Muscle Intelligence — Longevity, Training & Human Performance with Ben Pakulski

Today's solocast is on a topic that I have studied, tested, and perfected for over 20 years: Training for Hypertrophy. I've compiled 10 of the most effective (and often under-utilized) practices that are guaranteed to help you build the MOST muscle possible, and sustain it for life.

You'll Learn:

• How to Know When it's Time to Increase the Weight You're Lifting.
• The GREATEST Opportunity for Progress for Every Body Part.
• How to Get the Most Out of As Few Exercises as Possible.
• Why Most People Train Mobility Incorrectly (& How to Do it Right).
• The #1 Thing You Can do Right Now to Prevent Injuries.

I also summarized these 10 big levers into an easy-to-reference PDF guide, which also includes links to additional resources. Pick up your copy now by clicking here.

Support our sponsors:

• I use BiOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough to support my recovery, energy levels, and sleep. It's almost ALWAYS in my daily supplement regime (and I notice the difference when it's not). Get MagBreakthrough, the BEST magnesium supplement on the market, at https://magbreakthrough.com/muscleintelligence and save 10% with code MUSCLE10

My focus in recent years has shifted away from my myopic pursuit of building crazy amounts of muscle and towards physical optimization and performance. All my research and experimentation is accompanied by a deeper understanding of how to maintain optimal wellness with age. In this solocast, I share the tried-and-true practices that have not only provided great success for myself and my clientele, but that are also scientifically backed by research.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The ONE Fat to Immediately Eliminate From Your Diet.
• How to Increase Your Energy Levels in As Little As 10 Minutes Per Day.
• A Three-Step Progression to Moving Well and Building Muscle Efficiently.
• What to Incorporate Into Your Diet After Age 30.
• The Five Big Levers That Get You Fit Enough to TRANSFORM Your Body.

I've also summarized my 7 Key Steps to Optimize Your Body for Longevity into an easy-to-reference, shareable PDF guide. Pick up your copy at muscleintelligence.com/learn

Support our sponsors:

• Heroic - use code MUSCLE at muscleintelligence.com/heroic for 20% off your first year of this incredibly valuable app.

Today's podcast is the second in our Six-Pillar Series - a deep dive into Nutrition. After reviewing the past year's most impactful podcasts and webinars, I picked a handful that offer incredible nutritional insight and actionable tips to help you fuel your performance.

You'll hear from: • Mark Sisson, on the "fourth macronutrient" and the real scoop on grains, inflammation, and the gut microbiome. Listen to the full interview with Mark here. • Dr. Ted Naiman, on his brilliant "Protein:Energy" theory of eating, and the 8 big levers that improve satiation, & decrease caloric consumption. Listen to the full interview with Dr. Naiman here. • Robb Wolf, for a deep dive into whether vegetarian/vegan diets are actually healthier than eating meat, and for some surprising insights on the not-so-downside of conventional beef. Listen to the full interview with Robb here. • Christian Thibaudeau, on utilizing low carb diets to increase dopamine, motivation, and energy. Listen to the full interview with Christian here. • And I share the reasons why being lean, healthy, and muscular are about SO much more than what you look like. Listen to my full Fat Loss Webinar here.

You'll learn:

• The ONE Macronutrient that Prevents Over-Eating (& How to Use It).
• 8 Scientifically-Backed Techniques to Eat Less, but Have More Energy.
• The #1 Inflammatory Food to Subtract From Your Diet.
• How a Keto Diet Works at the Level of Your Nervous System.
• The GREATEST Levers for a Healthy Gut Microbiome, and a Focused Mind.

Don't forget your copy of the episode guide with key takeaways. I highly recommend this guide to accompany you in your kitchen, or to the grocery store - particularly if you aim to eat for high performance, and optimal body composition.

Support our sponsors:

• I use BiOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough to support my recovery, energy levels, and sleep. It's almost ALWAYS in my daily supplement regime (and I notice the difference when it's not). Get MagBreakthrough, the BEST magnesium supplement on the market, at https://magbreakthrough.com/muscleintelligence and save 10% with code MUSCLE10
• Organifi makes some amazing juiced vegetable, fruit, and adaptogenic blends. I use Green and Red juice daily, and enjoy their Gold blend as often as I can. Gold now comes in a pumpkin spice flavor too! Head to https://organifi.com/muscle and use code MUSCLE for 20% off.
• Get 25% off of pure, organic mushroom powders from Real Mushrooms. Adaptogenic, medicinal mushrooms can help support cognition, recovery, immunity, and energy levels. Head to https://realmushrooms.com/ben to get hooked up!

Today's solocast contains a couple of my favorite recent clips from our members-only coaching calls. I felt that these clips were too valuable for our broader community to miss out on, and impactful enough that they're worth listening to multiple times. I've made it a part of my life's mission to empower men to step into their greatness - to get OUTSIDE of the often narrow confines of life they're conditioned to, and to tap into their fullest potential. Most people never come close to what they are truly capable of. This solocast is a pushback against that norm, and offers you a framework to advance toward your goals, not just exist in them. By the end of this episode, you'll learn how to live according to the priorities that 99% of people miss.

You'll learn:

• How to Determine Your Individual Purpose & Meaning of Fulfillment.
• Why SO Many People Live Small and How to BREAK the Cycle.
• The #1 Immediate (and Underutilized) Tool to Alleviate Anxiety.
• A Simple but LIFE-CHANGING Framework to Achieve Your Goals.

You can also get your free copy of the episode guide, which details key points AND the most important exercise that I lead during the solocast.

Access my upcoming webinars here, and our private Muscle Intelligence Community here.

Support our sponsors:

• I use BiOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough to support my recovery, energy levels, and sleep. It's almost ALWAYS in my daily supplement regime (and I notice the difference when it's not). Get MagBreakthrough, the BEST magnesium supplement on the market, at https://magbreakthrough.com/muscleintelligence and save 10% with code MUSCLE10
• Organifi makes some amazing juiced vegetable, fruit, and adaptogenic blends. I use Green and Red juice daily, and enjoy their Gold blend as often as I can. Gold now comes in a pumpkin spice flavor too! Head to https://organifi.com/muscle and use code MUSCLE for 20% off.

Listen to the FULL episode with Dr. Peter Litchfield: muscleintelligence.com/259

Get the FREE High Impact Episode Guide: muscleintelligence.com/learn

Breathing correctly is VITAL to your health... but it's also a concept often overlooked in the world of fitness, health, and nutrition. However, no body transformation program, or path to life optimization, is complete without it. Without proper breathing practices or techniques, you are setting yourself up for failure. Dr. Peter Litchfield joins me on the podcast today for a truly transformative conversation about breathing mechanics for high performance, the balance of respiratory chemistry, and the psychology behind breath. Respiratory psychophysiology has been Dr. Litchfield's primary focus for over 20 years. Dr. Litchfield is the President of the Professional School of Behavioral Health Sciences, which integrates physiological and behavioral sciences for innovative applications in healthcare, human service, and performance enhancement. He also serves as CEO for Better Physiology, Ltd., the manufacturer of CapnoTrainer instrumentation used for identifying dysfunctional breathing habits, and assisting people in replacing them with new functional ones.

You'll learn:

• The Most Essential Component of Breathing That is Often Overlooked.
• How to Maintain These 2 MAJOR Pillars of Blood Chemistry.
• Which Health Issues are Associated with Dysfunctional Breathing.
• What You Didn't Know About Cardiovascular Fitness.
• How to Self-Regulate Breathing for High Performance.

Plus, get your FREE copy of the episode guide, as a downloadable reference of the key points and implementable actions from this interview.

More Resources from Dr. Peter Litchfield:

• Recent article from the Journal of Healthcare and Integrative Medicine
• Professional School of Behavioral Health Sciences
• Better Physiology Capnometers to measure CO2 and HRV

Support our Sponsors:

• BiOptimizers - I use BiOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough to support my recovery, energy levels, and sleep. It's almost ALWAYS in my daily supplement regime (and I notice the difference when it's not). Get MagBreakthrough, the BEST magnesium supplement on the market, at https://magbreakthrough.com/muscleintelligence and save 10% with code MUSCLE10

Breathing correctly is VITAL to your health... but it's also a concept often overlooked in the world of fitness, health, and nutrition. However, no body transformation program, or path to life optimization, is complete without it. Without proper breathing practices or techniques, you are setting yourself up for failure. Dr. Peter Litchfield joins me on the podcast today for a truly transformative conversation about breathing mechanics for high performance, the balance of respiratory chemistry, and the psychology behind breath. Respiratory psychophysiology has been Dr. Litchfield's primary focus for over 20 years. Dr. Litchfield is the President of the Professional School of Behavioral Health Sciences, which integrates physiological and behavioral sciences for innovative applications in healthcare, human service, and performance enhancement. He also serves as CEO for Better Physiology, Ltd., the manufacturer of CapnoTrainer instrumentation used for identifying dysfunctional breathing habits, and assisting people in replacing them with new functional ones.

You'll learn:

• The Most Essential Component of Breathing That is Often Overlooked.
• How to Maintain These 2 MAJOR Pillars of Blood Chemistry.
• Which Health Issues are Associated with Dysfunctional Breathing.
• What You Didn't Know About Cardiovascular Fitness.
• How to Self-Regulate Breathing for High Performance.

Plus, get your FREE copy of the episode guide, as a downloadable reference of the key points and implementable actions from this interview.

More Resources from Dr. Peter Litchfield:

• Recent article from the Journal of Healthcare and Integrative Medicine
• Professional School of Behavioral Health Sciences
• Better Physiology Capnometers to measure CO2 and HRV

Support our Sponsors:

• BiOptimizers - I use BiOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough to support my recovery, energy levels, and sleep. It's almost ALWAYS in my daily supplement regime (and I notice the difference when it's not). Get MagBreakthrough, the BEST magnesium supplement on the market, at https://magbreakthrough.com/muscleintelligence and save 10% with code MUSCLE10

"I'm not working hard enough," or "my nutrition is poor" are often the most common reasons I hear men over 35 cite to explain poor results around building muscle.

I recorded this solocast because, even though one or both of the above statements may be true, after decades of experience I can tell you that it's almost always something else - and it's probably not what you'd expect...

The reason you're not building muscle is more likely to be that you're NOT fit enough in the first place, to actually transform your body. That's what we get into on this episode.

You'll learn:

• The 10 Specific Hormones that Significantly Impact Your Physique
• The MOST Common Obstacle that Men Over 40 Face
• 3 BIG (But Simple) Factors to Manage Stress Long-term
• The ONE Mindset Shift that Makes Goal Achievement Exponentially Easier
• The #1 Tool to Improve Your Focus and Drive

Be a remarkable resource for someone by sharing it with another man over 35 - community makes us stronger, and at Muscle Intelligence, we're all here to lift one another up. Plus, get your FREE copy of the episode guide, with full episode details, actionable tools, and interventions.

Access my upcoming webinars here, and our private Muscle Intelligence Community here.

Support our sponsors:

• Get 25% off of pure, organic mushroom powders from Real Mushrooms. Adaptogenic, medicinal mushrooms can help support cognition, recovery, immunity, and energy levels. Head to https://realmushrooms.com/ben to get hooked up!
• Organifi makes some amazing juiced vegetable, fruit, and adaptogenic blends. I use Green and Red juice daily, and enjoy their Gold blend as often as I can. Gold now comes in a pumpkin spice flavor too! Head to https://organifi.com/muscle and use code MUSCLE for 20% off.

Listen to the FULL episode with Matt Beaudreau, Judith Pennington, Bedros Keuilian, Peter Crone, and Ben Pakulski: muscleintelligence.com/257

Get the FREE High Impact Episode Guide: muscleintelligence.com/learn

Actionable Resources for Physical Optimization and Personal Mastery

Upgrading your physique and accessing your unique path to peak performance are about SO much more than the conventional constraints of "fitness" and "health." In fact, I view mindset as being paramount to both a Lean, Healthy, and Muscular body, as well as a life of greatness.

I designed this new monthly series to give YOU the wisdom, tools, and inspiration to truly become the best version of yourself, and to spread the message of transformation and a life well-lived to others. This exclusive Series highlights my Six Pillars of Health: Mindset, Training, Nutrition, Sleep, Environment, & Breath.

The first in this new series is on the highly requested topic of Mindset - and the steps to master it... put together in a way you may never have heard it before.

You'll learn: • How to Identify and CHANGE your Limiting Patterns • The #1 Indicator of Success in Business, Fitness, and Family • Why You Get Stuck in Your Comfort Zone, and How to Break Out of It • How to Use Awareness to Manage Your Emotions and STOP Reactivity • How to Find Your Purpose and TRUE Individual Fulfillment

Plus, get the episode guide for an easy reference of big ideas and insights - feel free to share it with someone else who continuously seeks knowledge for personal growth.

Today's Mindset Edition Features: • Matt Beaudreau, a prime example of an independent thinker who is creating a paradigm shift in the spaces of education and parenting. Listen to my recent full-length interview with Matt here. • Judith Pennington, an expert in the combination of neurology and science-backed meditation techniques that allow practitioners to forge a path of lasting personal revolution. Listen to my recent full-length interview with Judith here. • Bedros Keuilian, an epic leader who cultivated an eight-figure business empire on his journey from poverty into self-made entrepreneurship. Listen to my recent full-length interview with Bedros here. • Peter Crone, the "Mind Architect," who has mastered the art of deconstructing self-defeating beliefs and healing the subconscious mind. Listen to my recent full-length interview with Peter here. • And, myself, Ben Pakulski. I share insight into living in your own authenticity, and how to break out of your comfort zone to discover your purpose and live fulfilled.

Support our sponsors:

• BiOptimizers - buy MagBreakthrough and get free HCl, P3OM, AND MassZymes at https://magbreakthrough.com/muscleintelligence
• Organifi - head to organifi.com/muscle and use code MUSCLE for 20% off of the highest quality organic juice powders

Actionable Resources for Physical Optimization and Personal Mastery

Upgrading your physique and accessing your unique path to peak performance are about SO much more than the conventional constraints of "fitness" and "health." In fact, I view mindset as being paramount to both a Lean, Healthy, and Muscular body, as well as a life of greatness.

I designed this new monthly series to give YOU the wisdom, tools, and inspiration to truly become the best version of yourself, and to spread the message of transformation and a life well-lived to others. This exclusive Series highlights my Six Pillars of Health: Mindset, Training, Nutrition, Sleep, Environment, & Breath.

The first in this new series is on the highly requested topic of Mindset - and the steps to master it... put together in a way you may never have heard it before.

You'll learn: • How to Identify and CHANGE your Limiting Patterns • The #1 Indicator of Success in Business, Fitness, and Family • Why You Get Stuck in Your Comfort Zone, and How to Break Out of It • How to Use Awareness to Manage Your Emotions and STOP Reactivity • How to Find Your Purpose and TRUE Individual Fulfillment

Plus, get the episode guide for an easy reference of big ideas and insights - feel free to share it with someone else who continuously seeks knowledge for personal growth.

Today's Mindset Edition Features: • Matt Beaudreau, a prime example of an independent thinker who is creating a paradigm shift in the spaces of education and parenting. Listen to my recent full-length interview with Matt here. • Judith Pennington, an expert in the combination of neurology and science-backed meditation techniques that allow practitioners to forge a path of lasting personal revolution. Listen to my recent full-length interview with Judith here. • Bedros Keuilian, an epic leader who cultivated an eight-figure business empire on his journey from poverty into self-made entrepreneurship. Listen to my recent full-length interview with Bedros here. • Peter Crone, the "Mind Architect," who has mastered the art of deconstructing self-defeating beliefs and healing the subconscious mind. Listen to my recent full-length interview with Peter here. • And, myself, Ben Pakulski. I share insight into living in your own authenticity, and how to break out of your comfort zone to discover your purpose and live fulfilled.

Support our sponsors:

• BiOptimizers - buy MagBreakthrough and get free HCl, P3OM, AND MassZymes at https://magbreakthrough.com/muscleintelligence
• Organifi - head to organifi.com/muscle and use code MUSCLE for 20% off of the highest quality organic juice powders

Listen to the FULL episode with Ben Pakulski: muscleintelligence.com/256

Get the FREE High Impact Episode Guide: muscleintelligence.com/learn

Ever feel like you're training consistently and doing all the right things, but not getting the results that you've worked hard for? I see the term "overtraining" thrown around in the fitness community... People believe they're hurting their progress by training too much. Ironically, most people who THINK they are overtraining are actually experiencing a different issue. The good news is, while the problem can be complex, the solution is often incredibly simple. You just need to learn the steps. I recorded today's solocast to give you a framework that will empower you to get MORE out of the training you're already doing, STOP overtraining (even when you add more training to your plan), and hone your programming for maximal progress.

You'll learn:

• The Correct Type of Training (and Why Most People Avoid It).
• The Major Differences Between Progression for Beginners, Versus Trained Individuals.
• The Three KEY Things That Significantly Impact Your Recovery.
• If You're Not Overtraining, Here's What's Actually Happening Instead.
• How to STOP Stalling Your Progress In the Gym, and Achieve Maximal Gains.

Plus, I took the key points from this solocast and listed them in our free episode guide, for easy reference (just pull it up on your phone!). Click here to get your guide!

Support our sponsors:

• BiOptimizers - buy MagBreakthrough and get free HCl, P3OM, AND MassZymes at https://magbreakthrough.com/muscleintelligence
• Organifi - head to organifi.com/muscle and use code MUSCLE for 20% off of the highest quality organic juice powders