

The Better Man Podcast
Dean Pohlman
The Better Man Podcast is a podcast redefining what it means to be better as a man. In it, we’ll discuss how to balance success with our overall well-being, take on a more comprehensive understanding of fitness to include our physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and strive to align our actions with who we are at our cores. We can be successful and proud of who we are without sacrificing our core values or our well-being.
Dean Pohlman is known as THE yoga expert for men. His unique fitness-centric, strength-based approach to yoga—exemplified in his yoga workouts, programs, books, videos, blogs, and more—has helped to transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of men [and women] worldwide.
Join Dean as he explores the habits, mindsets, tools, and tactics that lead to health, happiness, and fulfillment for men. You'll hear interviews with world-class experts who pull back the curtain and share their proven strategies for taking your body and mind to the next level.
More significantly, we’ll discuss the challenges they faced that truly tested them on an emotional level, and work to better understand what they did to work through those events, and how it helped them to grow for the better.
Learn how to implement new habits sustainably and realistically. Discover systems and processes that will empower you to hit your biggest goals. And be prepared to go deep beyond the world of physical fitness, to explore the mental, spiritual, and emotional aspects of health that will truly allow you to thrive.
Get inspired and get ready. The Better Man Podcast is a conversation to help you become the better version of yourself.
Dean Pohlman
Founder / CEO of Man Flow Yoga
Best-selling Author of Yoga Fitness for Men & Yoga for Athletes
Co-Producer of Body By Yoga Series
Dean Pohlman is known as THE yoga expert for men. His unique fitness-centric, strength-based approach to yoga—exemplified in his yoga workouts, programs, books, videos, blogs, and more—has helped to transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of men [and women] worldwide.
Join Dean as he explores the habits, mindsets, tools, and tactics that lead to health, happiness, and fulfillment for men. You'll hear interviews with world-class experts who pull back the curtain and share their proven strategies for taking your body and mind to the next level.
More significantly, we’ll discuss the challenges they faced that truly tested them on an emotional level, and work to better understand what they did to work through those events, and how it helped them to grow for the better.
Learn how to implement new habits sustainably and realistically. Discover systems and processes that will empower you to hit your biggest goals. And be prepared to go deep beyond the world of physical fitness, to explore the mental, spiritual, and emotional aspects of health that will truly allow you to thrive.
Get inspired and get ready. The Better Man Podcast is a conversation to help you become the better version of yourself.
Dean Pohlman
Founder / CEO of Man Flow Yoga
Best-selling Author of Yoga Fitness for Men & Yoga for Athletes
Co-Producer of Body By Yoga Series
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 12, 2023 • 31min
038: Setting Goals That Don't Suck
Your New Year’s resolution probably sucks. And mine have, too. Think about it: Are you even still doing your New Year’s resolution from this year? What about the New Year’s resolution you made in 2016? Anybody? Anybody at all? Buehler??? But it’s not your fault your New Year’s resolutions failed. Not for the reasons you think, at least. Here’s what I mean: When you set up a goal based purely on motivation and willpower, you set yourself up for failure. Why? Motivation and willpower are fickle. They only last a few weeks—at most. And they can backfire on you, convincing you that you’re to blame for always failing on your goals — instead of how society has taught us to approach goals. Here’s the good news: There’s a better way to set goals. A way that uses motivation’s and willpower’s fickle nature to your advantage. And a way that helps you conquer any goal you set without fail. In this episode, you’ll discover this improved way to set goals and build habits, so you can conquer your goals throughout 2023. Listen now. Show highlights include: Why relying on motivation and willpower to accomplish your New Year’s resolution guarantees you’ll fail (and what to do instead) (1:58) The 2 best habit mindset books which increase the likelihood you’ll conquer your goals (3:15) The “Habit-Based Goals” mindset tweak for crushing every goal you set (4:50) Why your motivation and willpower disappears after a couple of weeks (and how to use this as an advantage towards accomplishing your goals) (8:03) How asking yourself a few key questions unlocks an indestructible sense of discipline for tackling your goals (14:45) Why reducing your New Year’s resolution to only a few weeks instead of the whole year actually makes it easier to do it for the entire year (17:06) The “Gold Star Chart” Method for erasing overwhelm about your goals, so you stick with them (20:27) The simple 6-step system for achieving every goal you set for yourself without fail (28:02) Want to unlock more flexibility and strength, reduce your risk of injury, and feel your absolute best over the next 7 days? Then join the FREE 7-Day Beginner’s Yoga for Men Challenge here: https://ManFlowYoga.com/7dc. Tired of doing a form of yoga that causes more injuries than it helps prevent? The cold, hard truth is men need yoga specifically designed for them. Well, here's some good news: You can start your 7-day free trial to Man Flow Yoga by visiting https://ManFlowYoga.com/join.

Dec 22, 2022 • 28min
037: My 5 Most Important Lessons From 2022
Over the course of a year, you pick up a lot of new tweaks, lessons, and tricks which can increase your enjoyment for life. But the problem is, most of these lessons don’t build into habits, and you don’t get as much benefit out of them as you otherwise could. Only by practicing these lessons consciously will you be able to adapt them into your lifestyle and reap the rewards. And that’s one area where I’ve put a special focus on this year. In this episode, I reveal my 5 most important lessons that I’ve implemented throughout 2022 that have increased my satisfaction for life—and they’ll do the same for you. Best part? Most of the lessons revealed inside are simple to implement and create massive improvements in your daily life. Listen now. Show highlights include: The “Energy Training” secret for accepting every part of yourself and bolstering your mental health (2:33) How getting angry and screaming can actually make the people closest to you love you more (3:24) Why asking for help as a man is difficult (and how to make it easier) (6:58) How to build an impenetrable fortress around your mental health by spending a few seconds building “micro-habits” (8:59) The two-second “Stress Eliminator” exercise that instantly melts the stress from your shoulders (10:16) 1250-ish b idea The insidious way bottling your emotions with your spouse builds a subtle resentment (even if you think it’s helping your relationship) (13:43) Why ignoring how many tasks you cross off your to-do list actually makes you more productive (19:49) Want to unlock more flexibility and strength, reduce your risk of injury, and feel your absolute best over the next 7 days? Then join the FREE 7-Day Beginner’s Yoga for Men Challenge here: https://ManFlowYoga.com/7dc. Tired of doing a form of yoga that causes more injuries than it helps prevent? The cold, hard truth is men need yoga specifically designed for them. Well, here's some good news: You can start your 7-day free trial to Man Flow Yoga by visiting https://ManFlowYoga.com/join.

Dec 15, 2022 • 1h 2min
036: Training To Chill Out: Nasal Breathing, Cold Plunges, & Why Less is More with Brian Mackenzie
Most people who take their health and fitness seriously fall into a major trap which wipes out all the benefits of better health: They add too much to their plate. Each additional thing they add to their plate decreases their mental, physical, and emotional health. But most importantly, it causes them to lose sight of who they are. For example, in addition to yoga, they also lift weights, do daily cold plunges, fast, buy a new puppy, take on a new client, and try to maximize every single second of their day. But this backfires—and even turns the benefits of any one activity into “anti-benefits.” The solution? Training to chill out instead of training so you can add more to your already overflowing plate. Nobody understands this concept quite like Brian Mackenzie. Brian founded Shift Adapt, wrote a New York Times Best Seller, and trained elite athletes, entrepreneurs, and marines. In this episode, you’ll discover why you must train to chill out, why nasal breathing can improve your mental health, and why driving under the speed limit is one of the best activities you can do. Listen now. Show highlights include: How to improve your fitness, career, and relationship habits by simply breathing out of your nose (5:40) The “Black Belt” mindset shift for reaching your fitness goals in half the time (9:04) How “decluttering” your fitness regimen makes you more excited for each exercise you do (even ones you dislike) (11:11) Why wanting to be healthy as your main fitness goal almost guarantees you’ll fall short (and what to do instead) (13:33) The 7 shocking benefits of nasal breathing that most people don’t realize (15:27) Why plunging into ice cold water may eliminate your allergies entirely (21:43) How chilling out and relaxing is actually the single most important type of “training” you can do (24:22) The counterintuitive wat cold plunging came make you lose muscle, lower your testosterone, and even gain weight (even if the science disagrees) (37:15) Why driving the speed limit or under is the most effective “biohack” you can do this week (42:47) Why breathing through your nose 90% of the time enhances your physical and mental fitness more than anything else (59:46) Your breath is the best indicator of how well you handle stress. By handling your stress better, everything becomes easier and conquerable. If you want to improve your breathing, go to Brian’s website here: https://shiftadapt.com/breathwork/ Want to unlock more flexibility and strength, reduce your risk of injury, and feel your absolute best over the next 7 days? Then join the FREE 7-Day Beginner’s Yoga for Men Challenge here: https://ManFlowYoga.com/7dc. Tired of doing a form of yoga that causes more injuries than it helps prevent? The cold, hard truth is men need yoga specifically designed for them. Well, here's some good news: You can start your 7-day free trial to Man Flow Yoga by visiting https://ManFlowYoga.com/join.

Dec 8, 2022 • 29min
035: My Top 12 Favorite Stress-Relieving Activities
Stress is one of the few certainties of life, alongside death and taxes. And while “good stress” is one of the most effective ways to grow, “bad stress” plays a hand in almost every disease, illness, and injury you get. But don’t worry—there are simple activities you can do on a daily and weekly basis to curtail stress from consuming your mental (and physical) health. In fact, I have 12 favorite stress-relieving activities that don’t take a ton of time, but provide an immense sense of relief to both your body and mind. In this episode, I reveal what my 12 favorite stress-relieving activities are, so you can enjoy the cool, calm, and collected sense of relaxation yourself. Ready to melt away your stress and improve your mental health? Listen now. Show highlights include: How waking up 15-30 minutes earlier minimizes your stress for the entire day (4:18) 3 simple “Mindful Morning” movements for relaxing your mind and body and boosting your focus before starting your day (5:37) Why organizing your day on a notecard raises your productivity and happiness (7:58) How to decompress after a stressful day by simply sitting in silence (10:46) The “Mindful Eating” trick which refocuses you better in the afternoon than a steaming cup of coffee (13:13) How cleaning or organizing your house instantly melts stress from your shoulders (15:40) The single biggest morning mistake which creates unnecessary stress and overwhelm for the entire day (18:58) If you’ve watched a video of me on social media or in the Man Flow Yoga portal, you’ve seen me proudly wearing Rhone’s Activewear Gear. Rhone creates the best activewear apparel — and they even introduced a new line of dress clothes that are, hands down, the most comfortable dresswear I’ve worn. Want to try Rhone’s clothing yourself? Save 20% on your order by going to https://manflowyoga.com/rhone. Want to unlock more flexibility and strength, reduce your risk of injury, and feel your absolute best over the next 7 days? Then join the FREE 7-Day Beginner’s Yoga for Men Challenge here: https://ManFlowYoga.com/7dc. Tired of doing a form of yoga that causes more injuries than it helps prevent? The cold, hard truth is men need yoga specifically designed for them. Well, here's some good news: You can start your 7-day free trial to Man Flow Yoga by visiting https://ManFlowYoga.com/join.

Dec 1, 2022 • 1h 30min
034: Health Insurance vs Care, Relationships, and Testosterone with Josh Whalen
Life is full of twists and turns that can turn things that were once easy into difficult experiences. Whether it’s with your health, your relationships, your fitness, or your success goals. But there are strategies you can employ to make each difficult aspect of life a little easier. And that’s what Josh Whalen, CEO of Blokes, and I discuss on today’s episode. In this episode, you’ll discover the difference between health care and health insurance, how to navigate rocky waters in your relationships, and simple ways to optimize your testosterone levels. Listen now. Show highlights include: How a poor diet, high stress levels, and mismanaging your environment causes a downward spiral across every aspect of your health (8:46) Why surgery isn’t nearly as important as the physical therapy afterwards for healing your body (13:44) How finding a doctor who does healthcare in a non-traditional fashion (i.e. not solely based on health insurance) helps them provide you with healing modalities which aren’t limited by insurance companies (16:28) Why cash pay medical clinics can save you thousands of dollars (and provide you with better care) (23:31) How blocking off personal time on your calendar boosts your productivity and shrinks your stress (27:22) The “Anti-David Goggins” approach for hitting your fitness and success goals (without burning yourself out) (29:35) Why something as simple as breathing is the antidote to burnout, stress, and mental anguish (37:12) How being uncomfortable with your spouse today makes your relationship smoother in the future (45:36) The weird way pregnancy can lower your testosterone levels and sabotage your sex drive (57:25) 5 natural ways to magnify your testosterone levels before going on testosterone replacement therapy (1:04:45) Want to unlock more flexibility and strength, reduce your risk of injury, and feel your absolute best over the next 7 days? Then join the FREE 7-Day Beginner’s Yoga for Men Challenge here: https://ManFlowYoga.com/7dc. Tired of doing a form of yoga that causes more injuries than it helps prevent? The cold, hard truth is men need yoga specifically designed for them. Well, here's some good news: You can start your 7-day free trial to Man Flow Yoga by visiting https://ManFlowYoga.com/join.

Nov 23, 2022 • 25min
033: Staying Fit Over The Holidays (Even While You Travel)
The holiday season can sabotage your exercise routine, especially if you’re traveling to meet up with family. Too often, people use the holidays as an excuse to skip their workouts — but this can have a devastating effect on your routines long after the holidays end. That’s why it’s crucial to do some sort of exercise while you’re traveling for the holiday season. Not only will it make exercising easier when you return home, but it’s also an opportunity to bond with your family in a different way. Before my son was born, I traveled every holiday season. Even though we haven’t traveled as much since he was born, I’ve picked up some simple tips and tricks to make working out while traveling a breeze. In this episode, I’m sharing my favorite workout hacks (and mistakes to avoid) when traveling, so you stay fit and motivated over the holidays. Plus, I have a special surprise for you at the end of the episode. Want to stay fit while traveling this holiday season? Listen now. Show highlights include: The 4 major mistakes to avoid for staying fit while traveling this holiday season (2:57) Why exercising the first day of your vacation motivates you to workout for the duration of your trip (5:04) The “Environment Energizer” secret for having better workouts while traveling than you do at home (7:01) How to trick your brain into creating a “workout groove” on vacation so exercising becomes automatic (11:16) How to squeeze in as much exercise as you want on vacation (without upsetting anyone else you’re with) (12:40) The only 3 pieces of workout equipment you need while traveling (14:02) How to transform the easiest workout into a challenging sweat fest by making two simple tweaks (18:16) Why today is the single best time to sign up for Man Flow Yoga (or convince your friends to join) (21:35) Ready to start Man Flow Yoga for real? Get ready to say goodbye to aches and pains, feel stronger and more confident in your body, and improve every aspect of your physical fitness, with our Black Friday Sale. There’s never been a better time to join Man Flow Yoga! This is our biggest sale of ALL time, with savings of $231/year (64% off the regular price!). Take advantage of the sale before it vanishes here: https://shrtlnk.co/xMJNO (And no, we aren’t having a NYE sale…)

Nov 17, 2022 • 24min
032: Dean’s Weekly Workout Routine
Man Flow Yoga Members and fans always want to know what my weekly workout routine looks like. Do I do Man Flow Yoga routines every day? Do I mix in resistance training? Do I run a few times a week? Is there anything else I do to maximize my physical health on a daily or weekly basis? Well, in this episode, I’m answering all these questions and more. You don’t have to copy my exact weekly workout routine, but you will discover some new ideas that you can adapt into your own routine. Want to know how I keep my body in tip-top physical shape (and how you can too)? Listen now. Show highlights include: How following an exercise routine early in the morning boosts your productivity and minimizes your physical and mental stress (2:35) Why walking around the block “primes” your mind and body for the day (7:58) The “Superset Secret” for burning more fat from exercising in less time (11:17) Why I use a personal trainer (and why you don’t have to unless you want) (12:27) Why resistance training improves your sleep quality more melatonin (16:47) How to squeeze in a stiffness-extinguishing workout while you’re watching TV before bed (17:17) Want to unlock more flexibility and strength, reduce your risk of injury, and feel your absolute best over the next 7 days? Then join the FREE 7-Day Beginner’s Yoga for Men Challenge here: https://ManFlowYoga.com/7dc. Tired of doing a form of yoga that causes more injuries than it helps prevent? The cold, hard truth is men need yoga specifically designed for them. Well, here's some good news: You can start your 7-day free trial to Man Flow Yoga by visiting https://ManFlowYoga.com/join.

Nov 10, 2022 • 1h 11min
031: Enhancing Your Sexual Wellness In Your 50s and 60s and Beyond with Men’s Sexual Wellness Expert, Dr. Judson Brandeis
Your body goes through massive changes as you age—especially as a man: You can’t build muscle as easily. Your libido starts declining. Your body magnetizes more and more fat. And when one aspect of your health goes—whether physical, mental, emotional, or sexual—it trickles down to every other facet of your health. But here’s the silver lining: The opposite is true. Fixing one aspect of your health bleeds into every other area of your life. And you know what? It starts by doing simple things today, so you can thrive in your 50s, 60s, and beyond. In today’s episode, Dr. Judson Brandeis, a men’s sexual wellness expert, joins me to reveal how to improve your physical, mental, emotional, and sexual health. Want to age like fine wine? Listen now. Show highlights include: The “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Sexual Needs” for creating a thriving sex life late into your 50s and 60s (5:17) The simple, yet difficult testosterone elevation recipe which helps you feel better physically, mentally, emotionally, and sexually (14:17) 3 must-read books for making lasting lifestyle changes and reaping the benefits of better health (15:18) How to finally lose weight and keep it off with the “Backpack Method” (16:58) Why our modern healthcare system reduces time amount of time you have with your doctor (and how to make the most from your trips with limited time) (30:34) The counterintuitive reason being under 10% body fat as a man is lethal (42:17) The scientific reSon why it’s almost impossible to get fat from eating protein (46:56) This one supplement with no side effects will improve your blood pressure, boost your cognitive function, and enhance your sex life (1:00:17) 3 deadly reasons why men’s life expectancy is 5 years shorter than women’s today (when it was only 1 year shorter than women’s 100 years ago) (1:03:34) Want to learn more about Dr. Brandeis and how he can help you restore every facet of your health? Visit his website at https://brandeismd.com/. And grab his book, The 21st Century Man over at https://thetwentyfirstcenturyman.com/. Want to unlock more flexibility and strength, reduce your risk of injury, and feel your absolute best over the next 7 days? Then join the FREE 7-Day Beginner’s Yoga for Men Challenge here: https://ManFlowYoga.com/7dc. Tired of doing a form of yoga that causes more injuries than it helps prevent? The cold, hard truth is men need yoga specifically designed for them. Well, here's some good news: You can start your 7-day free trial to Man Flow Yoga by visiting https://ManFlowYoga.com/join.

Nov 3, 2022 • 37min
Ep030: How To Make Eating Healthy Easier
Too many people who struggle to eat healthy make a couple of fatal mistakes: They either overcomplicate eating healthy. Or they think of their eating habits as a “diet.” And many people commit both mistakes. Here’s the truth: Eating healthy isn’t as hard as you think. In fact, burgers, tacos, and pasta are staples in my recipe book (even though most health “experts” will say they’re unhealthy). And you know what else? You don’t need to meal prep every meal, count every calorie, or cut every guilty pleasure food from your eating habits to lose weight or gain muscle. In this episode, you’ll discover some of my favorite tips and tricks that simplify my nutrition, and make eating healthy even easier than eating unhealthy foods. Want to lose weight, build muscle, and feel better each day from your food? Listen now. Show highlights include: Why dieting is the worst way to lose weight and sustai it (and what to do instead to shed fat) (3:02) The “made from scratch” secret for building better nutrition habits (without giving up tacos, burgers, or sugar) (5:12) How cooking more food than you can eat prevents your cravings from tricking you into devouring a whole bag of chips in one sitting (9:15) 4 dirt-simple and healthy recipes you can make this week (even if you’re not a good cook) (12:00) Why eating more protein and veggies is a cheat code for weight loss (15:28) Why “wasting” money on healthier foods today will actually save you money in the future (23:00) How to convince your brain to stop craving unhealthy foods within the next few weeks (31:52) Want to unlock more flexibility and strength, reduce your risk of injury, and feel your absolute best over the next 7 days? Then join the FREE 7-Day Beginner’s Yoga for Men Challenge here: https://ManFlowYoga.com/7dc. Tired of doing a form of yoga that causes more injuries than it helps prevent? The cold, hard truth is men need yoga specifically designed for them. Well, here's some good news: You can start your 7-day free trial to Man Flow Yoga by visiting https://ManFlowYoga.com/join.

Oct 27, 2022 • 1h 17min
029: Why Are Testosterone Levels Declining? (& What Should We Do About It) With Blake Bowman
After hitting 30, your testosterone levels drop by about 1% per year. This is a natural, but not optimal, process. But there’s a bigger problem when it comes to testosterone: Even young 20-year-olds have devastatingly low testosterone levels! Low testosterone tanks your energy levels, your confidence, and even your work ethic. It also makes it harder to burn fat and build muscle. And low testosterone even has adverse effects on your mental health. So, what’s causing this low testosterone epidemic? And what are some natural ways to optimize your testosterone—at any age? In this episode, Blake Bowman, owner of Guerrilla Zen Fitness, joins me to discuss simple strategies (and more advanced biohacks) to naturally boost your testosterone levels. Listen now. Show highlights include: How foods packaged in plastic sabotage your endocrine system and testosterone levels (8:07) Why testosterone replacement therapy and testosterone-boosting supplements should be your last resort to restore you T levels (and what to focus on instead) (11:00) 5 common household items which can hurt your testosterone levels (12:04) 3 vitamins and minerals your body must have in order to make testosterone (and 2 food sources jam-packed with these nutrients) (16:03) Why your confidence and work ethic helps predict if you have healthy or unhealthy testosterone levels (21:14) 4 simple, yet powerful ways to improve your sleep quality, lower your stress, and boost your testosterone (31:23) The “cabin in the woods” method for lowering your stress levels by 80% overnight (52:12) Why spending 20 minutes in a sauna boosts your happiness and calmness more than anything else (and how to buy an affordable sauna for your home) (1:08:25) If you want to learn more about Blake, you can follow him on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/guerrillazen/. Or visit his website at https://guerrillazen.com/. Want to unlock more flexibility and strength, reduce your risk of injury, and feel your absolute best over the next 7 days? Then join the FREE 7-Day Beginner’s Yoga for Men Challenge here: https://ManFlowYoga.com/7dc. Tired of doing a form of yoga that causes more injuries than it helps prevent? The cold, hard truth is men need yoga specifically designed for them. Well, here's some good news: You can start your 7-day free trial to Man Flow Yoga by visiting https://ManFlowYoga.com/join.