We’re trying something different on the podcast this time - this time, I’m pseudo-interviewed by my childhood best friend John Friel. John is not the most fitness-inclined individual, so we thought it would be interesting to have a discussion on why someone like him (a self-taught programmer working on an art marketplace start-up called Art in Res) would care about training - and we engage in a bit of conversational sparring that we’ve honed over decades of arguing with each other about ideas.

Check out more from John here:

• Instagram: @art_in_res
• Website: www.artinres.com//www.xhbtr.com//www.johnfriel.net

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Show Notes

• [03:25] How fitness is still important for people who don’t care about chasing six pack abs or a back squat PR. “To what end is fitness valuable?"
• [08:44] Training may increase your overall “pool of energy” throughout the so - even though you’re taking time out of your day to exercise - your overall productivity may be higher
• [17:21] Understanding the concept of asset allocation for fitness goals in terms of trading-off short-term performance improvements for long-term longevity losses - and how to maximize healthy longevity
• [26:59] How does the concept of “antifragility” compare to the concept of mechanical wear and tear in biological systems? And what are the mechanisms for injury or loss of range of motion?
• [35:20] How does the nervous system control range of motion? And how does this relate to stretching? And does lifting weights make you tight?
• [46:37] How does a layperson go about integrating this information into their training? How do you decide what information to trust? “Anything is better than nothing” – gaining traction to build momentum and develop consistency.
• [51:15] The 5 buckets of health that affect performance and longevity: training, nutrition, sleep, stress reduction, and social connections. Nutrition is the “biggest bang for your buck” for health - and how consistency in one bucket of health “breeds consistency” in other buckets.
• [57:41] How training helps with stress reduction management by improving “your overall ability to tolerate stress…by stressing yourself appropriately” (but not excessively). And how great athletes are able to mount very robust stress responses - and then recover very quickly.
• [1:08:25] What do you think about the idea of someone treating themselves as a guinea pig? Should individuals engage in self-experimentation? And the need to set goals and iteratively approach them with the guidance of an expert.
• [1:20:19] Do you have recommendations for resources that people can use to self-educate on the different pillars of health?

Links and Resources Mentioned

• What is Fitness?
• Gamification
• When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink
• Daniel Pink on the Tim Ferriss Show
• National Football League
• IRONMAN triathlon
• Modafinil
• Peter Attia
• Standard of care
• Statins
• PCSK9
• Antifragility
• Stuart McGill
• Hormesis
• Antioxidant
• DNS (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization
• Hypermobility
• Aubrey de Grey
• Red Queen hypothesis
• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
• CrossFit
• Circadian rhythm
• Boiling frog
• Super Size Me
• Fat Head
• Slayer
• Supertraining by Yuri V. Verkhoshansky & Mel C. Siff
• The Hungry Brain: Outsmarting the Instincts That Make Us Overeat by Stephan J. Guyenet, Ph.D.
• Perfect Health Diet: Regain Health and Lose Weight by Eating the Way You Were Meant to Eat by Paul Jaminet Ph.D. &  Shou-Ching Jaminet Ph.D.
• Paleolithic diet
• Ultimate MMA Conditioning by Joel Jamieson
• OPEX Fitness
• Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches by Greg Everett
• Movement: Functional Movement Systems by Gray Cook
• PRI (Postural Restoration Institute)
• Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky