December 12, 2024
Welcome to Ben Greenfield’s Weekly Roundup!
On this weekly publish, I share with you my most attention-grabbing discoveries of the week, together with the most recent information on the fronts of health, diet, well being, wellness, biohacking, and anti-aging analysis. I additionally recap my upcoming occasions and particular bulletins so you may sustain with alternatives to be taught, giveaways, reductions, and extra!
New Discoveries
How Vital Are Hormones for Gaining Muscle? What I Discovered From the Latest Paper, “Hormones, Hypertrophy, and Hype”💥🏋️
In terms of constructing muscle, there’s quite a lot of hype round hormones, particularly testosterone and development hormone. However does chasing these hormonal spikes actually result in positive aspects, or are we simply getting distracted by the noise? A latest paper sheds mild on what actually drives hypertrophy—and spoiler alert—it’s not what you may suppose.
Right here’s the no-nonsense breakdown:
💪 Hormonal spikes? Overrated.
If you happen to’ve been banking on these post-workout surges in testosterone or development hormone (GH) to construct muscle, it’s time to rethink. Analysis reveals these transient hormonal adjustments don’t considerably drive hypertrophy. The actual magic occurs domestically in your muscle tissue—mechanical pressure and protein synthesis are the true MVPs. Translation? Concentrate on the engine (your coaching), not the spark (hormonal fluctuations).
💥 Progressive overload reigns supreme.
Overlook gimmicky workouts or fads. The time-tested technique for constructing energy and measurement is progressive overload, that means steadily rising depth and quantity over time. Mix that with ample restoration, and also you’ve received the formulation for long-term positive aspects. Persist with the basics and depart the circus acts (like doing rotations whereas standing on a stability ball) for Instagram.
💡 Testosterone variations? Not an enormous deal.
Women and men construct muscle at comparable charges when coaching successfully. Sure, males have extra testosterone, however ladies’s estrogen presents a novel edge: higher restoration and decreased muscle breakdown. Girls, the takeaway? Good points are for everybody, and the taking part in area is extra degree than you may suppose.
🩸 Menstrual cycles ≠ boundaries.
Fluctuating hormones throughout the menstrual cycle don’t block muscle development. Fatigue and different signs may have an effect on consistency, however there’s no must align your coaching to particular phases until it actually helps you. Present up, adapt when wanted, and preserve pushing ahead; progress doesn’t care what part you’re in.
🚫 Cease chasing hormonal myths.
Science debunks the parable that short-term hormone spikes drive important muscle development. The important thing to actual, lasting outcomes? Sustainable coaching methods that prioritize progressive overload, restoration, and consistency. Simplicity trumps complexity each time.
🧠 Maintain it easy.
Muscle constructing isn’t about overcomplicated packages or chasing the most recent tendencies. Concentrate on constant effort, restoration, and getting a little bit stronger over time. Prepare with objective, adapt to what your physique wants, and watch the outcomes roll in. No fluff, simply positive aspects.
🕒 Train at no matter time helps you keep constant.
On a associated notice, a new examine got down to reply the age-old query: “Is there a finest time of day to train for weight reduction and well being enhancements?” The reply? Everytime you’re almost definitely to truly do it.
On this trial, individuals exercised both within the morning (6-9 AM) or night (4-7 PM) for 12 weeks. Each teams misplaced weight, improved their cardiovascular health (VO₂ peak), and considerably decreased their calorie consumption. Importantly, there have been no main variations between morning and night exercisers when it comes to outcomes—that means that consistency wins. Whether or not you are an early hen or an evening owl, the perfect time to coach is the time that works on your life-style and retains you shifting usually.
The Backside Line: Carry heavy. Get heavier as you go. Get better correctly. Repeat persistently. The basics win each time. 🚀
Serious about studying extra about how one can maximize your coaching to construct muscle and minimize fats? Take a look at these sources:
Opposite to Common Opinion, Analysis Exhibits You Aren’t Extra Prone to “Cheat Eat” When You Train🧠🚫🍔
You have heard it a thousand occasions: “I labored out, so I deserve this pizza,” or “Train simply makes me hungrier.” However what if I instructed you that science has definitively confirmed the precise reverse?
Train is not nearly burning energy—it is also a neurological reset button on your dietary selections. In line with researchers at Western College, once you work out, you assist to basically rewire your mind’s relationship with meals. And we’re not simply speaking about willpower; we’re speaking about profound, measurable neurological adjustments in mind exercise.
Simply 20 minutes of reasonable exercise (like a brisk stroll or quick lifting session) can result in adjustments in your prefrontal cortex, the mind’s govt management heart, that assist:
- Suppress junk meals cravings
- Improve cognitive management over dietary selections
- Cut back stress hormones that set off emotional consuming
- Naturally information you towards nutrient-dense meals
A brand new examine from Michigan State College tracked 2,680 younger adults via an intensive 15-week train program. The outcomes? Members spontaneously shifted away from snacking and high-fat Western diets, gravitating as a substitute towards fruits, greens, and low-fat alternate options.
However this is the place it will get actually fascinating: This modification in consuming patterns wasn’t about aware restraint. Their our bodies have been actually REWIRING themselves to crave more healthy choices resulting from results together with boosted mind plasticity, decreased cortisol (the stress hormone that triggers sugar cravings), elevated exercise in mind areas chargeable for self-control, and by making a pure biochemical setting that prefers diet over empty energy
The underside line: your exercise is not getting ready you for a dietary cheat day. It is prompting your mind to make smarter, extra intuitive diet selections. Cease viewing train as a punishment or a calorie-burning transaction, and begin seeing it as your strongest neurological improve instrument.
If you happen to’re struggling to maintain cravings in examine when you ramp up your coaching, this is just a few useful sources to information you towards making more healthy weight-reduction plan selections extra simply:
My 2024 Present Information Is Right here! Obtain Unique Reductions on My Favourite *Should-Have* Wellness Presents 🎄🎁🎅
The vacations are all about exhibiting how a lot you care—and what higher method to do that than by giving the reward of vitality, longevity, and optimized residing?
However let’s be actual: discovering protected, vetted, and efficient well being and wellness presents on your family members can really feel overwhelming. With limitless on-line choices, how do you even begin sorting via what’s legit and what’s simply noise?
After many years of learning the most recent developments in trendy science—testing and experimenting with all the things from cutting-edge wellness tech to transformative dietary supplements—I’ve handpicked my high 27 presents, which now you can discover in my 2024 Vacation Present Information! 🎄
Right here’s a sneak peek at a few of my favourite wellness presents:
- BON CHARGE Blue-Free Lighting & EMF Safety 🌙: This resolution is ideal for anybody seeking to scale back publicity to synthetic blue mild and dangerous EMFs, particularly throughout the darker winter months. It’s one among my go-to secrets and techniques for unwinding at night time, and it’s a considerate improve on your family members’ wellness routines.
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- Kineon MOVE+ Professional Purple Mild Remedy 🌞: This moveable LED and laser remedy machine is right for rushing up muscle restoration, easing joint ache, and boosting circulation. It’s nice for athletes and energetic members of the family who need next-level reduction and efficiency help.
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From unique financial savings on longevity-boosting skincare and at-home bloodwork exams to outstanding reductions on superior restoration instruments and top-of-the-line oral peptides, you will get to find 27 of the perfect stocking stuffers and life-optimizing options crafted for anybody seeking to stay higher, longer, and stronger.
So this yr, skip the socks and scarves and provides the reward of transformation with Ben Greenfield’s 2024 Vacation Present Information! 🎁 🎅
Drumroll Please… 🥁 You Can Now PRE-ORDER Your Absolutely Up to date Copy of Boundless to *Optimize* Your Physique, Thoughts, and Spirit! 📚💪
Over the past yr, I have been working tirelessly on one thing that I’m thrilled to lastly share: the brand-new, up to date model of my best-seller, Boundless.
Like a cookbook for the human blueprint, the revised and up to date version of Boundless offers you a zero-guesswork information to becoming an entire skilled in what makes your mind tick, your physique work, your spirit pleased, and your life fulfilled.
You possibly can flip to *any* chapter and uncover essentially the most up-to-date, research-proven, trench-tested methods to construct muscle, burn fats, steadiness hormones, stay longer, sleep higher, have mind-blowing intercourse, and far, rather more!
A couple of of the important thing subjects that the most recent model of Boundless explores are:
- Methods to optimize mitochondrial density and biogenesis for peak vitality and metabolic well being.
- New strategies to stimulate the vagus nerve for stress discount, sleep high quality, and better coronary heart charge variability utilizing mild, sound, and electrical interventions.
- Up to date methods for restoring circadian steadiness, combating jet lag, and maximizing sleep, naps, and meditation.
- Insights on the consequences of electromagnetic frequencies on the mind and physique, with recommendations on modifying units for higher shielding.
- The most recent on addressing continual infections, detoxifying from mould, and enhancing intestine operate with cutting-edge testing and coverings.
- New dietary supplements, biohacks, and protocols based mostly on latest longevity science, together with age-reversal insights.
- Recent routines and damage restoration instruments, plus minimalist strikes to burn fats all through the day with out fitness center reliance.
If you happen to’re able to uncover a treasure trove of the most recent science-backed methods for bettering each facet of your thoughts, physique, and spirit, you may click on this hyperlink to pre-order your new up to date copy of Boundless.
Unlock Personalised, Knowledge-Pushed Insights and Well being Teaching Tailor-made to YOUR Distinctive Biology 📊
Struggling to make sense of your well being and wellness journey?
You’re not alone. The frustration of feeling fatigued, battling mind fog, or hitting a wall along with your health objectives—regardless of all the fashionable diets, dietary supplements, and train packages on the market—can depart you feeling misplaced and overwhelmed.
The foundation downside is usually that almost all one-size-fits-all wellness methods fail to handle your distinctive biology.
Enter LIFEprints, a complete well being optimization system with two tailor-made choices to satisfy your distinctive wellness wants.
LIFEprints Uncover presents a foundational strategy, that includes HTMA (hair tissue mineral evaluation) testing, which analyzes the mineral content material of your hair to offer a 3–4 month snapshot of your mineral and metabolic standing. With a customized report, you’ll obtain a customized well being blueprint with focused supplementation recommendations, together with a one-on-one teaching name to information you thru these insights. You’ll additionally achieve entry to a vibrant group of wellness lovers for added help and inspiration.
For a extra immersive expertise, LIFEprints Remodel consists of all the advantages of Uncover, plus further sources that will help you put your insights into motion. It begins with a personalized pathway, constructed via an in-depth questionnaire, that shapes your wellness plan. This features a nourishing, goal-specific meal plan, skilled steerage to combine new habits easily, and a 12-week dynamic motion program. To maintain you motivated, Remodel presents common accountability reminders and month-to-month teaching calls with world-class consultants. With Remodel, you’ll flip your information into sustainable life-style adjustments by receiving customized insights and actionable steps to handle points like fatigue, stress, sleep issues, and weight administration, serving to you optimize vitality, focus, and general wellness for long-term well being.
Able to lastly see outcomes that make a distinction in how you’re feeling and carry out?
You possibly can be part of the waitlist for LIFEprints right here and uncover how actually personalized well being steerage can remodel your life.
Podcasts I Recorded This Week:
I’ve some HUGE information to share with you…
The Ben Greenfield Life podcast is getting a contemporary, new improve—it is time to say howdy to Boundless Life! 🎉
You possibly can pay attention and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
This episode was dropped at you by Joovv (code BEN), ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic (code BEN15), Beekeeper’s Naturals (code BEN), and C60 Energy (code GREENFIELD15).
This episode was dropped at you by Ben Greenfield’s Vacation Present Information, Younger Goose (code BEN10), BIOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough (code BEN10), Manukora (code BEN), and Kineon.
The Newest Content material I Was Featured On This Week:
Tetragrammaton With Rick Rubin: Ben Greenfield
Ben Greenfield’s VIP Textual content Membership: To obtain unique texts from Ben Greenfield, textual content the phrase “FITNESS” to 411247 (throughout the U.S. solely).
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My full article feed and all archives of my articles are right here.
Product Of The Week
::: Save As much as 40% On My Household’s Favourite Nonstick, Non-Poisonous Pans :::
A startling examine by the Ecology Heart revealed that 79% of nonstick pans and 20% of baking pans are coated with PTFE (Teflon), a sort of PFA that may be dangerous to human and animal well being.
Publicity to those “eternally chemical compounds” could trigger critical points like hormone disruption, immune system impairment, elevated most cancers threat, and developmental delays in kids.
Whereas European laws are advancing, these poisonous chemical compounds stay prevalent in US cookware. Even health-conscious people may unknowingly compromise their wellness via the cookware they use, making it essential to decide on protected, non-toxic alternate options.
Our Place presents an answer with their PFAS-free cookware, notably the Titanium At all times Pan Professional. Engineered with NoCo™ expertise, this pan is just about indestructible, handles excessive warmth, and offers a coating-free, non-toxic nonstick expertise.
With their Black Friday sale providing as much as 40% off, it is a perfect time to improve your kitchen’s well being and efficiency.
Attempt Our Place’s lovely, high-quality, sturdy cookware that’s made *with out* PFAS now and save 40% for a restricted time.
Upcoming Occasions:
A4M Longevity Fest in Las Vegas — December 13 to fifteen
Catch Ben on the A4M Longevity Fest in Las Vegas from December 13 to fifteen. He will likely be visiting the C60, Calroy, CODE Well being, and the Pendulum cubicles for a meet-and-greet and Q&A.
Well being Optimisation Summit — Austin. TX: April 12–13, 2025
The Well being Optimisation Summit, Europe’s high wellness convention, is making its U.S. debut in Austin, Texas—and I will likely be there! Be part of me for a strong speak and Q&A, plus expertise insights from 35 world-class audio system overlaying all the things from diet and health to longevity and psychological well being. Discover over 100 exhibitors, take a look at the most recent biohacking tech totally free, and join with 2,000 like-minded attendees. Seize your tickets right here.
Sustain on Ben’s LIVE appearances by following bengreenfieldlife.com/calendar!
Kion Product of the Week: Kion Clear Protein
Bored with protein powders that style like chalk and depart you unhappy? Say howdy to Kion Clear Protein—the smoothest, creamiest mix of grass-fed, soy-free, gluten-free, non-GMO protein you have ever skilled.
This premium whey protein isolate powder, crafted with natural pure flavors, delivers a wealthy, velvety texture that is excellent for mixing into scrumptious protein smoothies. Whether or not you are looking for muscle development, post-workout restoration, metabolic help, restorative sleep, immune operate, or enhanced cognitive well being, Kion Clear Protein has you lined.
Select from decadent chocolate or traditional vanilla flavors, or preserve it pure with unflavored. With a hefty 20 grams of protein per serving, you will really feel happy, energized, and able to conquer your day or exercise.
You deserve a protein powder that is clear, simply absorbed, and downright scrumptious, and Kion Clear Protein delivers precisely that.