Muscle Intelligence

We find ourselves in quite a crazy crisis right now but there is still so much to be grateful for and we can only look forward at the opportunities that are present in front of us. Today's show is the recording of a live broadcast in which the Q&A traverses the usual range of topics with the added element of the coronavirus and quarantine! The first point that is made is that this is an opportunity like none other; why not use this quarantine period and break from regular routine to do something you have always wanted to do or make some important changes in your life? The hurdles that we find in our path are the only way to growth! Ben makes an argument for why this is a better time than any to offer value to others. Whether in your business or outside of it, show people what you can do for them and you will reap the rewards. Ben and Ash talk about their routines during this lockdown period and share some of the steps they have taken to make sure this time is profitable and healthy. They also give a bunch of practical advice for certain exercises and how to incorporate better breathing into your routines before tackling the subject of female weight-loss. The episode ends off with some thoughts on cycling in and out of keto and how to help your body through regular fasting. Thank you to our awesome show sponsor, makers of my favorite grass-fed collagen and powdered MCT: BUBS, a company making just a few extremely high-quality products and giving back a whopping 10% of their sales to charity. I use their powdered collagen and MCT in my coffee every morning. Use the code MUSCLE for a full 20% off your purchase HERE. Timestamps Current opportunities for innovation and support; obstacles as the way to growth. [0:50] The group coaching program that Ben is launching next week! [4:50] Figuring out how to provide more value during this crisis. [8:49] The concept of unimpeachable credentials; more meaningful than anything else. [14:00] Ben's quarantine experience so far and how he started taking action ASAP. [15:38] Doing better instead of more to scale your current projects. [18:02] Routines for food and exercise around the Pakulski home. [24:37] The opportunities that are offered by quarantine to make a massive change. [30:15] Squatting techniques, getting back to bodybuilding and better weight-loss practices. [35:05] Optimizing breathing and opening up the diaphragm for fuller inhalation. [39:20] Finding ways to improve on and beat competitors in your lane. [46:11] Some workout recommendations from Ben for better extensions and range. [48:30] Obstacles to female weight-loss; eating too little, bad gut health and not lifting enough. [50:50] Keto periods and cycling in and out of these as a health tool. [54:30] Some exciting news about the Muscle Intelligence membership site and blog! [1:02:16] Fasting and taking a break from meat protein to jumpstart cell-death. [1:10:15]

Our internal dialogue creates our external reality. When this reality is one of fear, self-doubt, shame, and judgment, it acts as an obstacle, holding you back from living a life of alignment and purpose. No matter how good we may be at goal setting, if we do not work on these mental roadblocks, we will never get to where we want to be. Today's guest is a phenomenal leader in the behavioral and mindset world, John Assaraf. When he started, his focus was on helping people thrive financially. He has since pivoted to helping people overcome what's holding them back. In this episode, John shares his fascinating journey with us and the tools he was given at a young age to succeed. The skills John's mentor equipped him with helped him change his neural pathways of beliefs, habits, expectations, and setpoints. We also learn about achieving goals and why it is a more holistic process than many of us know. It requires activating five parts of our brains, which means that setting the goal is simply the first step. John also talks about the importance of understanding how your emotional responses are triggered when you begin to work on new goals. If you have continually let yourself down by not achieving your goals, you likely have trauma around it. By learning new skills of awareness, you can rewire your brain to set yourself up for sustainable success. John also sheds light on his innercises, and how taking small, decisive steps have cumulative effects that ultimately help create seismic shifts. He shares more on the importance of alignment as well as why focusing on the process and not the outcome gets you where you want to be. John is an incredibly inspiring leader, and we are so grateful he took the time to be with us. Today's podcast is brought to you by BLUblox, the world's most advanced blue light glasses. It's so important to take care of your eyes, yourself, your sleep, especially during a super stressful time. So, head to blublox.com and use the code 'muscle' to get a 15% discount on a pair of these incredible glasses. Timestamps How Ben and Muscle Intelligence community are moving through this challenging time. [3:56] Learn about John's background and the shift that happened in his teaching and thinking. [7:23] Find out what John's mentor showed him that changed his life forever. [9:07] What happens in the brain when we set goals and increasing the likelihood of achieving them. [11:41] What motivated John to write his latest book, Innercise. [15:45] Goal-setting versus goal achieving and what prevents people from taking action. [16:57] How we developed our current neural networks and what we can do to change them. [22:13] Why creating skills and a language of awareness will lead to neural changes. [24:11] Learn more about how mindfulness training brings us back into a state of consciousness. [26:09] How long it takes to develop a new habitual pattern. [28:58] Success comes from following fundamental processes and patterns and commitment [31:14] Learn why you have to interrupt existing processes to create a new mindset. [34:12] Insights into three of John's innercises and how they help retrain the nervous system. [36:14] The Get Off Your Ass Law: Learn about John's GOYA law and what it entails. [40:29] John's unusual way of getting clarity and staying focused on all his goals. [43:38] Find out more about John's meditation routine and how it changes. [48:11]

CEO of Tailor Made Compounding, Ryan Smith, joins the podcast to discuss peptides. He delves into the impact and benefits of peptides, different mechanisms, and specific products like Epitalin and BPC 157. The podcast also covers peptides for testosterone stimulation and sleep improvement, dosage considerations, brain optimization, and the distribution network and safety of peptides.

Trainers and coaches often overlook the synergy that is produced when the body and mind are mutually benefited with exercise. Our preoccupation with physical appearance and our "weak areas" have caused us to ignore the role that our mind plays in effectuating the physical changes we long to see. In this episode, Ben interviews Jacques Taylor to discuss workouts that not only develop the body but that are stimulating to the mind – exercises the reset negative associations and rewire the brain to form the positive connections required for holistic transformation. Listeners will learn about the strong correlation between mindset and the physical changes that manifest in the body. Indeed, negative attitudes cause the excretion of cortisol and other hormones that hamper the effect of training on the body, and, therefore, there is strong evidence that suggests that by enjoying exercising, you get much more out of a workout, allowing you to change mind and body simultaneously. It is up to coaches to construct an environment where people engage with their exercises mindfully and where they are systematically guided in changing the way they think about physical training. Tuning into today's conversation, listeners will learn about triggers for the production of BDNF, how the brain's anticipatory nature plays into workouts, and how training can be used to change the mind. Jacques also discusses and gives examples of the seven principles of neuromuscular orchestration. Thank you to our awesome show sponsor, makers of my favorite grassfed collagen and powdered MCT: BUBS, a company making just a few extremely high-quality products and giving back a whopping 10% of their sales to charity. I use their powdered collagen and MCT in my coffee every morning. Use the code MUSCLE for a full 20% off your purchase HERE. Timestamps The importance of not clinging to a mindset and learning to trust your mind flow. [3:36] Why it might be necessary to go through anger to reach peak performance. [5:12] The role of the hormones that are produced by your muscles during exercise. [7:11] Triggers for the production of BDNF in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. [8:55] The restricted physical benefits of exercise on people who dislike exercising. [10:48] The mechanisms that prevent positive responses to exercise in those who find it stressful. [12:53] How the brain can anticipate exercise-related stress even before the workout [15:07] Why some people hate to exercise and ways to combat the negative associations. [17:00] How training can be utilized to develop the necessary skills and transform the mind. [21:33] The advantages and disadvantages of the anticipatory nature of our brains. [25:14] The neurochemical processes that shape a person's mindset about their likelihood to succeed or fail. [27:14] The rationale behind the seven principles of neuromuscular orchestration. [30:57] Principle 1: When you train the body, you inextricably train the mind. [32:59] Principle 2: The resolution of the nervous system is plastic (and this relates to movement). [36:18] Advice for improving thoracic mobility while still maintaining the same load. [42:04] Principle 3: The sensitivity of the nervous system is dynamic. [45:17] Principles 4: The mobility of the nervous system is key to posture and motion. [46:50] Jacque's view on the use of a foam roller to impact the nervous system. [53:03] Principle 5: To perform an exercise, a nervous system must determine which muscles or motor units are best suited and then recruit them. [54:22] Principle 6: The motor units and muscles recruited must produce adequate energy to generate the required tension and power. [58:03] Principle 7: The nervous system coordinates a cardiovascular metabolic and endocrine response required to support the activity of the neuromuscular system. [1:01:10] An example of how you can develop a mental/emotional characteristic in the gym. [1:09:29]

Ben recently celebrated a birthday and talks to listeners about how he approaches these events and why it is different from all other "special" days with materialistic agendas. This year he is spending the week surrounding his birthday in the woods with his family and a friend-mentor and is looking forward to some time for reflection. For him, always asking questions about your own thoughts and behaviors is a sure strategy for personal development. In this episode, Ben talks about letting go of the desire to be right, the importance of engaging in conversations with people who disagree with you or hold different values, and how we should tackle our bad habits and behavioral problems at the unconscious level. Trying to destroy or create a habit is difficult or near impossible, and therefore Ben recommends replacing a bad habit with a good one and shifting your perspective from giving up something to gaining. He also answers questions about effective sleep tracking, the most relevant metrics, and the stress and recovery cycle that training produces. The Q&A wraps up with Ben sharing the value of internal strategies for stress management rather than resorting to external coping mechanisms. Do not forget to visit our friends at BLUblox for the finest, most stylish blue-blocking eyewear available. Get 15% off my favorite blue-light-blocking glasses from BLUBlox at https://blublox.com/muscleintelligence using the code MUSCLE Timestamps Hear about Ben's upcoming meat camp, the location, and his first job as a butcher. [2:40] Ben's stint of vegetarianism, his unhealthy diet, and debates about eating animals. [4:14] The advantages of having an in-person conversation with someone you disagree with. [7:42] Letting go of your need to be right and what David Hawkins can teach us in this regard. [8:45] The well-known book about attachment styles and why Ashleigh finds it problematic. [10:07] How Ben approaches his birthdays and what he'll be doing more of this year. [14:07] The value of being your own worst critic and continuously questioning and reflecting. [15:27] Objective versus process-oriented goals and why implementing daily habits is best. [16:51] Shifting the unconscious and replacing habits rather than trying to destroy or create them. [18:33] Why it is necessary to leverage the unconscious to change behavior. [19:51] Thoughts on sleep tracking, comparing your numbers, and how lifestyle plays a role. [21:42] How training is all about creating physical stress and then recovering as soon as possible. [23:43] Why the respiration rate is one of the most important – yet often overlooked – metrics. [25:25] Internal strategies for stress management versus resorting to external coping mechanisms. [27:22] The powerful opportunity there exists in making food and doing it with care and love. [31:01] An actionable tip for improving your glutes and building your lats while training. [32:52] Remembering that exercise execution is about moving toward the maximum challenge. [36:37]

Our brains are wired in incredible ways to respond to stimulus, remember, and be rewired in ways that profoundly affect our functioning and development. Today we are joined by Dr. John Medina, molecular biologist and author of Brain Rules, a fascinating blend of stories and insights into neuroscience and psychology, with a focus on understanding how the brain functions in order to improve it. In this episode, we are going to talk about some of this functioning, beginning by understanding the nurture/nature mixture that shapes humans as they grow. Of course, the way parents treat their children has a lot to do with this idea of the relationship between influence and brain development. John gives some remarkable insights for the parents out there, sharing some actionable tips to apply right now for being better carers to our kids. We hear about four typical responses to a distressed child, one of which provides them with the tools they need to turn into healthy well-functioning adults, the other three of which are highly damaging. Our conversation touches on anxiety and depression too, and we talk about how to view them in a different light and cure them through different meditations, exercise, and cognitive behavioral therapy. John also weighs in on how to deal with stress, the many gadgets involved in memory, the difference between brain and mind, and the idea that our actions shape our brains. For all this and a whole lot more on the subject of neuropsychology from an incredibly accomplished molecular biologist make sure you tune in today! Thank you to our awesome show sponsor, makers of my favorite grassfed collagen and powdered MCT: BUBS, a company making just a few extremely high-quality products and giving back a whopping 10% of their sales to charity. I use their powdered collagen and MCT in my coffee every morning. Use the code MUSCLE for a full 20% off your purchase HERE. Timestamps Dr. Medina's research: molecular biology & nurture/nature roots of brain functioning. [5:18] The influence of parent responses to distressed children and their personalities. [10:54] Four typical parent responses to distressed kids: three of which are wrong! [12:54] How to acknowledge and give tools to kids when they are in distress to their benefit. [16:30] The confounding, person-specific things about stress that make it hard to measure. [21:33] How to deal with stress: get better at controlling your response to it. [26:03] Depression chemicals and confounders to finding a depression gene: womb trauma. [30:49] How effective CBT is for curing depression, and how it works by rewiring perception. [34:55] How CBT uses rewards for pairing NATs with positive thoughts, withering the NATS. [39:14] Exercise as a combatant to depression on molecular, cellular and behavioral levels. [43:43] Underfunded studies on exercise and mixing aerobic workouts with mindfulness. [49:20] Enhanced executive function induced by walking in spaces with a lot of green colors. [50:04] Teenage executive function improvement through cognitively challenging exercise. [51:20] The many brain gadgets involved in memory and how it unevenly deteriorates. [58:10] Physical differences and 'theory of mind': male and female brain differences? [1.02:30] A perspective that the mind is the 'space' between the neuron 'walls'. [1.08:50] Dr. Medina's reductionist ideas on positive thoughts and neurochemical changes. [1.12:20] Not escalating in anger but rather practicing inductive approaches to rule-making. [1.16:54] Dr. Medina's new book; forgetting everything but the weapon in a threat situation. [1.19:41] The necessity of watching the sunrise in optimizing sleep for hacking the brain. [1.22:20]

Despite Coronavirus hype, Ben and Ashleigh take off their masks to have a great conversation in today's show, covering a broad range of topics. They kick it off with Ashleigh's exciting new project, an organ meat cookbook, and then get into the relationship between one's genes and their ideal diet. Cognitive associations with nasty foods or diet types can cause complications and so it's important to set up positive mental connections with healthy things to eat! Of course, Ben and Ashleigh couldn't get on the air without weighing in on Coronavirus but luckily Ben shares a power pack of vitamins that would make the sickness feel like nothing more than a common flu to anybody with a healthy immune system! Next up, Ben gets into some of his annoyances about people who choose to become bodybuilders for egotistical reasons and pick the quickest route with the most gear to get themselves in a state to compete. We hear why Ben won't train people like this, and about the importance of doing things for the right reasons. Even the world's top athletes can be unhealthy in certain ways though, but fortunately, there are people out there like Ben who know how to support them through their stress. Our hosts then move on to talk about some best practices while training, adherence being a huge one, and then Ben gives some insight into the coaching certification he is busy building, as well as the other things he sees as the best fit for his time. Make sure you don't miss out on these great talking points by joining Ben and Ashleigh today! A big thank you to the awesome sponsor of the show, makers of Ben's favorite grass-fed collagen and powdered MCT: BUBS, a company making just a few extremely high-quality products and giving back a whopping 10% of their sales to charity. Ben uses their powdered collagen and MCT in his coffee every morning. Use the code MUSCLE for a full 20% off your purchase HERE. Timestamps Ashleigh's upcoming organ recipe book; creating new cognitive food associations. [0:30] All the lessons about organ meat Ashleigh learned at Joe beef, and her ideal market. [4:38] Eating in sync with one's genes and perspectives on health issues related to veganism. [6:13] The ineffectiveness of intuitive eating due to cognitive associations with unhealthy food. [9:50] Coronavirus hype and how it won't give most folks more symptoms than flu. [13:44] Ben's immune protocol for beating Coronavirus: Vitamin A, D, C, NAC, etc. [15:30] What Ben will and won't perpetuate as a muscle trainer; health vs obsessiveness. [18:46] How people who pursue true mental health wouldn't be interested in bodybuilding. [23:06] Bad training, poor reasoning, and why the best athletes are not the most healthy. [23:36] How monitoring/optimizing only works if you adhere to workout/diet schedules. [28:19] Seemingly disconnected supportive measures that should be used on top athletes. [31:00] Too much information Ben receives and why Ashleigh won't let him train her. [32:11] Ben's current focuses: the coaching/business certification he is building. [33:13] What shows true knowledge: being able to explain concepts to the people at the back. [35:24] Ben's expertise, the story of the boilermaker, and 'knowing where to tap.' [36:09] The offerings in Ben's certification: everything that goes into a true transformation. [38:08] Something Ben missed in his Coronavirus shield: glycine i.e., BUBS Naturals. [39:00] The contents of Ben's pantry: fresh-pressed olive oil, real sea salt, and BUBS! [41:58] Benefits of MCT for energy and Ben's coffee: liquid Alpha GPC, MCT, Lion's Mane. [43:10] Ben's habit of the week: no phones for the first and last three hours of the day. [45:30]

The new book by Dr. John Berardi, Change Maker is one of the most informative, inspirational and all-encompassing books on health, fitness, and business available. Ben has been completely blown away by its scope, philosophy and the depth of work and thought that has obviously gone into it. We are so lucky to have Dr. Berardi on the show today to discuss the book and his career and we cannot wait to share this great stuff with all of you! John opens up about the importance of openness to lessons that we constantly encounter, before diving into the ideas of purpose and passion. He shares generously about his own story, the difficulties he had growing up and how an almost fatal car crash changed his life forever. We get to talk about the centrality of your own unique abilities and how these, combined with your story and values, can help you achieve amazing things and execute your purpose! John has a strong message for remaining true to oneself and ignoring the powerful influence of what others might do, it is your internal guidance that will tell you which way is best. This does not mean you cannot seek assistance, rather success is only real when it is on your terms and unique to you! We delve deeper into the chapters of the book, looking at coaching and business, goal setting and behavior. For all of this and a whole lot more in a jam-packed episode, be sure to listen in! Do not forget to visit our amazing friends at BLUblox for the finest, most stylish blue-blocking eyewear available. Use the code 'MUSCLE' at checkout for a huge 15% discount! Timestamps The impact Change Maker has already had on Ben and his standout chapter. [4:49] Finding ways to internalize important lessons and carrying them forward. [8:11] Purpose and passion; John's own journey and some of the important moments. [12:17] John's amazing awareness for getting his life back on track in his teens. [15:41] Advice for the managing the shifts that we have to endure; John's systematic process. [18:38] How to use your unique abilities, values and origin story to execute your purpose. [22:29] Taking your bearings from yourself and ignoring what you think others are doing. [28:35] A valuable lesson about believability from Ray Dalio's book, Principles. [34:50] Lessons that Ben learned during his bodybuilding days about theory and reality. [40:04] Weighting a number of believable opinions to have make the most informed choices. [43:09] A parable of a grandma and a turkey on Thanksgiving! [45:25] The 'jobs to be done' overhaul at Precision Nutrition for serving clients more fully. [47:40] The chapter on coaching from Change Maker and the lessons in it about care. [57:57] John's system for goal-setting; focussing on behavior and mastery. [1:04:54] Going deeper with clients using the idea of the 'five whys'. [1:10:50] The best way to read and work through John's book for optimum results. [1:15:57] Extra content and material that John is offering online at the moment! [1:17:50]

Our guest today is the inspiring Dr. Kelly McGonigal and she is here to talk about her new book, The Joy of Movement. Dr. McGonigal is a professor at Stanford University, where she is immersed in the study and practice of movement and exercise as foundational aspects of human flourishing. She teaches a dance class and is involved in many other initiatives helping people from all different backgrounds and areas of life, find joy and health through motion. Dr. McGonigal tells us a bit about her book, the inspiration behind it and who she imagines it helping the most. We also discuss how she decided to include her own story in its contents, personalizing the writing process and bringing the readers into her world. Our guest also gives us some great insight into the building blocks of what she does, talking about relatively recent discoveries around the importance of muscles in our psychological states and more. Viewed through the lens of evolution, movement can be seen as a necessary and enriching part of life and Kelly explains exactly why this is and how movement has made up a big part of social engagement and contribution. To finish off, she talks about ways that movement can be adopted from a potentially oppositional stance and how following what you love is the key to a great exercise practice. Remember to visit our amazing show sponsors, BLUblox, for the best blue-blocking sunglasses available. Use the code 'MUSCLE' to get a huge 15% discount at checkout! Timestamps An introduction to Dr. McGonigal's work and interest in movement and health. [6:31] The role of dance in dealing with stress and experiencing joy. [7:59] How Dr. McGonigal meets people where they are and finds access points for them. [10:34] The jumping-off point for the book and the audience she wrote it for. [14:05] Dr. McGonigal's enjoyment in the writing process and including her own story. [17:39] The newly discovered role of muscles in our bodies and the idea of 'hope molecules'. [20:01] The evolution of humankind and the rewards for social engagement and contribution. [22:54] Solutions for portions of the population who are averse to movement and exercise. [30:05] The value of progress in exercise and how this differs from case to case. [34:13] Overcoming obstacles and fear and how movement can aid people on their journey. [40:21] The everyday application of different exercises and the empowerment of physicality. [43:57] Verbal affirmations, inner mantras and the internalization of positive associations. [45:50]

Welcome back to the show everybody! For this Q&A session, Ben and Ashleigh are tackling some deep and esoteric questions around objective structures for your life, questioning our surroundings, the legacy of family experiences and the minds of sociopaths! Ben has just returned from Bali, back to the cold in Canada and he starts off by sharing how he managed to get some uncommonly good sleep while traveling back. From there the conversation turns to the idea of a proactive approach to your life, staying outcome-driven and how this can simplify your daily choices. Ben makes the argument that we all have an amazing ability to transform and shape our reality and that through inquisitiveness and commitment we are capable of almost anything. Ashleigh explains a little about what goes into the mind of someone without guilt and how we might all have a little bit of these sociopathic tendencies! We finish off the chat considering applying these ideas of objectifying habits to our nutrition, making it easier to stick to our plans and achieve our goals. Don't forget to check out BLUBlox and get 15% off our favorite blue-light-blocking glasses at https://blublox.com/muscleintelligence, using the code 'MUSCLE'! Timestamps Ben's recent experiences traveling and thinking about the dangers of the coronavirus. [0:39] The benefits of a proactive, objective life rather than a subjective and reactive one. [2:45] The uncommon and difficult skill of staying outcome-driven every day. [8:09] Transformative power that we all have through the things we can control. [11:48] The externalization of the conditions of our goals; it's much more internal! [16:44] Having a constantly inquisitive attitude and questioning everything you know. [18:26] Family dynamics and different experiences of growing up in the same home. [21:08] A lack of guilt and what defines a sociopathic mindset. [24:02] Self-preservation, fight or flight states and how this translates into modern life. [27:28] Objectifying your nutrition habits and schedule; different ways to control your intake. [28:54] Ben and Ashleigh's love for organ meat, olive oil, and BLUblox! [32:26]