How to Eat Carbs for Muscle Gains and Fat Loss (The Full Breakdown) | Mind Pump 2879

Key Takeaway

Start bookending your workouts with carbohydrates—eat them 1-2 hours before training for energy and immediately after for optimal recovery. This strategic timing maximizes insulin sensitivity, reduces energy crashes, and helps you feel great while supporting muscle growth. Focus on easily digestible sources like white rice, potatoes, and fruit rather than heavy breads or processed carbs that cause bloating.

Episode Overview

The Mind Pump hosts discuss the science and strategy of carbohydrate consumption for muscle gain, strength, and fat loss. They explore why carbs aren't essential but are highly beneficial, how to determine your optimal carb intake, the importance of timing and digestibility, and conclude with a surprising discussion about PDE5 inhibitors (Viagra/Cialis) and their emerging health benefits beyond erectile function.

Full Transcript

Transcript of How to Eat Carbs for Muscle Gains and Fat Loss (The Full Breakdown) | Mind Pump 2879 from Mind Pump Show. Auto-generated from episode audio; may contain minor errors.

All right, we're going to talk about carbs, carbohydrates, how you can eat them them them for muscle gains, strength, and for fat loss. We're going to give you the breakdown on your favorite foods. Let's talk about it. Let's go. Yeah, don't skip the carbs. Yes. Yes. Yes. Pro-carb. Pro-carb. Pro-carb. They're carbs are it's a such an interesting um interesting um interesting um it was so interesting getting the fitness industry in the '90s and then watching the evolution of how people look at carbohydrates in the early 2000s and then today.

real quick. real quick. real quick. Yeah, it was uh you know, in the '80s, '90s, uh fat was demonized, so everything everything everything uh was higher carbohydrate. I will say it's a better movement than that. that. that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, cuz we don't need the carbs. carbs. carbs. Right, right, non-essential. No, but I remember this this uh like it was yesterday. Like uh you know, they come out with a book um on eating a very high-fat diet, no carbohydrate. Um Atkins was the was the doctor that wrote the book.

And because it was so opposite from what everybody had been told, which you got to be don't don't eat fat. Fat's bad for you. He's like, "No, you eat all the fat you want, just don't eat carbs." Uh and it completely flipped the script, and then people became afraid of carbs. Um and so it's very interesting when you talk about carbohydrates, how people's opinions vary. opinions vary. opinions vary. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. When you talk about when you talk to athletes or bodybuilders, they'll have varying varying opinions.

People still have fear around carbohydrates or maybe confusion around carbohydrates. So, I think it's good that we talk about them. The first thing you you know, you said it, Adam, was that they aren't It's true that they're not essential. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There are three macronutrients. So, macro meaning large, micronutrients are things like vitamins and minerals, but macronutrients are proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. carbohydrates. carbohydrates. And there's three of them in food. Only carbohydrates are non-essential, meaning you you you can You can survive. survive without ever eating a single carbohydrate.

Your body doesn't need them. Now, protein, your body needs. There are what are known as essential amino acids. Your body needs to get them uh from an outside source. And then there are what are known as essential fatty acids or fats. You need to get them from an outside source. In other words, you can eat 10,000 calories a day but if you don't have protein or you don't have fat, you'll die. Uh carbohydrates again are not essential. So that gives us more flexibility around carbohydrates but I will say this, they are in many cases beneficial.

So just because they're not essential does not mean they aren't beneficial or does not mean it's better to go without them. I think people have made that argument that because they're not essential not essential not essential then don't eat them but lots of data shows that they are beneficial for a lot of different reasons. Even outside of like the reasons I think you're going to list which when it comes to like performance and things like that. Like I think that uh uh uh just just just lifestyle.

lifestyle. lifestyle. Yeah, mood. Yeah, mood. Yeah, mood. The the reason why I could never get fully behind like the no carb movement is cuz there's way too many foods that I enjoy that I want to be I don't want to you eliminate it become ultra sensitive to it. So that's one of the things they don't talk about either. It's like if you decide you're going to go no carb and that's going to be the way you're going to live then when you do occasionally if you ever do have a birthday cake or do things like that, boy the way you respond is so different than somebody who has actually allowed carbohydrates to stay in their diet on a regular basis.

And so you then you have these crazy swings and so to eliminate it completely and to be ultra sensitive to to having any at all, I've never thought it was a great is there's this paradox. I believe it was Dr. Mercola who early on was an advocate for like no carbohydrate diets. Later, he started advising his no carbohydrate clients to include a day with carbohydrates cuz there's this paradoxical thing that happens when you avoid carbs too long your insulin sensitivity gets worse. Mhm. Right. Mhm. Right.

Mhm. Right. Initially it improves. So you'll improve your insulin sensitivity avoid avoiding carbohydrates. But over long periods of time, you can actually cause yourself to have some issues um by avoiding carbohydrates to the tune of worse of worse of worse Oh, they don't talk about that enough with the carnivore diet people. Yeah, it's definitely it's definitely it's definitely and I've seen this with clients, too. Like have been, you know, deprived of carbohydrates way too long and then, you know, it's insulin resistance, you know, comes up.

Yeah, and there's also some And then they have a hard swing the other way. And they go off the rails cuz that's the other part of the behavioral piece of this is the other part that's like very few people can live the rest of their life eliminating a a macro completely. completely. completely. Forever. Forever. Forever. Yeah, forever. Just it's unrealistic for most people. Understandable if you have a a a special condition that forces you to do that and that the only way you're healthy. Under- That's different.

But for general people It's actually the first medical diet is a no carbohydrate diet. So, the original ketogenic diet which is different than the ones that people do now, but it was very high fat. Very strict. It was actually low protein. So, you ate it what was called essential protein and there were zero zero zero carbohydrates and it was to treat epilepsy. It's one of the first, if not the first Isn't it recommended for cancer, also? Uh in some cases, people can do it and it has a beneficial effect [clears throat] [clears throat] [clears throat] known as the Warburg effect where cancer cells can't cells can't cells can't uh survive off of ketones like normal cells.

Not true for all cancers. So, there's also been some myths around this that oh, if you just starve cancer cells by going ketogenic. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. First off, uh your your cancer cells can take proteins and turn them into glucose. glucose. glucose. But number two, they we have found that there are some cancer cells that seem to not be affected. So, it's not a cure-all. cure-all. cure-all. what cancers it is? I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't know. I just know it's not a cure-all um in that case.

But in some cases, might actually be actually be actually be um a um a um a What's your theory You have a theory on why certain cancers so, but not others? Cancer, I mean, we're going a little off here, but it's very complex. We we label one thing cancer as but it's a lot of different different different uh dysfunctions um that look similar in terms of you know cells that just continue to to divide and replicate. But one cancer can be very different from another and how it responds to So it's probably so hard to treat.

Okay. Okay. Okay. That's why they can be so hard to treat. Interesting. Interesting. Interesting. Yeah, yeah. So so carbohydrates are beneficial for many different reasons. Athletic performance, this is a fact. I really hate it when people try to make the case that you don't need carb or that if you go on a no carb diet you'll have the same athletic performance as if you had carbohydrates. carbohydrates. carbohydrates. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's That's That's So it's so proven to not be true. Athletic performance is better with carbohydrates.

You have more power, more explosive power and more strength. Now long steady state kind of stamina, like if you're going to go on a really like if you got if you're going to go on a really slow run for long long long distance or a long walk for long long distance we don't necessarily see a difference, but if you want strength or speed or power or the kind of endurance that requires strenuous immediate energy. Yeah. But even even even that Sal, I remember when we had a Zach Bitter Zach Bitter Zach Bitter Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. on the podcast who's an ultra marathon record holder. record holder. record holder. He's a fat adapted athlete. And yeah and he is a fat adapted athlete so he runs a ketogenic diet, right? Pretty much year round, but then he for race day he actually introduced carbohydrates. carbohydrates. carbohydrates. So even the ultra marathon person who's running long long distance like that still finds and and fat adapted, right? So already used to running on that system system system finds huge benefits from still utilizing carbs. carbs.

carbs. Right. Right. Right. When it comes to building muscle they help. They just help. That would I remember when we dabbled with the ketogenic diet um, on the podcast. It was usually year two or three. It might have been even one. Yeah, it was early. It was I know we were in the other studio, right? So, it was definitely in the first year or two. Uh, and it was going crazy, right? Everybody was talking about it. There's podcasts podcasts podcasts Oh, so many podcasts. Yeah, there's like a keto, whatever.

Yeah, keto everything and then Instagram handles, all all the things, right? It was the it was definitely the rave, all the rave, right? So, anyways, we did it. And I was right in the middle of uh, I just been I think I had just either stopped bodybuilding or I was in the middle of middle of middle of that I can't remember. But, I was like peak size. I was 240 lb and like eating 5,000 cal. And then I switch over this. And I just for the life of me, I couldn't feed enough to to build muscle.

I mean, it was I I found it great if you wanted to just lose cuz I I could I kept I felt I filled up so quick. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. And then my performance in the gym was like horrible. I mean, I just I felt flat. I couldn't have the motivation to lift. Like the the pumps were terrible. Like it was just it was tough for somebody who is trying to build muscle to run that diet. Now, I'm not saying it's not possible. There's always an example of somebody who is the You can still build muscle on it, but you can typically would build more and more effectively with some carbohydrates in your diet.

It's just building muscle is already difficult. difficult. difficult. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. It it takes discipline and planning and consistency. consistency. consistency. Uh, and so it just adds a layer of complexity to that process. It's like already something difficult for a lot of people to do is to go out go build 5 10 lb of muscle. It's just not easy for a lot of people. Do it now with without a very, you know, beneficial macronutrient like carbohydrates is good luck. luck. luck. Right. And what we also see with no carbohydrate diets is they can affect hormones negatively.

So, we see this in people on prolonged no carbohydrate diets. So, women tend to be more sensitive to this than men, but both of them. Now, that being said, because carbohydrates are not essential and there are individual variances to how people feel eating them, you have flexibility with them. So, we're not we're basically saying no carbohydrates probably not a good idea, but you can go on the lower end or the higher end. Sure. Sure. Sure. And some people do better on the lower end and some people do better on the higher end.

And the only way to know is for you to test this out yourself. And the carbohydrate you want to trade this with, in other words, if I drop my carbs, I'll typically increase my fats to make up the difference. And if I drop my fats, I'll increase my carbohydrates. Now, one caveat is don't go below a certain amount of fat, essential fat, but if you look that up, it's going to be lower than what I typically recommend. I don't like women going below 65-70 g and men going below 85-90 g.

85-90 g. 85-90 g. So, if you gain that much fat, you can bump your carbs. And if you lower the carbs, you can bump your fats. Don't go I typically do not like people going below 100 g of carbohydrates. I think 100 g is pretty low. pretty low. pretty low. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't like people going lower than that, that, that, but you could go as high as whatever your calories will allow. And the way to know know know which one works better for you is to is to test this out.

And you could test this out on a week or on a day. And what you're looking for are things like energy, satiety, mood, do I have fluctuations in energy, and then my performance in the gym. Also, all MAPS workout programs and all bundles, 40% off right now for the summer. 40% off across the board. Go to mapsfitnessproducts.com, use the code summer40 for the discount. All right, real quick. If you love us like we love you, why not show it by rocking one of our shirts, hats, mugs, or training gear over at mindpumpstore.com.

mindpumpstore.com. mindpumpstore.com. I'm talking right now. Hit pause, head on over to mindpumpstore.com. That's it. Enjoy the rest of the show. [snorts] [snorts] And I've had I've trained enough clients, and I know you guys have as well, where I've had clients that do really well with higher carbohydrates. They just feel the best. Then I have other clients that just do really well on lower carbohydrates. Uh Um, they just feel the best. And so this it because they have that flexibility, it's awesome because you can kind of play with this to find what makes you So a little more advice on how to do that that that specifically, right?

Is to figure out we always talk about uh eat your grams of protein and your body weight. So if you're you're you're Your target body weight. body weight. So if you're trying to be 150 lb, eat 150 g of protein. Then you do the math on the calories of that, right? So let's say you figure out your calorie budget is 2,500 calories. Figure out your protein first and then that'll tell you how many calories that is of the 2,500 and then the leftover calories. I normally tell clients first to just split it down the middle.

Like half of it fat, half of it carbohydrates. Start there and then we start teetering back and forth with different different directions. Like hey, let's let like that's how we start off. How do you feel and then the feedback like oh, you know what? I feel like I didn't have the most energy. Okay, in my workouts or throughout the day. Okay, cool. Let's pump your carbs a little bit and drop your fat a tiny bit and then see how you feel. And then we'll do that for like a week and then report back to me on how you're feeling.

How how's the food feel? How's your digestion feel? How's satiety feel cuz I noticed that that's also a factor in how I I manipulate this. I find clients that struggle with discipline around eating do better on a little bit lower carb and higher fat because it tends to satiate them more and they they tend to have less cravings. And so when I have a client that cares more about the craving side, I tend to run higher on the fat, lower on the carbohydrates. When I have clients that are more performance-driven and they want to feel the pump and they want energy throughout the day and they don't have as much problem with that.

Higher carb, lower fat. And so but every every client I found is this is totally individual on what what what works best. Um, but that's kind of how I would always start this out. Yeah, I I tend to do better I would say if you looked at my calories, I you probably classify my carbohydrates low to moderate and I just kind of feel better that way. Um, but I've had people, you know, eating similar amount of calories that I've worked with or friends, uh, they'll have twice as many carbohydrates than me.

When I get my carbs too high, I just feel groggy. That's all. I just feel a little groggy and my energy isn't as good uh, than when they're kind of on the lower uh, to moderate range. But again, figure this out for yourself. It's very different from person to person. You also may find that one suits you better at, you know, at doing certain some activities and other one suits you better for other activities. Right. Right. Right. If I'm doing nothing but podcasting all day, if I'm flying to another city and I'm going to be on three podcasts in a row, uh, sitting down, I need to be sharp in a particular way.

Very low carbohydrates, I do best. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. If I'm going to go do a hard workout or I'm going to go hike for a long period of time, uh, higher carbohydrates tend to be best. So, that's another thing. I I I'm glad you said that because I think it it does uh, change based off of what you're what you're trying to accomplish not only at that like say it day by day or week by week, what you're talking about, but even like phases of your life.

Uh, so when we started this podcast, uh, if you go back far enough, you can hear me talking about eating five, 600 g of carbs. And I was big carb guy. And I was eat but I was training like crazy and and that served me at that time. that time. that time. Right now, it's I'm more like you. I'm lower carb to moderate carbohydrate. And the reason why that works better in my lifestyle now is I'm not training at that high a volume and and and intensity.

And this helps me manage weight better for me. If I were to eat carbohydrates the way I was eating carb I my cravings are high when I'm eating a lot of carbohydrates. So, there's there's more discipline for me to try and restrict from certain things versus if I just keep the carbohydrates lower, it's easier for me to kind of manage kind of my health and weight where I like it to be in that that phase. Makes sense. Justin, you're like low to moderate also, right? Yeah, I'm low to moderate and it really it is determined on movement and and so if I am if I know that I have like a really hard workout or I have some kind of like crazy physical activity, like I will bump my carbs just naturally and that's just something I kind of fluctuate with, you know, naturally on its own.

its own. its own. Awesome. Here's another thing too and this is with with timing. Carbohydrate timing timing timing uh could be awesome for people who are very consistent with their workouts. Uh bookend your workouts with carbohydrates. carbohydrates. carbohydrates. I love this strategy. So so you know, carbohydrates an hour or two before you work out and then that gives you the energy and fuel to have a great workout and the data supports this, okay, very clearly. Like having some especially if it's going to be a hard workout, an hour or two before makes a difference in your performance.

And then right after your workout. Why right after your workout? Because you're very sensitive to insulin. You will suck up those carbohydrates. Your muscles are like sponges. Uh does it speed up recovery? Does it help build more muscle? Maybe. Data suggests that it might, it probably does. I just like the insulin sensitivity. I like to be very sensitive to insulin when I eat my carbohydrates. Why? Because my energy feels good. If I eat the same amount of carbs, I'll put it to you this way. If I eat the same amount of carbs at any other time of the day, sometimes I'll get this energy dip 40 minutes after.

When I eat it right after I work out, I you guys see when I come in here, I'll have a nice uh you know, serving of carbohydrates plus some before I get here. It doesn't it I feel great. I have great energy and I think it's because of the insulin sensitivity. I love this advice and I love this advice regardless of what you consider yourself, low carb, medium carb or high carb person. I like bookending around the workouts. I like uh first meal so you start your day cuz you've come off of being fasted for 8 to 10 hours of sleep.

So I like a a breakfast that's got a good amount of carbohydrates in it and then bookending your workout and then really tapering off. Regardless if even if you're high, so even if you're a high person, a bulk of your carbs go around those that time. If you're a low person, same thing. Most all the carbs you'll have will be around that and I find um it I think it manages cravings. I think you uh tend to sleep better at night uh for most people. Yep.

Yep. Yep. Your point of the there's not these peaks and valleys. I feel like when the body needs it the most, it handles it digestion-wise, everything. I just think that this advice has worked really well for me personally and for clients is to teach them to try and prioritize your carbohydrates centered around your workouts, regardless of how high or low your carbohydrates your carbohydrates your carbohydrates Totally. Totally. Totally. Here's another tip cuz people are like, "Well, what carbohydrates should I should I choose?" The most important factor I think is to consider how easy they are to digest.

100% 100% 100% The easiest digesting carbohydrates in my experience with my clients and myself tend to be the best. Now, what do they look like what do they look like typically? Potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes, buckwheat tends to be Fruit. Fruit. Fruit. fruit. Like carbohydrates that you eat and you just don't feel bloated. You don't feel like you ate a bunch of food. Um it this seems to work the best. This seems to help with energy the most. This seems to help people feel the best is to choose those really easy to digest carbohydrates.

So, I would say that's the most important thing. And then from there, you know, avoid things like sugar and stuff like that. But, I think really sticking to easy digesting carbs is the best. best. best. I I think this is also great advice. A little more difficult for the average person to to to read. I think at least in my experience with most of my clients are so unaware of how a lot of the carbohydrates they eat were are affecting them. affecting them. affecting them. Yep.

Yep. Yep. Because they don't have because maybe they don't have like a crazy autoimmune or they don't have these severe side effects from it. Yep. Yep. Yep. They think that kind of water retention bloat feeling is almost just like what it feels like every time you eat a bunch of food, period. And they don't know what like really good digesting carbohydrates and how you should feel. Totally. Totally. Totally. This takes a little bit of coaching or awareness or reflecting around how you feel after meals to really hone in even myself personally because I I think that's why I feel so passionate about this is even knowing all this, I think that I was really naive to it.

It wasn't until the competing days where I was having to track so diligently. would see how it affect water retention. Oh yeah. I'm moderating Easy digesting carbs don't cause you to hold as much water. That's right. That's right. And so I never looked at under a microscope like I did during that time and I quickly realized like, oh wow, those those sandwiches I was eating were affecting me but different than I thought. Yeah. Cuz I didn't have like diarrhea or constipation. I didn't have like distended gut or anything like that.

But I definitely would have this, you know, puffiness to me and water retention happening from it and could then I could easily because I was tracking compare, oh what did that, you know, big old turkey sandwich feel like and look how did I look and feel afterwards versus when I had that, you know, chicken thighs and white rice. Oh, there was a clear difference and so if you've never really evaluated that before, um you know, pay attention to that and then really let that be the driver of what carbohydrates you choose is is is that super valuable.

Very very valuable. everybody should really go through a period of at least a little bit of restriction so you can kind of pinpoint how each of those carbs kind of feel and affect you in a certain way. Totally. For me the this is different from person to person but the easiest to digest carbs for me buckwheat. Then goes uh sweet potato or white potato and rice is kind of a tie and fruit. But like buckwheat for whatever reason, if I eat buckwheat, it's like I ate air.

That's how it feels in my digestion. That's incredible. [clears throat] Yeah. Um lastly, don't drink carbs. Uh so there's a lot of, you know, sweetened drinks sweetened drinks sweetened drinks and this is just it's not empty I know people say it's empty calories. I get what they're trying to communicate. It's like why drink calories when you What's the point? Yeah. Why when you can eat calories. Now, is there value in drinking carbohydrates? Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes for people who have really long hard workouts, it can definitely help quite a bit.

You're going to go play pick up basketball basketball basketball Yeah, you're right. For For For for and you don't want to bonk, having carbohydrates while you're playing can definitely help. If you're a runner, it could help. If you're going to go out and lift weights and you're going to be in the gym for 2 hours and you're doing a crazy volume workout, it can definitely help. Otherwise, like stay away from drinking carbohydrates, it's way better to eat them. Drinking carbohydrates produces almost no satiety. If anything, it stimulates appetite.

So, it's typically kills people people people Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. to do that. Anyway, I got to talk to you guys about I'm going to make a prediction right now cuz I did went down the rabbit hole on on research on some compound on a compound or a class of compounds that I believe over the next 5 to 10 years will be touted as one of the biggest breakthroughs in longevity for health. What? What? What? Okay. Compounds like Like class of class of medications. Of medications, okay.

So, these are these are known as PDE5 inhibitors, otherwise known as boner pills. Viagra, pills. Viagra, pills. Viagra, Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Cialis. Cialis. Cialis. I've been reading a lot about that, too. So, these medications have been around now for a long time. I think Doug, how long is Viagra Is it been around for 20 years already? Yeah, probably longer. Yeah, see see when Viagra first hit the market cuz it's been around maybe 30? At least. At least. At least. Okay, so it's been around for a little while.

while. while. I can I can I can That was the first one. I can remember in high school when I was in high school, okay, seeing it at the gym where on the floor and stuff like that. Not knowing like what 1998. So, is the benefit like There you go. like, you know, avoiding blood clotting, sort of thinning out and Well, so here's so here's how they work. So, So, So, and what's cool what's interesting, sometimes Western medicine stumbles upon like a like a legit like breakthrough.

And when I say stumble, it's because it's literally what happens. what happens. what happens. All of a sudden there's a boner. well. Yeah, yeah, they were investigating uh uh uh compounds that would um prevent an enzyme or inhibit an enzyme that degrades what's called what's known as nitric oxide. So, nitric oxide has a lot of functions in the body. But, one of which is to dilate your blood vessels. It relaxes your blood vessels and opens them up. And so, they scientists were like, "Hey, if we can boost nitric oxide by inhibiting this uh enzyme called PDE5, then this should lower blood pressure." Cuz what they were trying to do is find a blood pressure medication.

Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. And so, when they did the studies on it, it lowered blood pressure a little bit. It wasn't like a a a significant amount. So, it really wouldn't probably have been a blockbuster for blood pressure at all. But, one of the side effects was the the subjects had erections. And they would report back like, "Man, I'm getting these great erections." And it was like, "Oh, eureka. This is going to be a bazillion-dollar product." And it should And it became one, right? So, Viagra hits the market and and it's becomes one of those popular uh medications of all time.

Well, it turns out that uh boosting nitric oxide has a lot more benefit than just uh being able to give you, you know, better erections. Nitric oxide has lots of uh health benefits. So, I looked up the data on this, and it's it's actually pretty wild. It's actually Is there is there a correlation with like uh clogged arteries and blood clotting and things like that? I mean, which which which So, so when you look at the data, uh and they're going to start They're starting to do controlled uh trials.

So, these are all like lots of people using them. Here's what we notice when people use them type of deal. Controlled trials are going to give us much better, more clear data. But, it's becoming quite clear, right? We What we're seeing in the data is a 30 to 40% reduction in all-cause mortality from major cardiovascular events, including stroke. 30 to 40%. Wow. Wow. Wow. Okay? We're also seeing improvements in things like Alzheimer's. There may be some anti-cancer effects. is is is the reason why there's been a major loosening up around like like so there wasn't that long ago that like that was like a you had to get a prescription from the doctor.

can go online and get it super easy now. You just like fill out a form and they'll send it to you. Type of deal. part of why the restrictions have gotten loose? loose? loose? be- it's because uh the demand's high, but also cuz they're very safe. So, they've been around for so long now. what I mean. That is like is that like we've we've figured out like wow, these are pretty damn safe and in fact there's a lot of benefit There's other benefits to it. And so we're like loosening up the the the regulation around it.

Yeah, because they're they're pretty darn safe. We now have like decades of people using them. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And we're finding like Lots of positive benefits. Lot Yeah, and they're pretty darn safe. Like one of the potential, Like one of the potential, you know, negatives would be like dizziness or dropping blood pressure or you know, something like that. And then there's the joke, you know, if you have an erection longer than 4 hours, you know, seek your doctor. Pretty rare. Um but but yeah, um it's wild.

It neuroprotective effects. neuroprotective effects. neuroprotective effects. Maybe some anti-cancer effects. Check this out. this out. this out. Uh it it may raise testosterone. Hm. Hm. Hm. It may raise testosterone. It It It seems to boost uh muscle protein synthesis, build muscle. Oh. Oh. Oh. Improve athletic performance and endurance. endurance. endurance. it seems pretty logical that a compound that is going to improve how your blood flows through your body, it's going to flow more freely, right? Uh would impact a lot of different things. Of course, cardiovascular stuff.

Yeah, what what what are the other benefits benefits benefits to it? to it? to it? Of course, boners. Of course. So, this is this is this is random question. Do you know uh is there a a correlation or connection to people that have like clogged arteries and have a problem with erection? Is that a common side effect? Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Yes. Oh, improve it also helps with diabetes. So, here's here's what's interesting. Here's where uh the data will get interesting. What we're looking at when you're looking at men who are treating erectile dysfunction, dysfunction, dysfunction, often times, not every time, but often times, what you're looking at are a higher percentage of men with hypertension, hypertension, hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes.

So, all three of those will increase, dramatically increase your odds of having erectile dysfunction. My point with that is, maybe the benefits go to the people who are unhealthy. In other words, someone who's healthy, I don't know if they'll get health benefits from taking it. it. it. it. I see what you're saying. So, it's like like like So, you got a bunch of people with bad blood flow. blood flow. blood flow. Right. This is why 40% of them show such a It's like one one every They've all got bad blood flow issues, which is why they can't get erections.

Right. Right. Right. And so, is the 30 to 40% relegated to that group of people, Right. Or is this general pop too, or Would would we benefit any benefits, yeah. So, it'd be cool to see some studies, though. Like it'd be really cool to see studies on regular people there. Yeah, like if you're a healthy guy without erectile dysfunction issues, will you get this health benefit from taking it for a would imagine you still would get performance benefits from it. It seems it it seems that way.

It seems to boost protein synthesis. It seems to improve recovery. There's studies where they induce they'll they'll put people through through through makes sense. More blood flow, more oxygen, more nutrients, better recovery. does. does. does. That seems logical to me. Well, I know this I know anecdotally, bodybuilders and athletes have been using, since Viagra came out, they've been using it, and they like it because of the better pumps in the gym. realize how quickly they're using it. I said for sure it was that many years old, but I was in high school in '98.

It was right out the gates. It was Yeah, so right out the gates they were using it like that. It was the gym I was going to got to credit bodybuilders. They're like the the the best the They're like the the the best experimenters. They would Like as soon as they're like, "Hey, They know the immediate application. Oh, yeah. I'm going to go ahead Blood flow, muscle, I'll try it. I'm so curious to like the first the first bodybuilder on the forum though who figured it out.

Like did you did you take it though originally to have better sex and then all of a sudden you just happen to get your workout and you're like, "Damn, that was the best workout I've ever had, too." Is that how it went down? Or Right. Right. Right. Uh you know, cuz some of them it to have sex and your wife turns you down and you're like, "I'm going to the gym." gym." gym." some of them are are are work out this energy. bodybuilder nerds like you that probably understood the science, you know, that that are like, "Wait a second.

If it improves that, that makes sense that it would also improve Well, every pre-workout promises to boost nitric oxide. That's like the point. The point is it improves blood flow. flow. flow. Uh PDE5 inhibitors for sure do. That's like they will raise nitric oxide guaranteed. So, I think it's really interesting. So, I think what we're going to see in the next 5 to 10 years is this is going to be recommended probably to most men over 40 there there there Was wasn't there a study recently that there's an uptick in strokes?

Uh generally speaking? Generally. I think so. Yeah. I think so. Isn't this the same thing that actually So, the all-cause mortality, the health benefits, the the blood flow stuff. Uh isn't this also very similar to what is happening inside the sauna? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, no. No, absolutely. There's more that's happening in a sauna than this, by the way. Well, there's more. But, I mean that's probably probably probably your vascular system in the sauna. You are 100% exercise You are you they are dilating, they're opening.

Your your blood pressure is going up to try to pump more blood. For sure, you're exercising your vascular system. Yeah. Probably a uh I mean I it feels like this is the generic pill way to do that. That would be the ideal way. That's the more natural way to create that, right? But, similar to why the benefits are, right? right? right? Well, no, that's good. But, and and you even and when you alternate like cold plunge to hot, you're making your blood vessels exercise. Constrict and you know, dilate.

Constrict and dilate by going back and forth. But, I just think it's really interesting that the data on this is is fascinating. Cuz now they're recommending it they're starting to recommend it to men at low doses for some of these reasons. This is going to be interesting to see like what that uh daily multivitamin looks like, you know? It's going to have like all this Viagra and creatine combo. Oh, look at that. Doug brought up the the stroke trend going up. You know where it stroke where it went up the most?

most? most? Where? Where? Where? Young adults. Young adults. Young adults. Young adults, yes. Why? Why? Why? Really a lot. I don't know what happened 6 years ago then. That's weird. You're right. Oh, oh. Yeah, you can speculate. Yeah, dude. Yeah, dude. Yeah, dude. You know, some intervention that was forced. forced. forced. Yeah, so Yeah, so Yeah, so Um Um Um So, but by the way, boosting so so Hopefully it helps with that though. Trip well, trip off this. Uh if you get sick, um and let's say you get a virus like COVID.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh PDE5 inhibitors are probably beneficial beneficial beneficial to prevent some of the Yeah, the potential issues. potential issues. potential issues. some protocols to help with some of the spike proteins that might still be in the body? the body? the body? So, PDE5 inhibitors some people on on the internet uh who would call themselves experts, but this is not like This is not mainstream. Yeah. But they will say if you have long COVID, taking a PDE5 inhibitor will help. help. help. Hm. Hm. Hm.

Because it helps with blood flow. Blood flow. Interesting. Yeah. I know. Pretty wild, right? Wow. That is That is wild, dude. Anyway, I got to I want to bring up a super underrated exercise that I've been doing that I used to make fun of. What? What? What? I brought it up a couple times on the podcast, but uh That you made fun of and now you're I used to make fun of it back in the day. Uh side bends. Oh. Oh. Oh. That we just we just talked about that.

Is that what you did it? Well, no, I've been doing them. That's why I talked about it. Oh, oh, oh. So, I used to make fun of them because uh uh uh Just like the hip thrust. Look at you, man. man. man. dude. dude. dude. Where are you taking us now? like I feel like I just Wait, side bend? Hey, are you putting this workout together now? Hip thrust, side bends, what's the story? Side bends are not It wasn't a like a girl exercise. girl exercise.

girl exercise. Here come dog piss next, dude. No. No. No. So, so So, so So, so gym it was. Was it really? So, side bends uh I used to make fun of because they were like people doing them for their obliques. It's a terrible oblique exercise. oblique exercise. oblique exercise. It but [snorts] it works your QL really well. well. well. It does. It does. It does. It really works the QL really well and I I I want to tell you this because so many people hurt their backs deadlifting and squatting because their QL is what goes out.

goes out. goes out. Sure. Sure. Sure. It's the QL that goes out and a side bend works it directly. So, I started doing them doing them doing them Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. [snorts] [snorts] [snorts] cuz if I squat and deadlift and I start to lift heavy, I start to feel a little bit of tightness in my low back Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. and it's my QL. Literally doing it doing it two times that pain's gone completely. completely. completely. I wonder if that would be better or so I Dr.

Gabrielle Lyon did a a video with a friend of hers. I I I wish I could shout her out cuz that she was the one that was that was that was Well, how about or or a a lunge with a distraction? distraction? distraction? So, like having like a a cable distraction that's pulling you left or right while while you're in the in the lunge position. lunge position. lunge position. Um something like that would I think I mean next level would be That's it. Bent press, windmill, that's like next level.

But but but for your very simplistic like, "Hey, let's address this." Simple. Anybody can do it. You don't need great mobility to do it. I can't contest that. You know how you know how people do them when they do them wrong, though? You know how people do them wrong? What? What? What? They hold two dumbbells. So, they do side bends that you don't like you have one weight which is countering the other one. There's no you might as well have holding a weight. You have to hold one one hand.

Yeah, and even like a suitcase carry's great, but it's still like an isometric focus which you you're not really getting that full Dude, Justin, I'm telling you, dude, I it'll be my right side would feel a little tight and so I started doing side bends and it progressed and I progressed and I got up to 80, 90 lb dumbbells and I get that gone. It's gone. It's gone. It's gone. Do you have like a specific like music like theme when you're doing that? I want to picture this.

Hey, I Hey, I Hey, I uh uh uh it's been a while since I've shot it out a movie on here. So, Guy Ritchie just came out with a new texted us last night. Yes. And I'm not often I do that, right? I only do that when it's like a really a really good one. And I was trying to go down the rabbit hole with Katrina of like, "Man, when was the last time I watched a Guy Ritchie that I didn't like? I know. I know.

I know. Um so, I guess if you don't like his stuff, then maybe don't it maybe ignore this, but if you like his stuff, I thought this was one of his better ones. Like action-packed. Like action-packed. Like action-packed. love the action, yeah. I think it's the way he tells a story, too. too. too. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. I I it's a What's the movie called? It's called In the Grey. Okay. Okay. Okay. Yeah, In the Grey. Uh Jake Gyllenhaal is the main character in it. Okay. Okay.

Okay. It's got a few good characters though of good actors uh in it, so good acting and yeah, very typical kind of plot theme that he would put together, shot the way he would. I think there's something about the way he shoots and writes. I'm trying to think of one of the other movies I've watched from him. Yeah, so you have unique like cinematography and all Wasn't there one on a train that was done by him? No, that was I thought it was Guy Ritchie. Ritchie.

Ritchie. Okay, so that's his style. It is his style. Okay, okay. Okay, okay. Okay, okay. That is his style. I totally thought that was Guy Ritchie who did that film, too, but it wasn't. It's the Bullet Train is what you're thinking of. thinking of. thinking of. I like that. But it is a similar kind of like style like that. like that. like that. Oh, okay. In the Grey, Fountain of Youth, those are all his movies right there. there. there. have you seen The Covenant? No. No.

No. That's good. That's good. That's good. seen any of those. The Gentleman? The Gentleman? The Gentleman? Have you seen The Gentleman? Nope. I've seen The Gentleman. seen The Gentleman? I've seen none of those. Yeah, Wrath of Man, those are all Yeah. Okay. And you like them all? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There's more than that though. That's cool. cool. cool. Hey Doug, I want you to bring up the typical bag of pretzels, cuz I want to compare it to Chris Power. I want to look at the the macros and compare it.

All right, check this out. A 50 g serving of salted pretzels, delicious. Everybody likes pretzels, they taste good. Sure. Sure. Sure. About 190 calories to 200 calories, 40 g of carbohydrates, 5 g of protein, 1 and 1/2 g of fat. That's a normal pretzel. That's just pretzel pretzels, right? Chris Power, Doug read read the read They're 190 calories, too, right? maybe. maybe. maybe. Well, it depends on the bag. So, this is a exact same 50 g serving. It's 210 calories. calories. calories. It's got uh let's see, carbs we've got 15 g, but the protein is 25 g.

Wow. Wow. Wow. That's flipped right there. 28 g of 20 20 20 28 g of carbohydrates and you're eating pretzels. pretzels. pretzels. No, 15. No, 15. No, 15. No, no, 28 g of protein protein, sorry. protein, sorry. protein, sorry. 15 g of carbs. 28 g of protein and you're eating pretzels. It's cool because they it's uh And they taste like they they taste like pretzels. pretzels. pretzels. cuz it's it's they're That one's 210, but there are some of their other bags are 190. So, it's like 190 to 210.

So, it's basically the same thing calorie-wise. They literally flipped it on its head. They took a carb food and made it a protein food. and made it a protein protein-heavy, carb-less protein-heavy, carb-less protein-heavy, carb-less and still tastes like pretzels, which is That's kind of wild when you think about that. Like that. Like that. Like Yeah, you can't tell. You took You took You took a carb food, you made it a protein food, but then it If somebody ate this, they would just they would think they're eating pretzels that are, you know, not like cheese flavor or flaming flavor or whatever.

Don't you guys notice the the fascinating part that I find really why they're blowing up, by the way. what I find super interesting is the how satiating they are. Mhm. Because of the protein. Yes. Yes. Yes. You eat a bag of that, that's true. That that trips me out. I mean, a bag that small of regular pretzels, I will feel unsatisfied. feel unsatisfied. feel unsatisfied. Totally. Yeah. Totally. Yeah. Totally. Yeah. Same calories. Same calories. Same calories. Normally, you have like those whatever those like versions of of They're like at least this big.

Yeah. Have you seen those? Like pretzels are always like this big. Did you say they're coming out with a new bag? new bag? new bag? Yeah. So, this is 50 g, which is 1.75 oz. They have bags now that are 7 oz. So, like big like shareable bags, basically. basically. basically. Yeah. I mean, shareable or So, when So, when So, when when this airs, they can go to the link that we're going to provide. Oh, it'll be It's live already. Yeah, they have a variety pack.

You can get a large bag. Oh, cool. Oh, cool. Oh, cool. That's awesome. That's awesome. That's awesome. Oh, I can't wait to Dude, I got to tell you guys, I had such a great experience last night with my my 5-year-old son. 5-year-old son. 5-year-old son. It was just You ever you know, you have sometimes everyone have those experiences where you're just like you reflect back and you're like, "Man, that was was was that was so good. That really turned out so well." So, I come home from work, and he's so excited to show me a gem that he has.

He has a gem. But, it's like one of those plastic plastic plastic It's like a plastic gem, you know, it's a fake gem or whatever. And he's psyched about it. about it. about it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Now, I didn't know that he thought it was real and that he was going to sell it and make money. That's what he thought. He thought he had actual gem. And the reason why this started is is a couple days ago I was on a walk with him and he was asking me random questions.

How much money is you know is gold worth? How much is a gem worth? How much is a gem worth? And I remember telling him you know where the really small gem could be worth like you know tens of thousands of dollars or whatever. So anyway I come home he's got this plastic thing and he's like look I got a gem. It's a real gem. I'm like no it's a plastic one. It's plastic. He's like what do you mean? Like what's not real? He's like it's not worth any money.

I'm like no. So he's pissed off. So he's walking around the house and he's like I'm not going to have any money. I'm not rich. I have nothing. Why are you the only one with money? He's doing this whole thing. Why are you the only one with money? Why don't I have any money? So I'm like listen I say buddy you are rich. You have a family. You're healthy. But I want money. You have money and I don't have So he's doing this whole thing. So I'm I'm listening to him and it just occurs to me cuz I'm like I'm like what do I say to my kid cuz he's acting entitled and stuff you know.

What do I say you know? Then it occurs to me we have these kids that we sponsor through World Vision. This is what I texted you guys yesterday. yesterday. yesterday. And we have a bunch of them that I did it with the kids. So and every once in a while we'll go on and we'll check on how these kids are doing or whatever. And so I'm like hey just kind of distracting him like hey you guys want to you want to check out the kids that were were helping?

Oh wait this is how it started cuz I said to him you know some kids don't even have a toy to play with. And he's like what do you mean? Like some kids don't even have a single toy. And I'm And he's like really? I'm like yeah. Some kids have like one pair of clothes. He's like no pajamas? I'm like no. They have the same pair of clothes and that's all they have. And some kids don't have money. So I'm talking about this made me think of these kids that we sponsor.

So I'm like hey you want to want to check out those kids? So we're looking at the pictures of these kids and every once in a while they'll have a picture like holding a soccer ball. One kid had a picture of a a soccer ball he made. So it was like you could tell it was like plastic bottles that was wrapped with twine or whatever. Like look he made his own soccer ball. So my son's like "Oh my gosh." And then we clicked on the picture and it allows you to to offer them like one-time gifts of money.

money. money. So, I said, "Hey, you want to see if we can give this kid an extra gift so he can buy an extra toy?" toy?" toy?" Bro, his face lit up so big. That's right. That's right. That's right. We go through and I made it a thing. I made it like we got to see if it works. I knew it would go through, but I'm like, "Let's see if it goes through." So, I click on it, do the credit card, I hit the button and you know, the little spinning thing is happening.

I'm like, "All right, let's see if it goes through." Soon as it says it went through, he gets up and he starts cheering. And so, we're doing this for a while and we're just doing and he's so excited about all these kids and it totally flipped his That's great. That's great. That's great. his whole vision or understanding of money and what he has versus what other kids have. It was so great. And he remembered the kids' names. He brought them up today to my wife. She texted me, she's like, "Is there a kid named Success?" We have this one kid named Success.

She's parents are like, "Is there a kid named Success?" named Success?" named Success?" I really just talking about it. Like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah." He's one of the kids that I brought him up. we we we So, we've been we've been teaching, right? That's been this last year trying to teach the the save vast and thing like that and it's been I'd say it's going okay. One of the things though that has done really well is like earning money to to get his toys like Legos and stuff like that.

So, now when he wants things, it's no you know, we went we're we're past that four or five age where it's like, "Mommy and Daddy just buy it to buy it." type of deal. Now, it's like I'm surprised how patient your son is with that. with that. with that. Yeah, he's he's crazy. He does a good job. He does. He'll he'll he'll he'll work off like what let's say there's a $100 Lego Lego Lego and cleaning the toilets is $10 a toilet or something like that.

Like I mean, he'll he'll clean it 10 times in over the course of weeks. to build it up to get it and stuff and he keeps track. And so, we we this has been going on and it's been working and doing and going well and and we're learning the value of money and chores and all the stuff like that. And so, his birthday is coming up so he's we're less than a month out from his birthday. And so now like we're talking about birthday and you know and and LEGO just released a whole new line of Star Star Wars LEGOs and so there's a whole new line and so he's like going bananas.

Of like, "Oh my gosh, there's all these new ones." And so he's I want that one and this one and he's like and so every every night he's like finding another one and he's telling Katrina he's laying in bed this is their night. And he's like, "Man, Mommy." He's like "I want all these these LEGOs. Like, I'm going to have to do a lot of work to get all these LEGOs, right?" And she starts laughing. She goes, "No, hun. This is this is for your birthday.

You don't have to you don't have to work for those ones for your birthday." And he's like, "Really?" He thought he was going to have to every LEGO that he got for his birthday he thought he was going to have to to to it off. You got to work it off. He thought he was going to have to do work them off and do the chores one. chores one. chores one. I was like, I don't know why you told him you shouldn't told him that. We Well, we could have like Well, we could have like worked that in.

Every birthday you got to work it off. We could have worked that in, you know what I'm saying? Probably got away for at least five years. You alive for another year to earn nothing. You got to work, dude. dude. dude. He like sighs when he gets a new big present. present. present. How much did that cost? He's like, man, this is going to be like six months of chores for this one. And then we should have ran with that, you know? Actually, I was thinking about your son cuz I knew that you guys are coming up on around this age.

I meant to ask you cuz we haven't talked about it a long time. long time. long time. It cuz I remember when Katrina and I went through this phase. Are you guys still on the camera? We do. We do. We do. You are. You are. You are. We still have the camera. And do you talk about that? Is that a is that a No, he's going to be 16 having a camera still like But you know why we have the camera You know what the benefit is?

Well, there's all kinds of benefits. I know. know. know. Well, cuz here's the big benefit. I'll tell you right [snorts] now. He'll sometimes we'll put him to bed and he'll come up Yeah, 30 minutes later or he'll come up early in the morning. And so it's like a little warning system that oh, he's coming up. Get dressed, you know, whatever. know, whatever. know, whatever. So, that's how we Yeah, dude. So, so that's that's that's why I'm cool. I don't want to be surprised at the door.

door. door. No, that's cuz this is this is right around the this is right around You guys are right at the time where I started and I'm sure he is at a point where he can open all the doors. He can do everything on his own and I'm like I'm like, "Hey, hon. I'm like, is that more for him or for you?" Actually, one the other night he was mad because because because [snorts] [snorts] [snorts] Jessica put him to bed and he wanted her to sit by his door and she said no.

So, she goes up and we're she has the camera watching him and he's in his room and he knows she's watching. Of course. Of course. Of course. So, he starts talking bad about her. Oh, what? Oh, what? Oh, what? Yeah, dude. Yeah, dude. Yeah, dude. Yes, he does. Psychological warfare. Psychological warfare. Psychological warfare. He's looking at the camera. But, he does it and he does it in a way to where he It's like, "Oh, he's just he's Is he really talking to us?" Like my mommy is so mean.

Yes, dude. Yes, dude. Yes, dude. Oh my gosh, so good. That's so good. She won't listen to me. Puts me to bed. You got to give him some credit. You got to give him some credit. And she's watching it and she's like shaking her head and she's like, "What did you Man, I'm laughing at the kid." Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I tried to laugh cuz it's kind of hurting her feelings, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm like, "Oh my god." You got to give it to him, you know what I'm saying?

I'm saying? I'm saying? That's just it. See, they they start to learn. learn. learn. No, well, like that when he got to a point where Max was like talking to the camera, "Mommy, will you refill my water?" Like water?" Like water?" Like Okay, this is this is not a butler service that we've created now. I'm like, this is this needs to go. You know what I'm what I'm what I'm I know, dude. Oh, it's great, dude. Hey, I wanted to talk about um Juve's red light for stretch marks.

We have had people message us on what they can do can do can do for stretch marks or for loose skin. You know, stretch marks in particular. Red light therapy light therapy light therapy Why do people get at me? Huh? Huh? Huh? You got them on your glutes. You got them on your stretch marks on your glutes. I saw them once. I'm just kidding. I never seen your glutes. glutes. glutes. I've seen Adam's but I've never seen yours. Adam's mooned me before. You've never been never been never been No, but once.

You know why? Cuz he's insecure about the stretch marks. He made that one comment I saw it. Super insecure. I told you we'd never talk about this again. again. again. His pumpkin sized Anyway, Anyway, Anyway, no, it's the only it's one of the only things that has data supporting that it reduces reduces reduces the way they look. It actually helps. Have they done Yeah, they've done studies around that? Yep. Red light therapy works. For for for stretch marks, it definitely helps. It helps prevent them, too.

So, for people who are if you're pregnant or losing weight or whatever cuz there's shrink marks, too, which kind of look like stretch marks. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um red light therapy uh works for sure. It does. It helps. I mean, yeah. Courtney, I I don't mean to like roll her under the bus or anything here, but yeah, it was like after being pregnant the second time, it's like it's funny cuz the the one piercing she had for her like belly button, like it left like a mark, you know, because of, you know, obviously the belly stretching so far and then like [snorts] [snorts] [snorts] once we got partnered up with uh Juve, like was like adamantly And it worked?

using it worked, yeah, for sure. Yeah, the the discoloration, all that kind of went away. So, I I had I have stretch marks on my shoulders and under my arms, which I used to be very proud of, by the way, as a kid. a kid. a kid. Yeah, I remember you proud of that, dude. dude. dude. Oh, yeah. Oh, 100%. I showed them off, yeah, too. I was growing. Especially Especially Especially I want more, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But anyway, doing the Juve, they're they're gone.

They don't I don't really have any anymore. I have a couple, like you can see a little bit here, but the Juve got rid of that. I wonder if that played a role in mine. That's interesting. I never thought about that cuz Cuz yours look less, too. Oh, wait, you can I they were bad. They were like this Oh, yeah. I had them on my shoulders. totally like a bragging thing. It's like it was cauliflower for the Cauliflower ear for bodybuilders. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's what it was.

it was. it was. Yeah, check this thing out. guys know in Brazil my chest hasn't grown. Let me show you. Did you guys I think it's in Brazil, maybe maybe somewhere else, but I think it's in Brazil, that some men are getting plastic surgery to give themselves cauliflower ear? W- It's stop it. Doug, look it up. Bro, you know how funny that is? That's like a would never want that false signal. signal. signal. No, dude. No, dude. No, dude. Some dude calls your bluff. Yes, dude.

Yes, dude. Yes, dude. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cuz the guy A, the guy who decides to fight the guy with cauliflower ear, you know know know that stolen valor? That's like the stolen valor Like you don't you don't That is like stolen valor stuff. And and like I said, you the guy who decides to pick a fight with you, you know is going to be a badass cuz he's fat. fat. fat. He sees the signal and he still wants some. So you're going to get your ass whooped.

It's like you pull out a knife, you better be ready to use it. Yeah. Someone calls your bluff. Yeah, 100% yeah. No, dude, no Doug, you have to Google uh plastic surgery to create the appearance of cauliflower ear. Did you see that? Yeah, I actually saw some posts on this. No. No. No. it's become a thing, right? No, it no, totally is. I mean, that's the whole neck tattoo thing as well, you know? That's like everyone look tough. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh Uh Uh That's really crazy though.

That's like cuz you that takes hours and hours and hours of rolling on the mat and getting your ears messed up to get that. It's not like you can't go take a jiu-jitsu class for a year to get that. that. that. are paying to give themselves cauliflower ear. cauliflower ear. cauliflower ear. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Let me find this out here. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Now are they doing it through plastic surgery? surgery? surgery? Vice Vice Vice news. news. news. Are they Are they just like like beating their ears up?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. Why don't they just get a buddy to smack You know, I Not every Not everybody gets it by the way. I did jiu-jitsu for 6 years, I did judo for 2 years, and uh I have a tiny bit on my left ear, but you can't tell. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, did you try cuz you know you can prevent it, right? I mean, what do you You wear You wear a headgear? headgear? headgear? Well, no, like draining it. It's from guys not draining it.

Even if you drain your ears over and over again, over again, over again, Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. some guys got it. You know they even in rugby they they had, you know, issues with that and like I it was funny cuz all the guys that played my position, they would tape like electrical tape like it tape your ears like that and I thought about that, but I was like like I'm not going to be It's It's not like my full-time career anyway, so I didn't do that.

But yeah, a lot of guys actually would get cauliflower cauliflower cauliflower Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So this is actually in Russia. Oh, in Russia. like actually a waitlist for this. It's like super popular. Um yeah, I don't know why it got kicked off of that page. Why would you want to Why would you want to display to display to display that you could fight and if you don't You're right. You're right. You're right. calls that bluff Bro. Bro. Bro. That's what I'm saying. That's not good, dude.

I mean you're really banking on nobody wants to call that bluff. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right? Right? Right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like that's like pulling out a fake gun. You know what I mean? Like I hope they believe it is real cuz if they don't It's like wearing a tapout shirt. I mean it's it's it's Oh, back in the day. It was pretty similar. When I first You Dude, yeah, you fight, bro? Dude, there's so that curve of when you get into something where when you first I don't know if you guys do this, but when I would first get into something like when I first got into jiu-jitsu, I was like wearing jiu-jitsu stuff all the time.

But then when I got good, I stopped doing it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was like when I first started doing it. it. it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like the curve of making money, too. So you first start making money, you like let everybody know, and then you start making a lot, you're like, "Oh, I want nobody to know." Totally. Totally. Totally. That's funny. Justin, I want to hear your pirate uh fact. You got a pirate fact? a pirate fact. this all fair. He's like, "I got I'm pretty sure you already know cuz like it's just a random facts like you usually are pretty privy to this, but like So I I heard that they actually uh some of the pirates they put um like they would cover one eye with their eye patch eye patch eye patch during the day, but then at night they would shift it over No, it wasn't at night.

It was to go below deck. below deck. below deck. Was it? Was it? Was it? Yeah. So they could see in the dark? reason why pirates So that yeah, but they never have to adjust their eyes. why pirates wore a patch is not because they lost an eye. It's so they could be they go above deck and below deck and just switch. just switch. just switch. and below. Okay. Yeah, so above deck is bright, yeah, yeah. yeah. yeah. Below deck you switch and now you can see real well Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. night. night. night. And he That's really the the origin of the the the You can Google it, Doug. Maybe confirm it. it. it. That's the origin of the pirate patch? so. so. so. This is what I heard on the podcast. That's really fascinating. If you guys lost an eye, would you get a fake eye or would you wear a patch? I've talked I've thought about this. I would I get a fake eye. Really? Really? Really? Yeah, I would. a patch. a patch. a patch.

Really? Really? Really? Yeah, dude. It'd be like what's-his-face. what's-his-face. what's-his-face. Huh? Huh? Huh? The The what's the guy who Texas guy? Oh, yeah. Oh, the senator. Yeah, no, I I would probably do fake eye. Really? Really? Really? I would do a fake eye. And what happens to your real eye? The technology on it's so good that like you your fake eye would be probably indistinguishable of your real eye. I don't know. Pat should be like I just feel like you know it's it's like cauliflower ears.

cauliflower ears. cauliflower ears. You'd be like Popeye and just squirt Not really. You'd say cauliflower you got through fighting and do something like you could have just got your eye poked out. poked out. poked out. Yeah, we can say you'll say it's like there's nothing cool about that. Yeah, it came up because Jessica's dad has a he he was born with one with like without one eye and he has a glass eye. He's a glass eye. And I told her so we I told you guys my story at summer camp, right?

right? right? No. No. No. I I swear I told you. Yeah, you told it. Yeah, I told it on the podcast. I'll tell it again. You poked someone's eye out? No, it wasn't. It was Somebody lost it? No, it was like Oh, yeah. The kid without the oh. like pranked us. Yeah, in a sense. And so it was me and my brother were in this cabin and like this kid you know, he was a funny I what I love more than anything is anybody has a disability and they're still like it out and make funny about it, you know, and they're like very you know, not insecure as like He literally like put his glass eyes in his mouth.

his mouth. his mouth. And then like the first time I even met the kid he like turns like no eyes just eye sockets and then opens his mouth like like almost like Beetlejuice. Oh my god. Instant friends. Instant friends. Instant friends. And I was like wow. Yeah, exactly. I was dying laughing and we we were best friends after that. Yeah, dude. Yeah, dude. Yeah, dude. It was I went to school with a girl who was missing an arm at the elbow and for Halloween Halloween Halloween she dressed up as a shark victim.

It was amazing. So good. So good. So good. Like she made it look like it was like you know, bloody and she like I love people people people I love people like that, dude. That's so great. Yeah, that's totally that's how you turn it into charisma. Did you look at Did you look up that spider that Justin and I were talking about? about? about? I did look it up earlier. Pull it up on the thing so Sal can see you got to see this thing. What was the name of it again?

It's a It's a It's a certain O certain O certain O Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. O O O I I'll take a look. Yeah, I mean you could probably put giant tree spider in and then Oh, and then I put giant tree spider Oh, and I better put better put better put I didn't even know it was a thing. And I saw I saw it pop up. And it it Where's it found? In Malaysia, I believe. Um Oh. Oh. Oh. Yeah, so it's a it's a large tarantula-like spider.

tarantula-like spider. tarantula-like spider. show Some of them look like they almost had the like the blue How big is that? It's huge. It's huge. It's huge. Where is it? coloring coloring coloring That's You got to do it with something next to it. Yeah, well, you can see it on this guy's hand. hand. hand. Ew. Ew. Ew. Um yeah, I'm just like is that located? It's not Malaysia Malaysia Malaysia Yeah, Malaysia. Yeah, Malaysia. Yeah, Malaysia. It's far away from here. Yeah, I know. That's I was like, is this coming into the states?

states? states? You know what's worse? Like cuz that's gross, gives me the heebie-jeebies, but you know what's worse than that? You ever seen the videos where it looks like a It almost looks like a furry ball, and then someone touches it, and it's bazillions of spiders going everywhere? going everywhere? going everywhere? That's the worst. Well, yeah, and some of these tarantulas they they'll have all their little babies on their back. Yeah, and so you kind of like poke at them, and then it's an explosion of spiders everywhere.

spiders everywhere. spiders everywhere. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Have you guys ever There is There's tarantulas up in the hills over here if you go hiking. You see them sometimes. Yeah, on the paths or whatever. Yeah, October's when you'll see them. times. times. times. October's when they breed, and so you'll see them That's when they come out, and you sort of see them all over the place is in October. Have you ever captured one? I See, I knew you guys did. Yeah, we used to let them crawl on us and stuff like that.

Tarantulas really let it crawl on you? Yeah, yeah. Almost everything they They don't They don't They don't jump. They don't They just They're slow. They're Tarantulas are not scary to me. Little little spiders, way more scared of those. Way more. Like you see like a a little black spider, you know, that I'm I'm not sure if it's a black widow or not. Like that'll freak me out way kind of shiny Yes, like a shiny black spider is way more creepy to me than a big furry tarantula.

Big furry tarantulas, they're slow, they're scared of you, they they they'll they try and shoot hairs at you. That's their defense, right? That's like what they do. And they're Yeah, they're not They're not scary to me. I've never even seen one I've never seen one jump. They just they just crawl slow and they're furry. They're not I don't find them scary. is is is He's going to hate me saying this, but he's like he's I don't know if he's better about this, but probably not. He's been he's like he does not like spiders like at all like at all.

Like it'll freak him out. And to the point where I mean this was a grown adult. This was a long time ago, but we were adults at this point and he was riding his mountain bike. We're at the park big family function family function family function and he was riding and he saw a spider on his handlebar and he just he just jumped as a grown man. He jumped off his bike. Jumped off and rolled in the dirt. With a spider on the on the handlebar.

Rolled it right into a bunch of other spiders. spiders. spiders. I had a moment like that though when I had my window kind of open and I was driving and all of a sudden this huge like wasp just like flew in like right on my arm like right on my like shoulder right here. I was just like hit it and and literally like swerve I almost went in a ditch and then came right back. right back. right back. Oh my god it was it came out of nowhere.

Did I did I share I didn't share it with you guys. I meant to share this uh uh uh with you guys. I you guys have I think I've talked to Doug about it for sure maybe Justin. Have you seen the mosquito thing that I have in my backyard? The mosquito trap things that I have to that are like commercial use. I have to go through all these like red tapes to get it. So I actually have to I got to bro I got to buy it I got to bro I got to buy it out of state to get it like California can't buy it.

Um so Um so Um so Why? Why can't you get it here? It's it's California. They want the GMO ones to bite Come on dude. It's so yeah it's it's ridiculous. I'll I'll send it over to you guys before I forget. But I so So we used to have a guy we used to have a guy who who who who did our backyard stuff. We actually we lost him just recently. This is the reason why I'm telling this story. I got No, not like that. He's like he he no longer works for that company.

I think he moved out of he moved out of state or something. And he used to go through all the loopholes cuz you had to have a license to get it and order it and and put it back there. It's made for commercial use. And one of these little buckets covers an acre worth of coverage. And I have just a half acre lot and I've got five of these suckers in there, right? It's just overkill for it. And all And so, I have to [snorts] get it.

I finally get it. I just put it together. And so, I'm like, you know, why are these so effective? So, I went down and like, this stuff is sick, bro. It's okay. So, it's a it's a it's like looks like a speaker speaker speaker and it you it has a a mesh tape thing that basically you you you This is the thing that you pay for that you wrap around the thing that's floating on the on the water. And the mosquito comes and it's attracted to whatever I forget whatever is on this.

So, it wants whatever's on it and it and it's it makes this like real conducive area for it to [snorts] land and it wants to lay its eggs. And it it when it lands, it'll land and it and the water will and the and what's on the mesh will touch its leg and then it contaminates all the water in there. And then it lays its larva in there. And once it's contaminated its skin, anywhere that it goes and flies, say it flies inside of an old tire and and lands it contaminates everything.

It keeps contaminating everything. And so, and it kills the larva off and then anything else. And so then other mosquitoes that find that other area so Bro, it is it is fascinating how well it works. I told you that. So, do you see no mosquitoes now? None. And I have a creek behind me. So, I have a I'm behi- I'm in like behind me is like a forest and a creek. Maybe it's banned in California cuz it then it it contaminates the creek. I'm sure it does.

He's shaking his head, but you know he's He's he'll be the first one to order Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. It's awesome. I mean, I couldn't believe how how effective it was. We had our neighbors come over. Uh both of us have have pools have pools have pools and uh and uh and uh I never see them out at their They never I never hear them in their pool. They have kids and everything like that. And when they came over, they're like, "Um we hear you guys always in your pool and stuff.

We never go in our backyard. The The mosquitoes are just so bad." And I'm like, "We have none." They're like, "How do you have How do you have none?" And I showed it to them. They're like, "What?" And I'm like, "Yeah, we have none. We have no mosquitoes in our backyard whatsoever." They're like, That's amazing. That's amazing. That's amazing. "It is so bad, we don't even use our They don't even go in their backyard." they're about to launch a bunch of GMO that. That's what made me think of this and I brought it up cuz I saw that they're in Google.

And what did What did Google have to do with mosquitoes? Maybe like mini Did you see that, Justin? I saw it. Is it Google? Yes. Of a I saw it. helicopter dropping more ticks. I saw Google Google is something to do with Google and release How does Google have anything to do with uh mosquitoes? Boy, how arrogant are we that we just think that's going to be a good idea and maybe nothing maybe nothing maybe nothing It's not. Yeah, the Nobody's voting for this. I don't know.

I mean, I don't like mosquitoes either, but but but It is Google. Why is Google doing it? See, Google plans to release Why Google though? What? What? What? I don't know. Why does a tech company get to release mosquitoes? Exactly. Why is Bill Gates like involved in anything health related? Well, that's not Bill Gates. Yeah, that's not Bill Gates. He's not He's also excited. Yeah, it's just not the same thing. Yeah, dude. I don't know how I feel about this. about this. about this. Yeah, 32 million laboratory bred mosquitoes to California and Florida.

Google's debug project. [clears throat] Yeah, how Yeah, how Yeah, how How could that go wrong? How do they review this properly? Meanwhile, I can't use my mosquito killer. F off, bro. No, definitely use it. Stop. Stop. Stop. Maybe cuz they don't want you to kill the freaking It's right, Justin? I don't want you to kill the GMO ones. They want you to get bit. None of those will be in my backyard. No, dude. No, dude. No, dude. Don't they have a That's for damn sure. Don't they have a bug killing like machine like it you could buy now that shoots out lasers at bugs?

Oh, you can't do that, Doug. No, that's illegal in California, also, too. too. too. Oh, wow. You looked them all up. up. up. Yes. Yes. Yes. You can't use lasers, even? You cannot use the the electrical ones that pop them and zap them. It's it's inhumane. inhumane. inhumane. What's up with this tyranny? It's inhumane. inhumane. inhumane. It's inhumane. So That's not what you're Well, they're not humane. humane. humane. Yes, it is. It says inhumane. Well, I don't know if that's exactly the the verbage they use, but that's why.

It's cruel or something. Yeah, it's cruel, right? So, you have to them with lasers? Dude, you you instantly. instantly. instantly. You fry them with a magnifying glass. Now, all those traps are lights that attract them, and then in there there's bait that they eat or get trapped in. gently be put to sleep. Yes. Yes. Remember the old school ones? Pop pop pop pop. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can't you can't get those anymore. even get that? No. No. No. Those are inhumane? I I don't know if they used inhumane.

So, this one Look at this. This device uses a laser to shoot down 30 mosquitoes per second, lidar guided. This is sick. I want one so bad. Yeah, I just want to watch it. You know, they call it defense system that's like, you know, for missiles that that's like that. Dude, that is an I haven't heard of Iron Dome or something like that. Yeah, the Iron Dome of Bug. I haven't heard of that. And you can't buy that here, huh? Well, I don't know. I didn't know that's what you were talking about.

That's what I'm talking about. I haven't seen that. I would I'll buy that just to downside, it's only 6 m kill zone. What? It doesn't matter if it's a Well, I mean, Adam is like, you know, half acre. half acre. half acre. Kill zone. You've got the mass mass mass I've got a 5-acre coverage. I've got a 5-acre coverage. genocide. genocide. genocide. Do we have one of those for wasps? Cuz Honestly, dude, why do wasps exist? Yeah, I don't like them. tell you about it. I don't like them.

Yeah, they they they they serve no value. value. value. Why do wasps exist, Doug? Do they do something for tell you why. Bees are cool, dude. Bees, you know, there's a place for bees, right? We'd have a complete complete collapse without bees, right? Yeah, we need bees, but wasps, they don't pollinate? don't pollinate? don't pollinate? I always wondered about that, cuz I'm always fighting them, like They say they're ultimate ecosystem balancers. They serve three critical functions. They provide billions of dollars in natural pest control by hunter by hunting garden-destroying insects.

insects. insects. They are vital pollinators. Okay, so they they pollinate, bro. They don't pollinate. They act as food for birds and other wildlife. wildlife. wildlife. What do they pollinate? Trees, including figs. feed birds, bro. We can't get rid of them, dog. them, dog. them, dog. But do you guys like figs? I can't stand those things. Doug just planted a fig tree. No, I didn't. I didn't Oh, it was already there? No, I don't have a fig tree. What? What? What? I contemplated it. Oh. Oh. Oh.

But Sal doesn't like them, so I decided not to. not to. not to. This guy's gone full garden. He's gone full garden. I know. [clears throat] [clears throat] [clears throat] Like big time. Old Italian man garden. Well, did Doug tell you how you organized it all? I'm wearing a wife beater out there. Yes, with AI. He's got like so fascinated with that. Yeah, tell tell tell them about it, Doug. Doug. Doug. Yeah, so I I I have two planner boxes. They're raised boxes. They're 4 ft by 16 ft, 2 ft high.

Um and I had a bunch of vegetables and fruits I wanted to plant. So, what I did is I went to Claude. I put in the dimensions of the box, the orientation of the box to the sun, uh all the plants I wanted to add, and it spit me out a graphic showing exactly where I needed to plant, which companion plants work well, which ones don't work well with each other, which should get more sun, which should get less sun. Yeah, and that's how I did it.

I know you're surprised cuz of his Google skills, like how he'd be able to do that. do that. do that. I know. I know. I know. I was so impressed. I was I'm probably the world's worst Googler, you know? you know? you know? I mean, at least everybody believes that. that. that. Maybe you're just a Claude guy. [clears throat] [clears throat] [clears throat] But he does the I thought it was so cool. I mean, even I he was touring me on his his thing, and like you even like there's certain things that he planted that they tell you not to plant next to another thing cuz it would which you wouldn't know unless you were told.

You could have just done it. You could have had my dad come over. He would have figured it out for you. Yeah, well. Yeah, well. Yeah, well. He's a scientist. He knows what's up. I'm sure he does. Probiotics have been shown in studies to improve gut health, reduce inflammation, even help with things like anxiety and depression in some people. They also can help with fat loss and muscle gain. Here's the problem, most probiotics on the market are garbage. Either the bacteria is dead or they don't use the right strains or the right amounts.

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Get more leads, close more deals, close bigger deals, and be more effective trainers. By the way, our course is nationally recognized. In fact, it gives you 1.9 CEUs with or for your NASM certification. Find out more at mindpumpfitnesscoaching.com. Our first caller is Jessie from Florida. Hi Jessie. Hi Jessie. Hi Jessie. How you doing, Jessie? Hello. Hello. Hello. Hi, thanks for having me on. You got it. How can we help you? So, I'll just read my email to stay on track. So, I am a 39-year-old mom, pediatric ICU nurse who started working out about 6 to 8 years ago.

Um, lost nearly 100 lbs strength training and recently have been running Anabolic [clears throat] Advanced, um, which has pushed me to lifting heavier. My current two to four rep maxes are squats 250, deadlift 280, bench 150, shoulder press 125. Um, after being about stuck at the same weight for about a year, I hired a coach several months back, um, to kind of get me over that plateau. Um, during that time, my dad had a serious accident. I spent two months in the ICU with him, um, and that is when I had found your guys' podcast, which has kind of completely shifted how I started thinking about training.

Um, up until a month and a half ago, my coach had me eating 1,500 calories, lifting six days a week, doing 20 to 30 minutes of cardio after every session. So, I initially lost weight, um, and transitioned like my training from hit CrossFit style to more heavier lifting, um, but I feel like I've swung like too far the wrong direction now. Um, I'm trying to increase my calories, but the fear of gaining weight is very real. Um, but at the same time, I started getting shoulder pain, elbow pain that I've never had before, hair loss, um, as well.

So, a little bit more about my lifestyle, uh, in addition to being a picky nurse, I also work for a medical device company, device company, device company, um, have to travel frequently if there's a critically ill child somewhere. I fly and provide bedside support to the nurses at bedside. Um, so, can travel at any moment, but just kind of wondering where I should go with my training now. Um, I paused Anabolic last week and kind of just did a cardio week just because my upper body, like my shoulders and elbows were hurting so bad.

Um, so, just kind of don't know where to go and what to do now. Yeah, thanks for calling in. I just wanted just to clarify the initial period period period of six years of strength training, um, and losing 100 lbs, you did that on your own? your own? your own? Yes. Yes. Yes. That's exceptional. Wow. You did a phenomenal job and you're really strong. I don't Do you Do you know how strong you are? you are? you are? No, I don't I don't I don't feel strong.

Uh randomly people will come up in the gym be like, "Do you Did you miscalculate your maps? Like are you going to be able to lift that?" And I'm like, "Yeah, it's fine." Like and they're like, "Oh yeah, you're fine." Yes, you're you're stronger than most women. Like you're you're probably in the top five. sure I can do 225 for for 12 right now. That's uh That's uh That's uh Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's That's a serious squat. That's a serious deadlift. That's impressive. Yeah, you're really really strong and here's where things went wrong and I think you know this.

Um you you worked with a coach and you had a bad coach. You cut your calories way down um cuz you were doing everything great. You what You cut your calories way down, increased your activity too much. The result of which was a stress response which looks like uh pain, hair falling out, I don't feel good, that kind of stuff. On top of it you don't have a low stress lifestyle. So, I've worked with medical professionals and I've worked with nurses nurses nurses and you are in one of the more difficult um parts of nursing in uh pediatric.

That's very difficult uh very emotionally emotionally emotionally um it can be a taxing and you know this. I don't need to tell you this, but just for people listening, it's a very difficult job uh what you do. Moving forward, what you want to do, Jessie Jessie Jessie is you want to focus on uh building your metabolism, not on cutting things. Cutting things with with your stress and exercise is a recipe for disaster. Now, I get the fear of gaining weight and a little bit might happen through the reverse diet process, but you're not going to go You're not going to blow up.

That's not going to happen. That would only happen if you stopped strength training, you ate tons of garbage, and you did it for a while. But you've already built your metabolism uh pretty well, especially considering where you came from. With that strength uh you're doing great. I don't think um MAPS Anabolic Advanced is appropriate Maybe a 15. for you. I think traditional MAPS Anabolic would be good. Muscle Mommy might be good. Uh, one of our MAPS 15 style programs would be good with your daily activity and stress.

And then what you want to do is you want to slowly reverse diet. Are you still uh tracking? Yes. So, I've gotten myself up to like 1,700 calories, but I'm not going to lie, every couple days I'll be like, oh, no, I've been eating too much. I I cut back. too low. Way too low. Yeah. too low. Way too low. Yeah. Prior to getting my coach, I was like at 2,100. 2,100. 2,100. Um but I haven't been there in a bit. still too low. So, we if considering what you're doing, your strength, your activity, the steps, uh it's still really low.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And so what your body is is a is really a it's trying to hold on to body fat uh because the nutrients that you're taking in are still, you know, barely meeting the demand. And so your body's like, I'm not getting rid of the stored energy. Um and I'm And what's cool, here's some good news, the fact that you're so strong at so low of calories with as much work as you're doing tells me that you actually have really good genetics. genetics. genetics.

You got really good muscle. If we feed you properly, you properly, you properly, you're going to build a metabolism [clears throat] that's going to surprise you. you. you. But you you got to move up and you probably got to get closer to 3,000 calories before we attempt to cut. And I'm pretty confident if we do it right, you're not going to see a lot of weight gain on the scale. You're just going to feel really strong and lots of energy. Is what's probably going to look like.

I mean, I I'd love to see you either in our Muscle Mommy group or taking on one of our coaches to take you through this process. I think you're a great candidate for somebody like that. Either one, if you want to do it on your own and you just would like the community, I think the Muscle Mommy group's awesome because we have so many women that are reverse dieting going through this. I think you'd be great and you'd be great inspiration for a lot of women considering where you've already come from.

I think you'd be great. Or if you're open to getting coached by one of our trainers, I'd love for one of them to take you through this if you're open to it. to it. to it. How long did you work with your last coach? coach? coach? Uh like six, seven months. Oh gosh. Okay. I never I never I never Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, the reverse of I mean, I think halfway through that I realized I had found you guys and I was like, "Oh, okay. Well, I'll just keep going, but I knew that I wasn't going the right way." Again, I'm going to give you some more encouraging news.

You have a really resilient body. resilient body. resilient body. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like phenomenally so. I think if we work with it, you're going to blow your you're going to blow yourself away. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um I would say if you worked with one of our coaches, the reverse diet process will take you about 6 to 9 months. Through that, you're just going to feel really good. really good. really good. Uh there may be some short cuts in between that period. You'll feel good physically, but psychologically it'll be difficult.

It'll Yeah, it'll be hard to eat more. Uh but that'll set you up for a cut. And then when you get your metabolic rate where where we want it, and then we do the cut, it's going to feel way different. Then you'll go down to 2,100 calories and just start losing body fat. Okay. Okay. Okay. Yeah. I was looking at like the I guess the concierge thing where it's like once a month cuz I feel like I'm pretty like I'm disciplined. Like I get up in the morning and I do like what I'm supposed to do.

But [snorts] yeah, so I'm not opposed to opposed to opposed to Yeah, you're a great candidate for that. You're somebody who's like you get it. Uh and it sounds like you're the type of person that if we gave you the instruction, go do this, this, and this, you would follow through. So, I think you'd be a great candidate for concierge. concierge. concierge. Have you talked to somebody about one of our coaches about concierge? How'd you know about that? I just from listening to you guys and Googling, yeah.

So, you know, I haven't talked to anybody. Okay, let me have someone call you and uh and they'll set you up with that. And in uh you're going to get a program with that, but I think Muscle Mommy would be a good program for you or one of our MAPS 15 programs. But once you meet with a coach, they'll have longer time to talk with you and determine what would be the best option. All right. Sounds good. Thank you guys. I appreciate it. You're doing really well.

And you're really strong, Justin. That's like crazy. That's like really good strength. So, good job. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You got it. [clears throat] [snorts] [snorts] [snorts] Those are crazy numbers. Dude, 225 for 12 at that low of calorie. I don't think you could do that. I can do it, but it sucks. I can do it 225 for 12. then I'm going to have you do a video of that when we get out of here. Yeah, after Adam does it. No, I admit it.

I don't know if I can do that right now. right now. right now. I mean, I I can do it, but it'll suck. I mean, 225 for 12 is legit. she say she deadlifts 235 for 12? Yes. Yes. Yes. That's crazy. That's crazy. That's crazy. Both those are crazy. If that's and that 135 for six bench, she's she's not just strong. endurance. endurance. endurance. She's like one of the strongest. Yeah, yeah. Those are like I heard she powerlifting numbers. powerlifting numbers. powerlifting numbers. you have you have you have fueling her, it is.

She will really take off. off. off. Dude, you know what makes me so frustrated? I know you guys feel the same thing. same thing. same thing. Uh crappy coaches. It makes me so mad. Here you have a coach who took a woman who lost 100 lb and is strong. She was eating 2,100 calories and what do they do? 1,500 calories, increase activity. Let's Let's make her feel jump on the cardio machine. of a How crappy of a coach are you if that's just what you hit every time?

Makes me so upset. two buttons two buttons two buttons Our next caller is Augie from Alabama. What's up, Augie? What's happening, dude? Hey, guys. How are you guys doing? Good, man. How can we help you? Good. Um Good. Um Good. Um Yeah, so my question is I've been listening to a lot of your podcast regarding, you know, the the hybrid training space, trying to find the best solution. I think I ran into the problem that a lot of people do where they overtrain. overtrain. overtrain. Um So, I I just purchased the PPL program from you guys and I've been running that about three days a week to start phase two, but I want to uh prepare for like running being the priority towards end of summer.

Um so, I wanted some help with the structure, like how if I'm doing the PPL right now and running like 10 miles a week max, how can I What should I then do next when I make the priority running, but still want to strength train about two, three times a week if possible. Um just so I can prepare my my body for hopefully doing some races at the end of fall. fall. fall. Is it 10 miles broken up or is it straight 10 miles? Yeah, no, no.

It's It's broken up. So, I'm doing like two easy days of maybe 2 and 1/2 miles or 3 and then I'll do one day where I'm maybe doing 3 to 4 which No, you're good. So, So, just to clarify, your goal is performance-based. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But right now I I I think my um going into summer I was like, "No, I want to strength train, hopefully lose a little bit of weight, try to tone up a little bit, and then really hit the running as fall gets closer." Good.

Good. Good. Okay. Okay. Okay. No, great attitude. That's what I'm going to say cuz if you were going to tell me you were going to do a new program after this. Yeah, if you're going to tell me I want to get shredded and I want to get good at racing. at racing. at racing. No. No. No. Okay. Okay. Okay. After listening to all the episodes you guys have done, I have to prioritize, but it's it's just hard cuz I think for me the running is more of like a mental like like like Oh, I get it.

Like I love it and also the hard part about it, right? Doing intervals, I just enjoy it. enjoy it. enjoy it. Good. Good. Good. Um so, that's been challenging to prioritize one, but that's that's my goal heading into the fall to hopefully lean out and and maybe and maybe and maybe be a little bit more effective running. No, you're great, bro. So, when you're done with this little season of what you're doing cuz I think what you're doing is fine, especially if you feel good, you're getting stronger.

Yeah, it's good strong. You're not losing strength, you feel good, keep going. When you're ready to make the transition to running, to running, to running, um one day a week full body is plenty. 45-minute workout, compound lifts. lifts. lifts. Um and then focus on your running, focus on what's helping you with your performance, and fuel yourself. You don't want to go into a You don't want to cut your calories while trying to get better at running. Uh that'll be very difficult. difficult. difficult. like a single day from MAPS Performance would be good for him?

Yeah, you can do that or you can do MAPS 15. 15. 15. You can do that. I like giving him MAPS Performance cuz then he can pull from the mobility days to complement his running. running. running. it's good. it's good. it's good. So, I would I would I would We'll send you MAPS Performance if you don't have it. it. it. And then when when you scale down to one day a week, just pick one of the days of the three foundation days, and then what you can use uh the mobility days as a way to complement the running and the training.

So, if there's other things that you want to do, or you have time, uh throw some of those mobility days in there also. That'll be good for you for active recovery. active recovery. active recovery. Yep. Yep. Yep. Okay, great. Um and then another just random one. I looked on your site regarding, you know, the company you guys work with for peptides. Just trying to get more information. Apparently, they don't service in Alabama. Do you guys have anyone within this area that you would recommend? I don't know anybody.

Uh but you did check with them and they don't service that that that Yeah, yeah. I I even I set up like a a schedule like consultation and they're just like, "Ah, we don't service out there." But just curious. Yeah, no. Unfortunately, I don't know uh of anybody with uh you know, FDA um um um That's the hard part is you could go gray market and find somebody who will send to Alabama, but then like I don't think any of us want to recommend you like a gray market company.

So, you know what you would do is you would do a search for longevity clinics in your area. Okay. Okay. Okay. And you might like Little Rock might have one or something like that or two. And then I would call them and say, "Hey, can I do it tele- can I do telemedicine?" And then you might be able to, you know, not Little Rock. Sorry, that's a different state. Sorry. But you would be able to to find someone in the larger city and see if they do telemedicine.

Okay, great. Okay, great. Okay, great. Yep. Yep. Yep. That's it, man. Oh, perfect, man. Thank you guys so much. Appreciate it. You got it, brother. Right on. Right on. Right on. All right. All right. All right. He's got a good attitude. He's going to be fine. be fine. be fine. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, when he said that he's he's breaking up the 10 miles, I'm like, "Oh, that's not bad at all." Especially when his goal cuz his goal's performance. When people mess up is they do aesthetic plus performance goal.

Uh-huh. And then you got to like, you got to pick one. Yeah, he's segmenting it out. I think it's smart. And yeah, he could just easily transition into that and time it perfectly. perfectly. perfectly. And PBL's a solid program to do that with cuz it's not a really high volume program. program. program. So, it's nice moderate volume. Yeah, so it works perfect with somebody who's running 10 miles a week. Our next caller is Kayleen from New York. York. York. Hi, Kayleen. Hi, Kayleen. Hi, Kayleen. How you What you Hello, hello.

Hello, hello. Hello, hello. Hi, hi. Hi, hi. Hi, hi. How can we help you? Um so first I'd just like to say thank you for um having me on the show. Like this is like a dream come true. Like I've been a fan for like a really long time now. Um so I'm I'm honored to be here. Thank you so much, right? Um so I've been on my fitness journey for about like 6 months now and I'm working with a virtual trainer through the company Kickoff.

Um Um Um and his name is Nico and uh he's actually one the one that introduced me to you guys. Oh, cool. That's great. Um so shout out Nico. Um [snorts] [snorts] [snorts] Um Um so like I really want to talk uh to Adam specifically because I really um can connect with your um struggles in addiction um because I've recently um just I'm coming off of THC. I'm like 30 days in right now. I'm actually going through a medical detox and um because I was diagnosed with uh cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome.

Oh, that's right, huh? That's where you vomit like crazy. That's rough. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's it's it's been a little wild, but um so my question there is was there a point in your sobriety when you knew you wanted to quit, but your mind kept negotiating with you and what made it easier? Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Um I have a very like high tolerance for pain, so like just having CHS like doesn't really deter me from like wanting to go back. Yeah, I I'd say I had that for almost 3 years where I was aware of what I needed to do and then I wouldn't do it and then I knew it was a problem and I go back and so I played that game for a really long time.

I'll tell you for me what was a a a major motivator was my son. Was knowing that uh at one point um I may have to have this conversation with him. And what I didn't want to have to have is that your dad still struggles with it. I'd much rather have the conversation of this was something I struggled with and this is how I got over it. And so, he was a big motivating factor for me. Probably one of the hardest things I had was that I didn't have a lot of negative symptoms.

Um, that was the other thing, too, was and I don't know where you're at in in the journey with like other things. Like I things didn't come crashing down on me. You know, a lot of addicts it takes the bottom of the barrel before they start to come out of that, right? Where like they lose their job or their fiance breaks up with them or something or they get in an accident. They need something like tragic to kind of wake them up. That hadn't happened to me.

And so, that was part of why I kept wrestling going back and forth was cuz I didn't have anything that was kind of like it life was good. I felt good. No, it wasn't it wasn't interfering with anything. And so, so, so, that was the probably the biggest challenge and why I kept talking myself back out of it. But then I kind of flipped that and went, you know what? Like, it's only a matter of time before this does do something in my life that either ruins my relationship, affects my work, or does something.

And you know what? The fact that I've gotten away with this for 3 years and it hasn't, I felt blessed. And so, it was just like it's time. And then and I knew that I was going to suffer coming off of it and I knew that I needed to because that was going to be the thing that made me feel awful. I was like, I need to feel awful and because something tragic didn't happen to me, this is going to be my thing and that's going to be my story is that I'm going to go through that, I'm going to overcome it, and then I'm going to never look back.

And so, that was kind of the self-talk that that I had. And I watched a lot of stuff of other people. people. people. Um, I I didn't know I was going to do that. I was drawn to other stories of people going through it and and listening to that. I think that gave, uh, me empathy for them. It also gave, uh, helped me have solace. Like it was, uh, a big part of me getting through the whole process and then never look back. But my son was a big a big motivator for me, for sure.

Yeah, and I can relate to what you said about like nothing really tragic has happened cuz that's the same with me like I still have my career. Um, I'm a youth hockey coach. Um, you know, I'm in a relationship but life is good really. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, Um, Um, and I I but that was helpful and then I guess like a follow-up question that I have about that is like how do you like pace yourself because like I'm very much a person that like if I set my mind to something like I want to go all gas no brakes and I'm learning that in fitness and in sobriety like that's it it's kind of making it tougher.

tougher. tougher. Well, which one are we talking cuz I feel like there's two different conversations there like with the fitness thing if you don't pace yourself you won't see the results that you want to see and that's the whole point of me going to the gym and doing those things and so you're full throttle on that and you're not going to see results. But for me on the the sobriety side like I needed to go full throttle. I felt like I had to go like this like all or nothing like there's none of this what I had done in the past those three years was the tapering game of like oh, I'll taper down.

I'll head that way and then I justify going back up cuz I couldn't get good night's sleep and then it was like I kept playing that. So for me I had to go all in on the sobriety thing and cut and go that for me was the only way. But when it comes to working out and training and diet and stuff like that like you need small wins. So like and I still do this to this day. Like I'm not all or on all off on training.

all or on all off on training. That's like hey, it's like hey, this week I'm going to set a goal for myself. I want to make sure I get to the gym two times or three times or hey, I just want to make sure that I you know, my steps have been low 6,000 steps. I'm going to try to average eight 8,000 this week. And so I give myself like weekly small easy wins and I stack them when it comes to health and fitness. It's just that's how I approach that.

So they're kind of different for me like for sobriety stuff I needed to rip the band-aid off and go all in on that and and and white knuckle it. Uh with fitness, it's different. That approach I don't think is a healthy approach. Like I think stacking small wins and building momentum and making sure you have a healthy balance of stress and everything else that's going in your life because going all in on that and full throttle on that either one ends up you falling off the wagon really hard or two your body revolts because you have other stress in your life.

You're not feeding yourself properly. You're not sleeping sleeping properly. So two different two different conversations for me. Right. Okay. Right. Okay. Right. Okay. Kayleen, can I ask you a question if you don't mind? don't mind? don't mind? Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. So my friend Ben Bueno, he runs he runs he runs a rehab facility. He's a really good guy. Really really good guy. And I had a conversation with him recently about this cuz I can self-medicate as well. Now I've never gone so far to where I felt like it was like I you know I'd have to go through crazy withdrawal or anything like that.

But I do know my tendency which is to reach for something to kind of self-medicate. And he asked me a question I thought that was so powerful. He asked me what it what's the driving force or what do I think this is making me better at or what am I medicating? medicating? medicating? And for me, it wasn't like I was medicating pain or anxiety. I thought it made me better. So I thought it made me happier when I'm with my kids or when I'm doing things that I don't want to do and it will give me energy or you know makes it easier to be present because my mind wants to wander type of deal.

Um and that actually helped me a lot because then he asked me, well is that true? Does it really make you better? And I had to think about that for a second. I don't think it does. I just think it I just think I like it. Uh so my question for you is what have you examined what it is that that leads you towards or that led you toward self-medicating? Um Um I think I I just I kind of just like it and I I know that I have like a pull to it and um I like the way it feels and but I I'm slowly like realizing um that it was becoming a problem because I was I was just doing it so much much much um and yeah, I mean I do have a decent amount of like anxiety and stress that I'm working through but um I think that's a that's a good point is to like really ask myself like why.

Yeah. Yeah, so you actually said something really interesting um cuz you said I like it and usually that means because it takes me out of something I don't like. Right. Right. Right. And you mentioned anxiety and stress. So it's So it's So it's it's really difficult to because self-medicating kind of works a little bit. bit. bit. Right? Until it doesn't work, right? Until it gets so so bad that maybe it causes more anxiety or in your case you had a pretty extreme um reaction with hyperemesis.

But But But you have to find other ways to help yourself with those feelings that you don't like to be in. Because otherwise it's going to feel like such a big contrast that the self-medicating option is always going to feel like a good potential option. Have you Have you found anything [clears throat] like that? Like when you're feeling uncomfortable in your own skin skin skin or whatever like alternative uh ways to help yourself through those things? things? things? Um Um Um not really. Mostly just like self-talk and trying to remind myself that like what I think is not true.

Okay. That's a great start. Um so what I would do is try to develop uh other habits that can replace the one that you've become accustomed to um because it gets real uncomfortable over time. I don't need to tell you this, you know this. Like, it just over time it's just real uncomfortable. And so, um, see if you can find other ways. And then, in the data, when you look at, uh, sobriety, um, or success, there's two factors that seem to always come up. Uh, one is a transcendent aspect.

And so, uh, belief in a higher power or God, that's one. The other one is to bring it to light with other people. Uh, because when you do it by yourself, you eventually lose. But, when you include other people, and you want to find people that give you grace, by the way, cuz you might stumble. But, when you do it with other people, it makes a big In the data, it shows it makes a big difference, uh, with being able to keep you on that track.

track. track. Yeah, I'm actually I'm working with a an addiction recovery coach, um, that I found on YouTube. Uh, his his name is Dr. Frank. And, um, he he's been great so far. That's awesome. That's phenomenal. And, how's exercise helped with all of this? this? this? Uh, it has, but, um, like, I I guess that also leads me into my next question about fitness is, like, um, how do I be comfortable with being in a bulk? Like, I've always been on the smaller side. Um, I've never really like consistently trained like this because like I've always been a natural like athlete.

So, I I didn't really that never really hindered my like abilities in sports. Um, I was I played Division III lacrosse and ice hockey. hockey. hockey. Um, so, yeah, I'm just like really even before like coming off the weed, like I'm really I was really struggling with like eating a lot of calories and, um, um, um, my trainer like kind of says, uh, like if if you don't eat, then you're not going to see gains. But, I it's it's it's hard for me to eat a lot of calories.

calories. calories. So, So, So, and [clears throat] by the way, this might also be a side effect of coming off the THC. Appetite drops a little bit. Uh, so, but, so, [clears throat] small steps. You're an athlete, so I'm going to speak to you in a going to I'm going to speak to you in a way that I think you understand. Uh how do you get comfortable with the pain, the strength the strenuous training, the I'm pushing myself to the limit in a game? How do you get comfortable with that as an athlete?

Um I don't know. I guess I've never really thought about it. It's just it's all drive like to succeed and It is. It is. It is. Um just just grit and mental toughness, which I think I have. You do, but you probably developed it. In other words, uh exposure therapy. So, it's uncomfortable, but you keep doing it enough and you start to get comfortable with it being uncomfortable. So, that's going to happen with bulking. So, it's going to be So, it's going to be uncomfortable for a while.

But you if the more you do it, the longer you connect longer you do it, the longer you connect it to the gains and the feeling good and this is working, then the less uh uncomfortable it becomes. You got to get used to it. Set weekly goals and build on it. Whatever like whatever that calorie amount or a meal like it could be that simple as that. Like uh for example, I know when I'm getting back to hitting my protein intake it's like, "Oh, I need to make sure I get up and have that 40 g of Greek yogurt first thing in the morning cuz I know if I don't do that consistently, I'm playing the catch-up game all time." So, set like a meal goal somewhere in your day.

Something that you you like right now you go a certain amount of time and you know you don't eat and you probably should. Set a small goal that is a good high protein good calories 2 300 calorie meal that you're like, "I'm going to just that's going to be my thing now. I just always eat that you know, high protein Greek yogurt at that time." Or whatever the thing is for you. And start with that and just and build on it. And and like Sal said, you'll have a time when you're building on it, it'll get uncomfortable uh and you'll probably have some days where you miss and you're not so good and get right back on the horse just like you would as an athlete and get back to being consistent again before you You it becomes a habit.

Become something that you do on a regular basis and you become more comfortable with it. But that's what I meant by like small goals. Like set like a small goal. Like don't try and jump someone who's Even though I want to get you to 23, 2400 calories, I don't take somebody who's at 1300, 1500 right there. It's just like we do it through this through small 200 calorie increments and we go, "Hey, this is what we're going to do. Just like at this part of your day, you eat that." And then like just become consistent with that.

Pair it with something else that you always do. You'll get used to it. And then and then we build on it slowly. Okay, that's helpful. Okay. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You're doing good. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, you're doing really good. You want to get back on here in in like 40 50 days? days? days? I'd like to put you in our private forum, too, if you're not already in there. there. there. Yeah, I would love that. Adam, I just I just want you to know that like your YouTube on video where um I don't know his last name, but I know his first name is Doug.

That interview that you did with him like I go back and watch that like anytime I feel in low and like it just it hypes me up. That makes me feel good. Thank you. Awesome. I'm glad that helps. Yeah, stay connected to us. I'm going to put you in the private forum. And we'll get you Let's get you on again. Let's again. Let's again. Let's You need help or anything like that, you just reach out to us. You're going through anything like that, let us know and then we'll stay in touch.

Absolutely. Thank you so much. You got it, Kelly. Thank you. Thank you. Bye. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I got to tell you I I I just your process and how you went through that and talked about it I respect so much and you can see the the impact it's had on other people and I'm sure that probably strengthens you as well to see Yeah, no, you never know like a like a lot of people didn't watch that Doug Bopst interview. I don't know how many you know it didn't reach like millions of people.

It reached It reached people that needed to hear it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that's what I I noticed from it was the thousands that did watch it were mostly want to add when somebody listens to you for a long time and and you sound, you know, like they look up to you your the vulnerability and honesty is so powerful powerful powerful and and and you know, you've already got that authority with someone like her and then she hears you went through something like that. That's got real impact.

So, great job. Yeah, she's I mean she's doing a good job though. I mean it sounds like she's got the right Hyperemesis Hyperemesis Hyperemesis heard of that. Yeah, so it's more common now because cannabis use is much more common. It's repeated uncontrollable vomiting. to me cuz I'm so unfamiliar with this. it get to that point? Is it Is it when you come off of it you get it or is while you're taking it? on it. on it. on it. So she's taking it and she's still vomiting and still doing it.

that's what that's probably what led her to go seek Yeah, like I've got a problem. Yeah, it's the cannabinoid system gets all wacky and you get this hyperemesis is probably is probably is probably I didn't want to ask her or put her on the spot, but how high a levels do you probably have to get up to to get it? know. I don't know, but probably a lot of regular use. And then coming off probably made it worse for a while. But that's nasty bro. So hyperemesis is this like a clinical [clears throat] Never even heard of term for you can't stop vomiting.

Like you're just constantly nauseous and vomiting. vomiting. vomiting. And does anything else cause that or is it directly connected to cannabis? Oh no, it's a cannabis condition. It is listed That is so wild to me as much as I've been around cannabis that I have never heard any kind of symptoms like that. like that. like that. It's It's more common now than it has been been been and it's common enough to where they have a term for it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But it's crazy. And so they'll put you on an anti-nausea medication.

It's just really bad. really bad. really bad. I mean I see she [clears throat] the thing that she's connects with me with which was I think one of the hardest part is when you believe it or not is when you haven't had something tragic. And she even said like even the throwing up doesn't stop her. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, it's like but that's because she has a job, she has a relationship, she has everything going for her. So that was the thing that made it difficult to get off for you know You were managing it.

Yeah, exactly. You know, but I think that the flip was you know what like I should be grateful that Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I got this Let's not wait. Yeah, let's let's cuz eventually some [ __ ] will happen, right? So it's like that's that to me was the big motivator. Our next caller is Vanessa from the UK. Hi Vanessa. Hi Vanessa. Hi Vanessa. Hello. Hello. Hello. Oh, I'm so happy to see you guys. How are you? are you? are you? Good. How can we help you? Yeah, um, okay.

So I'm just going to read from my email. Um, things have changed a little bit since I wrote you, um, but it might be easier this way. So, first of all, I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all the content you've been putting out. I only discovered you guys a few months ago and must have listened to over 80 hours of your podcast since. Um, as a 38-year-old woman, I never thought I'd be anywhere near your target target audience, but I'm constantly amazed at how kind, empathetic, compassionate, and supportive you are of everyone on their health and fitness journey.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Um, so, yeah, so okay, so just a little bit about me. I'm your typical type A overachiever type of person. I have a long history of yo-yo dieting and disordered eating and over-exercising. All of it came to a head in 2020 when I was running 21 km a day. I know, strength training 6 days a week, eating 1,200 calories, binging on Saturdays, fasting for 38 hours, rinse and repeat. Um, I got some help and spent the last 6 years doing some deep work, healing my relationship with food, myself, my parents, etc., etc., but I did go and gain quite a bit of weight in the process, all the while still going to the gym regularly.

So, last fall I was feeling pretty uncomfortable in my body and I decided to hire a coach to see if I could lose some weight in a healthy and sustainable way. I'm 5'9" and was probably around 168 lb at that point. Um, my coach put me on three gym sessions a week, upper, lower, full body, body, body, 12,000 steps, one 30-minute cardio session, and 1,600 calories. I lost some weight, but after a few months I was getting really grumpy and really weak, so we upped to 2,000 calories.

I kept losing weight. I upped my steps considerably, averaging about 26,000 steps. Um, I got really hungry, so we upped my intake to 2,200 cal and then added another 30-minute 30-minute cardio session and an extra gym session. I was hungry again, so we bumped to 2,300 and that's where I was a month ago when I wrote this email and I was still consistently hungry and since then I'm now at 2,500 calories, which feels more sustainable. So, I did realize that I was getting into the overdoing it spiral with my steps.

I do live in Europe, so you sneeze and hit 10,000 steps. That's like not a problem. Um but I was starting to notice that I always wanted to beat last week's average. So, I've deliberately brought my steps down to 18,000 and we have removed the extra 30-minute cardio session. Um my problem has never been compliance. It's always overdoing it. Um so, now I'm at 139 lb and since writing this email about 6 weeks ago the Hum Pod has said I've gone down from 17.7% body fat to 17.2% body fat with no real muscle gain.

I don't know how accurate the pod is. 17% feels pretty low to me um compared to what I look like, but I feel like the trend is probably correct. Um so, my question has slightly changed since writing writing this email. I'm seeing some progress in the gym, but it's very slow. I'm happy generally with how my body looks now, but my butt has become considerably flatter. So, the added gym session was glute focused. It's been 6 weeks since adding it and my butt is no rounder.

I'm eating 170 g of protein, 75 g of fat and the rest is carbs, most of it from whole foods. Um and then the other part of it is I'm also worried about lowering my steps more because I don't want to eat less food. Um so, in terms of body recomp, building my butt, staying lean and mostly sustainability, what would you suggest I do differently? We're right there. You're doing doing really good. You've come a long way. Yes, and I really appreciate uh how how identifying things.

Like you said, oh, it's spiraling again with my steps." Like that's a massive step. And I think you're moving in the right direction. right direction. right direction. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'll tell you what needs to happen. You might not like it, uh but it this is what needs going to need to happen. You're going to going to need to gain weight and your body fat percentage is going to need to go up. Fill you up. Right. Right. Right. that butt shows up around like uh 20% 21%.

21%. 21%. Yeah. It's just it's That's That's That's where it sits. It's really hard if not almost impossible to build muscle as a female in the in the in the teens of body fat percentage. Just doesn't want to. want to. want to. And you're going to need to gain weight. At 5'9" with strength and muscle and the look that you want, which is which would make you uncomfortable if you weighed yourself, will probably be closer to 150 lb. lb. lb. Just so you know. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. So So but you're moving you'll look the way you want to look. in the right direction, Vanessa. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So what I So here's the answer. It's going to be very difficult. You got to take your hands off the control. So Stop tracking your steps. Now don't trick yourself cuz you can also do this. Sometimes people are like, "I'm not tracking my steps but I'm tracking how far I'm walking and I'm keeping" Literally stop trying like really work on not paying attention to how much you're walking and then what you're going to pay attention to is uh do I enjoy walking and do I need to walk?

walk? walk? Do I need to walk to this place? Okay. Uh so you don't want to play that game either where you're like, "Uh I think I'll walk extra or I'll go over there or I'll take the Okay. So take your take your take your eyes off the scale, take your eyes off the body fat percentage, and take your eyes off of the steps. Uh I would I would and you're you're going to have probably have to eat more, which is a good sign. Yeah, you're Yeah, you're Yeah, you're This tells me your metabolism wants to be really healthy.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I I'd increase the calories again and then what you're going to focus on cuz you have laser focus, which we can use, is I want you to say, "How strong can I get?" get?" get?" Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. How like how strong can I actually get? How strong can I get my hip thrust, my deadlift, and my squat? That's what's going to build uh your body and that's what's going to build your body. Okay. And what would you say is like a an average like progressive overload?

I'm just thinking like I've been doing kind of the same hip thrust weight for like like like or squats or hip thrusts for like six eight weeks and it's not and I am going to failure, you know, and I'm like, "Oh my god, like What What will happen when you when you increase your calories and and and stop pushing the steps, you're going to see your strength go up. I would also not go to failure. You want to stop about one or two reps short. Failure Failure Failure overdoes it, especially when you do it consistently.

And so people don't get better progress with that. We see trends where it tends to move in the opposite direction. So I would reduce the intensity a little bit. I'm not saying don't work out hard, but don't go to failure. failure. failure. I mean, I love I love to send you a program so we so we have a better idea of exactly what you're doing cuz right now we're kind of like guessing where you're at. Where I'd love to put you on Muscle Mommy. I think that's a That's a butt focused program.

very butt focused. Um it'll be We know the volume that's in it. We we progressively overload you in there. So you just got to follow it the way it's laid out. Listen to Sal's advice. You're really close in my opinion. Like you The fact that you're already at the calories you're at you're at you're at at the as low body fat is actually a good place. It's like and you're it's saying your appetite's still there, which is awesome. Which means 200 more calories, lay off the steps a little bit more and we should see this nice start to move in the right direction.

But you're you're you're And then when it plateaus, you bump your calories again. You have a good coach. I like what your coach is doing with you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Okay. And so I would communicate to the coach and I would say, "Hey, I'd like to just get strong." How'd you find your coach, by the way? Give him some love. Um yeah, I think he's he's very um he's young and he's um I think I was really Okay, so how about this? I I really happy to get a coach because I think it allowed me to um stay accountable and also it was really empowering for me because I was the one to advocate for myself and when we were at 1600 I was like this is not sustainable and I know what not sustainable is and I was like I can't.

So I did feel like I had to kind of advocate for myself quite a bit. Um and a lot of the time when I was like ooh I'm feeling like really short-tempered and grumpy and weak and he was like no you got this keep going and I was like ooh Oh okay. I don't think that's right. So so you did a really So it sounds like you did a really good job. Yeah so anyway I'm happy I did it because it allowed me to it allowed me to kind of empower myself and go actually you know getting a coach made me realize that I can do it.

I I can empower myself and I don't need to give my power away to somebody else to tell me what to do. Well this this gives me some clarity then. So you've listened to a lot of our episodes it sounds like you've you've kind of had some okay. Okay. You want a new coach? You want to work with a coach that we hired that's going to help move you in the right direction. They don't have to advocate. Okay. I'll have somebody call you. But you're moving in the right direction.

What it's going to look like is a bump in calories, reduction in steps, different programming and you'll see the strength gains. You'll see what you're looking for for sure. It's going to feel a little uncomfortable because calories are going to keep going up, you're going to feel like you're building which might be like oh my god am I getting bigger, uh but if you focus on the strength that's going to really uh move you in the right direction. Okay. Okay and this sounds like maybe a little vain or a little I mean I'm sure you get you've had so many callers like me of like ooh I don't want to gain fat or anything but um you so um I think Adam you were saying that at like let's say 150 I would look the way I want to.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Um Um Um and does that mean that I'm still going to fit in the clothes that I currently have? have? have? Probably probably not. Probably your your ass will be busting out of them you know. So it'll it'll So I mean is that a problem? I mean is that a problem or what? I mean you're going to look good. You're going to look good but with with uh like more shape to your thighs and hamstring come bigger jean sizes and so yeah, it'll look different.

Don't get hung up on that stuff. You'll look like you you're you're tall. You're 5'9" so you easily could be 150. You could be 160, 165 and be banging. So it's like you it's not it's not a number on the scale. You can absolutely have what you want and and you know, it's been a common theme I feel like on the show lately where we've been telling people like build into the body you want. Don't try and cut into the body you want. Cutting into the body you want is not going to give you what you want.

Building into the body you want it will. And you'll be eating more than you've ever ate. You'll be at a healthy body fat percentage. fat percentage. fat percentage. Great energy, great mood, hormones will Hormones balanced. You'll have the shape. You'll have it all. You will. 150 lbs at 21% body fat will look more sculpted. sculpted. sculpted. Okay. So that's the thing about body fat. I mean yes, you can go too high with body fat, but low 20s is low is when you have muscle, you look sculpted.

You've got good shape. And it's the look that you're probably aiming for that you're afraid to go towards because it means you might need to gain some weight to go up on in terms of you know, body fat percentage. But I'm telling you at 20 22% 20 22% 20 22% body fat with more muscle, you're going to look in the mirror and be like whoa. This looks great. You know, you're going to do great. You know, I mean the fact that you're already advocating for yourself to get this far and where you came from and where you're you're in a good spot.

We're close. We can just a little bit of tweaks calorie wise, lay off the steps a tiny bit. We'll set you up the programming. programming. programming. I'll have a coach call you and you you can determine if you want to work with one of ours, but we hired them ourselves so we know they're good. Okay. That sounds great. Oh, thank you guys so much. I really appreciate all of what you do. You got it. Great job for you. Yeah, great job. great job. great job. Thank you so much.

All right. Awesome. Have a great day. You too. Take care. Bye. Bye. Bye. Record. Record. Record. Oh, that I'm so glad I mentioned the coach because I thought it was him or her or I guess it is a guy. But she's like no, I had to tell him. She's calling all the audibles at the Good for her. She's Good for her. She's You imagine like you imagine your client client tells the coach, "I feel like garbage. I'm tired." No, no, you're fine. fine. fine. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. What? What? What? Oh, I've heard that a lot. No, I need to bump my calories. And then she bumps and then she sees more better results. results. results. Yeah, dude. Yeah, dude. Yeah, dude. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Good for her though. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know. Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. No, she's I mean she's really close. She was what she had 2,400 is what she was at calorie wise. She's in a pretty healthy place. But you're right. At 70 responding well. 17% body fat she's so lean.

That's just so lean. It's hard. And when you her main focus or goal is to build a butt like it's going to be and at 5'9" 139 is was is very petite. Like she can No, no, you you I said 150 to be comfortable because you're right. 160 165 20% body fat looks amazing at that height. height. height. Yes. Yes. Yes. If you like Mind Pump come find us on Instagram. It's Mind Pump Media. All right, I know you like that episode. If you did, check this one out.

So let's say you decide to do 100 squats every single day. What happens to your body? Some pretty cool stuff. I thought about this. You get stronger. If somebody thanks you gave away the first one for sure. Actually, you know, a lot of people sounds obvious but then you have a lot of people like, "Oh, you can't do that every day." type of deal. You have to do them the right way, right? I think 100 squats all at once is probably not a good idea but spread out throughout the entire day.

You for sure will get stronger. easily over train if you