True strength development isn't something that should be skipped at any age. However, when you are a woman over 40, these training tools become key assets to your overall training, health, and longevity. When you understand the key components that go into making a proper strength training program, you can better equip yourself to obtain your goals in the best way possible.

Key Takeaways

If You Want to Harness Strength Development, You Should: 

1. Start small and with an approachable amount of jumping in plyometrics

2. Use strength development to keep your strength as you age and reduce strength limitation

3. Get a program that is well-designed and understands the nuances of exercise progressions

The Why and The How

Understanding why and how I program certain exercises into Strong with Steph is crucial for me to help you understand. The rationale behind these important components will not only help you better understand the training you are doing, but it will also help you pick the program and trainer that aligns with your goals and understands how to help you succeed. If you notice that you are feeling slower, I want to help you improve and make strength training approachable in all aspects.

Make Your Programming Work For You

As you are evaluating programs, I want you to ensure that your approach to strength training is helping you become more well-rounded regardless of your goals. Strength training plans are meant to help you learn what you need to do. The specific rep, set, and load ranges are designed to work on maximum force development. Plyometric training, lifting appropriately hard weights, starting small, and incorporating unilateral and rotative moments in your training are all key components that can make a huge difference in your overall results.

Anyone looking to be athletic, but especially women over 40, needs to be aware of these key aspects so that you can use strength training as a way to understand your strength journey better.

How does strength training play into your overall health goals? Share your story with me in the comments on the episode page.  

In This Episode

• Why these types of exercises are simply something you cannot skip as you age (4:45)
• Understanding plyometrics, jumping, and how it can help you improve your overall training (16:34)
• Specific quality over quantity tips when it comes to power and plyometrics (30:38)
• How to get over the fear around strength training by understanding the parameters (41:00)
• What you can do to help your body perform at its best through every stage of life and training (51:30)

Quotes

“It's not that we are saying there is some magical strength training that only women over 40 will benefit from. Of course not. We know what the parameters of strength training are, and we are going to talk about that in this episode. It's just our ability to skip that and not see those negative impacts because we are aging and going through these hormonal changes, we can't avoid it any longer. Strength training is one thing that we have in our arsenal of tools.” (8:08)

“Our tissues adapt, and they don't stop adapting. The problem is we have stopped doing these exercises.” (19:50)

“Strong with Steph Programing does include strength development. This is a key aspect for women over 40.” (35:57)

“We know this stuff is critical for anyone who wants to build their actual strength, but when you are over 40, it becomes something that will have more negative outcomes if you skip it.” (36:46)

“Just like any other kind of training y'all, progressive overload is critical.” (41:01)

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Related Episodes

FYS 434: Progressive Overload: How to Keep Getting Stronger

FYS 435: RPE & Autoregulation: Smart Tools for Strength Gains Over 40

FYS 436: Movement Prep & Balance

FYS 427: Your Fitness App Calls it Strength Training, But Is It? With Nikki Naab-Levy

When it comes to creating a progressive overload plan, we have touched on a lot of elements so far. However, when it comes to how to specifically create your program, whether you are creating a program for yourself, finding one online, or looking to work with a trainer in person, there are some nuances that need to be discussed.

Key Takeaways

If You Want to Improve Your Strength Training, You Should:

1. Give yourself the freedom to warm up and work on balance as a key part of your strength training program
2. Focus on the type of exercises that will help you feel good for longer 
3. Challenge yourself with where your current ability level is and up the ante over time

Consistency is the Name of the Game

When you are doing a deadlift, overhead press, bench press, or squat, you need to familiarize your body with the movement pattern you are going to be doing that day. Movement prep and balance work will help you prepare your body for what is coming next, and create positive changes in how your body and brain relate to each other more effectively when things get heavy. Giving yourself the freedom to warm up, be consistent, and listen to your body, is what is going to get you further in your progressive overload plan.

Strength Training for Every Age

Movement prep and balance work are two things that I program into every session of Strong with Steph. Especially as we transition from perimenopause to postmenopause, we need to work with the changes happening in our bodies to help ourselves stay strong for longer. The truth is, that our body loses strength, hormones, and energy as we get older, which is why we need to have a strength training plan that helps us combat what we are losing and instead helps us find gains. Implementing a well-planned program takes the burden off of you so that you can focus on feeling great.

Are you ready to reevaluate your strength training plan as a woman over 40? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• A recap of what we have spoken about so far when it comes to strength training over 40 (2:45)
• The importance of balance work for longevity as we age (6:45)
• How movement preparation can improve your training program (14:52)
• Understanding the role of estrogen when it comes to your joints and their needs (20:16)
• Examples of balance work and movement prep that show up in the Strong with Steph Workout Plan (30:15)

Quotes

“Having these guide your strength training is super, super important, and not something you want to gloss over when you are either writing a program for yourself, finding one online, or looking to work with a trainer in person.” (2:35)

“Movement preparation and balance work create a foundation for building strength and are so important when we are considering longevity in training and safety and mitigating risk to the best of our possible influence, especially as we are aging.” (6:13)

“Research strongly supports the idea that warming up with the actual lift you plan to perform but at a lighter load is an effective way to prepare your body for heavier lifting.” (21:20)

“Addressing these things through training is very important, and there is something that you can do about it.” (29:08)

“Movement prep and balance work are essential, and we know they are going to play an important role in joint health, mitigating the risk of injury and enhancing our experience of progressive overload.” (39:24)

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FYS 435: RPE & Autoregulation: Smart Tools for Strength Gains Over 40

FYS 434: Progressive Overload: How to Keep Getting Stronger

 

 

I get a lot of messages about RPE, Reps in Reserve, and Autoregulation. These are powerful tools, that when practiced, can help you as you implement a long-term strength training program, especially as a woman over 40. However, it takes understanding the pieces that go into these tools, and a well-rounded program, to really make the most of their benefits.

Key Takeaways

If You Are Looking for Trainings Tools, You Should:

1. Use autoregulation as a way to adjust your training plan and allow for more flexibility 
2. Remember that you do not have to be perfect or give your all to have a successful training session.
3. Collect your own data about yourself and what your body needs throughout your life changes

Learning about Yourself through Strength

Having a performance-forward approach when it comes to your workout intensity is great, but it can leave space for injury or overuse. Using the scales of RPE and Reps in Reserve, you can allow yourself a moment to check in and make adjustments to the structure of your program. 

While working with a coach is great, learning how to observe your body and what it needs is something that you can do yourself. These tools will help you understand your body in a way that will encourage sustainability and longevity in your strength training program.

It’s All About Flexibility

A good strength training program leaves room for both structure and flexibility. Learning how to adjust your intensity not only helps you learn more about your body, but it can help you tackle those low-energy days without completely giving up and potentially taking a long break.

Autoregulation will keep you moving forward with your program even on lower energy days, which can happen especially as we adjust to new demands on our lives and our bodies. Adjusting the plan based on Autoregulation will help you continue to show up and do your best, while also meeting yourself where you are at.

Are you ready to adjust your effort in order to gain more sustainability and effectiveness in your program? Share your thoughts on this episode with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Understand the guiding principles of a well-rounded training program (4:35)
• Learn exactly what RPE and Reps In Reserve are (11:40)
• Why these tools are so useful for women, especially as they age past 40 (16:06)
• What is autoregulation and why it is a useful tool for your workouts (17:51)
• Benefits of RPE and Reps in Reserve for women over 40 (28:02)
• Simple ways you can learn to make the gauges necessary for autoregulation and more (33:31)

Quotes

“The value of using something like RPE is that it helps to tailor your workout intensity to match your daily energy level, your daily bandwidth, how much capacity you have today.” (15:01)

“This isn't a proprietary way for women over 40 to manage their own strength training. However, it is a validated tool that we can use because it is contextually allowing us more flexibility within the structure of a program.” (16:25)

“This is all part of the tapestry of your own unique autoregulation and recovery and getting to know yourself over time.” (20:47)

“There is structure, but there is also flexibility. And I think that is a really key take-home message and take-home point of this particular podcast.” (25:50)

“We have to keep training if we want to continue to either maintain or see gains over time.” (30:43)

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FYS 434: Progressive Overload: How to Keep Getting Stronger

 

Whether you are new to strength training or a seasoned lifter, progressive overload is two common words you have probably heard before. But what do they really mean, and how can you apply them both as a lifter and as a coach? If you are feeling stuck because you are not seeing the gains you are hoping for in your programming, progressive overload could be the puzzle piece you still need to include.

Key Takeaways

If you are interested in progressive overload, you should:

1. Work with a coach or find a strength training plan that is custom to you
2. Gradually build up strength and vary your movements to build your adaptation ability 
3. Remember that this is a great investment in your health if you are honest with yourself

The Key to Long-Term Strength Gains

You see relatively continuous improvement by gradually tweaking the dials of your training and the demands placed on your body over time. If you fail to challenge your body, you will fail to adapt. One of the hardest and most important things you can do is advance your lifting in a way that makes the most of your time and moves you in the right direction. The key is having a plan for your lifting that saves you time and worry when you get into the gym.

Know Why It Matters

Training, coaching, lifting, and recovering are a science and an art. But to really see results, it takes new challenges and an understanding of one's motivation behind the movements. 

Increasing weights or adding more reps, paying attention to rest time, and utilizing different exercises and tempos are all key components to seeing the results you are hoping for. Patience and repetition are the basis of long-term strength training; all you need is the right program!

What role does progressive overload play in your strength training program? Let me know your thoughts in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• What is progressive overload, and what does it mean (2:25)
• Breaking down the science of adaptation and general adaptation syndrome (13:20)
• How to apply progressive overload in your strength training program (20:26)
• Common pitfalls when learning how to manage your progress over time (32:35)
• Best practice advice for those who want to integrate progressive overload into their strength training program (43:05)

Quotes

“When it comes to your strength training, progressive overload is the cornerstone that guides, the guiding principle that steers your training program and training plan.” (2:56)

“To put this into common words, we need a stressor, that’s our training, and we need recovery, which is where we finally experience that adaptation.” (15:56)

“Training is a science and an art. Coaching is a science and an art. Implementing this is a science and an art, and getting to know yourself and/or your clients is really important. (22:37)

“We need to pump the breaks a bit, and find a way to keep you moving forward without accelerating things to the point where you can't recover.” (34:17)

“If you have been lifting the same weights for months and months and months on end, it is time, my friend, you have got to move up in weight.” (39:25)

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FYS 427: Your Fitness App Calls It Strength Training, But Is It? With Nikki Naab-Levy

 

Have you ever asked yourself what there is to learn from the pursuit of strength? How do the lessons we learn in the gym translate to our lives outside of strength? Alyssa Ages set out on a quest to answer these questions, and in return found a multitude of answers that can help any athletic person get more from their training regime and their life.

Key Takeaways

If you are curious about the true meaning of strength, you should:

1. Connect with your deeper why of strength training outside of the aesthetic value
2. View strength training as something that can connect you more deeply to your body
3. Be aware of the ways in which the strength training mindset can improve your life outside of the gym

Strength In and Out of the Gym with Alyssa Ages

Alyssa is a Toronto-based, New York-born author, freelance writer, and copywriter. She is a mom, strongman competitor, endurance athlete (six marathons & an Ironman), rock climber, CrossFitter, and former member of the Jersey City Bridge & Pummel roller derby team. Her debut book, Secrets of Giants: A Journey to Uncover the True Meaning of Strength, was featured in The New York Times and Publisher’s Weekly, among others. The book, part personal narrative, part research mission, part midlife crisis odyssey into the world of strength to answer the question: What if strength isn’t about how much we can lift, but how we manage life’s struggles? 

The True Meaning of Strength

There is something about strength training and the pursuit of strength that is addictive and keeps bringing us back. But why do we love it so much, and feel so satisfied even when it feels hard? It all comes down to the story we tell ourselves. If you view yourself as a person who is able to handle hard shit, there's a good chance you don't mind getting comfortable with discomfort. Through Alyssa’s research, it became clear to her, that if you are purposefully able to do difficult things, the easier all of the things that you encounter in your daily life will start to feel.

You Can Do Hard Things

Building strength, physically, mentally, and emotionally, is all about pushing the boundaries of what humans can do. When strength is a part of your identity, you can discover things about yourself through the training process that will help you both in and out of the gym. Building strength is not just about looking good or feeling good, it is about having agency over your life and what you are doing. The ability to fail over and over again safely, allows you to learn something that is applicable in every other area of your life. That might be why we love it so much.

If you are also searching for the true meaning of strength, share your thoughts with me in the comments of the episode page. 

In This Episode

• Learn about the genre of Strongman Strength Training and the role it played in Alyssa’s journey (8:43)
• Explore what it means to be an athlete or athletic person (19:13)
• Flirting with the edge of being uncomfortable and being in your comfort zone (23:42)
• What Alyssa discovered about women in strength throughout her research (30:10)
• How to address issues that come up when it comes to your strength training abilities or practice (38:24)

Quotes

“In the book, there is very little about what [strength] does physically to your body and your muscles, and almost exclusively about how it impacts everything else you do in your life outside of a gym setting.” (7:50)

“Strongman really showed me that actually, failing was really ok and kind of awesome. Because it was the only way to understand what I actually could do.” (17:23)

“It was just that little shift in mindset that gave me the courage to actually do it.” (20:05)

“It was really incredible to hear from so many women that they said ‘Doing a strength sport taught me that I could love my body not for how it looks, but for what it is capable of doing’.” (30:32)

“Once I started to continue with this routine of going back into the gym, with my coach and trying to do everything really safely as I was going through all of this, it helped me to start to regain this feeling of trust and this feeling of capability in my body.” (42:03)

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The Secret of Giants by Alyssa Ages

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Strongman Video

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FYS 431: Should You Get a Lifting Program?

 

Combining the world of strength training and sport, specifically Brazilian jiu-jjitsu, might seem counterintuitive, but it is exactly the opposite. My guest today is here to show you how a crossover between these two worlds can help you train better, prevent injury, and enjoy the sport you love for longer.

Key Takeaways

If you want to use strength training to improve your sport, you should:

1. Track what you are doing and assess it 

2. Get your body accustomed to stress and impact

3. Be consistent with the low-hanging fruit

Finding a Balance

Alex Sterner, BS, CSCS, is a co-founder and Head Coach of Electrum Performance and the Director of Performance at Jiujiteiro. He received his Bachelor's degree in Strength and Conditioning from the University of Connecticut and obtained a CSCS through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. As a Head Strength Coach of Atos Jiu-Jitsu HQ, he led the S&C training camp that resulted in Atos winning a team Gi World title in 2017 and 2018.

Not All Stress is Built the Same

Some people are afraid to lift heavy due to the threat of injury. But the truth is, your muscular cellular system will respond positively to the right amount of stress. Alex wants to encourage you to get your body accustomed to impact in a respectful and gradual way. 

By harnessing the power of control that you have in the gym, you can teach your body how to trust increment levels of stress so that you can come back from injury and pain with more resilience. This is why strength training is such an important asset and can lead to many more years of enjoying the sport you love so much.

Track Everything

Alex believes that all progress comes down to tracking. Understanding your missteps, and being able to differentiate between short and long-term gains will help you figure out where you are going right and wrong in your training. You don't need a fancy app, just a notebook and a pen. If you can figure out when something you are doing isn't showing up, you can figure out why and make a switch. It may be as simple as adjusting your work-to-rest ratio, but without tracking, you will never figure it out.

If you want to explore strength training options, either specifically for jiu-jitsu or another sport, let me know your thoughts about Alex’s well-balanced and informed approach in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Addressing the ‘insult’ of strength in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the benefits you might not realize strength has (13:42)
• Myth busting the belief that lifting weights will cause you to get injured and take you out of your chosen sport (20:55)
• Understanding how liability in the medical system could be skewing your perception of recovery (37:30)
• Common under-rated and over-rated jiu-jitsu specific strength training and why it needs to change (41:32)
• Why the spine is so important in the context of jiu-jitsu and the nuance of loading your spine (53:20)

Quotes

“Heavy lifting; it is not just about building this brute muscular athlete. It's about longevity; it's about preventing injury or minimizing injury so that you can spend more time on the mats.” (10:13)

“When people start to trust that the weight room is this deliberate thing where we don't just make bad things worse… you start to realize that these other environments are way more open than the gym, and you don't have nearly enough control.” (26:53)

“Understand what your limitations are, take whatever you still can, and go from there” (40:23)

“All of it comes down to tracking. Be aware of what you are doing, is it improving? And if it is, great! And if it's not, figure out a switch to make.” (51:25)

“Biological organisms respond positively to stress in the right amounts.” (57:20)

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Electrum Performance Website

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Related Episodes

FYS 425: Nutrition for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu w/ Alex Maclin

FYS 431: Should You Get A Lifting Program?

 

Most women in mid-life have a common rebuttal that keeps them from taking the next step when it comes to their fitness and health journey. The pressure that women put on themselves or the expectation that they believe is there to be perfect and execute their workouts without any interruption could be limiting their ability to reach their goals. 

Key Takeaways

If You Want to Show Up For Yourself, You Should:

1. Stop focusing on the perfection monster mindset

2. Focus on ways you can change your behavior through mindset changes

3. Be kind and gracious to yourself and your workout routine

Consistency is Key 

I want you to ask yourself, what does consistency look like to you? How would it feel to reframe how you think about your workouts and put less pressure on yourself to never miss a day or take a vacation? Fitness and health do not need to be another stressor in your life. I want you to challenge yourself to shift the way you think about your health and be curious about how you can reframe the way you think about your workouts. When it comes to working out, perfection is not the goal, but showing up for yourself is.

The Science of Behavior Change

If you have been holding back from working with a coach because you are unsure if you can commit 100%, I am here to tell you, that you don't need to. The all-or-nothing mentality that we have when it comes to our fitness is unnecessary, and I am here to tell you that you still get a benefit even if you can't do 10 out of the 10 workouts you want. 

Showing up for yourself and your health is the first step, and making it work for you and your lifestyle is the key to success. You don't need to force yourself to do something that won't work for you, and you also don't need to do something that doesn't fit your life schedule. Doing what works for you in your here-and-now body is the best thing you can do, period.

Are you ready to start showing up for yourself? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Understanding the stages of change and how to approach a new idea (3:40)
• Why you should start a strength training program even if you might not be perfect at it (7:09)
• What is endowed progress effect, and how can it help you make behavior changes (16:10)
• How to avoid the perfection monster through mindset shifts (22:50)

Quotes

“I know there is going to be at least one person listening to this podcast episode, in whatever space and time you find it, who is mulling over the question, ‘Should I get a lifting program?’.” (3:07)

“Ageing is not just this linear gentle slope down in terms of the change in function, but rather, there are these punctuated times in our lives, if we are lucky enough to make it to these ages, where there are some changes going on.” (8:34)

“I trust that the women I work with, who are mostly in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, are doing their damn best on any given day.” (21:41)

“Consistency is more important than perfection. Especially when perfection is something we cannot hold onto.” (22:47)

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Related Episodes

FYS 429: Boost Your Motivation to Train with This with Kasey Jo Orvidas

FYS 427: Your Fitness App Calls it Strength Training, But is it? With Nikki Naab-Leevy

 

I want you to imagine a heavy deadlift. How challenging it is, the focus needed, to tune everything else out and give it your best. Now, imagine that the barbell weighs over 650 pounds. That is the reality for Tamara Walcott, a world record holder in powerlifting. But Tamara didn't always have this confidence. Having to overcome obesity and single mom guilt made Tamara the inspiring and powerful woman that she is today.

Key Takeaways

If You Want to Get Stronger, You Should:

1. Work with people who support your goals and lift you up in times of hardship
2. Accept that failure and obstacles are going to be part of the process and that you can overcome them anyway
3. Fuel properly and often in order to support both your body and your mind

Overcoming Setbacks with Tamara Walcott

Tamara Walcott, the Plus Size Fitness Queen, is a record-breaking athlete, a resilient mompreneur, and a motivation to all. Her journey, marked by her triumph over food addiction and obesity, inspires others to embrace mental resilience and celebrate every victory. In this episode, we explore Tamara's world-record-setting story and join her on a transformative journey.

Stay Dedicated To Your Destination, Even If You Can’t See It

After stumbling into a powerlifting gym in 2017, Tamara realized that she would have to change from the inside out to achieve her goals. By 2018, she was coming in first place in her first competitions and realized that to take care of others around her, she had to take care of herself first.

Her mindset, mission, and ability to navigate setbacks helped her break an all-time world record while training just three days per week. These traits, combined with her dedication and ability to accept failure as part of the process, have gotten her to where she is today.

Your Strength Is Your Sexy

Proving to yourself that you can do something you couldn't do before is one of Tamara’s favorite parts of powerlifting. Her mission is to bring more women into the sport and eventually get the deserved recognition from associations such as ESPN and the Olympics. 

She works to encourage women to stop letting comparison steal their joy and instead compete against themselves while ensuring they are fueling enough. If you believe in your ability to keep going despite the obstacles in the way, anything is possible.

Are you feeling called to lift something heavy? Share how you are getting involved in the community with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• How Tamara got bit by the powerlifting bug (6:28)
• Surprising things about powerlifting as a sport and lessons learned (13:34)
• Discover the environment and energy of a powerlifting meet (16:46)
• Inner dialogue tips and the importance of pushing past your own limiting beliefs (26:40)
• Looking at the training schedule of a recording-breaking single power mom powerlifter (32:51)
• Understanding ‘My Strength is My Sexy’, ‘Women in Powerlifting’, and more (45:52)

Quotes

“I think that is the exciting thing about it, is that anyone can be a part of this sport, and not a lot of people know about it yet. Which is why I want to keep talking about it.” (5:36)

“You get one minute to do your movement. But that one minute feels like 10 seconds. But it’s the best 10 seconds of your life.” (17:24)

“Powerlifting literally saved my life.” (19:40)

“I think the most common misconception, even when I was heavier, was that I had to eat less in order to lose weight. I had to eat less to be at the body aesthetic that I wanted to be. It's not that you have to eat less, you just have to eat the right things and fuel your body right for whatever your performance is or what your program is.” (35:39)

“Failure is a part of the process. It doesn't mean to quit and give up, it means to learn what you can learn and press on.” (41:27)

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Related Episodes

FYS 378: Powerlifting and Recovery Tips for the 40+ Athlete with Laura Phelps

FYS 344: Body Acceptance & Powerlifting with Christina Malone

 

Whether you are on the client side or the coach side, if you are trying to make positive changes in your life in regard to fitness, nutrition, and your health in general, having strategies to help you take a step forward and get better results is crucial. Having the right approach when it comes to improving your nutrition and fitness, especially when dealing with a lack of motivation or self-sabotage, comes down to the science behind health behavior change.

Key Takeaways

If You Want to Understand Your Mindset Better, You Should:

1. Work with a coach or a client who is willing to talk about and prepare for the hard stuff

2. Understand that mindsets can shift drastically and often

3. Be kind to yourself when struggling with a lack of motivation or self-sabotage

Your Mind and Your Health with Kasey Jo Orvidas

Kasey holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and is a certified health and fitness coach. She has spent a good chunk of her life developing some serious expertise in mindset and health behavior change. She has transformed hundreds of lives (and minds) in her coaching career, while also being published in multiple peer-reviewed scientific journals for her research exploring the relationship between our mindset and our health and fitness behaviors.

The Base of the Pyramid

Your mindset is the lens through which you see the world through, how you assign meaning to things, and how you make sense of what is happening around you. It is the base of the pyramid for your health and nutrition, which is why it is so essential to understand the science behind making positive changes. 

When you are able to face mindset challenges, you can start working towards more consistency, more motivation, and ultimately better mindset health outcomes.

Not All Sunshine and Rainbows

I'm sure you have heard people preaching positivity and mindset in the fitness space, but this is not a show about pushing through negative thoughts. Instead, Kasey Jo wants you to think about the hard stuff and prepare yourself for those inevitable moments when you get tripped up psychologically. 

Addressing problems from a mindset perspective, whether you are a coach or a client, will help you determine which path will be the most successful in the long run. While truly understanding psychology, mindset, and behavior change is not necessarily the norm, Kasey Jo is working to fix that one person at a time.

Are you ready to take a deep dive into the role your mindset is playing in your health and fitness? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Why this isn't just another mindset show (5:10)
• Understanding the spectrum of mindset science (12:16)
• How to collect evidence to stop your self-limiting beliefs (23:09)
• Tips for coaches on making a realistic yet optimistic plan for your clients (28:54)
• The difference between scientific evidence-based mindset work and other offers out there (34:20)
• How to understand the role of your own mindset as a coach and as a client (43:55)

Quotes

“Really, the stuff we are going to talk about today we are going to talk about from a health and fitness lens, but it can very much so be applied to other areas of your life too.” (6:11)

“Square one is where you are right now. So, literally, the worst-case scenario is just where you are right now. So the worst you can do is try, potentially be successful, level up, and get to this next spot and this outcome you are looking to achieve. Worst-case scenario you literally are where you are right now.” (18:11)

“When we are talking about behavior change and longer-term goal pursuit, just visualizing the outcome, just manifesting, is not that helpful. And this is according to the research. What is helpful is sure, do all of that, please do all of that, but then also bring it back to reality. Think about what is inevitably going to get in your way; talk about the barriers, the challenges, and the setbacks. (30:56)

“The reality is it is not all sunshine and rainbows all the time when you are working towards something new and challenging and different and trying to make changes in your life that you haven't been able to do before. And recognizing that things are going to be hard helps you have a different lens.” (31:25)

“If you can't tell, I am extremely passionate about what I do and can really get going on some of these topics. And that is exactly what it looks like inside the program as well.” (49:24)

Featured on the Show

Apply for Strength Nutrition Unlocked Here

The Coaching Code

Health Mindset Coaching Certification

Follow Coach Kasey Jo on Instagram

Full show notes

Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest

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Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

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Related Episodes

FYS 410: The Power of Intrinsic Motivation in Fitness 

FYS 388: Why You're Struggling with Motivation to Workout

Blog: 5 Mindset Traps That Kill Motivation

 

What happens when you aren't truly eating enough to fuel your ambitions and feel your best? Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, or RED-s, is a serious condition that can impact any active person regardless of their training intensity. Not only could RED-s impact your performance in the gym, but it can also play a huge role in your physical and mental health and well-being outside of the gym. This is why I have brought the founder of Project RED-s, Pippa Woolven, to the show.

Key Takeaways

If You Want to Know More About RED-s, You Should:

1. Educate yourself on the symptoms and signs of RED-s and how to avoid it

2. Remember that RED-s can happen to anyone, no matter your level of training intensity

3. Work with an expert who will not just dismiss your symptoms but will help you heal

Overcoming Struggle with Pippa Woolven

Pippa is an English Schools (x2) and British Universities Champion (x4), a former GB athlete, and now a Positive Psychology Coach (MSc) and Athlete Mentor. Over a decade of competing in international athletics while studying in the UK and USA, Pippa experienced her fair share of highs and lows, including RED-S. Several years after overcoming the condition herself, Pippa established Project RED-S to provide the resources she needed at the start of her struggle.

Fueling for Performance

Underfueling, disordered eating, and over-fueling can have huge impacts on the body and can impact anybody. While education has been lacking in the past, we are finally starting to hear this important conversation being had more and more. Pippa believes working to find a balance for your unique body composition and goals will help any active person avoid RED-s and overcome this common issue. 

The answer isn't just in the training. You have to think about the amount that you are eating in order to fuel properly. Your training, but also your health and well-being outside of the gym, will be better for it.

Awareness, Prevention, and Support

Project RED-s, and Pippa’s, mission is simple. To make sure that everyone who is active knows about the term RED-s, its signs and symptoms, and how to avoid it. She wants to embed the education of RED-s into coaching practices worldwide and into the mass consumption audiences on social media so that everyone can avoid low energy availability. She works to connect people with trusted experts who not only know what they are talking about but are passionate about helping people hear without dismissing their symptoms.

Have you struggled with RED-s? Share your experiences with us in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Learn about Pippa’s personal story and what inspired her to create the RED-s project (5:22)
• Understanding how the media has influenced the education of food, nutrition, and weight stigma (17:04)
• How RED-s is affecting the ‘recreational sport’ crowd and why it is not only a problem for ’elite athletes’ (24:25)
• ‘Athletic Aesthetic’ and the role it plays in low energy availability and RED-s (30:56)
• Where to go if you are looking for fear of getting help with body image (39:40)

Quotes

“Over-training and under-fueling is just the perfect storm for a condition like relative energy deficiency in sport, RED-s.” (10:09)

“Topics like sports nutrition and sports psychology [used to be] almost reserved for the elite sports people, and now we see recreational sports people taking those kinds of things really, really seriously. For better or for worse.” (18:09)

“Eat the right amounts of the right foods, lift some weights, and try to think more holistically about your health and wellbeing.” (21:42)

“You do not have to be competing; you don't have to even be doing anything structured; you just have to be moving your body, expending energy, to therefore need to replenish that energy with your nutrition.” (26:24)

“You might have the diagnosis and know exactly what's wrong and what you need to do, but that is a very different ballgame to actually doing it.” (41:22)

“This has a huge impact on any active person's life. And we need to just stop thinking so much about performance, especially short-term performance. Because it really is impactful on not just your physical health but your mental health too, and it takes a long time to get over something like this, which is why prevention is so key.” (46:37)

Featured on the Show

Apply for Strength Nutrition Unlocked Here

Project RED-s Website

Follow Project RED-s on Instagram

Full show notes

Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest

I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

Related Episodes

FYS 392: Understanding Total Daily Energy Expenditure 

FYS 391: What is Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-s)?

FYS 350: Are You Eating Enough? Low Energy Availability in Sport

 

If you are listening to this, there is a good chance you already know that strength is an important part of taking care of your body. So, when we see an App or YouTube-based workout plan that offers strength training, it can be easy to believe that this is the kind of content you should be following. But are you really getting a strength stimulus from your workout? Or is that just what is being marketed to you?

Key Takeaways

If You Want To Get Serious About Your Programming, You Should:

1. Meet yourself where you are at without any shame or judgment

2. Work to understand the nuance of strength training programming and what it really means

3. Reach out to a coach who understands your goals and how you can reach them safely.

Going Behind the Scenes with Nikki Naab-Levy

Nikki Naab-Levy is a strength and nutrition coach who has been involved in multiple arenas in the fitness industry for the last 17 years. She helps women move, build strength, improve mobility, move beyond injury, and find a sustainable approach to nutrition. She is passionate about having the unscripted and messy conversations necessary to help women get stronger and call attention to the problematic marketing in the world of fitness and beyond.

Understanding the Nuance

When using your favorite fitness apps, how do you know that the workouts you are doing are actually focusing on strength? Or if they are the right movements to be doing for your lived experience and goals? 

The truth is, you don't. That's why you need to understand the nuance behind the programming so that you can go out into the world and be able to look at your apps from an informed place of strength development. Picking apart the way things are marketed can help you differentiate between what you are actually getting and can help you pick a program that is effective for your specific goals.

It's Not You, It's Your Workout

Choosing workouts that are not right for you can make you feel chronically injured, sore, tired, or fed up with not seeing any improvements. This doesn't mean you aren't doing it right; it means the training you are doing isn't right for you. The difference between randomly working out and training means that you can acknowledge your weak factors, understand your lived experience, and engage with a program that gives you the runway for the best possible entry point to your goals. While it is not impossible to achieve these things with an app, it is increasingly risky and tricky to see long-term changes without a program built for you.

How do you interact with fitness apps on a regular basis? Share your thoughts and experiences with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Understanding the difference between strength training programs and other types of workouts like circuit training (11:54)
• Analyzing the selection of programming available on many apps (31:22)
• How to create a long-term plan that goes beyond the short-term offers out there (43:45)
• The importance of repetition and practice when it comes to a successful training program (49:54)
• Why you can't put the cart before the horse when it comes to jumping into a program (1:04:12)

Quotes

“We are not hating on the workouts. But we want you to be able to make an informed decision so that if those are your goals, you are able to pick an approach that actually is going to work for you and help you get the results you want without feeling frustrated or feeling like your joints always hurt.” (8:00)

“We know that if you don't feel awful all the time, and you are able to do high-quality work with appropriate weight and appropriate rest, you will be able to see the results that you want and not be super ridiculously sore.” (41:56)

“How we put things together makes a huge difference. In the short term, but particularly in the long term.” (42:50)

“Programming can be done in a very broad way, or can be made very specific to the individual, and their needs and their interests. But at the same time, there has to be some sort of logic and base.” (54:17)

“Give yourself the tools to be successful! If something is not working for you, you are not a terrible person; you probably just need a different approach or a scaled-down approach, or something needs to be adjusted.” (1:08:44)

Featured on the Show

Apply for Strength Nutrition Unlocked Here

Nikki Naab-Levy Website

Follow Nikki on Instagram

Total Package Strength

Full show notes

Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest

I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

Related Episodes

FYS 373: The Problem with Tiny Pink Dumbells with Nikki Naab-Levy

FYS 358: Hypermobility and Strength Training with Nikki Naab-Levy