A very slow training session with Zac Efron.
Zac Efron joins Chris Williamson for a slow training session, covering how he prepares physically for film roles, his recovery habits, and the downsides of extreme body transformations.
The gist
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Efron gained 30 pounds in 4 months for a role eating 6,000 calories daily, but says the bodybuilder lifestyle was unsustainable and he would not repeat it.
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Blood flow restriction training with a 30-20-10 rep scheme gives a strong training effect with little weight, making it practical when filming on location.
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Light cardio on rest days, such as assault bike sessions, clears muscle soreness faster than doing nothing at all.
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Efron used hyperbaric chamber sessions at 20.5 psi for 2 hours over 18-plus consecutive days alongside a temperature-regulating bed to manage energy and sleep on demanding shoot schedules.
"That is such a game changer, dude. It works so well. You can travel with these little bands and put them on every time you work out. By essentially cutting off the blood supply, you're tricking your body into perceiving that it's under a much higher stress level than it is."
▶ Play at 24:16"Best inexpensive hack — I always travel with those rubber bands. Just the Rogue rubber bands, those light ones. You can get a workout in pretty much anywhere."
▶ Play at 23:474 creators recommend it, including Mark Hyman, MD, Abbie Smith-Ryan, and Ezekiel Emanuel.
See all on the Resistance bands page
Chris Williamson recommends it
"It was the first time that I learned that active recovery speeds up getting rid of DOMS. I'd come in on my off day on a Thursday and sit on the assault bike and I'd be dying, and then I'd leave and I'd be like, 'Huh? All of my pain's gone.' As opposed to 'I'm in pain, I should..."
▶ Play at 9:53"Hyperbaric chamber is pretty elite. I did a protocol with Gary Brea at his house and I did it every day. I think I got to 18 consecutive days. Two hours. Not only did I feel a lot better and feel great, but sustained energy. Since I've been using that consistently, it's so good."
▶ Play at 22:299 creators recommend it, including Joe Rogan, Adam Neumann, and Daniel Rodriguez.
See all on the Hyperbaric Chamber page
Chris Williamson uses it
"There's lots of brands like Eight Sleep. I would sell that to anybody. It is such an amazing game-changing product, and I've got no — apart from the fact that I use it and they pay on the show — I have no loyalty to them as a brand, but they rule. The product's great."
▶ Play at 32:3717 creators recommend it, including Andrew Huberman, John Coogan, and All-In Podcast.
See all on the Eight Sleep pageWhat they recommend · 7 picks
Health & fitness
4 picks · Zac Efron and Chris Williamson
"Hyperbaric chamber is pretty elite. I did a protocol with Gary Brea at his house and I did it every day. I think I got to 18 consecutive days. Two hours. Not only did I feel a l..."
"That is such a game changer, dude. It works so well. You can travel with these little bands and put them on every time you work out. By essentially cutting off the blood supply,..."
"There's lots of brands like Eight Sleep. I would sell that to anybody. It is such an amazing game-changing product, and I've got no — apart from the fact that I use it and they ..."
Chris, Joe, Tim and This Week in Startups agree on 32 things
See what they all use, in their own words. Paid ads are left out.
See what they all swear by Or pick your own peopleOther picks
3 picks · Zac Efron
"You could also use a strategy like eat protein — chicken, fish, turkey, beef, etc. — and then you use something like dilucine, which is, as the name implies, two leucines interl..."
"Best inexpensive hack — I always travel with those rubber bands. Just the Rogue rubber bands, those light ones. You can get a workout in pretty much anywhere."
"Whilst in the hyperbaric chamber, I was able to beat Elden Ring, which is an incredibly difficult game. He got an upright one — an upright hard shell — and I put my PS5 in there..."
Zac Efron
5 picks · guest
"Hyperbaric chamber is pretty elite. I did a protocol with Gary Brea at his house and I did it every day. I think I got to 18 consecutive days. Two hours. Not only did I feel a l..."
"That is such a game changer, dude. It works so well. You can travel with these little bands and put them on every time you work out. By essentially cutting off the blood supply,..."
"You could also use a strategy like eat protein — chicken, fish, turkey, beef, etc. — and then you use something like dilucine, which is, as the name implies, two leucines interl..."
Chris Williamson
2 picks · host
"There's lots of brands like Eight Sleep. I would sell that to anybody. It is such an amazing game-changing product, and I've got no — apart from the fact that I use it and they ..."
"It was the first time that I learned that active recovery speeds up getting rid of DOMS. I'd come in on my off day on a Thursday and sit on the assault bike and I'd be dying, an..."
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