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

With so many different theories on how to lose weight, it is hard to know what to trust when trying to shed those pounds. Dr. Bill Campbell, our guest today, is an expert in the field of weight loss and he is here to share a whole of that expertise with you! Based in Tampa Bay, he works at the University of South Florida and his research and lab work at the college is precisely around what does and does not work with regards to losing weight. He has a wealth of information about optimizing body composition and the insights he shares in this episode are truly remarkable. We discuss diet breaks, the hormonal effects of dieting, what we really should be doing and more! If you do not already, it is highly recommended to follow him on Instagram as he shares informative posts daily on the subject! Dr. Campbell does a great job of helping us properly understand the metabolic process and how it can be measured, why macros are the biggest piece of the weight-loss pie and how diet refeeds measure up against other strategies.

Don't forget to go check out our amazing show sponsors, chiliPAD for the best sleep-cooling solutions on the market! Visit https://www.chilitechnology.com/ and use the code 'muscle' at checkout for a great discount today!

Timestamps

• The focus on female weight-loss at Dr. Campbell's lab and the study that kicked this off. [5:45]
• Diet re-feed studies and the differing results that Dr. Campbell noticed. [11:12]
• Why Dr. Campbell insisted on simple designs for these studies. [14:06]
• Finding subjects for the studies; the investment in the education process. [17:13]
• The choice to focus on the female body; practical concerns around compliance. [24:25]
• Dr. Campbell's dream research study and what he would pursue with no limits. [26:02]
• What happens in our bodies, metabolically, during a period of diet. [30:30]
• The possible effects of breathing and HRV on the state of fat loss. [34:40]
• The number one variable that Dr. Campbell wants control over in his idea study. [38:22]
• Avoiding crash diets and why Dr. Campbell is still designing rapid fat loss diet studies. [40:35]
• Which aspect of a diet study to realistically standardize for best results. [46:28]
• How Dr. Campbell got into the study of physique and weight loss. [48:28]
• Dr. Campbell's dissertation on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, mTor, and leucine. [53:55]
• Possible studies for the future and why Dr. Campbell plans to stay in the female lane. [56:12]
• The three principles for the best, highest weight loss from our guest. [56:66]
• How we properly define a metabolic rate; oxygen consumption and calorie burning. [59:17]
• Fasting and creating a caloric deficit to achieve weight loss. [1:03:23]

With so many different theories on how to lose weight, it is hard to know what to trust when trying to shed those pounds. Dr. Bill Campbell, our guest today, is an expert in the field of weight loss and he is here to share a whole of that expertise with you! Based in Tampa Bay, he works at the University of South Florida and his research and lab work at the college is precisely around what does and does not work with regards to losing weight. He has a wealth of information about optimizing body composition and the insights he shares in this episode are truly remarkable. We discuss diet breaks, the hormonal effects of dieting, what we really should be doing and more! If you do not already, it is highly recommended to follow him on Instagram as he shares informative posts daily on the subject! Dr. Campbell does a great job of helping us properly understand the metabolic process and how it can be measured, why macros are the biggest piece of the weight-loss pie and how diet refeeds measure up against other strategies.

Don't forget to go check out our amazing show sponsors, chiliPAD for the best sleep-cooling solutions on the market! Visit https://www.chilitechnology.com/ and use the code 'muscle' at checkout for a great discount today!

Timestamps

• The focus on female weight-loss at Dr. Campbell's lab and the study that kicked this off. [5:45]
• Diet re-feed studies and the differing results that Dr. Campbell noticed. [11:12]
• Why Dr. Campbell insisted on simple designs for these studies. [14:06]
• Finding subjects for the studies; the investment in the education process. [17:13]
• The choice to focus on the female body; practical concerns around compliance. [24:25]
• Dr. Campbell's dream research study and what he would pursue with no limits. [26:02]
• What happens in our bodies, metabolically, during a period of diet. [30:30]
• The possible effects of breathing and HRV on the state of fat loss. [34:40]
• The number one variable that Dr. Campbell wants control over in his idea study. [38:22]
• Avoiding crash diets and why Dr. Campbell is still designing rapid fat loss diet studies. [40:35]
• Which aspect of a diet study to realistically standardize for best results. [46:28]
• How Dr. Campbell got into the study of physique and weight loss. [48:28]
• Dr. Campbell's dissertation on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, mTor, and leucine. [53:55]
• Possible studies for the future and why Dr. Campbell plans to stay in the female lane. [56:12]
• The three principles for the best, highest weight loss from our guest. [56:66]
• How we properly define a metabolic rate; oxygen consumption and calorie burning. [59:17]
• Fasting and creating a caloric deficit to achieve weight loss. [1:03:23]

Placing high up in one or two bodybuilding contests is one thing, but competing in 77 shows over 12 years is just insanely impressive! It was an absolute privilege to have a man who achieved this amazing feat and a whole lot more on the show today. His name is Milos Sarcev, and possibly one of the most aesthetically pleasing physiques to ever walk the earth. Milos is one of Ben's biggest mentors and certainly one of the hardest working athletes our host has ever worked with.

Today, Milos talks about his radical devotion to building muscle, which involved obsessive journaling and massive intakes of protein offset by equally extreme workouts. Milos was able to maintain perfect condition in each one of his 77 competitions, and today he shares some of what it took to achieve that, including his unique approach to hyperemia. We also hear from Milos about how he took Hidetada Yamagishi to Mr. Olympia in spite of wide skepticism through the use of his brutal training schedules. If you couldn't keep up with Milos back then, he would simply kick you out of the gym. We also talk about our upcoming muscle camps which will combine Milos's giant sets with Ben's form focussed styles, a combination that will no doubt lead to mind-blowing shifts in the way you think about working out.

Today's show is brought to you by BLUblox. Use the code 'muscleintelligence' on their website to get 15% off your first order!

Timestamps

• An introduction to Milos and his obsessive approach to building muscle. [00:17]
• Details on the camps Ben and Milos will run in Bali, Australia, and Dubai. [02:02]
• Milos's idols and why he thinks anybody would want a great physique. [8:36]
• A background to Milos's attention to detail involving diet, workouts, and competitions. [11:37]
• Specific dietary practices such as eating over 450 grams of protein daily. [16:24]
• Protein intake quantity regulations relative to genetics. [19:03]
• How Milos's radical workouts allowed for his huge protein intake. [22:16]
• The story of Milos training Hidetada Yamagishi, who went on to be a huge success. [22:58]
• How Milos achieved all his bodybuilding goals through his five-year plan. [25:02]
• Milos's hyperemia advantage theory involving amino acid intake and blood circulation. [29:08]
• How Milos was so devoted to working out that he would kick people out of gyms. [34:32]
• Carb intakes in Milos's hyperemia workouts during and post-workout. [37:38]
• The intense training principles that Milos will apply in the upcoming muscle camps. [42:29]
• How the camps will be structured combining Ben and Milos's approaches. [47:13]
• Ben's aim to focus on heart rate, sleep, and the autonomic nervous system. [51:22]
• The value of good health and the great condition Milos is in relative to his age. [53:37]
• A secret code you can use to get $200 off of a four-day camp in Australia or Bali. [54:53]
• How to achieve any goal by envisioning greatness. [57:37]

Placing high up in one or two bodybuilding contests is one thing, but competing in 77 shows over 12 years is just insanely impressive! It was an absolute privilege to have a man who achieved this amazing feat and a whole lot more on the show today. His name is Milos Sarcev, and possibly one of the most aesthetically pleasing physiques to ever walk the earth. Milos is one of Ben’s biggest mentors and certainly one of the hardest working athletes our host has ever worked with.

Today, Milos talks about his radical devotion to building muscle, which involved obsessive journaling and massive intakes of protein offset by equally extreme workouts. Milos was able to maintain perfect condition in each one of his 77 competitions, and today he shares some of what it took to achieve that, including his unique approach to hyperemia. We also hear from Milos about how he took Hidetada Yamagishi to Mr. Olympia in spite of wide skepticism through the use of his brutal training schedules. If you couldn't keep up with Milos back then, he would simply kick you out of the gym. We also talk about our upcoming muscle camps which will combine Milos’s giant sets with Ben’s form focussed styles, a combination that will no doubt lead to mind-blowing shifts in the way you think about working out.

Today's show is brought to you by BLUblox. Use the code ‘muscleintelligence’ on their website to get 15% off your first order!

Timestamps

• An introduction to Milos and his obsessive approach to building muscle. [00:17]
• Details on the camps Ben and Milos will run in Bali, Australia, and Dubai. [02:02]
• Milos’s idols and why he thinks anybody would want a great physique. [8:36]
• A background to Milos’s attention to detail involving diet, workouts, and competitions. [11:37]
• Specific dietary practices such as eating over 450 grams of protein daily. [16:24]
• Protein intake quantity regulations relative to genetics. [19:03]
• How Milos’s radical workouts allowed for his huge protein intake. [22:16]
• The story of Milos training Hidetada Yamagishi, who went on to be a huge success. [22:58]
• How Milos achieved all his bodybuilding goals through his five-year plan. [25:02]
• Milos’s hyperemia advantage theory involving amino acid intake and blood circulation. [29:08]
• How Milos was so devoted to working out that he would kick people out of gyms. [34:32]
• Carb intakes in Milos’s hyperemia workouts during and post-workout. [37:38]
• The intense training principles that Milos will apply in the upcoming muscle camps. [42:29]
• How the camps will be structured combining Ben and Milos’s approaches. [47:13]
• Ben’s aim to focus on heart rate, sleep, and the autonomic nervous system. [51:22]
• The value of good health and the great condition Milos is in relative to his age. [53:37]
• A secret code you can use to get $200 off of a four-day camp in Australia or Bali. [54:53]
• How to achieve any goal by envisioning greatness. [57:37]

Joy and progress do not just happen out of nowhere. They take planning, preparation, and steady, hard work. Today Ashleigh and Ben are here to remind you of the importance of this kind of commitment and use this Q&A session to really drill down and what can help you succeed in fitness and beyond. They talk about morning routines, mindfulness, intentionality and more! The ability to say no to some things can make all the difference in your long-term success, as will setting these horizon goals that you can slowly work towards. The discussion also covers attitude and how the enjoyment of difficulty can determine your success and capability later on. Ben talks about the importance of increasing testosterone and dopamine in a world that seems set on depleting your stores of these important parts of physiology. It is through these that we can remain motivated, committed and energetic; all the things we need to have lasting success.

Remember to go check out blublox.com and use the code 'muscle' for your 15% discount on the best blue-blocking eyewear on the market!

Timestamps

• Learning to say no and focus on one thing rather than more than you can handle. [2:26]
• Morning routines, gratitude and the feeling of being alive and committed. [09:50]
• Intentional work towards a long-term goal instead of mindless action. [12:41]
• Planning joy, starting your day in the right way and the difference this can make. [15:45]
• How finding joy in difficult activities can define how successful you are subsequently. [20:49]
• Increasing testosterone and dopamine for motivation and energy levels. [22:50]
• Changing habits and making conscious decisions about our daily rituals. [29:01]
• A special review from Keith about the podcast what he loves about it! [35:31]
• Up-regulating and getting out of the more lethargic physical and mental states. [39:37]

Joy and progress do not just happen out of nowhere. They take planning, preparation, and steady, hard work. Today Ashleigh and Ben are here to remind you of the importance of this kind of commitment and use this Q&A session to really drill down and what can help you succeed in fitness and beyond. They talk about morning routines, mindfulness, intentionality and more! The ability to say no to some things can make all the difference in your long-term success, as will setting these horizon goals that you can slowly work towards. The discussion also covers attitude and how the enjoyment of difficulty can determine your success and capability later on. Ben talks about the importance of increasing testosterone and dopamine in a world that seems set on depleting your stores of these important parts of physiology. It is through these that we can remain motivated, committed and energetic; all the things we need to have lasting success.

Remember to go check out blublox.com and use the code 'muscle' for your 15% discount on the best blue-blocking eyewear on the market!

Timestamps

• Learning to say no and focus on one thing rather than more than you can handle. [2:26]
• Morning routines, gratitude and the feeling of being alive and committed. [09:50]
• Intentional work towards a long-term goal instead of mindless action. [12:41]
• Planning joy, starting your day in the right way and the difference this can make. [15:45]
• How finding joy in difficult activities can define how successful you are subsequently. [20:49]
• Increasing testosterone and dopamine for motivation and energy levels. [22:50]
• Changing habits and making conscious decisions about our daily rituals. [29:01]
• A special review from Keith about the podcast what he loves about it! [35:31]
• Up-regulating and getting out of the more lethargic physical and mental states. [39:37]

Today we are doing a scientific deep-dive into the mechanisms of muscle building and how to optimize muscle building in the least amount of time. Joining us to share his knowledge on the topic is Dr. Jeremy Loenneke, who talks to us about what happens when a muscle is lifted, what triggers and blunts the muscle-building response, and how we can maximize muscle building. For him, rest and recovery between workouts are vital in building muscle, and he shares around the overemphasis on constant training in our contemporary fitness culture. We shift to talking about the latest developments in the blood flow restriction space and Dr. Loenneke explains the relationship between blood flow restriction and muscle gains. What emerges strongly from our conversation is the care that should be taken in scientific research, especially as it pertains to random error. Sometimes the muscle-building discrepancies that are observed among different people are not as clear-cut as research shows — there are variables and random noise that affect outcomes. Join us to also hear more about myokines, the role of cortisol and antioxidants in muscle gains, incorporating fast and slow-twitch training, genetic factors, and the exciting studies they are currently working on.

Remember to head over to blublox.com/muscleintelligence to claim your 15% discount from BLUblox by using the code "muscle".

Timestamps

• The three mechanisms for stimulating hypertrophy and the relevance of each. [3:02]
• A brief description of what myokines entail. [5:54]
• Best dietary and environmental practices to avoid negating muscle-building responses. [7:29]
• The role of cortisol and antioxidants in blunting or contributing to muscle adaptation. [12:22]
• Differentiating between fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle recruitment training. [13:48]
• Training to optimize intermediate fibers and transitioning from type 1 to type 2. [16:19]
• The biggest mistakes people are making in their attempt to build muscle. [18:54]
• Thoughts on plateauing and accepting it as a natural consequence of training. [21:45]
• New developments in the blood flow restriction space and why it leads to muscle gain. [23:15]
• How genetics impacts muscle building and why there is a discrepancy among people. [27:31]
• The importance of considering random error in comparing muscle building. [29:59]
• Is it possible for us to improve satellite cell translation? And if so, how? [34:48]
• The potential problems that might occur if you fail to account for random error. [37:22]
• Testing whether there is a point where load becomes so low that blood restriction is required. [39:03]
• A study to discover whether people can be conditioned to recognize the right amount of pressure on the body. [43:55]

Today we are doing a scientific deep-dive into the mechanisms of muscle building and how to optimize muscle building in the least amount of time. Joining us to share his knowledge on the topic is Dr. Jeremy Loenneke, who talks to us about what happens when a muscle is lifted, what triggers and blunts the muscle-building response, and how we can maximize muscle building. For him, rest and recovery between workouts are vital in building muscle, and he shares around the overemphasis on constant training in our contemporary fitness culture. We shift to talking about the latest developments in the blood flow restriction space and Dr. Loenneke explains the relationship between blood flow restriction and muscle gains. What emerges strongly from our conversation is the care that should be taken in scientific research, especially as it pertains to random error. Sometimes the muscle-building discrepancies that are observed among different people are not as clear-cut as research shows — there are variables and random noise that affect outcomes. Join us to also hear more about myokines, the role of cortisol and antioxidants in muscle gains, incorporating fast and slow-twitch training, genetic factors, and the exciting studies they are currently working on.

Remember to head over to blublox.com/muscleintelligence to claim your 15% discount from BLUblox by using the code “muscle”.

Timestamps

• The three mechanisms for stimulating hypertrophy and the relevance of each. [3:02]
• A brief description of what myokines entail. [5:54]
• Best dietary and environmental practices to avoid negating muscle-building responses. [7:29]
• The role of cortisol and antioxidants in blunting or contributing to muscle adaptation. [12:22]
• Differentiating between fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle recruitment training. [13:48]
• Training to optimize intermediate fibers and transitioning from type 1 to type 2. [16:19] 
• The biggest mistakes people are making in their attempt to build muscle. [18:54]
• Thoughts on plateauing and accepting it as a natural consequence of training. [21:45]
• New developments in the blood flow restriction space and why it leads to muscle gain. [23:15]
• How genetics impacts muscle building and why there is a discrepancy among people. [27:31]
• The importance of considering random error in comparing muscle building. [29:59]
• Is it possible for us to improve satellite cell translation? And if so, how? [34:48]
• The potential problems that might occur if you fail to account for random error. [37:22]
• Testing whether there is a point where load becomes so low that blood restriction is required. [39:03]
• A study to discover whether people can be conditioned to recognize the right amount of pressure on the body. [43:55]

Today on the show we have a Q&A session with fitness coach, Chris Spearman. Chris and Ben take this opportunity to share some of the things that they have had on their minds and been talking about in their time together recently. They discuss the idea of community building towards a common goal, aims that reach beyond your personal ambitions and how to be of best service to all those around you.

This ties into the conversation about entrepreneurship and online business and how to set yourself apart from the many others that might be trying to do something similar to you in the online space. From there, Ben and Chris segue into a section on mindfulness, meditation, and Dharma before underlying the importance of clear expectations and communication. The last part of the episode is spent considering the place of money in this discussion and how impact and empowerment can trump financial gains when positioned correctly. Remember to visit out great show sponsor BLUblox for the best range of blue-light blocking eyewear available and receive a 15% discount when you use the code 'muscle' at checkout!

Timestamps

• Building a tight-knit circle of expertise and authenticity around yourself. [1:23]
• Adjusting identities and working hard for something beyond the immediate. [9:48]
• Ben's lifelong goal to help and love people around him. [16:53]
• How to separate yourself as an online business coach or entrepreneur. [21:21]
• The neuroscience behind meditation and mindfulness practices. [26:35]
• Clearly defining expectations at the beginning of any kind of relationship. [31:13]
• Language, communication and opening the door to better conversations. [37:29]
• Money mindsets the influence of our thoughts and speech. [44:18]
• Impact and empowerment; the best service and value to those around you. [47:19]
• Redirecting negativity and animosity into something positive and transformative. [54:17]

Today on the show we have a Q&A session with fitness coach, Chris Spearman. Chris and Ben take this opportunity to share some of the things that they have had on their minds and been talking about in their time together recently. They discuss the idea of community building towards a common goal, aims that reach beyond your personal ambitions and how to be of best service to all those around you.

This ties into the conversation about entrepreneurship and online business and how to set yourself apart from the many others that might be trying to do something similar to you in the online space. From there, Ben and Chris segue into a section on mindfulness, meditation, and Dharma before underlying the importance of clear expectations and communication. The last part of the episode is spent considering the place of money in this discussion and how impact and empowerment can trump financial gains when positioned correctly. Remember to visit out great show sponsor BLUblox for the best range of blue-light blocking eyewear available and receive a 15% discount when you use the code 'muscle' at checkout!

Timestamps

• Building a tight-knit circle of expertise and authenticity around yourself. [1:23]
• Adjusting identities and working hard for something beyond the immediate. [9:48]
• Ben's lifelong goal to help and love people around him. [16:53]
• How to separate yourself as an online business coach or entrepreneur. [21:21]
• The neuroscience behind meditation and mindfulness practices. [26:35]
• Clearly defining expectations at the beginning of any kind of relationship. [31:13]
• Language, communication and opening the door to better conversations. [37:29]
• Money mindsets the influence of our thoughts and speech. [44:18]
• Impact and empowerment; the best service and value to those around you. [47:19]
• Redirecting negativity and animosity into something positive and transformative. [54:17]