On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is going to talk all things January Jumpstart. That’s right Kristen is here to break down our January Jumpstart in-app challenge, and how you can take control of your year by working on your personal readiness. Kristen discusses the January Jumpstart Challenge (1:40), the meaning of personal readiness (4:05), understanding your identity (6:57), aligning your values (14:37), the power of anchors (18:33), ...
Jan 03, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 254
We are wrapping up the year on this week's episode and revisiting some of our favorite episodes of the year. Throughout the year we spoke to NBA Champions, Military Veterans, DJs, CEOs, and leading experts across numerous fields of research and human performance. We also had fantastic episodes around key product updates and features. Hear from Zedd on how he committed to fitness (2:30), Dr. Susanna Søberg on her principle and the power of cold therapy (5:05), James Nestor on how to get started w...
Dec 27, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 253
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Dr. Darren Candow. Darren is the Professor and Director of the Aging Muscle and Bone Health Laboratory in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies at the University of Regina, Canada. Kristen and Darren will discuss creatine’s surge in popularity (3:00), creatine’s role within the body (4:48), the best ways to produce creatine (5:56), the benefits of creatine (8:16), the safety aspect o...
Dec 20, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 252
On this week’s episode, WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed is joined by WHOOP SVP of Data Science and Research, Emily Capodilupo. The pair are talking all things Year in Review for 2023. Take a deep dive into the data from WHOOP members across the globe, and learn how you can unlock your human performance. Will and Emily will discuss the year at large at WHOOP (1:55), the top trending activities in the WHOOP Community (6:45), the top Strength Trainer exercises (15:05), the top questions asked to W...
Dec 13, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 251
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Dr. Jay Wiles. Dr. Jay is a clinical health psychologist, currently working as the Health Behavior Coordinator at WJB Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, SC and the Greenville Outpatient VA Clinic. He also shares his insight and tips on his podcast titled, Mindhacker’s Radio . Kristen and Jay will discuss how mental health impacts the autonomic nervous system (6:08), how stress influences HR...
Dec 06, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 250
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Dr. Aric Prather. Aric is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. He co-directs the UCSF Aging, Metabolism, and Emotions Center, is the Interim Director for the UCSF Center for Health and Community, and serves as a clinician at the UCSF Insomnia Clinic. He is also the author of The Sleep Prescription, a book that offers a simple yet p...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 249
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by the Co-Founder and CEO of Whole30, Melissa Urban. Melissa is here to help us Hack the Holidays. As the holiday season ramps up, we thought we would give you some tips on staying balanced with your health and wellness throughout the festivities. Kristen and Melissa will discuss managing alcohol consumption (3:48), keeping your nutritional habits balanced (13:05), dealing with the thought of o...
Nov 22, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 248
On this week’s episode, WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed is joined by DJ, record producer, and songwriter Zedd. The Grammy award-winning and platinum artist has had multiple records hit number one on the Billboard Top 100 and has made music with superstars like Justin Bieber, Maren Morris, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, and more. Not only is he a musical sensation, he is incredibly obsessed with his health and wellness and has been a WHOOP member for a number of years. Will and Zedd discuss why he...
Nov 15, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 247
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Army Lieutenant Colonel Lisa Jaster is a soldier, an engineer, a wife and mother, and a trailblazer. One of only three women to graduate from the first integrated United States Army Ranger program. Lisa is also the author of Delete the Adjective , where she details her time in Ranger School and how “there is no quitting.” Kristen and Lisa will discuss taking the risk of Ranger School (3:45),...
Nov 08, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 246
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 en...
Nov 01, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 245
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:...
Oct 25, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 244
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 c...
Oct 18, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 243
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 t...
Oct 11, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 242
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 consist...
Oct 04, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 241
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...
Sep 27, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 240
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 ...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 239
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 preg...
Sep 13, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 238
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 addic...
Aug 30, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 236
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...
Aug 23, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 235
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...
Aug 16, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 234
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...
Aug 09, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 233
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 Tra...
Aug 02, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 232
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...
Jul 26, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 231
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 lif...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 230
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 a...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 229
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 proces...
Jun 28, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 228
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 h...
Jun 21, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 227
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 Athlete...
Jun 14, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 226
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 starte...
Jun 07, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 225
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 (6:3...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 224
