“The Iceman” Wim Hof on Pushing Through Perceived Limits Enroute to Setting 26 Guinness World Records

Show Notes

Are you underestimating your mental and physical capacity? The holder of 26 Guinness World Records teaches wild he routinely takes ice baths, why he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts, why he ran a half marathon above the Arctic Circle in his bare feet and the power of the human mind.

Are you underestimating your mental and physical capacity? Well, today’s guest thinks you are.

As the holder of 26 Guinness World Records, Wim “The Iceman” Hof has been featured on BBC, National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, the Joe Rogan podcast and countless major media outlets.

His life is the subject of the New York Times best-selling book, What Doesn’t Kill Us.

And on today’s show he shares with us about:

How he was able to swim underneath ice for 216.5 feet while his corneas froze.

How was able to hike Mount Kilimanjaro in 2 days, typically a 5-7 day trip, while wearing shorts and no shirt

Why he only eats one meal per day.

How at the age of 60 he physically looks like he’s a division 1 athlete at his peak.

Why he takes ice baths every day and multiple times when possible.

And why he sincerely believes that you have the mental capacity and physical capacity to do 10 times more than you think is possible.

WIM HOF – Wim Hof got his nickname “The Iceman” by breaking a number of records related to cold exposure. Throughout his career, he has been featured in documentaries about him that have been created by BBC, Nat Geo, the Discovery Channel and more. Hof is the New York Times best-selling author of What Doesn’t Kill Us which shares how the investigative journalist Scott Carney actually first took an assignment to debunk the Wim Hof Method and instead ultimately ended up learning his techniques. His feats include climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts, running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle on his bare feet, and standing in a container while covered with ice cubes for more than 112 minutes. Wim has developed what he believes to be the natural path to an optimal state of body and mind, which he calls the Wim Hof Method.

26 Guinness World Records

Extensive training enables you to control your breathing, heart rate, and blood circulation and to withstand extreme temperatures. Listed below are some of your most memorable achievements.

1. Running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle, barefoot only wearing shorts
2. Swimming underneath ice for 216.5 feet.
3. Hanging on one finger at an altitude of 2,000 meters
4. Climbing the highest mountains in the world while wearing shorts
5. Running a full marathon in the Namib Desert without drinking
6. Standing in a container while covered in ice cubes for extended periods of time

Wim Hof’s motto is: “What I am capable of, everybody can learn”. With his Wim Hof Method, he teaches people from all over the world, including celebrities and professional athletes, to control their bodies and achieve extraordinary things.

1. Now, Wim Hof, your son told us that you just finished being submerged with a group of people in ice cold water in the mountains of Poland? Is this true? Give us the details of what you have just finished up in the last hour or so.  
2. Give us an overview of why people call you the IceMan?
3. What is the Wim Hof method in a nutshell? And explain some of the results you have had with your technique?
4. How did you discover this ability to withstand extreme circumstances?
5. I had read that you have hiked Mount Everest in shorts and no shirt, walk us through that experience…
6. Am I correct that I read you have been injected with an E. Coli endotoxin? Can you explain what this means and what the process looked like?
7. I have heard you say the phrase “No ego, we go”. What do you mean by that?
8. What was the most terrifying experience you have put yourself through?
9. You have said that we as people are capable of so much more than we realize. We have a lot of listeners that are business owners out there. How can you relate your message to business owners out there?
10. Wim Hof, you are the author of Becoming the Iceman, what first inspired you to write this book?
11. You are the New York Times best-selling author of What Doesn’t Kill Us: How Freezing Water, Extreme Altitude, and Environmental Conditioning Will Renew Our Lost Evolutionary Strength…what inspired you to first write this book?
12. In Chapter 7 of your book, you titled this Chapter. Swatting Mosquitoes with Hand Grenades…what is this chapter all about?
13. Wim Hof, You titled Chapter 13 of your book, Kilimanjaro…can you share what this chapter is all about?
14. Wim Hof, you are a very intentional person, how do you typically schedule the first 4 hours of your day?
15. Hof says that the WHM can treat or help alleviate symptoms of illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis, diabetes, clinical depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and cancer.
16. Wim Hof, How often do you take ice baths?
17. When did you first get the idea to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts?
18. Wim Hof, When did you first get the idea to climb the half marathon above the Arctic Circle in his bare feet and the power of the human mind?