Q&A: How do you know when you've reached your natural potential

Explicit content warning

05/04/20 • 64 min

Gear up for another episode of Q&A in which Ben and Ashleigh respond to a host of questions asked in their Facebook community. Before diving into the questions, they remind listeners about the importance of getting enough sunlight and spending time outdoors and explain why challenging times like these can be mined for invaluable life lessons on which to build a more secure future. Ben explains why stability is the foundational prerequisite for building muscle and strength, why having the correct form is non-negotiable in exercise, and even if you think you’ve reached your muscle-building capacity, you’ve likely only reached about 20%. As far as the business side goes, Ben gives an update on the postponed muscle camps, he gets listeners excited about the new Muscle Intelligence blog page and the content that will be posted there, and outlines what he aims to do with the exclusive mentorship programs he’s working on.

Returning to the science, your hosts answer questions related to regulating and tracking blood glucose levels, approaching core exercise after a C-section, the possible benefits of CBD, the value of the cyclical ketogenic diet, and the best exercises for improving aerobic health and HRV. Do not forget to visit our great show sponsors, BLUblox, for the best in blue-blocking eyewear. Get 15% off my favorite blue light-blocking and eye-strain reducing glasses from BLUBlox at https://blublox.com/muscleintelligence using the code MUSCLE.

Timestamps

Hear how spending time outdoors and getting exercise energize you for the day. [1:21]
Recognizing the reality that we either move toward pleasure or away from pain. [2:15]
Learning from difficult situations and why the current disillusionment can be good. [4:03]
The foundational prerequisite to building muscle and strength at any age. [8:05]
Why the correct form is so important in exercising effectively and injury-free. [11:50]
Learn about the at-home workouts and nutrition plan Ben has available. [16:24]
Why it is unlikely to reach your natural potential as far as muscle building goes. [17:52]
The value of improving your heart rate variability in building muscle naturally. [21:24]
Understanding that exercise is futile without the required internal response. [22:09]
Thoughts on box breathing and using your diaphragm while walking. [23:41]
An update on Ben’s muscle camps and how his mentorships are structured. [26:42]
Learn about the new Muscle Intelligence blog page and the content we put up. [32:21]
Advice for working your core muscles after C-sections and/or myomectomy. [34:38]
Guidelines for where blood glucose levels should be and how to decrease it. [39:21]
Ben’s thoughts on CBD: purification processes, quality, benefits, and more. [43:08]
The value of a cyclical ketogenic diet and the role of genetics, activity, and stress. [47:07]
Should you have carbs before or after workouts while on the keto diet? [51:23]
Why lowering body fat and building muscle should be synonymous. [55:00]
The best exercises to improve aerobic health and HRV. [58:51]

Timestamps

Hear how spending time outdoors and getting exercise energize you for the day. [1:21]
Recognizing the reality that we either move toward pleasure or away from pain. [2:15]
Learning from difficult situations and why the current disillusionment can be good. [4:03]
The foundational prerequisite to building muscle and strength at any age. [8:05]
Why the correct form is so important in exercising effectively and injury-free. [11:50]
Learn about the at-home workouts and nutrition plan Ben has available. [16:24]
Why it is unlikely to reach your natural potential as far as muscle building goes. [17:52]
The value of improving your heart rate variability in building muscle naturally. [21:24]
Understanding that exercise is futile without the required internal response. [22:09]
Thoughts on box breathing and using your diaphragm while walking. [23:41]
An update on Ben’s muscle camps and how his mentorships are structured. [26:42]
Learn about the new Muscle Intelligence blog page and the content we put up. [32:21]
Advice for working your core muscles after C-sections and/or myomectomy. [34:38]
Guidelines for where blood glucose levels should be and how to decrease it. [39:21]
Ben’s thoughts on CBD: purification processes, quality, benefits, and more. [43:08]
The value of a cyclical ketogenic diet and the role of genetics, activity, and stress. [47:07]
Should you have carbs before or after workouts while on the keto diet? [51:23]
Why lowering body fat and building muscle should be synonymous. [55:00]
The best exercises to improve aerobic health and HRV. [58:51]

Previous Episode

Why food quality is important, and a deep dive on my favorite fat source with TJ Robinson

In Ben’s opinion, olive oil is without a doubt the most important oil that we have in our diet. With that being said, today’s guest is TJ Robinson, the man behind the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil that gets so much love on the show. After all the hunting TJ does around the world, it was his turn to be hunted by Ben, and the resulting conversation the two have on today’s show is worth its weight in gold. TJ had an olive oil epiphany after tasting true fresh-pressed olive oil while on a trip to Sicily during his days as a chef and never looked back. Since then, he has been traveling the world to work with the best producers out there.

Ben and TJ do some live testing of different varieties today, and TJ covers the fascinating and intricate ways high-quality olive oil gets produced and assessed, its many complex flavor profiles, and huge health benefits. We hear about the different varieties and TJ’s artisanal process compared to the regular and scam-ridden industrial-scale operations. TJ takes care not to mix strains, makes sure to bottle correctly, and strives to get the product to his club members' pantries as quickly as possible. Ben also expresses his love for this food type and speaks about how its antioxidants and polyphenols work wonders for inflammation and wrapping cells’ phospholipid bilayer with the right oil type.

Thanks to my 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, while supplies last, check out getfresh35.com!

Timestamps

The centrality of good habits in achieving your goals. [0:17]
Enjoying real food like olive oil by cutting hyper-palatable food out, and today’s guest. [2:29]
The many benefits of olive oil and why Ben is totally obsessed with it. [5:28]
Keeping the phospholipid bilayer of your cells composed of olive oil fats. [10:02]
The story of TJ’s epiphany tasting fresh olive oil for the first time in Sicily. [12:01]
Good versus bad olive oil and the mafia that controls America’s bad olive oil supply. [16:17]
Timeframes from pressing day to when TJ’s oil reaches customers. [17:46]
Health benefits of low yield artisanal methods that keep varieties separate. [20:25]
Working with Flos Olei winners and what goes into its competitive judging process. [22:50]
A live tasting with Ben and the different markers of an olive oil’s smell and taste. [25:59]
Moving from smelling to tasting the sample of olive oil and the polyphenol cough test. [30:13]
Olive oil as a healthy fat, decreasing inflammation, and what foods to pair varieties with.[33:33]
Whether you can spot a good olive oil in a regular shop without having a press date. [39:23]
How to store olive oil, when to consume it by, and what deteriorates its quality. [43:36]
Colorants, diluting, and how the olive oil Mafia tampers with bad oil it supplies. [44:38]
The discovery of the inflammation curing oleocanthal, a natural ibuprofen, in olive oil. [46:41]
Membership details and the benefits of signing up for TJ’s club: a $1 bottle and more! [48:46]

Next Episode

Q&A: Want to lose fat? Try this before you cut calories

Welcome back to another Q&A, where Ashleigh and Ben talk about how to optimize your mental and physical wellbeing, considering dieting, workout practices, habits, learning to love discomfort, and more! We begin with a reminder about Ben’s six pillars, and how his workouts are becoming more intellectually focused, a time he takes to be hyper-aware about mobility, stability, skill, and strength. This leads Ben and Ash to hone in on the mental aspects of fitness, and they talk about how working out can be a springboard to creating healthier habits as well as how beneficial mentally arduous training can be for your sense of pride and accomplishment.

From there they switch to topics of building muscle on a vegetarian diet, managing stress by controlling carbon dioxide, how to be a great leader by learning to listen, and expanding horizons wherever possible. Next up, Ben weighs in on the question of whether a diet or workout plan should be top of mind if you're aiming to lose fat. We hear the typical process he would take a student through, starting with workouts, and then tweaking calorie intake based on heart rate variability. We look at what habits affect HRV too, and also talk about its connection to sympathetic arousal, considering the fine line between healthy and unhealthy amounts.

We end things off hearing about Ben’s love for all his show sponsors, and he shouts out today’s awesome one – Eating well, and conveniently, is more important now than ever, so we're excited to have a new sponsor: High-quality seafood delivered straight to your door From Billing's Seafood Guys. Choose from one of the pre-made boxes (5lbs each) or make your own, with options like salmon, cod, halibut, and a range of other seafood options, all sourced directly from Alaska. Use the promo code ben when you visit wildalaskanseafoodbox.com/ben and you'll receive $20 off your first order, plus a free half pound bag of scallops in every box with your membership.

Timestamps

The origins of this podcast and how Ben went from bodybuilding to the six pillars. [0:18]
How Ben intellectualizes correct workouts using mobility, stability, skill, and strength. [2:28]
Keeping aware of the spine and things that move that shouldn’t during workouts. [6:11]
Ben’s two-week workout, workout mindfulness, and becoming consciously competent. [8:50]
Using exercise as a way of identifying habits, skills, and attributes you want to create. [14:50]
‘Working in’: mentally arduous workouts and the rush of pushing through what’s uncomfortable. [15:45]
Changing your cognitive association with discomfort from negative to positive. [20:58]
How to build muscle on a vegetarian/vegan diet taking MAP supplements. [22:33]
Controlling stress through breathing and Brian Mackenzie’s webinar. [27:17]
Listening and being honest from a place of love: good leadership practices. [28:16]
Applying the principle of expanding your horizons to the books you read. [31:39]
The importance of curating your thoughts if you want to become a better person. [33:26]
Using technology versus a natural process to achieve a desired state. [35:33]
How blood flow restriction bands work and how to use them. [37:33]
Losing fat by upping workouts before cutting calories/changing diet. [39:51]
Using heart rate variability to start pulling calories down once workouts are set. [43:22]
The line between healthy and unhealthy states of sympathetic arousal. [44:10]
Big issues that could drive HRV down: sleep, breathing, stress, food, training. [45:22]
Oura Ring use and getting the best seafood box deliveries from Billings. [46:36]
Being calmed by Deadliest Catch and visiting untouched places. [49:38]
Thoughts on training heavily in the morning and volume in the evening on the same muscle group. [52:07]