CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 0:51
Croissants, weight loss, and the irony of opening a bakery
Joe and Tom kick off by obsessing over Tom’s croissants and joking about the absurdity of getting lean and then partnering in a bakery. Tom shares his peak weight versus his current weight and how much better he feels physically.
- •Joe marvels at how addictive the croissants are
- •Tom reveals he went from 265 lbs to about 187 lbs
- •Discussion of joint/overall body relief after losing weight
- •The comedic contradiction: fitness transformation + bakery business
- 0:51 – 2:27
Tom’s training routine: trainer accountability, macros, protein targets, and carb cycling
Tom breaks down his current fitness approach: lifting schedule, working with a trainer, and a structured nutrition plan. He explains how he times meals, hits specific protein totals, and adjusts carbs based on training intensity.
- •Lifts 4 days/week and prefers training with a coach present
- •Macro tracking and eating four meals per day
- •Protein goal: ~50g per meal (~200g/day)
- •Carb cycling based on workout type (e.g., legs vs rest days)
- 2:27 – 4:57
Early mornings for the writer’s room: pre-workout meals, intra-workout shakes, and sleep discipline
Tom explains how writing Bad Thoughts season two has pushed him to wake up at 5:30 AM and structure his eating around training. They emphasize that the real linchpin is going to bed early enough to sustain the schedule.
- •5:30 AM wake-ups driven by the writer’s room schedule
- •Detailed pre-workout meal (muesli/grains, honey, almond butter, yogurt + whey)
- •Sometimes uses intra-workout shakes
- •Bedtime discipline as the key behavior change
- 4:57 – 7:38
Why morning workouts ‘set the day’: calm focus, cardio’s mental effects, and extending endurance
They compare morning vs night training and why cardio can quiet mental ‘chatter’ more than lifting. Tom and Joe talk about the psychological benefits of getting a workout win early and how pushing cardio duration is uniquely difficult.
- •Morning workouts improve calm, focus, and momentum
- •Cardio vs lifting: cardio ‘shuts off’ internal noise
- •Tom describes the jump from 45 minutes to 60 minutes as brutally hard
- •Fitness as a mental health stabilizer for aging adults
- 7:38 – 9:38
Aging, VO2 max, bone density, and the ‘20 years goes by fast’ perspective
The conversation turns to aging metrics and the urgency of building and maintaining capacity before it’s too late. Joe uses vivid comparisons of older public figures to underline how lifestyle choices compound over decades.
- •Interest in aging metrics: VO2 max and bone density
- •The speed of time as a motivator to train and plan
- •Lifestyle choices visibly reflected in older age
- •Aging as an accountability framework for long-term health
- 9:38 – 11:45
Fear, discomfort avoidance, and why people procrastinate their lives (especially writing)
Joe and Tom talk about friends who feel ‘stuck’ and how fear of discomfort prevents action—career-wise and physically. They tie procrastination and distraction (YouTube, docs, true crime) to short-term comfort vs long-term satisfaction.
- •Midlife scrambling often rooted in fear and avoidance
- •‘Scared to be uncomfortable’ as a core blocker
- •Writing as a common avoidance pattern, even for professionals
- •Distraction loops: YouTube, documentaries, and murder docs
- 11:45 – 14:42
Comedians who don’t watch comedies: influences, sitcom mechanics, and family viewing
Tom admits he’s missed many major comedies because he prefers non-comedy at home after doing comedy all day. Joe relates, then they discuss sitcom craftsmanship (including Joe’s changed opinion on The Big Bang Theory) and watching shows with family.
- •Tom hasn’t watched many landmark comedies (The Office, 30 Rock, etc.)
- •Creative burnout: wanting ‘something else’ offstage
- •Joe explains how sitcom retakes and laugh tracks change perception
- •Family viewing habits and kids’ rewatch obsession
- 14:42 – 17:28
Animation freedom: Simpsons/South Park, suspension of realism, and kids’ physical resilience
They riff on why animation can go far beyond what live-action could attempt and how stylized unreality enables extreme jokes. The discussion pivots into how kids bounce back physically compared to older adults—and the role flexibility plays.
- •Old Simpsons seasons’ writing quality and slower hand-drawn production
- •South Park’s intentionally clunky aesthetic and comedic license
- •Animation makes outrageous plots ‘work’ because it’s obviously fake
- •Kids’ flexibility and resilience vs older adults’ fragility
- 17:28 – 22:15
Yoga humility and the value of trying hard disciplines (fighting, boxing, jiu-jitsu)
They revisit yoga as deceptively difficult and how trying challenging activities reveals how little you know. Tom argues everyone should do at least one class of something hard to calibrate confidence—especially around fighting.
- •Yoga is far harder than it looks, even compared to combat sports
- •Trying disciplines once builds respect for skill gaps
- •‘Every dude thinks he can fight’ until exposed to real training
- •Boxing fundamentals and conditioning as major reality checks
- 22:15 – 24:08
Street violence realities: sucker punches, awareness, and the influence-content culture
Joe explains why sucker punches work (action beats reaction) and how awareness is key in real-world conflict. They connect this to modern influencer behavior and reality-TV viral incentives that erode civility.
- •Action vs reaction: why surprise attacks land
- •Practical personal-space and threat-awareness advice
- •Fear Factor incident as an example of real-time risk assessment
- •Viral culture incentivizes outrageous public behavior
- 24:08 – 33:34
Combat sports today: Arlovski, Browne elbows, kids learning online, and parenting a competitive fighter
They discuss influencers provoking real fighters and how dangerous that is, then shift into how widely accessible fight knowledge has become. Tom talks about his son’s jiu-jitsu progress, competitiveness, and self-driven training mindset.
- •Andrei Arlovski incident: influencers picking the wrong target
- •Travis Browne’s clinch elbows and MMA brutality
- •More people ‘know something’ now via YouTube and modern MMA visibility
- •Tom’s son excels at jiu-jitsu and running; parenting competitive kids
- 33:34 – 39:19
Obsession vs sustainability: Sober October extremes, ultras, Goggins, and why balance matters
Joe and Tom reflect on how obsessive drives can create success but threaten happiness and family life. Joe compares elite obsession (Gordon Ryan, ultrarunners) to the need for sustainable routines for people with careers and kids.
- •Sober October as a window into unhealthy obsession potential
- •Ultra-endurance mentality described as ‘dark’ (Goggins/rhabdo story)
- •Elite excellence often requires extreme sacrifice and singular focus
- •Choosing sustainable training over identity-consuming extremes
- 39:19 – 52:24
Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua and the long-term cost of head trauma
Joe evaluates Jake Paul’s boxing development, athleticism, and willingness to take massive risks against elite heavyweights. He stresses that damage from big shots accumulates and warns about depression, addiction, and neurological decline post-fighting.
- •Technical respect for Jake Paul despite skepticism about his origins
- •Cardio/gas tank as a limiting factor at higher levels
- •‘Punch card’ concept: finite lifetime tolerance for head trauma
- •Post-career risks: depression, addiction, cognitive decline; knowing when to quit
- 52:24 – 1:05:21
Amazon mysteries, LiDAR civilizations, Machu Picchu puzzles, and alternative timelines
The topic swings to the Amazon’s biodiversity and evidence of large ancient populations revealed via LiDAR. Tom shares Peru travel stories (Amazon food surprises, Nazca flight mishap), and they question mainstream timelines around megalithic sites like Machu Picchu.
- •Amazon’s unique species and under-documented ecosystems
- •LiDAR revealing roads, aqueducts, and large-scale settlements
- •Tom’s Nazca Lines flight story (cartel plane + emergency pee stops)
- •Megalithic construction mysteries and timeline disputes in Peru
- 1:05:21 – 1:16:04
Peru ‘tridactyl mummies’ and UAP speculation: why world-changing stories don’t dominate attention
Joe presents the controversial tridactyl mummy scans—three-fingered, non-human-looking remains with alleged tissue structures and implants—then both react to how little mainstream attention such claims receive. They link public apathy to social media distraction and the nonstop churn of trivial news.
- •Description of tridactyl mummies: CT scans, anatomy differences, alleged implants
- •Questions of provenance (grave robbers) and barriers to testing
- •UAP ‘from Earth’ theory tied to unexplored oceans/jungles
- •Media attention economy vs potentially paradigm-shifting discoveries
- 1:16:04 – 1:35:17
Epstein files, blackmail dynamics, and elite image-management (Gates, Clinton, Nobel analogy)
They pivot into the Epstein document releases, arguing the slow drip suggests protection of powerful interests. Joe and Tom discuss blackmail logic, high-profile statements, Epstein’s jail death doubts, and how public philanthropy can function as reputational cover—then detour into the Alfred Nobel story.
- •Suspicion around delayed/partial Epstein releases and redactions
- •Blackmail as leverage over high-status people seeking ‘experiences’
- •Epstein death inconsistencies and cellmate discussion
- •Philanthropy as reputation repair (Gates comparison; Nobel ‘Merchant of Death’ story)
- 1:35:17 – 1:50:28
Comedy ecosystem now: Bad Thoughts season two, specials release timing, arenas, and ‘in the round’ magic
Tom plugs his special Teacher and details Bad Thoughts season two’s creative freedom at Netflix. They discuss the current boom in standup (arenas/stadiums), the role of the internet and clips, and why in-the-round venues feel uniquely intimate—plus memories of reopening-era shows.
- •Bad Thoughts season two writing/production and minimal content restrictions
- •Special release strategy pressures (Chappelle/Gervais timing)
- •Why clean comics (Nate) sell massive multi-generational crowds
- •Arenas/stadiums, internet-driven reach, and in-the-round performance dynamics
- 1:50:28 – 2:50:59
COVID-era touring, testing crowds, NAD/IV routines, red-light therapy—and back to the croissant business
They revisit early pandemic shows in Texas, testing protocols, and debates about PCR accuracy. Tom and Joe swap stories about NAD and IV vitamin use for illness prevention and then segue into red-light therapy benefits before returning to Tom’s bakery origin story and why it sells out daily.
- •Texas shows during COVID with rapid testing and few positives
- •Tom’s ‘threw out the positive test’ anecdote
- •NAD and IV vitamins as personal anti-sickness routines; red-light vision claims
- •Ciccio Bomba bakery origin, pop-up success, and Tom’s role as promoter/partner
