What if your exhaustion, brain fog, poor sleep, burnout, lack of focus, and chronic stress aren't signs that something is wrong with you—but signs that your body is responding exactly as it was designed to?

In this eye-opening episode of Crackin' Backs, we sit down with Andrew Herr, one of the leading minds in human performance, resilience, travel health, and performance optimization. Andrew has spent years working alongside military special operators, Navy SEALs, fighter pilots, elite athletes, executives, and high-performing professionals studying what happens to the human body under extreme physical and cognitive stress.

What he discovered may surprise you.

The same physiological stressors experienced by elite military operators—sleep disruption, inflammation, circadian rhythm dysfunction, chronic fatigue, cognitive overload, and impaired recovery—are now affecting millions of civilians every single day.

In this powerful conversation, Andrew explains why modern humans are struggling with energy, focus, recovery, motivation, and performance despite having access to more technology, convenience, and health information than ever before.

We dive deep into the science of stress, burnout, human performance, recovery, sleep optimization, inflammation, resilience, travel fatigue, and the future of human enhancement.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

What military human performance research has revealed about the human body that most civilians never hear about

What actually breaks down first under chronic stress: your brain, hormones, sleep, immune system, or inflammation response

Why burnout, fatigue, brain fog, and poor recovery may be biological warning signals—not personal failures

Whether modern life has become a form of "low-grade operational warfare" on the human body

Why fighter pilots, Navy SEALs, CEOs, elite athletes, entrepreneurs, and exhausted parents may have more in common than you think

The surprising connection between inflammation, resilience, cognition, recovery, and long-term health

Why Andrew believes jet lag is far more than a circadian rhythm problem

How air travel affects inflammation, oxygen levels, recovery, cognitive function, and performance

Practical strategies athletes, business travelers, and frequent flyers can use to reduce jet lag and recover faster

What concerns Andrew most about the future of human performance and modern health

What modern humans have forgotten about how the body was actually designed to function

About Andrew Herr

Andrew Herr is a human performance strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of FlyKitt. He previously led human performance and biotechnology strategy efforts for the U.S. military, where he worked alongside Navy SEALs, fighter pilots, special operators, elite performers, and researchers focused on optimizing human capability under extreme conditions. Today, he applies those lessons to help athletes, executives, business travelers, and everyday people improve performance, recovery, resilience, and travel health through science-backed solutions.

His work has focused on human optimization, circadian biology, inflammation, resilience, cognitive performance, and the physiological challenges associated with travel and jet lag. FlyKitt was developed from research and practical experience working with elite military populations and has become a trusted resource for professional athletes, executives, and frequent travelers.

Whether you're an athlete, healthcare professional, entrepreneur, road warrior, parent, or simply someone trying to feel and perform better, this episode will change how you think about stress, recovery, sleep, travel, and human performance.

Listen now and discover why what you thought was "normal" may actually be holding you back.

Learn More About Andrew Herr

• FlyKitt Official Website

• Andrew Herr LinkedIn

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

What if one of the biggest beliefs in fitness is completely wrong?

For decades, athletes, coaches, and gym-goers have been told that building serious muscle requires meat, animal protein, and mountains of chicken breasts. But today's guest has spent nearly 30 years challenging that belief—and backing it up with results.

In this episode of Crackin' Backs, we sit down with IFBB Pro Bodybuilder, fitness coach, and lifelong vegan Torre Washington for a conversation that goes far beyond nutrition.

This isn't a vegan sales pitch.

This is an honest discussion about muscle growth, protein quality, performance, recovery, longevity, discipline, and whether vegan bodybuilding is truly optimal—or simply possible for the right person.

We tackle the questions everyone is asking:

• Can you build elite muscle without eating meat?
• Is plant protein enough for maximum hypertrophy?
• Are vegan athletes at a disadvantage?
• Who thrives on a vegan diet—and who may struggle?
• What does the science really say about protein, leucine, and bioavailability?
• Is success driven by diet, or by relentless discipline?

Whether you're a bodybuilder, athlete, healthcare professional, weekend warrior, or simply curious about human performance, this conversation will challenge assumptions and force you to rethink what fuels strength.

About Torre Washington

Torre Washington is one of the most recognized vegan bodybuilders in the world. An IFBB Pro Men's Physique athlete, NASM-certified coach, engineer, and longtime advocate for plant-based performance, Torre has followed a vegan lifestyle since 1998 while building a championship-level physique that has challenged fitness industry stereotypes for decades. He is widely known for combining scientific thinking, individualized coaching, and real-world experience to help athletes optimize their physiques without relying on animal products.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

The truth about protein and muscle growth

The biggest mistakes plant-based athletes make

How Torre structures his nutrition for bulking and cutting

Whether veganism is right for everyone

What biomarkers every athlete should monitor

The difference between ideology and evidence

Why discipline may matter more than diet

If you've ever wondered whether muscle is built in the kitchen, the gym, or the mind—this episode is for you.

CONNECT WITH TORRE WASHINGTON

Instagram:
@torre.washington

Website:
Engineered By Torre

Facebook:
Torre Washington Official

Subscribe to Crackin' Backs Podcast for weekly conversations with world-class experts in physical health, mental resilience, nutrition, longevity, human performance, and the science of living better.

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

Your Feet Are Getting Weaker. Here's Why. | Dr. Mark Wallen

What if the root cause of your knee pain, poor balance, declining mobility, and even faster aging starts with something you rarely think about... your feet?

For decades, medicine treated the foot as an isolated body part—something to cushion, brace, inject, or surgically repair. But after spending more than 40 years as a podiatric surgeon, Dr. Mark Wallen began questioning everything he thought he knew.

In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Wallen shares why modern footwear may be weakening our feet, how foot dysfunction impacts the entire kinetic chain, and why strengthening the foundation of your body could be one of the most overlooked keys to longevity, athletic performance, injury prevention, and healthy aging.

We dive into barefoot training, toe spacers, orthotics, balance, posture, foot mobility, aging, athletic performance, and the surprising mistakes millions of people make every day that may be contributing to chronic pain and movement dysfunction.

Whether you're an athlete, weekend warrior, healthcare provider, parent, or simply someone who wants to stay active for life, this episode may completely change how you think about your feet.

In This Episode

Why Dr. Wallen changed his perspective after 40 years of foot surgery

The truth about orthotics, toe spacers, and foot strengthening

How modern shoes may be contributing to foot dysfunction

The hidden connection between foot health, balance, and longevity

Common footwear mistakes that can affect your knees, hips, and posture

Why foot strength matters for athletic performance and healthy aging

The most preventable foot conditions he saw throughout his career

What parents should know about raising healthy, resilient feet

About Dr. Mark Wallen

Dr. Mark Wallen is a retired podiatric surgeon with more than four decades of experience treating foot and ankle conditions. Having performed thousands of procedures and treated patients across every age group, he now focuses on educating people about foot function, movement, balance, and the role strong, healthy feet play in overall health and longevity.

Do you think modern shoes are helping us—or hurting us?

Have you ever tried barefoot training, toe spacers, or foot-strengthening exercises?

Let us know in the comments:

Subscribe for More Conversations on:

Longevity • Human Performance • Sports Medicine • Recovery • Nutrition • Mindset • Functional Health • Biohacking • Healthy Aging • Chiropractic • Physical Therapy • Movement Optimization

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast