Primal Blueprint Podcast

Time and money—the sources of endless hand-wringing in modern society. No one ever seems to have enough, including the people we think probably do. Instead of struggling with primeval conditions of scarcity, many of us are encumbered with the so-called “first-world problems” of modern day. For most of us, there’s a whole range of choices and flexibility that Grok never had. That said, when we bring a Primal perspective to the fore, just what is a healthy and productive relationship to time and money? And how much of each do we need to be happy? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)

When we sit or stand all day long in the same position, our body is learning to be immobile. Children can’t sit still because they haven’t had the natural human need to move beaten out of them yet. Adults never feel like moving because we’ve grown accustomed to never doing it. Since we spend at least a third of our lives at work, our workstation must enable and even encourage movement. How do we do it? What do we need? (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)

Brad Kearns is back this week with two of Primal’s favorite trainers, Adam and Vanessa Lambert! They’ve been busier than ever since last year’s podcast interview, so we have a lot of ground to cover. Aside from building their coaching business at BeeTheWellness.com, they’ve stepped into the tech world by collaborating with Vimify on their very own app-based coaching platform. It was by their suggestion that we moved the 21-Day Total Body Transformation Challenge to Vimify, facilitating a beautiful and vibrant community that grows by the month. Learn the value of finding your tribe and the most critical aspect of improving your health (it’s probably not what you think) in this lively chat with old friends. 

As Primal travelers, you are exceptionally thoughtful. You value experiences over things, and the things you choose tend to enhance life experience, not replace it. Your vacations should be no different.   (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)

On today’s special show, hosts Brad Kearns and Andrew MacNaughton connect with retired triathlon legend Simon Whitfield from Victoria, B.C., Canada. Simon details his remarkable victory in the inaugural Olympic triathlon in Sydney, Australia in 2000, along with other memories and perspectives gained from his lengthy career at the top of the sport. Simon is an extremely thoughtful, introspective athlete whose insights can provide great value to whatever peak performance or life goals you pursue. “If you love your pursuits, you’ll find a way to success. If you succumb to your fears and insecurities, your results will suffer accordingly,” says Simon. With refreshing candor, Simon mentions the dangers of drifting into a prima donna perspective and how to recalibrate to focus on the journey; especially having a strong and authentic support team. “Hard truths come with sharp edges, but they are the source of the greatest learning,” Simon offers. Simon updates us about his recent doings, including epic standup paddl

While today we consider compassion one of the most esteemed human traits, what were its origins? Is this really a product of evolutionary forces rather than cultural response? How could it have grown out of the rough and tough, survival-of-the-fittest world of Grok’s day?

How can different populations tailor PBF to their needs, goals, and capacities? How does the retiree do PBF? The former CrossFitter? The recovering triathlete? The harried parent of twins? Let’s go through some basic archetypes and my recommendations for each. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)

Brad talks about maybe the most important element of a successful endurance program--emphasizing aerobic base building at the proper heart rates. This fast paced narration will give you the straight scoop about how to train aerobically, and help you avoid the egregious mistakes that endurance athletes of all ability levels make when they drift into slightly too difficult intensity zone during workouts - training in the Black Hole! Brad dispenses Dr. Phil Maffetone's secret formula of "180-age" heart rate training, and details the burnout he experienced early in 2015 by mistakenly training at too elevated of an aerobic heart rate. Get your training straight by listening to this quick, informative podcast!

This microscopic landscape is worth talking about again—specifically because it influences your brain (that grand master of all organs) and how well you’re likely to stick to all those newly adopted changes in the future. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)

With bone broth bars popping up in cities, broth-based cookbooks appearing on Amazon, and grass-fed bone broth now available for order online, hot bone water is experiencing a renaissance. And not just among Primal devotees. Dr. Oz is recommending it as a coffee replacement and Kobe Bryant uses it to support his aging body. The renewed popularity has brought an endless string of questions from readers, and today I’m going to answer some of them.(This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)

If you don’t approach cooking 3+ meals a day with a strategy, you’ll start feeling like you’ll never get out of the kitchen, which isn’t such a good thing. A collection of Primal recipes right at your fingertips definitely helps. But if you really want Primal cooking to be easy, convenient, and manageable in the long haul, then what you need most are some kitchen hacks that every Primal cook should know. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)

It seems like a universal dictum. When you start to make positive change, you’re going to get pushback. It’s not a magical force thing. The fact is, you’re rocking the boat. Your attempt to change, no matter how small, is throwing off the dysfunctional equilibrium you’ve been living with. Somewhere along the line you got used to how you live and how you feel. Inertia is as much a psychological as a physical phenomenon. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)

Real change is simple, but it’s not easy. It takes planning. It means facing fears and overcoming stress. To really succeed, you have to know what you’re changing and have the willpower to see it through. Here are five tips for ensuring your success—in anything—this year. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)

Tune into this special preview of Mark Sisson’s newest book, Primal Endurance. Show host and co-author, Brad Kearns, details 115 things you’ll need to know as a Primal Endurance Athlete, including: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Primal Endurance Athletes, what your training schedule should look like per season, over the course over the entire year, and the importance of strict rest and recovery periods.Get better, faster, and stronger than ever before with the help of this groundbreaking release!

New year, new you. It’s a powerful suggestion this time of year (and one of the reasons we do the 21-Day Challenge in January). That said, I make a point of writing about behavior change throughout the year because that choice is available to us at all times—not simply when the culture at large declares it so. The fact is, we can claim a clean slate whenever we feel like it. (It’s good to stir up a little audacity now and then, right?) We’re simply dealing with a question of mindset. How can I effectively mobilize myself to begin achieving my goals (or upping the ante on them) any day of the year? In other words, how can I make each day a potent, no-holds-barred opportunity for change? Let’s look at a few ways…. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)

You can still glean useful info and make realistic inferences from genetic research by examining the regional and ethnic distribution of various alleles (i.e. gene variations) and matching them against your own ancestry. Let’s take a look at some of the alleles for which we have the most data. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)

With a new year comes new goals, which is why our team is ready to announce our favorite, much anticipated goal achieving event of the season: The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge! This year’s challenge will run from Jan 11th-31st, and we have quite the lineup of contests, prizes, and all around fun activities planned for everyone who wants to participate. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)

Host Brad Kearns talks with Martin Keen, CEO of Focal Upright Furniture—a cutting edge company headquartered in Rhode Island. Focal Upright is responsible for a wildly popular line of functional furniture products, including their unique leaning and mobile seats and assorted upright desk options. Martin discusses the many health hazards of prolonged sitting (electrical activity ceases in your leg muscles, fat metabolism enzymes decline by 90%, calorie burning minimizes, blood flow to brain is reduced, spine is compressed, hip flexors tighten, etc.) and how assuming an upright position can deliver exceptional health benefits.  Unlike other standup desk setups that are all-or-nothing propositions and can often represent too daunting a transition from decades of sitting at work, Martin asserts that the Focal Mogo leaning chair allows you to transition into an upright work setup without needing a chair as a safety valve. This is because the Mogo can support all of your weight when desired, while promoting a stabl

It’s incredible what happens in just a year’s time. New Year’s for me is the time to appreciate all that—what we’ve explored here and what others have contributed. Let’s take a look at some of what we’ve discovered, shared, cooked and experimented with for 2015! (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)

An important piece of living well as you age that most never consider is taking advantage of the fact that time perception is entirely a construction of the brain. By slowing down the perceived passage of time, you seemingly have more of it and live longer—and better. (This Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Leaman)