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

On today's show, we are so happy to welcome Dr. Dan Stickler! Dr. Stickler is an optimization expert and fountain of knowledge on all things health and beyond; his systems approach to the human body and mind fits in perfectly with our philosophy here at the Muscle Intelligence Podcast and we can honestly say that he is a true inspiration and leader in his space. In our conversation today, we locate his expertise within the current context of the coronavirus pandemic and let Dr. Stickler weigh in with his findings and understanding of the developing situation. We talk about the immune system and our longer-term responses to this pandemic, something that has surely changed the world forever.

The central message of Dr. Stickler's work is the idea of the human body as a complex system; for a long time it has rather been viewed as a complicated system and our guest explains the differences before expanding on the need to view everything with its interconnectedness and relation. We also talk about peptides, another area of specialization for Dan, and he gives us some insight into his approach and process with his clients. Today's episode finishes off with an underlining of the idea of becoming anti-fragile, a goal that we can all aspire to! Do not forget to visit our great show sponsors, BLUblox, for the finest in blue-blocking eyewear. As we spend more time at home and indoors these become more and more necessary, so head over to blublox.com/muscleintelligence, and use the code 'muscle' at checkout, to get a sweet 15% off your order!

Timestamps

• Optimizing our response to the pandemic and preparing for the future. [4:20]
• Global trends for deaths and confirmed cases across the different countries currently. [09:26]
• The latest on the symptoms for COVID-19; aches, fever and coughing. [9:32]
• Demographics which seem to be particularly at risk and mitigating weakness. [12:23]
• Other measures and supplements for boosting the immune system and resilience. [16:21]
• The data around vitamin C, mushrooms and CBD oil and the unclear findings so far. [20:41]
• Dr. Stickler's systems approach to health and the idea of the interconnectedness of the body. [22:01]
• Where Dr. Stickler starts with his clients; the low-hanging fruit to approach first. [29:01]
• Foundational tips from Dr. Stickler: understanding your metrics, stress, sleep and mindset. [33:33]
• Getting out of homeostasis and entering healthy levels of stress. [38:49]
• The use of DHHB and peptides; Dr. Stickler weighs in! [41:26]
• How the coronavirus attaches to cells and can be carried by asymptomatic agents. [47:29]
• The likelihood of the coronavirus being engineered as a weapon. [48:22]
• Becoming anti-fragile and the development of a framework for this task. [50:01]

Welcome back to another episode everybody — recorded live in quarantine! It's another Q&A since we know how much all of you need it right now. In this conversation, you can expect to hear Ben share a bunch of thoughts on everything from coaching and seafood to writing and meditation! We start off the chat talking about some misdirected thinking on calories and some better ways to go about the pursuit of weight-loss. The discussion turns to independent action and the ability to make changes without external structure before Ben and Ash think more deeply about designing your best life and working backward in order to do this. We also look at stretching and how this can take on a meditative and mindful quality, as you become more in touch with your muscles. The meat of the episode is dedicated to advice for coaches, especially younger ones aiming to make an impression and progress in their work. Ben's main thought here is to stay open to learning and maintain a sense of humbleness. If you are under 30, chances are you actually suck, so the sooner you can get that into your head, the sooner you will be able to move on and improve! To round things off we chat about seafood, writing out ideas, protein intake and some tips for quarantine life!

Remember to check out our great show sponsors, Billings Seafood for the best selection of fish and seafood in the world! Visit wildalaskanseafoodbox.com/ben, and get $20 off your order and free scallops!

Timestamps

• Realigning the way we think about calories and weight-loss. [0:25]
• Implementing purposeful change independently through awareness and action. [6:08]
• Designing your life and finding your deeper goals and purpose. [10:04]
• Quarantine stiffness; getting used to new patterns and routines. [15:19]
• The value of stretching and the meditative quality to lengthening muscles. [17:47]
• Ben's tips for aspiring coaches and avoiding entitlement and a false sense of confidence. [22:31]
• The strength of youth and enthusiasm combined with an openness to learning. [28:01]
• Steps that young coaches can take to facilitate buy-in. [31:29]
• How Ben goes about creating a new document or learning resource. [34:47]
• Good over best; getting ideas down and making things happen. [40:03]
• Nutritional benefits of fish and Ben's story of growing to love eating it. [43:22]
• Methods for simple, delicious preparation of salmon, Ben style! [48:41]
• Ash's new dehydrator and why she is so excited about using it during quarantine. [50:30]
• Healthy amounts of protein according to your unique body and workout routine. [51:34]
• Fish oil, content production and more! Quick-fire questions from the live session. [55:04]
• Ben's yoga practice and his favorite style to engage with. [59:16]

We have an extra special episode in store for all of our listeners today! A live conversation with Ben Greenfield that we promise you are not going to want to miss. Ben is one of the most prominent minds in the health and fitness world and his attention to holistic and ancestral ideas is second to none! We get into a big discussion on longevity and all the areas that are to be considered when aiming to optimize for it. Ben also weighs in with his thoughts on medicine, cleansing, diet and health hacks he is currently using. The conversation gets pretty deep so buckle up, Ben leaves no stone unturned aiming for the best, healthiest life possible! He also approaches all of this from a strong desire to help those around him, something that is motivated by pure altruism and love. It is really refreshing to hear someone speak so fearlessly about his desire to help the world realize their potential. Today's episode is at once broad and wide-ranging but also includes specific information on products, ideas, and nutrients that Ben believes are worthwhile. He zeroes in on a bunch of topics, sharing his experiences as well as what research shows us! The final part of our conversation includes Ben's thoughts on parenting and his hopes for his children, something he takes very seriously and purposefully. There is more information in this episode than we can try to summarize, so you will just have to have a listen and be sure to keep a pen and paper handy!

As always a big thank you to our show sponsors, BLUblox! Go to https://blublox.com/muscleintelligence and use the code 'MUSCLE' for 15% off the best blue-blocking eyewear in the world!

Timestamps

• Ben's new book and what eventually made it to the press. [6:22]
• A starting point for longevity; the most important markers to give attention to. [8:33]
• Walking speed, grip strength and VO2 max; metrics to track for longevity. [14:02]
• Optimal levels for resting glucose and insulin. [20:18]
• The increasing evidence for the benefits of a morning cold soak. [26:01]
• Thinking about the role of protein in relation to longevity. [30:03]
• A more parasympathetic perspective on food and Ben's appreciation for sustenance. [33:06]
• The sections of Ben's book that deal with home soaking, sprouting and fermenting. [43:13]
• Olive oil, black seed oil and the rest of Ben's staples for his pantry. [48:03]
• Courses, workshops and recipes that Ben and his wife Jessa have offered. [51:44]
• Ben's unique relationship with his food and how this journey began. [55:27]
• Couple's therapy, breathwork and plant medicine usage in Ben's home. [1:00:26]

For this episode of the Muscle Intelligence Podcast, Ashleigh and Ben dig deeper into living your best life during the quarantine. We talk about keeping your sights set on priorities, shopping and stocking up and finding the time to work on projects that you really care about. Ben muses about a day that recently went awry and why that might have happened before the conversation turns to evolving as a person through natural phases in life and the habits that allow these important changes to occur easily. Focus is always something that is emphasized on the show and today is no different; being able to say no, remain steadfastly locked in on your objective and ignoring everything else can bring you so many rewards in this current crisis and after! Ben and Ashleigh share their current food shopping habits and why a fully stocked freezer is something to get really excited about before the conversation turns to industry and supporting local businesses so they do not get completely bulldozed by huge corporations. The last parts of today's Q&A chat are spent talking about constant movement during a regular daily routine, fasting while in quarantine and the benefits of allowing your body to get hungry!

Thank you to our awesome show sponsor, makers of my favorite grassfed collagen and powdered MCT: BUBS, a company making just a few extremely high-quality products and giving back a whopping 10% of their sales to charity. I use their powdered collagen and MCT in my coffee every morning. Use the code MUSCLE for a full 20% off your purchase HERE.

Timestamps

• The importance of anchors and helping others for staying on top of our priorities. [1:04]
• Becoming a new person and transforming habits to suit your current needs. [4:15]
• Ben's experiences integrating physical aspirations into a different phase. [7:10]
• Saying no, focussing and leaving enough space for what is most important. [12:06]
• Different shopping and grocery habits during the quarantine. [16:19]
• The emphasis that the COVID-19 crisis is placing on what is essential in our lives. [19:50]
• Supporting local businesses instead of huge corporations as things shift. [22:54]
• Ben's weekend yoga course and the disappointment of not completing it. [26:03]
• Unconscious movement and the ways that we burn calories during the day. [30:26]
• Longer fasting periods while at home during the quarantine. [34:30]
• The magic of hunger and playing with the fire until it is your friend. [39:59]
• Exciting news about Ashleigh's new recipe book! [41:30]
• The process of writing and Ben's hopes for finding a mentor for a project. [45:49]

We often talk about the idea of objective versus subjective living on the podcast and our guest today is such a great example of someone acting in the most objective way possible, zeroing in on a goal and then chasing that relentlessly. Kris Gethin is the founder and CEO of Kaged Muscle, a supplement company bringing you the most natural and healthy things you need in your diet. Kris is also a coach and trainer of the highest order, helping his clients reach beyond their natural potential to amazing heights. In our conversation today, we get into the discipline that bodybuilding can instill in the human mind, staying on course to achieve huge goals and the challenge of staying motivated after achieving them. Kris unpacks his thoughts on the part that a coach should play in a client's life, what fear means to him these days and why offering value to those around you will take you that much further in all your pursuits.

We also get into the topics of integrity and intention and talk about building a business that resonates with your own values as well as those of your clients. We finish off this great conversation talking about Kris' own fitness routines, his aspirations for the future and where he wants to take his company in the next year. We have an amazing new sponsor for the show today, handpicked by Ben, due to his massive respect for the company and their founder. Billings Seafood Guys offer incredible seafood packages of the highest quality and if you use the code 'BEN' at checkout you will get $20 off your first order. So head over to wildalaskanseafoodbox.com/ben and check it all out!

Timestamps

• Optimizing all areas of life; the benefits of the discipline developed in bodybuilding. [7:53]
• Kris' philosophy for setting targets and staying on track to hit them. [10:54]
• Advice for maintaining a commitment to objectives despite relative comfort. [14:43]
• The actual role of a coach; the lighthouse in the storm. [20:35]
• Kris' experiences of carrying on through discomfort and pain. [26:04]
• The meaning of fear to Kris and how he faces it as he gets older. [30:09]
• Offering value to brands and associates instead of asking for a deal from them. [34:19]
• Integrity and intention; building a heart-centered business for better sleep! [39:40]
• Kris' motivation and method for starting his company and selecting products to offer. [40:58]
• Experimentation with the carnivore diet and where Kris is currently at with his training. [43:45]
• Looking to the future with Kaged Muscle and their new products. [46:37]

We find ourselves in quite a crazy crisis right now but there is still so much to be grateful for and we can only look forward at the opportunities that are present in front of us. Today's show is the recording of a live broadcast in which the Q&A traverses the usual range of topics with the added element of the coronavirus and quarantine! The first point that is made is that this is an opportunity like none other; why not use this quarantine period and break from regular routine to do something you have always wanted to do or make some important changes in your life? The hurdles that we find in our path are the only way to growth! Ben makes an argument for why this is a better time than any to offer value to others. Whether in your business or outside of it, show people what you can do for them and you will reap the rewards. Ben and Ash talk about their routines during this lockdown period and share some of the steps they have taken to make sure this time is profitable and healthy.

They also give a bunch of practical advice for certain exercises and how to incorporate better breathing into your routines before tackling the subject of female weight-loss. The episode ends off with some thoughts on cycling in and out of keto and how to help your body through regular fasting. Thank you to our awesome show sponsor, makers of my favorite grass-fed collagen and powdered MCT: BUBS, a company making just a few extremely high-quality products and giving back a whopping 10% of their sales to charity. I use their powdered collagen and MCT in my coffee every morning. Use the code MUSCLE for a full 20% off your purchase HERE.

Timestamps

• Current opportunities for innovation and support; obstacles as the way to growth. [0:50]
• The group coaching program that Ben is launching next week! [4:50]
• Figuring out how to provide more value during this crisis. [8:49]
• The concept of unimpeachable credentials; more meaningful than anything else. [14:00]
• Ben's quarantine experience so far and how he started taking action ASAP. [15:38]
• Doing better instead of more to scale your current projects. [18:02]
• Routines for food and exercise around the Pakulski home. [24:37]
• The opportunities that are offered by quarantine to make a massive change. [30:15]
• Squatting techniques, getting back to bodybuilding and better weight-loss practices. [35:05]
• Optimizing breathing and opening up the diaphragm for fuller inhalation. [39:20]
• Finding ways to improve on and beat competitors in your lane. [46:11]
• Some workout recommendations from Ben for better extensions and range. [48:30]
• Obstacles to female weight-loss; eating too little, bad gut health and not lifting enough. [50:50]
• Keto periods and cycling in and out of these as a health tool. [54:30]
• Some exciting news about the Muscle Intelligence membership site and blog! [1:02:16]
• Fasting and taking a break from meat protein to jumpstart cell-death. [1:10:15]

Our internal dialogue creates our external reality. When this reality is one of fear, self-doubt, shame, and judgment, it acts as an obstacle, holding you back from living a life of alignment and purpose. No matter how good we may be at goal setting, if we do not work on these mental roadblocks, we will never get to where we want to be. Today's guest is a phenomenal leader in the behavioral and mindset world, John Assaraf. When he started, his focus was on helping people thrive financially. He has since pivoted to helping people overcome what's holding them back. In this episode, John shares his fascinating journey with us and the tools he was given at a young age to succeed. The skills John's mentor equipped him with helped him change his neural pathways of beliefs, habits, expectations, and setpoints. We also learn about achieving goals and why it is a more holistic process than many of us know. It requires activating five parts of our brains, which means that setting the goal is simply the first step. John also talks about the importance of understanding how your emotional responses are triggered when you begin to work on new goals. If you have continually let yourself down by not achieving your goals, you likely have trauma around it. By learning new skills of awareness, you can rewire your brain to set yourself up for sustainable success. John also sheds light on his innercises, and how taking small, decisive steps have cumulative effects that ultimately help create seismic shifts. He shares more on the importance of alignment as well as why focusing on the process and not the outcome gets you where you want to be. John is an incredibly inspiring leader, and we are so grateful he took the time to be with us. Today's podcast is brought to you by BLUblox, the world's most advanced blue light glasses. It's so important to take care of your eyes, yourself, your sleep, especially during a super stressful time. So, head to blublox.com and use the code 'muscle' to get a 15% discount on a pair of these incredible glasses.

Timestamps

• How Ben and Muscle Intelligence community are moving through this challenging time. [3:56]
• Learn about John's background and the shift that happened in his teaching and thinking. [7:23]
• Find out what John's mentor showed him that changed his life forever. [9:07]
• What happens in the brain when we set goals and increasing the likelihood of achieving them. [11:41]
• What motivated John to write his latest book, Innercise. [15:45]
• Goal-setting versus goal achieving and what prevents people from taking action. [16:57]
• How we developed our current neural networks and what we can do to change them. [22:13]
• Why creating skills and a language of awareness will lead to neural changes. [24:11]
• Learn more about how mindfulness training brings us back into a state of consciousness. [26:09]
• How long it takes to develop a new habitual pattern. [28:58]
• Success comes from following fundamental processes and patterns and commitment [31:14]
• Learn why you have to interrupt existing processes to create a new mindset. [34:12]
• Insights into three of John's innercises and how they help retrain the nervous system. [36:14]
• The Get Off Your Ass Law: Learn about John's GOYA law and what it entails. [40:29]
• John's unusual way of getting clarity and staying focused on all his goals. [43:38]
• Find out more about John's meditation routine and how it changes. [48:11]

Peptides will most likely be a familiar term for most listeners of this podcast, with the awareness of their benefits and effects growing steadily during the last part of the 20th century and into this one. Today we are joined by Ryan Smith, one of the top three leading experts on the subject of peptides! He is the CEO of Tailor Made Compounding, a company out of Kentucky that has now gone international. He is here to discuss the impact of peptides, the effects of certain products and just share his general genius for this area of knowledge. It has become clear that peptide use, amongst so many other types of supplements and health science, is the most tissue-specific treatment modality and Ryan shares so much about how this all works in many different cases. You are not going to want to miss out on a second of this conversation! He gets into so many different products, some of which might be familiar and many you may not have heard of too.

Do not forget to visit our unbelievable show sponsors, BLUblox. Get 15% off my favorite blue light-blocking glasses from BLUBlox at https://blublox.com/muscleintelligence using the code MUSCLE

Timestamps

• Ryan's work in the realm of peptides and the two approaches his company takes. [2:55]
• The history of peptides, important discoveries and mainstream awareness. [4:49]
• Two mechanisms for peptides and different long term benefits. [6:58]
• A broad-stroke approach with growth hormone versus more precise means. [10:06]
• Thoughts on the concerns about growth hormones and different types of cancers. [15:53]
• The excitement around NA-1 and its efficacy in fighting cancer and viral illnesses. [17:09]
• Dosing schedules and the mechanistic, inner workings of Epitalon. [18:58]
• Sleep benefits, daily dosage times and fitting into a natural pulse. [20:28]
• Using peptides to stimulate the pituitary and the effects on sleep. [21:42]
• The range of mitochondrial peptides that Ryan is working with at the moment. [25:56]
• The fat loss dimension to this conversation and the results seen so far. [27:21]
• Ryan's thoughts on the popular BPC-157 and who could use it for best results. [31:11]
• The products that Ryan is most excited about in terms of brain optimization. [34:07]
• Statistics for Dihexa and how it compares to other products. [37:08]
• Cerebrolysin and the results that have been noted in cases of stroke and TBI. [41:27]
• The areas that Ryan is most excited about currently in the peptide space. [45:25]
• The process of FDA approval and listing of available products. [47:58]
• Potential negative effects of peptides; side-effects and allergies. [4:26]
• Understanding lipopolysaccharides and avoiding some serious health dangers. [50:30]
• Regulation and legality; avoiding dangerous products from unknown sources. [52:07]

Trainers and coaches often overlook the synergy that is produced when the body and mind are mutually benefited with exercise. Our preoccupation with physical appearance and our "weak areas" have caused us to ignore the role that our mind plays in effectuating the physical changes we long to see. In this episode, Ben interviews Jacques Taylor to discuss workouts that not only develop the body but that are stimulating to the mind – exercises the reset negative associations and rewire the brain to form the positive connections required for holistic transformation. Listeners will learn about the strong correlation between mindset and the physical changes that manifest in the body.

Indeed, negative attitudes cause the excretion of cortisol and other hormones that hamper the effect of training on the body, and, therefore, there is strong evidence that suggests that by enjoying exercising, you get much more out of a workout, allowing you to change mind and body simultaneously. It is up to coaches to construct an environment where people engage with their exercises mindfully and where they are systematically guided in changing the way they think about physical training. Tuning into today's conversation, listeners will learn about triggers for the production of BDNF, how the brain's anticipatory nature plays into workouts, and how training can be used to change the mind. Jacques also discusses and gives examples of the seven principles of neuromuscular orchestration.

Thank you to our awesome show sponsor, makers of my favorite grassfed collagen and powdered MCT: BUBS, a company making just a few extremely high-quality products and giving back a whopping 10% of their sales to charity. I use their powdered collagen and MCT in my coffee every morning. Use the code MUSCLE for a full 20% off your purchase HERE.

Timestamps

• The importance of not clinging to a mindset and learning to trust your mind flow. [3:36]
• Why it might be necessary to go through anger to reach peak performance. [5:12]
• The role of the hormones that are produced by your muscles during exercise. [7:11]
• Triggers for the production of BDNF in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. [8:55]
• The restricted physical benefits of exercise on people who dislike exercising. [10:48]
• The mechanisms that prevent positive responses to exercise in those who find it stressful. [12:53]
• How the brain can anticipate exercise-related stress even before the workout [15:07]
• Why some people hate to exercise and ways to combat the negative associations. [17:00]
• How training can be utilized to develop the necessary skills and transform the mind. [21:33]
• The advantages and disadvantages of the anticipatory nature of our brains. [25:14]
• The neurochemical processes that shape a person's mindset about their likelihood to succeed or fail. [27:14]
• The rationale behind the seven principles of neuromuscular orchestration. [30:57]
• Principle 1: When you train the body, you inextricably train the mind. [32:59]
• Principle 2: The resolution of the nervous system is plastic (and this relates to movement). [36:18]
• Advice for improving thoracic mobility while still maintaining the same load. [42:04]
• Principle 3: The sensitivity of the nervous system is dynamic. [45:17]
• Principles 4: The mobility of the nervous system is key to posture and motion. [46:50]
• Jacque's view on the use of a foam roller to impact the nervous system. [53:03]
• Principle 5: To perform an exercise, a nervous system must determine which muscles or motor units are best suited and then recruit them. [54:22]
• Principle 6: The motor units and muscles recruited must produce adequate energy to generate the required tension and power. [58:03]
• Principle 7: The nervous system coordinates a cardiovascular metabolic and endocrine response required to support the activity of the neuromuscular system. [1:01:10]
• An example of how you can develop a mental/emotional characteristic in the gym. [1:09:29]

Ben recently celebrated a birthday and talks to listeners about how he approaches these events and why it is different from all other "special" days with materialistic agendas. This year he is spending the week surrounding his birthday in the woods with his family and a friend-mentor and is looking forward to some time for reflection. For him, always asking questions about your own thoughts and behaviors is a sure strategy for personal development.

In this episode, Ben talks about letting go of the desire to be right, the importance of engaging in conversations with people who disagree with you or hold different values, and how we should tackle our bad habits and behavioral problems at the unconscious level. Trying to destroy or create a habit is difficult or near impossible, and therefore Ben recommends replacing a bad habit with a good one and shifting your perspective from giving up something to gaining. He also answers questions about effective sleep tracking, the most relevant metrics, and the stress and recovery cycle that training produces. The Q&A wraps up with Ben sharing the value of internal strategies for stress management rather than resorting to external coping mechanisms.

Do not forget to visit our friends at BLUblox for the finest, most stylish blue-blocking eyewear available. Get 15% off my favorite blue-light-blocking glasses from BLUBlox at https://blublox.com/muscleintelligence using the code MUSCLE

Timestamps

• Hear about Ben's upcoming meat camp, the location, and his first job as a butcher. [2:40]
• Ben's stint of vegetarianism, his unhealthy diet, and debates about eating animals. [4:14]
• The advantages of having an in-person conversation with someone you disagree with. [7:42]
• Letting go of your need to be right and what David Hawkins can teach us in this regard. [8:45]
• The well-known book about attachment styles and why Ashleigh finds it problematic. [10:07]
• How Ben approaches his birthdays and what he'll be doing more of this year. [14:07]
• The value of being your own worst critic and continuously questioning and reflecting. [15:27]
• Objective versus process-oriented goals and why implementing daily habits is best. [16:51]
• Shifting the unconscious and replacing habits rather than trying to destroy or create them. [18:33]
• Why it is necessary to leverage the unconscious to change behavior. [19:51]
• Thoughts on sleep tracking, comparing your numbers, and how lifestyle plays a role. [21:42]
• How training is all about creating physical stress and then recovering as soon as possible. [23:43]
• Why the respiration rate is one of the most important – yet often overlooked – metrics. [25:25]
• Internal strategies for stress management versus resorting to external coping mechanisms. [27:22]
• The powerful opportunity there exists in making food and doing it with care and love. [31:01]
• An actionable tip for improving your glutes and building your lats while training. [32:52]
• Remembering that exercise execution is about moving toward the maximum challenge. [36:37]