Resilient Strength Podcast

I really don't like the word diet.  It has this negative association to it.  Mainly because everyone thinks of weight loss and eating like a rabbit instead of eating foods you like or you honestly need.  I prefer the term fuel your body, because fueling your body defines the use of food to provide your mindand body with the nutrition it needs to operate at its best.  But does it matter?  Do we really need to pay attention to the kind of foods we eat and worry more about the quality of food over calories in and calories out? The answer is yes.  But there's a lot more to it.  And in today's episode we talk about how we can better fuel our body and consider body composition goals without putting our health and state of mind at risk.

Like many, you may be struggling with how to adjust to changes in life due to the quarantine.  How do you workout?  How do you change your diet?  Today's episode is short, but we address some of the concerns about food, exercise, and mental outlook with options and information on how to adapt to this temporary circumstance.   The key here is to keep a positive mindset and remember that this is temporary.  Find ways to stay on track with nutrition and physical activity, even if it is slightly different than before.

We've all heard the phrase, "Food is fuel." But what does that really mean? Can any food be fuel? Most of us wish that we could eat whatever we want and still perform at our best and look like a superhero. But in reality, the kind of food we eat can either help or hinder our performance or physique goals. In this episode, we talk about different foods and how they interact with your body to produce energy for varying reasons. I also refer back to some previous episodes for some additional info on food for energy. So be sure to check out episodes 2, 3, and 8.

There's a lot of debate about doing any sort of aerobic exercise when you're training for strength. I've even heard some say not to run to the car because it could be so catabolic to your muscle size and strength. Will it kill your gains? Is it as bad as some people make it out to be? The answer is, it depends. While cardio can reduce muscle size and strength, there are a lot of benefits to performing concurrent training (Aerobic exercise and strength exercise in one program). The caveat is that there are certain factors to make sure you aren't limiting your adaptions. Check out the latest episode for more on why you may want to include aerobic exercise in your strength program and how to include it within your program.

In previous episodes, discussing how to put together a training program, we talked about Specificity and Overload. In order to create an overload that leads to adaption towards a specific goal, we create variation. Variation is not random movements. And no it's not muscle confusion...that's not a real thing...so how do we add variation that will help us towards our goal? Check out the latest episode where we discuss methods of variation and how to effectively create a program.

Have you ever seen someone using bands or chains during a lift and wondered why, and what the purpose is? Most of us are familiar with a constant weight on the bar, but chains and bands are a method called Variable Resistance Training. Meaning the weight varies throughout the lift. Check out this latest episode for how chains and bands differ from a constant load, and from each other, and how they can improve your strength and power. Both bands and chains are very versatile tools most should consider in their program.

Plyometrics are often used in sports like soccer, basketball, football, track & field, etc. But they are not used quite as often in strength-based sports like Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, and strongman. Which is a shame, because plyometrics and other power and velocity-based training methods can have a huge positive impact on performance. In episode 17 we talk about how plyometrics can specifically improve areas of training adaption which will then help you with lifting heavier weights faster, getting past that sticking point, and hitting new PRs Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast because in future episodes I will talk about other ways of increasing power, like lifting with bands and chains. You don’t want to miss out! References mentioned in Min 21: Marcora, S. M. (2010). Perception of effort. In E. B. Goldstein (Eds.), Encyclopedia of perception (pp. 380–383). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Pageaux, B. (2016). Perception of effort in exercise science: definition, measurement and perspectives. European Journal of Sport Science, 16(8), 885–894. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/17461391.2016.1188992.

Today’s episode is for the ladies, and the male coaches out there who want to better understand variance in programming and performance for women. In this episode we go into detail as to how fluctuations in hormones specific to phases of the menstrual cycle can affect performance and how we can optimize those phases to improve performance rather than feeling as though our cycle controls us, how we feel, and how we can perform. This episode is for ALL women who are physically active, not just professional and competitive athletes. If you are the least bit active and feel as though your menstrual cycle affects how well you perform in the gym, this episode is for YOU!

If you have been training for a couple of years you have probably used some sort of autoregulation training at some point in your training. Autoregulation training has generally been based on the idea that an individual may not necessarily be able to train at a given percentage each day. After all, every day is not a perfect day where we get an optimal amount of sleep, nutrition, and are not affected by life stresses. Check out the episode for more on what autoregulation training is, a few different ways to incorporate it into your training, and when it may or may not be effective.

If you're not familiar with tempo, you may have seen tempo in a program, but weren’t quite sure what it was. Tempo resistance training is prescribed with a series of four sequential numbers. It’s written with the @ symbol followed by the four numbers each representing the timing for the four stages of a lift, seen in the episode picture. I really like tempo resistance training. It can be a very effective method of training for certain areas and at certain times. I emphasize, "certain," because like all training methods, there are times you may want to use it, and times you may not. So, let's talk pros, cons, and how to include it in a training program.

Let's talk about overload. What is it? Progressive Overload is an optimal amount of quality stress, recovery, and adaption to increase your current level of strength, fitness, and overall performance. Okay, so that's the technical definition. But, what does that really mean and how does that look in a training program? Well, let's discuss...

Let's talk about program design and periodization. What's the difference? Is there a difference? Well, there is. And a lot of people get the two mixed up. So, in this episode, we're going to lay the foundation for designing an effective program by using the three principles of periodization, Specificity, Progressive Overload, and Variation. This is the first episode in a series, so subscribe to the podcast and stay tuned for future episodes helping you to better understand program design and effectively working towards your goals.

Simply put, motor learning is skill acquisition, practice, repetition, and the cognitive connection between the mind and the body. In the first 10 or so weeks for anyone learning a physical skill any improvements and adaptions are actually more neurological than mechanical. Meaning they are learning and practicing how to control and perform the movement with efficiency. So those gains they make are more about motor skill development with mind body connection, than building actual muscle strength or size. Yeah, there will very likely be some adaption in that area. But the great majority of it is getting the hang of it. So, how can we improve our chances to move and perform better with motor learning? Check out this short episode discussing motor learning and motor skill fundamentals and ways we can progress our motor skill learning to perform better.

When designing a warm-up for your workout or training session we want to look for purposeful movement specific warm-ups that will get your blood flowing, get muscles primed to engage and produce neural drive without taxing your energy but rather preparing you for the real work. But if you're doing random warm-ups before random workouts, then you will get random results. So, what should we consider when designing a warm-up? And how can better planning our warm-ups help us to obtain our goals more quickly? Listen to the latest podcast episode where we talk about the four factors when designing warm-ups and how we can prepare better for the work ahead.

What is strength? And how do we not only get stronger but make sure we continue to get stronger? Have you been working out for a little while and maybe hit a plateau in performance? Maybe you've tried different workouts, programs you found online, tried following athletes you want to be like, but you're just not getting stronger. Well, let's talk about what strength is and how we can program our workouts to increase our strength.

The Ketogenic diet has become popularized by mainstream and social media, mostly as a weight loss diet. It is also highly controversial, and for good reason. That doesn’t mean that it is all bad. There are certainly studies to show its benefits. But does that mean you should do it? Well, let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and all of the various reasons why someone may want to consider it, or should absolutely avoid it.

Asking questions is integral to understand the transferability of research and information to programming, workouts, and factors of strength and conditioning. One of the best ways to find answers to questions is research studies. Studies provide context to the why, where, what, when, and how, of adapting in exercise and sports performance. The landscape of exercise science and nutrition is always evolving, and unless you want to get stuck in the past, reading the latest in research and how it applies is important for anyone; professional, athlete, or fitness enthusiast.

We've all had one of those days where we felt off in a workout. Maybe felt sluggish, the weight felt heavier, felt a little slower...our effort and subsequent performance because of our effort are governed by many factors related to the central nervous system; motor unit recruitment, soreness, fatigue, emotional arousal, and mental fatigue. In today's episode, we get into some of the science behind our effort in the gym and how these factors can affect our performance, as well as how the effort we put into our workout creates strength and adaption.

At certain times in a person’s program they need to push it. There need to be some workouts where you walk out of the gym feeling like you gave it all. Unfortunately, if you’re going hard ALL of the time, the pain and discomfort you think is normal may lead to overuse injury. In today’s episode we talk about the mechanics of soft tissue (muscle, tendons, ligaments, etc.) and how the body adapts in response to load, intensity, and volume. Including what could lead to cumulative stress and injury.

If you talk to someone who likes to go to the gym a lot and is in some sort of popular fitness genre they will often label themselves in this way. I am a weightlifter. I am a runner. I am a powerlifter. I am a crossfitter. For many they define themselves by what they do. But is it really your identity?

In Episode 3 we get a little into what Energy Systems are and why they matter. Don't worry, we don't go heavy into the science so you get lost in the technical terminology. We talk briefly about what the three main energy systems are, how they are fueled, and how they apply to your exercise based upon the intensity and duration of your activity. Listen to see why these three different systems matter and why you would want to vary them in your training.

Today's episode discusses an important – but unfortunately overlooked – aspect of nutrition; chronic dieting. Unfortunately, if you have tried multiple different weight loss diets, then that continual sequence, termed “Chronic dieting” may lead to significant health and performance consequences. In this episode, we discuss macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) their role in muscle everyday energy and function, protein synthesis, sport recovery, exercise intensity, and cognitive and behavioral aspects. We also discuss vitamins, minerals, and hormones deficiencies as a result of continually dieting. As well as how staying on a diet actually has the opposite effect on an individuals goal, which is to lose weight or keep weight off.

Welcome to the Resilient Strength Podcast, Episode 1. In the first episode, I discuss what the Resilient Strength Podcast is and what you can expect in future episodes. I also discuss my coaching philosophy which is a catalyst for launching this podcast as well as other resources to bring you quality content discussing evidence-based information for training, nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle.