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

Dr. Greg Wells studied Kinesiology and did his Masters in Physiology and PhD in Respiratory Physiology. For his PhD, he studied how high level athletes were able to improve their performance through improved breathing.

In this interview, Dr. Greg Wells and Ben Pakulski discuss the extremes through which humans can use their breathing to accomplish whatever the task is, from extreme athletic performance to meditation. They talk about Dr. Greg Well's newest book: "Rest, Refocus and Recharge" and how small breaks and little tactics throughout the day can help you recover and feel better. And finally, the two get into how to balance radical self-acceptance with the pursuit of excellence and discuss the concept of "thinking about how you think". To find out more about Dr. Greg Wells, please visit https://drgregwells.comand pick up his books The Ripple Effect and

Rest, Refocus, Recharge: A Guide to Optimizing your Life

We hope you enjoyed today's episode. If you did, share it with someone you think will benefit from this information and leave us a review on iTunes. To get in touch with us, you can comment on Youtube or Instagram or get in touch with us via email: [email protected]

Today's sponsor is Bioptimizers. Use code MUSCLE10 for 10% off any order.

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Timestamps

[00:56] – Sponsorship.

[02:22] – Introducing our guest – Dr. Greg Wells

[03:15] – Greg's background.

[06:49] – Strategies and devices to improve CO2 tolerance.

[13:35] – How Greg trained his athletes.

[14:49] – Breathing Impacts on Bodily Performance.

[17:52] – Improving Acute CO2 Tolerance.

[20:35] – Does repetitive extended breath holds increase blood's oxygen carrying capacity?

[28:05] – Achieving "That" World-Class Performance.

[35:01] – Heart-Rate Tracking.

[38:34] – Rest, Refocus, Recharge – By Dr. Greg Wells.

[42:42] – How do you reimagine the future?

[43:50] – Metacognition – Thinking About Thinking.

[48:50] – Practicing Radical Attention.

[51:45] – Visualization of the event.

[56:38] – Radical Self-Acceptance.

[01:00:40] – What is Excellence?

[01:04:53] – Personalized Medicine – What Future Holds!

[01:08:29] – Where to contact Greg and grab his book?

In today's Q&A episode, Ben answers your frequently asked questions about his personal practices. From his meditation practice to the shoes he wears, his thoughts on psychedelics, the supplements in his cabinet, his tracking devices to the books he's reading and the courses he is taking - he covers it all. This podcast is jam-packed with information and gives you an insight into Ben's daily practices that he has implemented to allow him to thrive and live his greatest life.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and if you'd like to submit a questions for the next Q&A, send us a DM on instagram @muscleintelligencepodcast

Thank you to our amazing show sponsors Real Mushrooms. Real mushrooms are the highest quality mushroom extracts I can find. They are 100% mushroom certified organic. They have no added fillers or grains, and they are third party tested multiple times. You can add their mushroom extract powders to things like coffee, tea, smoothies, or oatmeal, or they also have capsules. I use Real Mushrooms Lion's Mane organic mushroom powder in my Intelligence Coffee every morning, and I use the Cordyceps-M mushroom capsules for improved focus and cognitive performance. Please visit realmushrooms.com/ben

30% off for first time buyers with code ben

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Ben's Shoes:

VivoBarefoot Code: INTELLIGENCE10 for 10% off

In Ben's Supplement Cabinet:

Real Mushrooms Code: ben for 30% off

ATP Labs Code: MUSCLE10 for 10% off

BUBS Naturals Code: BEN for 20% off

Alpha GPC Code: MUSCLEINTELLIGENCE for 15% off

MassZymes Code: MUSCLE10 for 10% off

How Ben eats now:

Fresh Pressed Olive Oil

Belcampo Code: BPAK10 for 10% off

Redmond Real Salt Code: INTELLIGENCE for 15% off

Online courses Ben is taking:

PosturePro – Annette Verpillot

8 Weeks Out - Joel Jamieson's course

Dr Bryan Walsh - Metabolic Fitness Pro

Ben's Mattress:

Essentia Mattress

Additional Links

Waking-Up App - Sam Harris

Russell Brunson - DotComSecrets

Mastering Nutrition - Chris Masterjohn, PhD. podcast

Oura Ring

Timestamps

• [00:26] – Theme of the week.
• [00:36] – Ben's Meditation Practice.
• [01:45] – Ben's Breathing & Gratitude Practice.
• [02:45] – What shoes does Ben wear?
• [03:52] – What's in Ben's supplement cabinet?
• [04:55] – Ben's Sleep and HRV tracking devices.
• [05:35] – Heart rate tracking Headphones.
• [06:16] – Start taking Magnesium and Vitamin D!
• [08:38] – Importance of Collagen Intake.
• [09:17] – Importance of Glycine.
• [10:52] – Ben's thoughts on Psychedelics.
• [13:47] – Success lies outside of the comfort zone!
• [15:15] – Things you don't know about Ben!
• [16:53] – Ben's eating habits.
• [19:26] – What does Ben's workout routine look like currently?
• [22:36] – Does Ben do cheat meals?
• [22:47] – The books Ben just finished reading.
• [23:30] – The online courses Ben is taking at the moment.
• [25:07] – Where do you want to communicate with Ben?
• [26:32] – Ben's Sleep Environment.
• [27:31] – Sponsorship for today's podcast.

Today Ben speaks with James Nestor, one of the world leaders in understanding the physiology of our breath and how it can impact our lives, our minds and bodies, and our resilience. In this info-packed episode you'll learn tangible ways to easily incorporate simple ideas and techniques that can have a dramatic impact on your mental state and clarity, anxiety levels, sleep, fitness, and more.

James Nestor is an author and journalist who has written for Scientific American, Outside, The New York Times, The Atlantic, and more. His latest book, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art was an instant New York Times bestseller. Nestor's first book, Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves, was published in 2014 and was a finalist for the 2015 PEN/ESPN Award For Literary Sports Writing, an Amazon Best Science Book of 2014, and more. You can find out more about James and his work at mrjamesnestor.com.

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 at bubsnaturals.com

Timestamps

[00:32] Introducing our guest, James Nestor & their work, the amazing book; "Breath".

[01:09] Importance of proper breathing.

[03:14] Sponsorship by: BUBSNatural.com

[04:48] Welcoming our guest, James Nestor on the show.

[05:16] Why James wrote "Breath".

[07:36] James experiment with plugging his nose for 10 days.

[13:03] What switching the Breath Pathway does to our body.

[14:19] Effects of Mouth Breathing on the body.

[16:54] Mouth Breathing While Working Out.

[18:31] What James learned about slower breathing.

[24:42] Evolution of Human Face.

[26:09] Facial Epigenetic Cross-Generational Inheritance in Human Beings over the last century.

[27:52] Appliances that you can use to open up your nasal cavity.

[32:37] How do sea divers have extreme level of CO2 tolerance?

[34:11] Wim Hof's breathing practices. – Tummo Breathing.

[38:54] James experience with Dr. Justin Feinstein.

[41:21] Important things that James did not include in the book.

[47:39] Adapting to breathing as little as possible.

[51:54] "Bad breathing leads to bad posture."

[57:11] Conserving energy by controlled breathing.

[01:00:23] You got to grind yourself to get the reward.

[01:03:41] Lowest Common Denominator to Optimize the Breath.

[01:06:00] Follow James Nestor and do read his amazing work.

[01:06:38] Wrapping up.

In today's episode Ben speaks with the cofounder of Renaissance Periodization, Dr. Mike Israetel. Mike holds a PhD in Sport Physiology from East Tennessee State University. Formerly a professor of Exercise and Sport Science in the School of Public Health at Temple University in Philadelphia, Mike has taught several courses, including Nutrition for Public Health, Advanced Sports Nutrition and Exercise, and Nutrition and Behavior.

The two talk about a range of topics and how they relate to sports performance: proprioception and interoception; a lean body composition; how and when to focus on skill acquisition; and the importance of fundamentals and hard work rather than relying solely on genetic potential (or using the lack of as an excuse). They talk about how to encourage kids in sports in a healthy way, proactive stress management, and what Mike is up to with his company.

Get 15% off and free worldwide shipping for my favorite blue light-blocking glasses and sleep masks from BLUBlox at blublox.com/muscleintelligence using the code MUSCLE

Timestamps

[00:21] Subscribe, if you have not already!

[01:09] Introducing our guest, Dr. Mike Israetel.

[03:18] Sponsorship – BLUblox.com.

[04:49] Welcome Dr. Mike Israetel.

[05:36] How Mike's PhD transitioned into his passion for bodybuilding.

[09:06] Interoception Proprioceptive Awareness.

[10:39] Development of Sports Abilities in Children.

[13:41] Two important pieces of advice for adults from Mike Israetel.

[16:12] In bodybuilding, the work and time you put in, matters more than your genetics.

[19:16] Bodybuilding is brutal, and it is not for everyone. – Mike Israetel.

[22:09] Children are tasked with unfulfilled dreams of parents.

[24:07] The process matters more than the end result.

[25:44] Things everyone should know when starting bodybuilding.

[29:37] Renaissance Periodization – Introduction.

[33:46] What is a Scientific Diet?

[37:25] How Mike manages stress.

[40:47] It is not just the daily practice; the goal is to maintain long term fitness and health.

[43:22] Ben's journey of bodybuilding.

[48:01] Subscribe & follow Mike Israetel.

In this episode with Brian Johnson, founder of the Optimize community, is packed full of inspiration, positivity, and tangible plans for a happier, calmer, more joy-filled life. Brian discusses his four main virtues (wisdom, self-mastery, courage, and love); he talks about what truly means to be a hero, and what it means to have "anti-fragile confidence"; they discuss the differences between being happy and simply being "not negative"; and Brian gets into his meditation practice, his experience with veganism, his philosophies on leadership, and so much more!

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 at bubsnaturals.com

Timestamps

[1:34] Introducing our guest, Brian Johnson.

[7:02] Backstory to Brian's motivation to succeed.

[10:53] Brian's comparison of Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius & Seneca.

[12:15] How Brian summarizes his philosophy.

[14:33] How to start living at Eudaimonia – The Highest Good

[17:17] YOU determine what Vice; Virtue & Wisdom is.

[18:15] Four core virtues of philosophy and all the religions in the world.

[21:56] How to plan your day as a Eudaimon.

[26:18] The More You Get Hit, The Stronger You Get!

[28:04] How hard one should push themselves in training.

[30:52] What you do, speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you say – R. W. Emerson.

[33:07] Love 0.0, Love 1.0, Love 2.0…

[36:32] Philosophy is simplicity – Brian's daily routine.

[41:01] Nanotechnology Structured Water & its benefits.

[43:52] Brian's breathing meditation practice.

[46:05] Brian talking about his coach and mentor – Phil Stutz.

[50:05] How Brian is helping people through the Optimize Coach Program.

[54:26] Brian's experience with Veganism.

[56:50] What is Brian's end line – distant plans.

[1:00:28] Change begins at home!

In today's solo Q&A episode, Ben dives into his personal experience with habit building as it relates to growing a lean, healthy physique as well as a healthy mindset. He talks about the common habits that lean, healthy, happy people have; how to avoid the trap of the obsessive mindset, where you chase arbitrary goals at the cost of your health and happiness; and tangible ways to approach sustainable habit building. If you enjoy this episode, please share with people who could benefit!

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 at bubsnaaturals.com

Timestamps

[00:41] My learning journey over the course of 20 years.

[01:45] How I manage to maintain my body after retirement.

[02:53] My experience with different coaches.

[05:58] Impact of important internal body variables at biochemical level over external body.

[08:38] Important factors to consider for body transformation.

[10:09] Negative impacts of giving up.

[11:41] Creating sustainable habits is the key to long-term transformation.

[12:18] Two ultimate habits to fix your body transformation routine.

[14:29] You Make Your Personal Identity.

[16:44] What can you do to replace a negative habit.

[20:10] How to change your negative workout emotions to gratefulness.

[22:46] Difference between the identity that is created for you and the identity that you create for yourself.

[25:00] How to use exercise as a tool to overcome stress.

[26:04] Choosing your empowered version over the weaker version.

[26:58] Growth & Greatness Exists Outside the Comfort Zone.

[28:10] 2020 is an opportunity to Step Up.

[30:43] Sponsorship.

Today Ben speaks with his good friend and fellow gym owner, fitness mentor, and trainer Mark Coles. Mark has just written a book called Level Up: The Fitness Professional's Road Map to Achieving Excellence (which Ben wrote the foreword to) and they discuss Mark's journey from personal trainer to gym owner to trainer mentor and beyond; how he grew his business through clarity of vision; how to identify goals and think big; and taking ownership of your process and your life, whether it's with relationships, business, or bodybuilding. This is a must listen to anyone looking to become a leader in their life or work, understand how to find their passion and happiness, and just be inspired.

Try my favorite digestive enzymes and other gut health promoting products from BiOptimizers - right now they're offering a full money back guarantee if you don't love the product and how you feel. Their MassZymes is the most effective digestive enzyme product I've tried - head to www.masszymes.com/muscle10 — be sure to enter the coupon code "MUSCLE10" to receive a 10% discount off your order.

Episode Timestamps

• Importance of Enzymes for Digestion [3:00]
• Introducing our guest Mark Coles and his work [07:00]
• The value of doing what you love [10:30]
• Start of career as a personal trainer [11:10]
• Mark as a child and teenager [13:20]
• Increasing your rates with levelling up in your business [15:23]
• People who played parts in Mark's devotion to body building [15:42]
• Acknowledging what kind of coach do you want to be [18:15]
• Get noticed [21:31]
• How Ben and Mark became friends [ 24:14]
• Difference between arrogance and confidence [26:28]
• Envisioning the challenges involved in the career path [29:29]
• Small wins count! [32:42]
• What was it like in start! [34:00]
• Why Mark wrote a book [40:50]
• Having control of your body is important for body building [44:15]
• Maintaining balance as a coach and a business owner [46:00]
• Mastering the 3 P's [47:15]
• Personal development is very important for growing as whoever you are! [49:18]
• Biggest lesson in the gym – The learning curve! [50:48]
• What you are inspired by, matters! [53:26]
• Advice for all business owners [54:35]
• Get in touch with Mark [56:13]

You can only reach your peak performance by doing more. At least that's what the old approach tells us. Instead of doing more, Dr. Michael Gervais' new model of being more not only takes you further but it gives you a greater mastery of your mind and body. In this episode, we talk to Michael about the Compete to Create system and book that he created with coach Pete Carroll — this system is responsible for the rise of the Seattle Seahawks. A key theme throughout our conversation, Michael emphasizes that his system doesn't contain any shortcuts or best-kept secrets. Instead, he explains, you can reach your next level by honing your passion and purpose. After discussing the challenges that fear and fatigue present to living a life of passion, Michael talks about the importance of weaving people into your sense of purpose. Using the Seattle Seahawks as an example, Michael shows that valuing your relationships will help you see what's possible both in yourself and in others. This is a vital step in becoming the best version of yourself. To illustrate the inner-strength that comes from having a strong community, Michael shares what it was like to be on the sidelines of the Seattle Seahawks' historic Super Bowl XLIX loss. We also touch on the value of optimism and practicing vulnerability before Michael gives listeners some final advice on how you can develop a guiding philosophy for living a life of purpose and passion. Our game-changing conversation with Michael is made possible through BLUBlox, our awesome show sponsor. Get 15% off and free worldwide shipping for my favorite blue-light-blocking glasses and sleep masks from BLUblox at https://blublox.com/muscleintelligence using the code MUSCLE.

Timestamps

• How we can lift people by focusing on their strengths and not their weaknesses. [1:09]
• Focusing on using precise language to communicate our expectations. [3:05]
• How Michael's book sits at the intersection of scientific research and the frontier. [5:38]
• Exploring the framework of Michael's system and why there are no shortcuts. [6:20]
• The characteristics that are common to high-performing athletes; passion and purpose are key. [8:21]
• How people misunderstand what passion means and how to live a passionate life. [10:55]
• Passion versus fear and fatigue; why it's difficult to lead a passionate life. [11:36]
• Maintaining your purpose and weaving community into your sense of purpose. [14:50]
• How 'noise' in the external world distracts us from attuning with our minds and bodies. [15:57]
• The value of relationships with others and with yourself for being your best self. [17:20]
• Seeing potential in people and helping them realize what they could become. [20:05]
• What Michael does to train his ability to see the potential in people. [21:54]
• How Michael trains his players and lessons that you can apply to your own life. [23:40]
• Why optimism is at the center of mental toughness and how this links to purpose. [26:00]
• Self-discovery and skill-building as the two main buckets of psychology. [27:42]
• How unhealthy thought patterns can help you perform worse. [28:55]
• Why it's possible to be mentally and physically healthy and perform. [30:42]
• How to shift the focus from your competitors to your personal growth. [32:25]
• How to get out of your own way; developing your internal world is a lifelong pursuit. [34:30]
• Michael shares a story to illustrate the skills needed to take your performance to the next level. [36:50]
• Figuring out your intentions and practicing vulnerability to learn how to deal with emotional hardships. [40:25]
• What we can learn from the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl XLIX loss. [43:00]
• What Michael is doing to stand by his team during the pandemic; this is a time to double-down on your purpose. [47:50]
• How Michael and coach Pete created their system and its popularity in the corporate world. [50:38]
• What competition means; to get better by striving and straining together. [52:05]
• Finding your philosophy and guiding principles; you don't need to invent your own. [54:22]
• Ben leaves listeners with some final thoughts on pushing through your obstacles when exercising. [59:15]

There are a few fundamentals we need to perfect before hoping to maximize our progress in any kind of physical pursuit, and in today's show, we explore what that means. As Ben explains, this project starts with learning what functional movement is and making sure we are doing it correctly. Functional movement, contrary to what we might think, actually refers to nothing more than breathing and walking. Ben drills down on the point that the movements we experience while breathing and walking are the foundation for any other movement, and so if we can't do them correctly all else suffers. These two movements form the first parts of Ben's 'Breathe, Walk, Meditate' mantra, and so naturally the conversation progresses into the third foundation for optimum wellness. We learn what meditation is and how to do it by using its predecessor, breathing. Toward the end of the show, Ben reveals that we can learn to incorporate all three of these most foundational building blocks of optimum performance into one simultaneous activity, so there is no excuse not to do them! Wrapping up, Ben implores us all to give this foundational trio a try as well as get involved with the Muscle Intelligence community, a place where we can all come to share our knowledge and learn from some of the greatest minds out there. Today's episode was sponsored by BLUBlox. Get 15% off and free worldwide shipping for Ben's favorite blue-light-blocking glasses and sleep masks from BLUBlox at https://blublox.com/muscleintelligence using the code MUSCLE.

Timestamps

• Introducing today's topic: Ben teaches us how to build muscle on a stable foundation. [0:18]
• What real functional movement is, its importance, and how people get it wrong. [2:07]
• Developing deep, expanded breath cycles as a foundation of all movement. [3:00]
• The muscles that are lengthened and fill with oxygen when we breathe deeply. [6:45]
• Which movements of the body get limited if we don't breathe deeply enough. [8:58]
• A description of what happens to the body as we go through a deep breathing cycle. [10:07]
• Manifestations of dysfunctional breathing patterns: Trouble building pecs and more. [11:42]
• The possibility of one side of breathing under-functioning and the effects of this. [14:08]
• Breathing affects the muscles, and the muscles affect the skeletal system. [14:58]
• Aerobics and yoga, two ways to expand breathing and work on breath retention. [15:27]
• The negative effects of not walking properly and how to be mindful of foot functioning. [16:33]
• That if we can't hold one thought in our brain for long, we aren't performing optimally. [19:44]
• How to learn to meditate by honing in on our breathing, which helps to breathe too! [20:04]
• What meditation looks like: Having interoception and a single point of focus. [21:17]
• All the stability and mobility-related positive effects of having a breath practice. [21:43]
• Turning a walking practice into one of breathing and meditation too. [23:03]
• Ben's asks us to try the 'Breathe, Walk, Meditate' trio and give him feedback! [24:26]
• Thanks given to this episode's amazing sponsor: BLUBlox. [26:26]

Some of the greatest obstacles posed by any challenging pursuit are the ones that exist in our own minds. This is a concern at the center of High-Performance Psychologist Dr. Bhrett McCabe's work and today he joins us on the show to share his perspectives on the subject. Dr. McCabe works with both professional and amateur athletes, focusing on mental strength and keys to success, and together with him, we take a deep dive into what it takes to perform optimally and some common challenges that stand in the way. Dr. McCabe weighs in on the idea that different people are motivated by different things, sketching out five personality types and a variety of psychological games that athletes have played with themselves to help themselves perform better. He talks about the need to commit fully and get out of our comfort zones if we wish to grow, and how he approaches training his clients and students to elicit this from them, which requires that they trust him first. We cover some interesting terrain around beating common mental stumbling blocks like negative thinking, impatience and using sub-par performance as a buffer against the fear of failing. Dr. McCain talks about internal versus external motivators, the minimum amount of struggle needed for a task not to become boring, the role of reflection in perception, and the importance of social dynamics in the performance of teams. Other big takeaways are Dr. McCabe's thoughts on beating addiction, the five things we have to do each day to perform at our best, and the content to be found in our guest's amazing coach training program called the Catalyst School.

Thank you to our awesome show sponsor, 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

• Introducing our guest, Dr. Bhrett McCabe, and his work on performance psychology. [0:16]
• The value of a gratitude practice focusing on things we usually perceive as negative. [3:30]
• How Dr. McCabe discovered the power of mind while playing major league baseball. [5:59]
• Mental difficulties like negative thinking and impatience, and how to treat them. [9:57]
• Dealing with the stress of uncertainty by seeing it as an opportunity to grow. [14:23]
• Five daily categories of tasks that everybody should do to perform optimally. [16:15]
• Why Dr. McCabe's approach to consulting amateur or pro clients is similar. [20:53]
• Achieving goals and growing through a fully committed rather than an 'if-then' attitude. [23:11]
• Our tendency to use our habit of not committing fully as a scapegoat if we fail. [25:15]
• A story outlining Dr. McCabe's approach to getting students to perform optimally. [27:00]
• Getting past external things that validate us internally to true internal validation. [30:38]
• The minimum amount of struggle necessary for a challenge to remain interesting. [33:00]
• How Dr. McCabe earns the trust of his clients by using a non-judgmental approach. [35:39]
• Five types of people categorized by the types of things that drive them to succeed. [43:45]
• How to manufacture the emotion or state that drives you to perform at your best. [47:00]
• Identifying and optimizing what makes you special in order to win. [49:36]
• 'Fear the proud': true buy-in and what makes UA's football team the best. [52:42]
• Getting past addictions and how the risk is highest when we think there's no risk. [55:01]
• The interplay between the psychological, neurological, and immunological. [59:07]
• How detrimental stress is; book recommendations from Dr. McCabe on this topic. [1:00:39]
• The Catalyst School and how it helps coaches be better at what they do. [1:02:18]
• Dr. McCabe's workouts; exercise is about internal as much as external rewards. [1:05:54]