Muscle Building Myths Busted: What Works & What Doesn’t For Lifelong Muscle, What Fitness Trends Actually Work, Desert Island Workout Routines & More With Mind Pump’s Sal Di Stefano.

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Biohacking, Body, Diet & Nutrition, Fitness, Fitness, Nutrition, Podcast, Podcast-new, Recovery

October 16, 2021

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My buddy and my guest on today's podcast—Sal Di Stefano—has a long history of podcasting with me, including on episodes such as:

I've also been a guest on his Mind Pump podcast a handful of times as well, including on the episodes:

Anyhow, Sal just wrote a book, entitled The Resistance Training Revolution: The No-Cardio Way to Burn Fat and Age-Proof Your Body―in Only 60 Minutes a Week. This new book promises to help you burn fat, build lean, sexy muscles, lose inches, and feel healthier, more energetic, and youthful than you ever have in your life…with a revolutionary new approach to resistance training.

In the book, Sal Di Stefano breaks down fitness misconceptions, shares his decades of industry knowledge, and brings you a comprehensive, accessible guidebook that will give you the body you’ve always wanted—in as little as 60 minutes a week. His book features:

  • More than 60 fat-burning, metabolism-boosting workouts you can do at home to sculpt your body and maximize your health and longevity
  • Raw fitness truths that will show you what works and what doesn’t. You’ll be shocked at how easy it is to build lean muscle and lose fat once you understand these truths, and once you train your body the right way
  • The newly discovered health benefits of resistance training in terms of heart health, bone strength, joint protection, and especially anti-aging
  • The exact formula for nutrition that makes losing fat, while sculpting your body a breeze and for the long term
  • Dozens of self-assessments to track your progress, and much more

Sal Di Stefano is a personal trainer and co-founder of Mind Pump Media and co-host of Mind Pump, an online radio show/podcast that is dedicated to providing truthful fitness and health information. He is also the designer of the Muscular Adaptation Programming System (MAPS Fitness Products). Sal is dedicated to prioritizing health over appearance, and he aims to shift the direction of the fitness industry from aesthetic and insecurity-based to one based on self-love and self-care.

During this discussion, you'll discover:

-What you'll find in Sal's new book…06:45

-When and why Sal got into personal training…12:10

  • 14 years old when he discovered dumbbells
  • By age 19, was general manager of 24-hr fitness chains
  • Started his own practice at age 22; goal was to merge fitness with wellness
  • Fitness is the most unassuming form of self-improvement that exists
  • Mind Pump is meant to appeal to the average person looking to better themselves

-How motives for pursuing fitness make all the difference in its efficacy…18:30

-A realistic timeframe for building muscle…31:30

  • There's a wide genetic window that defines a response to training
  • Younger folks respond faster
  • Are you new to exercise, or is it more familiar?
  • 8-10 lbs of new muscle the first year on average
  • You'll reach a point where you peak with muscle building
  • Muscle building is the only pro-positive tissue form of exercise
  • Testosterone levels as a whole have been dropping for decades
  • Huge difference between natural muscle building vs. synthetic via drugs
  • Simply sending a signal to the brain that muscle building is going on will enhance metabolism
  • High-stress lifestyle inhibits muscle building

-The essential equipment for a one-year muscle-building regimen…45:50

-Sal's thoughts on electrical muscle stimulation devices and wearables…51:55

-The efficacy of blood-flow restriction (BFR) training…57:13

-Thoughts on super-slow training…1:00:07

-Hyperthermia's effects on muscle gain and maintenance…1:05:25

  • Won't build muscle in a profound way
  • Simulates hormetic effect of exercise to a small degree
  • Being overly reliant on one training modality limits its effects
  • Do the hard stuff, then do the fun stuff to put the icing on the cake

-The most ridiculous, asinine, and downright silly fitness trends today…1:12:55

-And much more!…

Upcoming Events:

Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources from this episode:

– Sal Di Stefano:

– Podcasts:

– Book and Gear:

– Other Resources:

Episode sponsors:

–Kion Clean Protein: Organic natural flavors, Himalayan sea salt, and stevia deliver rich chocolate and velvety smooth vanilla flavors that are out of this world—seriously, even in plain ole’ water.

–Organifi Gold Pumpkin Spice: A new take on an ancient secret: Pain-soothing herbs, incredible antioxidants, and phytonutrients all in one delicious, soothing “Golden Milk” nighttime tea! Receive a 20% discount on your entire order when you use discount code BENG20.

–Levels Health: Levels is currently running a closed beta program with a waitlist of 100,000+ people, but you can skip that line and join Levels today by using the link levels.link/BEN

–Paleo Valley Beef Sticks: 100% grass-fed AND grass-finished. Keto friendly and higher levels of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Receive a 15% discount on your order when you go to paleovalley.com/ben

Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Sal Di Stefano or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

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6 thoughts on “Muscle Building Myths Busted: What Works & What Doesn’t For Lifelong Muscle, What Fitness Trends Actually Work, Desert Island Workout Routines & More With Mind Pump’s Sal Di Stefano.”

  1. Chris Abatecola says:
    November 23, 2021 at 4:36 am

    Hey Ben! Any recommendations on how to maintain upper body muscle using the 1/9th rule you mentioned?

    I’m going through a posterior labrum tear recovery and probably won’t be able to hit the weights or do my pull ups and push-ups for another four months I’m thinking… Any insight or recommendations on this would be amazing!

    PS Your Nov 4 podcast with Angelo was awesome so I’ve definitely increased my protein intake a little and I’m taking at least a serving of Kions AAs daily

    Reply
  2. Mario Martins says:
    November 9, 2021 at 4:24 am

    full body workouts were discussed but not suggested sets per body part.
    what do you recommend?
    thanks

    Reply
  3. willaimstuward says:
    October 28, 2021 at 11:23 pm

    I love Sal’s reason behind zeroing in on the exercises you appreciate versus the exercises that are “awesome” or generally productive.

    Reply
  4. Mike says:
    October 20, 2021 at 6:15 pm

    About the first 15 minutes of the podcast was a combination of Ben touting his products (I understand the need for this) and then went into the “Bromance” of how much Ben and Sal love each other. My advice keep the mutual admiration, which I’m sure is sincere down to a sentence or two. That’s really all that’s necessary or desired by the audience.

    Reply
    1. Ben Greenfield says:
      October 21, 2021 at 8:59 pm

      Thank you for your honest feedback!

      Reply
  5. James Quandahl says:
    October 17, 2021 at 10:27 am

    I love Sal’s point of focusing on the workouts you enjoy versus the workouts that are “the best” or most efficient.

    Reply

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