Build Muscle, Great Posture & Resilience to Injury | Jeff Cavaliere

**Jeff Cavaliere** (0:00)
Longevity ultimately is being able to maintain function as you age, because again, it's not the number of years, but the quality of the years. So all muscles in your body serve a function. You're training these muscles to get stronger, and you're training these to your balance, and these are all skills that can be learned and improved. They're all trainable. If it's trainable, it's fixable.

**Andrew Huberman** (0:21)
Welcome to the Huberman Lab Podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life.
I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a Professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. My guest today is Jeff Cavaliere. Jeff Cavaliere is a Master of Science in Physical Therapy and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He is considered one of the world's foremost experts in training for both men and women to increase the strength and size of their muscles, their overall health and longevity. Today we discuss some of the things that are not often discussed, and considered the small things, but that are actually the big things. Because they allow you to do the big things for your health and fitness and longevity decade after decade after decade, and to do so pain free and while making continual progress. We also discuss the typical big things, the specific multi-joint exercises and cardio workouts that create the greatest results. Today you'll learn some simple exercises that will strengthen and protect your back, your shoulders, even improve your foot strength, which most people don't think about, but turns to be foundational for everything, your pressing and pulling movements, leg training and your cardio. And that will allow you to live your daily life with vigor and ease at any age. I must say, I'm a long time fan of Jeff's work, which he's been publishing to YouTube and elsewhere as AthleanX. As you'll soon realize from today's episode, Jeff is far more than just another fitness trainer. He has deep knowledge of human physiology and kinesiology, and he really understands that everybody's situation and body is different, and thus needs different tools to address and solve their specific problems and to achieve their desired results. I should also mention that Jeff and I went to the legendary Gold's Gym in Venice, California, where he took me through an arm workout, so biceps and triceps and forearms, and he showed me what has become his kind of signature move, which is face pulls, which are essential for improving your posture, for your rear delts, and for general stability of the shoulders. So you can find a link to those workouts in the show note captions. Before we begin, I'd like to emphasize that this podcast is separate from my teaching and research roles at Stanford. It is, however, part of my desire and effort to bring zero cost to consumer information about science and science-related tools to the general public. In keeping with that theme, today's episode does include sponsors. And now for today's discussion with Jeff Cavaliere.
Jeff Cavaliere, welcome back.

**Jeff Cavaliere** (2:45)
Thank you for having me. This time, actually nice to come out to California.

**Andrew Huberman** (2:50)
Yeah, we have a studio this time. Last time, I think we were in a rented apartment in New York City.

**Jeff Cavaliere** (2:55)
It worked.

**Andrew Huberman** (2:56)
I said then, I'll say it again, you're the man. I've been watching your videos and following your training advice for many years. I would say Mike Menser, Dorian Yates, and you. I've merged the principles.

**Jeff Cavaliere** (3:10)
Very high humbling praise for me, for sure.

**Andrew Huberman** (3:13)
Well, you're 50, never touched gear. That's a slang for steroids. You're not on TRT, you've never done it.
You look amazing. I know you're very disciplined with your diet, your training, but you're married, you have two kids, you put in the work all over life, and you're a testament to what's possible if people do things right. Today, I want to talk about a number of things, but something that I believe is not discussed enough, which you discuss a lot and it's just been transformative for me because I also happen to be 50, is we both know that the big things like doing the regular compound multi-joint lifts regularly, that's all critical. We know the big stuff is critical, and people talk about the big stuff all the time. But you talk about the small stuff that makes the big stuff possible for decade after decade. And I credit you for fixing my back pain. I credit you for the fact that I basically have no pain despite training very hard for more than three decades. So let's talk about the small stuff, which is not actually the small stuff. I think of it as the kind of hinges and bolts on the system that allow that system to work. So low back, shoulders, neck, these are the pieces that nobody wants to train, no one wants to think about, no one wants to talk about. So let's start right there.