Oct 19, 2019
In this podcast, recorded at Spartan World Championships in Lake Tahoe, I got put in the hotseat for an hour by a former podcast guest of mine: Will Ahmed of WHOOP.
Will grilled me about every step of my day, and my exact morning, afternoon and evening routines - from sleeping to pooping to sex and more.
During our discussion, you'll discover:
-How Ben first got involved with performance and fitness [5:00]
- Always had a desire to teach; consummate learner
- Write for kids magazines, teach what he learned to other kids
- Love for nature immersion and movement
- Constitutional assessment labeled him as a mover
- Began playing tennis at age 14
- This began the search for optimizing his game, which led to a focus on exercise, nutrition, etc.
- Endurance sports are more appealing due to the importance of physiology, nutrition, etc.
-Ben's morning routine [9:20]
- Christian Gratitude
Journal
- One thing grateful for
- One truth
- One person to pray for, help, serve
- Read for 15 minutes
- Book: Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday
- Wash face with an oil cleanser
- Oil pulling for the mouth
- The Dirt (it's an oil pulling brand)
- Make coffee
- Kion Coffee
- Wilfa Precision coffee maker
- Spend 15 minutes taking care of body - self love
- 20-30 minutes Morning reading: Twitter, research digests,
emails
- Learning vs. reacting/responding
- No creating at this point
- Giant glass of water w/ hydrogen tablets
- Water and Wellness tablets
- Off to the toilet, take care of business
- Coffee enema once a week
- Two types of activity per day:
- Full workout (high intensity interval training)
- Light workout: walk in the sun, a swim
-What Ben thinks is underrated when it comes to fitness [20:45]
- Minimal effective dose of training
- Time under tension vs. sets and reps
- Vasper machine
- ARX Fit machine
- Focus on mindfulness and breath at the gym
- No phones
- Exercise your spirit as well as the body
-Thoughts on breath work through the nose [24:00]
- Breathing through the nose increases Co2 levels
- Focus on the exhale, should last slightly longer than the
inhale
- Book: The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown
- Exhaling through the nose humidifies the air
- Exercises the diaphragm
- Regulates the sympathetic system
- Opti O2 device
- Meditation: Be driven by your prana (life force)
-Ben's mid-morning routine [27:30]
- Family meeting, planning future activities
- BGF podcast on unschooling
- 9:30 eat a morning superfood smoothie
-A typical day at the office [32:45]
- Beginning at 10 am, hyper-focused on tasks for the day
(podcasts, articles, consults, etc.)
- Book: Deep Work by Cal Newport
- Non-reactive work
- Reactive work can wait (emails, small tasks)
- Brain enhancement supplements:
-What Ben Greenfield eats [36:00]
- Organic wild meat
- Hunt white tail deer, elk, turkey, with a bow and arrow
- Train to Hunt
- Petersen's Bow Hunting magazine
- Knock on Archery podcast
- Nose to tail
- Coffee in the morning, wine in the evening
- Raw honey
-Mid-afternoon routine [38:20]
- Have lunch around 3 pm
- Take a nap 20-40 minutes
- 2-3 more hours of work (small tasks: emails)
- No coffee after noon
- Nicotine gum for a cognitive pick-me-up
- Hard workout (if not in the morning)
-Evening routine [42:30]
- Belongs entirely to family
- Family dinner, games
- Play music: piano, guitar
- Read, review gratitude journals
-Getting ready for bed [43:45]
- Red incandescent bulbs (close to fire light) no blue light
- RA Optics red and clear blue light blocking glasses
- ChiliPad
- Essential oil diffuser
- Reading, chatting w/ wife
- No TV in the bedroom
- Supplements used:
- 60 mg of CBD
- Sleep Remedy
- Quicksilver melatonin
- 4-7-8 breathing
- MindFold sleep mask
-Under the radar hacks to improve your life [49:45]
- Sunlight exposure first thing in the day
- ReTimer glasses (use BGF30 for $30 off of your purchase)
- Human Charger (use BEN20 for 20% off)
- Red light at night
- Self-quantification
- Whoop (use BEN for a $30 discount)
- Test for inflammation and blood glucose
- Dexcom G6 blood continuous glucose monitor
-And much more...
Resources from this episode:
- Book: Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday
- AnneMarie Skin Care products - RumbleRoller Foam Roller
- Water and Wellness tablets (use GREENFIELD for a 10% discount)
- Vasper
- ARX Fit (use BEN for $500 off shipping and installation)
- Book: The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown
- Book: Deep Work by Cal Newport
- Walking treadmill (use BEN10 to save 10%)
- Ultimate Longevity Grounding mat
- JOOVV Red light therapy device
- TrueForm treadmill (BEN10 to save 10%)
- NuCalm Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation Device
- Biomat Infrared Sleep Mat
- NormaTec Pulsing Compression Recovery Boots
- RA Optics blue light blocking glasses
- ChiliPad Sleep System
- Quicksilver melatonin
- MindFold sleep mask
- ReTimer glasses (use BGF30 for $30 off of your purchase)
- Human Charger (use BEN20 for 20% off)
- Whoop strap (use BEN for a $30 discount)
- Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor
Episode sponsors:
-Kion: My personal playground for new supplement formulations, Kion blends ancestral wisdom with modern science. Ben Greenfield Fitness listeners, receive a 10% discount off your entire order when you use discount code: BGF10.
-Organifi Glow: A plant-based beverage that helps support the body’s natural ability to produce collagen, smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and protect the skin from sun exposure and toxins. Receive a 20% discount on your entire order when you use discount code: "BENG20"
-Vuori: Activewear and athletic clothing for ultimate performance. Vuori is built to move and sweat in, yet designed with a West Coast aesthetic that transitions effortlessly into everyday life. Receive 25% off your first order when you use discount code: "ben25"
-Harry's Razors: Try the shaving company that’s fixing shaving. Get a $13 value trial set that comes with everything you need for a close, comfortable shave when you go to harrys.com/greenfield