The Greg McKeown Podcast

362. Maximal Fitness with Minimum Time with Ben Greenfield (Part 1)

44 snips
Mar 18, 2025
In a riveting discussion, Ben Greenfield, a trailblazer in health and human optimization and NY Times bestselling author, shares his journey from a novice to completing Ironman races. He reveals innovative, time-efficient high-intensity training methods and a game-changing nutrition strategy that shifts away from traditional carbohydrate-heavy diets. Ben delves into how a ketogenic approach can enhance fat-burning efficiency for endurance athletes, empowering listeners to redefine their limits and sustain high performance while emphasizing the importance of recovery.
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ANECDOTE

Ironman Inspiration

  • Ben Greenfield, inspired by Ironman triathletes, signed up for an Ironman despite limited running experience.
  • He dove into training, completing several triathlons before finishing his first Ironman in under 10 hours.
INSIGHT

Ironman Training Physiology

  • Two key physiological lessons from Ironman training are polarized training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
  • Polarized training involves 80% low-intensity and 20% high-intensity workouts.
ADVICE

HIIT for Time-Hacking Endurance

  • Time-constrained athletes can use HIIT, focusing on race-pace intensity and prioritizing recovery.
  • This approach builds mitochondrial density efficiently, but requires focus and injury prevention.
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