The Beyond Tomorrow Podcast with Julian Issa

Dr Mike Israetel: ‘’ALMOST EVERY American Should Be On GLP-1s, Here’s Why!’’

September 24, 2026·1h 51m
Episode Description from the Publisher

What if vanity was actually the smart way into a longer, healthier life?This episode is brought to you by AgelessRx, where aging becomes a puzzle that can be solved. Their mission is to help you live longer and healthier by adding more life to your years through science-backed solutions and personalized care. Learn more at agelessrx.com/beyond-tomorrow.On this episode of Beyond Tomorrow, Dr. Mike Israetel breaks down what's actually happening in his own bloodstream: 5mg/week of tirzepatide year-round, plus retatrutide during fat-loss phases, and why he thinks “GLP-2” is a gray-market marketing term with no basis in real receptor biology. He walks through the non-weight-loss case for these drugs, reduced systemic and neural inflammation, better glucose control, emerging anti-cancer data, and a documented drop in addictive behaviors from gambling to alcohol to cigarettes, before getting honest about the tradeoffs: undernutrition, anhedonia, and a long-term data set that, by his own admission, will never be “complete enough” for some critics.From there the conversation moves into gray-market peptides, why Mike separates his own risk tolerance from what he'd recommend to the public, and why there currently isn't a single peptide he'd recommend for muscle growth despite the demand. The back half covers his real thesis: that appearance, not health, is the most reliable motivator most people actually respond to and that chasing it tends to produce the same outcomes doctors have failed for decades to sell through fear.Key TakeawaysMike takes tirzepatide (Zepbound/Mounjaro) year-round at 5mg/week and adds retatrutide during cutting phases, both well within studied dose rangesHe argues most GLP-1 “anhedonia” is caloric-deficit anhedonia, not a direct drug effect, the same thing bodybuilders experience on any aggressive dietNew aggregate mortality data shows older adults on GLP-1s die less than those who aren't, which he says partially answers the “but will it kill you later” questionThere is currently no peptide he'd recommend for muscle growth, a claim he says consistently disappoints people who askHis core argument: use appearance as the entry point (build muscle, lose fat, sleep better) and let the longevity benefits follow, rather than trying to motivate people with 30-years-out health outcomesTimestamps00:00 Intro00:10 Is GLP-1 a Bad Idea?08:55 The Seatbelt Analogy for Drugs10:30 The Peptide That's Not FDA-Approved Yet11:30 Exactly What Mike Takes Every Week13:59 Stacking Peptides: an N-of-1 Experiment15:11 Why Mike Takes Anabolic Steroids16:42 The Drug That Could Replace Steroids18:48 Why Mike Takes Tirzepatide and Retatrutide21:45 20-Year Life Extension25:34 Mike's Full Daily Stack30:47 The Looksmaxxing Trojan Horse35:35 Sick Care vs. Health Care38:14 Three Exercises You Can Do Today40:36 Critiquing Brian Johnson's Protocol43:31 Is There a One-Size-Fits-All Workout?46:06 Zone 2 vs. Zone 5 Training52:21 Why Most Biohacking Is a Waste of Money54:01 Is HIIT Still the Rage?57:09 Escaping Poverty, Fueling Success01:04:53 Why People Take Extreme Measures to Look Good01:08:24 Moving Past GLP-101:14:52 Everyone Will Look 22 by 203701:18:24 Would You Date a 90-Year-Old?01:24:52 Beauty Standards in a Post-GLP-1 World01:25:37 The Cybernetic Revolution01:28:25 Living Forever in a Robot Body01:36:29 Will AI Cause Human Extinction?01:43:28 The Biggest Myth About Weight Loss01:44:02 Rapid Fire Questions with Mike01:48:06 Mike's Best Piece of AdviceConnect with Mike: Website: rpstrength.com/ Facebook: facebook.com/michael.israetelInstagram: @drmikeisraetelX: @misraetelConnect with JulianInstagram: @thebeyondtomorrowpodcast / @juliankissaLinkedIn: julian-issaX: @juliankissaWebsite: www.beyondtomorrowpodcast.com Email: bookings@beyondtomorrowpodcast.com

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