September 23, 2021

In this podcast episode, I get put in the hot seat just a bit by my guest Tom Digan, as he picks my brain about how to assemble the very best workouts and exercises to achieve the ideal combination of fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle tactics for both lifespan and healthspan…

…but I also get a chance to delve into his unique body of knowledge regarding the surge in home fitness trends and fitness apps.

After all, there are plenty of workout and fitness apps out there, but there's a reason that I recently partnered with Tom's company “Ladder” for the launch of my new training program Boundless, which is unlike any training experience I’ve ever created. Boundless on the Ladder app is a fully structured training program delivered to you fresh each and every week, utilizing my Minimum Dose Methodology, which maximizes cardiovascular endurance, strength, and stamina in the minimum amount of time, to help you burn fat, gain muscle, and get in the best shape of your life. Each week you’ll have 5 workout days, one active recovery and mobility day, and on Sundays, you’ll even get a special biohacking tip from me, all inside of the Ladder app. Every workout has guided movement videos and coaching queues as well, so you can master each movement and stay motivated.

You can download Ladder now in the iOS App Store. When you get it, you are not only getting an amazing workout program delivered conveniently to your phone, you’re also getting the benefit of real accountability and community. The Ladder app makes it super easy to not only chat with the other members of Team Boundless, but also send me one-on-one messages to ask me training questions, get nutrition tips, and keep me updated on your progress. This type of personalized fitness consultation and coaching with me usually costs thousands of dollars, but you can get full access to me and my training programs for only $60 a month by subscribing to Ladder.

So if you’re tired of planning your workouts, want to finally achieve an incredible physique, or you need the accountability of a community to get in shape, Team Boundless on the Ladder app is for you. Download Ladder in the iOS App Store now, join Team Boundless, and try your first week of workouts for free by clicking here.

So who is Tom?

Tom Digan is the Co-Founder & President of Ladder, a fitness technology company based in Austin, TX. Prior to joining Ladder full-time, Tom spent over a decade working in the hedge fund industry as a Partner at a $1B+ AUM (assets under management) investment firm located in New York City. Tom holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and was a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree. Ladder Teams is a social fitness experience for people who are passionate about fitness and need help planning and maintaining a progressive training program. With Ladder Teams, avid fitness-seekers can access a complete strength training program on their phone, learn from an expert coach, and engage with a community that shares a passion for fitness.

During my discussion with Tom, you'll discover:

-How Tom got involved with fitness and helped create the Ladder app…07:15

• Began with 1:1 coaching online
• Personalization was overhyped
• Work with “star” trainers in a scalable fashion
• Launched in the middle of the Covid pandemic

-The nuts and bolts of how the Ladder app works…11:12

• Average price is $50/month
• You lock in with one specific coach
• Trainers include:
  • Ben Greenfield (Dr. Strange)
  • Reign Nel
  • Lauren Kanski
  • Bobby Maximus
  • Sam Tooley
• Skews to strength training (conspicuously absent from the market when the app was launched)

-Ben's advice on how to feel good, look good, and live forever…18:05

• Strength (lifting stuff)
  • Minimum effective dose
  • All workouts full body
  • 2-5x per week
• Power and speed
  • 2-5x per week
  • Tennis, basketball, etc.
• Mitochondria
  • 20-30 seconds strenuous exercise with long recovery periods
  • HIIT when overdone is associated with mitochondrial damage
• Lactate tolerance
  • 1-2x per week
  • BFR training:
    • 1 Cheap & Easy Underground Training Method For Growth Hormone Release, 5 Biohacks to Increase Strength in 60 Seconds, 7 Exercises for the Eyes to Radically Enhance Stamina & Speed, with Kusha Karvandi
    • BFR bands (use code BEN to save 10%)
  • B Strong bands
  • Kaatsu bands (use code BEN to save 5%)
  • Tabata sets (20 seconds hard, 10 seconds easy for 4 minutes)
• VO2 Max
  • 4-6 minutes at max. sustainable pace
  • 1:1 work to rest ratio
  • Do once every 1-2 weeks
  • LiveO2 machine
• Endurance
  • Program low-level training into your life
  • Do a 2-hour session in a fasted state
• Mobility
  • Foam rolling in the morning
  • Weave it in throughout the day
• Eat real foods
• Get lots of sunlight or red light
  • Joovv
• Mat PEMF
• Sauna
• Clean water
• Gratitude and positive relationships
  • Spiritual Disciplines Journal

-Common mistakes people make with training and/or recovery…41:45

• Constantly changing new programs
• SAID: Specific adaptation to imposed demands
  • 14 Reasons You Can’t Lose Weight (& How To Burn Fat Fast Without Destroying Your Body).
• Sticking with the same program for too long
• Sacrificing sleep in order to work out
  • Don't wake up too early
  • Don't exercise too late in the day so it affects your sleep latency
  • Hapbee
  • NuCalm
  • Apollo wearable
  • Oura ring
  • Yoga Nidra
• Being overly reliant on the gym
• Feeling like your workout needs to last a certain amount of time or else you're an utter failure as a human being
  • Micro workouts throughout the day
• Tracking only muscle gain and fat loss

-The best ways to test your biomarkers…57:35

• Thorne home test kits:
  • Biological Age Test (lab blood panel)
  • Gut Health Test (stool)
  • Sleep Test (urine)
  • Stress Test (saliva)
  • Weight Management Test (saliva and blood)
• Onegevity for gut
• Viome for gut
• Strategene for genetics
• Dutch panel for hormones
• Ben's recommended lab tests

-How to program your own workout…59:30

• Equipment
• Time limitations
• What are your goals
• Injuries: previous and existing
• Desire for social sports

-The most enduring change Ben has made to his program over time…1:05:15

• Far less exercise: 30-40 minutes a day working out
• More micro workouts throughout the day
• More sauna
• Deep nasal breathing
• Ice baths (Morozko Forge)
• Gratitude in the morning and evening
• Fasting: intermittent, weekly 24-hour fast
• More focus on walking

-The Boundless program on the Ladder app…1:10:02

• Boundless program will be available on the Ladder app on September 19th
• 7-day free trial

-And much more!

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

Resources from this episode:

– Tom Digan:

• Ladder app

– Podcasts And Articles:

• 1 Cheap & Easy Underground Training Method For Growth Hormone Release, 5 Biohacks to Increase Strength in 60 Seconds, 7 Exercises for the Eyes to Radically Enhance Stamina & Speed, with Kusha Karvandi
• How To Increase Your VO2 Max Anytime, Anywhere – Without Actually Exercising, with Greg Wells.
• The One Powerful Emotion That Can Release Oxytocin, Amp Up Serotonin & Dopamine, Give You Better Sleep, Lower Blood Pressure, Decrease Inflammation & More, with Owen Griffith.
• Biohack Your Breath With Nose “Boners,” Carbon Dioxide Inhalation, Tibetan Longevity Stretches & Much More: How To Unlock The New Science Of A Lost Art, with James Nestor.
• A Day In The Life Of Ben Greenfield: Ben’s Exact Morning, Afternoon & Evening Routines, with Will Ahmed.
• The Complete Guide To Interval Training
• 6 Steps To Achieving The Ideal Combination Of Fitness, Longevity, And Looking Good Naked (A Hybrid Training Approach For Anti-Aging & Performance)
• Sunlight Makes You Skinny & Blue Light Makes You Fat: 11 Ways To Biohack Light To Optimize Your Body & Brain.
• 14 Reasons You Can’t Lose Weight (& How To Burn Fat Fast Without Destroying Your Body).
• The Latest Research On Fasting: What 9 New Studies Say About Fasting’s Effects On Fat Loss, Satiety, Insulin Resistance, & More.

– Other Resources:

• Spiritual Disciplines Journal
• BFR bands (use code BEN to save 10%)
• B Strong Bands
• Kaatsu Bands (use code BEN to save 5%)
• LiveO2
• Foam Roller
• Joovv
• PEMF Mat
• Clearlight Sauna
• AquaTru Water Filter
• Hapbee
• NuCalm
• Apollo Wearable
• Oura Ring
• Yoga Nidra
• Thorne Home Test Kits:
  • Biological Age Test (lab blood panel)
  • Gut Health Test (stool)
  • Sleep Test (urine)
  • Stress Test (saliva)
  • Weight Management Test (saliva and blood)
• Onegevity for gut ($20 off with code BEN20)
• Viome Microbiome Test
• Strategene (10% off with code BEN10)
• Dutch Test
• Ben's Recommended Lab Tests
• Morozko Forge

Upcoming Events:

• Join me and my wife Jessa at Runga for The Gathering. Click here to grab one of the very limited spots we have open to the public for The Gathering at Runga (October 7-9, 2021).
• Keep up on Ben's LIVE appearances by following bengreenfieldfitness.com/calendar

Episode sponsors:

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

–Paleo Valley Organ Complex: Contains not one but three organs from healthy, grass fed, pasture-raised cows so you are getting a more diverse array of nutrients. Receive a 15% discount off your order when you use discount code BENGREENFIELD15.

–FUM: Fum is an all natural, no smoke, no vape, and no nicotine inhaler made in Canada. All natural, sustainable, and it works! Use code BEN to save 10%.

–Butcher Box: Delivers healthy 100% grass-fed and finished beef, free-range organic chicken, and heritage breed pork directly to your door on a monthly basis. All their products are humanely raised and NEVER given antibiotics or hormones. 

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