Train the Mind, Transform the Body — Al Fuentes on Mental Mastery & Aion Weighted Vests
What if you could access deep recovery brain states while awake—and pair that clarity with a fractional-load weighted vest to strengthen posture, boost resilience, and calm the mind?
In this episode of Rubin On Point, Dan Rubin, ND, FABNO sits down with Al Fuentes—a renowned mental performance coach, former All-American athlete, and co-designer of the Aion Weighted Vest—to explore how breathwork, visualization, and intelligent movement can retrain the brain and body for long-term performance and balance.
Al’s journey began on the wrestling mat, but his true success came from learning how to train the mind like a muscle. Over the past 20 years, he has taught thousands of people worldwide to do the same—sharing a system that connects breath, focus, and physical awareness to build emotional and mental resilience.
Whether speaking at Madison Square Garden, coaching high-performing CEOs and Fortune 500 teams, or working one-on-one with professional athletes, Al’s approach has helped generate over $140 million in new business growth, as well as world titles, national championships, and Olympic medals. His work has been featured in books, television interviews, and even a documentary—but his passion remains simple: putting people back in the driver’s seat of their own lives.
Together, Dr. Rubin and Al unpack:
The science of beta, alpha, theta, and delta brain states—and how accessing theta/delta while awake can reprogram stress responses.
Al’s four-step breathing method that teaches the body to guide the brain into “the zone.”
Visualization as neuroscience—training the mind to fire calmly and efficiently under pressure.
Aion Weighted Vests: low, evenly distributed load + gentle heat + compression for posture, confidence, and recovery.
Why many high achievers run on “unhealthy fuel,” and how small, consistent shifts restore balance.
Human interconnectedness and nature bathing—key elements in the Resilience Model of Cancer Care.
The Aion design—breathable neoprene, spine and side airflow, fractionated weight, tailored men’s and women’s fits, and calming compression—creates daily, sustainable gains for athletes, executives, and anyone seeking a stronger mind-body connection.
This episode bridges neuroscience, resilience, and design innovation—showing that peak performance isn’t about pushing harder, but aligning deeper.
🔖 Chapters
00:00 — Welcome to Rubin On Point
00:17 — Meet Al Fuentes: athlete turned mental performance coach
03:31 — The turning point: from self-sabotage to self-study
06:07 — Brain states explained: beta, alpha, theta, delta
08:44 — Accessing theta/delta while awake
12:17 — Breath as the first step in mental training
15:32 — Visualization that retrains neural pathways
20:22 — The “third story”: rewriting your mental program
33:22 — Aion Weighted Vests: fractional load, full-body upgrade
44:53 — Design, compression, and the calm effect
58:12 — Heat, detox, and bone density benefits
1:02:36 — Connection, resilience, and closing thoughts
Guest: Al Fuentes — Mental Performance Coach & Co-Designer of Aion Weighted Vests
Host: Dan Rubin, ND, FABNO
Educational content only. Not medical advice.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.