Primal Endurance Podcast

In this show, we’re focusing on what easy workouts and rest days really mean for us mere mortals trying to improve our performance—not only in endurance sports, but in all manner of athletic endeavors. Tune in to hear me discuss the great Eluid Kipchoge and some stunning revelations that have come forth from detailed analysis of his training logs that he has published for all to scrutinize. If you want to hear some fantastic tips based on the meticulously detailed training logs and most effective methods utilized by the greatest marathoner of all time, this is the episode for you!   TIMESTAMPS: Eluid Kipchoge has published detailed training logs for the public to learn his proven methods. [00:24] For example, Kipchoge performs at 80% capacity on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and then at 50% capacity on the other days, week in and week out. [02:39] This may sound crazy, but if you are trying to condition your body for marathon, your overall training program should include walking for a huge chunk of your weekly running mileage. [06:59] The harder you train, the more you desperately need rest time. [10:16]   LINKS: Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) Cynthia Monteleon PrimalEndrance.fit Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page B.rad Whey Protein Isolate Superfuel - The Best Protein on The Planet! Available in Two Delicious Flavors: Vanilla Bean and Cocoa Bean   We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you! Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, I won’t promote anything that I don't absolutely love and use in daily life: Peluva: Comfortable, functional, stylish five-toe minimalist shoe to reawaken optimal foot function. Use code BRADPODCAST for 15% off! Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! GAINSWave: Enhance sexual function with high frequency shockwave therapy. Buy 6 and get one treatment free with code: BRAD Schwank Grills: Portable gas infrared grills for the juiciest steak you’ve ever had! Cooks in minutes at 1500 degree heat. Save $150 with code BRAD150.  Wild Health: Comprehensive online health consultation with blood and DNA testing, personal coaching and precision medicine. Get things dialed in! Use discount code BRAD20 for 20% off! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD. Also enroll in my Cold Plunge online course! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity. New Cocoa Bean flavor! Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Primal Fitness Expert Certification: The most comprehensive online course on all aspects of traditional fitness programming and a total immersion fitness lifestyle. Save 25% on tuition with code BRAD! Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad's Favorites on Amazon I have a newly organized shopping experience at BradKearns.com/Shop. Visit here and you can navigate to my B.rad Nutrition products (for direct order or Amazon order), my library of online multimedia educational courses, great discounts from my affiliate favorites, and my recommended health&fitness products on Amazon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s time to talk about polarized training—a popular training concept often referred to as the “80/20 principle.” Unfortunately, many athletes have misinterpreted and misapplied this strategy, so we will be reviewing this training philosophy in this episode. Tune in if you want to learn what polarized training truly entails and the benefits of this practice, the research behind the effects of 80/20 training, how you can practice this method correctly, and more!   TIMESTAMPS: The leading endurance athletes in the world do the vast majority of their training at comfortable paces. [01:32] You can monitor your exercise heart rate using the talk test by reciting the alphabet or talking to a friend. [03:43] The 80-20 concept means that 20% of your workouts are characterized as high intensity or difficult session. [05:00]   LINKS: Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) PrimalEndrance.fit Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page B.rad Whey Protein Isolate Superfuel - The Best Protein on The Planet! Available in Two Delicious Flavors: Vanilla Bean and Cocoa Bean   We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you! Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, I won’t promote anything that I don't absolutely love and use in daily life: Peluva: Comfortable, functional, stylish five-toe minimalist shoe to reawaken optimal foot function. Use code BRADPODCAST for 15% off! Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! GAINSWave: Enhance sexual function with high frequency shockwave therapy. Buy 6 and get one treatment free with code: BRAD Schwank Grills: Portable gas infrared grills for the juiciest steak you’ve ever had! Cooks in minutes at 1500 degree heat. Save $150 with code BRAD150.  Wild Health: Comprehensive online health consultation with blood and DNA testing, personal coaching and precision medicine. Get things dialed in! Use discount code BRAD20 for 20% off! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD. Also enroll in my Cold Plunge online course! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity. New Cocoa Bean flavor! Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Primal Fitness Expert Certification: The most comprehensive online course on all aspects of traditional fitness programming and a total immersion fitness lifestyle. Save 25% on tuition with code BRAD! Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad's Favorites on Amazon I have a newly organized shopping experience at BradKearns.com/Shop. Visit here and you can navigate to my B.rad Nutrition products (for direct order or Amazon order), my library of online multimedia educational courses, great discounts from my affiliate favorites, and my recommended health&fitness products on Amazon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Endurance athletes are back with an assortment of interesting questions and fabulous success stories to share! Questions and stories like: The importance of doing a bit of warm up before your micro-workouts; a young runner wins the state title honoring the Primal Endurance principles of monitoring heart rate carefully, avoiding processed food, getting tons of sleep, adding some strength training, and making intuitive decisions to manage stress and rest; the folly of counting calories instead of just focusing on natural, nutritious foods and managing one’s overall stress level; the importance of getting metabolically and hormonally healthy before trying to lose excess body fat; advice for older females to avoid chronic cardio and add sprinting; listening to your body instead of obsessing about biofeedback numbers; the rationale for prescription medication versus lifestyle change; emphasizing both Zone 2 and Zone 1 cardio.    LINKS: Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) PrimalEndrance.fit Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page B.rad Whey Protein Isolate Superfuel - The Best Protein on The Planet! Available in Two Delicious Flavors: Vanilla Bean and Cocoa Bean   We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you! Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, I won’t promote anything that I don't absolutely love and use in daily life: Peluva: Comfortable, functional, stylish five-toe minimalist shoe to reawaken optimal foot function. Use code BRADPODCAST for 15% off! Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! GAINSWave: Enhance sexual function with high frequency shockwave therapy. Buy 6 and get one treatment free with code: BRAD Schwank Grills: Portable gas infrared grills for the juiciest steak you’ve ever had! Cooks in minutes at 1500 degree heat. Save $150 with code BRAD150.  Wild Health: Comprehensive online health consultation with blood and DNA testing, personal coaching and precision medicine. Get things dialed in! Use discount code BRAD20 for 20% off! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD. Also enroll in my Cold Plunge online course! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity. New Cocoa Bean flavor! Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Primal Fitness Expert Certification: The most comprehensive online course on all aspects of traditional fitness programming and a total immersion fitness lifestyle. Save 25% on tuition with code BRAD! Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad's Favorites on Amazon I have a newly organized shopping experience at BradKearns.com/Shop. Visit here and you can navigate to my B.rad Nutrition products (for direct order or Amazon order), my library of online multimedia educational courses, great discounts from my affiliate favorites, and my recommended health&fitness products on Amazon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I welcome Tawnee Gibson, longtime host of the Endurance Planet podcast, to the show for an honest, open conversation that takes us on a timeline through her own experiences as an athlete, her struggles, and what she has learned from health journey. Some of Tawnee’s revelations will be particularly relevant to female athletes, and some others—such as not feeling ready to correct course even when you know better—will be relevant to all. Tawnee also talks about what actually happens to your body as a result of having an overly stressful lifestyle, the importance of evaluating your attitude and your disposition and how it relates to stress, the pros and cons of the massive influx of technology in the endurance experience and the importance of using your intuition to navigate this new technology, why she and her husband decided to leave her home state of California to settle in a rural area in Idaho, and more!   TIMESTAMPS: Tawnee talks about all the particular aspects of being a female endurance athlete. [00:32] Tawnee grew up in southern California and resettled in rural Idaho living an extremely different life. [04:03] Brad and Tawnee talk about how they now realize the stress they were putting on their bodies as they reflect back to their competitive days as triathletes. [06:28] Fighting an eating disorder and amenorrhea were part of her beginning as triathlete. [10:24] Listeners need to hear the experiences of these two former triathletes and think about what you goal is and how to avoid the roadblocks that are there in your way. [23:46] REDS is relative energy deficit in sport. Stress of all kinds can get you there as well. [27:20] You need the discipline to know when you need to rest and sit back when you are at an exciting place. [34:18] As you realize your performance is changing, accept where you are, be grateful for what your body can do.  [43:50] How do today’s training methods and technologies differ to make today’s athletes bring in better times? [53:49] People over complicate things that are rather simple. [01:03:07] What is the Underpants Run that occurs during the Kailua Kona Iron Man Week? [01:06:31]   LINKS: Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) PrimalEndrance.fit Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page B.rad Whey Protein Isolate Superfuel - The Best Protein on The Planet! Available in Two Delicious Flavors: Vanilla Bean and Cocoa Bean Tawnee on Instagram Endurance Planet Podcast Coach Tawnee.com Determine Mass Made Simple   Join Brad for more fun on: Instagram: @bradkearns1 Facebook: @bradkearnsjumphigh Twitter: @bradleykearns YouTube: @brad.kearns TikTok: @bradkearns   We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you! Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, I won’t promote anything that I don't absolutely love and use in daily life: Peluva: Comfortable, functional, stylish five-toe minimalist shoe to reawaken optimal foot function. Use code BRADPODCAST for 15% off! Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! GAINSWave: Enhance sexual function with high frequency shockwave therapy. Buy 6 and get one treatment free with code: BRAD Schwank Grills: Portable gas infrared grills for the juiciest steak you’ve ever had! Cooks in minutes at 1500 degree heat. Save $150 with code BRAD150.  Wild Health: Comprehensive online health consultation with blood and DNA testing, personal coaching and precision medicine. Get things dialed in! Use discount code BRAD20 for 20% off! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD. Also enroll in my Cold Plunge online course! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity. New Cocoa Bean flavor! Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Primal Fitness Expert Certification: The most comprehensive online course on all aspects of traditional fitness programming and a total immersion fitness lifestyle. Save 25% on tuition with code BRAD! Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad's Favorites on Amazon I have a newly organized shopping experience at BradKearns.com/Shop. Visit here and you can navigate to my B.rad Nutrition products (for direct order or Amazon order), my library of online multimedia educational courses, great discounts from my affiliate favorites, and my recommended health&fitness products on Amazon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Q&A, I share the story of an ultra-endurance athlete who improved their health and lowered blood pressure by adding meat to their diet, if we need to consume fat (bacon and avocado!) during ultramarathons (short answer: no!), and whether or not I recommend eating fruit and high protein every day, regardless of athletic goals? I also share the story of a couple who lost lots of excess body fat in two months by using keto and intermittent fasting and talk about the importance of looking at the big picture of heart disease risk factors and doing further testing if necessary. Finally, should longtime extreme endurance athletes consider a CAC (coronary artery calcium scan), and can fit, older athletes add five beats or more to MAF heart rate? Maybe, but as you will hear in this episode, it’s also important to be conservative with MAF.   TIMESTAMPS: Joe is asking about the changes he has made in his diet and what they brought about.  If he is doing marathons, ultras and Ironman, it is not a good idea to introduce fasting into his regimen as he might not be getting enough protein. [00:24] If you are concerned about weight gain, remember that protein calories are not going to add body fat. [04:18] Participation in high endurance sports, even for 25 years, can bring high blood pressure, but you can find it decreases by adding red meat into the diet. [05:19] Joe is asking Brad if he is recommending fruit and protein every day no matter where you are in your training cycle? [07:10] Remember that snacking during endurance activity is not the best time to digest foods because the blood is diverted from your digestive system into your working extremities. [09:10] Chris shares how he and his wife found amazing changes in their lives after following Brad’s information on diet. [14:13] Ideally your body measurement should look at waist to height ratio. We want the waist circumference to be less than half of your height. [17:07] Scott in Palm Springs talks about one’s heart disease risk factors. He is recommending the CAC, Coronary Artery Calcium scan, especially for long time endurance athletes. [20:04] Brian, a cyclist, is asking about adding five beats to your maximum aerobic heart rate in certain circumstances. [24:36] Fat Max is the point where you are burning the maximum number of fat calories per minute during exercise. [29:46] Brian asks about what should he do when sprinting about keeping his heart rate under or over maximum heart rate.  [32:42]   LINKS: Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page Keto Cooking for Cool Dudes Carnivore Cooking for Cool Dudes Maffetone.com PrimalEndrance.fit B.rad Whey Protein Isolate Superfuel - The Best Protein on The Planet! Available in Two Delicious Flavors: Vanilla Bean and Cocoa Bean   Join Brad for more fun on: Instagram: @bradkearns1 Facebook: @bradkearnsjumphigh Twitter: @bradleykearns YouTube: @brad.kearns TikTok: @bradkearns   We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you! Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, I won’t promote anything that I don't absolutely love and use in daily life: Peluva: Comfortable, functional, stylish five-toe minimalist shoe to reawaken optimal foot function. Use code BRADPODCAST for 15% off! Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! GAINSWave: Enhance sexual function with high frequency shockwave therapy. Buy 6 and get one treatment free with code: BRAD Wild Health: Comprehensive online health consultation with blood and DNA testing, personal coaching and precision medicine. Get things dialed in! Use discount code BRAD20 for 20% off! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD. Also enroll in my Cold Plunge online course! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity. New Cocoa Bean flavor! Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Primal Fitness Expert Certification: The most comprehensive online course on all aspects of traditional fitness programming and a total immersion fitness lifestyle. Save 25% on tuition with code BRAD! Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad's Favorites on Amazon I have a newly organized shopping experience at BradKearns.com/Shop. Visit here and you can navigate to my B.rad Nutrition products (for direct order or Amazon order), my library of online multimedia educational courses, great discounts from my affiliate favorites, and my recommended health&fitness products on Amazon.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having noticed the Ironman Corporation is looking for a new CEO, I decided to record an episode sharing what I would do if I were tasked with the job. This is of particular interest to me as I attended the 1989 Hawaii Ironman World Championships, which used to be held annually in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. My time of 8:57 is still the USA record for the 24 and under age group, so I haven’t had to return (thank goodness!), but it’s great to see how triathlon has grown like crazy since my days on the pro circuit (’86-’94), not to mention endurance sports in general. However, some of this growth has come at a cost to health and well-being, and there have been many complaints about over-commercialization and the extreme costs of competing. As you’ll hear during this show, there are a few specific things that I would do to improve the Ironman experience and make it more accessible for a wider group of people. Yes, Ironman, like all corporations, has a right to make a profit, however what about students or people who cannot afford the expense of competitions like Ironman? From aerobars to road cycling to drug tests, there are many improvements that could be made to this competition, so if you are an endurance athlete who wants to know what those potential improvements are, this is the episode for you.   TIMESTAMPS: Much is changing in the world of triathlon. They are looking for a new CEO for the Ironman corporation. [00:24] Brad shares his experience of putting on several events himself.  His take on the increases of entry fees seems fair. [05:18] If Brad were the CEO of the Ironman corporation, he would make the distance shorter. [10:30] The Ironman was started in 1978 by a bunch of drunken sailors coming up with random distances. Why is it held in such high esteem when it actually compromises the athlete’s health? [11:46] People with tattoo of Ironman on their body should get paid as a sponsor. [17:25]  AS CEO, Brad would ban Aero Bars for recreational athletes along with banning road cycling. [19:04] Drug testing is controversial, especially for amateurs. [30:05]   LINKS: Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit B.rad Whey Protein Isolate Superfuel (Now Available in Cocoa Bean)   Join Brad for more fun on: Instagram: @bradkearns1 Facebook: @bradkearnsjumphigh Twitter: @bradleykearns YouTube: @brad.kearns TikTok: @bradkearns   We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you! Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, I won’t promote anything that I don't absolutely love and use in daily life: Peluva: Comfortable, functional, stylish five-toe minimalist shoe to reawaken optimal foot function. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! GAINSWave: Enhance sexual function with high frequency shockwave therapy. Buy 6 and get one treatment free with code: BRAD Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD. Also enroll in my Cold Plunge online course! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity. New Cocoa Bean flavor! Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Primal Fitness Expert Certification: The most comprehensive online course on all aspects of traditional fitness programming and a total immersion fitness lifestyle. Save 25% on tuition with code BRAD! Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad's Favorites on Amazon I have a newly organized shopping experience at BradKearns.com/Shop. Visit here and you can navigate to my B.rad Nutrition products (for direct order or Amazon order), my library of online multimedia educational courses, great discounts from my affiliate favorites, and my recommended health&fitness products on Amazon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m so pleased to welcome Mark Allen back to the show! Mark, “The Grip,” is also the greatest triathlete of all time, and he’s here today to share many of his unique insights and spiritual approach to grueling endurance sports. Mark, a contemporary of mine from the triathlon circuit, is now one of the most prominent coaches in the triathlon scene today. Get ready for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from Mark’s early racing days and the things he would do differently knowing what he knows now to the adjustments he had to make at the end of his career to doping in elite sports. As the conversation winds along, you’ll get to hear more of the spiritual side of Mark that he has become known for as he talks about the many years he has spent working with a Huichol healer and the retreats they put on together, as well as what he has learned from the time he has spent with other native Huichol people in Mexico. Even if you are not a triathlete, the insights you will get from this show can be applied to all our peak performance goals in life!   TIMESTAMPS: Mark Allen is here to talk about his career, his current coaching career, the new technology, and what he might do differently now in his triathlon career. [00:24] The COVID gap with no Ironman championship races allowed athletes to hone their skills. [04:53] At Kona they separated the men’s race from the women’s race so on Saturday, the first athlete to cross the line was a woman. [07:11] Is the recent testing for drugs an isolated case? [14:34] Mark has what he describes as the “second season” where the recovery is separated from his racing season. How do you continue the fitness without burning out?  [20:17] Overreaching is doing workouts where you’re going just a little bit beyond where your fitness is. [23:57] The unseen injury is fatigue. Superhero to zero. The first thing to go is swimming. [26:24] Another symptom of extreme overtraining is abnormally high HRV. [31:21] If Mark could turn back the clock and take all the new knowledge he has acquired as a coach, would he do anything differently in his racing? [32:36] The bottom line in this competitive sport is you have to focus on recovery so as not to be destructive to your body. [37:46] One thing Mark would have done differently in order to go faster is to cut out some of the training that he did early. [41:57] The technology in this sport has progressed. [50:40] Training with Tridot takes all of the data on you and it is analyzed in a non-biased way. {57:42] Technology has taken over our ability to daydream and to focus. [01:00:58] There is a difference between being a very successful competitor and being somebody who is very successful in competition. [01:07:17] Brad asked Mark : Would you say that the endurance is in your blood? Or were you using your endurance sports as a vehicle for personal growth and challenge? [01:11:18] For anybody out there who is maybe not exercising at all or as much as they want, and when they do it's uncomfortable, it doesn't feel good. You want to back off, you want to cut your workout short because you're not feeling good from it, get it done anyway and do it tomorrow and do it the next day and do it the next day. And at some point soon, it won't take long. [01:16:35] Mark has spent time with the Huichol people in Central Mexico experiencing their ancient ways. He used that experience to transition into this non-competitive life. [01:18:49]   LINKS: Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit Tridot.com   Join Brad for more fun on: Instagram: @bradkearns1 Facebook: @bradkearnsjumphigh Twitter: @bradleykearns YouTube: @brad.kearns TikTok: @bradkearns   We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you! Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! NutriSense: Continuous glucose monitor and 1:1 expert support to help optimize diet choices and lifestyle behaviors. $30 B.rad discount! Marek Health: Comprehensive lab testing and expert tele-health support for peak performance. Use code “BRAD” for 10% discount! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix: Tasty, sugar-free, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Free sample pack, just click the link! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad’s Macadamia Masterpiece: Mind-blowing, life-changing nut butter blend Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Shopping Page For Discounts And Navigation To The Best Products I have a newly organized shopping experience at BradKearns.com/Shop. Visit here and you can navigate to my B.rad Nutrition products on Amazon (Macadamia Masterpiece and Whey + Creatine Superfuel), my library of online multimedia educational courses, link to great discounts on an assortment of my favorite products and partners, complete details and discounts on my MOFO product with Ancestral Supplements, and a library of my favorite hand-picked Amazon products for fitness and healthy living!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m bringing you a lively conversation with Brian Keane today, host of the Brian Keane Podcast, author of two best-selling books, The Fitness Mindset and Rewire Your Mindset, and a former teacher turned one of the top online fitness coaches in Ireland and the UK, who has transformed thousands of lives and physiques in the process.  In this show, we talk about how our mindset often gets in the way of our best-laid plans and goals, especially to drop excess body fat (Brian’s expertise). You’ll hear about Brian’s amazing journey, which includes some phenomenal endurance performances and a variety of athletic experiences like bodybuilding, Crossfit, and Gaelic football, why Brian decided to become an extreme endurance athlete, a bunch of practical tips to help you get your mindset right, and all the tools and systems you need to succeed with fat reduction. We then end the show with three wonderful tips from Brian to help you get started right away in any area you may have struggled with in the past. Check out Brian’s podcast (linked below), and his books The Fitness Mindset, which teaches you how to find the foods that work best for you and how to eat to increase energy, lose fat and build lean muscle, and build the body you’ve always wanted, and Rewire Your Mindset, which teaches you how to own your thoughts, control your thoughts, and change your life.    TIMESTAMPS: Brian tells his story of getting involved in sports after realizing he didn’t want to be in the career he had prepared for.  You are not a tree.  You can move wherever you want. [01:36] His very first event was the Marathon des Sables, probably the world’s toughest race. [07:23] Brian ran a race to the Arctic Circle.  What was the course and the logistics of the race? It was 230 Km over five days. [15:43] How did he get his mindset in the right place to take on such a big challenge as the Marathon des Sables? [20:32] Does Brian think that though he is capable of such high achievements, it makes him more prone to these deep struggles that come even when he’s outwardly successful as opposed to someone who's just steady going and maybe they have a rough day? [24:19] For your guide in life, ask yourself: “What would you do for free?” [28:30] How does one’s mindset influence one’s fitness goals? [30:24] When you become metabolically flexible, you are less likely to be a slave to food.  [36:17] Disordered eating makes you feel sometimes like you are handcuffed to food. [38:19] Brian is sure that his becoming keto-adapted and fat adapted delivered performance benefits in his ultramarathons. Your body cannot digest food if the blood is going to fuel the muscles. [42:22] Health, wellness, and fitness is a trifecta of nutrition, training and sleep. [47:54] Sleep tends to get pushed aside a lot.  People just don’t understand how very important it is. [50:58] Using social media keeps you accountable. You need to be real and authentic.  [56:02] What are three or four tips one can implement right away to make a dent in their challenge with their body fat reduction? [01:00:44]   LINKS: Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit The Fitness Mindset Rewire Your Mindset Marathon des Sables Podcast with Dr. Joan Ifland Brad’s Cold Exposure   Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! NutriSense: Continuous glucose monitor and 1:1 expert support to help optimize diet choices and lifestyle behaviors. $30 B.rad discount! Marek Health: Comprehensive lab testing and expert tele-health support for peak performance. Use code “BRAD” for 10% discount! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix: Tasty, sugar-free, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Free sample pack, just click the link! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad’s Macadamia Masterpiece: Mind-blowing, life-changing nut butter blend Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Check out the my Favorites page for discounts on other great products!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Re-introducing Primal Endurance Online Mastery Course!   Host Brad Kearns introduces the Primal Endurance Online Multimedia Mastery Course - everything you need to succeed as a Primal Endurance athlete. Ditch carbohydrate dependency and become a fat burning beast with this comprehensive educational experience consisting of over 120 videos, the Primal Endurance eBook and unabridged audio book, and numerous other audio presentations and complementary eBooks. The videos bring the book to life as course host Brad Kearns discusses chapter-by-chapter content, both in lecture format and practical instruction (recipe videos, running technique instruction, mobility and recovery exercises, etc.). Brad traveled the continent to interview the world's leading endurance athletes, coaches, and trainers and experts in peak performance, nutrition, and medicine. All the material is thoughtfully organized and you have instant and permanent access to this robust educational library! There is simply nothing comparable ever developed to help you succeed with your endurance goals, and gain guidance and insights from the world's leading experts all in one place. Brad talks through the components of the course, and you can also get a feel for the course material with the "9 Steps to Becoming a Primal Endurance athlete" series of free videos.       LINKS: Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) PrimalEndrance.fit Primal Endurance Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page   Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! NutriSense: Continuous glucose monitor and 1:1 expert support to help optimize diet choices and lifestyle behaviors. $30 B.rad discount! Marek Health: Comprehensive lab testing and expert tele-health support for peak performance. Use code “BRAD” for 10% discount! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix: Tasty, sugar-free, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Free sample pack, just click the link! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad’s Macadamia Masterpiece: Mind-blowing, life-changing nut butter blend Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Check out the my Favorites page for discounts on other great products!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the final installment in this eight-part series covering the 115 things you need to know as a Primal Endurance athlete. In the previous seven shows, we discussed aerobic training and how to build your aerobic base, using the method of periodization to minimize the overall stress load on your body, how to escape Active Couch Potato Syndrome, and more, and in this episode, it’s all about recovery. Tune in if you want to learn about the most effective methods for recovery—what to do, what not to do, what speeds up recovery, how to know when to rest, how to ensure your muscles recover quickly, how to engage in cold therapy appropriately, and more!   TIMESTAMPS: You must build that aerobic conditioning base in order to reach your potential in endurance sport. [01:18] Periodization is dividing your training into period where you emphasize different types of workouts. [02:03] Primal eating means to escape from the trap of carb dependency. [04:51] Strength training and sprint make a huge contribution to the improvement of endurance athletes. [05:48] Sleep, walking, moving frequently, and lifting heavy things are all lifestyle practices that improve your all-around fitness. [07:01] There are many activities that aid in your recovery.  Cold therapy is one that should have a place  in the regimen of a hard-training athlete. [09:41] The old injury treatment of RICE is being replaced by ECM which means elevate, compress, and move. We now find that icing of injuries can retard the natural healing process. [14:44] The overall recovery for both mind and body works better at a leisurely pace. [18:24] Compression wraps or garments act like pumps to squeeze blood vessels open with force, allowing more blood and oxygen into the area. [21:06] Get your replenishment going as soon as your workout is over. Be sure to hydrate with a bit of salt. [22:13] Movement is also an important element of recovery. [25:56] For your post-workout refueling, focus on getting wholesome nutritious food. [28:56] Using rollers or balls can apply deep pressure to trigger points that represent the origination of stiffness and mobility problems. [30:23] If you are in the fight or flight state during a workout with increased heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, you will want begin chilling out. Focus on your breath. [34:56] Release your attachment to the outcome.  Relax, be patient with the process of fitness. Take what your body gives you each day and nothing more. [38:18] Heart rate variability is an excellent method of monitoring your state of stress and recovery. [43:39] A metronomic heartbeat is a sign of overstress and more variation indicates that you are fit, healthy and well balanced. [52:12]   LINKS: Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit Brad’s Cold Exposure Move Your DNA Breath Oxygen Advantage BradBeat HRV Primal Endurance   Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! NutriSense: Continuous glucose monitor and 1:1 expert support to help optimize diet choices and lifestyle behaviors. $30 B.rad discount! Marek Health: Comprehensive lab testing and expert tele-health support for peak performance. Use code “BRAD” for 10% discount! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix: Tasty, sugar-free, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Free sample pack, just click the link! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad’s Macadamia Masterpiece: Mind-blowing, life-changing nut butter blend Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Check out the my Favorites page for discounts on other great products!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been YEARS since we did a Q&A show on Primal Endurance (including the podcast being on pause from 2019 to 2022). We have some excellent and widely relevant questions, including: Can I raise my MAF training heart rate if I feel comfortable? A listener asks about ketogenic endurance training—yes, it can prompt quick benefits in metabolic flexibility and escaping carb dependency, but can it become too stressful over time? Other questions include: how to proceed comfortably with minimalist footwear, is striving for maximum cellular energy status to support performance and recovery the most sensible and effective longevity strategy for healthy, active, fit enthusiasts?, and if practicing nasal diaphragmatic minimized breathing can confer a performance advantage with increased O2 delivery and less workout stress. Enjoy, and please contribute to the conversation by emailing podcast@bradventures.com!   TIMESTAMPS: Heather is rather new to the sport of triathlon. She finds it difficult to stick with the slower heart rate in her training. Is that okay?  Brad explains why the MAF rate is so important. [00:24] Brad would strongly urge everyone listening to reject the obsession with pace per mile and just train according to your heart rate and according to the desired duration of your workouts. [08:02] You should look at it as three types of workouts: key workouts, break even workouts, and recovery workouts. [10:10] Heather also asks: Should I opt for fast walking until improvement in my aerobic fitness allow for a jogging pace? The heart rate is the focus. [14:07] Same Heather, different area of concern, asking about diet. Keto diet is stressful. The main benefit is getting rid of processed carbohydrates that are difficult to digest and interfere with your body's ability to burn energy internally.  [18:54] The elevation of resting heart rate from combining keto and endurance training is a red flag. [25:45] Stacy Clark is a very active athlete at age 59, asking about her training regimen and whether she should do some faster runs or sprinting maybe once a week. [28:29] Ryan Baxter talks about getting away from devotion to fasting or low carb and keto and going to good sensible intake of nutritious foods that fuel his performance and recovery goals. He added an additional 700 calories per day and gained no weight.  [35:17] The single most powerful intervention to promote longevity is exercise. If you fast for 48 hours, you get wonderful benefits but you can get the same benefit from doing an intense one-hour workout. [40:48] Breathing is playing an important role.  If the muscle is not getting enough oxygen, the muscle will burn glucose rather than fat.  [47:07]   LINKS: Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit Brad’s Running Technique Running Drills for Beginners Carnivore Score Food Ranking Chart Peluva.com Outlive Why I Stopped Fasting (Mutzel) Oxygen Advantage shiftadapt.com Podcast on breathing   Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! NutriSense: Continuous glucose monitor and 1:1 expert support to help optimize diet choices and lifestyle behaviors. $30 B.rad discount! Marek Health: Comprehensive lab testing and expert tele-health support for peak performance. Use code “BRAD” for 10% discount! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix: Tasty, sugar-free, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Free sample pack, just click the link! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad’s Macadamia Masterpiece: Mind-blowing, life-changing nut butter blend Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Check out the my Favorites page for discounts on other great products!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In part seven of this multi-part presentation covering 115 key insights about the Primal Endurance approach, we’re talking about a very important (but often neglected) part of performing, recovering, and preserving your health—complementary movement and lifestyle practices. As you will hear, the centerpiece of these practices is of course, sleep, but in this show, I present the idea that getting adequate sleep is not as simple as putting in the prerequisite number of hours every night—there are a lot of peripheral variables here, including the quality of the sleep that you get, the environment you sleep in, and even the time of year (sleep requirements vary depending on the seasons). Since everything flows downstream from getting adequate sleep, sleep quality is crucial, so you don’t want to miss this episode—if your sleep is not entirely optimal, this can show up as sub-optimal thyroid, cortisol, or inflammatory markers (it can also affect sex hormones like testosterone, etc).    TIMESTAMPS: When you look at healthy fitness goals, everything flows downstream from getting adequate sleep. It is more than just getting the requisite number of hours every night. [00:24] There is a small percentage of people who have a gene that allows them to get by just fine on fewer hours of sleep, but there is a large percentage of people who wrongly believe they have that gene. [03:53] It is important to have quiet and darkness in your sleeping room. [08:41] Optimal sleep starts with minimizing artificial light and digital stimulation allowing for circadian influence that makes you feel sleepy. [11:43] To feel fresh and energetic in the morning get outdoors and expose yourself to direct light…..then have you cup of coffee if you want. [12:48] Keep your evenings as mellow as possible and dimly lit. [17:33] Waking up perky in the morning indicates that you have had a good night’s sleep. [19:23] An ideal sleeping environment is quiet and clutter-free and cool. [21:13] Napping is a good way to catch up on your evening sleep deficiencies. And to fire up your cognitive function.  [25:32] The Active Couch Potato Syndrome is a real problem where athletes think can minimize activity for the rest of the day after a workout. [29:19] Walking is the centerpiece of recovery. Extended periods of sitting can compromise musculoskeletal function, cellular health, and cardio function. [32:46] Research shows that even a 20-minute period of stillness can decrease your body’s operation and cognitive function. [35:28] Cardiovascular fitness is the ability to challenge the heart and certain muscles to perform extreme athletic efforts in order to deliver oxygen to all cells of your body. [37:07] Create variation in your work environment. It takes more than a stand-up desk. [39:27] Brain science confirms that humans are incapable of focusing for longer than 20 minutes without a break. [43:00] Complimentary movements like Yoga and Pilates improve athletic performance. They also provide a calming balance to high stress workouts. [45:05] Play is a critical stress release from the pressures, schedules and responsibilities of daily life. Play can take many forms. [48:10] LINKS: Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) PrimalEndrance.fit Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page Lights Out Sleep, Sugar and Survival Marick Health Huberman Lab Brad Kearns’s Morning Routine Brad’s First Simpler Morning Routine Red-colored flashlight Dr. Jack Kruse Podcast, part 1 Dr. Jack Kruse Podcast, part 2 Eight Sleep mattresses Take a Nap! Change Your Life Move Your DNA Ready State.com Mark Bell Podcast The Primal Blueprint The Primal Connection   QUOTES: "A good night's sleep starts first thing in the morning with getting outdoors."   Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! NutriSense: Continuous glucose monitor and 1:1 expert support to help optimize diet choices and lifestyle behaviors. $30 B.rad discount! Marek Health: Comprehensive lab testing and expert tele-health support for peak performance. Use code “BRAD” for 10% discount! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix: Tasty, sugar-free, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Free sample pack, just click the link! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad’s Macadamia Masterpiece: Mind-blowing, life-changing nut butter blend Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Check out the my Favorites page for discounts on other great products!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is a syndicate from the B.rad Podcast where I catch up with the legendary Dave Scott! Dave is a 6-time Hawaii Ironman world champion and respected coach, and in this show, we talk about endurance training, savoring the small victories and not just the big ones, the importance of having hobbies and other interests, how to know when you need to cut back on training and the mental toll it takes, what he does to feel fulfilled, and much more!   TIMESTAMPS: Does Dave Scott take the opportunity to reflect back on how really awesome his career at Ironman was? [02:40] Dave recalls how brutal the races were back in the day. [05:15] Is it a possibility to be a well-adjusted but extremely competitive athlete? A well-rounded athlete will have some diversions besides the striving for success in the sport. [07:57] How has the transition from the competitor on top of the field to coaching been for Dave? [12:33] Dave has had some heart concerns but keeps up a pretty good exercise regimen. You can’t go “kind of hard” all the time. [18:06] How do the athletes and equipment of today’s athletes compare with the former years? Dave thinks the new shoes should be banned! [21:49] Today’s athletes are more sensible with monitoring the hearts rates and understanding that “kind of hard” is to be modulated. [33:55] It makes no sense to run a marathon close to a week before doing Ironman. [36:35] At what point do you bestow the distinction of being fit versus someone who is less fit metabolically? [41:22] Everything varies by athlete and their goals.  What is an “easy day” of training? [44:21] A heavy diet of carbs was not optimal. Many people look thin but have lost muscle mass. [48:30] We need to regulate our metabolic rate by having a bigger block of protein, whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Grazing is not as good. [51:29] It is easy to mis-estimate the amount of protein you are eating. Is there a danger in ingesting too much protein? [55:32] Today’s dietary strategy is still a mess.  [01:06:19] At the end of a tough training day, is there a justification to going and trying to maximize intake of all the macronutrients? [01:10:07] Many of the bars on the market are toxic. [01:123:50]   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page Dave Scott Train with Dave Scott   Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! NutriSense: Continuous glucose monitor and 1:1 expert support to help optimize diet choices and lifestyle behaviors. $30 B.rad discount! Marek Health: Comprehensive lab testing and expert tele-health support for peak performance. Use code “BRAD” for 10% discount! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix: Tasty, sugar-free, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Free sample pack, just click the link! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad’s Macadamia Masterpiece: Mind-blowing, life-changing nut butter blend Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Check out the my Favorites page for discounts on other great products!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m so pleased to introduce a very interesting guest to the show, my old friend Gordo Byrn. A prolific blogger and Tweeter on his favorite subjects, family, fitness, and finances, Gordo also writes two newsletters: Gordo Byrn’s Endurance Essentials (focused on training, anti-aging, peak performance, longevity, being strong and fit physically and mentally) and True Wealth (family, parenting, being self-reflective about how you spent time, and the true meaning of health). One theme of this show is self-reflectiveness—Gordo is a deep thinker and has experienced many transitions throughout his career, has lived all over the world, and has performed and trained at a level few others have ever matched. Enjoy listening to this conversation as we talk about parenting, training, aging gracefully, and being prudent with financial decisions and how to align those decisions up with your career goals, dreams, and values.   TIMESTAMPS: Gordo’s fascinating journey has gone from high finance to endurance sports, coaching to family man. He brings wisdom to all areas of life. [00:23] Realizing that he couldn’t make a living in triathlon, Gordo spent time with family where he got out of shape, and now continues to work on staying fit. [07:16] Many people in finance and in the corporate lifestyle, make a mistake in that they view  spending as quality of life. [10:57] If you have potential for something and enjoy the process, you can get to the top. You can learn physical skills late in life. [12:59] Teach yourself and teach your kids de-escalation and persistence. [19:30] Do the personality attributes of a competitive athlete transfer over to parenting skills? [24:42] If you are a Type A person very competitive, you may find you are competing in everything.  So chose your game carefully. [32:00] Athletics can help fill the void when you feel that empty nest. Metabolic fitness is important for healthy aging. [34:50] If you are a new athlete or coming to a new sport, ignore the optimal program. It will hurt you. Think about quickness, strength and stamina. [39:05] Running has weightbearing bone-density benefits. [45:41] There should be a pendulum between strength and endurance. [45:41] It’s not a good idea to make your body bigger than it wants to be or have too much extreme exercise. [54:36] If it is not enjoyable for you, it is too intense. Time is the ultimate asset. [59:45] When you are a big spender, you are much less wealthy than you think. [01:05:30] There is a huge percentage of people living paycheck to paycheck.  They don’t have the luxury of changing direction like Gordo did. A lot of our spending and a lot of our goals come from the environment that we put ourselves in [01:08:55] We tend to pass our unfinished business to our children. How do we define success? You cannot make your child a champion. [01:13:39] You may not have as much influence on your kids as you hope or wish. Your actions are going to be stronger than your words. [01:20:18] In the Ironman in Hawaii, the times keep improving.  Improved bicycles and other things are at play. [01:22:25]   LINKS: PrimalEndrance.fit Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page Gordo Byrn's Endurance Essentials Can You Make a Living Doing That? Thousand day pacing.com True Wealth   Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! NutriSense: Continuous glucose monitor and 1:1 expert support to help optimize diet choices and lifestyle behaviors. $30 B.rad discount! Marek Health: Comprehensive lab testing and expert tele-health support for peak performance. Use code “BRAD” for 10% discount! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix: Tasty, sugar-free, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Free sample pack, just click the link! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad’s Macadamia Masterpiece: Mind-blowing, life-changing nut butter blend Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Check out the my Favorites page for discounts on other great products!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In part six of this multi-part presentation covering 115 key insights about the Primal Endurance approach, we focus on the category of strength training and sprinting—an area many devoted athletes tend to fall short in, despite their importance and effectiveness, as they can deliver tremendous performance improvement in a relatively short time—if done properly. But when you disregard them, this leaves a lot of potential on the table. There are many reasons athletes end up avoiding strength training and sprinting (which I will cover in this episode), but part of honoring the Primal Endurance approach is including these complimentary workouts and improving your aerobic function—and this episode will reveal how you can do that most effectively.   TIMESTAMPS: Strength training and sprinting will be covered in the “need to know” podcast.This is where a lot of devoted endurance athletes fall short and don't integrate these important types of workouts into their pattern. [00:25] Improving your aerobic function will give you the most bang for your buck. [02:23] Your body is forced to recruit the oxidative fast twitch muscle fibers.  There are two types of these muscle fibers. One type is for explosive behaviors and the other more for longer duration.  [05:42] Doing some core work in the gym is important.  If your core becomes fatigued when you are racing, you start to exhibit poor posture, your stride length shortens and you start to get tensions and aches in your lower back.  [08:32] Strength training can help athletes identify functional weaknesses. [10:57] Many endurance athletes err by conducting what is called blended workouts. [13:01] Endurance athletes with excellent cardiovascular endurance should focus on brief high intensity strength training sessions that increase raw strength and explosiveness. [16:39] An extensive rest is appropriate and necessary to be explosive during the workout. [21:38] Focus on brief high intensity sessions maintaining excellent technique. Strength declines more steeply than endurance with aging. Muscle strength correlates with healthy organ function. [22:41] Primal essential movements represent a safe, simple effective, full-body workout sequence. [26:01] Maximum sustained power training represents a cutting-edge strategy to improve absolute power and explosiveness. [28:07] Get good at sprinting, and you get good at everything. Also helps with anti-aging. [31:36] One of the most important benefits of sprinting is how it cuts you up like nothing else. [34:56] A huge element of successful sprinting is you go there with a sprinter’s mindset that you are there to deliver. Use a consistent quality of similar time and perceived effort with sprinting workout. [38:41] Sprinting in a pre-fatigued state is harmful for muscles and the central nervous system. [39:57] A proper warmup entails dynamic movements that elevate your body temperature and lubricate your joints. Afterwards get a deliberate cool down. [42:01] Running is the best sprinting choice because of the benefits of weight-bearing intense activity. [43:23] The rest interval between sprints should be sufficient to ensure that respiration returns to near normal, muscles feel reinvigorated and mental energy is refreshed. [45:10]   LINKS: PrimalEndrance.fit Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page Podcast with Robb Wolf Podcast with Cynthia Monteleone Brad’s video on proper skipping form   Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! NutriSense: Continuous glucose monitor and 1:1 expert support to help optimize diet choices and lifestyle behaviors. $30 B.rad discount! Marek Health: Comprehensive lab testing and expert tele-health support for peak performance. Use code “BRAD” for 10% discount! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix: Tasty, sugar-free, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Free sample pack, just click the link! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad’s Macadamia Masterpiece: Mind-blowing, life-changing nut butter blend Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Check out the my Favorites page for discounts on other great products!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you want to learn from the best, you can’t get any better than Eliud Kipchoge. In this episode, I deconstruct the marathon world record and training patterns of the greatest long-distance runner of all time, the greatest marathon runner of all time, and one of the greatest endurance athletes and humans of all time. I talk about how Eliud balances consistency and discipline with consciously trying to never exceed 80% of his capacity during training, because his goal is to save his energy for races instead. As you’ll hear, Kipchoge rarely exceeds the MAF pace formulated by Dr. Phil Maffetone, who actually predicted that Kipchoge would become the greatest marathoner in history by training easier than other elite marathoners. Tune in to hear me break down how he trains, runs 110-120 miles a week with discipline and joy, and never gets sick or injured. There is a lot to gain from emulating Eliud’s sensible approach, especially when you consider that the cover of the book Primal Endurance says: “Slow down to go faster.” This episode will teach you how to actually do that.   TIMESTAMPS: Eluid Kipchoge broke the marathon record by running under two hours. [00:24] Kipchoge’s training principles are unique. [02:14] Marathon running has become so popular that it enables us ordinary runners to learn lessons about our own capacity. [05:39] The doping problem is still out there, but efforts are being made to handle it. [09:50] Kipchoge never goes over the edge of breakdown but he works hard and consistently. HJe doesn’t exceed his MAF heartrate. [12:53] The state of organized running in America, especially for youth, is disastrous. The abuse of young runners must stop. [25:40] Some interesting quotes from Kipchoge are below: [29:28] Motivation plus discipline equals consistency. Learn to embrace this mindset of slow pace and relaxed training. [30:30]   QUOTES from Kipchoge: “Only the disciplined ones in life are free.” “If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods and your passions.” “It's not about the legs, it's about the heart and mind.” “The best time to plant a tree was 25 years ago.  The second best time to plant a tree is today.”   LINKS: PrimalEndrance.fit Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page Ready to Run Seven Habits of Highly Effective People A case for Eliud Kipchoge (Magness) Fartlek Run NY Times: Kipchoge is greatest marathoner ever   Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! NutriSense: Continuous glucose monitor and 1:1 expert support to help optimize diet choices and lifestyle behaviors. $30 B.rad discount! Marek Health: Comprehensive lab testing and expert tele-health support for peak performance. Use code “BRAD” for 10% discount! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix: Tasty, sugar-free, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Free sample pack, just click the link! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad’s Macadamia Masterpiece: Mind-blowing, life-changing nut butter blend Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Check out the my Favorites page for discounts on other great products!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this rebroadcast episode I catch up with the legendary Dave Scott, 6-time Hawaii Ironman world champion and respected coach of both elite professional and amateur multisport enthusiasts. Dave brings his knowledge of the science of nutrition and exercise physiology to give you incredible insights into cutting-edge science and the competitive mindset of a champion athlete. You’ll hear Dave describe his transition from being a major high-carb pioneer back in the 80’s to his current support of primal/paleo/ketogenic eating patterns. You will learn about the science behind keto and the protective health and heart benefits the keto diet offers that can help with potential damage caused by strenuous training. Dave also gives his opinion on the “intensity vs. volume” debate by describing why it’s such a mistake to go “kinda hard” on a regular basis and how this puts your health at serious risk. Dave also shares his unique methods of introducing an assortment of distinct interval patterns that help to cleanse your cardiovascular system, which protects it from damage caused by excessive, “ kinda hard” endurance workouts, as well as why he advocates strength training year-round for endurance athletes.   LINKS: PrimalEndrance.fit Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page DaveScottInc.com   Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! NutriSense: Continuous glucose monitor and 1:1 expert support to help optimize diet choices and lifestyle behaviors. $30 B.rad discount! Marek Health: Comprehensive lab testing and expert tele-health support for peak performance. Use code “BRAD” for 10% discount! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix: Tasty, sugar-free, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Free sample pack, just click the link! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad’s Macadamia Masterpiece: Mind-blowing, life-changing nut butter blend Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Check out the my Favorites page for discounts on other great products!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to part 5 of a multi-part presentation covering 115 key insights about the Primal Endurance approach, divided into six categories: Aerobic Training, Periodization, Primal Eating, Strength and Sprint Training, Complementary Movement And Lifestyle Practices, and Recovery. You can access the whole list by downloading a free eBook at PrimalEndurance.fit, and in this episode, I continue down the list by starting with #26 (carb dependency). I talk about the link between leaky gut and extreme endurance training, what happens to your body when you become highly carb-dependent, how the appetite-stimulating properties in processed foods actually cause you to eat a shocking amount of additional calories a day, how to make the transition away from carb dependency easier, how restrictive diets affect your body and performance, and much more! Thanks for listening and stay tuned for part 6.   LINKS: PrimalEndrance.fit Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page   Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! NutriSense: Continuous glucose monitor and 1:1 expert support to help optimize diet choices and lifestyle behaviors. $30 B.rad discount! Marek Health: Comprehensive lab testing and expert tele-health support for peak performance. Use code “BRAD” for 10% discount! Plunge: Sensational custom-designed home cold plunge with filtered, circulating water, custom temperature setting, and sleek design. Save $150 with code BRAD LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix: Tasty, sugar-free, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Free sample pack, just click the link! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad’s Macadamia Masterpiece: Mind-blowing, life-changing nut butter blend Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Check out the my Favorites page for discounts on other great products!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the final part of this three-part presentation on all aspects of overtraining, you will learn tips for returning to training with a refreshing new outlook and approach, how to heal, and how to ensure that this never happens again! As you will hear, the key is adopting a new process—a fully intuitive approach. Yes, this entails “listening to your body” but it also means applying high-level reasoning and critical thinking to your training decisions. This includes being able to recognize when you occasionally need to back off—even when you’re feeling great—and learning how to emphasize recovery as the centerpiece of your training program, instead of letting it be an afterthought, (listen to my podcast with Joel Jamieson for more details). An important element of this approach is minimizing chronic post-exercise muscle soreness, as this is a definite sign that you have been pushing beyond your current capabilities and/or have functional weaknesses and imbalances that can be addressed by adding new exercises to your regimen. You will also learn how to determine when it’s time to return to training when you are chomping at the bit and why you should stay away from establishing arbitrary timelines to what is a very delicate process—rejuvenating your mind and body after burnout.     TIMESTAMPS: Part one and part two covered stress response in the body and discussed the symptoms of over-reaching. [02:24] A variation in beat-to-beat intervals is representative of being rested, having a strong cardiovascular system and a healthy sympathetic to parasympathetic balance. [04:13] Don’t over-train. Use your motivation, discipline, resilience to make good decisions. [06:00 It takes many, many years of experience to learn the hard way about applying that intuition into your stress/rest balance of daily life. [08:44] You may over-train and get exhausted.  The first step is psychological acceptance.  “Okay, I screwed up.” Then do not pinpoint an arbitrary time to return to action [09:36] There may come a time when you have to reevaluate your goals.  You may learn it is time to give up and pursue other activities.  Your extra time can be devoted to extra sleep as a payback on the sleep debt you have accumulated over the past years.  [12:58] Functional medicine is an avenue you might want to explore. [14:50] Exercise can wait until you really are passionate about returning rather than getting back because you think you “should”.  When you do start out, do half effort.  [18:35] The basic principles of the Primal Blueprint are: move frequently at a slow pace, lift heavy things and sprint once in a while. [20:19] If you feel crappy after a “good” workout, you probably overdid it. Muscle soreness is a sign that you overdid it. [25:44] The over-training pattern can truly be career ending and when you are a chronically overtrained athlete, you are shortening your lifespan. [29:46] It is important to remember, if you are struggling, that the genetic differences we have are profound and some people can simply tolerate more stress than others. [36:10] Just aspire to do your best. [39:52]   LINKS: Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!) Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit Primal Health Coach.com Nourish Balance Thrive Podcast with Chris Kelly Big Book of Endurance Training Podcast with Craig Marker Podcast with Phil Maffetone The Primal Blueprint Podcast with Joel Jamieson Running on Empty One Running Shoe The Weight of Gold   QUOTES: "When you're deciding how to train, take what your body gives you each day and don't try to force more."   Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! NutriSense: Continuous glucose monitor and 1:1 expert support to help optimize diet choices and lifestyle behaviors. $30 B.rad discount! Marek Health: Comprehensive lab testing and expert tele-health support for peak performance. Use code “BRAD” for 10% discount! LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix: Tasty, sugar-free, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Free sample pack, just click the link! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad’s Macadamia Masterpiece: Mind-blowing, life-changing nut butter blend Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Check out the my Favorites page for discounts on other great products!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode was inspired by a quote I read in a New York Times article about Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who, at only 21 years old, is at the very top of the world. This quote was one of the most impactful things I had ever heard about athletic training: “Jakob Ingebrigtsen estimates that he seldom pushes himself beyond 87% of his maximum effort in workouts. Yes, 87%, so he can preserve the best of himself on race day.”  If you think 87% doesn’t sound like it would do that much, check out his races on YouTube and you will see how he shoots straight to the front and dares anyone to pass him—Jakob manages to wear out the greatest runners on the planet by using his strategic and very powerful running strategy at his preferred distance of 1,500 meters. This show will walk you through all of Jakob’s specific training methods, and I share how his methods were actually designed by his father and two brothers (who also are quite impressive champions themselves) to formulate this uniquely effective training program—one that is notably different from the traditional model that we’re all used to.    TIMESTAMPS: Jakob Ingebrigsten estimates that he seldom pushes himself beyond 87% of maximum effort in workouts. [00:24] The Ingebrigsten team has very unique training strategies. Training at or even a bit below anaerobic threshold can be highly effective to teach your body to buffer lactate more effectively. [03:06] The athletes are very careful to work at or below that threshold, knowing that there is an extreme cost to pay in terms of recovery when you go too hard. [07:30] Jakob, at age 16, broke the four minutes mile. [09:18] Most of us are working relatively too hard. [12:20] Jakob rarely runs an individual workout for over one hour. [16:48] Eluid Kipchoge has a similar protocol for training although his distances differ from Jakob’s. [20:42] How can you apply this 87% idea to your own training? [29:52] Be sure you end any type of vigorous or stressful session well under an hour. The brain does not have to be trained to suffer. [33:44]   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit Jakob Ingebrigsten on youtube Ingebrigsten Reality Show Primal Endurance Mastery course (FREE bag of Whey Protein Superfuel if you sign up for the full course, just email us!)   Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Mito Red Light: Photobiomodulation light panels to enhance cellular energy production, improve recovery, and optimize circadian rhythm. Use code BRAD for 5% discount! NutriSense: Continuous glucose monitor and 1:1 expert support to help optimize diet choices and lifestyle behaviors. $30 B.rad discount! Marek Health: Comprehensive lab testing and expert tele-health support for peak performance. Use code “BRAD” for 10% discount! LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix: Tasty, sugar-free, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Free sample pack, just click the link! B.rad Whey + Creatine Superfuel: Premium quality, all-natural supplement for peak performance, recovery, and longevity Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO): Optimize testosterone naturally with 100% grassfed animal organ supplement Brad’s Macadamia Masterpiece: Mind-blowing, life-changing nut butter blend Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Check out the my Favorites page for discounts on other great products!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to part two of this series on all aspects of overtraining. In this episode, you will learn about an assortment of symptoms that will help you get better at identifying the tenuous state of overreaching, and you’ll also hear about the various symptoms that are indications to your body when it is in a state of overtraining/burnout. Finally, I present a strategy for effectively recovering from overtraining, including how to avoid it in the first place by making intuitive evaluations of your present condition and behavior patterns and then taking corrective action.    TIMESTAMPS: We have many chronic stressors in our every-day life, some of which we aren’t aware. [00:24] One of the symptoms indicating you are overreaching and overtraining is your heart rate variability.  [03:48] After an intense workout, it is time for some diaphragmatic or parasympathetic breathing. [05:17] The MAF test is probably the most important indicator of you heart working best. [08:12] Dysregulated energy in everyday life can be when you work out, feel fine, do some more workouts and then in the afternoon you start to drag. Then sometimes you get a second wind. [11:24] Another signal that you may be overreaching is slight immune disturbances and inflammatory disturbances. [14:47] Cramping, twitching and other hyper-movements are indications of overstimulation or imbalance in sympathetic function. [16:43] The skin is really sensitive to stress. [17:28] Frequent urination, especially at nighttime is a big deal. [18:03] Decreased libido and erectile dysfunction can also indicate a problem even though you are performing well in workouts. [19:58] Many elite female athletes are trading in reproductive fitness for performance. [20:54] Next on the list of dangerous signs is insomnia. [22:51] Dietary irregularities and digestive disturbances are a sign of overreaching. [23:52] If you find your mood has changed to irritability, impatience, crankiness, it could be an indication of overtraining. [25:59] The symptoms of burnout cannot be ignored.  Recognize these things in yourself and remedy them as soon as possible. [29:01] The digestive system is particularly sensitive and vulnerable. [31:36] Long COVID has been prevalent among endurance athletes. [36:35] We always want to speak in terms of balance when it comes to stress and rest. [38:31] If you are not getting joy and satisfaction from your activity, you could be in burnout. [43:52]   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit Overtraining, Part 1 BradBeat HRV Tracker One Running Shoe Running on Empty C N S Tap Test Podcast with Joel Jamieson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m pleased to welcome to the show Shelby Houlian—one of the greatest female distance runners in the world. She is an American record holder at 5000 meters, an 11 time US national champion, and an extraordinary competitor, so it’s going to be great to hear about her dedication, focus, and how she builds muscle mass. You will also hear about a highly-publicized and extremely dramatic setback she endured when she was hit with a doping violation—an ordeal that she has been forced to reckon with, and one that has made her grow tremendously as a person since this injustice has been heaped on her by the anti-doping authorities in global sports. While we do acknowledge that we have had a massive problem in modern sports with doping and cheating, you will find out in this episode exactly why Shelby is such a unique case, and why she was someone who was a victim of a system, but not a cheater.   TIMESTAMPS: Shelby Houlihan is a great athlete who, unfortunately, experienced a major setback in her career when accused of doping. [00:01] By understanding Shelby’s ordeal, we hope to shed a light on the flaws in the system of the anti-doping establishment. [02:19] Unfortunately, she bought a burrito. [07:02] The public hates cheaters and Shelby has had to deal with the distrust in herself and others. [20:17] She had little recourse in fighting to decrease her four-year ban. [29:10] Is it possible that some of the members of the anti-doping establishment are in it for the wrong reasons?  [40:48] Having to put her dreams aside, how is Shelby processing this setback? [43:24] She felt empowered when she was able to say “They can’t take my love of running away from me.” [51:52] Running by herself has been most difficult. [55:06] She cannot officially train with other runners as part of her suspension. [01:01:13] How clean is the world of sport these days? [01:05:12] As an athlete ages, does the odometer theory come into play? [01:14:51] How is Shelby supporting herself after spending money on attorneys and losing her sponsors. [01:20:00]   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page Shelby Houlihan on YouTube Shelby Houlihan talking about her case PrimalEndrance.fit Shelby on Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to a three-part presentation that walks you through every aspect of overtraining. You will hear an overview of how the stress response occurs in the body, and how it affects it; as well as the ways that the nature and pacing of hectic, high stress modern life have resulted in a terrible disconnect from our human genetic expectations for health. You’ll also learn just how much our ruminating minds can actually contribute to burnout, just like stressful personal or work circumstances or overly-stressful training patterns. You’ll also hear about the state of “overreaching”—a precursor to overtraining where you are capable of peak performance, but running on borrowed time and headed straight for burnout.    TIMESTAMPS: In our athletic endeavors, it is easy to make both simple and complex mistakes that can set you back. [00:24] If we think a negative or fearful thought, we can elicit a stress response in the body. Stimulus, perception, and response are the three aspects of stress. [01:27] We don’t want to have a fight or flight response every single day. [03:28] Our body always want to regulate itself. [07:19] Too little stress is unhealthy and leads to boredom and malaise. [09:46] Generally, our hunter gatherer ancestors lived a pretty sedate life compared to our modern hectic-paced life. [12:06] Many people assume that they have balance in their life, however, trips to the gym for a hard workout is unable to diffuse the stress from your workday stresses. [15:04] Be careful proudly pronouncing yourself as a Type A person.  That expression originated with people with elevated heart disease risk. [18:11] Fasting is extremely stressful. Cold plunge overdone or staying in sauna too long are dangerous.  [20:10] It has been cited that todays’ extreme elite athletes are working six times as hard as any type of ancestral experience causing many problems with digestive function and immune function. [25:34] Fat is a clean burning fuel whereas carbohydrate is considered a dirty burning fuel. A chronically stressful lifestyle is directly associated with a carbohydrate dependency. [26:54] What’s happening with burnout? It’s important to recognize that lifestyle itself causes some of the illness. [32:20] Overreaching is that temporary high that’s afforded by the chronic overproduction of stress hormones in the bloodstream. [38:38] LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page Podcast with Dr. Bruce Lipton Biology of Belief  Brad’s cold plunge video Primal Endurance Two Meals a Day One Running Shoe Running on Empty Paleo Thyroid Solution PrimalEndrance.fit See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a pleasure to connect with the legendary author and investigative journalist David Epstein (who wrote one of my favorite books ever, The Sports Gene) for this episode! Our conversation ranges from the validity of the 10,000 Hour Rule (you’ll hear David dispel the accuracy of the science behind the concept) to the role our genetics play in sports and performance to the concept of practice variability, and David also shares that he’s looking at writing a book on the specialization in youth sports.    TIMESTAMPS: David Epstein is an investigative journalist reporting many aspects in the sports world including the role of genetics in sports. [00:27] If you spend 10,000 practice hours on something, can you become a master at it? [07:09] There is a concept called practice variability which is not focusing on just one skill. [11:52] Genetics plays a big role in high level athletics. Some people have a compulsive desire to train. [16:30] Many people become afraid to go against the traditional approach to training. [27:16] When we see these exceptional feats in sports, we assume it is their natural God-given gift that allows them this performance. Not so simple.  [29:37] Usain Bolt’s training has been varied. There are no secrets or templates. [30:17] Epstein, while investigating doping in the sports world, found he had to deal with much controversy. [38:28] Dave is looking at writing a book on the specialization in youth sports. [46:21]   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit The Sports Gene Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World ProPublica DavidEpstein.com thompsonriverranch.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to part 4 of a multi-part presentation covering 115 key insights about the Primal Endurance approach, divided into six categories: Aerobic Training, Periodization, Primal Eating, Strength and Sprint Training, Complementary Movement And Lifestyle Practices, and Recovery. To read the complete list, download the free eBook at PrimalEndurance.fit.  In this episode, I cover items 1-25 under the category of Primal Eating, starting with the many problems caused by the Standard American Diet and why it leads to lifelong insidious weight gain, chronic inflammation, and elevated disease risk factors. You will hear how refined grains and sugar products prompt the production of endotoxins in the gut, and how these internally manufactured toxins promote inflammation and inhibit ATP energy production, leading to overeating and poor performance. You’ll also learn why carrying excess body fat in spite of careful attention to diet and a high volume of training hours can largely be attributed to inhibited energy production (aka carbohydrate dependency), how chronic training patterns can lead to thyroid and adrenal problems and a lack of energy in daily life, and why weight loss strategies like portion control and devoted calorie burning is ineffective. I reveal why the secret to weight loss is actually hormone optimization, which foods are best to eat for performance and recovery, and why even lean people can still suffer from the negative health consequences of carbohydrate dependency, like chronic inflammation, oxidative damage, and accelerated aging and disease risk factors. Finally, we talk about ketosis and Intermittent Fasting, and how I.F. can be used to accelerate fat loss, fine tune insulin sensitivity, and improve cellular repair for an anti-aging, immune-boosting effect. I also talk about why ketogenic endurance training represents such an exciting new frontier for peak endurance performance, the ultra-low-carb athletes who are performing amazing feats and literally becoming bonk-proof by remaining in a fat- and ketone-burning state, the results of Dr. Jeff Volek’s vaunted FASTER study, and the well-chronicled personal experiments of Dr. Peter Attia and Sami Inkinen, which suggest that any endurance athlete can quickly become fat-adapted and deliver performances superior to carb-fueled efforts.   TIMESTAMPS: The standard American diet is based on excessive intake of processed foods, namely refined sugars, grains, and industrial seed oils. [00:23] High calorie-burning athletes have an especially distinct need for good nutrition and for avoiding nutrient deficient foods because they're trying to nourish the body and recover. [05:48] There is no good reason for humans to consume grains and many good reasons not to. Fruits, stems, seeds and leaves need more scrutiny.  [07:28] The most superstars of the animal kingdom include animal organs, oysters, salmon, eggs, grass-fed beef and oily cold-water fish. [10:28] Plant toxins cause innumerable problems. [11:40] Endurance athletes can dial in optimal carb intake by first asking the question: Do I carry excess body fat? [12:27] Calories burned through exercise stimulate a corresponding increase in appetite. [14:13] Read labels.  Industrial seed oils are hidden in many of the products presented as healthy. Choose your treats wisely. [17:11] There is a condition called “overfat” as opposed to being overweight.  People can appear slender but accumulate visceral fat. [18:37] Carbohydrate dependency leads to burnout. [20:10] Primal-style eating is fractal and intuitive when escaping carb dependency. [21:52] Once fat adapted, intermittent fasting can be used to accelerate fat loss, fine tune insulin sensitivity and improve cellular repair for an anti-aging immune boosting effect. [24:19] A suggested energy strategy for intermittent fasting is to wait until you experience hunger before eating in the morning. [26:44] Your excess body fat is a function of your genetic predisposition to store fat combined with the amount of insulin you produce in your diet. [28:22] Primal-style eating minimizes the importance of genetic predispositions. [30:16] Escaping sugar dependency and becoming fat adapted gives you a cleaner burning engine. [33:32] Ketones are an internally manufactured energy-rich byproduct of fat metabolism in the liver. [34:48] Ketogenic endurance training is an advanced strategy that requires a strict devotion to very low dietary carbohydrate intake. [27:08] A bonk-proof ketogenic athlete is preserving ketones for use by the brain, relieving it of heavy glucose dependency. Ketones burn cleaner than carbs. [40:16] The fat-burning paradigm offers great promise to endurance athletes but you lose a little bit of power at the top when you are restricting dietary carbs. [42:03] “Carb insulin model of obesity” is oversimplified. [45:12]   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit Feldman Podcast no. 1 Feldman Podcast no. 2 Carnivore Score Food Ranking Chart Overfat Pandemic 21-Day Total Body Transformation The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get ready for a conversation with a very high energy human, Peter Park! Peter is a highly regarded personal trainer and a legend in the fitness industry who has worked with countless professional athletes and everyone from elite businessmen and Hollywood types to younger athletes. He has a great facility in the beautiful Santa Barbara area, Platinum Fitness, and you will hear all about his interesting background in this wide-ranging discussion. Peter, an extreme endurance athlete, talks about how he became such an enthusiastic and passionate trainer, and all about his lifelong dedication to getting people fit and healthy so they can perform at their peak. He takes us through his past as a powerlifter and volleyball player, his total immersion into the Iron Man scene, and how he has explored the limits of human endurance. You will hear him talk about his favorite elements of his current training schedule, and how he used his experience in all different levels and types of athletic training to form the unique and effective philosophy he dispenses at Platinum Fitness. We also talk about Energy Balance and, especially as we are the same age, the best strategies live a truly healthy, energetic and active lifestyle.   TIMESTAMPS: Peter Park is a legend in the fitness industry and a 23 times Ironman competitor. [01:03] Starting out as a volleyball player, Peter evolved into weightlifting and then running. [04:54] Are there any attributes that transfer over from putting in that hard work in power lifting and getting super strong and then trying to be an endurance athlete? [10:42] Athletes at the elite level need to be aware that off-season training has to be the right kind. [15:16] Sometimes performance depends on how many calories one can process in a day. [20:00] A lot of people err when selecting their diet regimen.  Restricting times for eating and restricting carbs can be stressful. [26:22] Active people can get an A plus in cardio pretty easily. [29:35] Muscle mass, muscle strength correlate with brain function. [34:16] We have this notion in fitness where you have to confuse your muscles instead of doing the same exercise all the time. Is this right? [37:24] Meditation has become a big part of Peter’s routine. [41>23]   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit Platinum Fitness  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to part 3 of this multi-part presentation covering the 115 key insights from the Primal Endurance approach, which fall into six categories: Aerobic Training, Periodization, Primal Eating, Strength and Sprint Training, Complementary Movement And Lifestyle Practices, and Recovery. The insights outlined in this show will provide you with an overview of the content in the Primal Endurance book as well as the online Mastery Course. This episode covers 10 key insights from the category of periodization, and you will learn what periodization entails, the importance of focusing on different types of training during specific blocks of time over a calendar year, and why consistency in the context of endurance training is actually ill advised. You will also learn why intensity should only be introduced after a successful aerobic period and last for a maximum of four weeks, effective strategies for intuitive training, and the importance of mini-rest periods and how to time them. Finally, you will hear how to formulate a season-ending rest period that is both diligent and comprehensive, and the surprising things you can do to promote peak performance.   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’re going to love this rebroadcast of a discussion Mark Sisson and I had about the very complex issue of doping in sports. You won’t find a more knowledgeable and free-thinking expert than Mark—he served for a long time as the Chair of the Anti-Doping commission for the sport of triathlon and this issue has continued to pervade sports till this day. It’s such a controversial subject, one that is largely misunderstood by the public, and you’ll hear us talk about major doping cases and the details of the different cases, if sports are still clean, and why the problem is more nuanced than people realize. We also talk about the danger of taking shortcuts, how neglecting to optimize lifestyle factors can lead to your body easily converting excess testosterone into estrogen through a process called aromatization, and Mark explains the inconsistencies that exist in the testing procedures and random demarcation lines for what constitutes a performance enhancing substance (e.g., Gatorade enhances performance when you are thirsty!). We also discuss how the public perception that certain athletes cheat to gain an advantage is actually a more complex cultural issue than a true morality weakness.  Mark offers an interesting perspective—that we might view modern pro sports as theater—a theatrical event in which athletes perform for the pleasure of fans, with big money on the line, and this is why we will always be fighting a battle (perhaps a losing one) against dopers who may remain a step ahead of the testing efforts. We also talk about the hypocrisy of a society where the use of “performance enhancing” substances (like caffeine or prescription drugs to treat ADHD) is viewed differently than an athlete trying to recover faster.   TIMESTAMPS: The hot topic of performance-enhancing drugs, testosterone replacement therapy, doping and cheating are on Brad’s mind. [01:11] Currently we see widespread use of EPO in endurance sports. [02:06] The athlete in a drug-laden professional sport is faced with three choices. [04:29] The use of performance enhancing drugs is pervasive. [08:08] Hormone replacement therapy is good for advanced aged group but is filtering down to young people in their 20s. [13:41] During Brad’s racing career, he opted to be free of any outside intervention because he wanted to feel what his current state of readiness and recovery was. [14:59] Abuse of any drugs is dangerous. [18:10] Brad’s aversion to outside intervention includes healing from surgeries. [20:41] A lot of the prescription drugs and the massive profits the drug companies make comes from relief of symptoms rather than addressing the root cause of the problem. [24:46] Exhaust all possible natural strategies before you even form the thought of bringing in outside intervention into your physiology. [27:40] If you're training at the elite level in professional triathlon or CrossFit games like the most extreme athletes are doing, those performance enhancing drugs are possibly minimizing the adverse health consequences of the extreme regimen that you are performing. [37:27] There is a lot of research going on looking at testosterone replacement therapy for prostate cancer patients that might prove interesting.  [40:28]   The only justification for someone who's not already in pretty good health and fitness level to try a hormone replacement is to give a temporary boost so that you will have the energy to start doing some exercise, start doing some resistance training, start walking in order to change your body chemistry. [44:20]   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page The Secret Race EPO, the Drug Podcast with Shelby Houlihan Plantar Fasciitis video Testosterone Optimization Therapy Bible See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I first met this episode’s guest, elite professional ultra-runner Zach Bitter way back in 2016, back when he was first starting, getting himself on the map and dreaming of a career in ultra marathon running—and now look at what’s happened to his career! Besides being the national 100k champion and holder of many other titles and records, Zach was an early pioneer in the ultra running scene, and is known for his success at pushing the edges of human performance as a fat adapted endurance athlete. He also hosts the wonderful Human Performance Outliers podcast. To get a sense of the level he’s performed at, get this: he set the world record in the 100 mile run (on an indoor track) when he caught the time of 11 hours and 40 minutes. That is an average pace per mile of 6:48. The next time you run, try to see if you can run a 6:48! He also set an amazing record for 100 miles on a treadmill in 12 hours and 18 minutes. You’re going to learn so much from Zach in this show as this absolute endurance machine talks about his background and training, his take on minimalist footwear and the reason why he actually still wears “normal” shoes (and how often). You will also hear him discuss his revolutionary training methods, what he does in order to race more efficiently and recover faster, and much more! Enjoy the show and connect with Zach via his website, linked below.   TIMESTAMPS: Brad reviews conversation from 2016 with Zach Bitter when he was just getting started in his career in ultra-running. [01:05] Zach Bitter’s amazing fetes include setting a world record in the hundred-mile run on an indoor track. [02:11] Zach and Brad are both fans of minimalist shoes, but they intersperse wearing those with “puffy” shoes. [04:02] The big goal of the Faster Study was to find out what is the difference in energy oxidation rates between carbs and fats. [06:06] You can get better and better at burning fat and your’re gonna need fewer ingested calories. [08:10] On the Western States 100-mile race Zach ate very little fruit and drank only water with electrolytes. [10:23] In the beginning in the ultra-scene, Zach was carb fueled.  What changes have you noticed? [12:46] As Zach transitioned his diet, he slowed his training a bit. [16:03] The experience of oxidative stress comes from consuming the carbohydrates. [20:09] When restricting dietary carbs, it has a potent anti-inflammatory effect known to be at the level of the most powerful drugs. [24:20] Zach lowers the carb intake to get better performance. [25:19] Has there been a change in the ultra-scene towards that adaption? [30:39] What tips does Zach have for runners looking to make the transition? Be patient is the first one. Get good sleep. [33:48] LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping pageHuman Performance Outliers podcast Cactus to Clouds race Primal Endurance The Faster Study Zach Bitter.com PrimalEndrance.fit See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In part 2 of this multi-part presentation covering 115 key insights about the Primal Endurance approach, we discuss the next 15-24 items under the category of Aerobic Training (part 1 introduced the six categories: Aerobic Training, Periodization, Primal Eating, Strength and Sprint Training, Complementary Movement And Lifestyle Practices, and Recovery). In this episode, I continue to provide some color commentary on each insight to provide you with more nuanced knowledge of everything you need to know if you want to have fun and go faster. You will learn why high-intensity workouts are not advised until you’ve built a strong aerobic base, why even a slight stimulation of anaerobic metabolism during a workout can compromise your fat reduction efforts, and what causes endurance athletes to be at high risk for overstress and burnout. You will also learn which types of workouts can actually improve mitochondrial function and protect you from stress-induced oxidative damage, the benefits of nose breathing during exercise, and why wearing a wireless heart rate monitor is essential to conducting proper aerobic workouts. We also touch on how slowing down to perform better in endurance competitions has actually been proven to be an effective strategy by the world’s leading athletes for over fifty years and the seven habits of highly effective primal endurance athletes (sleep, stress/rest balance, intuitive and personalized schedule, aerobic emphasis, structured intensity, complementary movement and lifestyle practices, and periodization).   TIMESTAMPS: High intensity workouts are not advised until a strong aerobic base is built. [01:08] If you are constantly dipping into the sugar burning zones, you are going to promote carbohydrate dependency eating and lifestyle patterns. [03:58] Besides exceeding maximum aerobic heart rate, some athletes are guilty of an overly consistent regimen. [05:35] Aerobic and anaerobic workouts and primal aligned eating help improve mitochrondrial function. [09:18] Mitochondria burn fat and ketones more cleanly than they do glucose. [12:42] Nose breathing during exercise ensures the most efficient exchange of oxygen on each breath. [14:56] The black hole designates an exercise intensity that is slightly too strenuous to be aerobic, but not difficult enough to qualify as a peak performance speed workout. [21:28] A wireless heart rate monitor is essential to conducting proper aerobic workouts. [26:20] Slowing down to perform better in endurance competition has been proven effective by the world's leading athletes [29:19] The seven habits of highly effective primal endurance athletes are sleep, stress, rest, balance, intuitive and personalized training schedule, emphasizing aerobic development. [33:33]   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit The Oxygen Advantage Breath Shift Adapt BOHR Effect See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I caught up with one of my favorite athletes to talk to ever for this episode—someone who has a record six victories at the Hawaii Ironman and ten victories at the Nice, France World Long Course Championship. His name is Mark Allen, and he’s also known as the greatest triathlete in history, but today, he is a popular triathlon coach at MarkAllenCoaching.com, a TV commentator, corporate speaker, author, and presenter of “Fit Soul, Fit Body” retreats with Brant Secunda, a Huichol shaman and healer. One important takeaway from this show is what a powerful effect releasing your attachment to outcomes and being committed to both the enjoyment and appreciation of the process will have on your life. Mark shares how despite a series of unfortunate setbacks, his first victory in 1989 precipitated five Ironman attempts before he retired at the top of his game at age 39. He also talks about balancing the pursuit of extreme endurance goals with maintaining health, how research on Heart Rate Variability has been a great breakthrough in monitoring stress and planning training, and describes how he was able to live a normal, laidback lifestyle after his grueling training sessions or competitive seasons were over. You will also hear about the importance of sleep when training and all about Mark’s new book, The Art of Competition, which blends stunning nature photography with inspirational quotes chosen by Mark for their significance to competitors seeking a healthy perspective and inspiration to pursue athletic goals.   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit MarkAllenCoaching.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dave Scott is a prominent and well-regarded health coach and 6-time IronMan Hawaii champion. Highly informed about exercise, training strategies, coaching, diet and physiology, you can’t get any better than Dave when it comes to a knowledgeable source for triathlon training. In this episode, we go deep into important topics like finding a healthy balance between being driven and obsessed with peak performance goals with enjoying the process and celebrating your successes, and not always looking for more more more. We also discuss the technologies and innovations discovered in recent years and end the show with an important discussion about nutrition and what prompted Dave to completely change his diet, what his meals look like today, and protein timing.   TIMESTAMPS: Dave Scott and Brad reflect on their histories on the triathlon circuit as well as talk about new innovations in the sport. [00:25] Brad asks Dave to reflect back on his awesome six Ironman wins. Would he want to do anything different? [03:57] A healthy athlete should have other outlets and hobbies. [11:16:09] How has it gone for Dave to transition from the peak years to this stage of his life? [14:34] Heart problems are common in endurance athletes. [17:57] There have been many changes in the sport of triathlon like equipment, road surfaces, and improvements in training protocol. The shoes are a big problem when we look for a level playing field.  [25:15] Some of the stronger competitors for the Ironman are coming from Europe.  Why is that? [32:25] Do you have to train beyond the race distance to get the best performance [38:11] How do you distinguish between being fit or un-fit? [43:23] Nutrition deserves much discussion and understanding. We need to regulate our metabolic rate by having a bigger block of protein. [50:22] What about the dangers of over-consumption of protein? [01:01:09] Are today’s athletes better informed about diet?  [01:08:20] After a tough training day, would you see justification to maximize intake of all macronutrients in the name of recovery? [01:12:0] LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page Dave Scott PrimalEndrance.fit  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s time to cover 115 things you need to know as a Primal Endurance athlete! The 115 things on the list have been divided into six categories (Aerobic Training, Periodization, Primal Eating, Strength and Sprint Training, Complementary Movement And Lifestyle Practices, and Recovery) that will be presented in a series of shows. If you want to see the full list, head over to PrimalEndurance.fit to download a free eBook. In part one of this multi-part presentation, I cover items 1-14 under the category of Aerobic Training, offering my color commentary on each item so you have a thorough understanding of everything you need to know to have fun and go faster. This episode reveals why endurance athletes generally tend to carry too much body fat, the fundamental elements of the Primal Endurance approach, and why the conventional approach to endurance training is deeply flawed. You will learn why even the most dedicated athletes still struggle with an excess of body fat, how chronic cardio causes permanent damage to your heart, how moderate exercise schedules actually dramatically increase longevity and why time-consuming training schedules can accelerate aging. You will also learn why emphasizing aerobic workouts delivers the best return on investment for endurance athletes, the importance of developing an efficient aerobic system, and much more!   TIMESTAMPS: This is the first of a series putting you on the right track to reach your ambitious goals that support health and hormonal function and longevity. [00:27] Endurance athletes, in general, carry too much body fat.  Many endurance athletes also overtrain. [02:47] The key factor is to slow down! A heartrate of 180 minus you age is widely promoted. [07:56] There are many well-intentioned ideas about how to train, but they may fail to solve problems.  They do not put individuals’ situations into the approach.  [12:08] Escape chronic cardio. Every day should find you moving frequently at low level, lifting heavy things once in a while and occasionally sprinting. [15:04] The heart is like any other muscle.  It can be inflamed and scarred. You want to stay away from the elevated disease risk factors associated with extreme endurance training. [18:59] A more moderate exercise schedule can dramatically increase longevity.  [22:04]    Aerobic workouts emphasize fat burning and are energizing and minimally stressful.  Anaerobic workouts emphasize glucose burning and elicit a significant stress response. [29:50] If you have a limited amount of time to train, you may want to downscale your goals and focus on events that match your ability to train for them. [35:14] Aerobic development is best accomplished by training exclusively at aerobic heart rates for a sustained period of time. [38:29] The cutoff point for aerobic training is the maximum aerobic heart rate defined as 180 minus your age, in beats per minute. You want to remain comfortable. [41:22] The real magic happens when you can become more efficient at that comfortable heart rate, and you can realize that your training’s working. Regression in MAF test results suggests you are overtraining. [44:10]   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit Primal Endurance Mark’s Daily Apple A Case Against Cardio One Running Shoe in the Grave Running on Empty Run for Your Life, But Not too Far, and at a Slow Pace See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I am outnumbered 2-to-1 by Canadians in this episode as Olympic gold and silver medalist Simon Whitfield joins me and my co-host Andrew MacNaughton for a conversation about pursuing goals, changing our mindset towards success, and training. In this episode, Simon talks about the most important things he has learned from his long career at the top of the sport, sharing some of the most unique memories and important perspective shifts he has experienced, like his incredible victory in the inaugural Olympic triathlon in Sydney, Australia in 2000. Simon is such a thoughtful and introspective guest to listen to, and he offers many sharp insights that are applicable to both peak performance goals as well as life goals in general. Simon’s way of thinking is: “If you love your pursuits, you’ll find a way to success. If you succumb to your fears and insecurities, your results will suffer accordingly.” You’ll enjoy hearing Simon’s refreshing honesty in this show as he delves into the problems that come with drifting into a prima donna perspective, the importance of recalibrating to focus on the journey, and what changes when you have a strong and authentic support team. “Hard truths come with sharp edges, but they are the source of the greatest learning,” Simon says. He also talks about some fun, recent life events, like his epic standup paddling adventures in Victoria. Enjoy this revealing and impactful episode with triathlon’s most thoughtful coach, Andrew MacNaughton, and most thoughtful elite athlete, Simon Whitfield.   TIMESTAMPS: Simon Whitfield had an amazing gold medal showing at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney Australia. [00:27] Triathlon is high intensity macho contest which takes a certain mindset. [03:12] Amazingly, after Simon crashed during the bike ride in the Olympics, her remained calm. He talks about his thoughts at that time. [09:22] When Simon was adjacent to the leader, Vokovich, and Vukovich pulled ahead, Simon’s body language changed. [15:36] People need to celebrate what they get, not what they didn’t get. [19:58] How did Simon’s life change after he won the Olympic gold? He does mentor some younger athletes and spent time reconnecting with family. [21:20] After spending time away from the sport is feels good to reconnect with the young newcomers to the sport and remember how it was for you loving and training for your career. [26:31] Sometimes it is important for someone to tell you the hard truth. [31:05] Team and training partners are very important in so many ways. It is easy to self-sabotage. [33:53] The playfulness and bantering with other athletes help to keep you level headed. [37:45] Simon is coached by his 80-year-old self. Paddleboarding in the ocean is his best pastime. [41:17] An athlete has to understand the math to be aware of where they are as well as the competitors. [50:48]   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page YouTube 2000 Sydney Olympics Triathlon Primal Endurance The Art of Learning Mark’s Daily Apple PrimalEndrance.fit See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan Baxter is a part-time Primal health coach, father to two young kids, a full-time software engineer, and an athlete. In this episode, Ryan joins host Brad Kearns to discuss training strategies, effective recovery methods, and his experience with embarking on a personal experiment to consume more calories and more carbs. Ryan offers incredible insights about training and recovery in this show, such as when he talks about a 28-mile bike ride he did in Barcelona, saying: “I didn’t come home with a medal or a trophy or anything like that, but I came home with what was a once in a lifetime experience and probably the highlight of my endurance training this year, which speaks to a lot of things—it’s not about the medals and stuff, but when you can find that when you put your fitness capacities towards something that creates lifelong memories and once in a lifetime experiences, then that is the ultimate use of your endurance and your training.” We also talk about a 14 mile obstacle course race Ryan partook in—at 4,000 feet elevation atop a ski mountain!—how to look, feel, and recover better, and much more!   TIMESTAMPS: Ryan tells his story of his bike ride through the Barcelona wine country even though he had  not much training on long distance biking. [01:29] You can find that you put your fitness capacities to something that creates lifelong memories. That is the ultimate use of your training. [03:45]      The fourteen-mile obstacle course is quite an endeavor. You can train for an obstacle course with many simple things around your home. [06:37]        Ryan has been on the journey of trying to figure out how to optimize diet and match to training. [12:03]  If training at a comfortable aerobic heart rate, there is a strong argument that that training can be sustained with a ketogenic diet.  Did Ryan find that to be true? [18:42] If the diet and the lifestyle don’t match the outcome you want, and you keep trying to do the same thing over and over, and it’s not working for you, you need to try something different. [24:56] There are some studies that show that ketones can be a performance benefit. [20:46]If we could just all clean up our diets, then we'd have kind of an open road toward the pursuit of optimization rather than damage control. {33:51] Ryan has been charting his diet quantifying his increase in caloric intake. [40:22] When you are well nourished, you will naturally be more active. [45:46] There are so many benefits from just eating more protein. [53:00] During his study, Ryan increased his caloric intake by 700 calories. [56:16]   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page Primal Endurance Dr. Herman Pontzer Podcast (Metabolism) Dr. Herman Pontzer Podcast (Energy Expenditure) RJBHealth.coach PrimalEndrance.fit See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to part two of this show detailing the seven essential habits of highly effective endurance athletes. In this episode we cover the importance of aerobic efficiency, why following Dr. Maffetone’s method is so crucial, why the best benefits actually come from slowing down, and the seven habits to incorporate into your life in order to become a highly effective endurance athlete. Enjoy the show!   TIMESTAMPS: Aerobic emphasis in your training comes after sleep, stress reduction, rest and balance on your list of good habits for training [00:26] Don’t forget Dr. Maffetone’s suggested heart rate of your age minus 180 in beats per minute. Don’t fall into that Black Hole. [02:23] Even if you have a limited time to train, your best benefits are going to come from slowing down. [05:08] You have to respect the need to engage in blocks of specific training focus as an immutable law of endurance training. [17:27] Brad summarizes the seven habits of successful endurance athletes. [18:09]   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Mark Sisson and I talk about the origin of the fat-adapted athlete approach in contrast to the carb-dependent endurance athlete, which represented our main experience in endurance sports for those early years and decades. This show will give you a nice overview of the rationale and the benefits of transitioning from being the typical carbohydrate dependent  endurance athlete to being a fat adapted athlete, and how you can do that through dietary modification and training modification. Mark shares how he feels about reconciling his longtime passion for endurance training and elite competition with his Primal living path and his recent breakthroughs in his endurance training philosophy. You will also hear us discuss the benefits of being fat adapted and the drawbacks of training in an inflammatory, oxidative carbohydrate dependency pattern.   TIMESTAMPS: Brad is back with Mark Sisson to talk about the origin of the fat adapted athlete approach. [00:01] What is going on these days with endurance training theory compared to 20 years ago? [01:42] What kind of diet works best away from training? By cutting out carbs and cutting way back on sugars and starches and grains, Mark is a super fat-burning machine. [07:03] Sugars are more than candy. There are tremendous quantities of sugars in fruit juices, pancakes, waffles, pasta, cereal. [09:21] How does one dial this in with a primarily approved eating pattern as well as a sensible endurance training? [11:14] What is the right amount of carbs? You need intuitive knowledge regarding your training program and your daily life. [15:55] To do this right, you need to go back to a strong aerobic base. [21:22] Form and strength training are important to plan out your program. [24:31] The importance of rest seems to be overlooked in many areas of training. You can’t train on someone else’s schedule. [29:23]   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndrance.fit The Primal Blueprint Primal Endurance See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In part one of this two-part show, I cover a key takeaway from Primal Endurance: the seven habits of highly effective endurance athletes. What are the seven habits? In part one, we’re focusing on the first three: 1) Sleep, 2) Stress/Rest/Balance, and 3) Following An Intuitive and Personalized Schedule. You’ll learn why sleep is number one and the next frontier of performance breakthroughs in all sports, especially endurance sports, as well as how to wake up each morning without an alarm, but still feeling completely refreshed and energized. You’ll also hear why I recommend sleeping more if you are training more and the importance of observing “lower lows” (meaning implementing more rest with shorter, easier recovery workouts, and staying below aerobic maximum heart rate for most of your workouts) as you reach for higher “highs” like breakthrough workouts. We also get into the importance of keeping your training schedule sensible, intuitive, flexible, and even spontaneous. Instead of keeping things super regimented and pre-planned, give some respect to your daily life circumstances, motivation levels, stress and energy levels, immune function, even your mood—you’ll thank yourself for this later. I also reveal why artificial light is so harmful, how to effectively achieve balance between rest and stress, and share how you can make your schedule intuitive and personalized!   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndurance.fit PrimalEndurance Facebook How to Improve Your Triathlon Time Primal Endurance book Primal Endurance Mastery Course    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the return of the Primal Endurance podcast! This is your host Brad Kearns, and we are going on a journey towards a kinder, gentler, smarter, more fun, more effective way to train for ambitious endurance goals. You can check out Primalendurance.fit to join the community and also enroll in a free video course! In this premiere episode, I share a bit about my background and athletic career, what I stand for and what I’m all about, and reflect on a lifetime of being an athlete, author, and coach, and the most important things these experiences have taught me. I am also so excited to be back on the mic after over a 3-year long break from cranking out shows (I also invite you to go back to revisit some of the wonderful shows we have in our catalog, some of which will be airing again with edits and adjustments made to keep it fresh) and working on the Primal Endurance mastery course. I spent a couple years of my life working on this, traveling around North America interviewing many of the world’s experts in so many of these categories that are so important to your endurance training and racing goals—especially reconnecting with my old time athletic friends and hearing them talk about the times they were at the top of their sport and pushing the envelope for human performance. You’re going to get so much value out of these interviews that will not be published anywhere else, and the Primal Endurance mastery course is going to be such an epic journey of discovery, knowledge acquisition, and focus and motivation for all of your endurance goals in all sports. It is by far the most comprehensive online endurance mastery course and I strongly encourage you to sign up, as you will get so much more value out of the podcast as well when you do. You can also check out a free introductory course to see what’s coming in further detail that gives you access to some great eBooks. I also encourage you to email us at podcast@bradventures.com with all your questions, comments, and feedback about your training and competitive goals and experiences, especially those that will be interesting and/or relevant to other listeners, as we’re really aiming for making this a community experience. We’re in this together, so let’s do it right!   TIMESTAMPS: Brad’s career as an athlete began with not making the football and basketball teams in high school to being a world class professional triathlete.  [04:26] Brad shares what he learned about training and nutrition as he grew in his athletic career. [08:59] Showing potential is good, but the training is and motivation is what gets you there. The beauty is in the journey. [17:51] You cannot rush the process of fitness to happen and it's very unwise to compare yourself to other athletes in terms of your training protocols. [22:16] Putting his professional competition behind him, Brad focuses on fitness and longevity with age-appropriate goals. [28:58] Cultivate your internal passion for competition and maintain competitive intensity throughout life in an appropriate manner. [33:09] We have to prioritize peak performance, protect our health, promote longevity in the process and never fall into that trap of more is better nor allow your ego to drive the narrative. [37:20] Fantastic endurance sports records are getting broken. [44:55] The term 80/20 training is often misinterpreted. Take a more sensitive, sensible, enjoyable rewarding approach to endurance training.  [46:58] LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndurance.fit PrimalEndurance Facebook How to Improve Your Triathlon Time Brad’s Fastest golf hole Primal Endurance book Primal Endurance Mastery Course   QUOTES: "Struggle gives meaning and richness to life." (Roger Bannister)  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Future Primal Endurance shows will be published on the Primal Blueprint Podcast channel. Please subscribe and enjoy the diverse content on this thriving channel. You'll see the Endurance shows designated accordingly for quick access at a glance. You'll also enjoy feature interviews from ancestral health leaders, shows dedicated to keto, and narrations of MarksDailyApple.com posts.    In this fast-paced show, Brad hits you with a barrage of hot topics and reflections about healthy eating and training: Shifting from HIIT to HIRT, as advocated by Craig Marker at StrongFirst (listen to his Primal Endurance episode). Stands for High-Intensity Repeat Training. The importance of gut health, especially for endurance athletes who tempt gut dysfunction with long, hot workouts. How Brad healed his gut dysfunction by pounding probiotic foods and supplements and making his own kombucha. Brad's surprising recent test results from NourishBalanceThrive (listen to previous shows with Chris Kelly and with Dr. Tommy Wood), possibly indicating he should eat more food! A fantastic success story from UK, where coach Morgan has healed from serious heart problems with the Primal Endurance approach. Can I add 5 more beats to my MAF based on AeT test results? I'm concerned about going slower after a couple of months of MAF. Comparing the aerobic benefits of running and cycling and the cross training effect. A question about the great Walter George, 1880's era world record-setting runner, and his amazing "100-up" running drill. Finally, Brad describing his spontaneous, intuitive, sometimes keto, sometimes not eating patterns.  We are switching the publication of Primal Endurance podcasts over to the Primal Blueprint channel. [00:00:34]  When preparing for high Intensity repeat training make sure you are rested and motivated, then recover. [00:01:51]  Poor gut health is very prevalent and we might not even know we have a problem. [00:06:23]  Learn how to make your own Kombucha. [00:13:09]  It is believed that Triglycerides to HDL ratio is a key to heart disease risk factor metric. (1 to 1 or better is the goal.) [00:17:05]  Success story from Morgan Williams talks about how the primal endurance program helped him get out of the unfit coach trap.  [00:22:50]  Lisa, age 48, is seeing limited results from Maffetone aerobic threshold. How to adjust your training is suggested. [00:25:34]  When someone like MaryAnn is trying something new, it's okay to ask "What is normal?" [00:28:44]  Mike asks: Running is much more taxing than biking. Is there a comparable maximum duration training run? [00:30:56]  Mike also asks does building the aerobic base for running will help your cycling base and vice versa? [00:34:54]  Sauna is highly recommended for recovery. [00:35:52]  Lor asks about the 100-up drill. Is it a good way to build foot and leg strength for running?  [00:38:24]  Brian asks about the Keto Diet.  What does Brad's eating day look like? [00:43:46]  Do you know what happens to an animal that is stressed at the moment they die? [00:52:21]  Dark chocolate is great but you should look at label and see "bean to bar." Cacao bean should be the first ingredient. Also you should see "fair trade" designation.  [00:55:24]  LINKS: Craig Marker Podcast Jacques Devore Chris Kelly Dr. Ron  Sinha Dr. Rhonda Patrick Walter George Wild Idea Buffalo Fast Food Nation Book Brad’s podcast on chocolateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad welcomes back popular Australian guest Andre Obradovic to go off script and talk about real-life matters not related to workout strategy, but of critical importance to your happiness and effectiveness as a parent, partner or career person. If you caught Andre's previous shows, you will love his colorful, hard-hitting commentary about what it takes to succeed as an endurance athlete and his important call for "no muppets" (blind followers who can't think for themselves). In this show, Brad and Andre, both age 53 as it happens, reflect on their journey as fathers of kids who are now adult age and offer some choice feedback for young dads trying to balance raising kids with intense athletic and career goals. Yes, this show takes an important and memorable detour from the constant talk about training. You will love Andre's insightful commentary in fresh Aussie spirit. An important show to reflect upon, especially for young dads trying to do it all.    TIMESTAMPS: These two experienced athletes and fathers talk about how to balance their lives. [00:00:16]  What impact does our behavior as parents affect the children? [00:02:33]   We can look back and see a culture without today's technology and yet we were still too busy to learn to relax.  [00:08:23]  The parent needs to set the example of healthy eating, more sleep, healthier lifestyle. [00:15:15]  What are some tips on how to teach your kids or partners to make healthier choices? [00:19:03]  As you get older, how should you set your goals?  [00:21:18]  Are the helicopter parents pushing too hard? [00:23:44]  Think about how you are teaching your children about money. [00:27:55]  It's a high priority to help your children learn to make healthy meals. [00:38:25]  Stress at home can disrupt your performance at work and training.  Pay attention to family. [00:41:34]  LINKS: Andre Obaradovic QUOTES: Life’s too short to suffer. If you were to die tomorrow, how would you want your kids to remember you? To talk about you?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the awesome big picture show about healthy living and avoiding the manipulations of today’s mainstream media and marketing forces, Brad welcomes Dr. Maffetone back for a show on the usual popular topics of endurance peak performance. First, Phil discusses the amazing marathoner Eluid Kipchoge, and how he can finally hit the magic 1:59 barrier. First, running barefoot would achieve a significant time improvement! Yes, hard to do if you have been in shoes for years. Second, getting muscular balance treatments, because hard training creates imbalances that increase injury risk and slow you down. Dr. Phil says even extreme endurance goals are not necessarily unhealthy for older folks if you adopt the correct approach. He cites examples of world class endurance athletes around age 40, and also recommends that you have more patience with recovery as you get older. On the topic of explosive training, Phil relates how important this is even for endurance athletes, who “epidemic” show physical and functional weaknesses. Try to add a vertical jump test to your MAF test as an excellent fitness marker. If you can’t exceed 12 inches from a standing start, you best add more explosive training.  A couple great ideas: Sprint for 7 seconds several times, with long recovery periods between (~30 seconds) and repeat a couple times per week. Consider Maffetone’s “slow weights” idea, where you perform a single set of a single exercise, but repeat it several times a day. I have a hexagonal deadlift bar in my backyard for this purpose. Choose a weight that’s about 80% of your single rep absolute max and do about six reps. If you do this several times a day, you are talking about a fantastic increase in strength in a short time! What you are doing with these brief workouts is recruiting more of your existing muscle fibers to perform a function. This differs from the hypertrophy workouts when you break down and exhaust muscles, slam down protein shakes, and prompt the growth of bigger muscles—often these are for looking rad only and can obviously compromise endurance performance. With these brief single set, single exercise sessions, you avoid the risks and the adverse consequences of post-workout muscle soreness, something Brad complained to Phil about and he confirms is no bueno. Soreness leaves the muscles weak for a couple days, and if you get sore a couple times a week, well…FYI, did you know Ben Franklin was the one who made up “no pain, no gain?” Always fun insights from Dr. Phil. Enjoy, and check out his PhilMaffetone.com website and products! It's time to start thinking about running barefoot. [00:00:43]  We are now close to an athlete breaking two-hour marathon. Look at Eliud Kipchoge. [00:03:41]  Muscles imbalance is a big concern. Posture and gait are important. [00:12:59]  Running at the same pace with muscle imbalance could raise your heart rate 5 or 6 beats! [00:15:27]  What kind of practitioner would deal with muscle imbalance? The assessment is really important. [00:17:19]  The times of the marathon have decreased in recent years. Why have people slowed down?  [00:19:18]  Diet is primary to the training. You cannot run away from a bad diet. [00:22:51]  As we age, do we need to rethink the basic premise of these endurance goals? [00:24:16]  What about in the explosive sports? [00:29:04]  As you age, are there some modifications one would make to their training? [00:31:53]  What kind of parameters do you recommend to assess whether the subject is recovered and ready for another explosive workout?  [00:36:18]  Overtraining or undertraining? [00:38:49]  Shouldn't we expect muscle soreness after workouts? [00:41:13]  What is a jump test? [00:42:58]  How can we build strength without getting weak muscles? [00:47:00]  We can train the brain to learn to contract more muscle fibers within the muscle. [00:51:57]  If you are not eating enough protein, it will be difficult to get stronger. [01:01:56]  Not all vitamins you buy in a jar are healthy. Do we get enough Vitamin D? [01:03:53]  LINKS: Eliud Kipchoge Phil Maffetone BradKearns.com Pocket Hercules QUOTES: You cannot run away from a bad diet! (Tim Noakes) We have a serious epidemic of weakness throughout the world. (Phil Maffetone) Why would you want to sacrifice your health and fitness just to look better? (Maffetone) People who put on a lot of bulk are not necessarily stronger. (Maffetone) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Phil Maffetone returns to the show and we take a few steps back to cover some big picture items. First, the tremendous amount manipulation and hype we are exposed to each day with mainstream media is destructive and unhealthy. Phil disengages from this stuff! Realize how we make impulse decisions based on primitive brain function, or alternatively can get over-analytical. Better to cultivate our intuition where we can leverage both powerful gut instincts with our rational mind skills. Phil describes the global “overfat” epidemic, and how you can strive to keep waistline less than half your height in inches. This will help you avoid the prevailing disease triad of chronic inflammation, carbohydrate intolerance, and insulin resistance. First step to health: Ditch refined carbohydrates (sugars, flour/bread products, sweetened beverages) for two weeks per Maffetone’s “2-week test.” Then you can reintroduce natural carbohydrates back in (fruit, sweet potatoes, etc.) and see what you can tolerate without adverse symptoms. For many people with insulin resistance and decades of junk food consumption, keto might be warranted. Check out Dr. Phil’s great articles and products at PhilMaffetone.com TIME STAMPS:   We want to personalize our journey of life in a way that we continually build our health and fitness.  [00:02:50] There are two ways that our brains work.  1. Instant gratification. 2. We think in an analytical way.  [00:07:35]  Many writings are: "Here's how to do it." Sometimes it makes things worse. [00:12:11]  Companies are allowed to convince us to be unhealthy. Pubic health education needs to help. [00:14:24]  Sometimes a person has to experience pain for them to start to listen to advice.  [00:16:11]  There needs to be a consensus about refined vegetable oils and their impact on public health. It's about the money. [00:20:07]  What should a well intentioned person do about making decisions about eggs, for example? Or training styles? [00:24:04]  People are often willing to latch on to tradition and emotion when making their decisions. [00:28:22]  The problem is it is difficult for us to see if the advise we are getting is effective. Doctors tend to treat the diagnosis and forget there is a person there. [00:30:33]  There is so much information out there, that people are overwhelmed and confused. The stress factor plays a huge role. [00:36:49]  What are the causes of chronic illnesses?  [00:42:44]  Chronic inflammation, carbohydrate intolerance, and insulin resistance causing people to be overfat. (85% of Indian adults are overfat.) [00:46:00]  Measure your waist and hope that is is less half the height of your body. If it is not, then you are overfat.  [00:49:00]  If we want to turn things around, what can we do to attack this problem? Get rid of refined sugar and carbohydrates. [00:55:17]  One thing you may notice is that our brains work better, therefore our instincts and tuition are working better. [01:03:31]  LINKS:   PhilMaffetone.com QUOTES:   Is your waist less than half of your height?   We buy the sizzle, not the steak.   You can be normal weight and not obese and still have excess body fat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad welcomes Logan Schwartz of AustinVitalityCoach.com to discuss evolved concepts of athletic training within the context of healthy living. It's time to reject the flawed and narrow focus of the traditional athletic training approach, where the focus is on work output connected specifically to your athletic goals. Logan, like other thought leaders, places the emphasis on overall daily movement and functionality over a devoted workout regimen. Of particular interest is the concept presented about conducting brief bursts of exercise output over the course of the day. Cranking about 20 deep squats in your cubicle, doing a few vertical jumps onto a park bench, or doing a few pullups every time you enter a certain doorway in your house. This kinda stuff adds up! Furthermore, you enjoy fitness adaptation benefits without the risk of overstress and overtraining that happens with prolonged, exhausting workouts.   Logan explains that any effort that even slightly exceeds your "basic adaptation threshold will improve your fitness. If you do 5 pullups at a time 10 times per day, that's 50 pullups a day. "There is a time to survive (such as a maximum effort competition) and a time to thrive (by training in a sensible manner and leading a varied and active lifestyle.) Many more important insights are offered throughout the show, and you will pick up some recurring themes revealing the progression of thought in the fitness world from other leaders like Katy Bowman, Dr. Kelly Starrett, and Craig Marker (who advocates for HIRT--High Intensity Repeat Training, over the more popular HIIT--High Intensity Interval Training.)  Logan comes to the table with extensive experience, having been a strength and conditioning coach for the University of Texas mens and womens basketball teams for over a decade. If you have an open mind and want to get better in any sport, listen carefully to this show and broaden your perspective about what training and fitness really mean!   We are losing the ability to have delayed gratification. What one sees on social media often is distorted truth.  [00:00:40]  Are the current methods of training adequate or even appropriate? [00:04:59]  What has Logan seen to help people stay healthy, use their potential, and avoid the pitfalls of injury? [00:11:27]  We are seeing a lack of fundamentals. [00:00:15:00] High intensity interval training is tiring. The idea is not how much you can endure over the length of the workout, it's the performance of each interval that matters. [00:20:25]  We should get back to self-limiting exercise. [00:23:41]  Train all day.  The body was not designed for what most of us do during the day. [00:25:43]  The fitness business is a business convincing that you need them. [00:28:01]  The sensible message is to sleep and eat well. The societal message has been, "if you want to get better, you have to work hard and suffer." Some people use exercise as a punishment. [00:35:54]  I love my body, why would I have a “cheat” day? [00:38:30]  Why does a person want to lose weight? [00:39:12]  Much exercise is like processed food:  Planned and structured isn't necessary. Just move.  [00:41:20] How might a person get redirected from a structured exercise program? [00:44:20]  Gradually build from your personal threshold. Worry about just getting better each time. [00:48:45]  LINKS: Austin Vitality Coach Katy Bowman QUOTES: How hard can you work without working hard? We should get back to self-limiting exercise. You don’t exercise to get fit. You exercise because you are fit. I love my body, why would I have a “cheat” day? Some people use exercise as a punishment. Man is the only animal smart enough to make it’s own food but is the only animal stupid enough to eat it! I think there are people out there trying to kill themselves in the name of health and performance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad delivers an opening monologue by emphasizing the important point that recovery requires energy in and of itself, so you have to adopt a bigger picture perspective than the narrow focus on delivering maximum energy output to workouts and taking recovery for granted. Also, (an aside!) Brad says if you are football fan there is blood on your hands and you should examine your conscience and moral implications of watching such a violent sport for our amusement. If you don’t devote proper attention and energy to recovery, big problems ensue and your training will become counterproductive.  Brad also mentions his awesome new podcast called Get Over Yourself. Details at bradkearns.com. Subscribe and enjoy broader content matter about living a long, healthy, happy life. Questions covered: Is there such a thing as too low body fat for a marathoner? How does a former bodybuilder transition over to specific endurance goals? Does a vitamin/mineral drink count against fasting/autophagy benefits? Are MAF test results varying by air temperature (yes, big time!) ? Is drifting a bit above MAF during workouts a big deal (yes!)? How do you get enough calories during a busy day without carb snacks? What about using ketone supplements during training? Hang with us as we go to town!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad talks about an assortment of interesting concepts, including: Fasting (and not exercising at all) to beat out a cold. The nuance of the "S" pattern in the swim stroke and, while technically accurate, might mess up yo' head like a technical golf swing tip. The difference between improving your MAF performance time versus improving your MAF endurance (not slowing down as much over the course of the test); being chill about your MAF number and setting beeper 5 beats below MAF to take corrective action before you exceed; Doing a 180 mi ride after a 24 hour fast and consuming no food calories for 18 hours of the ride. And the critical difference between the popular training concept of HIIT (high-intensity interval training), and the evolved strategy of HIRT (high-intensity repeat training). Brad was first exposed to this concept by noted MMA trainer Joel Jamieson and it has greatly improved his performance and recovery from sprint workouts. HIIT = extra stress, fatigue and recovery time. HIRT = high-quality performance and less stress cost. Listen to the show and you might get some fantastic tips to optimize your training, particularly with the high-intensity stuff endurance athletes often mess up.  What are we learning about recovery and general fitness, training, and diet? [00:02:55]  From Paris comes this question: How is the best way to attack a cold? [00:11:51]  Should we change our MAF heart rate every year? Honoring the MAF heart rate is extremely important. [00:17:15]  How many miles do we need to do accurate measuring the MAF test? [00:19:58]  David asks about the "S" strokes while swimming. David talks about his success when adapting to Keto/primal way of eating. [00:23:12]   After training in a fasted state, is there any difference in fat adaptation in burning body fat vs. dietary fat? [00:29:03]  Carl, a Norwegian living in the Middle East, says as I am relaxing my training I am putting a lower heart rate in thereby working to build the aerobic system. [00:32:07]  Josh is an amateur bicycler is wondering about high intensity workouts or is it better to stick with mostly aerobic endurance training? (HIT and HIRT training) (high intensity and high intensity repeat training) [00:34:24]  Zach from Arkansas is asking about his glucose readings.  If glucose is high, it indicates that the fight or flight response has been triggered. [00:45:17]    LINKS: Brad’s podcast (how to swim faster) Brad’s podcast (How to run faster) Dr. Cate Shannahan Michellie Jones Kelly Starrett Brian MacKenzie: Get Over yourself podcast Light Pollution Map Periodization Training   Alert: Primal Endurance shows are soon moving to publish on the Primal Blueprint podcast main channel. Be sure to subscribe to the Primal Blueprint podcast and get regularly published Primal Endurance shows along with all the other great content at the PB Podcast channel. All existing Primal Endurance shows will be available on this podcast channel for eternity; you'll just have to switch over to enjoy new shows. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad continues a lively conversation with Dude Spellings of Austin, TX. Dude describes how he overcame his frustration with his "slow" MAF training and allowed himself to build a strong aerobic base. Oh yeah, he also lost another 25 pounds to get down to lean, mean racing weight decades after being a hotshot young runner. Brad and Dude expound on the benefits and rationale for emphasizing aerobic training. Dude offers a great insight about measuring your aerobic output by time instead of by mileage. Top marathoners run 120 miles per week, but they are only out there for 10 hours, you know? Dude and Brad will get you psyched to delve into the wonderful world of cold therapy, and Dude exclaims that his cold exposure practice has made him a more chill guy in real life. He offers scientific references to mention that excess body fat might be a function of not just diet, but constant exposure to pleasant ambient temperatures, and excess blue light exposure messing with your appetite hormones. You'll be ready to take your first cold shower after listening to Dude and Brad! In training for competing, we used to think that you had to produce as much work as possible without thinking of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. [00:01:55]  Think about this: What is the highest purpose for being out that working out? . [00:04:30]  By training with the MAF method, the performance can escalate without risking burnout. [00:09:22]  The amount of time you are putting in is more important than the amount of miles. [00:11:01]  Cold therapy is the natural way to go. After the initial shock of the water, you get the flood of chemicals that give you high. [00:14:08]  The mental benefits of exposure to the cold are many. You can learn to take control over your life rather than being reactive. [00:22:00]  Exposure to artificial light is common in our society.  This messes up our sleep cycle and the mitochondrial function. [00:23:48]  Public consciousness is dragging behind. When the sun goes down, our body thinks it is to go to sleep, however, we expose ourselves to artificial light which is a contributing factor to obesity. [00:30:03]  The unnatural light is why the ketogenic diet works for most people. [00:32:21]  Playing speed golf opened Dude up to getting good fitness and nutrition goals in place. [00:33:26]  It is an important element in life to have competitive goals. [00:37:42]    LINKS: Deena Kastor: Bronze medalist at Olympics Brad Kearns Cold Therapy: Watch this YouTube video Kelly Starrett: Coach, physical therapist, author, speaker, and creator of a blog, which has revolutionized how athletes think about human movement and athletic performance. Marks Daily Apple: The (Maybe Not So) Definitive Guide to Cold Therapy Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar and Survival   QUOTES: “If you run 100 miles a week at 10 miles per hour, that’s only 10 hours per week!”  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns talks to a big-time peak performance enthusiast from Austin, TX named Dude Spellings. Dude is an avid Speedgolfer, primal/paleo/keto eater, cold therapy enthusiast, and endurance athlete devoted to the Primal Endurance approach. He is deep into the primal living journey and a student of all latest health topics and you will enjoy this two-part episode chock full of great tips from a real guy doing his best to balance a busy life, delay aging, and pursue peak performance goals. Dude was a high school running champion who let himself get overweight and out of shape. He returned to fitness with a traditional chronic approach and hit a plateau. He had lost 20 pounds but had 25 more to go. Part 1 starts with the compelling account of how Dude threw his back out six years ago and vowed to "not be that guy" in the years ahead. He was doing okay with health and fitness goals but realized he could be much better. He was suffering from an annoying recurring skin condition that wasn't responding to medical treatment but cleared when he optimized his diet. Pick up some good tips and reflections to be the best you can be from Dude, and stay tuned for part 2!   TIME STAMPS:   When he wanted to lose weight he tried the "old-fashioned way" using My Fitness Pal, counting calories. [00:03:28]  Dude's back injury was a turning point for him. [00:07:05]  He realized that cutting calories too much kills the weight loss! [00:11:59]  He still believed that carbohydrate intake was needed for exercise. [00:13:56]  It is estimated that 40 percent of the calories that you get in a restaurant are from the refined seed oils that are so bad for you. [00:14:52]  A good starting point is to get in the habit of reading labels. You'd be surprised what you are eating even when you are trying to eat healthy!! [00:16:28]  Some people find that their allergies, skin diseases, and other maladies disappear after they drop grains from their diet.  [00:21:32]  The elephant in the room in the endurance community is the excess body fat. [00:28:14]  The Maffetone's training was Dude's motivation for his great success. [00:31:22]  Meal choices are part of your training. [00:35:22]  The way he was training before was keeping him constantly sore with muscle tension.  [00:36:38]  LINKS: Dr. Peter Attia: Brad’s podcast with Peter covers longevity diet, and finding the drive. Wheat Belly: Book on the grain-free lifestyle without sacrificing nutrition, variety or taste. Dr. Phil Maffetone:  He says “Everyone is an athlete.” Dr. Cate Shanahan: Podcast with Brad on why vegetable oils are toxic. QUOTES: You have to get these toxic foods out of your system. The elephant in the room in the endurance community is the excess body fat. Meal choices are part of your training. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode was inspired by awesome email commentary from a devoted listener, Primal Endurance advocate, and accomplished collegiate level runner Jack McGinness. Kipchoge recently ran the Berlin Marathon in 2:01.39, shattering the previous record and closing in on the previously unfathomable 2:00 barrier. Kipchoge’s pace per mile was an astonishing 4:39. Most accomplished runners would be hard-pressed to match this pace for even a half a lap around a track, but Kipchoge can continue at this speed for 26 miles. This is truly one of the most phenomenal athletic performances of the past 100 years.  What’s interesting about Kipchoge’s story is that, just as Dr. Phil Maffetone predicted in his commentary on the Primal Endurance Mastery Course, Kipchoge has become the greatest marathoner in history by training easier than other elite marathoners. Strange as it may seem, this guy rarely exceeds what we call MAF pace. Oh, Kipchoge runs like the wind, on muddy trails and high altitude in Kenya, but he explains that he tries to never exceed 80% of his capacity, instead of saving his energy for races.   He is super consistent, super disciplined, but he never trashes himself, never gets sick or injured, and doesn’t even taper for races. He runs 110-120 miles a week with great discipline and joy. Hit some of the links in the show notes and learn how wise and thoughtful he is—far more than just a running machine! You will learn some interesting insights from this show, particularly when you compare and contrast Kipchoge’s eminently sensible approach with the ridiculous Type A chronic approach that is still the norm in America, particularly in the collegiate and high school systems. The cover of the book Primal Endurance says “Slow down to go faster,” and now Kipchoge has actualized this concept. SHOW NOTES: In the Berlin Marathon in September 2018 this runner came up with a 2:01:39 time. This computes to an average 4:39 mile!! [00:01:36]  Running is a most satisfying sport.  But you have to do it right. The running community in the past has been doing it disastrously wrong! [00:04:05]  Doping continues to be common in the running world. [00:06:28]  What is Kipchoge training method? He never over-extends himself. [00:09:53]  The only thing that is in somewhat conflict with the primal theory is he has a constant schedule. [00:15:42]  If you are a person who's trying to break the three-hour mark or the four-hour mark, just apply these insights to your relative example. [00:20:28]  The general problem with many American distance runners is too many type A runners who obsess over their workouts and paces and then fail to take care of the little things. [00:21:59]  Kipchoge is going to change the game. [00:25:43]    LINKS:  The science of running article analyzing his training https://www.scienceofrunning.com/2017/09/an-analysis-of-eliud-kipchoges-training-before-his-berlin-marathon-victory.html?v=7516fd43adaa   Kipchoge training log http://www.sweatelite.co/eliud-kipchoge-full-training-log-leading-marathon-world-record-attempt/   https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/09/eliud-kipchoges-world-marathon-record/570400/   https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/14/sports/eliud-kipchoge-marathon.html   QUOTES: Only the disciplined ones in life are free.  If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods and your passions. It’s not about the legs, its about the heart and mind. The best time to plant a tree was twenty-five years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is today. Motivation + discipline = consistency   https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/14/sports/eliud-kipchoge-marathon.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show is about rethinking the basic notions of athletic training, particularly the ‘no pain no gain’ model that’s been widely criticized but is still embedded into DNA of many endurance athletes. Brad offers insights from four experts that may just blow your mind and get you to make some changes in your schedule that can lead to big improvements, and reduced risk of overtraining, illness, injury and burnout. These insights place particular emphasis on the recovery aspect of peak performance, something that has been overlooked or taken for granted by hard-charging endurance athletes. It's time to wake up and implement an evolved approach to your endurance goals, with help from four great thought leaders Brad discusses in this show. Some brief highlights:   Dr. Phil Maffetone: Honor MAF heart rate and emphasize aerobic development. Never exceed 90% of max heart rate during high intensity sessions.    Brian MacKenzie: The Power, Speed, Endurance guru and founder of Crossfit Endurance is now obsessed with recovery as the next evolution of athletic training--stuff like breathing practice, and hot and cold therapy!    Joel Jamieson: Joel's Rebound Workouts entail doing a focused protocol of movements that can actually help speed recovery by stimulating parasympathetic activity. The workout includes breathing, stretching, mobility/range of motion exercise, doing positive lifts only (dropping the weight after lifting to avoid eccentric), and doing very short intervals with mindful heart rate lowering during long recovery periods. Craig Marker: Craig and Pavel Tsatsouline of StrongFirst and StrongEndurance suggest that the popular HIIT training is inferior to High-Intensity Repeat Training, where you rest long enough to deliver consistent high-quality efforts and don't get exhausted by the end. Whether you are a casual or serious endurance athlete, this show can transform your approach to sport, improving performance and reducing the risk of burnout. Listen to this show like your life depends upon it! Brad reviews the most important insights gathered from his interviews with these experts. Dr. Phil Maffetone: It's so important to get this out there: The Maffetone formula is 180 minus your age in beats per minute is the maximum fat-burning point that should be the goal of all people interested in maintaining the best training and fitness. [00:03:36]  You need not ever exceed 90 percent of your maximum heart rate even during the most intense and explosive training sessions. [00:06:26]  Brian MacKenzie, Founder of CrossFit: Breathing, Recovery, Training, Strength and Conditioning, Endurance, Sports Programming, Mechanics, Injuries, Nutrition, and Sleep Analysis are the pieces he puts together to create the total athlete. [00:10:31]  The Ice Man, Wim Hof, trains people to overcome the resistance to cold with his breathing protocols. [00:14:57]  Joel Jamison offers ground-breaking insights: Emphasis is on recovery-based training methods (rebound workouts). Those are the sessions you perform when you are trying to recover. [00:18:07]  Craig Marker, StrongFirst.com: Recommends High-Intensity Repeat Training which is to make the effort, rest for sufficient duration in terms of the quality of the effort.  [00:22:59]  Four sprints and rest combo works the best for Brad. Focus on quality. [00:28:16]   You can apply this same mentality no matter what your sport. The maximum sustained power session vs. the fatiguing session is important to understand. [00:29:31]  Brad reviews the importance of resting between the mobility work. [00:34:43]  DNAFit.com can analyze your genetic profile to see what sport you are structured for. [00:37:59]    LINKS: DNAFit.com 1:59 Marathon   NOTABLE PEOPLE: Win Hof Joel Jamison Phil Maffetone Brian MacKenzie Craig Marker   QUOTE: “The record will be broken by an athlete who is doing less mileage and less intensity than today’s marathon champions.” (Dr. Phil Maffetone)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen in as Brad Kearns and Dr. Phil Maffetone have a casual chat about an assortment of interesting topics related to endurance training and general health. Brad complains about his crash and burn patterns, where he feels great for a while and then has down periods of diminished energy and training output. Dr. Maffetone speculates that the cause could be an inappropriate maximum aerobic heart rate value, and urges a conservative approach when calculating your number. He also mentions low vitamin D as a common cause of fluctuating energy levels, and that athletes should strive to get up around 60 or 70 ng/mL. This is way above the mainstream recommendations and a very interesting insight for many sun-starved athletes to consider. Regarding sleep, Dr. Maffetone urges everyone to get at least 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. If you find yourself awakening in the middle of the night, it’s a sign of elevated cortisol levels and an overly stressful lifestyle. With high quality sleep each night, napping should be minimally necessary, but a nap of 30 minutes and no longer than an hour can be restorative. Dr. Maffetone’s book, 1:59, discusses the possibility of a human running a sub-2-hour marathon and how it will happen. Maffetone suggests that a smart athlete backing off of the ultra-high volume of today’s elites (and running barefoot!) might gain some performance benefits. Maffetone also discusses the difference between the desirable overreaching in training to improve fitness, versus the undesirable state of overtraining (fatigue, depression, hormone imbalance). Brad and Phil discuss the interesting and confusing phenomenon that occurs in the first stage of overtraining. Here, sympathetic (fight or flight) activity is elevated, the athlete feels energized and aggressive, and PRs can even happen. Without a reasonable and intuitive approach, the athlete is headed for a crash when stress hormone production becomes exhausted. Enjoy this informative discussion with Dr. Phil Maffetone, including his own music framing the show! Learn more at PhilMaffetone.com. Show notes: Brad asks: when I have been able to perform great athletic feats, why do I feel a crash and burn afterward? [03:06]    Brad talks about his stress while playing Speed Golf and how he found his heart rate higher than normal. [07:44]    The importance of Vitamin D testing and the vitamin’s optimal levels. [12:19]    How important is measuring heart rate variability for attending to your heart health and ability for recovery? [15:14]    A big part of recovery is getting a good night's sleep, meaning 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. [17:40]   Dr. Phil talks about departing from extreme overtraining, as mentioned in his book, The 1:59 Marathon. [21:52]     What is the difference between overreaching and the undesirable state of overtraining? [25:36]     Brad talks about his own experience with crashing and burning. [29:51]      Are recovery and rest more important than the training? [34:00]    We have to look at diet, rest, circadian rhythm, Vitamin D, and stress all together. The Kenyans are a good example. [37:42]    Even shoes are a problem for slowing your pace. [39:28]    Quotes: The more we recover, the stronger we get! Selected Links from this Episode: 1:59 MarathonThe Healthy GolferPhil Maffetone Read more at https://primalendurance.libsyn.com/4-phil-maffetone-part-2#0heO723qd10JmMTO.99See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns talks to one of the true legends of endurance athletics, Dr. Phil Maffetone. Dr. Maffetone has advised some of the greatest endurance athletes in history, like triathlon champions Mike Pigg and Mark Allen. For decades, Dr. Maffetone has been promoting the benefits of aerobic development and how to protect and nourish health in pursuit of ambitious endurance goals. In this episode, Dr. Maffetone details how to get started with the Maffetone method of endurance training, something that will be of particular interest to any endurance athlete who has experienced fatigue, injury, recurring minor illness, regression or stagnation in performance and especially inability to reduce excess body fat. Dr. Maffetone says to the first start with a self-assessment of your body, performance, and stress levels. Take into account all stress factors, such as consuming refined carbs, drinking too much caffeine, not getting enough sleep, doing too much training and maintaining an elevated heart rate. The second step is to identify your maximum aerobic heart rate (the 180 minus age formula detailed in his book, The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing) and commence a strict base building period. The third is to eliminate sugar and other refined carbs from your diet. Fourth, conduct a Maximum Aerobic Function test once a month to ensure that you are making steady progress in your aerobic development. Enjoy this informative discussion with Dr. Phil Maffetone, including his own music framing the show! Learn more at PhilMaffetone.com.   Being fit does not necessarily mean that you are healthy. [02.40]    The difficulty of putting on events like triathlons and music concerts. [05:07]    How it’s hard to coach a hard-driving athlete to have patience and   slow down their training. [07:30]    The problem of an incorrectly developed aerobic system. [10.09]   The dangers of looking for a fight or flight reflex for satisfaction. [12:00]   What can we do to balance stress, rest better and be healthier? [14.32]   What are the first steps to eliminating excess body fat? Diet or exercise? [15:34]     If people build a really good aerobic base and want to fine tune their speed, how can they do that? [19:52]    Stress is something that needs to be addressed. There is physical, chemical (dietary), and mental/emotional stress. [23:16]    How to tell if you don’t have a good aerobic heart rate. [24:34]    Why you should get off sugar. [26:46]    The concept of "cheat days" is leading you on the wrong path. [28:53]    Get rid of your stresses.  When you have a healthier aerobic system, the body is meant to deal with stress. [30:52]    How do you build a better aerobic system? [35:43]    Dr. Maffetone spent years coming up with a heart rate formula (180 minus your age). What does this number represent? [00:39:50]    With a heart monitor, you will be able to get a good idea of how your body is progressing.  [46:38] What is this test? You strap on the heart rate monitor and establish a fixed course that you repeat. [53:04]    The important thing relating to competitive success is simply slowing down the average pace in workouts. [57:26]   Read more at: https://primalendurance.libsyn.com/2-phil-maffetone-part-1#QCzgDow5LYAsdguR.99See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns catches up with Mark Allen, the greatest triathlete in history, who has a record six victories at the Hawaii Ironman and ten victories at the Nice, France World Long Course Championship. Today, he is a popular triathlon coach at MarkAllenCoaching.com, TV commentator, corporate speaker, author, and presenter of “Fit Soul, Fit Body” retreats with Brant Secunda, a Huichol shaman, and healer. First, Mark talks about the importance of releasing attachment to outcomes and being committed to the enjoyment and appreciation of the process. He discusses how, after a series of unfortunate setbacks, Mark’s first victory in 1989 precipitated five Ironman attempts before he retired at the top of his game at age 39. Mark talks about balancing the pursuit of extreme endurance goals with maintaining health and how research on Heart Rate Variability has been a great breakthrough in monitoring stress and planning training. Mark and Brad discuss the importance of sleep when training and Mark elaborate on how he was able to live a normal, laid-back lifestyle once his grueling training sessions or competitive seasons were over. Finally, they discuss how Mark has released a book called The Art of Competition, which blends stunning nature photography with inspirational quotes chosen by Mark for their significance to competitors seeking a healthy perspective and inspiration to pursue athletic goals. Read more at http://primalendurance.libsyn.com/size/25/?search=mark+allen#WwGdsIjlbmmSgKSU.99See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By popular demand, Andre is back on the show! This engaging chap from Australia generated great accolades on his first podcast appearance, so Brad and Dr. Lindsay Taylor catch up with him again to talk about his life coaching strategies. Yes, this stuff has a direct and important application to your endurance goals and overall happiness and satisfaction. Andre describes his “Wheel of Life” program (you can download the wheel at andreobradovich.com), where you rank assorted lifestyle categories in order of importance, and also rank them in order of how well you are doing in each one. For example, if you rank your health high in priority but low in compliance, you identify critical areas to improve and reprioritize.  Andre shares his own journey of becoming consumed by corporate life and falling so far out of balance that he destroyed his mental and physical health. It’s been a long road back to his existence today as a very popular endurance and life coach, as well as an elite age group triathlete. Andre is always full of levity and memorable aphorisms, so enjoy this show and consider checking out the Wheel of Life exercise as a great starting point for personal growth. Coaches: never ask “why?” for that’s a judging question. Instead, say something more open and nurturing such as, “tell me more.” Andre talks about the Wheel of Life, his coaching tool. When one tries this assessment online,  the result is a good visual of the portions of your life.  [00:00:44]  As part of his coaching technique, Andre uses the Wheel of Life  to help you analyze the balance in your life.  From there is can be used to look at your fitness. You then examine the results and look at what you feel about certain aspects of those results. [00:08:13]  So after you gather this information, what are you, the coach, looking for? [00:12:31]  Brad asks: What are the identified forces that pushed you off balance? His whole identity was totally wrapped up in being an executive; all about rank and position in the world. All about me. [00:24:25]  This frantic position he found himself in was reflective of our society. We are searching for recognition from our peers and finding a sense of self importance.  [00:28:42]  Often when you are involved in competitive activities is when you most need this help.  If you had a coach like this, you might very well have refuted the advice such as we are discussing here. [00:33:44]  In coaching, we don't need to ask the questions because down deep everyone knows the answers. [00:34:59]  Ask your partner to rate you on the Wheel of Life. [00:38:36]  Listen to Andre podcast number 1. Go to Podcast no. 153 Andre Obradovic  Wheel of Life: Free online assessment of the balance in your life. International Coaching Federation   QUOTES We are all searching for recognition from our peers and finding a sense of self-importance. (Brad Kearns) How are the things you are doing contributing to your health, your future, and your family? (Andre Obradovic) People don’t ask themselves those questions.  They know the answers and they would have to be more motivated. (Lindsay Taylor)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results Dave Reed from the UK has been really working with the book since January and has adopted primal diet, MAF training and now is fat adapted.  He has been racing but finds his performance has dipped.  Would going MAF since January have caused a dip in my performance with the increased benefit being seen after a long period on this training or could it be some other factor? [00:01:16]  Dave also inquires about MSP (maximum sustained power) training with the 4-3-2-2-1 (reps) format described in the book. This is a format that can vary among individuals who are working toward building with those high-quality sets.  [00:06:00]  Kenny is a slow but committed triathlete and asks about drinking carbonated water. Is it okay? Also, why does he have trouble losing weight? [00:17:00]  Brian is asking: Why does my MAF time improve so much faster on a bike than when I'm running? [00:20:18]  A second question is how to respond to the folks who still think one should use carbs for high performance. [00:22:34] Shannon has many questions about counting macronutrients.  There is no fat minimum. She is worried about going overboard on carbs. [00:32:19]  Shannon is also asking about how to manage cravings and appetite. [00:39:47]    QUOTES: An athlete who eats a low-carb/high-fat diet can, indeed, alter the metabolic fuel source they use during exercise and recovery in a different manner than previously believed possible and perform in a different manner than previously believed possible. When you are counting macronutrients, there is NO fat minimum. More protein consumption doesn’t always mean more muscle mass. Sugar cravings in the evening are a sign that your ego is deflated! (Chris Kelly) REFERENCES AND NOTABLE PEOPLE: Brownlee Brothers: These well-known triathletes went viral when the one brother carried an ailing brother over the finish line at the World Triathlete Championships in Mexico. Brad mentions their diet is questionable. FASTER Study: This study out of the University of Connecticut was aimed at discovering the role diet plays in how our bodies metabolize fat vs. carbohydrate during exercise. Johnny G: This South African, a fitness visionary, created the Spinning movement. He also road in the Race Across America Andre Obradiovic: He is one of the country’s leading coaches. Listen to Brad’s postcast with him: “Don’t Be A Muppet, Be a Powerful Fat-Burning Beast” RAAM: The world’s toughest bicycle race.  Next one is June 2019!! Lindsay Taylor: Listen to her podcast with Nourish Balance Thrive discussing brain training for the primal Keto endurance athlete. Luis Villasenor: Everything you want to know bout the ketogenic diet is here. Simon Whitfield: Look at his YouTube of the exciting finish in Olympic Gold Medal Race  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad covers some very thoughtful Q&A, including where weights might fit into the seemingly rigid guidelines and how Primal Endurance differs from Primal Blueprint Fitness guidelines. He looks at the possibility of over-consuming fat and possibly compromising fat loss goals. Brad's super duper awesome cure for plantar fasciitis, how MAF might require you to slow down to a fast walk in the name of rebuilding your broken down body. How to integrate carbs into peak performance efforts and do they cause any trouble? More great stuff along these lines, thanks for the great questions, enjoy the show! Kevin asks about lifting weights. Please explain the Primal Endurance rules on this activity. Why are you so tough on strength training? [00:01:34]  Tori wants to know about what can she do after surgery for ACL regarding recovery.  What can she do about her diet since she won't be able to train as she has the past ten years? [00:06:01]  Olivia has a wonderful testimonial regarding healthy eating. They are eating Keto and paleo and feels great.[00:13:07]  David Porte. a 50-year-old trail runner, is a steady listener of the podcasts. What can be done about his plantar fasciitis? [00:15:27]  Conrad asking about short sprints. What would be advised about altering my weekly schedule regarding sprints? [00:19:44]  Darren has quite a running history. He asks about Maffetone's suggestions of one hour sessions with 15 minute warm up, 30 minutes at maximum aerobic heart rate, and 15 minute cool down. He is training for NYC marathon. What distances should I be training at?  [00:24:35]  Matt: How do mid-race or pre-race carbs affect my ability to burn fat?  [00:29:23] Derek is asking: What do you recommend to someone who loves Keto but expends 3000 to 5000 calories a day during constant activity and two highly intense workouts per day? [00:35:50]    IMPORTANT LINKS: Dr. Mark Cucuzella: He is a professor at West Virginia University School of Medicine. Of his many specialties he has designed programs to promote healthier and better running and has also worked on getting sugar out of the hospital because he knows excessive sugar consumption leads to a host of ailments. Brad’s podcast with Mark Cucuzzella Ketogains.com: This podcast is about how physiology affects food habits (and vice versa), carnivore diets, high vs. low-carb/keto for bodybuilding, exogenous ketones, how insulin sensitivity possibly affects BAT vs WAT fat depots. Ted Mcdonald: Creator of barfoot running.  He has run the Inca Trail in Peru. He teaches yoga. Paleo FX: The world’s premier holistic wellness event, covering healthy nutrition, fitness, sustainability, self-development, spirituality, relationships, entrepreneurship and everything in between. Trail Runner Nation: They provide podcasts and social media connections for trail running, pacing, race nutrition, gear and much more. UCan:  For a steady long-lasting energy without the sugar crash!! Luis Villasenor:  A Podcast on strength training on a Ketogenic diet   QUOTES: You need to tie in what you are doing nutritionally in training and know exactly what is happening on race day. (Brad)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns shares the little known secret about Janet Jackson's racy lyrics in the song "If" that were imperceptible to the human ear when it was getting radio play in the 90s as a hit song. Horrors Casey Kasem! Brad talks about the overstimulation of the fight or flight response leading first to PRs and then to impending doom. A cool success story from James, who was running 14 min miles when starting MAF 3.5 years ago and now being able to hold the same pace at 52 beats per minute below MAF! How's your training gone over the past 3.5 years? Consider being patient and experiencing a significant reduction in your MAF pace, though not in a linear manner   96-year-old golfer WalterKearns.com getting some cameo props for his endurance in life. Jason Trew with a unique and creative way to stay below MAF while running faster spurts and then walking to keep watch from beeping. James Hall asks about the rationale of applying 180-age formula everyone, causing Brad to go off about his burnout experience followed by major medical misfortune in 2015 that he attributes strongly to a chronic training pattern where he routinely exceeded 180-age (by 12 beats in fact) due to using the inferior 75% of max heart rate calculation for an aerobic workout. Oh man, we talk about peeing blood and all kinds of stuff that will have you sorry you ever asked to increase MAF heart rate!! Enjoy this lively show with some memorable takeaway insights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad catches up with Guinness World Record holding ultra-endurance athlete Tom Seabourne, a professor of Exercise Physiology at Northeast Texas Community College who has pushed the limits of human endurance with numerous finishes in what Outside magazine calls the toughest athletic event in the world: The non-stop solo bicycle Race Across America (RAAM). Tom and Brad reminisce about the old days where Tom was on the cheapest crew in the history of the race, while Brad was part of Johnny G’s most expensive crew in the history of the race. Tom was 103 miles from the finish line at 3,000 miles when he was eliminated on time. Heartbreak, but it got him “addicted” to the event, which he went on to finish several times. Cycling over 300 miles for 22 hours a day is pretty tough, but Tom’s crew follies were epic. Once, his team lost him in the California desert soon after the start. Another time his relay team members bailed in Utah! Tom also set a Guinness World record for the longest stationary bike ride of 185 hours - over 7 days (watching The Office re-runs helped pass the time)! The record performance, notwithstanding the “urine explosion” incident, that you have to hear to believe. As a “horrible carb addict” during his ultramarathon cycling days, Tom actually developed Type 1.5 diabetes (fasting glucose 450!) despite being at 5% body fat. He also developed atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, which are now becoming commonplace maladies among extreme endurance athletes. Learn what’s happening in the mind of an ultra king during these long efforts, which Tom describes as a flow-like experience.    Brad welcomes Tom Seabourne who is doing amazing athletic exploits while battling various health conditions. [00:00:16]  What is the Race Across America (RAAM)? What was Tom's experience? [00:01:45]  How did Tom's plantar fasciitis get cured? [00:08:28]  What is entailed in being on the crew for this race? [00:09:45]  Never try something without having the training or having sponsors for it! [00:16:26]  He had a history of horrible eating. [00:20:53]  What about calories in and calories out? [00:23:35]  What happened when Tom did the record-setting ride on the Spinner bike? [00:25:01]  Tom talks about his atrial fibrillation. [00:31:35]  Has Tom changed his approach to training since the heart problems? Is he addicted? [00:35:33]  Does Brad think about going back to the triathlon? [00:39:07]  Is something special about the sort of meditative experience we have when riding? [00:40:57]  What is a Type 1.5 diabetic? How is he handling it? What is the difference between Type 1 and 2? [00:53:27]  What is the ablation procedure for atrial fibrillation? Don't wait too long to take care of yourself. [01:01:08]   Check out Tom’s book on Amazon called, Glitches Into Gold    LINKS: Glitches Into Gold: https://www.amazon.com/Glitches-into-Gold-Live-Champion/dp/0998833967/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1530055780&sr=8-1&keywords=glitches+into+gold Race Across America: http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/   QUOTES: Never try something without having training for it! We are nothing more than the space between our thoughts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad lays out a master plan to improve your running performance, looking beyond the obvious and sometimes misguided insights to push harder, add more speed workouts, or run more miles. Endurance athletes often overlook the importance of technique, and often exhibit horrible technique. No excuses are such a simple sport! Golf - plenty of excuses for a lousy swing (it’s very technical and hard to develop), but not running! Some discussion of technique ensues, emphasizing balanced center of gravity at all times and good posture. The listener is urged to dive deep into the running technique instruction, drills and sprint workout videos in the Primal Endurance Mastery Course at primalendurance.fit. Sprinting is great for technique development because the penalty for a poor technique is severe. Ditto for running barefoot on concrete - you very quickly learn how to strike the ground and absorb shock optimally, and generate explosive force with each stride. In contrast, cushy running shoes ruin your proprioception and enable lousy technique to become ingrained   When you sprint, make sure it’s an actual sprint. Even reps of 100-meter sprints are great for the hormonal, musculoskeletal and technique refinement benefits. Brad rarely goes further than this. Sprints are quality over quantity, both in the frequency of workouts (3x/month during intensity phases is plenty) and duration of efforts. Most endurance athletes make their “speed” workouts a suffer fest (ahem, 6 x 800m and so forth). They just get exhausted, don’t really run explosively, and lose out on the benefits of actual sprinting. This show will be a real eye-opener for how to integrate high intensity into your schedule the right way and get you thinking more about good technique instead of just shuffling along.  QUOTES: “The penalty for technique errors and not properly absorbing the impact is severe.” SHOW NOTES: How does one build aerobic base efficiency? [00:00:58]  What is the cut-off point 50-50 performance? [00:05:30]  What are the benefits of doing super hard sprinting? [00:07:19]  Dorsa flex foot is like imagining pedaling your bike over hot lava. [00:08:40]  A good way to teach people how to run is to have them run barefoot on cement! [00:10:58]  How does one rewire the Central Nervous System to be more efficient? [00:13:59]  How often should a person sprint? [00:16:09]  What are some good workout suggestions? [00:17:23]    LINKS: Barefoot Ted Primal Blueprint primalendurance.fit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad lays out a master plan for you to improve your swimming performance in multisport events. And no, sorry, it’s not about pushing harder and grinding out more yards. It entails a strategic approach where you emphasize the right things and work smarter instead of harder. Let’s consider that there are three components to swimming performance: technique, muscular endurance, and cardiovascular fitness. Technique is by far the most important factor for improvement. The report card of most triathletes might look like: D or F in technique, B or C in muscular endurance and an A+ in Technique is best refined at a slow pace, not when you are fighting to make an interval time. Slow down to go faster - sound familiar? This is when you can best rewire new and improved neuromuscular patterns and make them stick. “Nerves that fire together wire together,” says Dr. Kelly Starrett. Muscular endurance can be developed with dry land exercises that are vastly more time efficient than swimming. Check out the Vasa trainer or Stretch Cordz and hit it hard for 10 minutes; it’s similar in muscular benefit to an hour swim (and remember, you already have an A+ in cardio!) Get out into open water as often as possible, and if you are in the pool, simulate open water by sighting every few strokes or closing your eyes for a few strokes to check your balance.  Finally, conduct workouts that simulate the race experience, such as time trialing for 1.5k (Olympic) or 2k (70.3) or even 4k (ironman) and immediately jumping on your bike for a time trial. Yes, dripping wet and fussing with wet feet into shoes or water dripping into your lenses. If you are dedicating your season and paying a zillion dollars to enter an Ironman, at least get into the open water for a 4k nonstop swim, then immediately jump on your bike for a long. We don’t want surprises on race day.  Brad uses paddleboats as a comparison to explain human swimming technique. [00:00:49]  What can you learn from comparing your stroke to a boat's propeller's action? [00:05:41]  It is important to find the still water for your stroke. Learn the difference between "Lift Propulsion” and “Drag Propulsion." [00:08:18]  Technique, muscular endurance, and cardio-vascular fitness are the three main areas of the swim stroke. [00:13:45]  What is a description of a streamlined position in the water? [00:19:54]  How do you engrain good technique or revise flawed patterns? [00:23:15]  You might want to focus on your stroke rate rather than stroke length. [00:30:25]  How does one improve muscular endurance? [00:32:55]  How important is it to simulate the competitive experience as I train? [00:40:42]    Dr. Kelly Starrett Stretch Cordz Vasa Trainer BoFlex Jeff FloatSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns ups the ante and records this podcast as a Facebook Live event! You can find the video to the show archived on the Primal Endurance Facebook page. Frequent contributor David Lapp weighs in on the do's and don'ts of cold water therapy (use away from the training stimulus). An interesting question is posed about whether high ketone levels might enable magnificent endurance feats at a fast pace (sorry, no can do; the natural laws of the universe apply to fitness, and you will get tired if you aren't prepared to go long...ask Brad when he tried to run 15 miles with Dr. Steven and made it only 7 before tying up). Another interesting question about an adverse telomere length test, and can one improve their longevity profile? Yes, including improving your time in the one-mile run to deliver a strong longevity benefit. Sebastian Bach of Skid Row gets a cameo, trip out on that. David Lapp has asked if cold therapy is best right after workouts. [00:00:56]  There shouldn't be a big need to stretch unless you are overtraining!  [00:07:09]  What about rolling out the IT band? [00:08:23]  Should one push up to a higher heart rate? [00:10:10]  Is fat adaptation the reason for my improvement or the MAF way of training? [00:12:35]  Be cognizant that you may be ingesting food outside the recommended 12-hour window. [00:15:58]  How does Brad make Kombucha? [00:21:02]  Charles age 42 asks: "If I'm in ketosis, could I run a marathon and just keep going if I run slow enough?" [00:24:36]  Paul age 53 says:  "My telomeres tests show that my body is 13 years older than my chronological age! YIKES!!! What can I do?" [00:30:54]  Aerobics Institute in Texas predicts longevity with a test of a one-mile run. [00:40:57]  QUOTES: “There shouldn’t be a need to stretch unless you are overtraining.” “Keep your caloric ingesting within a 12-hour window.”   SHOW NOTES: Aerobic Institute Ageless Body, Timeless Mind The Maybe Not So Definitive Guide to Cold Therapy Brad Kearns Chest Freezer Cold Plunge Brad Kearns Morning Green Smoothie IT Band Eating Academy Sami Inkinen Telomeres Ben Greenfield 21-Day Primal Reset  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad fields many interesting and unusual questions in today's podcast. Question from Charles: What entails maximum sustained power training? How often should a person do this?  [00:01:27] Brad warns about the danger of road cycling. [00:12:11]  Brad explains workouts done properly. [00:18:08]  David Lapp asks: How do you get rid of the bad habit of chronic training patterns?  [00:23:13]  What is the argument against consistency? [00:29:04]  Brad gives the secret password for a discount on the Primal Endurance course. [00:34:01]  Todd asks: If one takes a long walk or a hike at a brisk pace,  is it possible to still trigger the flight or fight response in the body? [00:35:36]  Travis asks about his frustration of trying to adjust to the MAF training. [00:41:15]  The cutoff point for 50-50 (50 percent aerobic and 50 percent anaerobic) is a race that lasts 1 minute and 25 seconds.   QUOTES: “A little goes a long way. Make sure you get rest.”   “Of all the dangerous things you may do in your life remember that road cycling is the number one most dangerous thing you can do.  Be careful out there!!”   “The cutoff point for 50-50 (50 percent aerobic contribution and 50 percent anaerobic contribution) is a race that lasts 1 minute and 25 seconds.”   LINKS: Jacques Devore Sirens and Titans VersaClimber Dave Zabriski The Forward (Lance Armstrong) Hex Bar Whole Doods Spiderman Push Ups Brad Kearns Morning Routine Brave Athlete: Calm the F*** Down Nourish Balance Thrive Kelly Starrett Primal Blueprint  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns talks to Andre Obradovic from Melbourne, Australia. Andre is a highly engaging personal trainer, triathlon coach, and elite level performer in the 50+ ranks at 70.3 triathlon—ranked 10th in the Ironman All World Athlete rankings for Australia, the most competitive triathlon environment on the planet, mate. Andre’s remarkable story of transitioning from a “little fatty carb burner, sucking up food like a pool sweep machine” back in 2011 to a lean, mean, fat burning beast will inspire you to trust the process and be the best you can be. Basically, Andre cut processed carbs, slowed down his training pace, threw in some mobility/flexibility and power training, and started getting healthier and faster. He went from needing an energy gel to complete a 10k run, to improve his marathon time by 17 minutes despite being 7 years older.  Now he is so committed to the primal approach that he refuses to train a prospective client in his gym until they agree to transition from a SAD diet (Standard Australian Diet - yes they wolf down Weetabix Down Under) to a nutritious, primal-style diet.  Andre peppers in some highly entertaining and memorable quotes during this show. Trust the process, don’t be a “muppet” (a blind follower of what Andre calls “conventional stupidity”), don’t fritter time away on “Wastebook”, and when you’re running a marathon, focus on a rapid cadence with balanced center of gravity, and try the mantra “Glutes On! Hips Up!”—yes, technique matters even when you’re jogging along at marathon pace. Try training and even racing without a watch to increase focus on form and intuitively optimal effort.   Andre relates how only two years ago, he was hopeless in the gym. He studied the Maximum Sustained Power concept detailed in Primal Endurance book and Mastery Course and even booked a private Skype session with MSP guru Jacques DeVore to get a custom program designed. Yeah, this dude you line up against in the 50-54 division is going into the gym and hitting the hex bar deadlift with multiple sets at 97 kilos (that’s 213lbs for a guy weighing a buck-forty - amazing!), along with numerous complementary exercises like lat pulls, clap pushups, Bulgarian split lunges (sounds hard), Swiss ball core work, and explosive lunge walks. Yes, friends, this is the picture of the evolved multisport athlete — grabbing podiums spots while training more sensibly and less exhaustively. This is not about flawed and dated “quality vs quantity” debate, but rather about eating right, balancing stress and rest at all times, honoring the MAF heart rate for aerobic development, looking at the big picture of training that includes flexibility/mobility and strength/power as well as endurance, making intuitive decisions (Andre does an extensive warmup in the gym and then has a “check-in” moment before he proceeds with the hard stuff.) Finally, Andre embodies that relaxed, “no worries, mate,” Aussie ethos where you tone down the misplaced competitive intensity and enjoy the journey. Andre reminds us that life is short but we are dead for a bloody long time, so you might as well make your best effort. Enjoy the show.    Andre Obradovic tells us his outstanding accomplishments and has good tips for maintaining health and recovering from stress caused fatigue.  [00:01:20]  Does he really run marathon at his MAF heart rate? [00:04:25]  After gaining weight, he was transformed back to normal healthy weight because of the dietary changes he made. [00:06:52]  Flexibility/mobility training is most important. [00:15:23]  Should you be focusing on your time and heart rate? [00:20:29]  Why are we in such a rush? [00:24:40]  We should be aware how stress affects the family. [00:27:23]  What does he mean by his "gluts and high hips" mantra when he is running? Why should we run with barefoot? 00:29:19]  You ought to be able to race without data. [00:32:41]  How does (MSP) maximum sustained power correlate to endurance competitive goals? What is Andre's workout routine?  00:36:59]  Checking in on our bodies is so important. [00:43:53]  MEMORABLE QUOTES - I go against conventional stupidity! - Don’t be a Muppet…get off the couch! - Personal trainers should be talking about diet before the physical training. - The endurance athlete’s perceived sign of success seems to be training themselves into exhaustion. - You ought to be able to race without data. - Think Wastebook instead of Facebook! - Checking in on our bodies is so important.   Andre Obradovic   Primal Endurance Mastery CourseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Dan (?) Can you elaborate on what is a suitable domain for self-experimentation vs. the core principles that have remained unchanged in your routine over the past several years? Can you comment on the relative merit of Fartlek vs. occasional dedicated speed workouts?  [00:00:37]  David Lapp asks whether one can still do long distance Ironman-length triathlons after age 50 and be healthy? [00:09:26]  As I am learning to go with the low carb diet, will my fasting lead to not eating enough? [00:20:14]  Thomas Peterson: Can you please compare and contrast the benefits of doing short speed work during a normal 180 minus age run vs. a dedicated speed workout? [00:29:31]  Thomas also asks: What are the principles that we should never change come hell or high water? AND What are the aspects of fitness where we should feel free to experiment? [00:30:17]  Dr. Ted asks "Do I need to add more speed work or race pace runs to help me finish better?" [00:37:16] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns welcomes pioneering physician and legendary endurance runner Dr. Mark Cucuzzella of West Virginia. Mark has run a sub-3 hour marathon for 30 consecutive years! With an all-time best of 2:24, he is still going strong at age 51. And he is doing this stuff in barefoot/minimal footwear. He opened the nations first minimalist running shoe store called TwoRiversTreads. In this show, Mark talks about his high carb, running machine past and his evolution into a healthy, fat-adapted runner. He advocates for doing short bursts of sprinting frequently, called "alactic sprints". When you accelerate for several seconds, you teach your central nervous system the optimal movement patterns to maximize propulsive force and prevent injury, but you aren't overstressing the body with longer duration sprints. Mark is big on going barefoot and being active instead of being a "zoo human."  He discusses his truly revolutionary effort to rid his local hospital of sweetened beverages and enhance education in the diabetic community as to the benefits of ditching processed carbs and increasing intake of healthy, nutritious fats. Mark's journey was turbo-charged six years ago when he learned he was pre-diabetic, despite decades of elite level marathon performance and being a lean, mean machine. He read Gary Taubes's work and embarked on a low-carb lifestyle, also embracing the aerobic training principles of his longtime friend Dr. Phil Maffetone. Mark mentions that is the stuffy medical world, we need convincing for dietary transformation, and that Continuous Glucose Monitors are now easily accessible for all. The small effort he is making in West Virginia (the most obese all US states in fact!) is spreading quickly in the medical community as Mark spreads the word. Enjoy these insights from a truly exceptional endurance performer who is doing transformative work in his hospital environment! After performing at a fast level and having the accompanying injuries, is there a way to analyze the future potential you have to improve or surpass your previous record?  [00:05:14]  Does the development of the athletic ability in a youngster really help prepare for adult competition? [00:09:22]  How does one work on their form? [00:14:43]  The body loves variability. [00:20:08]  How has the medical world failed in keeping up with the new information on diabetes? [00:21:22]  What happened when Mark was diagnosed with pre-diabetes? [00:35:03]  What about the lower heart rate training program? How did the fat burning capacity develop? [00:42:11]  The importance of sleep is often overlooked.[00:43:48]  What is hypoglycemia? [00:45:02]  Can a person still eat carbs at all? [00:48:56]  CGM FreeStyle Libre Mark Cucuzella Natural Running Center True Form Runner Two Rivers TreadsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Estelle asks about her plantar fasciitis. Rest doesn't work, why? What can she do?? [00:00:33]   Mark is using the adjustable desk. Is there any research of endurance athletes with desk jobs benefitting from the standup desk? What can the guy with the desk job do?  [00:06:53]  What about chest freezer cold water therapy? What is a Hexbar?  [00:18:41]  Ryan asks: Does it make physiological sense to perform a few sets of relatively heavy squats before my morning run to burn off muscle glycogen and get into ketosis faster for the run? [00:21:44]  Whit asks: Is the MAF calculation is affected by altitude? What about high altitude training in general? [00:23:40]  Brad Kearns Daily Routine Brad Kearns Freezer Therapy Dr. Kelly Starrett Rethinking Recovery Plantar Fasciitis HexBarSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Andy in Germany asks:  After a history of minor but annoying injuries, I started to train the primal way two years ago and made it to Kona. I keep measuring my heart rate. Now I am wondering what causes a huge difference in my training heart rate and my racing heart rate? [00:01:19]  Adam wants to know how to regulate his weight gain/loss cycle. What about lactic acid changes in the muscles? [00:12:45]  Wade is a plays hockey which is an extreme stop and start sport. He asks:  What is the Primal Endurance approach for training for this type of situation?  [00:17:03]  Emma (60) Does your aerobic base differ for each sport: swimming, biking, and running? [00:22:32]  What is the reason for breathing only through your nose while training? [00:25:10]  Can I still incorporate the nose breathing during swimming and bicycling training? [00:28:12]  Pader is a runner and asks about the P-90X training in conjunction with the primal training. [00:29:02]  Jonathan asks: Is it possible for an athlete to come back after burnout? [00:31:41]  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Todd (age 33) has Lymes disease and he's had many surgeries but still is a fit specimen. He is now getting ready for a sprint triathlon and is asking about how to prevent burnout. What is the best way for him to train? [00:00:59]  Paul is new to Primal Endurance life. He went on a 24-hour mountain bike ride. He suffered from GI problems and had to stop the race. He also asks about keeping his heart rate where he wants it to be when he is going uphill on his bike? What does he need to do differently? [00:08:10]  Sometimes you just have to relax about the competition. [00:15:31]  What are some suggestions about fueling during race? [00:18:05]  Warren asks "How do apply the 180 minus age formula to children?" [00:23:44]  Bradley asks if people would consider refereeing soccer an endurance sport? [00:27:20]  Bruce has trouble buying into Dr. Maffetone's 180 minus age training formula. [00:30:34]  Doug asks about the run-walk formula that he is using. [00:32:38]  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns welcomes favored recurring guest Andrew MacNaughton of TheAthletesPotential. It's been a while since we caught up with Andrew, so he details his dietary experimentation with keto, his return to training after a year of minimal exercise, and the usual assortment of juicy asides and insights about adopting the proper mindset for endurance exercise. Andrew went deep with some 24-hour and even 48-hour fasting, saying that it was no trouble--even while doing moderate aerobic workouts during the fasting period. The show discusses the great potential of functional medicine to help athletes get healthy, the necessary first step to pursuing fitness goals. Gut dysfunction is so prevalent these days, and functional testing can go where traditional medicine does not. Andrew does complete testing every two years so he can track his progression of aging and make sure he is doing the best he can to sustain peak function.  Andrew recommends that athletes ask themselves the important questions of, "what would be best?” "how can I do better?" (for health, for peak performance, etc.) and then work toward the best accommodation of those goals. Putting health as the absolute #1 priority is a good start. Enjoy the show. Please take a moment to leave the show a review on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts and spread the word to your peeps on social media. What did Andrew learn when he tried the Keto experiment as well as trying fasting? [00:01:18]  It takes less time to recover from no meal than it does to recover from bad food! [00:04:08]  What about damage from the vegetable oils? [00:08:07]  What happens as you age when your childhood eating habits were poor? [00:10:06]  What kind of functional testing does he do with his clients? [00:14:24]  What are some of the results Andrew finds in his own testing? [00:16:05] Can one always tell when they have a problem like in the digestive system? [00:19:33]  When acknowledging that our bodies aren't functioning perfectly, it is important to at least learn what would be best for you as you move forward. [00:20:45]  It is very common in this current lifestyle to be so busy that you ignore your body. [00:24:24]  With Andrew's experimenting in diet, what were the effects on his exercise and training? [00:27:39]  Comfort food will eventually make you uncomfortable. [00:39:07]  Do you know what it feels like to feel good? [00:40:35] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Candy is a coach and she is asking about training young kids and how to prevent injury and burnout. [00:00:53]  David asks about aerobic vs. anaerobic training. He has slowed down his training and now he wants to compete. Will he have to start all over again after he competes using maximum speed? [00:07:30]  Another David, age 28, finds it difficult to contain his heart rate when something beyond his control comes into the picture. What happens to his heart rate? [00.19.12] Ward asks about skipping workouts. He asks about muscle loss in older people (sarcopenia) and whether your skills get depleted if you are not consistent. [00:22:35]  What about de-training due to illness or injury? Can you get it back? [00:30:05]  Travis asks, "Does ketosis protect me from injury?" [00:32:53]  Josh is asking about a massive Navy Seal challenge he participated in and whether such an event is damaging. How can you go about participating in Primal Obstacle Race? [00:35:43]   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad continues to discuss topics of recent interest and new strategies he is trying out in training experiments, including his plunging deep into the world of temperature therapy. In consult with Dr. Kelly Starrett, author of Becoming a Supple Leopard and founder of MobilityWOD.com, you’ll get tips to start using cold water therapy as well as heat therapy to pursue the vaunted benefits.  Brad has a chest freezer filled with near-freezing water for both morning and evening plunges. For morning, it’s a hermetic stressor to boost adaptive hormones and naturally sharpen central nervous system function. For before bed, a quick plunge helps facilitate a good night’s sleep by lowering body temperature. Brad’s game is to stay for ~3 min at temperatures 36-40F. Not long enough to suffer or shiver for hours afterward.  Check out his YouTube videos: Check out his YouTube demonstration coming soon! Short demo to get you started: Coming Soon! A detailed description of benefits and demo: Coming Soon! The deal with cold therapy is to keep it far away from training stimulus. You want the inflammatory process to run its course after a workout, despite the fact that it feels great to cool your legs in an icy river after a hard run or the like.  With heat therapy, the infrared sauna causes a mini-fever effect to enhance cellular function and improve cardiovascular function. Starrett likes the hot sauna where you can really sweat and even get uncomfortable before getting out. Brad is doing Chris Kelly’s Nourish BalanceThrive detox protocol of going into a sauna for a big sweat, and immediately scrubbing off with Dr. Bronners soap to clear toxins (since his NBT tests showed residue of toxic metals and rubber by-products in his blood! Possibly a consequence of growing up in smoggy LA or perhaps even drinking from plastic water bottles that have been exposed to heat - like a sunny car.) In furthering the concept of a more varied and relaxed approach to training, Brad references the podcast where he discussed the Simply Running approach of New Zealand Olympic 1500 meter silver and bronze medalist Nick Willis. The takeaway message is to design a training program that is enjoyable, fits conveniently into your other life responsibilities, and tone down the obsessive need to hit arbitrary time or volume standards. Consistency in the context of building fitness is simply not as important as we think it is. Don’t compare yourself to the elites. They are out there for hours every largely because they do have plenty of time to spend on training and are looking for those incremental benefits.  Take a page from the bodybuilding scene. Ridicule the bro science if you must, but bodybuilders respect and appreciate the importance of balancing stress and rest—breaking down muscles with intense training and then resting and hyper-nourishing to come back with huge muscles.  On the other hand, realize the disastrous consequences of a chronic approach, as we now see the elevated cardiovascular disease risk factors in hard training.  Brad also refers to his super nutrition morning green smoothie, also available on YouTube: Coming Soon! Great topics to get you thinking about ways to optimize your approach to training! Nick Willis Show: http://primalendurance.libsyn.com/interval-show-6-olympic-bronze-medalist-nick-williss-simply-running-approach Muscleheads ripping on cardio article: https://www.muscleforlife.com/how-much-cardio/ Cold water - long: https://youtu.be/1j3AZJVwZnc   Cold water - quick demo: https://youtu.be/2WFFM05YnQ0   Smoothie - long: https://youtu.be/TVYOAErMMis   Smoothie - quick demo: https://youtu.be/FF_mtZoRw5I   Mobility Workout   What is cold temperature therapy and what are the benefits of it? [00:01:44]  How does melatonin work in helping one sleep? What else helps one sleep? [00:09:51]  You do not want the cold exposure anywhere near your workout. [00:13:17]  What is the role of heat therapy? [00:17:00] How does Brad start his day? What motivates him? [00:24:20]  Kickstart your digestive circadian rhythm with a green smoothie.  [00:29:16]  Do we need to eat more calories when we are focused on Keto dieting? [00:32:59]  How do we know if we have a carb dependency problem? [00:37:09] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad updates you on topics of recent interest and new strategies he is trying out in training. Included is his experiment to bring more downtime into his exercise patterns. This means periods of 24-36 hours where there are no formal workouts; this is in order to perform at a higher level when he pushes himself with challenging endurance or high-intensity workouts. That said, Brad also discusses the importance of establishing a baseline routine of general everyday movement, mobility/flexibility exercises, random strength/explosive efforts, and not worrying as much about filling in all the blanks of a training log.   Brad reports that despite reduced overall running frequency and monthly volume, he felt stronger than ever delivering a maximum effort to get his first win in a Speedgolf tournament—playing 18 holes on a hilly course in San Luis Obispo in 52 min and shooting 85 for a Speedgolf score of 137. Brad credits being fully rested, along with having some good sprint workouts, for a strong endurance performance at the tournament. Yes, high-intensity sprint sessions will greatly improve your endurance if they are conducted properly and not in an overly strenuous manner. Then, you pair occasional hard stuff with very comfortably paced aerobic workouts that are safely below MAF heart rate or perhaps WAY below MAF heart rate. Don’t worry; you still get a significant aerobic stimulus even if it’s a brisk walk or a cruiser bike trip to Farmer’s Market. Dr. Maffetone details these concepts in his series of outstanding videos in the Primal Endurance Mastery Course at primalendurance.fit   Brad lets us in on some of the fitness routines that keep him in shape. What?? Downtime?? [00:02:21]  Does slowing down interfere with the competition? What happens when Brad plays Speed Golf? [00:14:39]  "Simply Running" is a book about modifying training by Nick Willis suggesting the same slowing down theory. [00:18:30]  Is excessive cardio really unhealthy? [00:20:54]  What happens if you are sleep deprived? What is Leptin?  What is Ghrelin? [00:24:06]   Are endurance athletes at risk? [00:26:44]  Does genetics come into play? [00:30:21]   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lindsay welcomes Simon Marshall, Ph.D., one half of the brain trust behind Braveheart Coaching (braveheartcoach.com) and co-author along with his wife Lesley Paterson of The Brave Athlete: Calm the F*ck Down and Rise to the Occasion. Simon is an expert in helping athletes of all levels wrangle their inner "chimp brains" so they can pursue their sports with the heart, wings, and fight of a truly brave athlete. In this episode, Simon discusses with Lindsay the importance of developing an athlete identity, as well as how to know when you're getting waylaid by a "gremlin" (an unwanted thought, feeling, or belief that threatens to derail you on your athletic journey). Whether or not you currently think of yourself an athlete,* Simon is here to share his wealth of knowledge gleaned from years of conducting his own scientific research, racing as a competitive cyclist, and acting as professional sherpa and founding member of Team S.H.I.T. (Supportive Husbands in Training) for Lesley, who is a professional mountain biker, three-time world champion in off-road triathlon, and Ironman® triathlon champion.   * Hint: If you're listening, you're probably an athlete; and if you're not comfortable calling yourself that despite evidence to the contrary (a hefty budget set aside for race fees and equipment, an early-morning alarm set for training, and a love of your sport), read The Brave Athlete.   To find out more about Simon and Lesley's work, visit:  http://www.braveheartcoach.com/the-brave-athlete/ http://www.nourishbalancethrive.com/ Dr. Simon Marshall https://www.velopress.com/authors/dr.-simon-marshall/ https://twitter.com/pssjm3 Lesley Paterson http://www.lesleypaterson.com/ https://www.velopress.com/authors/lesley-paterson/ https://twitter.com/lesleydoestri https://www.instagram.com/lesleydoestriSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air. While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Chris asks if the problem people have with running at the "brutally slow place" has anything to do with body composition. [00:02:21]  What about nose breathing? Do we need a heart monitor?  [00:05:31]  Ben asks for advise for those folks who are only able to get out there a couple of short runs per week. [00:13:27]  Tom says he is only a year into running and I really loved it BUT after getting into Maffetone's Yellow Book and Primal Endurance books, he doesn't have any fun. [00:17:33]  What happens if we don't acknowledge that our bodies aren't at 10 percent well? [00:21:41]  Rob is asking about his 13 year-old son's development as he is getting into competitive sports.  [00:26:53]  What about fast twitch vs. slow twitch muscles? [00:32:03]  If you do a lot of endurance training will you loose something on the fast twitch side? [00:33:41] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns welcomes the Brock the Renaissance man from Vancouver, Canada. Brock is deep into the podcast scene as a producer and host of numerous health/fitness/primal-paleo/biohacking style shows, and also a longtime endurance coach. His Workplace Hero podcast helps those with sedentary office jobs make the best of their surroundings and minimize the health challenges of office work. Having been around the biohacking scene for a while, Brock states that he is generally the ultimate skeptic and non-responder to much fancy cool stuff that he has tried. This wide-ranging conversation unearths some memorable insights and clarities for those seeking an effective diet, exercise and lifestyle regimen.   This show covers: The state of the union and future hopes for the medium of podcasting; how Brock transitioned from a strict endurance athlete to hit the gym and get jacked! (including the top secret, highly questionable supplement that he obtained through a sketchy supplier that worked so well it scared the crap out of him!); the new trend of top endurance athletes passing on stretching, icing, massage, and foam rolling, because they’d rather feel the tightness and inflammation that is a fundamental component of the training effect. On that note, post-workout heat therapy is proving to be an excellent way to boost fitness, while cold therapy might be best in the early morning (per K-Starr), at least 2 hours after workouts to not interfere with the training effect, or in the evening (especially when paired with hot, like Brad in wintertime at his parents cold pool, hot spa in LA!). Along these lines, the pair discusses whether the benefits of yoga are overblown, and how pursuing broad-based fitness competency with functional mobility/flexibility exercises and increased general everyday movement might be the best winning ticket for athletes.   Brock geeks out with a great insight about Hebbs Law - where “neurons that fire together, wire together.” Translation: If your swim stroke or running form sucks, training will ingrain these technique flaws further. Enroll in the Primal Endurance Mastery Course and learn how to run with the grace and beauty of a deer! We end with a frank discussion about bio hacks - the pure nonsense out there, how lots of expensive high tech stuff lacks relevance to the average athlete, how bad lifestyle habits will render your hacks useless, and how Brock’s muscles got so big, so fast, he washed his fake essential oils down the toilet and stuck with the basics. This is a very entertaining show with both philosophical questions to ponder and practical tips to implement.  What going on in podcasting in today's community? [00:04:09]  How did Brock transition to strength training from his focus on endurance work? [00:13:06]  Is there a benefit of massage or yoga on athletes who are trying to bulk up their bodies? [00:17:52]  How does one know what level of fitness they have? [00:23:17]  What do we mean when we say the word "fitness"? What are you thinking when you hear that word? [00:29:51]  What holds people back from getting the proper fitness routine? [00:35:15]  How does Hebb's Rule affect technique and how can it work against you if you are learning? [00:36:59]  Don't we just know how to run naturally? [00:41:22]  Aren't there some shortcuts to fitness? [00:42:52]  What about cryotherapy? [00:51:14]  What is the benefit of the sauna? [00:53:32]  What are peptides that Brock was using? [00:59:37]    Workplacehero.meSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns welcomes Tom Hughes of Tri Mechanics in Great Britain. Tom is an expert in skill development and technique for endurance sports, and discusses the benefits of using barefoot/minimalist shoes to refine good running technique. Interestingly, wearing comfortable, cushiony shoes causes more actual impact trauma to your joints (you just can’t feel it), more instability with your balance, and a loss of explosive propulsive force. Tom makes a food analogy about shoes called the “Chocolate Brownie Theory.” Yes, the brownie tastes great at first, but has adverse long-term consequences.  Tom also echoes Katy Bowman’s Movement Nutrition work in discussing the importance of building good “movement habits.” Brad talks about how he makes housework a killer full body workout. Mopping on all fours makes for a sliding plank session. Any time a stair ascent is called for in everyday home living, why not make a commitment to sprint them, every time! Kelly Starrett of MobilityWOD.com argues that endurance athletes should spend 15 minutes of every workout hour doing mobility/flexibility. Add this all up and it’s a mind blower for endurance athletes with ‘one track minds.’ The conversation extends into other interesting areas, including how Tom improved his testosterone readings by honoring the concept of a circadian digestive clock promoted by Dr. Satchin Panda. Tom started making a nutritious smoothie in the morning, which he believed helped kick start his digestive system and get energized for a productive day, and also lower his stress hormone production that might have occurred during his morning hours in a fasted state. The show also covers concerns about overtraining and compromised recovery, advancing the idea Brad discussed on his recent show with Joel Jamieson about recovery debt and the importance of actually devoting time and energy to recovery instead of just taking it for granted. Why is a runner's technique so important? [00:00:57]  How does swimming technique make a difference? [00:06:53]  What is wrong about the comfortable shoes we are used to? [00:11:48]  If a runner switches to the minimalist shoes or barefoot, isn't he going to have some pain while adjusting? [00:20:43]  How does one progress into this new running style? [00:22:33]  How does one pick a good shoe? [00:27:33]  How does he work with clients to improve technique? [00:30:50]  What kind of drills does one need to do to improve balance? [00:34:10]  What are some ways to keep in shape that one can work into the busy day? [00:41:21]  Fitness is multifaceted. Even some athletes are not in the shape they think they are. [00:46:57]  What is digestive circadian rhythm? How does when you eat have an effect? [00:51:52]  Some time being very lean is not the ideal. [01:04:23] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosts Brad Kearns and Dr. Linsday Taylor get deep into the psyche of the endurance athlete and address some of the common challenges. For happiness and well-being, it's critical to behave in a manner congruent with your stated goals. When you are overtraining and dragging you and your ego thru ill-advised workouts, you depart from high minded ideals and are succumbing to rat race mentality where, as bestselling author Brené Brown says, "fatigue is a badge of honor in modern culture, and self-worth is determined by productivity". Or as frequent podcast guest Andrew MacNaughton comments, "Endurance athletes are most content when they train themselves to exhaustion." Hmm, ring a bell? There is a better way! Hang with the Primal Endurance podcast and enroll in the Mastery Course to get the guidance and expert insights you need to succeed with endurance goals without compromising your health. View full video: https://youtu.be/gImkIvl0tug   Brad and Lindsay discuss aerobic emphasis training and the carbohydrate intake problem. [00:00:16] How can it be possible that going slower can make you go faster? [00:03:35]  What about the bursts of high speed? [00:06:53]  Are you not satisfied until you are exhausted? [00:13:16]  How important is the recovery phase? [00:16:41]  What is your desire to train? Are you taking care of your body?  [00:18:47]  What happens when your focus is improving your technique rather than the speed? [00:26:28]  Why is it so tough? Why do we feel inferior if we are not pushing it? [00:28:02]  Are you a person who can tolerate uncertainty? [00:32:06]  Learn how to trust in your own ability to understand your needs. [00:34:41]  Understand why you are doing this. [00:35:02]  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Gentry McGrath, 48-year-old chiropractor asks about the confusing messages one gets listening to the various podcasts with the often differing theories of how best to train. [00:00:55]  Chad asks can running strides be added throughout the aerobic base building period? [00:10:33]  Matthew asks what are signs of overtraining? [00:14:16]  With reactions to food and training varying between individuals, doesn't it make you question the universal application of the MAF formula? [00:19:49]  Marco ran the Paris marathon. It was pretty easy up to kilometer 32 and then the last 10K it was harder. What happened? I have plateaued at my MAF heart rate. Shall I try to add 5 beats? [00:25:46]  The body responds really well and the mind responds well to epic over-distance training sessions. [00:33:47] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Arnie (58) asks about his fat adaptation and its impact on his performance. [00:01:37] Do I lose my flight or fight response when I train aerobically? [00:02:24]  The fast twitch muscle fibers that are not using oxygen do not need a high volume of training. [`00:07:22]  How many carbs do I need to consume so that I have sufficient glycogen during high demand occasions? [00:09:33]  What happens to us when we burn too much protein? [00:14:55]  When you are healthy, getting adequate sleep, eating nutrient intense diet, you are going to get the most out of your body. [00:19:44]  Paul asks why he can't walk a mile and get his heart rate below 160? [00:22:16] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns talks in more detail about the importance of rethinking recovery, on the heels of the landmark MarksDailyApple.com post Rethinking Recovery, and also Brad's recent podcast with Joel Jamieson. The profound insight for reflection is that we kinda sorta take recovery for granted in that we don't acknowledge, understand, or account for the scientific fact that recovery takes energy in and of itself. Refreshing the sodium-potassium pumps in the muscle cells and brain neurons, digesting food in the intestines, converting ingested calories into triglycerides or glycogen in the liver, the immune system keeping infections at bay--all these command a slice of the pie chart of your total energy expenditure in a given day or month or year. Furthering this thought, could it be that world records and Olympic gold medals of the future will be achieved by athletes who train less and rest more in comparison to the amazing top athletes of today? For the recreational enthusiast who is obligated to devote energy to so many other areas (family, work, commuting, routine daily chores and errands, etc.), it follows that training less and taking more chill time could be a secret weapon to achieve performance breakthroughs and avoid chronic patterns that compromise not only your performance but your general health. Do we take recovery for granted? [00:00:30]  What is the additive model expenditure? [00:03:57]  Brad talks about his training in the old days and how wrong it was. [00:08:43]  Recovery and restoration require energy.  [00:11:14]  Our daily energy resources are allocated to what three functions? [00:13:37]  How can we be more productive? [00:22:39]  What if the athletes tone things down? [00:27:00]  When in doubt, chill out!!! [00:33:07]    Links: Joel Jamieson podcast on Primal Blueprint channel: http://blog.primalblueprint.com/episode-211-joel-jamieson/ Rethinking Recovery: https://www.marksdailyapple.com/rest-and-recovery-a-pivotal-new-perspective/ Hadza Energy Expenditure Study 8 Weeks OutSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns dusts off the age-old dilemma for endurance athletes: the relative benefits and contribution of intense efforts versus a commitment to aerobic base building to deliver best results. Brad reflects on his recent show with Dave Scott, where Dave advocated frequent brief, high intensity bursts during endurance workouts to flush the cardiovascular system and deliver rapid fitness improvements. Brad stacks this insight against Dr. Maffetone's extensive commentary in the Primal Endurance Mastery Course videos that there is a stress impact of every workout and that pursuing modern endurance goals is generally antithetical to health. Brad mentions his own experimentation with intuitive, very short duration bursts of high intensity effort, such as banging out 100 Decline Spiderman pushups every time he visits a certain dog park, and the idea that keeping things brief can prevent that breakdown and delayed recovery time from a grueling high intensity workout.   Brad also tackles a few listener questions in this show, relating to tapering (reduce volume, maintain intensity), applying the Primal Endurance principles to team sports, and finally a success story from Suzanne where she improved her ironman time by FOUR hours following Primal Endurance principles. Enjoy! How to reconcile the emphasis on aerobic base with Dave Scott's suggestion to include brief bouts of high intensity efforts frequently? [00:01:50]  Todd from Australia asks about having not much time to workout so when he does, his heart rate it elevated above aerobic maximum. He asks about training volume and time frames. [00:13:23]  Peter is a marathoner but wonders about tapering: the proper pre-race preparations like nutrition and workouts. [00:18:26]  A soccer referee asks: How does his situation of running, jogging, sprinting, and running backwards etc. fit with primal endurance framework?  [00:22:07]  Suzanne is wondering about her recovery after Ironman Nice where simply changing her nutrition and following Primal Endurance improved her time. [00:27:43]  Links to publish with this show Dave Scott Episode 119 Primal Endurance Mastery Course Decline Spiderman pushups Brad's Morning Exercise Routine  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns talks with Dr. Ben Lynch, author of the book Dirty Genes, which has hit #1 bestseller in its amazon category in January, 2018. Dr. Lynch explains with great clarity and specificity that your genes are not your destiny. He identifies individual genes that can cause health dysfunction and provides a detailed action plan to clean up your genes and promote optimal gene expression. Included is the oft-mentioned MTHFR which influences the critical cellular process of methylation. The COMT gene influences your ability to stay calm and focused.  Dr. Lynch's programs starts with a two-week "soak and scrub" phase to promote general health, then goes into a "spot cleaning" phase where you target your particular genetic issues relating to the aforementioned as well as heart function, liver function, and mood stability. This is pretty scientific stuff, but Dr. Lynch does a great job explaining it clearly and giving you some immediate actionable steps to take to clean up your genetic function.  Does your family tree have total influence over your genes? [00:00:16]  What lifestyle behaviors would be mitigating these risks? [00:03:32]   How does his Soak and Scrub protocol work to cleanse the genes? [00:06:20]  What are some eating tips? [00:10:55]  What is Spot Cleaning? [00:13:31]  Is there a particular gene related to cardio vascular disease? [00:16:30]  How do these isolated genes work regarding disease risk? [00:17:49]  Tell us about the MTHFR gene. [00:21:31]  Can you define methylation? [00:25:02]  What is COMT? How does it work? What is the difference in personality with fast or slow COMT? [00:28:57]  Where are we going with all this amazing genetic testing? [00:35:23]  What about the Dirty Gene Summit program? [00:43:38]  Dirty Genes MethylaltionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns talks in further detail about the provocative comments from Dr. Tommy Wood during their recent podcast. Dr. Tommy proposed that if you are metabolically healthy, at optimal body fat composition, with good blood work and with ambitious fitness goals, you may be best served by consuming as many calories as you can (of nutritious foods only of course) without gaining weight. Contrast this with the often-touted benefits of fasting and caloric efficiency, where thriving on as few calories as necessary and producing optimally minimal insulin is believed to correlate strongly with longevity. Dr. Tommy and Brad theorize that there may be a different set of decision-making parameters if you are trying to reduce excess body fat, recover from metabolic damage, or have adverse blood results. Even so, Dr. Tommy offers the profound suggestion that you should not even concern yourself with fat reduction until you become metabolically healthy.  Brad mentions his personal experiment with an increased caloric intake to fuel his peak performance goals. After 13 weeks, he reports excellent results including body composition and improved performance, assisted by a nutrient-dense morning smoothie in place of prolonged fasting, and generally looser purse strings with total caloric intake and carb intake, especially in conjunction with high calorie burning workouts. In conjunction with a more intuitive approach to eating, Brad mentions being more fractal and intuitive with his high intensity exercise efforts--sprinkling in little bouts over the course of a day that don't really count as official workouts, but contribute to him developing a higher platform to launch from when he goes for big sprint, high jump, strength training sessions. Check the video links for his decline spiderman pushup and first-thing morning exercise routine   Where do we stand right now with all the information that is out there overwhelming us? [00:03:07]  Why do you have a specific goal? [00:05:04]  Your mental attitude has a huge effect on longevity and weight loss. [00:06:03]  Focusing on only on results detracts from the experience of performance. [00:11:56]  Every one in this arena has some kind of story about how they got here. [00:15:29]  Are we afraid to turn down the competitive part of our personality? [00:18:07]  What is the situation with starting this program? Is it important to find what causes your problem? [00:24:28] Sometimes the amount you eat or the number of calories isn't what you want to look at. [00:30:09]  Sometimes the training paradigm requires a deviation in what we are talking about regarding the amount of food you need. [00:33:48]  What happens to folks who are carrying some excess body fat and/or some blood values that need to be corrected? [00:40:32] Healthy physiology is needed first before concern about losing weight. [00:47:44]    Links:  Dr. Tommy Wood - Podcast 123 Decline Spiderman pushups Brad's Morning Exercise RoutineSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air. While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Carl has been on the Paleo diet for almost a year. Is there a good app with heart rate alarm? [00:01:21]  Lisa is 48 and has been following the MAF for several months with limited results. Is it okay that my VO2 test on a treadmill showed that my aerobic threshold is 5 beats higher than 180 minus my age? [00:02:04]  MaryAnn just started trying heart rate training.  I am slower than when I started.  Is this normal? [00:08:45] Mike asks: Is there a comfortable maximum duration for a training run. Running is more taxing than biking. [00:10:25]  Mike also adds: Does the aerobic base for running help your cycling base and vice versa? [00:13:03]  From Ward: What is the efficacy for the 100-UP drill of Walter George as made popular by Christopher McDougall. Is this a good way to both build foot/leg strength and to develop good running form? [00:15:38]  Brian asks about the Keto diet:  Can you share what a day or two in the life of Brad's Keto eating looks like? [00:18:40]  More from Brian:  Are there any rough guidelines for the amount of aerobic training (hours in a week) to complete a given event in a reasonable time? [00:27:49]  Kareem asks about his outrigger paddling training for the 38 mile Molokai channel to Oahu. What test should he take as an endurance athlete?  [00:31:02]  Rick is a marathon runner and his question is about fueling with gels. [00:36:16] Walter George Christopher McDougall Molokai to Oahu race Nourish, Balance, ThriveSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns talks to Italian amateur triathlete Stefano Passarello, a longtime listener to the podcast who has an absolutely amazing success story with low carb, slow-paced endurance training. Stefano, an accounting firm CEO based in Hong Kong, has attained the highest level of triathlon success in his very first year in the sport. A 2:26 marathon runner who turned to triathlon due to repeated injury, Stefano qualified for Hawaii Ironman World Championships and ran a 2:53 marathon off the bike in Kona! This is the third fastest amateur marathon split in the 40-year history of the Ironman! Stefano's approach is a beautiful blend of keto style eating, comfortably paced over distance workouts, and a relaxed, process-oriented approach where he carefully balances the stress of life and training to avoid chronic patterns and stay happy and inspired.  The conversation goes deep into both the optimal approach to become bonk-proof and stay healthy (hint: slow down and cut carbs!) and the evolved mindset that will prevent the all-too-common obsessive, overly-competitive, Type-A approach that leads to burnout. Stefano entertains with some great quotes and anecdotes: how a short, hairy Italian guy was totally intimidated by the "scene" on Alii Drive but was later validated by passing the posers in droves in the latter stages of the marathon. How the endorphin rush of challenging workouts represents a "taste of your favorite drug," and is something to carefully moderate. Enjoy this wild ride with a very entertaining and talented athlete who has "reverse engineered" the MAF and Primal Endurance training methods into big-time success! Who is Stefano Passarello? [00:00:58]  How did he get into the sport and how did his training method work? [00:02:25]  How did he discover Primal Blueprint? [00:07:09]  What was he thinking when he was at his first Ironman looking at the other athletes? [00:08:34]  How does the relaxed nature of his training and his diet payoff? [00:11:48]  What? He doesn't even have a Power Meter on his bike!! [00:14:47]  Training decisions need to come from your mood. [00:16:44]  How does adrenaline become the drug of choice?  [00:18:41]  What happens when you bonk? [00:26:55]  Stefano talks about balance. [00:26:14]  People in this sport need to do something to compensate. [00:34:19]  After a certain point, your body becomes exhausted. [00:38:38]  What does it mean..."trust the system"? What is your purpose? [00:42:05]  How does he work his fasting workouts?  What does he eat afterwards? [00:45:49]  Why are they still selling sugar to athletes at the Ironman Expo? [00:54:50]  In the old days, the super athletes were sugar-burners. What happened to them?  [00:57:10]  What are the final suggestions? [01:00:08] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns leverages his previous podcast dedicated to older athletes by addressing some Q&A from folks out there fighting the battle, going for ambitious race goes in the older age categories. Everyone talks about how recovery takes longer when you get older, so let’s get into the particulars of making sound training decisions, optimizing recovery, and choosing age-appropriate goals and training methods. Brad introduces this segment with thought provoking facts on aging. [00:00:59]  A competitive Masters runner wants some advice on what he should do about speed work? [00:06:37]  53-year-old Linda is asking for more information on glycogen storage while on Ketogenic diet. [00:12:51] Larry is 56 years old and he "tests higher", even though he still uses the 180 minus my age formula for my workouts.  What is the problem? [00:15:10]  Jim, age 65 is training for a marathon. Would it make sense to use a ketone supplement like Kegenics during endurance training and the marathon? [00:21:23]  What about pairing of ketone supplement with conventional carbs like Gatorade or gel? [00:23:52]  Brad closes this podcast with advice emanating from his experience as a competitive athlete. [00:25:37]  Jeanne Calment Nourish Balance ThriveSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Picking up the momentum from the previous show, Brad and Andrew continue to debate the healthiest way to be a competitive athlete, especially as you deal with aging in the background. Topics include comprehensive health assessments like Brad's NourishBalanceThrive.com journey or that offered as part of Andrew's The Athletes Potential coaching services (andrewmacnaughton.com). Another important philosophical question: how much stress should you apply to training? We know that sprinting and high intensity interval training generate rapid performance improvements, but they also come with a high stress cost. It's important to optimize the stress/rest balance, and some good ideas are served up. Enjoy! Send your questions/comments to info@primalendurance.fit. How do you know when your health and longevity are being compromised? [00:00:41]  Number one marker for overtraining is: Do you have the desire to train? [00:02:59]  What if you are always hungry or not hungry?  What does that tell you? [00:03:56]  What does it mean: "adaptation phase"? [00:04:55]  You usually cannot duplicate your big top performance because of stress. [00:07:15]  Do we make too much of the intricacies of the preparations before the race? [00:09:51]  How much do genetics come in to play for the training athlete? [00:12:25]  Does it help to go back and look at your previous record to plan your current training plan? [00:15:50]  How effective are the super training programs you hear about that get you ready for the races? [00:16:43]  The final message from these two guys continues to be: train at a slow pace, relax, and enjoy what you are doing. [00:21:21]    Nourish Balance Thrive  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns welcomes back #1 most popular recurring guest, Andrew MacNaughton, after a long break from the show. The two get right into it with a discussion of the large looming philosophical question for passionate athletes: how to manage the inherent tradeoff between peak performance and health and longevity? Wait; is there even a necessary tradeoff between the two? Can you have your cake and eat it too--that is, can you be intensely competitive and while still preserving your health and promoting longevity? You will love this fast-moving conversation with some memorable sound bites, including how Andrew's training decisions are determined by his moods instead of strategic long-term planning; the difference between association (focusing on the present activity) and disassociation (mind drifting to beer and pizza at the finish line), a little talk about how to manage low carb dietary patterns and vigorous training, and a fresh look at concepts like everything in moderation. Enjoy! Send your questions/comments to info@primalendurance.fit How can we get a tradeoff between the pursuit of health and longevity and delaying the aging process and getting peak performance?  [00:00:55]  Andrew describes how his day of activity varies according to his mood which leads to just having fun. [00:04:45]  If you follow this recommended "according to mood style" training, won't you get out of shape? [00:07:00]  Endurance athletes are never truly content with their exercise until they are in a state of overtraining. [00:09:22]  Some people only concentrate on what is going on the body at the time they are training and don't need music or other distraction. [00:09:59] Participating in a race is constant decision making. [00:11:52]  Cycling is one of the most dangerous things you can do. [00:16:15]  Is the Keto scene really the best way to healthy longevity?  [00:19:32]  What about everything in moderation? [00:26:19] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Alice 42-year-old took a break from competitive racing and returned to traditional race training before she found ketogenic diet and MAF training. She is having problems with MAF training. Why?  [00:02:19]  Laura asks: Do you think there is a possibility that not everyone has a number that aligns with 180 minus age? [00:07:21]  Could changing to a fat adapted diet be more sustainably accomplished by making small changes at a time rather than sending stress hormones into overdrive on a 6-weeks crash diet? [00:12:22]  Ann asks: How does pregnancy fit into MAF training? [00:20:14]  Zach asks: What about fat adaptation in alpine mountaineering? Considering the altitude, what would be appropriate nutrition? [00:23:16]  Deva asks about her fluctuating diet from intermittent fasting, some keto diet days, and some medium and high carb days, and a cheat day. [00:30:20]  Adrian Ballinger Robert Lustig, M.D. Nourish, Balance, Thrive Organifi Wheat BellySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Mark Sisson welcomes his old friend and strength training expert Jacques DeVore, proprietor of Sirens and Titans Fitness in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, CA. Jacques was featured extensively in the book Primal Endurance for his innovative Maximum Sustained Power (MSP) workout protocol that helps athletes experience performance breakthroughs with time-efficient workouts in the gym that correlate exactly to their competitive goals. Yes, MSP can help both extreme endurance athletes and explosive power athletes. Jacques has worked with Olympic-level sprinters and high jumpers as well as Tour de France level cyclists. He is champion masters cyclist himself! Jacques and Mark get into some good subject matter that will interest fitness enthusiasts of all types. Mark interviews Jacques Devore about the critical component missing in most endurance athletes. [00:00:16]  Should an athlete focus primarily on "his or her" particular sport when training? [00:06:25]  What is the equation for sustainable power? [00:07:41]  What does it take to retain maximum power? [00:10:48]  What is an example of the athlete getting up to the next level? [00:15:32]  Is weight lifting body building? [00:23:31]  How does diet come into play with these bikers? [00:24:33]  How does this work with runners and swimmers? [00:25:38]  Is this something the average person could benefit from? [00:27:28]  What is the most accurate measure for power? [00:29:27]  When you look at mobility, you understand what is needed for how your body moves. [00:33:28]  What is the basic adoption of this principle in the next couple of years? [00:37:41] All of the subsequent cardio workouts have a much greater value when you follow this principle. [00:40:11]  Maximum Overload for CyclistsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Co-hosts Brad Kearns and Lindsay Taylor hit Phil with some questions, including several submitted by members of the popular MAF Method Facebook group and the Primal Endurance Facebook group. Phil sets the record straight on the concept of a modified Maffetone aerobic maximum heart rate calculation for fat-adapted athletes. “Doesn’t work,” says the MAF man himself. Strive to get faster at your “180-age” heart rate instead of cheat up to higher heart rates, more stress, and more glucose burning. Phil asserts why you should subtract 10 from your 180-age number if you can taking any kind of prescription medication. Phil talks through the pros and cons of fasting versus getting some nutritious fat calories in to start your day. Enjoy many other juicy topics in this fast moving Q&A show! Are there modifications to the maximum aerobic heart rate (MAF formula) in relation to healthy dietary habits? [00:02:33]  Does the 180 minus age formula apply to everyone? [00:08:56]  Question from a listener: If I am working out at 180 minus age but I'm on thyroid medication and I am forgetting to subtract the 10 that I should, am I in the black hole? [00:12:57]  If we are on hormonal (birth control) medication, do we still subtract 10 from the formula? [00:15:10]  Can you explain the importance of the moderate speed workouts compared to going full speed while training? [00:16:48]  Even the big winners find that their bodies begin to fail them when they have been doing all-out training over the years. [00:22:57]  People complain when they have to run slower.  Then they end up complaining that they should have run faster! They don't understand what is happening in their body. [00:26:06]  As people age, are there any special considerations for adjusting the MAF formula? [00:28:04]  One has to be honest with him or herself about the progress of their fitness. [00:33:35]  Is there a formula for the number of hours one should train when they are looking forward to an extra long race? [00:35:18]  Why do people need to learn this on their own? Why ignore the experts who have been there? [00:43:12]  Why define our world as a "no pain, no gain" society? [00:47:46]  Will one to two beers be okay after a long run? [00:48:35]  What do you think is the most misunderstood concept of the MAF approach? [00:50:21]  Maffetone Facebook Maffetone training charts No Pain, No Gain Society OrganifiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Co-hosts Brad Kearns and Dr. Lindsay Taylor welcome Dr. Phil Maffetone, favored recurring guest and fat-adapted endurance training oracle from Oracle, AZ. Phil has a new book called The Overfat Epidemic, and cites research showing that some 91% of the American population is considered overfat, even if they appear to be at a healthy weight.  Phil goes deep in this program, offering up never-before-heard nuggets relating to the individual variation in approach to low-carb/keto eating, including the importance of personal experimentation and rejecting a rigid approach. Phil questions the popular practice of intermittent fasting/compressed eating window, suggesting that it could be an additional stress in high stress modern life. Younger, more insulin sensitive folks might benefit more from fasting. Phil says if you are frequently hungry while eating a healthy, ancestral style diet, consider eating more. Regarding excess body fat, this is simply a red flag that you have some issues relating to poor dietary choices. His two-week test allows you to problem-solve to discover your optimal level of carb intake. FYI since you become more insulin resistant as you age, you might envision your carb intake level on a downward slope over your lifespan. Finally athletes, don’t forget to move around as much as possible in daily life. Strive for that variable workplace environment and discover creative ways to get exercise, instead of just booking your workout and then being still all day at commute/workdesk/leisure time. This greatly enhances fat adaptation. Phil goes to town with lively engagement from the primal hosts, so do not miss this show! What can we learn about fasting? [00:02:40]  What are the metabolic stresses of fasting? [00:07:19]  Should one exercise while fasting? [00:08:57]  What if one feels hungry during workout? [00:12:30]  What are the signs and symptoms to look at to see if the fasting is working properly? [00:15:01] Does the quantity of food affect the ability to fat adapt? [00:17:54]  If you want to know that best training schedule and the best food to eat, listen to your own brain? [00:18:53]  If you are in ketosis, sometimes you are not feeling hunger. How do you know you need to eat? [00:20:14]  What does one do when they have too much body fat? [00:25:34]  Phil's new book, "Overfat Pandemic," sums up the overfat situation.  For example 91 percent of American adults are overfat and no one is paying attention! [00:30:21]  What is the role of nutritious carbs and how can carb intake be monitored? [00:36:09]  People who are insulin sensitive can find their level of tolerance by experimenting.  [00:42:02]  If you are getting older and you have been an enthusiast for a long time, what would be the best type of training regimen just to maintain good health? [00:46:57]  Organifi Overfat Pandemic  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns welcomes Dr. Tommy Wood, Chief Medical Officer for NourishBalanceThrive.com, back to the show for a recap of Brad's NourishBalanceThrive.com comprehensive health and peak performance biochemical testing. Listen to the first show with Dr. Tommy to get a sense of what his cutting-edge consultation program is all about. Brad agreed to be a guinea pig and have his results detailed on the show for the benefit of listeners interested in the nuances of peak performance testing. Surprisingly, although Brad claims to eat at the highest standard of primal/keto and observe healthy exercise, sleep and stress management practices, there were an assortment of deficiencies and concerns revealed in the blood, urine, stool and saliva testing that Brad underwent. Dr. Tommy explains that every single athlete they have tested--even top professionals--have abnormalities that can be addressed through diet, supplementation, and training modification. In particular, gut health issues are extremely common, which can contribute to further nutritional deficiencies.  Dr. Tommy offered the thought-provoking insight that Brad's immersion into keto eating lowered his appetite to the extent that he maybe wasn't consuming sufficient calories to support performance and recovery with his ambitious fitness/athletic endeavors. Brad agreed to experiment with increased caloric intake, with a morning nutrient-dense green smoothie being the centerpiece, and assess results over the ensuing weeks. Tune in a for a separate show about Brad's increased caloric intake experiment and the favorable results. You can visit NourishBalanceThrive.com and do a free self-assessment quiz to see what they are all about.  Brad talks about alarming results from the testing protocols he participated in with Tommy Wood's Nourish, Balance, Thrive program. [00:01:06]  How harmful are plastics in our environment?  [00:05:57]  How do low-carb and keto diets affect the thyroid function? [00:09:45]  How does the program work? What does the participant learn about him/herself? [00:13:17]  Did antibiotics contribute to Brad's problems? [00:16:35] Instead of fasting, what might be more important for a person who is trying to be primal? Are we supposed to be counting calories? [00:18:45]  Is it important to look at what time of day we eat our meals?  [00:23:39]  We hear about how wonderful fasting is. Even if you feel fine fasting, is it the best thing? [00:27:22]  How can one reduce excess body fat? [00:29:05]  When people are signed up with this individualized program, their contact with it is ongoing, at no further cost. [00:31:06]  There are some training patterns that are bad for people. [00:37:24]  For the listeners to consider their goals of competition or longevity, what is the right way to achieve them? [00:40:42]  NBT.AI Dr. Rhonda Patrick OrganifiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns talks about the importance of taking a break both physically and mentally from the grind of the competitive season. A physical break is essential to rebalance the body from the prolonged production of stress hormones resulting from the many hours on the road as well as juggling workouts around a full calendar of life obligations. Use the extra time in the off-season to nurture other hobbies or attend to matters that have been neglected during the competitive season. Remember that the effects of detraining are profound, but that you can regain your fitness in a very short time. When you emerge from a proper break period, you can then enter a period where you focus on complementary skills such as flexibility, mobility, and strength training. Vary things up a bit instead of just being obsessed with getting your odometer spinning again at the start of the season! Why is a complete rest period at the end of the season so important? [00:01:03]  What is "de-training?" Can one recover after rest? [00:05:36]  What about weight gain? [00:10:36]  How can one disengage from the mentality of competition? [00:11:22]  What should one do when they are not training or competing? [00:13:18]  Endurance athletes feel most comfortable when they are in a state of overtraining. [00:20:32]  If you have a sore throat or your immune system is a little bit off, completely pull the plug on exercise. [00:24:47]  VASA Swim TrainerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Lindsay talks to Dan Pardi, CEO of HumanOS. Dan’s mission is to develop health fluency, giving people the skills and knowledge they need to achieve maximum wellness. Lindsay met Dan at Paleo f(x) and ever since has been wanting to pick Dan’s brain about the idea of the quantified self: What kind of data can we collect about ourselves, and how can we use that information to inform the day-to-day decisions we make about diet, exercise, sleep, and so on? How do we walk the fine line between measuring and obsessing? What offers the best return on investment? Listen in for a thoughtful discussion about when, why, and how to self-assess, as well as some of the challenges that come along with trying to optimize health. More about Dan: In addition to spearheading HumanOS and hosting the humanOS Radio podcast, Dan conducts research with the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department at Stanford, and the Departments of Neurology and Endocrinology at Leiden University in the Netherlands where he investigates how lifestyle factors, like sleep, influence decision making, cognitive performance, and metabolism. Dan also works with Naval Special Warfare and serves as Board Member for StandUpKids.org, among other health-related appointments. As you can tell, he’s an incredibly busy person, so we’re lucky to have him sharing his insights on health and wellness on today’s episode! Dan talks about his evolution from a young athlete into his current interest in sports physiology, optimal lifestyle practices, and human performance. [00:03:52]  Why should you do something? How should you do it? Ask if you are doing it and ask if it's working. [00:09:36]  How do you empower people to take control of their health? [00:11:21]  Only you can be the best expert with regard to your personal health. We have a lifetime to learn more information.  [00:14:28]  What are some of the challenges we are confronted with in our attempt understand our health? [00:15:58]   What types of metrics are available in terms of measurement, and how can those measurements be used to help reach our goals? [00:20:12]  What about FitBit and Oura Ring? Is the Apple Watch affective? How can they help?  [00:24:23] If you exercise and you don't lose weight, what does that mean? [00:28:15]  The idea of being a healthy athlete involves the whole day and what you do with it, not just the periods of training. [00:29:28]  How does tracking help support recovery?  [00:30:50]  How does HRV work? What information does it give us? [00:34:22]  Are subjective measurements the best way to decide what way to use your body toward your goals? [00:39:29]  How to give yourself permission to say, "Today is not my day.” [00:47:21]  How does one integrate the information s/he has to to attain his/her goals? [00:49:05]  How does the Mediterranean diet compare with paleo? [00:51:49]  https://humanos.me Primalendurance.fitSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Male, 44 year old who had his gall bladder removed twenty years ago says he feels great and has fantastic energy and weight loss. Should he make any changes around fat intake? [00:04:34]  When Dr. Maffetone says that the goal marathon pace is around 15 seconds per mile faster than the results from the maximum aerobic test. The questioner asks: "Is this the first mile of your MAF test, the average of all the miles, or the slowest mile, or something else?" [00:06:14]  Should one stay in the pack when running in something like the Ironman or a marathon even when you feel that you want to go faster? [00:09:02]  This is a question from a person who has lost 90 pounds and wants to use an Elliptical for many runs during the week. Is this acceptable? [00:12:07]  Matt asks: "What kind of primal lifting exercises do you recommend? How many sets and reps? [00:14:22]  When should he switch up his routine? [00:16:09]  41-year-old male who has been living the primal lifestyle since April 2016 and asks Brad's opinion on his desire to "go faster to improve his fitness." [00:21:16]  Do 50-plus athletes need to stop the long slow intensity training and engage in high intensity exercise to maintain fitness? Also do they need to eat carbs? [00:26:37]  Here is a question about expanding the intuitive nature to all training. Is it possible to all the training by feel? [00:33:58]  Here is another question from a person who lives at sea level in the UK. He wants to know what adjustments he should make because he is going to be living in Colorado at 10,000 feet for a few months.   [00:38:07]  This is a question from a listener who has been running for 25 years. Now he has experienced cramping and wonders why this happened.  [00:40:13]  Brad Kearns Morning Routine Tim DeFrancescoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns catches up with the legendary Dave Scott, a 6-time Hawaii Ironman world champion and respected coach of both elite professional and amateur multisport enthusiasts. Dave is perhaps more steeped in the science of nutrition and exercise physiology than any other endurance athlete ever, so this show will give you insights on both cutting-edge science and also the competitive mindset of a champion athlete. Brad gives you a brief intro in case you’ve never heard of Dave, then they jump right into it. Dave describes his transition from a high carb pioneer back in the 80’s to his current support of primal/paleo/ketogenic eating patterns. He describes the science behind keto, and how it can protect your health and your heart from potential damage caused by strenuous training. On the long-standing topic of “intensity vs. volume” Dave sets people straight by detailing the huge mistake of going “kinda hard” on a regular basis. Not only will your burn out in performance, you are putting your health at serious risk. Instead, Dave details his unique methods of introducing an assortment of distinct interval patterns that help to cleanse the cardiovascular system, protecting it from damage caused by excessive kinda hard endurance workouts. Yes, Dave even advocates strength training year-round for endurance athletes! Dave talks about the problem of excess body fat on hard training endurance athletes and how to right this unfortunate trend. In the age of the internet and social media frenzy, lots of athletes and coaches are full of themselves. Dave is full or experience and wisdom so give this show your undivided attention! When did Dave Scott get involved in Ironman? [00:01:23]  How does Scott's record of twenty years compare with current triathletes? [00:02:41]  How does the training differ from what Dave did in the early days? [00:04:45] What was his thinking about fat adaptation? [00:06:48]  Have there been long-term adverse effects to your body? [00:08:52]  Elite endurance athletes who train at high volume are at great risk to the heart. [00:13:52]  What are the thoughts on Maffetonne's assertion that you need to perform at a more comfortable rate? [00:16:24]  What can happen when you over train? [00:19:23]  When it is time to go hard, you go hard, but the pace has to be wisely monitored. [00:24:49]  In strength training and in the Cross-fit world, the athletes need to be extremely careful with their form, balance, and symmetry to be safe. [00:27:44]  Many of the elite athletes are not in the best condition, even though they are champions! [00:31:37]  Why are so many athletes still suffering from excess body fat? Is it the fault carb dependence? [00:33:54]  Ridding sweet juices from your life are a good place to start when shifting for fat adaptation diet. [00:37:20]  How is the transition working from the mistakes we've made in the past? [00:39:26]  Are we supposed to have a diet of no carbohydrates? [00:40:28]  How has the scientific community's message changed about what is a healthy diet? [00:43:35]  The current athletes are doing something right but can enhance their performance by dietary improvement. [00:51:16 Dave Scott OrganifiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Lindsay helps athletes sort out questions about how to strength train while still following Primal Endurance recommendations, and she answers the burning question: Do I need an aerobic base if I'm not a competitive athlete? (Spoiler alert: yes!!) Plus stretching, elevation training, and more! The question is: Are the benefits of building an aerobic base worth it for athletes that only have modest endurance goals?  [00:01:38]  Would I ruin the purpose of an aerobic base-building block by adding in some lift heavy things? [00:04:18]  David, age 49 asks: Don't you lose strength that you've built up when you stop strength training for a period of time? [00:10:05]  Diane (29) from Bulgaria: She is training for her first ironman.  How can she build up her strength in the water portion of her workouts? What about rubber band training? [00:14:07]  Also a question about stretching.  What are the recommendations about what kinds of stretches are best as well as when is the best time to stretch?  [00:18:12]  Here's a question from a person who is planning to train for a 100 K ultra that has a massive amount of vertical gain. How is the best way to prepare my body for this? [00:22:34]   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns talks to older endurance athletes about strategies that will help you preserve your health as you pursue ambitious endurance goals. One thing to emphasize is aligning your competitive goals with your age, dude! Perhaps the extreme ultra distance events are best left to youngsters? No offense intended, but you don’t see 50-year-olds in the NFL, so it’s worth considering. Maybe its a more sensible and honorable goal to try to improve your 10k time as you get older, or become a competent sprint triathlete instead of slogging out another season of half and full iron-distance events in a manner that can’t really be described as “racing.” Everyone pays lip service to the concept that older athletes require more recovery, but in practice we see youthful egos constantly at war with the attached older bodies. One thing that might help is to develop a morning routine of flexibility/mobility to help you absorb and withstand the intense workouts that might occur less frequently with older athletes. Enjoy some interesting food for thought as well as practical tips in this program.  Brad shares his thoughts on why it is important to stop and think about what reasons you have for participating in sports as well as what your long term goals are. Do you need to rethink what you are doing? [00:02:29]  What are the considerations we, as athletes, should look for regarding protecting our health? How much exercise is too much? [00:15:00]  What are some scary things we need to know about our heart if we continue to push our bodies? [00:21:44]  What are the abnormal heart rhythms that can happen to us? What symptoms should we watch for? [00:28:51]  One Running Shoe in the Grave Run For Your Life, But Not Too Far Running on EmptySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lindsay Taylor tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air. Some recurring themes are coming through with many questioners. In particular, the questioning how "180-age" aerobic maximum heart rate limit applies to real-life goals and the desire to open up the throttle now and then and get race ready. While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Kevin, age 43 asks about a 50-K race he has scheduled. "Do I begin the MAF training now and just run the race with whatever gains I've made or do I continue training as I have been and begin MAF following the race?" [00:02:49]  What are the consequences if I went over MAF for one run? [00:09:20]  Matthew, age 28 asks, "I've been running for about 17 years but only starting training by Dr. Phil when I had my ACL reconstructed about five months ago. As I recover from this, how do I know when I can push it back to my regular heart rate of 150?" [00:12:56]  Two questions from a listener about eating primally. Does it matter what time of day one does an intermittent fast? [00:16:38]  This person wants to know about running slowly asking if it is okay four to six months of Zone 2 training? [00:19:32]  How high should my heart rate be if I am beginning my Primal Endurance training after a period of time off from training? [00:20:51] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.