Not all of the young guys are soft. I have two twenty year olds working at my tire shop and they are tough. It’s rare but I’m proud of them. Growing up poor has something to do with it as no one ever gave them anything.

22:30 the SOFT DISCUSSION STARTS

Being 36 myself I've seen soft men both young and old in my life but one thing I have noticed is how fat everyone has gotten in the last decade.

Young men are “soft” because fathers are absent. They’re either physically absent or emotionally disconnected from their sons. And let’s face it, the father’s aren’t doing too hot. Most older men have no close friends. And older men have high rates of suicides as well. Boys and men are struggling today. I do appreciate Mark’s channel for providing a positive space for young men looking to improve their physical lives. That’s important. But community is what’s going to fix this. I’d love Mark to have Jason Wilson on his podcast. Great dude. He talks about this.

I think the younger crowd is generally soft because of time spent on electronics instead of physical activity. I am 53... back in the day we played our asses off and went to bed tired.

I've been on this for over 5 years. The effects of plastic(BPA), technology, fragrance/phthalates, social and economic realities have slowly taken a huge toll on male anatomy and development.

This belief (young guys are soft) is something I hear a lot from older folks I work with. Ironically, they’re also the ones who whine and complain the most about having to do a difficult job.

This is a complex issue, but some factors I don't hear enough about: • Broken dopamine systems: today's comforts allow quick, low effort (key!) gratification in solitude. Add in screen addiction-phone, computer, late night shows-plus shitty sleep hygiene...throws off cortisol curve and circadian biology. • Not enough forward movement in the mornings, sunlight in general • Poor minerality of our soil • Less community, more solitary activities in general. And fewer high quality group activities (many centered around alcohol). EDIT: Part of being soft is not taking life-and our mortality-seriously. Have an appreciation for life and how hard it is, embrace pain and suffering then learn from it and be better. And don't forget to give back to strangers as much as possible. Enjoy seeing others succeed. That's legacy.

I had asthma as a kid, my moms solution was to discourage and/or disallow me from any strenuous activity. It wasn't until I turned 16 and didnt need a parental waver to participate in sports. Thank god my grandparents let me ride a bike and exersize when I was there. Otherwise I'd never have known a different world.

The decent into 'softness' began with my generation. I was born in the late '60's and while most of us back then had a real connection with what our grandparents endured so that we may be free, I feel that somewhere along the way we forgot! How can we blame subsequent generations for being soft when many of us have failed to set a good example? I raised my son to be a man I'd be proud of. I also set that same standard for myself and earn his respect on a daily basis. Respect should always be earned and never expected. I taught him to talk his way out of danger, but also how to fight! I taught him to always do the jobs no-one else wanted to do and lead from the front - his career trajectory is incredible. I backed his decision not to attend university and to forge his own path, so while all his contemporaries are battling with student debt, he's making investments for his early retirement. He's risked his personal safety to save lives, because that's the example I set. I taught him to trust his own judgement and never follow the crowd for the sake of an easy life. Bottom line: he's exceeded my achievements and abilities in almost every way and become a man I am immensely proud of. I can't wait for him to become a father as he'll be amazing!!!!

I’m in my mid twenties and I do agree people are generally softer but that not the biggest problem, the bigger problem is the lack of basic common sense and social skills or situational awareness, if you go to a commercial gym you know what I’m talking about.

Juiced up guys on trt discuss why young men are soft 🤣

This video has deeply inspired me to start MMA training in pursuit of the ability to absolutely pulverize any near-senior citizen I am fortunate enough to cross paths with. Thanks Mark!

Young men are asking the same thing about a majority of the old men in power.

The issue Is psychologically as well. Alot of young males want to be females because their hormones are all messed up. This won't get mentioned though because it's a sensitive topic that most people want to try and walk around but you can't see the truth until you accept it.

Young men turning soft didn't happen over night that's for sure, the problem is more generational. There's an absolute swamp of bad health advice that's been taught, plus lots of people have been forgetting their foundational values. When you don't discipline your kid, or teach them how to be confident, or competitive don't be surprised if they turn out soft. Plus a lot of parents talk the talk, but don't walk the walk; the best thing you can do is lead by example, but sadly that doesn't happen often

Thank you gentlemen. Eating 13 oz 73/27 ground beef, 1/2 lb sliced peppers, onions, mushrooms and 1 lb cooked basmati rice. I am a stronger light weight at 67. 125 lbs. 5’7 1/2. I used to be 146 with 25 lbs more muscle. On my way up! Got more lazy in Florida.

“Why are young men so soft” … proceeds to talk about eating 8000 Cal of ice cream and pizza. Lmao

It's fascinating to be able to be a fly on the wall with these conversations. Thanks for posting!

Dr. Baker, Stan the Man, and the Smelly One--an all star lineup!!! Thanks!

This was great! I love to hear this kind of discussion witch is so important. It will be interesting to see how long these guys live, especially Stan because he has a ton of knowledge and is carrying the largest amount of mass.

I listen to you guys while I’m working out or cleaning my house. Learn something every time

WoW, I so enjoyed that chat. I have 2 grandsons 6 and 9. I want them to grow up big, strong and healthy. Thanks to all of you for continuing to be role models for them.

Speaking for myself…I’m 29 and I am not soft…but I think it comes from the life I’ve lived so far. I grew up poor, in a small town(northern Alberta), with a physically and mentally abusive parent, and I started working when I was 12. I started lifting at 13. Got into construction at 16 and drywall at 19 and have kept going in it since then. I grew up with the mentality that it don’t matter how sick you are, how beat up you are or whatever…you go to work. That mentality carried over into many other aspects of my life. I also have always had this chip on my shoulder…as in I have to compete(in life and in sport)…I have to prove myself because I was always told I was worthless. I know that I’m not soft. But…I know a lot of guys my age or younger who are. Mentally or physically they can’t push themselves…even emotionally too. I know a guy who had a small argument with his gf and he had to take a couple days off of work for his emotional state…not saying you shouldn’t do that if you truly need it…but not long ago, I honestly thought that my marriage was going to end…I fucked up and my wife and I ended up having this distance between us…the tension was in incredible and the emotional toll was huge. We talked about the possibility of separating and so on…very heavy stuff. I still went to work because we are single income and we needed the money. Emotionally I was a wreck…I didn’t want to be at work and I even had self harming thoughts…but I still went to work to provide for my family (things are so much better now tho). I’m not saying that I’m “better” at all…I’m just using myself as an example to say that not all younger guys are soft. Sorry for the rant

This is a brilliant open format that you should do more of! Anyway, lets hear more about the massage?

This is spot on -- couldn't agree more with these statements. A wise mentor once told me "Don't Tell me about the problem, go find a way to fix it". The dynamics of being proactive vs. reactive is disrupted by modern distractions and misleading rhetoric in the latest iteration of what I'd like to call "COVID comfortability". It has become increasingly important now more than ever before to educate young men to carry the torch, find a mentor besides their boss or their father, and become more vulnerable than reclusive. I made it a promise, like my other mentors, to pass along my knowledge with the mindset as both a student and a teacher. It takes a village to help another brother. As men, we all need to lift ourselves up knowing we are shaping the future for next generation. Hitting the weight room sets a great foundation for men to break through their fears and build confidence as they grow in the upcoming endeavors ahead. With the only barrier being fear/rejection paired with a toxic environment. "To lead is difficult when you're a follower of fear"

1:55-2:03 - In fairness to Derek, he has he said the cholesterol spike may only be anecdotal. He never said that it would conclusively spike everyone’s LDL levels.

Yeah! Another Bell documentary in the works!👏

💚🏜️ so fun being a fly on the wall listening to you guys

Wow this is amazing. Thank you Smelly!

This was awesome, thanks Mark and the team!

would love to be in a circle like this instead most people talk about football and video games

35 minutes and not once did one of them pull out their phone. Complete engagement in the conversation. I like seeing that. I miss that.

I'm soon to be 60 years old. I remember the old workout days, drinking raw eggs, all that stuff. Lol. I saw a video of Mark Bell walking/slow jogging around a track, talking about losing weight. His 'cut the bullshit' attitude I can totally relate to. Thank you! Anyhow, when that video ended, this one popped on. I thought I'd stick around, and I'm glad I did. I am absolutely enjoying these gentlemen sitting around the table, shooting the s*** about what they used to do, what worked, what didn't, what they're doing now! I'm absolutely loving this. I want to thank each and every one of you gentlemen for scooting up next to the table, and talking about reality. I'm loving the stories about chugging down ice cream, eating all the crap, lol. I guess if we're laughing, we can relate with each other. I guess there's a podcast I'm going to have to subscribe to. Thank you gentlemen!

No lie but I honestly liked this kind of video. Awesome job guys!

Loving all your videos brother. They are going to help me a lot. Thankyou

I think the real reason people expect to socialise more nowadays. So it becomes harder to just focus on your career or work. For example doing small talk is more sophisticated in the modern era. What you say, How you say it, When you say, How you take a picture, etc it takes up mental energy. Leaves room for less things to be done and focused on .

What a cool video, That would be awesome to be surrounded by likeminded & up-to-speed on nutrition/fitness individuals like here. Lots of knowledge to share!

As a guy who was active in his early 20’s, got lazy, and now is soft at 30.. this is a hard pill to swallow, but a reminder to get back on the grind lol. I want to be healthier for my upcoming RN program and want to be able to keep up with the children I plan to have in the coming years… time to wake up ⬆️

Great vid!

Love the content.

Old guys complaining about young guys. Every body loves listening to that

New kid at work is a sprinter. It shows in his work ethic and attitude.

great stuff gentlemen! 👍🙂

Ton of excellent information here especially with Stan E!

Valid point Mark makes about the protein shake use in place for someone who is in a weight loss phase. For me, I am struggling to get in my daily protein, much less caloric intake. I use the Steak Shake to try to meet my numbers. I am just not hungry and don’t want to force down food and feel over full.

I'm so ready for another film by Chris Bell.. all the ones he's made so far are so good.. wish he would do more of them..

Great video

So wise to say "studies don't say much about anything". That is just correct.

Aight, whats the temperature and time on the air fryer. Going to buy another case of these Piedmontese and airfry them all!!!

I disagree a little bit about the endocrine disruptors. Testosterone has been going down by 1% a year for probably over 30 years. I did everything to raise my testosterone and have never been overweight and even after doing deadlifts, squats, and bench press for a year my testosterone was only hitting 490 and my free testosterone was basically zero, I had nothing left in the tank to actually build muscle. I am 6'1" and was 130 freaking pounds and had doctor after doctor act like that wasn't a problem. Without trying my test was about 400. Point being I'm not an uncommon case these days. Many guys have less test than me. 40 years ago a regular guy had like 200-300 points higher testosterone. There HAS to be something other than people being lazy causing this and the big change is plastics, corn syrup, and soy. I think it's a major problem.

Increased work load on both parents leads to less interaction between sons and fathers often leading to less interest in sport, lifting, manual labour and so on. Less time to cook decent meals for kids also increases reliance on pre made food resulting in typically worse nutrition. More urbanisation of communities reduces the available areas for kids to engage in decent physical sports outside of school as well as discouraging in person interaction. Combine these with worsening mental health due and you end up with a decline in physical health and drive for improvement.

i think a lot of the reasons people are soft physically and mentally is the high processed foods they get. Its all stuffed full of chemicals and hormones we don't need. Being in the south where hunting is a popular thing, it seems most hunters are older. Folks around my age (31) have no desire to get out there, get their own food or get tough. They end up with a ton of health issues and really are soft mentally and physically.

The massages 😂

24:36 That's crazy, I keep saying I need to rewatch Walle because I didn't like it as a kid, but now I sometimes think about how it was predicting the future.

22:32 🤣 such a pleasure listening to the experience and wisdom of the O.G.$

Stan is such a knowledgeable man.

Swear if I would win money from the contest at Sling Shot, first thing I'd buy is a quarter cow at Piedmontese.. lol

I mean when I shave i look like a conventional 18 year old, I guess it's genetics, my mother looks young for her age so does my grandfather. He's barely scraping into his 80's and he looks like he's in his mid 60's. However in terms of softness I would like to say that it depends on the environment one was raised in. Today is definitely much easier than let's say 20 years ago. Sometimes discomfort is necessary to get rid of that softness also that beta alpha sigma stuff everyone is raving about is bull be your own person and look for your own progress for your own reason and I think that contributes to the softness of a person.

You can find the soft ones in the comments pointing out the steroids. Being soft is a mentality that is unrelated to muscle size.

Solid!!!

juiced to the gills man, questions weak natural young men

Who still uses the George Foreman grill?! I STILL love that thing lol.

These are the ultimate bros.

Myself being almost 50, very very few of us were fat back when I was young. You got older your metabalism slows and its harder to stay lean. These kids that are already young and fat, they'll be lucky to make it to 45.

Hell of a room of guys right there.. game changers.

Was great to be a fly on the wall at the round table.

People are also chronically dehydrated. A lot of people don't drink any water. And just drink juice and soda.

Calls others soft but can't go 7 hours without eating and not getting angry lmao

here in the UK it's kind of 25/75, 75 percent are normally hardworking, somewhat tough either mentally or physically or both, from what I've seen, the 25 percent are normally very lazy, over weight or underweight, refusal to work, essentially just lazy in all area's, I'm a little soft on my belly after finishing a master's degree, but I'm still physically fit and mentally tough, i think one of the issues at times for a lot of young men is fatigue, social media and technology, but also the amount of waiting around you end up doing, but man is our environment in the UK toxic

Icecream out the nose, does not taste bad. KILLED me hahahaa

As a kid my mother would let me play videogames for only a hour when that hour was up she would walk in pull the plug and say get your ass outside. This was before they invented memory cards so I honestly never passed a single game and I'm happy with it. These young guys out there play video games all day every day

I don't know if it is just younger men that are soft, softening of men has been going on for decades; it is just more apparent now in the younger men. My father is in his late 60s, he is a very soft and kind man. Unfortunately, that isn't the ideal way for a man to live through the hardships of life. He would face an issue growing up, deathly scared of making his sister (my aunt) angry when she meddled in our affairs or said something out of line to me, and would not question my sisters choices out of fear. He'd give up when facing a tough situation, it's been my mother and I supporting the family for the past 20 years; and we're the only ones he's tough on funny enough. Growing up as an adolescent and a young man, I would see the inaction and get frustrated. He would still advise me to do this or that; words without actions are empty, and kids look at their parents actions most. It isn't just my father, I saw his friends as weak fathers and my friends fathers as well. This isn't a new phenomenon, it is just more apparent now because technology has promoted and uncovered the weakness of modern men. There are a myriad other items that have contributed to the weakness of men, because the powers that be know that only men in groups can resist a bad power. I hear a lot of the older generation talking about the young men being soft. It's trauma. College debts, no decent relationships, no way of having a house or a family, if he knocks a kid in there are absurd alimony and child support laws, taxes, inflation, being programmed that masculinity is inherently toxic, and the list goes on. Compare that to a 20 yr old in the 60s and 70s being able to buy a house and a hot car for $50k. With less stresses, it is easier to be confident and make the right decisions. IQ goes down with stress. The current situation is that modern men are grown-up boys, it will take them much longer to be men...seeing those prospects, many have given up trying yo be men. It's sad, I see this all around me.

Inflation. Out money is worth nothing. Better get ready for much higher prices. Great content.

This is facts

Six guys in the room, but this was mosty a three way conversation. @33:00, One guy was washing dishes. It was interesting to hear Stan Efferding, of the vertical diet, talk with Dr. Baker who doesn't eat carbohydrates.

Im in my 40s and in management. I work a ton of of hours and still have time for family and working out. These new generations up and coming are okay working 20 hour weeks and 100 hours of smoking weed and playing video games. Drugs and laziness is cause young men down fall.

The main source of cholesterol in the body is the body synthesizing it from small precursor molecules like isoprene and other small unsaturated hydrocarbons. Excess calories especially carbs will lead to more cholesterol than eating moderate amounts of cholesterol in meats.

"Strong Men = Good Times Good Times = Weak Men Weak Men = Hard Times Hard Times = Strong Men" -G. Hoff

Shawn is a good guy. 👍🏼

Take a shot every time someone says "there's a study"

Just a few fellas around a table eating sliced steak.

New KZfaq/Podcast series - Gurus at the Table.

Air fryer makes even cheaper “petite sirloin” melt in mouth when cooked med rare. Even chicken is perfect and an out any other meats we cook in it. Best appliance in our kitchen.

LMNT jello...def gonna try this lol

Just wanted to throw it out there. I heartily enjoy video games... and also weight lifting. Two can go together. It's the out of shape gamers giving us all a bad name

That freaking back on stan is crazy

I love the real shit!!!!!

More content like this!

Imagine the best fighters of 1900 vs the best fighters of today... you would see who is “soft” very quickly

It just kind of happened. At the end of high school, there was a fall out with a group of friends that led to a prank and that prank got me an overblown criminal charge that prevented me from joining the Coast Guard. I was not the swim team captain. I was a swim team captain. Participation bs. Still, I worked for it. And joining was everything to me. It's why I phoned in the last two years of high school. That charge was on my record for ten years. Couldn't get a decent job in state. It haunted me. Growing up the way I did being trained to be polite by my parents and considerate to the needs of others, but also an environment with lots of yelling and fighting, then getting this sentence really fucked me up. I figured I'd spend the time training for ten years and unfuck myself. I stupidly thought massage therapy was a huge key and basically picked a massage therapy school out of the hat as far from home as possible to get away. New Age bs and preached a vegan diet. I commuted by bicycle and that diet plus my hardcore appetite for riding led to an epic crash in 2014. Personal family shit, the crap in school, the world, I don't know. It broke me down more and more year after year. I couldn't figure out how to recover. I couldn't think straight. Couldn't focus. I'm slowly climbing out of that hole but fuck my twenties are an embarassment. How I was, how I thought, how I behaved, relationships, if I can even call them that. How I looked. As a kid I liked chess and judo. I wanted to be the best fighter in every arena. Somehow I got convinced to stop fighting. Fuck that noise. I'm slowly fixing my health and finding the right people. I had a broken nose from the crash and just got surgery a few months ago and can breathe again. I was gasping for about a decade. I got a lot of depression and insecurity over all this lost time. I like to think I learned a certain wisdom. All I learned is that I can endure, but also, I don't know nearly as much as I thought I did coming out of high school. I'm grateful for KZfaq and finding role models that in my personal life I've just never had. Dad's an office worker and mom teaches some classes. They are good parents but I needed the physical stuff and more time. More mentorship. I still remember grandmom yelling at me for starting fights with my brother. I just wanted us strong enough. It was never to actually hurt him. When you grow up learning about the Holocaust, and learn later you had relatives murdered, it's just in your bones from the start. Just to prepare. And it's fun. I'm moving away from this dumb hippie yogi massage therapy bs I was doing into mechanics and health humanities. I spent a lot of time volunteering on different farms. Travelled when I could. That helped. The food journey throughout has been significant. I was raised on SAD. Better than some but not great. I was an addict of the worst shit. I thought vegetarianism and then veganism was the way, and I did become ideaological with it too cause of my religious upbringing. I've climbed out of that hole too. I remember being terrified of death when I was a kid. First time I learned I was going to die I sobbed. Dad never had great talks. A lot of questions were answered with, "Look it up." Well, I've had to do a lot of trial and error. I'm not injecting myself with b12 anymore. I'm eating meat and eggs mainly and doing keto/carnivore flexibly. Was over 200lbs. before the surgery, but I'm down to 170-180. Still feeling like a flabby little bitch but considering the chronic pain I've been in since that crash I guess I'm ok. And breathing again through my nose. Practicing mewing and the exercises my PT gave me plus basic weightlifting. Inspired by the Kneesovertoes Guy. I'm up again late cause life has gotten incredibly isolating. Never liked video games as a kid. Still don't. I was always the one that wanted us to play and fight and get outside. Still looking for better friends. I'm now 32. Signed up for a hunting course and have had a few experiences fishing. I feel like I was plastic wrapped inside and out. One girl I really I liked called me plastic once. Another called me broken. That shit hurts. Icing on the cake is revelation that circumcision is male genital mutilation so I'm restoring now too with a device. I learned about that a few years ago and it's become symbollic for how fucked over men get. We've not even allowed to keep all of our manhood from birth some of us. An issue for women as well to be sure but at least FGM is a felony offense in the US. Circumcision is a medical racquet and another example of religous insanity/violence disguised as something sacred. It's hard work, but I'll make a man out of myself yet. Funny that sentence makes the Mulan song play in my head. I think the "softness" is hormones, the food, modern lifestyles, social engineering and programming from media, etc. The push for body modification is sickening when I consider what was done to my dick. I don't really like our society very much and consider a lot of the shit I did contrarian to the world. Most wars are a racket. Corporate capture of the economy. Bla bla bla. Maybe my generation grew up "soft". We were also given poisoned prescriptions (I was given titanium dioxide to drink as a kid), unneccessary surgeries, an influx of technology and information like never before, and all this fucking pressure to be part of an unsustainable system while everyone is worrying us that our economy will destroy the environment. Or maybe that's bs too. Just saying it's a lot. And there's a lot of factors needing to be considered. Family, location, environment. I don't think I'd be considered soft but I see the spectrum. There's just so much misinformation and propaganda a lot of people have had to navigate. I'm one such person. I'll be learning forever and sharing what I can with others while trying to have some fun. Used to imagine I'd be the president someday. Hard to see that in my future. I think round tables and discussion of ideas are the healthiest thing for the world. I wish we could all gather round the campfire but the screen serves. Grateful to you guys.

I am 43 it's rare that I see a man in his early 20s in better shape then me. It quite sad.

28:30 I am getting taught English at the moment in one of the listening tests I did they talked about different company cultures. One of them was about Korea. Apparently, they have a very strict hierarchy. The boss is the king and you do what he says no question. People have different ranks and people with the same rank are suppused to get along fine. In return, the company is supposed to take care of their employers and try to help them out at home and keep them in good health. I don't know if this is true but it's funny that you guys kinda talked about it right after I did the hearing test.

Decades of social engineering, toxic food, terrible or non existent role models

To answer the protein question I'd say 1g per lb of goal BW. So if that guy wants to get down to 200lbs for example, 200g. Other than that just get the guy walking and standing a lot more on a daily basis, keeping his cals closer to his BMR, and working in basic compound movements 2-3x per week. That will drop weight effectively.

One person definition ‘’ strong ‘’ is up to interpretation by the person outer appearance? Man, this a loaded question... I could never be as mentally STONG as some people I meet .. and they could never be a physically strong as me or others..... hummmm witch one would YOU choose?

Soft? Not me man I be fighting a desease that ain’t common till u at least 40 but I ain’t letting my dunking basketball and weight dreams fade away I 18 and just getting started man

More electronics, more social media, softer bodies. Its related.

Isn't there two types of cholesterol HDL being good from whole food sources which I believe are important for brain health and the there's LDL the bad cholesterol.

Gen X, The Greatest Generation, must take it upon ourselves to teach self care (diet, exercise, hygiene) self soothing (positive thoughts, deep breathing, meditation, walks) and a positive attitude (read How To Win Friends and Influence People) because who else will?