In part one of this two-part show, I cover a key takeaway from Primal Endurance: the seven habits of highly effective endurance athletes. What are the seven habits? In part one, we’re focusing on the first three: 1) Sleep, 2) Stress/Rest/Balance, and 3) Following An Intuitive and Personalized Schedule. You’ll learn why sleep is number one and the next frontier of performance breakthroughs in all sports, especially endurance sports, as well as how to wake up each morning without an alarm, but still feeling completely refreshed and energized. You’ll also hear why I recommend sleeping more if you are training more and the importance of observing “lower lows” (meaning implementing more rest with shorter, easier recovery workouts, and staying below aerobic maximum heart rate for most of your workouts) as you reach for higher “highs” like breakthrough workouts. We also get into the importance of keeping your training schedule sensible, intuitive, flexible, and even spontaneous. Instead of keeping things super regimented and pre-planned, give some respect to your daily life circumstances, motivation levels, stress and energy levels, immune function, even your mood—you’ll thank yourself for this later. I also reveal why artificial light is so harmful, how to effectively achieve balance between rest and stress, and share how you can make your schedule intuitive and personalized!   LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page PrimalEndurance.fit PrimalEndurance Facebook How to Improve Your Triathlon Time Primal Endurance book Primal Endurance Mastery Course    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns, former professional triathlete, shares insights on endurance training, reflecting on his athletic career and the importance of a balanced approach. The podcast discusses the value of athlete interviews, red light therapy benefits, and the upcoming Primal Endurance mastery course.

The podcast covers various topics such as shifting from HIIT to HIRT for training, the importance of gut health for endurance athletes, personal experiences with gut dysfunction and healing, cardiovascular training with sauna use, improving running form with the 100 Up Drill, and training at aerobic heart rates. It also includes success stories of healing heart problems with the Primal Endurance approach and tips on nutrition for athletes.

Brad welcomes back popular Australian guest Andre Obradovic to go off script and talk about real-life matters not related to workout strategy, but of critical importance to your happiness and effectiveness as a parent, partner or career person. If you caught Andre's previous shows, you will love his colorful, hard-hitting commentary about what it takes to succeed as an endurance athlete and his important call for "no muppets" (blind followers who can't think for themselves). In this show, Brad and Andre, both age 53 as it happens, reflect on their journey as fathers of kids who are now adult age and offer some choice feedback for young dads trying to balance raising kids with intense athletic and career goals. Yes, this show takes an important and memorable detour from the constant talk about training. You will love Andre's insightful commentary in fresh Aussie spirit. An important show to reflect upon, especially for young dads trying to do it all.    TIMESTAMPS: These two experienced athletes and fathers talk about how to balance their lives. [00:00:16]  What impact does our behavior as parents affect the children? [00:02:33]   We can look back and see a culture without today's technology and yet we were still too busy to learn to relax.  [00:08:23]  The parent needs to set the example of healthy eating, more sleep, healthier lifestyle. [00:15:15]  What are some tips on how to teach your kids or partners to make healthier choices? [00:19:03]  As you get older, how should you set your goals?  [00:21:18]  Are the helicopter parents pushing too hard? [00:23:44]  Think about how you are teaching your children about money. [00:27:55]  It's a high priority to help your children learn to make healthy meals. [00:38:25]  Stress at home can disrupt your performance at work and training.  Pay attention to family. [00:41:34]  LINKS: Andre Obaradovic QUOTES: Life’s too short to suffer. If you were to die tomorrow, how would you want your kids to remember you? To talk about you?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the awesome big picture show about healthy living and avoiding the manipulations of today’s mainstream media and marketing forces, Brad welcomes Dr. Maffetone back for a show on the usual popular topics of endurance peak performance. First, Phil discusses the amazing marathoner Eluid Kipchoge, and how he can finally hit the magic 1:59 barrier. First, running barefoot would achieve a significant time improvement! Yes, hard to do if you have been in shoes for years. Second, getting muscular balance treatments, because hard training creates imbalances that increase injury risk and slow you down. Dr. Phil says even extreme endurance goals are not necessarily unhealthy for older folks if you adopt the correct approach. He cites examples of world class endurance athletes around age 40, and also recommends that you have more patience with recovery as you get older. On the topic of explosive training, Phil relates how important this is even for endurance athletes, who “epidemic” show physical and functional weaknesses. Try to add a vertical jump test to your MAF test as an excellent fitness marker. If you can’t exceed 12 inches from a standing start, you best add more explosive training.  A couple great ideas: Sprint for 7 seconds several times, with long recovery periods between (~30 seconds) and repeat a couple times per week. Consider Maffetone’s “slow weights” idea, where you perform a single set of a single exercise, but repeat it several times a day. I have a hexagonal deadlift bar in my backyard for this purpose. Choose a weight that’s about 80% of your single rep absolute max and do about six reps. If you do this several times a day, you are talking about a fantastic increase in strength in a short time! What you are doing with these brief workouts is recruiting more of your existing muscle fibers to perform a function. This differs from the hypertrophy workouts when you break down and exhaust muscles, slam down protein shakes, and prompt the growth of bigger muscles—often these are for looking rad only and can obviously compromise endurance performance. With these brief single set, single exercise sessions, you avoid the risks and the adverse consequences of post-workout muscle soreness, something Brad complained to Phil about and he confirms is no bueno. Soreness leaves the muscles weak for a couple days, and if you get sore a couple times a week, well…FYI, did you know Ben Franklin was the one who made up “no pain, no gain?” Always fun insights from Dr. Phil. Enjoy, and check out his PhilMaffetone.com website and products! It's time to start thinking about running barefoot. [00:00:43]  We are now close to an athlete breaking two-hour marathon. Look at Eliud Kipchoge. [00:03:41]  Muscles imbalance is a big concern. Posture and gait are important. [00:12:59]  Running at the same pace with muscle imbalance could raise your heart rate 5 or 6 beats! [00:15:27]  What kind of practitioner would deal with muscle imbalance? The assessment is really important. [00:17:19]  The times of the marathon have decreased in recent years. Why have people slowed down?  [00:19:18]  Diet is primary to the training. You cannot run away from a bad diet. [00:22:51]  As we age, do we need to rethink the basic premise of these endurance goals? [00:24:16]  What about in the explosive sports? [00:29:04]  As you age, are there some modifications one would make to their training? [00:31:53]  What kind of parameters do you recommend to assess whether the subject is recovered and ready for another explosive workout?  [00:36:18]  Overtraining or undertraining? [00:38:49]  Shouldn't we expect muscle soreness after workouts? [00:41:13]  What is a jump test? [00:42:58]  How can we build strength without getting weak muscles? [00:47:00]  We can train the brain to learn to contract more muscle fibers within the muscle. [00:51:57]  If you are not eating enough protein, it will be difficult to get stronger. [01:01:56]  Not all vitamins you buy in a jar are healthy. Do we get enough Vitamin D? [01:03:53]  LINKS: Eliud Kipchoge Phil Maffetone BradKearns.com Pocket Hercules QUOTES: You cannot run away from a bad diet! (Tim Noakes) We have a serious epidemic of weakness throughout the world. (Phil Maffetone) Why would you want to sacrifice your health and fitness just to look better? (Maffetone) People who put on a lot of bulk are not necessarily stronger. (Maffetone) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Phil Maffetone returns to the show and we take a few steps back to cover some big picture items. First, the tremendous amount manipulation and hype we are exposed to each day with mainstream media is destructive and unhealthy. Phil disengages from this stuff! Realize how we make impulse decisions based on primitive brain function, or alternatively can get over-analytical. Better to cultivate our intuition where we can leverage both powerful gut instincts with our rational mind skills. Phil describes the global “overfat” epidemic, and how you can strive to keep waistline less than half your height in inches. This will help you avoid the prevailing disease triad of chronic inflammation, carbohydrate intolerance, and insulin resistance. First step to health: Ditch refined carbohydrates (sugars, flour/bread products, sweetened beverages) for two weeks per Maffetone’s “2-week test.” Then you can reintroduce natural carbohydrates back in (fruit, sweet potatoes, etc.) and see what you can tolerate without adverse symptoms. For many people with insulin resistance and decades of junk food consumption, keto might be warranted. Check out Dr. Phil’s great articles and products at PhilMaffetone.com TIME STAMPS:   We want to personalize our journey of life in a way that we continually build our health and fitness.  [00:02:50] There are two ways that our brains work.  1. Instant gratification. 2. We think in an analytical way.  [00:07:35]  Many writings are: "Here's how to do it." Sometimes it makes things worse. [00:12:11]  Companies are allowed to convince us to be unhealthy. Pubic health education needs to help. [00:14:24]  Sometimes a person has to experience pain for them to start to listen to advice.  [00:16:11]  There needs to be a consensus about refined vegetable oils and their impact on public health. It's about the money. [00:20:07]  What should a well intentioned person do about making decisions about eggs, for example? Or training styles? [00:24:04]  People are often willing to latch on to tradition and emotion when making their decisions. [00:28:22]  The problem is it is difficult for us to see if the advise we are getting is effective. Doctors tend to treat the diagnosis and forget there is a person there. [00:30:33]  There is so much information out there, that people are overwhelmed and confused. The stress factor plays a huge role. [00:36:49]  What are the causes of chronic illnesses?  [00:42:44]  Chronic inflammation, carbohydrate intolerance, and insulin resistance causing people to be overfat. (85% of Indian adults are overfat.) [00:46:00]  Measure your waist and hope that is is less half the height of your body. If it is not, then you are overfat.  [00:49:00]  If we want to turn things around, what can we do to attack this problem? Get rid of refined sugar and carbohydrates. [00:55:17]  One thing you may notice is that our brains work better, therefore our instincts and tuition are working better. [01:03:31]  LINKS:   PhilMaffetone.com QUOTES:   Is your waist less than half of your height?   We buy the sizzle, not the steak.   You can be normal weight and not obese and still have excess body fat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad welcomes Logan Schwartz of AustinVitalityCoach.com to discuss evolved concepts of athletic training within the context of healthy living. It's time to reject the flawed and narrow focus of the traditional athletic training approach, where the focus is on work output connected specifically to your athletic goals. Logan, like other thought leaders, places the emphasis on overall daily movement and functionality over a devoted workout regimen. Of particular interest is the concept presented about conducting brief bursts of exercise output over the course of the day. Cranking about 20 deep squats in your cubicle, doing a few vertical jumps onto a park bench, or doing a few pullups every time you enter a certain doorway in your house. This kinda stuff adds up! Furthermore, you enjoy fitness adaptation benefits without the risk of overstress and overtraining that happens with prolonged, exhausting workouts.   Logan explains that any effort that even slightly exceeds your "basic adaptation threshold will improve your fitness. If you do 5 pullups at a time 10 times per day, that's 50 pullups a day. "There is a time to survive (such as a maximum effort competition) and a time to thrive (by training in a sensible manner and leading a varied and active lifestyle.) Many more important insights are offered throughout the show, and you will pick up some recurring themes revealing the progression of thought in the fitness world from other leaders like Katy Bowman, Dr. Kelly Starrett, and Craig Marker (who advocates for HIRT--High Intensity Repeat Training, over the more popular HIIT--High Intensity Interval Training.)  Logan comes to the table with extensive experience, having been a strength and conditioning coach for the University of Texas mens and womens basketball teams for over a decade. If you have an open mind and want to get better in any sport, listen carefully to this show and broaden your perspective about what training and fitness really mean!   We are losing the ability to have delayed gratification. What one sees on social media often is distorted truth.  [00:00:40]  Are the current methods of training adequate or even appropriate? [00:04:59]  What has Logan seen to help people stay healthy, use their potential, and avoid the pitfalls of injury? [00:11:27]  We are seeing a lack of fundamentals. [00:00:15:00] High intensity interval training is tiring. The idea is not how much you can endure over the length of the workout, it's the performance of each interval that matters. [00:20:25]  We should get back to self-limiting exercise. [00:23:41]  Train all day.  The body was not designed for what most of us do during the day. [00:25:43]  The fitness business is a business convincing that you need them. [00:28:01]  The sensible message is to sleep and eat well. The societal message has been, "if you want to get better, you have to work hard and suffer." Some people use exercise as a punishment. [00:35:54]  I love my body, why would I have a “cheat” day? [00:38:30]  Why does a person want to lose weight? [00:39:12]  Much exercise is like processed food:  Planned and structured isn't necessary. Just move.  [00:41:20] How might a person get redirected from a structured exercise program? [00:44:20]  Gradually build from your personal threshold. Worry about just getting better each time. [00:48:45]  LINKS: Austin Vitality Coach Katy Bowman QUOTES: How hard can you work without working hard? We should get back to self-limiting exercise. You don’t exercise to get fit. You exercise because you are fit. I love my body, why would I have a “cheat” day? Some people use exercise as a punishment. Man is the only animal smart enough to make it’s own food but is the only animal stupid enough to eat it! I think there are people out there trying to kill themselves in the name of health and performance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad delivers an opening monologue by emphasizing the important point that recovery requires energy in and of itself, so you have to adopt a bigger picture perspective than the narrow focus on delivering maximum energy output to workouts and taking recovery for granted. Also, (an aside!) Brad says if you are football fan there is blood on your hands and you should examine your conscience and moral implications of watching such a violent sport for our amusement. If you don’t devote proper attention and energy to recovery, big problems ensue and your training will become counterproductive.  Brad also mentions his awesome new podcast called Get Over Yourself. Details at bradkearns.com. Subscribe and enjoy broader content matter about living a long, healthy, happy life. Questions covered: Is there such a thing as too low body fat for a marathoner? How does a former bodybuilder transition over to specific endurance goals? Does a vitamin/mineral drink count against fasting/autophagy benefits? Are MAF test results varying by air temperature (yes, big time!) ? Is drifting a bit above MAF during workouts a big deal (yes!)? How do you get enough calories during a busy day without carb snacks? What about using ketone supplements during training? Hang with us as we go to town!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad talks about an assortment of interesting concepts, including: Fasting (and not exercising at all) to beat out a cold. The nuance of the "S" pattern in the swim stroke and, while technically accurate, might mess up yo' head like a technical golf swing tip. The difference between improving your MAF performance time versus improving your MAF endurance (not slowing down as much over the course of the test); being chill about your MAF number and setting beeper 5 beats below MAF to take corrective action before you exceed; Doing a 180 mi ride after a 24 hour fast and consuming no food calories for 18 hours of the ride. And the critical difference between the popular training concept of HIIT (high-intensity interval training), and the evolved strategy of HIRT (high-intensity repeat training). Brad was first exposed to this concept by noted MMA trainer Joel Jamieson and it has greatly improved his performance and recovery from sprint workouts. HIIT = extra stress, fatigue and recovery time. HIRT = high-quality performance and less stress cost. Listen to the show and you might get some fantastic tips to optimize your training, particularly with the high-intensity stuff endurance athletes often mess up.  What are we learning about recovery and general fitness, training, and diet? [00:02:55]  From Paris comes this question: How is the best way to attack a cold? [00:11:51]  Should we change our MAF heart rate every year? Honoring the MAF heart rate is extremely important. [00:17:15]  How many miles do we need to do accurate measuring the MAF test? [00:19:58]  David asks about the "S" strokes while swimming. David talks about his success when adapting to Keto/primal way of eating. [00:23:12]   After training in a fasted state, is there any difference in fat adaptation in burning body fat vs. dietary fat? [00:29:03]  Carl, a Norwegian living in the Middle East, says as I am relaxing my training I am putting a lower heart rate in thereby working to build the aerobic system. [00:32:07]  Josh is an amateur bicycler is wondering about high intensity workouts or is it better to stick with mostly aerobic endurance training? (HIT and HIRT training) (high intensity and high intensity repeat training) [00:34:24]  Zach from Arkansas is asking about his glucose readings.  If glucose is high, it indicates that the fight or flight response has been triggered. [00:45:17]    LINKS: Brad’s podcast (how to swim faster) Brad’s podcast (How to run faster) Dr. Cate Shannahan Michellie Jones Kelly Starrett Brian MacKenzie: Get Over yourself podcast Light Pollution Map Periodization Training   Alert: Primal Endurance shows are soon moving to publish on the Primal Blueprint podcast main channel. Be sure to subscribe to the Primal Blueprint podcast and get regularly published Primal Endurance shows along with all the other great content at the PB Podcast channel. All existing Primal Endurance shows will be available on this podcast channel for eternity; you'll just have to switch over to enjoy new shows. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad continues a lively conversation with Dude Spellings of Austin, TX. Dude describes how he overcame his frustration with his "slow" MAF training and allowed himself to build a strong aerobic base. Oh yeah, he also lost another 25 pounds to get down to lean, mean racing weight decades after being a hotshot young runner. Brad and Dude expound on the benefits and rationale for emphasizing aerobic training. Dude offers a great insight about measuring your aerobic output by time instead of by mileage. Top marathoners run 120 miles per week, but they are only out there for 10 hours, you know? Dude and Brad will get you psyched to delve into the wonderful world of cold therapy, and Dude exclaims that his cold exposure practice has made him a more chill guy in real life. He offers scientific references to mention that excess body fat might be a function of not just diet, but constant exposure to pleasant ambient temperatures, and excess blue light exposure messing with your appetite hormones. You'll be ready to take your first cold shower after listening to Dude and Brad! In training for competing, we used to think that you had to produce as much work as possible without thinking of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. [00:01:55]  Think about this: What is the highest purpose for being out that working out? . [00:04:30]  By training with the MAF method, the performance can escalate without risking burnout. [00:09:22]  The amount of time you are putting in is more important than the amount of miles. [00:11:01]  Cold therapy is the natural way to go. After the initial shock of the water, you get the flood of chemicals that give you high. [00:14:08]  The mental benefits of exposure to the cold are many. You can learn to take control over your life rather than being reactive. [00:22:00]  Exposure to artificial light is common in our society.  This messes up our sleep cycle and the mitochondrial function. [00:23:48]  Public consciousness is dragging behind. When the sun goes down, our body thinks it is to go to sleep, however, we expose ourselves to artificial light which is a contributing factor to obesity. [00:30:03]  The unnatural light is why the ketogenic diet works for most people. [00:32:21]  Playing speed golf opened Dude up to getting good fitness and nutrition goals in place. [00:33:26]  It is an important element in life to have competitive goals. [00:37:42]    LINKS: Deena Kastor: Bronze medalist at Olympics Brad Kearns Cold Therapy: Watch this YouTube video Kelly Starrett: Coach, physical therapist, author, speaker, and creator of a blog, which has revolutionized how athletes think about human movement and athletic performance. Marks Daily Apple: The (Maybe Not So) Definitive Guide to Cold Therapy Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar and Survival   QUOTES: “If you run 100 miles a week at 10 miles per hour, that’s only 10 hours per week!”  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.