Dan Wells, 42, owns CrossFit Horsepower in Los Angeles, California.
He's pretty damn fit right now, but he wasn't always.
When Wells was 22, his father died of a heart attack.
His dad was 52. "That was a major turning point. I was like, 'Damn, so apparently you can actually die,'" if you don't take care of health which, Wells says, his dad did not.
Wells said he realized that when you're not taking care of your health, "You die early and your adventure gets cut short," and besides that, "the days between now and that short journey kinda suck. You have low energy; you don't feel good." He said he knew he had to "either continue down that path or get my shit together pronto."
He chose to get his shit together health-wise. But he didn't really know how to.
He was fit and getting fitter, he thought. That's when he tried CrossFit.
Plus, CrossFit indulged Wells' super competitive side.
"It bothers me to know that someone might be outworking me," Wells said. So, he started CrossFitting seriously and began to understand "the value and power of intentionally surrounding yourself with competitive situations."
In 2013 and 2014 he qualified for the CrossFit Games Regionals in Southern California and in 2015, he qualified for and competed in the CrossFit Games.
In 2016 Wells was featured in the first season of NBC's show Strong, in which 10 trainers and 10 clients compete against each other on two-person teams for a cash prize.
So, how does Wells stay healthy and strong?
He starts his daily hourlong workout with a heavy lift.
He might work on squats (back, front, or overhead), deadlifts, shoulder presses or weighted pull-ups. After his strength work, Wells finishes with a high-intensity workout that lasts anywhere from five to 15 minutes. This workout typically includes a bodyweight movement (like burpees, box jumps, or pull-ups) and then either a heavy lift (he calls these "grenades") or a cardio movement like running or rowing.
And he pays a lot of attention to what he eats.
"I eat the highest-quality ingredients I can find, with minimal to no processing." His diet is typically about 40% carbs, 30% fat, and 30% protein and he eats enough to fuel his training. "I'm never hungry," he says.
A typical day starts with a teaspoon of fish oil which aids recovery and reduces inflammation. "When I don’t have fish oil I can feel it in my joints," Wells says. Next up is Bulletproof coffee [coffee with butter added] with half-and-half and Stevia. "Then I will throw bacon in a pan and pour out half the grease and use the rest to make two or three eggs. Then I throw a pile of kale into the pan and cook that with sea salt and pepper."
If he's hungry around mid-morning he snacks on a Perfect bar or a Quest bar.
And lunch is from Power Supply, a paleo meal delivery service.
Snack number two is a paleo snack bar.
And for dinner: grilled lamb chops, kale in coconut oil with sea salt and pepper, and mashed sweet potatoes with butter.
For example, he has a sweet tooth.
"You don't think at the age of 37 you'll take up something new," he said.
