The Health & Fitness Quiz Show

Why working out every other day has massive advantages, the problem with virtue signaling, how to choose your trade-offs for a fit – but not restrictive – life, and what your social media says about your relationship commitment.
ON OUR MINDS
A quote from Dr. Laura, "life is a trade-off," hit home for me. If we start thinking about our current level of fitness as a choice we've made (or a trade-off for something else) instead of just the result of bad luck or an aging body, then we'll have way more control over our circumstances.
The truth is, when we're not as strong, lean, or muscular as we'd like to be, it's usually because we've chosen to prioritize something else. Even if we *think* we haven't. So is there a way to put the emphasis back on the goal? And is the goal even worth it given the trade-offs or sacrifices?
QUIZ
1. How young will a face lift make you look? STUDY
2. What surprising food blood pressure? STUDY
3. Why do video games lead to life success? STUDY
4. What behavior indicates you're in a committed relationship? ARTICLE
5. What habit is a good indication of a bad personality? STUDY
NEWSFLASH
A new T-Nation.com article is making waves because it suggests that lifters over 40 ought not train consecutive days in a row. What are your thoughts? This perspective is a hard pill to swallow at first but in practice the advice has worked out well for both of us. Here are the five other rules that Coach Thibaudeau suggests in the article: 6 Rules for Over-40 Lifters
CART
Beat bloating and stomach upset with Atrantil: HERE
Pass the army fitness test and try Chris's new favorite exercise, the leg tuck: HERE

How to get and stay fit without making it your entire life (because that's kind of sad), the food that'll slow the aging process, the best personality trait for job success, and the nearly-instant fix for depression.
On Our Minds
Does dropping unhealthy habits and getting fit require a level of obsessiveness? We discuss this idea because changing your lifestyle can feel like a hurdle; one that requires constant diligence. Chris shares his solution to fitness without long-term fixation. But we're open to hearing other ideas for making fitness sustainable without making it cult-like and obsessive.
Quiz
1. DHA and Tumors: STUDY
2. Depression and Laughing Gas: STUDY
3. Hidden Kinks: ARTICLE
4. Best Character Traits: ARTICLE
5. First Sign of Burn-Out: ARTICLE
Bonus Note: We take a product called Flameout, which contains DHA, the essential fatty acid we discussed in the first question. Disclaimer: The company we work for makes it, but we don't make a commission by telling you about it. Get it here.
Newsflash
If telomere length and health affects the rate at which we age, wouldn't it be a good idea to make sure those are well maintained? You already know about the lifestyle habits that'll help you do so (adequate exercise, avoiding drug and alcohol addictions, getting sleep, tamping down inflammation) and luckily there are foods that'll help keep those telomeres healthy too. Here's a study on the one we talked about: STUDY
Shugart Cart
Hoarders on Netflix
Spices from Fire & Smoke Society: LINK

A discussion on "trusting the experts", what to do to increase muscle growth, the real way to beat stress, and the color that'll rev you up the most during workouts.
On Our Minds
What does "trust the experts" even mean when they turn out to be wrong later on or when experts disagree with one another? We get into it.
Quiz
• Stress, Thinking, and Petting Dogs: Study
• Hot Bath and Health: Study
• Pink Drinks: Study
• Sad Movies and Music: Study
• Married Sex: Study
Newsflash
Have you hit a muscle-growth plateau? Maybe you need to spend some time focusing on just strength in the lower rep ranges. Check out this article: You're Too Weak to Get Big
Cart
Dani's Cart: Mrs. Meyer's cleaning stuff, lotions, soap, etc.
Chris's Cart: Multi Collagen Protein, by Horbaach

The inside story about supplements, breaking news about mental health, and the only fun way to control your diet.
On Our Minds
There's nothing more controversial than supplements... at least in the world of fitness. And it's easy to see why. There are a lot of worthless products on the market that can't do what a healthy diet can do, and there are a lot of people looking for a quick fix rather than improving their nutrition and lifestyle.  But there are a lot of nutrients that you simply can't get (or can't get enough of) from food. And these nutrients are backed up by a lot of research. Fish oil, vitamin D, zinc, and iron are just a few examples.
Head over to Fitpantspodcast.com to see what specific supplements we take and why.
Quiz
This week's quiz is all about intelligence, mental health, happiness, and creativity. See if you can ace it like I did this week.
Here are the topics we covered and their studies or articles:
1. Talking to yourself: The Surprising Sign Of High Intelligence And Self-Control
2. Creatine and IQ: Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial.
3. Tetris and Trauma: Reducing intrusive memories of trauma using a visuospatial interference intervention with inpatients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
4. Pessimism and better weight loss: Psychological factors that promote behavior modification by obese patients
5. Creativity and Walks: Incentivizing the Creative Process: From Initial Quantity to Eventual Creativity
Newsflash
How does exercise affect your food choices? We've heard that cardio and weight training can both have an impact on the appetite. But what if the way we THOUGHT about our activities affected our food choices? According to a recent study... it does. Check it out:
"Is it fun or exercise? The framing of physical activity biases subsequent snacking"
We also discussed the training split that's said to tamp down the appetite the best: The Most Appetite-Suppressing Training Split
Shugart Cart
If you want to bring a little more fun to your workouts, grab a med ball and learn how to do wall balls. It can work as a great warm-up for your barbell squats, a nice finisher, or a form of metabolic conditioning. Here's where I got mine: Rogue Medicine Balls
And if you need to polish up on your technique, here's a cool video that'll help you get it right:
Wall Ball Tips
And Chris has an apron in his cart this week because he likes looking extra manly while making his protein popsicles and cookies. He's become a fan of the company, Hedley & Bennett, which makes fancy shmancy aprons. Check them out: HERE. And here's what it looks like in action: Chris's Protein Popsicles

The food that significantly drops testosterone, how cute animal pictures affect your feelings toward your significant other, the sex robot study, the story about CrossFit stalkers, and how your coworkers and friends could be ruining your nutrition.
On Our Minds
Chris shares an article from The Morning Chalk Up that's so creepy, he can't get it off his mind: ARTICLE
So we discuss that as well as the ins and outs of social media, why it's exhausting, and how fit pros use it.
Quiz
This week's quiz is partly on relationships, partly on sex, and partly on some disturbing things. See how you do! And if you want to take a closer look at any of the studies, here ya go!
• How cute animal pictures affect relationships and marriage: Study
• How people perceive those with erect nipples: Study
• How people react to receiving unsolicited D-Pics: Study
• Who's more likely to fall asleep right after sex: Study
• How women would feel about their spouses getting it on with sex robots: Study
Additional stuff we mentioned: Here's that (riveting) TV series called "Humans" which is about AI becoming conscious. And here's the story of the woman who wanted to marry her chandelier: "Woman Loves Her Chandelier So Much That She Names It Lumière And Gets Engaged To It"
Newsflash
We've got two studies this week. The first is from 2013 and it's about sugar's affect on testosterone. If you're trying to keep your testosterone at optimal levels, which is a wise choice for anyone who wants to be happy in life, then you might want to avoid consuming massive sugar bombs. STUDY
Shugart Cart
I've got Free and Clear Ty-D-Bol in my cart this week. It sounds lame, but everyone uses the toilet, and if you've got dogs or kids, you might want to opt for a cleaning agent that's not making them breathe in bleach.
I won't link to it on Amazon because you can find it at any store. Just be on the lookout for the stuff that lacks the harsh chemicals. Here's some more info on my concerns: "How Your Housecleaning Products Can Be Bad for Your Lungs"
And Chris has cable machine attachment handles in his cart this week. You can find them on Amazon. HERE
Outtakes
If you stuck around for this final bit of the show, we terribly attempted to sing bits and pieces of Total Eclipse of The Heart by Bonnie Tyler. Here's the original video: VIDEO
There's no other word for it than... creepy. I'd love to see her do a commentary on it while it's playing because she'd probably feel the same.

The easiest way to slow aging, our experience with covid, flying poo particles, broken heart cures, and more!
On Our Minds
We finally caught the virus everyone's been talking about. So here's how long science says we'll be immune to it: STUDY
And here's what researchers say about how long your immunity lasts should you choose to get the jab: INFO
There's so much contradicting info that we'll be the first to admit that we know nothing... except that sunlight appears to helpful in fighting it and your odds of surviving it are better if you have a healthy body weight. STUDY, STUDY. But we're still stoked to have earned some antibodies for now. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and all that stuff.
Quiz
How well have you been paying attention to health news? This week's quiz is a hodgepodge of all things health. Here are the topics we discuss and where you can go to take a closer look:
• Particulates in the air: Info Bonus: Here's the image of the poo particles flying out of a toilet as it flushes: Image/Article
• Stubborn belly fat: Info
• Most effective glute exercises: Info
• Broken heart syndrome: Info Bonus: Here's the story about the retired sheriff and his dog who die on the same day: Story
• The diet that lowers libido: Info
Newsflash
Ever wonder what you can do to slow the aging process? It seems like anti-aging is more about what you avoid (smoking, excessive drinking, eating poorly, losing sleep) than what you actively do for prevention. But one study shows that there's something you CAN do to slow the aging process. STUDY It has to do with taking EPA and DHA, which are the major nutrients in fish oil. We discuss how much is actually needed and how it affects telomere length.
It turns out, telomere length has a LOT to do with the aging process, but not a lot of people know what telomeres even are. This article breaks it down: Article
Chris briefly mentions the fish oil we take. Check it out HERE. We don't make a commission, but just wanted to share what we use.
Shugart Cart
I've got another fizzy water in my cart this week. It's from Spindrift and it has just a skosh of juice in it. Chris has an app in his cart this week. It's the Food Network cooking app and you can find it here: App

What happens when nutrition advice goes woke? The unhealthy dish out bad advice. We talk about one eye-rolling example, then get into the cognitive effects of steroid use and some really weird places to get horny.
On Our Minds (1:37)
We discuss the cookbook (diet book?) we've been working on for those who want lean, muscular bodies. Then we address an article about a cookbook author who seems to believe that those who lower the fat or carbs in a recipe are fat-phobic. Check out both the article about her and the article she wrote: Here and Here
Quiz (15:47)
This week's quiz is all about the weird stuff that turns people on. Check out the survey here: SURVEY. Chris also discusses the most attractive quality people look for in a partner. Here's the link for that.
Newsflash (25:40)
We've got two studies: the first is on testosterone and brain health, and the second is on the best time to do cardio if your main goal is fat loss. Click here for the first study. And here for the second study.
Shugart Cart (34:39)
If you need a gym or travel bag, check out this one from Calpak: HERE. It's been a game-changer and actually makes it more fun to go to the gym. And if you like to make breaded stuff like homemade chicken nuggets (our favorite) you're going to want to check out this Panko replacement: PÖRQ Artisanal Pork Rinds Panko Crumbs.

On Our Minds (0:48)
We start with a correction on last week's one-kettlebell workout, an update on the tuna at Subway, and a promotion for my (Dani's) new T-Nation article: How Fat Are You? Let's Find Out!
Plus, we get into some deadlifting strength standards, and why my one rep max has stalled out... but I'm not sure if I should care.
Quiz (12:08)
This week's quiz is all about the edgy terminology young, single people use when they're talking about dating and sex.
Is it raunchy? Yes. Will it make you want to date young, hip people? Probably not.
Newsflash (20:03)
Many fitness pros advise against partial reps. Are they right to do so? One study says, heck no.  And if there's a muscle group you've been wanting to build, you might want to start fitting them into your workouts. Hear how participants actually gained a significant amount of muscle mass on their triceps by using partials. Check out the study: HERE
Shugart Cart (28:32)
Healthy homemade food isn't just for humans. Make it for your dogs too! Next time you're at the store, grab some ground turkey, flax meal, carrots, and a few other things. I've got the recipe for a doggy meatloaf and your fur babies are going to love it.
Turns out, Chris is a stabby guy sometimes. He's got a knife recommendation that'll blow your mind... especially if you've got strong lats. Check out the Uwak Pikal: HERE
Bloopers and Other Silliness (35:52)
Got questions, comments, ideas, or feedback? Find us on social! Chris is most active on Twitter, Dani's most active on Instagram. Or head over to fitpantspodcast.com to leave a comment and see the full show notes!

On Our Minds (0:42)
If you only had one kettlebell or dumbbell, could you figure out a way to have a great workout? We share what we'd do and talk about Coach Dan John's epic article from 2004, The One Dumbbell Workout. Also... check out the model in those old photos. (It's Chris!)
Quiz (11:48)
This week's quiz is a hodgepodge of health and relationship science. If you'd like to take a closer look at the topics we discussed, here they are:
• Spouses and TV Time
• Spoiled Pets
• Brain Health
• Refractory Between Erections
• Steroids in Your 20s
Newsflash (22:13)
Is it time to swap out the probiotics for avocados? A new study shows that this awesome vegetable (a fruit, really) promotes healthy gut bacteria... AND the extra calories you get from it appear to get pooped right out. Here's the study.
Shugart Cart (27:04)
Let's go on a diet: A social media diet. You don't have to stay off completely, just trim the excess and see what happens to your productivity, creativity, time management, and life enjoyment. But be ware, when Facebook finds out you're decreasing your time on the app, they'll start pestering you in dubious ways.
And boners are fun. So Chris has a recommendation for a supplement that doesn't just ramp up the potential for stronger erections, it also helps with prostate health and prevention of urinary tract infections. Check out his recommendation for P-Well.
Bloopers and Other Silliness (38:44)
Got questions, comments, ideas, or feedback? Find us on social! Chris is most active on Twitter, Dani's most active on Instagram. Or head over to fitpantspodcast.com to leave a comment and see the full show notes!

On Our Minds (0:45)
Do we need to make our future selves disabled in order to prove how "hardcore" we are now? We dive into this topic and discuss solutions for getting off what Seth Godin calls the hedonic treadmill. Listen here.
We also talked about how dopamine affects motivation and why that could be the reason people continue chasing goals and letting those goals wreck them. Here's a scholarly article on dopamine.
Quiz (11:50)
This one's on all things food, fat loss, romance, and more. Here's a closer look at each topic:
• Beans and Waistlines
•  The 7 Year Itch
• Tuna At Subway
• Fish Fake-Outs
• Condomless Sex
• Kettlebell Swings and Calories Burned
As promised, here's a link to Coach Dan John's articles: Click here.
Newsflash (24:15)
Don't toss out your egg yolks.... like... ever again. One study shows that they can increase testosterone, reduce body fat, and increase anaerobic power. Could this be the new performance-enhancing, physique-improving drug? More here.
Shugart Cart (31:15)
You could be putting chocolate chips in your face every day. The "Bake Believe" brand makes some killer sugar-free, low-ish carb chocolate chips. Use their site to find a location that sells them in your area. Here it is.
And if you're craving a cold dessert, find out how to make protein pops... because that's what REAL men do. Apparently.
Bloopers and Other Silliness (35:56)
Got questions, comments, ideas, or feedback? Find us on social! Chris is most active on Twitter, Dani's most active on Instagram. Or head over to fitpantspodcast.com to leave a comment and see the full show notes!