Welcome to the positive corner of the internet. Every weekday, we make sense of the confusing world of wellness by analyzing the headlines, simplifying the latest research, and offering quick tips 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
Instant health boost
Weekly wisdom
Are free weights better than machines?
Pump perks
Number you won’t forget
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.
Instant Health Boost
Roll Your Way To Sleep
So many sleep tips focus on what to subtract before bed — such as eating, drinking, or spending time on your devices. But it might be what you add that finally helps you unlock better rest.
Research suggests that a little bit of mindful movement at night — such as foam rolling, yoga, or stretching — could help you achieve better, deeper, and higher-quality sleep.
Studies have explored the connection between exercise and sleep, focusing on the role of peripheral factors — physiological changes that help regulate sleep. These factors include the release of certain hormones (like cortisol and melatonin), changes in body temperature, and muscle-related signals.
The light movement sets off different reactions that put you in a prime position for better rest. For example, foam rolling (or any massage) can help reduce anxiety, increase relaxation, and even potentially boost serotonin — all of which might help you fall asleep faster and experience more restorative sleep.
Exercise also helps manage cortisol, reducing stress while increasing a natural rise in melatonin. A very slight rise in body temperature means your body will react by cooling down, which can also help promote ease of falling asleep faster.
If you’re new to foam rolling, you only need something solid (like a foam roller, tennis, or lacrosse ball) and a little space.
Focusing on small movements, roll the solid object on the front and back of your legs (quads and hamstrings), your glutes, upper back, and the bottom of your feet. And call it a night. All you need is about 5 to 10 minutes.
And that’s it. If it’s a struggle, make it easier by listening to your favorite podcast or an audiobook. That way, you not only help your brain wind down (which improves sleep), but it helps you build another healthy habit by connecting it to something you enjoy. Give it a try, and let us know how it goes!
If you need a short tutorial, watch the video below.
Weekly Wisdom
Fact or Fiction?
Free Weights Are Better Than Machines
Is it better to reach for free weights or stick with machines? A recent review and meta-analysis compared the effects of these two popular training methods on strength, muscle growth, and jump performance.
The researchers found that machines and dumbbells were equally effective at building muscle and strength.
Some people interpreted the study to show that free weights were better, but that’s not what the scientists found. People who train with free weights do a better job of increasing strength on free weight exercises, while those who train with machines are better at seeing machine improvements.
In other words, your rate of progress and improvement is specific to the type of exercise you do most often. So lifting isn’t just about strength but specifically training a skill and movement pattern. But if you look at strength increases — regardless of the type of exercise you perform — both types of exercise equipment lead to similar increase and muscle growth.
The exception? Jump performance appears to improve much more with free weights compared to machines.
At the end of the day, your body responds to resistance, whether from dumbbells, machines, barbells, resistance bands, kettlebells, or even your body weight. As you get stronger, it’s essential to keep challenging your muscles in new ways, either by adding weight, reps, or sets. That’s the idea of progressive resistance, which is how you improve and transform your body.
Discounts & Deals
Pump Perks
Most products in the wellness space are garbage. We test dozens and work to get you a discount on the ones we love. Here are a few deals for you to enjoy this month:
A Free 8-Pack: When you push yourself on longer workouts or sweat a lot, LMNT is the best way to replenish what your body loses. When you purchase any product from LMNT, you’ll get a sample of every flavor.
The Safest Creatine On The Market: Rule #1 of creatine: don’t assume all creatine is created equal. A study of 175 creatine brands found that 88% used a form of creatine without evidence of effectiveness or safety. That’s why you must use creatine with third-party testing to ensure purity, quality, and no dangerous levels of toxins or metals. We love Momentous because it invests in your safety and is trusted by pro athletes and the military. Get 20% OFF with the code Pump Club.
AI (But Not Skynet): We think AI can be a powerful tool in health, fitness, and all areas of life. And OCI is the single platform for your infrastructure, database, application development, and AI needs. If your business uses AI, then it’s worth checking out OCI.
A Higher Quality Protein: What more can we say about Maui Nui? More protein per serving, loaded with vitamins and minerals, almost no saturated fat, incredible flavor, and their work is saving the ecosystem of Hawaii while helping feed the island of Maui. If you want to see why we rave about it so much, save 20% OFF your first purchase.
Caffeine — Without The Crash Or Jitters: Research makes it hard to deny that coffee likely has many health benefits. However, the high caffeine can bother some people, whether with GI issues, jitters, or the crash. Beam’s Super Latte was designed for all the upsides of coffee without the downsides. Get up to 35% off when you use the code PUMPCLUB.
Fitness
Number You Won’t Forget: 21 percent
According to an analysis of 3.3 million people, only 21 percent of adults get the recommended amount of physical activity. For those keeping score at home, getting a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity movement each week is suggested.
And if you break it down by specific types of exercise, additional research suggests that about 17 percent of people do enough aerobic and resistance training.
It’s why Arnold’s crusade for more than 60 years has been to help people be more active and exercise. And we’ll continue supporting that mission through these daily emails, the podcast, the free workout every Monday, and The Pump app.
So consider this your weekly reminder to keep moving however you prefer.
And that’s it for this week. We truly appreciate all the members of the positive corner of the internet. Remember to find a way to give back, lift someone up, and have a fantastic weekend!
-Arnold, Adam, and Daniel
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
