Metabolic Mastery

Ep. 20 - Inside the "Secret Lab": Richard Diaz on VO₂, Hybrid Fitness, and Winning the Hard Way


Listen Later

https://korr.com/products/vo2-max-testing-system/

Hybrid fitness meets metabolic science. In this episode of Metabolic Mastery (by KORR Medical Technologies), Dr. Marc Humbert and Dr. Cameron Garber sit down with legendary performance coach Richard Diaz—the man behind "the Secret Lab," world champions in Spartan and HYROX, and a decades-long career testing everyone from triathletes to NHL players. Richard tells the wild origin story of taking over a closing YMCA, building a VO₂ lab in his garage, and growing purely by word-of-mouth. Then we dive into the good stuff: why hybrid athletes can set records with lower VO₂max, matching training to the actual demands of your sport, gait analysis and bike fitting for free speed, using RMR + VO₂ as your crystal ball, and the mindset piece from his latest book Flow. If you've ever wondered whether testing is "only for elites," Richard will change your mind—fast. Practical, contrarian, and insanely actionable.

Website: https://diazhumanperformance.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@diazhp

Instagram: @diazhp

Facebook: @diazhp

Flow: https://www.amazon.com/Flow-Breaking-Barriers-Athletic-Performance/dp/B0F9FBS748

What You'll Learn
  • How Richard Diaz built his career from a closing YMCA to a global reputation as the coach behind world champions.

  • Why hybrid athletes thrive with "lower" VO₂ scores and what that means for your own training.

  • The role of gait analysis and bike fitting in unlocking efficiency and reducing the cost of work.

  • How VO₂ and RMR testing act like a crystal ball, revealing past training, current capacity, and future potential.

  • The real difference between aerobic vs. anaerobic demands in sports like triathlon, Spartan racing, and HYROX.

  • Why zone 2 isn't enough—and how to train specifically for your sport's demands.

  • The psychology of performance from Richard's book Flow: overcoming resistance, managing the CNS, and entering the zone.

  • Why testing isn't just for elites—how everyday athletes can benefit just as much from proper assessment.

Follow KORR:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/korrmedical/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/korrmedical/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/korrmedical

https://korr.com/

Listen to the Metabolic Mastery Podcast:

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/metabolic-mastery/id1812972674

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2sgLMFv1Z8DwEz87yUpapI?si=29a177a6c6ca4ed4

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@korrmed/podcasts

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVCRWXBDdFo_S0OeaAsPv8xTnfajTLc75&si=d4wVUA0jqajkbukB

Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d76834b7-c11a-485f-8010-32b490d49e57/metabolic-mastery

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Metabolic MasteryBy KORR Medical Technologies

  • 4
  • 4
  • 4
  • 4
  • 4

4

6 ratings


More shows like Metabolic Mastery

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

91,038 Listeners

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

38,822 Listeners

Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast - Presented by TrainerRoad by TrainerRoad

Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast - Presented by TrainerRoad

3,632 Listeners

The Rich Roll Podcast by Rich Roll

The Rich Roll Podcast

11,899 Listeners

FoundMyFitness by Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D.

FoundMyFitness

5,360 Listeners

The Strength Running Podcast by Jason Fitzgerald

The Strength Running Podcast

1,341 Listeners

Dr. Berg’s Healthy Keto and Intermittent Fasting Podcast by Dr. Eric Berg

Dr. Berg’s Healthy Keto and Intermittent Fasting Podcast

1,690 Listeners

The Peter Attia Drive by Peter Attia, MD

The Peter Attia Drive

9,193 Listeners

Fast Talk by Fast Talk Labs

Fast Talk

307 Listeners

Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

Huberman Lab

29,233 Listeners

Money For Couples with Ramit Sethi by Ramit Sethi

Money For Couples with Ramit Sethi

3,405 Listeners