Exercise scientist and coach; since 2024 runs the Human Performance Center at Parker University, before that 13 years at Cal State Fullerton; hosts the podcast Perform
Fitness8 ideas
Checked 17 Oct 2026. Each line is in our own words, with where it was said and an independent study or guideline next to it. Ties: Co-founded a sleep-testing company (Absolute Rest) and other performance firms; paid ties with Momentous supplements and podcast sponsors.
The blueprint, line by line
Habit
Active on 5 days or more besides your workouts: walk, take the stairs
Guideline · In 36,000 adults wearing activity trackers, even light activity tracked lower mortality: the second-least active quarter had 40 % lower risk than the least active. Observational Research
Costs: no money; a walk, a standing desk, stairs instead of the lift
Habit
Strength training ≥ 2 a week, each muscle worked about every 72 hours
Strong evidence · Trials pooled in meta-analyses: more weekly sets per muscle means more growth, and twice a week beat once. The 2019 update found the weekly sets matter, not the spacing, so 72 hours is his way to get the sets in Research
Costs: two sessions of 30 to 45 minutes; gym, bands or body weight
Habit
Hard intervals up to near your maximum heart rate ≥ 1 a week, 2 is better
Strong evidence · A 28-trial meta-analysis: interval training raised VO₂ max by about 5.5 points, a little more than steady training did. The trials ran most often 3 sessions a week; one a week is his floor, not a tested dose Research
Costs: 15 to 25 minutes with warm-up, e.g. four rounds of 30 seconds all-out, 30 seconds easy; a bike, rower, hill or track
Habit
Long, steady session ≥ 1 a week, 20 to 30 minutes or more
Guideline · Steady moderate activity tracks lower mortality from 75 minutes a week on (94-cohort meta-analysis), and the WHO asks for 150. One session of 20 to 30 minutes is his minimum for fitness, not a tested dose Research
Costs: 20 to 60 minutes; a hike, ride, swim, jog or a circuit of machines, at a pace you can keep breathing through your nose
Number
Water per day: about 33 ml per kg of body weight (2.5 L at 75 kg)
Mixed evidence · No trial ties a body-weight rule to health. EFSA sets 2.0 L (women) and 2.5 L (men) a day from drinks and food together, so his rule sits at or above that; sweat losses come on top Research
Costs: a bottle on the desk; more on training days, and sips rather than gulps
Number
VO₂ max at least 35 (men) or 30 (women); check it once a year with a 12-minute run
Guideline · A 33-cohort meta-analysis: each 3.5 points of VO₂ max (1 MET) tracked 13 % lower mortality, with clearly higher risk below about 28. The AHA calls fitness a vital sign. His 35 and 30 are his own coaching floor Research
Costs: 12 minutes of hard running once a year on a track or a measured loop; an Apple Watch estimates it in between
For your blueprint
Measure HRV each morning the same way, compare it with the same weekday last week, and act only when it stays low for about a week
Mixed evidence · A 2021 meta-analysis: training adjusted by HRV improved HRV itself and gave fitness only a small, uncertain edge over a fixed plan. How to set the baseline is still open Research
Costs: a watch or ring that measures HRV; a minute a morning
For your blueprint
Don’t look at your sleep score in the first hour after waking; use the tracker for choices, not for sleep stages
Their own practice · His coaching rule. “Orthosomnia”, worry caused by tracker scores, is described in case reports, not trials; a 2014 lab study found people told they slept well did better on tests Research
Costs: no money
How to use this
Don't take all of it. Pick one or two lines that fit your week, try them for two weeks, and keep what works for you. That's what Vea is for: a weekly check-in that shows what each habit does for you.
Not an endorsement: these are our short summaries of what each person has published, with a link to the source. They have no connection to Vea. Ideas to try, not medical advice. On this list and want off? [email protected]