Episode #572: The Horizontal Truth: Why Everything You Know About Movement is Wrong

In this episode of the Crazy Wisdom Podcast, host Stewart Alsop sits down with Neil Bortolus, founder of Esteem Biomechanics and Stewart's personal trainer for the past year and a half, to explore the intersection of functional movement, human biology, and emerging technology. Their conversation ranges from the principles of biomechanics and the evolutionary blueprint of human movement—standing, walking, running, and throwing—to the dangers of modern movement practices that prioritize aesthetics over function, the role of fascia and connective tissue in chronic pain, and why most gym exercises fail to respect our biological needs. They tackle bigger questions about where technology is taking us, from AI and LLMs replacing human cognitive work to transhumanism and whether we're headed toward a cyberpunk dystopia or a solarpunk regenerative future, all while emphasizing the importance of first principles thinking, the need for humans to remain in the loop, and creating environments that promote biological and mental regeneration rather than degeneration. Visit Neil's website at

esteembiomechanics.com

Timestamps

00:00 Stewart introduces Neil Bortolus, founder of Esteem Biomechanics and his trainer for a year and a half, discussing their interesting conversations about movement and health

05:00 Discussion shifts to negative and positive pressure in the body, how athletes naturally create proper core tension, and the differences between training high-performance athletes versus clients with cerebral palsy or stroke recovery

10:00 Stewart shares his journey through yoga and discovering modern postural yoga's surprising origins in late 1800s British calisthenics mixed with Indian anticolonial movements, questioning why modern movement practices are fundamentally flawed

15:00 Neil explains functional patterns' first principles approach, emphasizing standing walking running and throwing as evolutionary movement patterns that should guide all exercise design

20:00 Conversation explores Brian Johnson's technology-focused longevity experiments versus optimizing natural biological function, questioning whether peak biology or technology interventions lead to better health outcomes

25:00 Neil describes environmental factors like Southern California and Hawaii providing optimal conditions for human health through fresh food, sunlight, and natural grounding environments year-round

30:00 Discussion of solarpunk versus cyberpunk futures, examining how technology could eit