Do you have to choose between high performance and long term health? Not necessarily. Coach Alex Fergus shares his journey competing at the national and elite level in 3 different sports while piecing together a holistic plan for long term health.

We talk quantified experimentation, biohacking, and even how to do 60 bodyweight deadlifts in under 2 minutes with just a few minutes of training per week.

-- topics listed below

Heart Rate Variability Educational Resources: https://hrvcourse.com/ep-13

Leave a quick podcast review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-13

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TOPICS:

2:04 – Alex Fergus’s background in elite sports, nutrition, and personal health

6:02 – How many bodyweight deadlifts can you do in two minutes?

7:22 – Growing a focused mindset, centered around health

9:33 – Tracking metrics as a hardcore bio hacker

11:12 - Sleep tracking devices: Oura vs. wrist wearables

13:43 – Starting out with a new client. Performing a hard reset.

15:45 – Creating awareness through biometric tests with clients

17:12 – Maintaining peak fitness with maintenance training

19:20 – Maintenance training for the busy professional

21:43 – Keeping fitness with 15 to 20 minutes of training per week

26:15 – Ignoring daily indicators when using Elite HRV

29:26 – Keeping track of trends within HRV and other metrics

30:55 – Benefits to keeping the Morning Readiness Score Off

32:53 – HRV fluctuations with lack of training and vacations

35:26 – Keeping clients accountable and open to tracking metrics

39:20 – Minimum requirements to participate in Alex’s program

42:36 – Commitments required to participate in Alex’s program

46:40 – Experimenting with low carb, high fat, Ketogenic diets

49:35 – What is training like while on a Ketogenic diet?

53:57 – The Ketogenic world and fasting

55:03 – The Ketogenic diet experiment results and how Alex recovered

58.54 – Jason’s Ketogenic diet experience and results

60:00 – Discovering gall bladder stones while on the Ketogenic diet

65:19 – Overstressing the body with a Ketogenic diet. When should you stop?

68:45 – Ketogenic state and how it relates to a sort of mild hibernation

70:54 – The most beneficial stage of the Ketogenic diet

72:52 – Keeping high levels of blood ketones low during the Ketogenic diet

74:20 – Matching your life to the natural environment is the most important factor

76:59 – Doing all the basic tasks to increase your general health and wellness

79:28 – Maintaining your circadian rhythm with hacks to fall asleep quicker

81:30 – The benefits of intermittent fasting

82:04 – Nighttime routines for an efficient and quality sleep

84:27 – Picking something and doing it really well without making excuses

87:12 – Morning routines and how to fully prepare for the day

90:09 – Building your routine and optimizing your lifestyle over the long haul through experimentation

95:09 – What are the first health tweaks someone should make for the most benefit?

98:35 – Bedtimes are not just for kids. Adults need a bedtime too!

100:25 – Amazing testimonials from Alex’s 52 week program

104:47 – The importance of having a coach regardless of what level you are at

HRV Educational Resources: https://hrvcourse.com/ep-13

Leave a quick review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-13

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Guest: Alex Fergus

https://www.alexfergus.com/

Host: Jason Moore

https://elitehrv.com/twitter

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First coverage with the authors of a controversial scientific paper titled: Overfat and Underfat: New Terms and Definitions Long Overdue.

The obesity and "overweight" epidemic has spread across the globe. If we're to truly address the problem, we need to start using the right terminology and not hiding behind propriety (in certain situations). Doctors, researchers and individuals all need to arm themselves to take control of what some are now calling the "world health crisis".

-- topics listed below

Heart Rate Variability Educational Resources: https://hrvcourse.com/ep-12

Leave a quick podcast review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-12

(Thanks in advance!)

TOPICS:

* 4:48 - What is "over fat” and how is it different from “over weight”?

* 6:03 - What is “under fat” and how is it different from “under weight”?

* 6:23 - Why body fat should be considered an an endocrine (hormone-related) organ

* 8:33 - Commercial pressures that influence our use of the term “over weight” vs “over fat”

* 12:16 - Is calling a someone “over fat” insulting? Can someone be over fat and healthy?

* 13:33 - Marketing agendas behind the term "over weight"

* 14:53 - Are we being overly sensitive about body fat? Considerations of terminology:

* 16:03 - Global pandemic: Over 62% of the world is now considered over fat

* 18:53 - Fat is not just about looks, it’s about chronic disease and healthcare

* 19:53 - Body fat increases cause increases in inflammation, heart disease, cancer and more

* 22:33 - Why it’s so important to use the right terms when talking about body fat and health

* 24:18 - Which main diseases are correlated with or caused by with overfatness?

* 24:58 - The lifestyle component of chronic disease. Is it reversible?

* 27:33 - Can you be thin yet over fat? What is sarcopenic obesity?

* 30:23 - How fat can hide within the body and how to find it

* 31:03 - The dangers of abdominal fat compared to other body fat

* 33:23 - The role of refined carbohydrates and insulin in fat accumulation

* 35:19 - Burning fat calories vs sugar calories and the role of exercise

* 36:39 - Epigenetics and what you can do when getting healthy becomes overwhelming

* 41:34 - The importance of awareness and incremental change in fat loss

* 44:59 - Adipose tissue could be an endocrine organ itself, what does that mean?

* 45:49 - The role of the HPA axis in fat accumulation and fat loss

* 47:55 - Why BMI isn’t useful and which body fat measurements ARE useful

* 48:53 - Why precise clinical measurements of body fat aren’t always necessary or even useful

* 59:19 - Don’t measure your waist circumference every day

* 60:39 - About DXA scans - dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, how its used, where to find it

* 62:59 - How BMI (body mass index) can get us in trouble when assessing health risk

* 1:05:05 - Is under fatness really a prevalent issue? The prevalence of eating disorders

* 1:08:49 - Increases in “exercise” and corresponding underfatness, are you taking fat loss too far?

* 1:09:49 - The psychology behind cortisol dysregulation

* 1:10:39 - Why type A individuals get stuck in a loop of chronic exercise, cortisol dysregulation and receptor down regulation

* 1:14:04 - The intangible benefits of obstacle racing and outdoor sports as opposed to exercising in a gym

* 1:15:04 - A simple way people can begin to take charge of their own health

* 1:16:29 - Why drug companies advertise on TV and how you, as a doctor, can do the same thing

* 1:17:29 - The importance of gathering useful and meaningful data, not just any data

* 1:19:09 - Terminology: When to (and when not to) tell people they are over fat

* 1:20:24 - Reliable and simple methods of measuring body fat

HRV Educational Resources: https://hrvcourse.com/ep-12

Leave a quick review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-12

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Guest: Phil Maffetone

http://philmaffetone.com

Guest: Paul Laursen

http://plewsandprof.com

Host: Jason Moore

http://elitehrv.com/podcast

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The floor is a powerful tool for developing your body's durability when used correctly.

Sarah Jamieson of Moveolution and host, Jason Moore, cover this and other biofeedback tools that you can use to learn more about your body's movement patterns and resilience to life's unexpected challenges.

-- topics listed below

HRV Educational Resources: https://hrvcourse.com/ep-11

Leave a quick review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-11

(Thanks in advance!)

TOPICS:

* 01:20 - Using the floor as a biofeedback tool

* 02:00 - Hand and foot development for better health

* 02:40 - The most under-utilized piece of equipment in the gym

* 03:40 - Fear of the floor & the floor test you can do at home

* 06:10 - Earning your body’s stability, what we can learn from babies

* 06:30 - The consequences of fearing the floor

* 09:10 - How to prepare your body for life's unknown situations

* 10:30 - Why movement (of your body) is a behavior

* 12:00 - The importance of using the right tools for a sport

* 16:40 - Unconventional training tools & training outside vs. training indoors

* 19:10 - Why you can’t just play your way back into symmetry and health

* 22:37 - Movement patterns, stress, the brain and mental health

* 26:10 - How Heart Rate Variability relates to movement patterns

* 27:40 - Preventing January exercise syndrome

* 28:40 - Adapting to hierarchical levels of stress

* 30:50 - Live biofeedback vs long term HRV trends

* 32:20 - Sarah’s morning routine prescription

* 33:40 - An elderly perspective on maintaining movement capacity

* 37:10 - Where to learn more about movement patterns, durability, and biofeedback

* 40:30 - How to work HRV into your business model

* 41:40 - Wearable technology for people who aren’t accustomed to it

* 41:40 - Why you don’t need to measure HRV all the time

* 43:40 - Practicing what you preach, honoring yourself and your clients

HRV Educational Resources: https://hrvcourse.com/ep-11

Leave a quick review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-11

(Thanks in advance!)

Guest: Sarah Jamieson

http://moveolution.com

Host: Jason Moore

http://elitehrv.com/podcast

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Movement is an essential ingredient for optimal health and performance. Sarah Jamieson joins us to break down how your movement patterns are formed, how they degrade with time/bad habits, and what you can do about it.

-- topics listed below

Learn more about Heart Rate Variability (Online Course): https://hrvcourse.com/ep-10

Leave a quick podcast review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-10

(Thanks in advance!)

TOPICS:

* 3:30 - Bridging the gap between clinical rehab and full movement expression

* 5:45 - Durability: Joint ranges, limitations, and tissue health

* 7:10 - Quantification of durability & understanding fascial lines

* 7:50 - What is open chain mobility vs closed chain mobility?

* 8:20 - What to focus on first when it comes to mobility

* 9:40 - Effective use of the Functional Movement Screen (FMS)

* 10:20 - Movement asymmetry and resultant injury risk

* 10:55 - Feeling fascial lines & spinal health

* 12:05 - Health/movement screens for first responders

* 12:50 - Mobility for ages 40-65

* 13:10 - Mobility for sitters & the invention of the chair

* 14:50 - The importance of stress management & mobility for first responders

* 15:50 - How the uniform restricts movement patterns for Police

* 17:30 - How a utility belt can impact your lumbar spine and hips

* 18:30 - Zero to hero, how to go from sitting to immediate action safely

* 19:50 - How wearing a bra affects breath and thoracic expansion

* 20:15 - The real impact of not breathing well and why you’re probably not breathing well

* 21:20 - Why breath is so challenging for people to address

* 21:50 - Why your diaphragm could be giving you pain or tightness in various parts in the body

* 23:00 - How to use your breath effectively in practice

* 23:30 - Recovery breathing and motor skill development for CrossFit, tactical and professional athletes

* 27:15 - Using breath as a gateway to the rest of the body

* 27:20 - Artificially activating recovery for athletes

* 28:50 - Deeper dive into open chain vs closed chain movement patterns

* 29:50 - Special announcement: air squats + neck circles = the next big thing

Learn more about Heart Rate Variability (Online Course): https://hrvcourse.com/ep-10

Leave a quick podcast review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-10

(Thanks in advance!)

Guest: Sarah Jamieson

http://moveolution.com

Host: Jason Moore

http://twitter.com/jasonmooreme

--

Did you know that your brain physically changes based on your every day choices and actions? Certain patterns of stress can break down the brain and nervous system and can reduce cognitive performance.

Jonathan Moore breaks it all down for us, and also covers how, if possible, to prevent and/or reverse maladaptation (bad adaptation) in the brain.

--topics listed below

Learn more about Heart Rate Variability (Online Course): https://hrvcourse.com/ep-9

Leave a quick podcast review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-9

(Thanks in advance!)

TOPICS (in reverse order):

* 56:10 - Is brain atrophy reversible?

* 54:40 - Medical tourism: How cheaper medical exams can pay for a beach vacation

* 53:00 - Are maladaptive neuroplastic changes quantifiable?

* 51:30 - Break down of neurotransmitters & synapses

* 49:45 - Stress induced dendritic remodeling & synaptic atrophy

* 47:20 - The power of having the right support group

* 45:20 - Yoda, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader

* 44:20 - That’s all great, but what should you do now?

* 42:40 - How your body resists change, even good change

* 40:40 - Defining your life’s big picture, beyond next quarter

* 39:50 - I don't need much sleep! Ok, tough guy.

* 38:20 - Cortisol receptor down regulation & caffeine

* 37:40 - The most important thing for you to do

* 36:00 - How to regulate your cortisol levels

* 33:50 - Exercising away your stress

* 33:05 - Immune system dysfunction

* 32:20 - What causes loss of clear thinking, creativity, and productivity?

* 32:05 - Wiring your brain for fear. Wow.

* 31:45 - Hypertrophy of the amygdala

* 29:20 - Health management for leaders in business

* 28:20 - How your choices physically alter your brain

* 27:20 - What is maladaptive neuroplastic change?

* 26:00 - Taking control over your health situation

* 23:10 - Bandaids vs better choices

* 22:20 - Dealing with overwhelm & low energy

* 21:15 - Brain fog, heart pounding, and pain

* 19:45 - The power of self awareness

* 18:20 - Final exams and students

* 17:00 - Prefrontal cortex inhibition - losing executive function & critical thinking

* 15:20 - When sleep is not an option

* 14:50 - How beliefs drive behavior

* 12:30 - Perception creates reality & public speaking

* 11:50 - Does perception of stress matter?

* 10:50 - Acute stress response vs chronic stress response

* 9:40 - Maladaptive neuroplastic change & synaptic atrophy

* 9:00 - How your neurology physically changes

* 8:20 - The individuality of responses to stress

* 6:00 - Neurological connection for healing & function

* 5:10 - What is neurological disconnection?

Learn more about Heart Rate Variability (Online Course): https://hrvcourse.com/ep-9

Leave a quick podcast review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-9

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Guest: Jonathan Moore

https://elitehrv.com/legacy-coaching

(Link to Jonathan's new coaching program)

Host: Jason Moore

http://twitter.com/jasonmooreme

--

Data analysis and statistics can be confusing or time consuming - especially HRV, health, or performance data.

Dr. Marco Altini joins us to share some of the nitty gritty of how Data Science plays a role in Heart Rate Variability analysis and other types of quantifiable research and self experimentation.

Marco is the lead data scientist at Bloom which is a pregnancy wearable technology company and he is the founder of HRV4Training - more details on his extensive background in wearable tech in the episode.

-- topics listed below

HRV Educational Resources: https://hrvcourse.com/ep-8

Leave a quick review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-8

(Thanks in advance!)

TOPICS:

* 6:55 - About Marco Altini

* 9:40 - How to increase confidence in your data for decision making

* 12:20 - Confidently estimating for Individuals vs Populations

* 14:30 - The difference in confidence between 3 morning HRV readings in a week vs 7 HRV readings in a week

* 16:30 - Coefficient of Variation

* 18:20 - The pros/cons of measuring HRV over months vs over weeks

* 18:55 - Continuous feedback loops: How to make better decisions

* 20:20 - How to capture acute changes in Heart Rate Variability

* 21:01 - What is cross sectional data? Observational research & establishing causal links

* 22:56 - What to do with “Longitudinal data" from multiple points in time

* 24:46 - How to take cross sections and longitudinal measurements of HRV

* 25:52 - The problem with “causality”. Increasing confidence, using Interventions vs Observations effectively

* 27:22 - The fallacy of Heart Rate Variability snapshots and the power of new HRV technology

* 29:53 - How bad it can be to take 1-2 data points with HRV readings

* 31:22 - What is regression analysis and how do we use it with Heart Rate Variability?

* 32:46 - Predicting HRV values for a person based on certain characteristics (age, gender, bodyweight, genetics)

* 34:06 - Absolute HRV vs relative HRV changes

* 35:36 - Is your HRV score good or bad?

* 37:41 - Which variables affect HRV the most? A systematic look at exercise, sleep, alcohol, and other factors.

* 41:21 - Why HRV responds differently to the same training by different individuals.

* 42:46 - Quick and dirty Heart Rate Variability readings. How wrist-based HRV measurements stack up.

* 46:06 - The accuracy of various HRV hardware

* 48:46 - The price of admission for measuring HRV. The cost of a good heart rate monitor.

* 49:55 - Why focus on RMSSD and Time Domain HRV values instead of Frequency or Non-Linear values?

* 52:06 - The challenges of HF/LF and frequency domain HRV measures

* 53:06 - HRV during pregnancy - third trimester drops in HRV

* 55:06 - where to find Marco Altini (besides in the podcast show notes!)

HRV Educational Resources: https://hrvcourse.com/ep-8

Leave a quick review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-8

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Guest: Dr. Marco Altini

http://twitter.com/marco_alt

Host: Jason Moore

http://twitter.com/jasonmooreme

--

Alessandro Ferretti joins us to discuss blood glucose, ketones, ketogenic diets, and of course how it all relates to health, performance and Heart Rate Variability. We also cover some useful topics such as how to use HRV for food sensitivity testing, how to establish a personal glucose baseline and when best to measure blood glucose, and ideal ketone thresholds for exercise and training. -- topics listed below

HRV Educational Resources: https://hrvcourse.com/ep-7

Leave a quick review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-7

(Thanks in advance!)

TOPICS:

* 24/7 HRV, ketones, glucose monitoring

* Food sensitivity testing with HRV and the % changes to look for to identify offending foods

* Correlations between blood glucose and HRV

* “Normal” vs. healthy blood glucose levels

* How to establish a personal glucose baseline

* When to measure blood glucose (two key times)

* Nutrient timing

* Glucocorticoids and the inflammatory response

* Substrate efficiency during exercise

* GLUT4

* Cortisol resistance

* “Pseudo paleo”

* Low carb vs. ketogenic diet

* What is a ketogenic diet, really?

* The dangers of doing ketogenic diet incorrectly

* What are ketones?

* Becoming fat adapted

* Phases of ketogenesis

* Ideal ketone thresholds for exercise & training

* Ketoacidosis

* How the brain uses ketones

* Breath vs. blood vs. urine ketones

* Type 1 and type 2 diabetes

* Acetyl acetate and beta hyrdoxybuterate

* Gluten cross-reactivity

* Fungal infections in the gut

* 24/7 continuous monitoring vs. snapshot morning HRV measurements

* Comparing the foot print of various life stressors

* The individuality of the sympathetic response

* Timing recovery for optimal performance

HRV Educational Resources: https://hrvcourse.com/ep-7

Leave a quick review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-7

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Guest: Alessandro Ferretti

http://AlessandroFerretti.co.uk

Host: Jason Moore

http://twitter.com/jasonmooreme

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Training for a world championship or the Olympics? Not many people make it to that level, but Dr. Daniel Plews and Professor Paul Laursen join us to share what it's like to train for world class competitions. -- topics listed below

HRV Educational Resources: https://hrvcourse.com/ep-6

Leave a quick review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-6

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Guests:

Dr. Dan "The Plews" Plews

Professor Paul "The Prof" Laursen

http://PlewsAndProf.com

Host: Jason Moore

http://twitter.com/jasonmooreme

WE TALK:

* The #1 best metric to track with athletes (hint: not HRV)

* Olympic village, Rio vs London

* Preparing for Kona Ironman World Championships

* The 3 important training questions you should be able to answer at all times

* How more data is NOT better

* Why to measure HRV with athletes

* Getting more results with less work

* The genetic fallacy

* Fit but unhealthy - even at the top

* Juggling training and lifestyle

* How to be HAPPIER when training at high volumes

* Tracking HRV with Olympic Rowers and Top Triathletes

* Martin Bucheitt

* The “ideal” HRV pattern of training/recovery for endurance sports

* When to adjust endurance training off of HRV changes

* What is “Parasympathetic Overtraining”?

* Aerobic patterns vs higher intensity patterns

* When to establish a HRV baseline in an endurance program

* TSS Score

* Acute to Chronic Training Load Ratio (and what that means for Injury)

* Training Peaks

* Bannister Fitness-Fatigue Modeling

* Common sense, and what to do when life gets in the way

* Self monitoring & quantified self

* Blood glucose & ketone monitoring

* Ketogenic diet's affect on Heart Rate Variability

* First Beat Bodyguard

* Continuous 24/7 monitoring

HRV Educational Resources: https://hrvcourse.com/ep-6

Leave a quick review: https://elitehrv.com/review-ep-6

(Thanks in advance!)

Guests:

Dr. Dan "The Plews" Plews

Professor Paul "The Prof" Laursen

http://PlewsAndProf.com

Host: Jason Moore

http://twitter.com/jasonmooreme

--

Andrew Flatt goes deep into the research and application of Heart Rate Variability monitoring for athletes and sports teams. Andrew works extensively with elite level athletes and is one of the emerging names in athlete monitoring research.

TOPICS:

* The pros and cons of a high HRV vs low HRV on competition day

* Sympathetic activation for performance

* Low CV and low HRV - what does it really mean?

* Injury potential and HRV

* Hydration, plasma volume and HRV

* The 3 step process to effectively implement HRV for sports and training

* When NOT to use HRV monitoring

* The danger of hype around HRV or any metric

* More breakdown of Coefficient of Variation and Weekly Mean HRV

Andrew Flatt

http://hrvtraining.com

https://twitter.com/andrew_flatt

Jason Moore

http://elitehrv.com

http://jasonmoore.me/twitter

Leave a quick review: http://EliteHRV.com/review-ep-5

(Thanks in advance!)

Learn how to implement HRV more effectively at http://HRVcourse.com/ep-5

--

Andrew Flatt goes deep into the research and application of HRV monitoring for athletes and sports teams. Andrew works extensively with elite level athletes and is one of the emerging names in athlete monitoring research.

TOPICS:

* Coefficient of Variation or HRV CV

* Predicting fitness improvements weeks in advance

* Predicting competition performance

* HRV value differences in Elite vs Non-Elite athletes

* How coaches and teams should implement Heart Rate Variability monitoring

* Training adaptation specificity

* Difference in HRV changes from aerobic vs anaerobic

* Enhancing recovery with aerobic training

* Minimum effective dose of training

* Maximum effective dose of training

* How to avoid parasympathetic saturation

* Which position (seated or supine) to use when measuring HRV

* Determining when a stimulus is no longer sufficient for adaptation

* The impact of non-training related stressors

Andrew Flatt

http://hrvtraining.com

https://twitter.com/andrew_flatt

Jason Moore

http://elitehrv.com

http://jasonmoore.me/twitter

Leave a quick review: http://EliteHRV.com/review-ep-4

(Thanks in advance!)

Learn how to implement HRV more effectively at http://HRVcourse.com/ep-4

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