Expert Profile #3 - Ben Greenfield

Portrait Artist: Natalya Kopylova
About, Food/Nutrition, Workout/Exercise
3-minute Read

​Ben has so many titles, both current and former, that if I tried to list them out, I know I would miss a few. Today, mainly he is a coach to high-performing CEOs and athletes, CEO of his own supplement company, Kion, a top-rated blogger and podcaster through Ben Greenfield Fitness, and a world-renowned speaker on health, fitness, and productivity. To explain some of his past work, he has written over a dozen books on all different subjects from his experiences of being a personal trainer, bodybuilder, and top-performing triathlete.
 
During a live conference he spoke at for Mindvalley Talks, Ben stated that his main goal through his work is to, “empower people to live a more adventurous, joyful, and fulfilling life.”1  He strives to give people quality advice on performing their best, whether it is in the gym or in the office, while maintaining a full and happy life. Many know Ben as a “biohacker” because he talks of improvements you can get by means of things like saunas, cold thermogenesis, and stem cells.
 
Ben has also been a strong advocate of being on a high-fat diet, or at least saving the most of your carbohydrates for the end of the day. Outside of an increase in performance and just anecdotally feeling better, Ben states that a high-fat diets also improve metabolic efficiency and flexibility2 as well as recovery3 and reduced risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes and even cancer.4
 
Some of Ben’s highest-praised and most recent books include Beyond Training and Boundless. His past books speak more to specific topics like bodybuilding or triathlete training while these books speak more to a general audience who wants to improve their lives and increase longevity.

Impactful Tips & Quotes

• “It seems that fifteen minutes a day of exercise will keep you healthy, thirty minutes a day will keep you fit and lean, and more than ninety minutes a day won’t give you any extra benefit.”5
• Creatine and some forms of DHA like fish oil have a ton of positive research behind them and many more benefits than possible negatives (if taken in normal doses) so these two are good supplements for anyone to take.6
• “When you throw Olympic lifting into your speed-strength mix, the added benefits include increased VO2 max and decreased resting heart rate.”7
• Static stretching before a workout can decrease performance and lead to injury. If you are going to hold static stretches, do them after a workout.8
• Start each day with a gratitude journal and involve your family. Ben and his family have used gratitude journals for a long time, and they were always missing something so he created his own Christian Gratitude Journal, where each day you have a quick Bible reading and then you answer the following questions:
  • What am I grateful for today?
  • What Biblical truth did I discover in today’s reading?
  • Who can I pray for and serve today?

Resources

1. Mindvalley Talks: "Can You Hack Your Biological Age? - Ben Greenfield" 
2. Beyond Training: p. 318-319
3. BenGreenfieldFitness.com Article: "Rewriting the Fat Burning Textbook - Part 1: Why You've Been Lied to About Carbs And How To Turn Yourself Into A Fat Burning Machine"
4. BenGreenfieldFitness.com Article: "10 Ways To Do A Low Carbohydrate Diet The Right Way"
5. Beyond Training: p. 207
6. The Mindbodygreen Podcast : "Ben Greenfield, Professional Biohacker, On Daily Hacks Everyone Can Try"
7. Beyond Training: p. 115
8. Beyond Training: p. 127