The Macro Perspective

Marcos Rivera and Seamus Sullivan
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Biweekly

Join Marcos Rivera and Seamus Sullivan as they share insights about health perspectives including fitness, nutrition, and self-awareness from a macro lens.

  1. 4h ago

    KetoneIQ for Body, Brain and Business w/ Michael Brandt, EP 220

    Ketones are moving from niche biohacking circles into the mainstream. Michael Brandt, CEO and co-founder of KetoneIQ, joins to explain how he built a new category—and why ketones may have a role beyond sports performance. Michael traces his path from Stanford and YouTube to the run that sparked KetoneIQ, breaking down ketones as an energy source, how they differ from caffeine, and why he calls them a "fourth macronutrient." The conversation turns practical: using ketones for workouts and focused work, pairing them with carbs, and what to know about fasting and blood glucose. Beyond the science, Michael shares what it took to create demand for a brand-new product, educate consumers, and stay focused on one core offering—plus how AI might make future wellness tools simpler and more personalized Timestamps: 00:00 Introducing Michael Brandt 01:29 Building New Category 03:24 Stanford To Performance 07:35 The Spark Run 08:54 Problem Ketones Solve 09:48 Energy Source Explained 11:14 Who Uses Ketones 14:24 Ketones Plus Carbs 15:43 Fourth Macronutrient Explained 17:05 Nutrition Fundamentals Defined 19:37 Ketone Product Landscape 22:09 Convenience Matters Most 27:37 Reducing Wellness Friction 29:12 AI And Biology 35:18 Health Still Complicated 44:30 Why 10 Grams 48:00 Ketones And Glucose 51:10 Ketones While Fasting 53:42 Growth And Strategy 55:07 Focus On One 61:50 Educating Building Trust 67:03 Matching Message Audiences 70:27 Knowledge Workers Key 74:09 Where To Find 74:46 Closing Thoughts You can find The Macro Perspective and its hosts here: Instagram  Marcos   Seamus   TikTok  YouTube   Facebook   Apple Podcast  About the Podcast: The Macro Perspective is hosted by Marcos Rivera and Seamus Sullivan, and was born from a simple but powerful mission: to help people take ownership of their health and lives. As performance health coaches, they've spent their careers empowering clients to think critically, stay curious, and make informed choices—not just in fitness, but in all aspects of life. This podcast is an extension of that mission, bringing insightful conversations that challenge, educate, and inspire.

    KetoneIQ for Body, Brain and Business w/ Michael Brandt, EP 220

  2. Sep 28

    Brown's Gas for Energy Efficiency and Inhalation Therapy w/ George Wiseman, EP 219

    George Wiseman joins Marcos and Seamus to discuss invention, mechanical problem-solving, and Brown's gas. The conversation traces Wiseman's path from fuel-efficiency experiments to claims about hydrogen therapy, with the hosts pressing on the science, safety, and need for further research behind Brown’s Gas. Timestamps: 00:00 — Guest Introduction 01:32 — Ranch Origin Story 03:57 — Early Mileage Results 05:54 — Problem-Solving Thinking 07:15 — Parenting And Confidence 14:52 — Fuel Injection Shift 15:22 — Defining Brown's Gas 16:21 — Fuel Economy Claims 17:20 — Electrolysers For Cutting 18:13 — Plant Growth Experiments 21:07 — Drinking Gas Water 22:34 — Inhalation Safety Limits 23:59 — Caring For Wife 25:51 — Beginning Inhalation Story 28:19 — Lupus Testimonials Shared 29:42 — Cancer Testimonials, Aquacure 31:09 — Hydrogen And Body 33:32 — Brown's Gas Vs. Hydrogen 36:30 — Microbiome Hydrogen Support 37:27 — Biohacking Possible Testing 40:01 — Why No Patents 45:49 — Tesla, Suppressed Tech 47:16 — Self-Running Engine Challenge 49:05 — Fuel Vaporization, Hycosystem 50:02 — Hydrogen Therapy Basics 52:03 — Practitioners Using Tech 53:53 — E5 Device Signals 55:19 — Heart Pressure Questions 56:16 — EZ Gel, Pollack 58:43 — Research Account Shared 60:02 — Peer Review Questions 64:59 — 2007 Ionizer Study 66:26 — Hydrogen Versus pH 67:56 — COVID Claims, Testimonials 70:27 — Hosts' Skepticism Voiced 71:51 — Long-Term Use Changes 73:48 — Exposure Safety Risks 75:37 — Duration Over Concentration 77:07 — Using While Traveling 79:41 — Yule Brown, Applications 82:43 — Where To Find You can find The Macro Perspective and its hosts here: Instagram  Marcos   Seamus   TikTok  YouTube   Facebook   Apple Podcast  About the Podcast: The Macro Perspective is hosted by Marcos Rivera and Seamus Sullivan, and was born from a simple but powerful mission: to help people take ownership of their health and lives. As performance health coaches, they've spent their careers empowering clients to think critically, stay curious, and make informed choices—not just in fitness, but in all aspects of life. This podcast is an extension of that mission, bringing insightful conversations that challenge, educate, and inspire.

    Brown's Gas for Energy Efficiency and Inhalation Therapy w/ George Wiseman, EP 219

  3. Sep 21

    VO2 and Benchmark Body Metrics w/ Stephen Olsen, EP 218

    Marcos and Seamus sit down with Stephen Olson of Benchmark Body Metrics to dig into VO2 max testing, metabolic carts, DEXA scans, blood work, and wearable accuracy. Stephen breaks down what VO2 testing can and cannot tell us, why protocols should be individualized, and what his sauna experiments revealed about metabolism. They also cover aerobic base training, zone two, and why the right data helps people drop their ego and train for their actual goals. Timestamps: 00:00 — Meet Stephen Olson01:00 — Stephen's wellness clinic02:15 — Testing women accurately04:35 — Metabolic carts explained06:32 — Walking vs running09:08 — VO2 testing equipment10:04 — VO2 Master limitations12:54 — Reliable VO2 protocols13:55 — SkiErg rower bike14:47 — Goal-driven testing16:38 — Zone two intervals18:33 — Stephen's wattage tests20:21 — Sauna metabolism test22:01 — Sauna experiment results25:41 — Blood work markers28:21 — Genetics and VO230:26 — VO2 isn't fitness32:39 — Protocols distort results36:00 — Adapting client protocols37:48 — No universal protocol40:36 — VO2 test length42:34 — Assessments drive change43:31 — Stephen's training journey45:27 — Data helped Stephen48:23 — Aerobic base building51:10 — Individualized endurance training53:36 — Body composition changes57:54 — Concept2 calorie accuracy59:13 — Wearable calorie accuracy63:25 — Don't trust wearables64:46 — Step count differences70:30 — Stephen's biggest lessons71:56 — Can't outrun diet73:23 — Future experiment ideas77:26 — Nutritional periodization fueling78:08 — Closing thoughts follow You can find The Macro Perspective and its hosts here: Instagram  Marcos   Seamus   TikTok  YouTube   Facebook   Apple Podcast  About the Podcast: The Macro Perspective is hosted by Marcos Rivera and Seamus Sullivan, and was born from a simple but powerful mission: to help people take ownership of their health and lives. As performance health coaches, they've spent their careers empowering clients to think critically, stay curious, and make informed choices—not just in fitness, but in all aspects of life. This podcast is an extension of that mission, bringing insightful conversations that challenge, educate, and inspire.

    VO2 and Benchmark Body Metrics w/ Stephen Olsen, EP 218

  4. Sep 14

    CrowdHealth, Health Shares and Insurance, EP 217

    Marcos and Seamus dig into CrowdHealth, the fast-growing healthcare crowdfunding model marketing itself as a secular, for-profit alternative to both traditional insurance and faith-based health shares. From $300 specialist bills to a $32,000 NICU stay, they stress-test the model against real financial stakes — and ask the question most people avoid until it's too late: are you actually buying protection, or just funding a system built to be confusing? TimeStamps 00:00 — Intro to CrowdHealth 00:31 — How CrowdHealth Works 01:28 — Fees and Rates 02:16 — Pros and Cons 03:22 — Premiums vs Coverage 04:35 — Hidden Admin Costs 05:02 — Funding Preventive Care 06:32 — Cost of Screenings 07:18 — Copays Over Time 08:39 — NICU Cost Story 09:50 — Healthcare Investment Fund 10:57 — Self-Funded Healthcare 12:10 — Negotiating Medical Bills 13:11 — AI for Negotiation 14:11 — CrowdHealth's Limitations 15:35 — Faith-Based Alternatives 16:33 — Pre-Existing Conditions 17:14 — Risk Without Coverage 18:09 — Who Pays In 19:25 — No Price Transparency 20:13 — Emergency Care Pressure 21:19 — In-N-Out Lesson 22:38 — Misaligned Incentives 24:25 — Shopping for Healthcare 25:20 — EpiPen Pricing 27:08 — Future of Pricing 28:09 — Functional Medicine Testing 31:29 — Concierge vs Affordability 33:01 — Crowdfunding Pros/Cons 34:18 — When Insurance Wins 35:42 — Tax Deductions Explained 37:41 — Negotiation Benefits 38:47 — Review Your Bills 39:25 — Tax Strategy Tips 40:48 — Listener Experiences Wanted 41:10 — Closing Thoughts You can find The Macro Perspective and its hosts here: Instagram  Marcos   Seamus   TikTok  YouTube   Facebook   Apple Podcast  About the Podcast: The Macro Perspective is hosted by Marcos Rivera and Seamus Sullivan, and was born from a simple but powerful mission: to help people take ownership of their health and lives. As performance health coaches, they've spent their careers empowering clients to think critically, stay curious, and make informed choices—not just in fitness, but in all aspects of life. This podcast is an extension of that mission, bringing insightful conversations that challenge, educate, and inspire.

    CrowdHealth, Health Shares and Insurance, EP 217

  5. Sep 7

    FitFlation In a Physique Attention Economy, EP 216

    Marcos and Seamus break down how social media inflates fitness standards, why "average" now feels low, and why comparing yourself to your past self beats comparing yourself to the algorithm. Timestamps 00:00 - Defining fitflation 01:20 - Weight gain, body image 03:10 - Attention economy content 04:05 - Idealized aesthetic creation 05:03 - Content triggers action 05:31 - Image becomes product 05:53 - Competing for attention 08:26 - Repeated content formats 09:37 - Looksmaxing conditioning effects 10:07 - Progress feels insufficient 11:04 - Guilt and optimization 11:59 - DEXA scans, progress 12:53 - GLP meds, regain 13:37 - Aesthetics vs performance 14:34 - Training to look good 15:01 - Aesthetics in fitness culture 16:02 - Chasing better physique 17:02 - Training as checklist 17:56 - Action movies' influence 18:12 - Old-school body ideals 19:14 - Superhero physique standards 21:02 - Larger-than-life bodies 23:27 - Childhood identity, insecurity 25:05 - Interests shape belonging 26:04 - Genetics, family comparison 27:28 - Pre-social-media training 28:38 - Fitflation in real-time 29:08 - Lifelong improvement pursuit 30:12 - Performance goals freeing 31:11 - Physique follows performance 32:42 - Comparing past self 33:40 - Coaching, everyday movement 34:36 - Fueling endurance training 35:48 - Real coaching conversations 36:36 - Always someone better-looking 37:14 - Healthier social media diet 38:13 - Positive engagement online 39:04 - Final thoughts, values You can find The Macro Perspective and its hosts here: Instagram  Marcos   Seamus   TikTok  YouTube   Facebook   Apple Podcast  About the Podcast: The Macro Perspective is hosted by Marcos Rivera and Seamus Sullivan, and was born from a simple but powerful mission: to help people take ownership of their health and lives. As performance health coaches, they've spent their careers empowering clients to think critically, stay curious, and make informed choices—not just in fitness, but in all aspects of life. This podcast is an extension of that mission, bringing insightful conversations that challenge, educate, and inspire.

    FitFlation In a Physique Attention Economy, EP 216

  6. Aug 31

    Eli Lilly Retatutride Lawsuits, EP 215

    Eli Lilly has filed lawsuits against multiple US companies for allegedly selling black market retatrutide and counterfeit GLP products, even before the drug's official 2027 launch. Marcos Rivera and Seamus break down what's driving gray market demand, and why the bigger story isn't the drug itself, it's what health, aesthetics, insurance incentives, and social media are shaping people to believe "better" looks like. Time Stamps 00:00 — Fitflation intro discussion01:20 — Client health scare03:10 — Physique becomes monetized04:05 — Instagram body template05:53 — Podcasting for attention08:26 — Trend copying spreads10:07 — Never feeling finished11:59 — DEXA scan surprises12:53 — GLP cycle statistics13:37 — Israetel's aesthetic revolution17:02 — Psychological enough problem18:12 — 80s action heroes19:14 — Superhero body transformations23:27 — Childhood self image26:16 — Dad's arm genetics28:38 — Maintenance feels frustrating30:12 — Performance vs physique32:11 — Coaching kids movement34:33 — Fueling ultra race37:14 — Social media anxiety39:04 — Closing fitflation thoughts You can find The Macro Perspective and its hosts here: Instagram  Marcos   Seamus   TikTok  YouTube   Facebook   Apple Podcast  About the Podcast: The Macro Perspective is hosted by Marcos Rivera and Seamus Sullivan, and was born from a simple but powerful mission: to help people take ownership of their health and lives. As performance health coaches, they've spent their careers empowering clients to think critically, stay curious, and make informed choices—not just in fitness, but in all aspects of life. This podcast is an extension of that mission, bringing insightful conversations that challenge, educate, and inspire.

    Eli Lilly Retatutride Lawsuits, EP 215

  7. Aug 24

    Health Brand Acquisitions and Consumer Trust, EP 214

    When big companies buy trusted health and food brands…Thorne, Primal Kitchen, RXBAR, Perfect Bar, Pure Encapsulations…what actually changes? Seamus and Marcos dig into how scaling shifts size, taste, texture, and trust even when the branding doesn't. They cover label transparency, pricing psychology, and the tradeoffs between convenience, quality, and cost, closing with a simple takeaway: know what you're really paying for. Timestamps: 00:00 - Workspace setup thoughts 02:05 - Why brands get bought 03:06 - Primal Kitchen oil claims 04:35 - RXBAR acquisition changes 05:18 - Texture shift post-acquisition 06:17 - Moisture and shelf-life 07:53 - Niche products get bought 08:59 - Marcos stops buying RXBAR 10:24 - Quest Bars recipe standardization 12:13 - Bar size shrinkage matters 13:21 - Shrinkflation and package counts 14:02 - UC Davis oil testing 17:03 - Proving ingredient authenticity 18:02 - Avocado oil chip psychology 19:59 - Primal Kitchen's public defense 21:06 - Lower-oil dressing preference 22:11 - Walden Farms flavor tradeoffs 24:00 - Fake ice cream versus chocolate 25:09 - Yogurt bowl calorie math 27:02 - Skepticism after acquisitions 28:25 - Free range label loopholes 30:07 - Brand trust and culture 31:01 - Raw Bars sampling phase 34:42 - Perfect Bar stays independent 35:45 - Thorne's $3.8B sale 37:39 - Thorne versus Pure Encapsulations 39:37 - Sourcing matters more 40:29 - Protein Doritos psychology 41:41 - Cost Plus Drugs pricing 42:28 - Generic transparency value 44:16 - Price transparency changes choices 45:33 - Acquisitions and margin race 47:39 - Founders influence quality 49:14 - Membership-based health models 50:30 - Spend money, save time 51:16 - When expertise is worth it 52:14 - Duct tape plumbing logic You can find The Macro Perspective and its hosts here: Instagram  Marcos   Seamus   TikTok  YouTube   Facebook   Apple Podcast  About the Podcast: The Macro Perspective is hosted by Marcos Rivera and Seamus Sullivan, and was born from a simple but powerful mission: to help people take ownership of their health and lives. As performance health coaches, they've spent their careers empowering clients to think critically, stay curious, and make informed choices—not just in fitness, but in all aspects of life. This podcast is an extension of that mission, bringing insightful conversations that challenge, educate, and inspire.

    Health Brand Acquisitions and Consumer Trust, EP 214

  8. Aug 17

    Exercise Physiology for Women w/ Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, EP 213

    In this episode, Marcos and Seamus are joined by Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, PhD in Integrative Physiology and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist. She's a researcher and science communicator specializing in female physiology, exercise, and nutrition, with extensive hands-on experience helping hundreds of women through every stage of life. Dr. Colenso-Semple co-owns the MASS Research Review, bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and practical strategies for coaches and trainers, and is known for fact-checking fitness and nutrition myths spread by online influencers. Her blend of scientific rigor and real-world coaching experience makes her a go-to voice for evidence-based guidance for women at every life stage. Time Stamps 0:01 — Intro & guest 1:17 — Lauren's origin story 3:26 — Science vs. anecdote 6:56 — Anecdote vs. literature 12:08 — Hormone fear-mongering 17:45 — Social media clickbait 21:24 — Supplement examples 27:08 — Body composition goals 32:15 — Cycle syncing discussion 37:32 — Knee injuries aside 40:39 — Athlete readiness beliefs 44:45 — Contraceptives & bone density 48:30 — Wearables & heart rate 51:16 — Cortisol fear-mongering 55:44 — Insulin/cortisol parallels 58:38 — Data overload autonomy 62:02 — Coaching with grace 63:51 — Pregnancy training intro 66:29 — Pregnancy research limits 68:42 — Practical pregnancy implications 72:27 — Female life-stage individualization 75:45 — Closing thoughts & outro You can find The Macro Perspective and its hosts here: Instagram  Marcos   Seamus   TikTok  YouTube   Facebook   Apple Podcast  About the Podcast: The Macro Perspective is hosted by Marcos Rivera and Seamus Sullivan, and was born from a simple but powerful mission: to help people take ownership of their health and lives. As performance health coaches, they've spent their careers empowering clients to think critically, stay curious, and make informed choices—not just in fitness, but in all aspects of life. This podcast is an extension of that mission, bringing insightful conversations that challenge, educate, and inspire.

    Exercise Physiology for Women w/ Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, EP 213
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About

Join Marcos Rivera and Seamus Sullivan as they share insights about health perspectives including fitness, nutrition, and self-awareness from a macro lens.

Information

  • Creator
    Marcos Rivera and Seamus Sullivan
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    241
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Marcos Rivera and Seamus Sullivan
  • Show Website
    The Macro Perspective

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