Rise And Shine

Chris J. Dunn
  • 5.0 (2)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

This show is for anyone who believes our potential has no preset. Rather, we are the authors of our own Epic Hero's Story. I'll share what I've learned over the last four decades about human performance and potential in short easily consumed episodes. As an exercise physiologist I have developed a deep understanding of the scientific theories of human performance. But time and again I have witnessed ordinary people do extraordinary things which are not easily explained by 'science'. This show is about the keys that unlock those performances.

  1. 6D AGO

    E11: Stop Digging: Why More Training Isn't Always Better

    Have you ever hit a training plateau despite showing up consistently and doing the work? You’re not alone—and the solution isn’t always pushing harder. In this episode, we dig into why endurance athletes often stall and how most plateaus are caused not by a lack of effort, but by poorly timed stress and recovery. We break down the concept of supercompensation—the process where your body adapts to training stress and gets stronger—and explain the difference between functional overreaching and non-functional overreaching. Learn how to use tools like Training Stress Balance (TSB) to track readiness, avoid overtraining, and optimize performance gains. By the end of this episode, you’ll understand: Why plateaus happen even when you’re consistent The critical role of recovery in turning stress into fitness How to recognize purposeful fatigue versus performance-sapping fatigue The timing strategies that make supercompensation work in your favor Stop guessing. Stop digging deeper holes. Start building higher ground—and earn the performance gains you’re working so hard for. Key Takeaways: Progress is about timing, not just effort. Every workout creates a temporary “hole” of depletion—recovery fills it and builds fitness. Functional overreaching feels like manageable fatigue; non-functional overreaching feels like something is quietly wrong. Tools like TSB, HRV, and sleep tracking can help you measure readiness and avoid unnecessary setbacks. Recommended For:Endurance athletes, coaches, and anyone looking to understand how to train smarter, not just harder. Interest in learning more about us? Visit www.ascendhumanperformancecoaching.com today.

    10 min

  2. MAR 2

    E10: AMA #1 Taking Up The Crown: Building A Meaningful Morning Routine

    Today’s episode is an AMA inspired by a listener question from Sherri in New Hampshire: “What’s a good morning routine to set yourself up for a successful day?” Before jumping into tactics, we start with an essential distinction: the difference between a routine and a ritual. A routine is a repeatable action that maintains order or capability. A ritual is an intentional action infused with meaning—one that shapes identity. The same behavior can be either. The difference isn’t what you do, but how consciously and intentionally you do it. From there, I walk you through my own Hour of Excellence—not as a prescription, but as a model you can adapt. Inspired by Robin Sharma’s 20/20/20 framework, this hour is divided into three phases: Move, Reflect, and Grow, each elevated through intentional ritual. We explore why morning is the moment when identity is either reclaimed or surrendered—when the sovereign self must be deliberately chosen before the world chooses it for you. Email, urgency, and reaction all compete for authority. The morning is when the crown is either taken up—or left on the floor. You’ll hear how small, repeatable actions—making the bed, breathwork, journaling, movement, and learning—can become formative when infused with intention. Through structured reflection, identity-based language, and deliberate closure, the morning becomes an arc: body → mind → meaning → action. This episode isn’t about productivity hacks or rigid schedules. It’s about understanding that: The power of a morning routine isn’t what you do—it’s who you become while doing it Ritual creates moral weight, and that’s why it works Excellence is embodied, not abstract Closure matters as much as initiation If this conversation offers one central insight, it’s this: A successful day doesn’t begin with efficiency. It begins with identity, intention, and a consciously chosen way of being carried forward into action. To learn more about the work we're doing with athletes, recreationalists, and business leaders head on over to www.ascendhumanperformancecoaching.com.

    10 min

  3. FEB 23

    E9: A Paddle, Pedal, & Midnight Sky in Maine

    On the surface, the cover art shows a calm, sunlit morning: two paddlers on Flagstaff Lake, the Bigelow Range rising in the distance. But as serene as that image looks, it only hints at the story behind it. In the summer of 2021, I joined my great adventure buddies Chris, Mindy, George, Emily & Elizabeth for a single-day, 50-mile human-powered traverse of Maine’s Carrabassett Valley: a paddle across Flagstaff Lake, a mountain bike leg on the Maine Huts & Trails carriage roads, and a full traverse of the rugged Bigelow Mountain Range. It was the Maine meeting of the Adventure Society—a group born out of the chaos of 2020, when races disappeared, plans evaporated, and adventure became our measure of endurance. Along the way, we encountered haunting history in the shallow waters of Flagstaff Lake, overgrown trails blocked by unresolved land access disputes, and the unexpected presence of trail running legend Scott Jurek—quietly attempting a southbound Appalachian Trail fastest known time. Jurek slowed to chat, listened to our story, and then continued on his monumental journey, leaving us in awe of his humility, curiosity, and kindness. Our day ended on the summit of Cranberry Peak under a sky so clear, so full of stars, that it literally stopped us in our tracks. Goosebumps, silence, shared awe—what psychologists call frisson. A moment of intense beauty and emotion that none of us will ever forget. This episode is a story about adventure without a finish line, about wilderness and history, about unexpected encounters, and about the moments that make us feel truly alive. For more information about our work with athletes, recreationalists, and business leaders head over to www.ascendhumanperformancecoaching.com.

    14 min

  4. FEB 16

    E8: Why The Starting Line Matters More Than You Think

    What if the starting line isn’t the beginning of the race—but the end of the work? In this episode of Rise & Shine, we explore a powerful mental reframe that emerged from a conversation with an athlete training for her first Boston Marathon. When asked to imagine standing on the starting line, she didn’t describe pressure or fear—she described gratitude and deep satisfaction for the work already done. This episode challenges the idea that training is about chasing outcomes and instead invites athletes to see preparation as a process of arrival. We unpack why visualizing how you want to feel—not just what you want to achieve—can be one of the most sustainable sources of motivation, especially when there’s no time goal attached. You’ll learn why the starting line can serve as a psychological handoff from effort to trust, how emotional visualization supports consistency during hard training blocks, and how redefining success can bring calm, confidence, and meaning into your performance. The episode closes with a guided visualization designed to help you rehearse arrival—so when your moment comes, you don’t feel pressure. You feel peace. To learn more about the work we're doing with athletes, recreationalists, and business leaders visit us at www.ascendhumanperformacnecoaching.com.

    11 min

  5. FEB 9

    E7: The Discipline Of Showing Up

    Some seasons don’t reward effort right away. Justin Rose began his pro golf career at 17—and then missed 21 straight cuts. No paychecks. No weekend rounds. No reassurance. Just long flights home and the pressure to keep showing up. What kept him going? He treated failure as feedback, reflected without judgment, and focused on small, controllable improvements—long before results arrived. In this episode, we explore what it really means to persevere when the scoreboard keeps saying not yet. You’ll learn how to turn setbacks into lessons, trust the process over outcomes, and keep showing up even when success feels invisible. Key takeaways: Perseverance is the work, not the reward Failure is evidence, not a verdict Reflection creates clarity and drives growth Focus on process, not outcomes Staying in the game matters more than proving yourself Where in your life can you keep showing up, even without immediate proof it’s working? That’s where real victories happen. To learn more about working with us please visit our website at www.ascendhumanperformancecoaching.com.

    9 min

  6. FEB 2

    E6: The Sustainable Warrior: Mastering The Art Of The Strategic Pause

    One of the most profound dilemmas an athlete faces is deciding when to "white-knuckle" through the pain and when to listen to the body’s plea for rest. In this episode, we dive deep into the tension between Grit—the relentless pursuit of passion and perseverance—and Grace—the practice of psychological self-compassion and kinetic efficiency. While we often view these as opposing forces, we explore how they actually function as two sides of the same coin. We break down the dangers of "Grit in Isolation," which can lead to overtraining, injury, and mental burnout, as well as the pitfalls of "Grace in Isolation," which can result in compassionate passivity and a lack of accountability. In this episode, you will learn: The Definitions: How to view grit as consistency of interest and grace as a tool for self-kindness.The Resistance Matrix: How to distinguish between "Resistance of Character" (fear, boredom, or hesitation) and "Resistance of Biology" (maladaptation, injury, or central nervous system fatigue).The Decision Framework: Practical markers—from Heart Rate Variability (HRV) to emotional volatility—that signal whether you should lean into an intentional push or a strategic pause.The "Sweet Spot": How to achieve a state of "relaxed alertness" where you are subjectively determined yet objectively responsive to your body’s needs.Join us as we bridge the gap between William James’s "extremity of distress" and Jonathan Edwards’s "glory of grace" to help you find a sustainable path to peak performance. Want to learn more about us? Visit us today at www.ascendhumanperformancecoaching.com.

    10 min

  7. JAN 26

    E5: The Fountain Of Intent: 3 Ways To Level Up Your Gym Work

    If resistance training isn’t the "Fountain of Youth," it’s the closest thing we have to it. But are you getting the maximum return on your physical investment? In today’s episode, we move beyond just "showing up" and dive into three high-impact strategies you can implement tomorrow to radically improve your results. First, we break down the critical role of Mobility as the cornerstone of functional aging and injury prevention, explaining why 10 minutes of active range-of-motion work is a non-negotiable for long-term health. Next, we get technical with Tempo, introducing the "Double Down-Odds" hypertrophy routine—a structured 5-set method designed to manipulate concentric and eccentric phases to force new muscle adaptations. Finally, we explore the psychology of the weight room. We discuss the power of the Ignition Cue—a performance-biased signal used by legends like Michael Phelps and LeBron James to trigger a flow state—and why "doom scrolling" between sets is siphoning away your physical gains. Whether you are training for sport or the "long game" of life, it’s time to stop the mindless activity and start training with deliberate intention. In this episode, we cover: The Mobility Matrix: Why using your own muscle strength to move your joints is the key to preserving meaningful tasks as you age.Tempo Mastery: A deep dive into the four phases of a lift and the "Double Down-Odds" protocol to spark new growth.The Science of Ignition: How to create a personal ritual—like the famous Notre Dame "Play Like a Champion Today" sign—to flip the switch into a focused state.The Digital Drain: Why your phone habit is causing mental fatigue and splitting your attention when it matters most.Double Down Odds (Hypertrophy-Biased) Example: Chest (machine or Smith) Set #1: 7 reps @ 65% max effort (or ~3 RIR) with 4 count concentric action (ie. pushing) + 60 second recovery Set #2: 7 reps @ 65% max effort (or ~3 RIR) with 4 count eccentric action (ie. lowering) + 90 second recovery Set #3: 5 reps @ 70% max effort (or ~2 RIR) with 4 count concentric action (ie. pushing) + 90 second recovery Set #4: 5 reps @ 65% max effort (or ~2 RIR) with 4 count eccentric action (ie. lowering) + 2 minute recovery Set #5: 3 reps @75%+ (or ~1 RIR) Rotary Mobility®To learn more about the work we are doing with athletes, recreationalists, and business leaders visit us at www.ascendhumanperformancecoaching.com.

    12 min

  8. JAN 19

    E4: Reclaiming the Sarcasm: What it Truly Means to be "Living the Dream"

    We’ve all said it with a smirk or a sigh: "Just living the dream."  But what if that throwaway sarcastic idiom is actually the secret to elite performance? In this episode of Rise & Shine, we move past the satire and explore "Living the Dream" as a powerful psychological construct known as Resonance. Drawing on the principles found in Jim Murphy’s Inner Excellence, we discuss how to stop chasing trophies and start cultivating a state where your performance becomes effortless because your internal values and external actions are in total alignment. As an exercise physiologist, I’ve seen that the best "data" comes from an unburdened heart. Today, we break down how to build the foundation for your own resonance. In this episode, we discuss: The Power of Resonance: Why extraordinary results are simply a byproduct of an extraordinary experience.Defining the Feeling: Shifting your perspective from external societal markers (wealth/status) to internal alignment.The Daily Excellence Mission: How to identify the specific feelings of "walking the walk" and the deliberate practices required to evoke them daily.The Necessity of Dissonance: Why adversity, stress, and failure are not roadblocks, but essential mechanisms to help you revise and strengthen your core values.Living by Design: How to stop "auto-piloting" your life and start actively piloting it through real-time quality improvements and value evaluation.Key Quote: "Extraordinary performance is merely a subset of extraordinary experience; great results are the by-product of resonance." — Jim Murphy, Inner ExcellenceConnect with the Show: Work with me: Learn more about integrated mind-body training at Ascend Human Performance Coaching. Visit us at www.ascendhumanperformancecoaching.com.Share your story: What does "Living the Dream" feel like to you? Leave a review or reach out on social media.

    7 min
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About

This show is for anyone who believes our potential has no preset. Rather, we are the authors of our own Epic Hero's Story. I'll share what I've learned over the last four decades about human performance and potential in short easily consumed episodes. As an exercise physiologist I have developed a deep understanding of the scientific theories of human performance. But time and again I have witnessed ordinary people do extraordinary things which are not easily explained by 'science'. This show is about the keys that unlock those performances.

Information

  • Creator
    Chris J. Dunn
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    93
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Chris J. Dunn
  • Show Website
    Rise And Shine