December 7, 2025 • 11 mins
We break down an extreme longevity routine to find the high-leverage habits worth copying and the boundaries that make them stick. Sleep anchors the system, nutrition and training drive adaptation, and mental health practices turn discipline into resilience.
• Why fixed sleep windows and cooling cues matter
• How the two-phone rule eliminates pre-bed triggers
• The pre-sleep ritual and the sleep supplement stack
• Protein targets that defeat anabolic resistance
• Early dinner and alcohol timing to protect deep sleep
• The training engine: zone 2, VO2 max, and strength
• Therapy and DBT tools that expand distress tolerance
• Using rigid rules to reduce noise and protect focus
This podcast is created by Ai for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional medical or health advice. Please talk to your healthcare team for medical advice.
Never miss an episode—subscribe on your favorite podcast app!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to the deep dive.
So you've brought us thisincredible set of sources today.
It's almost like a physiologicalinstruction manual from a
leading expert in the longevityspace.
SPEAKER_01 (00:10):
It really is.
We're about to do a deep diveinto what a truly uh optimized
and highly regimented routineactually looks like day to day.
SPEAKER_00 (00:19):
And we should probably put a big warning label
on this one right up front.
SPEAKER_01 (00:22):
Oh, definitely.
The sources themselves admitthis level of commitment is
well, it's extreme.
If you're looking at your ownlife, the kind of consistency
we're about to describe mightmake this expert sound, and the
source uses these words rigid oreven like a psycho.
SPEAKER_00 (00:38):
I'm glad you said that because it's easy to feel a
little intimidated.
SPEAKER_01 (00:41):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (00:41):
But our mission here, it's not to get you to
adopt this whole thing tomorrow.
SPEAKER_01 (00:45):
Aaron Powell No, not at all.
This is a dissection.
We're breaking down theblueprint to find those
high-leverage decisions.
SPEAKER_00 (00:50):
Specific granular tactics.
SPEAKER_01 (00:52):
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
Exactly.
Across sleep, nutrition,exercise, all of it.
The goal is to give you, thelearner, just absolute clarity
on how far optimization canactually go.
SPEAKER_00 (01:02):
Okay, let's unpack it.
Where do we start?
SPEAKER_01 (01:04):
We have to start with the pillar he calls
non-negotiable, sleep.
This is where the whole systembegins.
And he takes it very, veryseriously.
SPEAKER_00 (01:13):
Aaron Powell Seriously is an understatement
from what I've read.
SPEAKER_01 (01:16):
It's all built around a really strict adherence
to his circadian rhythm.
So the course structure is aconsistent bedtime and a
consistent wake-up time.
SPEAKER_00 (01:27):
What are we talking?
Like military precision?
SPEAKER_01 (01:29):
Pretty much.
Typically 10 p.m.
to 6 a.m.
That's his eight-hour window inbed, which, you know, after you
factor in the time to fallasleep and little awakenings, it
reliably gets him about sevenand a half hours of actual
sleep.
SPEAKER_00 (01:40):
And that schedule is the anchor for everything else.
SPEAKER_01 (01:43):
It's the anchor.
If the sleep time slips, thewhole system just starts to
destabilize.
SPEAKER_00 (01:48):
But it's not just the timing, is it?
It's the environment.
I was really struck by the focuson managing core body
temperature.
SPEAKER_01 (01:55):
Yes, exactly.
The sources are super specifichere.
He calls out using the eightsleep mattress cover, describes
it as a fantastic coolingproduct that's made an enormous
difference.
And this isn't just aboutcomfort, you know, it's
physiology.
SPEAKER_00 (02:10):
It's a signal to the body.
SPEAKER_01 (02:11):
It's a signal.
Reducing your core bodytemperature is what tells your
body to transition into thosedeep sleep stages.
He says it's a game changer, andthat most of his patients end up
using it too.
SPEAKER_00 (02:22):
Okay, so this is where it gets, for me, really
intriguing.
The lengths he goes to for thepsychological window, what he
calls turning the system down.
SPEAKER_01 (02:32):
This is a masterclass in controlling your
environment.
The main rule is uh no lookingat email, no social media, none
of that stuff for a couple hoursbefore bed.
SPEAKER_00 (02:42):
Which is easy to say, but hard to do.
SPEAKER_01 (02:44):
It's almost impossible if you rely on
willpower alone.
So he created a mechanism toenforce the rule.
SPEAKER_00 (02:50):
And that's the famous bat phone tactic.
I have to ask you about this.
Two separate phones, really.
SPEAKER_01 (02:55):
Two separate phones.
And I know it sounds like a hugehassle, right?
SPEAKER_00 (02:58):
Yeah, like why not just delete the apps?
Is it really worth carrying twodevices?
SPEAKER_01 (03:02):
And the source is clear, the answer is yes.
Because the benefit is youeliminate the temptation
permanently.
One phone is the regular one,you know, the source of all the
junk.
SPEAKER_00 (03:11):
The distraction machine.
SPEAKER_01 (03:12):
The distraction machine.
The second phone, the bat phone,is physically incapable of
distracting him.
It has nothing on it.
SPEAKER_00 (03:19):
So what's on it?
SPEAKER_01 (03:20):
Literally just access to the TV remote and text
and phone access for only twopeople.
His wife and daughter.
That's it.
SPEAKER_00 (03:29):
So the genius isn't the number of phones, it's the
boundary.
The tool for distraction isphysically removed from the
room.
SPEAKER_01 (03:36):
Exactly.
It's rigidity used to createfreedom from distraction.
And that discipline flows rightinto his whole pre-sleep
routine.
SPEAKER_00 (03:43):
The specific sequence of things.
SPEAKER_01 (03:45):
Right.
So he details that brushing andflossing that happens before he
gets in the sauna.
SPEAKER_00 (03:49):
Why does that matter?
SPEAKER_01 (03:50):
Because once the sauna is done and he takes his
cool down shower, he goesstraight to bed.
SPEAKER_00 (03:54):
No deto, no stopping for a snack.
SPEAKER_01 (03:56):
No detours.
It maximizes the power of thatcool down.
That drop in core temp is a hugesignal to the nervous system.
And interrupting it would just,you know, undo the whole
benefit.
SPEAKER_00 (04:07):
Let's talk chemistry.
What's in the sleep stack?
SPEAKER_01 (04:09):
It's a very specific list
magnesium L-threnate, and thensome straight magnesium oxide.
SPEAKER_00 (04:16):
And what's not in there is just as interesting.
SPEAKER_01 (04:18):
Yes.
The intentional exclusions,melatonin or uh
phosphatodilcerine, are onlyused for jet lag.
SPEAKER_00 (04:24):
So they're emergency tools.
SPEAKER_01 (04:26):
Emergency tools for disruption, not a nightly habit.
The belief is that good sleepshould be generated internally,
you know, through behavior andenvironment first.
SPEAKER_00 (04:35):
Aaron Powell Which is a perfect transition to the
second pillar, nutrition.
He's an omnivore, but he'sreally candid about uh not
having natural discipline.
SPEAKER_01 (04:43):
Aaron Ross Powell He is.
He says, and I'm quoting, ifleft to my own devices, I would
eat everything.
So for him, consistency has tobe enforced with structure.
SPEAKER_00 (04:51):
Aaron Powell And that structure comes from a lot
of self-experimentation or aton.
SPEAKER_01 (04:55):
The list is long.
Vegan, keto, hardcore fasting,intermittent fasting,
time-restricted eating.
He's tried it all.
SPEAKER_00 (05:02):
And he found benefits in all of them, which I
think is a key insight.
So what stuck?
What were the common threads?
SPEAKER_01 (05:08):
The big ones were metabolic flexibility and just
uh an awareness of calories.
But it's all been synthesizeddown into two non-negotiable
rules now.
SPEAKER_00 (05:17):
Rule one being pretty straightforward, not
eating junk.
SPEAKER_01 (05:20):
That's the foundation.
And rule two is a really intensefocus on energy balance and uh
extremely high protein intake.
SPEAKER_00 (05:28):
And this is the actionable target.
He's aiming for a very specificnumber.
SPEAKER_01 (05:32):
Aaron Ross Powell A very specific, very high number.
40 to 50 grams of protein fourtimes a day.
SPEAKER_00 (05:37):
Wow.
40 to 50 grams in one sitting isa lot.
For anyone who doesn't trackmacros, that's a serious amount
of food.
Why so high?
SPEAKER_01 (05:44):
It's about two core longevity principles.
First, hitting that proteinthreshold triggers muscle
protein synthesis, which isbasically the engine that fights
off frailty as you age.
Okay.
And second, as we get older, wedevelop something called
anabolic resistance.
It means you need more proteinper meal just to get the same
muscle building response.
So hitting 40-50 grams fourtimes a day just ensures he's
(06:08):
always maximizing musclemaintenance.
SPEAKER_00 (06:09):
And to hit that number, he has to get pretty
aggressive with his mealstructure.
SPEAKER_01 (06:13):
Very aggressive.
The sources say that at leasttwo of those four meals are
often just protein.
SPEAKER_00 (06:18):
Like what?
SPEAKER_01 (06:19):
Like just venison or just eggs.
He'll intentionally strip outthe other macros in those meals
just to hit the protein targetcleanly.
SPEAKER_00 (06:27):
It's purely functional eating.
SPEAKER_01 (06:28):
Purely functional.
And connecting back to sleep,this all requires a hard cutoff
time for eating at least threehours before bed.
SPEAKER_00 (06:36):
He says it really makes a difference.
SPEAKER_01 (06:38):
A huge difference.
He says going to bed even alittle hungry is better because
a full stomach messes with yoursleep quality, your
thermoregulation, all of it.
So he eats around 6 p.m., whichgives him a nice four-hour
buffer before his 10 p.m.
bedtime.
SPEAKER_00 (06:53):
All right.
Let's address the elephant inthe room for so many of us.
Alcohol.
SPEAKER_01 (06:57):
Ah, yes, alcohol.
His stance, when you look at itjust through a biochemical lens,
is uh pretty unflinching.
SPEAKER_00 (07:05):
Which is.
SPEAKER_01 (07:06):
That there is absolutely no benefit to alcohol
at any dose.
From a functional or longevitystandpoint, that's the
scientific baseline.
SPEAKER_00 (07:12):
But and this is a big butt, he's human.
SPEAKER_01 (07:14):
Exactly.
This is where the humanity comesin.
He acknowledges the pro-socialbenefits and just admits he
genuinely likes it.
So the strategy isn'tprohibition, it's radical
moderation and mitigation.
SPEAKER_00 (07:25):
And that moderation is tracked, it's quantified.
SPEAKER_01 (07:27):
It's quantified and consistent.
So anywhere from zero to maybeseven or eight drinks in a week.
But the ironclad rule is no morethan two drinks in a single day.
A limit he says he hasn'tcrossed in five or six years.
SPEAKER_00 (07:40):
It's not about never drinking, it's about controlling
the acute dose.
SPEAKER_01 (07:43):
Absolutely.
And the mitigation part is tieddirectly to his sleep data.
Any drinking is done early.
SPEAKER_00 (07:49):
Always with dinner.
So he's done by six or seven PM.
SPEAKER_01 (07:52):
Right.
Because his trackings show thatif the alcohol is metabolized
and cleared before thosecritical first few hours of
sleep, the negative impact ondeep sleep and HRV is basically
gone.
SPEAKER_00 (08:03):
That data enforcement brings us to what he
calls the most important thingfrom a physiologic standpoint:
exercise.
SPEAKER_01 (08:09):
Yes.
And this is a non-negotiableevery single day, no excuses
kind of commitment.
SPEAKER_00 (08:13):
He'll maintain gym memberships in other cities when
he travels.
SPEAKER_01 (08:16):
Just to ensure there is no break in the chain.
And the weekly structure is thekey tactic here.
It's incredibly strategic.
SPEAKER_00 (08:22):
Okay.
Let's break down that corestructure.
It starts with zone two.
SPEAKER_01 (08:25):
Four hours of zone two training a week.
This is that sustained lowerintensity cardio where you can
still hold a conversation.
It's all about building youraerobic base and mitochondrial
health.
SPEAKER_00 (08:36):
Got it.
Then you have the high intensitypiece.
SPEAKER_01 (08:39):
One higher intensity workout a week geared toward VO2
max.
That's your body's maximumability to use oxygen, and it's
uh one of the strongestcorrelates with longevity.
SPEAKER_00 (08:48):
And those are tough sessions.
SPEAKER_01 (08:50):
Oh yeah.
They are lung busters.
Short, sharp, designed to raiseyour functional ceiling.
SPEAKER_00 (08:55):
And finally, the strength training.
SPEAKER_01 (08:56):
Four dedicated strength sessions a week.
This is the directcountermeasure to age-related
muscle loss, sarcopenia.
So those three things zone two,VO2 max, and strength.
That's the engine room.
SPEAKER_00 (09:08):
Aaron Powell And anything else like rucking or
sports is just extra credit.
SPEAKER_01 (09:13):
It's layered on top of that non-negotiable
foundation.
SPEAKER_00 (09:15):
Aaron Powell So now that we've covered the whole
physical routine, we have totalk about the component that
ties it all together (09:19):
mental health.
SPEAKER_01 (09:22):
Yes, because they absolutely don't exist in a
vacuum.
He talks a lot about how thesephysical habits directly impact
his mental state.
SPEAKER_00 (09:28):
Aaron Powell How does he put it?
SPEAKER_01 (09:29):
It creates a wider buffer zone around distress
tolerance.
SPEAKER_00 (09:33):
Let's pause on that because that's a huge insight.
What does that mean in practicalterms, a wider buffer zone?
SPEAKER_01 (09:39):
Aaron Ross Powell It means you're just
physiologically more robustagainst everyday stress.
I mean, think about it.
If you're sleep-deprived andinflamed, your nervous system is
already on high alert, right?
SPEAKER_00 (09:48):
Trevor Burrus, Right.
You have a short fuse.
SPEAKER_01 (09:50):
Exactly.
A little thing like afrustrating email can push you
over the edge.
But by optimizing all thephysical inputs, sleep, diet,
exercise, you're increasing thedistance between your baseline
calm and a full-blown emotionalreaction.
SPEAKER_00 (10:04):
So the physical discipline is like building
physiological armor.
SPEAKER_01 (10:07):
That's a perfect way to put it.
And on top of that armor, helayers very specific, proactive
mental health practices.
This isn't just waiting untilsomething feels wrong.
SPEAKER_00 (10:16):
He's a big believer in therapy.
SPEAKER_01 (10:17):
At least one session a week, sometimes two, plus
regular journaling.
And he specifically uses atechnique called DB2, or
dialectical behavioral therapy.
SPEAKER_00 (10:28):
Which gives him concrete tools.
SPEAKER_01 (10:29):
Concrete tools for things like mindfulness,
emotional regulation, anddistress tolerance.
So even with the perfectphysical routine, when emotional
responses inevitably happen, hehas a framework to manage them.
SPEAKER_00 (10:41):
And this whole integrated approach, he says
it's been enormously importantfor his quality of life.
SPEAKER_01 (10:46):
Enormously.
So what does this all mean foryou, the listener?
You know, we started by callingthis routine rigid, but the
rigidity is the key.
SPEAKER_00 (10:56):
The rigidity unlocks the freedom.
SPEAKER_01 (10:58):
It really does.
It isn't just what he does, butthe incredible consistency of
when and how strictly he sticksto those boundaries.
SPEAKER_00 (11:06):
The three-hour eating window, the 6 p.m.
alcohol cutoff, the two phones.
It's all designed to minimizenoise.
SPEAKER_01 (11:13):
Physiological and psychological noise.
It's all about eliminatingcommon points of failure to
maximize performance.
SPEAKER_00 (11:20):
And for me, the most profound takeaway is that direct
connection.
Your discipline in the gymtranslates directly into a more
resilient emotional life.
SPEAKER_01 (11:27):
You're trading that short-term convenience for
long-term emotional stability.
It's a powerful idea.
SPEAKER_00 (11:32):
So if optimizing your own recovery meant creating
a separate environment, likededicating a bat phone to kill
distraction, it raises a reallypractical question for you
listening.
What's the single largestactivation source in your life
that you could practicallyeliminate, even just tonight, to
improve your own daily bufferzone tomorrow?
SPEAKER_01 (11:51):
That's the real deep dive, isn't it?
Finding your own point offriction and deciding if the
optimization is worth theboundary.
SPEAKER_00 (11:56):
Absolutely.
We'll talk to you next time.
Welcome to the deep dive.
So you've brought us thisincredible set of sources today.
It's almost like a physiologicalinstruction manual from a
leading expert in the longevityspace.
SPEAKER_01 (00:10):
It really is.
We're about to do a deep diveinto what a truly uh optimized
and highly regimented routineactually looks like day to day.
SPEAKER_00 (00:19):
And we should probably put a big warning label
on this one right up front.
SPEAKER_01 (00:22):
Oh, definitely.
The sources themselves admitthis level of commitment is
well, it's extreme.
If you're looking at your ownlife, the kind of consistency
we're about to describe mightmake this expert sound, and the
source uses these words rigid oreven like a psycho.
SPEAKER_00 (00:38):
I'm glad you said that because it's easy to feel a
little intimidated.
SPEAKER_01 (00:41):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (00:41):
But our mission here, it's not to get you to
adopt this whole thing tomorrow.
SPEAKER_01 (00:45):
Aaron Powell No, not at all.
This is a dissection.
We're breaking down theblueprint to find those
high-leverage decisions.
SPEAKER_00 (00:50):
Specific granular tactics.
SPEAKER_01 (00:52):
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
Exactly.
Across sleep, nutrition,exercise, all of it.
The goal is to give you, thelearner, just absolute clarity
on how far optimization canactually go.
SPEAKER_00 (01:02):
Okay, let's unpack it.
Where do we start?
SPEAKER_01 (01:04):
We have to start with the pillar he calls
non-negotiable, sleep.
This is where the whole systembegins.
And he takes it very, veryseriously.
SPEAKER_00 (01:13):
Aaron Powell Seriously is an understatement
from what I've read.
SPEAKER_01 (01:16):
It's all built around a really strict adherence
to his circadian rhythm.
So the course structure is aconsistent bedtime and a
consistent wake-up time.
SPEAKER_00 (01:27):
What are we talking?
Like military precision?
SPEAKER_01 (01:29):
Pretty much.
Typically 10 p.m.
to 6 a.m.
That's his eight-hour window inbed, which, you know, after you
factor in the time to fallasleep and little awakenings, it
reliably gets him about sevenand a half hours of actual
sleep.
SPEAKER_00 (01:40):
And that schedule is the anchor for everything else.
SPEAKER_01 (01:43):
It's the anchor.
If the sleep time slips, thewhole system just starts to
destabilize.
SPEAKER_00 (01:48):
But it's not just the timing, is it?
It's the environment.
I was really struck by the focuson managing core body
temperature.
SPEAKER_01 (01:55):
Yes, exactly.
The sources are super specifichere.
He calls out using the eightsleep mattress cover, describes
it as a fantastic coolingproduct that's made an enormous
difference.
And this isn't just aboutcomfort, you know, it's
physiology.
SPEAKER_00 (02:10):
It's a signal to the body.
SPEAKER_01 (02:11):
It's a signal.
Reducing your core bodytemperature is what tells your
body to transition into thosedeep sleep stages.
He says it's a game changer, andthat most of his patients end up
using it too.
SPEAKER_00 (02:22):
Okay, so this is where it gets, for me, really
intriguing.
The lengths he goes to for thepsychological window, what he
calls turning the system down.
SPEAKER_01 (02:32):
This is a masterclass in controlling your
environment.
The main rule is uh no lookingat email, no social media, none
of that stuff for a couple hoursbefore bed.
SPEAKER_00 (02:42):
Which is easy to say, but hard to do.
SPEAKER_01 (02:44):
It's almost impossible if you rely on
willpower alone.
So he created a mechanism toenforce the rule.
SPEAKER_00 (02:50):
And that's the famous bat phone tactic.
I have to ask you about this.
Two separate phones, really.
SPEAKER_01 (02:55):
Two separate phones.
And I know it sounds like a hugehassle, right?
SPEAKER_00 (02:58):
Yeah, like why not just delete the apps?
Is it really worth carrying twodevices?
SPEAKER_01 (03:02):
And the source is clear, the answer is yes.
Because the benefit is youeliminate the temptation
permanently.
One phone is the regular one,you know, the source of all the
junk.
SPEAKER_00 (03:11):
The distraction machine.
SPEAKER_01 (03:12):
The distraction machine.
The second phone, the bat phone,is physically incapable of
distracting him.
It has nothing on it.
SPEAKER_00 (03:19):
So what's on it?
SPEAKER_01 (03:20):
Literally just access to the TV remote and text
and phone access for only twopeople.
His wife and daughter.
That's it.
SPEAKER_00 (03:29):
So the genius isn't the number of phones, it's the
boundary.
The tool for distraction isphysically removed from the
room.
SPEAKER_01 (03:36):
Exactly.
It's rigidity used to createfreedom from distraction.
And that discipline flows rightinto his whole pre-sleep
routine.
SPEAKER_00 (03:43):
The specific sequence of things.
SPEAKER_01 (03:45):
Right.
So he details that brushing andflossing that happens before he
gets in the sauna.
SPEAKER_00 (03:49):
Why does that matter?
SPEAKER_01 (03:50):
Because once the sauna is done and he takes his
cool down shower, he goesstraight to bed.
SPEAKER_00 (03:54):
No deto, no stopping for a snack.
SPEAKER_01 (03:56):
No detours.
It maximizes the power of thatcool down.
That drop in core temp is a hugesignal to the nervous system.
And interrupting it would just,you know, undo the whole
benefit.
SPEAKER_00 (04:07):
Let's talk chemistry.
What's in the sleep stack?
SPEAKER_01 (04:09):
It's a very specific list
magnesium L-threnate, and thensome straight magnesium oxide.
SPEAKER_00 (04:16):
And what's not in there is just as interesting.
SPEAKER_01 (04:18):
Yes.
The intentional exclusions,melatonin or uh
phosphatodilcerine, are onlyused for jet lag.
SPEAKER_00 (04:24):
So they're emergency tools.
SPEAKER_01 (04:26):
Emergency tools for disruption, not a nightly habit.
The belief is that good sleepshould be generated internally,
you know, through behavior andenvironment first.
SPEAKER_00 (04:35):
Aaron Powell Which is a perfect transition to the
second pillar, nutrition.
He's an omnivore, but he'sreally candid about uh not
having natural discipline.
SPEAKER_01 (04:43):
Aaron Ross Powell He is.
He says, and I'm quoting, ifleft to my own devices, I would
eat everything.
So for him, consistency has tobe enforced with structure.
SPEAKER_00 (04:51):
Aaron Powell And that structure comes from a lot
of self-experimentation or aton.
SPEAKER_01 (04:55):
The list is long.
Vegan, keto, hardcore fasting,intermittent fasting,
time-restricted eating.
He's tried it all.
SPEAKER_00 (05:02):
And he found benefits in all of them, which I
think is a key insight.
So what stuck?
What were the common threads?
SPEAKER_01 (05:08):
The big ones were metabolic flexibility and just
uh an awareness of calories.
But it's all been synthesizeddown into two non-negotiable
rules now.
SPEAKER_00 (05:17):
Rule one being pretty straightforward, not
eating junk.
SPEAKER_01 (05:20):
That's the foundation.
And rule two is a really intensefocus on energy balance and uh
extremely high protein intake.
SPEAKER_00 (05:28):
And this is the actionable target.
He's aiming for a very specificnumber.
SPEAKER_01 (05:32):
Aaron Ross Powell A very specific, very high number.
40 to 50 grams of protein fourtimes a day.
SPEAKER_00 (05:37):
Wow.
40 to 50 grams in one sitting isa lot.
For anyone who doesn't trackmacros, that's a serious amount
of food.
Why so high?
SPEAKER_01 (05:44):
It's about two core longevity principles.
First, hitting that proteinthreshold triggers muscle
protein synthesis, which isbasically the engine that fights
off frailty as you age.
Okay.
And second, as we get older, wedevelop something called
anabolic resistance.
It means you need more proteinper meal just to get the same
muscle building response.
So hitting 40-50 grams fourtimes a day just ensures he's
(06:08):
always maximizing musclemaintenance.
SPEAKER_00 (06:09):
And to hit that number, he has to get pretty
aggressive with his mealstructure.
SPEAKER_01 (06:13):
Very aggressive.
The sources say that at leasttwo of those four meals are
often just protein.
SPEAKER_00 (06:18):
Like what?
SPEAKER_01 (06:19):
Like just venison or just eggs.
He'll intentionally strip outthe other macros in those meals
just to hit the protein targetcleanly.
SPEAKER_00 (06:27):
It's purely functional eating.
SPEAKER_01 (06:28):
Purely functional.
And connecting back to sleep,this all requires a hard cutoff
time for eating at least threehours before bed.
SPEAKER_00 (06:36):
He says it really makes a difference.
SPEAKER_01 (06:38):
A huge difference.
He says going to bed even alittle hungry is better because
a full stomach messes with yoursleep quality, your
thermoregulation, all of it.
So he eats around 6 p.m., whichgives him a nice four-hour
buffer before his 10 p.m.
bedtime.
SPEAKER_00 (06:53):
All right.
Let's address the elephant inthe room for so many of us.
Alcohol.
SPEAKER_01 (06:57):
Ah, yes, alcohol.
His stance, when you look at itjust through a biochemical lens,
is uh pretty unflinching.
SPEAKER_00 (07:05):
Which is.
SPEAKER_01 (07:06):
That there is absolutely no benefit to alcohol
at any dose.
From a functional or longevitystandpoint, that's the
scientific baseline.
SPEAKER_00 (07:12):
But and this is a big butt, he's human.
SPEAKER_01 (07:14):
Exactly.
This is where the humanity comesin.
He acknowledges the pro-socialbenefits and just admits he
genuinely likes it.
So the strategy isn'tprohibition, it's radical
moderation and mitigation.
SPEAKER_00 (07:25):
And that moderation is tracked, it's quantified.
SPEAKER_01 (07:27):
It's quantified and consistent.
So anywhere from zero to maybeseven or eight drinks in a week.
But the ironclad rule is no morethan two drinks in a single day.
A limit he says he hasn'tcrossed in five or six years.
SPEAKER_00 (07:40):
It's not about never drinking, it's about controlling
the acute dose.
SPEAKER_01 (07:43):
Absolutely.
And the mitigation part is tieddirectly to his sleep data.
Any drinking is done early.
SPEAKER_00 (07:49):
Always with dinner.
So he's done by six or seven PM.
SPEAKER_01 (07:52):
Right.
Because his trackings show thatif the alcohol is metabolized
and cleared before thosecritical first few hours of
sleep, the negative impact ondeep sleep and HRV is basically
gone.
SPEAKER_00 (08:03):
That data enforcement brings us to what he
calls the most important thingfrom a physiologic standpoint:
exercise.
SPEAKER_01 (08:09):
Yes.
And this is a non-negotiableevery single day, no excuses
kind of commitment.
SPEAKER_00 (08:13):
He'll maintain gym memberships in other cities when
he travels.
SPEAKER_01 (08:16):
Just to ensure there is no break in the chain.
And the weekly structure is thekey tactic here.
It's incredibly strategic.
SPEAKER_00 (08:22):
Okay.
Let's break down that corestructure.
It starts with zone two.
SPEAKER_01 (08:25):
Four hours of zone two training a week.
This is that sustained lowerintensity cardio where you can
still hold a conversation.
It's all about building youraerobic base and mitochondrial
health.
SPEAKER_00 (08:36):
Got it.
Then you have the high intensitypiece.
SPEAKER_01 (08:39):
One higher intensity workout a week geared toward VO2
max.
That's your body's maximumability to use oxygen, and it's
uh one of the strongestcorrelates with longevity.
SPEAKER_00 (08:48):
And those are tough sessions.
SPEAKER_01 (08:50):
Oh yeah.
They are lung busters.
Short, sharp, designed to raiseyour functional ceiling.
SPEAKER_00 (08:55):
And finally, the strength training.
SPEAKER_01 (08:56):
Four dedicated strength sessions a week.
This is the directcountermeasure to age-related
muscle loss, sarcopenia.
So those three things zone two,VO2 max, and strength.
That's the engine room.
SPEAKER_00 (09:08):
Aaron Powell And anything else like rucking or
sports is just extra credit.
SPEAKER_01 (09:13):
It's layered on top of that non-negotiable
foundation.
SPEAKER_00 (09:15):
Aaron Powell So now that we've covered the whole
physical routine, we have totalk about the component that
ties it all together (09:19):
mental health.
SPEAKER_01 (09:22):
Yes, because they absolutely don't exist in a
vacuum.
He talks a lot about how thesephysical habits directly impact
his mental state.
SPEAKER_00 (09:28):
Aaron Powell How does he put it?
SPEAKER_01 (09:29):
It creates a wider buffer zone around distress
tolerance.
SPEAKER_00 (09:33):
Let's pause on that because that's a huge insight.
What does that mean in practicalterms, a wider buffer zone?
SPEAKER_01 (09:39):
Aaron Ross Powell It means you're just
physiologically more robustagainst everyday stress.
I mean, think about it.
If you're sleep-deprived andinflamed, your nervous system is
already on high alert, right?
SPEAKER_00 (09:48):
Trevor Burrus, Right.
You have a short fuse.
SPEAKER_01 (09:50):
Exactly.
A little thing like afrustrating email can push you
over the edge.
But by optimizing all thephysical inputs, sleep, diet,
exercise, you're increasing thedistance between your baseline
calm and a full-blown emotionalreaction.
SPEAKER_00 (10:04):
So the physical discipline is like building
physiological armor.
SPEAKER_01 (10:07):
That's a perfect way to put it.
And on top of that armor, helayers very specific, proactive
mental health practices.
This isn't just waiting untilsomething feels wrong.
SPEAKER_00 (10:16):
He's a big believer in therapy.
SPEAKER_01 (10:17):
At least one session a week, sometimes two, plus
regular journaling.
And he specifically uses atechnique called DB2, or
dialectical behavioral therapy.
SPEAKER_00 (10:28):
Which gives him concrete tools.
SPEAKER_01 (10:29):
Concrete tools for things like mindfulness,
emotional regulation, anddistress tolerance.
So even with the perfectphysical routine, when emotional
responses inevitably happen, hehas a framework to manage them.
SPEAKER_00 (10:41):
And this whole integrated approach, he says
it's been enormously importantfor his quality of life.
SPEAKER_01 (10:46):
Enormously.
So what does this all mean foryou, the listener?
You know, we started by callingthis routine rigid, but the
rigidity is the key.
SPEAKER_00 (10:56):
The rigidity unlocks the freedom.
SPEAKER_01 (10:58):
It really does.
It isn't just what he does, butthe incredible consistency of
when and how strictly he sticksto those boundaries.
SPEAKER_00 (11:06):
The three-hour eating window, the 6 p.m.
alcohol cutoff, the two phones.
It's all designed to minimizenoise.
SPEAKER_01 (11:13):
Physiological and psychological noise.
It's all about eliminatingcommon points of failure to
maximize performance.
SPEAKER_00 (11:20):
And for me, the most profound takeaway is that direct
connection.
Your discipline in the gymtranslates directly into a more
resilient emotional life.
SPEAKER_01 (11:27):
You're trading that short-term convenience for
long-term emotional stability.
It's a powerful idea.
SPEAKER_00 (11:32):
So if optimizing your own recovery meant creating
a separate environment, likededicating a bat phone to kill
distraction, it raises a reallypractical question for you
listening.
What's the single largestactivation source in your life
that you could practicallyeliminate, even just tonight, to
improve your own daily bufferzone tomorrow?
SPEAKER_01 (11:51):
That's the real deep dive, isn't it?
Finding your own point offriction and deciding if the
optimization is worth theboundary.
SPEAKER_00 (11:56):
Absolutely.
We'll talk to you next time.
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.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Betrayal: Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a brand new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack. And make sure to check out Seasons 1-4 of Betrayal, along with Betrayal Weekly Season 1.