Stop Cutting. Build Instead. The Science of Getting Lean the Right Way. | Mind Pump 2839

Key Takeaway

Stop cutting your way into getting leaner—build into it instead. Focus on getting stronger with resistance training and eating adequate protein. Muscle is protective for longevity and makes fat loss easier long-term. A study showed that people with belly fat but adequate muscle mass had zero increased risk of death, while those with belly fat and low muscle had an 83% higher mortality risk. Build the body you want rather than restricting your way there.

Episode Overview

This episode challenges the conventional approach to fat loss by emphasizing muscle-building over calorie restriction. The hosts discuss how focusing on strength training and adequate protein intake creates sustainable body composition changes, while traditional cutting approaches often fail long-term and sacrifice muscle mass.

Full Transcript

Transcript of Stop Cutting. Build Instead. The Science of Getting Lean the Right Way. | Mind Pump 2839 from Mind Pump Show. Auto-generated from episode audio; may contain minor errors.

Stop cutting your way into getting leaner. Build into it. It's a way better approach. We're going to talk about it right now. right now. right now. Feels like this has been the theme of our calls lately. I've had a lot of people that um want uh want a leaner physique or uh want to lose body fat. And the approach is that they're going about it, I think we would agree, is all wrong. um because they're already at a place where they're pretty low calorie, they're exercising quite a bit, and yet they're still, you know, say four or 5% body fat away from where they want to be.

And they'd be far better off if they increase calories, tried to build muscle, and I think they would, even if they didn't get to the quote unquote body fat percentage they want, I think they would achieve the physique that they want faster that way. Yeah. I mean, let's let's let's break down what you mean by by uh boosting calories. So, this is in the context of eating healthy diet, high protein diet, so you're not just eating more garbage, but uh it is a fact that more muscle, healthier muscle, stronger muscle is advantageous for fat loss.

It's extremely advantageous for fat loss. It's also extremely advantageous for longevity. I'm going to pull up a study right now because I think what's happened, I know this actually. I know this is what's happened over the last I don't know how many decades is we've taken body fat and made that like the number one enemy. Now, this isn't to say that excessive body fat doesn't have uh problems and it doesn't cause uh health issues. It does, but I'm going to read you guys a study that illustrates a little bit of what we're talking about.

So, the the study itself says uh this is this is this was published this was in Science Daily. So science daily you can find new studies that are published and this was a study out of uh Brazil uh and the summary says having both excess belly fat and low muscle mass isn't just unhealthy it's deadly raising the risk of death by 83%. This condition is called sarcopenic obesity. So this is people who are over have over fat but very little muscle. Now that's not the part that's going to blow you away.

This is what it says deeper in the study. This study revealed that individuals with both conditions, so excess belly fat and less and low muscle mass, had an 83% higher risk of death compared to those who didn't have them. Here's where it gets wild. We also found that the risk of death was reduced by 40% among those with low muscle mass and no abdominal obesity. Okay, so same person, same little muscle mass, they lose the belly fat. Now, their overall risk of death goes down by 40%.

That sounds amazing. Here's where it gets crazy. Uh, interestingly, and I love how the researchers say this, individuals with abdominal obesity but adequate muscle mass weren't associated with an increased risk of death. No risk. No risk. No risk. It went from 83% to zero. Wow. Wow. Wow. Because the people had muscle. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, they had belly fat and muscle. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, um, being strong and fat is better than being skinny and weak. Muscle is your insurance. It's definitely better than being fat and weak.

Also, muscle makes fat loss easier. And so, if your goal is fat loss, if your goal is to get leaner, you want to lose 60 pounds on the scale, the mental approach, the approach you need to take is let me build my body into leanness. Let me build the body that I want, not cut or reduce into the body I want. Cuz what happens when you when you go from being 60 lbs overweight and you're not working out and you're like, you know what, let me reduce my calories and let me just start moving a lot because that's the formula, right?

Burn more calories, eat less calories, you will lose weight, but along with that weight that you'll lose, you will lose muscle. This is a fact. Every study done on this shows this. You will lose a good 30 to 50%. Most studies show around 40% of the weight that you lose will be muscle mass. And here's what happens at that point. Let's say you've lost 30 of the 60 lbs, but you know, 10 of those pounds were muscle. You still lost some body fat, but you also lost some muscle.

Now you're in a place where it might be a little healthier. Not a lot healthier because you lost some muscle. We saw what muscle does, how protective it is for health. But now you're you're sitting with a metabolic rate that is disadvantageous for further fat loss. So now I'm moving a lot. I'm eating way less than I was. I lost half the weight on the scale that I wanted, even though 10 pounds of it was muscle. And I plateau. So now what do I do? Do I continue down this path?

What that looks like is more movement and even less food. food. food. And then I plateau again and more movement and even less food. And then screw it. This sucks. I don't want to do this anymore. and I just go back uh to what I was doing before versus I'm going to build into a leaner physique. And this looks different. It looks like I'm getting stronger. I'm hitting a high protein diet. I'm fueling my body because you have to fuel muscle mass. And the scale might not move.

It might not move for a little while, but I'm building muscle. By the way, the reason why the scale is not moving, even though you're building muscle, you're actually kind of losing body fat at the same time. This happens uh relatively um commonly, but you might even gain a little bit of weight on the scale. I don't care. I'm building my body. I'm building myself into fat loss. So, you go through this process of building. 6 months later, man, I am way stronger. I'm eating a high protein diet.

I'm feeding myself whole natural foods. I'm eating when I'm hungry. I don't even feel like I'm starving. And uh I feel great. Uh let me see what happens when I cut my calories a little bit. Boom. Fat comes off your body. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Way better. much more sustainable approach and I really think the mentality uh that we go into with weight loss is really screwing people up. You know, this also feeds into the strategy that I think that we all landed on with our clients later in our career when we first would start them, right?

I remember early on uh getting drilled uh about, you know, diet is 75% of your results. And so so much of the conversation when I when I first got a client was around their eating and I would write out these meal plans and tell them to follow that to a tea and you know be all about did you do it? Did you eat what I told you? Were you consistent and was so focused on that? that? that? And then I look, you know, back to like when that shifted for me where it became I actually stopped really focus.

I'd have them track to tell me what they ate so I had an idea of what they were consuming. But I really didn't put a lot of emphasis initially on the diet. I was like, can I just get this person into lifting weights? And there's something really freeing about that for the person to hear a study like that because even if you didn't lose any body fat, but we put on 10 pounds of muscle, you're at such a healthier place than that person. Even the person, by the way, who's being told by the doctor, you need to lose weight.

weight. weight. You need to lose weight. You're way overweight. You need to lose weight. You still that the version of you with 10 pounds more muscle and haven't lost any body fat is still better than the person who just loses. Oh, yeah. still a trade and a compromise by going the cutting route right away and not really focusing on emphasizing the build. There's so many benefits on the build side. It just it it if you pit them against each other, it's it's quite insane. I mean like it alleviating pain uh you know being able to have that kind of strength ability and and able-bodied uh you know and then down the road like obviously it takes a bit more time and is drawn out a bit further but the the long-term effect of that uh and the resiliency and all the you know your immune system you can go down the list of all the systems of the body that it benefits.

benefits. benefits. Yes. But also also here's the other thing the other approach doctor's like you got to lose a bunch of weight. Okay. So, you're like, "Fine, I'm going to go into this process, cut calories, we'll start running." Okay. The fail rate on that, what I mean by that is, uh, doing that like crazy. That's right. If you succeed in losing the weight, which a small percentage of people actually carry it out that far because it sucks. It's a crappy process. It's very, it's difficult enough to change your behaviors in the ways that we're talking about, which is easier.

Now, you're going to do it the hard way or you're just burning a m bunch and eating very little, so you feel like crap. That really sucks. But, let's just say you just are hard-headed and you stick with it. So you lose your 30 pounds. The fail rate, okay? Meaning, uh, the percentage of people that gain the weight back in a year or two, almost 100%. 100%. 100%. Okay? So it's not So what Justin said about this, the way that we're explaining, it's a little more drawn out.

out. out. That infers that there's a faster way to do it. No, no, no. The truth is it doesn't work the other way. Well, yeah. It just misleading. Yeah. It doesn't work. doesn't work. doesn't work. Like, do you Okay. Do you want to do this in the way that works or do you want to do this in the way that doesn't work? That's the real way to present this. And like what you were saying as a trainer, Adam, uh when I got good at training, uh I focused on getting stronger.

This is what we're going to focus on. We're going to get Well, it's also it's easier it's easier for the client. I mean, we just we had a caller just recently and uh they called in for the first time and f found the podcast. I don't know how many years ago he had said. uh and hadn't hadn't bought a mass program yet, hadn't done anything like that, but I just followed the advice and radically changed uh his physique just from from lifting three days a week, focusing on getting strong, eating when he's hungry, eating protein for and that's it.

It was just like he and the his exact words is like it's crazy. my whole life I've been struggling with weight, being overweight. And he goes, I had no idea how easy it was, dude. If you just simply did that and he and he's like, I I don't really track. I don't really do any of these things. I just eat my focus on getting protein centric meals. I lift three days a week. I focus on the compound lifts. I'm hungry. I feed myself like and he goes, I've just completely shifted my And it's easy to maintain.

It's easy to do that. So there's this really freeing thing for the the the person who is struggling with weight to, you know, stop focus hyperfocusing on restricting yourself from all these foods and like just start with go to the gym and lift weights and try and get strong and and then and then if you do anything diet-wise, make an effort to eat protein and eat it first in the meal. And that right there will shift so much y uh in the right direction that it'll give you that momentum that you want and it won't feel like you're white knuckling your way through this weight loss journey that you think you have to go on go on go on and it'll get easier and it it it does take time and and I think that's the other issue is that we have you know these crazy radical transformations in short periods of time that we're marketed to and and we had another live caller also today that you know was he gave basically what he was doing.

We had these before pictures since November and where he's at now. And it's like, bro, just his his and the whole time his scale hadn't moved, right? So scale kind. So he's obviously leaner, way more muscle. You're on track. Yeah. He's like, you're perfect. Just extend out what you've done for another 6 months. You'll look back at that picture and go, look at how radically the radical change you did from November to now. And then you'll look back and go six more months like on the same exact path, eating the way you're eating, training the way you're training, good, strong, all those things.

It's also it's also wild because and I get it. I get I get it. Like once you finally make the decision to do something uh you have a sense of urgency. You've made the decision now. It's like that's it. I'm going to do something about it, right? But the reason why you feel this urgency is because you've live you've been living the other way for so long. In other words, it you didn't gain 60 lbs in 2 months. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Okay. It took you a while.

It took you a while to get to kind of this point and you've been with it for a little while. So, I get when you finally make the decision, you're like, "I'm done living this this way." But I'm going to tell you right now, first off, it takes some time. Second off, the only way to do it with any amount of long-term forever success is going to take a little while. And you have to build into it. If you don't build into it, it's just it's not I'm going to tell you right now, it's not going to happen.

Yeah. It's just not going to happen. You're going to again, I'm going to say this again. this again. this again. If you're hard-headed enough and just Oh, God. you just grind hard enough and you do it the wrong way. You may lose the weight you're trying to lose, but your odds of long-term success are almost zero. almost zero. almost zero. Dismal, Dismal, Dismal, which is like, why would you choose? Think about it this way to yourself. I have two paths. Uh, and by the way, I have a map here that tells me that this is a dead end.

This is a dead end over here. Why would you take the dead end? Don't take the dead end. Believe what we're saying. And if you don't, look at the data. Look at the data on calorie restriction restriction restriction uh and weight loss. Look at the data on calorie restriction plus excessive exercise and weight loss. Look how much muscle people lose. Now look up the data on uh 2 years after people lose weight, what percentage of people gain back. Fi find all these studies. You'll see for yourself.

Dead end. Dead end. Dead end. Now find the studies on longevity and how strength is a great predictor of mortality. A grip strength test is a a phenomenal predictor of mortality. Nothing special about the grip. It's just a proxy for strength. Then look at the data on people who are overweight with strength or with muscle. how healthy they seem to be. I know. Yeah. Now, of course, they'd be better off leaner, but it just goes to show you the power of strength and muscle. And if you look around in society, everybody, I know what it looks like to everybody.

This is what it looks like. It looks like we're walking around in an obesity epidemic. In fact, that term is everybody's familiar with it, obesity epidemic. But if you dig a little deeper and you have people lift something or squeeze something or press something, what you're really looking at is an epidemic of weakness. Yeah. Or throw something. And her muscle. That's why what Dr. Gabriel Lions, her whole message that she's been touting for some time now, I think is think is think is so true, so powerful.

And I know I'm sure everybody's tired of hearing me say this because I've said it so many times on the podcast, but I think another reason why this is so difficult s is you you alluded to that, you know, you're you're super motivated to make this change. You've been living with all this body fat and so you want and it it it is the one thing uh that doesn't serve you the the more you do or the harder you go at it, right? Like every in terms of the effort.

Yeah. everything else in your life. And I think that's why this is it gets so difficult for people is because logically you would think, well, if the harder I push, the more I work out, the more I do these things, the faster I get the results I want. It's the one thing in life that's like that's not true. There there is a right there is an actual right balance and there's a science to this and if that is off it's going to be a hell of a time trying to get there versus what what you hear these callers when you do the right dose appropriately it it it's very easy but when you try and muscle your way meaning like you know work as hard as you can to get to there it doesn't serve you.

Yeah. Look look it's really like this like there's a smart way to do it. I'll say it that way because I I hear what you're saying. Uh we'll um relate or correlate our effort to that meaning uh or correlating to the result that we get. The effort is what produces the result. But if I told you to dig a a a hole in your backyard for a pool and I gave you a spoon, would you go out there and be like, "Let's go." I mean, let me tell you, you'd work your ass off.

You'd be sweating your butt off. You get almost no work done with a spoon. you'd go get a backhoe and you would do way less work and that hole would be dug uh in less than a day. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So that's that's that's really the way you got to think about this is yeah you could you could make it as you can make it really hard you can do anything stupid stupid stupid a better tool for the job. You can make it really dumb and make it really hard on yourself or you could choose the easier path.

And here's what it feels like when you build yourself into a lean physique. This is what it feels like. Okay once this once the ball gets rowing. You got to get it, give it a second, but the ball will start to roll. You'll get stronger and and you're not going to notice much yet except for the fact that you're way stronger. You got more energy. You feel better. Okay, that's the the initial stages. But once that ball gets rolling, this is what it's going to feel like.

You're going to be like, "This is weird. I'm getting leaner. I don't feel like I'm doing much." Or, "How is it I'm eating this much and I'm I'm getting leaner. Like, this doesn't make any sense. I don't feel like I'm working out that much. I don't feel like I'm killing myself." These are the comments, by the way, that really good trainers get from their clients. If you're a good trainer, the comments you should get from your clients typically sound like that. Like, you know what I mean?

You know, when we work out, we do a good workout. I don't feel like I'm putting the effort in to look the way. This is crazy. How am I getting these kind of results? Like, we're doing it smart. I can still sit down without groaning, you know? It's like it's wild. So, but but it's really about the mentality you go into it. And I just want to encourage people if your goal is to get strong, if you make that your goal and you feed that goal with whole natural foods, a high protein diet, so heavily processed foods will make this very difficult.

So stay away from that. Whole natural foods, high protein, and lift weights and get stronger. That will make the fat loss happen in a sustainable way. It'll actually work. So anyway, I love Which one are you using right now? Is that the glutathione? from row. Is it the NAD? I like their NAD. I like both. I like I feel the energy from their creatine, too. Well, for me right now, Max is really sick at the house right now. And so, I'm just hitting it up for sure.

Yeah. You know, I don't um and I find myself when I'm really good about all all of NAD, the glutathione, making sure I'm hitting my multivitamin, supplementing, all the things. So, Rorow uses uh a medical technology called liposomaal called liposomaal called liposomaal liposal liposal liposal technology. So these are basically little tiny uh molecules of fat that they'll put around uh the ingredient which protects it and you get more bioavailability so your body actually absorbs it. So you just use glutathione. If you took glutathione that wasn't liposomaal it's basically a waste of money money money like you'll get no rise in your glutath in fact back in the day absorb it as well.

It just goes through your body. Back in the day the only way to get glutathione was uh if you want to see the blood uh IV, right? Wasn't Yeah. You'd have to do injection. That would be the only way we would see a rise in blood glutathione until liposomaal and if you take liposal glutathione you will predictably see a rise. rise. rise. Is that like is that relatively new technology? Have we No, it's not super new but it is a technology and it was first I want to say pharmaceutical companies were the first one.

Maybe you can look that up Doug. Uh who invented I feel like I don't I don't remember hearing about that in our early years as a personal trainer. No. No. No. And then I feel like I don't think the science is super new. Uh but supplements using it I think that's kind of a newer relatively new probably medical grade you know supplements for a while that's remember it's interesting that that that 1961 1961 1961 Oh yeah the science has been around that long and yet supplement companies is it maybe maybe maybe oh the 1970s is when they started using uh liposomes as drug delivery systems but it was first discovered uh in 1961 and then why is it expensive like why haven't more supplements use that as a way to transport nutrients.

It usually is more expensive. Yeah. And because it was a new technology, like where are you going to find uh the place to make to use this unless you're a pharma company type of deal deal deal and and specializes in this? And is there a reason why for example you know things like NAD glutathione um I would use that that way and but I not a creatine that way like so uh theoretically anything that's liposomaal will have increased uh bioavailability. bioavailability. bioavailability. However some things have great bioavailability without a liposomaal technology.

technology. technology. Got it. Got it. Got it. So not necessary but some things like like glutathione like glutathione like glutathione you waste you waste your time if you take it uh uh any other way unless you inject it. I wonder if NAD is like that also. Is NAD like that? Makes a it makes a big difference with the absorption. You can absorb some orally, but it's got poor bioavailability in comparison to lipo liposomaal technology. liposomaal technology. liposomaal technology. Yeah. I felt like cuz I remember we try I had tried the oral forms before, never noticed anything.

It wasn't until I did either the IV or the liposomaal that I noticed a difference. Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. From something like that. Uh all right, let's talk about the earthquake last night. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Did everybody feel it? Did you even feel it? it? it? Oh, yeah. We were like in the epicenter, dude. So, it was like Oh, so it got you more. Yeah. I was like in Boulder Creek area. Um, which was just a couple miles away from us. So those are what 4.6 Doug.

Was it Was that the other? the other? the other? I believe it 4.6. Yeah. And that Oh, and you were center so you got it the most. So then you felt the most, you probably felt it second and then third and I was probably the least. It was one of those shifting ones, too. So So So yeah, it shook my house good. And I'm the furthest. Wow. Like laterally. And uh I mean I was dead sleep like just completely out. And um it it jolted me up and the boys, you know, obviously it woke them up the whole house.

So it was I mean I was just kind of joking about it and then I was like ah just wait for the aftershocks and then I scared the boys and Oh great I say that you know it was at 140 oh 141. There it was 1:41 a.m. It woke us up. My wife if she's any perceived threat for the kids she turns into a monster. Like I don't care. There could be a dinosaur in there and she'll tackle them and she's like ready to run downstairs like and I'm like no no no not why there's an earthquake earthquake.

earthquake. earthquake. I don't want you to fall, you know, on the stairs or something like that. But she gets up like but maybe that's what it is. Is a mama bear thing or not? It's uh I was telling you guys on the walk that sometimes I take for granted. My I have a wife that is just so tough. She doesn't complain. She like she's there's so many traits about her that I I think I take for granted sometimes. But every once in a while I see that that uh that the side of her that I don't ever get to see like where she's very scared.

Like she doesn't get scared. I don't see him with that. Earthquakes do that. We've been through enough with each other. And you know, she was Max is sick. So her and Max were sleeping in the other room and she comes storming in carrying him, you know, after. after. after. Yeah. Holding in her arm like, you know, where what should we do? And I'm like, huh? huh? huh? Yeah. I was like I go to sleep. I just roll over cuz I'm like half awake. I felt it.

It woke me up. It was a good one. You know what I'm saying? It shook me. But it's like it's just I think I've been in so many earthquakes that I'm like it's not that big of a deal. It's like when things start falling off the wall, then you might catch me get up in a doorway, right? You know what I'm saying? Like that's you're supposed to stand in a doorway, you know? So I might go like do something like that, but if if like picture frames are flying off cuz we've been in over a cuz we've been in over a seven, right?

So one of the since we've all been in Yeah. Yeah. That was like a 7.1 7.1 and that one that one threw stuff off the wall wall wall and like and so something like that is enough to but I mean I've been in ones where I was at the gym at Santa Teresa and the windows were flexing. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You know, it's like like like I mean there's not much you could really No, you right out. Dude, you know what's weird is that earthquakes have never they don't scare me.

They never have. Not the 89. when I was 10 and I was on the couch watching the World Series and it threw me off the couch and I just got back on. Just never I fell off literally can do nothing. I know they're scary. They're supposed to be scary, but they they don't necessarily like I'm I'm way more terrified of like the ocean or wind, but earthquakes for some reason don't. don't. don't. But a lot of people are really scared by them. Doug was you were in a big one in Japan, right?

Japan, right? Japan, right? Yeah, back in I believe it was 95. How big was that one? 7 two maybe I'm guessing over seven, huh? Yeah, it was over seven. It hit Coobe and I was living in Osak at the time and I felt my room going back and forth and my girlfriend at the time was living in Coobe and so I tried to call her. I couldn't get through. The phones were down and then I couldn't I finally got through to her and she was okay.

Her family house was um damaged. Yeah. Not not destroyed, but in Coobe there was like 10,000 people who died because of fires. Yeah. Because of a lot of wood construction and then gas lines, things like that. Yeah. So about 10,000 people died. people died. people died. Um and I couldn't see her for like two months after that cuz trains were running. Yeah. running. Yeah. running. Yeah. Look up two months. Like two months. Look up the death the 89 89 caused caused deaths like with a bridge and everything like that.

That was I mean that was crazy, right? I mean, if you were somebody who was were if you were somebody who was 89, look at the pictures of San Francisco in ' 89. Yeah, San Francisco had uh had some some building damages. You had bridges create a earthquake and so Yeah. So, yeah. So, you had some buildings fall down in San Francisco. The Bay Bridge collapsing was crazy. Bay Bridge was crazy. Oh, yeah. That was way crazy. I was at the Oakland Coliseum. Oh, you at the game?

Yeah, the day before though. Oh, yeah. And I was up in the nose beds, too. I was like, "Oh, man. That would have been crazy." crazy." crazy." Oh, look at Coobe. That's the Coobe earthquake. See, what terrifies me more than all those videos is although that is scary are like tsunamis. Like if I like tsunami videos. Oh, don't ever let I'm with you. I would be more terrified of that the earth cuz I mean first of all the the likelihood of that and then you have those structures that you see are like those are vulnerable structures.

Like my house we'd have to go through probably like something crazy for my house to collapse, right? The earthquake would have to be something we've never seen before for so it's like so when I we get shook a lot of the buildings in California a lot of the Oh yeah they're except for like old cities. cities. cities. Yeah. Old San Francisco brick. So nothing's made of brick here anymore. Yeah. Yeah. So you're at your house today. I don't know. I don't know what the what the number is that we'd have to be to like the magnitude of it.

But I mean so so when it happens I'm just kind of like of like of like roll right back to you. Go back to sleep. Dude, speak speaking of natural disasters and stuff, when do you guys remember the documentary with Al Gore, the Inconvenient Truth? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. When was that made? Was that 2000? I don't or one I want you. This brought the entire scare with like um polar bears like oh no like they're not going to have any. It was 2006.

Now this docu is 20 years ago. Now, this documentary is what kicked off kicked off kicked off the climate change fear. This was the green. This was like this was huge. And this documentary documentary documentary got lots of publicity. Lots of people saw it. saw it. saw it. It was in like movie theaters and it scared the hell out of people. It it changed public policy. It created this this this uh political I still hear people like reciting it. That's right. This is the political term climate change.

I call it political term because it's used in that way, right? Uh, and the fears and greenhouse gas because technically climate's been changing forever. changing forever. changing forever. Well, hold on. When's the last time you guys guys guys Stop being logical. Yeah. Stop it. Stop it. When's the last time you guys watched it? watched it? watched it? I don't think I ever seen I don't even know if I've seen it. Listen, Listen, Listen, like since forever ago. This movie did not stand the test of time.

He made a lot of predictions. None of them came true. Zero, Zero, Zero, bro. He was showing pictures of like, oh, this is what's going to happen to Greenland and then this is what's going to happen and then here's what Florida's going to look like. Remember this was made in 2006. So he's like in 10 years. So he's got 10 years to like make a predict. Like in 10 years this is what's going to happen. None of it. So right now people are posting clips right now showing these predictions that that they made, you know, based off their whatever their science.

It's all it was all so convenient that there's different climate spots all over the world. So you have one climate in this, you know, part of the hemisphere. You have one in the southern part of the hemisphere. Like they're all different climates. They're all changing at different paces. different paces. different paces. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But that's too inconvenient. I should I should I should We need a global scary I should show you. I should show you the clips cuz the way he says it, the way he talks, you know, obviously he's a politician, so he he can communicate very effectively.

And he's like, "Oh, this is going to happen." Like, if we don't dramatically reverse course, this is what Florida's going to look like. And I have a picture of Florida and like half of it's covered in water. This is what the Bay Area is going to look like. And like San Francisco is covered in water. And yet all the billionaires still have all like beachfront like right there like and they keep buying. Yeah. Meanwhile, the politicians were still buying beachfront property. Like you guys don't believe this yourself.

They don't believe it. Yeah. Why should we believe? we believe? we believe? Where did you see all that stuff pop up? You just see there people were posting out on X and and they're like Yeah. They're like, "Boy, this looks pretty bad, dude. When you make predictions like that, yeah, yeah, yeah, dude, I had something crazy." So, uh this uh this weekend I'm I'm sitting outside in the morning. I'm having a cup of coffee. My mother-in-law sends me uh a song to listen to. She knows that like I I like jazz music and that's like my easy listening stuff, right?

So, she sends me this uh new artist that I had heard of and I I listen to it. I'm like, "Oh my god, this is really good." And I send back to her. I'm like, "This is I said, "This is really good." I'm going down like all I'm listening to like his his playlist right now and she's like, "I know, doesn't it? He just like speaks to you, right?" I'm like, "Yeah, I know. It's real good." So, I'm listening and I'm like going through like all his songs like and I'm like, "Dude, how have I I I've never heard this guy." So, I pull I go to his his Spotify and uh you know the the picture of him he's like this older black guy and he's got like an old retro kind of mic he's singing into and like all his songs are in 2026 and I'm like so of course I started Google searching.

So I sent I find out this dude is completely AI generated. I sent back to her and she's like no way this morning she's it's all over the news right now. So he he broke the charts. Aren't they supposed to supposed to supposed to He's got two number one He's got two number one like he's had two number one songs in the last terrible. Yeah. So, I'll send you Doug. Check out the And it sounds like new music. It's not, bro. It's It is It's all It's new lyrics.

It's a new It's a different voice. It's complet And so brilliant because right uh Are you It's already pulling up. Did you pull it up already? I'll give it to you. She's I got it right here. It's Look, it's all over the news. news. news. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Wow. Forget this. He's not real. It's just the latest. Wow. What in the heck, dudes? Wow. By the way, you know what's funny about this? this? this? Eddie Eddie Dalton. You know what's crazy about this? He's got three of the top.

You know what's crazy about this? So, there's like a an organization now of um cooked artist. Well, so artists are getting together, uh, Hollywood actors and musicians, and they're trying to like fight this. fight this. fight this. But you know what the problem is? Is that nobody sympathizes with them? I know. I know. I know. Nobody care. Nobody sympathize. You're a Hollywood actor. You always give me your opinion about everything. You're so whatever. And now you're like, "Please help me keep my job." And everybody's like, "Nah." like, "Nah." like, "Nah." Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I don't really care about you losing your job. your job. your job. Well, I mean, the only positive that I've seen so far with this, there's one band that just kind of emerged out of nowhere. And I've been meaning to tell you guys about this and I know you guys won't be into it because it's like so out there. Uh but I think it's a they're from Quebec. It's like French Canadian, but their name's like Andre Andrean deport. I I don't even know how to pronounce it, but it's like these two guys and they wear the most ridiculous outfits.

So, one of them has this huge like hat and they're they're polkadotted and they have this huge nose and they play he plays like micro tone. So, it's like half notes. So, the the fretboard for like the guitar itself is like he's playing kind of like notes in between notes. And so, as a musician, you're sitting there and you're like you just get sucked in, hypnotized because it's like nothing I've ever heard before. It's like so weird. It's like a weird music, but it's like sometimes they hit these grooves and it just pulls you in.

But I'm not the only one, dude. There's like look at how many millions of views they get and it's like it became like a viral sensation overnight. And it's like kind of jazz. It's kind of like um uh what do they call that type of a rock? But it's it's like really unique kind of rock music, but um it's it's like the counter to AI. So, they're going so off script that they're kind of inventing a new thing, which I think is pretty rad. I like artists, too, right now that I see that are emerging that are doing kind of in in in that same kind of vein, like creative stuff that's never been done before.

And you see like there's a couple of these like, you know, duos that I watch that will they'll they'll string a they'll be playing like six different instruments and they'll overlay all of them and they'll make really cool music. Like I think that's Yeah, she like he does like the foot pedals and so does like delayed loops and all that. But yeah, and it but also plays like a bass. So it's a bass neck and a guitar neck. So it does the bass parts then does the guitar parts and then the drums is like so I have a prediction for so I have a prediction for what's what genre of music will be protected the most uh by AI.

Well, it's uh uh uh worship music worship music worship music because the audience very you could very much say you want the Holy Spirit in it. You want people singing it and I think that'll protect worship music more than other music. other music. other music. I think I think it's already there. Yeah, it's already happened. It's already happening. I'll send you something by something by something by I think they'll be the most protected because what protects any other music? Do people really care? What? That's so that's so left field to say that.

What are you talking What I mean is I don't you're talking to someone who likes music like there's like there's no like part of what why my mother said that to me why my mother said that to me is like man his music just speaks to you like that's like there's something about music that that No what I mean is uh by protected is I think the consumer uh you give it 15 years isn't going to care if it's AI. They're just going to like the music.

That's what they're going to say. They're going to have to fully disclose. I'm surprised that that's not super visible. So that's so for him that that should be a lawsuit. Well, what's this is so every bit of AI that I've listened to before because I' I listen to some AI stations and it's disclosed as AI and I've also seen a lot of AI stuff get taken down. So if it's like uh where they like they like they like YouTube doesn't mess with it. I know like they they'll they'll take down like somebody who takes uh I've seen there's a lot of viral stuff of like Tupac done in jazz or something like that and that stuff gets taken down.

They don't laugh cuz you're really you're ripping his song and you're you're making it. But what they did with this artist is they completely completely new brand new. It's a brand new person. It's a It's a It's brand new music. It's brand new lyrics. It's It's kind of gray. It's like Yeah. There's You're not That's what I mean. I feel like in in 15 years like what genre are people going to demand real people make? Well, that your what your argument is weird though. Like why why would uh why would people that are Because I don't know if people will drive it necessarily.

Like artists will kind of find a way to to reach the audience. Like I think there'll be like a split. Like if you're just a general casual music person, you're not even know the difference. No one's going to care. But like people that are into music and they want live performance and they want the the distinction of like cuz it does like you you can feel emotion through like somebody playing it. Uh, and I I mean I'm sure we'll we'll be treked, you know, like, hey, I will be able to find a way to kind of put the right type of uh emphasis in there to add and emote it a little bit further.

But it's like, you know, to to visually see it and then hear it, I think, is going to be a different experience. different experience. different experience. Well, you'll see more of like the band you talked about, what I talked about the do another guy that I love. Have you guys seen this the Spanish kid? He's got long hair and he plays the guitar and he and he does all kinds of Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. is acoustic, bro. Insane. I think the live performances going to have to be a lot of live.

Yeah, there's but what I don't like they're they're both here to stay. There's uh I mean I have to admit like I mean I knew it was AI. I didn't stop listening to it. It still evokes the words, the lyrics, the sound, the tones. It's all still really good. Now I wouldn't I mean I wouldn't go uh pay to go listen to an AI guest concert or anything like that. And so I'd want to see a real artist. I would never like so I'd pay. Yeah.

This kid right here is so Have you seen him Doug before? I have. You've sent it to us. I mean if you guys don't I mean I playing in garages and stuff like car garages sounds so rad. You know what's interesting is that uh the prediction was that art and music would be the last things that AI uh uh uh and it's the furthest thing from that. Some of the art that you see is so cool where they've melded things and so they're getting way better.

So I have another theory too with education because uh if indeed uh it goes in this direction where um we have AI and it's able to do so much work for us as long as you direct it or whatever let's say but let's say it does all this I feel like education is going to move towards uh the the arts or the areas that we thought weren't valuable like philosophy morality uh theology because uh if science technology math engineering ing if that's largely AI just kind of being directed.

directed. directed. I mean, that's a really uh optimistic I thought. I think that's cool. It would be very cool if we start moving into philosophical conversations. philosophical conversations. philosophical conversations. Where else would you get educated, right? right? right? Oh, it's a good point. I mean, what when you think if you think about it as a lot of the AI stuff and where we're going technology-wise are just supercomputers for a lot of things that we masters of data like and so like what so why we have that all outsourced.

So why we should spend our time thinking about other things that are deeper like philosophical, psychological things that would actually be I mean that's a very optimistic actually view of where this could go. could go. could go. It's just a theory. I mean who knows, right? right? right? I mean it's not a bad theory. But I was thinking to myself like okay like let's say uh my youngest, you know, she's uh three. Uh so she'll be getting into higher education in what is that 16 years maybe.

Okay. If this goes in the direction where you have AI doing the all the engineering, all the science and technology using the math, building things, all the stuff that we for a long time have thought that was this is what you need to learn. What would humans uh want to or or what would they value education in? It'd be like philosophy, theology, uh morality. that kind of I mean it's your point's being proven right now with the rise of people interested in Christian music and church and that's all that's all on the I bet stoicism is on the I bet stoicism is on the rise also I wonder if it is I bet all all these things I bet it is I bet all all these things that I think that it's forcing people into that direction truth truth truth which is I mean that's all good stuff I mean that's a that's a very positive thing again this is this goes back to my theory of like the pendulum swinging thing it's like it's going to get a little ugly and nasty for a little bit for us all to learn and then I think it wakes everybody up and then you start to move in that direction and so I think it's a very optimistic uh way to look at it for sure.

I think it's speaking of science so I so trip off this so you guys know Ziotics and their uh their um product that they have that converts sugars into uh fiber. We talked about this, right? So yeah, it's crazy. So okay, this sounds crazy, right? But here's what it is. Uh this is a it's a probiotic. So Ziotics makes it this is a company that specializes in taking bacteria, beneficial bacteria, modifying this bacteria to do something interesting. So like their their flagship product is a probiotic drink that you drink before you go have alcohol.

And what it does is these bacteria uh when you drink them, they go in your gut and they break down acetalahhide, which is what what some of the breakdown from alcohol turns into acetalahide. Now your liver detoxifies it but some of it's released in your gut and when that happens it goes in your bloodstream makes you feel like garbage. Okay. So this little bacteria breaks down to acetalahhide in your gut. So that's their flagship. Then they came out with this sugar to fiber probiotic drink. And so what this is is you you take it once a day.

It's a little packet of powder. You take it once a day and it sits in your gut and it's breaks down it takes sugar individual sugar molecules and it it connects them into long chains of fiber soluble fiber. So wow. So wow. So wow. Okay. So I was like I was on their website and I'm like how much like how much fiber much fiber much fiber where's the limit on there? Yeah. Like what is this like how much how much of it does it does it do?

Uh, so in 30 days, in 30, if you used it every day for 30 days, it would convert 300 gram of sugar, so 10 grams of sugar a day essentially, into 300 grams of fiber. fiber. fiber. It'd be like eating 94 pounds of of almonds. So if you took this every single day over the course of a month, you would essentially create 300 grams of soluble fiber. Interesting. That's crazy, dude. I'm going to I want to try, bro. This is wild. I don't know. I'm glad you're going to glad you're I'm glad you're going to take it now cuz I've been so curious about it.

about it. about it. This is crazy science. I know how crazy their other stuff was. Remember when we first met them, they they they they did the alcohol one first cuz they knew that would be the most marketable, but it wasn't what they were most excited about and that's blown me away, right? So I I mean, we've talked about Ziotic forever and and how crazy and they want they had way bigger plans for other stuff. It was just they knew that was lowhanging fruit that the general pop would would would be all about the market.

Someone might be wondering what what is the benefit of this? Why would I want to I heard fiber is good for me. What's the benefit? Uh better digestion, lower inflammation, reduced appetite. Like fiber uh produces more satiety. Uh you should get better blood sugar. blood sugar. blood sugar. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because of the fiber, I think. Yeah. You should have more consistent energy instead of ups and downs. Uh cuz that's what soluble fiber stools. Yeah. Yeah. Better. That's what So Doug's the only one that's used it consistently.

He says that he has better gut health. gut health. gut health. Yeah. I'm super Well, let's all let's all make a commitment to be consistent with it and see what happens. See what we all report back. Be cool to experiment. I've been very curious. So, I'm glad we we've got it now for Hey, did you see Doug pulled up the um stoicism? Yeah, I was on the I increased by 400%. On some platforms, but I want to know what the time frame is because I remember it was definitely on this rise about uh six or seven years ago.

When was it that we had what's his name on the show? the show? the show? Uh Uh Uh oh, Ryan. Ryan Holiday. Ryan Holiday. Was it Ryan Holiday? Yeah, Ryan. Ryan Holiday. He kind of jumped the shark during co, didn't he? He did. Yeah, a little bit. It was prior to that. Yeah. Yeah. So, I think it was before that where we saw the So, I'm wondering if it's still happening that it's still if it's still happening that way, but yeah, it's interesting. We'll see. see.

see. But, I mean, it's uh I actually hadn't thought about what you said and and you know, I tend to try to be as optimistic as I possibly can. And I think that's a very optimistic way to look at our future with where things are going because I know there's a lot of fear-mongering going on with well if you're thinking doesn't need to go so directly to pragmatic uh skills. uh skills. uh skills. Yeah. It's we have a calculator for everything now. That's great way to think of it in my opinion.

It's just like you have a calculator for almost everything now. Yeah. So now I can do more like deep thinking thinking thinking type stuff that isn't so pragmatic cuz all that pragmatic stuff's taken care of by my AI that I tell to you know do this that and the other. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know which might actually be a good thing. thing. thing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Might actually make people better. I mean ideally you'd want those both to coexist right so you get the bit of more breaks uh you know with the detriment to it.

But maybe we don't get there. And then that's the optimism where it's like okay well now we can just focus on why you know instead of can we like should we well I also think if you if you start going deep down the theological and philosophical rabbit hole you people will choose to do things hard do hard things and choose even though they have the resources and the tools and it'll make better people. Yeah. Like exactly. It's just like oh I know I could outsource this thing but I'm going to choose to go do this thing because I know the value.

Fills me. Yeah, right. I know the value of it. Your meaning will feel a lot more powerful. powerful. powerful. It'll be in the future. That's a kind of a cool interesting thought to about that. that. that. I have a um Did I tell you guys the Florida man? I love that. Is it Florida man? Is it news articles? I got to do is look up Yeah. an article that like where whatever date uh like is your birthday. I heard somebody talk about this. about this. about this.

Florida man. Florida man. Florida man. Florida man and then there'll be some crazy something happened. something happened. something happened. What? What? Say Florida man and then your birthday. your birthday. your birthday. Your birthday. Oh, that's hilarious. I just lick it up and see what happens. Let's do all of our Let's do all of ours. Do everybody's birthday. Florida, man. And then your all of our birthdays and see what happens. That's actually No, do yours and uh and then Yeah. Should you Is it Is it bad to say your birthday on air?

Well, you don't have to say your You don't have to say the whole year. Is it just the month? Just the month and day. Yeah, just on the day. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So So here's Doug, Florida man, June 23rd. Uh, it involved a 29-year-old who was arrested and charged with simple assault for punching Philadelphia Eagles tight. tight. tight. Philadelphia Eagles tied in. That's hilarious. hilarious. hilarious. Trying with that, Adams. November November November November 16th. November 16th. November 16th. Florida man November 16th. This is hilarious. I've never heard I've never heard of this.

Let's see. All right. Several Florida man incidents have occurred on November 16th 16th 16th where a man fired a gun during an argument about chicken eggs. 2023 arrest and unauthorized massage at a rehab center. Unauthorized massage Unauthorized massage Unauthorized massage 2017 arrest for harming a dog with a firecracker. firecracker. firecracker. You got some good ones, dude. Do mind, dog. February 4. Let's do what mine says. Florida man February. So far, I think Adams is the better one. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Florida man dresses out troopers. out troopers.

out troopers. Oh, that's the best one. That's the best one. Florida man dressed in a Dalmatian onesie outruns troopers. That is epic. That's good. All right, dude. January 26th, 26th, 26th, dude. Justin's. So, I win. So, my birthday. birthday. birthday. Yeah, you're winning so far. A 76-year-old Jacksonville man was arrested to 60 years in prison for sexual exploitation. Oh, that's terrible. terrible. terrible. I went down a dark path. Damn, Justin. This is terrible. A man was pointed after pointing a laser at a manatee manatee county sheriff office helicopter.

office helicopter. office helicopter. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I guess mine mine was the best one. Yeah, bro. Dalmatian onesie outran straight two. straight two. straight two. So So read this story. This this story was uh I read this Kobe died on my birthday. That was kind of of of Oh, is that true? Yeah. Oh, I didn't know that. So this was this is funny. I'm going to read the story to you. A Florida Mound was found sunburned and disoriented on a causeway claiming he was kidnapped by dolphins and forced to build an underwater city.

How much acid was he? How much acid? Hey, listen. Lee County Sheriff's deputies responded to the Santaal Causeway early Monday after a motorist reported a man standing on the shoulder soaking wet and drawing blueprints in the sand. the sand. the sand. According to According to the police report, dude, Ricky James Hollowell, 33, was found barefoot, severely sunburned, and wearing only swim trucks. He told deputies he had been taken against his will by a pod of dolphins 3 days ago and forced to work on what he called I didn't know that could happen an underwater construction project.

He claimed the dolphins approached him while he was swimming off Fort Meers Beach and escorted him to a site approximately 40 ft below the surface where they needed help building structures. structures. structures. Wow. Wow. Wow. He said that the dolphins communicated through a series of clicks that he eventually learned to interpret. And the project for Foreman was a dolphin. All this while he's holding his I was going to say all this while he's holding his Hey, listen. Listen. Threw a blow hole. Hey, the project forbid was a dolphin that was called Gerald.

The project foreman. He said, "Hey, listen. When he asked, "How did you breathe under water for 3 days?" He said, "Gerald handled that." I didn't ask questions. You don't question Gerald. Gerald. Gerald. You don't question Gerald, bro. Dude, no. Take it back. It had to be meth. be meth. be meth. Hey, this is me, right? He had drawn an elaborate blueprint in the sand the deputies said was detailed enough to be consered. There. There was condos, a town square, recreation center. center. center. Wow. Wow. Wow.

Bro, look at the guy's picture, dude. Oh my god. He's like all sunburned. What if he's telling the truth? Never question Gerald. Never question. What if he What if he's telling the truth? You know what I mean? Like, nobody ever believes me. No, dude. He was actually under there. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Tell the humans. Nobody believes me. The humans won't believe me. No, tell the humans. Oh my god. So good. I got a sun uh a sun exposure study. Let's see if I can find it.

I don't know if you guys saw this on X. It was uh it's making its rounds, but um it was a study on and I gotta find it. I hope it's good for us. I've been doing a lot of lot of lot of No, it's really good. Uh I got to look it up. U let me Yeah, give me a second because I'm going to find this up. Uh find this, but let me see. Sun exposure. Well, that sucks. Can't find it, can I? Well, I'll tell you what what I think the study said.

uh women who got more sun exposure uh were less likely to die of all cause uh mortality uh mortality uh mortality in this particular study. Why just women? Because it was a is a study done on women. Done. Look up this study. Uh a Oh, there it is. 2014 study of 29,518 29,518 29,518 Swedish women. Good job, Doug. Found that avoiding sun exposure is a risk factor for all cause mortality. Yeah. So, mortality rates doubled in those who avoided the sun compared to those who had the highest exposure.

Active sunbathers lived longer and had lower risks of cardiovascular disease and non-cancer deaths. Yeah. Isn't that crazy? I feel like we've been scared away from the sun. Uh, you know, just with all this like cancer and melanoma and Yeah, dude. Yeah, dude. Yeah, dude. Which is so weird. I think at least for me personally, it's like I feel a huge difference when I get out. I feel like I'm charged up. I feel so different, dude. I sleep I I sleep better. I feel I have more energy throughout that day.

It just I feel so much better. much better. much better. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I And now part of this is like did they control for people who were maybe ill who weren't out in the sun or whatever. I'd like to see uh remember during co when they told us not to get out in the sun. I remember I remember what a weird when I had all I did was go out on my porch and sit in the chair for like if you're sick stay inside. Don't even go outside by yourself.

What? The biggest offender was the guy like out on his surfboard away from and they arrested him. Hey, Hey, Hey, they arrested him. That's what I knew. Everything was nonsense. nonsense. nonsense. Yeah. Do you guys think that that whole period of time I have a theory because it was so crazy co was so crazy. The advice and and what they told us was so obviously everybody can look back now and go that was all crazy. Everything they said was crazy. Rational people can do that. I think I think most people know.

Um bro did Hey, they just listen. Did you guys know that the the Dude, I see a lot of maskers still. They just halted We I still see some people mask. people mask. people mask. I do, too. I know. We're in the Bay Area, though. I I just saw uh that they're stopping a COVID uh the COVID vaccine uh further studies because they couldn't get enough participants. Nobody wants to take the the the CO jab. So, I think I have a theory. Word got out. This is a conspiracy theory.

Okay. So, everybody calm down. Which just means truth. Maybe lately. Maybe lately. Maybe lately. Talk to me in three months. We're like 10 and0 right now. I was going to say was with him. That's how you guys got me on the team. I feel like that whole I feel like that whole period of time was not to see who they could control and all that stuff. That's what people thought at the time. I wonder if it was just for them to just to cause later on complete distrust in all establishment.

Oh, I I don't disagree with that. Practice for energy lockdowns. I mean, I look the stuff that I just can't I can't wrap my brain around um what has happened with the Epstein files and how much we just like I don't think there's anything more evil, evil, evil, bad, and egregious than than that whole mess. mess. mess. And And And yeah, are we still talking about this? I was so mad when Trump said that. Yeah. I mean I mean that's just and we're I mean what what would get us to rally together?

We're too comfortable. I mean Yeah. Just comfortable. I mean what could be more evil than that? Yeah. What's more evil than than harming children like that? Doug, look up Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. term bread and circuses. You guys know where that comes from? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's a That's an old term. You got him entertained and and fed and fed and fed and fed. and fed. and fed. Yeah. It's a it this is refers to the Roman political strategy of pacif. That's what the coliseum was all about with free food and entertainment to ensure loyalty.

ensure loyalty. ensure loyalty. That's what that's why the coliseum was built was to do exactly that. The UFC fighting at the White House. This this was coined by the poet uh Juvenile around AD 100. It describes how citizens traded their political freedoms for sustenance and spectacles. Yep. Isn't that isn't that weird how we like this is it was so true then, still so true now. I just want to point out too though that because we I know we've avoided a lot of uh political talk on on this thing though that that a lot of people used to think that we were this like conservative type of podcast and I don't think anybody in here is proTrump at all anymore.

I think uh everybody knows he's compromised and I'm not a fan of any of that stuff. So, you know, for all the the the libtards that used to think that we were just That'll do it. Adam, good job. Yeah. Yeah. LIKE YEAH, NOT ME. that would that insult that thought were these hardcore conservatives. No, at no logical thinkers have always been that way. Always called it as it is. And I think what we've seen Trump do in the last year and a half or so is a lot of things are just check whoever's in power, man.

Sure. Yeah. There is no left or right. It's it's literally like there it's all one. It's it's the same [ __ ] And and the Epstein thing is makes that so clear and obvious. And it's crazy that I I just I'm blown away that that's that wasn't I mean I think that's a bigger deal than CO was. CO was. CO was. CO was was crazy and scared a lot of people and there was a lot of uncertainty and they did gaslight all of us. us. us. But it's like Epstein is just pure evil and bad.

It's like we're not throwing anybody in prison. We're not up in arms about that. Like we're not pissed off at our entire government. We're all still paying our taxes and showing up like that's cuz people are comfortable. I mean, what what level? What mean, what I mean, what what level? What level? What else has to triple the cost of gas? You'll see people I'm serious. You make gas go up three or four times more to distract us. You make everybody broke and then you'll see people up in arms.

I mean, they're already heading that way. way. way. Yeah. But you make it like bad like people are broke broke. Then you'll see you'll see people Yeah. really pissed off. off. off. That's crazy, dude. ButcherBox is a company that delivers grass-fed meat, heritage pork, wild caught fish to your door at great prices. So, you could save money, get really high quality sources of protein that are healthy and clean, sustainably raised. Grass-fed meat, better fatty acid profile, wild caught fish, uh lower uh amounts of toxins. Heritage pork, it just tastes a lot better and it's raised in a better way.

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you guys? Yeah. How you been? Pretty good. Um, thank you guys for taking my question. Yeah, cool. How can we help you? Of course. Of course. Of course. Update us. Update us. Update us. Um, I'm just going to read what I wrote because I tend to ramble. Um, so 22-year-old dancer, I've had to take a gap year off from college to heal from Lyme disease and want to use this time off to build muscle. I attempted to bulk and stopped dancing in August of 2025 with a coach, but I didn't make any progress.

And I think it's due to some underlying fears and maybe even the health issues themselves. I'm not sure if you guys have worked with any lime patients. Um, I need to bulk for health reasons. I think my low body fat percentage is contributing to a lack of period, hypothyroidism, and possibly exacerbating the Lyme disease symptoms. I want to bulk, but I feel like I need a professional to validate what I'm doing and guide me, making sure that I'm headed in the right direction. And I know that I need to gain body fat, but I also want to put a substantial amount of muscle on considering I think I have a missing button that my stomach kind of looks distended.

And I've been in a cut or maintenance ever since I started lifting 5 years ago. And I've tried chasing strength, but I tend to add too much weight to the bar and break form, especially with my hyper mobility. I've learned that I shouldn't be going full range of motion. Um, those were like more my immediate goals, but long-term goals are to be more intuitive when it comes to my body's needs, switching training and nutrition depending on what phase I'm like, what phase of life I'm in.

Cuz right now, I have a rigid schedule where like first thing when I wake up, I go to the gym. Because if I don't throughout the day, there's this like nagging voice in my head that's like, "You need to go to the gym. you need to go to the gym. And like I've had doctors kind of tell me that maybe I should work out later in the day because first thing in the morning might be too much for my nervous system. And then I want to have a good amount of muscle and perform with strength and power in the gym as well as in dance since that's what I love to do and want to do for a living.

Um I want to be able to use tracking as a tool to meet my goals and not a vice. I'm scared to stop tracking because I don't ever feel fullness cues. And I want a healthy relationship with food and exercise, which is somewhat difficult considering the job of a dancer is to look good. I have fears around sitting still and getting fat and becoming the unhealthy classic American. So, I walk an unsustainable amount. Like, it's a lot. And I want to continue to walk, but not in a neurotic, controlling fashion, if you couldn't tell the theme of all of this.

Um, and currently I'm running maps muscle mommy 15. I'm doing each phase 6 to 8 weeks to acclimate to the exercises. I'm currently in phase 2, week 4. I walk for 1 hour in the morning after breakfast, 1 hour in the afternoon after lunch, and according to my ordering, I get anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 steps a day, 7 hours of sleep. I eat 3,000 calories, around 30% protein, 40% carbs, and 30% fat. So, that was my entire essay. And yeah, yeah, yeah, right, Amelia, right, Amelia, right, Amelia, trying to unpack that.

You eat 3,000 calories every day. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And you're sitting at 10% body fat according to this DEXA scan. Yeah. I'm looking at your picture. You are uh Yes, you are super lean. 3,000 calories is a decent amount. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's not That's not bad. I think it's cuz I walk so much cuz I'm like scared to be sedentary. or do you think the walking isn't okay? So on on the surface that's not a problem. problem. problem. You have a healthy metabus. Yeah.

Yeah. The it's not a problem on the surface. The issue is the root of where it's coming from. So if you were just like, "Hey, I'm walking and it's great and it's leisure and I enjoy it. It's not an issue, but you said a couple things that uh were red flags like I walk neurotically. walk neurotically. walk neurotically. I can't sit still. Uh I have to work out or I'm thinking about it all the time." Yeah. So, on paper, you're not doing anything wrong. You're eating enough food.

You're following good strength training. Your steps are fine. Uh you're getting good sleep. But the the what's behind all of that is what we need to work on. work on. work on. And uh I mean, your best bet uh honestly through this process is going to be step one is going to be to outsource control. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. And that's going to be the step towards not having not feeling like you need to control so much. Uh I I mean I could tell you what this looks like, but I think you need to work with a coach for like 6 months so you can outsource it and get used to letting go letting go letting go of control.

In other words, you're going to be like, you do what I you I'll do what you tell me and I'm just going to do that. So that's like a that's an easier step to take than just letting go of control because you probably don't know how to do that uh without first outsourcing it. Um and so you're going to get comfortable with outsourcing at first and then after that then you'll find a little bit of freedom in that and then that'll kind of change the approach or or why you're doing what you do.

you do. you do. Remind me the the difference of what you're doing now versus what you were in back in April 2020. I just saw the the pictures the difference of the three stages. Um, so I think back then I was running running running Okay. Okay. Okay. I think it was like Maps Muscle Mommy or something like like I've always stuck with your guys' programming. So I did I had a coach for a bit who did like similar programming cuz they they did listen to your show.

So similar programming, but I just like Yeah. I I that's why I was like I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Like obviously there's the sector of the control issues and that stuff, but I was like I'm I had a coach who listened to you guys, so I know that they were not leading me in the wrong direction. Um, Um, Um, but no, I'm I'm asking cuz I think you look way healthier and better right now than you did back in April. That's the difference I'm trying to get to is like, are you eating more now?

Yeah. Are you eating more calories now or what are you doing different? No. Um, No. Um, No. Um, do you see yourself as better now? Cuz I think you look way better and healthier. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I feel like I just look the same. Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no. Throughout. Throughout. Throughout. Oh, no. No. No. Everything. Everything. Everything. Yeah. Zoom it for the guy so they can see. Yeah. Go to the top. That's That's her then. Now she'll go to the top. Go to the top.

Yeah. You're fit and healthy, hun. Go to the top. the Go to the top. I'm trying to, Adam. Yeah. You don't uh control this. Yeah. I see you're Okay. So So let me give you some tips on what might help with some of this. Okay. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Um I think it's a good idea to have some structured time where you're sitting and doing nothing doing nothing doing nothing and it's probably going to be really scary for you. So it's sorry something to add to the like sitting and not doing anything.

I don't know if this is related but if I sit for too long my back like I'll get severe pain or like being still I get severe pain. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you're probably not you're probably uh sitting anxious in an anxious way or not breathing uh fully. So, do you know what a full diaphragmatic breath feels like? Uh yeah, I've been like working on Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. breathing with my diaphragm and whatnot. So, let's So, that might be a good place to start. to start. to start.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, you could set your timer on your phone, phone, phone, put an alarm for 10 minutes, and then sit for 10 minutes and just breathe into your belly. where you feel your belly rise before your chest. Full diaphragmatic breathing while you're sitting. So, uh, what can happen for some people, it's not it's not common, but people who are like, I don't like to sit still, is when they're sitting, they're tense. they're tense. they're tense. Yep. Yep. Yep. And they're chest breathing. Restrictive. Restrictive.

Restrictive. Mhm. And so then they start to feel back pain pain pain uh as a result of it. So, uh, that might be a good practice for you to sit for 10 minutes or 5 minutes if 10 minutes is too long cuz that's a long time for someone who doesn't like to sit. I'm going to tell you right now, 10 minutes of diaphragmatic breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, you're going to want to pull your hair out. So, you you sit there and you diaphragmatically breathe. And then the next step would be finding things that you enjoy uh that you can do uh while you're sitting down that don't relate to a specific goal that you have.

Cuz sometimes people be like, "Oh, cool. I'm going to sit down and I'm going to like map out my diet or I'm going to like do this class that I need to do or I'm going to like better myself with this book that's going to make me so smart." So, you want to think of something that that's like leisure that you could do while sitting. Have you ever tried paint puzzle legs? I was going to say I do uh I do painting. painting. painting. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Um I still get the pain though and I'll have to take breaks. I don't know if it has to do with the hypermobility. Like I also know my hip flexors. Like I I've seen various PT people and they've had me do the Thomas test which I'm sure you're familiar with like laying back and my my leg is literally like this. How do you How are you painting? How are you sitting? sitting? sitting? Um I tend to like sit on the floor or I'll sit in a chair with my legs up.

Okay. All right. So So Okay. So, hyper mobile people will sit in some of the most interesting contorted positions typically. typically. typically. Yeah. So, you know what you're going to do? You're going to sit in a regular chair. chair. chair. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, Oh, Oh, yeah. Just a regular old chair. Back support. Back support. Back support. Yeah. You don't want to resting into it. Mhm. You don't want to rest in end ranges of motion because of your hyper mobility. mobility. mobility. So, you want to sit like an old guy in a chair and rest.

and rest. and rest. Yeah. And then just paint. Yeah. And and and do the diaphragmatic breathing like that. That'll help. Okay. Yeah, I'll try. I I've been doing some of that, I guess, just like not long enough. But yeah, I don't know. I I You say I probably look healthier in the photos. I'm just like I feel like I haven't put on any muscle or um You look like you did. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Done anything. Done anything. Done anything. You You look You look healthier. You've got good muscle on your body, hun.

hun. hun. Your your top picture looks the healthiest of all the things. I I I think I think some of the stuff that you're feeling is the internal high level of anxiety that's kind of below the surface and that is a stress. That is a stress on the body. Again, if I looked at all the stuff you're doing on paper, I'm like, man, she's doing all the right stuff. stuff. stuff. It's distorting your perception for sure. sure. sure. But what's underneath it? Uh I heard this example given before like a swan on water looks like a swan on water looks like they're just cruising real nice, but if you look under the water, their feet are like going crazy.

Yeah. So if if you re if that resonates with you uh it's what's underneath uh all the actions and so practicing like letting go breathing like all the uncomfortable stuff for you sitting in a normal chair and painting uh that you know those will be good practices for you. Um and outsourcing is always a good idea uh to do with a coach who can kind of move you through this whole process. But your calories are good, your activities. I mean, you're only doing MAPS uh our MAPS program and walking.

You're not doing any other exercise. exercise. exercise. Correct. Yeah. Correct. Yeah. Correct. Yeah. I mean, that's great. Yeah. And 3,000 calories. You're doing really good on all th all those things. It just sounds like you need more things that really relax you that you like to do. And so, I don't know if you've pursued pursued pursued different things other than just paint because I think painting would be great. I think painting is one a great example of that, you know, and puzzling. Um, I get it from driving.

Like, I mean, things that where you can just be kind of focused on the thing and everything, all the other noise kind of goes away and you're just into it. Do you have a spiritual practice or do you meditate? you meditate? you meditate? Um, yeah. I'm Catholic. So, Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, sit sit and pray. Sit and pray. Nothing gets you out of your head better than doing that. Yeah. the the sign that I think like I mean I tend to pray on my walks but I think the sign that I need to do it is that you saying like oh sit down for a while like car drives give me anxiety because I have to sit for a while and like in the back of my head is like oh this is so unhealthy cuz you're sitting and you're sedentary.

No No No so so so no no no one of the hallmarks of anxiety is is is selffocus. selffocus. selffocus. So one of the best just the data shows this one of the best ways to have uh to combat that combat that combat that is a spiritual practice because the focus is not on you or find a way to go serve others. Yeah. Serve others. Serving others is I mean that's same thing. thing. thing. Volunteer and stuff like that. Yeah. You just need something that gets you out of your own head that of self focused you know.

you know. you know. So keep keep pursuing practice like that. I love the painting just we don't want to do it in a crazy sit. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you're doing everything like really well, but yeah, you look super healthy. Yeah, you're following the right instructions. You're doing the right actions. It's just what's underneath it. Um, yeah. And if you if you want to work with a coach, we have great ones. I could have someone reach out to you. Yeah. It said you talked to you talked to Karen before, right?

Yeah. I talked to Karen. She is like so amazing. She's so nice. Um, yeah, I think I'd be open to that. I mean, obviously it would depend on the price cuz like with the lime treatments, it's gotten kind of expensive, but um yeah, I I just want peace, honestly. Like obviously I'm like I want a butt cuz I feel like I don't have a butt and I want to be able to perform great because, you know, athleticism and dancing. Ameilia, you have a butt. We saw the pictures, honey.

pictures, honey. pictures, honey. Yeah, you're doing fine. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I hope so. But at the end of the day, I just want peace. So, if what you're saying, you know, is gonna You would do really good like uh seeing just Karen like once a month even just to just to check in with her just to keep an eye on what you got going on and stuff like that. Um and I'll tell you just to encourage you at your age with what you're talking about. You're you're like so far ahead of where a lot of young ladies are.

Uh you're doing you're you're on the right path. And I think the struggle is just recognizing that you're not on the right that you're like that you need to move in a different direction. Uh, so just to encourage you like you're you're doing good. This is a tough time for you, but you're doing really well. Okay. Thank you so much. That's uh encouraging. encouraging. encouraging. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, it's just kind of hard to get out of my head. I don't know if you have time for me to like semi side question.

Yeah, go for it. Let's go. Um, I've had recent like shoulder pain under my scapulaish scapulaish scapulaish and it's exacerbated by holding the bar with RDL's or rowing or like any scapular movements. And I've been trying to figure out why that is. And it sometimes when I bench it'll refer to the front of my collar bone. So I So I So I I'm not sure what it is. I also have hyper mobile shoulders. Like it can pop and stuff. So, do you know how to do scapular push-ups?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh yeah, I do, but like my shoulder blade I don't know if you could see like Yeah, it's winging. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, do you know how to do you know how to flatten it? I try and it just keeps winging. Okay. So, practice try to practice flattening it. Uh watch bodybuilding videos on how to do a front lat spread. Okay. It's like how to do a front lat spread cuz that movement is scapula uh flattening out. flattening out. flattening out. And so that's what you want that's what you want to work on.

Yeah. I'm trying to do it right now and it just keeps winging. So yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Practice it. You can put yourself up against the wall and relax and allow the wall to press your scapula into that flattened position and then see if you can tense and hold it there. there. there. Okay. I'll try that. Thank you. Yeah, you got it. You got it. No problem. Thanks for calling in again. If you want to call in again, have any other questions, let us know. But I think you're doing well, hun.

It's uh focus on the things that get you out of the focus on yourself. So don't just say, "I'm not going to focus on myself. It's impossible." But what can I focus on that's outside of myself? So prayer, serving others, painting, don't sit in crazy positions. I think that's a great place to start. Okay, I'll do that. Thank you guys so much. And it's like I just needed the reinforcement from y'all cuz I look up to you guys so much. And it's like I don't know.

I had a feeling I was doing the right stuff, but it, like I said, I just feel like I need people who are experienced to experienced to experienced to help encourage me. You're doing great. Just keep pursuing things that are other focused. Keep pursuing those types of things, you know? Try try different stuff until you till something hits that you really like. Mhm. I will. I'll try it. All right. Good to see you again. Good to see you. Thank you guys so much. All right. Sweetheart, that's tough.

Uh, but it's great. 3,000 calories. Like she's doing all the right stuff. stuff. stuff. Yeah. Yeah. It's all her mental chatter. Totally, bro. She's like super anxious about it. about it. about it. And uh and then I'm glad I asked her how she sits because uh I've had a couple clients with hyper mobility. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And they will sit in what would what looks like a crazy stretch. I know. I I laugh cuz I've seen the same thing. I'm like, what are you doing? Uh but yeah, it's just what it's a weird thing.

thing. thing. She just needs to keep looking for those things, right? There's there's got to be something else out there. Uh, like I said, like the puzzling, the Lego thing, the getting into something that where just everything else fades away and you're hyper into you're not on not thinking of yourself. Yeah. Yeah. Our next caller is Taylor from Ohio. from Ohio. from Ohio. Hi, Taylor. Hi, Taylor. Hi, Taylor. Taylor. Taylor. Taylor. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hey guys. Oh my gosh, this is kind of surreal. Um, just to keep it simple, I'll go ahead and read right off my email.

email. email. Okay. Okay. Okay. Hey guys, I've been an avid listener for six years. I listen to your podcast every chance I get during my lifts, all my runs, any free car audio time I get between song requests for my kids. I get so much value from your content and frequently send episodes to my family, friends, and clients. You've changed the game for me as a fitness professional, a mom in my own fitness journey. So, thank you. I'm a 34year-old mom of three little boys, six and under.

I've been strength training for years and run MAPS programs on and off between pregnancies and now after. Recently, I started running more consistently between two to three times per week, and I realized how much I love it, mostly from the mental health side of things. I'm currently training for a half marathon in April. I also still strength train two to three times a week, and currently running anabolic. My runs consist of one easy run about two three to four miles, one tempo run, and one long run for some mileage building.

Uh, I eat around 23 to 24,400 calories. I hit my protein goal of anywhere from 150 to 170 daily. I feel relatively recovered and no overtraining symptoms, but I don't want to end up in that place long term. My question is about balancing endurance training with maintaining muscle and strength. Strength training has always been a big part of my life, and I don't want to lose muscle mass as I start pursuing endurance goals. Uh, I'd really love to train for one, maybe two half marathons per year, one in the spring, one in the fall.

I'm a former division one athlete, and I really thrive and enjoy when I have a performance goal to chase. It helps me feel like myself, especially in the stage of life as a mom with little boys. Um, and when I can prioritize my own health and fitness, I feel like my cup is full to pour into them and be a better mom, wife, and friend. Would love your advice. Um, for someone like me who wants to pursue endurance goals while still prioritizing strength, muscle, and long-term health.

Uh, would you suggest periodizing the training, like only running um, during a true running training block pre-race and then solely focusing on strength training outside of that? And are there any programs you'd recommend that would balance my load and goals? Yeah, good. So, okay. So, um, so there's a couple ways you could approach this. By the way, I think your calories are probably a little low. I was just going to say that's the only thing I'd really change is that and maybe scaling back one day of training maybe cuz there the three runs are not even an hour, right?

Yeah. I mean, well, my long runs as they've gotten longer, as I get closer to race day, they're can be up to two. Okay. So, but the other two What about the other two runs though? The other two run run run they're under an hour. Okay. Yes. Okay. Yes. Okay. Yes. One's easy and one's like some interval training, some speed work. Yeah. So, it's kind of mild. Yeah. And you're training for a half marathon right now, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, your calories are probably a little low uh for the kind of training that you're doing.

So, I would increase those by about 300 and you should notice some performance improvements. improvements. improvements. Long term. Uh there's a couple ways you could approach this because it sounds like you love both. Sounds like you love the strength training, but you also love running. Uh which is great. So, we want there's a couple ways we could do this. uh one kind of general split uh for somebody especially like yourself athlete athletic past fit healthy probably you know obviously you got some good athletic genetics you have four days in the week that you can work out and you can use those for strength training or running it's up to you how you split them so that's one approach so one you could do one day of strength training three days of running three days of strength training one day of running or two and two totally up to you but what you can't do is go five six days a week uh you know type of deal most people just long term that's just too much, especially if you have a life outside of working out.

The second option is to strength train one week and then do endurance training the other week. week. week. I've heard you're you're doing that right now, aren't you? To an to an extent. Now, it's not I don't know if I'd call his uh cardio uh endurance training yet. Mine is more He made the three today on the treadmill. treadmill. treadmill. Mine Mine is less mine is less about athletic performance and more something else. That being said, when you look at the data around athletic performance, uh it seems to be a great approach and for some people, I can see why they would prefer that because like cool, this week I'm focusing on strength training, next week I'm focusing on endurance and it makes it keeps it more fun psychologically too.

It's it's yeah beneficial that regard. Yeah. So those would be your two general approaches. Now you can mess that up in between, right? You can do too much intensity on all of them or whatever. Uh but generally speaking, that would be a really nice kind of long-term approach. And then if you're approaching a contest like a marathon or half marathon, then you change your training obviously to move more towards endurance and a more and away from strength training. I really like his first uh suggestion which is like looking at your week is like you've got four days of training.

You know, when you're in run mode and you're really getting close to, you know, your your half marathon or whatever, you're scaling that mostly running and you're probably only weight training one day a week. When you're somewhere in the middle of that training block, you're you're probably split down the middle. When you're in the off season of running and you can pick up more higher volume of training, then you're maybe lifting weights three times a week and you only have a leisurely one run one a week.

And I think toggling back and forth using your experience and how well you probably know kind of your body and training that you that's kind of your your boundaries is four days a week of this type of training and you use it according to what's more important because you're getting ready for a run and so hey you need more running then drop. Don't be afraid. I think that the biggest thing with trainers and athletic people have been doing this for a long time is this fear that if you go down to this one day of strength training that you're going to lose all these muscle gains.

You won't. In fact, you're more likely to lose those muscle gains if you try and do all that running and and also do two or three days of strength training because then that's just way too much. You're going to be constantly in this recovery state. You're not going to adapt and build. Your body is going to pair down that muscle and so you're more likely to save most of the muscle just kind of hitting it one time a week. Yeah. I mean, the the things will change based on the performance adaptations you're looking for.

But how whatever that change looks like, whether it's more muscle, uh, less endurance, or more endurance, less muscle, you could switch it back in the other direction very easily. easily. easily. Yeah. And quick, if you did lose a few pounds of muscle because now you're going endurance focused, you'd gain it back so fast. It's not a big deal at all. This is the hybrid approach after training. But I the big thing I would say for you is in bump your calories by at least two or three two or 300 and and you should notice an just increase in endurance, stamina, strength, the whole deal.

Awesome. That sounds easy enough. You can do that. You think anabolic is a good place since I can do two days or three days with that and kind of undulate that as needed. needed. needed. Math anabolic is good. So is math performance. performance. performance. Yeah, performance and just picking one of the foundational days would be great. Even symmetry would be good at some point. Those those three program do you have all those programs that we mentioned? symmetry doesn't um I don't have symmetry. Let's send it to you.

Yeah, I really the what I love about performance though is that you you pick a foundational day there one it's got a lot more multiplaner unilateral type of work in there and then in addition to that you have having the background that you have listen to your body if this is a week where you're just like man I'm feeling tax choose a mobility day and do mobility work mobility work mobility work and so and that's in that program already so just follow like that's how I if I was coaching myself through what you're trying to do I'd have this kind of blueprint of scaffolding like S's saying it's like all All right, I'm going to train strength train two days a week.

I'm going to run two days a week. That's the plan. Reality is sometimes you're going to be feeling under weather. Sometimes you're not you're going to feel like a little wore down cuz not the greatest sleep. You got kids. You got stuff going on. And then I'm going to go, you know what? I'm going to back off one of those strength training days. I'm just going to do a mobility day today. And so I like that. Taylor, I just I just caught something that I missed, too.

By the way, let me You're a group fitness instructor. How many classes do you teach a week? So, in putting that in there, I'm not actually doing it with them. I'm more like coaching them through it. So, I'm not that's not added by Okay, good. We're buying them. I still think you need to bump your calories. calories. calories. Yeah. To Adam's point earlier though about performance, I think that uh living in phase two of that for the foundation days is going to benefit you better. Yeah.

better. Yeah. better. Yeah. So, you can really kind of reinforce Yeah. a lot of those supporting muscles. And ju just so you know, somebody like you, fit, healthy, consistent working out, whatever, with that kind of working out, in my experience, when everything's working well, they will typically consume closer to 27, 2,800 calories. So, I gave you a bump of 2 to 300, but I think you'd still be able to bump it after that and get even better per Don't be afraid of it is what I'm saying.

Don't be afraid of increasing the calories because I think right now you're probably eating just enough. Yeah. enough. Yeah. enough. Yeah. And so, it's probably holding back some of your performance. You're going to feel a difference. Yeah. Would you put it towards carbohydrates or where would you Your protein is great. So what was your fat? fat? fat? Um I don't remember. It's probably around 30% right now. So what is that? What is that in grams? I don't remember. Someone like you. I like your grams to be at over 70.

So I don't know if you're at 70. Okay. So if you're not at 70, I'd bump fats. Otherwise otherwise go the carbohydrate route and and steer your carbs around the runs. the runs. the runs. So I like it, you know, pre pre-run hour before your run or whatever like that. And then when you get done with it, replenish. Um, that'll that'll that'll do good. do good. do good. Awesome. Well, I appreciate you guys so much. I've just you guys have just been awesome for lots of stages of life for me and I send all your stuff to my mom.

I've actually tried to get her to to put a put a question in and hop on with you guys, too. So, she might be getting on soon and she was really excited. That would be great. I appreciate it. It's quite an honor. Taylor, does she Does she follow any of our programs? our programs? our programs? Uh, my mom. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I've had I've tried to get her to do anabolic. She's she's done it a couple times in the last couple years. Oh, good. Okay. Good.

Good. Yeah. Perfect. All right. Perfect. Yeah, we'll keep you guys appreciate it. All right, you got it. got it. got it. Have a good That's great. That's great. That's great. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, she's doing good. Yeah, she's doing the calories is a big one. Yeah, she could handle more that that amount of training. Uh she could easily be up up in calories. It's remarkable how often uh pe people who exercise regularly, especially women, but this happens to guys. They just don't eat enough for the performance they're looking for.

Well, look, we just got off a call with a girl right before her. I think was 5'7 or 5'8, similar height, uh similar similar weight. similar weight. similar weight. Um walking only, not even running, just 10,000 steps and is eating 3,000 calories. calories. calories. 3,000. Yeah. 3,000. Yeah. 3,000. Yeah. You know, so it's uh And I mean, how many times have I made a client like this where all you do is increase their calories and boom, boom. Oh, yeah. Makes a massive difference. Our next caller is Lauren from Arizona.

Hey, Lauren. Hey, Lauren. Hey, Lauren. Hey, back backtoback days we get to see you. you. you. I know. Long time no see. How can we help you? Um, well, well, thanks for having me on. Yeah, of course. I, um, just so I'm not like, let Zeppelin and ramble on here, I'm going to pull up my email cuz of course I would just get to talking with you guys. I love the reference, by the way. That was good. was good. was good. I know, Justin. I knew you'd get it.

Okay. Hi, Mind. Thanks for all you do. You have changed my life in so many ways, bringing many blessings to my family. I wish I could express my gratitude and immense healing this show and your teachings have brought. I'm a married 35-year-old mom of two wild boys, a 5-year-old and a soon tobe 2-year-old. I have been in the muscle mommy movement crew since the beginning, and I am incredibly grateful for the amazing coaches, Karen and Nicole. Also, credit to Alyssa in the beginning, too. The pod and this group of ladies have been truly so healing and made me realize I wanted to pursue a personal training career.

I've been on my own health and fitness journey since March 2025, but this time I'm approaching it from a place of self-love. ditching long-distance running and starvation to properly fuel my body and lift heavy [ __ ] I've lost 62 lbs and gained significant muscle and a greater mindset. I'm working towards becoming a personal trainer, but I also feel my body isn't what it should be to teach others. I technically have 38 more pounds to lose if we are talking about the goal weight. I know I'm strong and capable, but the imposttor syndrome other callers mention is very real.

I guess I'm just fearful that if I show up to a big box gym, they will scoff at me because I'm overweight and don't fit the typical image of a personal trainer. Nicole Wolf uh reminded me that my journey and past history would be my strengths for better empathizing with and relating to clients. I guess I'm just scared they won't give me the opportunity. Should I continue my journey and lose more weight before going for it, or should I just take the plunge and hold my head up?

I think I know the answer, but my ED brain seems to be very loud right now. Keep killing it. Love you guys. Thank you for your guidance. That was a bad ED day. Sorry. Wow. Haven't read that in a while. while. while. No, that's good. Yeah, that was rough. Uh I do have some updates. updates. updates. Yes. Yes. Yes. All right, let's go. Okay. Um so I did hold my head up and actually went for it. I um I wrote you guys like an hour after I passed my NASM CBT exam.

CBT exam. CBT exam. Yeah. So nice. um got certified that day and then was like, "Oh [ __ ] you did it. Oh no, now you have to do it." And viral obviously since I wrote you. Um so I applied to gyms. I had I applied to three gyms in my proximity and had two interviews. Uh one they offered me the job right there. The other one uh ghosted me. I felt like I was in my 20s dating again or something waiting on a call. It was funny.

Um, but so obviously a little bit different from when I first wrote you guys, but I did go for it. Um, I did turn down that job offer, the Oh, the gems. How come? Why did you turn it down? Uh, honestly, it felt really sleazy. There were red flags. It was like danger, Will Robinson, danger. Okay. A couple times. Um, we did the like a mock pitch, uh, sales pitch, uh, which was fine. I'm used to that. I was in sales or I am in sales, have been for a long time, so it was fine.

Where he was basically potential new client, gave me the rundown like, "Oh, I'm brand new to this." So, and so on. So, I went into it like, "Hey, I think it'd be good to start you off 2 to three days a week. I think that'd be a good way to start." And he's like, "I'm going to stop you right there. We do 5 days here." like so zero to 60 I feel like that would inevitably lead to failure and he's like we do five days. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Like so that felt cringy. The other one it felt like an amazing interview. Um but and I it was green flags everywhere and actually had mind pump like philosophies constantly sprinkled in there. Asked him if he knew you guys um was aware of the podcast and he didn't like now you do. But yeah, so that's how that went. Okay. Oh, Okay. Oh, Okay. Oh, well, good. Good job. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, getting out there. Um, and I'm going to tell you something. So, uh, and there's often times what happens?

Well, let me ask you this question. This might help. You worked with, uh, Karen, Nicole, and in the early days, Alyssa, right? Correct. Yeah. Correct. Yeah. Correct. Yeah. Okay. What made them good coaches for you? you? you? Um, I mean, well, I'll give you great example for Nicole. She's been there this entire time like with this process. I even interviewed interviewed her back in October just because I wanted her story. I I know the logistics of becoming a trainer, but she's been along with the process.

So, and she's been invested in in this and reaching out to me like, "Hey, how's it going?" So, she takes the time out and it feels like she actually cares, which makes a great coach trainer. I've had bad ones where clearly you didn't matter to them at all. And so all of those girls I feel like are so invested. And yeah, when you the aesthetics don't matter, like I don't think about their bodies. Obviously, it's our relationship. You knew exactly where I was going. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. You didn't say anything about how they look. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yeah. So, um it really doesn't matter. Now, in the beginning, it may to some people uh because when we think fitness, we think of how we look. So, someone may look at someone and say, "I want to look like that person. I'm going to work with them." Or, and this happens actually very often, they look at a train, they go, "I think they might get me." Um, and then they end up working with them.

So, I've had trainers of all shapes and sizes. All of them purs all of them value fitness. Obviously, you can't be a trainer if it's not valuable to you. Uh, and I've had trainers who were shredded. I've had trainers who are bodybuilders. I've had tra who recently lost a lot of weight, still kind of losing weight. I've had trainers who uh overcame uh major ill injury and were rehabbing um and the the average client wants to relate to somebody. Now, sometimes they look at a trainer and say, "I want to look like that person." That happens as well.

But more often than not, they go, "I think I'm going to I think that person's going to get me." And often times it's like she looks like a mom or he looks like a guy that's around my age or she looks like she's been you know and so uh it's not a hindrance at all. Um and often times it's a superpower. Now the imposttor syndrome I'm just going to tell you almost every new trainer feels it. Yep. Yep. Yep. So that's like super common and I don't care what they look like.

They all kind of feel it because it's like okay who am I to train these people? Who am I to like charge $100 an hour? It's a very normal thing. It's not a bad thing. I think it drives us to become better and to continue to pursue learning more. But it becomes a bad thing when it prevents you from doing this really, really cool thing, which is coach other people. Own who you are, where you are, and where you've come from. And if you own that and you're confident in that, you're going to be just fine.

If you are insecure about that, that will come off your and that does and this would be the same conversation I'd have to a trainer who is insecure about sales or doesn't think they're smart enough. So, whatever if if you're if you are insecure about that as you communicate to people, it will bleed into them and then it'll it'll just perpetuate and it'll make itself worse. itself worse. itself worse. But if you own who you are, where you came from, and be proud of that, you're going to kill it.

Mhm. You were killer. I tell if you've if you've been listening long enough, you've probably heard me tell my story. What I was not the fittest trainer. I definitely wasn't the smartest. I was the least experienced. I was the youngest. So super came in. But I wore that. Hey, this is who I but I'm passionate about what I do and I'm excited. And that came off when I talked to people and I only knew a few things. I didn't know a lot. I didn't have a lot of experience.

Didn't have a lot of So I talked to those few things. So those things that have changed your life radically and have helped you, go give that and go lean into that. Don't think about the things you don't know yet or don't think about the things you haven't got a certain like don't worry about that [ __ ] Go own what you do know, what you came from, who you are and be proud of that and go share that. There are tens of thousands of other people that need that.

You'll you'll be just fine. As long as you believe in that, if you believe in that and you carry yourself that way, you will absolutely crush it. But if you allow yourself to nitpick yourself or think about all the things you don't know or think about the things you haven't learned yet or how your body isn't where you want it to be, if you think about all that [ __ ] it'll come out in the way you communicate to people. But if you're like, "Fuck yeah, I'm here." Then this is where I came from.

This is where I'm going. Like, these are the things I know. This is what's changed my life. And you go give give that to people. Oh my god, you you'll kill it. Yeah, you'll kill it. Yeah. Ability to ability to create relationship and trust is the most important thing a coach can have. If they don't have that, everything else doesn't matter. doesn't matter. doesn't matter. Yeah, I'm definitely confident in that. Plus, Plus, Plus, I mean, Nicole and I have talked about it uh just with my past in terms of like that cyclical with weight gain, weight loss.

Um but also like being an athlete formerly and you know injuries and losing your identity, eating disorders. I feel like there's a lot of things I could relate to people on. But yeah, definitely to what you said, Adam, and I swear I didn't walk into the interviews, you know, like I was in that email. I was definitely very confident and I normally am very confident but that was a rough day I guess. Appreciate the vulnerability because there's a lot of trainers or there's a lot of trainers or potential trainers potential trainers potential trainers who need to hear this uh this conversation.

conversation. conversation. Yeah, this is a major hurdle like they're saying for every new trainer and I think that we can pick ourselves apart very easily. uh you know I felt like I didn't communicate well enough or was like really willing to put myself out there uh to the extent that I now can. But you know these are all like steps that I just wanted to immerse myself in it and just you know explain again what I was confident in being able to do with them. So just stick with what you know and and you're going to I was willing to show people like how much I cared through a lot of my professionalism and through a lot of my detailed organization.

And so that was like what I leaned on in the beginning a lot was like I'm going to be very structured and like I'm going to have this huge plan for each person. I put it together like 2 three days ahead of time before I even met with them. Uh and just it it was just one of those things where it just boosted up my my own confidence and then that kind of came out and then down the road I keep you know with repetition it just became like automatic and and just something that too like you you look back and you're like wow I I know so much more than your average person coming in.

Uh, and that's really what you have to give and you can relate to them uh, so much better than somebody that's like uh, you know, knows how to just train themselves and isn't like looking at their needs. So, if you're really looking at their needs and and you care a lot, that's going to go so far in this industry. Are you in our course, Lauren? Are you in our trainer group and course? No, not the Elite Trainer Academy. I do actually I love listening to it though.

Um, Kyle's awesome. Um, but I'm not actually in the course. though I didn't know just because I just got my cert I just started my corrective exercise spec so I wasn't sure if I was just too much of a newbie like you no you should by the way good for you for going correctional exercise right out the gate very valuable very valuable very valuable well actually it's because of the article you wrote on how to become a successful personal trainer to set myself apart myself apart myself apart no you're doing great so our course is more focused on how to be a good coach an effective coach and build your business so it's le it's not you're not going to get the correctional exercise stuff in there.

Biomechanics, you're not it's all about like being an effective coach. So, it's the stuff we teach our trainers and coaches, how to be an effective coach, uh, and also how to build a business. That's what our course is all about. And, um, we can have Ann reach out to you and answer questions and maybe give you some advice. She she runs our education here, but I think that would be valuable, uh, for for someone like you. I definitely think you should be in there. So, I think you should be in there.

I also just sent Doug a clip from that my body did. my body. My buddy did on Instagram. Uh yeah, I don't know where that came up, dude. dude. dude. Freud, he's thinking you're thinking of his body, dude. My buddy my buddy on Instagram uh did uh uh Mike, he and he it's a great clip for uh going for interviews. Um it's the high perform asking the high performer question. I think it's a really good clip. clip. clip. No, I saw that. You posted that. I loved it.

That was a great one. Okay. Okay. Well, I'm res I'll have Doug resend it to you. I just think that's such a good thing to listen to right before you walk into an interview. I thought he explained that so well. So, that's really good. But yes, get in our elite trainer academy. You'll uh get a ton of And if you're if you're ever in the area, come visit. I don't know where you're located, but come come hang out. I'm in Arizona, but trust me, I thought about it.

My bestie is in Citrus Heights, which is far from you guys, but not too bad for the trip. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Citrus Heights is not that bad at all. Hey, if you come out here, we'll schedule you to come listen to the podcast live and we'll see if we can set you up with the workout. Come hang Come hang out with the girls for a day, too. Yep, that'd be awesome. Can I say one thing really quick? Sure. I don't know if I'd get the opportunity to.

Um, thanks for all you do. Of course, u love all of you, but S, I just wanted to say thank you to you in particular. You'll always um have a special place in my heart. Back in 2022, I had to go to like outpatient rehab for multiple eating disorders and it was like 7 weeks and I graduated and overnight everything's gone, right? And the next day I was just terrified even though I'd been in the real world the whole time. And I told myself, "Listen to Deloney.

He's going to help you get through this. You're going to be okay." And turn him on. And it was you that day, S. And it was really helpful. Although I had just been sitting with these like-minded people, um there's a lot of things you're not allowed to say cuz you don't want to trigger anybody. And it just felt like everything you guys said, I finally felt seen and not alone. So, thanks for that in a really dark time. So, thank you. I appreciate that. It's cool to see you where where you're at now.

This is going to be great. Yep. So, right on so much to me. So, thank you. thank you. thank you. Take care, guys. Appreciate it. Appreciate it. Appreciate it. Bye. Thank you. Bye. Bye. Bye. That's a cool story. You know what's funny? Okay, this is just a trend. It's just just what I noticed, and I guarantee you guys have seen the same. Of all the trainers that have worked under you or that you've worked with, the most shredded, fitlooking, Instagram ready-l lookinging people typically are not the greatest trainers.

Is that not a this typically out of the three of us, I've probably managed the most uh trainers by far and I have never had my My most ripped zero% ripped zero% ripped zero% my most ripped buff trainer was never that I always had one cuz there's there is a superficial client sure sure sure that that's what they'll and it's a very small percentage it's about 3% of the clients that will come in and buy person give me the most jacked guy or the I got them them them right I got them you know what I'm saying so I I have I have that guy for those people those people those people but that was never a good trainer it was never my top trainer my top trainer A lot of times were healthy and fit, but they weren't but they look more like a typical like they looked healthy stage ready.

Yeah. Because a majority of people and since I've filtered a lot of the clients before they got trainers, so I got to meet all of them. Um so thousands of people. Uh most people were very scared to have a really really fit trainer and and they preferred somebody that just looked healthy. just just looked healthier than they were because they felt very insecure and they they felt like they could not connect to that person that person that person cuz most people that go to the gym, they just they're not looking to look amazing.

They think that they might say, "Oh, wow. That's pretty cool." Uh no different than you or one of us look at uh Michael Jordan when he plays basketball. But none of us go like every day go home and go like, "We're going to be like Michael Jordan." It's just like you accept I'll probably never be that good. And a lot of people think that way when they see super ribbed trainers, like I'll never be that way, but I need to be healthier. I had a memory unlock while you were talking because you were saying how you weren't the most fit, whatever, as a trainer.

I mean, I started 18. I was working out. Uh, and I guess for compared to the typical 18-year-old, I might look like a workout, but I'll never forget this. This was like month two. U already the top trainer in the gym in terms of sales. And there was a bodybuilder on staff. And this guy, I always looked at him like, "Oh, because I love bodybuilding." like this guy's so jacked. And he came up to me, I'll never forget this. He came up to me and he goes, goes, goes, "You don't even look like you work out." And I remember being like, "Wow, dude." And then part of me was like, "All right, I'll show you." You know, type of deal.

But I think, you know, and I just forgot about that memory. It was totally a lot cuz I don't I wasn't the jack this most. I was an 18-year-old kid. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh but it was, you know, I think, you know, you I I liked working with people. I like training people. I was super hungry and passionate. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I was the permabolt guy. I got that comment a couple times. I used to make permabul. You know the permabul dude? Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I'm pretty sure I was I'm trying to remember my exact team that I was with, but I was I'm pretty sure I was the least fit. Uh and fit as far as muscular cuz I was just a skinny kid is what I was. But and I was definitely the least experienced and knew I knew the least for sure. But I knew a few things. You were just ravishly handsome. That's the only thing. No, I wasn't even that, bro. I had push I had uh my bottom braces without the wire still stuck on my teeth.

[ __ ] yeah dog [ __ ] up. Yeah, bro. I was not that guy Yeah, bro. I was not that guy at all. And but you know I was I liked people. I was passionate about helping others. I knew a few things and I was excited about those few things. Those few things were were revolutionary to me. me. me. Passion and thank God I had a personality personality personality and and and that was it. You know what I'm saying? People feel that energy. Yep. Yep. Yep. Our next caller is Faith from Utah.

Hi, Faith. How you doing, Faith? Hey, doing well. How about you guys? Good. How can I help you? Hey. Um, yeah. So, um, just before I read my question, just want to say thanks for all the, um, episodes you guys put out and all of the great like advice. Uh, I am new to Mind Pump. Probably about a month that I've been listening to it. My the trainer at my chiropractor suggested you guys. So, All right. All right. All right. Um, yeah, Jess at Foundation Chiropractic in Orm, Utah.

So, diversity is great. is great. is great. That's awesome. That's awesome. That's awesome. Um, also, yeah, I just want to say thanks for the episode you did on like best sports for kids. I put my three-year-old into gymnastics and he loves it. I would have never in a million years even had the idea to do that. So, that. So, that. So, Oh, cool. That's great. That's cool. That's great. How can I help you? Okay, so, uh, yeah, I'll just get started. I'll read my question. I've updated it a little bit, so I don't know if you guys are looking at the one I sent in.

It's I just updated the numbers. Um, but so every episode I've listened to by Mind Pump about fat loss or body recmp has mentioned how important it is to not lose any muscle in the process. I think I might be an exception to this guidance but wanted to ask the experts. Uh I am a 188 lb 57 male uh female 5 foot 7 in female at 25% body fat with 141 lbs of lean body mass and 47 lb of body fat. Also just for context about 6 months postpartum but not currently nursing.

Uh I have been weightlifting for about 2 years. I would love to do a bikini competition eventually. And from my brief, very brief Googling, I think that bikini competitors at my height, uh, usually their stage weight is about between 125 and 135 lbs. Uh, since my lean body mass is already above the stage weight, and I need to have at least some body fat. I think I need to lose about 30 lbs of muscle and around 30 lb of fat. Uh, just wanted to confirm with you guys since I rarely hear you talking about losing muscle as a goal.

Um, and then just a little bit more context, I was on a cut for 7 weeks and then I did a body fat u scan test and I got really scared when I saw that nine of the 14 lbs that I lost was muscle. So, decided to eat at maintenance for a week to hopefully give my metabolism a break before going back on the cut. Um, I also started taking creatine during my maintenance week and then the cut that I was doing before and now I'm back on my cut.

It's a 600 calorie deficit and it's pretty I think it's pretty manageable. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've actually, you know, been hungry in those 7 weeks. So, basically my questions are, do you agree that I need to lose about 30 lbs of muscle to be competitive on stage? And if so, is you know, is there a like a best way to go about it? Should I prioritize muscle loss first so that in my last cut leading up to competing I can just focus on fat loss?

Um, yeah. I'd love I'd love to get your advice on it. I would I would hate to see you do that, by the way. Yeah. So, let's let's back up for a second. Let's back up for a second. How are you testing your body fat? Is it on a scale? You just stand on it with your feet or feet or feet or Yeah, with the uh the things you hold out on your side, the I don't know what they're called. they're called. they're called. Get get a DEXA scan just to get a more accurate reading.

Uh, first of all, uh, number two, uh, if you were to lose 20 to 30 pounds of muscle, do you know what that is? That's illness. That's illness. That's illness. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's illness, honey. Like, like if you if you targeted that doing that, what you would do to your health would be catastrophic, catastrophic, catastrophic, detrimental. detrimental. detrimental. That's catastrophic muscle loss. That's like if you're bedridden because you're super sick uh and you're and you literally can't move for a month or longer. That's what that would look like.

Okay. So that's uh that's catastrophic in terms of your health. So not a good idea. The real question I want to ask you is why do you want to do tell me why you want to do a bikini contest and tell me about your fitness background, athletic background, like what have you done in the past and then what's leading you to say I want to do a bikini contest. bikini contest. bikini contest. Sure. Um I was a runner um for I don't know probably about 10 years.

ran a few half marathons and then really I picked up running like as a form of weight management. Um but then I honestly I stopped kind of caring a lot about my weight. So I was like well I don't care about my weight why am I running? Um so I stopped running and then kind of switched over to weightlifting. Um so yeah been doing weightlifting for two years but before the two years yeah just kind of been running okay okay okay for most of my life and then you know in high school did lots of random sports.

So, and then as far as why I wanted to be a bikini competitor, um yeah, I guess when I was like six, yeah, at 6 months I was 6 months pregnant and I was thinking this is like terrible. I would like to be be be um I just decided to set this goal so that like it would be I thought it would be fun to be like incredibly like challenge my body, right? Um like see how how lean I could get. And I am totally planning on not staying that lean.

This is more like a a bucket list kind of item, you know, check it off and then go back to like a healthy body fat percentage after that and just maintenance for the rest of my life. Okay. Bikini would be the worst thing that that you you you could do uh in that pursuit. Um so bikini is inc is massively massively massively uh body focused, body conscious, body obsessive. Um it it's not a healthy pursuit. Uh the only time that I'm okay with people doing it is when it's like their favorite sport in the world.

Uh and they also have a healthy um you know body image uh and healthy relationship to food and all that stuff. Uh typically if someone's like hey I just want to use it as a goal then I would say get rid of competing and just have the goal of improving your overall fitness. Um according to your body fat percentage scale you carry a good amount of lean body mass. That's phenomenal. Like you want that. How many calories? Keep that. That's amazing. Do you know how many calories you're eating on a daily basis in my cut?

Yeah, I'm at 1,800. I think my maintenance is about 2400. Okay. I I I would like I would rather see you build into getting leaner than trying to cut into getting leaner. So, focus on getting stronger. Focus on your strength training. Um keep your calories probably around 24 2500 and just let your body composition. You're only 6 months postpartum. Uh how many kids you have? Is this uh number one? two kids. So, you know that it takes a while to really fully feel like yourself uh after having a kid.

So, right now, I wouldn't even focus hardcore on any goal. I would just keep doing what you're doing and let your body composition start to change. But you've got some great lean body mass on. I'm assuming you're pretty strong. Uh well, listening to some of the people that call into you, I don't think I'm that strong. So, tell me about your tell me about like your squat, your deadlift, your presses. Well, yeah, the they all need work. So, uh, I'm not a very good squatter. I just started doing barbell squats because of, you know, since listening to you guys.

So, like, and really the only time I've squatted barbell squats is when I'm in a cut. So, like 60 lbs. Okay. Okay. Okay. Squatting. Squatting. Squatting. Yeah. Oh, yeah. You you're you'll be way better served for us to really uh So, in the weightlifting world, then you're still kind of in your infancy. And so there's so much more potential for your body body body to focus on building and sculpting that way versus trying to cut and carve down. You'll get way more out of that. And you where you're at lean body mass, I'll tell you one of the reasons why you're even though I think S's right with the Dexican get something that's more accurate.

But why you saw the the muscle loss like that is the amount of lean body mass that you have on your body. Your body needs more calories to sustain that muscle. and putting yourself at an 1,800 calories and then also doing all this activity, your body's like, "Oh, we can't have all this muscle." So, it paired it down. It needs more than that. Someone with as much lean body mass as you, we would probably be up in 3,000 calorie range. And so, in order for you to get there without putting on a bunch of body fat, we need to get strong in the gym and start really pushing the weights.

So getting strong in your squat, getting strong in your deadlift, getting strong in your rows, getting strong in your overhead press. That should be the main focus while being fed, while feeding yourself a good amount of calories. And I really don't care about the scale weight right now. It would be get strong and build your metabolism and build muscle that will get put you in a place. So, if I was coaching you and this was our goal, even if if I could convince you to not get on stage, but I said, "Hey, I'll build that bikini body you're you're you're going after, but let's do this the right way." And what that would look like is you and I not really worrying about where your weight on the scale is right now.

Let's go build your metabolism. Let's go get you to where you're eating 3,3200 calories. You're squatting 150 to 180 lbs. You're deadlifting 150 180. Like then when and you're sustaining that your your weight is staying the same. You're eating 3,200 calories. You're strong as [ __ ] in the gym. Now I go, "Okay, now we can start to bring you down, Faith. Now I'm going to bring you down to 2,800 calories." And then watch what happens. You just lean out. And when you keep your muscle, you just drop body fat from that place.

And we do that nice and slow. That's how you get ready for that. Build that look that you're that a bikini competitor would have. Going from where you're at now leads you to a road of 1,800 calories. You might lose a couple pounds. Body plateaus. Then what do you do? Pick up more activity and drop calories to 1500 calories. Then you lose a couple more pound. And then you plateau. And then it's like eventually you and I are eating,00 calories and you're still And you're working out like crazy.

Yeah. Yeah. And you're and you're terrible. Yeah. It's it's terrible. That but that's the only where we're coming from right now. That's the only pathway to get down to that kind of weight. And just to encourage you, doing this the right way, the look that you're looking for, you're going to get. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You're going to look sculpted. You'll have good shape because you have good muscle on your body. You're going to you're going to be you're going to look phenomenal. The scale is your enemy.

So, anytime I work with a woman who has really good muscle building genetics, the scale can mess with them because they look a particular way, but the scale says something else. Uh, and so, uh, because lean body mass looks different than body fat. It looks sculpted. It looks firm. You look like you've got nice curve and great shape. And the scale can look like, oh, well, this looks like, in fact, people would guess you're a lot lighter than what the scale says is probably what's going to happen.

But you've got this roaring metabolism. You're strong. You're sculpted. You know, everything feels really good. And so, that's the direction you want to go. I if your if your numbers are correct also, I'll tell you uh and not that I think you should compare yourself to anybody, but uh you're you're built more like a figure competitor than you are a bikini competitor. Also, competitor. Also, competitor. Also, I want Yeah, I was curious about that. Yeah. Oh, yeah. No, I I know by your numbers. Yeah. Yeah.

No, you're you're tall and you have a lot of muscle. You're you're I my my ex was is carried herself at 57 to She was 5'7. Walked around at 175 180 in the offse. When she hit stage, she was like 160, 170. And for figure. Yeah. For figure. Yeah. Cuz she had a lot of lean body mass. So, so she had a And she was tall and had a lot of lean body mass. So, you're built more like she was than my bikini. Yeah. It's an awesome gift.

This is a great blessing. Are you open to working with a coach to hiring a coach? Oh, yeah. That was Yeah, that was a plan. I knew I was going to have to hire a coach sometime, right, to get to meet my goals. my goals. my goals. Let me do this because we have really good coaches. They've got great like they're they're me they're going to keep you healthy, make sure you do the right things. So, I'm going to have somebody reach out to you and then you can work with them through this process and you're probably going to start in a reverse diet.

reverse diet. reverse diet. That's what they'll do. What I told you first. Your first goal is to do set the I I tell competitors all the time, trained a ton of competitors, the the you're you the se when you win the figure, it's in the offseason. It's in the building the metabolism, building the muscle, building the body. When you cut for the show, that's just revealing all the hard work you did in the off season. It's not like cut from here and then go get up on stage.

Like, no, it's what you the work you put into building muscle, building your metabolism. That's what will determine how how successful you are at this. So, and they'll do all that with you. Okay, perfect. And then I was I've been waiting to buy one of your programs until I talk to you. So, maybe is it maps anabolic? Is that where you guys They'll set you up on all that. So, if you work with a coach, they'll give that to you and they'll give you our programs and we'll individualize it.

It's like you can't get better than that. So, okay, sweet. Well, thanks guys. You got it, Faith. Thanks for calling in. in. in. All right, take it easy. Yeah. I mean, imagine uh like she's like, "Oh, I got to lose 20 pounds of muscle to get on stage." Oh my god. Oh, no. Don't do that. Glad she called in. For sure. You got to make yourself sick to lose that much muscle, you know? Uh essentially. Um but it would be a terrible approach. terrible approach. terrible approach.

Yeah. You don't want to do that. No, no, no, no, no. Yeah. No, not at all. But which is great that we got to hold her right now. right now. right now. If she has that, if her numbers are even close to correct, uh that she has a lot of lean body mass and if she's only doing things like 60 lb squat, she has so much potential. Strength potentials to Oh, yeah. She's got a lot that new gains like total days. Yeah. Yeah. No, so that's the focus.

All right. I know you like that episode. If you did, check this one out. Walking. It's one of the best things you could do for your health, bar none. But there's a better way to approach it. Yes, you can just walk, but if you follow the right protocol, it's far more effective. Let's talk about talk about talk about walking. I can't wait to hear your walking protocol. walking protocol. walking protocol. Well, there is a Well, there is a protocol. So, and I'll start with the first thing, right?

Cuz just first off, uh let me start with this. One of the reasons why walking um is such a great form of just activity is because it's low risk of injury. Now some