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

Latest Episodes:

Learning about stem cells and related therapies with Dr. Harry Adelson Jan 29, 2020

Show notes

Today on the Muscle Intelligence Podcast we are joined by Dr. Harry Adelson from Docere Clinics in Salt Lake City. Dr. Adelson educates listeners on stem cells, from their function in the body to the procedures that leverage their healing capabilities. He explains the process of isolating stem cells and injecting them for optimization, emphasizing the role of the "superhuman" mesenchymal stem cells and the communicative function of exosomes. We take a deep dive into the full body stem cell makeover, with Dr. Adelson explaining who the procedure is designed for, the sedation options, what pain or discomfort patients can expect afterward, when they should start seeing results, and the costs involved. Tuning in to this episode, you will also learn more about keeping your stem cells healthy, the lifespan of stem cells in the body, the role of Wharton's jelly, and the difference between bone marrow and fat in terms of stem cell concentration.

Thanks again to our favorite olive oil company Fresh-Pressed for sponsoring the show. If you want to try a full-sized bottle of my favorite high quality, super fresh extra virgin olive oil for just $1, check out getfresh35.com!

Timestamps

The inception of the idea of isolating stem cells and injecting them for optimization. [4:05]
How stem cells are isolated and the superhuman abilities of mesenchymal stem cells. [8:04]
The function of stem cells and how it is leveraged in stem cell therapy. [10:29]
Fat and bone marrow stem cells and why exosomes are crucial in cellular communication. [14:32]
Patient experience and sedation during the process of extracting bone marrow. [20:42]
The process of a full body stem cell makeover and who this procedure is targeted at. [23:02]
Thoughts on epidural and intrathecal injections and their connection to the brain. [28:21]
What patients can expect following a "four hands" full body stem cell makeover. [30:29]
Lifestyle choices for improving the general health of your stem cells. [32:36]
Post-treatment feedback and when people can expect to see results. [36:12]
The lifespan of stem cells in the body and the role of Wharton's jelly. [40:10]
The difference between bone marrow and fat in terms of stem cell concentration. [42:44]
What the future of stem cell medicine might look like in the field of tissue engineering. [45:47]
A guideline of what patients can expect to pay for these procedures. [49:30]

Q&A: Ben Answers Questions from Social About Inflammation, Turning Challenges into Opportunities, and Discipline vs. Willpower Jan 27, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back to another Q&A session with Ben and Ash! Today they are tackling the topics of social conditioning, negative anchors, the opportunities provided by large hurdles, teenage inflammation and circadian rhythms, and the benefits of journaling! We start off the episode reflecting on Ben's recent trip to LA and the great new things that his time there has led to. From there, Ben takes some time to unpack the ideas of the book, Brain Wash by Dr. Perlmutter, a read that he highly recommends. The conversation then turns to negative associations and anchors and Ben shares a personal story around his difficulties with speaking growing up and how this related to nervousness around his father. We then get into a strong argument for disciplined and structured life for children and teenagers in order to achieve good nutrition and sleep in a potentially tricky period, before Ben explains our susceptibility to cookies and social media!

Remember to check out our great show sponsors, BUBS, at https://www.bubsnaturals.com/ and use the code 'intelligence' for an amazing discount on the best MCT and collagen on the market!

Timestamps

Ben's recent trip to LA and some exciting things on the horizon. [3:47]
Dr. Perlmutter's new book Brain Wash and the conditioning that we all face. [7:31]
Negative responses and getting away from these negative anchors in our evolution. [11:25]
Ben's early difficulties with speech and how this relates to his father. [15:19]
The biggest obstacles provide the biggest opportunities for success! [21:26]
Working around the teenage schedule and their particular circadian rhythms. [25:48]
Benefits of journaling for reflecting, learning, progress and clarity. [31:27]
The manipulations of social media and materialism and training the brain. [34:48]

How to Have a High-Performing Heart with Dr. Stephen Hussey Jan 22, 2020

Show notes

Our guest on the Muscle Intelligence Podcast today is Dr. Stephen Hussey and he is here to tell you everything you need to know about heart health! He gives great insight into the topic and shares a bunch of helpful information, action items, mistakes, misnomers and common things that we need to do to optimize heart health. We discuss cholesterol and just how misunderstood it has been, the carnivore diet, plant toxins and the dangers of charred animal products. Dr. Hussey underlines the harmful effects of sugar and how some of these have been traditionally attributed to saturated fats. We finish off our chat with Dr. Hussey talking about the 'three imbalances' and how we can set ourselves up for the best life by addressing these.

Remember to go check out the best blue light blocking glasses on the market at blublox.com/muscleintelligence. Use the code 'muscle' at checkout for a wonderful 15% discount!

Timestamps

Current approaches to heart disease and the three categories that are recognized. [4:49]
Understanding the role of structured water in our arteries and exclusion zones. [6:14]
Correlations between dental health and heart health; heavy metals and endotoxemia. [13:36]
A clarification on the role of cholesterol and how it has been misunderstood. [16:56]
Small practices can impact heart health over the long term. [18:32]
The negative effect of eating vegetables on our heart and its functions. [21:54]
Impacts of overcooking animal products and the damaging effects of charred meat. [27:18]
Best dietary practices for optimum heart health and long life! [28:56]
The benefits of CoQ10 and cholesterol on our general health and diabetes resistance. [35:07]
Misconceptions about the effects of saturated fats and how sugar is actually to blame. [38:36]
Dr. Hussey's 'three imbalances' and addressing all of our evolutionary needs. [43:00]

Studying fat loss in women at Dr. Bill Campbells physique enhancement lab Jan 20, 2020

Show notes

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

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

Timestamps

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

Studying fat loss in women at Dr. Bill Campbells physique enhancement lab Jan 20, 2020

Show notes

Timestamps

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

Talking Training, Nutrition, and Hard Work with Bodybuilding Legend Milos Sarcev Jan 15, 2020

Show notes

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

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

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

Timestamps

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

Q&A - Why you have to plan for joy Jan 13, 2020

Show notes

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

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

Timestamps

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

The mechanisms of muscle building with exercise science professor Jeremy Loenneke Jan 08, 2020

Show notes

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

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

Timestamps

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

Q&A: Ben and fitness coach Chris Spearman talk about the business of fitness Jan 06, 2020

Show notes

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

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

Timestamps

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

The role of your brain in optimal posture and body mechanics: a discussion with Posturepro founder Annette Verpillot Jan 01, 2020

Show notes

Today on the podcast we feature an exceptional woman, Annette Verpillot. Annette is the founder of Posturepro, a health company specializing in neuromechanics and Postural Recalibration. She is a Canadian entrepreneur, therapist, public speaker, and internationally esteemed Posturologist. On today's show, we discuss Annette's methodology in optimizing brain, body connection. She's developed some of the world's most advanced rehabilitation and injury prevention techniques where she helps people optimize performance, optimize their mind and optimize the development of the children. We also get into how your feet, your jaw, and your breathing are implicated in everything as far as your brain develops and performs, and the way you think. Annette is a wealth of knowledge and she's here to share some of that knowledge with us today! We're excited to have her back so, be sure to stay tuned for more insights into optimal posture and body mechanics!

Don't forget to check out our great sponsors, BLUblox for amazing blue light blocking eyewear and receive a 15% discount off your purchase when you use the code 'muscle' at checkout or go directly to blublox.com/muscleintelligence!

Timestamps

Understanding the Posturepro method and how it relates to posturology. [6:10]
Things that affect your ideal posture and postural stability. [08:50]
The future of prevention in sports. [10:20]
Movement in children and how it activates the brain. [11:11]
The first 6 years of life an important time in developing brain stimulus. [13:17]
Identifying imbalances in the brain and how it affects your posture. [15:40]
Posture as a visual representation of the map of the brain and whether change is possible. [18:39]
Postural abnormality as a sympathetic stress and how to calm it down. [21:25]
Steps to follow to ensure the full development of a child's brain. [24:28]
Development of the jaw and how it affects the connection of our brain and body. [28:32]
Creating a change to help stimulate good habits that can help the development of the jaw. [32:00]
The connection between eyesight and posture. [37:39]
Big sensory connection between our feet and brain and how our footwear is affecting our gait and our posture. [41:16]
Rewiring the brain by changing the input going to the brain. [43:30]
The benefits of barefoot for foot abnormalities and shoes to help develop the foot. [44:16]
Postural abnormalities and how they contribute to emotional instabilities. [46:03]
Annette recommends some ways for parents to help with brain development. [51:05]
Why you should ensure your posture is properly aligned. [53:05]
The three pillars: sensory information - visual stimulation, vestibular stimulations, and proprioception. [55:10]
The accreditation process for becoming a Posturepro practitioner. [56:50]
Addressing the cause rather than managing the symptoms, what it entails. [58:37]
What age groups Annette works with why starting with children is so important. [59:56]