Jennifer Jacobs is one of the world's most recognizable personal trainers. She is the founder of J Method Fitness, spent 3 years as an instructor for Peloton, and has been training people virtually for more than a decade. She discusses how she got into the digital space (2:09), the keys to leading a successful workout (5:06), her training philosophy (6:37), why home is the optimal place to workout (11:22), how boxing is a great workout (14:26), her approach to nutrition (16:54), why she's agains...
Jun 03, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Ryan Holiday is one of the most popular writers in the world and has authored bestsellers such as The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, and Stillness Is the Key. His books have become wildly successful among high-performing people and teams, including Rory McIlroy and the New England Patriots. Ryan discusses finding his calling as an author (3:15), dropping out of college to pursue writing (4:22), writing his first book (9:33), managing ego (12:34), the difference between confidence and arr...
May 27, 2020•55 min•Season 1Ep. 75
The tables have been turned for this week’s podcast. Will Ahmed changes roles from host to guest as we share his discussion with NOBULL founders Michael Schaeffer and Marcus Wilson on their podcast, Behind the Horns. Will dives deep on the founding of WHOOP and our mission to unlock human performance. He shares what WHOOP is all about (2:13), why Lebron James and Michael Phelps were among the first WHOOP users (3:09), the inspiration for creating WHOOP (4:08), trying to unlock the secrets of the...
May 20, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 74
Dylan Frittelli is one of the top golfers in the world and is coming off a strong rookie season on the PGA Tour in 2019. He joins Will Ahmed to share his story, what drives him, and how he uses WHOOP as part of his scientific and methodical approach to training. Dylan discusses being a 6-sport star in South Africa and his lifelong dream to play sports professionally (3:17), coming to America and being a 3-time Academic All-American at Texas (8:19), teaming up with Jordan Spieth in college and wi...
May 13, 2020•55 min•Season 1Ep. 73
WHOOP data continues to be used by doctors and researchers as they try and learn more about coronavirus. The Duke University COVID-19 Research Taskforce is putting WHOOP straps on coronavirus patients to track how they are recovering from the disease, both in the hospital and after they are discharged. Lead Clinical Medical Physiologist Dr. Jeroen Molinger discusses his coronavirus research (3:27), the ICU experience (5:10), creating survivors and not victims (8:14), buying time with ventilators...
May 06, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 72
This week, we’re highlighting how WHOOP members are fighting the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve put together a compilation of interviews with people from across the country who’ve either been inflicted with COVID-19, or are working on the front lines to keep everyone safe. Navy SEAL and combat medic Steve Viola discusses working at a field hospital in New York City (3:40), why this pandemic reminds him of his time at war (4:08), how workers converted a 92,000 square-foot facility into a hospital in...
Apr 29, 2020•50 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Tom Segura is one of the biggest acts in comedy right now and recently released his latest Netflix special, Ball Hog. He joins the WHOOP Podcast to talk about his career and how to best optimize his WHOOP data. Tom discusses why he wanted to be a comic and how he broke into the business (2:25) , discovering stand-up (6:25), what it was like the first time he took the stage (10:21), the rush of performing (13:33), how he develops new material (16:35), why this age of political correctness gives h...
Apr 22, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 70
In what would have been Masters week, we are excited to share our sit down with the world’s top golfer, Rory McIlroy. He joins Will Ahmed for a wide-ranging conversation about his career, what drives him, and how he believes WHOOP has improved his performance both on and off the course. Rory and Will discuss how it was Rory's lifelong dream to become a professional golfer (4:43), how he idolized Tiger Woods growing up (6:53), how his parents supported him unconditionally (8:55), golfing from sun...
Apr 08, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 68
At WHOOP, we have been gathering information on coronavirus and we have already uncovered fascinating insights into this terrible disease. WHOOP is investigating a potential connection between changes in respiratory rate and COVID-19 symptoms and is partnering with the Cleveland Clinic and Central Queensland University to study this possible link. Emily Capodilupo joins Will Ahmed to discuss why WHOOP is tracking coronavirus (1:16), the details of our research efforts (2:32), what we have learne...
Apr 01, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Dr. Nicholas Christakis of Yale University has emerged as one of the nation's leading experts on coronavirus. He joins Will Ahmed to discuss how the virus started, why it's spreading so quickly, and what we can do to limit the number of cases moving forward. Nicholas and Will discuss how China used a "social nuclear weapon" to address the outbreak (6:38), what experts believe may have started the pandemic (11:33), how many cases one case can reproduce (12:18), mortality rates compared to other d...
Mar 25, 2020•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 66
Here at WHOOP, we are inspired by the work of doctors, nurses, and medical professionals, especially during these trying times. Dr. Jamie Coleman joins Will Ahmed to discuss her experiences as a trauma surgeon, plus how she uses WHOOP herself, and to help her colleagues lead better lives. Jamie shares why she became a surgeon (3:30), what it's like working in a male-dominated field (4:16), how a matter of minutes or even seconds can be the difference between life and death (9:48), staying calm u...
Mar 18, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Kristen Holmes and Emily Capodilupo are back to talk about the all-new WHOOP Journal, which allows members to log and track more than 40 different behaviors on a daily basis. Kristen and Emily go in-depth on how drinking can alter your sleep (5:28), how we metabolize caffeine and what we can learn from tracking when we consume it (8:58), how marijuana and CBD impact sleep (10:27), the effect of sex on performance (15:59), measuring anxiety and stress (20:15), preparing for travel (29:03), how pe...
Mar 11, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 64
This month, WHOOP is honoring the extraordinary achievements of women across all backgrounds, lifestyles, sports, and professions. Liz Plosser, the Editor-in-Chief of Women’s Health, joins Will Ahmed to talk about her goal to help women lead better lives and how she balances her busy career with raising three young children. Liz addresses her mission at Women's Health (2:13), expanding coverage of mental health issues (3:57), her own fitness goals (9:21), why women should lift more weights (11:1...
Mar 04, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 63
A new study by the University of Arizona has proven that WHOOP is outstanding at tracking sleep. Kristen Holmes and Emily Capodilupo talk about what this means and why WHOOP is excellent when compared to polysomnography, the gold-standard in sleep evaluation. Researchers also found that wearing WHOOP actually improves sleep habits. Kristen and Emily discuss setting a new bar for sleep tracking (2:10), how this study came to be (3:23), why they expected the results to be strong (6:03), how WHOOP ...
Feb 26, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Kevin Flike thought he was about to die. After being shot in the stomach while serving as a Green Beret in Afghanistan, Kevin underwent a long and difficult path to recovery, battling pain, addiction, and loss as part of his remarkable comeback story. He joins Will Ahmed to discuss that journey and his newfound mission to help others by sharing his experiences. Kevin covers why he joined the army (2:11), what made him want to be a Green Beret (5:20), working hand-in-hand with the Afghan people (...
Feb 19, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 61
James Hobart and Austin Malleolo, two of the top CrossFit coaches on the planet, join Mike Lombardi to talk about their experiences as CrossFit Seminar Staff Flowmasters and how they've seen the sport evolve over the last 10 years (6:45). They also discuss how they found their voices as elite coaches (8:03), learning from others (13:20), the 3 questions all coaches should ask themselves (14:20) as well as other tips for new coaches (17:08), the overtraining mindset of athletes (22:45), when Aust...
Feb 12, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Mark Divine was one of America's top warriors, but his path and approach to becoming a Navy SEAL Commander was anything but ordinary. Mark joins Will Ahmed to discuss how he went from being a CPA to a SEAL (4:55), how mindfulness, meditation and zen led him to become a warrior (7:51), the importance of listening to your heart and gut (12:31), similarities between meditation and exercise (19:26), why leaders should meditate (25:12), how he uses WHOOP and how it changed his outlook on wearables (3...
Feb 05, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph sits down with Will Ahmed to discuss how the company he started in the late 90s grew into the entertainment giant that it is today. Randolph details how the idea for Netflix came about (3:43), some of the "stupid" ideas they almost tried instead (6:46), how investors told him it would never work (9:49), industry disruption (13:09), the importance of building a strong company culture (19:35) and not playing Little League (24:18), Amazon's attempt to buy Netflix in...
Jan 29, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Your greatest recovery amplifier: Naps. Kristen Holmes and Emily Capodilupo break down the value of napping on rest days (4:11), how naps maximize the quality of your training (7:03) and improve cognitive functioning (8:15), what you can gain from 3 minutes of slow wave sleep (9:23), why a 30-minute nap is only good sometimes (10:53) and why you should avoid napping for too long (12:50), the benefits of napping in between workouts (14:28), the napachino (15:10), the best time to sleep during the...
Jan 22, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Pro Spartan racer Rebecca Hammond talks about what the sport of OCR is and how she got into it (2:41), how WHOOP has modified her training habits (5:55), what she does to get out of a recovery rut (6:44), her views on napping and nutrition (7:33), how she optimizes her sleep (12:47), taking Ambien and pre-bed supplements (14:19), her pre-race mindset (16:53), the spear throw and other obstacles at the Spartan World Championships (18:21), race strategy and awareness of other competitors (25:25), ...
Jan 15, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Why is sleep important for everything you do? Kristen Holmes and Emily Capodilupo talk about sleep architecture and the 4 stages of sleep (2:30), what happens when your sleep is cut short (4:51), the benefits of slow wave and REM sleep (7:42), mood regulation (15:09), not knowing you're sleep deprived (17:16), a needed culture shift with how we view lack of sleep (22:15), how much sleep we actually should get (25:06), time asleep vs time in bed (26:14), experimenting to determine your sleep need...
Jan 07, 2020•51 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Originally recorded in October of 2018, WHOOP Founder & CEO Will Ahmed talks to David Stern about his career as NBA Commissioner (6:51), the challenges he faced and how he overcame them (11:16), how he suspended a player for kneeling during the national anthem 20 years before Colin Kaepernick (14:56), social media today (19:18), sports and its overlap with politics (23:51), gambling (29:19), what data and technology will do to extend players' careers (30:11), cannabis (44:16), and much more....
Jan 02, 2020•56 min
What do you learn from a year of WHOOP data? Mike Lombardi and Emily Capodilupo talk about the Annual Performance Assessment sent to all WHOOP members (2:32), how you stack up against your peers (4:07), what day of the week people take on the most strain and are best recovered (5:54), the time of year they work out the most (8:15), why we sleep more in winter time (9:24), knowledge gained from daily sleep surveys (11:05), behaviors that most affect sleep (12:18), training patterns throughout the...
Jan 01, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Combat pilot turned entrepreneur Pierre-Henri "Ate" Chuet talks about becoming Europe's youngest pilot at age 15 (4:54), his first aircraft carrier landing (7:10), turning anxiety into fuel (12:45), the impact flying has on your brain and body (18:10), his thoughts on the movie Top Gun (18:56), preventing mistakes in the air (25:25), combat mission preparation (33:10), what it's like to eject (36:40), how suffering a stroke at age 31 changed his life for the better (44:38), getting on WHOOP (52:...
Dec 17, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 53
In Part 2 of Science of Winning, Kristen Holmes and Mike Lombardi discuss building team culture (3:53), assessing key performance traits (8:17), what it means to have grit (11:48), aligned organizational values (13:28), intrinsic motivation (16:16), self-concept clarity (19:51), leadership starting with self-rule (21:54), speaking once and listening twice (23:25), what is your superpower (24:55), sleep, recovery and fueling behavior (28:06), knowing your team (34:24), and defining core values (3...
Dec 11, 2019•41 min•Season 1Ep. 52
ATP Science Co-Founders Jeff Doidge and Matt Legge chat with WHOOP CEO Will Ahmed about unlocking human performance, including the company's mission (3:35), preventing overtraining (4:50), the metrics WHOOP tracks (5:36), measuring recovery (7:16), quantifying strain (8:45), getting WHOOP on the world's best athletes (9:45), improving sleep efficiency and consistency (15:49), the effects of mental fatigue (23:16), why heart rate variability is so important (27:03), what many people don't realize...
Dec 04, 2019•46 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Hacks for holiday stress, travel, nutrition, exercise and more: VP of performance Kristen Holmes and Director of Analytics Emily Capodilupo discuss optimizing a hotel room (3:26), dehydration from recycled air on planes (5:35), why it's harder to sleep away from home (6:10), vitamins and supplements to help you on the road (11:45), combating mindless eating (15:03), why day drinking is better than at night (16:21), extra calories as a chance to build muscle (16:48), finding ways to be active (18...
Nov 26, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College Dr. Richard Isaacson talks about why he began studying Alzheimer's (4:07), how it starts 20-30 years before symptoms appear (4:38), how many people have it and the early signs of it (6:06), the three stages of the disease (8:27), ABC's of Alzheimer's prevention management (10:51), the reason for the study (17:21) and why they wanted to look at sleep (18:19), the value of cost-effective, non-invasive monitoring (19:49)...
Nov 19, 2019•51 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Nutritionist Kassandra Hobart chats with WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes and Director of Analytics Emily Capodilupo about the science of calorie tracking, including what calories really are (4:01), basal metabolic rate and the ways your body burns calories (4:26), a recent update to improve how WHOOP tracks caloric burn (9:04), food label inaccuracies and other things that make calorie counting difficult (11:09), if weighing food helps (14:50), why eating slowly and in a restful state is ...
Nov 12, 2019•45 min•Season 1Ep. 48
PNOE Co-Founder Panos Papadiamantis explains what cardio-metabolic analysis is (3:56), how PNOE works (7:21), mechanical efficiency when it comes to burning calories (11:03), why people often gain back weight they lose (14:16), when and how to combat caloric efficiency (22:24), why all calories are equal when it comes to weight loss (24:51), how PNOE knows how many calories you should consume each day (31:43), what PNOE and WHOOP can do together (32:43), detecting cardiovascular disease (36:24),...
Nov 05, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 47
