Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth

MAPS Abs and Butt: ⁠ https://mapsabsandbutt.com⁠
Code: LAUNCH for 40% off. Includes Butt Building Diet Guide, Women's Supplement Guide, at-home dumbbell version and a free second program at checkout (Muscle Mommy or Muscle Mommy 15).
In this episode the guys break down the signs that your bulk or reverse diet is not working — losing weight on the scale, still feeling hungry, strength not going up, energy not improving, and sleep not getting better. They cover why strength is the single best metric to track during a bulk, why under eating during a supposed surplus leads to binge cycles on garbage food, and why women especially resist the scale going up even when building muscle is the goal. They also get into why old gym machines from the 90s with their heavier stacks were built for bodybuilders and how modern machines are designed for ease and safety, Paleo Valley bone broth protein in coffee that Sal's uncle has been doing for months without knowing it was a protein supplement, a new dating app exclusively for people who were never vaccinated for Covid, TBPN and how AI companies are buying podcasts to control public narrative — plus the William Hearst and cannabis prohibition parallel showing this is a 200-year-old game, pheromone maxing and the viral trend of guys skipping showers before dates, Arthur Brooks on the happiness data showing kids reduce daily enjoyment but dramatically increase meaning, and Vuori now making pickleball paddles as pickleball hit 479% growth and 24 million players in 5 years. Then they answer questions from Instagram.
SPONSORS
Paleo Valley (bone broth protein): ⁠ https://paleovalley.com/mindpump⁠
15% off automatically applied at checkout. 

 
Vuori: ⁠ https://vuoriclothing.com/mindpump⁠
20% off first order, no code needed. 



Dose for Your Liver: ⁠ https://dosedaily.co/MINDPUMP35⁠
Code: MINDPUMP35 for 35% off first month subscription. 
 
LINKS
Mind Pump Store: ⁠ https://mindpumpstore.com⁠
Maps Fitness Products: ⁠ https://mapsfitnessproducts.com⁠
Instagram: @mindpumpmedia
 
0:00 - Intro
1:13 - Signs your bulk is not working — and why most people are making the same mistakes
3:39 - Sign 1: You lost weight — if the scale goes down you are nowhere near eating enough
10:09 - Sign 2: You are hungry — on a proper bulk you should never feel hungry
13:00 - Sign 3: Strength has not gone up — the most objective metric during a bulk
15:12 - Sign 4: Energy is not better — proper surplus should have you moving more subconsciously
21:36 - Sign 5: Sleep is not better — and the libido clue nobody talks about
22:56 - Old gym machines had heavier stacks and were built for bodybuilders — a completely different design
25:00 - Paleo Valley bone broth protein in coffee — Sal's uncle has been doing it for months
26:40 - The new dating app exclusively for unvaccinated people — it is real
30:31 - TBPN sale and AI companies buying podcasts to control public narrative
38:02 - William Hearst, cannabis prohibition and 200 years of media narrative control
44:04 - Pheromone maxing — skipping showers before dates and the ovulation science behind it
47:24 - Arthur Brooks on happiness data — kids lower daily enjoyment but dramatically increase meaning
57:36 - Vuori now makes pickleball paddles — 479% growth and 24 million players in 5 years
1:06:21 - Q&A: Best way to build leg strength without a squat rack
1:08:43 - Q&A: Getting tighter after starting to lift — is this normal or a stretching problem?
1:12:08 - Q&A: Is winging it in the gym okay if you are consistent and progressing?
1:18:18 - Q&A: What would each of the guys be doing if Mind Pump never happened?

Maps Abs and Butt
40% off, a free Muscle Mommy or Muscle Mommy 15 program, a build your butt diet guide, and a supplement guide. Find everything at htpps://mapsabsandbutt.com with code Launch.
You cannot shrink yourself into a better body. You have to build it first, then reveal it. That's the whole thesis of this Mind Pump Show episode, and the guys spend every minute proving it with real client stories, hard science, and the kind of blunt coaching most trainers are too scared to deliver.
The Guys break down exactly why starting with a cut is the most common, most damaging mistake people make, whether they want a rounder butt, visible abs, or just a leaner physique overall. From the client who tried to bulk on 50 calories above maintenance, to the trainer competition where everyone cut so aggressively they lost muscle instead of fat, to the New England Journal of Medicine data showing a 10% bodyweight loss tanks your metabolism by hundreds of calories a day: the case for building first is airtight.
Sponsors:
Seed — seed.com/mindpump (code: 25MINDPUMP)
1:07 Opening thesis: build first, then reveal
2:19 Why bulking is so hard to sell, especially to women
2:46 Client story: the 50-calorie surplus that went nowhere
4:47 Personal bulk disasters: dirty bulking and zero muscle gained
8:13 The cut-too-hard trap: body fat percentage going UP
10:35 The real mechanism of muscle loss on aggressive cuts
11:32 Build before you cut: the correct order explained
13:30 Busting the bulky myth: what strength training actually does to a woman's body
24:29 The science case for building first: two key studies
28:00 Best exercises for glutes and abs: progressive overload over the burn
30:09 What the program structure actually looks like
35:59 MAPS Abs and Butt launch details and challenge

MAPS Abs and Butt: https://mapsabsandbutt.com
Code: LAUNCH for 40% off. Includes Butt Building Diet Guide, Women's Supplement Guide, at-home dumbbell version and a free second program at checkout (Muscle Mommy or Muscle Mommy 15).
 
In this episode the guys break down the real dangers of artificial sweeteners — why they are unlikely to be physically dangerous despite all the scaremongering, why they simply do not work for weight loss in real life outside of controlled settings, how they change your perception of palatability so that water and whole foods start to taste bland, and why the novelty effect of pairing them with meals causes people to eat more overall. They also cover the LMNT pre-workout pump hack Sal has been using, making 1,000 pounds of tomatoes into Sunday sauce with the whole family, the GTA 6 trailer and the $1-2 billion production budget behind it, the serious and underreported sexual and psychological side effects of finasteride for hair loss, Ketone IQ stacked with morning caffeine as the guys' favorite energy combo before recording, the rock climbing store in Seoul South Korea you have to climb seven stories just to get inside, night club culture and what everyone is like after a few drinks, and Sal chipping a tooth and finding an emergency dentist on a Friday afternoon. Then they coach live callers submitted through mplivecaller.com.
 
SPONSORS
LMNT (electrolytes): https://drinklmnt.com/MindPump
Free sample pack with any purchase, no code needed. 1,000mg sodium per serving. Mix with your pre-workout for a dramatically better pump — Sal discusses the hack on air.
 
Ketone IQ: https://ketone.com/MINDPUMP
30% off subscription orders plus a free gift with your second shipment. Take mid-day after your caffeine window for sustained mental sharpness.
 
Joymode (sexual performance booster): https://tryjoymode.com/mindpump
Code: MINDPUMP for 20% off first order. Natural, science-backed formula — L-Citrulline, Arginine, Yohimbine and Vitamin C. Mix with water 45 minutes to 4 hours before.
 
LINKS
Submit a live caller question: https://mplivecaller.com
Mind Pump Store: https://mindpumpstore.com
Maps Fitness Products: https://mapsfitnessproducts.com
Instagram: @mindpumpmedia
 
0:00 - Intro
2:47 - The real dangers of artificial sweeteners — why they fail in real life
10:02 - How artificial sweeteners change your palatability and make whole foods taste bland
15:32 - Why the novelty effect makes you eat more when pairing them with meals
22:01 - The LMNT pre-workout pump hack — mixing electrolytes with your pre-workout
26:31 - Pickleball injury stories and the 47-year-old playing junior college football
29:34 - Making 1,000 pounds of tomatoes into Sunday sauce with the family
34:44 - GTA 6 trailer — $1-2 billion budget and why it looks like a movie
38:50 - Finasteride for hair loss — the serious sexual and psychological side effects nobody warns you about
47:01 - Ketone IQ stacked with morning caffeine — the guys' favorite recording day combo
47:58 - The rock climbing store in Seoul you have to climb seven stories just to enter
55:08 - Night club culture — what everyone is like after a few drinks
1:04:49 - Caller: Julie (Illinois) — osteopenia, vegan, reverse diet to 3,000 calories, plateau on Maps Esthetic, switching to Maps 15
1:30:36 - Caller: Dave (Georgia) — lost 100 pounds since 2019, wants to improve VO2 max and body composition
1:42:23 - Caller: Elissa (Michigan) — 90-day check-in, strength up across all three lifts including a month in Italy with no training
1:47:09 - Caller: Amber (Michigan) — cleaning business owner, beach volleyball 3-4 days a week, drastically overtraining, needs to cut volume way down

MAPS Abs and Butt: https://mapsabsandbutt.com
Code: LAUNCH for 40% off. Includes Butt Building Diet Guide, Women's Supplement Guide, at-home dumbbell version, and a free second program at checkout (Muscle Mommy or Muscle Mommy 15).
 
In this episode the guys break down the real reason most women never build the butt they want — and it has nothing to do with effort or genetics. They cover why you cannot shrink your way to a bigger butt, why high rep burn workouts and kickbacks produce almost no results, why the exercises that feel the best in your glutes are often the worst for building them, how much protein you actually need (and why it feels like force-feeding at first), why building muscle first makes getting lean dramatically easier, and why strength in the squat, hip thrust and deadlift is the only metric that actually tells you it's working. Sal shares the story of a client who went from 1900 to 2900 calories, built significant muscle, and then leaned out effortlessly without going nearly as low as before.
 
MAPS Abs and Butt: https://mapsabsandbutt.com
Code: LAUNCH for 40% off. Nine-week program focused on abs and glutes. Includes free second program (Muscle Mommy or Muscle Mommy 15), Butt Building Diet Guide and Women's Supplement Guide.
 
SPONSORS
 
Super Patch: https://mindpump.superpatch.com
No code needed, use URL for $30 off. Freedom (pain), Liberty (mobility), REM (sleep), Victory (athletic performance) and Focus (concentration) patches. Backed by over a dozen peer-reviewed studies.
 
LINKS
 
Mind Pump Store: https://mindpumpstore.com
Maps Fitness Products: https://mapsfitnessproducts.com
Instagram: @mindpumpmedia
 
0:00 - Intro
2:26 - The real reason your butt won't grow — and it has nothing to do with effort
4:27 - Why toning is not real and why you have to stop being afraid of building
7:35 - Why the exercises that feel the best in your glutes are often the worst for building them
10:00 - Five sets of heavy barbell squats beats 90 minutes of burn class — every time
11:14 - The diet truth: you cannot build a bigger butt while staying in a deficit
13:03 - How much protein you actually need — and why it feels like force feeding at first
17:36 - Why your body needs a reason to build muscle and what that reason has to be
20:45 - The best butt building exercises and why programming matters as much as the exercises
25:08 - Strength is the most important metric — if you are getting stronger your butt is growing
26:06 - Build first then reveal — why getting lean first is completely backwards
28:47 - Give yourself nine weeks minimum and what to expect in the mirror

MAPS Abs and Butt: https://mapsabsandbutt.com
Code: LAUNCH for 40% off. Includes Butt Building Diet Guide, Women's Supplement Guide, at-home dumbbell version, and a free second program at checkout (Muscle Mommy or Muscle Mommy 15).
 
In this episode the guys break down why the cross-bench dumbbell pullover is one of the most forgotten and underrated exercises in the gym — covering how it trains a fundamental human movement pattern tied to throwing mechanics, why it fixes shoulder problems that nothing else touches, how it builds like a compound lift despite being an isolation movement, its unique benefits for thoracic mobility and rib expansion, and why it was a staple of old school bodybuilding for a reason. They also cover Adam's negotiating style and how radical honesty built Mind Pump's long term partnerships, a deep dive on Shilajit and the studies showing testosterone increases in healthy middle aged men, bone mineral density improvements in postmenopausal women and upregulation of extracellular matrix genes, the addiction economy Venn diagram showing 1 in 8 young men watch pornography, gamble and game every single day, the LifeLog and Facebook connection, gratitude practice and how Adam is using sauna time to rewire his relationship with wanting more, why electricians are now one of the most in-demand and highest-paid careers in the country, and Caldera Lab's new eye serum clinical study results. Then they coach live callers submitted through mplivecaller.com.
 
Mind Pump Fitness Coaching: https://mindpumpfitnesscoaching.com
1.9 NASM CEUs
 
SPONSORS
 
Organifi (Shilajit gummies): https://organifi.com/mindpump
Code: MINDPUMP for 20% off.
 
Caldera Lab (Eye Serum): https://calderalab.com/mindpump
Code: MINDPUMP for 20% 
 
LMNT (electrolytes): https://drinklmnt.com/MindPump
Free sample pack with any purchase, no code needed. 1,000mg sodium, no sugar.
 
LINKS
 
Submit a live caller question: https://mplivecaller.com
Mind Pump Store: https://mindpumpstore.com
Maps Fitness Products: https://mapsfitnessproducts.com
Instagram: @mindpumpmedia
 
0:00 - Intro
2:43 - The cross-bench dumbbell pullover — the best exercise most people have never done
6:52 - Why it trains a fundamental human movement pattern and fixes shoulder problems like nothing else
12:43 - Builds like a compound lift, improves thoracic mobility and strengthens the rib cage
20:39 - Adam's negotiating style — radical honesty and The Godfather lesson
29:42 - Shilajit studies — testosterone, bone density and gene expression
32:24 - The addiction economy — 1 in 8 young men watch porn, gamble and game daily
39:21 - LifeLog, Facebook and the same-day launch conspiracy
45:55 - Adam's sauna gratitude practice and rewiring the relationship with wanting more
54:19 - Electricians are now one of the highest paid and most in-demand careers in the country
1:11:02 - Caller: Jason (California) — firefighter paramedic, major car accident, 2 months out
1:25:25 - Caller: Shannon (Washington) — 62-year-old trainer, chronically lean, needs to eat more
1:48:33 - Caller: Jennifer (South Carolina) — lifelong endurance athlete, 135lb bench at 52, needs to reverse diet