The Gabby Reece Show

Strength means nothing if your nervous system never gets the signal to rest.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan, exercise physiologist and professor at UNC Chapel Hill, to break down sympathetic versus parasympathetic states, why "central nervous system fatigue" shows up in athletes and high performers alike, and how recovery, not more output, is often the missing lever. We get into simple breathwork, the role of community and mindset in downregulation, and how nutrition, hydration, and hormones shape your capacity to handle stress at every life stage.

This isn't about doing less. It's about learning to periodize the push so you can sustain it.

What we explore:
- Sprint-then-rest cycles, and why sustainable performance depends on both.
- Sympathetic vs. parasympathetic states, explained in plain terms.
- Diaphragmatic breathwork, the two-minute reset that works anywhere.
- Burnout warning signs in high performers and athletes.
- Recovery tech, from hyperbaric chambers to guided vibration therapy.
- Hormones and midlife, and their direct impact on nervous system regulation.

Chapters:

00:00 What Is Proof of Practice With Gabby and Abbie
03:19 Why You Can't Sprint Forever Without Burning Out
05:29 Sympathetic vs Parasympathetic Nervous System Explained
07:47 How to Recognize Franticness Before It Takes Over
11:41 The Breathwork Trick: Belly First, Longer Exhale
18:12 Why Pushing Hard Without Recovery Backfires
25:03 Burnout Warning Signs in Athletes and High Performers
37:32 Inside the Hyperbaric Chamber and Shiftwave Chair Setup
44:29 Why Under-Eating Sabotages Cortisol and Recovery
47:41 Hydration, Supplements, and Microdosing After 50
54:39 How Hormones Affect Your Nervous System in Midlife
56:46 How to Regulate Your Nervous System Under Load

About Dr. Abby Smith-Ryan:
Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan is a professor of exercise physiology and nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she directs the Applied Physiology Laboratory. Her research focuses on exercise and nutrition interventions for body composition, metabolism, and women's health across the lifespan, including perimenopause and menopause.

Connect with Dr. Abby Smith-Ryan:
Website: http://asmithryan.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asmithryan/

This episode is sponsored by:

TRUE NUTRITION:
👉 Get 20% off your first custom blend at truenutrition.com/GABBY with code GABBY

–

The Gabby Reece Show

This is where I have real conversations with the people I find most worth listening to: scientists, athletes, coaches, parents, and thinkers who are doing the hard work of building a life that holds up over time. No hacks. No quick fixes. Just honest, practical conversations about performance, longevity, relationships, and what it actually takes to show up well at every age.

If you are here, you probably already know that health is not a destination. It is how you live. I am glad you are along for it.

Connect with Gabby Reece:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbyreeceofficial
Website: https://gabriellereece.com

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Produced by Dear Media.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A great coach can change the entire direction of a person's life.

I sat down with John Cook, a four-time national championship volleyball coach and the winningest coach in Nebraska volleyball history. We talk about coaching with love, building deep relationships with players, coaching his own daughter, and staying in the game for over three decades without losing yourself in it.
What we explore:
- Why burnout forced John to completely rebuild his coaching style after winning a national championship.
- How "build deep relationships" became the foundation of a culture that won four national titles.
- What changes when you coach your own daughter, and how they kept the relationship intact.
- Why women need to bond before they compete, and what that means for leading any team.
- How three daily questions kept John grounded through 25 years at the same program.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro
01:36 Daughter Quits UCLA Volleyball, Comes Home
04:32 How to Learn a New Sport Fast
07:54 Why a Growth Mindset Wins Championships
10:45 Coaching Burnout: How I Learned to Coach With Love
14:02 How to Build Deep Relationships With Your Team
17:04 Coaching Men vs Women: Key Differences
18:20 How to Protect Your Team Culture
22:40 How to Build Leaders Using Team Themes
32:21 3 Daily Questions Every Leader Should Ask
40:18 How to Know When It's Time to Retire
4313 Is NCAA Money Bad for College Athletes
52:26 3 Ways to Beat Coaching Burnout
56:59 From Head Coach to General Manager
1:04:58 Why Athletes Struggle With Imposter Syndrome

About John Cook:
John Cook is the winningest coach in Nebraska volleyball history and a four-time NCAA national champion. Over 32 years as a college head coach, including 25 seasons at Nebraska, he built one of the most successful programs in college athletics and became known for developing leaders as much as athletes. He now serves as Co-Owner and General Manager of the Omaha Supernovas.

Connect with John Cook:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johncook_2/

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This episode is sponsored by:

ONESKIN: Skin longevity backed by real science, not a 10-step routine.
👉 Get 15% off OneSkin with the code GABBYREECE at https://www.oneskin.co/GABBYREECE #oneskinpod

TIMELINE: Support your cells and how you age with Mitopure® Gummies from Timeline.
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–

The Gabby Reece Show

This is where I have real conversations with the people I find most worth listening to: scientists, athletes, coaches, parents, and thinkers who are doing the hard work of building a life that holds up over time. No hacks. No quick fixes. Just honest, practical conversations about performance, longevity, relationships, and what it actually takes to show up well at every age.

If you are here, you probably already know that health is not a destination. It is how you live. I am glad you are along for it.

Connect with Gabby Reece:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbyreeceofficial
Website: https://gabriellereece.com

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Produced by Dear Media.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Self-defense isn't about knowing the moves. It's about knowing yourself well enough to rarely need them.

I sat down with Cesalina Gracie, a self-defense educator and first-time Everest summiter. We cover the fundamentals of women's safety, the Everest expedition, and the through-line that connects both: physical training builds emotional resilience.

What we explore:
- Women's safety: why mindset and presence matter more than technique.
- The freeze response: why women freeze under threat, and how preparation overrides it.
- Everest: what 50 days on the mountain taught about fear, self-advocacy, and decision-making under real pressure.
- Physical training as emotional resilience: why strength in the body is the foundation for strength everywhere else.
- Identity and self-trust: cutting the word "when" from your life and betting on yourself before anyone else does.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro
02:00 Awareness, Prevention, and Taking Up Space
05:00 How Engaging First Defuses a Threat
08:30 55% of Your Safety Is Non-Verbal
13:00 Why Avoidance Is the Real Self-Defense Skill
16:00 Why Women Freeze (And Why It's Not Their Fault)
20:15 The Modern Women Safety System Explained
26:00 Teaching Girls to Trust Their Gut
30:30 The One Belief Every Woman Needs
35:00 Champions vs. Winners: The Internal Constitution
40:15 Why Cesalina Said Yes to Everest
44:00 Training for Everest: Pull-Ups and 9-Hour Days
48:30 What Acclimatization Really Feels Like
51:30 The Invisible Contract She Made on the Mountain
57:30 Self-Defense at 20,000 Feet
01:05:00 What Everest Proved About Jujitsu
01:19:30 Why Preparation Creates Peace, Not Anxiety
01:24:00 "Your Life Will Find You"
01:28:30 Gabby's Leading Question: What's the Point?
01:31:00 Cesalina's Next Chapter

About Cesalina Gracie:
A self-defense educator and women's safety advocate from the Gracie family - the Brazilian jiu-jitsu dynasty that changed martial arts. She is the creator of the Modern Women Safety System and, in 2024, became one of the few women to summit Mount Everest on her first attempt.

Connect with Cesalina Gracie:
Website: https://cesalina.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/cesalinagracie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cesagracie/

–

The Gabby Reece Show

This is where I have real conversations with the people I find most worth listening to: scientists, athletes, coaches, parents, and thinkers who are doing the hard work of building a life that holds up over time. No hacks. No quick fixes. Just honest, practical conversations about performance, longevity, relationships, and what it actually takes to show up well at every age.

If you are here, you probably already know that health is not a destination. It is how you live. I am glad you are along for it.

Connect with Gabby Reece:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbyreeceofficial
Website: https://gabriellereece.com

Produced by Dear Media.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After 40, building and keeping muscle gets harder, joints take longer to recover, and the training volume that used to work starts costing more than it returns.

I sit down with Jesse Salas, movement coach and Foundation Training specialist, and Steve Munatones, co-creator of KAATSU Global, to break down how KAATSU actually works, who it's for, and how to use it to build muscle, support recovery, and extend the years you stay physically capable.

What we explore:
- How blood flow restriction training builds muscle with less load and less joint stress, especially after 40.
- Why vascular health is trainable, and how daily KAATSU use improves circulation, recovery, and energy over time.
- What the 12-minute post-KAATSU growth hormone window is and how to use it for performance or physical therapy.
- How KAATSU supports nervous system recovery and why it's being used for stress, sleep, and PTSD protocols.
- Who KAATSU is actually for: aging adults, injured athletes, sedentary beginners, and everyone in between.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro
03:48 KAATSU Origins: Dr. Sato and the Aging Population
07:37 How Blood Flow Restriction Actually Works
09:32 Muscle Quality vs. Heavy Lifting
13:19 Daily KAATSU Use and Cumulative Benefits
17:29 Lactate, Healing Hormones, and Pain Relief
20:16 Steve's 13 Years Training Under Dr. Sato
25:20 KAATSU for Weight Loss and Pre-Diabetes
49:50 KAATSU and Barbell Training: Strength Protocols
57:22 Vascular Elasticity and Metabolic Longevity
01:05:14 The 12-Minute Growth Hormone Window
01:08:56 Nervous System Recovery: PTSD and Stress
01:13:09 Habit Design: Getting the Bands On Daily
01:40:48 Hydration and Fueling for KAATSU Training
01:47:25 Core, Posture, and Foundation Training
01:48:57 How to Get Started with KAATSU

About Jesse Salas:
Movement coach, former firefighter, and Foundation Training specialist. Jesse integrates KAATSU with breathwork and movement fundamentals to help athletes and everyday people train smarter, recover faster, and stay injury-free.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachjsalas/

About Steve Munatones:
Co-founder of KAATSU Global and the person who brought Dr. Yoshiaki Sato's research from Japan to the world. After 13 years of direct training under Dr. Sato, Munatones has applied the technology across Olympic athletes, rehab patients, and aging populations on every level.

Website: https://www.kaatsu.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaatsu_global/

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This episode is sponsored by:

AX3: Clean supplements, real standards.
👉 Visit ax3.life and use code GABBY for 20% OFF your first order at https://www.ax3.life

RITUAL: So sit back and raise a glass to your new evening Ritual with Magnesium+
👉 Save 25% on your first month at http://Ritual.com/GABBY. That’s http://Ritual.com/GABBY for 25% off your first month.

–

The Gabby Reece Show

This is where I have real conversations with the people I find most worth listening to: scientists, athletes, coaches, parents, and thinkers who are doing the hard work of building a life that holds up over time. No hacks. No quick fixes. Just honest, practical conversations about performance, longevity, relationships, and what it actually takes to show up well at every age.

If you are here, you probably already know that health is not a destination. It is how you live. I am glad you are along for it.

Connect with Gabby Reece:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbyreeceofficial
Website: https://gabriellereece.com

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Produced by Dear Media.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There's no shortage of health advice. You don't need another supplement, another protocol, or another expert telling you what to optimize. What most people actually need is a better way to organize what already matters.

This week I'm sharing the six pillars I've built my health around for the last 30 years of training, competing, raising a family, and running businesses. Not a program. Not a trend. A set of pillars that tested whether the system actually holds.

Habitat, mindset, breath, nutrition, movement, recovery, and connection. These aren't new ideas. They're the ones that keep showing up no matter what the research cycle says this week. The goal isn't perfection across all of them. The goal is to know where you are, keep heading in the right direction and how to build your own version - because yours won't look exactly like mine, and it shouldn't.

What we explore:
- How your external and internal habitat - light, air, self-talk, and unresolved business - shapes your health more than most people realize.
- Why mindset only works when it's grounded in your actual values, not the ones you think you're supposed to have.
- How to use breath as a practical tool for down-regulation, activation, and recovery without needing a formal practice.
- What I eat, how I think about protein and carbohydrates at different life stages, and why I finally went on hormone therapy at 56.
- Why connection - starting with yourself - is the most biologically primitive and most neglected pillar of all.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:20 The 6 Pillars That Actually Move the Needle
04:28 Small Home Changes That Reduce Your Toxic Load
06:01 Align Your Mindset With Your Real Values
11:30 Breathwork for Calm, Energy, and Better Sleep
16:38 How to Eat for Your Age, Activity, and Life Stage
19:41 Intermittent Fasting Rules Are Different for Women
22:38 How to Train Hard Without Injuring Yourself
28:24 Sauna, Cold Exposure, and Active Recovery Habits
32:05 Why Connection Starts With Yourself First
34:32 What 30 Years of Marriage Taught Gabby About Honesty
37:35 Hamilton House: Living the Pillars With Community

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This episode is sponsored by:

AX3: Clean supplements, real standards.
👉 Visit ax3.life and use code GABBY for 20% OFF your first order at https://www.ax3.life

ANNMARIE: Upgrade your skin care routine with these tried-and-true products today
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TRUE NUTRITION: Once you've had a protein you actually look forward to, you won't go back!
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–

The Gabby Reece Show

This is where I have real conversations with the people I find most worth listening to: scientists, athletes, coaches, parents, and thinkers who are doing the hard work of building a life that holds up over time. No hacks. No quick fixes. Just honest, practical conversations about performance, longevity, relationships, and what it actually takes to show up well at every age.

If you are here, you probably already know that health is not a destination. It is how you live. I am glad you are along for it.

Connect with Gabby Reece:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbyreeceofficial
Website: https://gabriellereece.com

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Produced by Dear Media.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.