#1 Fitness Expert: You’re Doing it WRONG | Dr. Andy Galpin
Rich Roll
Oct 23, 2025
Mindsip insights from this episode:
Identify your goal's defender to overcome obstacles
Instead of just focusing on a goal, identify the 'defender' or the primary reason you can't achieve it right now, such as frequent injuries or a lack of top-end speed.
Focus on 5-7 day averages for training adjustments
You should rarely adjust your training plan based on one day of wearable data; instead, look at 5-7 day rolling averages to identify meaningful trends.
Define failure as technical breakdown in exercise
For any exercise, failure should be defined as the point of diminished technical breakdown, not simply when you can no longer move the weight or continue the effort.
Prioritize tissue tolerance over fueling strategy in ultra-endurance events
In ultra-endurance events, the number one limiter is tissue tolerance—whether your body can physically handle the volume—which is far more important than your bioenergetic or fueling strategy.
Prioritize movement quality to enhance fitness safely
Skill, or moving your body efficiently, is the most important fitness adaptation, and if your movement quality is below average, there is little point in adding volume or load due to high injury risk.
Prioritize exercise for successful long-term weight maintenance
While nutrition is the primary driver for fat loss, exercise is a very strong correlate for successful long-term weight maintenance, not the initial calorie burning.
Implement structured training to overcome perceived plateaus
Most people who think they've plateaued are not actually on a structured, progressively measured training program but are just doing a muddled mix of the same thing without a specific demand to drive adaptation.
Limit 'red zone' workouts to two to four per month
The average person with a real job and life can only handle two to four 'red zone' workouts per month, which are the all-out efforts where you 'touch death.'.
