The Candid Fitness

In this episode of The Candid Fitness, I chat with Amy Katebowe, founder and coach at the Warrior School, a coaching program and online community for women who want to get strong. Amy and I had a very unique conversation about her experience with journaling her physical training and menstrual cycle. Through that process, she has developed a system to help women understand their menstrual cycle and use that awareness to bring positive changes to their wellbeing. Amy has been coaching women for over 13 years and In this episode, she explained all about the why's and how to's of tracking your cycle. Some of the discussion topics include: Why Amy started tracking her menstrual cycle and what inspired her to do extensive research on this topic? Different factors that can affect a women's wellbeing Importance of bodyweight strength training for women Importance of tracking menstrual cycle and its relationship with exercise Phases of a menstrual cycle - Follicular and Luteal phase explained How do women feel during each of these phases? How to train (exercise) with your menstrual cycle? How to track your menstrual cycle regularly? Tracking the menstrual cycle and exercise for beginners How long should you track to develop awareness and understanding of your cycle? If you enjoyed this, please leave us a 5-star review on iTunes. It helps us build credibility and also helps more listeners reach our podcast. Connect with Amy on Instagram (@amykatebowe): https://www.instagram.com/amykatebowe/ Check out my online health coaching here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/one-to-one-online-coaching/ Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu_bhargava/ Find my latest fitness and nutrition articles here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/blog/ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The views expressed are personal and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness

In this episode of The Candid Fitness, I chat with one of my clients and an incredible friend Rudraksh Mahajan. At his heaviest, Rudraksh was 120 Kgs. Today he is 99 Kgs. He has literally transformed his lifestyle in the last few months. Through this journey he has learnt so much about himself and by experimenting with different things, he finally got to a system that has worked for him and has helped him lose about 21 kgs. And when I say system it's not just about a diet or exercise, but also the way he sets small goals & milestones and then tracks his progress over time. That said, what he did was not easy, he will tell you how relentlessly he worked to achieve his goals despite all the hurdles of binge eating, lack of motivation and resistance to change. But he did it anyway! It's amazing to see how he has been able to stick to it with sheer determination and commitment. And he is not going to stop here, he will tell you that he still has a long way to go! Listen to the whole conversation. Don't skip around. This is by far my favourite episode, and I have a feeling it will be your new favourite too! If you enjoyed this, please leave us a 5-star review on iTunes. It helps us build credibility and also helps more listeners reach our podcast. Check out online health coaching details here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/one-to-one-online-coaching/ Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu_bhargava/ Find all the latest fitness and nutrition articles here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/blog/ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The views expressed are personal and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness

In this episode of The Candid Fitness, I chat with Pallavi (Instagram @runinfinity), who shares her personal story of experimenting with crash diets. Restrictive eating habits often resulted in binge eating, which eventually led her to develop an unhealthy relationship with food. Most importantly, she has shared how far she has come since then and the things she has been doing to overcome these challenges. I am sure a lot of you will be able to relate to this. In the second half of this episode, I also share my personal struggle with binge eating and how I overcame my habit of eating excessive amounts of chocolates & sweets. If you enjoyed this, please leave us a 5-star review on iTunes. It helps us build credibility and also helps more listeners reach our podcast. Links to articles related to topics we discussed in this episode: How to avoid binge eating? Tracking calories using portion size 6 lifestyle changes to sustainably lose fat and improve long term health Check out online health coaching details here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/one-to-one-online-coaching/ Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu_bhargava/ Find all the latest fitness and nutrition articles here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/blog/ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The views expressed are personal and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness

In this episode of The Candid Fitness, I chat with Rod Cooper who is a movement coach and founder of The Movement Collective (TMC), a fitness and movement facility in Newcastle which is quite a unique and unconventional set up for a gym. It is an amazing place for everyone to workout together whilst being part of a highly supportive community. I met Rod in 2019 when I was living in Brisbane (Australia) and travelled all the way to Newcastle with the sole purpose of spending time in TMC and learning from the team. It surely was a great learning experience and I had a wonderful time there. Rod has changed career paths multiple times - from being a Chef to a Brewer, making and tasting beers, and now following his passion for all things "Movement". It's intriguing how he embraces change, tackles obstacles and is always looking forward to new challenges in life. In this episode, we discuss his journey and deep dive into his mindset as he goes through each of his career transitions. Coincidentally he has spent six years in each of these different roles as a Chef, Brewer and now a Movement Coach & Business Owner. It was wonderful talking to Rod and I hope you enjoy this conversation. If you enjoyed this, please leave us a 5-star review on iTunes. It helps us build credibility and also helps more listeners reach our podcast. To connect with Rod (Instagram @rodjcooper) and know more about him and TMC, check out below links: https://www.themovementcollective.net/ https://www.rodjcooper.com/ Check out my online health coaching here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/one-to-one-online-coaching/ Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu_bhargava/ Find my latest fitness and nutrition articles here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/blog/ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The views expressed are personal and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness

In this episode of The Candid Fitness, I chat with Calum Wilson who is a recognised specialist in pre and post-natal training. With more than a decade worth of experience guiding women throughout their pregnancy journey and beyond, he is the co-owner of BUMP health in Sydney. A highly respected leader within the industry, Calum is also an educator who has successfully trained over 3,000 personal trainers, teaching his Fitness Australia accredited course “A Comprehensive Guide to Exercising Throughout Pregnancy and Beyond”. In this candid conversation, we discussed the importance of exercise during pregnancy and the role it plays in post-natal recovery. We discussed in detail about the exercise considerations for each trimester and the post-pregnancy recovery process. Some of the discussion topics include: Calum's background in pre & post-natal fitness and his professional journey Importance of exercise during pregnancy Exercise considerations during pregnancy Importance of strengthening pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy Tightness in hips (pubic symphysis) during pregnancy and ways to counter it. Movement patterns (exercises) to avoid during 2nd and 3rd trimester Exercise to perform from 28th week onwards - Transverse Abdominis (TVA) exercises The post-natal recovery process - Normal vs C-Section delivery Abdominal separation post pregnancy - Diastasis Recti If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a 5-star review on iTunes. It helps us build credibility and also helps more listeners reach our podcast. Check out Calum's ebook on Amazon: Pregnancy and Beyond! Check out my online health coaching here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/one-to-one-online-coaching/ Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu_bhargava/ Find my latest fitness and nutrition articles here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/blog/ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The views expressed are personal and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness

In this episode of The Candid Fitness, I chat with Dr Jayati Dureja, obstetrician and Gynecologist with a special interest in Materno-Fetal Medicine and Pre-natal Genetics, as well as applications of nutritional science and fitness to better women's health. Currently practising as a part of Dr Deepa Dureja's team, and one of the Directors of Pulse Medical Centre, New Delhi. This is the second episode of our 2 part series on PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). Listen to the previous episode in which we talk all about PCOS, starting from basics such as symptoms of PCOS, causes, the relationship between diabetes and PCOS, to the latest PCOS research on DOGMA theory or Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiota. In this episode, we discuss various nutritional and lifestyle changes that women can make to manage PCOS (and PCOD). PCOS is widespread, affecting women not just in but all over the world and there is still very little awareness about this. If you find this useful, please share this with your friends, family and colleagues. Hopefully, it will reach someone who needs this. Some of the discussion topics include: Nutritional/ lifestyle tips to get started once you are diagnosed with PCOS? Nutritional changes to help manage PCOS (and PCOD) Common diet myths Importance of calcium, Vit D and Vit B12 for women Dietary supplements for women with PCOS (and PCOD) Dietary supplements essential for all women Importance of exercise in managing PCOS (and PCOD) If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a 5-star review on iTunes. It helps us build credibility and also helps more listeners reach our podcast. Check out my online health coaching here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/one-to-one-online-coaching/ Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu_bhargava/ Find my latest fitness and nutrition articles here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/blog/ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The views expressed are personal and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness

In this episode of The Candid Fitness, I chat with Dr Jayati Dureja, obstetrician and Gynecologist with a special interest in Materno-Fetal Medicine and Pre-natal Genetics, as well as applications of nutritional science and fitness to better women's health. Currently practising as a part of Dr Deepa Dureja's team, and one of the Directors of Pulse Medical Centre, New Delhi. In this candid discussion, we discuss all about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is widespread, affecting women not just in India but all over the world and there is still very little awareness about this. We started with the most basic questions such as symptoms of PCOS, causes, the relationship between diabetes and PCOS and even the latest PCOS research on DOGMA theory or Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiota. If you find this useful, please share this with your friends, family and colleagues. Hopefully, it will reach someone who needs this. Some of the discussion topics include: What are the symptoms of PCOS? What are the causes of PCOS? How PCOS affects fertility? What happens due to irregular menstrual cycle in women with PCOS? Why doctors prescribe certain hormones/ birth control pills to women with PCOS? Seed cycling Impact of insulin resistance on women with PCOS How PCOS can be managed through lifestyle changes? Long term impact of excess estrogen Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiota (Dogma Theory) If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a 5-star review on iTunes. It helps us build credibility and also helps more listeners reach our podcast. Check out my online health coaching here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/one-to-one-online-coaching/ Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu_bhargava/ Find my latest fitness and nutrition articles here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/blog/ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The views expressed are personal and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness

In this episode of The Candid Fitness, I chat with Amya Madan, a psychology graduate from Delhi University and a certified handwriting and signature analyst. She runs her own venture called Ecrivons which aims at providing personality profile to individuals through handwriting and signature analysis. Not just providing the analysis but also help in improving their personality and overall wellbeing through Grapho-therapy. In this candid discussion, we talk about what handwriting can reveal about a person's personality, mental health and physical well-being. The interesting part is that one can also identify early warning signs of depression, suicidal tendencies and other medical issues by identifying certain patterns in our handwriting. We also did a detailed Live analysis of my handwriting so make sure you listen until the end. Some of the discussion topics include: What is handwriting and signature analysis? How does grapho-therapy help individuals? How does grapho-therapy help identify patterns of certain physical and mental issues? How can someone make changes to their personality using their handwriting? Examples of some of the health issues that can be identified by handwriting analysis? Handwriting patterns of those suffering from depression or may have suicidal tendencies? Handwriting patterns that show shopaholic or materialistic behaviours Live discussion of my handwriting analysis Can underlying personality such as introversion or extroversion be changed through Grapho-therapy? If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a 5-star review on iTunes. It encourages me to continue bringing you more value :) Connect with Amya Madan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amya-madan-0912am1/ Website - https://www.ecrivonsgraphology.com/ Check out my online health coaching here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/one-to-one-online-coaching/ Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu_bhargava/ Find my latest fitness and nutrition articles here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/blog/ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The views expressed are personal and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness

In this episode of The Candid Fitness, I chat with Nishant Bhardwaj, a marketing professional who is extremely passionate about endurance sports and triathlons. He has a fascinating journey from being obese with a BMI of 38 to competing in over 50 full and half marathons and completing three Ironman 70.3 (Half Ironman). He is now preparing to compete in an Ironman event next year. A certified Ironman coach, he shares his passion for running and endurance sports by helping aspiring athletes conquer their dream of becoming an Ironman. Ironman triathlon is one of the toughest endurance race ever and it involves swimming 3.86 km in open water, 180.25 km of cycling and 42.2 km (marathon distance) of running, all done sequentially in a single day. In this candid discussion, we talk about a wide range of topics including: His inspiring journey of losing 32 Kgs of weight in one year and how he fell in love with running The mindset during weight loss journey and how it evolves How he manages food cravings How to plan for a marathon or an Ironman event? Importance of coaching? What do typical training sessions during Ironman or marathon training sessions look like? Pre-workout rituals for endurance training Practical tips to enhance recovery after running Importance of strength training for endurance athletes (or running enthusiasts) Practical tips for beginners who want to get started with running (or endurance sports) How to choose the right shoes for running? Ironman coaching - Trifantry If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a 5-star review on iTunes. It encourages us to continue bringing you more value :) Connect with Ironman Coach Nishant on Instagram - @dailyfitwithnishant Email - coach@trifantry.com Check out my online health coaching here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/one-to-one-online-coaching/ Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu_bhargava/ Find my latest fitness and nutrition articles here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/blog/ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The views expressed are personal and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness

In this episode of The Candid Fitness, I chat with Ajitesh Verma aka Fit Indian Vegan. A regular 9 to 5 corporate guy who is nailing calisthenics at the age of 40. He started learning calisthenics three years back and within this short time, he has aced some of the advanced calisthenics moves such as muscle-ups, front lever, handstand, tuck planche and many more. And the best part is he does all of it on a completely plant-based diet. An ethical vegan for about 9 years, he started following a vegan lifestyle purely out of his love for animals and soon realized its health benefits. In this episode, he also shares his secret to longevity and looking so young even at 40 years of age. Some of the topics we discussed includes: The beginning of his calisthenics journey How he manages to stay fit and finds time for workouts in spite of a busy corporate job? Working out at home How to reduce injuries? Importance of breathing and benefits of diaphragmatic Breathing (breathing with your belly) His secret to longevity and looking young His initial challenges switching to a vegan lifestyle Health benefits of a plant based diet Can a plant based diet lead to protein or Vit B12 deficiency? Plant based alternatives for some non-vegan foods Some useful links to learn more about veganism: What the Dairy Industry Doesn't Want You to Know (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3c_D0s391Q&feature=youtu.be) What the health (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1QDkpUPiI8) Forks over knives (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSs4bubFyr4) The Game Changers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ove9b16OeR4) Indian Vegan food blogger that Ajitesh recommends: https://www.instagram.com/ofdonkeysanddhokla/ To get in touch with Ajitesh - https://www.instagram.com/fit.indian.vegan/ If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a 5-star review on iTunes. It encourages us to continue bringing you more value :) Check out my online health coaching here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/one-to-one-online-coaching/ Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu_bhargava/ Find my latest fitness and nutrition articles here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/blog/ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. The views expressed are personal and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness

In this episode of The Candid Fitness, I talk about my experience recovering from a herniated disc (slipped disc) injury. I created this episode as I always wished that I knew someone who has been through a similar journey. Someone who could possibly guide me or at least give me this assurance that I will eventually recover. In spite of being on almost bed rest for about 6 weeks, I recovered completely. Now, I am able to do things that I could never imagine during those days. Check my Instagram (@abhimanyu_bhargava) to see for yourself. I sincerely hope that someone who needs to hear this, finds my story. Some of the things I cover include: What led to the herniated disc injury? The mistakes I made that led to my injury How did I feel after getting injured and during the recovery process? How did I manage to keep myself motivated to keep going? What was my typical schedule like during recovery? Did I finally recover completely? What causes injuries? Mistakes to avoid when managing injuries or chronic pain Key learning from this whole journey on - How to deal with injuries? If you enjoy this episode, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes. It encourages me to continue bringing you more value :) Check out my online health coaching here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/one-to-one-online-coaching/ Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu_bhargava/ Find my latest fitness and nutrition articles here: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/blog/ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness

In this episode of The Candid Fitness, I chat with Sayandeb Banerjee who is the co-founder and CEO of The Math Company (https://themathcompany.com), one of the fastest growing AI and Machine Learning organisations in the world. True leadership also entails mastering yourself and taking control of your own life, and Sayan did exactly that few years back when he went through a personal transformation journey and lost about 40 kgs of weight. So, in this episode we discussed his fitness journey in detail where he shares some practical tips on how to get started, lose fat and take charge of your health. It's fascinating how he connects better performance at work with a healthy lifestyle. We've derived some interesting analogies between work and fitness, so look out for them. I am sure this chat will be relatable to most of you. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on itunes. it encourages me to continue delivering value to you all :) For online coaching and to know more about me: https://abhimanyubhargava.com/ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness

In this episode of The Candid fitness, I chat with Romil Barthwal, who is a legend when it comes to endurance sports. A jack of all trades and master of many, Romil has competed in several marathons, ultra marathons, cycling events and even triathlons. Some of his notable running achievements include the Boston marathon, La Ultra - a 111 km high altitude marathon from Sum to Leh via Khardungla Pass, and 185 km long 24 hrs stadium run in Delhi. He has secured the title of a super randonneur - a rare feat that one achieves after they finish 200km, 300km, 400 km and 600 km cycling brevets in a single year. But it doesn't end there, he has even conquered the mighty Mount Everest and has led many other mountaineering expeditions. What I loved about our conversation is that it made me realise that he is a perfect example of an ordinary person doing extraordinary things. Unlike a lot of athletes he started at a much later stage of his life and fell in love with running. One thing led to another and he kept competing in different events. A very inspiring journey with lots of learning, he has been generous enough to share his struggles and how he tackled the various ups and downs throughout. Immense amount of value packed in this 1 hour episode, so make sure you listen until the end. I hope you enjoy the episode, and if you do, please leave us a review on itunes. Connect with me on social media. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu_bhargava/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhimanyubhargava/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abhimanyubhargava6 Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness

In this episode of The Candid Fitness, I chat with Sagar Jain, a Capoeira instructor from Pune, India. Sagar, also known as Instructor Arrepiado, has been practicing and teaching Capoeira for almost a decade now. He has represented India at the World Capoeira Federation in 2018, hosted several events and brought international Capoeira guests to India. In this episode, we talk about all things Capoeria and his journey of learning and growing up as a Capoeira instructor. The journey has been nothing short of inspirational and we've had a great time recording this episode. So, come join us and enjoy this candid conversation. I hope you enjoy the episode, and if you do, please leave us a review on iTunes. You can connect with Sagar at http://www.capoeirapune.com/ or instagram (capoeirapune.india). Connect with me on social media. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu_bhargava/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhimanyubhargava/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abhimanyubhargava6 Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness

In this episode of The Candid Fitness, I talk about what drives us to make a change and how can we apply that in the context of being able to work out regularly. I explain this through my personal journey back when I was in Brisbane (Australia) and decided to learn how to Row. We will go through four practical changes that will motivate you to work towards your goals and enable you to keep going in the long run. The learning is valid for most of the things we do in life. I hope you enjoy this episode and start taking actions. If you want me to continue making similar ones, please spare few secs and leave a review on iTunes. It encourages me to make more of these :) I would love to hear your feedback, so feel free to connect with me on social media. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhimanyu_bhargava/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhimanyubhargava/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abhimanyubhargava6 Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support The Candid Fitness by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/candid-fitness