUBlox - get 15% off with the code MUSCLE. BLUBlox make stylish glasses with specialised BluLite lens filters, which reduce the harmful high energy artificial blue light emitted by digital devices across the entire blue light spectrum. This can help reduce eye strain and sleep disorders. They have day-time and night-time versions and offer free world-wide shipping. Check out BLUBlox and use code MUSCLE to get 15% off. Check out optimize.me and use the code MUSCLE10 for 10%off when you sign up.  Optimize is a subscription service. When you sign up, you get access to three things: 1. The famed Philosopher's Notes. These are 6-page book summaries of some of the best self-development and wisdom books ever written.  2. You also get access to 50 what are called Master Classes. These are taught by experts on the big topics that are covered in those notes. 3. You also get everyday +1 videos recorded by Brian. A targeted insight of wisdom about living a better life arrives in your email inbox every morning.  

Dr. Thomas D. Zweifel is a strategy & performance expert, board member & sparring partner for CEOs & leaders of Fortune 500 companies. Since 1984, he has coached clients on 4 continents to open strategic frontiers and meet business imperatives.  On average his clients have realized 40X ROI in management results from working with Thomas. An authority on integrating planning, people and performance, he helps clients ask the right questions, confront taboos, build strategy alignment, and boost productivity. Ultimately his specialty is unleashing the human spirit in organizations—without unnecessary blah-blah, impractical training programs, or false dependencies on high-priced consultants. Topics covered in this episode: Why a lack of confidence is necessary to be a good coach Asking the right questions Eliciting commitment - of the coach and the coachee Impactful life lesson: choose three keywords to guide you The 4-step process of coaching How rituals can help you succeed in your day Identifying breakdowns The illusion that communication equals accomplishment Links: Dr. Zweifel’s free video on Leadership: If you want to meet your commitments with freedom, power and peace of mind: https://www.leaders-academy.online/the-4-surprising-secrets-for-boosting-your-productivity-landing Website: www.thomaszweifel.comFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/LeadersAcademyOnline/ TED Talk on Language: https://goo.gl/HhEV7M TED Talk on Rituals: https://goo.gl/k9Zy9E Books: https://goo.gl/tZWqX7  Books mentioned on this episode: iCoach by Dr. Zweifel - shorturl.at/oACV2 Leadership in 100 Days by Dr. Zweifel - shorturl.at/EXY03 Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio - https://geni.us/jDYEjC Sponsor: Thank you our sponsor BUBS Naturals for their continued support and for providing YOU with an amazing 20% discount with code MUSCLE on ALL of their products! I personally use their MCT and collagen every morning in my coffee, but they've also just recently release a new Fountain of Youth Collagen Protein, with added Vitamin C and Biotin. Head over to BUBS Naturals now, use the code MUSCLE for 20% off and enjoy their amazingly creamy products!

Killian Hamilton joins me on today's episode about skill acquisition in programming. If you've ever done any of my programs, you'll know that my clients always go through a primer phase to learn the skills of muscle activation and exercise execution. So I'm excited to hear him and the team at Pre-Script talk about this often neglected but certainly essential aspect to achieving competency in the weight room.  Killian is the Director of Innovation and Program Design at Pre-Script as well as Head Coach and Founder of K2 Coaching. As a competitive powerlifter and strength coach, Killian has competed and coached athletes at both national and international level. He believes that at its core, strength is a skill, and acquiring that skill is paramount in the pursuit of performance. To find out more about Killian and the new Pre-Script course, please visit:  www.k2coaching.ca www.pre-script.com @killian.hamilton Thank you to our sponsor BLUBlox - get 15% off with the code MUSCLE. BLUBlox make stylish glasses with specialised BluLite lens filters, which reduce the harmful high energy artificial blue light emitted by digital devices across the entire blue light spectrum. This can help reduce eye strain and sleep disorders. They have day-time and night-time versions and offer free world-wide shipping. Check out BLUBlox and use code MUSCLE to get 15% off.   Check out optimize.me and use the code MUSCLE10 for 10%off when you sign up.  Optimize is a subscription service. When you sign up, you get access to three things: 1. The famed Philosopher's Notes. These are 6-page book summaries of some of the best self-development and wisdom books ever written.  2. You also get access to 50 what are called Master Classes. These are taught by experts on the big topics that are covered in those notes.  3. You also get everyday +1 videos recorded by Brian. A targeted insight of wisdom about living a better life arrives in your email inbox every morning.   Please share this episode with someone you love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.