How Your Smartphone Secretly Makes You Dumber (Even When It's Off)

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Today’s Health Upgrade

• Monday motivation

• The supplement that makes you smarter?

• Why your brain is distracted (and you don’t know it)

• Workout of the week

Arnold’s Corner
Monday Motivation: Celebrate the Little Wins

I want you to start to see the importance of celebrating the smallest victories.

Because the only way to make fitness—or any habit—sustainable for the rest of your life is to understand that success is built on a million tiny steps forward.

Too many people today believe success comes in one shot. They get excited about the crash diets and the flashy 30-day transformations where someone drops 20 pounds.

The same people will lose half a pound a week and think they’ve failed or they’re going too slow.

Think about that. Research shows that 90 percent of the quick transformations gain the weight back.

But if you lose half a pound a week for a year, that’s 26 pounds—more than the flashy transformation. And it’s more likely to stay off, because a year of consistent work builds lasting habits.

That’s why I always remind you to see the little wins. When you celebrate them, you create the fuel to keep going.

• If you’ve never trained before and you worked out once this week, that’s not a failure. That’s progress.

• If you added five pounds to a lift, that’s a win.

• If you ate an extra serving of vegetables, that’s a win.

• If you did one more pushup than last week, that’s a win.

Every lesson I learned in the gym comes down to progressive resistance. You don’t lift 500 pounds the first time you try. You add a little weight, week after week. And even then, you fail along the way.

It took me years to bench press 500, and even when I got close, I failed time after time to get that weight up. One day, it happened because all of that built up progressive resistance, all of those tiny wins of adding a pound, built up.

The same thing applied to my speeches. My first “speech” was when Reg Park asked me to say hello to an audience in Ireland. I barely spoke English, and I said maybe ten words. The next time I spoke to a crowd, I said twenty. Over time, I kept pushing myself further until standing on stage for an hour didn’t scare me.

That’s progressive resistance. And it doesn’t just belong in the gym. It belongs everywhere.

If you want to read more, start with one page a day. That’s progressive resistance.
If you want to write, start with one paragraph. That’s progressive resistance.
If you want to save money, start with five dollars a week. That’s progressive resistance.
If you want to be a better parent, start with one extra bedtime story or one more hour of undistracted time. That’s progressive resistance.
If you want to build confidence, start with introducing yourself to one new person. That’s progressive resistance.

Every step, every rep, every word, every dollar—it all adds up. Just like the weights on the bar.

It only works if you keep going. That’s why you must celebrate the little wins. They are proof that you’re moving forward, and they build the habits that carry you through when motivation fades. Acknowledging the little wins makes it much, much harder to quit.

So this week, I want you to find one win—no matter how small—and celebrate it. Write it down. Share it with someone. Use it as fuel.

Because the secret to lasting success isn’t one giant leap. It’s millions of little steps.

Now, take your first step.

Together With Momentous 
Can Omega-3s Make You Smarter?

Scientists recently analyzed nearly 60 gold-standard trials to see if omega-3s truly sharpen the mind — and the results are surprisingly consistent.

Taking 1,000–2,500 mg of omega-3s daily can improve memory, spatial thinking, and overall brain performance — but more isn’t better.

In the most comprehensive analysis to date, researchers reviewed 58 randomized controlled trials that tested omega-3 supplements (ranging from 230 to nearly 5,000 mg/day) in adults. 

They found the strongest improvements around 2,000 mg/day, especially in primary memory. Benefits were also observed in processing speed, language, and global cognition, although the evidence varied. Importantly, taking more than 2,500 mg/day did not provide any additional benefits.

Researchers believe the improvements stem from omega-3s’ role in building cell membranes, reducing inflammation, and supporting communication between brain cells — all of which help preserve memory and mental sharpness.

If you want to put this into action, aim for a daily combined dose of about 2,00 mg DHA and EPA (check your supplement label). Consistency matters more than megadoses, so focus on making it part of your daily routine — whether from fatty fish, high-quality fish oil, or algae-based omega-3s if you prefer plant-based sources.

If you’re looking for a high-quality supplement, take extra caution before you buy because fish oil supplements notoriously have a quality control issue. In one study on fish oil, 32 supplements were analyzed, and only three contained the amount of EPA and DHA on the label. And two-thirds of the products had less than 67 percent of the claimed dose.

That’s why we only recommend purchasing NSF Certified For Sport or Informed Sport supplements, like our favorite, Momentous Omega-3. The certifications are costly, so most brands don’t include them. Momentous is the gold standard for quality and purity, and their Omega-3 is a perfect balance of DHA and EPA.

As an APC reader, use the code “PUMPCLUB” to get up to 35 percent off your first order subscription (or 14% OFF a one-time purchase).

Start Your Week Right 
How Your Smartphone Reduces Intelligence (Without You Realizing It)

You might think that ignoring your phone means it’s not affecting you — but your brain knows it’s there. And that's causing problems you likely won't recognize.

Having your smartphone nearby—even if you’re not using it—can reduce your brainpower.

Researchers examined if our phones drain more than just our attention when they buzz or light up. To test this, they conducted two experiments with nearly 800 smartphone users. Participants were asked to complete tests that required full attention and cognitive capacity—like problem-solving and memory tasks. The twist? Some participants had their phones placed on the desk, some had them in their pocket or bag, and others had them in another room.

Scientists found that the closer the phone was, the worse the performance. Those with their phones on the desk showed significantly reduced cognitive capacity compared to those whose phones were in another room. Even having the phone turned off and face down was not enough to prevent the drop.

In the most affected group, working memory and intelligence scores dropped by nearly 10 percent.

The researchers believe that just seeing your phone triggers a subconscious process that uses mental resources to suppress the urge to check it. Essentially, your brain is quietly working in the background to ignore it — and that distraction pulls power away from tasks that require focus.

Even when people say they’re not thinking about their phone, the mere presence demands attention. And the more dependent you are on your phone, the more likely it is to sap your brainpower — even if you think you’re resisting.

If you want to think better, solve problems faster, or simply be more present, put your phone in another room. Don’t just silence it. Don’t just flip it over. Out of sight really is out of mind — and your mind will thank you for it.

Fitness
Workout Of The Week 

Sometimes, the hardest part of training isn’t moving — it’s staying still. This bodyweight workout adds a twist by holding the bottom position of each exercise, creating constant tension and building strength where you’re usually weakest. That means stronger joints, more muscle activation, and a deeper mind–muscle connection. In just 20 minutes, you’ll feel muscles that normal reps never touch.

How To Do It

Complete the entire workout as a circuit, performing one exercise after another, resting as little as possible. For each repetition, you’ll hold the portion of the exercise that creates the most tension for 3 to 4 seconds. After you complete one set of each exercise, that’s one round. Rest for three minutes, and then repeat. Perform three to four rounds. 

1. Squat (with hold at the bottom): 8-10 reps

2. Pushup (with hold at the bottom): 8-10 reps

3. Split Squat (with hold at the bottom): 6-8 reps per leg

4. Inverted row (with hold at the top): 8-10 reps

5. Glute bridge (with hold at the top): 8-10 reps

Coaching Tips

The pause should feel controlled, not like you’re waiting around. Stay tight.

To regress the workout, shorten the hold times or reduce the reps. To progress it, add a ruck or weighted vest.

Give it a try, and start your week strong!

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell