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

Joining us on the show today are Stefi Cohen and Hayden Bowe, the creators of Hybrid Performance Method, a virtual gym that provides accessible, affordable, and effective online workout programs to athletes of all skill and experience levels worldwide. Stefi is also a world champion powerlifter and today we speak to her and Hayden about self-development as it pertains to training, diet, and mental wellbeing. We take a deep dive into the evolution of Hybrid as well, talking about their systems, services, and core principles! Stefi gets into her journey as an athlete, covering the many sports she experimented with before finding powerlifting. We touch on the difference between quitting and knowing when to let go, the pressure society puts on women to look good and how training can remedy this, and mindset shifts Stefi went through as she grew mentally and physically. We explore ideas about good health being the foundation of fitness, the problem with myopic training programs that go from zero to 100, and how to know whether you have a natural aptitude for something. Stefi gets into some of the challenges she has had to overcome around performance anxiety and owning her femininity as well. We switch gears from there and hear more about Hybrid, and Hayden weighs in about their approach to diet and their philosophy of providing a huge amount of value for the lowest price point, getting into the many programs with dedicated coaches they offer for different learning paths.

Today's show is sponsored by our favorite source for gut health supplements, BiOptimizers, and they are offering our listeners a FREE bottle of MassZymes (you pay a small shipping fee only) at this link. If you suffer from digestive issues like gas, bloating, and cramping even when you're eating healthy, nutritious foods then you could probably benefit from a high-quality enzyme. Head to www.masszymes.com/musclefree for a free bottle to try, and use code 'MUSCLE10' if you'd like to try any of their other products at bioptimizers.com

Timestamps

• Introducing Stefi Cohen, Hayden Bower, and today's sponsor, BiOptimizers. [0:18]
• Stefi's journey and mindset shifts going from being calorie obsessed to a powerlifter. [3:32]
• Society's obsession with image, how this affects women, and how training can help. [6:51]
• Getting in touch with your 'why' and not just getting lean or jacked to copy others. [11:47]
• Stefi's process going from running to lifting; quitting versus letting go. [12:48]
• Knowing if you have natural aptitude: The skills, talents, and passion checklist. [15:30]
• Stefi's natural aptitude for powerlifting and how it feeds into her attitude toward it. [15:30]
• Habits that fed into Stefi's progress: tracking macros, and shifts in training and diet. [21:33]
• The need to base any training schedule on a foundation of good health. [27:00]
• Making progress in steps; how training programs aren't holistic and start too heavy. [28:12]
• How Hybrid Performance Method helps their students understand how to eat right. [32:47]
• Struggles Stefi has had with performance anxiety as she got more well known. [37:50]
• The role of Stefi's accomplishments in allowing her to step into her femininity recently. [40:42]
• How celebrities can help people accept themselves more by showing vulnerability. [44:07]
• Core tenets at Hybrid and their variety of affordable fitness and nutrition programs. [46:14]
• Optimizing communication and systems: aspirations for Hayden and Hybrid. [51:30]
• The process of going virtual and adding different programs to the roster at Hybrid. [53:09]
• Stefi's non-negotiable habits around learning, being uncomfortable, and self-reflection. [56:44]
• The value of being innovative; the innovation lab system Stefi is working on. [1:03:12]
• How to find Stefi and Hayden online and learn more about Hybrid. [1:06:10]

If you listen to your body as you exercise, you can feel your emotions arise to the surface. Many people try to mute out these feelings, or they exercise to distract themselves from feeling. In today's episode, Ben and Ash talk about why it's important to listen to your body and work through your feelings. As Ben mentions at the start of the episode, these moments are opportunities to connect with yourself which is an important part of connecting with other people. Ben talks about how exercise like yoga has helped him to explore his feelings and he reflects on how this helps in the long-term — where muting negative feelings only helps in the short-term. Ash and Ben then discuss how this makes you more proactive in life as it improves your focus while decreasing anxiety.

Ben links this to the energy work of John Amaral and shares the story of what happened when he attended a "nutty" neuro-feedback workshop. Near the end of the episode, Ben provides advice on how you can reinvent yourself by changing your habits before talking about why breathing, walking, and posture are the top three things that you should listen to in your body. To quote one of Ben's good friends, "your body will tell you everything you need to know, if you're willing to listen and pay attention." Listen to this episode to find out how.

My main fat source is high quality, extra virgin olive oil. I get mine from Fresh Pressed Olive Oil company - they travel the world to source the highest quality, freshest, and most delicious varieties. Try them out for yourself and get a full-sized bottle for only $1 - go to getfresh35.com.

Timestamps

• Why Ben is back on a yoga kick and the benefits of yoga when muscle building. [2:26]
• Ben introduces the topic of connecting with others along with the self. [2:52]
• Feeling your emotions as they arise during exercise. [6:20]
• Why exploring your feelings results in long-term benefits. [7:18]
• How Ben convinces people in difficult situations to focus on exercise and meditation. [8:47]
• How John Amaral changed Ben's life and helped him realize what he wanted to do. [10:01]
• Ben explains what John does by sharing a story from one of his workshops. [12:04]
• The importance of having an open mind and exploring different approaches in life. [15:51]
• Hear about Ben's "nutty" experience with neuro-feedback. [17:24]
• How we can learn about ourselves by listening to our bodies. [19:32]
• Nurturing our human connections as a way to uplift our lives. [22:02]
• Connecting to yourself before connecting to others and how this might affect sex. [24:42]
• Why you should put aside distractions and take a day to explore your feelings. [26:57]
• Ben's message to listeners; know that you are stronger than your circumstance. [29:19]
• Learn how changing your habits is the secret to reinventing yourself. [31:42]
• Why the idea of balance is subjective; you need to figure out your own targets. [34:55]
• Hear when and why Ben does yoga and why he doesn't like yin yoga. [36:43]
• Ben's top three things to watch in your body; breathing, walking, and posture. [39:17]
• Fixing your walking by focusing on points of weakness or instability. [42:17]
• Ben talks about his mentors — some of the best exercise gurus in the world. [43:57]
• Learn about Ben's squat and body workout series; it teaches from the fundamentals. [45:25]
• How Ben's heavy olive oil consumption has benefited him and which olive oil he buys. [47:56]

With all the unhealthy, unethical meat being produced and distributed in the US, the time is ripe for people to start doing things differently. Enter Belcampo, a company that is revolutionizing meat for the wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet. Today we have their co-founder and CEO, Anya Fernald, on the show to talk about her life story and the evolution, ideals, and practices of Belcampo. We kick things off by hearing some context behind Anya's philosophy. She details her childhood influences and hobbies, and how she fell in love with essential eating and sustainable farming while traveling through Europe learning to make cheese as well as about the practices of traditional agricultural societies. We hear about how this contrasted with her experience of the terrible food culture back in The U.S., leading her to start practicing regenerative farming and eventually founding Belcampo. Anya gets into the practices that make Belcampo different from conventional factory farms, also talking about how they are sequestering carbon, and spreading their approach to farming by partnering with local ranchers. Next up, Anya shares more about the evolution of the company from its roots as a restaurant and butcher evangelizing for wellness, also getting into the exciting new avenues for growth that lie ahead for them! For all this and much more from a true visionary in the field of sustainability, be sure to tune in!

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

• The value of exercising to uplift mindsets in this difficult time. [0:15]
• Introducing Anya Fernald, Belcampo, and today's sponsor, BUBS Naturals. [1:35]
• How Anya and Ben adjust their carnivore diets with olive oil, avocados, and more. [4:47]
• Learn how to make pemmican, and what goes into making different cuts of meat. [7:51]
• The role of Anya's farming childhood and love of domestic crafts in her career. [15:23]
• Moving from culinary training into essential eating and sustainable farming. [18:48]
• Anya's training making bread, cheese, and exploring links between place and food. [21:46]
• How great Anya felt traveling and working in Europe on a diet of meat and cheese. [23:30]
• Shifts in Anya's view of food while living in a traditional agricultural society in Sicily. [25:14]
• Moving back to the US and becoming unhealthy due to the poor state of meat there. [31:07]
• Getting the idea to source high-quality meat by deciding to self-rear cows for food. [31:15]
• Launching Belcampo in 2012 after realizing there was a gap in the market for sustainable beef. [34:30]
• Challenges selling sustainable meat due to high costs and low-profit margins. [38:58]
• How much simpler good quality meat is to cook and make taste great. [42:12]
• The difference between cruel factory farming processes and those at Belcampo. [44:10]
• How Belcampo's rearing process sequesters rather than emits large carbon amounts. [50:38]
• Belcampo's empowerment project outsourcing their farming style to local ranchers. [56:48]
• Growth areas for Belcampo: e-commerce post COVID and stocking grocery stores. [1:03:50]
• Building the Belcampo brand from its days as a restaurant evangelizing for human and animal wellness. [1:06:38]
• Problems with wellness food powders and the culinarian glorification of poor health. [1:10:33]
• That we are disconnected from our food and how to experience more vitality. [1:13:22]
• Traditional food pairings and how this concept feeds into recipes in Anya's cookbook. [1:16:14]
• The point of cravings and how being attuned to them can make you healthier. [1:17:18]

Welcome back to another live edition of the Muscle Intelligence show! Today we focus on giving you some new perspectives on your exercise routine and this Q&A session looks at more effective ways, taking inspiration from the strategies of great people as a jumping-off point. We are really aiming to give you a new paradigm for exercise, how it is meant to be, rather than a preconceived notion of what it is! The conversation starts with an exploration of fitness as a more meditative pursuit and how mindfulness and awareness will take you further than a focus on the weight being lifted.

We then move into some talk about methods for improving weaknesses; Ben shares simple and actionable strategies for honing in on the more avoidant parts of your body and routine. Ash raises the question of how much each individual should reasonably know about what the processes are carrying out, noting that clients may have different concerns to a coach. Ultimately, exercise will play a different size role in each of our lives and we do not all have to be world-experts on our routine, but we all need to be present while completing it! The conversation then turns to a contrasting approach to fixing problems, focussing on strengths, and applying these strategies to weaker areas. For all this and a whole lot more on bringing yourself into your body and program, listen in with us today! Do not forget to check out our awesome show sponsors, BLUblox for the finest in healthy eyewear! Get 15% off the best blue-light-blocking glasses at https://blublox.com/muscleintelligence, using the code 'MUSCLE'!

Timestamps

• Getting away from what you think you know and the dogma of exercise. [1:40]
• A more meditative approach to fitness; inside and outside the body. [2:49]
• Shifting the focus of weightlifting away from a number. [9:51]
• Practical ways to improve on the weak parts of your exercises and routine. [14:07]
• Smarter techniques for avoiding injury and making constant progress. [17:02]
• Client concerns versus those of a coach; protocols are not the answer. [21:36]
• The mindful dimension to exercise and the opportunity it provides in this respect. [24:28]
• Prioritizing habits and daily practices over short term willpower. [28:56]
• Awesomeness versus awfulness; the part that attitude plays in setting goals. [31:50]
• Differences between Ben's leg days and back days in the past. [37:13]
• Eye-fatigue, screen time, and the difference that blue-blocking glasses can make. [39:03]

In this episode, returning guest Dr. Benjamin Bikman from Brigham Young University joins Ben to talk about insulin and its role in our overall health, specifically as it pertains to insulin resistance and the various lifestyle and genetic factors that come into play. Insulin resistance is not only strongly correlated to chronic disease, but it can also negatively impact our ability to build muscle, and Dr. Bikman discusses how sleep deprivation and incorrect food types can escalate the problem. He discusses the link between carbon dioxide tolerance and metabolism and how the ketogenic diet can impact metabolic flexibility, highlighting the practical benefits of a cyclical ketogenic diet in general. He also explains how metabolic flexibility can be measured and why it is difficult to identify an ideal resting blood glucose range. The conversation then turns to the controversial subject of fat and protein consumption. Dr. Bikman is an advocate of consuming fat and protein together and gives his reasons for not buying into the plant-based protein trend but rather sticking to the natural proteins found in animals. He also answers questions about adaptive glucose pairing, the relationships between insulin and Crohn's disease, and how eating the right fats aids the fat-burning process. Remember to head over to blublox.com/muscleintelligence and use the code 'Muscle' to get 15% off my favorite protective eyewear.

Check out Dr. Bikman's meal replacement supplements at gethlth.com

Timestamps

• An introduction to Dr. Bikman and the work he does teaching pathophysiology. [5:06]
• The relationship between chronic disease, lifestyle, and insulin resistance. [6:50]
• Factors that contribute to insulin resistance, including genetics and lifestyle. [8:17]
• Learn how insulin resistance impacts our ability to build and maintain muscle. [10:58]
• How eating the wrong foods (not just carbs) could give way to insulin resistance. [12:34]
• Speculation about the correlation between carbon dioxide tolerance and metabolism. [14:56]
• An explanation of metabolic flexibility and the impact of the ketogenic diet. [18:26]
• Dr. Bikman makes a case for the practical advantages of a cyclical ketogenic diet. [23:37]
• Measuring metabolic flexibility by testing the exchange between oxygen and CO₂. [27:05]
• Thoughts on the ideal resting blood glucose and two other useful metrics. [30:12]
• Where insulin resistance starts and the good and bad ways that fat tissue grows. [33:12]
• Why you might get away with eating more calories when it is fat versus carbs/sugar. [39:29]
• Protein and other considerations for consuming fat in a healthy, balanced manner. [42:41]
• Dr. Bikman's take on why you can consume natural sources of protein more or less freely.[46:47]
• Hear about the circumstances from which Why We Get Sick was born. [50:12]
• The changeability of insulin resistance and how it can be improved on a variety of diets. [52:18]
• The problem with plant-based proteins and the processes that are applied to it. [54:17]
• Answers to question about adaptive glucose pairing and the relationship between insulin and Crohn's disease. [57:41]
• Eating the right fat, the adaptability of the phospholipid bilayer composition, and how it impacts fat burning. [1:00:06]

We are live again on the Muscle Intelligence Podcast and today you'll hear all about Ben's different courses and workout plans, the work of a few brilliant past guests, a few tips for resetting your neurochemistry, and more! Our exchange begins with Ben talking about his new mentorship program, coaching certificate, and email squat challenge. This brings up the topic of how to target the intended muscles and our hosts also share some thoughts about what it takes to actually undergo a mentorship. It's all about mindset, and Ben takes the opportunity to complicate conventional understandings of this term, arguing that many other factors influence a person's neurological state.

Things like genetics, nutrition, light, and sleep all play a role, and so do exercise and gratitude, which means there are steps we can all take to change the way we think! From there, Ben and Ash get into the topic of toxic oxalates in plants, and the brilliant work of Sally Norton, a recent guest on the show. After dipping into the best ways to get your kids to eat what they don't want to and what supplements to give them, Matt Gallant, another past guest, and his incredible work takes center stage. Wrapping up, Ben gets into a few more of his different workout plans, weighing in on which ones would work best for different bodies and conditions, including people on a keto diet and those with type 2 diabetes.

Today's show is sponsored by BiOptimizers, a leader in supporting a "biologically optimized state of health" through their range of gut-health and digestive support supplements and other related products. Peruse their products at bioptimizers.com and use the code MUSCLE10 for a discount; Ben specifically recommends their MagTech product, since magnesium is a mineral vital to so many health processes that many of us are deficient in. Go to magbreakthrough.com/muscle to learn more!

Timestamps

• The teaching methods and goals for Ben's coaching and mentorship courses. [0:17]
• What to expect from Ben's squat mastering course and the great response it has had. [7:01]
• How Ben tells if students are truly committed to or just interested in his teachings. [11:56]
• The value of eventually being accountable to yourself; knowing your 'why'. [14:58]
• How habits, not just thoughts, shape your brain; using exercise to shape 'mindset'. [15:57]
• Ben's technique using gratitude to get over incidents that make you angry. [19:44]
• Sally Norton's work on the danger of eating plants due to high oxalate levels. [24:53]
• Using palatable versions of foods to get your kids to eat things they don't want to. [30:10]
• Supplements for young children; what Ben gives his kids. [32:37]
• The amazing use of BiOptimizers and BPC-157 for digestive and inflammation issues. [34:49]
• Other great products from BiOptimizers and appreciation for Matt Gallant's work. [38:25]
• Clear and consistent branding and why Ben updated the podcast thumbnail. [41:00]
• Ben's targeted workouts guides and their applicability to all bodies. [42:18]
• What Ben's main offering to the fitness community is: execution guidance. [42:18]
• Full-body workouts Ben offers for type 2 diabetics to re-establish insulin sensitivity. [45:00]
• The rationalization behind Ben's ketogenic workouts for people without glycogen. [46:04]

So-called health foods that we think are doing something great for us sometimes are leading to the very things we are trying to avoid. Today's guest is Sally Norton and she joins us to talk about chemical compounds called oxalates that are found in plants and the dangers they pose to our health! Sally grew up veggie-centric and spent 16 years as a vegan and vegetarian, and today she tells us about the many health difficulties she experienced before discovering the dangers of oxalates. We take a deep dive with her into the chemical reactions and physiological processes caused by oxalates in our bodies and she weighs in on how these compounds bind to minerals causing things like gout, stopping damaged tissue from healing properly, and blocking our ability to read warning signals from the body. Sally also gets into which parts of different food groups like brassica, leafy greens, tubers, and grains are high in oxalates and should be avoided. We talk about the damage a vegetarian diet can cause to the gut before getting into a fascinating exchange about the birthplace of moral arguments for avoiding meat, with links to Seventh Day Adventism and societies whose reasons to dissuade populations from an animal diet were originally economic. Other talking points are lost methods of preparing vegetables to make them lower in oxalates, how vegans might decrease oxalates, and how Sally thinks about eating meat sustainably as an environmentalist!

We have a new promotion from Ben's favorite source for wild-caught, high-quality fish, Wild Alaskan Seafood Box. They've upped the discount to $25 off your first order, and there's no subscription required. Try a box and Ben bets you'll go back for more! Head to http://www.wildalaskanseafoodbox.com/ben/ and use the code BEN.

Timestamps

• Introducing Sally Norton and her work on dangerous oxalates in 'health foods'. [0:17]
• Sally's plant diet journey that destroyed her health leading her to a new diet. [4:51]
• How oxalates destroy health and stop your ability to discern the body's signals. [7:55]
• Health issues Sally faced growing up even while eating a veggie-centric diet. [8:51]
• Sally's fight with gout as a student and how oxalates can cause gout. [12:45]
• A molecular description of oxalates and how they bond to minerals causing damage. [14:13]
• How oxalates get hung up in injured tissue and interrupt the healing process. [18:06]
• Foods from the leafy green and tuber family that are high in oxalates. [20:37]
• High oxalate indicators and pre-birth/early life causes for Sally's poor health. [26:00]
• How to lower broccoli oxalates and dangers of brassica vegetables. [29:54]
• Lectin and phytates in vegetables and the damage eating them did to Sally's gut. [31:08]
• Taking isolated vitamins from vegetable sources and stopping trusting what's natural. [34:47]
• Grains high in oxalates and the birthplace of linking 'health foods' with being moral. [36:05]
• Veganism as an offshoot of Kellogg's anti-sex Seventh Day Adventism teachings. [39:12]
• Economic reasons for meat avoidance reframed as moral arguments for veganism. [44:08]
• Dangers of soluble fiber, and how we have lost old methods of preparing vegetables. [45:47]
• High oxalates in nuts, and the benign qualities of fermented cabbage. [48:20]
• Healing oxalate problems as a vegan and how meat bioaccumulates toxins too. [50:55]
• The dangers of mono-cropping and Sally's preference to build sustainable systems. [52:32]
• How Sally eats meat sustainably as an environmentalist. [57:12]

With the general risk of cancer only set to increase during the current generation, we face the hard reality of these dangers lingering in our lives. Dr. Nasha Winters is an expert in the integrative approach to fighting cancer and having successfully warded off multiple bouts with the disease in her own life, is positioned well to speak on the dietary and metabolic ways we can reduce risk and strengthen our resilience to it. Dr. Nasha joins us for this episode of the Muscle Intelligence podcast to share this philosophy, talk a little about her book The Metabolic Approach to Cancer and share a whole lot of wisdom on a number of adjacent and related issues! We start off with some basics, chatting about the building blocks of a good diet and how fasting can fit into this. Dr. Nasha also shares her own story and the difficult challenges she faced before she even became an adult, with a teenage cancer diagnosis. From there we chat about protein in a healthy diet, removing gluten and whether soy is as healthy or unhealthy as we often seem to hear. We also get into the damaging effects of too much exercise and the potential for exercise addiction; Dr. Nasha promotes an individual approach to movement and exertion, as there are many different physical needs that we have in order to flourish. We finish off our chat on the topic of pollution and how to purify our bodies from its harmful effects. Join us to hear it all!

My main fat source is high quality, extra virgin olive oil. I get mine from Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil company - they travel the world to source the highest quality, freshest, and most delicious varieties.The newest batch is from Spain and Portugal and they are delicious. Try them out for yourself and get a full-sized bottle for only $1 - go to getfresh35.com

Timestamps

• Dr. Nasha's early life and health issues from a young age. [4:53]
• Dangerous practices around radiation and cancer screening. [10:30]
• The simple dietary approach that Dr. Nasha takes with her patients. [13:22]
• Starting from a clean, local and high-quality foundation for what you eat. [18:13]
• The varied responses to fasting across different types of metabolic systems. [21:25]
• When to lengthen a fast to three to five days and the effects that start to emerge. [25:19]
• Protein intake amounts and balancing short and long term objectives. [28:53]
• Basics to avoid and the real dangers of modern gluten. [32:40]
• The actual health status of much-debated soy products. [38:18]
• Our addiction to gluten and the answers that are readily available to solve the problem. [41:11]
• The final addiction; over-exercising and the serious damage this can do. [45:07]
• Environmental factors that influence our health and risks of cancer. [47:43]
• Ways to dilute and reduce the pollution we encounter on a daily basis. [53:22]
• Dr. Nasha's sauna practice and the natural methods we can all access to sweat healthily. [58:58]

Welcome to this live episode of the Muscle Intelligence Podcast, where Ben and Ash talk about standing together at this moment in history and share some amazing diet and fitness wisdom! We kick things off thinking about all that is happening right now with the backfire against racism, talking about the need for empathy, and how we should use this moment as an opportunity to lend each other support. Ben gets into the core tenets of his workout goals next, speaking about his threefold aims in areas of strength and hypertrophy, mobility and stability, and cardio. In answer to a listener question about beating stiffness, Ben talks about meeting the problem from the inside out by breathing, walking, and meditating. Another listener question encourages some recommendations about what fiber sources to consume while avoiding leaky gut foods and Ben gets into his preference for things that beat inflammation like fermented veg, things from the Cruciferae family, and, of course, avocado and berries! Some other great talking points from today's show are the potential imminent eruption of the Yellowstone volcano, the pitfalls of social media, how Ben got to where he is by mastering what he initially sucked at, and a whole lot more!

Today's amazing episode is sponsored by Wild Alaskan Seafood Box. If you're into great food, taking care of yourself, and only putting the best quality food into your amazing vessel, Ben highly suggests visiting wildalaskanseafoodbox.com/ben and using the code 'BEN' to get $25 off your next order!

Timestamps

• The pitfalls of social media: facades, hateful comments, & the skew fan/host dynamic. [0:20]
• Getting over prejudices and the need for empathy between humans beyond race. [3:30]
• The potential impending eruption of the Yellowstone volcano and what it could mean. [10:00]
• Ben explains his 3 workout aims: strength/hypertrophy, mobility/stability, and cardio. [11:51]
• How Ben builds dynamic movement, a fourth aim, into his existing three already. [17:50]
• Ashleigh's current workouts focusing on muscle contraction, boxing, and skipping. [18:33]
• People's tendency not to listen to Ben's workout advice, to their detriment! [20:01]
• Gut motility; how Ben got so good at certain things: because he used to suck at them. [21:35]
• How far Ben has come since being a skinny guy who knew nothing about exercise. [23:13]
• Improving mobility through breathing, walking, and meditating. [26:00]
• Paying attention to how you walk; the foot's role in knee, hip, back, and shoulder pain. [29:30]
• A deeper look at Ben's morning breathing practice and its effects on pain and mobility. [32:41]
• Ben's thoughts on healthy fiber sources: fermented veg, Cruciferae, berries, avocado. [34:25]
• Quick thoughts on what to eat to manage allergies; avoiding histamine foods. [35:55]
• How to maximize hypertrophy and Ben and Ash's morning workout styles. [37:43]
• Ben's thoughts on being a life coach and more on his coaching mentorship. [40:02]
• Looking at identity, beliefs, and habits for attaining your goals. [42:22]
• All the great seafood Ben has been eating from Wild Alaskan Seafood Box! [43:07]

Today's guest is Matt Gallant, the savant-like and incredibly successful entrepreneur and CEO of BiOptimizers who has turned his life into a brain and body biohacking experiment! He is here to talk about all his practices and the supplements he uses to perform at a super high level. We begin by considering a theme that plays out through our whole conversation – the fine line between being hyperfocused and neurotically obsessed and the role gratitude plays in this.

From there, we chat with Matt about the value of doubling down on one thing and how doing extensive personality tests can help in this respect. We turn our attention to the meat of our conversation next – neurofeedback, a method of clearing the limbic system of traumas and the central place it occupies in Matt's biohacking practice. The intensive, days-long neurofeedback challenges Matt embarks on are taxing on the nervous system and we hear about the compounds he uses to help him withstand them, many of which are produced by his own company! He speaks to the extremely positive impact that his biohacking experiments have had on his relationships, well-being, and business.

We are proud to say that BiOptimizers is the sponsor of our show today, and we spend the last moments of our exchange talking about a few more of their products that help to fortify the digestive tract and the benefits of this. BiOptimizers is a leader in supporting a "biologically optimized state of health" through their range of gut-health and digestive support supplements and other related products. Peruse their products at bioptimizers.com and use the code MUSCLE10 for a discount; Ben specifically recommends their MagTech product, since magnesium is a mineral vital to so many health processes that many of us are deficient in - go to magbreakthrough.com/muscle to learn more.

Timestamps

• Introducing Matt Gallant and his work in biohacking his brain and body! [0:17]
• The benefits of an amazing magnesium product by BiOptimizers! [1:53]
• Managing the line between hyper-focus and obsession by practicing gratitude. [6:35]
• Matt's gift for ideation and how he has learned the power of focusing on one thing. [9:02]
• How personality tests and experimenting can help you find & focus on your strengths. [14:25]
• Aligning your purpose, passion, and proficiency for optimizing your business. [16:44]
• The thrill of biologically optimized systems, not to be confused with maximized ones. [20:11]
• Healing from trauma and how its legacy has fueled Matt's drive to optimize. [24:06]
• How these small traumas burn brain RAM and Matt's ideal RAM level. [29:02]
• Learning to control your state by doing neurofeedback and other training types. [30:50]
• What Matt would tell his younger self at the moment his dad traumatized him. [35:00]
• The double-edged sword of aspirations: achievements at the cost of self-abuse. [36:00]
• Matt's experiences and lessons learned doing neurofeedback boot camps. [39:09]
• Boosting the nervous system by taking ketone ester, magnesium, and more. [40:40]
• Using lion's mane and other compounds for neurogenesis and neuroplasticity. [47:02]
• Being cautious when taking compounds that affect receptors like CBD and caffeine. [49:52]
• How to take magnesium for the nervous system and brain function. [51:12]
• Being calm but alert: the optimal alpha state. [52:30]
• Safe neurofeedback cycles ad other brain hacking methods like TMS. [53:38]
• How Matt's neurofeedback has had positive effects on his life and relationships. [55:38]
• Breathing, mantras, gratitude, visualization: Matt's meditation practices. [58:48]
• Proteolytic enzymes and products from BiOptimizers that maximize digestion [1:03:03]
• Stress's effects on the digestive tract and how to fortify it using BiOptimizers. [1:08:19]
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