Welcome to the positive corner of the internet. Here’s a daily digest designed to make you healthier in less than 5 minutes. If you were forwarded this message, you can get the free daily email here.
Today’s Health Upgrade
What no one tells you about social media
How to add 7 years to your life
Pass the caffeine, please
Books of the year
Finish Strong workout #9
Arnold’s Podcast
Want more stories from Arnold? Every day, Arnold’s Pump Club Podcast opens with a story, perspective, and wisdom from Arnold that you won’t find in the newsletter. And, you’ll hear a recap of the day’s items. You can subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
From Arnold: Before the year ends
This is the 260th email we’ve sent this year. Each email had at least three items. That means we’ve shared at least 780 tips to help you live a healthier, happier, and more useful life. I can’t tell you how much I love learning about these topics and sharing this information with you.
Here are a few tips that stood out to me and other recommendations I think you’ll enjoy.
Social Media Kryptonite
Want to be instantly stronger? Stop checking social media before you sweat. Scientists looked at the impact of social media before a workout and found that scrolling saps your strength much more than you realize.
Looking at your feed might seem innocent, but doing it before training can lead to a 29 percent decrease in workout performance. The sub-par workouts were the result of mental fatigue. It turns out that swiping and liking burn your self-confidence and mental energy.
How to Add 7 Years To Your Life
Some people brag about spending millions of dollars on drugs and technology trying to extend their life — despite little evidence to prove it works. Us? We prefer something simpler, cheaper, and more effective.
Longevity supplements get all the buzz, but more time in the friend zone is what you need if you want to live longer. A review of 148 studies found that people with strong social relationships are associated with living up to 7 years longer.
Call or text a friend now (or once you’re done reading this email). Set a time to grab a coffee or a meal. It'll help you live longer, and those relationships will make the days you spend more enjoyable.
Pass the Caffeine, Please
Many people worry too much coffee is a bad thing. But, research says caffeine does your body good.
Research from the UK suggests that people who drink coffee and tea are 32 percent less likely to have a stroke and 28 percent less likely to suffer from dementia.
The research focused on survey data from 365,000 people over 11 years, so it’s either great data or a massive waste of time. This latest study adds to the mounting pile of research that suggests coffees and teas are good for your health, so consider this another reason to pour yourself another cup.
Join The Ohana
Our mission is to help make the world a happier and healthier place. And that’s why we had to find a way to highlight Maui Nui Venison. They are solving environmental problems while making it easier to enjoy red meat without the usual health concerns. They offer EXTREMELY nutritious and lean meat that packs 53% more protein per calorie than grass-fed beef and is low in saturated fat.
But this is also meat you can feel good about eating for environmental reasons. These invasive deer are causing environmental havoc on Maui, even harming the coral reefs by causing runoff from eating all of the damn grass. Maui Nui has developed the only stress-free and 100% Wild harvest systems. They work with local authorities on herd management, which is why they only offer limited subscriptions, and two USDA veterinarians oversee every harvest. Their process is so respected that Maui Nui was selected for Fast Company’s “Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Agriculture of 2023.”
We’ve all joined the Ohana (that’s family in Hawaiian). We love the jerky sticks as snacks, we’ve replaced some of our grass-fed steaks with leg medallions, and we make chili with ground venison. (Note from Daniel: my family is going through so much of it that I haven’t had a subscription box that I didn’t rush so far.)
Because they love the Pump Club, Maui Nui is offering all of you 20% off your first order. Join us and get some delicious, environmentally-friendly meat. DO IT NOW.
Books of the Year
We highlighted many books we enjoyed. Here are a few that stood out.
Be Useful: We’re biased, but Arnold’s book was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller for a reason. There’s no substitute for hard work, and Arnold’s 7 tools are the perfect guide to help you achieve your vision.
You Can’t Screw This Up: If you’re planning on starting a new diet in January, start here. This book (with a foreword from Arnold) will help you avoid the common traps, build healthy habits without stress, and leave the world of dieting behind.
Scarcity Brain: Your brain is being manipulated to work against you and engage in behaviors that aren’t in your best interests; here’s how you can take back control of your life.
Master of Change: In a world filled with unpredictability and difficulty, this book outlines the strategies to help you thrive in any situation.
Outlive: If you’re focused on longevity, this book provides a fantastic roadmap for living a longer, healthier life.
Of Boys and Men: We talk a lot about toxic masculinity, and this book inspired our need to prioritize it.
The Final Session: Finish Strong Workout #9
Today, we’re sharing the final workout of The Finish Strong Challenge.
It’s been great seeing you all post on social media. But, more importantly, I’m glad we were able to help you finish strong and build momentum for the new year.
Next week, we’ll share the three people rewarded with $1,000. All it takes is posting on social media, tagging Arnold, and using the hashtag #Arnoldschallenge.
The final workout is a lower-body workout made up of 3 circuits. Perform each exercise, resting 30 seconds between movements and 2 minutes after you complete an entire circuit. Once you do all the sets in a circuit, then move on to the next group of exercises.
You can do all these exercises with your body weight, dumbbells, or barbells.
Circuit #1
Rear-foot elevated split squat: 2-3 sets x 6 reps
Lunges: 2-3 sets x 8 reps
Squat: 2-3 sets x 10 reps
Circuit #2
Single-leg straight-leg deadlift: 2-3 sets x 6 reps/leg
Step-up: 2-3 sets x 8 reps/leg
Circuit #3
Plank: 2-4 sets x 30 seconds
Reverse crunches: 2-4 sets x 10-20 reps
Calf raises: 2-4 sets x 20-30 reps
Give it a try, and let us know how it goes!
This is the final Friday of 2023. We can’t believe that 600,000 are now a part of this village. And we want to say thank you. As we say at the end of each podcast, we do this because together, we have the strength to lift up the world! Have a fantastic weekend!
-Arnold, Adam, and Daniel
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
