(originally published on November 13, 2023)

Trans-Atlantic Falcon Flight: Falcon Inspire travels to the USA!

Hello Falcon Hoffers!

On October 25th, I held my first Wim Hof Method Fundamentals workshop outside of the Netherlands, in Georgia, USA. The Wim Hof Method is less well known in the Southeastern USA than in the Netherlands, so it was fun to start with the basics of how Wim developed the method and why all of these crazy Dutch people are intentionally spending time in ice baths!

Surprisingly, I discovered rural Georgia has roadside ice vending machines scattered about! Tailor-made for a Wim Hof Method experience. I was a skeptic, but I loaded up on the ice at one of the machines with a few five dollar bills and some quarters, and we were off! We need a few of these machines strategically located in the Netherlands!

I’m now back in the Netherlands, and my next workshop will be an endurance-themed WHM Fundamentals workshop on the 2nd of December in Vught (more details below).

Your mind is in your breath!

But before I get into that, I want to talk about how breath can influence your state of mind. While the ice bath garners all the Wim Hof Method social media moments, focusing on our breath greatly impacts our health and well-being throughout the day.

I tell workshop participants that they should focus on the breathing component if they have limited time to practice the Wim Hof Method. This hit home while I was listening to an Andrew Huberman podcast about all things breath.

How to Breathe Correctly for Optimal Health, Mood, Learning & Performance | Huberman Lab Podcast

Andrew goes over all of the major forms of breathwork in a podcast lasting over two hours. I highly encourage you to give it a listen. For me, one technique rose above all the others. And that’s this:

There is a direct connection between breathing and heart rate; using your breath can deliberately reduce or increase your heart rate. It’s a hard-wired and normal feature of our body.

To increase your heart rate: deliberately inhale longer and more deeply/vigorously than you exhale. To decrease your heart rate: exhale longer and more vigorously than you inhale.

That’s it. No fancy dedicated “breathwork” required. Just understanding the “inhale-to-increase-heart-rate” and “exhale-to-decrease-heart-rate” phenomenon can allow you to adjust your state of mind and body at any time, deliberately, as needed.

Do you want to boost your adrenaline before a race? Or do you want to increase your energy and focus to take on a tough task?

Breathe in for 1,2,3, Breathe out for 1, 2… repeat x20.

Do you want to prepare yourself for a good night’s sleep?

Breathe in for 1, 2, 3, 4, Breathe out for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6… repeat x30.

And when you control your heart rate with your breath, you control your mind instead of your mind controlling you.

This is me setting a personal record in the 15k last year (Eric transferred his start number to me). During the race, I was focused on breathing deeply, but not faster than I could breathe correctly. My left knee’s given me some trouble ever since I had arthroscopic knee surgery 23 years ago, but I’m happy to say I’ve transitioned from wearing a full knee brace to the band you see in the picture to no brace at all (that’s another story).

But what enabled me to set the PR was my training six months prior. I wasn’t putting in massively more kilometers but changing how I breathe massively. I focused on nose breathing and high altitude simulation through periodic breath holding during my training runs. Doing this improved my breathing volume by using my diaphragm, dilated my blood vessels (improving my circulation), and made my oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange more efficient. It also increased my red blood cell count; the more red blood cells in your system, the more oxygen your blood can transport to your muscles.

Here’s my red blood cell count from a blood test on June 22:

RED BLOOD CELLS (RBC): 4.80 M/uL

HEMOGLOBIN (HBC): 14.9 g/dL

And the numbers from Oct 23:

RED BLOOD CELLS (RBC): 5.27 M/uL

HEMOGLOBIN (HBC): 16.1 g/dL

Over 16 months, my RBC increased by 9.8% and HBC by 8.1%. Simply stated, a higher volume of red blood cells equals higher athletic performance.

Next workshop: December 2, Vught!

When I race, I start breathing in and out through the nose, and when I can’t do that anymore, I breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, and when I can’t do that anymore, I breathe in and out through the mouth. But when I race, I don’t think too much about it, but my mind is strong because of all the breathing I’ve done in the months before.

If you’d like to improve your running times, improve your endurance, and get more out of your limited training time, Join Sharon McLaughlin, Arash Eghbali, and me on December 2nd at Landgoed Bleijendijk, The Netherlands, for a Wim Hof Method Fundamentals Workshop focused on improving your endurance. We go over all the techniques I’ve used to boost my body’s oxygen-carrying capacity.

Unique to other WHM Fundamentals workshops, we will put theory into practice with a 5k trail run guided by David and Arash to practice breathing training techniques and work on running form.

I’ve used these techniques to set personal records in the 10k, 15k, and half-marathon in my 50s. Many runners neglect this critical aspect of running, but breathing is our running motor, and a tune-up can help you achieve your running goals more effectively and efficiently.

Arash Nasiri Eghbali will provide training tips and running form guidance. Arash is an accomplished long-distance runner and swept a series of Brabant summer races in 2023 (1st place, Jeroen Boschloop 10k, 1st place, Omloop van Empel 10k, 1st place, Engelenrun 12k).

For non-runners who want to reap the endurance-enhancing benefits of the Wim Hof Method, Sharon will lead a nature hike, implementing the same training techniques. She will take us to the next level of the WHM with guided power breathing.

By the way, you’ll sleep and feel better, too.

Here’s Sharon and me enjoying a cold dip together.

Update (March 27, 2025): While this workshop is in the past, here’s a link to my workshop signup page. Click the “get tickets” button, and we will see you there! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to drop me a line via email. I will offer a €20 discount if you are a repeat customer! We can arrange a private workshop for a group of four or more.

Falcon Inspire Workshop Agenda

You can read recent reviews on the Falcon Inspire Google Business page and my Wim Hof Method instructor page:

Falcon Inspire Google Business Page

David Grover – certified WHM instructor

Until then, keep breathing! Your mind will thank you (or should I say you will make your mind thank you!).

David

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About David:

David is a Level 1 WHM Instructor and ex-US Air Force Survival Instructor, where he first learned to push his body and mind to the limit.

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