WHOOP Podcast

NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes sits down for a wide ranging discussion on strain, recovery, and peak performance.  Patrick shares his WHOOP data with Will Ahmed and they examine just what kind of toll the NFL season takes on the human body.  Patrick also shares how his father's baseball career inspired him to become a professional athlete (3:01), why he almost picked other sports over football (5:21), how visualization and mindset play a key role in his success (10:04), the advice Tom Brady gave him (12:39), his WHOOP data (17:23), building strain throughout the season (21:47), overcoming red recoveries (23:11), and his Super Bowl data (24:48). Plus, Will and Patrick hit on a variety of topics and discuss if they're good for football or bad for football (26:50).Support the showFollow WHOOP: www.whoop.com Trial WHOOP for Free Instagram TikTok YouTube X Facebook LinkedIn Follow Will Ahmed: Instagram X LinkedIn Follow Kristen Holmes: Instagram LinkedIn Follow Emily Capodilupo: LinkedIn

Haley Adams won CrossFit’s teen division in 2018, and said then that she would win the CrossFit Games within 5 years. Since moving up to the adult division two years ago, she has turned in 6th and 4th place finishes at the Games and is looking for an even stronger performance this year. She joins the WHOOP Podcast to detail her journey to the top of the sport, how she thinks about performance, and why she tries to help girls who are getting into CrossFit. Haley sits down with Mike Lombardi to talk about finding success in CrossFit at a young age (2:05), switching from gymnastics to CrossFit (3:12), how different workouts affect your recovery (6:17), being a role model for the next generation of athletes (10:16), overcoming low recoveries (14:52), eating before bed (16:33), training and sleep (19:02), where she finds her inspiration (20:25), competing against her idols (21:37), and the new era of CrossFit (24:25).Support the showFollow WHOOP: www.whoop.com Trial WHOOP for Free Instagram TikTok YouTube X Facebook LinkedIn Follow Will Ahmed: Instagram X LinkedIn Follow Kristen Holmes: Instagram LinkedIn Follow Emily Capodilupo: LinkedIn

Steve Cook is one of the most recognizable people in the fitness space. He took a lifelong interest in working out and staying active and turned it into a successful bodybuilding career on stage and creating content online. This episode is about following your passions and finding your identity. Steve explains how he found solace in the gym after his football career stopped and his marriage ended. He says those trying times resulted in a change of direction in his life that allowed him to get to where he is today. Steve discusses charting a new path in life (2:47), pursuing your goals (6:56), getting into fitness at a young age (10:32), his bodybuilding career (11:57), how WHOOP warned him of COVID (20:27), recovery (22:37), HRV (24:44), the dark side of bodybuilding (33:00), practical vs. optimal in fitness (41:20), accountability (42:40), enjoying the journey (51:22).Support the showFollow WHOOP: www.whoop.com Trial WHOOP for Free Instagram TikTok YouTube X Facebook LinkedIn Follow Will Ahmed: Instagram X LinkedIn Follow Kristen Holmes: Instagram LinkedIn Follow Emily Capodilupo: LinkedIn

Emily Capodilupo, WHOOP VP of Data Science and Research, returns to the WHOOP Podcast to detail our latest COVID-19 vaccine research. We've found that younger people are more likely to be affected by the vaccine than older people. Additionally,  you should expect to feel more rundown by the second dose than the first, but any vaccine aftereffects are short lived and only last a day or two. Emily and Will Ahmed detail our research (0:55), the difference between mRNA and viral vector vaccines (4:19),  key takeaways (6:30), the second Pfizer and Moderna doses (8:30),  the most common reported symptom (12:10), how the vaccines affect sleep (12:40), why the vaccines are hitting young people harder (13:41), how quickly people bounce back from symptoms (17:37),  why we might need additional COVID immunizations (20:54), and how to best prepare for your shot (24:30).Support the showFollow WHOOP: www.whoop.com Trial WHOOP for Free Instagram TikTok YouTube X Facebook LinkedIn Follow Will Ahmed: Instagram X LinkedIn Follow Kristen Holmes: Instagram LinkedIn Follow Emily Capodilupo: LinkedIn

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan joins the WHOOP Podcast for a wide-ranging discussion about navigating the pandemic, optimal performance, and the PGA’s groundbreaking new partnership with WHOOP. Under Jay’s steady leadership, golf was the first pro sport to return from the coronavirus shutdown and paved the way for other sports leagues to get back to play. He details the bumps in the road, how WHOOP data helped keep golfers and staff safe as play resumed, and why he believes the last year has been a renaissance for the sport. Jay discusses Hideki Matsuyama’s Masters win (3:10), why he loves the values of golf and what the sport stands for (5:49), golf at the height of the pandemic (10:47), Nick Watney and respiratory rate as a COVID warning sign (13:22), health and performance in golf (18:58), data for athletes (22:45), how WHOOP Live data is coming to golf (27:11), the Tour’s commitment to charity (29:10), and sleep consistency (31:29)Support the showFollow WHOOP: www.whoop.com Trial WHOOP for Free Instagram TikTok YouTube X Facebook LinkedIn Follow Will Ahmed: Instagram X LinkedIn Follow Kristen Holmes: Instagram LinkedIn Follow Emily Capodilupo: LinkedIn

John John Florence, two-time world champion surfer, joins the WHOOP Podcast for a discussion on mindfulness, visualization, and the mental skills needed to be successful in sports and in life.  He explains how his mindset helped him recover from a torn ACL in 5 months in order to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.  John John also discusses how the best surfers in the world inspired him (5:20), the mental side of surfing (7:57), controlling the controllables (10:09), mindfulness in sports and life (15:50), overcoming his ACL injury (22:31), qualifying for the Olympics (25:55), surfing strain on WHOOP (29:12), understanding HRV (32:15), managing red recoveries (44:25), sleep need (50:34), and where he finds inspiration (55:04).Support the showFollow WHOOP: www.whoop.com Trial WHOOP for Free Instagram TikTok YouTube X Facebook LinkedIn Follow Will Ahmed: Instagram X LinkedIn Follow Kristen Holmes: Instagram LinkedIn Follow Emily Capodilupo: LinkedIn

Willy Walker, CEO of Walker & Dunlop and a dedicated athlete, shares his journey of transforming a family business into a thriving enterprise. He candidly discusses the critical balance between personal and professional life while highlighting the importance of mental well-being. Topics include overcoming injuries, the impact of alcohol, and the valuable lessons learned in accountability. With insights on running and resilience, Willy emphasizes gratitude and teamwork as essential elements in both business and fitness.

Bryan Johnson is on a mission to unlock the secrets of the human brain. Using the money he made from the sale of Venmo in 2013, Bryan launched a groundbreaking company, Kernel, that builds hardware measuring the activity of your brain. The team at Kernel recently did a study with WHOOP that showed a direct correlation between sleep quality and impulse control. Bryan joins Will Ahmed to discuss his mission (2:47), finding your purpose (5:08), the success of Venmo (9:56), making his dream a reality (11:19), building a WHOOP for the brain (13:33), Kernel’s study with WHOOP (20:00), what we can learn from neural data (25:50), the future of brain measuring technology (29:43), fasting 13 hours before bed to optimize deep sleep (37:23), why singing is his secret to high HRV (37:53).Support the showFollow WHOOP: www.whoop.com Trial WHOOP for Free Instagram TikTok YouTube X Facebook LinkedIn Follow Will Ahmed: Instagram X LinkedIn Follow Kristen Holmes: Instagram LinkedIn Follow Emily Capodilupo: LinkedIn

Alex Honnold is one of the greatest rock climbers on the planet and is most famous for his daring ascent of Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Capitan without a rope. The climb was chronicled in the Oscar award-winning National Geographic documentary Free Solo. Few athletes in the world have reached the level of mastery in their field the way Alex has. He details how visualization has prepared him for some of his most dangerous and awe-inspiring accomplishments. Alex shares how he has trained himself to control and almost eliminate fear while he makes life or death solo climbs. He discusses his beginnings in rock climbing (3:40), risk vs. consequence (9:25), judging success based on the journey, not the outcome (11:46), playing to your strengths (18:10), training for El Capitan (24:50), Free Solo (28:00), visualization (32:41), overcoming fear (37:24), REM Sleep (43:16), what’s next (55:44), staying safe while free soloing (1:02:18), his public perception as a risk taker (1:04:33), and avoiding risks in everyday life (1:05:44).Support the showFollow WHOOP: www.whoop.com Trial WHOOP for Free Instagram TikTok YouTube X Facebook LinkedIn Follow Will Ahmed: Instagram X LinkedIn Follow Kristen Holmes: Instagram LinkedIn Follow Emily Capodilupo: LinkedIn

Rich Diviney spent 20 years in the Navy SEALs, including time as a commanding officer of the famed SEAL Team Six, the unit that killed Osama Bin Laden. He did 13 overseas deployments, 11 of those to Afghanistan and Iraq. Rich details how the right mental framework can prime you for success, no matter what challenges you might be facing in your life. He discusses becoming a Navy SEAL (2:43), SEAL training (5:13), leadership (9:07), confidence and perseverance (12:54), adaptability and resilience (14:43), controlling the controllables (15:58), antifragility and how to come back stronger after being pushed below your baseline (20:31), neuroplasticity (28:08), utilizing microrecoveries (29:45), peak performance vs. optimal performance (39:24), taking care of your body (42:49), the human engine and attributes (49:12), discovering which attributes you have (51:15). Support the showFollow WHOOP: www.whoop.com Trial WHOOP for Free Instagram TikTok YouTube X Facebook LinkedIn Follow Will Ahmed: Instagram X LinkedIn Follow Kristen Holmes: Instagram LinkedIn Follow Emily Capodilupo: LinkedIn