Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air. While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results.

Chris asks if the problem people have with running at the "brutally slow place" has anything to do with body composition. [00:02:21] 

What about nose breathing? Do we need a heart monitor?  [00:05:31] 

Ben asks for advise for those folks who are only able to get out there a couple of short runs per week. [00:13:27] 

Tom says he is only a year into running and I really loved it BUT after getting into Maffetone's Yellow Book and Primal Endurance books, he doesn't have any fun. [00:17:33] 

What happens if we don't acknowledge that our bodies aren't at 10 percent well? [00:21:41] 

Rob is asking about his 13 year-old son's development as he is getting into competitive sports.  [00:26:53] 

What about fast twitch vs. slow twitch muscles? [00:32:03] 

If you do a lot of endurance training will you loose something on the fast twitch side? [00:33:41] 

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Host Brad Kearns welcomes the Brock the Renaissance man from Vancouver, Canada. Brock is deep into the podcast scene as a producer and host of numerous health/fitness/primal-paleo/biohacking style shows, and also a longtime endurance coach. His Workplace Hero podcast helps those with sedentary office jobs make the best of their surroundings and minimize the health challenges of office work. Having been around the biohacking scene for a while, Brock states that he is generally the ultimate skeptic and non-responder to much fancy cool stuff that he has tried. This wide-ranging conversation unearths some memorable insights and clarities for those seeking an effective diet, exercise and lifestyle regimen. 

 This show covers: The state of the union and future hopes for the medium of podcasting; how Brock transitioned from a strict endurance athlete to hit the gym and get jacked! (including the top secret, highly questionable supplement that he obtained through a sketchy supplier that worked so well it scared the crap out of him!); the new trend of top endurance athletes passing on stretching, icing, massage, and foam rolling, because they’d rather feel the tightness and inflammation that is a fundamental component of the training effect. On that note, post-workout heat therapy is proving to be an excellent way to boost fitness, while cold therapy might be best in the early morning (per K-Starr), at least 2 hours after workouts to not interfere with the training effect, or in the evening (especially when paired with hot, like Brad in wintertime at his parents cold pool, hot spa in LA!). Along these lines, the pair discusses whether the benefits of yoga are overblown, and how pursuing broad-based fitness competency with functional mobility/flexibility exercises and increased general everyday movement might be the best winning ticket for athletes. 

 Brock geeks out with a great insight about Hebbs Law - where “neurons that fire together, wire together.” Translation: If your swim stroke or running form sucks, training will ingrain these technique flaws further. Enroll in the Primal Endurance Mastery Course and learn how to run with the grace and beauty of a deer! We end with a frank discussion about bio hacks - the pure nonsense out there, how lots of expensive high tech stuff lacks relevance to the average athlete, how bad lifestyle habits will render your hacks useless, and how Brock’s muscles got so big, so fast, he washed his fake essential oils down the toilet and stuck with the basics. This is a very entertaining show with both philosophical questions to ponder and practical tips to implement. 

What going on in podcasting in today's community? [00:04:09] 

How did Brock transition to strength training from his focus on endurance work? [00:13:06] 

Is there a benefit of massage or yoga on athletes who are trying to bulk up their bodies? [00:17:52] 

How does one know what level of fitness they have? [00:23:17] 

What do we mean when we say the word "fitness"? What are you thinking when you hear that word? [00:29:51] 

What holds people back from getting the proper fitness routine? [00:35:15] 

How does Hebb's Rule affect technique and how can it work against you if you are learning? [00:36:59] 

Don't we just know how to run naturally? [00:41:22] 

Aren't there some shortcuts to fitness? [00:42:52] 

What about cryotherapy? [00:51:14] 

What is the benefit of the sauna? [00:53:32] 

What are peptides that Brock was using? [00:59:37] 

Workplacehero.me

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Host Brad Kearns welcomes Tom Hughes of Tri Mechanics in Great Britain. Tom is an expert in skill development and technique for endurance sports, and discusses the benefits of using barefoot/minimalist shoes to refine good running technique. Interestingly, wearing comfortable, cushiony shoes causes more actual impact trauma to your joints (you just can’t feel it), more instability with your balance, and a loss of explosive propulsive force. Tom makes a food analogy about shoes called the “Chocolate Brownie Theory.” Yes, the brownie tastes great at first, but has adverse long-term consequences. 

Tom also echoes Katy Bowman’s Movement Nutrition work in discussing the importance of building good “movement habits.” Brad talks about how he makes housework a killer full body workout. Mopping on all fours makes for a sliding plank session. Any time a stair ascent is called for in everyday home living, why not make a commitment to sprint them, every time! Kelly Starrett of MobilityWOD.com argues that endurance athletes should spend 15 minutes of every workout hour doing mobility/flexibility. Add this all up and it’s a mind blower for endurance athletes with ‘one track minds.’

The conversation extends into other interesting areas, including how Tom improved his testosterone readings by honoring the concept of a circadian digestive clock promoted by Dr. Satchin Panda. Tom started making a nutritious smoothie in the morning, which he believed helped kick start his digestive system and get energized for a productive day, and also lower his stress hormone production that might have occurred during his morning hours in a fasted state. The show also covers concerns about overtraining and compromised recovery, advancing the idea Brad discussed on his recent show with Joel Jamieson about recovery debt and the importance of actually devoting time and energy to recovery instead of just taking it for granted.

Why is a runner's technique so important? [00:00:57] 

How does swimming technique make a difference? [00:06:53] 

What is wrong about the comfortable shoes we are used to? [00:11:48] 

If a runner switches to the minimalist shoes or barefoot, isn't he going to have some pain while adjusting? [00:20:43] 

How does one progress into this new running style? [00:22:33] 

How does one pick a good shoe? [00:27:33] 

How does he work with clients to improve technique? [00:30:50] 

What kind of drills does one need to do to improve balance? [00:34:10] 

What are some ways to keep in shape that one can work into the busy day? [00:41:21] 

Fitness is multifaceted. Even some athletes are not in the shape they think they are. [00:46:57] 

What is digestive circadian rhythm? How does when you eat have an effect? [00:51:52] 

Some time being very lean is not the ideal. [01:04:23] 

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Hosts Brad Kearns and Dr. Linsday Taylor get deep into the psyche of the endurance athlete and address some of the common challenges. For happiness and well-being, it's critical to behave in a manner congruent with your stated goals. When you are overtraining and dragging you and your ego thru ill-advised workouts, you depart from high minded ideals and are succumbing to rat race mentality where, as bestselling author Brené Brown says, "fatigue is a badge of honor in modern culture, and self-worth is determined by productivity". Or as frequent podcast guest Andrew MacNaughton comments, "Endurance athletes are most content when they train themselves to exhaustion." Hmm, ring a bell? There is a better way! Hang with the Primal Endurance podcast and enroll in the Mastery Course to get the guidance and expert insights you need to succeed with endurance goals without compromising your health.

View full video:

https://youtu.be/gImkIvl0tug

Brad and Lindsay discuss aerobic emphasis training and the carbohydrate intake problem. [00:00:16]

How can it be possible that going slower can make you go faster? [00:03:35] 

What about the bursts of high speed? [00:06:53] 

Are you not satisfied until you are exhausted? [00:13:16] 

How important is the recovery phase? [00:16:41] 

What is your desire to train? Are you taking care of your body?  [00:18:47] 

What happens when your focus is improving your technique rather than the speed? [00:26:28] 

Why is it so tough? Why do we feel inferior if we are not pushing it? [00:28:02] 

Are you a person who can tolerate uncertainty? [00:32:06] 

Learn how to trust in your own ability to understand your needs. [00:34:41] 

Understand why you are doing this. [00:35:02]

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Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results.

Gentry McGrath, 48-year-old chiropractor asks about the confusing messages one gets listening to the various podcasts with the often differing theories of how best to train. [00:00:55] 

Chad asks can running strides be added throughout the aerobic base building period? [00:10:33] 

Matthew asks what are signs of overtraining? [00:14:16] 

With reactions to food and training varying between individuals, doesn't it make you question the universal application of the MAF formula? [00:19:49] 

Marco ran the Paris marathon. It was pretty easy up to kilometer 32 and then the last 10K it was harder. What happened? I have plateaued at my MAF heart rate. Shall I try to add 5 beats? [00:25:46] 

The body responds really well and the mind responds well to epic over-distance training sessions. [00:33:47] 

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Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results.

Arnie (58) asks about his fat adaptation and its impact on his performance. [00:01:37]

Do I lose my flight or fight response when I train aerobically? [00:02:24] 

The fast twitch muscle fibers that are not using oxygen do not need a high volume of training. [`00:07:22] 

How many carbs do I need to consume so that I have sufficient glycogen during high demand occasions? [00:09:33] 

What happens to us when we burn too much protein? [00:14:55] 

When you are healthy, getting adequate sleep, eating nutrient intense diet, you are going to get the most out of your body. [00:19:44] 

Paul asks why he can't walk a mile and get his heart rate below 160? [00:22:16] 

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Host Brad Kearns talks in more detail about the importance of rethinking recovery, on the heels of the landmark MarksDailyApple.com post Rethinking Recovery, and also Brad's recent podcast with Joel Jamieson. The profound insight for reflection is that we kinda sorta take recovery for granted in that we don't acknowledge, understand, or account for the scientific fact that recovery takes energy in and of itself. Refreshing the sodium-potassium pumps in the muscle cells and brain neurons, digesting food in the intestines, converting ingested calories into triglycerides or glycogen in the liver, the immune system keeping infections at bay--all these command a slice of the pie chart of your total energy expenditure in a given day or month or year. Furthering this thought, could it be that world records and Olympic gold medals of the future will be achieved by athletes who train less and rest more in comparison to the amazing top athletes of today? For the recreational enthusiast who is obligated to devote energy to so many other areas (family, work, commuting, routine daily chores and errands, etc.), it follows that training less and taking more chill time could be a secret weapon to achieve performance breakthroughs and avoid chronic patterns that compromise not only your performance but your general health.

Do we take recovery for granted? [00:00:30] 

What is the additive model expenditure? [00:03:57] 

Brad talks about his training in the old days and how wrong it was. [00:08:43] 

Recovery and restoration require energy.  [00:11:14] 

Our daily energy resources are allocated to what three functions? [00:13:37] 

How can we be more productive? [00:22:39] 

What if the athletes tone things down? [00:27:00] 

When in doubt, chill out!!! [00:33:07] 

Links:

Joel Jamieson podcast on Primal Blueprint channel:

http://blog.primalblueprint.com/episode-211-joel-jamieson/

Rethinking Recovery:

https://www.marksdailyapple.com/rest-and-recovery-a-pivotal-new-perspective/

Hadza Energy Expenditure Study

8 Weeks Out

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Host Brad Kearns dusts off the age-old dilemma for endurance athletes: the relative benefits and contribution of intense efforts versus a commitment to aerobic base building to deliver best results. Brad reflects on his recent show with Dave Scott, where Dave advocated frequent brief, high intensity bursts during endurance workouts to flush the cardiovascular system and deliver rapid fitness improvements. Brad stacks this insight against Dr. Maffetone's extensive commentary in the Primal Endurance Mastery Course videos that there is a stress impact of every workout and that pursuing modern endurance goals is generally antithetical to health. Brad mentions his own experimentation with intuitive, very short duration bursts of high intensity effort, such as banging out 100 Decline Spiderman pushups every time he visits a certain dog park, and the idea that keeping things brief can prevent that breakdown and delayed recovery time from a grueling high intensity workout.  

Brad also tackles a few listener questions in this show, relating to tapering (reduce volume, maintain intensity), applying the Primal Endurance principles to team sports, and finally a success story from Suzanne where she improved her ironman time by FOUR hours following Primal Endurance principles. Enjoy!

How to reconcile the emphasis on aerobic base with Dave Scott's suggestion to include brief bouts of high intensity efforts frequently? [00:01:50] 

Todd from Australia asks about having not much time to workout so when he does, his heart rate it elevated above aerobic maximum. He asks about training volume and time frames. [00:13:23] 

Peter is a marathoner but wonders about tapering: the proper pre-race preparations like nutrition and workouts. [00:18:26] 

A soccer referee asks: How does his situation of running, jogging, sprinting, and running backwards etc. fit with primal endurance framework?  [00:22:07] 

Suzanne is wondering about her recovery after Ironman Nice where simply changing her nutrition and following Primal Endurance improved her time. [00:27:43] 

Links to publish with this show

Dave Scott Episode 119

Primal Endurance Mastery Course

Decline Spiderman pushups

Brad's Morning Exercise Routine

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Host Brad Kearns talks with Dr. Ben Lynch, author of the book Dirty Genes, which has hit #1 bestseller in its amazon category in January, 2018. Dr. Lynch explains with great clarity and specificity that your genes are not your destiny. He identifies individual genes that can cause health dysfunction and provides a detailed action plan to clean up your genes and promote optimal gene expression. Included is the oft-mentioned MTHFR which influences the critical cellular process of methylation. The COMT gene influences your ability to stay calm and focused. 

Dr. Lynch's programs starts with a two-week "soak and scrub" phase to promote general health, then goes into a "spot cleaning" phase where you target your particular genetic issues relating to the aforementioned as well as heart function, liver function, and mood stability. This is pretty scientific stuff, but Dr. Lynch does a great job explaining it clearly and giving you some immediate actionable steps to take to clean up your genetic function. 

Does your family tree have total influence over your genes? [00:00:16] 

What lifestyle behaviors would be mitigating these risks? [00:03:32]  

How does his Soak and Scrub protocol work to cleanse the genes? [00:06:20] 

What are some eating tips? [00:10:55] 

What is Spot Cleaning? [00:13:31] 

Is there a particular gene related to cardio vascular disease? [00:16:30] 

How do these isolated genes work regarding disease risk? [00:17:49] 

Tell us about the MTHFR gene. [00:21:31] 

Can you define methylation? [00:25:02] 

What is COMT? How does it work? What is the difference in personality with fast or slow COMT? [00:28:57] 

Where are we going with all this amazing genetic testing? [00:35:23] 

What about the Dirty Gene Summit program? [00:43:38] 

Dirty Genes

Methylaltion

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Host Brad Kearns talks in further detail about the provocative comments from Dr. Tommy Wood during their recent podcast. Dr. Tommy proposed that if you are metabolically healthy, at optimal body fat composition, with good blood work and with ambitious fitness goals, you may be best served by consuming as many calories as you can (of nutritious foods only of course) without gaining weight. Contrast this with the often-touted benefits of fasting and caloric efficiency, where thriving on as few calories as necessary and producing optimally minimal insulin is believed to correlate strongly with longevity. Dr. Tommy and Brad theorize that there may be a different set of decision-making parameters if you are trying to reduce excess body fat, recover from metabolic damage, or have adverse blood results. Even so, Dr. Tommy offers the profound suggestion that you should not even concern yourself with fat reduction until you become metabolically healthy. 

Brad mentions his personal experiment with an increased caloric intake to fuel his peak performance goals. After 13 weeks, he reports excellent results including body composition and improved performance, assisted by a nutrient-dense morning smoothie in place of prolonged fasting, and generally looser purse strings with total caloric intake and carb intake, especially in conjunction with high calorie burning workouts. In conjunction with a more intuitive approach to eating, Brad mentions being more fractal and intuitive with his high intensity exercise efforts--sprinkling in little bouts over the course of a day that don't really count as official workouts, but contribute to him developing a higher platform to launch from when he goes for big sprint, high jump, strength training sessions. Check the video links for his decline spiderman pushup and first-thing morning exercise routine

Where do we stand right now with all the information that is out there overwhelming us? [00:03:07] 

Why do you have a specific goal? [00:05:04] 

Your mental attitude has a huge effect on longevity and weight loss. [00:06:03] 

Focusing on only on results detracts from the experience of performance. [00:11:56] 

Every one in this arena has some kind of story about how they got here. [00:15:29] 

Are we afraid to turn down the competitive part of our personality? [00:18:07] 

What is the situation with starting this program? Is it important to find what causes your problem? [00:24:28]

Sometimes the amount you eat or the number of calories isn't what you want to look at. [00:30:09] 

Sometimes the training paradigm requires a deviation in what we are talking about regarding the amount of food you need. [00:33:48] 

What happens to folks who are carrying some excess body fat and/or some blood values that need to be corrected? [00:40:32]

Healthy physiology is needed first before concern about losing weight. [00:47:44] 

Links: 

Dr. Tommy Wood - Podcast 123

Decline Spiderman pushups

Brad's Morning Exercise Routine

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