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Today’s Health Upgrade

• Arnold’s Corner: Monday Motivation

• Nutrition spotlight: magnesium

• Start your week right

• Workout of the week

Arnold’s Corner
Monday Motivation: The Exception

I just got back from Oktoberfest in Munich.

I was not on plan. Not even close.

There was beer. There were pretzels the size of your head. There were sausages and music and a lot of laughing. Schnitzel. Kaiserschmarrn. I can keep going and going.

I did not think about a single serving.

And I don't feel bad about it for one second.

That's how it should be.

I want all of you to remember something. The reason we have routines is so we can enjoy the exceptions.

That's the whole point. You don't work hard all week so you can order chicken and broccoli or feel guilty at the dinner out with the people who matter. You work hard all week so you can enjoy that dinner, laugh with your friends or family, and not think about it at all.

So this is not a lecture. One meal off plan is fine. One day is fine. A full week of vacation where you completely relax is fine. Enjoy it. Then come right back.

The problem is never the exception.

The problem is when the exception is the routine.

Let me explain what I mean, because we’ve discovered in the Pump Club app that this is the exact thing keeping many, many people from the progress they want.

A lot of people go off plan every single weekend, all weekend. Friday night there are drinks after work. Saturday there is brunch, then a barbecue, then something late. Sunday is recovery, so there's takeout and whatever is in the pantry. Then Monday comes, they get back on plan, and they feel great about it.

But they can't figure out why they are stuck.

Be honest with yourself. That is not a plan with a few breaks in it.

If you can’t tell whether the break is when you’re eating the pizza and ice cream or the break is when you’re eating lean protein and vegetables, it’s not a break.

Think about a train. It's easy for a train to get where it's going if it stays on the tracks. Maybe it stops at a station. Maybe it slows down for a while. It still arrives.

Now imagine a train that derails every Friday night. Every Monday morning the whole crew comes out, lifts it back onto the tracks, checks the damage, and gets it moving again. By Wednesday it's finally picking up speed. By Friday night it's back off the rails.

That train is working very hard. It is probably not going anywhere.

That's what a lot of people's weeks look like. They are not lazy. Monday through Friday around lunchtime, they are disciplined. And they are frustrated, because they feel like they're doing everything right and nothing is changing. 

What they are really doing is spending four to five days repairing two to three.

It's hard to make progress when you derail your train every week.

It's easy to make progress when you have one cheat meal and come right back. It's even easy when you take a real vacation, relax completely, and come right back. The exception doesn't hurt you. It just has to stay the exception.

This is about habits.

You know I love talking about the power of habit. I believe in routine as a path to success. I get on my bike every morning to the gym after I feed all of my animals.

Not because I wake up motivated every morning, but because it's what I do. 

Routine takes the decision away, and that's what makes it so powerful.

But here is what we don't talk about enough.

Habits aren't always good.

A habit doesn't care where it's taking you. It will carry you toward your goals, or it will carry you further away from them, and it will do it with exactly the same power.

 Whatever you do over and over becomes who you are. That works in both directions.

And a lot of people, if they are willing to be honest, are not really having cheat meals or treats.

A treat is something special. A cheat is a break from normal.

When you do it every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it's not special and it's not a break.

It is just your habit.

Now let me be very clear about something.

I will never tell you that you can't have fun. I will never tell you to live on chicken and broccoli and go to bed at eight. I don't believe in that. If some influencer tells you that's the only way to get in shape, I'd tell them to loosen up a little. Life is supposed to be enjoyed. Food is part of that. Celebration is part of that. Friends and family and a beer tent in Munich are part of that.

But I will tell you to be honest with yourself.

That's harder than any nutrition plan. It's easy to say "I had a treat." It's hard to look at the last two months and say, "I've been having a treat three days a week, and that's why nothing is moving."

Nobody else has to hear it. You just have to say it to yourself.

So here's your assignment for this week.

Look at your week. Not the week you planned to have. The week you actually had.

Look at last weekend, and the one before, and the one before that. Count how many days were on plan and how many weren't. Don't judge it. Just see it.

Then ask yourself one question.

Have you built habits that fuel your progress and still allow you treats and breaks without stress?

Or have you built habits that derail you every week and fill your life with stress, because you know exactly what's keeping you from your goals, even if you won't say it out loud?

If it's the first one, fantastic. Keep going. Enjoy your next exception. You earned it.

If it's the second one, that's OK too. You don't need to fix everything this weekend. You don't need to give up anything you love. Pick one day. Keep it on plan. Make that the new routine. Then do it again.

The exception is where you enjoy life.

The routine is where you build it.

Keep your train on the tracks.

Hit reply and tell me: what's one weekend habit you're taking back this week?

Together With Magtein 
Nutrition Spotlight: Are You Getting Enough of Your Body’s Hardest-Working Mineral?

Protein gets plenty of attention. Fiber does, too. Magnesium rarely makes the list, even though your body depends on it all day long.

About half of Americans don't get enough magnesium from food. That matters because the mineral supports more than 300 enzyme systems throughout the body.

Magnesium helps turn food into energy. Your muscles need it to contract and relax, your nerves use it to send signals, and your heart relies on it to maintain a normal rhythm. It also helps regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, build protein, and support bone health. About half or more of the magnesium in your body is stored in your bones.

Think of protein as the building material. Magnesium helps the crew do its job.

The data that suggests nearly 50% of people don't get enough magnesium comes from national nutrition data, so it reflects what people eat rather than a diagnosed deficiency. Most aren't sick, and the kidneys can hold on to magnesium when intake drops. The concern is spending years consistently coming up short.

People who consume more magnesium tend to have lower rates of type 2 diabetes and stroke. In an analysis of 40 studies following more than a million people, every additional 100 mg per day was associated with about a 19 percent lower risk of diabetes and a 7 percent lower risk of stroke.

That doesn't prove magnesium deserves all the credit. Foods rich in magnesium also tend to contain plenty of fiber and other nutrients. But the association has been fairly consistent.

A more severe deficiency, usually connected to gut problems, heavy drinking, or certain medications taken long term, can cause weakness, muscle cramps, and irregular heart rhythms. Those symptoms deserve a conversation with your doctor.

The recommended daily amount is about 320 mg for women and 420 mg for men over 30.

For most people, you can start by getting more magnesium from food.

One ounce of pumpkin seeds contains about 150 mg, or about 37 percent of the Daily Value. Add an ounce of almonds, half a cup of cooked spinach, and half a cup of black beans, and you're at about 375 mg. That's enough for most women and close for men, before you count anything else you eat.

Most people assume a routine blood test would catch a shortfall. Usually it won't because most routine bloodwork doesn't check magnesium at all. And even when it does, the number can be misleading. 

Less than 1% of your body's magnesium is in your blood, and your body keeps that level tightly controlled. When intake runs low, your kidneys hold on to more of it, and your body can draw on its stores to keep the blood count in range. According to the NIH, a standard serum test doesn't accurately reflect how much magnesium you actually have.

So a "normal" result might mean you're fine. Or it might mean your body is compensating for low intake.

That's not a reason to panic. It's a reason not to guess, and to supplement when needed.

Your best clue is what's on your plate: if magnesium-rich foods rarely show up, that's the gap to close. 

And if you need a supplement, the form (and the quality) matters.

Cheap versions like oxide barely dissolve, so most of the dose never gets absorbed. It just sits in your gut and pulls in water. 

The one we use is Magtein®, a patented magnesium L-threonate developed to raise magnesium where you feel it, in the brain, and not just on a lab report. 

Magtein® has been tested in randomized, placebo-controlled human trials on sleep, daytime focus, and brain health. Momentous Magtein is the version we reach for. Each serving provides you with 2 grams of Magtein®, about 145 mg of elemental magnesium, and every batch is independently tested (NSF Certified for Sport), so what's on the label is what's in the bottle.

Start Your Week Right
The 30-Second Act That Means More Than You Think

Reaching out to someone takes less than a minute. And yet, most of us still put it off, especially when time has passed and a message might feel random or unwanted.

Research suggests that hesitation rests on bad intel.

Across a series of studies involving about 6,000 people, those who reached out consistently underestimated how much their friends appreciate unexpected messages.

The research went beyond asking people to imagine how a message might be received. In several experiments, participants sent notes or small gifts. Researchers then compared the senders’ predictions with the recipients’ responses.

The appreciation gap grew when the message was unexpected and when the two people weren’t especially close. 

More distance didn’t make the gesture less valuable. It made the sender worse at predicting its value.

Part of the problem is perspective. The sender wonders whether the message will seem awkward or out of the blue. The recipient gets something much simpler: evidence that someone thought about them.

In a separate experiment, commuters who talked with strangers enjoyed the trip more than those who sat alone, without becoming less productive. Other research has found that small acts of kindness can also lift the mood of the person doing them.

You can use Monday morning (like today) as the cue. Pick one person and send a short message: “Thinking of you,” or “Saw this and thought of you.” 

It doesn’t need to be clever. It just needs to be sent. And despite what yo’t think it, they’ll likely appreciate it, you’ll feel better too, and you’ll feel a little more connected and positive as you start your week.

Fitness
Workout of the Week

A note for Pump Club app members: every week, we get questions about the workouts you see here and those in your program. These are generic workouts designed with many of the principles and methods you see in the app. But a one-off workout is not the same as a customized program. Your app programs are designed for your goals, workout experience, and schedule. These programs are free for everyone, as part of Arnold’s crusade to make fitness accessible for all. 

We love different machines and equipment, but all you need are dumbbells and an adjustable bench for an incredible workout. This workout shows you how it can be done. To save time, we’ve created circuits that target different muscles, so you can work your entire body with maximum effort without overly fatiguing one muscle. 

How to do it

Warmup 

Goblet squats: 1 set x 10 reps
Kettlebell (or dumbbell) swings: 1 set x 15 reps
Overhead press: 1 set  x 15 reps 

The Workout 

Circuit 1

Perform these two exercises back-to-back with minimal rest. Then, rest 90 seconds and repeat 2 more times.

Incline dumbbell bench press: 3 sets x 5-7 reps
Chest-supported row: 3 sets x 5-7 reps
Seated dumbbell overhead press: 3 sets x 5-7 reps

90 seconds Rest 

Circuit 2

Perform these two exercises back-to-back with minimal rest. Then, rest 90 seconds and repeat 2 more times.

Dumbbell step-up: 3 sets x 5-7 reps
Dumbbell stiff-leg deadlift: 3 sets x 5-7 reps
Dumbbell alternating lunges: 3 sets x 5-7 reps

Circuit 3

Seated dumbbell biceps curls: 3 sets x 6-8 reps
Lying dumbbell triceps extensions: 3 sets x 6-8 reps
Reverse crunch: 3 x 10-12 reps

Give it a try, and start your week strong!

The Positive Corner of The Internet
About Arnold’s Pump Club Editorial Standards

We do things a bit differently here, starting with transparency.

1. The Content: All APC emails are researched, written, and fact-checked by the APC editors (see bottom of the email), with written contributions from Arnold (noted with “Arnold’s Corner”). Links take you to original studies (not second-hand sources).

2. Does AI play a role? Not for the primary content, but it is used in two ways. The main items are original content written by the APC team. The summaries at the end are AI-generated based on the human-written content above. We also use an AI tool to edit and review our interpretations of the research, ensuring scientific accuracy. We don’t assume AI is right, but we use technology to hold ourselves accountable.

3. Yes, we have partners (all clearly noted by “Together With”). Why? Because it allows us to keep the APC emails free. We first test products, and then reach out to potential partners who offer ways to help you improve every day. The bar is set high, and to date, we have turned down millions in ad deals. (Example: we will not partner with any non-certified supplements or those without evidence in human trials). If we won’t buy the product, we won’t recommend it to you. And if there’s no evidence it works, then there’s no place for it here.

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell