Ryan Parrott: How To Operate On The Cutting Edge Of Physical & Mental Performance

July 23, 2022

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A few weeks ago, a guy named Ryan “Birdman” Parrott contacted me.

Here's what he said…

“My sniper partner in the SEAL Teams took his life three years ago, and I am tired of it. I know for a fact that there are plenty of brain treatment centers around the country, but the military, and first responder communities’ leadership, don’t seem to care about their health, nutrition, and sleep, so we are going to work with physicians, sports physiologists, and mental health experts to develop a simplistic manual that will showcase: 1) turning the ignition on so that kids who are starting to get athletic can understand how to create a baseline of correct fitness and how to get back to homeostasis (this also goes for brand new military members and first responders because they don’t get taught human performance); 2) restarting the engine for the warfighter, career firefighter, and law enforcement, so that they can come out of their careers unfractured.

This manual should and will discuss what to do on the flip side to reboot. I am not going to sit back and watch another warfighter take their own life because they are not being tended to after devoting everything that God has given to them to national security. I have run a successful non-profit for burn survivors called ‘Sons of the Flag‘ for the past ten years and am now making this my number one focus to do my part…

…it's called The Human Performance Project…

…and I would love your advice on nutrition and supplementation as we begin this training and as we analyze our blood to give us all a better understanding of what is truly making us better. These are all warfighters on the team that will be training to pull this off, and I am the youngest guy on the team, so we have our work cut out for us.”

Ryan's Human Performance Project is designed to gain outcomes on human performance by testing supplements while training and looking deep into the DNA, physiology, and human spirit, to create a docuseries along with a manual that supports all data-driven findings and proof of concept. The program is designed to essentially press the reset button on a 20-year military veteran or first responder and start the engine for the next generation to train, eat, sleep, diet, and live well.

Originally from Detriot, Michigan, Ryan is an author, public speaker, former Navy SEAL, patent holder, action sports athlete, and founder of two non-profits benefitting veterans and first responders. Ryan enlisted in the Navy after watching the Twin Towers fall on 9/11, and served eight years as a U.S. Navy SEAL attached to SEAL Team SEVEN, completing three combat tours to Iraq before being assigned to Advanced Training Command as an Instructor.

In 2005, while serving in Iraq, Ryan Birdman was riding atop a Humvee manning the gun turret in enemy territory when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED), causing a detonation and throwing him from the Humvee. Ryan regained composure with his face and hands burned and witnessed his fellow team members suffer devastating burn and blast injuries. While Ryan's burns were only first- and second-degree, his teammates suffered lifelong injuries.

In 2012, Ryan established Sons of the Flag to help burn survivors and their families find the help and medical attention they truly deserve. He is also the founder of the Bird’s Eye View Project, addressing the extreme needs of veterans and first responders through extreme sports. He authored Sons of the Flag: Real Accounts from the last 100 years of American Service.

Now a sponsored athlete in the extreme sports arena, Ryan Birdman has founded The Human Performance Project, taking a deeper dive into health and wellness and giving the next generation a better understanding of taking proper care of their bodies through physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual guidance from world-renowned experts in their fields. After I read Ryan's message, I decided to ask him to be on the show to talk about how to truly optimize performance, especially when you need to be on the physical and mental cutting edge.

More info on the Human Performance Project is here.

During our discussion, you'll discover:

-Ryan's personal journey to the present day, and how he got the name “Birdman”…06:25

Grew up in Detroit, MI; going nowhere in life
Marine Vietnam vet motivated Ryan to join the Navy SEALS
Enlisted in the navy after 9/11; 8-year career ensued
IED detonated under HUMVEE, Ryan shot into the air like a bird
“Blissfully unaware” of emotional damage inflicted during combat tours

-Addressing a severely underserved segment of combat-sustained injuries through Sons of the Flag…11:52

Burn victims are placed into an ambiguous category of care providers
Sons of the Flag recruits and funds training for highly-skilled burn care providers
Help with expenses of burn surgery
“Sons of the Flag” is a poem from WWI
sonsoftheflag.org
Mark Divine's Kokoro program
Podcasts with Mark Divine:
- Potent Breathwork Tactics From A Navy SEAL Commander, Staring Down Your Wolf, Operating Calmly Under Stress & More With Mark Divine.
- Secrets Of The Navy SEALs: How To Train, Eat & Think Like The World’s Toughest Fighters

-The Human Performance Project: what it is and who it serves…16:26

Sniper partner took his own life in 2019; he was the “true north” of the platoon
Rather than reverting to depression, Ryan decided to step up and provide help for those suffering from post-combat stress
Look beyond brain injuries and emotional stress or mental health
Pro sports and military is an “old boy network”; eat and supplement however everyone else does it
Look at the entire body; what does it need to thrive?
Bird’s Eye View Project
Sponsored by Thorne, BUBS Collagen Protein
Skydive, marathon, plunge in water on 7 continents in 7 days (breakdown phase)
Reboot phase would be outlined in a sort of “Metcalf Manual”
Chris Hoth
americanextreme.com if you want to join in (February 13, 2023)

-The first 3 things you should do when you want to take control of your health and fitness…33:00

Electrical components
- The Body Electric by Robert Becker
- Earthing and grounding
- Grounding mats
- Photobiomodulation
- Thermoregulation: stressors of heat and cold
  - Fire & Ice: Tips, Tricks & Biohacks To Maximize The Benefits Of Sauna, Hyperthermia, Cryotherapy & Cold Thermogenesis.
- Water and minerals
Sleep
- Blue light blockers
- Blackout curtains
- Avoid heavy meal just before bed
Stress
- HRV monitor
- Breathwork practice
- Othership app

-The first thing to do when you realize you're broken physically, spiritually, and emotionally…41:30

Wellness FX Longevity panel (for men and women)
Insider Tracker
Nutreval panel
Genova Diagnostic stool panel
Urine hormone analysis
Cyrex food allergy panel
StrateGene genetic test
“Reboot” protocol:
- 2-8 weeks on a cleansing type diet
- Intermittent and 24-hour fasting
- Paleo autoimmune diet
- Colorado Cleanse diet
  - The Zen of “The Zone” – How To Breathe The Right Way When You’re Working Out, with John Douillard.
- Juice fast or elemental diet
- Thorne SGS powder

-How you will feel if you attempt a hard-core cleanse…47:50

Sleep architecture: high sleep scores
HRV should be high
Improvement in gut
Higher cognitive performance
High drive to move; little resistance to doing the work

-Improving the overall sleep experience…55:00

Melatonin “sledgehammer” protocol
- MitoZen Melatonin Suppository (use code BEN to save 5%)
Kion Sleep
CBD
Zeitgeber: a cue that helps to reset the circadian rhythm
- Light before noon, preferably sunlight
  - Sunlight Makes You Skinny & Blue Light Makes You Fat: 11 Ways To Biohack Light To Optimize Your Body & Brain.
- Re-Timer
  - The “Re-Timer” Effect: How To Re-Time Your Circadian Rhythms If You Wake Up Too Early Or Stay Up Too Late.
- Human Charger
- Exercise
- Food

-The system in the body that needs the most attention, and how to address it…1:00:03

Beyond Training by Ben Greenfield
Boundless by Ben Greenfield
4-6 hard, 30-second efforts, followed by lots of rest
Train to deal with lactic acid
VO2: 4-6 max. sustainable pace; 4-6 minutes rest; 4x through
Muscle strength: super-slow, controlled lifting
- 6 Steps To Achieving The Ideal Combination Of Fitness, Longevity, And Looking Good Naked (A Hybrid Training Approach For Anti-Aging & Performance)
Mobility training: foam roller, ball, etc.
Fasted fat-loss session: hike, bike ride

-To what extent will improving your physical game improve your mental game?…1:05:15

-And much more!

-Upcoming Events:

Keep up on Ben's LIVE appearances by following bengreenfieldlife.com/calendar

Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources from this episode:

– Ryan “Birdman” Parrott:

– Podcasts And Articles:

– Books:

The Body Electric by Robert Becker
Beyond Training by Ben Greenfield
Boundless by Ben Greenfield
Spark by John Ratey
The End of Alzheimer's by Dale Bredesen
Breaking Alzheimer's by Dayan Goodenowe

– Tests:

– Other Resources:

Episode sponsors:

–Kion Aminos: Building blocks for muscle recovery, reduced cravings, better cognition, immunity, and more.

–Masszymes: A powerful best-in-class enzyme supplement that improves digestion, reduces gas and bloating, and provides relief from constipation. Click our link to claim your exclusive free product bundle.

–Inside Tracker: Created by leading scientists in aging, genetics, and biometrics, InsideTracker analyzes your blood, DNA, and fitness tracking data to identify where you’re optimized—and where you’re not.

–Organifi Green Juice: Now you can get all your healthy superfoods in one glass…with No Shopping, No Blending, No Juicing, and No Cleanup. Get a 20% discount on your entire order when you use discount code: BENG20

–Ketone IQ by HVMN: One Bottle of Ketone-IQ contains 10 servings designed to be taken daily in the morning to elevate your ketone levels.

Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Ryan or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

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2 thoughts on “How To Operate On The Cutting Edge Of Physical & Mental Performance With Ryan “The Birdman” Parrott Of The Human Performance Project.”

Steve Moore says:

August 15, 2022 at 1:52 pm

Hi Ben,

Great podcast! You mentioned the Thorne SGS protocol (3 times per day for about 2 weeks) for those with severe gastrointestinal issues as a clean up protocol. Are the calories in the shake 100% of the daily calories recommended? Essentially “mimicking” a fast? Thanks!

boa says:

July 25, 2022 at 7:13 am

I’d definitely include the book Minimize Injury, Maximize Performance by Dr. Tommy John.

Feels like he was heavily inspired by Jay Schroeder, who made the Iso-Extremes positions in training popular.

– Push-up
– Scapular Pull-up
– Dip
– Lunge
– 1-Legged Squat
– Standing Hamstring
– Preacher Curl
– Supported Squat

6x34sec until one can handle holding for 5min. This will test your will to train, but well worth it.

Bilateral-Training can be detrimental, test it and bring balance first. Free workshop from Dr. Eric Cobb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5R5Qk76o_c

Also I remember M. T. Keshe mentioned in his weekly Workshop he’d gift some “Universal Enhancement Units” to support US soldiers, a friendly gesture from Iran. Contact someone in the Keshefoundation, they’ll know more.

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How To Operate On The Cutting Edge Of Physical & Mental Performance With Ryan “The Birdman” Parrott Of The Human Performance Project.