The Over 40 Alpha Podcast

If you want to naturally increase your testosterone levels, alcohol is one of the first things you need to cut off. Alcohol increases estrogen, the female hormone. We need to have a little bit of estrogen in our blood, but too much of it causes belly fat storage and man boobs and keeps us counterbalanced. Sleep is essential, too, for the production of testosterone. This hormone is produced in the morning, but deep sleep is crucial. Since alcohol compromises the quality of your sleep, its consumption compromises your testosterone levels.Today’s guest, James Swanwick, is an expert in both alcohol and sleep.James Swanwick is a former SportsCenter anchor on ESPN, CEO and founder of Swanwick Sleep and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle, and host of the podcast Alcohol-Free Lifestyle. His teachings on sleep and alcohol have been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur magazine, and Psychology Today.Swanwick Sleep makes stylish blue light-blocking glasses known as Swannies. These products help people avoid the harmful effects of exposure to blue light and improve their sleep quality.Besides, he’s the author of “The 30 Day No Alcohol Challenge”, a book that helps people let go of alcohol, even if they are only social drinkers, to take their performance from average to the highest level!As you can tell, I had enough reasons to bring James to the show. Tune in to discover amazing hacks you can utilize to quit alcohol for good, improve your sleep and feel even more SuperHuman. “If you’ve got those five pillars (fun, community, accountability, coaching, and skin in the game), you’ll stop drinking. But most people are just tryna use willpower and motivation, and they are stuck in the hamster wheel.” —James Swanwick In This Episode: How did James become an alcohol and sleep expertWhy do you need to do a 30-day challenge but be open to continueThe effects of drinking alcoholHow fast will your health improve if you quit alcohol nowThe 5 components to stop drinkingThe reason why alcohol compromises the quality of your sleepProtective glasses for improving your sleepTips for socializing alcohol-freeConnect with James Swanwick:Alcohol-Free Lifestyle - https://alcoholfreelifestyle.com/Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/alcohol-free-lifestyle/id1518416850Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jamesswanwick/Swanwick Sleep - www.swanwicksleep.com - Discount Code: FUNK to get 10% off in SwanniesWebsite - www.jamesswanwick.comConnect with Funk Roberts: Website - https://www.over40alpha.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/funkrobertsfitnessSubscribe and Listen on iTuneshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-over-40-alpha-podcast/id1446632685 Listen to This Episode on Your Favourite Podcast Channelwww.over40alphapodcast.com

When it comes to our health, we know our destination. We know what we want to accomplish and how we want to feel. But to get there, we first need to know where we stand. According to Justin Roethlingshoefer, knowing our Heart Rate Variability is the KPI that tells us where we are on any given day. Then, the 8 controllables are the instructions we must follow to reach our health destination. When I first heard about Justin, I knew he was a former athlete and an excellent trainer. But that’s not all. He is a performance coach to elite athletes and executives, a bestselling author, and a successful entrepreneur. Justin is the co-founder of the Own It Coaching system and the host of the Sports Science and Recovery Podcast. During this episode, Justin explains in detail the characteristics of the 8 controllables. Besides, he shares actionable items you can implement after discovering your HRV. So listen to what Justin says, write the info down, and then create a plan, implementing or replacing one habit at a time. Don’t sleep on this episode. It was life-changing for me, and it will be life-changing for you. “We’ve been just dropped into this space of mediocrity because we’ve disintegrated the mental, the physical, the spiritual, emotional, experience, condition, that we’re living in here on Earth. And if we can’t harness it back together, we are gonna continue to see the disintegration of our health.” —Justin Roethlingshoefer In This Episode: Justin’s backgroundEarly interest in Heart Rate VariabilityAn integrated and holistic approach to healthThe “fake health” stateDescription of the 8 controllablesProtocols to implement in times of high stressPower of the acronym PREPARERole of wearables in HRVConnect with Justin Roethlingshoefer:Website - https://ownitcoaching.com/about/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/justinroeth/Master Your Wearable in 6 Minutes - https://ownitcoaching4496.ac-page.com/masterin6minutescomConnect with Funk Roberts: Website - https://www.over40alpha.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/funkrobertsfitnessSubscribe and Listen on iTuneshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-over-40-alpha-podcast/id1446632685 Listen to This Episode on Your Favourite Podcast Channelwww.over40alphapodcast.com

Mobility must be a pillar in our workouts. It ensures we stay injury-free, recover from our training sessions, and do not suffer pain. Unfortunately, only a few men pay attention to mobility, and they believe that yoga and pilates are activities that only women perform. Today’s guest, Dr. Eoin Everard, is the creator of Sports Pilates. This practice will help you with mobility as well as stability, flexibility, and motor control. Dr. Eoin Everard is an Irish chartered physiotherapist and Pilates instructor with a Ph.D. in Human Movement. Eion used his background in physio, Pilates, and his own struggles with injury to develop the Sports Pilates program. Besides, he works in a clinic in Ireland that focuses on helping people over 40 and active sporting individuals.With Sports Pilates, you must build endurance, technique, and stability before concentrating on specific body areas. Don’t skip phases, and you will see great results that will also improve your strength training routines. Start now. You won’t regret it. “It takes no more time or effort to do the right type of training as the wrong type of training.” —Dr. Eoin Everard In This Episode: Eoin Everard’s backgroundCreating pilates standing exercisesDifference between yoga and pilatesBenefits of pilates for runnersSpecific characteristics of Sports PilatesThe goal behind looking goodDifferent types of workouts, according to Ancient GreeksHow to try Sport PilatesConnect with Dr. Eoin Everard:Website - https://everardpilates.com/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/EverardPhysioandPilates/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0gFMzTqdEpSKn1_-DewcTAConnect with Funk Roberts: Website - https://www.over40alpha.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/funkrobertsfitnessSubscribe and Listen on iTuneshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-over-40-alpha-podcast/id1446632685 Listen to This Episode on Your Favourite Podcast Channelwww.over40alphapodcast.com

Eating a lot of fiber through vegetables, fruits, and nuts is an excellent component of your gut health. But sometimes, even though you eat balanced meals, you don’t get the fiber you need. So in this episode, we talk about some products that will help you take your health to the next level to get the nutrients you need. This is Part 2 of the episodes dedicated to gut health. In the previous episode, Dr. Chris Damman from Supergut explained the importance of gut health for the digestive system and overall well-being. This week, I have invited Marc Washington, the CEO of Supergut. We dive into what Supergut is, what its products offer to your body, and why all of us should be taking their shakes or bars. When I first heard about Marc’s background, I was blown away by all the incredible things he did. But I won’t tell you about it because I want you to listen to his story from the man himself. I know the supplements world. And when I learned about supplements like the ones offered by Supergut, I got very excited because I could see the passion behind what the company is doing and the focus on the consumer. Optimizing your gut is possible, and today you will learn one of the many ways to do it. “There’s no magic pill, there’s no overnight cure. It’s gotta be a habit. And if you wanna somebody create a habit, you gotta make it so that is it not too far of a stretch.” —Marc WashingtonIn This Episode: Marc Washington’s backgroundMoments that drove Marc to become an entrepreneurSupergut origin storyTypes of products created by SupergutDefinition of functional foodThe secret power of green bananasImpact of taste when establishing a habitWhere to start if you want to try Supergut productsHow having a community can help you to get healthyResources mentioned: Part 1 of Gut Health - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-104-gut-health-part-1-microbiome-with-dr-chris/id1446632685?i=1000606853422Connect with Marc Washington:Supergut - https://linktr.ee/supergut_Connect with Funk Roberts: Website - https://www.over40alpha.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/funkrobertsfitnessSubscribe and Listen on iTuneshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-over-40-alpha-podcast/id1446632685 Listen to This Episode on Your Favourite Podcast Channelwww.over40alphapodcast.com

Gut health is a significant issue in a lot of men. Myself included. In fact, I have to strive to optimize my microbiome. Even though I’m doing a lot to be healthy, there’s still more to be done. So in order to get some help, I have a special guest that will teach us about gut health and how to keep our immune system balanced. He’s Dr. Chris Damman.Dr. Chris Damman is a practicing gastroenterologist who also works as a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Washington. Furthermore, he is the Chief Medical & Scientific Officer at Supergut, a company developing functional foods that harness the microbiome to transform health. His areas of expertise include nutrition, metabolic health, and also prebiotics. In truth, it is an honor to have him as a guest on the podcast. It is most important to learn about digestive health, the gut, and why we need to focus on them. As a matter of fact, we need to take action on it. But we can’t take action until we have enough knowledge and confidence to do so. Without a doubt, this episode will inspire you to take action right away. Not all at once, but little by little. Start by changing the type of foods you eat, exercising 3 to 4 days a week, and getting more outside. Both your gut and your mental health will thank you. “Mental health is such an underserved topic within medicine and general health. And we don’t often realize just how profoundly our food and our microbes and our gut are impacting our brain.” —Dr. Chris Damman In This Episode: Definition of microbiomeImportance of butyrateThe connection between butyrate and metabolismFunctions of the mitochondriaWhy fiber has a positive effect on the gutCombination of supplements and whole foodsRole of community in our healthPrebiotics and probioticsWhere to start if you want to get healthierConnect with Dr Chris Damman:Supergut - https://linktr.ee/supergut_Faculty website – https://gastro.uw.edu/faculty/christopher-j-damman-md-maConnect with Funk Roberts: Website - https://www.over40alpha.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/funkrobertsfitnessSubscribe and Listen on iTuneshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-over-40-alpha-podcast/id1446632685 Listen to This Episode on Your Favourite Podcast Channelwww.over40alphapodcast.com

Progressive overload is a fundamental training principle in strength training, muscle building, and athletic performance enhancement. Firstly, its base is that the human body adapts to stress. Therefore, to continually stimulate improvements in strength, muscle size, and endurance, you must progressively increase the stress on your muscles during exercise.Engaging in progressive overload ensures your body receives constant challenges, forcing it to adapt to higher stress levels. As a result, this adaptation process leads to increased muscle fiber recruitment and improved neural adaptations. Moreover, the adaptation process also generates physiological changes that contribute to greater strength, muscle growth and endurance.During this episode, I cover the many important aspects of this fundamental training principle. Implementing progressive overload will enhance your strength, muscle growth, and overall muscle performance. I hope this episode inspires you to try this fundamental training principle immediately. You won’t regret it. “Progressive overload is the science and the foundation of muscle growth and strength.” —Funk RobertsIn This Episode: How to find out your rate of perceived exertionConcept of progressive overload and its importanceBenefits obtained thanks to this training principleThe science behind progressive overload, including General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)Breakdown of the 15 ways to implement this concept in your workoutsTips on incorporating progressive overloadResources: Join the Over 40 Alpha Brotherhood for just $1 – click here to start todayConnect with Funk Roberts: Website - https://www.over40alpha.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/funkrobertsfitnessSubscribe and Listen on iTuneshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-over-40-alpha-podcast/id1446632685 Listen to This Episode on Your Favourite Podcast Channelwww.over40alphapodcast.com

This is episode 102 of the podcast, but episode 2 of our Muscle Talk. In this section, my co-host Flex Marks and I discuss muscle, strength training, building muscle, and getting strong. We share information for men in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond because we have no room for error. Flex has more than 25 years of experience in the industry. He's a Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach. Flex focuses on training guys online and in person. It's important to mention that he trains EVERYBODY, from beginners to athletes. Flex loves coaching people and making them strong and lean. Some people are not willing to train their weak links. But they have to do it. We all have something that needs improvement. The glutes, the abs, the pecs. You must be uncomfortable addressing the parts of your body that need improvement. Functional training can help you do just that. In this episode, we'll explore the world of functional training and how it can help you improve your overall fitness and ability to perform daily activities. Besides sharing our definition of functional training, we mention variations of the most important movements and why you should confuse your body constantly to get better results. Remember that we, men, are here on this Earth to provide, protect and procreate. You will be the patriarch of your family, whether you want it or not. So start taking care of yourself to support your family and yourself. Until next time. “Functional training is using movements, exercises, workouts that will translate over into everyday life.” —Funk Roberts In This Episode: Definition of functional trainingFocusing on the transverse plane of the bodyFundamental foundational movementsImportance of training the backAdditional four exercises you should doHow to improve your techniqueVariations of squats, lunges, pulls, and push movementsResources: Join the Over 40 Alpha Brotherhood for just $1 – click here to start todayMax Muscle 90-Day Home Muscle Building Workout Program - https://maxmuscleprogram.com/max-muscle-sales-pageConnect with Jay “Flex” Marks:VIP Personalized Coaching with Coach Flex - https://freakmusclebuilding.comFreak Squat Training Program – https://www.freaksquadtraining.comInstagram -Connect with Funk Roberts: Website - https://www.over40alpha.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/funkrobertsfitnessSubscribe and Listen on iTuneshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-over-40-alpha-podcast/id1446632685 Listen to This Episode on Your Favourite Podcast Channelwww.over40alphapodcast.com

Hormones are chemical substances that coordinate several functions in the body. They deliver messages to cells, tissues, and organs so they can perform their regular operations. Besides, hormones control metabolism, growth and development, homeostasis, sexual function, reproduction, mood, and the sleep-wake cycle. Male hormones, including testosterone, play a significant role in a male’s reproductive and sexual health. Unlike female hormones, men’s hormones remain pretty steady from adolescence until far into their reproductive years. However, imbalances in male hormones still occur, which can negatively affect health and cause several disorders. Understanding how lifestyle factors influence hormone health can help reduce these imbalances. It’s important to realize that there are factors that influence male hormone health. Men often think that bodily changes, such as weight gain, body pain, and muscle stiffness, are part of aging. But most of these symptoms are usually caused by a hormone imbalance. Although aging naturally causes a change in male hormone levels, lifestyle factors often contribute to these changes. Moreover, these lifestyle factors can also affect testosterone levels in younger men. In this episode, I will focus on testosterone, as well as other hormones linked with its production. Besides, I will explain when is the only time you should embrace the dad body and why walking is not enough for training. Thank you for listening, have a good day, and get it done!“You need support because you can’t do this alone. As much as you think you can, you can’t. Open up for that support. Get help from other guys who are doing the same thing you are doing.” —Funk RobertsIn This Episode: Why testosterone is the number one male hormoneSymptoms of low testosteroneFactors that influence hormone imbalanceEffects of alcohol on low testosterone levelsTypes of male hormones and their functionsCharacteristics of testosterone productionHigh estrogen and its relation with testosterone production5 hormones that kill your testosterone levelsResources: Join the Over 40 Alpha Brotherhood for just $1 – click here to start todayPrevious episode about alcohol consumption - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-98-effects-of-alcohol-on-testosterone-and/id1446632685?i=1000599119325Book “Estrogeneration: How Estrogenics Are Making You Fat, Sick, and Infertile” by Antony G. Jay - https://www.amazon.com/Estrogeneration-Estrogenics-Making-Sick-Infertile/dp/1946546011Alpha Max Test 3D – 10% off Code: FUNK10 - https://funksupplementshop.com/product/alpha-max-test-3d-ultimate-testosterone-booster/Connect with Funk Roberts: Website - https://www.over40alpha.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/funkrobertsfitnessSubscribe and Listen on iTuneshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-over-40-alpha-podcast/id1446632685 Listen to This Episode on Your Favourite Podcast Channelwww.over40alphapodcast.com

As you age, maintaining and improving your core strength becomes increasingly important. A fit core helps prevent injury and improve your overall fitness. Furthermore, it plays a vital role in maintaining balance, posture, and mobility.During this episode, you'll learn what makes up your core region. And we'll also explore the costs of having a weak core. Besides, you'll learn the best ways for you, as a man over 40, to train your core muscles. We'll also dive deep into the latest research on core training. Furthermore, I'll provide practical tips and exercises to help you get the most out of your workouts.You'll also learn about the 4-Core Training system I created. At first, designed for fighters, this system is now available to every man. I'll explain how to implement these routines to ensure you cover all aspects of core training, such as rotary training, dynamic core stabilization, anti-flexion, and extension. Whether you're a seasoned gym-goer or just starting, this episode will give you valuable insights and practical advice to help you achieve your core training goals and maintain optimal health as you age. So join me as we explore the fascinating world of core training for men over 40!“Training your core is gonna be so important as we get older, even if you never trained core before.” —Funk RobertsIn This Episode: Importance of core strength as we get olderHow my son is training the right wayA weak core increases the chances of getting injuredAnatomy of the coreThe protective function of the brain when you feel painCore strength for golfers and other athletesMovements and anti-movements for the coreResources: 28 Day Core Training Challenge and 4 Core Training Program - https://www.over40shred.com/coretrainingover40Funk Roberts Fitness Shred App - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/funk-roberts-fitness-shred-app/id1421575783Join the Over 40 Alpha Brotherhood for just $1 – click here to start todayConnect with Funk Roberts: Website - https://www.over40alpha.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/funkrobertsfitnessSubscribe and Listen on iTuneshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-over-40-alpha-podcast/id1446632685 Listen to This Episode on Your Favourite Podcast Channelwww.over40alphapodcast.com

Muscle talk is essential. The reason behind this is that as we get older, we start losing muscle and gaining fat. Therefore, we must train our bodies smartly to gain strength, especially after 30. In this episode, I discuss this important topic with Jay "Flex" Marks. Flex is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach with over 25 years of experience. He coaches men over 30 and helps them achieve & maintain their dream physiques. At the age of 47, he has successfully helped thousands of guys build the body they've always wanted, with zero cardio, fad diets, and gimmicks. Today, we'll discuss our top muscle-building workout protocols designed to help you maximize your gains and reach your muscle-building goals. Whether you're a seasoned gym-goer or just starting out, these protocols will provide you with the knowledge and guidance you need to build the muscle you want. So grab a notebook and get ready to take some notes because we're diving into the world of muscle-building and the workout protocols that will help you get there. “Lots of people don’t know the difference between exercising and training. And exercising is just random exercises, and there’s no setlist, there’s no protocol, there’s no phase that you are in.” —Jay "Flex" Marks In This Episode: Supplements are one way of building muscleFlex Marks’ backgroundConfusion and progression when trainingOutside The Box Training SystemDifference between exercising and trainingPeople not taking adviceOur favorite trainingsResources: Supplements - https://funksupplementshop.com/Join the Over 40 Alpha Brotherhood for just $1 – click here to start todayMax Muscle 90-Day Home Muscle Building Workout Program - https://maxmuscleprogram.com/max-muscle-sales-pageConnect with Jay “Flex” Marks:VIP Personalized Coaching with Coach Flex - https://freakmusclebuilding.comFreak Squat Training Program – https://www.freaksquadtraining.comConnect with Funk Roberts: Website - https://www.over40alpha.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/funkrobertsfitnessSubscribe and Listen on iTuneshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-over-40-alpha-podcast/id1446632685 Listen to This Episode on Your Favourite Podcast Channelwww.over40alphapodcast.com