BY KAREN BOSSICK

Kris Gethin showed that it was possible to be both a world-class strong man and an endurance athlete as he competed in professional bodybuilding championships, IRONMAN Triathlons, ultramarathons and Spartan, an elite obstacle race.

A silver medalist in the World Natural Bodybuilding Championships, he’s a globally recognized health personality who has dedicated his life to unlocking the potential of human strength and longevity. His clients have included Bollywood celebrities, billionaire businessmen and champion athletes.

And next week he will host a free talk for Sun Valley residents and visitors at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26, at Ketchum’s Limelight Hotel in partnership with Zenergy Health Club and Spa.

He will follow it up with an all-inclusive, one-of-a-kind four-day retreat Oct. 9 through 13. The retreat includes four nights at the Limelight Hotel, group training sessions with Gethin and other pros and educational seminars on bodybuilding, health, fitness, biohacking, anti-aging, intermittent fasting and hybrid athleticism.

It will be couched in healthy daily meals provided by the hotel and Nutrition Solutions and KAGED MUSCLE Supplement Stack—Gethin’s own sports nutrition supplements. For information, contact info@zenergysv.com or call 208-725-5384.

“The talk will be inspiring and should help anyone who is interested in transforming their bodies and their overall health,” said Ari Drougas, of Zenergy.

Kris Gethin is the master of the bio-hack.

When the natural alternatives that he pursues for health aren’t available, the Welsh native simply hacks his environment. If his travel or work schedule doesn’t allow him to get out in the sun for restorative red light, which assists with vitamin D production and collagen synthesis, he uses an infrared panel.

He’s done the same with sleep.

For years he survived on three hours of sleep each night, as he worked long hours, juggled several careers, traveled the world, wrote books and trained. He treated it as a source of pride until he realized lack of sleep was affecting his mental state.

“I felt like a warrior kicking sand in the face of exhaustion and excuse,” said Gethin, who has certified more than 800 personal trainers. “If I don’t sleep, I don’t feel myself. I have brain fog. I can feel depressed. I don’t recover from my workouts, my physique doesn’t respond and I don’t like the person who I am.”

Gethin began quantifying his sleep and hacked it using blue light blocking glasses by a company called BluBlox to mitigate exposure to artificial blue light, which can impede the production of melatonin.

“Now that I’ve hacked it, I’m a new person that can perform 10 times better in all aspects of my life.”

He also employs hot and cold thermogenesis, following a sauna up with an ice plunge or cold shower to rid himself of inflammation.

“It’s helped me heal, recover and rejuvenate from my workouts much quicker,” he said.

Gethin doesn’t focus on motivation with his clients.

“Motivation will let you down when you’re tired or when you hear bad news, and that’ll lead you to pamper yourself with sugary foods,” he said.

Discipline is what will help people get through life, he added.

“I like to encourage people never to hit the snooze button, to put away the phone an hour before bed and to always take cold showers. This has a transcendence effect on your life. If you get comfortable being uncomfortable, you become more disciplined and you are much more likely to succeed through the tough situations that life brings upon us.”

Gethin began offering retreats when he became so busy he could no longer offer his services as a personal trainer, coach and adviser. His Sun Valley retreat will bring all his knowledge and up-to-date research into one place in an intimate setting so he can be attentive to each person’s needs.

He’ll teach attendees how to do both endurance and strength sports. And he’ll teach how to age in strong fashion.

“When it comes to aging, we usually think of our skin, greying hair, posture, muscle atrophy and our chronological age. What really matters is our biological age based on our health markers, our functionality, mobility, strength, agility, vitality, energy and, of course, our appearance. I will teach everyone in my retreat how I have reversed my biological age to be much younger than my 45 years of chronological age and how they can, too.”

Gethin says you know you’ve reached your best body when your blood reports and full physical tests are aligned with good health and when the physique looking back at you is what you want in terms of shape, symmetry and proportion.

“You also have to feel comfortable when running or walking, standing up, sitting down, stretching and breathing,” he said. “This to me is bodybuilding—building confidence, bone density, energy, muscle, discipline, health and endurance.”