The Habit To Break This Year

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Today’s Health Upgrade

Monday motivation
Stronger workouts (no caffeine necessary)
The FDA makes a change
The first domino of the diet revolution?
Workout of the week

Arnold’s Podcast

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Arnold’s Corner
Monday Motivation: The Habit To Break This Year

Normally, we talk about building habits here in the Pump Club.

Today, I want to talk about one habit I want you to break this year.

First, let me tell you about one of my superpowers.

I can watch how someone reacts to getting the wrong order in a restaurant and immediately detect if they lead a happy or unhappy life.

This actually goes for everything related to service. If they snap at someone providing any service they aren’t completely happy about, I don’t need to know anything else about them.

I know they’re unhappy.

They can be the richest person in the world or the most famous. Doesn’t matter. I know they’re not happy.

That’s because snapping at service workers when things don’t go your way is the ultimate sign of someone who thinks the world has a great conspiracy against them.

It is also a sign that they lack perspective.

Because let’s be honest. If “things not going your way” means waiting a little longer, your eggs not being cooked exactly how you want, or your iPhone app not working for a few minutes — you’re pretty damn lucky.

This year, my goal for you is to break that habit of snapping at people over small issues.

First of all, they don’t deserve it.

Second of all, neither do you.

I am sure you have noticed that you never actually feel better after you “let it out” and snap at someone.

That’s because you are training yourself to be soft. You are teaching your mind that you are a victim.

Believe me, there will be bigger challenges coming your way than the little frustrations that make you lose your cool. And you need to be prepared for them.

You can prepare by training yourself every single day not to lose your cool when things aren’t going your way.

I want you to follow a 3 step process. This is how you can shift gears when you start to feel yourself getting worked up, as I talk about in Be Useful.

First, when you feel your cheeks heating up, pause and have a realistic self-talk before you blow up on someone else.

Before you snap, ask yourself, “What are the odds that this waiter worked with the kitchen to make sure my steak came medium instead of medium well?” or “Is Apple conspiring against me to make sure my phone won’t work?” or “Are they really making me wait longer just to ruin my day?” Wake yourself up to the reality that things just go wrong sometimes, and it isn’t about you.

Second, laugh at yourself for some perspective. Seriously. There are people dying from cancer, people living in war-torn countries, single parents raising kids on minimum wage salaries — remind yourself it’s a little ridiculous you were letting yourself get mad about a minor inconvenience.

And finally, shift gears. Instead of being mean and ruining someone else’s day and your own, be understanding. Say you know things happen and would like to find a solution.

Every single time you catch yourself and shift gears, that’s one rep.

It seems minor, but those reps build up.

This is how you will become happier. Once you learn to shift gears in situations that don’t go your way, you will immediately start to feel better.

You won’t think the world is against you. You won’t feel the guilt that comes with being nasty to someone.

You’ll lose that chip on your shoulder, and it will be like a weight was lifted off of your back.

Shit happens. We must remember that how we react to it will determine how we will feel about ourselves.

You can train your mind out of a victim mindset. You can train yourself to be a happier, kinder person.

It is worth the effort. Because one day, you will face a real challenge.

And when that happens, you will thank me for all of the reps of not losing it when confronted by things you don’t control.

Your challenge starts today. It’s time to break the habit of snapping when you don’t get your way.

It’s time to be happier.

Together With Momentous
Stronger Workouts (Without The Caffeine)

The best pre-workout might have nothing to do with a supplement you take before you exercise.

The best way to boost your performance could be to improve your sleep.

A review of 77 studies found that sleep deprivation significantly hinders workouts, with reductions in endurance, strength, power, and skill acquisition (up to 21%). Whether lifting weights or crushing HIIT, anything under six hours of sleep makes it harder to perform your best.

The impact goes beyond workouts. Research on over 68,000 people shows that those who slept less than five hours per night weighed an average of five pounds more than those sleeping seven hours or more. Sleep also influences fat loss and recovery, making it a critical part of any fitness plan.

If you’re short on sleep, science suggests morning workouts might outperform afternoon sessions, even if sleep-deprived. And small changes, like getting sunlight in the morning, avoiding food 2-3 hours before bed, and sticking to a consistent sleep schedule, can help improve rest.

If you cover the foundations and need extra help, the right supplements can help your body wind down. If you want a melatonin-based product, go with Elite Sleep. If you want a melatonin-free approach to deeper sleep, we recommend Momentous Sleep Pack, which helps you relax, fall and stay asleep.

We love Momentous products because they’re a rarity in the world of supplements. Every product is tested by a third party, ensuring quality and purity. They are redefining the supplement category by doing things not typically done, including 10 contracts with the US Military to help develop high-performance supplements that work. As a member of the Pump Club, you get 20% off any product, including Momentous Sleep. Simply use the code PUMPCLUB at checkout.

Health
The FDA Redefines “Healthy:” Here’s What It Means for Your Diet

Did you know that for the last 30 years, salmon couldn’t be labeled “healthy” on food packaging? But that will finally be changing.

For the first time in three decades, the FDA updated its definition of healthy, shifting the stance on sugar, saturated fat, and sodium — which means more minimally processed foods can receive the desired label.

The new rule means that foods with more than 10 percent sodium content are not considered healthy, and neither are options with more than 5 percent of the recommended daily value of saturated fat or more than 2 percent of the recommendation for added sugar.

The big takeaway? Foods like avocados, salmon, and eggs can now be labeled 'healthy,' while sugary cereals and sweetened yogurts no longer meet the criteria.

While it’s easy to be frustrated that it took this long for change, the FDA is acknowledging the role of diet in declining health. In a news conference announcing the changes, Jim Jones, the director of the FDA’s food division stated,

“The F.D.A. recognizes that diet-related diseases, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes, are the leading cause of disability and disease in the United States and contribute to America’s status of having the lowest life expectancy amongst large, high-income countries.”

The FDA's revision reflects advancements in nutrition science, emphasizing the quality and types of fats, the importance of whole foods, and the reduction of added sugars and sodium.

Our take: it’s a step in the right direction, but much more work is needed to help guide people towards more nutritious foods and make it affordable to eat healthier options instead of being pushed towards ultra-processed, hyper-palatable foods.

If you want to eat healthier, start small, and emphasize minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and higher-fat fish.

At the same time, adopt a mindset that you can’t screw this up. Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. It’s about consistent choices, not flawless ones. Celebrate small wins—like adding a vegetable to your plate or cutting back on soda.

In The News
Is This The First Domino Of The Food Revolution?

Today, we congratulate our friends at Food Fight USA for rolling up their sleeves and working non-stop to wake up policymakers on both sides of the aisle to battle ultra-processed foods.

We hope you understand this isn’t a black-and-white issue if you read the item above. Not all processing is bad (after all, healthy foods like olive oil are processed). But the food industry is too good at getting us to overeat — and the food environment needs reform.

It will surprise no one that research shows we consume more food that we enjoy. And the food industry produces a lot of food that is designed to be extra delicious and support overeating, which can lead to weight gain and an endless list of health problems.

So, if we can change the food environment and support less overconsumption, we can help more people improve their health.

We have many meetings with Todd Wagner and the whole Food Fight team, and we know they know the issues better than anyone and are willing to outwork anybody. We’ll be standing beside them as they battle Big Food state by state.

Give credit to the people who did the work ! @food_fight_usa was in the trenches working every day on this. Finally getting it passed. Ask them how many times @toddwagner11 met with and how many hours he spent educating Newsom on this subject
As well as the other 5 states this… x.com/i/web/status/1…

— Mark Cuban (@mcuban)
7:27 PM • Jan 4, 2025

Fitness
Workout Of The Week

Anyone who has gone through The Foundation knows that it’s a mistake to underestimate the effectiveness and efficiency of full-body workouts.

This workout gives you a taste of full-body training by pairing upper and lower body exercises in intense supersets. This combination helps you push harder on each set and get the most out of your body without needing to live in the gym.

Superset 1