Podcast Summary: Built Different: Systems, Willpower and the Truth About Longevity with Ben Brown

What Are You Made Of? with Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco
Date: February 16, 2026
Guest: Ben Brown (Body Systems)

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Mike “C-Roc” Ciorrocco sits down with Ben Brown, founder of Body Systems and performance coach, to deconstruct what it really takes to achieve long-term health, resilience, and personal transformation. The discussion goes deep on the principles behind sustained high performance—from daily behaviors and family legacy, to willpower, biohacking trends, diet flexibility, and the surprising truth about professional sports nutrition. There’s a special emphasis on living as a true example, not just a coach, and using systems that keep you performing at your prime, regardless of age.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Living as a Walking Example

• The Importance of “Walking the Talk”:
  • Ben emphasizes leading by example both for his business and family, sharing how he keeps in shape to model healthy behaviors for his kids and clients.

    “The number one accountability tool is walking the talk. ...being physically fit, healthy, lean and strong makes everything in your life better.”
    (Ben Brown, [02:37])

  • Mike connects, highlighting how today’s expectations for leaders are higher—people now expect alignment between what you preach and what you practice.
• Family Influence and Personal Legacy:
  • Ben reflects on how parenting through different life stages makes him more aware of aging and drives his motivation for longevity, not just performance.

    “I feel like I'm experiencing the aging process much more as a byproduct of just experiencing my kids’ growth...”
    (Ben Brown, [01:09])

2. Origin Story: Building a High-Performance Network

• Ben’s Background & Networking:
  • Degree from University of Arizona, played rugby at a high level.
  • Rugby and fitness circles led to consulting for the Golden State Warriors and Arizona Diamondbacks.

    “One of those connections ended up being the wife of one of my old coaches, was the head physio for the Warriors. And so she brought me on as a nutrition and supplement consultant...”
    (Ben Brown, [04:57])

  • Emphasizes the value of relationships—opportunities in elite sports (and business) come from both expertise and personal networks.

3. The Reality of Professional Sports Nutrition

• Imposter Syndrome & Standards in Pro Sports:
  • Ben shares his initial doubts about meeting pro-athlete standards, but quickly learned that most teams’ practices aren’t radically different than general population best practices.

    “The vast majority of them are not doing anything that is so above and beyond what we're doing with general population. In many instances, some of the stuff they're doing is so old school and outdated.”
    (Ben Brown, [06:55])

• Organizational Resistance:
  • Notes the bureaucratic challenges in pro sports—nutrition’s value is obvious but often slow to implement due to tradition and red tape.
  • Cites LeBron James as a rare example of investing millions in his body for career longevity.

4. Biohacking, Nutrition, and False Shortcuts

• The Role of Nutrition vs. Biohacking:
  • Mike and Ben agree: while peptides, supplements, and “hacks” are trendy, they’re ineffective without foundational nutrition.

    “You could do all the peptides you want to do...but if you don't have your nutrition, it's game over.”
    (Mike Ciorrocco, [09:33]) “We're just wasting our time and energy and money...when we're building this on a house of cards with poor lifestyle factors.”
    (Ben Brown, [10:17])

• Adapting Approaches as You Age:
  • Trying to train and recover like a 25-year-old at 40+ is a mistake. Systems have to be tailored to age, recovery, and hormones.

5. Willpower: Systems Over Self-Control

• Debunking the Willpower Myth:
  • Ben introduces his Prime Fit Operating System:
    1. Data Collection: Tracking weight, calories, sleep, movement, blood markers.
    2. Behavioral Psychology: Success is less about “knowing what to do,” more about realistic expectations and mental framing.
    3. Art of Coaching: Individualized roadmaps based on unique lifestyles and stressors.

    “A lot of the reason we have a hard time making changes is not that we don’t know what to do; it’s what’s going on between the ears.”
    (Ben Brown, [11:41])

  • Willpower is finite—a “battery.” Success comes from minimizing decision fatigue by limiting tempting scenarios, not just having more discipline.

    “People that are most successful, it's not that they have more willpower, they just simply limit the situations where they have to make those decisions.”
    (Ben Brown, [14:30])

• Systems & Planning:
  • Both agree: Success requires a proactive “game plan” (meals, routines, responses to social triggers) rather than reacting on the fly.

    “Professional sports teams don’t go into the game like, ‘we’ll figure it out along the way.’ They have a game plan.”
    (Ben Brown, [15:40])

  • Tricks: Mike shares strategies like ordering Instacart groceries to the hotel room and intentionally reframing his self-identity (e.g., “I don’t drink… except on special occasions.”)
    (Mike Ciorrocco, [17:46])

6. Diet Consistency Over Extremes

• Moving Past All-or-Nothing Mindsets:
  • Ben warns that “all-in or all-out” strategies trigger yo-yo cycles and guilt. Sustainable success happens “in the gray”—with permission for flexibility and enjoyment.

    “The problem is with [all or nothing] it lends itself to this kind of perpetual yo-yo dieting cycle...then something comes up...I feel like I blew it. I'm like, screw it, I'll just start again Monday.”
    (Ben Brown, [20:16])

  • Real weight loss is about overall caloric management, not dietary extremism.
• Finding Individual Approaches:
  • Emphasizes tailoring fasting, food choices, and routines to personal needs, not social media “diet religion.”

    “None of it is in and of itself the way, it's just figuring out what the way is for you.”
    (Ben Brown, [24:52])

  • Success comes from routines that are both consistent and enjoyable.

    “Why don’t we learn how to be consistent while enjoying foods you love, without eating like an asshole...”
    (Ben Brown, [24:52])

7. Hot Topics: Fasting and GLP-1 Agonists

• Intermittent Fasting: Context Matters:
  • Fasting works if it fits your life and reduces total calories, but it’s not inherently superior.

    “Intermittent fasting...compared to literally any other diet that controls for calories, there's no difference.”
    (Ben Brown, [25:53])

  • Warns against allowing fasting or other nutrition ideologies to override family moments and fulfillment.
• GLP-1s (e.g., Ozempic, Wegovy): Short-Term Thinking, Long-Term Risk:
  • Expresses concern about widespread use for non-diabetics seeking rapid weight loss.

    “A significant portion of people that come off GLPs are gaining all of the weight back within...18 months...they're not just losing body fat, they're losing lean muscle tissue. And that is very, very problematic.”
    (Ben Brown, [27:43])

  • Most people on these drugs are not protecting muscle with adequate protein and strength training, setting themselves up for higher disease and rebound fat gain.

    “Their body's gonna do everything that it possibly can to put that weight back on, but not in a good way.”
    (Ben Brown, [29:25])

  • Warns of a coming public health issue due to this rebound effect and the inflammatory risk of lost lean muscle.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “More is caught than taught.”
  (Ben Brown, [03:37])

• “The number one accountability tool is walking the talk.”
  (Ben Brown, [02:37])

• On decision fatigue and environment design:

  “It's actually minimizing the number of situations that we put ourselves into, to keep the battery [willpower] as full as possible.”
  (Ben Brown, [14:30])

• Avoiding all-or-nothing thinking:

  “Learn to live in the gray by actually setting some realistic expectations... and helping them understand that weight loss...is all about caloric management.”
  (Ben Brown, [20:16])

• About GLP-1 risks:

  “What's concerning about that is...they're not eating enough protein, they're not cognizant of their nutrition...they're not strength training...they're not just losing fat, they're losing lean muscle tissue.”
  (Ben Brown, [27:43])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening and Age/Longevity Talk: [00:00]–[02:08]
• Leading by Example & Family Lessons: [02:08]–[04:09]
• Ben’s Professional Background through Rugby: [04:40]–[06:50]
• Pro Sports Nutrition: Reality vs. Hype: [06:50]–[09:33]
• Biohacking vs. Foundational Nutrition: [09:33]–[11:08]
• Willpower, Behavior, and Operating Systems: [11:41]–[17:09]
• Systems, Planning, and Travel Hacks: [17:46]–[19:22]
• Avoiding Extreme Dieting & Psychology: [20:16]–[24:52]
• On Fasting & Personalization: [24:52]–[27:12]
• Risks and Realities of GLP-1 Agonists: [27:43]–[31:58]
• Ben’s Contact & Closing: [33:07]–[34:00]

Additional Resources

• Ben Brown Instagram: @bodysystemscoaching
• Podcast: “Smart Nutrition Made Simple Show”
• Website: bodysystems.com

The Takeaway

This episode is a must-listen for high-performers seeking lasting health, energy, and self-mastery. It separates fads from fundamentals, emphasizing self-aware systems over willpower, the “gray zone” over extremes, and making yourself—and your environment—an aid, not a hindrance, to your best life.