This is Mike Israetel.
Competitive bodybuilder, pro BJJ grappler, the most jacked dude I’ve met.
He’s also a professor, PhD, and former Olympic nutrition consultant.
I asked him some fitness questions. Here are 7 answers that truly shocked me:
1. In the future, we can buy fit bodies
Mike is a bit of a “fitness optimist.”
He sees a near future where we can take meds that produce muscle.
Aka, you can take a pill to get ripped.
Like Ozempic, but for muscle gain.
2. Is Ozempic bad?
I asked him about Ozempic side effects.
If we inhibit our reward sensors to say no food - could it mess with our reward sensors overall?
Mike is pro-Ozempic, but the way he explained side effects was fascinating:
3. Why are we so fat these days?
It could some combination of no personal accountability, poisonous food, corporatization, the lizard people…
But Dr. Mike says the answer may be simpler than we think, and it’s hiding in plain sight:
4. The Corporate Food Conspiracy
The conspiracy is true, but it’s not as sexy as we think.
McDonald’s wants you to buy burgers.
But it’s not about the burgers... It’s about the buying.
It's not about making America fat, it's about giving Americans what will ROI.
5. How often you should workout
“The good news is, for people who aren’t working out very seriously, just 2 or 3 sessions, 20-30 minutes at a time can get you unbelievable results.”
Here’s why:
6. The catch about working out…
Maybe you only need 2 sessions a week, but they have to be INTENSE.
How do you measure intensity?
- Try hard.
- Accept discomfort.
- Push yourself close to failure.
7. Is alcohol bad for you?
I was ready for Mike to tell me a glass of wine was gonna give me an early death.
But it turns out, in his view, the trade-off of moderate drinking is worth it:
The benefit of being in a relaxed state can outweigh the detriment of 1-2 drinks.
A lot of people talk about fitness online, but not many are as smart as @misraetel.
Fascinating conversation overall.
Listen to the whole thing here, on the podcast platform of your choice:
lnkfi.re/BigDeal
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