Tim Ferriss

January 17, 2024

Performance Coach Andy Galpin — Rebooting Tim’s Sleep, Nutrition, Supplements, and Training (#716)

“When you measure physiology, you always need to understand symptomology. You’re working with humans, you’re not working with blood markers, and this is always the case.”
— Dr. Andy Galpin

Andy Galpin (@DrAndyGalpin) is a tenured, full professor at California State University, Fullerton, where he is also co-director of the Center for Sport Performance and founder/director of the Biochemistry and Molecular Exercise Physiology Laboratory. He is a human performance scientist with a PhD in human bioenergetics and more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and presentations.

This year, Andy is teaming up with Huberman Lab to launch a podcast of his own, called Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin.

Dr. Galpin has worked with elite athletes (including All-Stars, All-Pros, and MVPs; Cy Young and Major winners; Olympic Gold medalists; and World titlists and contenders) across the UFC, MLB, NBA, PGA, NFL, Olympics, boxing, military/special forces, and more.

He is also a co-founder of BioMolecular Athlete, Vitality Blueprint, Absolute Rest, and RAPID Health & Performance.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here. The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Brought to you by Momentous high-quality supplements, Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega fish oil, and AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement.

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#716: Performance Coach Andy Galpin — Rebooting Tim’s Sleep, Nutrition, Supplements, and Training

This episode is brought to you by Nordic Naturals, the #1-selling fish-oil and algae-oil brand in the U.S.! Trusted by doctors and health-care professionals since 1995, Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega and Algae Omega provide foundational support for heart and brain health, immune-system function, and more. Go to Nordic.com/Tim and discover why Nordic Naturals is the #1-selling omega-3 brand in the U.S. Use promo code TIM for 20% off your order of Ultimate Omega.

This episode is brought to you by AG1! I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. Right now, get a FREE Welcome Kit, including Vitamin D3+K2 and AG1 Travel Packs, when you first subscribe. Visit DrinkAG1.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive your 1-year supply of Vitamin D—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones!

This episode is brought to you by Momentous high-quality creatine! I’ve long benefitted from creatine for athletic and gym performance, and now I’m increasing my daily intake to enjoy the cognitive benefits. A pilot study in Alzheimer’s patients demonstrated that supplementing can increase brain creatine levels in just 8 weeks, improving measures of memory, reasoning, and attention. And a double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that creatine can restore aspects of memory and attention within hours in adults who are sleep deprived. I use Momentous Creatine made with Creapure®, which is sourced from Germany and has the strictest lab standards to ensure it’s at least 99.9% pure. And try Momentous’s Creatine Chews—clean chewable tablets with 1 gram of Creapure® creatine per chew—and their whey protein isolate and magnesium threonate, all of which meet their same, exacting standards. Check out Momentous for yourself and get 35% off your first subscription order with code TIM at LiveMomentous.com/Tim.

Want to hear an episode with Andy’s podcasting collaborator? Listen to my most recent conversation with Dr. Andrew Huberman, in which we discussed the neurological processes of cultivating the physique, why a strong neck is more than just an appealing aesthetic, Nordic curls for boys and girls, why men need estrogen, the highs and lows of self-pleasure in the modern era, clinical psychedelic experiences, the consequences of having more than two drinks a week, and much more.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Dr. Andy Galpin:

Podcast | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Sample Program from Andy:

Pick 4 exercises
- Lower Body Hinge or Pull (same thing): Romanian Deadlift, Good Morning Deadlift, Hamstring Curl
- Lower Body Squat or Press: Leg Press, Front Squat, Step-Up, or Split Squat
- Upper Pull: Bent Row, Pulldown, Pullup, Pullover
- Upper Press: Pushup, Incline Press, Overhead Press, Pec Fly
- Do low-volume, high-quality, heavy.
  - e.g., 2–5 sets of 2–5 reps.
- Rotate these each day, but not from week to week.
  - Keep that consistent for 6–10 weeks before changing.
Pick another 1–3 exercises to add to this if you have a specific deficiency, weakness, or area you want to improve (size or strength).
- Do medium volume, focusing on having the right muscles contract in the right way and not using other muscles.
  - E.g., 1–2 sets of 10–20 reps.

Frequency: 2–3x a week. Optimal is 3x.
Volume: Low
Intensity: Moderate/High
Length: <40 min.
Rest: Take the time needed to recover in between reps and sets, but don’t drag it out either. No need to be pushing a high heart rate, but don’t waste time either. Feel free to superset.

Misc: ALWAYS invest 10 min into a very high-quality warm-up that includes specific movements that prepare you for the exercise of the day. Pick a combination of single-joint and multi-joint exercises. Pick exercises in multiple ‘planes’ (front, side, and don’t forget about rotation!)

Sample Program:

Supplements for Endurance Training:

Micronutrient Tests:

Sweat Tests:

Further Episode Links:

SHOW NOTES

[08:46] Doubling testosterone by changing the path of a morning walk.
[12:03] Curing a lifelong sleep disorder in five minutes for under $100.
[14:09] Training priority.
[26:26] Building Tim 4.0.
[31:37] Insights provided by tracking respiratory rate.
[38:23] Tracking device options and accuracy.
[44:49] Physiology recognizes patterns.
[46:33] Physiology is personal.
[50:32] Two to seven minutes of quiet darkness.
[57:04] Sleep banking/extension.
[1:02:54] Options for optimizing sleep quality.
[1:12:19] Caffeine and sleep.
[1:19:40] Hydration.
[1:25:13] Hyperhydrated? Dehydrated? Albumin knows.
[1:29:26] Cultivating better hydration habits.
[1:35:50] Sweat testing.
[1:37:28] Consequences of top-tier sweating in the sauna.
[1:45:23] Maximizing electrolyte efficacy.
[1:49:56] Nutrition for optimal feeling and performance on the slopes.
[1:53:35] Supplementation.
[1:56:10] The three Rs of recovery: repair, replenish, and rehydrate.
[1:59:20] Getting enough protein.
[2:02:23] Getting enough carbs.
[2:07:37] Salt and electrolytes.
[2:08:11] Fruits and veggies.
[2:09:06] Creatine.
[2:10:35] Vitamin D and omega-3.
[2:11:55] Ashwagandha and rhodiola.
[2:17:10] Accelerating acclimation to altitude.
[2:22:57] Letting physiology do what it wants to do.
[2:24:52] Andy’s current projects and parting thoughts.
[2:29:14] Minimizing risk for injury while training on the slopes.
[2:45:32] Meditation, breathwork, and Bas Rutten’s O2 Trainer.
[2:51:15] Low-volume strength work and high-velocity eccentric control.
[2:54:42] Fatigue and recovery.
[2:56:29] Global torso.
[2:57:53] Leg training.
[2:59:14] A holistic approach to movement.
[2:59:58] The three-to-five method.
[3:01:07] What a week of full training might look like.

MORE DR. ANDY GALPIN QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“Physiology recognizes patterns.”
— Dr. Andy Galpin

“When you measure physiology, you always need to understand symptomology. You’re working with humans; you’re not working with blood markers, and this is always the case.”
— Dr. Andy Galpin

“You’d be stunned how many movement dysfunctions and mobility restrictions and things that I’ve seen on people. … They just don’t even know that their foot’s pointed to the right or that their shoulder’s in the wrong spot. They have no idea not only where they’re supposed to be, but they don’t even have the awareness of where they actually are.”
— Dr. Andy Galpin

“Your body really knows where it wants to go, for the most part. Don’t sabotage it, but then don’t have too much control of the wheel, either.”
— Dr. Andy Galpin

PEOPLE MENTIONED

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Jeff Doyle

2 years ago

Tim, great work as usual. I have an idea for a guest for you. Kathryn Bertine, former professional cyclist, who was one of four leading women cyclists who petitioned the UCI to create the Tour de France for women 10 years ago. Author of 4 books, advocate for women’s equality in sports, documentary film maker, and CEO of foundation that provides housing for women cyclists who do not make a minimum salary for professional cycling. Interesting views on equality in sports. Her latest book, Stand, documents the struggle to get the Tour in operation.

2 years ago

Tim! You mentioned skiing and training/prepping for skiing. I love to ski – just got back from Utah last night. You live in Austin. I live in Austin. We should go skiing. I would be happy to discuss or show you the sweet spots in Utah. ( Utah > CO)

Alternatively three Austin guys your age going to Jackson Feb 2nd. You are welcome to join us. Will be a good time. Peace.

Claire Oatway

2 years ago

Physiology unlocks power!

Smith

2 years ago

So Good Content

Kamran Ali

2 years ago