Choosing the Right Gym | ETP#45

[aaron_straker]: 0:30

What's up, Everyone? happy Tuesday, Wecom back to another episode of each train Prosper today, Brian myself are going to talk more about choosing the right gym. This is something I find very very important to myself and it is an area that I think so many people kind of fall short in in comparison and really selecting the gym for more appropriate reasons for the reason. Sorry for the time that you spend there. I know Brian has a lot of input on this as a prior gyman. Or so we' going to dive into this, but before do Brian. What's latest?

[bryan_boorstein]: 1:00

Yeah, lots of updates. Um. let's start with a really awesome exciting update, which is, I bought myself a functional trainer and

[aaron_straker]: 1:08

Excellent?

[bryan_boorstein]: 1:09

it's even more than a functional trainer because it also has a high and a low pulley, so it essentially has like a high pully, a low pully, And then it has the two arms on either side with the cable that kind of just runs up and down vertically. Um, and this is awesome. I've always wanted one of these and I've been complaining about the limit. The limiting um ability of my current cable machine with the you know, the single pulley not having a dual pulley. So this new machine that I bought Uh, The brand is tough stuff. A lot of people have asked me about this on Instigram. Uh, they have great reviews. This machine is like a nine point seven out of ten, Uh, when you, when you google it, which is a pretty good rating. Uh, so the one thing this machine doesn't do that my current cable machine does is it doesn't have the Uh pads that go over your thighs for pull downs, so I'm just going to have to be a little bit creative and use you know, some of the N one uh approaches to doing pull downs and weighing myself down to like, You know, people have done things like use dit belts to weigh themselves down. Um, put a dumbbell across your knee. Things like that, Um, but I'm just going to have to get a little creative if I'm doing like a vertical pulling lap movement. I think uh, from what I understand, anything, Um done from the low pulley, It doesn't have the same issue.

[aaron_straker]: 2:29

Mhm? How much of like a traditional style like upper back pulled down. Are you even really envisioning yourself doing? And

[bryan_boorstein]: 2:36

Yeah, not much. Yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 2:36

the reason I guess I ask is because like youve look at that N one style Verical pull down Be like chest

[bryan_boorstein]: 2:43

Mhm,

[aaron_straker]: 2:43

supported. You know you have friction of that bench and the

[bryan_boorstein]: 2:46

Mhm,

[aaron_straker]: 2:46

way your position, you may not really run into that situation

[bryan_boorstein]: 2:49

So I do run into that, or at least I, I assume that I will, because uh, my back is stronger than than I guess most people. or or rather it's just a strong body part for me. So when I'm doing a heavy set of six to ten reps. Uh, I assume that that that that higher pulley is goingnna pull me out of the the cheests supported position, Uh, so I think

[aaron_straker]: 3:12

Gota.

[bryan_boorstein]: 3:12

the single armed stuff would be definitely be a solution. Um, like even the cheests supported single and pulled down versus doing both arms at the same time. But uh, if I can figure out a way to keep myself from rising out of the seat, doing dual arms both arms, I would obv. obviously be my preference because single arm stuff just takes double the amount of time, and so, yeah, um, but yeah, I'm really excited about that. It's actually being delivered tomorrow, so when we, when this podcast drops next week, it will have already been in my basement for six days. Uh, and uh. That kind of leads me into the next uh series of my updates, which is my usual weekly complaints about my strength cycle. So, uh, not, I'm just kind of being facetious with that, but this is now the third straight week that I'm going to complain a little bit about fatigue and just kind of talk about fatigue. as like, um, a learning session for us here. so primarily as it relates to the dead lift. I've just been like up and down over the last few weeks, right, So I talked about a couple of weeks ago how I took a deadlift, Deload, and I didn't do anything heavy. I lowered volume and then I came back the following week and had my best dead left session yet Like I pulled a four sixty single that flew around. It was great as super fast. Then I went heavy again at the end of the week and did some heavy arty. ls, Uh, four days later and then I come around and turn through the weekend and do my session yesterday. Four sixty five feels like the heaviest four sixty five I've ever picked up in my life. It was just awful. I did the rep and I was like I went light headed like I just almost fell over. It was just it was so heavy. I've never felt for sixty five that heavy before And it's it's this moment in my training where now I have to decide kind of whether this is the second time that this deadlift issue has popped up for me. Do I need like a dead leftft deload every other week Like is that a solution? Do I need to take the r. D, l out of my training on Friday, so that I don't have two heavy hip hinges. Uh, maybe the Friday session becomes a hip extension. or maybe it just becomes a leg curl. Just take the entire Um hiphinge mechanism out of it so that I'm I'm fresher for the the dead lifts on Mondays. I don't exactly know what the answer is, but I did have an interesting discussion, Uh, Brandon De Cruise, and I, uh, Branin has been on the podcast a number of times. He actually, um wrote me a really cool long response about connois, some thoughts he had on the in on the issue and his suggestion was actually to to potentially take a deadlift specific Deload, Which then we discussed further and I told him that I had done that the prior week and that it worked and whatever, And and his suggestion was, Yeah, Maybe you just do like, kind of a neurological week for deadlift where it's like you know half the way and you know reps are just for speed, so you're still greasing the groove of the. Skill, but you're not going heavy. And so again, I don't know if that's like just a bandate. If it's like a one week bandate, where then I come back the next week and I feel great and then fuck. then another week later I have a another shitty performance again. So um, I'm still trying to kind of grasp around this whole idea of this fatigue that I'm getting from the dead lifts because it's not. I don't think it's a systemic fatigue because all of my other movements are continuing to progres. Like all the pull down stuff, all the bench pressed stuff, my low bar back squats are even progressing, So it's really like an acute thing that's just affecting my dead lifts. and um, I just like, kind of need to take another chill week and come back and see what happens. I think. Do you have any thoughts on any of that

[aaron_straker]: 6:42

I mean the initial thing that comes to my mind, and some of this is some you know. per, uh, subjective perception of my own. You know, feelings with training is. I think it's probably the heavy heavy already else on Friday, you know, like recovering from like. Oh, Of course, so it's interesting because like dead lifts. Yes, they're very like hamshring and hip taxing, but they don't necessarily feel that

[bryan_boorstein]: 7:03

Mhm,

[aaron_straker]: 7:04

that much you know. Not from a hypertrophy standpoint, That subjective kind of uh, soreness Stms you get from it, but we know they are right.

[bryan_boorstein]: 7:09

Mhm, Mhm,

[aaron_straker]: 7:10

Of course it's it's a heavy hit pitch. but I'm wondering. Like with that combination of like the the arti else, Ay else just fuck me up. you know,

[bryan_boorstein]: 7:17

Mhm,

[aaron_straker]: 7:17

like in, and I mean that in like a great way, you know, like I, I perform them, I, I get you. I get beat up from them and I think that just might be doing it. and one of the hampshs are one of those things like you When they're when they're like kind of sore like they will. You will just will not perform

[bryan_boorstein]: 7:31

Yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 7:31

well. You know in in those hip piingnging movements when they're kind of like that. So initially that that was my thought, like maybe subbbing that, for you know, just a leg, uh curl type movement

[bryan_boorstein]: 7:42

Mhm.

[aaron_straker]: 7:42

would be more beneficial.

[bryan_boorstein]: 7:44

Yeah, that's kind of my initial thought too, cause I've also been um, compromised in in subsequent hip Hch sessions by going too heavy and so like. I'm okay if I do like an r d l, and a good morning or an adiol, and a stuffi, like a deadlift, Um. because I think the tension is just more more specific to the hams, strings and gluts, Uh. but the dead lift is kind of a new beast introducing into my program, so I don't know about having a dead left on Monday, and an r d l on Friday. Maybe it's dead left on Monday and then it's either like really light deadlifts like two twenty five speed raraps on Friday, or it's like you said, like a leg curl, or possibly like a hip extension or something like that, But I did also go heavier than I have all cycle on Friday with the ryl. I went to three sixty five, which was twenty pounds up from two two weeks prior. Um, and then did some back off sets at three fifteen. So it's not even like I was going like super light on the ry. hell like I kind of pushed it a little bit. Um, but anyway, I appreciate that Brandon jumped in and gave some input to. and uh, he and I had a cool, uh, Interesting discussion about how a lot of people always are talking about Dloads needing to be uh across everything. Like you take a deald week. That means your effort across all movements is is lower, or your volumes lower, or whatever it is, you deload in some manner across the whole body, And we were talking about how a lot of people really under utilize Um, either muscle group deloads or specific lift deloads. And it's not that this is going to extend your runway double. It's not like you know you're at weak six and you usually would take a full body deload. And then you do a back deload, and suddenly you have six more weeks in you. But like it's one of those things where maybe you're at week six and you can tell that there's one muscle group or one lift that really feels like it's fatiguing you. So maybe you deload that lift and then you get another two or maybe three weeks out of your messorcycle before you have to do like a full systemic deload.

[aaron_straker]: 9:37

Yeah, I think that's a fantastic idea. I will kind of subjectively do that with some travel weeks,

[bryan_boorstein]: 9:43

Mhm,

[aaron_straker]: 9:43

and stuff like when we got here. it's been four days like I want to go to the gym. I'm a little under slap'. a little underhydrated. I'm not going to do my cluster sets on the fucking pensulum squad right. I'm just going to do like my leg extensions, like two sets on of like a squat pattern. Take him to like a Tr. I just want to get in and move,

[bryan_boorstein]: 10:02

Yep,

[aaron_straker]: 10:03

but I know I'm not. you know. It's going to be a pseudo deload of sorts based on circumstances.

[bryan_boorstein]: 10:09

yep, for sure, veteran moves right there. Um, I threw a video on my story last week of my three r M back squat that I found from Uh, two thousand seventeen when I did my last streng cycle. So it was a four or five triple and I watched it and just kind of looked at. You know the way I move and the way my back collapsed on the third rap, and Um, the the, the third rep, literally, like stopped mid rep, like it stopped half way up. and then my like back caved over, and then somehow I let good morning my way out of it. Um, so it's it's I think already without even finishing out the streng cycle and I do intend to at least give it like another couple of weeks here. But uh, even if I didn't finish the streng cycle, I think that right now at this moment the fact that I um hit a three ninety single yesterday that moved relatively quickly. Uh, I would call this this strength cycle a huge success, and I would also say that even beyond that that the last four to five years of straight up hypergphy training have at least maintained Um strength in the power lifting movements, if not even improved it. So, um, curious to see kind of where this all ends up, but I think that my ultimate goal at the end of the straing cycle like initially, I was like, I would love to beat my four or five by three and do four or five by three again, But make it better and I think now I don't know that I need to do that. I don't think my ego needs to do that, and I don't think my body needs to feel that. but what I do want to do is continue the cycle and hit a four o five single. That is as smooth as you know what my three sixty five single was when I started this cycle. You know what will be eight weeks prior, and I think if I can hit a four or five single at, you know a subjective, r, p, e, seven or whatever, that pretty much correlates to like a four oh five by three, or a four or five by four or something like that. So, without having to actually go and kill myself by doing that, I can kind of have this notion in my in my mind that I did in fact move the weight at the speed that would um, designate or notate that I could do fortified by that many reps.

[aaron_straker]: 12:14

Yeah, I mean, I think that you know four or five at one, our P. seven or something like that. Something looks good. It's clean. You feel happy and confident about it, So I would consider that a massive win at the. Especially with the amount of time realistically you are willing to dedicate to a strength blo.

[bryan_boorstein]: 12:32

Yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure, and I'm just honestly like so ready to get to get this strength luck over with talking with Brandon, too. Like he brought up the exact thing that was in my brain, which is I. pertro Fe, is such a forgiving, you know stimulus that that you can train it in so many different ways. And like you know, if you don't feel great one day you can sub this movement out for that movement. And like all this things you was saying, I was like I know I can't wait like I'm so excited. So um,

[aaron_straker]: 12:55

Yeah,

[bryan_boorstein]: 12:55

I'm ready to stop Like just you know. it's the psychological arousal piece of like that, two r M. And did you see the pole I put up? I'm my sorry,

[aaron_straker]: 13:03

I did

[bryan_boorstein]: 13:04

so I asked what was harder.

[aaron_straker]: 13:05

and yeah,

[bryan_boorstein]: 13:06

It was. woe harder. A three r m back squat or a twelve r m, uh, hackwater, or like Presser Pendulum Squad or whatever, And uh, I think it was seventy percent of people said that the pendulum or the hack was harder for twelve. And and it's just it's so interesting to look at it from those perspectives, because like you and I were saying last week that we kind of feel like the three r M back squat is heavier because you can almost build your psychological arousal for that twelve r M set as you're going through it like you don't have to hype yourself up before the set. You're just kind of get to rep six, and you're like all right here we go. We're in it. you know. Um, so I think for me and my mentality, that's a lot better for me because I like remaining like chill and like super super low key going into my sets, and I find it very like fatiguing mentally for me to have to get excited for my sets beforehand.

[aaron_straker]: 13:57

I find it fatiguing and I would say what I even find more so is just the fear. You know. when you okay, you're warming up and you're getting into your like three in your tes. For me. It's just a like, just impending fear. Like am I going to be able to do this? Am I going to put that weight on and it's just going toucking pin me at the bottom and I' just wasted all this and I feel like dog

[bryan_boorstein]: 14:22

Yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 14:24

mes that, but't get that in the the

[bryan_boorstein]: 14:27

Mhm,

[aaron_straker]: 14:27

twelve ret, Ma. I mean, at worst case, like you, maybe fail on rep eleven And it's just like you just sit on the ground a little bit and you' like breathing heavy and stuff, But like it to me, it's just a completely different beast Like one hundred percent.

[bryan_boorstein]: 14:38

Yeah, like I think for sure, like the level of pain you feel in the twelve r M. Hack squad is for sure higher, but I don't know that I would. I would think that that necessarily makes that a harder thing to do.

[aaron_straker]: 14:52

That's a very, very good point. It's all relative to your person. In how you, I guess, um, internalize psychologic, psychological and physical pain.

[bryan_boorstein]: 15:03

Mhm.

[aaron_straker]: 15:04

For example, I will a hundred percent take the physical pain right. I'll sit like I whenever I get big tattoos and stuff. I

[bryan_boorstein]: 15:10

Yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 15:10

want to take them in as a few sessions as possible. I don't care if I need to sit there for fifteen hours, but if we can do it in two sessions, I will do that. However, with that psychological fear like Eron, you need to go, you know, make a new friend or something like that, I'm like fuck. No, absolutely not. I can't deal with the the mental anguish

[bryan_boorstein]: 15:27

such an interesting analogy.

[aaron_straker]: 15:27

like I'd rather deal with the physical pain. Um, so I think that's like that's That's how I will vote on that. so I think's most people will obviously go the opposite

[bryan_boorstein]: 15:39

Yeah, yeah, um, I have two really quick updates and then I have one more longer one. but I'll jump over to you after these quick two. so um, my heel is still bothering me, but it feels like it's getting better off for anyone that's been following along. I had a weird heal thing from running a couple weeks ago and it still only shoots pain into my heel when I do one specific thing which is bend over without thinking about it. So, um, as long as I think about it when I bend over, everything seems to be fine just a weird old man injury. I guess Ums. me no pain anymore. I'm almost fully pain free. So that's great. great news only six or seven weeks later. And um, now we just wait and see if my uh, my super sperm are going to be able to be container, not at the next, Uh, the next seaman analysis. So, um, to be determined, there and then, uh, one more update before my final update. we have Cas Hansson coming on the show next week. Um, so by the time this is released to the public, it will be the day that cast comes on, so I may hit you guys up on my story and ask for a couple of questions. but I also have a a list of questions I want to ask, and I know you probably have some in your brain as well. Um, for

[aaron_straker]: 16:50

same.

[bryan_boorstein]: 16:50

anyone that doesn't remember Erarin is going to the N one practical in early December here in Boulder. So Um, what? What? great timing for cast to come on.

[aaron_straker]: 17:00

Oh man perfect. I'm so excited about like watching all the videos and everything like it's just I feel like get like a child.

[bryan_boorstein]: 17:06

Yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 17:07

Go getting ready to go to like summer camp or something like that, except I'm you know, thirty three. I'm just going to go lift weights with strangers somewhere. but um

[bryan_boorstein]: 17:13

I'm so jealous that you're doing this before I am. like. I know, I've had the experience of getting up there and training with them and stuff, but it's just so different to be able to actually go through that practical.

[aaron_straker]: 17:22

yeah, yeah, I'm very very excited and my thoughts are like. you know. I, I can only imagine how much I'm going to take away and things I'm going to learn. And like what that's going to allow me to do. Moving forward what I'm and I'll share. I think it's I think it's great to share this, because then I can come back and you know, see whether my assessments have been. Um, you know, correct or not, When I'm hoping to get most out of it is to become more efficient with my training. so right now, let's say I do like you know. Well, I'm just throwing a number out there. twelve sets per week For back

[bryan_boorstein]: 17:51

Mhm.

[aaron_straker]: 17:52

right to like, Get what I determine like a sufficient stimulus. Whatever if I can do that in like seven sets. Fantastic,

[bryan_boorstein]: 18:00

Yep,

[aaron_straker]: 18:01

right, because then I get more, um, more time efficient. I can spend less time at the gym even though I love being there, but maybe what I can do then is prioritize some of that time right that tangible time to things that I a hundred percent always neglect like tricepts and

[bryan_boorstein]: 18:15

Mhm.

[aaron_straker]: 18:15

bicepts type of thing. Um, so that's what I'm like, really excited for. Hopefully that like just becoming more efficient.

[bryan_boorstein]: 18:22

Well, I'm really excited to hear your rundow, and of, I almost feel like we should do like an entire episode talking about your experience there

[aaron_straker]: 18:29

I think we should. Yeah,

[bryan_boorstein]: 18:29

afterwards. so we'll have Cas on next week, and then I have uh. one more update after you go out to talk about some hamstring specialization programming stuff that's on my mind, But let's hear what you got going on in your world right now,

[aaron_straker]: 18:44

cool. I only have about like three of them. so the first one is. I really wanted to recap this one because we talked about it in the podcast and I think it was maybe two episodes ago. I talked about one of the reasons I was excited for the move to Arizona is every single time we move our schedules shift a little bit just because we're somewhere new. We have a drive. Sometimes we change time. zones, and we just like things change a little bit, And I had mentioned that in Utah, I had gone into this kind of this poor groove where I would be up late working workingt like eleven p M. sometimes and my like, I wasn't tired at night and some of that stuff and W, what I'm very happy to report is like it completely switched. So, um, what was really interesting? and in here they don't do daylight savings time. So time

[bryan_boorstein]: 19:30

right.

[aaron_straker]: 19:30

actually stayed the same and it was very very confusing for me For a couple of days. I still don't think I really quite understand it. but um, I'm getting up super early like six fifteen On the dot. I'm up you know, and here that's like right about first light. Sometimes it's still dark. Um, but then by like ten, nine, forty five ten like I'm in bed out and I've been sleeping super super good and' putting the a C. Stupid cold. So that helps Um, reading a little bit at night and I'm like super happy with that and like I've I've got that rhythm back that I was 'cause I'm just I just love the mornings

[bryan_boorstein]: 20:04

yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 20:04

right. Um, and then like with work stuff? Obviously we record this broadcasts around ten. like local time. That's when I might start having some calls and stuff, but I want to be up for like three hours before that you know, doing some like just having some personal time type of thing, Maybe reading a little bit and listening to a podcast going for a walk. So I've been really happy to fall back into that um, which is really really cool. and then sorry,

[bryan_boorstein]: 20:25

yeah, I sorry. I was just going to say Yeah, the morning, dude, I don't

[aaron_straker]: 20:26

Go ahead

[bryan_boorstein]: 20:29

know. I don't understand people that are night people That can like sleep until nine or ten and then they're just like up tiil, three a m, or something like that. It like boggles my mind how people work more effectively at night be cause I'm the same as you like. I wake up now at like five thirty with no alarm And the first thing I do is you know, straight to my couch and I'm sitting there and I'm uh, doing little bits of work that I, for whatever my brain is like, inspired and I have the. The mental focus and the clarity and the energy and I just like pop out of bed and get to work. And um, especially with the you know nanny showing up, nanny, not showing up like holidays and all the things happening. The work that I get done before the kids wake up in the morning is like the best work I do any day, so I fully relate to all that.

[aaron_straker]: 21:15

to not to get two side trarack. But I just wanted to uh, follow before. the one thing you said for the people who generally do find themselves like more energy at night, and that sort of thing, they generally have fliped circadian

[bryan_boorstein]: 21:25

Mhm.

[aaron_straker]: 21:25

rhythms. So if those people are to get like, it wouldn't show up necessarily on a serum quarderzol test, Because that's only one point, but if you were to get like a z r, T. Four points, s aliva quarters, all test to like a Dutch or something like that, Those people will generally have a a peak in court as all in the evenings, which is like where people like you and I. we have the complete opposite because we follow a more like, uh, a more natural, um, circadian rhythm, or theres might might have been fliped from adrenal issues. Some hormone stuff. I mean there's a myriad out of different reasons, But if you do find yourself that you're like one of those people who drags ass in

[bryan_boorstein]: 21:56

yeah, Mhm,

[aaron_straker]: 21:58

the morning and then feels fantastic at night and you want to work late at night and stuff, it's generally linked to your quaer. all. Um,

[bryan_boorstein]: 22:04

yeah, Make sure you see some, Uh, some sunlight in the first, like hour of the day. Get outside and get some sun in your eyes, or at least some some daylight.

[aaron_straker]: 22:11

Yep,

[bryan_boorstein]: 22:12

and uh, that makes a huge difference.

[aaron_straker]: 22:14

it really really does. cool. Uh, Okay, this one. W. I'll talk about this O, this one first, and then I want to spend a little bit more time than the other one. So, um, as you've all, as you, No, I've been doing like a. A gut protocol, we've been going higher fat with my diet. Um. Because of that for the gut protocol, Uh, and then my body responded really really well to it. I got even leaner, which was really kind of of of stupid. Um, even though that I was heating like much higher fat and my calories were still going up. And then we talked about my big testing day where we were going to get you know the Dexa, which we talked about last week, Um, lab work, and then the checking photos. So the labor came back and my physiolog. Physiologically, my body does not like the higher fat, so the two a lot of things were very very similar. Um, my total testosteron went down like thirty some points, but back to like, what is more normal for me. So the most previous, the, the previous one was at like six forty, which was the highest it ever was. I'm generally like a high five slow six hundred type of person. That's like nether, like six sets of labs have' all shown that, So that was back. Um, my thyhroid is pretty much the same, and those are generally the two big ones you are most concerned about as a male with staying too lean. So that being said, those are pretty much negligible changes, but myhemoglobenate once C came back the highest it's been since I was probably two, twenty, two, twenty five. So like th over over three years, almost three and a half years now, and my fasting blood glucose was the highest I've ever seen it on laboric, Uh, Interestingly because you know my carbohydrate was significantly lower, Um, and then the real kicker was my lipid profile was the worst I've ever seen it on lab work, Um, my uh, l Dl. Cholesterol was like one, fifty seven or one fifty eight or something like that, and normally it does run a tab bit high over. Like your, your your standard range. It'll run in like the one o three tiil, like one, oh five, ninety nine is generally that cut off point, but I have. I mean this is like fifty, some point higher than I've ever seen it on lab work, So while from a you know a physique standpoint I've responded really well to the higher fat diet, Um, from an internal health standpoint complete opposite my body, Uh, internally was not a fan. So when my coach saw that he was like, Okay, Yep, this, this is like. this is something that will happen. This is exactly what happens to me. My limit profile takes a dump, but he was mostly concerned with the h, b one C. Um. so we are back on the sauce, which is carbohydrate. The fats are significantly lower again. and now I'm going through that phase like fuck. How did I use to fill all these carbohydrate right? So without just like eating like an asshole. Um, so that's been. It was like why? eye opening. I did not anticipate seeing that at all, especially the H b one C,

[bryan_boorstein]: 25:05

Mhm.

[aaron_straker]: 25:06

and fasting Um. glucose. And what's also really interesting is my fasting insulin was also higher. My fasting insulin is generally very very love, almost undetectable and

[bryan_boorstein]: 25:15

yeah'. so interesting. you know, you expect the lipid profile to be a little bit higher because you areing more fas.

[aaron_straker]: 25:22

Mhm.

[bryan_boorstein]: 25:23

No, there. but yeah, the the glucose and the insulin stuff very very interesting. and I don't exactly understand what the mechanism is that's making that happen.

[aaron_straker]: 25:34

So I. I mean, my body does respond interestingly with glucose. you know, um, m, um, and I'm very close. like on, like on paper to being like a pre diabetic, Um, But that's like I have family history of that. Mine just run really high, And that's kind of. Why did those those uh, continuous glucose monitor tests? Because in you know, all my fasting numbers are always very high. But what we see is like when I would sleep, my numbers would just kind of slowly creep up as I was sleeping. And my, you know, my insulin, or my sorry, my, my fasting blood glucose levels, postpraendial post meals will be some of the lowest all day. They would drop in like the seventies, and stuff after meals. But then when I was sleeping, the average would be like one, ten, one, twelve.

[bryan_boorstein]: 26:18

That's backwards, though, right, like mo,

[aaron_straker]: 26:20

That's backwards. From what a lot of people experience like postprandial'll, jump really high.

[bryan_boorstein]: 26:24

Mhm.

[aaron_straker]: 26:25

Are the rom elevated, but then they'll kind of you know, drip uh or drop uh um throughout the night, but I'm pretty much the complete opposite. but regardless of what I do with carbohydrate, mine don't really budge much. You know, I can have seven hundred grams of carps one day, and I'll still you know, have ninety five to like low, one hundreds. fasting where I can have is you know, fifty carbs and it'll still remain pretty much the same, so mine doesn't really fluctuate much to carbohydrate, but to kind of wrap this one up. it was really interesting to see that my body uh, internally was not a fan of all the fats and I, One last note I will make there. I was very, very diligent in filling these fats with very high quality sources, so extraverrgin olive oil, avocado brazil nuts, walnuts, chea seeds. I was doing ground fllax, seeed, until I found out was fucking with my stomach a little bit. So it's not like I was having bacon and like a bunch of saturated fats or anything like that. I really try to do my due diligence there, Um, and really fill it with like poly, unsaturated and mono insaturated sources. Um, and, but I just didn't like it. so kind of like why I love talking around getting blood work done, and in understanding that everyone's body' going to be a little bit different in finding out how your body responds, and then at some point understanding there is going, there can be a diotomy between physique and health. What? Just because youre sponding well from a physique standpoint doesn't mean your body is doing great as well, and that kind of comes down to when people think like, Oh, I wantnna, you know, look like that person who's on stage but really doesn't realize like that person is in a a hormonally, a terrible

[bryan_boorstein]: 28:01

Mhm.

[aaron_straker]: 28:02

position. Likely,

[bryan_boorstein]: 28:03

Yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 28:04

in many cases,

[bryan_boorstein]: 28:05

so have you? Did you notice improvement in your gut on that protocol And has there been any negative consequence since you've introduced carbohydrates again? More

[aaron_straker]: 28:16

No, actually, so, uh, Yes, things have improved and this is what I'm going to talk about a little bit more, Uh next, and I haven't really noticed anything with carbohydrate. but I am taking very safe carbhydrates, so cream of rice. I have started reintroducing a little bit of oats in the morning. a lot of rice. Um. I'm also doing a lot of fruit, so like kiwie, daily strawberries, daily, blueberries and mandarins daily, So I am doing a a fair share of fruit. Um, but yeah, I, I don't anticipate. I anticipate things will continue to progress well there, which leads me into my next point so a while back when we had brand, and it's funny we're talking about branding in a few different aspects here today, Uh, on the podcast and we askedk them some digestion questions and he took it a very different direction than I thought he was going to. And he started with like your absolute basics, and one of the basics that he started with, And and covered was simply eating slower right, preparing for a meal. and one of the reasons whyise there's kind of two forms of digestion, right, we have mechanical digestion, we have chemical digestion. the mechanical digestion, and overwhelming part of it is mastication, which is just a fancy word for you chewing your food and then a little bit of the um, smooth musculature in your like stomach. That, um, when it, when you have your yourar motility movements'll kind of push you know in in and uh, break down some of the food there as well, and then in your mouth we have saliva, different enzymes produced in saliva, and majority is in our stomach acid, stomach hydroclic acid, and then in our small intestines, we get Um chemical digestion for so many of us, And I was super super guilty of this, and my girlfriend Jenny was very very. Um. I don't even want to say helpful. like, um, adamant that this is something that I'm really poor at. I am very poor on the mechanical digestion side of things, and we were trying to think back to like when I may have created these habits, But it's I mean. I'm almost kind of embarrassed talking about it, but she would say like when I eat it's like watching in like an animal eaten and some of the things that I've done specifically so that I could eat faster is like I put everything in bowls instead of plates,

[bryan_boorstein]: 30:26

use the spirit instead of a fork.

[aaron_straker]: 30:26

And then I never, and I always use a spoon instead of a fork, so I can just get it in faster. Um, and I was like super notorious. like la nu, not or am notoriously bad at like chew, chew, swallow, like. And when you talk to, they say you should chew like fifteen or twenty times like I amm, a two, two thirty. I'm a two to three swallow.

[bryan_boorstein]: 30:42

Thirty. It's thirty times. Yeah, Yeah, and you're also not supposed to drink water when you eat either, because it messes up with the digestion, process, which means you should be essentially chewing your food till it turns to liquid, which I'm just like you, like I. I've been told I am like an animal when I eat as well.

[aaron_straker]: 31:00

Yeah, and what's funny is I like like thinking back to it and and like I'm a hundred percent guilty. It's very rare that I will like actually sit down and eat like. I'll stand in the kitchen with my food, and like literally with my spoon and just shovel it in.

[bryan_boorstein]: 31:14

Y. I do the same. yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 31:16

Um, and I've been really really trying to be. just like more intentional. I stopped heating everything with this spoon, or when I have my breakfast, I'll use the smaller spoon now instead of the like Mamando on. and it's been really helping And it sounds like silly because of course it's helping because I'm helping my body. You know I'm helping that. I'm assisting the chemical process of the digestion by mechanically doing my part by chewing my food and stuff like that and's slowing down. Um, and it's been really really beneficial. But kind of what I wanted to go back to a little bit is like. When where did I create these habits and I think they probably came from like gaining periods, or when I was younger. I learned that, like when you're trying to gain weight right, Some of the problem that a lot of people have like you get full. So something that I realized like all many years ago was like If you the faster you eat, you can like beat that signal and it's it's funny 'cause I remember like when we would do those those eating the wings all the time, I tell my friends

[bryan_boorstein]: 32:16

y,

[aaron_straker]: 32:17

like No, you have to eat faster 'cause the faster you eat, you will like beat that signal that

[bryan_boorstein]: 32:20

yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 32:20

you're full and then you can get more in and I think I just developed these like S. St. stupid. You know of primitive eating habits that have now like probably been a large issue or contributing. I should say, I don't know nesarily large contributing factor to my digestive issues because I eat like like a freaking dog instead of like a human being, So I've been really really in the past like week or so trying to slow down be really. You know, much more intentional with this and coincidentally, even with all these extra carbohydrates, it's been on Thursday' Be like a week of the higher carbs zero issue. literally, um, carbs. carbs went from two twenty to three fifty on training days, and then one thirty to two eighty

[bryan_boorstein]: 33:12

mm, hm, Mm. that's big. Yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 33:12

on my rest. So theyve they've gone up considerably overnight

[bryan_boorstein]: 33:15

Mhm.

[aaron_straker]: 33:17

and still having still doing pretty well there.

[bryan_boorstein]: 33:18

well, that's great again. You're prioritizing quality. I, uh, I wonder how much of that like rush to get food down and devour it comes from like our ancestors. Um, you know, shortage of food and competition for food. And then maybe we even see it in more of like a current time with sibling rivalry. Like I remember, even you know, in high school, my mom puts out a plate of food and it's my brother and I and we're both teenagers. And it's just like who can get the most food off that plate as quickly as possible before the other one does cause. Then there's not going to be as much left, so I don't know. Like, maybe it's it's historical from generations prior. Maybe it's you know, ingrained from my relationship with my brother and our competition for food. Uh, or like you said, the gaining faces and fitting more in your stomach. All of these are are good reasons. but I also feel the same that I tend to devour food way too quickly, And so I've tried to recently put my spoon or fork down after each bite. So I, I take a bite and then set it down and then I have to finish chewing my current bite and then I can pick it up up and take a new bite. because I'm the same way. Like spoonful in Okay, that rice and chickens like ninety percent down. Okay, new bite. And like before you know it, it's been one minute and your entire, like eight ounce chicken and rice dishes gone. So Um, got to stop.

[aaron_straker]: 34:39

Uh, another thing that I would notice when eating out with people, my food would be gone and people would be like maybe twenty percent through theirs and that, and I just like sit there awkwardly because

[bryan_boorstein]: 34:47

Oh, I'm the same. Yup.

[aaron_straker]: 34:50

everyone's eating for another twenty minutes and I'm just like a hundred percent done.

[bryan_boorstein]: 34:53

Well, it's like how do you make a burger into any more than six bitescause. I can't do that. It's a six

[aaron_straker]: 34:59

Yeah,

[bryan_boorstein]: 34:59

bite meal. It's like one bite every thirty seconds and I'm done in three minutes. Boom.

[aaron_straker]: 35:04

the last thing I will say there that I've been doing is eating with chopsticks.

[bryan_boorstein]: 35:07

Yeah, that. I've heard of people saying that too

[aaron_straker]: 35:09

That's a. That's A, and I, I'm like proficient enough from when we lived in Vietnam, and uh that I can use them like sufficiently and pick up rice and stuff. but it just forces you to slow down so that's another thing I've been doing.

[bryan_boorstein]: 35:20

cool.

[aaron_straker]: 35:21

But yeah, so slowing down doing my food. It helps with my digestion. No shit right.

[bryan_boorstein]: 35:28

Well, we should continue this in future episodescause. I'm also going to try and make a concerted effort to eat a over it slower. We'll see how it plays out.

[aaron_straker]: 35:35

Definitely, what was your last update before we get into talking about Uh

[bryan_boorstein]: 35:38

Oh, yeah, yeah, uh. Let's talk about that next week, cause I want to talk

[aaron_straker]: 35:38

gyms?

[bryan_boorstein]: 35:41

about the design of my hamssterring specialization cycle coming up, and that's not even happening till I'm after done with my strength phase, so we're kind of running low on time. Must jump into the topic for the day

[aaron_straker]: 35:52

Okay, cool. So a couple of reasons why I wanted to talk about this is. It's something that I just I don't think people understand enough of and don't really think about the value that can be provided there. So what happened with this in my own personal life is like when I was in like my senior year in college I, I was super over the like college gym, which was like very similar, took of golds. Whatever just the environment was just very non motivating for me and it really burnt me out on going to the gym. And this was what kind of pushed me into cross fit. And that kind of for ever changed how I value gyms. because you went from paying like you know. I don't even know that back in like two thousand, nine, like fifteen dollars a month for a gym

[bryan_boorstein]: 36:33

Mhm.

[aaron_straker]: 36:33

to like one eighty five. you know, especially with me moving to San Diego, everything was more expensive, but it was like even that changing like a hundred and fifty or hundred and sixty dollars more. Like the value I got was so much higher like it was a no brainer Because the vaate we, the value outweighed the cost so much for me, and then obviously, as I went through and then landed at your gym, and then that was like a whole new experience. literally a life changing experience. For me. it really completely flipped how I thought about gyms and now, like moving forward, I only search out like independently owned gyms or like independently owned strengthen conditioning facilities, so I only trained it like a golds or an e, o, s. Or a twenty four like one? I absolutely need to. because one, the equipment's generally worse like the bar bells. And these places are like I, you know who fucking makes these types of bar bells, but they're gotd awful.

[bryan_boorstein]: 37:24

mas produce.

[aaron_straker]: 37:25

Um, yeah, they mass produced. The equipment is just like you. you have. like these super old hack, squats and leg presses. Oh, my God, don't even get me started about the night presses where you can't even reach depth on them. And

[bryan_boorstein]: 37:36

Yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 37:37

it's like it's really just wildly, you know, kind of eye opening for me And it's really just changed my whole perception of it. and for example, like I have, Uh, I had a client who was training it like a planet fitness and he was like. Well, you know, it's like it's like forty dollars cheaper than the other gyms and I'm like, and I had to like break it down to like. Dude, we can get like, let's get this forty dollars somewhere else like they don't have a hack squat. They don't have a leg press and he's like a bi. He's like a bigger dude like two. Oh five.

[bryan_boorstein]: 38:03

they actually don't have bar bells,

[aaron_straker]: 38:05

Yeah, and he's like, Oh, the dumbbells only go up to seventy fives and I'm like, and he's like he's strong. He's like us. strong, my bro. like, let's go. Let's find this other gym like we can if it's really like. Let's get this forty dollars a month from your budget from somewhere else. But the value you will get was it will be so much more like he was just so limited

[bryan_boorstein]: 38:23

Mhm,

[aaron_straker]: 38:24

and was only coming to it from like a purely financial standpoint without seeing all the extras that we could get without that. and I kind of just wanted to like open that conversation up and talk about, because you know, in terms of one equipment availability, especially if you've never been on like one of the sweet hack squads from like Arsenal, or something like that, like it is a completely different game changer, especially in some of these. Maybe muscles that you are like lagging body parts, different machinery can. Really, that's like, well designed can really really help you target and move better, which is going to allow you to produce more hyperchrophy and bring these muscle groups up that you've been struggling with type of thing, So I just wanted to talk about it. Like, what are some of the things that you look for or like or were important to you when creating

[bryan_boorstein]: 39:10

Mhm.

[aaron_straker]: 39:10

the gym when having the gym and then for people out there who want to step up their gym upgrade and move away from your glob type membership

[bryan_boorstein]: 39:21

Yeah, it's interesting because like you don't see commercial gyms that have the feel or set up, uh, or class structure, or any of the components that you get in the Crosst style gym. Um, Probably the closest that you get to that is kind of what Opex has done with their model and I think you're familiar with us. I think we've talked about it, but basically what what Opex has done is, they've branded their like cross fit style gyms as Opex gyms, but they don't do classes anymore, so it's not like you pay. You know a hundred and fifty bucks a month. Then you know you're in a class with twelve or fifteen other people. Essentially what the gym is is it's It's an open gym atmosphere and every single person that attends the gym has a individually written program so they go into this like crossfit style gym and they conduct their own individually written program alongside. However, many other people are in there also conducting their own individual programs. So I think that that model is really cool and that it gives you the community feel of being able to train with other people that are honest. similar path as you, um, without having to fit into like the general model of. you know, we're just doing a crosssfit class And this model is the same for a beginner as it is for an advanced person, minus what weights are using or whatever, or the intensity that you can implement. So the Opx model gym is like, You know, three to four hundred dollars a month because everyone's getting an individually designed program plus a space to complete that program. in. Uh, That model obviously doesn't work. I, I think in Um. in like a commercial gym setting. Uh, I don't exactly like. Maybe it would. I guess you know th it. I don't know if it would work because you, depending on how many people you had in there and how many people want to use the machine or need to use the machine, but I think that there is a way that that model could be implemented. I just don't know that people that like to your point, the people that are going to the commercial gym are almost going to the commercial gym because they want to pay twenty five to fifty bucks a month, because they don't want to pay three hundred to four hundred dollars a month, right, um,

[aaron_straker]: 41:24

Man? I feel like it's like they haven't been. Oh man, what is it? I was going to use the The red pill versus blue pill, but I don't remember which one was which, so I so breaks down, but I think it's like redfilld. It's like they haven't been red pilled yet.

[bryan_boorstein]: 41:41

mm,

[aaron_straker]: 41:41

Um, because they don't know what is on the other side of the fence

[bryan_boorstein]: 41:44

Mhm,

[aaron_straker]: 41:44

type of deal.

[bryan_boorstein]: 41:46

Yeah, you know, I think like, personally, I would love that model like it actually gets me excited to think about having like two or three hack s Spt machines, two or three pendulums, like two or three of everything in a gym. That's that that you have people come in and they just conduct a program that you write for them, and suddenly you have like a community of like three hundred people of bad asses that are all training for the same thing. But that would be like plucking out the like, top two percent from the gold's gym or from the Globo gym. And then being like Okay, you're motivated. You have a plan like you're working hard. Here's an individual plan for you. Now you get to pay three hundred dollars a month and come to my gym. Um, So so in that sense like, I think it's a little bit ridiculous, but I love the idea of it. I love the idea of training with people toward a similar goal, but utilizing the equipment that you would find it a really good commercial gym. Um. But what you said about independently owned gyms is such a good point, because I have never had an experience at like a glow, uh golds, or an e o s, or a plane, fitness, or any of those gyms or whatever, where I felt like it was a great experience like I have at the gym in San Diego, Um, the uh, Armbrush Progm in Denver, Um, the one I went up to train with with Nuonas and minor in Uh, in Fort Collins, is another, just like it had like five rooms and has like every piece of. Equipment from like the nineteen Seventies through you know the twenty twenties, and it's got like the new stuff and the old stuff and dumbbells up to you know one seventy, and like everything you could possibly imagine all the best equipment right. And so the experience that you get at that gym is so much better too. because even though that gym is filled with like your average general, jim goer, as well as like, kind of your more elite level physique athlete. When you go to like a golds and stuff, you don't get any of those like elite level physique athletes Like none of those guys are training there. Yes, you'll see a a guy here in there that's on steroids, or so, a power lifter that's lifting heavy on the platform or whatever. But like the general quality of movement and quality of of like exercise, execution and programming, and just the general people that you might meet a network with in a golds is is so far below what you would get at one of those kind of independently owned body building gyms.

[aaron_straker]: 44:02

Yeah, and I think some of the things you said really kind of hammer home that point, its environment and we know what environment does like. Kind of what you said. A couple of podcast episodes go right now like you just wouldn't be motivated to do like

[bryan_boorstein]: 44:18

Mhm,

[aaron_straker]: 44:18

competitor level, cross Fit programming in your garage by yourself.

[bryan_boorstein]: 44:22

right,

[aaron_straker]: 44:22

But I guarantee if I were to like drop you in in you know a class and there is like all of us from you know eight years ago, like that, E. that ego' going to start clawing its way back out

[bryan_boorstein]: 44:34

yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 44:34

because of the simple, the simply, the environment,

[bryan_boorstein]: 44:36

Mhm,

[aaron_straker]: 44:37

and that's potentially like a negative. You know a s, uh, um use case there, but with these, If you were to take that same person right who's training in in like yourre, you're twenty four or whatever. going through the motions. Everyone else around thems going through the motions. They're paying whatever thirty dollars a month. and you would say like Hey. Well, how much like if I were to say in over the next six months, right, we can, uh, like what are your goals right? And they give you some of the goals that. They're just literally going through the motion to you say Okay, Six months. we can take care of x y and z right, in an in an incredibly motivated environment where you have people who are where you want to be. We know how to get you there. We're go to give you, you know. Obviously that customized programming whatever, but it's going to be four hundred dollars a month, So would you pay? Uh, you know, Oh man, I should re always pick easier numbers six times f, uh four. Right, that's twenty

[bryan_boorstein]: 45:32

twenty four,

[aaron_straker]: 45:33

four hundred dollars and twenty four hundred dollars right over. Uh those six months, and then let's say the the standard Golds membership would be like four hundred over those months just for even numbers. like. Would you pay two thousand dollars over the next six months to reach your goals and be highly motivated each day? I would say Of ten people, seven are probably gonna jump on that immediately, so I think

[bryan_boorstein]: 45:53

maybe

[aaron_straker]: 45:53

it's people. just, I would say so,

[bryan_boorstein]: 45:56

yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 45:56

especially for people who've been like new. I mean, it's all how you frame it. When's the last time you know you made Exx, progress type thing? Um, why in? it's just really connecting to what those values are and those people who actually do value it And that is that I economyomy, Like a lot of. There's some people who don't and

[bryan_boorstein]: 46:13

Mhm.

[aaron_straker]: 46:13

they. they just trainrain up, Don't and that's perfectly fine. There's other people who do, but they just don't know that there is like a completely different pathway orward, these like independently owned gyms

[bryan_boorstein]: 46:23

Yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 46:23

and stuff. That's all they know. So

[bryan_boorstein]: 46:26

I think that the answer to that question would almost come down to like the audience that you're speaking to in that you know, I feel like there's like this two factor audience model that you and I associate with. Right. You have your audience. that. Um, you have to urge them to take a rest day. It's like Hey, you're training really hard like you know. you're going beyond failure. You need to take Rus dayys and then there's the other audience that's like you're stopping everything five rups shy of failure, and you're looking for any excuse to take a rest day. And so there's these two audiences that are extremely dicootomous And this is what we see in in the Paragon group as well. Is we have some people that I have to speak to them as if like, I'm trying to pull them back like hey, you know, rest days are really important and like, Ooh, I don't know. You are resting about ten seconds between back squat raraps. Like I can't really say that. That's like really good training, you know, And then there's the other people that are like they're going through their back spot set and they like finish their set. And they like walk away, and they're like big smile in their face, like not breathing hard. you know, And you're like you could probably push that a little closer to failure. you know. so so I think maybe when you're thinking about choosing a gym like, maybe where you fit in that model is important too. And maybe it works both ways. Like you could be the person that that you know always has excuses and doesn't train. You know they're not committed to the process. Maybe it's because they're at the wrong gym. Maybe that person's experiences improved drastically by going to the good gym, but by the same token, maybe it's not like. maybe they go to the good gym and they're just like. Oh, these guys are all like really hard core like. it's even more intimidating than going to like twenty four hour fitness or whatever. Like. I think I'll just hang out in my corner over here and keep doing what I'm doing. Um, whereas, if you pluck that person out of like a gold, z a twenty fire fitness, that is like the the hash tag No rest days person. And and they're already like intrinsically motivated Like you don't need to push them at all. They push themselves hard enough right then you take them to a gym like that and they get more stimulus to fatiguetio out of their movements. They start networking and talking with people that knock some ents into their head, and suddenly their experience improves drastically too, so, Um, it's it's interesting. I think it's very individual and it may fit into like that two factor audience that that I mentioned.

[aaron_straker]: 48:36

one thing you said that I really really like that. I think some up well is the intrinsically motivated,

[bryan_boorstein]: 48:41

Mhm.

[aaron_straker]: 48:42

but I think that's a beautiful way to capture it.

[bryan_boorstein]: 48:45

Yeah, so I don't know, like I. I honestly think that just if you haven't experienced one of these more like kind of independently owned body building style gyms like you really should, and I think you even put it at sixty to seventy five a month, I think forty to sixty would probably be more with icy. Uh, like I, I joined the gym in San Diego for fifty bucks a month, and then the one in Uh, Fort Collins, that I went to with Nuas was, Um, was, I believe, also like, thirty five to forty five a month, too, so, um, super cheap. And they have like the best equipment right so then like you have your your goals and your twenty fours. And I remember even at twenty four ten years ago. Uh, it being thirty five bucks a month or something like that, so I'm guessing those ones are also in that same like kind of thirty to fifty range. And yeah, maybe like Planet Fitness and Crunch, and like some of those, uh, lower level commercial gyms are like you know, ten, twelve, fourteen bucks a month or whatever it is. But like Planet Fitness is like the bottom of the barrel. They literally they. you're You're talking about your client. But the dumbbells only go to seventy five. I didn't even know they went that high and they really don't have barbellls like you. It's only Smith machines. You can't actually use a bar bell in there and then they have the lug alarm right where where, if you, if you drop weights or if you if you grunt or make noise or work too hard, then they kick you out of the gym. I think literally, work too hard is one of the the qualifiers. So

[aaron_straker]: 50:14

Yeah, yeah, if you're there, please let'sketch you somewhere else. I will personally look up gyems near you and

[bryan_boorstein]: 50:20

yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 50:21

I'll do that myself. If you you

[bryan_boorstein]: 50:22

yeah,

[aaron_straker]: 50:23

training there. The last thing for me. So I am in this. You know, this pickle around picking a gym. There are

[bryan_boorstein]: 50:29

Mhm,

[aaron_straker]: 50:29

two here nearby. Um, I've been to both of them now. I'm I just started my week pass at the At the farther away one, which is about like a twelve minute drive. It's called Muscle factory. It's over in uh tempy, and then the other one is Independence Gym here in Scotsle, which is literally like a ten minute walk. So ten minute walk. Vers is like a ten minute drive. The hard thing is the further away. gym has an Atlantis pendulum. It has the Cybeec Squat press, which I've B, you know, used to hate for years, and then learned how to use it, and it's now one of my favorites. Um, they have the arsenal hack squa, which is just like. It's so so good, and those like M I and I' like coming. Am I really going to like drive to a gym for those three machines, and the hard answer is like, I kind of think I am, Um, cost wise, I mean there. I. I don't even remember there. One was sixty five. The other was like thirty plusa activation fee. I don't even know what it is like. That's cost is in a is in a the factor for me and I learned that when the when the gyms closed in Mexico, when we were there, and then they had underground gym and I was like, How much would I really pay to go to the gym And I was like I don't really want to answer it, because it would really come down to like. How much money do I have and what else am I going to do with my day type of thing? So man, I do not know. I. I. I want to go to the local gym or the closer ones so I can walk 'cause that's like fantastic. I'll hit my step count pretty much just from walking to the gym. You know, moving around the gym while there and walking home like my steps are basically done for the day and that gets me back. You know, forty minutes of my day or so E. Comparatively, but they don't have a haxwat. They do have a hack squat. but it's like a super old um, pre Corp one where I know I'm not going to be able to hit full depth type on the leg presses are god awful like it. It just opens the bigger questions, like who the fuck was designing these like presses and the nineties and Shi like that like it's outrageous. Um, and of course there's no pendulum. So leg

[bryan_boorstein]: 52:32

Mhm,

[aaron_straker]: 52:32

day I'll have to get a little more creative and not use any of the niceties of the twenty first century for training legs. but I have to drive every day.

[bryan_boorstein]: 52:41

So I have a proposal. Why not just buy two memberships and do leg day at the far one and upper body day's close on

[aaron_straker]: 52:47

I thought about that too. I mean,

[bryan_boorstein]: 52:48

absolutely. for like thirty five extra dollars or whatever it is?

[aaron_straker]: 52:52

Yeah, I think I think it would maybe be like. but yeahcause, the one. Yeah, it wouldn't be much more money. I could just like literally do that too.

[bryan_boorstein]: 53:00

That's what I would do. Man, and I think you should totally take advantage of having like the Arsenal Hack and the Atlanta Pendulum, And and really get the good quality work incause in in your travels and stuff. You're probably not going to be in places that have that high level of equipment everywhere that you go.

[aaron_straker]: 53:16

Yeah, that might. so why not both? That might be the. Uh. The solution. There,

[bryan_boorstein]: 53:20

Yep, cool.

[aaron_straker]: 53:22

cool anything else on this one? Brian?

[bryan_boorstein]: 53:24

no man. Cs. Just texted me, so uh, I'm getting excited for. Uh. For next week I asked him if there were any topics that he wanted us to discuss and he said No, it's your audience. whatever you want. So so you and

[aaron_straker]: 53:35

perfect.

[bryan_boorstein]: 53:35

I are going to have to uh, get together and come up with some cool questions.

[aaron_straker]: 53:39

Yup, trying not to sound too dumb.

[bryan_boorstein]: 53:41

exactly. Let's not talk about bioemchanics.

[aaron_straker]: 53:45

Like Give it really basicque.

[bryan_boorstein]: 53:47

We'll just paraphrase what he says.

[aaron_straker]: 53:49

Yeah, all right, So as always, guys thangg you for listening, Brian and I will talk to you next week.