3: Drs. Holden and Priscilla MacRae – Thoughts on the WLC

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The inaugural episode of the “Whole Life Challenge” interview series!

In this episode, I interview Drs. Holden and Priscilla MacRae from Pepperdine University’s Sports Medicine Division about the science of health and fitness, and how it relates to the Whole Life Challenge’s Seven Daily Habits. Here are some of the highlights…

• I was surprised to learn that there’s a “magical” time to go to bed. Dr. Holden MacRae explains that the time of day you go to sleep impacts your performance more than how many hours you sleep.
• Dr. Priscilla MacRae says that 10-minute bouts of exercise (as required under the Whole Life Challenge) are preferable, though Dr. Holden has a slightly different take on duration.
• Dr. Holden MacRae blames the federal government for making dietary recommendations that aren’t based on valid science, and weighs in on whether consistency, duration, or intensity of a workout matters more.

They also explain what shifted in their own lives when they took the Whole Life Challenge (though Dr. Holden MacRae says there’s one food that he will never give up during a Challenge).

Dr. Holden MacRae is a professor of sports medicine and director of the exercise physiology laboratory at Pepperdine University. His research and years of experience in the lab have focused primarily on the areas of human performance, exercise metabolism and the science of sports performance. Dr. Priscilla MacRae is a professor of sports medicine and director of the Motor Behavior Laboratory at Pepperdine. She is the co-author of Physical Dimensions of Aging and is a specialist in the brain’s behavior as it relates to exercise.

Andy Petranek

Andy is what you’d call a modern day Renaissance Man: a former professional trumpeter who attended the Eastman School of Music; a snowboarder, mountain biker, surfer, kayaker, outrigger paddler, mountaineer, and former Marine (Gulf War veteran); a professionally sponsored adventure racer; and the oldest participant to qualify for and participate in the CrossFit Games at the age of 43.

Andy is a certified CHEK Practitioner and holistic lifestyle coach. He holds a spectrum of certifications from CrossFit and is also a Vivobarefoot certified running coach. He has trained as a Zen buddhist and graduated with a Master’s degree in spiritual psychology from the University of Santa Monica.

Andy founded CrossFit LA one of the first and most successful CrossFit training centers in the world and the first to be featured in national media. He is the co-founder of the Whole Life Challenge, Inc, currently its president, and is also a consultant and life/business coach. Andy lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Julia, and son, Dashel.