Ever wondered why Ben frames his teachings around the 6 Pillars of a Lean, Healthy and Muscular Body... for Life? In this episode, Ben explains what he was searching for at the beginning of his bodybuilding career and why he felt the need to create something that was previously missing in the fitness industry.  He speaks to how the Muscle Intelligence brand has evolved, gives you his approach and definition of health, goes into the only type of client he takes on for contest prep and so much more. There's quotes, tips and book recommendations in this podcast for you.  If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on ApplePodcasts to support us and share it with a person you feel will benefit from this conversation.    Thank you to our amazing show sponsors Real Mushrooms. Real mushrooms are the highest quality mushroom extracts we can find. They are 100% mushroom certified organic. They have no added fillers or grains, and they are third party tested multiple times. You can add their mushroom extract powders to things like coffee, tea, smoothies, or oatmeal, or they also have capsules. Ben uses Real Mushrooms Lion’s Mane organic mushroom powder in his Intelligence Coffee every morning, and he uses the Cordyceps-M mushroom capsules for improved focus and cognitive performance.  Please visit https://www.realmushrooms.com/ben Code BEN gets you 30% off for first time buyersCode MUSCLE gets you 20% off all other orders   Mentions Charles Poliquin Website Instragram  Milos Sarčev Youtube Instagram Dorian Yates Instagram  The Daily Stoic Instagram  Dr. Jordan Shallow Instagram  PreScript Website Instagram   Ben’s Books Leo Buscaglia – Love: What life is all about  Russel Brunson – DotComSecrets  Philip Shepherd - Radical Wholeness: The Embodied Present and the Ordinary Grace of Being    ⏱Timestamps [00:40] – The back story of Muscle Intelligence [01:06] – Ben’s role models [01:49] – The value gained from getting into very low bodyfat %. [02:53] – Why Ben doesn’t recommend competing. [03:38] – Health in Pro Bodybuilding? [04:15] – The Bodybuilding Culture. [04:44] – Looking at optimizing the athlete. [05:08] – Ben’s definition of health. [05:43] – The Trilogy of Muscle Intelligence. – Lean, Healthy, Muscular [06:07] – Health is a precursor to muscle building. [06:39] – Aesthetics: What being lean says about you. [07:33] – Health and your ability to adapt. [08:58] – Your perception of stress. [10:42] – Muscular equals vitality. [11:26] – The foundation to achieving your goals. [11:58] – One of Ben’s favorite quotes. [12:26] – The key to building the maximum amount of muscle in the shortest amount of time. [12:44] – Why more isn’t better.  [13:56] – Does Ben prep clients for contests? [19:59] – High Impact Habits for life. [21:39] – Powerful quotes from The Daily Stoic. [23:53] – Upcoming projects and the evolution of the Muscle Intelligence brand. [28:33] – The three books Ben is currently reading. [34:28] – Ben’s tip of the week. [37:27] – Ben’s quote of the week. [38:01] – Why Ben is grateful for Dr. Jordan Shallow. [34:28] – Today’s Sponsor – Real Mushrooms