Ali Fitness Podcast

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

We tend to associate biohacking with expensive gadgets. But the truth is, some of the best things you can do for your health cost nothing at all. On this episode of Ali Fitness, we hack the biohacker, picking the brain of a master to find out how to feel our best—without breaking the bank! Thaddeus Owen is a master biohacker and blogger with Primal Hacker and Eris Fit. He is also a certified Bulletproof Coach with a Master’s degree in Holistic Nutrition as well as a certified personal trainer. Thaddeus began his career as a chemical engineer, working for a traditional pharmaceutical company. Eventually, he left the corporate lifestyle for a work-from-home job as Chief Sustainability Engineer and Product Stewardship Manager for Herman Miller, identifying non-toxic products to use in furniture construction. He continues to work full-time while studying biohacking and sharing his knowledge of health, longevity and cognitive enhancement with the Primal Hacker audience. Today, Thaddeus shares his top three no-brai

Wish you could wake up without a cup of coffee? Or wind down at night without a glass of wine? Most of us spend the day self-medicating to manage our energy, using stimulants and sedatives to adjust our body’s rhythms. Rhythms thrown off by the activity-driven stress of modern life. But what if there was a wearable that could replicate the states of calm and balance we’re chasing and ultimately restore our body’s natural rhythms? Dr. David Rabin is the Cofounder and CIO at Apollo Neuroscience, a technology company developing the first scientifically-validated wearable to improve focus, sleep and meditative states by delivering layered vibrations to the skin. A board-certified psychiatrist and translational neuroscientist, Dr. Rabin spent the last decade studying the impact of chronic stress in humans and researching non-invasive therapies designed to improve quality of life in patients with treatment-resistant illnesses. He also led the world’s largest controlled study around the benefits of psychedelic-assis

Might as well face it, you’re addicted to carbs. The conventional approach to endurance training promotes ‘chronic cardio’ and carbohydrate dependency. But there is a way to reset your metabolic clock with the keto diet, and today’s guest wrote the book on it – well, he co-authored it anyway! Brad Kearns has been a well-known coach, speaker and author in the health and fitness realm for 20-plus years. During his nine-year career as a triathlete, he was one of the world’s top ranked professionals, amassing 30 wins worldwide on the pro circuit, and he still holds the Hawaii Ironman 18-24 age division American record at 8:57. Brad has partnered with his former coach and fellow health and fitness authority Mark Sisson to lead the Primal Blueprint, a comprehensive ancestral health movement. Together they co-authored the 2016 release Primal Endurance, a guidebook that teaches athletes how to employ a stress-balanced, fat-adapted Primal approach to training. The duo has another book coming out this fall, The Keto Re

For thousands and thousands of years, humans have consumed cannabis, leveraging its micronutrients to adapt to technological shifts. And then we abruptly pulled it out of our diets, just as our oxidative stress levels shot up. So, what can we do to counter this one-two punch to our collective health? How, exactly, do CBD and other compounds produced by the cannabis plant work to benefit our body systems? And what can we do to choose quality CBD products that actually work? Will Kleidon is the Founder and CEO of Ojai Energetics, an ethics-driven health and wellness company based in California. Ojai Energetics seeks to bring ancient healing products to life by way of modern innovation, and it leads the world in producing vital natural organic supplements with water-soluble CBD to promote everyday health and healing. Will is a subject matter expert in the art, science and technology of the cannabis business, and his work has been featured in Forbes, Money and Entrepreneur Magazine, among many other media outlets

‘The best athletes on the teams I’ve worked with have always been the best sleepers. The bottom third of the sleepers are usually gone within a few years.’ We live in a world where functioning on less and less sleep has become ‘the new normal,’ so we may not realize just how much insufficient sleep impacts our performance. Of course, there are elements of this that are out of our control, like the travel schedule associated with competition. But if you are struggling to get close to the recommended 7½-9 hours, it is likely that your reaction time and your ability to focus are suffering. What is the best way to monitor how much sleep you’re actually getting? And how do you determine what’s causing the problem if you’re falling short? Pat Byrne is an authority in the field of sleep science with 30-plus years of experience in health and safety, risk management, and performance optimization. Pat’s fatigue management systems utilize state-of-the-art technology to revolutionize the way professional sports teams and

There’s a direct correlation between health and happiness. Any yet, traditional medicine treats our unhappiness with antidepressants. The medical community manages symptoms of anxiety and depression with drugs—rather than taking the time to find the root cause of our health issues. So, what can we do to stop poor health from hijacking our happiness? Dr. Brian Brown is the peak longevity strategist behind The Optimal CEO, a functional medicine practice that helps high-level entrepreneurs, influencers and CEOs achieve optimal health. He works with clients to develop a custom wellness plan, supporting them in resolving hidden imbalances and achieving peak performance. On this episode of Ali Fitness, Dr. Brown joins us to discuss his transition from psychiatry to functional medicine, walking us through his personal wellness journey and exploring the connection between poor health and depression. He describes the differences between traditional and functional medicine, sharing his approach to finding root causes a

We are suffering from the worst chronic disease problem the world has ever seen, and traditional medicine is not set up to address the issue. In fact, a full 50% of Americans are dealing with at least one chronic disease right now, and by 2030, healthcare spending to treat chronic disease is projected to hit a mind-bending $47 trillion. Chris Kresser is on a mission to address chronic disease by way of a collaborative practice model that affords patients a healthcare team consisting of a general practitioner as well as a health coach, personal trainer, counselor, etc.—all working together to prevent chronic disease before it starts. Chris is a global authority in the realm of ancestral health, Paleo nutrition and functional medicine. His website is among the top 25 natural health sites in the world, and he was recently named one of the 100 most influential people in health and fitness by Greatlist. Chris is also the founder of the Kresser Institute, a functional medicine training platform that offers practiti

Home health testing is all the rage. But which one of the many services available provides the most accurate results? And is there a platform with more to offer than information? A platform that delivers actionable advice for solving your health challenges or improving your performance? Dr. Christopher Mason is an Associate Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cofounder of Onegevity Health, a platform designed to empower individuals to maintain optimal health by democratizing access to actionable information from leading-edge biomedical research. Dr. Chris earned his BS in Genetics and Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his PhD in Genetics from Yale. On this episode of Ali Fitness, Dr. Chris joins us to discuss what differentiates Onegevity from other genetic testing services. He explains why the team started with Gutbio and walks us through the process of testing your gut microbiome with a Onegevity kit. Dr. Chris also offers insight around Onegevity’s products in development, inclu

“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

When you feel pain, your brain is trying to tell you something. And a good physiotherapist can help you interpret that message. But pain doesn’t always mean tissue damage, and an elite physio will look at biomechanics as well as any external factors that might impact your pain experience or the recovery process. Erwin Seguia serves as the Cofounder and CEO of Match Fit Performance, a sports performance, rehabilitation and physical therapy practice based in New York City. He is a Board-Certified Physical Therapist, the Sports Director for the New York Empire, and the Secondary Physiotherapist for Gotham Knights Rugby. Erwin is passionate about soccer and enjoys CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting, and as a physio, he has experience with rugby, endurance sports, Ultimate Frisbee, soccer, golf, CrossFit, powerlifting and dance. On this episode of Ali Fitness, Erwin joins us to discuss how Match Fit differs from traditional physical therapy, explaining why the team only uses manual therapy when absolutely necessar

“[People] are empowered, and that’s exactly why I love doing what I do is because you have everything you need to get yourself to feel better... Breathing is something that’s yours, and we’ve forgotten that. We’ve forgotten how powerful it can be. We’ve forgotten how to do it right.” Dr. Belisa Vranich is the Director of Breathing Science at the Ash Center for Comprehensive Medicine in New York City. Dr. Belisa began her career as a clinical psychologist with the intention of having a long-standing therapy practice. As she explored different methods of reducing stress, Dr. Belisa developed an interest in yoga breathing and martial arts-based breathing techniques. The result of her study is The Breathing Class, a practical, science-based method that addresses the physical and psychological problems related to ‘bad breath.’ Dr. Belisa is also a sought-after public speaker and the author of Breathe: The Simple, Revolutionary 14-Day Program to Improve your Mental and Physical Health. A regular guest on platforms

Over time, we have lost contact with the Earth—literally. We wear shoes with rubber soles that prevent us from connecting with the ground, and that disconnection may be the cause of many of our modern health issues. So, how does grounding work to make our bodies’ surface charge align with that of the Earth? How does that realignment mitigate health problems like inflammation and chronic pain? And what can we do to get grounded today? Clint Ober is the CEO of Earth FX, Inc., a research and development company that investigates the health benefits of grounding and develops innovative indoor grounding products. More importantly, he is the initiator of the Grounding Movement, an international crusade to shed our shoes and reconnect electrically to the surface of the Earth. In the last two decades, Clint has supported 20-plus research studies that collectively demonstrate how grounding reduces inflammation and promotes the normal functioning of our body systems. On this episode, Clint joins us to explain how he di

“[Wearables] are only successful when you use them to learn more about your own body. That’s the missing link … They cannot be used as the actual answer themselves. If you outsource your own intelligence, if you outsource your thinking, your own physiology to these devices, you are going to lose.” Dr. Andy Galpin is a tenured professor at the Center for Sport Performance at CSU Fullerton and the author of Unplugged: Evolve from Technology to Upgrade Your Fitness, Performance and Consciousness. Dr. Galpin spent four years studying the structure and function of human skeletal muscle to earn a PhD in Human Bioenergetics from Ball State University. At the CSU Fullerton Biochemistry and Molecular Exercise Physiology Lab, Dr. Galpin and his team study the acute responses and chronic adaptations of human skeletal muscle in response to high velocity and fatiguing exercise. Dr. Galpin also serves as a performance coach for high-profile professional athletes, helping elite competitors achieve their performance potentia

So, you want to make a commitment to your long-term health, but your time to work out is limited. What if you could spend just 20 minutes at the gym three times a week—and be in the best shape of your life? According to Pamela Gold (and many other HIIT advocates), results like that ARE possible with the right combination of high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, and recovery. Pamela Gold is the Founder of HACKD Fitness, a Manhattan studio dedicated to helping people be the strongest, most powerful version of themselves—in the most efficient way possible. After graduating from Yale University, Pamela was assistant to the CEO of Cosi and served as point person on the IPO in 2002. She left the workforce to become a mom in 2006 and developed a passion for physical fitness and wellness. But when Pamela returned to the corporate world, she had limited time to work out and turned to HIIT. Today, she works out less than 40 minutes a week and is in the best shape of life. Pamela relies on data to confirm what is w

Technology has the capacity to make our lives better, making us fitter and more efficient. It also creates a whole new set of problems, impacting our mental health and creating a sense of isolation and disconnection. So, how do we make thoughtful choices to incorporate technology without losing what’s valuable about being human? And how is tech likely to impact the health and fitness industry moving forward? Bryan O’Rourke is an accomplished CEO, strategic advisor, entrepreneur, investor, author and professional speaker. As the Principal and Chief Executive with Vedere Ventures, he has developed a portfolio in fitness and healthcare, food and beverage, international trade, technology and franchising. Bryan also serves as president of the Fitness Industry Technology Council and host of the Fitness + Technology Podcast, and he has been a featured presenter at international industry conferences in the health club, fitness, business and technology space. Today, Bryan joins us to explain how traditional training i

Life is a series of inhales and exhales. So, what happens if we press pause? SOMA breathwork uses short periods of breath retention to create the right balance of oxygen in the body and produce a variety of health benefits. How can we benefit from this kind of practice as endurance athletes? And how does hypoxic training work to improve our performance? Niraj Naik is the creator of SOMA Breath, a global breathwork movement based on the traditional yogic practices of pranayama. A certified pharmacist turned holistic health expert and entrepreneur, Niraj used breathing techniques to restore his own health, and now he is dedicated to helping others recover from diseases in which stress and gut issues are a contributing factor. Niraj is also a professional musician and one of the world’s most sought-after spiritual ceremony facilitators. Today, Niraj joins us to explain how his own struggle with Ulcerative Colitis led to his discovery of the healing power of breath. He discusses other types of breathwork and desc

As endurance athletes, we have ambitious fitness goals. But few of us stop to consider what’s driving us or exactly WHY we chose a particular target. Fewer still understand how our current habits fit into the bigger picture around long-term health and wellbeing. What if we quit using the sweaty and sore scale—and started measuring our success in terms of overall health and happiness? Joe DiStefano is a global authority in the realm of optimizing wellness and longevity while improving fitness and sports performance. After a traumatic brain injury, Joe dedicated his life to finding health again, and the experience informs his holistic approach to training and coaching some of the world’s top athletes. He spent eight years as Head of Sport and Training with Spartan Race before founding RUNGA, an experiential lifestyle brand that empowers people through sustainable practices that fuel health, wellness and performance. Today, Joe joins us to explain why he sees his traumatic brain injury as a gift, describing how

A lot of women struggle with guilt when it comes to self-care, feeling badly for prioritizing their own health and fitness. And yet, if we’re not square with ourselves, loving and being loved by the people we’re closest to becomes very difficult. It’s also that much harder to be productive and achieve clarity and confidence in our work. So, what can we do to show up as the best version of ourselves for the people we love—and in the world at large? Gabby Reece is a world-renowned athlete, New York Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, wife and mother. As a former professional beach volleyball player, Gabby competed at the highest levels throughout her career, earning WBVL Offensive Player of the Year honors and leading the league in kills four years in a row. Now, Gabby partners with her husband, surfing legend Laird Hamilton, to empower people to take responsibility for their health through XPT, a performance lifestyle designed to help people achieve peak fitness. Gabby’s presence and passion for healthy

Do you struggle to sleep through the night? How does that impact your health? Nighttime is when our bodies heal and recover. It’s when we flush out the stressors of the day. So, what can we do to enhance our natural sleep cycles and get the full benefit of a good night’s sleep? Tara Youngblood is the Cofounder and Chief Scientist at Chili Technology, a company dedicated to the development of temperature-controlled sleep products. Since launching the ChiliPad in 2007, Tara has spent more than 10,000 hours studying the science of sleep. She authored the leading white paper exploring the benefits of cold therapy during sleep and is a highly-regarded international speaker on the topic. Tara leverages her background in physics and engineering to help shape the future of sleep-driven health, working to make sleep both easy and drug-free. Today, Tara joins us to share the Chili Technology origin story and explain how the ChiliPad and OOLER products work. She explains the science behind core body temperature and qual