excellence, actually

In conjunction with this week's Growth Equation newsletter, we're diving deep into the deteriorating state of public health in America. As the wellness industry continues to boom, our country's collective health continues to decline. Something is wrong. Today, we try to diagnose how we got here and where we might go next. Topics discussed include how to combat misinformation; why health grifting h...

Today's episode draws on conversations with an Olympic gold medalist, an ultrarunner, and a Buddhist author to discuss a potential way to think about achievement that might help you focus on the process rather than the outcome—particularly if you're someone who is forever chasing the next thing. Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time! https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/...

Two skills that will be helpful to anyone trying to master a craft or achieve excellence (or, frankly, make it through life): the capacity to be with difficulty, and an ability to show up consistently even when nothing is on the line. Luckily, today's guest has more than fifty years of practice with both. Stephen Batchelor is a Buddhist thinker, teacher, and author, who has written numerous books...

On this episode of The Coach Up, you'll learn how the Pareto Principle can be used to help you get clarity on what's most essential in your life — from work to exercise to diet to relationships — in order to keep you feeling and performing your best. This will be particularly helpful if you're feeling stuck in your life or struggling to make a change or get started on a new habit or practice, or i...

Today, Clay asks Steve to answer all of your most pressing marathon questions: what to know before signing up; what he thinks the Boston Marathon should do about qualifying standards, how to think about setting a reasonable and achievable goal; breaking down the physiological and psychological importance of building an aerobic base; how to think about building out a plan; how to incorporate speed...

In his 1990 book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience , psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi laid out the ideas that would give birth to the idea of the "flow state." In the years since, the flow state has long been sought after by all manner of people—athletes, artists, performers—who are hoping to increase their productivity and happiness by losing themselves in an activity or getting "in...

We are, each of us, getting older every moment. (Scary, we know!) So how should we think about adjusting our training as we age, particularly if we're still hoping to perform at a high level? That's the question we address today. Steve, Clay, and Brad talk about how to constructively use life's constraints, how to think about approaching progressive overload as one gets older, and why the wisdom t...

Steve Magness is back on The Coach Up to discuss the nuances of doing "intense" or "all-out" workouts. Since the explosion of High Intensity Interval Training, there has been much discussion about how to use maximally difficult efforts in training plans. But a lot of that discussion misunderstands the complexities of fatigue and how it's best deployed as a stimulus. Steve explains how to know if y...

Knowing when to quit, and when to push on, is as much an art as a science. Where is the line between normal fatigue or difficulty, and harmful discomfort? It's a question we all have to navigate in many different endeavors: work, creative pursuits, relationships, long-term projects, physical goals, and more. Quit too soon and you'll constantly fall short of your biggest ambitions—but sometimes han...

On this week's Coach Up, a lesson from the book "Everyday Zen" by Charlotte Joko Beck about expanding the upper reaches of your comfort zone. Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time! https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/ If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks! iTunes and Apple Podcasts...

After a brief discussion of Ruth Chepng'etich's world-record marathon from this past weekend, Brad and Steve get into the science of the "hot streak" phenomenon in sports, creative pursuits, and even business. Why do hot streaks occur? Are they even real? And if so, what can we do to increase the likelihood of getting "hot" in our own life and work? Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off...

This is the second episode of a two-part Coach Up where we're diving into the work of science writer Annie Murphy Paul and her book "The Extended Mind," which explores the ways in which our bodies and our environments impact our thinking. Last week, we explored how the movement of our bodies impacts our thinking. Today, we're talking about the ways we can use the physical spaces in which we live a...

Today, Steve, Brad, and Clay discuss three stages of tackling a big, ambitious challenge: (1) How do you find the right goal for you? (Particularly if you're someone who is finding it difficult to get motivated.) (2) How do you push through plateaus—and get used to the monotony of the grind after an initial burst of progress? (3) How to handle the come down that often follows in the wake of workin...

Over the next two weeks of Coach Up's, we'll be diving into the work of science writer Annie Murphy Paul and her book "The Extended Mind," which explores the ways in which our bodies and our environments impact our thinking. (This is the book we are currently reading in The Growth Equation Academy's book club. If you'd like to learn more about The Academy, click the link below.) Today, we're going...

In the performance world, there are a lot of supplements, a lot of questions about supplements, a lack of great data on supplements, and a lot of people trying to sell you supplements. Which can make for a rather confusing combo. So today, Clay talks with board-certified sports dietician Meredith Parmley to try to answer some big questions: Who actually should be taking supplements? Which ones wor...

A quick story about the 2021-2022 Golden State Warriors, a conversation with then General Manager Bob Myers, and how to apply some wisdom from finance to any of your ambitious, long-term pursuits. Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time! https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/ If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so the...

Drawing on a recent talk that Brad gave to his hometown Detroit Tigers of the MLB, the guys discuss 10 of the core principles that have come out of years of studying and working with elite performers on how to achieve peak performance and sustain excellence over time. Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time! https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/ If you are enjoying FAREWEL...

The stories we tell ourselves about what happens to us are powerful. Today, drawing on the work of psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman, we discuss a simple reframing tool that will allow you to interpret the events of your life in a way that leads to more optimism and less negativity. Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time! https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/ If you are en...

Layne Norton, a successful powerlifter, coach, nutritionist, and respected performance expert, joins Brad and Clay to talk about his evidenced-based approach to health and fitness. He talks about what he's learned about motivation, resilience, spotting misinformation, mental toughness, pain science, and managing discomfort as an athlete, coach, and student, with five national powerlifting titles a...

Getting the most out of yourself isn't about simply going all out. Performing your best requires an ability to give maximum effort while still staying relaxed and not tensing up. This is where the "85% Rule" can come in handy. Use it the next time you need to give it your all. Steve's original thread on the 85% rule: https://x.com/stevemagness/status/1813955100676915235 Join The Growth Equation Ac...

Not that long ago, it was considered a badge of honor to "hustle" or "grind" off of only four or five hours of sleep a night. Thankfully, we've come to a better understanding of the importance and value of a good night's sleep—maybe too much so, however. Sleep has become the latest obsession among the optimization set, with an entire cottage industry of supplements, gadgets, and trackers meant to...

On today's episode of The Coach Up, Clay revisits a conversation he had with the award-winning author George Saunders, about navigating the different parts and versions of our identities that show up at various moments in our days and lives—and how we can create the conditions that allow our best selves to be most reliably present. Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time...

In recent years, the idea of masculinity has undergone a cultural and societal shift. Though the evolution was much needed and long overdue, it has left many men uncertain of where to turn for positive models and definitions of masculinity. Some have turned to fitness and performance personalities or gym bros who celebrate physical suffering, bio-hacking, and even a return to more primitive or pri...

"Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional." You've probably heard that one. It's not the most useful phrase. There are a lot of really difficult or tragic situations where your pain is going to be accompanied by some suffering. However, the intellectual idea behind that phrase is sound: we can, in moments of more lower-case p pain, pile on all sorts of mental anguish and worry to an already painf...

We're all going to die. (Gulp.) We know this—and we all share it—but death remains taboo, as do so many of its accompanying experiences: grief, suffering, vulnerability, and loss of mental and physical faculty. But by ignoring death, we not only deny ourselves the opportunity to have a good death; we also deny ourselves the chance at a better life! Because, as you’ll hear from today's guest, a pal...