Staying Alive with Jon Gabrus & Adam Pally

Reload: Lunges & Cold Plunges (w/ Paul Scheer)

Date: March 5, 2026
Guest: Paul Scheer
Podcast Network: SmartLess Media

Episode Overview

In this special "Reload" episode, Jon Gabrus and Adam Pally welcome comedian, actor, and all-around wellness enthusiast Paul Scheer. The show is an extended "director’s cut" of one of their favorite earlier episodes, featuring material that was previously cut for time. The trio dig into their journeys of trying to live healthier lives after years of "treating their bodies terribly," with Scheer sharing honest and humorous takes on fitness, mental health, parenting, and wellness trends — especially the cold plunge craze.

Key Topics and Insights

1. Catching Up and Sneakerhead Parenting

• The episode starts with fun stories about shoe shopping and sneaker culture, both for themselves and their kids.
• Highlight: Adam surprises his son with a spontaneous trip to a Phoenix Suns game (00:48).
• Memorable Story: Adam and Paul’s audacious adventure touring Nike’s campus, leveraging Adam’s fame for access, and a chance fan encounter landing them a private tour and shopping spree (04:36).
• All three reminisce about their childhoods, their own parents’ attitudes toward dreams, and how they're navigating supporting their kids’ ambitions, even when they sound wild ("Yeah, I'm probably gonna play on Liverpool for soccer.").

2. Youth Sports & Parenting

• Honest discussion about the insanity and joy of being "sports parents."
  • Gabrus: "You can't make a ref. It's 11:00am on a Saturday and everyone's just trying to get through this hour and it's hot and it smells." (11:54)
• Adam shares his experience refereeing and the intentional culture of youth sports focusing on having fun instead of hyper-competition.
• The hosts and Paul swap stories about managing their own competitive, perfectionist, or mouthy children (09:54).

3. Mindset: Moderation & Growth

• Scheer talks about the importance of not depriving oneself or subscribing so rigidly to any health regimen that it becomes miserable (19:33).
• 80/20 Principle: "If you're pescatarian 80% of the time and jam down ribs 20% of the time, you're gonna be all right." - Paul Scheer (20:28)
• Openness to criticism and self-improvement: "Think of yourself as a good-ish person…" - Adam Pally (20:40)

4. Mental Health and Modern Parenting

• They explore differences between generations in parenting and mental health awareness (23:03).
• The crew discusses being older parents and how that’s changed their approach versus their own (very young) parents.

5. The Cold Plunge Deep Dive

• Scheer’s wellness obsession: cold plunges (24:11)
  • Home cold plunge mishap: Paul flooded his basement after forgetting a hose while watching a Hulu documentary (24:47).
  • Benefits: Even if physical benefits are debated, the mental challenge and daily discipline are clear. "Every day, if you start off going, ‘I can do a hard thing,’ the day becomes easy." – Paul Scheer (28:50)
  • "If it came out that the cold plunge is completely placebo…I’d still do it for how I feel after." – Paul Scheer (31:47)
  • Scheer's protocol: 49-50ºF for 5 minutes, fully submerges head for 45–90 seconds at the end (31:15).
  • Discussion of recent studies and 'Big Sauna' vs. 'Big Cold Plunge' in wellness culture.
  • Complimentary practices: red light sauna, tennis, and “prison gym”-style workouts.

6. ADHD, Medication, and Productivity

• Open conversation about ADHD, diagnosis as adults, and sharing that journey with their kids (41:25).
• Vyvanse dosing discussion; how finding the right dose changed life for their children and themselves.
• The pressure to be high-functioning, productivity hacks, and multitasking as a coping skill: “I felt like a building in perennial scaffolding…” – Paul Scheer (40:49).
• The importance and perspectives on therapy (67:35).

7. Nutrition, Hydration, & Real-Life Adjustments

• The trio discuss changes in how they eat and drink versus their youth—water was rare, soda and juice dominated (46:04).
• Paul: "I always drink enough water and I always get sleep. The only two things I do right." (57:09)
• Scheer’s hydration hack: Himalayan salt water (56:16).
• The group share strategies for hangovers, supplements, and “staying regular,” including enthusiastic endorsement of Metamucil.

8. Fitness Routines: Keeping It Real

• They stress doing something sustainable—even walking on an incline treadmill for 30 mins/day is a great start (39:27).
• Quitting all-or-nothing programs, staying flexible, and the psychological relief of working out at home with devices like Mirror and Tonal (64:24).
• The importance of finding movement you enjoy—Scheer’s journey through old-school judo gyms, personal trainers, and finally tennis.

9. Work-Life Balance & Night Owl Struggles

• Adam reflects on how his natural rhythm is to stay up late, but parenting and work demand early mornings (48:00).
• Gabrus: “I look forward to [late night phone surfing] during the day when I’m in a hectic moment." (49:43)
• Sleep is the "new smoking"—the guys argue about sleep hygiene, but acknowledge that sometimes, those peaceful late nights are emotionally necessary as parents.

10. Therapy – Personal and Couples

• Paul and Adam are both in therapy, discussing its draining, but invaluable, nature.
• "Therapy is so hard because you dread going…then it’s heart-wrenching. Then you’re exhausted…" – John Gabris (67:55)
• The contrast between therapy gains and the post-therapy emotional “hangover.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Cold Plunges:

  "It’s like you’re training your mind: I can do hard things. Every day, if you start off going, ‘I can do a hard thing,’ the day becomes easy."
  -- Paul Scheer (28:50)

• On Wellness Trends:

  "If it came out that the cold plunge is completely placebo…I’d still do it for how I feel after. I think it’s my meditation, maybe."
  -- Paul Scheer (31:47)

• On Parenting and Reality Checks:

  "The probability of [your kid making pro sports]…is almost zero. Exactly."
  -- Paul Scheer (15:59)

• On ADHD:

  "I felt like I was a building that was in perennial scaffolding…"
  -- Paul Scheer (40:49)

• On Water as a Kid:

  "Did you guys drink water when you were a kid?"
  "No." – Pally & Gabrus (46:12)

• On Fitness Consistency:

  "If you hate it, you’re never gonna keep doing it."
  -- Recalling advice from their guest Ryan Stanger (66:16)

Timestamps to Key Segments

• Nike campus misadventure and sneaker stories: 04:36–09:00
• Youth sports and refereeing chaos: 09:00–15:00
• Parenting, mental health, and generational differences: 23:00–24:00
• Paul’s cold plunge journey and mishap: 24:11–26:30
• Benefits & science behind cold plunging: 26:30–34:10
• ADHD/Meds discussion: 41:25–45:45
• Night owl confessions, sleep battles: 48:00–49:33
• Sustainable fitness routines: 39:27; 64:24
• Therapy talk: 67:35–69:00

Episode Tone & Final Thoughts

True to the show's ethos, the conversation is raw, funny, and grossly forthcoming — with a lot of warmth and self-awareness. The hosts and Scheer gently roast each other, open up about their struggles, successes, and evolving relationships with health, wellness, and parenting. The cold plunge deep dive stands out, but the overall takeaway is one of balance, humility, and humor in the endless search for staying alive and (mostly) well.

Paul Scheer’s book is recommended for those looking to go deeper into his personal story and wellness journey.

For anyone considering a new health trend, fitness routine, or just looking for real talk on "staying alive" as a parent and human, this episode offers laughs, relatable stories, tested tips, and camaraderie in the struggle.