Trauma Responses and Tools

Justin and Weezy are talking about something that lives at the intersection of fitness and mental health — trauma responses.

We cover what trauma actually is, why humans often get stuck in these responses long after the danger has passed, and what that can look like day-to-day. Justin breaks down the big five in-the-moment tools you can reach for when you feel a response coming on, and then we get into the stuff that genuinely surprises people: the science of CO2 tolerance, how it's directly connected to your nervous system's ability to handle stress, and how you can literally train it — progressively, in the gym, like any other physical quality.

We also talk breathwork mechanics, apnea training, and why box breathing before a session isn't woo-woo, it's actually just smart.

We end with a long-awaited full protein snack review segment — Justin taste-tests everything from Quest peanut butter bites to a protein soda in Gummy Bear Sparkles flavor — and we rank them all. Spoiler: the fake Pop-Tart is a THING.