In this episode, Brock and former professional triathlete Brad Kearns talk about what we can and can’t, should and shouldn’t, learn from pro athletes. We then dig into the difference between HIIT and HIRT, and how hard we should be training (it’s a lot less than you think).
Brad Kearns is an American author, podcast host, professional Speedgolfer, Masters high jumper, and former professional triathlete. Kearns dominated the international triathlon circuit from 1986 to 1995 and won 31 events worldwide. He is a 2020 top-3 world-ranked Masters age 55-59 high jumper and in 2018, he broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest single hole of golf ever played. Impressed yet?
Kearns hosts the B.rad Podcast, covering health, fitness, peak performance, happiness, and longevity, with an emphasis on toning down the overly intense and self-important competitive disposition in favour of cultivating a pure motivation and releasing the attachment of self-esteem to the outcome of your peak performance pursuits.
Topics covered:
- What pro athletes actually share about their training.
- How different Brad’s life was when he was a professional triathlete (he slept a LOT)
- How stress factors in to out training
- What role our Central Nervous System plays in fitness
- Some lessons we can learn from smart athletes (they’re not destroying themselves at every workout)
- How long Brad thinks most races should really be (it’s shorter, not longer)
- Why we should stop saying “it’s only a 5k.”
- What we see as “normal” for older individuals is not necessary
- How too much chronic-cardio is actually bad for you (it’s a bell curve)
- The importance of maintaining muscle mass as we age
- What exactly HIRT is and why it is do beneficial
- How most of us are doing HIIT wrong (too long and not hard enough)
- When you should really end your workout (listen to your body)
- Why Brad DNFed (did not finish) as many times as he was on the winner’s podium
- Brad’s top three tips
- Why Brad does nearly the same thing every single morning
Find Brad at bradkearns.com and his morning routine on YouTube at https://youtu.be/-IPPwBc3GLw
Other Resources:
- The Primal Endurance book
- Run for your life! At a comfortable pace, and not too far: James O’Keefe at TEDxUMKC