Wim Hof, Iceman

Kelly Starrett said about Wim Hof, "some of the most important work that is being done in understanding the human body."  Wim Hof, also known as The Iceman, is brining a technique to light that will require thousands maybe millions of books to be re-written.  He has proven now in university studies that he can voluntarily control his autonomic (which is thought to be involuntary) nervous system.  Not only that but he has proven to be able to train people in less than ten days the same technique, giving them the ability to control their autonomic nervous system.  Click the link for more info and a link to the actual study. http://www.wimhofmethod.com/scientific-proof-wim-hof-method/ 

What has been proven in the research setting is only the tip of the iceberg (no pun intended), according to Wim.  The realm of possibilities that opens up with his methods are endless.  Even related to exercise, if we had the ability to control our autonomic response, our training abilities would have infinite potential.  I understand this is a big statement and some people may be on the yeah-right side of things, and that's fine, but consider some of his world records, especially the last one (what the link above is talking about)
Taken from Tim Ferriss website:

  • "In 2007, he climbed past the “death zone” altitude on Mount Everest (~7,500 meters) wearing nothing but shorts.
  • In 2009, Hof completed a full marathon above the polar circle in Finland, in temperatures close to −20 °C (−4 °F). Dressed in nothing but shorts, Hof finished in 5 hours and 25 minutes.
  • Hof holds the current Guinness World Record for the longest ice bath, now set at 1 hour 53 minutes and 12 seconds.

But it’s not just cold.

  • In 2011, he ran a full marathon in the Namib Desert without water. The run was performed under the supervision of Dr. Thijs Eijsvogels. He can also run at altitude without suffering from altitude sickness.
  • In the same year, he was injected with toxins under doctor supervision and demonstrated that he could effectively control his autonomic immune response. Wim was able to raise his cortisol levels and lower his blood concentrations of cytokines (inflammatory mediators) using solely his meditation and prep techniques."

 If you're interested in learning more, Wim has been on some popular podcasts and Vice did a documentary on him.  His latest was on the Joe Rogan podcast, highly recommended, linked below.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np0jGp6442A

Workout:

30 minute jog