2548: The 5 BEST Sources of Protein for Bodybuilding & More (Listener Coaching)

Summary

Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth
Episode 2548: The 5 BEST Sources of Protein for Bodybuilding & More (Listener Coaching)
Release Date: March 7, 2025
Hosts: Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer, Justin Andrews, Doug Egge

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Introduction

In Episode 2548 of Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth, hosts Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer, Justin Andrews, and Doug Egge delve into the top five protein sources essential for bodybuilding. The episode primarily focuses on listener coaching, addressing questions from their audience about optimal protein intake, dietary strategies, and broader fitness concerns.

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1. Beef: The Superior Protein Source

Sal Di Stefano kicks off the discussion by declaring beef as the top whole food protein source for muscle building.

• Protein Quality & Nutrient Density:
  Beef boasts an excellent amino acid profile, high bioavailability, and is rich in crucial nutrients like zinc and B vitamins. According to Sal, "Beef is number one on the list because the protein is excellent quality. It's not the best, it's not superior, but it's pretty darn close." ([03:03])

• Digestibility & Allergies:
  While beef is highly nutritious, some individuals experience digestive issues. A listener shared, "I've had clients that red meat doesn't agree with them," prompting a debate among the hosts about beef's general tolerability versus chicken.

• Comparison with Chicken:
  Although beef has superior nutrient density, Adam Schafer and another listener argue that chicken is more universally digestible. Sal counters by emphasizing beef's higher creatine content and overall nutrient profile, which are pivotal for strength and muscle gains.

• Notable Quote:
  Sal Di Stefano: "Beef has the highest amount, the most creatine, and they're both easily digestible." ([05:34])

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2. Eggs: The Nutrient-Dense Powerhouse

Sal highlights eggs as a second excellent protein source, lauding their nutrient density.

• Amino Acid Profile:
  Eggs contain a perfect amino acid profile, making them highly effective in stimulating muscle protein synthesis. Sal mentions, "If I had to label one food as a bodybuilding food, it would be an egg." ([12:05])

• Choline and B Vitamins:
  Beyond protein, eggs are rich in choline, essential for brain health, and various B vitamins that support overall metabolism.

• Digestibility:
  While eggs are generally well-tolerated, some individuals may experience issues, particularly with egg whites.

• Notable Quote:
  Sal Di Stefano: "Whole eggs have a much higher muscle protein synthesis signal." ([12:07])

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3. Fish: Omega-3 Rich and Beneficial

The discussion shifts to fish, with a particular emphasis on its omega-3 fatty acids.

• Omega-3 Benefits:
  Fish, especially sardines and salmon, are lauded for their high omega-3 content, which not only supports muscle growth but also offers cognitive benefits.

• Preference for Sardines Over Salmon:
  Sal argues that sardines surpass salmon in nutrient density and omega-3 content, stating, "Sardines contain higher amounts of EPA and have lower overall omega-3 content compared to salmon." ([16:14])

• Acceptance and Taste:
  Despite their benefits, sardines are less popular due to their strong flavor and appearance. However, the hosts acknowledge their significant nutritional advantages.

• Notable Quote:
  Sal Di Stefano: "Fish are high in omega-3s, and studies show that increasing omega-3 intake helps with muscle growth." ([14:44])

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4. Chicken: The Versatile Favorite

Chicken emerges as a versatile and affordable protein source, praised for its ease of preparation.

• Variety and Cost-Effectiveness:
  Chicken is easy to cook, store, and incorporate into various meals, making it a staple for many bodybuilders.

• Comparison of Breasts vs. Thighs:
  The hosts discuss the benefits of chicken thighs over breasts. While breasts are leaner, thighs offer better taste and moisture due to higher fat content. One listener shares, "Chicken thighs taste much better and remain juicy upon reheating." ([17:00])

• Notable Quote:
  Listener: "Chicken thighs are a good source of fat and taste way better than chicken breasts." ([17:00])

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5. Milk: The Versatile Protein Source

Milk rounds out the top five protein sources, recognized for its comprehensive amino acid profile.

• Whey and Casein:
  Milk contains both whey and casein proteins, offering immediate and sustained amino acid release, respectively. This combination is highly effective for muscle recovery and growth.

• Calcium and Versatility:
  Beyond protein, milk is a rich source of calcium and can be consumed in various forms like cottage cheese and yogurt, adding to its versatility.

• Digestibility Concerns:
  Lactose intolerance remains a barrier for some individuals, limiting milk's usability despite its benefits.

• Notable Quote:
  Sal Di Stefano: "Milk has one of the best amino acid profiles and is relatively inexpensive, making it an amazing source of high-quality protein." ([20:03])

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Biomechanics and Body Types in Strength Sports

The hosts transition to discussing how different body types influence performance in various strength sports.

• Bench Press Advantages:
  Short arms and a wide chest provide significant leverage, offering advantages in bench pressing. Sal describes a champion bench presser with "short arms and super wide body," likening him to a "short refrigerator." ([25:30])

• Squat and Deadlift Dynamics:
  Short femurs benefit squatting by allowing a more upright posture, while long arms enhance deadlifting efficiency. They discuss how biomechanics shape athletic prowess, illustrating with examples like Lamar Gantt's exceptional deadlifting despite his long arms. ([26:03])

• Notable Quote:
  Sal Di Stefano: "When you get to the top 1% of bench pressers, they have a body type that gives them a huge advantage." ([25:33])

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Parenting and Stress Management Through Physical Activity

The episode also touches on the role of physical activity in managing stress and regulating emotions, especially in children.

• Regulating Emotions:
  Engaging children in physical activities like running or playing helps them manage anger and frustration by shifting from the primal, reactive brain quadrant to the rational one.

• Neuroscience Insights:
  The hosts explain that physical exhaustion helps reset the brain, allowing for calmer and more rational conversations post-activity.

• Notable Quote:
  Listener: "If they're really stuck in a moment of anger, getting them to exhaust their energy through physical activity will help them normalize." ([49:31])

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Launch Maps Transform: A New 90-Day Program

Sal Di Stefano introduces their new program, Launch Maps Transform, a 90-day transformational journey designed to improve not just physical appearance but also strength, energy, mood, sleep, and overall outlook.

• Holistic Approach:
  Unlike programs focused solely on aesthetics, Maps Transform emphasizes comprehensive well-being, encouraging participants to track improvements across multiple life areas.

• Integration with Diet:
  The program integrates diet strategies like reverse dieting, mini bulks, and mini cuts, ensuring sustainable and balanced progress.

• Notable Quote:
  Sal Di Stefano: "If you just focus on the appearance, you'll miss the beauty of what's going on and develop a relationship with fitness that is not sustainable." ([55:09])

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Listener Questions and Coaching

Towards the end of the episode, the hosts address specific listener queries, providing expert advice tailored to individual needs.

Q1: Bulk or Cut for Significant Weight Loss?

Listener: Becca Miller asks whether to bulk or cut while trying to lose 50 pounds.

• Recommendation:
  Sal advises against immediate calorie cutting. Instead, focus on building strength and lean tissue first to set the foundation for sustainable fat loss. This approach prevents metabolic slowdown and ensures long-term success.

• Notable Quote:
  Sal Di Stefano: "If you have a lot of weight to lose, set yourself up well by building strength first rather than jumping straight into a cut." ([56:20])

Q2: Effective Warm-Ups for Older Adults

Listener: Action K Jackson inquires about efficient warm-up routines for older individuals to avoid doubling gym time.

• Recommendation:
  Sal and Adam emphasize the importance of individualized warm-ups based on personal mobility and limitations. They highlight their Maps Prime Webinar as a resource for tailored warm-up strategies, ensuring workouts are both effective and time-efficient.

• Notable Quote:
  Sal Di Stefano: "An individualized warm-up or priming session unlocks your movement potential and prepares your body optimally for the workout." ([61:34])

Q3: Training Clients with Scoliosis

Listener: Elissa Walker143 asks about effective exercises and potential replacements for clients with scoliosis.

• Recommendation:
  Sal recommends a balanced approach, incorporating both unilateral and bilateral exercises. While unilateral training addresses spinal imbalances, bilateral movements mimic real-world activities, promoting functional strength.

• Notable Quote:
  Sal Di Stefano: "I think 50% of your workouts should be unilateral, but I also think 50% should be bilateral because the real world uses bilaterally." ([63:11])

Q4: Squatting Alternatives for Those with Shoulder Arthritis

Listener: MGX 30423 seeks advice on effective squat alternatives due to shoulder arthritis.

• Recommendation:
  Sal and Justin affirm that alternatives like Zercher squats, front squats, or safety bar squats are effective. Additionally, addressing shoulder mobility and strengthening related muscle groups can eventually enable traditional back squats without discomfort.

• Notable Quote:
  Sal Di Stefano: "Through shoulder mobility work and strengthening, I've never had someone who couldn't eventually perform a bar squat without pain." ([65:05])

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Conclusion

Episode 2548 of Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth offers a comprehensive exploration of optimal protein sources for bodybuilding, enriched with expert insights, listener experiences, and practical coaching. The hosts emphasize the importance of nutrition quality, individualized training strategies, and holistic well-being, providing valuable guidance for both beginners and seasoned fitness enthusiasts.

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Notable Quotes:

• Sal Di Stefano: "Beef is number one on the list because the protein is excellent quality." ([03:03])
• Sal Di Stefano: "Whole eggs have a much higher muscle protein synthesis signal." ([12:07])
• Sal Di Stefano: "Fish are high in omega-3s, and studies show that increasing omega-3 intake helps with muscle growth." ([14:44])
• Listener: "Chicken thighs are a good source of fat and taste way better than chicken breasts." ([17:00])
• Sal Di Stefano: "Milk has one of the best amino acid profiles and is relatively inexpensive, making it an amazing source of high-quality protein." ([20:03])
• Sal Di Stefano: "If you have a lot of weight to lose, set yourself up well by building strength first rather than jumping straight into a cut." ([56:20])
• Sal Di Stefano: "An individualized warm-up or priming session unlocks your movement potential and prepares your body optimally for the workout." ([61:34])

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Additional Resources

• Launch Maps Transform Program: mapstransform.com (Use code TRANSFORM70 for $70 off and two free eBooks)
• Maps Prime Webinar: mapsprimewebinar.com
• Follow Mind Pump on Instagram: @mindpumpmedia, @mindpumpsal, @mindpumpadam, @mindpumpjustin, @mindpumpdoug

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This summary captures the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from Episode 2548, providing a comprehensive overview for those who haven't listened to the full episode.

Transcript

[Sal DiStefano]

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[Adam Schafer]

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[Sal DiStefano]

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[Justin Andrews]

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[Doug]

If you want to pump your body and expand your mind, there's only one place to go. Mind Pump Mind Pump with your hosts Sal Destefano, Adam Schafer and Justin Andrews.

[Sal DiStefano]

You just found the most downloaded fitness, health and entertainment podcast. This is Mind Pump. Today's episode we answered listeners questions. They wrote in, we got to pick some questions and we had a lot of fun helping people out. But that was after the intro. Today's intro was 53 minutes long. In the intro we talk about fitness and nutrition and science, talk about parenthood. It's a good time. By the way, if you want to write in a question that we can answer, go to Instagram indpump Media now. This episode is brought to you by some sponsors. The first one is Vuori. They make the best athleisure wear anywhere. And by the way, we have one of the biggest discounts you'll find anywhere on the Internet. Go to vuoriclothing.com that's view all Vault V U O R I clothing.com mindpump that link will get you 20% off. Also, this episode is brought to you by Seed. This is the world's best probiotic, hands down. Get yourself 25% off. Go to seed.com mind pump use the code 25 mind pump. That'll give you that discount. Also, three days left for the brand new program Launch Maps Transform. This is a 90 day transformational program. Go from before to after. Get $70 off and get two free ebooks, Adam's 90 Day Body Recomp Journal and Maps Transformation Diet Guide. If you're interested in transforming your body in 90 days go to mapstransform.com use the code transform70. That'll give you $70 off and the two ebooks. All right, here comes the show. You want to build muscle, you want maximum strength. What are the best strength sources of whole food proteins? Are they equal or are some better than others? Well, I'm here to tell you there are some that are better than others. There are some that are superior for building muscle. I will start with the first one. The best muscle building whole food source of protein. Beef. Where's the beef? Beef is number one. Okay.

[Listener]

Did you red meat, did you prioritize these or are they just.

[Sal DiStefano]

I did.

[Listener]

Okay, they are.

[Sal DiStefano]

So let's back up for a second. Okay, here's the criteria for what makes a protein a whole food protein source, really good for bodybuilding purposes. Protein quality, obviously, right? Is it a. Does it have a good amino acid profile? Is it good for stimulating muscle protein synthesis? Does it have good bioavailability? Animal sources, for example, are superior when it comes to protein quality on a gram for gram basis in comparison to plant sources. By the way, the data very clear on this. This is just a, an opinion, very, very clear. So it's no mistake that all the sources that we're list here are animal sources because we're talking about the top five, right? So protein quality, nutrient density, does it come along and paired with other beneficial nutrients for health and for muscle building. And then lastly digestibility. This one's a big one because some protein sources are amazing, but they also tend to be the ones that have a high rate of issues with digestion. And this is a problem because if you're trying to build muscle and you eat a lot of this protein, but it causes gastric distress, like it's not working for you, it's not going to help you out. Beef is number one on the list because the protein is excellent quality. It's not the best, it's not superior, but it's pretty darn close.

[Adam Schafer]

Bioavailable.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yes, it's got, it's very high in zinc and B vitamins. So are many of the sources we talk about, but it's one of the highest for zinc and for B vitamins. It's also extremely easily digestible. In fact, it's one of the foods that has the lowest rate of food intolerances is beef. This is why you have the carnivore diet, which is not a diet I recommend. But the reason why people with all these immune reactions to food, to many different foods will go to carnivore and just eat beef is because it's so nutrient dense and because beef tends to not be very reactive.

[Listener]

Is it even. Okay, So I, I'm glad you said that because that was one of the things that I would consider when I'm making this list. And because of that, I would have not put beef here. I would have put chicken above that. Because I feel like I've never had a client who had any sort of reaction to chicken. Although I've had clients that have complained about red meat before.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah.

[Listener]

And I know that beef has higher amounts of creatine in there. So I know it has. And has other beneficial.

[Sal DiStefano]

The highest amount, the most.

[Listener]

Yeah. So I know that it's been beneficial. But I've also, I've had. I don't know if you guys have trained a lot of clients like this, but I've trained a handful of clients that red meat doesn't agree with them.

[Sal DiStefano]

It's, it's. It's actually, if you look at immune reactions and if you. You wanted something that was all the things in the categories, beef would rank higher, although chicken is great. Chicken's up there, but it's not as high. It's high in B vitamins. Not as high as. As beef. It's high. It's got zinc. Not as much as beef. It's got more creatine than chicken does. Beef has the highest amount of creatine, and they're both easily digestible. By the way, all the sources that we're talking about on this top five list are great. They're all super good. So this is kind of a tough list.

[Listener]

Yeah. I mean, so I think that I would. Because I wouldn't just rate the best thing for you. I'd also have to. I would want to consider what I think has been the most universally accepted or easily digestible. And so I would have put chicken above beef just for that reason. I've never met a client I haven't been able to put on chicken for that reason. And then maybe even fish. I'd say chicken, fish, and then beef. I feel like I had more people with red meat issues than I ever had with those.

[Sal DiStefano]

The other part, though, that I'll tell you. Let me ask you this. Anecdotally speaking.

[Listener]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

When you, you, you competed in physique, so you were in the bodybuilding space for a little bit, but I was. I've always been a fan of muscle building and bodybuilding, of the. Of fish, chicken, and beef, which one has always been regarded as the best for strength. And muscle gain beef. That by far.

[Listener]

Yeah, by far. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I mean I, I think if it, it's easily digestible for you and you can intake a lot of it, it's a no brainer. That's number one. But I think when I'm putting a list together of because another one that you have on there, I don't mean to jump ahead of on your stuff.

[Adam Schafer]

Is it an allergy or is it a preference thing? Because I kind of had more preference. Like they didn't like red meat.

[Listener]

No.

[Sal DiStefano]

It's interesting. Doug, maybe you can Google this and look up the. Let's look up food allergies.

[Adam Schafer]

Like they had a hard time digesting it, which was. I got that complaint sometimes, but I.

[Listener]

Didn'T get that with, with, with chicken and fish. I didn't get that. If you could eat, if you could eat meat in general, chicken and fish were at the top of like digestibility. Now it's not the top of nutrient density, but I never had a client who was open to eating meat that I put on a diet that had any problem eating as much fish and chicken I threw their way. You know, I would, had to, I did have to limit red meat. Sometimes some people would just tell me like, you know, one serving a day. Adam, not a problem. Two, three servings. I just, I don't forget now I know we have examples of like the carnivore diet where people. That's all they eat and they're totally fine. But that's also a small minority of people that are following a diet like that. And when I think of general population helping them with that, and that's the only reason why I'm looking at your list and I see what the next one is. And I know that some people have an intolerance to that also. And so I would jump chicken and fish as one and two to me, not because I think it's better, but because people tend to have, I would say.

[Sal DiStefano]

And we'll have Doug look this up. If you're, if you look at the instances of food allergies with beef, chicken and fish, they're probably so close it doesn't make a difference. But I would guess. Oh, you think that I would guess. It's so close.

[Listener]

So that's interesting. I would love to see that because in my experience that's not true.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah.

[Listener]

Like, and I'm wondering because, I mean I could I hear you because I.

[Sal DiStefano]

Know there was client but I'm wondering if how much of that was actually that they, the Saturated fat from beef.

[Listener]

So I, and. Or if they weren't eating grass fed.

[Sal DiStefano]

Exactly.

[Listener]

So I, I, now that's probably. And this is what I would go through my head as a trainer because.

[Sal DiStefano]

I know for me, I remember way different.

[Listener]

I remember tell. I remember clients telling me, and I'm going like, I don't think it's the red meat. I think it's the other stuff, associating it too.

[Adam Schafer]

I had a lot of clients that were getting a lot of information that that red meat was really bad for.

[Sal DiStefano]

You, so that could affect it.

[Adam Schafer]

So, yeah, the, the, like, the association to that, like, it. It seemed to me and I had to kind of walk them through that. But I have had a few clients so that did not digest beef.

[Sal DiStefano]

And I'm wondering if it was like burgers, you know, that they're attributing.

[Adam Schafer]

Oh, yeah, exactly. Too. What kind of food were they eating?

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah. So, Doug, are you finding anything?

[Doug]

Yeah. So the beef allergies are typically associated with tick.

[Sal DiStefano]

Right.

[Doug]

Reactions to tick bite.

[Sal DiStefano]

Right. But in general, if you were to look at fish, chicken.

[Doug]

Well, fish allergies are one of the most common food allergies in the United States.

[Sal DiStefano]

That's true. I knew that. Yeah, that's true.

[Doug]

So about 1% of the population has the fish allergy.

[Sal DiStefano]

Right.

[Doug]

Beef. I don't have an exact number, but as far as the ones associated with the ticks, it was like 450,000 people in the United States.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah. That's a specific infection. Yeah. So beef being. Cows are ruminant animal. Humans have been consuming for a long time. Forever. Longer than they've been consuming.

[Listener]

I mean, I agree with your point.

[Sal DiStefano]

More than they consume.

[Listener]

You're making. Because I think if you were to ask me. Because going back and trying to recall those conversations with those clients, how many times did I, you know, okay, I agreed with them, like, yeah, we'll put you, I'll put you on more chicken. But in the back of my mind I'm going like, I don't think you have a problem with meat. I think that's, it's you. You've made an association with it. Or you're making choices like hamburgers and you're wondering. They're saying that the hamburger. It's like, was probably the bun, the cheese. Yeah, it was the other stuff that probably affect you.

[Sal DiStefano]

No, generally speaking, it's. Beef is. Would be an ancestral food. Now they'll put chicken in there, but humans have been eating, you know, those kinds of animals, like beef, you know, bison, beef related animals for a long time and we consume more of that than we did of birds for sure. So I think if you were to look across the population, I, I think digestibility. Now, besides fish, I know that there's a lot. There are reactions to fish. There are. People are allergic to fish, especially shellfish, but other fish as well. But I think if you put chicken and beef, I think they're so close it doesn't make a difference. But when you compare nutrients, you compare protein quality, although both have good quality, I would say beef outperforms chicken barrel. You add creatine in there and zinc. Zinc is, you know, especially for men. If it's low, you're not going to be as anabolic as you could be. It's so it's higher in some minerals and B vitamins as well on a, on a, you know, ounce per ounce basis. And again, I'm also going with bodybuilders. Bodybuilders of all even current bodybuilders will tell you, oh, I eat a lot of beef in the off season, especially when trying to pack on muscle and mass. In my experience working with clients, when I got them to switch to beef from chicken, even though I we would somewhat look at the macros and keep them somewhat the same. And I think it has to do with the creatine. People would notice benefits they feel stronger from. From the beef. That's right. So next up, eggs. Now eggs. One of the mo eggs are so nutrient dense it's ridiculous.

[Adam Schafer]

The multivitamin protein.

[Sal DiStefano]

Right. They're super high on a gram per gram basis. And B vitamins, choline, which is extremely beneficial for the brain. Folic acid, their amino acid profile. You could argue that eggs have the perfect amino acid profile. Now, some people would say whey, but other people would argue eggs. Whole eggs stimulate muscle protein synthesis like almost nothing else. I think it has to do with the cholesterol that's in the egg as well. They're ex. They are. If I had to label one food as a bodybuilding food, it would be an egg. Now the reason why they're not as high as beef is because digestibility issues. I think a lot of people have issues.

[Listener]

Yeah. But I would also make a case because that was the close second that I was in at. When you said body in the bodybuilding world, what holds the highest regard? I said beef. I chicken. I mean, eggs would be right up there. Totally. I don't know a bodybuilder, one that didn't start his day with a dozen eggs. I mean, if you Were doing a dozen whole eggs. You were doing the egg white pumps.

[Adam Schafer]

The market.

[Listener]

No, 100. Like, I really. I really. I don't. And I'm not sure if that's. It'd be interesting to see the history on the. Where the egg white phenomenon came from.

[Sal DiStefano]

That came from the whole fat scare.

[Listener]

Right.

[Sal DiStefano]

But bodybuilders were not afraid of whole eggs.

[Listener]

Okay.

[Sal DiStefano]

It came in the 80s when everybody was, oh, we got to watch out for fat. Like, oh, you could just take the fat out by getting it rid of the. Yeah.

[Listener]

Because for as long as I know, the eggs have been. Every bodybuilder was using eggs.

[Sal DiStefano]

Oh, yeah.

[Listener]

And lots of eggs.

[Sal DiStefano]

Oh. Bodybuilders in the 20s, 30s, 40s, like, this was the superfood anabolic. Like, you go hard, you know, 12 of them, 15 of them. I know for myself, and I've done this with clients. If I take somebody and have them dramatically increase their egg, and they would control everything else, and they're. Instead of eating two eggs a day, they're eating eight or 10. And we control calories and everything else. There's this anabolic effect. And there's studies that show equal amount of protein if they just eat egg whites versus whole eggs. Whole eggs have a much higher muscle protein synthesis signal. And they're like, we don't know why this is happening. I think it's the cholesterol. Yeah, I know dietary cholesterol in other data seems to have this kind of muscle building effect. So eggs. Eggs are incredible source of protein. It is a superfood. If you were to label any of the things that we're talking about on this list is superfood. Eggs are. The only reason why they didn't be beef, though, is because it's got a relatively high, especially in comparison to beef. Issues with digestibility. A lot of people have issues digesting it. A lot of people don't, but a lot of people also do, especially egg whites.

[Listener]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

Next up, fish. Here's where we put fish. Now, I ranked fish higher than chicken because of the omega 3 fatty acids. They're. It's one of the. If I say omega 3 fatty acids.

[Adam Schafer]

Where else are you gonna go?

[Sal DiStefano]

The first food you think of fish is fish.

[Adam Schafer]

Fish oil. Fish.

[Sal DiStefano]

That's right. And omega 3 fatty acids. They. They have great health benefits and muscle building effects. They now show. There's studies now that show that increasing omega 3 fatty acid intake in diets actually helps with muscle growth. So I love fish. I think it's. It should be. I definitely think it should be above chicken in my opinion. It's one of the better ones for sure.

[Listener]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

And then chicken. Now we got chicken. Now chicken's great. What does chicken really have going for it? It's easy, it's inexpensive and it's easy to prepare, cook.

[Listener]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

Freeze, make. It's. It's just one of those versatile foods. Also high in B vitamins and great amino acid profile. All animal sources.

[Adam Schafer]

Well, go back to fish. Like if you're going to rank mean, if you're going to put a specific fish out there that you would say that would you try and seek more so. Because I know tilapia is big in the body.

[Listener]

That's a terrible.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah, right.

[Listener]

Salmon would be number salmon or something. Yeah. Wild salmon will be number one if we're going to go the nutrient dense world.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, yeah.

[Listener]

If you're going to position it the same way you position the beef.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yes.

[Listener]

Then salmon would win because salmon is the wild salmon would be the most nutrient dense.

[Sal DiStefano]

Well, I have one that'll beat salmon in my opinion. Sardines. Sardines are even higher in those nutrients and they're even. They're one of the cleanest fish that you could get because they are not eating. They're not high on the food, even.

[Listener]

On the omega 3s.

[Sal DiStefano]

Very high in omega 3s.

[Listener]

Higher than salmon.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah. If I'm not mistaken, on an ounce per ounce basis. Maybe compare them, Doug, to show.

[Listener]

I know, I know. Sardines are up there too.

[Sal DiStefano]

And they're also high.

[Listener]

You got to be a special person to eat. They're not.

[Adam Schafer]

Still has its eyeballs.

[Listener]

I still can't do it, dude. I still can't do it.

[Sal DiStefano]

Even.

[Listener]

I'm hella open to eating stuff.

[Sal DiStefano]

And you guys are. You guys aren't thinking anchovies, right? Anything.

[Listener]

They're little mini fish. You're eating like a little fish.

[Adam Schafer]

It is. Yeah. A little skeleton in there.

[Sal DiStefano]

No, they're good. What does it say there, Doug? Yeah.

[Doug]

So sardines contain higher amounts of EPA and salmon has lower. Lower overall omega 3 content compared to.

[Sal DiStefano]

Sardines, one of the most dense.

[Adam Schafer]

Okay.

[Listener]

Wow. So then sardines and then salmon and.

[Adam Schafer]

Then chicken is just chicken.

[Sal DiStefano]

That's it.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Listener]

I actually I would make a case on the chicken argument with chicken thighs.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Listener]

Because it's a good source of fat.

[Sal DiStefano]

It's not bad.

[Listener]

No, it's a good source of fat from chicken and I. And tastes way better. Yeah. I mean, I remember as 20 something years old eating chicken breasts with everything and boy, it gets Old fast and try prepping your meal and reheating chicken breasts. Reheated chicken breasts.

[Sal DiStefano]

How much salsa did you have to dry?

[Listener]

It was just dry and I remember forcing that and then I remember. I'll never forget like having. I don't even remember why this was but I remember I had boneless, skinless chicken thighs. And I was in this is weighing in early days of weighing and tracking and I realized how close it was to the chicken.

[Sal DiStefano]

Six ounces of. Six ounces. Like what is it like?

[Listener]

Yeah. It was not a big difference. And the little bit of a difference was a little bit higher in the fat content. That little bit of a fire higher fat content meant the chicken tastes so much better. Was also so much better reheated the second or the third day because that all that fat kind of solidifies around it. When you remicrowave it heats back up and it's like it's. I don't know, it makes the meat still juicy. Where chicken breast just. It was. It's dry from the jump and then it's dry again. When you rehab it's even drier. Yeah. And it's like all in the pursuit of saving 30 calories. I'm like this is ridiculous. I'll never do that again.

[Sal DiStefano]

I can't tell you how much mustard and ketchup and salsa I ate to wash down chicken breast so dry. You have to add something.

[Listener]

To me, it was such a. It was for a young guy who was trying to eat more protein and struggling to do that. Chicken breast is one of the dumbest strategies. Yeah, it really is. Is. It's hard to eat a lot if.

[Sal DiStefano]

You'Re really counting every calorie. Then I could see it otherwise.

[Listener]

But I mean it's. It's rarely that though it's normally the guy who's chasing after more protein, more calories, more is. Is what it is. And then he's still eating the chicken breast and it's like, dude, switch the chicken thighs. The difference in the 30 calories is not going to put on a bunch of body fat in you. It's good fat and it's. You're going to be able to eat more of it. So yeah, I put that up there.

[Sal DiStefano]

Lastly and the only reason why this is last because it would be definitely top three is the digestibility issues. It's one of the top foods that people have issues digesting tolerances. But it. It has one of the best protein amino acid profiles and that's milk. Yeah, milk is amazing amino acid profile. It's made up of whey and casein. Both have their benefits. Whey, everybody knows how great whey is. Casein also has some great amino acid profile benefits. It's high in calcium. You're gonna get more calcium in milk than you will in some of the other sources. It's relatively high in other nutrients and it's the most versatile of all these things. How many milk type foods can you eat like cottage cheese and yogurts and just drink it? You know, all the variety of things. It's great. If you have no problem digesting milk, I'm very jealous because this is one of the most inexpensive, best sources of high quality protein you can find anywhere. I think it's been, it's super understated. And all your protein shakes are processed versions of milk. Most of the popular. Yeah, yeah. So if you have no issues digesting.

[Adam Schafer]

Now, just add that to your meals. Right? You're eating the rest of your protein on the list, but you're drinking milk with it.

[Sal DiStefano]

You want a post workout meal, you know, have some cottage cheese and, or drink a couple glasses of milk and you're totally set. So it's one of my favorites. Again, the reason why it's five though is it's, it's at the top. It's one of the top foods that people have issues with either lactose intolerance or just plain dairy intolerance.

[Listener]

Now in a perfect world, and I love. This is a fun, cool conversation for me because I always took a lot of pride in, in rotating all of these foods in my diet. Like you went through and you kind of talked about each of these, why they're top five and some of them have different properties that makes them top five and why they're so amazing. And I think in a perfect world you're rotating through all these. And I would, I would have like a, I mean I, I added veal, bison, ground turkey in that mix also. And I would just rotate through all the meats. Never let a week go by where I didn't have one of those. Including those other ones in there and that you rotate through those. And really with carbs, it's so basic. It's like sweet potato, yams, quinoa rice, like those four, that's so simple. And you're. And when you compare it to what the nutrients and the things that you get in meat, it's, it pales in comparison. So the fact that I don't really rotate much of that doesn't matter that much. I mean, I'm good point Sticking to those four. It's easy to cook. I can cook them in bulk. They all go with all those things. You mean. But the real. I think the real good stuff is in the rotation.

[Sal DiStefano]

It's the main part of the show.

[Listener]

Yes.

[Sal DiStefano]

Of. Of your plate is your protein sources. For sure.

[Listener]

And rotate through those. If you're okay eating all of them, Eat them all now.

[Sal DiStefano]

The only reason why I didn't. Lamb, by the way, special mention. The only reason why I didn't put it up there is just not popular here in the states. But lamb.

[Adam Schafer]

Other cultures.

[Sal DiStefano]

Lamb is extremely nutrient dense. It's a great source of creatine. It's high in zinc, high in B vitamins, very easily digestible. It's a great source of protein. Just a lot of people.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah. Another one.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah. Yeah. And I didn't put pork up there because I was competing with chicken, fish.

[Adam Schafer]

Right.

[Sal DiStefano]

And beef. But pork's okay. It's not bad.

[Adam Schafer]

The other white meat.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

Consider it. I love that marketing picture.

[Sal DiStefano]

I don't know. I'm not a huge fan of pork except for like, like, like breakfast meats, but I'm just don't typically.

[Listener]

Oh, man. We used to make the Costco's pork tenderloin that comes like that.

[Adam Schafer]

Tenderloins are great.

[Listener]

Yeah. Real good. And it's. And it's leaner than you would think. I. I remember originally thinking that pork was so fatty, but you can get leaner cuts of it and so. And it tastes pretty good. So it's normally in the rotation for me also, so.

[Sal DiStefano]

So I want to ask you guys something that. See if we can paint a couple pictures. Because I was on social media and what popped up on my feed was. I don't remember what it was, but it was like this dude that set this new world record in bench press. And for anybody who cares, it was equipped or whatever. Bent shirt, the whole thing. But anyway, this guy was. He was leaning over the bench and he was equipped and he had to wore a bench shirt and all that stuff. And it was a ridiculous way. It's like a thousand something pounds, which if you can argue all you want about a quit, but good luck trying to lift it.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah. That's insane.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah. Like without it, I'm sure he's been.

[Adam Schafer]

I mean, even getting into his outfit would have been insane, but he's leaning.

[Sal DiStefano]

Over the bar and for. For someone like myself who understands biomechanics and body types, you know, when you get to a certain level of performance, what ends up happening is the, the body the polymorphisms that work well for a particular lift start to appear at the top. Right. Like, of course, if I'm at the, like if I'm at just strong, you got a lot of people who are just strong. But if I go to like the top 1% of bench pressers, they have a body type.

[Listener]

Oh, it's like, it's like comparing Michael Phelps to your average high school kid who swims.

[Adam Schafer]

Genetics.

[Listener]

You go to a high school swim pool and like, everyone kind of looks like your typical high schooler. And then you look at Michael Phelps and it's like he's got a long torso, odd, like oddly shaped, but for that sport, amazing.

[Adam Schafer]

Well, you know, it's weird about that too. I was just listening, listening. This was reading the book the Sports Gene. They're talking about the whole, like, LA Dodgers and how they tested them in, in terms of their visual acuity. And they were the top, like the top, top, top, like ranked out there in baseball because, like, they're talking about the whole how they could see the spin of the ball in this microsecond, you know, and like, and so anyway, that all played a huge factor in it. And you, you don't really, like, think about those things. You just think about the normal skills of like, well, they got, they can really throw the ball hard, they can catch it, they can, you know, do all the normal skills. But it like, boils down a lot at that top tier to like, how well they can recognize images.

[Listener]

I remember I, I read an article one time on Barry Bonds, and that was actually the main. Of course everybody is, you know, he, his name's been bastardized because of steroid use and all the things like that. But he's also, he's been walked more than anybody in the world too, which is a testament to his ability to see the ball.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yep.

[Listener]

And no. And it's like the skill that it takes to see that ball come out because it's, it's like milliseconds. And to be able to catch the rotation, to then process in your brain of what kind of pitch is coming to know where it's going to go, to know whether you should swing or not swing is crazy.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Listener]

And he had, he had all the.

[Adam Schafer]

Body cues that lead up.

[Listener]

Yeah, he had one of the, the, one of the most brilliant abilities to, to be able to process that at a high speed, which is why he was such a great home run hitter, why he got so many walks in his, in his career and stuff.

[Sal DiStefano]

So, so with this guy who's who's this champion bench presser? Obviously. What do you think you look like, right?

[Listener]

Short arms, super short chest and torso.

[Sal DiStefano]

Super wide.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

Super wide body. Like imagine a short refrigerator. You know what I mean? That's kind of what you look like. It was really.

[Adam Schafer]

You have really small legs. Like, who cares about the legs like.

[Sal DiStefano]

This with no neck, but just all body and these little tiny arms, you know, that were really short. Because biomechanically, the advantage for him is huge. Yeah. So I was going to go through the major lifts. Kind of talk about what body types have advantages. So bench presser, that's you. Short arms, wide barrel chest, kind of a stocky body. You're going to have more of an advantage with bench press. Squats. Squat. Short femur.

[Listener]

Short femur.

[Sal DiStefano]

Short.

[Listener]

Short guys. Period. Yeah, short, short.

[Sal DiStefano]

They look like they just sit in the squat, right? Like they don't even lean forward.

[Listener]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

And do it.

[Listener]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

And then deadlift her. This is why I like deadlift so much. It's the opposite of all that. It's like a long, lengthy. Dude.

[Adam Schafer]

Long linky.

[Listener]

Yeah. Long arms really helps, especially if you have longer. And basketball players tend to be decent.

[Adam Schafer]

At longer arms and legs.

[Listener]

Yeah, they have real long arms. If you have a lot longer arms than anything else, then that's a huge advantage.

[Sal DiStefano]

There was this one deadlifter. I wish I knew his name. Black dude, skinny guy who could pull. Ridiculous. I mean, he was like 100 and probably 160 pounds and he was pulling like 700 pound deadlift sumo. But when you look at him and he's standing up, getting his award. He had his arm length. Looks so weird, bro. Like he's staying there. He wasn't a tall guy, but his arms are so long that he got.

[Listener]

To suit like hang down by his knees. Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

But he was pulling crazy amounts away.

[Listener]

I always wondered like if I. So, I mean, I was taught conventional deadlifting. And so I've gotten really good at conventional versus sumo. But when you think about biomechanically, like if I got really good at sumo, it would be such an advantage because I have such long arms and then I'm already.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, you're already almost there.

[Listener]

So I'm like, yeah, I mean, I mean I love our friend Lane, but I mean, I kind of look when I look at him doing sumo, I'm like, that's. It's like he's got like a huge, wide, cheating lane. Yeah. It's like a six inch dog.

[Sal DiStefano]

You know what he always says when people make fun of him. He's like, you do it.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, yeah, you got me there.

[Listener]

I can't deadlift it. I can't deadlift it. So. But I mean, when I think about him, like, that would have been. The move would have been getting, you know, if I. If I was trying to compete and just say how much I lift, it'd be.

[Sal DiStefano]

So I was going down the rabbit hole of all these strength sports and. And obviously, strongman, you just be a giant, right? There's no weight class.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

So if you're just a giant, then you have a huge advantage then. I was looking at arm wrestlers, and these guys, the. The. The size of their wrists and hands are always so big, bro. Some of these guys, these champion arm wrestlers, their hands are so ridiculous.

[Listener]

They're all hands and forearms.

[Sal DiStefano]

But just forget even the muscle. Forget the muscle. Just the bone of the wrist and their hands.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

There's one guy. I don't remember his name.

[Adam Schafer]

Oh, my God. His hands are like. Like.

[Sal DiStefano]

You know what I'm talking about?

[Adam Schafer]

Yes. Yeah, exactly.

[Sal DiStefano]

He looks like he just, like, engulfs.

[Adam Schafer]

The person that he's, like, competing against with this.

[Sal DiStefano]

I think it started with the C or something like that. And he's. His fingers were like two of my fingers put together.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

So he grabs your hand. It's kind of like. It's not really fair. You know what I mean?

[Adam Schafer]

Using a mutant with his big old.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah, with his big old, you know, fingers or whatever. Anyway, I thought it was cool going down that, you know, with all those different strength sports.

[Listener]

Well, you remember when we shared that there was a really good one of my favorite TED talks and we talked.

[Adam Schafer]

About democratization of sports?

[Listener]

Yeah, that might have been the name. Maybe Doug can look it up to see if that's what it was. That's.

[Sal DiStefano]

Oh, that's the guy. That's the guy with the long arms in the deadlift. Look how long his arms are.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, look at that.

[Listener]

They are down.

[Sal DiStefano]

Lamar Gantt.

[Listener]

They are down to his knees.

[Doug]

Almost down to his knees. Yes.

[Sal DiStefano]

How much is he pulling right there, Doug? What was his record and how much did he weigh? He even pulled sumo. I thought he pulled sumo. He didn't.

[Adam Schafer]

Oh, wow. But he.

[Sal DiStefano]

He's got. How did you find him, Doug?

[Doug]

I just.

[Sal DiStefano]

Exceptional long arm deadlifter.

[Doug]

Yes, exactly.

[Adam Schafer]

He's been working on his Google skills. Yeah.

[Doug]

Have him working on it. I get so much flak for.

[Sal DiStefano]

What was his lift there?

[Doug]

Yeah, he said 71 world records. I'm trying to find his actual.

[Listener]

He's in 123 pound class.

[Sal DiStefano]

Okay.

[Listener]

He weighs 123 pounds. He lifted 623 pounds.

[Sal DiStefano]

Oh.

[Doug]

Then he pulled 688 pounds at 132 pound weight class.

[Adam Schafer]

He's only 100.

[Sal DiStefano]

Now look, here's the deal. I don't care what your biomechanic advantages are. That helps.

[Listener]

He's still strong as hell. Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

Come on.

[Listener]

Well, I think for how much you're making, I don't think you're taking anything away from just what it's like all, everything working exactly what you're. I mean, this is again why I love sports. I mean professional sports is the greatest expression and example of that.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah, we.

[Listener]

And now we've. It was different 80 years ago. 80 years ago you had full time contractors, you know, picking up. There was no money in the sport. It didn't draw the attention of everybody. Now there's so much money in sports that it attracts the right.

[Adam Schafer]

Well, you know, it's great too. It's like you, you're born different. You're like a mutant. You know, you have some kind of appendage that's like overs guys or. But guess what? You're like an amazing athlete just for this one thing. It's like so true, so rad.

[Listener]

Almost every kid that had something that he probably got teased or thought was a deformity when you were. Could be leveraged as a, an advantage in some sport.

[Adam Schafer]

Something and something we can create.

[Listener]

There is a sport out there for you.

[Sal DiStefano]

That one. I'll give you guys a crazy example. You probably know his name, but he was a kicker. Was it the.

[Listener]

Oh yeah, there's the nub foot.

[Sal DiStefano]

He had a, he had a, he had a club foot.

[Listener]

Yeah, Club foot.

[Sal DiStefano]

What was his name? And he was like. He was at one point remember.

[Adam Schafer]

But I remember watching. Watch his story. Yeah, yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

And at one point he had the.

[Listener]

Record, the world record for Tom Dempsey.

[Sal DiStefano]

Huh?

[Adam Schafer]

Oh, Tom.

[Doug]

Deny.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah, dude. So, you know, I like this kind of stuff is cool.

[Listener]

It is cool. And I think it's so cool to watch in, in real time. I mean, I know I've brought up already like watching somebody like Wimby right now and watch. I think. Did I bring this up to you guys? Did I bring the Mugsy? Mugsy?

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, we talked about.

[Listener]

That was off air. Wasn't on air, was it?

[Sal DiStefano]

No, it was on, it was on air.

[Listener]

Oh, it was on air when we talked about. Yeah. I just think that's so fascinating when you talk about like the. These guys and what the league is turning into. I mean, it's changing. The whole entire game is changing. And where, you know, the smallest guy is soon to be 6. 6. You know, in the original.

[Sal DiStefano]

In the. In the early, early, early days of the Olympics, they thought that the best athlete was the most well rounded.

[Listener]

Yeah. They thought everybody was like a rest. The wrestler look.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah.

[Listener]

The mess. The mesomorph, like, looking guy was the best athlete. And, you know, generally. Yes. But then when you get to, like, what. You talk about specifics. Yeah. When you get to the highest, highest level, you find out there's a body type for that. There's a type for every sport, every feat.

[Sal DiStefano]

In jiu jitsu. Whenever there was a guy that you're grappling with who had bigger kind of wrists that look kind of bigger, you knew he typically would have a good grip on your hand. And you would see this sometimes with. In fact, if you look at some of the Gracies that had kind of these bigger wrists, they grabbed your d. Yeah. They just had strong, you know, grips on you or whatever.

[Adam Schafer]

I was always afraid to go with a big butt when I was playing football.

[Listener]

That's basketball, too.

[Adam Schafer]

Power.

[Listener]

Yeah. You see a guy like that, you know, he can jump or he can. He's fast.

[Sal DiStefano]

You know what I'm saying?

[Adam Schafer]

If he's gonna run you over or.

[Sal DiStefano]

Or the guy. Or the guy with the big back, but not lats. Although that's also good. But, you know, I'm talking about the yoke. Yeah. You see back. The mid upper back area. Yeah. You're gonna get, you know, taken off your feet anyway.

[Adam Schafer]

Absolutely.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah. It's good. All right, so I gotta ask you guys something. So my wife makes jokes about this. It's a thing, right? Like gray sweats for dudes. Is that, like, a thing for girls?

[Adam Schafer]

Yes, I think that's been the CR Package, bro.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah. That's what it is, right? It's to see. It's why gray sweats.

[Adam Schafer]

At what point did. Yeah. At what? Realize that? Because I remember I wearing sweats and girls would, like, snicker. And I was just like, really?

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

This is like junior high or something. And I'm like, I. I stopped wearing sweats. It made me all self conscious.

[Listener]

I. I, like, I actually was very much so naive and unaware of it until Katrina made a point to talk about it to get te. When she used to take my boot camp classes and she, oh, I see you brought the gray sweats out for resigning week. Right. And I'm like, what? Like, totally over my Head didn't even get it.

[Adam Schafer]

And I'm like, yeah, weaponize it.

[Listener]

But I love Grace. I always. I've always got.

[Adam Schafer]

I always pick gray, too, because it's, like color.

[Listener]

It matches everything.

[Sal DiStefano]

So we're supposed to do. We're gonna. Today, we're supposed to shoot a Vuori shoe. So, viewers, one of our sponsors, Athleisure, wear great stuff.

[Listener]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

And I told Jessica last night on my way home, I said, hey, I need two pairs of sweats. I need three shirts, because we're supposed to change into different clothes. And she packs my graveyard ones, which I only ever wear at home. And I'm like. So I look at her like, you always get me. You always tell me to wear those. Like, what's going on? You know, she tells me, that's the meat market. Yeah, dude. What's going on, Dave? But I don't even know which ones. The Sunday joggers.

[Listener]

That's what you're wearing right now.

[Sal DiStefano]

Those are the.

[Adam Schafer]

The most popular, right? Yeah.

[Listener]

Is it their top seller?

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah, I think it's a top.

[Listener]

It's been. So when we first got with them, I went Sunday jogger kick like crazy. I have every color they have. So I think. Think by now they've made probably nine or ten colors. Have all of them. Some of them I have two. Two pairs of. Because that was my favorite. But I've fallen in love with the meta joggers now.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Listener]

So the meta joggers, the ones you see me wear most time now, they're the ones that kind of like, they have more of a shimmery look. They're still cuffed at the bottom like joggers. But I like them because I like these. I won't dress up. Those are comfortable. I wear.

[Sal DiStefano]

Oh, yes, you're right.

[Listener]

But the meta joggers I can wear with, like a. Like a sport coat.

[Sal DiStefano]

Like.

[Listener]

And then it almost looks like I have almost like, slacks kind of slacks.

[Doug]

I mean, these are the meta jogger or pant.

[Adam Schafer]

No, jogger.

[Doug]

The jogger's on now. These are the meta joggers.

[Sal DiStefano]

No, Judson has the pants.

[Listener]

No, no, you don't have meta joggers on right now.

[Doug]

Yes, I do.

[Listener]

They're the shimmery. Are you sure about that?

[Doug]

I'm pretty sure.

[Listener]

Does it have. You don't have a zipper on your side, do you?

[Doug]

No zipper.

[Listener]

Okay. Yeah, those are. I can hear them. They don't look like it from here. It's hard to see underneath it, but no.

[Sal DiStefano]

So I like the ones Justin has For dressing up because they look like slack.

[Listener]

The chinos.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, no, these are meta. But I have chinos too. The chinos are more like straight cut. And so these, these form fit a little more.

[Listener]

Yeah, we all. It's funny because we don't. I don't wear any of the ones he wears. Yeah, I almost. I know.

[Adam Schafer]

We totally have different styles with that. Completely. And I, I ended up like, I don't wear any sweats. I work out in these more than I work out in shorts, which is funny. And people give me grief.

[Sal DiStefano]

And if they laugh, I mean, if they're the best. This is, by the way, a testament to the quality of their products. Justin squats in those.

[Listener]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

I really.

[Listener]

Isn't it crazy? I really think about that. It's a, it's a category in fashion that didn't exist when we were kids.

[Sal DiStefano]

Isn't that crazy?

[Listener]

Didn't even exist.

[Sal DiStefano]

And now sweats back in the day meant you were unemployed, lazy, or you're working out. It was one of those three things.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah. I still have that, like, association. I don't know.

[Sal DiStefano]

It's.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

To wear sweats. Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

Just in my own brain.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

When I put them on, I'm like, ah, chill mode, you know?

[Listener]

I do, I do. But that's what I love about the Vori is that it's like you kind of feel. I feel like both. I feel like I'm being relaxed, borderline lazy. But then I feel like I can be. I can be dressed up. You can be. So they do a good job.

[Sal DiStefano]

Can you look up women? What's. Do women like men in gray sweats. And I want to see what the Internet says, because I know, I think.

[Adam Schafer]

It just defines the package. It just kind of highlights and shadows and molds.

[Sal DiStefano]

Do that, wouldn't they?

[Adam Schafer]

I, I, you can't really.

[Listener]

I didn't know either, Sal. So it was.

[Sal DiStefano]

Explain to me, Justin. What do you see when you listen?

[Adam Schafer]

You get a really inspirational. It's delighting.

[Listener]

I mean, I never had anyone say anything to me till Katrina. When Katrina said that to me, like, I really, I had no idea.

[Sal DiStefano]

You know, I think girls knew about.

[Adam Schafer]

This for a long time and didn't tell anybody.

[Listener]

Jabbing at me like I was doing it.

[Sal DiStefano]

Women act like, man, you guys talk all dirty. I think when women get together, they're just as bad.

[Adam Schafer]

That's what I confirm. Because, like, dude, I one time, okay, Courtney had all her friends over. It was like a house full of like 10 girls, all nurses and whatnot. And I'M just in the other room and I hear everything. And they're just going off about male body parts in the whole nine. And I'm just like, okay. Yeah, yeah.

[Listener]

Oh, my God. You know what they say it is? It's equivalent to the wink at, like, digital being there. So us wearing gray sweats. But it's putting like, I'm thirsty.

[Sal DiStefano]

It's like, you.

[Listener]

So that's even worse, dude.

[Sal DiStefano]

Oh, like.

[Adam Schafer]

Like we're portraying it.

[Listener]

Yes, like you're portraying it. That's exactly what it says. That's what it means.

[Sal DiStefano]

Now I know how they feel. Yeah, yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

I'm showing my cleavage.

[Listener]

Yeah. It makes. That makes sense why Katrina would say that to me then she thought you were doing. Yeah, yeah. Like, I'm getting all my ladies to resign. Resign. You know, I'm like, I have no idea where Grace, what's all the time.

[Sal DiStefano]

All right, I'm going to change topics here. A study came out on probiotics. Let me pull this up here. And cognitive function. Okay. Cognitive function. Another one recent study found that after 12 weeks of consuming a drink containing the probiotic bifidobacterium, it's one of the more common bacterias that you'll get in a probiotic. That older adults demonstrated significant improvements in cognitive performance. Specifically ready for this. They showed nearly twice the improvement twice in complex attention and cognitive flexibility and three times the function or three times the improvement in executive function compared to a placebo group. These gains were also accompanied by reduced pro inflammatory biomarkers. And of course, they tested if the bifidobacterium in their gut went up. And sure enough.

[Adam Schafer]

This is a brain inflammation thing.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yes.

[Adam Schafer]

Okay.

[Sal DiStefano]

Even in healthy individuals, systemic inflammation can lead to transient cognitive impairment. So anyway, the point of that article was probiotics, especially bifidobacterium, good for brain health. But this study shows, like, measurable differences in older adults. This is an easy supplement to take. It's an easy supplement to take to improve to reduce your risk of. Other data will show depression, anxiety, improve the way your skin looks. There's studies that show it might help with athletic performance. And now we're looking at cognitive function your brain from taking a probiotic.

[Listener]

I gotta get so much better about taking my seed, dude. I'm so inconsistent with it.

[Sal DiStefano]

And I put it next to your bed.

[Listener]

I know, I know. I mean, that's the most consistent supplement I have. Is it?

[Sal DiStefano]

Period?

[Listener]

I know.

[Sal DiStefano]

Because of all my gut issues. That's why. And I take it every night, no matter what.

[Listener]

I know. This is an excuse. It's just one of those things that I never trained myself to do. You. It's also one of those things that's hard for me to, like, feel it right away. I think that's what happens. I think it's like, it's easy for things like. For example, what I take a lot at night is I'll take that. The supplement that from Legion. I'll take that.

[Sal DiStefano]

And that puts you asleep.

[Listener]

Because it puts me asleep and I feel it. And so it's an easy, like, oh, I want it to.

[Sal DiStefano]

No, a probiotic is like. It's like a multivitamin.

[Listener]

Yeah. And it's compounding. The more you take it, the more consistent you are, the more the effects kick in. And so I just kind of train myself because I've never been disciplined to be really, really good. And I wonder what would happen if I were you. Good about you're taking yours.

[Adam Schafer]

Consist. No, like, honestly, you should be.

[Sal DiStefano]

You have.

[Listener]

I should be.

[Adam Schafer]

I got gut issues. I know it's like top of mind. Actually. I'm getting a little bit better with it. But every time I travel, I have this whole pack of things for enzymes and all these different things to make sure that, you know, my digestion isn't, like, horrendous. Because you never know it, you know, if you have to go out a bunch, like, it'll react.

[Listener]

You already have a suitcase for all your supplements. Why don't you just bring us ours and then you can feed it to us when you feed.

[Sal DiStefano]

I gave you guys enough so my.

[Adam Schafer]

Wife actually does it.

[Listener]

I still just do it real good. If you do that, if you feed it to me every day, I'll eat it.

[Sal DiStefano]

Hey, what a great relationship we have. You guys trust me so much. I. You have never decided.

[Listener]

You know why?

[Sal DiStefano]

Cuz how many times I've given them something.

[Listener]

I'm worth nothing to you dead. That's why I trust that.

[Sal DiStefano]

Oh, we got life for sure.

[Listener]

Yeah, I'm a couple million payout. That's it, though.

[Sal DiStefano]

You're worth more.

[Adam Schafer]

We talk and Adam makes money from it.

[Listener]

Yeah, I'm worth way more alive, bro.

[Sal DiStefano]

No, you guys, thanks. I give these guys supplements and they'll add like, what's this do? That's all they say. Oh, there's no. Okay, cool.

[Listener]

I normally ask after. I take it. After. Yeah. What did I just take?

[Sal DiStefano]

Like.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

Oh, that's a roofie.

[Listener]

Yeah, but I mean, you're already so consistent. You have your little suitcase. You just not, you know, maybe get me and Justin. To take ours out of that.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah. I literally like Courtney will feed it to me.

[Sal DiStefano]

No, seed is. Seed is the one thing that I take. Like I've been taking it for years non stop. Most consistent with it. Justin, speaking of guts.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

Did you end up get doing the parasite protocol that I sent you?

[Adam Schafer]

I haven't. You just sent or in Jessica too. Yeah. You guys sent me that and I just looked it up and I'm. Yeah, I'm. I'm convinced that I need to do that. So I it. And so was it pinworms is what we.

[Listener]

We.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

It's like disgusting and I had to look it up and I. I don't know. Not that I don't trust you, but. Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

One of the side effects of pinworms is grinding.

[Listener]

Right.

[Sal DiStefano]

TMJ and grading and grinding.

[Adam Schafer]

I know. That's why I was like, yeah, that resonates. Dude.

[Sal DiStefano]

Are you and pinworms are common. Yeah, they're very common in kids and they're especially feel dirty.

[Adam Schafer]

I feel like some kind of weird.

[Sal DiStefano]

Normalized parasites, you know how many people.

[Adam Schafer]

Have that dirty kid?

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah, a significant percentage of people.

[Listener]

One in three. I thought I read one and three, probably more.

[Sal DiStefano]

I thought one in three, probably more. Yeah. See pinworms that. Thanks Doug, for looking them up and making us all feel gross. Oh, I appreciate that.

[Adam Schafer]

Well, that's. Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

Little kids.

[Adam Schafer]

Oh God. Is that living in me right now? I don't know.

[Listener]

What, what. So what normally just naturally kills it off? Like is anything naturally?

[Sal DiStefano]

No, you just live with it.

[Listener]

It for how long?

[Sal DiStefano]

Ever?

[Adam Schafer]

I mean. Yeah, but can't you fast for a prolonged amount of time and then they'll.

[Sal DiStefano]

Come back, they survive, they hunker down. You. You would die with the parasite if you fasted long enough.

[Adam Schafer]

Well, it. I mean it kind of makes sense because I've been living with this issue for. I can't even tell you when the beginning of it. Like I noticed it. It's been forever.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

So who knows? That's how long I've had it.

[Sal DiStefano]

But yeah. Animals, babies, if you're around little kids, if you're around one of you in your house has it.

[Adam Schafer]

Check, check, check.

[Sal DiStefano]

You all pro. Probably have it. Now here's the good news. Pinworm treatment. You go on Amazon, anybody could buy it. It's one dose.

[Adam Schafer]

Okay.

[Listener]

You're good.

[Sal DiStefano]

That's it. You just take one dose. So go on Amazon, buy one for. They sell a double pack. Buy, you know, however. However many you need. There it is right there. Pinworm treatment or Whatever.

[Listener]

Yeah, take it.

[Sal DiStefano]

That's it.

[Listener]

I may as well take it.

[Sal DiStefano]

Just, just. I know.

[Adam Schafer]

Just to not.

[Listener]

What is the other side of it? So.

[Sal DiStefano]

So, Doug, look at the side effects of pit work, because you're going to laugh, right?

[Listener]

Oh, no, Teeth grinding is one of them.

[Sal DiStefano]

Teeth grinding is a pretty significant crushed.

[Adam Schafer]

Like, all of my teeth, like, just from the. The grinding and then the acid reflux. And the combination of both in the first place is a disaster.

[Listener]

Anal itching.

[Adam Schafer]

No, no, come on, man. That doesn't happen, dude.

[Sal DiStefano]

Restlessness and difficulty sleeping.

[Adam Schafer]

Okay.

[Sal DiStefano]

Vaginal irritation, sometimes abdominal pain and nausea. And invisible worms. Yeah. In some cases, urinary tract infection, bacterial skin infection, appendicitis. But you can also look up pin worms and teeth grinding. Yeah. We're just very well versed on this because we did a whole parasite thing in my house.

[Adam Schafer]

Okay.

[Listener]

Okay.

[Adam Schafer]

Well, I just know somebody had mentioned.

[Listener]

Two pills over the counter.

[Sal DiStefano]

It's like a little liquid, tastes like bananas.

[Listener]

Oh, really?

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah, dude, I did. We did it a while ago.

[Listener]

I'll have to order some.

[Adam Schafer]

Well, I also learned something new last night, which you probably know about this, and I'm curious if you do know about this or not, but it. The funniest way that I learned about this was I was talking with. With Everett, and for some reason, he was just thinking. He's like, what color is crab blood?

[Sal DiStefano]

And.

[Adam Schafer]

And we both were just like.

[Sal DiStefano]

Blue, right?

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, exactly.

[Sal DiStefano]

That.

[Adam Schafer]

I was like, I think it's blue. And I'm like, why do I think it's blue? Why do I know that it's blue? And then he's like, no, it's gotta be red, dad. And we're going back and forth on different animals and what color their blood is. And so I was like, you know, I'm gonna look this up. I look it up, and the first thing that pops up is horseshoe craft have blood and it's bright blue. And there's also. It's worth like $60,000 for a pound.

[Sal DiStefano]

What do they use it for?

[Adam Schafer]

And they use it. So what they use it for, actually, is vaccine safety testing. Oh. Because they've been around for, you know, before the dinosaurs.

[Listener]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

And so they use the blood to actually test these toxic bacteria, how it reacts.

[Listener]

Interesting.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah. And. And, you know, it's funny, too. And I was reading this article about it, and this article came out 2020, like, right before COVID really, like, took off, like. Yeah. So all these, you know, companies worldwide are going to be using this, but Pfizer, and there was opted out, you know, of. Of using that as a testing protocol. I'm like, wow, dude. Like, this is something like. I never knew this was part of their testing procedure, but it makes a lot of sense if they use the.

[Sal DiStefano]

Crab blood for other stuff too. Doug, look up crab blood benefits just to see.

[Listener]

Interesting.

[Sal DiStefano]

It's. It's used to make a substance called limelace amoebocyte lyste, which is used to test variety of drugs. Medical. But I thought that it was used for something else.

[Listener]

Tests for endotoxins for sterility.

[Adam Schafer]

What are concerns? Wow, you're like 15 grand a quart, dude. I mean, I was like, man, I gotta drum up some horseshoe crab.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yeah. But you know what, though? If it's that much, I wonder how many crab, hermit crabs, you would need.

[Listener]

Just to get that much.

[Adam Schafer]

Well, these are big, though. They're off the coast of Asia. And I mean, these are horseshoe crabs. Horseshoe crabs are like this big.

[Listener]

What? They're that big?

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, yeah, they look. It looks like those. Those fossils, you know, where they're like, oh, wow, they're creepy looking.

[Sal DiStefano]

Oh. But a declining bird species relies on the crabs that eat. You know, I'm all for animals, but if there's a comparison, you know, if we have to do the whole, like, animals versus humans, like, yeah, I feel.

[Adam Schafer]

Bad for benefits humans.

[Listener]

You know, one of the best ways I've ever seen how stupid that is. Have you ever, ever seen how many species fall off of the earth? Like a day? Yeah. On their own. A day. Or like every time we do anything like that, like, it's a ridiculous amount. It's like hundreds. Like, or constantly. And then we're finding.

[Sal DiStefano]

How do we know that, though? Are they making shit up? Are they like, oh, look, we can't see this anymore. Like, it's a number.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah. Once you start looking into it, you're like, this isn't what I was told.

[Sal DiStefano]

There's a little bit of. Dude.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

What's going on? Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

What's happening?

[Sal DiStefano]

Anyway, I got a study on. I got an extra. I got a study on exercise and dementia that I love because it confirms a lot of what we talk about. So. Okay, so the study was on the association or the effect of exercise and the risk of dementia. Okay? Now here's what I like about the study. 35 minutes, okay. Of moderate to vigorous, vigorous physical activity per week. 35 minutes a week. So you're in all seven days, an entire week. 35 minutes of that week.

[Listener]

So it's five minutes a day led.

[Sal DiStefano]

To 41% lower risk of developing dementia.

[Listener]

Wow. Wow.

[Sal DiStefano]

So if you want to cut your risk of dementia by 41%.

[Listener]

Wow.

[Sal DiStefano]

You just do five minutes of exercise a day. Five minutes a day.

[Adam Schafer]

That's nothing.

[Sal DiStefano]

That is nothing.

[Listener]

That's crazy.

[Sal DiStefano]

That's how incredibly protective exercise is. It also highlights just how poor our health is.

[Adam Schafer]

I know, right? We can't get that we're so unhealthy a little bit.

[Listener]

I feel like that's more than sad. You know, it was cool. The. The book I was reading. The. The latest chapter was talking about with children, like, helping their children with. I've been sharing this with you, Gu. The whole, like, the four quadrants of the brain and keeping it all integrated is what you want. And in moments where the kids get, like, where they're really angry or throwing attention, like, one of the best things to do with them when they get stuck in this. In this moment of anger or frustration or whatever is physical activity, is. Physical activity actually will get them to kind of balance out and regulate themselves. So, like, if you just. If they're just so frustrated, they're so stuck on something to get them to go out, whether that's tricking them through play or chasing them through the house, like, getting them to exhaust their body. Yeah. Exhaust their energy into something like that will help them get back into normalization. And so that's a cool strategy to try and implement the next time your kids having, like, a challenge with that. It's like, you know what? I'm not gonna try and talk to you about this. Like this. Let's go do something. Let's go. Run. Run with dad. Let's go.

[Adam Schafer]

So effective with boys. I mean, I'm sure girls, too, but, like, it's. I mean, for me, it was always. And that's why we got that punching bag too. When there's this. Moments of frustration just to exhaust and get it out and then. Yeah. And then come back calm. And then we rationally talk about.

[Listener]

So there's. There's. There's neuroscience to support what's happening there. Like, I. I'll tear it up. I'll probably be better at it as I read more through the chapters. But that was like. What I just recently read was just like, it's what's happening in their brain. They're. They're in a. When they're in that moment of anger and frustration, they're deep in one quadrant. I think it's like they're at the bottom quadrant, the primal one, stuck in that. They're stuck in that. Yeah, yeah. Reactive, primal. And you want to get the. You want to get the upstairs working part of the brain. So to get them back in the neutral position, one of the ways, instead of you trying to logically get them there, is for you to just exhaust them physically to get that out, and then that will not organically bring them up that way. So the next time, which obviously, you've hacked into that already with your son, you've realized that, like, you know what? I'm not trying to get stuck in those real deep. Right. And you can't logically. And, you know, you probably can't logically speak to him when he's like. Yeah, he's not hearing it right now. He's so not letting it in there. That it's like, you know what? Let's not even talk about this. Let's just go.

[Sal DiStefano]

Go.

[Listener]

Let's go play ball. Or let's go punch the bag for a little bit, and then that calms them down.

[Sal DiStefano]

As fast as you can.

[Listener]

Yes, that. They use the example of run. Let's race. Let's run as fast as you can. And until you can't.

[Sal DiStefano]

You're upset right now, buddy. Why don't you run as fast as you can?

[Listener]

Yeah, let's go. You know, and then they do that. That exhausts them. Then that brings them down. Then you can logically communicate to them how they were feeling, why they felt that way, and then help them logically process to get them back.

[Sal DiStefano]

That's got to work for adults, too.

[Listener]

Of course.

[Adam Schafer]

I know, right?

[Sal DiStefano]

It's going to work for.

[Listener]

It's all. I mean, although.

[Sal DiStefano]

Although. How annoyed would you be if you're really just sitting there really bad. Hey, Adam. Him. You look really mad right now. You want to go play volleyball? Yeah.

[Listener]

Yeah. Next time. Next time you and your wife are fighting, you got to chase me first, and then I'll answer you. Come get me.

[Sal DiStefano]

No, I'll just start resting.

[Listener]

My wife.

[Sal DiStefano]

What the hell are you doing? Just trying to help you get down the street.

[Listener]

Fight.

[Sal DiStefano]

I'm doing this for your own good.

[Adam Schafer]

Put his joggers on. He'll be back.

[Sal DiStefano]

Pit her on the bed. Come on, get out. You got to get out.

[Listener]

That was true. I mean, she would murder me. It's this. All of this is neuroscience, so it doesn't just apply to children.

[Sal DiStefano]

You know what's active?

[Listener]

All of our brains.

[Sal DiStefano]

You know what's active, too, honey? Sex. I know you really matter. Why don't we move? That'll go over.

[Listener]

No, it's. It's so true. And, and the better obviously that we can train the kids on their ability to do that, then as they get into adulthood, the more likely they will, you know, regulate themselves.

[Sal DiStefano]

What did you guys, I want to ask you guys, what did you guys think about what I said? So today we, I was talking to the forum about our new program launch Transform. So yeah, for people to know, Maps transform, it's a 90 day transformational program. Take you from before and after. That's the whole. Basically the point of the program is three months before and after. And what I asked, what I talked to our forum about was I said I want you guys, if you're interested, to take a before and take an after picture. But here's the difference. I want to know this difference in strength. I want to know the difference in energy. I want to know your difference in mood.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

Sleep, skin, difference in outlook. Like, I don't want just a picture of how you look. I want to hear about how it impacted your life from a non.

[Adam Schafer]

Every characteristic.

[Sal DiStefano]

Yes, dude. Because when I train clients like and I got people need to understand this visually changing your body, that's nice. But it is one small piece of the, the big picture. And if you, if you just focus on the appearance, you'll miss the, the beauty of what's going on and you'll actually develop a relationship with fitness that is not sustainable. When you start to really realize like my energy, my mood, oh my God, I'm eating more. Wow, look, I'm stronger, I'm mobile.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, it's. And I remember Adam talking about this when you did the, the series. And me going through this now is like just being a little more, you know, intense and active and, and consistent. It's like, like I'm just so much more balanced and in that balance it just brings that calm demeanor and I'm bringing that into my family and I'm not letting like a lot of the friction affect, you know, that, that ability where it would just take me to this high stress point, then, you know, I would, I would have a reaction to that. And so there's like not that reaction and it's just like. But it's, it's, it's so much about like moving and being active and having that, that, you know, working out provides me with that.

[Listener]

Well, I think it's great that because at the end of the day you can't deny. And our own community has asked for it. I know that we've decided we've made the choice that we're not going to use before and afters as a marketing strategy. But there is this and I've got it from plenty of people that are huge fans of the show and they love it, but they wish they could see more of the stories of the people and lives that we've changed.

[Sal DiStefano]

That's what I want to store.

[Listener]

And so, and I think that we've communicated this since day one, that like, like whenever we had clients, our goal was always to move them away from just focusing on the aesthetic part because we knew that if this is going to be a long term thing for them, that they would have to learn to attach their success to all the other things that are being successful in their life. Because, because the relationship with their partner, their energy, their sleep, their sex drive, their mood, all the, all the other things and other intangible things that's happening to you when you go on a health and fitness training. Like, and to me that should be what's highlighted in the transformation is like, I've noticed this, I've noticed this, I've noticed this. It's like awesome. That's cool. We can see that you went from 20 to 10 body fat physically and aesthetically. That's also a cool feat.

[Sal DiStefano]

But what else changed?

[Listener]

Yeah, what's, what else has changed? And, and you need to know that because if you don't you to your point, you'll end up reverting back and you'll be in this constant chasing.

[Sal DiStefano]

You place all the importance on the mirror, which it's important, but it's not all important. There are many, many things that you should pay attention to. What's cool about this program too is it is our first like 90 day before and after that incorporates diet with the fitness and it works the diet in with the strategy of the program with reverse diet, mini cut, mini bulk cut and the programming changes along with the diet to take you from before and after. So I am excited to see what people send in after completing this program.

[Adam Schafer]

And it's gonna be a fun one.

[Sal DiStefano]

It'll be a lot of fun. Element T is one of the most popular electrolyte powders for a reason. It tastes good. No artificial sweeteners, no sugar, but it has the right amount of sodium to fuel your workouts, give you the best pumps and make you feel good. Go check them out. Go to drinklement.com forward/mindpump on that link. You'll get a free sample pack with any drink mix purchase. By the way, use the code mpm get 10% off your order. All right, back to the show first.

[Doug]

Question is from Becca Miller. I've been yo yo dieting for years. I'm doing MAP Starter and have maybe 50 pounds to lose. Should I do this in a bulk or a cut?

[Sal DiStefano]

Ah, great question. So MAP Starter people don't know this is a program for like total beginners, right? You know, you don't have any experience strength training. You want to get the benefits of resistance training. That's why it's called Starter. So the question is, I got a lot of weight to lose, do I cut my calories right out the gates? Now what you want to do a successful strategy for long term fat loss, especially when it's more than like £10, right? You want £50 to lose, that's substantial and you want to keep it off. You have to set yourself up well. That's what you, that's how you start this journey. You start this journey so that you could set yourself up for something that is sustainable later on. What you don't want to do is skip that part, get right to the cut, set yourself up for long term failure. And the data on this is very clear. The majority of people fail, gain the weight back that they lost. They don't hit their ultimate goal. They lose some weight, but they gain it back and then some because they don't set themselves well up well. Now what does that mean to set yourself up well? Let's get your body more metabolically healthy, let's build some lean tissue, let's get you stronger and set you up up first. So what does that look like? That looks like you're not trying to cut your calories. You're actually feeding yourself along with the strength training and you're focusing on building strength first. If we could build strength and build some muscle initially, then the cut later is easier, faster and more sustainable. And by the way, what tends to happen in that initial stage of trying to build is you end up still losing some body fat, but it sets you up later for this wonderful process of fat loss that doesn't feel so damn forced.

[Listener]

This is 100 bulk. This is what you have to do when you first start. This took me a while in my career to figure out this is where I needed to start with everybody, whether they needed to lose ten pounds or lose a hundred plus pounds, everybody starts here. And if you recently, if you watched at all the, the journey that I went through when I did my getting back in shape on YouTube, you know, my first month was dedicated towards just rebuilding my metabolism even though I didn't need to lose A bunch of weight. It's still. That's the focus to set yourself up for success and what's cool, to Sal's point, what ends up happening a lot of times is in that pursuit of quote unquote, bulking, you know, to build muscle, to speed your metabolism up, not only do you find yourself eating more calories than what you before you did before, but then what ends up happening a lot of times too is they also lose a little bit of body fat percentage. And that's exactly what happened at the end of that month. In that month we had 20 pounds of muscle. We gain my metabolisms flying and I also dropped a few percent body fat. So it's like both can happen. It's not happening simultaneously, but throughout the cycle of in pursuit of bulking and adding calories, this can happen. And it's hard to get somebody who needs to lose 50 or more pounds.

[Sal DiStefano]

That's what they want to hear.

[Listener]

Yeah. To see that they don't. They don't believe it. But I can't tell you how many times I've done it with clients time and time again.

[Sal DiStefano]

Now for you, Becca, if that's your name, that's your handle. After Starter, do the new program. We have Maps Transform. It's actually set up this way.

[Adam Schafer]

Perfect for you.

[Sal DiStefano]

You would start the first 30 days. The first 30 days of maps Transform is a reverse diet with a process of building. And it's perfect for somebody who just completed Map Starter because you've got some experience.

[Doug]

Next question is from Action K Jackson. What is the best way to warm up for a full body workout? I'm older and need a few sets to warm up before I begin a muscle group. How can I warm up and not double my time in the gym?

[Listener]

So this is. I mean, we have to talk about the program right now. I mean, this is Maps prime prime and. And this. And there, there is no. There's no better answer than the specific answer that you. What you should do because everybody has got different stuff, right? So even if you looked at all four of us in this room right now, and let's say all four of us were following Maps Anabolic and we're getting ready to work out same exercise and everything, Same exercises, right? So following the same exact program, all four of us would prime our bodies differently. Getting into that workout. So it has less to do with the full body workout you're doing has more to do with your body and what your body needs to be put in optimally. And that's what Maps prime is all about. You take a test, you find out, you know, zone one, zone two, zone three, which one, what zones you fail. Then it goes over and tells you what movements to prime the body to get it in that optimal position that becomes your warmup up. That now becomes your probably forever. Because you're not, I mean, most likely you're working to get normal, normal behaviors that you're doing in your day, your daily activities. And so you're going to be priming like that before every workout going forward. And that is your answer. There is no this exercise or that exercise.

[Sal DiStefano]

So to give more of an example, you may be somebody with poor ankle mobility and let's say poor rotational ability. Your priming session is going to focus on those two things. But if you're somebody with, let's say, poor shoulder mobility, maybe a forward head, your warmup is going to look different for you. Now, generally speaking, if you don't know any of this stuff, well, you do a set or two of the exercise you're about to perform. Now the problem with that, which is, by the way, if you're advanced, that's okay because advanced people know how to position themselves as they warm up to get in the right, right position. But somebody who's not really advanced experience, when they go to warm up with a squat and they go do squats to warm up with the squat, what they're doing is bad movement patterns to warm up for the squat.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Sal DiStefano]

Because they don't know you're reinforcing bad. They don't know how to position themselves the right way. And so that's why an individualized warm up or priming session is just, it needs to unlock.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah. Your movement potential. And, and you're gonna find that out by going through those tests. That's why we put it together that way. So, so it simplifies it because it is like, it's confusing for a lot of people to pick. You know, if, if there's some limitation or restriction, you know, some joint that they're having a hard time with in that particular exercise, if we can narrow it down to just like one to three movements that are like so specific to you and your needs and your shoulder needs or your hip need or your ankle, then it's like, it's very clear and it's a repetitive thing. It's, it's just ritual at that point. Point you do that, you're going to benefit so much the entire workout from it.

[Listener]

What was Justin's webinar called?

[Adam Schafer]

Maps. Maps prime webinar.com There you go.

[Sal DiStefano]

Check that out.

[Listener]

Maps. So if you don't just go straight to the program and get it, buy it, and you want to see what is in it, then go to, go to that webinar. You can watch it, you teach, you.

[Adam Schafer]

Can do the tests with that.

[Listener]

That is how you prime for a workout. That's specific. And you will see the greatest return by doing it that way.

[Doug]

Next question is from Elissa Walker143. Have you guys ever trained someone with scoliosis? Are there any exercises to avoid? And if so, can you guys recommend replacements to get similar benefits?

[Sal DiStefano]

I have a lot of experience with scoliosis and I've trained doctors that work with patients with scoliosis. And the old thought, the old belief system around scoliosis and strength training was to stick to purely unilateral training. That was the old thought, right?

[Adam Schafer]

It was.

[Sal DiStefano]

Okay, so the spine, depending on the severity of it, yeah, the spine is imbalanced. So what we're going to do is we're going to do everything one arm and one leg at a time. Okay. Now I disagree with that. I do think that's important. I think 50% of your workouts should be unilateral, but I also think 50% of your workouts should be bilateral because the real world uses. You're going to move bilaterally in the real world. And yes, you're going to compensate because of your spine position, but that's okay. You need to develop strength in those positions because that's how you move in the real world world. Yeah. So generally speaking, your routine now, what exercise to avoid? Well, ones that really bother you, of course, stay away from. But generally speaking, a, at least half of your workouts should be focused on unilateral work. One arm dumbbell, chest press or shoulder press or one arm rows or one arm or one legged type squat, you know, type movements or one legged deadlift, that kind of stuff. But then 50 should be bilateral with barbells. So don't avoid barbells altogether because again, in the real world lifting things often requires both legs.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, I mean you're lifting boxes, you're lifting dog food, groceries. Like, you know, typically you're going to use the bilateral position. So. I totally agree. It's, it's, you know, and even then if you're not like optimally set up with your posture, like, but that's, you know, obviously something you're, you know, you're, you're born with. It's, you're gonna have to strengthen what your limitations you know around that. And so I, I totally agree. I think that's that's been always pushed is like just unilateral only, but it's not realistic.

[Doug]

Next question is from MGX 30423. I have terrible arthritis in my shoulders. It prevents me from doing back squats. I can't hold the barbell on my back. I've replaced back squats with Zercher and or front squats or squats with a safety bar. Are these effective?

[Listener]

That's totally fine.

[Sal DiStefano]

They're totally fine.

[Listener]

Totally fine.

[Sal DiStefano]

Now that being said, said, if you, you can work on. And I don't know what your history is. Okay. But I've worked with many, many people with shoulder issues who couldn't squat. They couldn't hold the bar. Okay. And through a process of working on shoulder mobility, scapular retraction, strengthening the back, loosening the pecs. I've never had anybody. Now that I think I've never had anybody. I couldn't get to do.

[Listener]

Yeah, me too.

[Sal DiStefano]

A bar squat without problem with. Then solve their problem, problem. In other words, they couldn't do squats. Then they could do squats. Some people took three months, other people took as little as a few weeks. So you can work on shoulder mobility. In fact, that webinar we talked about earlier, the Maps prime webinar, the wall test that Justin does on there, do that and do it the way he's cueing it in that webinar. It's free. So you can watch the whole thing and then go try squatting and see if you don't notice a difference. And I bet you that you probably are going to notice a significant improvement in the pain of holding the bar.

[Listener]

Gonna answer that very like, yes, those are great alternatives. And that would be what we do immediately would be those types of exercises. And you're going to be just fine doing that as far as developing a good balanced physique in your legs. But simultaneously, I would be doing shoulder mobility work, you know, in thoracic mobility. Like that would be. We would be living in Prime Pro and that's how I would prime you before we could go on to see if I can make that improvement, to see if I can get you to a place. And that would be a huge accomplishment for us. Like, how awesome would that be? And this is, was, I think what probably all of us love doing with clients is you get a client like that who would say a statement like, hey, I can't do back squats for this reason, and you go, okay, cool. We'll do some searchers, we'll do them this way. But then I want to work on those shoulders. Are you open to it? Yeah, of course. Okay, well then we start putting in the work and then before you know it, they can hold a bar on their back and so I wouldn't give up on them that, let's say, totally.

[Sal DiStefano]

Look, if you like the show, come find us on Instagram. Justin is at Mind Pump Justin, I'm at mindpump to Stefano and Adam's at mindpump.

[Doug]

Thank you for listening to Mind Pump. If your goal is to build and shape your body dramatically, improve your health and energy and maximize your overall performance, check out our discounted RGB super [e-mail] the RGB Super Bundle includes maps, Anabolic maps, performance and and maps aesthetic Nine months of phased expert exercise programming designed by Sal, Adam and Justin to systematically transform the way your body looks, feels and performs. With detailed workout blueprints and over 200 videos. The RGB Super Bundle is like having Sal, Adam and Justin as your own personal trainers, but at a fraction of the price. The RGB Super Bundle has a full 30 day money back guarantee and you can get it now. Plus other valuable free [e-mail] if you enjoy this show, please share the love by leaving us a five star rating and review on itunes and by introducing Mind Pump to your friends and family. We thank you for your support and until next time, this is Mind Pump.

[Justin Andrews]

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[Sal DiStefano]

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