WHOOP Podcast

Chris Herren was a high school and college basketball star who eventually made his way to the NBA, but also saw his career and life derailed by drug and alcohol abuse. Now 12 years sober, Chris is one of the leading addiction prevention and recovery advocates in the country and uses WHOOP at his treatment centers to help people find their path to recovery. He discusses his pathway to addiction (4:46), going from top recruit to getting kicked out of college (8:49), his addiction to painkillers (14:45), a downward spiral (16:50), buying drugs before games (19:16), getting addicted to heroin (24:34), letting his loved ones down (27:53), using his platform to help others (31:26), the role of WHOOP in addiction treatment (33:42), why self confidence and drug use often go hand-in-hand (42:50), the turning point in his life (44:00), and making a difference in the lives of others (46:29).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

WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes sits down with media superstar Nigel Barker, one of the top photographers on the planet. Nigel was a long-time judge on America's Next Top Model and has shot photos for some of the biggest stars in the world, including Taylor Swift. Nigel discusses finding confidence and overcoming nerves (3:30), competing with Olympic rowers on his WHOOP team (8:01), drinking in moderation (11:58), what he’s learned from WHOOP (13:39), overcoming hangovers (15:47), becoming a TV star despite having no experience (20:36), following your dreams (24:08), taking risks (31:50), dealing with criticism (36:07), turning disappointment into success (39:35), the true meaning of beauty (41:59), and believing in yourself (45:49).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

On this week’s episode of the WHOOP Podcast, Kristen Holmes sits down with Chris Mosier, the first trans man to represent the United States in international athletic competition. Chris is a trailblazer in the world of sports. He successfully challenged the International Olympic Committee’s policy on trans athletes and has made Team USA 6 times in duathlon and triathlon. Chris discusses advocating for trans athletes (4:10), his fear of losing sports after transition (7:01), finding yourself (11:44), supporting trans youth (14:47), sports and life lessons (21:32), recovering from two mini-strokes (24:31), finding running (26:14), painkiller abuse (31:08), using WHOOP (33:50), learning from the WHOOP Journal (39:03), and his motto to live by (43:05).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

Jason Hehir directed the Emmy award-winning series The Last Dance, chronicling Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. It was the most-watched documentary in ESPN history and is already regarded by many as one of the best sports docs ever made. He sits down with Will Ahmed to talk about his never-ending quest to find out what makes the greatest athletes on earth human, the obstacles his team had to overcome to finish all 10 episodes on-time, and what it was truly like interviewing Jordan. Jason discusses following his dream (2:22), what it's like interviewing elite athletes (5:17), how The Last Dance became a reality (12:37), working at light speed to get the series finished (16:00), finding the humanity in world-class athletes (21:41), dealing with criticism (23:41), the breakthrough moment interviewing Jordan (30:29), betting with Mike (34:31), the iPad (39:49), the flu game (43:50), Scottie Pippen (50:09), Jerry Krause (52:23), Phil Jackson (56:49), the memorable ending to Episode 7 (1:04:05), and Jordan's unmatched desire to win (1:07:14).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

Rory McKernan, the face and voice of the CrossFit Games and the CrossFit Open for the past decade, sits down with WHOOP Performance Manager and resident CrossFit expert Mike Lombardi to talk about the evolution of the sport over the years. Rory discusses what the future of the sport might look like (5:05), his experiences covering elite CrossFitters (10:55), writing a book with Katrin Davidsdottir (12:16), growing into his job as a writer and broadcaster (13:02), the role of data in CrossFit (16:14), learning about strain (18:10), how to define fitness gains (20:28), the next stars of CrossFit (21:55), why focusing on one sport isn't a good idea (26:17), winning a football state championship with a young Drew Brees (26:39), and overcoming injuries sustained during pickup games at CrossFit HQ (28:47).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

Dr. Kevin Sprouse is one of the leading sports medicine and exercise physiology experts in the country. He works with some of the best athletes on the planet, including baseball and football players, Olympians, and some of the top golfers on the PGA Tour. Kevin is also the medical director for EF Pro Cycling, one of the top 10 cycling teams in the world. WHOOP is the official wearable of EF and Dr. Sprouse shares how his team is using WHOOP data science to monitor rider well-being and to help optimize their performance during the Tour de France. Kevin discusses why he got into the field (2:29), why cycling and sports science go hand-in-hand (5:17), how recovery leads to success during the Tour De France (9:36), what his team does to improve recovery (15:25), learning how you best recover (17:38), antioxidants and free radicals (21:13), glucose monitoring (23:48), absurdly high strain data from the Tour de France (27:34), why 24/7 health monitoring is critical (31:12), understanding how alcohol affects your body (39:27), avoiding over-reliance on medication (42:57), and why the top cyclists in the world are, in his opinion, the fittest aerobic athletes on earth (45:42).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

There probably aren't too many professional video game players who are also professional bodybuilders, but Jackson Bliton is one of them. Jackson is one of the most popular video game streamers on the planet and is better known as "Bajheera" in the gaming world. Each day, thousands of people watch Jackson play World of Warcraft, while thousands more tune in to watch him broadcast his workouts. He joins WHOOP CTO and Co-Founder John Capodilupo to discuss why World of Warcraft is his chosen game (2:20), having a dream job (8:01), dropping out of school to pursue his dream (10:24), why convincing his parents that gaming could be a career wasn't easy (11:00), getting into training, weightlifting, and bodybuilding (14:53), finding success as a pro bodybuilder (20:11), why workouts are good for the body and soul (21:29), using gaming as a recovery tool (24:00), how fitness helps him perform as an elite gamer (24:33), learning from WHOOP (29:27), his training philosophy (32:53), taking the first step toward self-improvement (35:48), and how to overcome poor recoveries (39:48). 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

Sam Dancer, one of the top CrossFitters in the world, joins the WHOOP Podcast to discuss the keys to recovery and healing. Sam was one of the first athletes on WHOOP and describes the profound impact it has had on his life, helping him cut out prescription drugs, coffee, and tobacco. He also explains how WHOOP has improved his relationships with others and his relationship with himself. Sam discusses how he found CrossFit during a self-described identity crisis (2:58), competing with a broken leg at the CrossFit games (7:20), discovering WHOOP (8:09), how he stopping taking prescription drugs (10:36), the impact stress has on recovery (15:57), why WHOOP has improved his spiritual life (18:08), love's affect on recovery (21:05), listening, observing, and reacting (21:57), staying present (25:01), the keys to success (27:24), and finding peace and happiness with WHOOP (36:38).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

Dr. Bob Arnot returns to the WHOOP Podcast to share his tips and tricks for defying aging and talk about his new book, Flip the Youth Switch. Dr. Bob dives deep on why age is just a number and details how you can lower your “biological age” by improving your heart rate variability with WHOOP. Dr. Bob discusses how he competes athletically with 25-year-olds at the age of 72 (3:15), how WHOOP taught him to recover (5:28), why wearables are changing medicine (15:05), optimizing workouts and recoveries (19:54), advice for millennials (22:46), how to tackle your 30s (29:04), the importance of finding a lifelong sport (35:14), what we learn from athletics (41:12), appreciating the advances of modern medicine (46:19), and his best tips for people as they grow older (46:52).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

Arizona Cardinals left tackle Kelvin Beachum joins the WHOOP Podcast to detail his journey from 7th-round draft pick to established NFL starter. Kelvin is one of the most thoughtful athletes in sports. He discusses his use of visualization to help achieve his goals, what he’s learned about how to succeed in his career and in life, and why he’s always thinking about what comes next after football. Kelvin dives deep on how he transformed his body to become an offensive lineman (4:03), why he’s doing more mobility work than ever before (6:45), the rigors of the NFL season (9:00), how he uses WHOOP (10:05), why he views sex as a primer for workouts (11:50), prescription drug use in the NFL (13:23), concussions (18:10), a day in the life of an NFL player (19:51), taking care of his body (26:27), why visualization is one of the keys to his success (28:33), performing on the big stage (30:49), and the importance of embracing the present (35:15).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