The Feldman Protocol

How Robert Sikes Was Eating 70g of Fat Backstage to Win a Bodybuilding Competition – TFP #031

In this episode of The Feldman Protocol, can a ketogenic diet actually build a championship physique — or does elite bodybuilding demand carbs? Robert Sikes (natural pro bodybuilder and founder of Keto Brick) makes the case that fat adaptation outperforms conventional prep, sharing his journey through eating disorders, the origins of Keto Brick, his seven-phase protocol, reverse dieting, and the debate around calories vs. carbohydrate-insulin models. 🔥 This episode is sponsored by us -- Own Your Labs 👉 `https://ownyourlabs.com/sp/31` Private blood testing services 🩸Over 300 blood tests 💰Extremely affordable ❤️ We love our customers (Yes, we are literally funding the entire podcast from our own company -- so if you want to show your support, keep getting your private blood testing through our service. Thank you! 🙏) 🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN: Main Channel: `https://youtube.com/@realDaveFeldman` X/Twitter: `https://x.com/realDaveFeldman` Instagram: `https://instagram.com/realDaveFeldman` Website: `https://thefeldmanprotocol.com` ⏱ Chapters 4:20 – Dave asks Robert to introduce himself 5:23 – Early life & farm-strong beginnings 6:19 – Starting bodybuilding as a skinny kid 8:44 – Eating 6,000 calories to bulk up 10:16 – First bodybuilding competition in college 12:32 – The bulk/cut cycle explained 16:17 – Losing 80 lbs in 12 weeks 16:52 – Eating disorders after the first show 19:47 – Searching for a better dietary approach 22:13 – Discovery of carb backloading & early keto 25:16 – Keto and explosive vs. hypertrophy training 26:33 – LDL, lipids & muscle recovery hypothesis 29:40 – Being the odd one out going keto at the gym 30:06 – First ketogenic competition prep (2017) 37:02 – Winning on keto — competitors' reaction 39:12 – Origin story of the Keto Brick 42:50 – 142 bricks sell out in two minutes 44:14 – Launching Keto Savage brand & content creation 54:00 – Business growth & knocking out debt 55:47 – Surviving COVID & buying a grocery store 59:04 – Speaking at KetoCon & coaching beginnings 1:01:11 – Is keto's popularity rising or falling? 1:05:45 – High protein debate for muscle building 1:14:27 – Robert's seven-phase ketogenic protocol 1:20:56 – What reverse dieting is & why it matters 1:22:38 – Getting to 3.9% body fat — risks & rewards 1:28:37 – Cholesterol numbers during extreme leanness 1:32:07 – Inside bodybuilding competitions 1:40:27 – Calories & energy balance debate in keto 1:47:27 – The value of coaching & accountability 1:54:07 – What's next: retreats, apparel & fatherhood 1:56:27 – How having kids shifted Robert's spirituality 2:04:05 – Dave discusses the CLEARLY retraction saga 2:10:18 – Integrity, doing the right thing quietly 2:17:44 – Heartflow partnership & silver linings 2:19:10 – The Cholesterol Code movie launch plans 2:20:43 – Where to find Robert & closing thoughts #FeldmanProtocol #DaveFeldman #RobertSikes #KetoBrick #KetoSavage #KetogenicDiet #NaturalBodybuilding #LowCarbAthletics #MuscleBuilding #ReverseDialing #BodyFat #LDLCholesterol #FatAdaptation #LeanMassHyperresponder #CholesterolCode #KetoPerformance #MetabolicHealth #BodybuildingNutrition

Nick Norwitz Has Total Cholesterol of 700 — So Why Zero Plaque? – TFP #030 | Nick Norwitz MD PhD

In this episode of The Feldman Protocol, can living with an LDL of 700 for seven years actually leave your arteries plaque-free? Nick Norwitz (MD PhD) makes the case that the conventional cholesterol narrative is far more complicated than mainstream medicine admits, while Dave and Nick also cover the paternalistic medical system, statin side effects in women, Nick's surprising decision to take a cholesterol-lowering drug, and the recent Peter Attia rebuttal to lean mass hypersponder research. --- 🔥 This episode is sponsored by us -- Own Your Labs 👉 `https://ownyourlabs.com/sp/30` Private blood testing services 🩸Over 300 blood tests 💰Extremely affordable ❤️ We love our customers (Yes, we are literally funding the entire podcast from our own company -- so if you want to show your support, keep getting your private blood testing through our service. Thank you! 🙏) --- 🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN: Main Channel: `https://youtube.com/@realDaveFeldman` X/Twitter: `https://x.com/realDaveFeldman` Instagram: `https://instagram.com/realDaveFeldman` Website: `https://thefeldmanprotocol.com` --- ⏱ Chapters 3:03 – Who is Nick Norwitz? 3:51 – Leaving medicine's conventional path 5:52 – The calling Dave never felt 8:23 – Science communication as medicine's future 10:30 – Empowering patients with information 11:24 – Statins lower GLP-1: the hidden data 13:10 – Death knell of paternalistic medicine 16:19 – Dave's origin: The Feldman Protocol 18:31 – Why "we don't know" comforts patients 21:43 – Nick's illness, misdiagnosis & obsession 24:04 – The podcast origin story & echo disaster 28:41 – Cholesterol Code film blowing up 31:19 – Balancing science and accessibility in film 36:06 – Peter Attia's rebuttal to LMHR research 38:18 – Who's willing to have an open conversation? 41:01 – Causality vs. importance in lipid science 44:17 – Over-medicating metabolically healthy people 47:01 – Statins harm women more: the X chromosome mechanism 50:45 – The nocebo effect as gaslighting 55:03 – Dave's blinded crossover statin experiment 57:04 – Plot twist: Nick is taking a cholesterol drug 59:05 – Ezetimibe and Alzheimer's disease 1:02:01 – Plot twist 2: why Nick chose ezetimibe 1:04:00 – Plot twist 3: the 7-year coronary CT angiography 1:08:19 – Nick's CAD score at year 2 & family risk 1:14:10 – Clinical experience vs. contending with data 1:23:33 – Is Nick anti-statin? Dave presses hard 1:27:34 – Bempedoic acid & PPAR alpha activation 1:32:39 – Peter Attia's article vs. the LMHR team 1:36:24 – How to find Nick Norwitz everywhere --- #FeldmanProtocol #DaveFeldman #NickNorwitz #LDLCholesterol #LeanMassHypersponder #CholesterolCode #StatinSideEffects #Ezetimibe #HeartHealth #LipidResearch #MetabolicHealth #Atherosclerosis #PatientEmpowerment #ScienceCommunication #Bempedoicacid #AlzheimersResearch #CardiovascularHealth #LowCarb #KetogenicDiet

Amber O’Hearn on Carnivore, Keto, and Mental Health – TFP #029 | Amber O'Hearn

In this episode of The Feldman Protocol, can nutrition debates be clarified by better language? Amber O’Hearn, independent researcher and writer with a math/computer science background, makes the case across privacy tech, computational linguistics, low-carb history, carnivore nutrition, vitamin C, ketones, LDL, and the tension between anecdotes, mechanisms, and prospective data.🔥 This episode is sponsored by us -- Own Your Labs 👉 https://ownyourlabs.com/sp/29 [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUtmZGtTeWdYN0JZTGVRWHM3a0x6Y2xWcFpyQXxBQ3Jtc0tsZDJTcm1pcUF3WXdCVVYteGFiM19ibzJtaHJhRlVOVmxValNYdlFyZmtCaTAwN0s5aFdJakhlbFNoaEVSUXFLUE1ySThTNVI3NnVZVktJdnA3WURpQXVKOG1NekRKcThUZDNJbmZDZE5BaHE4RXgtTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fownyourlabs.com%2Ftfp%2F28&v=7hBlv9o7-YQ] Private blood testing services🩸Over 300 blood tests💰Extremely affordable❤️ We love our customers(Yes, we are literally funding the entire podcast from our own company -- so if you want to show your support, keep getting your private blood testing through our service. Thank you! 🙏)🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN:Main Channel: `https://youtube.com/@realDaveFeldman`X/Twitter: `https://x.com/realDaveFeldman`Instagram: `https://instagram.com/realDaveFeldman`Website: `https://thefeldmanprotocol.com`⏱ Chapters3:00 – Privacy and digital cash10:05 – “Linked” versus caused18:23 – Meat, veganism, and health23:38 – Dave on epidemiology33:58 – Finding low-carb41:15 – Human fat and brain growth49:03 – Immune response and repair57:06 – Autoimmune anecdotes1:04:00 – What is a balanced diet?1:11:48 – Depression and recovery1:18:51 – Amber starts blogging1:27:18 – Vitamin deficiency concerns1:34:53 – Food intolerance questions1:42:30 – Organs and “The Bear”1:50:07 – Ordering carnivore meals1:57:47 – Expensive tissue hypothesis2:05:36 – Vitamin C concerns2:13:00 – Vitamin C context2:20:44 – Carnivore timeline2:28:04 – The conference delay2:35:22 – Naming the carnivore diet2:43:07 – Redefining keto and carnivore2:50:53 – Plants and antioxidants2:58:42 – LDL stress and diet identity3:06:32 – Your results may vary3:07:03 – Salt and electrolytes3:14:22 – Long-term carnivore questions3:21:49 – Illness after vitamin A3:29:26 – Why prospective data matters3:37:28 – Diet tribalism online3:44:54 – Ketones, glucose, and brain fuel3:52:22 – Dave’s fat shake hypothesis4:00:03 – A1C and glucose patterns4:07:48 – Tracer studies and energy models4:23:07 – Debates and Bailey traps#FeldmanProtocol #DaveFeldman #AmberOHearn #NutritionScience #Metabolism #LowCarb #Ketosis #CarnivoreDiet #HealthResearch #Podcast #Zcash #PrivacyTech #VitaminC #Ketones #DietDebate

He Was 278 Pounds. Then He Found the Missing Piece – TFP #028 | Chris Cornell

In this episode of The Feldman Protocol, what happens when a health scare forces a second act? Chris Cornell, writer, marketer, and health coach, makes the case for low-carb living, satiety, resistance training, social support, cancer scares, GLP-1 drugs, and why lifestyle change often requires more than information alone. 🔥 This episode is sponsored by us -- Own Your Labs 👉 https://ownyourlabs.com/sp/28 Private blood testing services 🩸Over 300 blood tests 💰Extremely affordable ❤️ We love our customers (Yes, we are literally funding the entire podcast from our own company -- so if you want to show your support, keep getting your private blood testing through our service. Thank you! 🙏) 🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN: Main Channel: `https://youtube.com/@realDaveFeldman` X/Twitter: `https://x.com/realDaveFeldman` Instagram: `https://instagram.com/realDaveFeldman` Website: `https://thefeldmanprotocol.com` ⏱ Chapters 3:01 – Chris’s turning point 7:54 – Health for family 13:02 – Twitter as Q&A 18:06 – Helping overwhelmed people 23:00 – N=1 experiments 28:03 – 10K steps commitment 33:01 – Visualizing muscle 38:03 – Training later in life 43:04 – Running comparisons 48:06 – One step at a time 53:09 – Dr. Tro’s story spreads 58:02 – Group accountability 1:03:11 – Social pressure 1:08:08 – Keto food concerns 1:13:05 – Becoming a coach 1:18:09 – The cancer scare 1:23:08 – Sarcoidosis diagnosis 1:28:06 – Tragic outcomes 1:33:06 – Mental health complexity 1:38:10 – Calories and control 1:43:10 – Defining keto 1:48:16 – Dave’s carb margin 1:53:08 – Tested by hardship 1:58:11 – Bumper sticker science 2:03:13 – Critics and correction 2:08:07 – Future plaque data 2:13:08 – Protein rethink 2:18:14 – Portion size patterns 2:23:15 – Low insulin nuance 2:28:15 – Peanut butter problem 2:33:14 – Dopamine and candy 2:38:17 – Problem foods 2:43:18 – Lifestyle urgency 2:48:21 – Medical system bias 2:53:13 – Patient choice #FeldmanProtocol #DaveFeldman #ChrisCornell #MetabolicHealth #LowCarb #HealthCoach #Satiety #ResistanceTraining #LifestyleChange #Nutrition #WeightLossJourney #Healthspan #InsulinResistance #GLP1 #PersonalHealth #Podcast

The Truth About AI and Authenticity - Dave Feldman & Claire Cornetta – TFP #027 | Claire Cornetta

In this episode of The Feldman Protocol, what happens when AI starts reshaping not just media, but the way people think, create, and connect? Claire Cornetta, co-founder and principal of Carrot Impact, joins Dave for a wide-ranging conversation on impact campaigns, the changing film business, AI and authenticity, social media’s effect on news, health communication, and why long-form storytelling still matters. 🔥 This episode is sponsored by us -- Own Your Labs 👉 https://ownyourlabs.com/sp/27 Private blood testing services 🩸Over 300 blood tests 💰 Extremely affordable ❤️ We love our customers (Yes, we are literally funding the entire podcast from our own company -- so if you want to show your support, keep getting your private blood testing through our service. Thank you! 🙏) 🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE FELDMAN: Main Channel: `https://youtube.com/@realDaveFeldman` X/Twitter: `https://x.com/realDaveFeldman` Instagram: `https://instagram.com/realDaveFeldman` Website: `https://thefeldmanprotocol.com` ⏱ Chapters 3:01 – Movies and digital ads 7:23 – How news changed fast 11:41 – Dark Waters and impact 15:58 – Impact vs advertising 20:18 – Can AI replace storytellers? 24:40 – Using AI to summarize AI 28:53 – Training models on us 33:11 – AI, health, and guidelines 37:29 – Tokens and context limits 41:48 – Claire’s AI workflow 46:08 – What counts as authentic? 50:28 – AI as a tool, not a boss 54:43 – Movie tastes and nostalgia 59:10 – Dave’s film school pivot 1:03:20 – Dot-com era pressure 1:07:38 – Metabolic health basics 1:12:03 – Ketosis and real life 1:16:20 – Triglycerides and fuel 1:20:34 – Cannibalism detour 1:25:07 – Food culture and dysfunction 1:29:45 – Plant-based debates 1:33:29 – B vitamins and limits 1:37:48 – Food and community 1:42:10 – Hunting and food supply 1:46:26 – Pets and responsibility 1:50:44 – Valuing animal lives 1:55:05 – Ethics of raising animals 1:59:22 – Friendship at scale 2:03:39 – Why people avoid calls 2:07:57 – Overloving your animals 2:12:25 – Shepherding stories out 2:16:39 – Theatrical screenings grow 2:20:53 – Who’s hosting screenings 2:25:19 – Why theaters still matter #FeldmanProtocol #DaveFeldman #ClaireCornetta #Podcast #Documentary #Storytelling #Filmmaking #ArtificialIntelligence #Media #Journalism #DigitalMedia #HealthCommunication #LongformConversation #ImpactCampaigns #Streaming #CreativeWork