The Ready State Podcast

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“Strength training will make swimmers slow.”
“Water polo players should stop lifting before big competitions.”
"Young athletes just need more time in the pool.”

These ideas have shaped aquatic sports for decades… but what if they’re actually holding athletes back?

In this episode of The Ready State Podcast, Kelly and Juliet Starrett sit down with strength and conditioning coach Jack Brown, founder of Aqua Strength Performance, to challenge some of the biggest myths in swimming and water polo. Drawing from his own experience as an injured athlete and years spent coaching everyone from middle school beginners to Division I athletes, Jack explains why strength training may be one of the most overlooked tools for improving performance, reducing injuries, and helping athletes stay in the sport longer.

The conversation goes far beyond the weight room. Jack shares why sprinting, jumping, mobility work, sleep, nutrition, and recovery are essential pieces of athletic development—and why many youth athletes are training harder than ever while missing the fundamentals that matter most. Whether you're a swimmer, water polo player, coach, or parent of a young athlete, this episode offers a fresh perspective on what it really takes to build stronger, healthier, and more resilient competitors.

What You'll LearnWhy strength training doesn't make swimmers and water polo players bulky or slow – but more resilient and powerful
Why sprinting, jumping, and strength work belong in every athlete's development plan
How strength and conditioning can reduce injury risk and improve long-term athletic durability
Why sleep and nutrition may have a bigger impact on performance than adding more training volume
What parents should look for in a quality youth strength and conditioning program

Key Highlights(0:00) Common myths about strength training for aquatic athletes
(0:28) Jack Brown’s Story and Finding His Path
(7:20) Building Aqua Strength and identifying a gap in youth sports
(10:33) Why swimming and water polo have resisted strength training
(15:13) What parents should look for in a youth S&C program
(22:01) The importance of sprinting and jumping for athletic development
(26:26) Creating a gym culture athletes enjoy
(34:08) Bone health and loading for aquatic athletes
(35:18) Why strength training prepares athletes for college sports
(43:34) What “strength and conditioning” actually means
(52:44) Red flags in youth sports programs
(56:10) Training volume, overuse, and recovery
(1:01:35) Sleep, screen time, and athlete responsibility
(1:06:21) Myth #1: Strength training makes swimmers slow
(1:07:46) Myth #2: Athletes should stop lifting during a taper
(1:16:00) Myth #3: You need a sport-specific strength coach
(1:22:53) The future of aquatic athlete development
(1:28:16) Infinite Shelf recommendation

Huge thanks to our sponsors, Momentous and LMNT.

Welcome back to RECESS — our break from the serious stuff to talk about what we’re learning, what’s making us laugh, and how we’re building more play into real life.

In this episode, we talk about everything from terrible coffee decisions and animal attack close calls to youth sports nutrition, cancer shaming in the wellness world, and the Enhanced Games. We also discuss why parents may be unintentionally under-fueling their young athletes, the growing divide between personal health optimization and public health, and a new term we can’t stop thinking about: NARP Moms.

Along the way, we reflect on Caroline’s graduation week, the challenges of raising healthy athletes, the strange culture surrounding performance enhancement in sports, and why compassion—not blame—should guide conversations about health and disease.

What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy Kelly’s coffee experiments nearly caused a household revolt
Our take on the Enhanced Games and what they say about the future of sport
Why “cancer shaming” is becoming a troubling trend in wellness culture
What Juliet learned from being diagnosed with cancer at 19—and again later in life
The difference between personal health optimization and public health
Why many young athletes are dramatically under-fueled
How “NARP Moms” might be affecting their kid's sports performance
Why carbs are still king for growing athletes
What fewer kids reading books could mean for the next generation
Reflections on parenting through graduation season
Key Highlights: (00:00) — Welcome back to RECESS
(00:30) — Juliet’s latest near-animal attack and Kelly’s divorce-worthy coffee experiments
(02:52) — Caroline’s signing day and graduation season reflections
(05:04) — The Enhanced Games: spectacle, performance, and the future of sport
(11:39) — Follow-up on nicotine pouches and European bans
(14:12) — Zach Coen and cancer shaming in the wellness community
(16:20) — Juliet’s experience as a two-time cancer survivor
(18:18) — Brad Ludden and First Descents
(18:55) — Why blaming people for cancer is dangerous and misguided
(20:28) — Introducing the “NARP Mom”, Shannon Mendez
(22:08) — Why youth athletes need dramatically more calories than adults
(24:45) — Carbs, under-fueling, and sports performance
(25:45) — Soman Chainani's new book, Young World — and how the data shows that fewer kids are reading books
(27:33) — Graduation week and sending another kid off to college

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In this episode of The Ready State Podcast, breathing expert Patrick McKeown joins Kelly and Juliet Starrett for a mind-expanding conversation about something you do 20,000 times a day but probably haven’t thought deeply about: your breath. From asthma and anxiety to sleep quality, athletic performance, focus, and recovery, Patrick explains why the way you breathe may be quietly shaping nearly every aspect of your health.

The conversation dives into the surprising science of CO2 tolerance, why most people are chronically over-breathing, and how simple shifts – like nasal breathing, breath holds, and slowing your exhales – can dramatically change your nervous system and performance. Patrick also breaks down why women experience breathing and sleep differently than men, how poor breathing affects kids’ development and behavior, and why many sleep disorders may be going undiagnosed.

Most importantly, this episode is packed with practical tools you can start using immediately – whether you’re trying to sleep better, feel calmer, improve endurance, or simply function better under stress.

What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy most people are chronically over-breathing and how it impacts stress, sleep, and performance
How nasal breathing and CO2 tolerance can improve endurance, recovery, and focus
The surprising connection between breathing patterns, anxiety, panic attacks, and nervous system regulation
Why women experience sleep-disordered breathing differently than men, especially during menopause
How mouth breathing in children may affect sleep, behavior, facial development, and long-term health

Key Highlights: (0:00) Intro: Men vs. Women in Breathing & Sleep
(0:22) Patrick McKeown: Breathing Expert & Founder of Oxygen Advantage
(2:46) Kelly's History with Asthma & Breathing
(10:39) Exercise-Induced Asthma & Hyperventilation
(15:32) The BOLT Score Explained
(17:00) The Science of CO2 & Oxygen Delivery
(23:59) Kipchoge’s Closed-Mouth Marathon
(28:01) Women’s Breathing, Hormones & Sleep
(32:21) Why Women Get Misdiagnosed in Sleep Studies
(34:46) The Hidden Sleep Disorder Affecting Women
(38:07) Breathing Practices for Brain Health
(44:31) Dysfunctional Breathing & Mental Health
(46:05) Panic Attacks, CO2 & the Paper Bag
(1:04:38) Falling Asleep Faster with Breathwork
(1:12:54) Breathing Warmups for Athletes
(1:20:51) Mouth Breathing & Facial Development
(1:33:43) Children, Sleep & ADHD
(1:44:55) Breath Holds, Altitude & Hematocrit
(1:54:09) Infinite Shelf & Glymphatic Breathing

Huge thanks to our sponsors, LMNT and Momentous.

Welcome back to RECESS — our weekly break from the serious stuff to talk about what we’re learning, what’s making us laugh, and how we’re building more play into real life.

In this episode, we unpack why social connection may be the single biggest predictor of healthy aging and longevity, reflect on new pediatric guidelines pushing for more school recess, and talk about how adults desperately need more play too. We also dive into Rachel Entrekin’s mindset during her historic Cocodona 250 win, Kelly’s emotional experience eulogizing his mom, and the rise of “prom maxxing” — and why it gives us the ick.

What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy social connection may matter more than anything else for longevity
How play and movement create stronger communities and healthier adults
Why the American Academy of Pediatrics says recess is not optional
Rachel Entrekin’s powerful self-talk strategy during her record-setting ultramarathon
What Kate Courtney’s career shift teaches about identity and reinvention
Why “third places” like gyms, clubs, and community spaces matter so much
Juliet and Kelly’s thoughts on “prom maxxing” and modern parenting culture
What Kelly learned from giving the eulogy at his mother’s memorial
Key Highlights: (00:00) — Welcome back to RECESS
(00:40) — Kelly reflects on eulogizing his mom
(02:52) — Travel, burnout, and speaking at a longevity conference
(04:06) — Why adults need more play and movement
(05:43) — The Harvard Longitudinal Study and the importance of social connection
(06:18) — The “Six Points of Connection” and building real community
(10:15) — Kate Courtney, identity shifts, and elite performance
(12:33) — New school recess guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics
(15:23) — Why adults need recess too
(17:23) — Rachel Entrekin’s self-talk during her historic Cocodona 250 win
(21:01) — “Happy to be here” vs. competing to win; Tia Toomey's Champion's Mindset
(24:00) — Prom maxxing, parenting culture, and losing the plot
(29:02) — What we’re living for right now

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What if the biggest thing holding your health back isn’t what you’re doing, but how you’re thinking about it? Most of us have been trained to see the body in silos: diagnose the problem, treat the symptom, move on. But what if that model is missing the bigger picture?

In this episode of The Ready State Podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Bland – widely recognized as the father of functional medicine – joins Juliet and Kelly Starrett to unpack a more complete, systems-based approach to health. From a simple (and surprisingly accessible) blood test that can reveal your inflammatory status, to the real role of inflammation as both a healing response and a hidden driver of chronic disease, this conversation challenges everything you thought you knew about “being healthy.”

Dr. Bland also shares the deeply personal story that reshaped his entire career and led him to question conventional medicine’s focus on downstream symptoms instead of root causes.
You’ll walk away understanding why everyday choices – like sugar intake, sleep, stress, and even your sense of self-agency – play a far bigger role in longevity than most people realize. Because at the end of the day, health is something you actively create.

What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy chronic inflammation is both a healing response and a hidden driver of disease
How a standard blood test (CBC) can reveal your body’s inflammatory state
The difference between treating symptoms vs. addressing root causes (upstream vs. downstream health)
Why your body is a system – and not a set of isolated problems to fix
How everyday habits like sugar intake, stress, and sleep quietly accelerate aging

Key Highlights: (0:00) Intro & Teaser Clips
(0:35) Introducing Dr. Jeffrey Bland, Father of Functional Medicine
(3:11) Dr. Bland Joins the Show / Earth Day Connection
(3:50) How Dr. Bland's Career Began in 1970
(7:33) What's Most Urgent for People to Understand About Health Today
(9:13) Systems Thinking vs. Siloed Medicine
(12:43) A Seismic Life Event That Changed Everything
(15:19) Finding Purpose After Tragedy — The Birth of a Mission
(17:35) Origins of the Term "Functional Medicine"
(19:03) Functional Medicine in The Lancet — 1874
(31:15) Understanding Good vs. Chronic Inflammation
(38:30) The Ibuprofen Epidemic in Youth Athletes
(39:59) The Functional Medicine Model: Antecedents, Triggers & Mediators
(42:47) Big Bold Health & Testing for Inflammaging
(43:33) The CBC with Differential — A $6 Test Everyone Already Has
(45:08) The SIRI Index — Calculating Your Inflammatory Status
(46:25) Immune Cells Renew Every 90–120 Days
(56:03) The 850-Person Clinical Trial on Food & Immune Health
(56:56) Tartary Buckwheat — A 3,500-Year-Old Immune Superfood
(1:02:57) The Healthcare System Isn't Working — A Seismic Change Is Coming
(1:08:13) Rapid Fire: Blue Zones & Eating a Rainbow of Polyphenols
(1:09:47) The #1 Lever for Aging Well — Starting With How You See Yourself
(1:10:56) Where to Find Dr. Jeff Bland & Closing Thoughts

Huge thanks to our sponsors, Kreatures of Habit, LMNT, and Momentous.