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Today’s Health Upgrade
Monday motivation
Microplastics in your meals?
Instant answer
Workout of the week
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.
Arnold’s Corner
Monday Motivation
Let’s start with a little math lesson today.
Can you tell me which numbers are greater than zero?
I will give you a minute.
Hopefully, you figured this out, but literally every single positive number is greater than zero.
On a scale of 0 to 10, a 9 is more than a 0, a 5 is more than a 0, and yes, a 1 is more than a 0.
But every day, on social media and in the replies to these daily emails, I see people who see the world in brutal black and white: they only see 10 or zero.
If you can’t have the perfect, the ideal…the “optimal” diet, workout, reading session, meditation, lesson, whatever, you decide that nothing is the only other option.
That’s bullshit.
You just did the math. You know a 10 isn’t the only thing that beats a 0. EVERYTHING beats a Zero.
We shared a free diet guide that has helped thousands of people in the Pump app cut their body fat. We immediately received thousands of responses that said, “Thank you. I will start next week when I can go grocery shopping.”
I know the sad truth when I see these answers. You mean well, but 90 percent of you will not start. I know this because you’re waiting for the perfect conditions instead of just starting from where you are. Almost all of us have something healthy at home. Carrots, some yogurt, eggs, a banana, chicken, lentils or beans — I promise if you looked around, you could start right now.
The moment you decide you need to wait to start until the situation is perfect is the moment most of you choose not to start — you just don’t know it yet.
I know it sounds harsh. But let’s do another exercise.
How often have you told yourself, “I’ll do this when…” or “I’ll start ____ Monday.”?
Now, think about how many times you have actually done what you said you would do.
Finally, think about how many times you started and didn’t follow through.
I bet it’s a lot. Because you have a 10 or 0 mindset.
You have trained your mind to wait for perfection. And you might make it to the grocery store and get your vegetables, fruit, and lean proteins next Monday. But eventually, something will happen — you’ll be at a work lunch, or you’ll be traveling, or your kids won’t be hungry for what you cooked, and things just won’t be perfect — and you will break.
I want you to start retraining your mind. Teach it to just start. Teach it to get a 1 when a 10 isn’t possible. Teach it that progress is progress, and perfection doesn’t exist.
This is easy to do. When your kids keep you awake at night, and your mind wants to do nothing because you don’t have an hour for your workout, do five minutes of pushups and squats or walking. When you don’t have every ingredient for the perfect diet, eat one vegetable, one piece of fruit, or one protein source.
It is time for you to learn that something beats nothing. Something to make you better every day adds up over time.
Even if you’re down in the dumps, if you get a one every single day, that will add up to 7 by the end of the week.
If you walk 3 minutes a day, at the end of the week, you’ve walked more than a mile. Do you think your mile beats lying on the couch because you couldn’t walk 10,000 steps every day?
If you read 3 pages of your book a day, then next week, you’re starting on page 22. Do you think it’s better to be on page 1, waiting for the day when you have a free hour to read?
If you do 15 pushups and 15 squats a day, at the end of the week, you’ve done more than 100 pushups and squats. Do you think it’s better to do nothing until you have time to do 100 of each in one workout?
Once you realize that your 0 or 10 mentality is bullshit and you decide that you will always choose something to make you better every day instead of nothing, your idea of loss will completely change.
I thought about the importance of reminding all of you of this when I watched the Pump Club Book Club with Sahil.
You’ll realize there are only two ways to truly lose: If you never start, and if you quit.
Now, I want you to think about one thing you’ve been putting off, waiting for the perfect moment. And I want you to go do it. It won’t be perfect. It won’t be optimal.
But it will be something, which is always, always better than nothing.
Together With Our Place
Is Your Cookware Shedding Microplastics into Your Meals?
Non-stick cookware makes cooking and cleaning a breeze, but recent research suggests it might also be adding unwanted ingredients to your food.
Research suggests that a small scratch on a Teflon-coated pan can release thousands to millions of microplastic and nanoplastic particles during cooking.
Researchers investigated the release of microplastics and nanoplastics from non-stick cookware. Using Raman imaging—a technique that scans surfaces to collect spectral data—they analyzed both new and used Teflon-coated pots and pans. The study simulated cooking processes by applying utensils like steel spatulas and wooden turners to the cookware surfaces.
A single surface crack on a Teflon-coated pan could release approximately 9,100 plastic particles. More extensive damage led to releasing up to 2.3 million microplastic and nanoplastic particles.
These particles, derived from the Teflon coating, are concerning because Teflon belongs to the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) family—often referred to as "forever chemicals" due to their persistence in the environment and potential health risks.
The researchers believe that the mechanical action of cooking utensils on a non-stick surface causes these particles to dislodge. Over time, as the cookware experiences wear and tear, the degradation of the Teflon coating accelerates, leading to increased particle release.
While the health implications of ingesting these microplastics and nanoplastics are still under investigation, one thing is certain: any time you can minimize potential exposure — such as not microwaving food in plastic containers — it can provide additional safety.
We recently decided to test out different cookware and test the criteria that matters:
No forever chemicals of any type
No coatings (which could scrap off with wear and tear)
The ability to cook over high heat (a problem for some cookware with chemical exposure)
Easy clean-up
The best of the bunch was Our Place Titanium Cookware Set. It’s the first truly nonstick cookware with zero coating—which means zero forever chemicals and a surface that doesn’t degrade. Instead of relying on coatings that break down, it’s made from pure titanium, ultra-hardened for lifelong durability. It combines the best of stainless steel, cast iron, and nonstick.
We tried it out under all conditions for three months, and it held up. The best part? It’s both oven and dishwasher-safe. So it’s easy to prepare any meal, and clean-up is not a problem.
We loved the cookware so much that we reached out to Our Place to request a discount for APC readers. If you want a cookware set that actually lives up to the hype, you get 10% off the full Titanium Pro Cookware Set. Plus, you get free shipping and free returns. Cookware can be an investment, so we wanted to ensure that it was a risk-free option as you try to cut back on forever chemicals and keep your home healthy.
Weight Loss
Instant Answer: Can You Freeze Fat Away?
There are many reasons to use cold exposure, whether for recovery or even to produce bursts of dopamine.
But, if you’re using cold to help with weight loss — whether with ice baths, cryochambers, or some other method — you’re likely wasting your time.
Many people reference this study to support their belief in the fat-loss capabilities of cold exposure and how it increases brown fat to help you burn more fat. In reality, swimming in cold water up to three times per week (and spending a) burned just 10 extra calories.
Do it if you love it or see benefits, but it will not make a significant difference if you’re trying to lose weight.
Fitness
Workout Of The Week
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it 100 times: some of the best workouts appear almost too easy — but they can be an incredibly effective way to become stronger and transform your body.
To the untrained eye, workouts with lots of exercises, bells and whistles, and unique movements are the key to excellent results.
To the expert, a workout with fewer movements, more intensity and focus, and a planned progression gets the job done.
How it works
Each workout is just two exercises, one lower body and one upper body. But you’re not limited to a single movement; you can do variations of the exercises. (For example, Romanian deadlifts instead of deadlifts, single-leg squats instead of back squats, overhead presses instead of bench presses, etc.)
You’ll do three work-up sets, where you progressively add weight to prepare yourself for the working sets. You’ll do two work sets, with the last set being maximum effort and stopping about 1-rep short of failure. You’ll use longer rest between sets (2 to 3 minutes). You can do 3 to 4 weekly workouts and follow this pattern to get stronger on these four primary lifts.
Workout 1
Exercise 1: Deadlift (rest 2-3 minutes between sets)
Set 1 (work-up/warmup): 8-10 reps
Set 2 (add weight, work-up/warmup): 6-8 reps
Set 3 (add weight, work-up/warmup): 2-4 reps
Set 4 (add weight): 5-8 reps
Set 5 (add weight): as many reps as you have left (stopping 1-rep short of failure)
Exercise 2: Bench press (rest 2-3 minutes between sets)
Set 1 (work-up/warmup): 8-10 reps
Set 2 (add weight, work-up/warmup): 6-8 reps
Set 3 (add weight, work-up/warmup): 2-4 reps
Set 4 (add weight): 5-8 reps
Set 5: (add weight): as many reps as you have left (stopping 1-rep short of failure)
Workout 2
Exercise 1: Front or back squat (rest 2-3 minutes between sets)
Set 1 (work-up/warmup): 8-10 reps
Set 2 (add weight, work-up/warmup): 6-8 reps
Set 3 (add weight, work-up/warmup): 2-4 reps
Set 4 (add weight): 5-8 reps
Set 5: (add weight): as many reps as you have left (stopping 1-rep short of failure)
Exercise 2: Any row variation (rest 2-3 minutes between sets)
Set 1 (work-up/warmup): 8-10 reps
Set 2 (add weight, work-up/warmup): 6-8 reps
Set 3 (add weight, work-up/warmup): 2-4 reps
Set 4 (add weight): 5-8 reps
Set 5 (add weight): as many reps as you have left (stopping 1-rep short of failure)
Give it a try and start your week strong!
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
