Mark Sisson 1 source tracked
Founder of Mark's Daily Apple and co-founder of Primal Kitchen; bestselling author and a key voice of the paleo/primal ancestral health movement.
About Mark Sisson →
Mark Sisson (born 1953) is an American fitness and nutrition author, entrepreneur, and former endurance athlete. A Williams College biology graduate, he competed as a marathoner and triathlete, finishing fourth at the 1982 Ironman World Championship. In 2006 he launched the blog Mark's Daily Apple, which helped popularize the paleo/primal/ancestral health movement, and in 2009 he published The Primal Blueprint. He became a New York Times bestselling author with The Keto Reset Diet (2017). In 2015 he co-founded Primal Kitchen, an avocado-oil-based condiment brand acquired by Kraft Heinz in 2018. He later founded the minimalist footwear brand Peluva.
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In a protocol
Sprint 100 meters in under 15 seconds as part of a well-rounded fitness benchmark.
“run the 100 in under, under 15 seconds
BG▶ 15:00Dosage100 m in <15 sCertaintypersonal onlyrecommendation -
In a protocol
Aim to hold a dead hang for 90 seconds as a practical grip-strength benchmark.
“a 90 second hang, dead hang
BG▶ 11:30Dosage90 second dead hangCertaintypersonal onlyrecommendation -
Lift barefoot or in minimalist shoes on leg day so the big toe engages and glute activation isn't lost.
“guys lift barefoot when they do leg days
BG▶ 1:06:00Certaintyexplicitrecommendation -
In a protocol
Walk every single day as a foundational movement practice before considering biohacks.
“if you're not walking every single day
BG▶ 35:40DosageDaily walksCertaintyexplicitrecommendation -
Train for a broad mix of strength, endurance, mobility, speed, balance and agility rather than optimizing one metric like VO2 max.
“more of a decathlete perspective
BG▶ 10:00Certaintyexplicitstrong endorsement -
Sisson endorses Dry Farm Wines as biodynamic, additive-free, low-alcohol wines that minimize tannins, histamines and added sulfites.
“big fan of dry farm wines for a long time
BG▶ 30:00Certaintyexplicitstrong endorsement -
In a protocol
Lift 1.5x body weight for 10 reps on a hex bar as a strength benchmark.
“one and a half times my body weight. 10 reps on a hex bar
BG▶ 12:10Dosage1.5x bodyweight x 10 repsCertaintypersonal onlyrecommendation -
Sisson's recently restored blog providing dietary, fitness and health content.
“Mark's Daily Apple... back up
BG▶ 6:00Certaintyexplicitoffhand mention -
Apply the minimum effective dose to food, protein, exercise and even alcohol — do the least required to get the result.
“the minimum effective dose
BG▶ 33:20Dosage~110-120 g protein/day as Sisson's personal minimumCertaintyexplicitstrong endorsement -
Sisson defends a daily glass of wine with dinner as not harmful for most people, contradicting blanket anti-alcohol claims.
“I enjoy a glass of wine... Pretty much every night
BG▶ 28:40Dosage~1 glass with dinner; avoid right before bedCaveatsAvoid if you have enzyme deficiencies or alcohol abuse riskCertaintyhedgedpersonal use -
Endorsement In a protocol
Paluva's new minimalist trail-running shoe designed to let the foot feel and adapt to uneven terrain.
“Ferrari of trail shoes
BG▶ 1:00:40Certaintyexplicitstrong endorsement -
Endorsement In a protocol
Paluva toe-spread minimalist shoes for everyday, court, golf, hiking and winter use to restore foot strength, balance and natural gait.
“Paluva was based on this idea that we want our feet to be strong
BG▶ 1:00:00CaveatsFounder is the guestCertaintyexplicitstrong endorsement -
Endorsement In a protocol
Paluva's new shearling-lined leather winter boot for cold weather while preserving foot function.
“shearling lining, it's. It's leather
BG▶ 1:02:00CaveatsToes may still get cold below ~30°FCertaintyexplicitrecommendation -
In a protocol
Perform 20 parallel-bar dips as an upper-body strength benchmark.
“20 dips
BG▶ 12:00Dosage20 repsCertaintypersonal onlyrecommendation -
In a protocol
Hold a plank for three minutes as a core-endurance benchmark.
“a three minute plank
BG▶ 15:20Dosage3 minute holdCertaintypersonal onlyrecommendation -
In a protocol
Run a quarter mile in 90 seconds as a speed/endurance benchmark for older adults.
“Run a quarter in 90 seconds
BG▶ 11:40DosageQuarter mile in 90 secondsCertaintypersonal onlyrecommendation -
In a protocol
Stand on one foot with arms crossed and eyes closed for one minute as a balance and proprioception test.
“stand on one foot with your arms crossed and your eyes closed... one minute
BG▶ 16:00Dosage1 minuteCertaintyexplicitrecommendation -
In a protocol
Get fundamentals right first: 67°F bedroom, dark room, ambient white noise, ~8 hours sleep.
“67 degrees, dark room, some ambient white noise, and sleep... eight hours
BG▶ 35:20Dosage67°F, dark, white noise, ~8 hrs/nightCertaintyexplicitstrong endorsement -
Seek out cobblestones, riverbed bouldering and other uneven surfaces to stimulate foot proprioception ('foot candy').
“we call that foot candy
BG▶ 1:08:20Certaintyexplicitrecommendation -
Caution against using GLP-1 drugs as a productivity/hunger hack rather than for diabetes or obesity, citing rebound weight gain and dopamine blunting.
“productivity hack
BG▶ 40:40CaveatsLegitimate role for diabetes and obesityCertaintyexplicitstrong warning -
Organic (prompted)
Sisson is over long cold plunges, viewing them as a 'dick-measuring contest' with little proven brown-fat or anti-inflammatory benefit for most people.
“cold plunging has become a dick measuring contest
BG▶ 22:50CaveatsBrief cold exposure after sauna for the rush/blood flow may still feel goodCertaintyexplicitmild caution -
In a protocol
Sisson is skeptical of methylene blue and similar biohacks if foundational habits aren't in place.
“don't start talking to me about methylene blue
BG▶ 35:50Certaintyhedgedmild caution -
Sisson argues VO2 max is overrated as the gold-standard longevity metric because it's genetically capped and pursuing it sacrifices other fitness qualities.
“the overhyping of the concept of VO2 max
BG▶ 7:00CaveatsVO2 max still has value as a proxy; many activities build it incidentallyCertaintyexplicitmild caution