WHOOP Podcast (WHOOP)
Explorez tous les épisodes de WHOOP Podcast
| Date | Titre | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Mar 2019 | Brandon McDaniel, a Director of Athletic Development & Performance Science in Major League Baseball, talks training methodology, gameday preparation, and how his organization uses WHOOP data. | 01:13:40 | |
An MLB Director of Athletic Development & Performance Science Brandon McDaniel discusses his individualized approach to training (5:35), overrated metrics in baseball (14:42), why pitch velocity has increased in recent years (17:19), how his team uses WHOOP (22:09) and what they learn from the data (30:41), what he tells a player who's "in the red" on gameday (34:41), pre-game dos and don'ts (37:53), the value of naps (39:31), players' use of caffeine and tobacco (42:08), different recovery techniques for older and younger athletes (52:59), his World Series experience and what he saw on WHOOP (59:21), losing 70 pounds in 6 months (1:04:45), and what he does to keep learning and improving (1:06:40). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 09 Feb 2022 | Super Bowl champion Steve Weatherford discusses performance mindset, mental health, and the big game | 00:31:10 | |
Steve Weatherford, who won Super Bowl XLVI with the Giants in 2012, returns to the WHOOP Podcast for a discussion on mindset, fitness, and Super Bowl LVI. Steve spent 10 years as a punter in the NFL, and was twice voted the fittest man in the league. He had one of the best performances of his career in the Super Bowl, but explains why that didn’t fulfill him at the time and what he’s learned about mental health since that moment. Steve discusses his road to athletics and why he had an unhealthy relationship with sports (6:33), searching for meaning (8:52), winning the Super Bowl (10:32), finding purpose (12:40), having a health and wellness mindset (17:25), focusing on the important things (20:45), picking the Bengals (26:18), and the importance of rest (30:02). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 16 Feb 2022 | Sex, sleep, and performance: what WHOOP data reveals about sexual activity | 00:38:04 | |
This week’s episode is all about sex. Our VP or Performance, Kristen Holmes, sits down with Dr. Michele Lastella, a researcher in sleep, sexual activity, and athletic performance, for an in-depth discussion on how sexual activity plays a role in your sleep quality, your physiology, and your emotional wellbeing. Plus, we also reveal the latest WHOOP insights on sexual activity and masturbation. Kristen and Dr. Lastella discuss how sex helps you be present (5:01), the hormonal response triggered in our bodies (6:26), how sex can reduce sleep latency (8:48), sleep and libido (13:01), sex as a health promoting behavior (16:50), new WHOOP sex and masturbation data (21:53), how sex habits change as we age (23:02), what the research says about sex with your regular partner (24:45), the role sex plays in purpose (27:52), which U.S. states report the most sex on WHOOP (30:46), and how events like Valentine's Day and the Super Bowl change sex behaviors (35:44). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 27 Mar 2019 | Mike Mancias, trainer to LeBron James, discusses the role recovery plays in keeping his athlete on the court, and why he's been "all-in" on WHOOP since the beginning. | 00:46:22 | |
LeBron James' long-time athletic trainer Mike Mancias talks about his journey from equipment manager of a small college basketball team to training an all-time great (6:17), working with Tim Grover and Michael Jordan (10:18), durability and post-game recovery (18:52), getting involved with WHOOP (24:27), effects of the NBA lockout in 2010-11 (26:31), what he sees in WHOOP data (27:24), nutrition trends (29:11), his best training tip for the everyday athlete (30:24), recovery methods to combat aging (32:21), what to do when you're "low energy" on gameday (36:19), his career highlights (39:34), and improving the happiness of NBA players (42:07). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 23 Feb 2022 | CrossFitter Noah Ohlsen discusses the training mindset, how to frame your goals, and the pursuit of greatness | 00:42:02 | |
The CrossFit Open begins this week, and we’re excited to have one of the best CrossFitters on the planet join us on the podcast – Noah Ohlsen. Noah won the Open in 2016 and has been a perennial contender in the CrossFit Games for years, finishing 2nd at the Games in 2019. He sits down with our resident CrossFit expert Mike Lombardi for a discussion that covers everything from overcoming disappointment, the power of a positive mindset, and understanding what’s really important as you pursue your goals in sport and in life. Noah details his goals in sport (2:17), his journey to CrossFit (6:43), getting to the CrossFit Games (9:24), pursuing his dream of a championship (11:29), why it's important to enjoy the process (13:49), reframing your training mindset (18:50), overcoming injury and disappointment (27:38), how the WHOOP Podcast inspired him to rethink his mental performance (29:25), and how he uses WHOOP in his day-to-day life (35:14). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 02 Mar 2022 | Olympic bobsled silver medalist Lauren Gibbs shares how it's never too late to chart a new path in life | 00:44:52 | |
Olympic bobsledder Lauren Gibbs sits down with Mike Lombardi for a discussion on how it’s never too late to chart a new course for your life. Lauren started bobsledding at 30 years old, and less than 4 years later, she was representing the United States at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. She won a silver medal at those games with her teammate, Elana Meyers Taylor, and also won a gold medal at the 2020 World Championships. She discusses how she started bobsledding as "a joke" (2:35), finding your path in life (7:24), understanding your personal power (10:09), going "all in" (14:04), WHOOP and recovery (18:30), promoting parity in women's sports (25:34), body image and weight (31:32), how she found motivation on tough days (37:49), and how making little changes leads to major improvements (43:45). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 09 Mar 2022 | Coast Guard-WHOOP study measures fatigue, rest, and recovery in air crews | 00:48:38 | |
Robert Moeller, WHOOP Associate Vice President of Government and a former Navy SEAL, sits down with Coast Guard Commander Scott Austin for a discussion on leadership, performance, and how data can be used to help our servicemen and women. Commander Austin is a helicopter pilot who recently completed a study that evaluated how Coast Guard crew member perceptions of fatigue and alertness compared with WHOOP data on sleep and recovery. He discusses the treacherous conditions he and his crews often encounter during search and rescue missions (2:43), the danger fatigue can cause in aviation (7:54), the culture of sleeplessness in the military (11:00), his thoughts on strong leadership (14:55), the details of the study the Coast Guard conducted with WHOOP (18:43), what the study revealed (26:57), what can be learned from WHOOP (31:34), how fatigue affects your physiology (37:39), and the importance of sleep (41:32). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 03 Apr 2019 | The Circadian Rhythm Sleep Hack: Kristen Holmes and Emily Capodilupo discuss the benefits of Sleep Consistency. | 00:28:15 | |
How to improve your sleep by maintaining your circadian rhythm: WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes and Director of Analytics Emily Capodilupo talk about the benefits of Sleep Consistency (3:38), where the idea came from (5:49), what we've seen in WHOOP data (9:13), spending more time in deeper stages of sleep (10:31), behaviors that can help (11:32), a case study of a team that traveled west but stayed on Eastern time (14:12), and how it benefited them (17:07), Connor Jaeger's preparation for the 2016 Olympics (19:34), other methods for handling time zone changes (20:26), including a bedtime routine (21:12) and splitting the difference pre-travel (22:05), and getting better sleep despite actually spending less time in bed (23:07). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 16 Mar 2022 | Understanding sleep debt and the adverse health effects of sleep deprivation | 00:46:25 | |
This week's episode is a deep dive on sleep debt and how sleep deprivation affects your body. VP of Performance Kristen Holmes is joined by sleep expert Dr. Allison Brager, a neuroscientist and a Major with the United States Army. Dr. Brager's research has covered survival in extreme environments under sleep deprivation and stress, and serves on fatigue management and neuroenhancement working group for NATO, the Office of the Army Surgeon General, the Department of Defense, and NASA. She discusses what sleep debt is (3:38), why sleep need is highly individualistic (5:17), how mindset plays a role in sleep, recovery, and performance (13:00), what caffeine does to your body (16:48), sleep fragmentation (20:28), the toll sleeplessness takes on your body (23:06), sleep and wake timing (28:47), eating close to bedtime (35:05), and tips to manage insufficient sleep (37:54). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 23 Mar 2022 | Pregnancy, exercise, and HRV: What WHOOP data says for expectant mothers | 00:35:08 | |
Kristen Holmes, Emily Capodilupo, and Dr. Shon Rowan of West Virginia University detail a first-of-its-kind study with WHOOP on pregnancy and exercise. The research revealed that participants experienced an increase in resting heart rate and a decrease in heart rate variability for much of their pregnancies, but saw a bounce back in those metrics in the weeks before birth. The participants also reported higher HRV scores postpartum compared to their heart rate variability baseline before pregnancy. Kristen, Emily, and Dr. Rowan discuss the exclusion of pregnant women from studies on exercise (4:10), the current guidelines for exercise during pregnancy (8:36), the myths about exercise for women.(12:09), diet and exercise during pregnancy (13:39), the study findings (14:56), HRV during pregnancy (18:09), Postpartum data and HRV increases (22:05), and menopause (30:35). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 09 Apr 2019 | WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins, Cesaro, and Coach Josh Gallegos on competing for the best WHOOP data, how it helps them adapt their training, and what really happens when they get in the ring. | 00:55:17 | |
Seth Rollins, the WWE's new Universal Champion, fellow wrestler Cesaro, and coach Josh Gallegos talk about their "WHOOP gang" (7:21), the similarities between wrestling and CrossFit (8:53), competing for the best WHOOP data (11:25) and the discoveries they've made from it (12:51), what increases their HRV (15:11), adapting workouts based on recovery (19:50), diet and nutrition (24:43), how to avoid injury in the ring (30:10), the art of wrestling (31:57) and how it compares to dancing the tango (33:33), what causes the most strain during a match (40:35), tips for getting to sleep (42:50), advice for success (46:17), and the worst recoveries they've ever had (51:58). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 30 Mar 2022 | Adam Thielen shares his journey from overlooked Division II athlete to NFL All-Pro | 00:43:54 | |
Adam Thielen has become one of the most recognizable names in football, but his success in the NFL was far from guaranteed. He joins the WHOOP Podcast to detail his journey from an overlooked Division II athlete to a star wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, and explains how his determination led him to the NFL after going undrafted. Adam discusses his lifelong dream to play sports (2:32), why he chose football (5:16), his "good delusion" and how it helped him pursue the NFL (6:36), the mental side of performance (9:51), proving yourself (13:55), his mindset (17:36), injury prevention and overcoming setbacks (21:28), preparing for Sunday (25:17), using WHOOP (27:36), the importance of sleep (33:43), defining the many types of talent (34:51), and fulfilling your potential (37:30). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 06 Apr 2022 | Brad Faxon, longtime PGA Tour golfer, discusses the mindset needed for success in golf and life | 00:41:55 | |
Brad Faxon is one of the best putters the PGA Tour has ever seen. He led the PGA Tour in putting average three times, and set the single season putting record in 2000, edging out Tiger Woods in what was Tiger’s best season on Tour. He sits down with Will Ahmed to discuss his beginnings in sport (2:24), how he overcame his early career struggles (8:41), the difference between playing scared and playing nervous (12:12), using WHOOP (14:18), the mental side of golf (17:24), becoming a great putter and the mindset for success (20:09), learning to accept your misses (26:37), The Masters (32:40), Tiger Woods and his impact on golf (34:28), and his favorite courses (40:22). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 13 Apr 2022 | Malaika Mihambo, Olympic long jump champion and German Sportswoman of the Year, discusses overcoming self doubt on the way to the top | 00:35:25 | |
This week’s guest is Malaika Mihambo, the reigning Olympic, European, and World champion in long jump. Malaika has been named the German Sportswoman of the Year for three consecutive years, the first person to accomplish that feat since tennis legend Steffi Graf. Malaika speaks openly about the self-doubt she experienced leading up to the Tokyo Olympics, and details how writing in her journal and using mindfulness practices helped her overcome the anxiety she felt approaching the Olympic competition. She also discusses her journey to sport (2:02), staying grounded (3:45), preparing for Tokyo (6:31), journaling (9:37), the night before winning gold (12:30), believing in yourself (18:09), mindfulness and meditation (20:34), using WHOOP (24:49), being a vegan athlete (27:38), and habit tracking (32:40). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 17 Apr 2019 | Kate Courtney, Mountain Bike World Champion, shares everything she’s done to reach the pinnacle of her sport. | 01:21:11 | |
Defending mountain bike world champion Kate Courtney talks about her intro to the sport (3:10) and incredible rise to the top (8:06), her love of data (11:37) and meditation (15:45), recovery as a life skill (21:52), fueling with waffles (23:57), training and functional overreaching (28:37), her nap routine (35:18), workouts in the gym (39:01) and not fearing strength on the bike (44:08), pre-bed recovery (49:48), sleep habits and environment (57:39), travel advice (1:08:54), a typical day's strain (1:10:51), and her biggest goal going forward (1:18:57). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 20 Apr 2022 | Josh Hart, Portland Trail Blazers guard, shares how WHOOP and an increased focus on recovery propelled him to his best season yet | 00:42:34 | |
Portland Trail Blazers guard Josh Hart is coming off the best season of his career, something he attributes to an increased focus on rest, recovery, and nutrition. He explains how WHOOP plays a critical role in his performance and tells us what he’s learned from his WHOOP insights both on the court and off. Josh details his dreams of being a professional athlete (1:55), nighttime practice sessions with his dad as a kid (3:15), his experience as a college athlete at Villanova (9:35), winning the 2016 national championship (12:06), getting his nutrition locked in (14:30), improving his sleep (15:58), the best game of his career and how his WHOOP data showed he was primed for success (18:52), eating habits (25:41), making sacrifices for better recovery (29:40), mindfulness and meditation (34:09), his advice to younger athletes (38:14), and getting in-game insights from WHOOP (41:23). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 27 Apr 2022 | From partier to pro athlete: how cyclist Orla Walsh became one of Ireland's top athletes | 00:40:30 | |
Orla Walsh's journey to professional cycling was far from ordinary. She was a self-described party girl who was smoking up to 20 cigarettes a day, but that all changed when she started biking to work. She quickly transformed her life and is now one of Ireland's best athletes, winning three straight national championships in women's sprint. She sits down with Jeremy Powers to discuss her journey to sport (3:13), her competitive spirit (8:46), getting into racing (11:28), her vegan diet (15:31), being a woman in cycling (25:06), how she uses WHOOP (31:08), her respiratory rate story with COVID-19 (32:29), rest and recovery (34:06), and the performance mindset (37:17). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 04 May 2022 | Michael Phelps on his journey to Olympic greatness, his struggles with depression, and how WHOOP helps him be his best | 01:00:29 | |
Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, joins the WHOOP Podcast for an in-depth discussion on his career, high performance, and mental health. Michael talks about his journey to winning 28 Olympic medals, but also details his struggle with depression and anxiety. He explains his mission to help those battling mental health challenges and also talks about how WHOOP plays a critical role in his own health and well-being. He sits down with Will Ahmed to discuss his early days in swimming (1:52), how he quickly discovered swimming was therapeutic for him (3:37), dealing with expectations and his burning desire to win (9:42), capturing his first gold medal (13:31), making sacrifices (16:47), the pursuit of perfection at the Beijing Olympics (19:36), his love of competition (23:25), experiencing emptiness after Beijing (25:04), recovery and sleep (27:48), why WHOOP (29:41), his mental health struggles and his darkest moments (34:02), showing the world the "real" Michael Phelps (39:37), trying to lower the suicide rate (45:56), flow states (48:22), diet and nutrition while training (55:17), and the Michael Phelps Foundation (56:55). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 24 Apr 2019 | Marcus Filly, Revival Strength Owner & 6-Time CrossFit Games Competitor, on helping his clients make smart health and fitness decisions, plus optimizing his own performance as an athlete, coach, business owner and father. | 01:28:27 | |
Revival Strength owner and 6-time CrossFit Games competitor Marcus Filly discusses his first exposure to CrossFit and rapid rise to the top of the sport (9:40), why he became a coach (12:07) and what his practice entails (15:57), functional bodybuilding (19:19), cold showers (24:11), his current performance goals (32:09) and how they relate to his WHOOP metrics (34:42), advice for picking the right trainer (41:41), individual coaching vs personal training (43:05), community and coach-client relationship (50:18), social media and building a voice (53:41), using WHOOP with his clients (1:07:57), maximizing his sleep efficiency (1:09:40), and self experimentation results seen in his WHOOP data (1:22:14). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 18 May 2022 | Sloane Stephens, U.S. Open champion, talks mental health, the winning mindset, and peak performance | 00:45:14 | |
2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens joins the WHOOP Podcast for an in-depth conversation on her career, high performance, and mental health. Sloane is one of the most recognizable American tennis players of the last decade. She became the youngest woman in the top 100 by the time she turned 18 and has reached as high as the third overall ranking in the world. Despite that, she explains how she has avoided placing unnecessary pressure on herself and talks about how obsessing over winning proved to be a detriment to her. She discusses her journey to tennis (1:28), going pro at 16 (5:02), winning the U.S. Open (9:27), mental health and wellbeing (11:28), how she felt before the U.S. Open final (17:04), mindfulness and meditation (19:34), using WHOOP (23:19), strain (26:41), "peak Sloane" (33:19), finding gratitude (37:40), life after tennis (41:42), and the Sloane Stephens Foundation (42:25). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 11 May 2022 | Learning to Thrive: Resilience expert Dr. Mollie Marti talks mental health and wellbeing | 00:47:12 | |
Resilience expert Dr. Mollie Marti shares practical ways that you can go about building your mental resilience and improving your emotional wellbeing. She joins WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes to discuss what mental resilience is (6:32), the THRIVE model for building resilience (8:38), the importance of relationships (9:10), our core needs as humans (11:32), practicing realistic optimism (15:22), awareness (20:52), accepting what you can't control (21:44), negative thoughts and using sensory resets (24:21), physiological health and mental health (29:42), utilizing resets for your body (39:03), and stress, rest, and recovery (41:21). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 25 May 2022 | Mental wellbeing and human nature: Dr. Bill von Hippel talks succeeding in the modern world | 00:45:18 | |
Leading evolutionary psychologist Dr. Bill von Hippel sits down for a discussion on what makes us tick as humans and how that plays a role in our mental health. Dr. von Hippel is the author of the book The Social Leap, and explains how the experience of our ancestors shaped the way our minds and bodies react to stressful situations, positive and negative emotions, and social settings. He joins WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes to talk about the beginnings of humanity (2:30), the pursuit of happiness (4:28), social comparisons (7:57), healthy motivation (12:02), stress (12:48), framing the right mindset (17:50), staying present (23:56), flow states (27:23), negative feelings and stress responses (29:07), self-control and willpower (32:29), our limitations as humans (37:27), and mindfulness practices (41:02). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 01 May 2019 | Work Hard, Rest Hard: Kristen Holmes chats with Nuun Hydration’s CEO Kevin Rutherford & Director of Product Development Vishal Patel about the intersection of endurance sport, sleep and recovery. | 00:50:57 | |
Endurance sport, sleep & recovery: WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes sits down with Nuun Hydration CEO Kevin Rutherford and Director of Product Development Vishal Patel. They discuss how we can all benefit from performance monitoring (5:15), what endurance exercise does to your body (7:44), sleep as a skill (10:07) and the 4 stages of sleep (11:21), working out too hard to fall asleep (12:47), how WHOOP determines recovery (19:31), results of exercising when you're tired (21:33), nutrition for recovery (23:42), why 8 hours sleep is an arbitrary number (29:56), how to wake up energized (33:43), avoiding negative stress with mindful breathing (34:02), sleep fasting (39:22), hydration and its effect on HRV (42:04), and what happens when you miss your natural window to go to sleep (47:06). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 01 Jun 2022 | Advice from the masters of mindset: Insights from the WHOOP Podcast on mindfulness, meditation, and mental performance | 00:28:34 | |
Unlocking human performance isn’t just about tapping into the potential your body has – it’s about harnessing the power of the mind. We’re taking a look back at some of the learnings and insights we’ve covered on the WHOOP Podcast related to mental performance. In this episode, you’ll learn from some of the masters of mindset on how to improve your mindfulness, meditation, and visualization practices, including Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe (2:35), world-renowned sports psychologist Dr. Jim Loehr (4:38), Free Solo rock climber Alex Honnold (6:21), 2-time PGA Champion Justin Thomas (11:59), Olympic legend Michael Phelps (14:13), former Navy SEAL Mark Divine (17:11), Steve-O from Jackass (21:12), and Stanford Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman (24:37). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 08 Jun 2022 | How sleep, physiology, and psychological safety affect your work performance | 00:50:08 | |
To unlock your best ideas, creativity, and performance, it is essential to create a safe space – part of which can be done with the right interpersonal behaviors, and part of which is done at home with a good night’s sleep. To examine this, WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes sits down for a discussion with Harvard business school professor and behavioral science researcher Dr. Amy Edmondson on the concept of psychological safety. Dr. Jemma King from the University of Queensland in Australia and researcher Nadia Fox also join the podcast to detail new groundbreaking research on the intersection between psychology and physiology and how that manifests in metrics like sleep debt and HRV. Learn more about psychological safety (3:23), stress responses (9:08), burnout (11:23), cognitive functioning under stress (14:52), sleep deprivation (18:09), the study findings (25:50), slow wave sleep and mental control (28:41), cognitive fitness (29:53), sleep debt and psychological safety (32:27), and sleep consistency (41:17). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 15 Jun 2022 | How to train your brain: Neurophysiologist Louisa Nicola details how exercise, sleep, and nutrition help our brains perform | 00:47:33 | |
Neurophysiologist Louisa Nicola joins the WHOOP Podcast to detail the intersection between brain health, physiology, and peak performance. Louisa sits down with WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes to explain the role sleep, nutrition, and exercise play in growing our brains, how the brain ages, and the steps we can take to keep our brains young. Louisa discusses training your brain (5:54), exercise and brain aging (12:28), brain health and resistance training (18:19), nutrition (20:57), hydration (25:34), sleep deprivation and the role it plays in immunity and injuries (32:05), measuring inflammation and stress with HRV (37:13), and how alcohol affects the brain (43:17). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 22 Jun 2022 | Food as medicine: Dr. Julie Foucher explains how to eat your way to good health | 00:38:57 | |
This week’s episode is all about nutrition and how locking in your diet can help prevent chronic disease, fix health problems you might be dealing with, and help you live a longer life. Dr. Julie Foucher, family physician and four-time CrossFit Games athlete, talks about how food can often be used as the medicine for what ails you. She joins WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes to discuss food's medicinal capabilities (3:25), preventing chronic disease (7:20), inflammation (9:20), processed foods (14:08), eating for longevity (17:36), eating close to bed (22:15), comparing different diets (27:02), injury prevention and recovery (29:48), nutrition and mental health (33:15), and habit formation and behavior change (35:12). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 29 Jun 2022 | Circadian health: Dr. Samer Hattar explains how light exposure affects your sleep, digestion, and exercise | 00:43:10 | |
On this week’s episode we take an in-depth look at the science behind your circadian rhythm and how light exposure affects your body. WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes sits down with Dr. Samer Hattar, a world-renowned expert in the field of circadian health, who is credited with discovering neurons in the eye that set our circadian clocks and regulate mood and appetite. Dr. Hattar explains the light-dark cycle and the circadian clock (3:44), the consequences of viewing light at the wrong time (6:34), the importance of light exposure in the morning (12:44), viewing light during the day and blue-light blockers (15:35), what happens when we are exposed to light at night (16:55), circadian health and digestion (19:37), eating windows and meal timing (25:07), exercise routines (28:46), new WHOOP Journal additions on circadian health (34:25), time zones and shifting your circadian rhythm (36:37), and your body's temperature minimum (40:15). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 13 Jul 2022 | Cyclist Lachlan Morton Talks Tour de France and World's Most Grueling Rides | 00:46:29 | |
The Tour de France is underway, and this week Jeremy Powers sits down with world class cyclist Lachlan Morton of the EF Education-EastPost team. Lachlan has raced in some of the biggest world tour events, but he’s perhaps best known for some of his achievements in ultra long distance and uphill events. He recently set the world record in “Everesting,” climbing the equivalent of Mount Everest in just 7 and a half hours. He also rode the Tour de France route last summer by himself, riding 12 hours a day, sleeping in tents alongside the road, and raising $700,000 for charity in the process. Lachlan discusses his journey to cycling (3:42), going pro (8:50), winning the Tour of Utah (15:26), his charitable efforts (18:15), his WHOOP data while riding the Tour de France route by himself (25:38), recovery and adaptation (29:50), road racing vs. adventure cycling (33:36), and biking around the globe (38:08). Plus, Jeremy quizzes Lachlan on some of the WHOOP Data from the EF team (40:37). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 20 Jul 2022 | Sweat, salt, and hydration: Sports scientist Andy Blow covers the essentials of hydration | 00:47:34 | |
WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes sits down with Andy Blow, a world-renowned expert in sweat, dehydration, and cramping to discuss how you can lock in your hydration. Andy draws on his experience as a triathlete and a Formula 1 sports scientist to help explain what you need to know about your own hydration -- and how to avoid common mistakes when it comes to hydration and fueling. Andy discusses the variability in sweat losses from person to person (8:56), what our bodies do while sweating (10:08), perceived effort and thirst (11:50), pre-hydrating (16:20), diet and hydration (21:46), caffeine's role in hydration (24:27), alcohol (30:09), electrolytes (33:14), hydrating while fasting (37:22), and carbs and fueling (42:05). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 08 May 2019 | Neen Williams, Professional Street Skater, on being a high-performance athlete and extending his career as long as possible. | 00:44:49 | |
Professional street skater Neen Williams discusses how he got into skateboarding (3:08) and becoming a pro (4:31), the most "normal" job he ever had (5:31), a moment of clarity that changed his life (8:55), how he uses WHOOP (14:28), the strain of skateboarding (17:06), what makes him an artist (18:35), risk assessment when attempting tricks (19:47), diet and nutrition (23:03), sleep and recovery (24:44), advice for his 18-year-old self (32:34), his positive outlook and embracing the dark times (35:54), what mindfulness means to him (40:05), and a 1% recovery on WHOOP (42:09). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 28 Jul 2022 | Overcoming obstacles: Paralympic athlete Tatyana McFadden talks about the power of sport and the importance of mindset and how | 00:43:30 | |
This week's episode features arguably the greatest female wheelchair racer of all time, Tatyana McFadden, who has won 20 Paralympic medals, 24 World Marathon majors, and 4 consecutive Grand Slams. She joins the podcast to share how she's overcome the many obstacles she has been faced with in her life, how sport saved her life, and how she advocates for others with disabilities. Tatyana and host Will Ahmed discuss her story of growing up in an orphanage in Russia (3:23), her transition to wheelchair racing (6:23), how sports saved her life (9:11), how she prepares for her races (18:24), how she uses WHOOP (19:07), how she prioritizes sleep (24:07), what it took to overcome a lymphedema (30:22), advice for those who are struggling (36:58), and the goals she's working toward (39:24) next. Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 03 Aug 2022 | CrossFit Legend Annie Thorisdottir on Competition, Motivation, and Motherhood | 00:36:37 | |
Annie Thorisdottir has twice been named the Fittest Woman on Earth at the CrossFit Games. Since taking CrossFit by storm, she's gone on to multiple podium finishes, including becoming the first woman to win back-to-back CrossFit Games titles. She joins the podcast to talk about her long career in the sport, including getting started in the sport (3:25), her journey to motherhood, including struggles with postpartum depression (13:31), her athletic rebirth after having her daughter (18:00), competing as an individual and as a team (22:49), how she paces herself (27:31), and the importance of mindfulness (32:30). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 10 Aug 2022 | Breathing Your Way to Better Health & Performance with Expert Brian MacKenzie | 00:38:03 | |
Brian MacKenzie is a human performance and endurance expert, and the President and co-founder of The Health & Human Performance Foundation. He is on a mission to help everyone from top executives to the US military understand how breath can help optimize their health and performance. Brian joins the podcast to talk about what hypoxia is and why it matters (6:37), the downstream effects of improper breathing (10:42), the characteristics of optimal breathing (15:30), the physiological impact of mouth breathing (20:24), benefits of nasal breathing (28:13), elevating your awareness and achieving an optimal breath practice (35:27), and how to think about your breath in gears (35:59). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 17 Aug 2022 | Does One Less Drink Matter? How Timing and Quantity of Alcohol Affects Your Biometric Data | 00:25:19 | |
Emily Capodilupo, WHOOP SVP of Data Science & Research, joins Will Ahmed to share recently analyzed data on alcohol consumption patterns and what we see happen to the body physiologically with each and every drink. Emily shares what we're trying to achieve with recovery (2:28), the negative effects of alcohol on recovery (3:46), the effect of every incremental drink on recovery (5:32), the differences between men and women when it comes to alcohol consumption (7:48), holiday drinking (11:44), which month has the highest reports of alcohol consumption (14:11), consumption relative to bedtime - and what happens physiologically (14:54), and drinking hacks to optimize recovery if you do decide to drink (17:53). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 24 Aug 2022 | Women and the Research Gap: How gender disparities in research are impacting women's health | 00:40:01 | |
Emily Capodilupo, WHOOP SVP of Data Science & Research, and Kristen Holmes, WHOOP VP of Performance, join the podcast to discuss the perils of disregarding sex as a meaningful biological variable in research, which has implications in training, fueling, medication dosing, and so much more. Emily and Kristen discuss why there are disparities in research (3:48), how exclusion has been both systemic and practical (7:53), the role lack of research has in diagnostics and in medication dosage (13:24), how wearables are well poised to bridge the research gap (19:01), pivotal research on how exercise is beneficial to pregnant people (25:11), the impact of training and pre-sleep feeding on women (29:02), and training modulations during different phases of the menstrual cycle (32:59). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 31 Aug 2022 | Strength, Conditioning, and Rest: How Strength Training Can Help You Get Stronger, Faster, and Healthier | 00:41:04 | |
Kristen Holmes, WHOOP VP of Performance, is joined on this week's podcast by Cedric Unholz, WHOOP Senior Performance Scientist and Strength & Conditioning Coach for Olympic Windsurfers, and Chris Chapman, WHOOP Sr. Sports Scientist and Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach for Freestyle Ski Canada’s Slopestyle and Big Air National Team to share the physiological benefits of a strength training regimen. They discuss the benefits of a strength training program (6:45), the difference between traditional strength training and functional training (8:50), where most people go wrong when strength training (14:58), difference in training protocol between men and women (23:09), how to plan for recovery after a hard training session (24:23), what the interference effect is, and how it can influence how and what you train (33:05), how to evaluate your one-rep max (37:27), and the importance of building rest into your training (38:40). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 07 Sep 2022 | Understanding HRV to the Link Between Anxiety & Recovery: Kristen Holmes Answers Listener Questions | 00:31:28 | |
You asked, we answered. This week, Kristen Holmes, VP of Performance, joins the podcast to answer listener questions. From understanding the connection between mental health and Recovery, to discussing HRV, to understanding calorie calculations, Kristen covers HRV (1:44), the science behind menstrual cycle coaching (5:54), mental health and HRV (9:27), understanding recovery scores (22:30), and fasted cardio (26:43). Additional research:
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| 14 Sep 2022 | Will Ahmed on Building WHOOP, The Future of Wearables, and What it Takes to Lead | 01:09:54 | |
This week, we're featuring an episode that originally aired on the Founder’s Field Guide podcast. Will Ahmed joins Patrick O’Shaugnessy to discuss the journey of founding and building WHOOP. They discuss how to quantify sleep, strain, and recovery (5:35), early lessons in building WHOOP (21:28), how WHOOP stays ahead of upcoming trends in the wearable space (18:45), what data beyond HRV will become more accessible and affordable to track (48:48), why WHOOP doesn’t have a screen and other key differentiators (58:13), and the lessons Will has learned in the past 10 years since founding WHOOP (52:01). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 21 Sep 2022 | Scout Bassett on Physical & Mental Resilience, Confronting Fear, and Pursuing Her Passions | 00:56:53 | |
Scout Bassett, Paralympic track athlete, joins the podcast for a powerful conversation on resilience, what fear teaches us, and how things often get harder before they get better. Scout grew up in an orphanage in China, having lost her right leg in a chemical fire as a newborn. After being adopted, she was introduced to sports, and ultimately, made track and field her career. That journey has been nothing but linear, and she joins the podcast to discuss growing up in China (3:11), how she prioritizes her mental health (8:05), getting into sports (14:29), moving to California (21:29), transitioning to triathlon and ultimately track and field (24:42), the 2021 Paralympic Games (28:00), what her goals are (34:15), how she uses WHOOP (39:12), what she noticed about her metrics that helped her understand she had COVID-19 (42:23), the importance of sleep (50:54), and how she prioritizes self care (52:38). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 15 May 2019 | Jeremy Powers, 4-Time Cyclocross National Champion, talks retirement, gratitude, coming back from injuries, and how he made the most of his career despite never being the most talented rider. | 01:08:10 | |
Four-time cyclocross national champ Jeremy Powers discusses his recent retirement (3:28), what cyclocross is exactly (5:40), his path to becoming a pro (7:47), tracking nutrition (12:49), competing with a team vs as an individual (22:15), meditation (25:49), seeing a sports psychologist at the age of 17 (27:08), music as a training tool (28:44), "the momentum loop" of gratitude and positivity (34:14), battling back from a potentially fatal case of valley fever (35:49), how he discovered WHOOP (41:33), getting out of the red and into the green (44:23), sleep and recovery tips (47:37), who he's influenced and inspired by (58:34), and the Jam Fund he co-created to support aspiring young cyclists (103:34). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 28 Sep 2022 | The Best Ways to Improve Recovery, WFH, Skin Temp and More: Emily Capodilupo Answers Listener Questions | 00:37:45 | |
We’re back in the inbox answering questions from our listeners this week. Emily Capodilupo, SVP of Data Science & Research, joins the podcast to tackle everything from the best ways to improve recovery what it means to miss your period. Emily breaks down menstrual cycles and what they mean for your training (1:51), what missing your period is actually signaling (4:02), training on biweekly cycles (10:44), how working from how can affect your sleep (12:57), the difference between skin temperature and basal body temperature (17:30) and the top 5 ways to improve recovery based on member data (21:29). Resources: Training and Sleeping Based on Your Menstrual Cycle Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 05 Oct 2022 | What Motivates Us: Cognitive Scientist Dr. Maya Shankar on the Power of Change, Habit Formation, And Behavioral Science | 00:39:04 | |
On this week’s episode, Dr. Maya Shankar – a cognitive neuroscientist and creator and host of the podcast, A Slight Change of Plans – sits down with VP of Performance Kristen to how to change our patterns of behavior when it comes to our health. Maya shares the secrets of staying motivated, what the fresh start effect is, and how we can handle setbacks when we're not making the progress we want towards our goals. Maya shares her story of studying violin under Itzhak Perlman (2:22), how a hand injury spurred what she calls identity foreclosure (5:41), her transition to neuroscience (8:48), how she changed her plans and found herself on her career path (10:31), what the endowment effect is (17:14), the benefits of the fresh start effect (18:22), how to think about restarting after your goals have been derailed (23:44), the best ways to cement new habits (25:29), the power of data and behavioral science (29:43), how to make good decisions (31:11), and the illusion of control (34:15). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 11 Oct 2022 | Reggie Miller on the Importance of Practice, His New Athletic Era, and How He Stays Disciplined | 00:46:13 | |
This week, we sit down with NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller to discuss his 18-year career with the Indiana Pacers, including all of the mental and physical focus that went into becoming one of the best in the league. Since hanging up his professional hat, he's gone all-in on a sport that would surprise many: cycling. Reggie sits down with CEO Will Ahmed to discuss falling love with basketball (2:39), how he actually got a late start in basketball after exploring other sports (4:40), his journey to UCLA (8:15), how he started to build his confidence as a player (10:57), being drafted into the NBA (12:59), the differences in the game then to now (19:09), his approach to mindset (25:39), practice vs. game day (29:17), how he uses WHOOP now that he's transitioned to cycling(30:30), what he's learned about his sleep (33:18), and what his typical day looks like (34:30). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 19 Oct 2022 | Understanding Heart Rate Variability and Its Performance Potential with Kristen Holmes and Emily Capodilupo | 00:45:45 | |
This week we revisit an all-time classic episode all about Heart Rate Variability (HRV). VP of Performance Kristen Holmes and SVP of Data Science and Research Emily Capodilupo dive deep into everything there is to know about HRV – and why it’s such a critical metric for evaluating your body’s readiness to perform. Learn what HRV is (3:00), why it’s so valuable to measure (6:35), and how it is a sign of fitness (9:40). Find out why WHOOP collects HRV data during sleep (17:05) and how it can impact your recovery score (22:27). Emily and Kristen explain how HRV can fluctuate on a daily basis (25:58) and how there is no true “normal” HRV (29:23). Hear some simple lifestyle choices that can improve your HRV (36:15) as well as how hydration (36:15), nutrition (38:43), and sleep (41:55) relate to HRV. Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 02 Nov 2022 | Tips to Maximize Recovery and Minimize the Negative Effects of Alcohol with Kristen Holmes and Emily Capodilupo | 00:31:50 | |
After wrapping up Sober October, we’ve brought back a fan favorite to dive deep into the effects of alcohol on the body, sleep, and recovery. VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes and SVP of Data Science and Research Emily Capodilupo break down all things alcohol by discussing what we know about alcohol’s impact on the body (2:45), how alcohol leads to poor sleep (4:05), how alcohol deters muscle development and hinders the results of a workout (6:40), what you can expect to see in your WHOOP metrics after drinking (8:22), the story of a collegiate athletics team that won a championship after going sober for a season (9:50), collegiate athletes and recovering from drinking (11:45), healthy behaviors to offset hangovers and alcohol consumption (15:35), tricks to improve recovery if you know you will be drinking (16:50), a case study with military soldiers and the impact of alcohol (18:40), the potential benefits of consuming small amounts of alcohol (21:36), experimenting with your own WHOOP data (25:55). Then tune in to a couple of soundbites from experts including Andy Blow on hydrating while drinking and the power of non-alcoholic beer (27:20), and Dr. Kelly Starrett on using alcohol to self-soothe (29:44). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 09 Nov 2022 | Groundbreaking New Research: How HRV Could Predict Preterm Births with Emily Capodilupo and Dr. Patrick Carroll | 00:38:29 | |
In this episode, we discuss groundbreaking research around pregnancy that could pave the way in improving the lives and health outcomes of premature infants worldwide New research from WHOOP has uncovered a first-of-its-kind digital biomarker that can be a potential indicator of preterm delivery, all by using HRV patterns. VP of Data Science and Research Emily Capodilupo joins the show to discuss what we found in our pregnancy data (3:55), how she looked at her own data as a pregnant member (5:25), a pregnancy study conducted at West Virginia University by Dr. Shon Rowan (7:16), the HRV inflection point (9:19), how Dr. Rowan used WHOOP in his study (10:26), how WHOOP conducted a pregnancy research study with members (11:43), what you can learn from the inflection point (13:35), the impact of preterm births (16:25), the options and preventative measures regarding preterm births (18:10), and how we will incorporate this research into the WHOOP app (20:36). WHOOP Chief Medical Officer Dr. Patrick Carroll joins the show to talk about how wearables are impacting health care (27:52), providing WHOOP data to your medical provider (30:29), the power of non-invasive studies (32:52), the exclusion criteria for the study (34:00), and the overall impact on the medical field (34:49). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 16 Nov 2022 | Dr. Hazel Wallace on Food, Fuel, and the Female Factor | 00:54:00 | |
This week Kristen Holmes, VP of Performance Science at WHOOP, is joined by author and nutritionist Dr. Hazel Wallace for a conversation around a holistic approach to nutrition and women’s health. The two discuss Dr. Wallace’s latest book The Female Factor (1:43), nutrition’s impact on health (4:09), the biggest misconception around nutrition (6:42), how to start creating better nutritional habits (8:44), the potential risks of disease and poor nutrition habits (10:59), how to manage cholesterol through nutrition and what it means for the body (13:28), metabolism during sleep and eating during shift work (17:31), eating meals late in the evening before bed (23:21), the link between food and mood (25:03), the nutritional differences between men and women (29:28), the act of sequencing foods (33:40), the difference between insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance (34:38), explaining what PCOS is (36:55), intermittent fasting and time-restricted feeding for women (41:14), understanding the body during the menstrual cycle (45:33), training and strain during the menstrual cycle (47:04), and the difference between probiotics and prebiotics (48:53). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 22 May 2019 | Introducing WHOOP Strap 3.0 featuring WHOOP Live | 00:25:16 | |
WHOOP Strap 3.0 ft. WHOOP Live is now available! Will Ahmed and Robert Moeller discuss everything that's new with the 3.0 (2:12), including 5-day battery life (3:47), the ProKnit band (5:05), Bluetooth Low Energy compatibility (8:01), the Strain Coach (9:21), WHOOP Snap+ (14:20), heart rate broadcasting (17:48), how WHOOP Live features are enabled (19:12), what the 3.0 costs (20:24) and how current members can upgrade (20:57). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 30 Nov 2022 | What Time is It? How to Navigate Shift Work, Jet Lag, and Changes to Your Circadian Rhythms with Dr. Greg Potter | 00:58:50 | |
This week, we are diving deep into the science behind circadian rhythms and shift work. WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by sleep expert Dr. Greg Potter. Dr. Potter is here to shed light on the secrets of regulating circadian rhythms and his research around sleep, nutrition, and metabolism. Kristen and Dr. Potter discuss the risks of shift work on the body (3:50), the optimal timing for employers to schedule shift work employees (8:55), the process of sleep homeostasis (13:55), the circadian process (14:53), what zeitgebers are and how they influence circadian rhythms (17:51), how to shift your biological clock (23:56), how to schedule your meals (27:29), the positive and negative effects of caffeine consumption (31:18), developing a pre-bed relaxation routine (36:46), melatonin and other supplements for sleep (38:42), the best ways to restrict light exposure (42:36), the L-Glycine and L-Theanine proteins (45:36), how exercise can aid metabolic health (47:09), and how to manipulate zeitgebers to adapt to a new time zone and dealing with jet lag (51:38). Cheri Mah's Study on Sleep and Athlete Performance Claudio Moreno's Study on Melatonin Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 07 Dec 2022 | How Exercise Improves Cognitive Function & Longevity with Dr. Tommy Wood | 00:50:35 | |
This week’s episode is all about unlocking the exercises to improve long-term cognitive function and brain health. WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by neuroscientist Dr. Tommy Wood to discuss his background in neuroscience and pediatrics (2:50), the mind-body connection (4:38), the framework for optimal brain health (6:40), the importance of committing to sleep (10:58), how nutrients affect overall brain health (16:00), the effect of creatine and creatinine (20:15), how general movement influences the brain (22:05), the amount of exercise needed to see a positive change in cognitive function (25:33), how reducing stress can lead to better brain health (28:13), the best ways to recover to improve cognitive function (31:40), how to start exercising to optimize brain health (34:19), developing a strength training program (37:45), training to avoid dementia and improve long-term health (41:27), the ideology of Movement Snacks (46:06), and how to find Tommy’s research (49:10). Ellen J. Langer Study on Sleep Duration and Cognitive Performance Marc Hamilton Study on Seated Calf Raises Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 14 Dec 2022 | Year In Review: The Top Trends, Behaviors, and Activities from 2022 | 00:51:42 | |
On this week’s episode, Emily Capodilupo SVP of Data Science and Research at WHOOP joins the show to take a deep dive into the year that was 2022. Will and Emily will unpack 2022’s top trends, behaviors, and activities across the WHOOP Community. They’ll discuss sleep trends throughout the WHOOP community (2:05), the cities that slept the most and the least (8:10), nap statistics within the WHOOP community (9:50), the recovery trends from 2022 (10:45), the top positive and negative behaviors affecting recovery (15:35), joining the 1% Club (28:25), how supplements impact your recovery (30:07), the top mental health behaviors and diets related to recovery (31:12), circadian health and sleep behaviors (32:45), strain and activity trends throughout the year (35:58), the WHOOP Geographical Superlatives (41:20), and the top journal behaviors recorded during 2022 (45:40). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 21 Dec 2022 | Best of 2022: The Top Conversations Unlocking Human Performance | 00:47:25 | |
During 2022 we spoke to Olympic champions, Hall of Fame athletes, and leading experts in various fields of research and human performance – and this week, we’re sharing our favorite conversations. It’s an episode that’s equal parts education and inspiration. Throughout our Best Of episode, you’ll hear from Emily Capodilupo on alcohol’s effect on the body (2:41), Andy Blow on hydrating to prepare for a night of drinking (5:55), Dr. Hazel Wallace on creating better nutritional habits (8:48), Dr. Maya Shankar on how to stay committed to goals (13:45), Reggie Miller on how practice led him to a winning mindset (19:12), Michael Phelps on his battle with depression and anxiety (24:24), Sloane Stephens on mental health and being open to understanding others (31:15), Dr. Andrew Huberman on breathing protocols to reduce stress and improve health (36:41), and Brian MacKenzie on the benefits of nose breathing (42:43). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 04 Jan 2023 | The Mindset Reset: Scientific-Backed Approaches to Goal Setting with Dr. Gina Merchant | 01:00:13 | |
We are kicking off the new year with a show that will help you get a jump start on your resolutions. Our VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by behavioral scientist and WHOOP Scientific Advisory Council member Dr. Gina Merchant to share her insights on behavioral change. Dr. Merchant and Kristen discuss creating the framework for change (3:18), intrinsic and extrinsic motivations (7:38), how core values can impact changing habits (11:08), the science behind behavior change (16:08), the non-negotiables for creating new behaviors (18:49), the interpersonal aspect of committing to altering your lifestyle (22:01), the impact of making small changes day-to-day (26:58), self-monitoring while achieving goals (32:33), unpacking self-determination theory (34:27), how social media can impact change (38:58), quitting cold turkey (42:16), developing long-term changes and self-reporting (45:58), and how competition can help fuel habit-forming (50:40). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 11 Jan 2023 | Breaking the Habit Loop: Living Life With Less Stress with Dr. Jud Brewer | 00:55:39 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by Sharecare Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jud Brewer. Dr. Jud shares his insight on psychology and neuroscience to discuss the difference between anxiety and stress (4:03), what our mind is doing in a moment of anxiousness (6:02), how to approach habit change and habit loops (12:40), becoming aware of your habit loops (15:29), finding a way to be okay with our own thoughts and stresses (19:36), vices that cause worrying and how to break their respective habit loops (21:51), how awareness is key to understanding habits (30:20), becoming more consistent in our daily life through self-awareness (36:50), using stress to your advantage (42:27), how Dr. Jud changed his commute to break a bad habit (45:34), how different mindstates impact the reward hierarchy (49:25), and how we can all spread the work to become more self-aware and mindful (52:40). Resources: Dr. Jud's Website Dr. Jud's YouTube Unwinding Anxiety Map My Habit Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 18 Jan 2023 | No Quitters Here: Expert Tips for Sticking with Your New Year's Goal | 00:21:00 | |
We’re at the mid-way point of January and this week’s episode is a compilation of tips and tricks to stick to your goals. It takes 21 days for a new behavior to become a habit so we have 21 minutes of insight and expertise on how you can set yourself up for success and achieve your January Jumpstart resolutions. WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes sets the stage by explaining the Goldilocks Rule (0:51), author and endurance athlete Rich Roll explains the importance of taking a leap of faith (3:00), Super Bowl Champion Steve Weatherford shares his insight on how to feel better in your life by developing a routine and rhythm, Paralympic track star Scout Bassett highlights how leaving your comfort zone can help you achieve your goal (11:20), Olympic diving gold medalist Tom Daly talks about living in the moment and taking the pressure off of yourself (14:55), and finally CrossFitter Noah Ohlsen offers his tips for getting a good night’s sleep (18:20). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 29 May 2019 | NOBULL Co-Founders Michael Schaeffer and Marcus Wilson talk building the brand, trends in footwear technology, and optimizing performance in their daily lives as entrepreneurs & executives. | 00:49:33 | |
The Co-Founders of NOBULL, Michael Schaeffer and Marcus Wilson, discuss how the company got its name (6:36), their brand philosophy (10:58), early failures including the first prototype (13:06), designing the shoes (16:27), sponsored athletes (20:11), using WHOOP (23:48), nutrition and fasting (26:08), meditation (29:25), the future of athletic footwear (31:45), lessons from Phil Knight's book "Shoe Dog" (37:56), and their best tips for success (42:56). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 25 Jan 2023 | Hitting the Reset Button to Create a Healthier Lifestyle with Melissa Urban | 00:57:05 | |
This week’s episode is all about nutrition and learning how to create a diet plan that works for your body. WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by Co-Founder and CEO of Whole30, Melissa Urban. Melissa is a recovered addict, nutritionist, and a seven-time New York Times bestselling author who realized she needed to change her habits and her life in order to maintain her recovery – which caused her to examine her relationship with food and its impacts on her body. The two will discuss Melissa’s background and battling addiction (3:03), the importance of setting boundaries (5:40), how to deal with others while trying to make personal changes (8:05), how Whole30 started and grown over the years (10:40), changing the relationship with the scale (12:51), the process of elimination foods (14:50), the moment Melissa realized the positive impacts of Whole30 (16:13), the concept of a health reset (19:40), making Whole30 accessible to everyone (22:48), reintroducing foods back into a diet (25:10), how context matters when it comes to eliminating foods (27:35), tips on how to use WHOOP data to make better food and sleep choices (28:35), Melissa’s sleep data (34:31), how Melissa keeps people motivated to stick to their programs (36:35), her new book The Book of Boundaries (38:55), her concussion and how it has impacted her over the years (43:20), how she combats anxiety and other recovery tips (47:05), and how nutrition is the foundation for a healthy lifestyle (54:23). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 01 Feb 2023 | Embracing the Cold: Dr. Susanna Søberg on the Benefits of Cold Therapy | 01:11:36 | |
This week’s episode focuses on the recovery benefits of cold therapy and cold plunges. Winter swimming expert and best-selling author Dr. Susanna Søberg joins WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Kristen Holmes, for a discussion around one of the top growing recovery behaviors. She has a Ph.D. in metabolism, is the founder of the “Søberg Institute,” and is the leading mind behind the #SøbergPrinciple. Susanna and Kristen will discuss what happens to the skin during cold exposure (4:00), how to best adapt to cold shock (9:18), the difference between brown fat in men and women (13:14), the other ways to activate brown fat through cold exposure (16:10), how scientists first discovered brown fat (22:13), the best time in the day to do cold plunges (26:50), how cold exposure impacts sleep (31:20), how long people should be submerged in cold water (36:15), the #SøbergPrinciple (46:40), the optimal water temperature to benefit from cold therapy (49:30), combining cold therapy with your workout routine (55:32), and how to get over the mental barrier of the cold (1:01:14). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 08 Feb 2023 | Patrick Mahomes’ Road to the Super Bowl with his Personal Coach and Trainer Bobby Stroupe | 01:01:41 | |
On this week’s episode, Founder and CEO of WHOOP Will Ahmed is joined by training expert Bobby Stroupe. Bobby is the CEO and Founder of Athlete Performance Enhancement Center (APEC) and is the trainer of Super Bowl Champion Patrick Mahomes. Coach Stroupe and his team have worked with and supported over 300 professional athletes across 6 different sports including World Series Champions, Super Bowl Champions, and first-round picks in both the NFL and MLB. Ahead of this weekend’s Super Bowl, Will and Bobby discuss how Bobby works virtually with Patrick throughout the season (4:37), Patrick playing hurt in the AFC Championship game (6:27), Patrick getting injured in the Divisional Round (7:37), Patrick’s strain and recovery data during the week (10:07), tips on how to overcome an injury (12:12), gamifying the offseason training regimen (15:02), different recovery and therapy methods (16:10), how Patrick and Bobby use WHOOP (17:27), Patrick’s WHOOP data on gamedays and getting stronger throughout the season (18:15), Patrick’s weekly training program (25:17), course correcting throughout the week (34:09), talking with other trainers to compare styles (40:37), Patrick’s unique ability to throw the football (45:45), navigating the extra-long halftime during the Super Bowl (49:47), Bobby’s thoughts on the Super Bowl (53:18), and Bobby’s relationship with Eagles QB Jalen Hurts (55:17). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 16 Feb 2023 | The Blueprint to Anti-Aging and Longevity with Bryan Johnson | 01:01:33 | |
On this week’s episode WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed is joined by Bryan Johnson, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, writer, author, and the Founder and CEO of Kernel. Through his research, Bryan has become obsessed with slowing down the pace of aging. He has personally been following a daily regimen to increase his endurance, optimize his heart health, and even improve his skin – all in an effort to reverse aging. Bryan and Will discuss why Bryan is passionate about health and wellness (4:25), Bryan’s body on the Blueprint Method (7:25), his sleep and recovery WHOOP data (9:25), variables that impact Bryan’s sleep (12:25), how Bryan tests his body for optimal performance (14:25), his outlook on life since starting Blueprint (17:02), summarizing the Blueprint method (20:20), how he has filtered his relationships and a look into his family life (26:50), society and self-destructive behaviors impacting aging (32:35), the media backlash Bryan receiver when starting Blueprint (38:10), his diet on Blueprint (44:40), society and the government’s role in education around health and wellness (49:00), understanding how to remove your autonomy (52:00), and how we can build the next version of humans (56:50). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 22 Feb 2023 | The Keys to Better Health: Hormone Optimization and Balance with Dr. Kyle Gillett | 00:58:25 | |
On this week’s episode, our VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by health expert Dr. Kyle Gillett. Dr. Gillett is a dual board-certified physician in family medicine and obesity medicine and an expert in optimizing hormone levels to improve overall health. He leads the Gillett Health clinic where he preaches a holistic approach to health and believes each person requires precise attention to their body, mind, and soul to achieve optimal health. Kristen and Kyle will discuss Dr. Gillett’s path to medicine (2:40), what are hormones (5:21), conditions caused by hormonal imbalances (6:55), heart rate and homeostasis (9:32), how hormones impact exercise performance (12:30), the entry point into resistance training (15:13), the connection between sleep and body composition (17:55), exercise and metabolic function (20:50), Zone 2 and Zone 5 cardio work (24:00), fueling the body and staying balanced (26:40), protein and hormone optimization (30:05), hormone health and sleep (37:55), tips to get better restorative sleep (41:40), intentional stress vs. unintentional stress (44:10), creatine and supplements that impact strain (48:35), and melatonin, magnesium, and other supplements Kyle focuses on for health (52:15). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 01 Mar 2023 | Changing the Conversation Around Menopause with Dr. Jessica Shepherd | 01:02:55 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by OB/GYN and women’s health expert Dr. Jessica Shepherd. She is the Chief Medical Officer for Verywell Health. She is the founder and CEO of Sanctum Med + Wellness, a wellness concierge practice. Dr. Shepherd is also a member of the WHOOP Scientific Advisory Council and is also the founder of Her Viewpoint, an online women's health forum that focuses on addressing taboo topics in a comfortable setting. Kristen and Dr. Shepherd discuss why men should learn about menopause (5:55), what is happening in the body during menopause (8:10), the timing of entering menopause (11:15), the hallmark symptoms of menopause (13:15), advice on getting good sleep when experiencing symptoms (17:00), hormone replacement therapy (22:25), how to detect whether you’re in perimenopause (28:05), nutritional tips and behavioral recommendations (33:15), understanding mindsets and habits (40:40), health risks associated with postmenopause (46:55), Don Lemon on women in their primes (54:25), and the women’s health space over the next 10 years (58:25). Resources: Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 04 Jun 2019 | Understanding Strain: Kristen Holmes and Emily Capodilupo break down how the WHOOP strain metric works, and how it can improve your training. | 00:30:35 | |
How to optimize your training by understanding strain: WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes and Director of Analytics Emily Capodilupo break down everything there is to know about the WHOOP strain metric, including where it came from (3:27), what it measures exactly (4:39), how it's individualized (5:05), why WHOOP doesn't count steps (6:32), what causes strain besides exercise (7:49), day strain vs workout strain (9:03), minimizing unnecessary strain (12:15), how it's logarithmic and not linear (13:25), balancing strain and recovery (16:25), and two new features available with the WHOOP Strap 3.0, the Strain Coach (21:59) and WHOOP Snap+ (26:12). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 08 Mar 2023 | Adapting Your Training Throughout All Phases of Your Life with Dr. Stacy Sims | 00:51:10 | |
This week WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Dr. Stacy Sims. Dr. Sims is a leader in the women’s health space who has directed research programs at Stanford, AUT University, and the University of Waikato, focusing on female athlete health and performance and is pushing the dogma to improve research on all women. Kristen and Dr. Sims will discuss the differences in strength between men and women (5:10), how coaches and parents should talk to young girls about puberty (7:10), training through the menstrual cycle (12:15), maintaining fuel and energy during the luteal phase (15:38), the psychological impact of the menstrual cycle (18:40), behaviors people can adopt to stay balanced (21:50), what training modalities you should focus on during each menstrual cycle phase (26:11), reprioritizing how we train when women reach perimenopause and post-menopause (28:52), various training techniques and when to implement them (31:51), protein need and intake (36:53), training during the different stages of menopause (38:30), how to stay active during a chaotic travel schedule (42:25), and certain health risks and factors that come with aging and menopause (46:13). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 15 Mar 2023 | A Sleep Scientist's Guide to Better Sleep Habits with Dr. Allison Brager | 00:54:42 | |
This week WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Dr. Allison Brager. She is a neurobiologist with expertise in sleep and circadian rhythms who works to examine the mind and body’s resilience to extreme environmental stress. She serves as a member of the WHOOP Scientific Advisory Council and wrote a popular science book entitled Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain. Kristen and Dr. Brager will discuss the NCAA handbook and sleep trends for NCAA student-athletes (3:07), WHOOP member sleep statistics (8:35), the proper framework to maximize sleep performance (12:33), what happens when sleep performance is poor (16:05), how to effectively lower sleep debt (19:10), behaviors to advance and delay your sleep onset (21:35), the impact of light before bed (27:00), myths about sleep (32:55), how to get a good night’s sleep and how to prep during the day (35:47), taking the perfect nap (40:30), practicing yoga nidra (44:00), sharing a bed with a partner or pet (47:05), and sleep tourism (48:50). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 22 Mar 2023 | Dealing with the Physical and Mental Toll of Injuries and Recovery with Dr. Kate Ackerman | 00:54:47 | |
On this week’s podcast, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by sports medicine expert Dr. Kate Ackerman. Dr. Ackerman is the Founder and Director of the Wu Tsai Female Athlete Program Boston Children’s Hospital and Biennial International Female Athlete Conference and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. The sports medicine expert focuses her research on female athlete health and is currently the chair of the US Rowing medical committee and a member of the World Rowing medical commission. Dr. Ackerman and Kristen will discuss Kate’s time as a student-athlete at Cornell (3:50), the Female Athlete resilience study at Boston College (11:00), questions to ask to learn more about someone’s health (13:47), people being more open to discussing their mental health (16:37), the factors behind injuries and setbacks (18:50), the importance of young athletes being active and a part of a team (24:00), behaviors that can lead to energy deficiencies (27:23), the Wu Tsai Female Athlete Program (32:30), recovering from an injury and the path back to peak performance (42:00), the process of seeking help (45:40), mantras that inspire Kate (47:35), and the lifestyle tips and things outside of training that set athletes up for success (50:50). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 29 Mar 2023 | Stress Monitor: A New Way to Monitor and Manage Stress | 00:45:05 | |
On this week’s podcast, WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed is joined by WHOOP Chief Technology Officer Jaime Waydo to dive deep into the new Stress Monitor feature. Stress Monitor measures your stress levels in real time and helps you manage them with scientifically-backed breathing interventions developed in partnership with Dr. Andrew Huberman. Jaime is a product and technology executive with over 20 years of experience leading companies including Alphabet, Apple, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, among many others. Will and Jaime discuss the new Stress Monitor feature (4:58), the Stress Score scale (7:05), how to use the breathing interventions developed in partnership with Dr. Andrew Huberman (10:30), monitoring your recovery and how it impacts your stress levels (15:50), using the Stress Monitor before going to sleep and waking up in the morning (20:20), how the Stress Score is calculated and showing up in everyday events (27:05), Jaime’s background in the tech industry (31:35), a behind-the-scenes look at the building of Stress Monitor (35:00), and how the feature will continue to be developed and integrated throughout the WHOOP platform (40:25). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 05 Apr 2023 | Conquering One of the Hardest Ultramarathons in the World, The Barkley Marathons, with John Kelly | 00:54:35 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed is joined by ultramarathoner and data scientist John Kelly. John is fresh off his completion of one of the most grueling endurance races in the world, the Barkley Marathons. He has won numerous endurance races, competed in multiple Ironmans and triathlons, holds a Guinness World Record, and a PhD from Carnegie Mellon focused on brain-computer interfaces. Will and John discuss how John got into ultramarathons and endurance competitions (3:52), what John gets out of running ultras (9:10), running the Barkley Marathons (12:00), how to fuel before and during an ultra (16:40), how to navigate while running the Barkley Marathons (18:33), John’s WHOOP data before and after the races (20:05), recovering from an ultramarathon (25:08), the mental and physical fatigue when running ultras (28:07), how John developed mental toughness (34:45), what it was like going back to the Barkley Marathons after winning (40:05), people who John has learned from over the years (47:44), what John has learned while being on WHOOP (50:00). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 12 Apr 2023 | Building the Foundation of a Solid Strength Training Program with Dr. Andy Galpin | 01:02:37 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by Dr. Andy Galpin. Dr. Galpin is a professor of kinesiology at California State University, Fullerton and an expert in exercise science. He is also the Director of the Center for Sport Performance at CSU Fullerton where he conducts kinesiology and human performance research. Dr. Galpin and Kristen will discuss how to Dr. Galpin describes strength training (3:00), getting started on a program (5:45), neural adaptations and how muscles and bones work together (7:40), how to train differently based on your desired results (14:00), training for high performance vs. longevity (20:55), how speed plays a role in strength training (29:40), recommendations for a basic training routine (36:45), how Andy trains his pro athletes (47:15), tips on how to accelerate recovery (50:25), strength training advice for women (55:35), and the best tips to optimize your strength training program (58:47). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 12 Jun 2019 | Dr. Bob Arnot, author, award-winning TV journalist & champion stand-up paddleboarder shares his secrets for competing with world-class athletes one-third his age. | 01:29:41 | |
Author, TV journalist, and world-class paddleboarder at 71 years old, Dr. Bob Arnot discusses his incredible career (3:43), how he discovered WHOOP (9:01) and his tips improving recovery (13:49), being a "Type T" personality (21:50), 3 things that help him sleep anywhere (26:15), the "feed-forward" loop (33:23), preventing your muscles from aging (38:47), which athletes live the longest (43:15), taking up paddleboarding (44:21) and competing in the world championships (47:02), the benefits of coffee and polyphenols (50:56), "cardiodiabesity" (1:00:32), The Aztec Diet (1:03:20), online learning vs traditional education (1:11:56), breathing to reduce stress (1:22:58), and "the ultimate health barometer" (1:26:05). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 19 Apr 2023 | Understanding Heart Rate Variability and the Impact on Strength Training with Chris Chapman | 01:04:08 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by WHOOP Senior Sport Scientist Chris Chapman. Chris is also the Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Big Air / Slopestyle Team for Freestyle Ski Canada. Kristen and Chris discuss how Chris got into Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and how he applies it to training (3:40), how to assess training readiness in athletes (7:35), components of a strength training program (12:30), what is HRV and why it is important (18:45), how HRV is impacted by strength training (26:15), how people are adapting their HRV (34:00), how HRV can influence exertion and performance (45:45), recovery tools and tips (48:15), dealing with stress while training (54:15), and how age influences HRV (1:00:20). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 26 Apr 2023 | Strength Trainer: The First-of-Its-Kind Way to Quantify The Impact of Your Strength Workouts | 00:32:20 | |
This week’s episode is all about the newest feature on WHOOP, Strength Trainer. WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed is joined by WHOOP Chief Technology Officer Jaime Waydo to give an in-depth look at the science behind the new feature that tracks exercises, reps, and weight to calculate the load you put on your musculoskeletal system. With Strength Trainer, that muscular load is now going to be factored into your overall strain, giving you a more comprehensive view of the demands you place on your body. Will and Jaime will discuss what is Strength Trainer (3:25), the technology behind the feature (4:55), acquiring and incorporating the PUSH technology (7:35), testing the product and feature throughout development (11:00), how WHOOP is able to track various movements and muscles (14:00), the WHOOP Workouts available to users (15:25), how WHOOP is the first wearable to track this type of weight training data (21:25), how your strain, recovery, and sleep scores will be impacted (24:35), and the future of Strength Trainer (26:55). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 03 May 2023 | Why We Need to Invest in Our Emotional Health with Dr. Guy Winch | 01:08:25 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Dr. Guy Winch. The licensed psychologist and author is a relationship and emotional health expert with one of the industry's most highly regarded TED Talks. His TED Talks have been viewed over 30 million times and his books have been published in 28 different languages. Kristen and Dr. Guy will discuss how Guy began studying emotional health (3:15), the approach and skills involved with emotional health (5:50), the dos and don’ts of emotional health (10:25), dealing with rumination (15:25), getting space to grieve properly (26:55), managing self-esteem (32:50), dealing with heartbreak and finding your identity (35:05), creating a social circle in line with your own values (44:20), the timeline for recovering from emotional damage (49:15), the global outlook on emotional health (53:25), and developing the right work-life balance (57:25). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 10 May 2023 | How Nasal Breathing Can Transform Your Life with James Nestor | 00:55:55 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by author James Nestor. James is an international bestselling author and journalist known for his book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. Breath has sold over 2 million copies worldwide, was translated into 35 languages, and was an instant bestseller in the New York Times. Kristen and James will discuss the research that inspired the work for Breath (3:20), how breathing is linked to performance and health (5:05), where we went wrong with breathing (6:48), why people weren’t paying attention to breathing issues (8:54), the connection between asthma, allergies, and breathing (11:20), people using James’ teachings and techniques (16:45), negative effects of mouth breathing (18:55), getting started with nasal breathing (22:15), elite athletes working on their breathing (25:30), HRV’s correlation to breathwork (32:05), breathing protocols and optimization (33:30), seeing benefits from breathing protocols (40:40), and the connection between breathing and weight loss (46:05). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 17 May 2023 | The Emergence and Benefits of Zone 2 Training with Paul Laursen | 01:03:12 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by author and endurance coach Paul Laursen. Paul is the Co-Founder and CEO of HIIT Science, the Co-Founder and Head of Product for Athletica, and co-host of the Training Science Podcast. Not only has he published over 150 scientific manuscripts and had his work cited more than 15,00 times, but he’s also competed in 17 Ironman triathlons. Kristen and Paul will discuss how Paul got started training and teaching (3:05), the relationship between the cardiovascular system and the nervous system (6:15), defining the different training zones (10:50), creating a weekly program with cardio zones (25:40), staying balanced with your training (29:10), autonomic recovery and Zone 2 as an active recovery tool (31:25), how Zone 2 can be linked to hormone levels (37:33), Paul’s paper on metabolism and burning fat (41:30), the best medium for Zone 2 training (47:15), training for longevity and VO2 max (50:15), and how Paul thinks about sleep with his athletes (52:05). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 24 May 2023 | From U.S. Navy Seal to World Record Holder with Mike Sarraille | 01:09:30 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by former U.S. Navy SEAL officer Mike Sarraille. After 20 years of service, including 10 combat deployments, Mike began to focus his energy on leadership and human performance. He was a member of the Triple 7 Expedition which was a record-breaking skydiving journey that completed 7 skydives across 7 continents in 7 days. Kristen and Mike will discuss Mike’s time in the service and the transition out (3:00), dealing with mental health (12:10), his leadership learnings and mentoring others (16:25), creating a culture of high performance (25:40), Legacy Expeditions and developing the Triple 7 campaign (37:40), the Folds of Honor Foundation (49:40), the Triple 7 Expedition Team’s WHOOP data (51:05), and developing longevity and a tough mindset (1:03:18). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 31 May 2023 | Protein and Skeletal Muscle: The Keys to Longevity with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon | 01:06:55 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by health expert Dr. Gabrielle Lyon. Dr. Lyon is the founder of the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine and is a nationally recognized speaker and media contributor specializing in brain and thyroid health, lean body mass support, and longevity. Kristen and Dr. Lyon will discuss a patient’s story that unlocked Dr. Lyon’s research (3:15), where things start to go wrong for people’s health (6:35), what skeletal muscle does and the behaviors needed to build it up (11:35), the relationship between protein and skeletal muscle (13:50), how to find the right amino acids (17:20), Dr. Lyon working with patients to get proteins (21:45), fasting and eating throughout the day (26:50), getting adequate levels of protein as a vegetarian (31:25), protein and resistance training helping to prevent disease (34:25), having tough conversations about health (37:25), Dr. Lyon’s journey in writing her book (43:30), Dr. Lyon’s ideologies and practice (47:15), dealing with doubters and skeptics (53:55), talking with loved ones about health (57:40), and tips on improving muscle tissue health (1:01:25). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 07 Jun 2023 | Growth Mindset: Navigating the Path to Entrepreneurial Success with Matt Mullenweg | 00:48:09 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed is joined by Matt Mullenweg the founder and developer of WordPress, the web platform powering over 40% of the sites on the internet. As the founder and CEO of Automattic, Matt is working to democratize publishing and commerce. Automattic is structured like a holding company, currently valued at over $7.5 billion, and is behind brands like WordPress.com, Tumblr, WooCommerce, Jetpack, Longreads and more. Will and Matt discuss how Matt started WordPress and his passion for open source software (3:05), what open source software is (9:20), creating an open ecosystem on the web (13:25), Matt’s early days as an entrepreneur trying to grow a business (17:40), the WordPress interview process (25:25), developing a growth mindset (32:20), managing stress and creating mental clarity (34:05), how Matt found WHOOP and the power of an executive coach (39:55), and Matt’s approach to a day-to-day routine (44:15). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 19 Jun 2019 | Brian Mazza, creator of The Ainsworth & founder of High Performance Lifestyle Training, on the similarities between hospitality and fitness and applying the lessons he's learned from each. | 00:56:33 | |
The Ainsworth creator and HPLT founder Brian Mazza discusses High-Performance Lifestyle Training (3:19), how he got his start in the food & beverage industry (7:46), the secret to his success (10:45), where The Ainsworth came from (13:04), 24-karat gold wings (14:08), the ethos of HPLT (18:00), intermittent fasting (22:46), meditation and gratitude (23:01), getting on WHOOP (28:55), his favorite measures of fitness (34:46), the Empire State Building race (37:11), similarities between hospitality and fitness (40:48), and the benefits of CBD water (52:43). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 14 Jun 2023 | WNBA Star Lexie Hull on Obsession, Effort, and Her Commitment to Health & High Performance | 00:49:46 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by WNBA star Lexie Hull. Before Lexie was selected 6th overall in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever, she was a collegiate standout and 2021 National Champion at Stanford. During her collegiate career, she was a three-time All Pac-12 selection, and most recently, Lexie was named Defensive Player of the Year for Athletes Unlimited’s 2023 Basketball season. Kristen and Lexie will discuss Athletes Unlimited and what it means for women’s sports (3:15), Lexie’s collegiate career at Stanford (5:20), her mindset as an elite defender (7:20), going from a student-athlete to a professional (8:47), growing up competing with her twin sister Lacie (12:55), dealing with mental health (15:38), building a brand without creating distractions (17:55), how Lexie thinks about her performance data (22:00), her routine on game day (25:30), tracking her menstrual cycle on WHOOP (31:00), Lexie’s sleep tricks and habits (34:15), and her perspective on the current and future landscape of women’s sports (38:35). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 21 Jun 2023 | The Gender Bias in Sport: Women's Health, Research, and the Future of Female Athletics with Christine Yu | 00:58:03 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by author Christine Yu. Christine is an award-winning journalist focusing on the intersection of sports science and women athletes. Christine is here to discuss her new book UP to SPEED: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes and the state of women’s health and wellness in today’s society. Kristen and Christine will discuss Christine’s journalism career (2:55), the biggest inequities in health and athletics (5:00), areas for more women’s health research (7:40), young athletes dealing with puberty (9:50), the impact of hormonal birth control on female athletes (14:57), media coverage of women’s sports (19:05), the push for equal pay in sport (21:50), key takeaways from Christine’s book (24:30), a research study that Christine believes changed the industry (26:05), a story about the Australian National Field Hockey team and ACL injuries (33:05), Christine’s learnings across the continuum of a female athlete’s life (35:25), what women should be doing in perimenopause (42:17), an inequity Christine would improve today (46:15), and tips for women to achieve high performance (52:05). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 28 Jun 2023 | Listener Questions with Emily Capodilupo: HRV, Fasting, and the Impact of Vices on Performances | 00:24:40 | |
This week on the WHOOP Podcast, we’re diving back into the inbox to answer questions from our listeners. From the impact of sleep on HRV, detecting mental and physical stress, time-restricted eating and fasting, to the impact of THC and alcohol on the body, we’re tackling it all with none other than SVP of Data Science & Research Emily Capodilupo. Emily breaks down the correlation between sleep and HRV (2:30), the impact of alcohol and marijuana on performance and recovery (4:45), the process of tracking nicotine usage and its effects on recovery (10:20), how to detect different types of stress with the Stress Monitor feature (13:45), and the difference between time-restricted eating and intermittent fasting (16:50). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 12 Jul 2023 | A Behavioral Psychologist's Tips to Identifying and Managing Stress Styles with Dr. Jemma King | 01:00:40 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by behavioral psychologist Dr. Jemma King. She has a PhD in human behavior and is an emotional intelligence and performance under stress expert. Jemma is a research fellow at the University of Queensland School of Psychology and works as a specialist external advisor to McKinsey and Company. Kristen and Jemma will discuss Jemma’s work as a behavioral psychologist (2:45), defining stress types and styles (3:45), behaviors that can help mitigate stress (11:35), dealing with stress before bed and throughout the night (23:50), a study out of Oxford around moving the body forward (34:51), Jemma’s work with the Australian Special Forces (36:30), what Jemma is obsessing over at the moment (48:50), the Wim Hof Study powered by WHOOP (54:00), and the best ways to prepare yourself before a stressful event (56:20). Resources: Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 19 Jul 2023 | Leading On and Off the Bike with Pro Cyclist Alison Jackson | 01:03:52 | |
On this week’s episode, Jeremy Powers WHOOP Senior Sports Marketing Manager, Endurance Sports is joined by professional cyclist Alison Jackson. Alison is a female professional racing cyclist riding for team: EF-Education First-Tibco-SVB. She is a two-time and current Canadian National Road Champion, the 2021 Canadian National Champion for Time Trial, she represented Canada at the Tokyo Olympics, and back in April, she won the 2023 Paris-Roubaix Femmes. Jeremy and Alison will discuss Alison’s life growing up and finding endurance sports (3:15), winning the famous Paris-Roubaix Femmes (10:37), Alison’s passion for entertaining fans (18:20) the emotional impact of winning Paris-Roubaix Femmes (25:31), being a team leader while also being a creator (30:30), putting yourself out there on social media (35:30), Alison’s motto throughout her career (39:50), her hobbies and life outside of cycling (42:58), the Tour de France Femmes and the state of women’s cycling (47:25), how Alison deals with negativity and down days (54:15), and what Alison has learned from WHOOP (58:25). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 26 Jul 2023 | Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris: An Expert’s Guide to the Medicinal Potential of Psychedelics | 00:55:05 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, a distinguished professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. He is one of the leading researchers in the study of how psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD, and DMT can change the human brain and in doing so, be used to successfully treat various mental health challenges such as major depression, anorexia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and addiction. Kristen and Robin discuss the etymology of psychedelics (2:30), researching altered states and altered consciousness (6:35), recreational use of psychedelics (12:53), how attitudes around psychedelics are changing (16:00), the most promising and exciting aspects of psychedelic research (19:11), physiological markers impacted by psychedelics (24:20), the optimal time to explore psychedelic treatment (31:00), what it means to biologically “let go” (35:35), the performance-enhancing possibilities of psychedelics (39:57), legality in the U.S. (45:11), what Robin is obsessing over (50:20), and the biggest benefits of psychedelics (51:35). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 25 Jun 2019 | Heart Rate Variability (HRV): Kristen Holmes and Emily Capodilupo explain what HRV is, what affects it, how to improve it, and what it means for recovery and human performance. | 00:47:20 | |
What is HRV? WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes and Director of Analytics Emily Capodilupo discuss everything there is to know about heart rate variability, including what it is (3:39), why it's such a valuable metric (7:06), how it's an indicator of fitness (10:11), what things affect it (12:59), why WHOOP tracks it during sleep (17:27), the role it plays in recovery (23:04), how it fluctuates regularly (26:42), why it's hard to say what a "normal" HRV is (30:07), the reason it's most beneficial to follow trends over time (32:11), and lifestyle choices to improve HRV (33:00) like better hydration (36:42), nutrition (39:19) and sleep (42:30). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 02 Aug 2023 | How to Master Zone 2 Training: Chris Chapman Answers Your Questions | 00:47:22 | |
This week, we’re diving back into the inbox to answer questions from our listeners – thanks to everyone who has submitted questions so far. WHOOP Senior Sport Scientist Chris Chapman is here to answer your questions about the popular Zone 2 Cardio space and strength training. We had a number of questions come in after our Zone 2 Training episode with Paul Laursen, that’s Episode 222 if you haven’t listened yet. We’ve also received some great questions about strength training and our Strength Trainer product episode. That’s Episode 219 with our CTO Jaime Waydo. Chris discusses navigating strain goals and recoveries with Zone 2 (2:45), incorporating Zone 2 into marathon training (7:05), how heart rate zones differ from person to person (11:55), identifying your Zone 2 heart rate range (14:20), how heart rate zones can change over time (20:20), combining strength training and endurance training (24:00), and the difference between free weights and machines (38:00). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 09 Aug 2023 | Brad Schoenfeld: Resistance Training Tips from a Champion Bodybuilder | 00:39:31 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by fitness expert Brad Schoenfeld. Brad is widely regarded as one of the leading authorities on body composition training. He is a lifetime drug-free bodybuilder and has won numerous natural bodybuilding titles. Kristen and Brad will discuss the definition of hypertrophy and resistance training as well as their benefits (2:50), getting started with resistance training (6:35), outlining a muscle-building program (8:05), the utility of a one rep max (10:42), training recommendations for different age groups (16:00), lifting cadence and recovery techniques (20:25), nutritional recommendations (25:50), adding cardio into a workout and warmup (28:15), incorporating rest in between sets (32:05), and the process of progressive overload (33:55). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 16 Aug 2023 | The Power of a Plant-Based Diet with Simon Hill | 00:58:27 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Simon Hill. Simon is a physiotherapist, nutritionist, and author on a mission to help people make informed lifestyle choices. In 2021, he published his first book, The Proof is in the Plants, which makes a case for a plant-based, whole-food diet, drawing on all the latest nutrition research. Kristen and Simon will discuss Simon’s book and his main philosophies (3:55), tailoring diets to the individual (11:30), scientific research that helped shape Simon’s findings (13:13), the barrier for entry for various diets (19:38), the negative stigma around legumes and soy (24:23), getting enough protein (31:38), biomarkers that people might see change while dieting (41:43), dietary data from WHOOP members (46:33), how nutrition impacts sustainability and the environment (50:38). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 23 Aug 2023 | Jason Kander: A Story of Service, Mental Health, PTSD, and Recovery | 00:59:24 | |
On this week’s episode, Will Ahmed, the Founder and CEO of WHOOP, is joined by former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander. Before being elected Secretary of State in 2012, he was a member of the Missouri House of Representatives. Jason is also a veteran of the United States Army achieving the rank of Captain during his service as a military intelligence officer in Afghanistan. Will and Jason will discuss Jason’s decision to join the military (3:12), life in Afghanistan (5:10), Jason’s daily routine in the service (13:25), dealing with and talking about PTSD (15:50), what led him to take the first step and get help (25:10), dealing with suicidal thoughts and therapy (30:10), using meditation (36:45), how Jason uses WHOOP (38:28), Jason’s political career and life today (46:55), and Jason’s book and podcast (56:55). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 30 Aug 2023 | Finding a Purpose Through Endurance Sports with Ken Rideout | 00:54:55 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by one of the world’s top masters runners, Ken Rideout. Ken has been crowned the “World’s Best Marathoner Over 50” by the New York Times. In addition to his running accolades, Ken is known for sharing his story about overcoming opioid addiction. Kristen and Ken will discuss Ken’s backstory and life growing up (3:35), moving to New York and starting in finance (10:40), Ken’s struggle with addiction and seeking help (17:00), seeking extreme experiences as a high (23:35), running the Gobi March in Mongolia (27:30), the power of showing up (38:55), nutrition and hydration practices for maintaining high strains (45:20), running the 6 major marathons (46:35), and what Ken is obsessing over (51:05). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 13 Sep 2023 | Daily Tips and Tricks to Boost Your HRV with Emily Capodilupo | 00:58:11 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by SVP of Data Science & Research Emily Capodilupo to talk about all things Heart Rate Variability. HRV is one of the key signs of fitness and how well your body is ready to perform on any given day. Kristen and Emily will discuss what HRV is (2:15), how WHOOP measures HRV (5:15), adaptive behaviors to help HRV rebound (11:45), how HRV is a personalized metric (17:40), menstruation and pregnancy impacting HRV (21:12), HRV and sleep (27:30), the WHOOP Core4 Challenge (33:47), and listener questions on HRV (49:15). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 20 Sep 2023 | Maximizing Your Training Outside of the Gym with Todd Anderson | 01:11:41 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Todd Anderson. Todd is the founder of Dream Recovery, the co-founder of Synergy Dryland, a training program for world-class swimmers, as well as the co-founder of the Rideout Strong marathon training program. He holds over a dozen certifications in Strength and Conditioning, Nutrition, and Performance. Kristen and Todd will discuss Todd’s passion for sport and performance (3:15), becoming a walk-on at Michigan State (8:45), training athletes with injuries (13:25), using data to contextualize how you feel (15:20), incorporating sleep and recovery into training programs (18:25), breathwork and breathing protocols (24:42), the impact of mouth tape on performance (27:48), staying motivated while changing behaviors (31:28), the opportunities for sleep studies and research (34:26), recovery meeting preparation (45:50), sauna and cold plunge (48:40), how Todd thinks about nutrition (54:35), and Todd’s training nonnegotiables (59:28). Resources: Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 27 Sep 2023 | Meet WHOOP Coach: The Most Personalized AI-Powered Performance Coach | 00:29:20 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed and WHOOP CTO Jaime Waydo are highlighting one of our most innovative features to date – WHOOP Coach. WHOOP Coach delivers an incredibly personalized, incredibly specific performance coaching experience thanks to the latest in generative AI. Will and Jaime will discuss what the WHOOP Coach is (2:47), our partnership with OpenAI (4:15), the key use cases of WHOOP Coach (5:45), how WHOOP Coach is an educational tool (13:00), WHOOP Coach as a membership support tool (15:35), providing insight into the unknown (16:50), data retention and privacy (19:05), the vision of a 24/7 performance coach (21:55), and the technical terms and definitions around Artificial Intelligence (25:10). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 04 Oct 2023 | Taking Your Sleep to the Next Level with Dr. Allison Brager | 00:38:35 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Dr. Allison Brager. She is a neurobiologist with expertise in sleep and circadian rhythms who works to examine the mind and body’s resilience to extreme environmental stress. Kristen and Allison will discuss misconceptions about sleep trends (2:35), ideal sleeping conditions (6:12), the relationship between light and melatonin (10:35), manipulating our circadian rhythm (12:40), sleep consistency (16:55), circadian rhythms and the metabolic system (23:10), behaviors that can disrupt sleep onset (28:42), and how naps impact sleep patterns (35:40). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 11 Oct 2023 | Steven Bartlett: The Secrets to Success in Life and in Business | 01:04:07 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP Founder and CEO, Will Ahmed is joined by entrepreneur and innovator, Steven Bartlett. Steven is also a speaker, investor, author and the host of UK's No.1 podcast, The Diary of a CEO. He also joined the BBC's hit TV show Dragons’ Den, the UK version of Shark Tank, as the youngest-ever Dragon in the show’s history. Steven just released his second book, 'The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life' in which he shares his learnings having interviewed some of the world's leading experts, celebrities, and business professionals. Will and Steven discuss how Steven has viewed himself throughout his career (3:08), how he got started investing (6:55), Steven’s role as a founder vs a CEO (12:01), where Steven derives his learnings from (18:35), his personal mission (21:20), constantly evolving with a growth mindset (24:15), the benefits of bias in a CEO (25:20), a risk that paid off (28:16), what keeps leaders up at night (30:10), feeling like an underdog and the power of experimentation (33:05), interviewers that Steven admirers (40:30), his new book, Diary of a CEO (44:45), and how Steven prioritizes his health (53:17). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 18 Oct 2023 | How to Train Like an NBA Champion with Felipe Eichenberger | 00:47:01 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed is joined by NBA Champion Felipe Eichenberger. Fresh off his championship-winning season as the Denver Nuggets Director of Performance and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Felipe is here to talk about how he helped some of the best players on the planet, including the league’s MVP, stay healthy throughout a grueling NBA title run. Will and Felipe will discuss how Felipe developed a passion for health and fitness (3:00), the power of consistency within the Nuggets’ organization (4:45), training Nikola Jokic (6:05), his role within the team (8:40), using WHOOP to train players (11:23), how Felipe uses WHOOP in his own life (13:50), players going out during the season (16:20), rehabbing injuries (19:44), meditation, visualization and breathing (22:32), recovery modalities (28:35), training at altitude in Denver (32:57), keeping players active and involved (36:28), Felipe’s impression of the Miami Heat (39:48), and his personal fitness motivation (42:40). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 25 Oct 2023 | The Ultimate Guide to Relationships, Sex, and Dating with Dr. Alexandra Solomon | 01:02:17 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Dr. Alexandra Solomon. A couples therapist, speaker, author, and professor, Dr. Solomon is passionate about translating cutting-edge research and clinical wisdom into practical tools people can use to bring awareness, curiosity, and authenticity to their relationships. Kristen and Alexandra will discuss the definition of relational self-awareness (3:40), tactics for the service archetype (9:25), approaching conversations to reimagine boundaries (13:18), the energy of love vs the energy of fear (16:53), getting back into the dating pool (24:12), being in a good state of mind for a first date (27:15), dating apps (33:20), learning about relationships and intimacy (36:55), the biggest problem in relationships (42:15), Alexandra’s latest book LOVE EVERY DAY (51:25), and sex in the dating world and in relationships (53:27). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||
| 01 Nov 2023 | Mental Toughness: Endurance and Grit Tips from Elite Performance Coach Rachel Vickery | 00:54:10 | |
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Rachel Vickery. Rachel works with high performers in professional and elite sport, corporate and elite military who need to do big and difficult things where the stakes are high and the impact is significant for many. Now she is working as a High-Performance Consultant optimizing the physiological stress response so good people can execute when it matters and sustain long careers in these environments. Kristen and Rachel will discuss getting introduced to pressure (2:35), developing interoception (10:54), creating coaching moments through ice baths (14:10), entering the arousal state (17:45), cold therapy as a training and awareness piece (24:33), being in the moment vs natural arousal states (32:10), preparing for the arena as a high performer (38:46), breathing mechanics and performance (43:45), and setting yourself up for success (45:15). Follow WHOOP Follow Will Ahmed Follow Kristen Holmes Follow Emily Capodilupo | |||