Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth - 139: How to Rock Tape your elevation mask to your squeem

Episode Date: August 28, 2015

Want the added edge in the gym? There are plenty of devices and implements that promise to take your performance and physique to the next level. Sal, Adam and Justin take on Rock Tape, elevation masks, squeems and belts. Do they work and are they necessary? All is revealed in this episode.

Speaking of your half naked pictures, your quads, bro. Yeah, you like that? I have to say, dude, I'm gonna have to step it up a little bit. Bro, that before and after is a little dramatic. It's gonna take a little bit extra from me, I think. Yeah, I don't think you're gonna win this one. Yeah, you know, I like you underestimating me.

I do, I do. I have to say that. Bro, so what happened was I went to go put my jeans on, they didn't fucking fit. So I took a picture of my legs, I do, I do, I have to say that. Bro, so what happened was I went to go put my jeans on, they didn't fucking fit. So I took a picture of my legs and I said, yeah, they look bigger, but unless you look at the contrast from before and after, you can't really tell. Oh yeah, that's what I mean.

Yeah. I posted it on my Instagram page, the before and after looks silly. I must again, at least two inches of my leg. So I'm reading it and I had to tell you, you know, this is the exact, what you're experiencing with your quads is what I experienced with my calves, like, although by no means are my calves big,

but I got the most growth from it when we started occluding. Occlusion. Yeah, when I, when I, it's a game changer, because that's all I did, because I always work out, I tell like I don't work out my legs, I worked them out, I do, you know, I squat at least twice a week and I did lift once a week.

And all I did was, is I pushed it a little harder with my squat workouts. Now to be fair, if you look at the pictures, I did lose some definition. That's not because of occlusion. I did gain a little bit of weight. I've been kind of eating in a surplus, so I did feed myself a little more. But the only thing that I really changed in my training was I've done occlusion. In three weeks, my fucking legs exploded like they blew up. Now my legs grow fast anyway.

But on top of when I added the occlusion, they just blew up. And this is the experience I've had with everybody part I've done this to. On my arms, I gained about a quarter inch so far since I've occluded, which for me, from 12 and a quarter to 12 and a half? Yeah.

I got big arms, bitch. 12. So my mom says big arms, bitch. 12. So my mom says, no, they grew a quarter inch, which for me is a big deal because, you know, if you've been training for a long time, adding even just the smallest amount. Oh, yeah, now for sure. A big occlusion is a game changer, but if you do it wrong, it not only will I'm not doing anything for you, you might hurt yourself. It's a good thing you don't have small arms, dude, because then the whole

Kermit thing would like go full circle. If you do, it's kiddie arms, dude. It would look bad. He's not easy having small arms. But you feel out that medium pretty good. So where do we find this occlusion? MindPumpRadio.com, click on the blue button. If you want to pump your body and expand your mind, there's only one place to go.

Mind, mind, up with your hosts. Salda Stefano, Adam Schaefer, and Justin Andrews. Here we are now. And attain us. I want to say now. All right, so guys, we need to book a like a weekend or something where we can get away and just work. You know what I'm saying? I know we're I know we had that kind of book.

This week, you know what happened? Yeah, I'm with that. Let's talk about that. Yeah, let's talk about who blew that one. Yeah, so, so we So we were trying to book, so just so the listeners can catch up here, we were booking some time, or taking some time off, excuse me, to go and just work on Mind Pump, work on programs, just getting no distractions,

like two or three days just working. We're not going anywhere to party nothing. That's what we're telling the wives and the girlfriend. Right. All right. So you're doing that. Yeah, thanks. No, it's true. It's what we're telling the wives and the girlfriend. Right. All right. So, get on that. Yeah, thanks. No, it's true.

It's true. No, it's true. We were going to work. So I go home, right, because we had it all set up. And I'm like, hey, honey, to my wife, I'm like, hey, um. So next weekend, I mean, the guys, we got to get some work done, because we only see each other for about five to six hours max during the week. So we're going to go Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday,

and we're gonna just work this whole time. And it's gonna be awesome. We're gonna get so many things done. She's like, oh, you mean on my birthday? So I'm like, okay, you get out of that one. So here's a record stops. Yeah, so here's what happens in my head, right? So in my mind, I'm like, okay, I got two options here.

Option one is apologize and be like, oh, fuck, you know, oh, you're right, honey, I forgot, your birthday, of course. Oh, that's not a good option. Which is, with sucks, which sucks. But for some reason, I picked option number two, which is worse. No, you're smoother, I know you got that option.

No, option number two, so the problem is we were kind of like, I was kind of irritated, I don't remember, what was irritating me to begin with. So I went with option two, which is double down. No. No, you never doubled down. So I doubled down. So I'm like, I'm like, well, honey, you know,

I'm like, we went to San Diego with the kids. Oh, we went to Napa. I'm like, we spent a lot of time together. I was gonna do it another weekend. We can hang out for your birthday, whatever. Oh yeah. That was bad. I thought double down was gonna be like,

that was money I was actually thinking you could come with us. Yeah, oh, yes. No, it was bad. So she's like, oh, she be like, that was money. I was actually thinking you could come with us. Yeah, oh, yes. No, it was bad. So she's like, oh, she's like, okay, so we'll just fucking celebrate Christmas on your birthday, or your birthday on Christmas and just, you know, mix them all together since it's all. So I had to apologize and so yeah, I can't go with you guys. So we're gonna have to think of a different weekend.

Oh, Salmandoor. Salmandoor. I know. I know. I got, it's not gonna be funny stories. I got one for you guys that I literally died laughing when my cousin told me the story. So my cousin tells me I've got this great story

to tell you about Bentley and Mazzi. So Bentley and Mazzi, Bentley and Mazda Rode are my two dogs. I have two English bulldogs for those you guys that don't know. So let me preface this a little bit by kind of letting you know their personalities. It's a three year old and a one and a half year old bulldog. If you ever had a bulldog, they're very stubborn. They're full of personality. Bentley, the oldest, is super stubborn. If he decides he's gonna do something, they're ain't shit you're doing about it.

And he's strong as shit. He's about 75 solid pounds and you're not moving them or changing his mind. Mazi is the biggest pussy. He looks tough, but if you raise your voice to him, he takes off running and he freaks out. He's totally, it's always scary, runs to the bed. And if you yell at him or even raise a hand, like you're gonna spank him or whoop him, he pees himself.

So if someone else were to come over and they would yell at my dog, they would think that I beat my freaking little dog, you know, so it's really sad. So that being said, my cousin is the one who, a lot of times will come house it for me when I leave town and he house it and takes care of the dogs. Now, when I walk my dogs, I walk my dogs every single day and they're in my neighborhood. If you walk behind the houses, it's kind of like this dirt field area where I've trained my dogs to shit, which takes about 15 to 25 seconds to get to that backside for the and they are trained as soon as they walk out

They know that we get around the corner and that's where they shit because I don't want to I don't want to pick the shit up And I don't want them shit on somebody's lawn. So I've trained them to shit that right? There's a pile of shit back there now. Yeah, kind of within the you know the people that clean the highways up They come through and they they do some shit there. So it's really good for the earth. Yeah, yeah, and the fertilizer Whatever I know what a little side note on the whole dog picking up shit thing, that's something that's happened in the last 10 years. 20 years ago, we didn't big shit up from dogs. No, there was no signs of laws and crazy stuff. Your dog shit, and you left it there. Yeah, yeah, it wasn't, it wasn't like a trash, you know what I'm saying,

that shit turns into fertilizer, it's good for the earth. So, but no, that's changed. So I get it, I respect that. If my dog shits on the sidewalk, if my dog shits on your yard. And if you're a human and you shit in the sidewalk, all of a sudden you go to jail. And it's like this big deal. Such a big deal. Right.

Everybody trips out of everything. I step there. It's natural. It happens. Anyway. So, back to, I've trained these dogs to go back there and do that. So my lazy ass doesn't have to be to shit up.

Well, it's not like I tell this to my cousin. I don't, it doesn't even dawn on me that I should probably tell him like, hey, walk the dogs in this direction and not the other direction into the neighborhood. Cause if you walk into the neighborhood, come 35 seconds or so, my dogs are be ready to shit. And if you didn't bring this stuff to pick him up, there's shit on somebody's lawn. So my cousin and bold and bulldogs make big shit. They do.

And they're funny when they shit too. The way that you know, it's pretty hilarious. So they he starts walking him. He takes her right instead of a left. And he's walking, he's walking Bentley and Mazi and sure a shit within about the six house down Bentley decides, he's gonna take a shit on this guy's lawn. And the worst part is the dude is outside cleaning his car.

So the dude is outside cleaning his car and then Bentley starts to squat down through your shit. Now luckily the guy cleaning his car, he's left to outside cleaning his car and then Bentley starts to squat down through shit. Now luckily the guy cleaning his car, he's left to, he has a like this black civic, he's left it the door opening, he ran back inside his house to get something else. He's vacuuming the inside of it. He probably went to go get something to clean it right. Luckily. So he's left in the house, Bentley is squatting out, she, my cousin's freaking out. So he's like pulling on the leash, Bentley is not moving away. He's like, well, why he's pulling on the leash? He pulls Mazzie so hard that Mazzie has a big ass freaking neck and a small head.

So his and my cousin like a dummy is not got him on the harness, he's got him on the collar. And so the collar pops right off his head. And he freaks out because the collar pops up and he goes, shit, Mazzie. And he yells at Mazzie. So Mazzie runs, Mazzie takes off running and jumps in the guy's car.

So my cousin like, he freaks out. He leaves Bentley who's shitting on the guy's lawn. He goes running after Mazi. Mazi hops in the guy's car. Then he jumps on the other side of the guy's car. Why he's trying to get him out of the car. He's trying to stay up, play keep away from my cousin inside the car. Well, the guy just cleaned it.

He's got dog hair all over his car. My cousin finally scoops up, Masi, right? Gets Masi scooped up, gets the leash back on him, all wild before this guy even gets out. Well, the mailman is pulling up at the same time and sees my cousin struggling with these dogs and we're like that and is laughing. And he comes walking up and he tries to hand the mail

to my cousin. My cousin's like, I don't live here. The mailman dies laughing. My cousin's crazy. Bro, your dogs, your dogs just gangstered your name. Oh, my God. One dog shitting as long. The other one went ran off in his car.

So this board dude, your dogs, your dogs like Rick James gave him an aneurysm. They're like Rick James. Fuck you, couch. This poor guy, right? He probably walks, he steps in his house for probably 90 seconds. He comes out. There's dog here in his car and there's a shit on his phone. I thought my cousin told me that story and I know their personality so well. So I'm like that is I could totally see how that went down because that's exactly how Maze you if you yell at Maze he would run but he's not dumb enough to run into the street or run away from you because the bulldogs have this

They want to be close to you no matter so like if I ever want my dogs to come there being stubborn Just walk away walk away, and they have they'll come following me They don't they will only allow themselves to be so far kids are like that. Yeah, yeah kids are like that Sometimes I'll leave my kids somewhere and they just Like a target. I'm like, oh look Follow me. Oh, yeah, go check out those toys. Face out. You're a terrible father.

Here's some, stay in the car. Here's some cold water. No, never. You know, so this is obviously a little off time, but I know at one point we actually have to talk about fitness. So, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're moving on.

Oh, real quick, real quick dog shit. Before you do that, before you talk about fitness, I'll talk about one more random thing. Real quick, two minutes. My daughter, I'm giving them dinner tonight and my daughter and I'm like, honey, do you want, you want the rice first? I made rice and try tip.

Well, you want rice first? She goes, no, give me the meat so I can be a beast. This is my five year old daughter. Beast. So I gotta be careful what I say around her, apparently. You think? Yeah, because I want to be a beast. I want to be a beast.

So I've been getting a lot of people, and I guess, obviously we have now a ton of episodes. So a lot of things, we briefly touched on it, and I feel like because we talked about it, we feel like, oh, we talked about it enough. But I kind of feel like there's some really important topics that we probably should revisit because I've gotten a lot of questions. And it's probably the first time a second time, I'm like, yeah, we talked about that already. And I can't remember what episode it is. And I try to scroll through and find it. I'm like, I can't

find this in a couple of questions I've had lately were referring to the elevation mask rock tape and belts. Yeah, these are things that I know you say again, but then I was like, do you know what episode that was? I was looking through to try and find what episode that is. And I remember just reference it probably two or three times. And that's what I think I think that we've kind of referenced it and talked about it. And I think it's important because it's becoming,

just like the goddamn squeam. I saw someone, like seriously, like why is that taking more steam? I thought that was a dying trend. I saw someone in the mask today. Yeah, it's the mask. I saw someone mask today. The mask in the squeam and rock tape, those three.

And I feel like we should talk about all three. Well, let's start, why don't we start with rock tape? Because I have, I might be a little different than you guys on my opinion on rock tape. I don't know, I might too a little different than you guys on my opinion on rock tape. I don't know, I might too. You really? Yeah.

Try me. Find them. Let's hear it. Well, so here's the thing behind. So when I first saw rock tape, I'm like, well, that's stupid because it's not really giving me any support or stability. But I kind of understand the science now. And let me give you guys an example of what I'm talking about as trainers, okay? You ever have a client that you're, of course, you have, but you've had clients where you're

training them and you're training them to get them to move a certain way. And simply by touching them in the area, you want them to flanks or whatever. With your finger, all of a sudden they can. They're stimulus, yeah. Yeah, that stimulus from the outside, like I'm trying to get someone to pull their shoulder blades back. I'll have to do is put my finger in the middle of the back and say, I have a squeeze here and all of a sudden they can do it. Rock tape works, I believe along those same lines in the sense that it creates

this tactile kind of, this feeling on the skin and it's reminding you to position yourself in a certain way. Not that it's creating support, but it's giving your body neural feedback through touch through skin with the actual tape. So when you stretch the tape out and it's, for example, let's say I'm supporting my ankle or let's say my back, let's say I do wanna pull my shoulders back. I can put tape across my shoulder blades,

pulling the skin together there. It's not gonna, you know, it's obviously not attached to my scapula, it's not gonna pull the shoulder blades back, but it might remind me to keep my shoulder blades back. So, yeah, another version of that. So I was also told that like, if you have an overactive muscle, let's say like you can tape in such a way that you connect

to other muscles by taping around it and basically creating a new sort of recruitment pattern. Activating creating a new sort of Recruitment pattern and I haven't actually taped in that sense Although I have actually taped to help aid in my lower back when I so you've used it Yeah, and what it might you all you know it really did help me as far as just feel somewhat supported and I as far as just feel somewhat supported. And I don't know about like,

I don't know about like the other theory with that as far as like allowing more circulation and blood flow by lifting the skin up a little bit and some of the dermis, but I don't know, that was, that was told to me. But I wanna stop both here. It did help a little bit in the recovery. I wanna stop both here right now. And I just wanna, I wanna listen as to pay attention real quick It did help a little bit in the recovery. I want to stop both here right now. I just want to, I want our listeners to pay attention real quick.

This is a perfect example. And this is why we do this radio show. As you heard, Sal and Justin talk, we could take something completely stupid and make it sound very, very cool and educated by pointing out some very, very good facts and points about it. And that's, I think, the issue with so many things that are out there is you take a couple of smart guys like Salour Justin or myself, and we can put a positive spin on anything

and sell the shit out of it. And that is the problem with the fitness market. Now, that being said, great point, okay? That being said, I am with you guys on the points that you made about rock tape. Now the problem I have with it is 99.9% of those, the people that are wearing the fucking rock tape did not get it I have with it is 99.9% of those, the people that are wearing the fucking rock tape did not get it put on by someone as smart as the two by the fucker

sit next to me or a chiropractor or somebody that, now there are some chiropractors that do that and set them up and they probably know what the fuck they're doing in order to really help them. Well, it also looks cool, right? And it comes in different colors. Yeah. It comes in different colors and you could tape up your body and be like, I'm an athlete. Yes. Yes. So I think that's a lot of reason why people. And that's why I put the 99.9% ridiculous douchebaggy thing. That's the issue

that I have with this fucking rock tape. And it's like, you know, it's like the belt thing to me. There is a place for weight belts. Do I think there is a place for rock tape that can enhance performance for some athletes or for some people? Absolutely. I believe that. What percentage, let me ask you guys this. What percentage of the people that are working out in gyms

should or would benefit from using rock tape? Less than one percent. Very small percentage. Let's be, that's the thing here. Now what? If you're in a crossfit facility, probably more than that everybody. Everybody needs a rocket. You need it everywhere.

You need it. Every single joint. You need a face. You need to hide your shit. Yeah, hide your face. You know, nobody know what you're doing. But I mean, do you guys agree or not? I mean, I believe that like things like this,

and that is the problem with our industry is they catch something and what a perfect thing to make trendy, some cheap ass tape because it's, we can, it's gonna have to keep buying rolls. Well, it started out as like KT tape. And the thing is, the adhesion of that was shitty. And so it would like, it would peel up, because I used that before, rock tape ever.

Yeah, it's been around in physical therapy for ever. It's just, you know, it was just another way that they can help. What was that, T.T., can you see, can you see, can you see, can you see a tape? Yeah. It's the same thing. It's just that rock tape stays on there for like three or four days.

You shower with it and everything. My best friend is a physical therapist. And I'm a, I'm a, I'm a tape your butt cheeks, the other day. And he used to, he used to tape my, he used to tape my ankle. There's no entry zone. When we used to play ball because I had rolled my ankle and I had a really bad sprain. And so he would give me the extra support by taping me up. And you know, it's something that I had him do because he's a perfect, the way he tapes

my ankle and the way I tape my own ankles, night and day difference. I can feel a significant difference. It's the same thing. Yeah, it's athletic training. Like when I used to go, well, I actually would make fun of everybody in there because I thought they were all bunch of pussies. But before practice, you'd see all these guys, like, oh, like getting taped up and like they had to.

And I'm like, you don't have to get taped. You know what though? It's better than the fricking. You ever watch soccer and somebody will fall down. What is that cold air they spray on everything? You know what I'm talking about? Don't give this to the person. Well, they'll fall down. What is that cold air they spray on everything? You know what I'm talking about? Well, they'll fall down the soccer players.

And it's like just like cold air comes out and you can see it looks like a cloud of fad. I don't know what the point is. Did I ever tell you I did an internship with athletic training. And so I had to actually work with like different teams. And dude, don't get me started on soccer players. Okay. Oh, big is pussy started on soccer players. Okay.

Oh, big is pussy's on the plan. No, I'm sorry. Way to offend all our soccer players. I'm sorry. You know, I have to disagree, man. Soccer, soccer is a freaking bad. I think it's a bad sport, man. No, no, no.

I'm just talking about, and it's not. In professional soccer, they fall down. It's part of the game because they gotta make, they gotta try and get the referee to come over and get a yellow card or whatever. And then their trainer's gotta come out and make it look like they're doing something. So they spray cold air on their fucking ankle

or whatever and all of a sudden they're fucking healed. And you can see it's like a cloud, looks like dry ice. It's like, and then they come up with like, my knee is better now. It's probably nice to get. It's probably the whole, just like the cryotherapy concept and probably exactly it is But they fall down like they're like they've literally and like that's more than a leg off

That's gonna do something. Yeah, and then shouldn't they get up and like good. Yeah, jump back at it. Yeah Yeah, when I was a kid I was like that's magic. I want that. What is it? Yeah, so I was cold there That's my so much you're a physical therapist or a pretty advanced personal trainer You know or have either or those trainer, you know, or have either, or those people, you know, or a chiropractor, rock taping you up, it's probably pretty pointless. If you had to rank all the things that you should do to help yourself with a, with an injury or some kind of chronic pain, Rock tape is near the bottom. You have correctional exercise, myel fascial release, stretching, massage, chiropractic,

and then weigh down the bottom list, rock tape. There's so many other things you could do to help yourself when you have aches and pains and stuff. So the whole rice. But I get it because in the defense of it, and I know I ragged on it first, but in the defense of it, and I know I ragged on it first, but in the defense of it, it's a real similar concept or reason why you'd wear it

as why I joked about using my wraps for deadlifting because of my golfers elbow. I'm crutching an issue. I have an issue. I'm too lazy to spend the time re-acting. I'm just putting it in. Too lazy to spend the time doing corrective work like I should. You know what I like?

So we did that episode with I did that episode with Jesse when you were here talking about wrist wraps. The the the post he did on Instagram. Yeah, you like the post that follow up. He's like, so here I am. I can't explain myself. I'm dead. Yeah, but you know, normally I use wrist wraps because you see I'm such a badass.

Can you talk shit and say that, but I always I always put it and put it out there. Like this is'm such a badass. But after. If you do talk shit and say that, but I always put it out there. There's a reason. There's a reason behind all that stuff. I don't believe in using AIDS or crutches like that unless you absolutely need it or you have an issue. I'm willing to admit, I do not spend the time now taking care of myself like I used to. The good trainer of me three years ago would, you know, take a week off or, you know,

let the inflammation come down or rehab myself or do corrective work instead, the stubborn competitor in me right now just keeps pushing through and, you know, or crushing it with using rock tape or wrist wraps. Yeah, like I was saying earlier today, I was lifting over at Golds and there's a dude with an elevation mask.

And he's probably he doesn't really look like he works out skinny kid and he's just doing straight sets on like back machine. Oh he's lifting. He's lifting with with an elevation mask and he's doing like straight sets like you know 10 reps rest 10 reps rest. So here's the here's the the theory behind elevation mask they limit they they impede breathing, so that supposedly you get less oxygen. Your body tries to adapt by producing more red blood cells. Boom, you have more endurance. That's where their theory behind elevation masks goes.

If that's true, when you're using an elevation mask, you'll really benefit mostly from using it with stuff that's training your VO2 max or your cardio. Matt lifting weights for, or maybe a circuit, but not like straight set, you know, rest, straight set, rest. So the kid obviously got the wrong impression with it. That being said, what did he look like? He, I'm telling you, didn't even look like he lifted. He was just some normal, like, he looked like a 17 year old kid.

That's where I just have the biggest problem. If it was like a serious athlete, or yeah, the MMA fighter, or somebody that was doing it. Yeah, because it's gonna stream cardio. Exactly, because it's gonna give you, if it does work, it might give you point, you know, something percent benefit,

which is important if you're a high level athlete, because that could be the difference between winning and losing every little bit of performance. But if you're an 18 year old, and you're trying 18 year old and you're trying to go from 14 in charms, the 15 in charms, you're, you know, go take some crate team, eat more food and lift weights. Calm down with all the, leave the, leave the, all the gimmicks. Well, exactly. One of my members who is getting ready for one of those, not a muddy buddy thing, but

the one of those, what are muddy buddy thing, but one of those, what do they call it? Muddy buddy. Barebacking. Yeah, that was tough. Yeah, one of those, one of those tough. There really is a muddy buddy, Brian, to see him. Every time a bear back. So he's become my, bro, broke back,

but I came out bareback. I don't know. Something's happening tonight. My, who laced my, who laced my drink? Jesus Christ. I felt like I was meeing the Something's happening tonight. Who laced my drink? I felt like I was meeing the soccer players too. Yeah. Oh well. Sorry guys.

That was almost apology. I actually really enjoy women's soccer. It's very awesome. Wow. You're just doing it. You're just doing it. You're just doing it. You're just doing it.

You're just doing it. You're just doing it. You're just doing it. You're just doing it. You're just awesome. Did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it just did it did it Rugby so I played for seven years my life you played soccer. Yeah for seven years. Were you goalie? No, you're so tall I was a forward forward. No, you weren't you're a fullback green. Yeah, no, I was a forward. I played sweeper for a little while too But I was I was primarily a forward for most I was actually Remember I was a short fast kid when I was younger. I didn't I was five three is a sophomore in high school I didn't sprout up holy shit. Yeah, five three. I was point guard. I played point guard And then all of a sudden you just got told. Yeah, yeah, that's funny. That's like what that was me, dude.

Like I played forward. I played, you know, middle and whatever you call it. And then, yeah, I was point guard. And then I put on all this weight, you know, from football and then everything changed. Yeah. I, you know, I actually soccer was my first love. I, when I went through my growths, my growthspert,

it fucked me up in the sport. I had been a forward and used to be in this quick adieu. So did you gain like 10 inches of height in like three years or something? Yeah, about let's see, I know, I had 10 inches, I went five, three to six, I probably graduated high school at six foot, six one. So five, three up to six foot.

Wow, in just two years. Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, I did. So, three up to six foot. Wow. And just two years. Yeah. That's crazy. I did. So and and that that gross part helped me in basketball. I became a better basketball player, of course. But I became a worse soccer player. And I was soccer. I said it was my first thought. I was really good. It was really good and soccer. And I had plans to play that all the way through high school. But then I got I literally went from being somebody who thought he was really, really good to not so good at all.

You know, like I went from being a starter and scoring all the goals to a guy that was coming off the bench and that was weird. Were you short and skinny or short and fat? Oh, short and skinny. So you went from short and skinny to tall and skinny? Well, at least you got tall. Yeah, yeah, no, I helped out for basketball. Yeah. Because, you know, if you went from short and fat to tall and skinny, it's kind of a win.

You know, I mean, you still won, you know what I mean? but it wasn't as much of a win as if you were a fat. You know what I mean? I guess. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But I'm back. Yeah, back to a bear back and back to a tough one.

Get on the pony. Come on. Back to Tough Mudder and the question that somebody had, the real serious question they asked me, they came up to me at the class that Adam, what do you think about these elevation mass? You know, I'm getting ready to train for this tough matter. And you're like, elevation, if you wanna get high. Sorry.

I'm sorry. So I was explaining to him that it's kind of, it kind of defeats the purpose too, because when you think about it, the idea of increasing your VO2 max, right? You, while you're constructing yourself from breathing very well, you're not going to be able to run with the same intensity that you would run breathing normal. So it's kind of like this.

You're you may be increasing red blood cells because you're actually freaking suffocating yourself while you try and run, but then you also are not going to let's say you're somebody that your performance goes way down during the exercise. Well, I want to see. I want to see. You can focus more on your performance and you're gonna get that much more added benefit to it and the endurance from it

and you're gonna play it that speed. Well, here, exactly. So it's pretty dark. I want to see the science because red blood cells do increase when you have less oxygen in the air that you're breathing, not because you're breathing shitty. So it's like, I had asthma as a kid. I don't think I had more red blood cells because I had asthma attacks.

So I don't know if that science transfers. I'm just telling you guys, you know, we're just talking about the theory behind it, but I don't know what the science is. Here's my hunch, okay. My hunch is that training with an elevation mask will make you better at training with an elevation mask. Okay, it will make you better at training without it. Does that make sense?

Much like all these other tools that turn into different adaptations. Right, like consider. Like you see guys in the gym, I fucking love these guys, when they will grab the five pound dumbbells in between sets and shadow box in front of the mirror. So they're doing two things, obviously, they're trying to show everybody how awesome they are and how stupid they are for anybody who knows how to box because boxing with weights

throws you timing off and is not a good thing to do. It'll make you better at boxing with weights, but it won't make you better at boxing, kind of like the elevation mask. I would bet money that that's great. I would bet money that it probably, it probably just makes you better at training with something over your face suffocating you. Now, that might translate into a sport like MMA, where if someone's on top of you ground and pound,

one of the techniques that they use is they'll put their hand over your face to suffocate you. Right, or they choke you out or they're constricting. Maybe, but well, chokes aren't really, so here's the thing about chokes. Chokes aren't, the reason why chokes are effective is not cause they're blocking your air. It's cause they're blocking your blood,

the blood to your brain. If I block your air with a choke, you're gonna last a long time. You'll sit there for 30 seconds, 40 seconds, minute, maybe longer, and not pass out. If I block your carotid artery, five seconds, you're asleep. Yeah, I actually didn't know that. I actually thought I was,

I was, no, it's not the air at all. It's blood, that's actually. It's the blood. I could use my thumbs. If I place them right on your carotids thought I was, I was, no, it's not the air at all. It's blood, that's actually. It's the blood. I could use my thumbs. If I place them right on your crottids and I push hard, you'll feel yourself start to go out right away. It's not has nothing to do with the oxygen. If I just sit there and crush your, your Adam's apple,

that's pain you might tap out to that. But in terms of not being able to breathe, you can hold your breath for a long time. So, so it might be actual button then like, you know, on the jaw or you're gonna get a knockout points like so if it's pinching, is it pinching and nerve? like, you know, in the jaw or you're gonna get a knockout points like so if it's pinching, is it pinching and nerve?

No, so here's what happens. God, I love this question. And so first and foremost, so I watched a documentary on this and they discovered what causes people to get knocked out is the two hemispheres of the brain will twist in opposite directions. So like the left hemisphere will twist to, you know, back in the right hemisphere will twist forward. And that causes like a short circuit and makes you, you know, go nine night, go to sleep.

And the chin, the chin happens to be the furthest point away from the, it's like a lever. Like if I hit the end of a broomstick, it's gonna twist the broomstick harder than if I hit the middle. So hitting the chin, it's that long lever down from the point of the... That makes a lot of sense. Right, so you hit the chin.

The chin. And it twists the fuck out your head and then you go to sleep. Interesting. That's why if you punch someone like square on the forehead, you'd have to hit them really hard to knock them out. But you hit someone right on the front. Like the back of the head, you know, too, you get that brain to hit the front. Right, but if you hit them like right at the point of the chin, kind of like a hook, twist

their head, they're probably going to go to sleep. Yeah. Yeah. So now you know, no shit. Yeah. So elevation masks. Yeah. Well, no, you bring up a great point. And so to Justin, that you're training at an elite elite level and you've already got your cardio endurance through the roof, the treadmill speed doesn't even go up faster, and you're looking at maybe the next level, like hey, you know what, restricting some air while you're doing that

may just take you next. But to me, if you're an average in shape person who's, and by even on the upper echelon, you don't even have to be average, you're pretty damn, I'm going to use a fucking mask. Yeah. There's so much more you can improve before you do something like that that's going to constrict it.

Unless you were trying to mirror something that you do in a sport like MMA, which is the only one I think any of us could really think of, or unless you're in some underwater, underwater you know, you have Durant's sport. If I was trying to, yeah, if I was trying to build endurance, you know, of Durant's sport. If I was trying to build endurance, you know, say for football or something, I'm doing Hill Sprints or I'm doing, you know, Sprints on the field, so I'm getting actual texture of the field

and the grass and like making cuts and everything. So I'm gonna, it's gonna be applicable to the sport what I'm doing. Plus you'll probably do a lot of training in your pads and in your helmet. Exactly. Getting used to the weight. Yeah. Exactly. Getting used to it. You got the weight. Yeah, exactly.

Getting used to it. It's a long like that. That's why the coaches, like good coaches, get pissed off if like you're that guy that always taking his helmet off. Because you're not the one, you know, you don't take your helmet off in the game. Why are you taking your helmet off every chance you get? And that's why Justin's neck is fucking massive. I've had this explained.

I never took my helmet off. I wasn't that guy. You were just walking around the house, the helmet on everybody. Yeah. Look, look, look, look, look. So that's what I can't remember anything. So I think that sums up the elevation mass.

I feel like we've talked really good about that. So we got to get after the squeams and we got to talk about the belt. Those two things we have to talk about. I love squeam it. Well, where did that term come from? Because it's just like such a random name. And like, I know corset, you know, like,

how did it go from corset to waist train or to squeam? They had to name it something different because it couldn't call it a corset, right? Cause there wouldn't be inventing anything. Yeah, and dudes wouldn't be like, I'm gonna put on a corset. I mean, some dudes, my, but most guys wouldn't. I mean, I wear one because it feels kinda hot.

Some guys say, now I put on my out my screen which doesn't sound much better Well, okay, so we watched so so sweet shades. Oh, you watch 50 shades of great. We talked about this. Oh, yeah Yeah, let's get stuck. Did you watch it? It reminds me of that? I have no squee the screen does yeah, there's no reason to watch 50 shades of great I don't worry about it. Yeah, it's it's yeah, you're not married you're not married when you're married, you don't really watch porn together. We get excited over. She weird things. Exactly. So tell me tell me your screams. Let's hear. So scream zero reason to wear one. I mean, I mean, there's really not there. There is no I could see with an elevation mask. You might get 0.7% of point something percent increase. And if

you're super high elite in or if it's helping you for MMA, whatever, a squeam, zero reason to use one. And if you use one, you're doing yourself a disservice. You're altering your midsection and your torso in a way that it's atrophy and it's compromising your spinal integrity. You're just, it's like putting a cast on your arm. You're gonna lose muscle around that area, lose stability, set yourself up on the ground.

Sushing the organs together, creating internal pressure that doesn't need to be there. Well, not only out of the four things, the rock tape, the screams, the elevation mass and belt that we're about to talk about right now, not even just out of those things, but I would say out of all fitness aids that are out there, the scream has to take the cake

and the most idiotic one at all. It's pure stupid. I would recommend you buy a shake weight, shake weight before I recommend you buy a fucking screen. A shake weight is 10 trillion times more effective than a screen. And a shake weight has zero effectiveness. So do the math. So what's zero minus 10?

How's the spankter muscles I've found? The spankter? Yeah. Yeah, if a shake weight works, my God, I'd be, yeah. Don't you love sleep, Mowd. You know that the shake weight goes back to what we talked about at the beginning of this podcast, and telling people that, you know, it's so easy for fitness professionals

like ourselves to take, I could, we could all, okay, all three of us right now, could talk about the shake weight for about the next eight to ten minutes and Sell you on why it's great right could you not could you not put together a presentation right now and talk about the benefits that you get Well, we could talk a video together. Well, we could we could even just tell the truth like I could say when you're shaking the way You're activating you know 30 muscles in the arm the reciprocal force that's coming back Yeah, you know activate more muscle fibers. And you're increasing your caloric burn while you're using it, and you only have to use one hand, so you could use the other hand to work.

I mean, I'm telling the truth, but it's not a really, look like an idiot. But it's not effective. It's not gonna really do much for you. And a lot of times with fitness, what they do is they take a kernel of truth, a tiny, tiny kernel of truth, and they blow it out and make it into this big, huge thing so they can sell a product. For example, the whole eating frequently thing, eating every two or three hours, you have to eat every two or three hours thing. This, again, they took a kernel of truth, which is, if you eat, every time you eat, you get what's called a thermic effect where your body's metabolism increases.

And so they took that kernel of truth and they said, awesome, if you eat all day, you're gonna have a faster metabolism all day long. So mathematically, you're gonna be processing this food and you're gonna be learning X amount more calories. Which is not- Which is not- Exactly, which is not true.

The thermic effect matches the amount of food you eat, two big meals, 10 small meals, all equal out the same, same thermic effect, same difference of food you eat, you know, two big meals, 10 small meals, all equal out the same, same thermic effect, same difference at the end of the day. But they took it, they spread it out, extrapolated it, turned it into this big selling point, and boom, by my protein box. Newsflash, nothing that sounds cookie cutter works.

All right. Newsflash. There is nothing out there that's free. The human body is very complex. It has like checks and balances all the way across the board. I mean, whether it's hormones, whether it's, you know, dealing with force, stress level, you know, all kinds of different things.

Like your body's always constantly adjusting and trying to adapt and overcome the environment, right? So it's all about just how you're trying to stay ahead of that and do it in a smart way and not try to overwhelm it with things. Well, let's get into belts now for a second. You know, when you're wearing a belt, I think there's a fine line between using the belt for safety and then becoming dependent on the belt. When you're exercising, I personally use a belt every workout, but I only use it after I reach a certain weight in particular exercises. So I use a belt and squats once I get to 300 plus pounds. I use a belt and deadlifts once I get above

450 pounds. In front squats, I'll use it once I get about 230 to 250 pounds. And that's pretty much it. Up until I get to those weights, or if I'm doing lighter weight, I don't use a belt because I know that I'll become dependent on it. See, your body's recruitment patterns change when you're wearing a belt. And I don't want those recruitment patterns to be with me all the time because I don't wear a belt. Unless I plan on wearing a belt my entire life and walking around all day long

and looking like a massive massive massive douchebag. Yeah, it's kind of like wearing a helmet driving around your car every day. That probably looked pretty stupid if you're driving up, but if you were to get into a drag car and drag race at 200 miles an hour, you probably put a helmet on. Yeah, you would put a helmet on. Same thing goes for your body. When you're doing something super high, performance like that, safety does come in there. Could you probably deadlift the 500 pounds without about? Absolutely, I know you could. But it's there just in case, safety reasons. And it also, you've been deadlifting or squatting

to three, 400 pounds without it. So you know you've got some serious. I make sure to do sets without the belt. And you ramp it up. And I ramp it up. And the belt really is there because when I have 500 pounds on the bar, and of course it's all relative. Okay, you guys are listening to me right now, some of you are saying there because when I have you know 500 pounds on the bar and of course It's all relative. Okay, you guys are listening to me right now some of you are saying well I'll never lift 500 pounds

But it's relative whatever's whatever's a really heavy weight for you Yeah, whereas it were you feel if your form breaks a little bit You you feel like you might hurt yourself for me About 450 or more on the deadlift is where I get to that point where I feel like if I'm lifting the weight and it just Shifts a little bit or I'm off a little bit or like the other day I pulled a muscle while I was trying to lift in my calf of all fucking places. The belt might save me a little bit

and prevent me from majorly injuring myself because I have so much weight on it. Now that being said, there's some fucking lifters man I've seen out there who lift incredible amounts of weight with never worry about. And so there's even a part of me that being said, there's some fucking lifters man I've seen out there who lived incredible amounts of weight with never wore belt And so you know, there's even a part of me that's thinking I'm gonna, you know I'm even thinking maybe I'm not gonna wear a belt for a long time just to see what happens I don't know. Well, I didn't wear one for a very bad. I don't I just I just got my first belt. So my first belt ever I've ever owned

I've had for less than less than a year and the only reason why is this is the most I've ever seen. And this is why I exactly. Well now you're going heavyhead. Yeah, I never really trained singles on squatting and deads and stuff like that. So I never felt the need to go get about like, you know, hey, now that I'm getting up there where I'm pulling four, five hundred pounds, it's like, okay, it might not be a bad idea to get about just in case, safety reasons, I've got that little extra protection

when I get up to that way. Well, one thing people don't realize is there's a technique to wearing a belt too. Especially if you're gonna wear a legit belt. By the way, if you're gonna wear a belt and you're using it properly, don't get the belt that's skinny in the front and wide in the back,

like you see a lot of the meat head bodybuilders wear. That is actually not giving you tons of support. The support from the belt does not come from the back of the belt. The support from the belt comes from the front. It exists to push it in. Right, because your core, what happens when you wear a proper belt that's wide all the way around,

is your core pushes out against the front of the belt and that gives you the stability in the back. If the front skinny, you lose that. Do you know that I used to, I remember back in the days I actually see guy that used to wear those cardillo belts that you're like you're talking about backwards. You used to have his buddy strap him in from behind, so it would tighten him down from the back.

The belt would be on the backside, and the big part would be on his front. Yep. So yeah, you want one that's thick all the way around. You need to be able to put it on pretty snugly, because if it's too loose, your core is gonna have to push out too far to give you that stability. And a powerlifting belt is probably best, but they're stiff and they're difficult to put on

and it's gonna take practice. And I know a lot of people that will try it and just not even like it because it's uncomfortable and you gotta get kinda used to it to put it on. I use a cage to put my belt on. I don't even pull the belt part. I grab the cage with my belt and I twist your, and I twist my body away from it

because I've got the technique kinda down. Otherwise, it's not gonna do me that much good. So it's gotta be nice and tight and nice and wide all the way around. And of course, use it on your heaviest lifts. Otherwise, don't use it all. Well, why were talking about a heavy lift in squatting? I had another question,

so when it was asking me about breathing technique, when you squat, you ever notice a lot of power lifters will hold their breath. Correct. So, you know, what is your theory and what is your thought? So, because obviously when you're doing a normal training, eight to 12 reps, you teach clients to breathe. Don't hold your breath.

Yeah, don't hold your breath. You're breathing in on the negative, you're exhaling on the positive, or you sent your concentric motion. So when you, but yet when you're powerlifting, you'll see people take a big deep breath. And hold the breath and power through. So you're doing when you're doing that,

when you breathe in deep and then tighten, and then you know, tighten everything up and then hold your breath is you're increasing your internal core stability. So it's a technique that's used to increase that stability so you can lift heavier weight. Now that only works when you're doing like one rep or two reps where you can come up to the top,

take a couple breaths and do it again. If you do this on a set that's like five, six, seven or more reps, you're gonna pass out. But the question then comes is, how do I take advantage of that while breathing? So what if I am doing a set of 14 reps? How do I take advantage of that? How do I get that same similar technique,

but at the same time I have to breathe? And the way you breathe in techniques. Yes, you brace and you breathe with force. So in yoga, they teach how to breathe through the gut, where you, you kind of breathe out, and then, yeah, I'm sure that was annoying to listen to. But yeah, but that's what you do when you're doing your reps. So you go down, you breathe in, go down, hold your breath as you go down, when you come out of the squat, you breathe out, but do it with force, with the, with the tight core.

Clenching. Yes, it's like, clenching your it's like clenching your whole body. Clenching your whole body, like squeeze your butt hole. Exactly. Breathe out. All the way. No joke. Seriously though.

They teach that to now, to clench your butt hole. It's silly, but it's true. In Olympic lifting because people have blown out their ass, I'm not even joking, they have blown out. Have you seen this? Have you never seen it, but I have heard about it. Bro, the amount of force that they generate, Olympic lifters, some of the pros, yeah, that if they don't clench their, their assholes, like they have to be very good,

they don't do that. They will literally blow the inside of their ass out. Everything out. Yes. A little, Google it. No, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don do, don't Google pink sock. So anyway. Oh, so, so, no. No. No. So how do you like your belt? Is this the one with your name on it?

No, I have not got the official one, Dan. I'm on the loan or cardillo belt that they have right now. And I like it. You don't wear it when you do curls and shit. I hate your buddies. I actually rarely ever do wear it. You know, for so many years, I've been so used to not wearing one.

And it even goes with this. I remember when I first started lifting, I had these big, whole body builder guys that when I was in my early 20s, I used to lift with and they were always like, if you can't hold it with your bare hands, you can't hold the way, you can't pick it up. You know, that was their mentality.

Like, give her those pussy-ass straps. So let's not try and make a connection between the two there, Adam. Straps, probably different. Yeah, but we're talking about rapes. Your buddies were right. So, wisdom. So the straps, the way belts, things like that.

So I was always used to never using that. And it wasn't until I really got into doing singles and stuff that I never even consider using any of these tools. And that, to me, is just kind of how I feel all the way across the board on wrist wraps, on belts, on straps, is I get it if you got those things there to protect you, to help you to age you when you are moving almost your max load. And I know you guys, you guys, and I did the post on the wraps and this and that,

even that, something like that where I get it, if you're getting ready to pull 500 and something pounds, and you really, and for me, when I'm wrapped into 500 pounds, I can really concentrate on everything else that's firing properly because my grip is all there. Now, when I get, get pulling over 400 with, my grip is normally the first thing to go after a few reps, you know, after a few reps, I'm starting to feel the bar starting to slide out of my, out of my fingers. And now no longer am I mentally concentrating on firing everything else properly. I'm concentrating on holding on to that damn bar. But so the question is, do you feel like you earned that weight? You know, it's funny. This is as long as I can rip it one time, bear hand it.

Here's what I love about Mind Pump. The two non pro, the two competitors can talk crap to the two. Should it 230 pound? Professional. Yeah, a guy with the 19 inch arms sitting across from me. Before we leave, do not forget to rate and review us on iTunes. Move them up. Move us up in the ratings.

Move us on. Yeah, we found out that the more that we get reviews and stuff, that's actually what's getting us out to more people. So those guys that are helping us spread the mind, pump, love. That's one of the best ways you guys can do it. And you know what, you can't continue to do multiple ones on the same phone or what that.

So if you have to, you use your phone, then your computer, then you grab your friend's phone, you grab your mom's phone, you grab your uncle's phone, and your cousin's phone, then you call all their family and friend members your uncle's phone, and your cousin's phone, and then you call all their family and friend members and to get them to do the same thing, we should be good. Thank you for listening to Mind Pump.

For more information about this show and to get valuable free resources from Sal, Adam, and Justin, visit us at www.mindpumpradio.com. Until next time, this is Mind Pump. Until next time, this is MindPump.