Total Fitheads

The 2024 Olympics in Paris are upon us. Which Olympic sport is best? Which one would the Fitheads want to compete in. Which sport makes the hottest athletes? Are the Summer Olympics better or the Winter Olympics? Should the Olympics do a better job of cooling the athletes while they sleep?   Get an Eight Sleep mattress here! https://eight-sleep.ioym.net/c/247466/607198/9942 code: SPAGS

The Total Fitheads are both cutting weight at the same time. Can we get the scale to go down? How does it effect our strength in the gym? What are our current diets? Is Ali fasting again? What foods does Max eat to stay lean? We talk about the shift from bulking to cutting and how we're losing weight.

The 4th of July in America means parties, beers, BBQ and lots more unhealthy things. Here is how we stay fit when we're invited to holiday events. Some easy changes and diet swaps can mean the huge difference between a metabolism bomb and staying on track with healthy eating.

Ali talks about the benefit of barefoot shoes and Max thinks it's BS. Barefoot training and lifting, barefoot running -- Are there benefits? What are the benefits of minimalist shoes and toe spacers? And how skeptical will Max stay about the barefoot lifestyle?

The Fitheads have used a lot of sleep trackers and tech. We talk about how they all compare to each other and which is our favorite. From Eight Sleep mattress to Apple Watch to Whoop. We even cover Levels Continuous Glucose Monitor!

Bulking or cutting? Maybe we should eat at maintenance calories. We discuss our current weight and how we're going to change out diets moving forward. Can we add muscle mass while still burning fat? This is our weight loss and weight gain journey

Hannah Went is a cofounder of TruDiagnostic, a company focusing on methylation array-based diagnostics for life extension and preventive healthcare serving functional medicine providers. They tell you how old your body really is. WE talk about health factors genetic vs epigenetic, blue zone people, blood tests vs Spit, how they're partnering with Harvard for a database, wine, sex, plants and meth! Oh and Flossing! TruDiagnostic can also predict your death with alarming accuracy which begs the question - do you want to know when you're gonna die? If you want to test your own Biological Age go to TruDiagnostic.com use the promo code FITHEADS at checkout! Find Hannah at https://www.instagram.com/everythingepigenetics/

The detox industry is huge! Is it even possible to detox. Is detox something you should do daily? There are pills, shakes, fasting, sauna and so much more. Even cutting out using your phone notifications! What about bluetooth and junk electricity? We give our thoughts on detox and cover a lot of the protocols in Ben Greenfield's "Boundless" book.

FITHEADS!!! WE HIT 200 EPISODES! So that means this BRAND NEW CHANNEL and a celebration episode where we look back at shows 101-200!!   Subscribe to be in the first 10 Fitheads to join the new channel!! http://youtube.com/@totalfitheads   The biggest and best fitness, nutrition, health and longevity tips we've learned for the second 100 episodes of the podcast. We rapid-fire run through the biggest takeaways from each guest. Want to learn 100 ways to optimize your health as fast as possible? Take a listen to our reminiscing about all the trainers, doctors, specialists, athletes, health company CEOs and more that we've talked to! Is this your first time listening to our podcast? No need to go back through our whole catalog. This is the CliffsNotes to becoming a Fithead with us... Part 2!

Max is a coffee nerd and Ali did a caffeine detox for 13 days. The Total Fitheads talk about their love for this popular stimulant. Max even had a bag of powdered caffeine. How much caffeine is too much?

Today we talk with Josh Rowland of Sweat Tents - a company dedicated to amplifying the remarkable health benefits of saunas through their innovative portable sauna tent, heated by a wood stove. Their goal is to put a sauna in every home in America. We talk about the holistic advantages, as well as well-established sauna health benefits including improved circulation, reduced inflammation, lower blood pressure, boosting metabolism, detoxify, stress relief, improving mood, sleep, and let's not forget HANGOVERS. Well that last one might not be proven yet, but saunas are hot, and this episode is in tents.

There is only one right answer. And everyone has a different one. Shower before bed... or shower in the morning when you wake up. Does a hot shower help you sleep better? Does a hot shower help you wake up? How gross is it to get into bed without getting clean? Whether it's your morning routine or bedtime routine... Someone is wrong.

The Total Fitheads 2025 new year's resolutions! What goals are we setting? What systems and habits are we setting up to achieve them? Will it be mental, physical, spiritual? Perhaps it's working out, perhaps it's nutrition, perhaps it's ice baths! We need to set some goals for the year. What do you think we should try to achieve?

We get the inside info from fan of the show, Fithead and mother of Ali Spagnola, Cheryl! Not only do we get a long-time podcast listener on the air to give us feedback on the show, she also covers Ali as a young kid, getting a D in gym class, learning to get stronger by yourself at the YMCA, moderation and lots more. If you're a newbie at the gym and need some starting motivation, Ali's mom has you covered.

The Total Fitheads talk through their best holiday gifts. What is on their stocking stuffer list to give the gift of longevity, fitness and health. Biohack your way through the Christmas season with our favorite gadgets.   Get your Eight Sleep mattress or cover here!→https://eight-sleep.ioym.net/c/247466/607198/9942 code: SPAGS

Joshua Church is a triathlete, podcaster, and cofounder of Edge Theory Labs, bringing cold water therapy and tools for high performance and recovery to the world. We talk about cold emersion, triathlons, headphones, Britney Spears as a performance enhancer, rehabbing from a triple crown knee tear, overcoming, over training, over icing, cold hot contrast, hermetic stresses, and most of all - TIGERS! https://www.edgetheorylabs.com/ https://www.instagram.com/joshuadeanchurch

We discuss the best and worst foods to eat at Thanksgiving. What's got the carbs, calories and just straight up tastes bad. Corn or stuffing... What side are you on? We also talk about strategies to not overeat. And workout habits for the holiday.

Following decades of obesity and associated metabolic ill health, Bob regained a healthier weight and his metabolic health – after he realized the core driver was microinflammation. He founded COR Health to enable everyone to see and better understand their microinflammation, so that they, too, have the best opportunity to manage their health. Bob is a Williams-Wright Award recipient for his contribution to industrial spectroscopy. Bob had two successful exits before he cold-emailed Steve Jobs about his third company. Steve immediately called him and soon after acquired the company. Bob then went on to work directly with Steve, and others, such as Jony Ive, for several years. Steve's vision for consumer devices in the future of health heavily influenced Bob.  For more information, check out https://corhealth.com

Fight or flight? Being scared activates your stress response. We talk about the psychology of fright, the fear response in your brain. What your brain chemicals do at an immersive Halloween event feel similar to nerves and performance anxiety before a sport.

Marissa Graham is a Dancer turned trainer who specializes in helping her clients create a fitness routine while avoiding burnout. Certified Personal Trainer and Human Movement Specialist, • Certified L1 Nutrition Coach Precision Nutrition, BFA, Dance Performance, Certified Sleep, Stress, & Recovery Coach, Custom training, recovery, & nutrition plans toxic fitness+ hustle culture shame-free resting… she does it all!    https://www.marissagraham.com/

Looking jacked is the most important part of Halloween. We talk through the best costumes to look fit for spooky season. From superheros to Baberaham Lincoln, how do you show off your muscles in your Halloween outfit? Sleeves discouraged.

Alan Graves is CEO of DoNotAge.org a company that aims to help people live healthier for longer. They offer a slew of products supplements and test kits, focusing on NMN, Siri 6, resveratrol and berberine. We talk about longevity, aging, space, taurine, seaweed redbull, and what it means to actually age.

The Total Fitheads want to optimize our evening routines. That will help us perform and recover better. We discussed our morning routines in a past episode and even our nighttime routines but this time we're talking about fails. These are our bedtime rituals currently - the bad habits we want to break before bed.

Nicky Lyan is a professional calisthenics athlete, judge and coach and champion. We talk about how he got his start after a broken ankle, how the sport may or may not have originated in American prisons after a federal law prohibited weights, how he approaches challenges and how he coaches others, and where he thinks the sport is going and how to find your place in the world. Oh and also how doing a muscle up is literally the coolest thing anyone can do. https://nickylyan.com/

The Total Fitheads have been cold plunging. We've used a tub, bathtub and bags of ice to make a DIY at-home cold plunge. We talk about our habits and the benefits of cold exposure therapy such as boosted mood, faster recovery and mental strength.

Jinfiniti was founded in 2018 by renowned scientist Dr Jin-Xiong She who revolutionised the fields of diabetes and cancer therapy by applying a strategy of predictive, preventative and personalised medicine. Jinfiniti is laser focused on solving “the aging problem” by helping individuals make informed health decisions by tracking changes in an array of the most impactful and modifiable biomarkers of aging within their body. Learn more about Dr She and NAD http://jinfiniti.com Want to get better at life with me? Subscribe!→https://www.youtube.com/FitnessOutrageous?sub_confirmation=1 Like it?? Join my team to help me make more→ http://patreon.com/alispagnola Every Monday morning I bring you Fitness Outrageous. Fit tips. Health hacks. Superhuman strategies! All delivered with a side of hilarious. I'm constantly working to get better at life. Wanna join me? Let's get Fitness Outrageous together :)

Max stuck to his new years resolution for 8 months. He stretched every day for 15 minutes, committing to the system, the habit that helped him reach his goal. He set up S.M.A.R.T. He has some tips and tricks for discipline, motivation and habit formation. He can also touch his toes now.

The final culmination of the Muscle Up Tattoo bet. Max challenged Ali to get a muscle up in one year. If she lost she had to get a tattoo he picked. We talk through the full story of what happened... and the surprising ending. Plus some thoughts on the meaning of life, the nature of consciousness, the drive to procreate and "well actually" people

Caffeine and alcohol. There are benefits and they are also unhealthy. They both disrupt your sleep. Both legal. Both change your body chemistry. Both are social. Ali and Max are obsessed with them equally. If you had to pick ONLY ONE... which one would you keep? Pre workout or post workout beer?!

Lisa Kricfalusi is Canada's leading primal wellness therapy expert. With over 14 years of experience, Lisa is widely recognized for her contribution to the world of deliberate cold exposure through shaping some of the top programmes in the industry. Her scientific and educational approach is ingrained into each experience, leaving her clients feeling not only capable but resilient, motivated, and empowered. https://lisakricfalusi.com https://stayunbounded.com

Everyone's playing pickleball now. Cornhole has World Championships. Teqball is taking off. Max and his friends created full contact wiffle ball. The Fitheads discuss making up new sports. Should there be a new Total Fitheads sport?

Some people lack gym etiquette. We're not talking about bad lifting form. We're talking about mistakes people make in the gym when not being considerate of other people. Is filming at the gym ok? Should you put your weights back? Is wearing no shirt a gym blooper? Here's what makes Max mad and how Ali makes everyone else mad.

The Beer Mile World Classic 2023 just happened in Chicago. It's the Championships for the Beer Mile. Everyone was gunning for the world record. Corey Bellemore ended up running missing one shoe. Shelby Houlihan set the women's world record beating the previous from Allison Grace Morgan. This is our rundown and review of the event from watching the livestream. Next year we plan to go in person! Do you think we can get a slot in the celebrity run?

A Virginia native and Army veteran, Chase is a Virginia Commonwealth University alum, graduating from their Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science undergraduate program, holds a MS in Health Promotion from American University in Washington, DC and is an ACE Certified Health Coach. Living a life of wellness has always been a part of him - since growing up eating fresh food from his grandparents' garden, playing baseball throughout school and enjoying time in the mountains surrounding his family's southwest VA home. After six years of active duty, Chase was medically discharged from the military due a string of injuries that ultimately required him to have bilateral reconstructive hip surgeries. After learning how to walk again, twice, exercise as medicine and healthy lifestyle modifications became his passion. Wellness entrepreneur, conscious creative, and host of the top-ranked health & fitness podcast "Ever Forward Radio" with now more than 3 million downloads, Chase currently resides in Los Angeles, California.  We talk about how much we hate LA, how being grateful is a game changer, how to grow as a content creator as a person and as a big brother, how to pick one thing to focus on, how to lean into what you're passionate about, coaching, how to surround yourself with the right people, how to find the right room, Dopamine metabolizing, how it's Not your fault who you are, how to be OUT standing, and how cool it is to have an SUV.  https://chasechewning.com/podcasts

Gloves or calluses? Are gloves to work out cool? We talk about handwear from driving gloves to biking gloves to gymnastics grips. Should you protect your hands when lifting? Does fingerless gloves make them cooler? What do comic book characters think?

Tasha is an international elite powerlifter, ranking number 1 female in Washington State, among one of the top 20 female powerlifters in the world and holds world records in her respective age, gender, and weight class. She currently is the world record holder in the deadlift in the light weight strong(wo)man division and is an avid mountaineer in her off season. Academically Tasha studied at the University of Washington receiving degrees in Cultural Anthropology, Archaeology, and Dance, as well as Exercise Science and Athletic Training at Central Washington University. Tasha holds advanced certificates, including Pain-Free Performance Specialists, Certified Conditioning Coach, Certified Mental Performance Coach; helping others not only physically reach their goals, but helping them enhance their mindset to reach their greatest potentials.

We discuss the mental fitness to deal with mean comments, bullying and online hate. Ali got mocked on Mike Judge's "Beavis and Butthead". How do we cultivate the emotional resilience to handle negativity? Maybe Max can... and maybe it's not possible for Ali. From unsolicited workout form advice to plain old threats, we've dealt with it all.

This week we tlak to Dr. Michael Mash, founder of Barbell Rehab.  Dr. Mash is Doctor of Physical Therapy with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and an NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach (CSCS).  We talk about PAIN and why you should listen sometimes, ignore other times, what it could mean, why you should strength train twice a week if you want to be stronger and happier and healthier and basically better all around, exercise as medicine, depression, fear of movement, why backpain is kindof like a common cold, quality of life, how to trian trainers, how to figure out programming volume vs content, kettlebells(!), why strength training is important as you get older, back pain, stress, hospitals, stabbing vs locking vs buckling vs raidating vs dirty pain, and what a pain scale should actually look like. 

Max has some strong opinions on what constitutes a sport. I could be a team sport, it could be individual sports but he has some specific requirements about the psychology, strategy and subjectiveness. Can a sport have judges? Do you have to play defense? Does it have to happen with an opponent? Here's what competitions, races and difficult activities Max says are NOT SPORTS.

We were spectators at the 2023 CrossFit Semifinals West in Pasadena, California. And we took part in the Throwdown workout! We got press passes to check out Day 2, both the teams and individuals competition. This is what the experience is like from the vendors to convention floor and beyond.

Murph is a popular CrossFit WOD that CrossFitters do on Memorial Day. One of the Fitheads challenged us to do Beer Murph: a Beer Mile, then 100 pull-ups, 200 pushups, 300 air squats, then ANOTHER Beer Mile. This is our discussion of how we felt throughout all of the workout... and the morning after.

Greg Hawthorne Jr. Founder of Thorne Training and Therapy and Director of General Performance and Wellness at One Step Away Athletics Greg is a Certified Athletic Trainer who spent nearly a decade working with elite level athletics with the Carolina Panthers, Florida State University, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Detroit Lions, the Rhein Fire in Dusseldorf, Germany, and both Michigan State University and The University of Michigan Athletics. He currently works with the Air Force and Community Athletes. He has implemented Human Performance programs with great success in a variety of populations, ranging from high caliber athletes to the geriatric population. We talk about which athletes are the hardest to train, the space in side our bodies and moving organs around, how important breathing and breath work is during exertion, static stretching, concentric vs eccentric contraction, core work and how to get a snatched waist no seriously. https://thornetrainingandtherapy.com/

We discuss how to drink alcohol while still staying on your diet. What are the best low calorie alcoholic drinks to not get in the way of you losing weight. Everything from beer to liquor to hard seltzers, how do you make the best choices to stay fit, even when you're drinking?

Lee Dryburgh is the Chief Evangelist for SiPhox Inc.  He approaches health and longevity by combining raw data analytics with a healthy holistic lifestyle.  We talk about genetics, philosophy of living longer, supplements, longevity factors, epigenetics, lengthening telomeres, DNA, 23 and me, inflammation, baselines, red wine, snickers, lifting heavy, and why the best sleep of his life is with his dog at his feet.  SiPhox Health is disrupting the health tech industry by democratizing access to biomarkers. They have built an at-home device that measures hormones and proteins from less than a drop of blood - in under 5 minutes. They use silicon photonic biosensing - technology that will make blood testing x100 cheaper. This will cause a massive shift in health and wellness. They are working on the ultimate wearable that measures not just your glucose (like CGMs), but also your hormones, proteins, and inflammation - 24/7. Use the discount code FITHEADS at https://siphoxhealth.com/ 

Fitness niches, famous gyms, types of workouts and sports all have cult-like followings. We talk about different gym cults and what it takes to have a tribe. Which was the first cult? Who does it best? Does keto count as a cult? Thanks for being a part of ours :)

This week we talk with Mitch Clark, President and CEO of Protochol: a spiked protein drink.  We talk about starting a business during covid, why protein pairs well with alcohol, the trials and tribulations of finding a brewery that was, well, cool, Jimmy Fallon, and why Pennsylvania is the jewel of the northern eastern ish states!  

These are our gym horror stories. Dealing with gym bros, hygiene problems, noise in the gym, rude people. Working out in public can be tricky. Is dropping weights ok? What about grunting? Don't set off the lunk alarm at Planet Fitness!

Natalie Allport is a former Canadian team & world tour snowboarder, competitive CrossFit athlete, and lifelong creator & entrepreneur. Natalie hosts the ‘ALL IN with Natalie Allport' podcast, and is a passionate advocate for athlete mental health.  We talk about her journey from excelling at one activity to the next, mental health, dealing with injuries and rehab, where to find the best bagels, and of course, COLD EXPOSURE! 

AI may be programming your workouts very soon. And your schedule. And optimizing for your performance throughout the day. Max and Ali discuss giving AI biofeedback to get more optimization for their minds and bodies. What is fitness in the new artificial intelligence world? Will aesthetics of the human body matter? Do you have to earn your muscles in the metaverse?

Bret Kelly has spent time as a strength and conditioning coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis University, the Chicago White Sox, the U.S. Ski and Snowboarding team, and is currently in St. Louis at Exos coaching and working out with NO SHOES ON!  His wealth oof knowledge is considerable, and we tlak abotu general strength vs sport specific, rehab vs surgery, kids vs adults, power vs volume, contrast training vs FRENCH contrast training, power phases, knees, flips, kids, half pipe, decks, and most importantly, Cold Showers!  https://www.instagram.com/bk_strengthcoach/?hl=en

Devices are shortening our attention spans. How much does this effect our fitness? Not just with focus in the gym but wanting to change our workouts. Do we need progressive overload to allow your body to adapt? Class pass has people trying a new workouts every week. Should you stick to a program or focus on muscle confusion? We talk about F45, Barry's Bootcamp, Orange Theory and all those constantly changing workouts that are all the same.