Laird Hamilton (@LairdLife) is widely considered the greatest big wave surfer of all-time and an innovator in board sports. He’s the creator of tow-in surfing, and largely responsible for the rebirth of stand-up paddle boarding.

Hamilton starred in multiple surfing films and was the centerpiece of Riding Giants, a documentary about big wave surfing. A contributing editor for Men’s Journal, he has been featured on Oprah, Charlie Rose, 60 Minutes, and The Ellen Degeneres Show. Laird was also the featured expert in the surfing episode of The Tim Ferriss Experiment.

Laird is known for using his healthy lifestyle to raise money for charities including, Race Across America, Pipeline for a Cure for Cystic Fibrosis, Rain Catcher, and Muscular Dystrophy.

Gabrielle Reece (@GabbyReece) has been named one of the “20 Most Influential Women Sports,” and is best known her success in volleyball, modeling, and for a starring role as a trainer on The Biggest Loser.

A volleyball champion, Elle magazine called Reece, “One of the five most beautiful women in the world.” Reece used her crossover success to become the first female athlete to ever design a shoe for Nike.

Brian MacKenzie (@iamunscared) is the founder of CrossFit Endurance and the author of the New York Times best-selling book Unbreakable Runner. 

MacKenzie created controversy by suggesting a counterintuitive approach to distance running, which challenges high-mileage runs, high-carb diets, and incorporates intense strength training to conquer everything from 5K runs to ultra marathons. He was also prominently featured in The Four-Hour Body where he showed how you could prepare for a marathon in record time.  

MacKenzie has been featured in Runner’s World, Men’s Journal, ESPN, Outside, and the Economist.

In this episode we cover a lot of ground, including: 

• Challenging your beliefs and physicality with underwater weightlifting, elevation masks, and exercise efficiency 
• Laird Hamilton's potent magic yellow energy elixir 
• The characteristics linked to success 
• How to cultivate a thriving relationship: Training, Confidants and Value Systems 
• Laird's formula for invention in sports 
• Advice for an older, perhaps beat up, athlete seeking to get back to high-level performance 
• Laird Hamilton's mantra of "training for life" [1:08:39]

Links, resources, and show notes from this episode can be found at http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

This episode is sponsored by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is, inevitably, Athletic Greens. It is your all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in the The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so.  Get 50% off your order at https://www.AthleticGreens.com/Tim

This podcast is also brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body? Here are some of the impressive results.  Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade: http://www.99designs.com/tim  Give it a test run.

Enjoy!

"Push yourself harder than you think you're capable of. You'll find new depth inside yourself."
- Stanley McChrystal

Stanley McChrystal (@StanMcChrystal) retired from the U.S. Army as a four-star general after more than 34 years of service. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates described McChrystal as “perhaps the finest warrior and leader of men in combat I ever met.”

From 2003 to 2008, McChrystal served as Commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), where he was credited with the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

The follow-up questions are really fun. In this particular episode, he answers questions such as:

• If he could put a billboard anywhere and write anything on it, where would it be and what would it say?
• What are three tests/practices from the military that civilians could use to help develop mental toughness?
• What are his favorite documentaries or movies? Why?
• What $100 or less purchase has most positively impacted his life in the last twelve months and why?

Links, resources, and show notes from this episode can be found at http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

This episode is brought to you by Audible which I have used for years. I love audiobooks. I have two to recommend right off the bat:

1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - Perhaps my favorite audiobook of all time.
2. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts - This book had a huge impact on my life and formed the basis for a lot of what has become The 4-Hour Workweek

To get your free audiobook and a free 30-day trial, go to Audible.com/Tim. You can choose from the two audiobooks listed above or from 180,000+ audio programs. They offer audiobooks, magazines, newspapers and even classes. It's that easy. Go to Audible.com/Tim and grab your free audiobook.

It's that easy. Enjoy!

Sam Harris is a neuroscience Ph.D. and the author of the bestselling books, The End of Faith, The Moral Landscape, Free Will, Lying, and Waking Up. His work has been discussed in The New York Times, Time, Scientific American, Nature, Newsweek,Rolling Stone, and many other journals.

In this episode we discuss:

-Five books he thinks everyone should read

-Why have he stopped doing public debates

-Morning rituals and meditation

-The one tip for better brain health outside meditation or exercise

Links, resources, and show notes from this episode can be found at http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

This podcast is brought to you by MeUndies. Have you ever wanted to be as powerful as a mullet-wearing ninja from the 1980’s, or as sleek as a black panther in the Amazon? Of course you have, and that’s where MeUndies comes in. I’ve spent the last 2-3 weeks wearing underwear from these guys 24/7, and they are the most comfortable and colorful underwear I’ve ever owned. Their materials are 2x softer than cotton, as evaluated using the Kawabata method. Check out MeUndies.com/Tim to see my current faves (some are awesomely ridiculous) and, while you’re at it, don’t miss lots of hot ladies wearing MeUndies.

This podcast is also brought to you by LegalZoom. Matt Mullenweg (CEO of Automattic – now worth more than a billion dollars) first incorporated his company on LegalZoom.  LegalZoom, which I’ve used myself, can help you with almost anything legal, including setting up a will, doing a proper trademark search, forming an LLC, setting up a non-profit, or finding simple cease-and-desist letter templates. LegalZoom is not a law firm, but they do have a network of independent attorneys available in most states. They can give you advice on the best way to get started, provide contract review, and otherwise help you run your business. Use the code “Tim” at checkout to get $10 off your next order. Take a gander at everything you can get for a fraction of what you’d expect — LegalZoom.com

Enjoy!

Stanley McChrystal (@StanMcChrystal)  retired from the U.S. Army as a four-star general after more than 34 years of service. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates described McChrystal as "perhaps the finest warrior and leader of men in combat I ever met."

From 2003 to 2008, McChrystal served as Commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), where he was credited with the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

His last assignment was as the commander of all American and coalition forces in Afghanistan. He is currently a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and the co-founder of CrossLead, a leadership consulting firm.

In this episode, we discuss everything imaginable, including:

- Why he eats only one meal per day
- His exact exercise routines
- Tactical and psychological lessons of combat
- Self-talk used before and after difficult missions
- The value and development of mental toughness
- Favorite books, documentaries, etc.
- And much, much more

Chris Fussell (@FussellChris), who also joins the conversation, is a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer, former Aide-de-Camp for General McChrystal, and a current senior executive at CrossLead.

Links, resources, and show notes from this episode can be found at http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

This episode is sponsored by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is, inevitably, Athletic Greens. It is your all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in the The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so.  Get 50% off your order at https://www.AthleticGreens.com/Tim

This podcast is also brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body? Here are some of the impressive results.  Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade: http://www.99designs.com/tim  Give it a test run.

Enjoy!

By popular demand, this episode features Kelly Starrett.  He’s trained CrossFit athletes for more than 130,000 hours (!) and his clients include Olympic gold medalists, Tour de France cyclists, world record holders in Olympic lifting and powerlifting, Crossfit Games medalists, professional ballet dancers, and elite military personnel.

In this episode, we cover:
- The 80/20 of mobility and the movements you need today
- How Kelly fixed himself as an athlete
- Kelly's picks for easy-to-add mobility movements
- And much more...

Even if you have zero interest in "mobility," this conversation invites you inside the mind of one of the world’s top coaches.  Kelly discusses habits, strategies, and thinking that can be applied to nearly everything.

Please also check this out -- Kelly and I are joining forces to build the first standing desk-only elementary school in the world.  We're almost there. Please click through and help!  

This episode is also brought to you by Audible.com/tim. Be sure to check out some of my favorite audiobooks, including The Graveyard Book and Vagabonding.

This episode explores pain, struggle, and how to turn both into amazing creative projects.

Whitney Cummings is a Los Angeles-based comedian, actor, writer and producer.

Whitney is executive producer and, along with Michael Patrick King, co-creator of the Emmy-nominated CBS comedy 2 Broke Girls, which was recently picked up for a fifth season.

She also wrote, produced and starred in Whitney, which aired on NBC from 2011 to 2013.

She has headlined with comics including Sarah Silverman, Louis C.K., Amy Schumer, Aziz Ansari, and others.

Her first one-hour stand up special, Money Shot, premiered on Comedy Central in 2010 and was nominated for an American Comedy Award. Her second stand-up special, Whitney Cummings: I Love You, debuted on Comedy Central in 2014 and she is shooting a third hour for HBO this August, which is set to air in 2016.

For all links, show notes, resources from this episode, please visit fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

###

This podcast is brought to you by MeUndies. Have you ever wanted to be as powerful as a mullet-wearing ninja from the 1980’s, or as sleek as a black panther in the Amazon? Of course you have, and that’s where MeUndies comes in. I’ve spent the last 2-3 weeks wearing underwear from these guys 24/7, and they are the most comfortable and colorful underwear I’ve ever owned. Their materials are 2x softer than cotton, as evaluated using the Kawabata method. Check out MeUndies.com/Tim to see my current faves, some of which are awesomely ridiculous.

This episode is also sponsored by Onnit. I have used Onnit products for years. If you look in my kitchen or in my garage you will find Alpha BRAIN, chewable melatonin (for resetting my clock while traveling), kettlebells, maces, battle ropes, and steel clubs. It sounds like a torture chamber, and it basically is. A torture chamber for self-improvement! Ah, the lovely pain. To see a list of my favorite pills, potions, and heavy tools, click here.

"My lab is interested in pursuing how we can enhance cognition to improve quality of life."
- Adam Gazzaley

Dr. Adam Gazzaley (@adamgazz) obtained an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, then postdoctoral training in cognitive neuroscience at UC Berkeley. He is now the director of the Gazzaley Lab at UC San Francisco, a cognitive neuroscience laboratory.

His recent studies go far beyond mere description — he and his lab are exploring neuroplasticity and how we can optimize cognitive abilities, even in healthy adults. So, what happens when you combine cognitive-focused video games with neurofeedback, magnetic and electrical stimulation, and even performance-enhancing drugs? Well, that’s just one of many things we cover in this conversation.

As someone with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease on both sides of my family, I find Adam's work to be of incredible importance and promise.  I hope this discussion blows your mind, in the best way possible.

Enjoy!

Show notes, links, and resources can be found at fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

This podcast is brought to you by a new sponsor, LegalZoom. Matt Mullenweg (CEO of Automattic - now worth more than a billion dollars) first incorporated his company on LegalZoom.  LegalZoom, which I've used myself, can help you with almost anything legal, including setting up a will, doing a proper trademark search, forming an LLC, setting up a non-profit, or finding simple cease-and-desist letter templates. LegalZoom is not a law firm, but they do have a network of independent attorneys available in most states. They can give you advice on the best way to get started, provide contract review, and otherwise help you run your business. Use the code "Tim" at checkout to get $10 off your next order. Take a gander at everything you can get for a fraction of what you'd expect -- LegalZoom.com

This podcast is also brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body? Here are some of the impressive results.  Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade.  Give it a test run..

Thanks for listening!

This episode is intended to help you with unexpected problems that will crop up this week.

My guest is Ryan Holiday, who became Director of Marketing at American Apparel at age 21 (!). He’s a beast.

Since dropping out of college at 19 to apprentice under strategist Robert Greene (author of The 48 Laws of Power), Ryan has advised many New York Times bestselling authors and mega-multi-platinum musicians. He knows how to build massive buzz while responding to unexpected crises. He can compete or counterpunch with the best.

For this reason, I asked him to share one of his popular stories on Thomas Edison, as well as Jack Johnson and others.  If you want to thrive in high-stress environments, this is well worth the time.

The sponsors for this episode, both of which I use, are:

Vimeo -- See some of my favorite movies here.

Mizzen + Main -- These are the only dress shirts that I travel with.

For more on Ryan and his books, check out this page.