Staying Alive with Jon Gabrus & Adam Pally

Episode: "Creatinis & Collagen" (w/ Dan Levy)
Date: December 18, 2025
Podcast Network: SmartLess Media

Episode Overview

In this episode, comedians and self-styled "professional partiers" Jon Gabrus and Adam Pally are joined by their longtime friend and collaborator Dan Levy, a comedy writer, stand-up, and self-proclaimed "modern day dad." They set out to discuss their real, honest, and often hilarious journeys through health, wellness, and what it takes to "stay alive"—especially after years of questionable lifestyle choices. From gym horror stories and the perils of collagen supplements, to parenting, therapy mishaps, and sending the wrong text to your spouse, the trio share candid stories and genuine insights into what health and self-care look like for working creatives in their 40s.

Key Discussion Topics & Insights

Holiday Ennui & Seasonal Blues (00:00–05:22)

• Multiple Holidays, Different Vibes: Adam and Jon joke about the extended length of the Christmas season versus Hanukkah, ending with a tongue-in-cheek nod to the Chinese zodiac:

  “Christmas season is like Thanksgiving to January 5th.” (Jon, 00:22)
  “And then Chinese are like, it's the year of the Bunny. ... Enjoy your eight nights.” (Adam & Jon, 00:41)

• Seasonal Sadness: Both hosts grapple with this dark, slow time of year, especially in New York, where Jon compares a deserted city to "I Am Legend."

  “When New York, when it thins out, feels like Omega Man ... like I am legend.” (Jon, 02:32)

• FOMO & Productivity Anxiety: The pair admit to always feeling like they’re missing out—especially when careers slow for the holidays.

Introducing Dan Levy: Friendship, Envy, & Cool Dad Vibes (05:30–09:41)

• Adam and Jon lavish praise on Dan Levy for his humor, relatability, and alleged superhuman ability to be supportive and non-bitter.

  “He is the ultimate dad ... aspirational in a lot of ways.” (Adam, 05:55)

• They candidly examine the envy that creeps into showbiz friendships, revealing Dan’s talent for rooting for everyone’s success:

  "There's a certain sweetness and no bitterness. ... He's rooting for everybody's success." (Adam, 07:15)
  "He just goes through life in a way ... I guess you probably do when you're like, jacked and handsome and funny, it's probably easy to be like, yeah, life is great." (Adam, 07:54)

What Are You Doing to Stay Alive? (12:47–14:20)

• Supplements, Social Media, & the Pressure to Optimize:

  • Dan admits he's constantly tempted by Instagram ads for supplements (“all my Instagram algorithm is telling me to take steroids”), specifically testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
  • All three riff on the challenge of separating myth from fact in a world of "influencer science."
  • Notable quote:

    “There's so much to do. All my Instagram algorithms is telling me to take steroids. Like, I am so close to buying TRT, I can't even tell you.” (Dan, 13:17)

• Steroid & Supplement Rabbit Holes:

  • They joke about the perils of Instagram bodybuilders and the real dangers of trend steroids (trenbolone):

    “TRT has caused all these 70-year-old bald jacked guys that you see around now that are like weirdly pink.” (Jon, 16:30)
    "I follow a bodybuilder on Instagram ... He sleeps for an hour, jumps in an ice bath, jogs to a gym in a garage, works out for three hours and then goes. Fights crime." (Dan, 14:20)

Creatine, Collagen & Absurd Wellness Routines (17:44–19:55)

• Supplements That Do (and Don’t) Work:

  • Adam’s experience with Instagram collagen supplements:

    "I just ordered ... this collagen powder in my coffee ... it's a big nothing." (Adam, 17:59)

  • Jon chimes in about the dubious cumulative effect of supplements in already-chaotic routines.

• 'Creatinis' – Mixing Fitness and Party:

  • The group riffs on the idea of mixing creatine into cocktails—"creatinis"—blending health trends with party culture.

    "I'll have a dirty creatine." (Jon, 18:58)

Actual Wellness—Dan’s Real-Life Regimen (20:01–27:12)

• Training at Planet Fitness:

  • Dan works out six days a week, early when possible, at "a homeless shelter called Planet Fitness."

    "I work out at a homeless shelter called Planet Fitness ... That gym is so, so crazy. There's a guy there who brings his dog, a German shepherd, without a leash." (Dan, 21:00, 22:39)

• Workout Split & Challenges:

  • Dan follows a classic bro split:

    "I do chest tries. Yes, every day, back buys, legs. Oh, you alternate days?" (Dan & Adam, 27:07)

• Shoulder Injury & Peptides:

  • After a self-imposed shoulder injury, Dan experiments with peptides for recovery.

• Gut Health & Supplement Overload:

  • Supplement talk leads to jokes about Tums as bedtime candy and a mock struggle to keep up with gut health trends.

    “I take Tums whenever I get black... it comes out looking like Skittles.” (Dan, 28:20)

Food, Touring, and the Impossibility of Consistency (29:16–31:35)

• "Abs are Made in the Kitchen," But ... :

  • The group confesses that touring and creative lifestyles make healthy eating almost impossible.

    "You don't make enough money in this career to not also take some of the other perks ... might as well go to this barbecue place." (Jon, 30:30)

• Celebrating With Food:

  • The struggle between “just protein and a vegetable” and “five pounds of Chinese food” after a show.

Motivation, Scheduling, and the Illusion of Progress (31:35–36:21)

• The Reality of Discipline:

  • The hosts discuss how exercise routines and healthy eating derail easily, especially with unpredictable travel and parenthood.
  • Notable quote:

    "Sometimes I feel like I work insanely hard to look this shitty." (Adam, 34:28)

• Supplements vs. Real Life:

  • Jon admits his messy lifestyle makes it hard to assess supplement effects:

    "When I add supplements into my diet, people are always like, do you notice a difference? ... my system is so up and all over the place that I have no idea if adding something is even helping." (Jon, 35:47)

Therapy, Marriage, and Texting Nightmares (38:33–47:33)

• Therapy as Mental Health Maintenance:

  • Dan is candid about therapy and the challenges of maintaining mental health as a husband and father of three.
  • He accidentally texts his wife therapy notes, leading to panic and hilarity:

    “Started writing down notes for my therapy session. ... One of the notes was, she's not attached to reality. I sent it by accident to her.” (Dan, 41:53, 43:38)
    “Oh my God, I have such secondhand anxiety.” (Jon, 42:11)

• Parental Regression:

  • Reflecting on reverting to "child status" when staying with family, and the universal truth of boomerang adulthood.

• Wrong Text to the Mother-in-Law:

  • Adam shares a story about accidentally telling his mother-in-law he wants to throw her in front of a bus:

    “I once sent a text to my mother-in-law ... that said that I wanted to throw my mother-in-law in front of a bus.” (Adam, 43:52)

Parenting, Dogs, and Neighborhood Mishaps (47:33–52:12)

• Dog Ownership Comedy:

  • The hosts share wild stories of losing dogs, picking up new ones, and chaos at home—ranging from Dan’s runaway beagle to Adam’s wife bringing home a puppy and it escaping immediately.

• The Diarrhea Dog Story & Ed Begley Jr.:

  • Jon recounts an episode where Adam’s dog had diarrhea on a neighbor's lawn while they were high; the neighbor turns out to be Ed Begley Jr.

    “Of course, this is the most Pally shit ever ... And the dude just [comes] out of his house, and he's like, hey, what the are you guys doing? There’s diarrhea everywhere.” (Jon, 51:21)

Notable Quotes

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|-------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 07:15 | Adam | "There's a certain sweetness and no bitterness. ... He's rooting for everybody's success." | | 13:17 | Dan | "There's so much to do. All my Instagram algorithms is telling me to take steroids. Like, I am so close to buying TRT, I can't even tell you." | | 17:59 | Adam | "I just ordered ... this collagen powder in my coffee ... it's a big nothing." | | 21:00 | Dan | "I work out at a homeless shelter called Planet Fitness ... That gym is so, so crazy. There's a guy there who brings his dog, a German shepherd, without a leash." | | 31:35 | Adam | "Did you work out this morning? ... Good for you." | | 34:28 | Adam | "Sometimes I feel like I work insanely hard to look this shitty." | | 41:53 | Dan | "Started writing down notes for my therapy session. ... One of the notes was, she's not attached to reality. I sent it by accident to her." |

Segment Timestamps

• 00:00–05:22 – Holiday season blues & city differences
• 05:30–09:41 – Intro of Dan Levy; friendship dynamics
• 12:47–14:20 – Social media, supplement pressure, TRT jokes
• 17:44–19:55 – Creatine, collagen, and “creatini” cocktails
• 20:01–27:12 – Dan's workout regimen and gym chaos
• 29:16–31:35 – Food choices while touring and eating healthy on the road
• 31:35–36:21 – Motivation to work out, real-life interruptions, and supplement confusion
• 38:33–47:33 – Therapy, marriage, texting mishaps, and family regression
• 47:33–52:12 – Parenting chaos, dog stories, and the Ed Begley Jr. reveal

Memorable Moments

• Creatinis are Born (18:58):

  "I'll have a dirty creatine." (Jon)

  • New cocktail culture for the gym rat and party animal hybrid.

• The Therapy Text Blunder (41:53):

  "Started writing down notes for my therapy session. ... One of the notes was, she's not attached to reality. I sent it by accident to her." (Dan)

• Accidental Insult to the Mother-in-Law (43:52):

  "...that said that I wanted to throw my mother-in-law in front of a bus." (Adam)

• Planet Fitness is Wild (21:00+):

  • Homeless vibes, off-leash German shepherds, and shadow-boxing in the sauna.

• Diarrhea on Ed Begley Jr.'s Lawn (51:21):

  "And the dude just [comes] out of his house, and he's like, hey, what the are you guys doing? There’s diarrhea everywhere." (Jon)

Closing Thoughts

This episode encapsulates the raw reality, relentless humor, and grossly forthcoming honesty that makes "Staying Alive" a window into the minds (and bodies) of comics striving for self-improvement in adulthood. Between the slapstick gym tales, serious talk of therapy, and the never-ending quest to optimize health amidst chaos, Jon, Adam, and Dan keep things real—and distinctly hilarious. If you’re looking for a podcast that acknowledges both the victories and absurdities of self-care, you’re in the right place.

Follow Dan Levy on Instagram and catch him on tour with John Mulaney or at a comedy club near you.
And as Adam says, "Work as hard as you can to stay alive and look this shitty."

For More…

• Listen to previous and upcoming episodes for more on health, wellness, and staying alive—comedian style.
• Follow the hosts on social media for behind-the-scenes absurdity.
• Stay tuned for another guest, more questionable supplement reviews, and more tales of chaotic adulthood!