Ali Fitness Podcast

Human civilization has been searching for the Fountain of Youth since at least the 5th century BC. And while we know that particular legend is a myth, today’s guest reveals how the right kind of training can offer athletes a means to aging gracefully—preventing sarcopenia, avoiding injury and maintaining heart health while they continue to train and compete well after the age of 50. Joe Friel is the founder of TrainingPeaks, the premiere training software for athletes and coaches. He has been training endurance athletes for 37 years, and his clients include elite amateur and professional road cyclists, mountain bikers and triathletes. Joe has written a number of training books, and he is a sought-after presenter, offering clinics, seminars and camps for athletes and coaches all over the globe. He also serves as a consultant, offering his expertise to national sports federations and businesses in the fitness industry. Joe is a Colorado State Masters Triathlon champion, a Rocky Mountain region, and Southwest re

“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” Joseph De Sena truly lives by this unique philosophy, having moved his family from Japan to New York because things were getting too easy. His belief that life is more fruitful when you’ve struggled extends to his work as well. Joe is the CEO and co-founder of Spartan Race, Inc, the world’s largest obstacle race and endurance brand. The Spartan lifestyle spans 35 countries and encompasses a global championship series as well as training and nutrition programs. Joe had a lucrative career on Wall Street, but he wasn’t inspired by the work. In 2000, he got the idea to change people’s lives through endurance racing, but the events were too difficult for most and Peak was losing money. In 2010, he changed the race format and Spartan was born. Today Joe addresses the difference between Spartan and other obstacle races, how to train for a TRIFECTA, and the healthy addiction associated with Spartan racing. Learn more about Joe’s hope for the future of Spartan racing and how

Humans were born to be good at burning fat. In fact, we have a superpower in that we can change the way our body metabolizes fuel and convert some of the fats in our liver to ketone bodies. As we build metabolic infrastructure over time, our bodies require less glucose—even as we maintain energy and muscle mass and thrive on fewer calories. This improved metabolic efficiency serves us well in endurance sports and enhances our long-term health. Mark Sisson is a thought leader in the Evolutionary Health Movement. He is the bestselling author of The Primal Blueprint and several other books in the realm of ancestral health, and he writes the blog, Mark’s Daily Apple, one of the highest-ranking health resources on the web. Mark challenges conventional wisdom around diet and exercise, encouraging people to take responsibility for their health and well-being via Paleo/Primal principles. A former elite endurance athlete, Mark has a fourth-place finish in the Hawaii Ironman World Triathlon Championships as well as a 2

“No matter how many times you do it, it always hurts like hell. And while you run, you always promise yourself never to do it again, and yet this was my twelfth full Ironman. I guess it’s the unexplainable satisfaction when crossing the finish line that makes you forget all the pain, always wanting you to go back for more.” Training for a triathlon is never easy, but it gets even trickier when you have a family and a demanding job. How do you ensure that you are training as efficiently as possible – so that you can maintain your career and be there for your family? And what motivates a person to keep training when there are so many other demands on their time? Raynard Picard didn’t have a background in running, cycling or swimming before the move to Sydney in 2005 to earn his MBA, but the Australian fitness culture soon had him running outside during his lunch hour. Looking to add some variety to his workout, Ray spent $200 on an old bike and trained on his own (with a little help from the internet) for three

‘Your life after cycling is way longer than your life in cycling.’ When Jan Ullrich was pulled from the Tour de France in 2006 amid one of the biggest doping scandals ever to hit the sport, the German minister of the interior expressed the need for a shift of focus in cycling – away from short-term performance toward long-term health and well-being. Today’s guest knows all too well how difficult it was to compete against the professional cyclists who were using performance enhancing drugs in the mid-1990’s as well as the positive changes that have occurred in the sport since then. Drawn to cycling by the epic battle between LeMond and Hinault in 1986, Alexander Bauer has raced at the juniors, pro and masters levels, earning numerous State, European and World Championship titles. Inspired to help clean cyclists excel, Alex started designing high-performance cycling clothing in 2005, which led to a venture developing skinsuits and aero gear for Team High Road. Since then, national federations, pro teams and ind

Most women are guilty of developing a picture in their mind of the ‘perfect body’ or latching on to an unrealistic goal weight – and believing that they cannot be happy until they have realized that image or hit that number on the scale. The time has come to shift that belief system, to transform our relationship with exercise and nutrition, to focus on what our bodies can achieve – to stop fighting our bodies and harness our strength. Steph Gaudreau is a strength coach and nutritionist who is on a mission to help women find their strength. Her blog, Stupid Easy Paleo, explores the principles of a Paleo lifestyle, and her podcast, Harder to Kill Radio, helps optimize health and wellness through interviews with experts in fitness, nutrition, sleep and mindset. She has also created an annual online event, the Women’s Strength Summit, to educate and inspire women to build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual strength. Steph was a successful high school science teacher for twelve years before taking a leave

This is your brain. This is your brain on a modern Western diet. The brain is truly an incredible instrument. We exist at different levels – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual – and our brain integrates all of those aspects into a single experience. But we don’t invest much time in thinking about the health of our brain, and most of us don’t have a clue how our diet affects the development of new brain cells, known as neurogenesis. Dr. Brant Cortright is a Professor of Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice with a holistic, neuroscience-informed approach to therapy. He is an expert in the area of neurogenesis and brain health and a consultant on stress, anxiety and depression as well as relationship and intimacy issues. The author of three books, Dr. Brant is a highly regarded speaker and presenter in the US, Europe and Asia. Today he explains the basics of neurogenesis, how nutrition impacts the rate of neuro

Achieving balance is an ongoing struggle– be it work/life balance, the balance of training with recovery time, or simply  holding Warrior 3 for several breaths in yoga class. But the rewards are big when we get centered and dedicate our time and energy among all of the things that are important to us. The overarching theme of the Ali Fitness podcast is bringing health into fitness, working toward that balance between pushing yourself as an athlete and treating your body well to facilitate long-term well-being. The tables have turned, and this week our host, Ali Watts, is answering the questions! In addition to the podcast, Ali is a personal trainer and nutrition coach. Located in Discovery Bay, Hong Kong, she teaches yoga and kettlebell classes and runs a bootcamp. A qualified Health Coach through Primal Blueprint, Ali is on a mission to help people transform their bodies and minds as they bring health into fitness. Ali has lived in Australia, Japan and Hong Kong. Her undergraduate degree is in Japanese and l

As athletes, we are looking to achieve optimal performance. And we know that the spine protects our nervous system, which controls every part of the body. Yet many of us wait until we are in pain to enlist the help of a chiropractor!   Dr. Brett Hill is chiropractor and wellness coach with a successful practice in Hazelwood Park, South Australia. As a wellness advocate, he endorses a Paleo approach to eating and living, and his holistic methodology is based on ancestral movement patterns. Dr. Brett is the co-founder of Australia’s leading health podcast channel, The Wellness Couch, and the co-host of both The Wellness Guys Show (Australia’s number one health podcast) and That Paleo Show. Dr. Brett is a sought-after speaker who makes regular radio and television appearances, inspiring people to make drastic changes for the better. Dr. Brett is also an advocate of natural running, and today he shares his introduction to the technique as well as advice around the transition away from structured shoes. Listen in

Most of us are looking to build a strong relationship with our coach. We want someone who is accessible, someone who listens and adapts our training program to the constraints of our lives. While you may think that an online coaching program is not conducive to building that kind of rapport, Olivier Baillet of Beyond the Line Coaching leverages technology to both measure performance and establish an open line of communication with his athlete clients. His holistic approach to coaching allows him to design very personal training plans adapted to each individual. Olivier has been a competitive athlete most of his life; he started squad swimming at the age of seven. He has been a competitive runner for 25 years, and he has 15 years of racing experience as a triathlete, competing in the Ironman World Championship three times. He spent nearly 20 years in the banking industry, training for races while working full-time in risk management. After a mid-life crisis, an investment in a business coach, and a lot of self

Do you know what to look for when you choose meat from the butcher? What characteristics reveal quality and freshness? And how do you interpret the different grading systems? As we work to be more conscious consumers who consider the source of the food we eat, a basic understanding of label designations and the attributes of quality meat become necessary. Emma Pike is the director of Farmer’s Market, a premium online butcher based in Hong Kong. The products are all naturally farmed from sustainable sources, and include fresh Australian beef, lamb, pork, salmon, chicken and duck. Farmer’s Market seeks to bring restaurant quality products to the retail market at an affordable price, offering traceability and a high level of customer service. When Emma moved to Hong Kong twelve years ago, she had access to quality meat at a reasonable price. But over the years, she noticed a decline in the quality without a reduction in price. On a mission to know where the meat she was feeding her kids originated, Emma started

When you devote your life to a single ambition, moving on after that chapter closes can be incredibly difficult. You may start to question your self-worth, or even wonder, “Who am I now?” The transition to life after sport can be especially tough for retired professional athletes who struggle to cultivate a new identity and new dreams. Annette Lynch enjoyed a 15-year career as an elite athlete, playing volleyball for Australia and realizing her dream of representing her country in the Sydney Olympics. After the Games, Annette tried to retire, but was pulled back into the sport two years later, playing on a world tour in 2002. She would go on to retire a total of three times in the six years after the Olympics before she found a new purpose and became a certified Masters Results Coach and motivational speaker. In this new capacity, Annette seeks to help others reinvent themselves as they navigate difficult life transitions. Annette is a practitioner of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and she has spoken at

Ever wonder who might win in a ‘battle of the microbiota’? Would the obese microbiota take over? Or might the lean microbiota prevail? Perhaps you’re not even sure what the microbiome refers to or how it impacts your health. Today’s guest will explain the science behind the bacteria in your gut, and how the microbiome works in conjunction with your diet to affect metabolism. Vanessa Ridaura received her Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and Genomics from Washington University in St. Louis, specializing in the effect of the microbiome on human health and disease, with a specific focus on the contributions of human gut microbiome to metabolism and obesity. Vanessa went on to become a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, studying the microbiome of the skin and its impact on health. Today Vanessa explains the details of her research, discussing how diet and the microbiome work together to influence metabolism. Listen to understand the fundamental science of the microbiota, ho

Naysayers often dismiss the Paleo lifestyle with the claim that it is simply a fad. But if you start at the beginning and explore what early humans were eating two million years ago, it becomes clear that the animal fat diet not only sustained our early ancestors but actually led to the development of our species. So if the Paleo movement is a fad, it’s a pretty persistent one! Today’s guest is no stranger to the pushback against the lifestyle, and he’s here to explain how the latest science and technology support his understanding of Paleo as the perfect human diet. CJ Hunt dropped dead at the age of 24. He was a dirt bike racer training to come back from an injury when he suffered full cardiac arrest while jogging. Paramedics resuscitated CJ, and he spent ten days in the ICU at UCLA Medical Center. Doctors eventually determined that he suffers from a birth defect in which the center of his heart is twice as thick as normal, and his left chamber is smaller. He was told that if he continued to exercise, he wo

As athletes, we often have difficulty slowing down.  Yet we know that our health depends on recovery and that adopting a meditation practice reduces anxiety and improves focus. If the word ‘rest’ isn’t part of your vocabulary, consider implementing REST (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique) in the form of float therapy. Ciaran Hussey is the co-founder of Hong Kong’s first float therapy center, Float On Hong Kong. After eight years in the food and beverage industry, Ciaran needed a change. Inspired by Joe Rogan’s podcast, he researched the benefits of floating and traveled to Bangkok to experience it for himself. Ciaran found float therapy life-changing, and he made the decision to bring the concept to Hong Kong. Today Ciaran outlines the fundamentals of floating, explaining its benefits for both physical and mental health. Listen and learn how to employ float therapy to mitigate pain and boost your energy and focus! Topics Covered [1:53] Float Therapy FAQs Bath of warm water with 500 kg Epsom salt

We would all choose a happy, healthy heart over a hardened one, but are we looking at the wrong numbers to predict heart health? Since the late 1970’s, we have equated high cholesterol with heart disease and doctors have prescribed statin drugs to mitigate the risk of heart events. Today’s guest argues that there is a better indicator of coronary artery disease, and there are a number of natural treatments that should be explored before turning to pharmaceuticals like statin.  Dr. Gary E. Foresman is the founder and president of Middle Path Medicine, an integrative practice in Arroyo Grande, California. With 25-plus years’ experience, Dr. Foresman is accomplished in many systems of healing, including Ayurveda, meditation and stress management, as well as botanical, orthomolecular, and functional medicine systems. The only internist on the Central Coast with extensive research training, Dr. Foresman combines a proficiency in Western medicine with a holistic perspective to diagnose and treat each person individ

One might assume elite athletes and Olympians to be among the healthiest people in the world. One might be wrong. Today’s guest can attest to the fact that while the best of the best in the sports world are incredibly fit, you might be surprised to find out what they are eating! The terms ‘health’ and ‘fitness’ are not synonyms, and this Olympian’s experience traveling and training on different continents has taught her that even the elite make poor choices when it comes to nutrition.  28-year-old Saiyidah Aisyah is the first rower from Singapore to qualify for the Olympic Games. She worked as a personal trainer, PE teacher and coach before moving to Sydney to pursue her rowing goals in 2013. She won Singapore’s first individual Gold in rowing at the 23rd SEA Games in Myanmar before qualifying for the Rio Olympics with a win at the 2016 Asia and Oceania Olympic qualification regatta. She is also the first rower to receive the SpexScholarship offered by the Singapore Sports Institute. Today she speaks with Ali

So you’re having ‘one of those days.’ Your body is telling you it needs rest, but your instinct as a dedicated athlete is to push through and follow your training schedule regardless. The truth is, your long-term health can suffer from ignoring the body’s need to recover, and there is a tangible way to measure your readiness via heart rate variability.  Jason Moore is the founder and CEO of Elite HRV, the number one HRV application on the market. The platform provides heart rate variability metrics in a straightforward system, helping thousands of users reach their health and performance goals. Elite HRV is the result of many years of collaboration with coaches, doctors and HRV researchers. Jason began his career designing large scale information systems for the oil and gas industry, where he was challenged with making complex data actionable and useful. At the same time, Jason was a fitness coach and personal trainer, passionate about teaching others to improve their overall health. He married the two skill

We know that the eyes are the window to the soul, but did you realize that the mouth is the mirror of the body? Today’s guest contends that an examination of your teeth and gums uncovers a lot of information about your overall health, and he suggests that a Primal approach to nutrition can heal both gum disease as well as autoimmune disorders associated with inflammation of the gut.  Dr. Alvin Danenberg (also known as Dr. Dan) has been a periodontist for over four decades. He is based in Beaufort, South Carolina, but offers an online consulting practice as well. His approach is based on Primal nutrition and lifestyle practices, and he assists patients in eliminating detrimental lifestyle routines and poor food choices with the goal of improving dental – and overall – health. Dr. Dan discovered the Paleo approach after suffering from a stroke. This led to a curiosity regarding how a nutrient-dense diet might impact periodontics, and now Dr. Dan uses a holistic approach in his practice. He received his dental d

Perhaps you haven’t invested in a bike fitting because you think the process is only for elite triathletes and cyclists, or you believe you just can’t afford it. But the benefits go beyond improved cycling efficiency, and if you are concerned about your long-term health, today’s guest argues that you can’t afford not to invest in a proper bike fit.  Antony Pringle is the owner of Bike Energy Lab, the first studio in Hong Kong to utilize digital motion capture and modern tri-bike fitting techniques. Antony is certified by both the Fit Institute Slowtwitch (FIST) as well as Retül, and he is proud to have fitted many Ironman and 70.3 World Championship qualifiers – himself included! Antony got his start in bike fitting at Cycles Bertrand, a custom frame builder in Gatineau, Quebec, in the mid-1980’s, when the shop was named best bike shop in North America by Bicycling Magazine. Antony received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Waterloo and the University of Ot