142: Why Repetitive Movements Cause Stiffness Too (Member Interview: John C.)
The vast majority of men with back pain, hip pain, and joint pain sit far too much on a daily basis. While sitting all day terrorizes your joints, there’s another potential cause of stiffness: Repetitive and constant movement. Today’s guest and Man Flow Yoga Member, John, works the night shift at H-E-B. His job requires him to move constantly (he gets 18,000 steps a day when he’s working). And the constant, repetitive movements have unleashed pain, tightness, and stiffness on his back, hips, and joints. John’s big problem (which he didn’t realize until after he joined Man Flow Yoga and dialed in his consistency) was that he never engaged his core prior to Man Flow Yoga. But now? Not only is nearly all his bodily pain gone completely, but he even helps his coworkers eliminate their pain - something he credits to my instructions when doing a Man Flow Yoga workout. John’s story proves that moving too much (but in the wrong ways) can also be as bad on your body as not moving at all. Here’s what else he shares in this episode: How John motivates himself to workout even though he’s a father of five who works the night shift Why trying other types of yoga (that aren’t Man Flow Yoga) can cause you to injure yourself How community can improve your consistency more than perhaps anything else Other highlights from the show include: How moving constantly for work is almost as bad for your back as sitting all day (1:20) Why does Man Flow Yoga consistently outperform other styles of yoga for bodily pains? John explains at (12:07) The absolute best Man Flow Yoga program for moving your body in all the ways you should move your body but don’t (17:54) Simple ways to incorporate your core into daily movements (and how this staves off back pain) (19:19) How being consistent with Man Flow Yoga helps you eliminate pain for your family, friends, and coworkers (34:47) Listen now! Resources mentioned in this episode: To quote John, “the best piece of advice I have for men who want to be healthier is to join Man Flow Yoga.” Start your 7-day free trial here: https://shrtlnk.co/kP8M7
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141: Beginner's Guide to Cold Immersion & Heat Therapy with Brian Mackenzie (Human Performance Specialist)
Figuring out which alternative therapies to fit into your already busy day, if any at all, can be overwhelming and confusing. Especially when marketing claims overexaggerate the benefits of alternative therapies and biohacking tools. That’s why I invited human performance specialist, Brian Mackenzie, back onto the show to help make sense of two strategies that are exploding in popularity: Cold immersion & heat therapy. While both benefit the human body, you only have a limited amount of time each day. So, which one should you pick, if any at all? In today’s episode, Brian gives you the beginner’s guide to cold immersion and heat therapy, answers which therapy is superior for your body, and reminds you that fundamental things like sleep and movement are always more important than weird biohacks. Brian also shares: How both cold immersion & heat therapy benefit the body (and which one is superior if you’re crunched on time) Why it’s easy to “dip your toes” into cold immersion & heat therapy without buying any external stuff Why you should never use ice to heal an injury Other highlights from the show include: Why a human performance specialist doesn’t recommend cold plunging to most people who already work out (2:34) How ice actually inhibits the natural healing process, not accelerates it (this means that the RICE method to healing an injury is outdated too) (4:28) How to start practicing cold immersion without buying a giant cold plunging tub or traveling anywhere other than your shower (14:22) Why sleep quality is the anabolic steroid of non-anabolic steroid use (and how cold immersion helps with sleep more than any other benefit) (17:20) What’s more beneficial to the human body: Cold immersion or heat therapy? A human performance specialist answers here (31:53) The weird way heat therapy mimics altitude training inside your body (33:27) The best time to hop in a sauna to get the maximum performance benefits for your body (37:09) Why movement is the most effective medicine for the healing process (and here’s what that means in the context of rolling your ankle) (47:47) Why the Marc Pro Electrical Muscle Stimulator plays a crucial role in recovering from a hip surgery (49:28) Listen now! Resources mentioned in this episode: Your breath is the best indicator of how well you handle stress. By handling your stress better, everything becomes easier and conquerable. If you want to improve your breathing, go to Brian’s website here: https://shiftadapt.com Sign up for Man Flow Yoga below: Tired of doing a form of yoga that causes more injuries than it helps prevent? The cold, hard truth is men need yoga specifically designed for them. Well, here's some good news: You can start your 7-day free trial to Man Flow Yoga by visiting https://shrtlnk.co/kP8M7
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140: Getting To Yes (Member Interview with Scott)
BMP-Ep140: Getting To Yes (Member Interview with Scott) Years ago, today’s guest Scott was overweight, crushed by so much pain that he had to “drink” painkillers doing construction work, and was never invited by his friends for fitness-related activities like backpacking. But then, he had a few scary blood panel tests in a row… and completely changed his life. First, he dialed in his nutrition and lost about 60 pounds. Then, he started using an Elliptical and doing Man Flow Yoga. And that quickly snowballed into weight lifting, running ultra races, doing obstacle course races, and rock climbing. Today, Scott gets to say “yes” to almost any fitness-related activity he wants to do. He’s currently trying to qualify for the Chicago Marathon, and he eventually wants to race a 100 miler. And he’s chock-full of wisdom whether you’re just starting your fitness journey or you’re looking for your next big challenge. Here’s what Scott shares in today’s show: How to conquer your fear of failure that can wreck your fitness goals before you even start Why it’s so hard to make your mind see the current you instead of the past you How to let go of feeling selfish when you make time for fitness Other highlights from the show include: The bulletproof “A for B” weight loss plan that creates better nutrition habits without starving yourself (and helped Scott lose 1-2 lbs per week over 6 months) (3:40) How working in construction destroyed Scott’s joints and shredded his knees… and how Man Flow Yoga helped him tie his shoes without a gameplan (7:30) The weird psychological reason why spending money on your fitness automatically makes you more committed (11:24) How a consistent yoga practice snowballed into weight training, running ultra races, obstacle course races, and rock climbing for Scott (even though he wasn’t “into fitness” before he started yoga) (13:42) Why Scott recommends every yoga beginner to record their early yoga workouts (especially if you struggle with motivation) (19:18) How yoga helped Scott significantly reduce the amount of painkillers he took while working (24:52) Why being an a calorie deficit can increase your injury risk (27:44) The “failure is positive” mindset shift for celebrating your failures and growing from them (42:30) Listen now! Sign up for Man Flow Yoga below: Tired of doing a form of yoga that causes more injuries than it helps prevent? The cold, hard truth is men need yoga specifically designed for them. Well, here's some good news: You can start your 7-day free trial to Man Flow Yoga by visiting https://shrtlnk.co/kP8M7
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139: How to Make Aging Optional with Simple & Fundamental Health Truths with Dr. Steven Gabriel
All humans have a psychological glitch that’s detrimental to your health. It speeds up aging, makes the number on your scale tick up, and causes you to overlook the fundamental health truths that result in 90% of your health. The glitch? The complexity bias, which means that humans prefer the complex to the simple. When it comes to your health, this explains you’re naturally attracted to the latest biohacking technique instead of the “boring” fundamentals. Your brain is wired that way. That’s why I invited Dr. Steven Gabriel onto today’s show. He spent 20 years working as an ER doctor and did his fellowship in anti-aging and regenerative medicine. Not only has he seen what disobeying the fundamental health truths does to your body and health, but he also talks in a way that makes simple and even obvious concepts actually “stick” in your psyche. Or, in other words, he bypasses the complexity bias that makes health harder to achieve. Dr. Gabriel and I cover a ton of bases in this episode including exercise, sleep, and nutrition. And he reveals the simplest ways to make aging optional by focusing on the few fundamental health truths. Dr. Steven also shares: How to improve your health today and tomorrow by acting more like a child Why approaching your body like it’s a car makes it easier to live healthier Dr. Gabriel’s almost-too-simple strategies for anti-aging (don’t let the “complexity bias glitch” make you overlook and ignore the simplicity) Other highlights from the show include: An ER doctor explains how disease spreads its tentacles in your body decades before it manifests as symptoms (even for serious ones like heart attacks and dementia) (2:56) The 6 “Elements of Life” that, once optimized, help you feel like you’re 20 years old again (4:25) How the natural isolation that happens as you grow older makes you age faster (6:22) Have you been confused by the phrase “cellular optimization?” A doctor breaks down what this REALLY means at (9:36) 9 specific causes of aging for the human body and what you can do to slow it down (11:48) The #1 healthiest thing you can do according to a physician with 20 years experience in an ER and who did his fellowship in anti-aging and regenerative medicine (23:48) Why becoming breathless makes your body do everything better (28:14) The scientific reason why the type of exercise you do does NOT matter (32:53) The weird way eating every few hours stresses the body out (and why taking a break from eating, a la intermittent fasting, improves health in ways you might not realize) (37:09) How to eat fewer lab-designed foods that hijack your taste buds and satiety signals by doing nothing other than listening to Dr. Garbiel speak at (41:02) Why things grown in the ground like berries and veggies are the best foods to repair the body (they decrease oxidation, inflammation, the formation of cancers, and even help unclog arteries) (42:43) The 4 Staples of Health according to an anti-aging doctor (48:51) Listen now! Resources mentioned on this episode: 1. If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Gabriel’s “Make Aging Optional" approach, visit his website: https://drsg.co/ 2. Or, you can follow him on Instagram @drstevengabriel Other important links: Want to improve your sexual wellness, get stronger erections, and last longer in bed? Then join the FREE 7-Day Sexual Wellness Challenge here: https://shrtlnk.co/uA27H Tired of doing a form of yoga that causes more injuries than it helps prevent? The cold, hard truth is men need yoga specifically designed for them. Well, here's some good news: You can start your 7-day free trial to Man Flow Yoga by visiting https://shrtlnk.co/kP8M7
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138: The Physical Therapist’s Secret to Avoid Fitness Injuries & Genetic Bad Luck (Member Highlight: Andy T., DPT, MOTR/L)
Today’s guest, Man Flow Yoga Member Andy, is also a physical therapist who was cursed with genetic bad luck: His family has a history of high cholesterol. Despite eating right and exercising consistently, Andy’s cholesterol levels have been over 200 for the past decade. And since Andy’s only in his 30s, getting on a statin which is often a lifelong medication, wasn’t an option for him. But you know what? Andy proved that even though genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger. For example, about 3 months after joining Man Flow Yoga (and adding yoga to his fitness regimen of Pilates, physical therapy exercises, and something called Animal Flow), his cholesterol dropped by over 100 points! Andy’s also chock-full of tips and tricks to help you avoid injuries (and what you can do after injuring yourself to speed up recovery). Here’s what Andy shares in this episode: How some of his PT clients injured themselves with traditional yoga He explains the difference between Pilates and yoga (and why they complement each other more than you’d think) Why diversifying your movement is the best way to free yourself of pain as you age And more! Other highlights from the show include: How to pick up exercise later in life (especially if you never considered yourself an athlete growing up) (4:19) Why you don’t have to compete in sports to think of yourself as a “fitness guy” (and how this identity shift inspires consistency) (5:00) The physical therapist’s secret for forever eliminating your lower back pain (7:34) Why holistic fitness modalities like Pilates and Man Flow Yoga are often more effective than physical therapy alone (8:06) Injured during yoga: Physical therapist shares how traditional yoga has led to injuries for his clients (12:28) The 5 biomotor skills you must protect as you age (or else they’ll deteriorate) (14:31) Physical therapist explains the stark, yet sometimes unrecognizable difference between Pilates and yoga (16:36) How Andy lowered his cholesterol, which had been above 200 for over a decade due to genetic bad luck, by 100 points in only 3 months (without using statins) (33:01) The single most effective way to exercise without causing an injury - straight from a physical therapist’s mouth (41:27) Listen now! Resources mentioned on this episode: 1. Need a physical therapist in Austin, TX? Andy would love to see you! You can learn more about Andy’s unique approach to physical therapy and Pilates on his website here: https://therapyandpilates.com/ 2. Group Coaching with MFY Coach Patrick: Or, if you prefer a group setting where you’re surrounded by other like-minded men who are struggling through similar problems as you, Coach Patrick also does group coaching. You can learn more about group coaching and sign up for group coaching with Coach Patrick here: https://manflowyoga.com/mfy-12-week/ Other important links: Want to improve your sexual wellness, get stronger erections, and last longer in bed? Then join the FREE 7-Day Sexual Wellness Challenge here: https://shrtlnk.co/uA27H Tired of doing a form of yoga that causes more injuries than it helps prevent? The cold, hard truth is men need yoga specifically designed for them. Well, here's some good news: You can start your 7-day free trial to Man Flow Yoga by visiting https://shrtlnk.co/kP8M7
The Better Man Podcast is a podcast redefining what it means to be better as a man. In it, we’ll discuss how to balance success with our overall well-being, take on a more comprehensive understanding of fitness to include our physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and strive to align our actions with who we are at our cores. We can be successful and proud of who we are without sacrificing our core values or our well-being.
Dean Pohlman is known as THE yoga expert for men. His unique fitness-centric, strength-based approach to yoga—exemplified in his yoga workouts, programs, books, videos, blogs, and more—has helped to transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of men [and women] worldwide.
Join Dean as he explores the habits, mindsets, tools, and tactics that lead to health, happiness, and fulfillment for men. You'll hear interviews with world-class experts who pull back the curtain and share their proven strategies for taking your body and mind to the next level.
More significantly, we’ll discuss the challenges they faced that truly tested them on an emotional level, and work to better understand what they did to work through those events, and how it helped them to grow for the better.
Learn how to implement new habits sustainably and realistically. Discover systems and processes that will empower you to hit your biggest goals. And be prepared to go deep beyond the world of physical fitness, to explore the mental, spiritual, and emotional aspects of health that will truly allow you to thrive.
Get inspired and get ready. The Better Man Podcast is a conversation to help you become the better version of yourself.
Dean Pohlman
Founder / CEO of Man Flow Yoga
Best-selling Author of Yoga Fitness for Men & Yoga for Athletes
Co-Producer of Body By Yoga Series