Mastering the Wheel of Health for Peak Performance | Todd Vande Hei

Todd Vande Hei—CEO of Stark Health—joins David for the final episode of season 2, sharing his transformation from medical crisis in his 30s to top-tier health in his 50s. Todd outlines his game-changing “Wheel of Health” framework—designed to assess and optimize all key health domains—and explains how integrating lifestyle, exercise, nutrition, stress management, hormone balance, and data tracking leads to sustainable gains.

Together Todd and David debunk magic bullets, emphasizing fundamentals and strategic measurement using tools like DEXA, HRV tracking, blood panels, and hormone labs. Todd also touches on enhancing mental resilience through cold immersion, AI-assisted personalized training, and when hormone therapy can be a foundational game-changer.

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon once again joins David for the final part of this episode, this time discussing the importance of muscle quality over quantity and advocating measuring the fat within the muscle to assess true muscular health. The two reinforce the importance of body autonomy, stating that if a tool helps someone mentally and emotionally—whether they have 5 or 50 pounds to lose—it’s valid. The key takeaway from this conversation: health is not fate, it’s a skill that can be acquired and mastered to achieve peak performance.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Holding My Baby—Morning Epiphany

01:13 From Medical Crisis to Peak Health

05:14 Building the Wheel of Health Framework

07:34 Life Integration vs Balance—The Dance

12:30 Measurement Tools: Oura, DEXA, Labs

16:56 What Works—Lifestyle Always Comes First

18:23 Hormone Therapy: A Foundational Tool

21:20 Cold Plunges & Brain Growth

22:22 Teen Testosterone Decline & Digital Stress

24:01 AI’s Role in Personalized Training

27:57 Minimal Viable Training: 2–4 hrs/week

29:43 Individual Variability: Goals & History

32:44 Key Metrics: Grip, VO₂max, Mental Health

34:58 Final Takeaways + How to Follow Todd

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David Nurse is an NBA/elite performance optimization coach, the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Do It: The Life-Changing Power of Taking Action, and an internationally-acclaimed motivational keynote speaker.

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