Grapple & Grow: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Beginners with Robb Wolf

Robb Wolf is a former research biochemist and 2X New York Times/Wall Street Journal Best-selling author of The Paleo Solution and Wired To Eat and co-author of Sacred Cow, which explains why well-raised meat is good for us and the planet. Robb, one of the best-known names in the Paleo movement, has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide via his top-ranked iTunes podcast, books, and seminars. He co-founded the 1st and 4th CrossFit affiliate gyms in the world and then went on to co-found LMNT Electrolytes. Robb also holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, is a former California State Powerlifting Champion, and is a 6-0 amateur kickboxer. 

It’s been almost ten years since my first appearance on Robb’s Paleo Solution podcast, with the interview that ultimately launched NBT as a business. Today, Robb and I discuss the Paleo movement and why it declined in popularity, his latest business and personal ventures, his current love for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), and why you might like to try the sport, too. We also discuss red flags when choosing a gym, preventing injuries during BJJ, and staying sharp as you age.

Here’s the outline of this interview with Robb Wolf:

[00:00:26] 2014 interview on the Paleo Solution podcast.

[00:02:32] Robb's health and fitness history.

[00:07:19] Book: The Paleo Solution, by Robb Wolf.

[00:08:18] Book: Wired to Eat, by Robb Wolf.

[00:09:46] Book: Sacred Cow: The Case for (Better) Meat, by Robb Wolf and Diana Rodgers; Podcast: Kale vs Cow: The Case for Better Meat, with Diana Rodgers.

[00:12:14] LMNT electrolyte supplement.

[00:14:01] Stephen Phinney from Virta Health.

[00:14:15] Jeremy and Louise Hendon; Podcast: Paleo Entrepreneurship with Jeremy Hendon.

[00:17:01] Problems with Gatorade.

[00:19:54] What happened to Paleo?

[00:20:27] Hamilton Stapell's articles and peer-reviewed writings.

[00:20:37] Video: AHS12 Hamilton M. Stapell, PhD—Ancestral Health in Historical Context

[00:20:48] Videos: Dr. Hamilton Stapell - The Future of Paleo Part 1 and Part 2.

[00:20:59] Video: The End of Paleo — Hamilton M. Stapell, Ph.D. (AHS13)

[00:22:24] Whole 30.

[00:25:16] Benefits to Paleo Diet independent of weight loss; Study: Lindeberg, Staffan, et al. "A Palaeolithic diet improves glucose tolerance more than a Mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischaemic heart disease." Diabetologia 50 (2007): 1795-1807.

[00:28:32] Josh Turknett, MD; Paper: Turknett, Josh, and Thomas R. Wood. "Demand Coupling Drives Neurodegeneration: A Model of Age-Related Cognitive Decline and Dementia." Cells 11.18 (2022): 2789.

[00:30:14] Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

[00:34:25] Rener Gracie on Making Sense with Sam Harris: Police Training & Police Misconduct.

[00:35:11] Robb's advice on choosing a gym.

[00:37:39] Straight Blast Gym.

[00:40:28] Daisy Fresh: An American Jiu-Jitsu Story (Episode One); Andrew Wiltse.

[00:46:59] Peter Gray on play: Podcast: Free to Learn: Unleashing the Instinct to Play.

[00:49:19] Preventing injuries in BJJ.

[00:54:29] Preventing repetitive use injuries.

[00:59:41] Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for kids; self-defense.

[01:11:28] Gracie University.

[01:11:42] Robbwolf.com; Healthy Rebellion Radio.

[01:12:24] Dark Horse Podcast.