The Shadow Architect of Superheroes

Mr. Viera, you’ve spent years working with action star Jason Momoa all over the globe. Now, we see you more frequently in the Alps at Mount Med Resort. Is the training here comparable to a Hollywood film set?

The intensity is entirely different, and so are the facilities. On a film set, everything is extremely "external", and immediate. An actor has to hit their mark; and when it’s stunt day, that performance has to be repeated over and over until it looks and feels perfect. That is pure attrition. The work at Mount Med is more "internal." We work a lot with founders and entrepreneurs here – people who have built something super.

But don’t these people have the same grit – the same tenacity – as an action star?

Absolutely, but they’ve poured that grit into their business for years, often neglecting their bodies in the process. A film star needs aesthetics; sometimes they need to look like god. A CEO, on the other hand, often needs to reconnect with themselves first and start a restoration program built around them. Then gain momentum. It takes immense courage to step out of your comfort zone and admit: "I have no idea how to open my hips to fix my back pain." When these guests come to us, they come as they are. That is true grit: leaving your ego at the door.

You often say that health is the ultimate wealth. It sounds a bit like a Hallmark card, doesn't it?

(laughs) Maybe. But look at history: Marlon Brando, Elvis, even Steve Jobs. Health is the ultimate wealth. The pursuit of wealth is often healthier than the achievement of it, because during the climb, you are challenged mentally, spiritually and physically. You pay a toll. Once you’re at the top, recovery, longevity and vitality are the new goal. Our goal at Mount Med is to create healthy empire builders.

Oh man, I’m a victim myself! I just turned 50, and before that, I shut off Instagram for an entire year. You think you’re getting smarter because you’re listening to others talk about health. But knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom comes from experience. You have to actually walk the path, not just scroll through it. Jason Momoa looks like that because he does the work – what people don’t see is that he is in pain every single day from the stunt work, and the hard-core wellness lifestyle it takes to keep him standing.

Even a superhero suffers?

Imagine: The camera rolls, action, and he performs a stunt. The adrenalin dumps. He does that six, seven times per set, two or three sets a day. Over and over the adrenaline dumps. The body doesn’t know the difference between a real war and a film set. Tissue tears, joints scream. I’m the guy who steps in daily with the massage guns, the tonics, and the deep-preparation treatments to make sure he doesn’t end up under the knife the next day.

That sounds like a full-time job. But not everyone travels with a personal Damian Viera.

That’s exactly why our project at Mount Med feels is so vital. Jason travels with an entire entourage: a chef, a boxing coach, a physiotherapist. A typical entrepreneur can’t do that. But they can come to us for a weekend or a week-long retreat. They arrive on day one as one person and leave as another. It’s about creating a system that fits into your everyday life.

You could have launched this program anywhere in the world. Why Tyrol, and why Mount Med Resort?

Because it’s beautiful. The environment does half the work. Look, the resort is built on the foundations of an 850-year-old estate that has been meticulously restored. It’s not a sterile new build; it has a soul. There was a very conscious effort to bring nature into the house. When you drive into the Wildschönau, you leave the urban chaos behind. The Alps act as a natural amplifier for what we do. We use raw nature as much as we can – the Alpine mountain air, the natural light. For me, Mount Med is a support system for the "neighborhood" – whether you're coming from Munich, Innsbruck, or Salzburg. It’s the place where you can truly track your health achievements because the conditions are beautiful.

What specifically distinguishes the experience here from a luxury gym in London or L.A.?

The absence of distraction. There are no managers, no directors, no deadlines. We take the chaos and cut it out. We warm the body in the sauna, open the tissue, move into training, and then go straight into rehabilitation. It’s a closed loop, with our level of nutrition and dining. In the city, you try to squeeze health into a crowded calendar. Here at Mount Med, your calendar is your natural, active lifestyle – your best self.

A major part of your concept is nutrition. You work closely with chef Phillip Schnabel. How important is this partnership?

Phillip is an inspiration. We are like brothers from different art forms. Without exact nutrition, I can’t guarantee anything. A chef can cook well, but does he understand nutrition? That’s a massive difference. Phillip manages to deconstruct food so that you feel absolutely full and satisfied after a meal, even though the calories are precisely measured. He makes "fancy-healthy."

Do you ever treat yourself? A glass of wine, dancing, enjoying life?

(laughs) Absolutely! Look at my clients – they’re rock stars. No one is perfect. If we don’t dance and celebrate life anymore, what are we doing all this for? If you plan your health, you can also party. The problem is that most people only make decisions when they are already desperate or hungry. Wellness is an afterthought.

We hear the buzzword "Longevity" everywhere today. Is it just about turning 100, or is there more to it?

Longevity is often misunderstood. It’s not about outrunning death; it’s about massively increasing the quality of the years we have. In sports science, we call this "performance maintenance." Look at a pro skier in Kitzbühel: the margin for error is tiny, the wear and tear is enormous. What’s the difference between a season skier and a pro? It’s the ability to perform functionally at a high level for decades. That is what we help you build.

How do you achieve that without a pro team behind you?

Lifestyle. We start by understanding the circadian rhythm – our internal clock. I’ve identified about 16 points during the day where we set the course. Longevity means making the decision today that your 80-year-old self will thank you for. We use physical skills, the healing arts, and targeted inflammation control through nutrition, and above all: we repair misalignments before something breaks. If you wait until you need surgery, you’ve already lost the game of longevity. It’s like a vintage car: if you love it, you maintain it daily rather than waiting for the engine to catch fire before taking it to the shop.

When discussing longevity, "autophagy" is a term that comes up often. You call it the Holy Grail of rejuvenation. What exactly do you mean?

Autophagy is essentially the body's own recycling program. The word comes from the Greek and means "self-eating." It sounds a bit macabre, but it’s brilliant: cells break down damaged structures and proteins and convert them into building blocks. It’s biological self-cleaning. When we talk about longevity, autophagy is our most important ally.

But how do we activate this process? Is it enough to just eat less?

It’s about targeted stress stimuli. At Mount Med, we use a triad of fasting periods, thermal stimuli – meaning heat and extreme cold – and targeted intensity training. We have to signal to the body: "Hey, resources are scarce right now, clean up the trash in your cells!" Many high-performers are in a state of constant consumption. The trash never gets picked up. We make sure the biological garbage collection works overtime. That is one of the real secrets of the super-healthy.

That sounds like hard work for the guests.

It is work, yes. I enjoy it. But the reward is youth – biological rejuvenation. We realign the system. Once you understand autophagy and integrate it into your lifestyle – through proper meal spacing and targeted exertion – you’re no longer working against aging; you’re optimizing your hardware.

What is your final piece of advice for anyone who wants to start a healthier life tomorrow?

Stop saying you don’t have time. We all only have time until we don’t. Health is an investment, just like your business. If your investment in your company grows but your health fails, the entire project is a failure. Take the first step. Come to the mountains. Start practicing, don't just read about it.

5 quick questions for Damian Viera

1. Your ultimate song for a hardcore workout?

"Thunderstruck" by AC/DC. The rhythm is like a command to the nervous system: Wake up. Now!

2. Which star has been your most demanding client so far?

(laughs) I’ll happily tell you that over a glass of good whiskey at the bar.

3. Autophagy or cheat meal?

Metabolic flexibility. I use feeding windows to induce autophagy and train correctly, but I celebrate life with tacos and friends. If you can’t enjoy life, you won't age healthily.

4. If you could only do one exercise?

The Turkish Get-Up with a kettlebell. I hate this exercise. But it provides maximum stability and focus. The whole body in one movement. There is nothing more efficient for me.

5. Describe your program at Mount Med Resort in three words?

Rebuild. Not Reset.

And here’s where you can book your place for the exclusive retreat with Damián Viera:

→ mountmedresort.com