Have you ever considered dry fasting for five days to regenerate your body, or using a pendulum to shift energy and reduce pain? I'm sharing some wild ideas today.

I talked with Sean McCormick, host of the Optimal Performance podcast and a human guinea pig for health experiments. We discussed the kettlebell mile, a test of strength and endurance, and how grip strength predicts longevity. Sean shared insights on nicotine as a neuroprotectant and its effects. We explored the deep benefits of dry fasting, including muscle preservation and fat loss. Sean also described using a pendulum to harmonize energy and reduce pain. He shared his experiences with mini-dosing LSD for creativity and focus. I learned about the importance of N of one experiments for personal health journeys.

Key takeaways

• Grip strength is an indicator of longevity, and tests like the kettlebell mile assess both strength and aerobic capacity.

• A dopamine detox protocol can help reset your body and mental clarity.

• Dry fasting for multiple days (without food or water) can regenerate the body on a cellular level, preserve muscle, and lead to significant fat loss, reaching deep ketosis and stem cell activation.

• Nicotine has potential benefits as a neuroprotectant, nootropic, and may offer anti-bacterial or anti-parasitic properties, but it can be addictive and is a vasoconstrictor.

• Oral TRT offers a different approach to testosterone replacement by providing mini-doses that may not hijack natural production.

• Herbal supplements, like dried ants, are used in traditional practices for physical strength.

• Pendulums made of magnetic metals can be used in energy medicine to harmonize energetic points, transmute negative energies, and potentially reduce pain.

• Microdosing or mini-dosing psychedelics like LSD or psilocybin can enhance creativity, focus, and offer anti-inflammatory effects, and can improve cognition.

• Conducting "N of one" experiments is a critical and fun way to learn about your own body's response to different health and fitness protocols.

Resources

• Optimal Performance podcast hosted by Sean McCormick https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/optimal-performance/id1004775385 .

• The Real Sean McCormick on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/realseanmccormick/?hl=en

• Lost Empire Herbs, founded by Logan Christopher. https://lostempireherbs.com

• SETT, a company offering a nicotine alternative pouch. https://www.getsett.co/

• Dry Fast With Friends.com, co-founded by Sean McCormick and Theo Lucier, offering dry fasting protocols and support. https://dryfastwithfriends.com

• Dr. Artis (guest on Optimal Performance podcast discussing viruses and nicotine). https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/522-moving-beyond-the-covid-19-lies-with-dr-ardis-must-listen/id1004775385?i=1000714134256

• Will Blunderfield (Naked Yogi Canadian, discussed German New Medicine). https://willblunderfield.ca

The founder of The Million Dollar Body and author of "The Million Dollar Body Method", Nate has been coaching for over 15 years and has worked personally with over 1,000 clients.

• Website: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/
  
  

• Book: The Million Dollar Body Method
  
  

• Lean Energy Stack: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/pages/lean
  

• Instagram: @_milliondollarbody
  

If you want to get leaner and live longer, check out https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/

In this episode, Nate is joined by Eat Happy Kitchen founder and cookbook author Anna Vocino to answer one deceptively simple question:
What does it actually mean to eat real food?

Together, they pull back the curtain on the marketing scams, fake “health foods,” and toxic diet myths that have left people more confused than ever. If you’re tired of counting points, decoding labels, or feeling guilty every time you eat a damn piece of fruit — this one’s for you.

You’ll learn:

• Why most health foods are just junk food in disguise
• What real food actually looks like (and why it’s not that complicated)
• The 3 biggest lies the food industry wants you to believe
• How to simplify your meals, upgrade your energy, and never diet again

Mentioned in this episode:

• Anna’s Eat Happy cookbooks
• Nate’s 5-Day Sugar Detox (free download)
• Why tracking calories isn’t always the answer
• “If it has more ingredients than your grandma’s whole kitchen — it’s not food”

Follow Anna:

• @annavocino on Instagram
• eathappykitchen.com for recipes and real-food sauces

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Host Nate Palmer The founder of The Million Dollar Body and Author of "The Million Dollar Body Method", Nate has been in the industry of coaching over 15 years and has worked with over 1000 clients personally.

• Nate Palmer’s Website: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/

• "The Million Dollar Body Method" by Nate Palmer: http://getnatesbook.com

• Lean Energy Stack: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/pages/lean

• @_milliondollarbody (IG) https://www.instagram.com/_milliondollarbody

If you want to get leaner and live longer, check out https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/

What if the way you’re training is actually setting you up for pain or burnout, even if it feels like you’re doing everything right?

In this episode, I sat down with Dr. John Rusin to talk about how to train for strength, stay pain-free, and avoid burnout. He shared how training trends have shifted over the years and why doing just one workout a week won’t move the needle.

We talked about why full-body workouts work best, how to approach mobility and recovery without wasting time, and why Olympic lifts and barbell back squats might not be right for everyone. John also shared how his new book brings together everything he’s learned over the past 20 years.

Key Takeaways:

• Most programs today overemphasize strength and muscle but neglect athletic movement.
  
  

• Strength and hypertrophy aren’t enough, movement quality, mobility, and power matter too.
  
  

• Effective programming includes smart warmups, prehab, and recovery strategies.

Resources:

Dr. John Rusin is a sports performance specialist, physical therapist, and founder of the Pain-Free Performance Training System. He’s known for blending strength training with injury prevention and has worked with athletes, coaches, and everyday people to help them train hard without pain.

https://becomeunbreakable.com/

@_becomeunbreakable_(IG) https://www.instagram.com/_becomeunbreakable_/#

Book:

Pain free performance, Move better, train smarter and build an unbreakable body by Dr. John Rusin (releases October 21, 2025)

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Host Nate Palmer The founder of The Million Dollar Body and Author of "The Million Dollar Body Method", Nate has been in the industry of coaching over 15 years and has worked with over 1000 clients personally.

• Nate Palmer’s Website: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/

• "The Million Dollar Body Method" by Nate Palmer: http://getnatesbook.com

• Lean Energy Stack: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/pages/lean

• @_milliondollarbody (IG) https://www.instagram.com/_milliondollarbody

If you want to get leaner and live longer, check out https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/

Ever finish a meal, walk to the fridge, and start making the exact same thing you just ate?
Yeah. I’ve done that.
And it’s not because I’m a goldfish — it’s because I was SCROLLING while I ate.

In this solo episode, I’m diving into how your phone might be quietly wrecking your metabolism, your sleep, your workouts — and your ability to actually feel full.

This isn’t a “throw your phone in the ocean” rant.
It’s a real look at how screen time hijacks your brain and what you can do about it — from a guy who still sometimes watches jiu jitsu fails when he should be training.

• Why scrolling before bed leads to fat gain and exhaustion the next day

• How scrolling during meals makes you hungrier and messes with satiety

• The study that proves phone use in the gym crushes workout intensity

• What “interoceptive awareness” is — and how Instagram breaks it

• 3 simple rules to protect your energy, attention, and fat loss

If you want to get leaner and live longer, check out https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/

What if the secret to making more progress in your training, business, and life… was stepping away from all of it?

In this solo episode, I’m sharing the biggest takeaways from my recent 5-week trip to Costa Rica — from how rest actually fuels momentum, to what happens when you finally disconnect from phones, work, and the pressure to always be “productive.”

You’ll learn how time off can reset your nervous system, reignite creativity, and even improve performance — plus how to return to your workouts and habits without guilt or overwhelm.

Whether you’re burned out, feeling stuck, or just overdue for a breather, this episode is your permission slip (and tactical guide) to recover like a high performer.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

• Why stepping back doesn’t mean losing progress

• The surprising mental and physical benefits of true rest

• How to know when it’s time to unplug

• What happened to my energy, workouts, and focus after 5 weeks off

• How to ease back into training and habits without losing momentum

• The difference between passive rest and active recovery

• A personal challenge to help you recharge (even without leaving the country)

If you want to get leaner and live longer, check out https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/

What if your body could warn you about burnout or illness before you even feel it, possibly even days before it happens?

In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Torkil Færø, a Norwegian doctor and author of The Pulse Cure, to talk about heart rate variability, or HRV and how it can give us early warning signs about our health. He shared how he got into HRV tracking while on a sailing trip, and how it opened his eyes to how much stress and recovery affect our bodies.

We talked about what HRV really tells us, how wearables like Garmin, WHOOP, and Oura can help track it, and how small daily habits, like what you eat, how you sleep, or even when you work out, can change your HRV. Dr. Færø also told stories of real people who’ve used this data to catch serious health issues early, like cancer.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s personal, track your own trends instead of comparing numbers with others.
  
  

• HVR It’s like having your own early warning system for stress and health.
  
  

• Garmin gives more detailed stress tracking, while Oura and WHOOP are great for sleep and tagging daily habits.

Resources:

Dr. Torkil Færø is a Norwegian medical doctor, emergency physician, and bestselling author of The Pulse Cure. After realizing his lifestyle was quietly damaging his health, he dove into the science of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and became a leading voice on how to use wearable tech to track and improve stress, recovery, and overall well-being. His work has helped thousands of people better understand their bodies and take control of their health before problems arise.

@dr.torkil (IG) https://www.instagram.com/dr.torkil/

The Pulse Cure by Dr. Torkil Færø

• https://a.co/d/iWWB5Ub - https://thepulsecure.com/

Book mentioned:

• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

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Host Nate Palmer The founder of The Million Dollar Body and Author of "The Million Dollar Body Method", Nate has been in the industry of coaching over 15 years and has worked with over 1000 clients personally.

• Nate Palmer’s Website: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/

• "The Million Dollar Body Method" by Nate Palmer: http://getnatesbook.com

• Lean Energy Stack: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/pages/lean

• @_milliondollarbody (IG) https://www.instagram.com/_milliondollarbody

If you want to get leaner and live longer, check out https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/

What if your low energy, poor sleep, and lack of drive aren’t just signs of getting older… but signs that you’ve stopped taking care of yourself?

In this episode, I talked with Ali Gilbert, a coach who works with men on their health, hormones, and habits. We got into why so many men feel like they’ve lost their edge and why it’s not just about testosterone. It’s about stress, poor recovery, and not asking for help until things get worse.

We covered what really causes low sex drive, how stress and past experiences can affect performance, and why some men feel stuck trying to live up to an outdated idea of masculinity. Ali shared what she sees with men in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who’ve spent years focused on work and family, only to realize their health has taken a back seat. We also ran through common myths about testosterone and which methods actually help.

Key Takeaways:

• Masculinity doesn’t mean hiding your emotions
  
  

• Low sex drive and energy are often signs of stress, not just low testosterone
  
  

• You can’t lead, protect, or provide at your best if your health is falling apart.

Resources:

Ali Gilbert is a men’s health expert known for helping men optimize their hormones, especially testosterone, through smart training, lifestyle strategies, and lab-based health insights. She's often called the “Queen of Men’s Health” and is the founder of the Silverback Summit, an event focused on advancing men’s health and performance.

Silverback Summit

• https://ali-gilbert.com/silverback-summit-2025/

@thealigilbert (IG) https://www.instagram.com/thealigilbert/

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Host Nate Palmer The founder of The Million Dollar Body and Author of "The Million Dollar Body Method", Nate has been in the industry of coaching over 15 years and has worked with over 1000 clients personally.

• Nate Palmer’s Website: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/

• "The Million Dollar Body Method" by Nate Palmer: http://getnatesbook.com

• Lean Energy Stack: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/pages/lean

• @_milliondollarbody (IG) https://www.instagram.com/_milliondollarbody

You think you’re addicted to sugar… but it’s way deeper than that. In this episode, Nate Palmer exposes the real root of cravings: dopamine addiction.

We’ll break down how modern life hijacks your brain’s reward system, why your ancient biology can’t handle 24/7 comfort, and how you can take back control without relying on willpower alone.

From prehistoric dopamine cycles to the modern sugar scroll-swipe-snooze trap, this is your wake-up call.

If you feel stuck, lazy, unmotivated, or constantly reaching for snacks—you don’t need more discipline.
You need a dopamine reset.

• Why your brain is addicted to comfort—not calories

• The wild difference between ancient dopamine cycles and modern life

• How porn, DoorDash, and TikTok rewire your nervous system

• Why fasting isn’t just fat loss—it’s a mental upgrade

• The 4-part blueprint to rebuild your discipline and dopamine sensitivity

• The one mantra to dominate cravings, fatigue, and mental resistance:
  “I don’t take orders from cowards.”

• The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter

• 2016 Stanford Study on dopamine and motivation

• 2021 Frontiers in Psychology study on compulsive porn use

• 5-Day Sugar Detox: thefreesugardetox.com