Vital Metabolic: The Art and Science of Strength

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker talk to Coach Karen Smith about body weight training, how the pandemic has changed her working style, the most important components for strength training, and more.  Episode Highlights:  John and James begin by talking about how their exercise habits have changed over the last year, and how they appreciated being able to get outside and exercise.  They talk about how to get the correct amount of protein in your diet, and what a big difference it can make for people.  9:10 - John talks about the adjustment he’s making to his workouts as the seasons change.  10:50 - They talk about the importance of everyone having a balanced diet.  11:15  - They introduce their guest, Karen Smith, who is an iron maiden like Rebecca Rouse.  11:50 - Karen lives in Texas, and while she was lucky enough to not lose power during the snowstorm, she knows many people whose homes have sustained damage.  14:40 - Karen is used to intermittent fasting, so she wasn’t worried about running out of food during the snowstorm.  16:45 - Karen has been doing online training for many years, so it wasn’t a difficult transition for her when the pandemic started.  18:00 - Karen has been in fitness her whole life, and she was a cheerleader, a gymnast, and a runner as a kid.  19:45 - Karen talks about how she helped to rehab a friend of her daughter’s who also cheers and who had pulled a hamstring muscle right before try outs.  24:00 - Karen, John, and James discuss how it feels to train other trainers to improve what they do.  25:45 - James asks Karen about the start of Strength First Body Weight training, and what she did to assist with writing the manual.  28:19 - James talks about the need to be well-rounded in order to pass SFB training and get the certification.  29:42 - There is a strict progression in body weight training because you have to build a solid core of strength before you can up the difficulty.  31:30 - Karen talks about tactical pull ups and the strictness of the form, including the fact that you can’t use your thumbs because you can’t put your thumb through a solid wall.  35:00 - Karen travels so much that she often lives out of a suitcase everywhere, including in her own home. When the pandemic started in the US, she flew home in mid March and didn’t leave again until July, and it was the longest she’d been at home for 7 or 8 years.  37:32 - Karen gave herself tendonitis years ago from doing pull ups incorrectly, and she’s been working since then to get her body back to that point.  39:00 - They discuss how body fat percentage is vital in doing pull ups, especially in terms of the number of reps you can do.  42:15 - Karen loads people with external weight before they can do a single pull up because it makes getting to being able to do a pull up faster.  45:45 - Karen has done certification trainings where people come in after a day or two and think they’re getting sick because of the strain they put on their bodies.  47:00 - Karen talks about the power of visualization, especially when she was training for the Iron Maiden.  50:22 - Now that Karen has been training for over 20 years, she has started thinking about her retirement.  3 Key Points: There is a strict progression in body weight training because you have to build a solid core of strength before you can up the difficulty.  Karen has been doing online training for many years, so it wasn’t a difficult transition for her when the pandemic started.  Karen loads people with external weight before they can do a single pull up because it makes getting to being able to do a pull up faster.  Tweetable Quotes:  “The physical aspect is one thing, but the mental aspect is the greatest gift.” - John Parker “As soon as I was able to travel again, I was hustling.” - Karen Smith “I really got into visualization when I was training for the Iron Maiden...I would lay in bed and visualize the challenge. I didn’t want to just get up and try it, I knew I was going to wake up that day and do this.” - Karen Smith Resources Mentioned:  James Wheeler: Instagram John Parker: Instagram Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Karen Smith: Instagram

Rebecca Rouse: The Iron Maiden On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker talk to personal trainer and Instagram fitness guru Rebecca Rouse about starting her own business, the importance of strength training, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted her approach.  Episode Highlights:  4:30 - John and James introduce their guest for this week’s episode, Rebecca Rouse.  6:00 - Rebecca talks about how Equinox trainers are all trained in exactly the same way so that it’s universal across the board.  8:00 - Rebecca was a manager at Equinox, and she talks about how she went about hiring trainers.  10:45 - James emphasizes the importance of relating to clients as people in order to help them be successful.  12:30 - Rebecca left Equinox in August 2020 and started her own brand called Semper Stronger.  15:00 - The large majority of Rebecca’s clients are middle-aged women, but she does also train some military professionals.  16:25 - Rebecca has a background in gymnastics, which she did very seriously until she was 14.  17:10 - She hasn’t done any competitive power lifting, but she does Olympic lifting competitively.  18:20 - John and James discuss how perspectives on weight training for professional athletes have changed over the years, and that it’s become much more prominent for athletes across various sports.  22:20 - James says that he likes to introduce his clients to using kettle bells because they are universal and can be used anywhere.  24:10 - Rebecca talks about her Strong First certifications and shares her various lifting numbers.  28:00 - John talks about the difference between kettle bell sport and a hard style bell. Kettle bell sports are designed to be held with one hand, and it’s meant for endurance. Hard style is meant for maximum energy expenditure and is intended to be held with two hands.  30:00 - Rebecca believes that when it is safe to return to in-person gyms again, there will probably be a 50/50 split of people who choose to continue working out from home and those who choose to return to the gym in person.  33:30 - Rebecca feels that the pandemic has accelerated her personal plans and goals; she initially planned to start her own gym about 5-10 years down the road, but the pandemic motivated her to start her own business now.  36:10 - Rebecca talks about her Instagram fame and how that has contributed to her success and advancing her career.  37:50 - They discuss how it’s important to follow good people on social media who are actually knowledgeable and aren’t pushing products that don’t work or can be harmful.  40:00 - John talks about the importance of having medical professionals like chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists, etc. to refer personal training clients to who need it.  42:00 - They discuss how particularly in the women’s fitness space there is an overemphasis on cardio on top of intense strength training.  46:00 - Cross training is good, but as personal strength trainers John, James, and Rebecca all agree that it’s their job to be open about what cardio can do for your body but that strength training is a base from which to build upon.  49:00 - They talk about HIIT training and how it can potentially be harmful and cause injuries, and that by itself it often doesn’t help to make real changes to the body.  3 Key Points: John and James discuss how perspectives on weight training for professional athletes have changed over the years, and that it’s become much more prominent for athletes across various sports.  Rebecca feels that the pandemic has accelerated her personal plans and goals; she initially planned to start her own gym about 5-10 years down the road, but the pandemic motivated her to start her own business now.  Rebecca believes that when it is safe to return to in-person gyms again, there will probably be a 50/50 split of people who choose to continue working out from home and those who choose to return to the gym in person.  Tweetable Quotes:  “I tried to make sure during the hiring process that the people I was bringing onto my team were hard workers and had the drive to build their own success.” - Rebecca Rouse “To be a successful coach, you have to be obsessed.” - James Wheeler “As a gym owner, it’s important to explain the difference between working out at home and in-person to your clients.” - John Parker “It’s important to refer out early and refer out often.” - John Parker Resources Mentioned:  James Wheeler: Instagram John Parker: Instagram Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Semper Stronger Instagram  Rebecca Rouse Instagram

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Mike Sousa, owner of Brick House Strength & Conditioning. They discuss the Strong First training method and certification, how Mike structures his time with clients, his favorite recovery hacks, and some of his best tips for new trainers starting out their business.   Episode Highlights:  1:45 - The new year is a good time for people to refresh your habits. 2:05 - Locomotion Athletics is doing alright and has so far weathered the storm of the pandemic, going digital like many companies have. 3:30 - James is hoping to get involved in Strong First coaching. 4:30 - The pandemic has given John an excuse to go outside more, which he has appreciated, including trying bow hunting. 5:15 - Businesses have to be adaptable or they’re going to fail. 5:45 - With at home/virtual training, figure out what makes it fun for you. 7:50 - Things like elimination diets or cycling through habits in that way can be helpful for you to rediscover what an appropriate balance is for you. 9:10 - Mike Sousa is the owner of Brick House Strength & Conditioning, which he literally  built with his own hands. 12:20 - Mike structures the training at his facility in blocks. 14:31 - There are blocks of time where people can show up anytime within that block, which has helped reduce stress in his clients about showing up at a specific time. 15:45 - Mike sometimes has specific programs for individuals, and they’ll come in and do that program, but he also caters to individual needs on a daily basis like if someone has back pain and needs to adjust that day’s plan. 17:00 - This structure allows Mike to flow through the people and provide individualized attention. 18:05 - Standard group training can be an issue when everyone there is at a different level. 18:50 - Training in this semi-personal setting but being able to watch other people train can be encouraging and motivating. 20:57 - Mike builds his client base primarily through word of mouth because it creates a stronger community and doesn’t cause a revolving door of clients that he wants to avoid. 21:20 - Mike has also been part of networking groups and highly recommends it for small business owners. 24:45 - Mike watched Strong First develop and was part of the first ever certification course. 28:20 - The philosophy of Strong First is simple, not easy. 31:20 - Mike uses the concept of ladders to build his training program, where when you increase your weight on a movement, you slowly increase the number of reps. 34:50 - Mike used this method in his own training for how he accomplished double snatching a pair of 40kg kettlebells. 36:10 - People have a mindset that they’re afraid they’ll lose their gains, but you’d be surprised what muscle memory can do. 38:34 - Mike recommends at least 4-6 months of training ahead of time for a level 1 kettlebell certification in Strong First. 40:07 - If you’re new to Strong First, Mike recommends going to a one day workshop to try it out first. 41:41 - From the outside, the Strong First certification community can seem intimidating, but James says they’re some of the nicest and most helpful people he’s ever met. 42:48 - James also loves the strength test (or the “not-so-weak” test) where you have to prove your mettle. 46:20 - Mike thinks he’s taught upwards of 30 one day courses with Strong First. 47:44 - Mike appreciates teaching with Strong First because when he’s running his home gym, it’s only him, he’s there all day by himself, but he gets to meet people and have assistance and be with the community at Strong First events. 48:50 - Mike uses heat exposure in saunas to support recovery and has his own sauna at home that he uses almost every night. 50:05 - The initial discomfort of the heat in a sauna is good in the long run because it  builds resilience, toughness, and focus.  50:26 - You have to learn breathing techniques to stay in the sauna for an hour, and sometimes during the week Mike supplements the sauna with a 3-5 minute cold bath. 52:05 - Cold and heat exposure are the most biologically consistent “biohacks” there are. 53:12 - After attending Strong First seminars, Mike started to come up with a simplified way of approaching it with 3-4 lifts you do each month: a 5-rep lift, a 3-rep lift, and a 2-rep lift. 54:05 - Within those reps, you’re in charge of the weight you use within it. 57:05 - Program design is the most data-driven and scientific aspect of the industry. 57:53 - Mike’s advice to new trainers is to not do everything alone—get a financial advisor, a bookkeeper, etc. 58:28 - You don’t have to buy every piece of equipment right away. 1:00:25 - Strong First gets you in it for the long haul, and it will make you stronger when you’re older because it’s not breaking you down but building you up.   3 Key Points: Both Strong First and the way Mike trains allows for autonomy and personalization in how you progress through the program. With this method, you’re less likely to lose your gains over time. Mike’s simplified Strong First method is adaptable to many types of training, not just kettlebells.   Tweetable Quotes:  “The goal when you train with an inter-level kettlebell is not to stay there. The goal is to get stronger.” –Mike Sousa “Simple, not easy. Quality over quantity. Instead of doing 1 set of 15 you’re doing 15 sets of 1. Your setup is a rep in itself, your step down is a rep. You focus on your setup & step down, the execution of the lift is gonna be a lot easier & it’s gonna be safer.” –Mike Sousa “You shouldn’t always be comfortable in life. A little bit of uncomfortableness & a  controlled uncomfortability, that’s a good thing. So a sauna, being in 190 degrees initially doesn’t feel good or even sound good but you learn to adapt.” –Mike Sousa “I like the old school methods with the new school science behind it.” –Mike Sousa “You don’t have to throw 20 things at a training session to keep your client engaged. They'll be engaged if they see that you’re providing quality content. They see results not by more exercises but by consistency.” –Mike Sousa   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: info@vitalmetabolic.com  Website: www.vitalmetabolic.com  Mike Sousa: Instagram Brick House S&C: Facebook www.strongfirst.com/quality-mile-deep-strength-program 

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Aisha Zaza, a CrossFitter, marathon runner, and new mom. They discuss fitness during and after pregnancy, nutrition when breastfeeding, and the inevitable emotional roller coaster of it all. Aisha also discusses her episode of Ultimate Tag on FOX!   Episode Highlights:  1:00 - Aisha is a CrossFitter, marathon runner, and new mother. 2:39 - Aisha’s example of motherhood was her own single mother where she would have to do everything alone. 3:50 - She feared that parenthood would mean she would never have time to train for marathons or keep up with the things she cared about. 6:08 - Aisha stopped running at 15-16 weeks, mainly because her bladder couldn’t handle it. 6:44 - Along with the emotional changes, Aisha experienced her diet and cravings changing dramatically. 8:15 - When you’re pregnant, it feels like this is how it’s going to be forever, but that’s not true. 8:55 - Aisha would tell her pregnant self that it’s okay to have these feelings even if you aren’t necessarily in a safe space to express them, and you aren’t alone. 10:00 - She still ran when she could, but she was a lot slower and more out of breath. 11:10 - Any movement you can manage during the first trimester is good movement. 12:00 - Aisha feels very lucky to not have experienced postpartum depression, but found she had prepartum depression. 13:20 - Aisha didn’t give herself a hard time when she didn’t eat as well as usual, but also doesn’t want to suggest that women should use pregnancy as an excuse to eat anything. 15:05 - Aisha predicted that she would gain 25-30lbs during her pregnancy, but ended up gaining 42lbs. 16:25 - So much of what you gain is fluid, including 8 extra pints of blood, so you lose some weight quickly. 17:02 - Aisha believes she recovered from pregnancy and birth the way that she did due to the activity level and fitness she maintained. 18:25 - It’s possible to get moving again too quickly after pregnancy, when there’s literally a gaping hole in your body and you can do permanent damage to your pelvic floor. 21:37 - For breastfeeding, Aisha is conscious of eating her body weight in grams of protein and ounces of water, and a little more than that in carbs. 22:10 - Aisha is still taking a multivitamin and prenatal vitamin, along with red raspberry, vitamin C, and magnesium. 26:25 - Aisha was on the show Ultimate Tag on FOX and came in second. 30:38 - Aisha has a running stroller and is excited for her daughter to be big enough to take running. 31:02 - Aisha began hiking while pregnant and has taken her on hikes since she was born, in addition to sometimes wearing her while weightlifting. 32:55 - Aisha plans to run in the San Diego Marathon next summer. 34:10 - Aisha loves team sports and what kids can learn from them. 37:25 - She is working on training courses for pregnant women. 38:15 - As an everyday athlete adapting to pregnancy, Aisha realized she already had her niche. 40:27 - What has kept Aisha grounded is recognizing that we all have similar experiences even if we haven’t communicated them. 41:50 - It’s very easy to fall into the trap of comparison online.   3 Key Points: Movement during pregnancy is good, but you also have to recognize your body’s new, temporary limits. You can accept your body’s changes, your diet changes, and your emotional changes without guilt, while still not using them as an excuse. If you open up about your experiences and struggles, you will almost always find that you’re not alone.   Tweetable Quotes:  “Those things would get me super anxious. I loved my life & my lifestyle & I wanted it so badly to stay the same. I was resisting that change so hard, which made it even more draining because on top of just being super emotional, now you’re fighting the experience.” –Aisha Zaza “I think I was able to recover the way I did because of the activity that I kept up during my pregnancy. So not only did it make me in better shape throughout my pregnancy and it helped in my recovery process, it was the biggest thing that I could do for my mind.” –Aisha Zaza “The full human experience is based on a spectrum of feelings, and sometimes I think that we are told that happiness is to feel, and that when we’re upset or when we’re sad, that is to fix. And that’s not to fix. That’s also to feel.” –Aisha Zaza   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: info@vitalmetabolic.com  Website: www.vitalmetabolic.com  Mel Robbins’ Five-Second Rule Aisha Zaza: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Lindsay Price, NFL cheerleader and online personal trainer. Hear about how she approaches training her all-female client base, how she balances training with being a professional dancer  and cheerleader, and her philosophy around nutrition.   Episode Highlights:  1:10 - Lindsay has 17 years of dance training and has experience dancing professionally and as an NFL cheerleader alongside being an online trainer and nutrition specialist. 2:28 - Lindsay developed a love of weightlifting and changing her body, along with mindset and lifestyle work that intersected with personal training. 3:10 - She realized she could perhaps serve her clients better, and serve more clients, by moving her business online. 3:53 - The biggest obstacle was trusting herself to take the leap. 4:58 - Lindsay knew she wanted to work with women and decided to choose that niche, with an ideal client of her “old self.” 5:56 - When she was a teenager, she didn’t know how to diet correctly or know how to be healthy long-term. 7:00 - She started to feel bad, with bad gut health, hormonal changes, and more, so she transitioned into holistic healing. 9:04 - It isn’t about just being ripped all the time, but it’s about being healthy and sustainable. 9:55 - Lindsay’s nutrition recommendations to her clients aren’t especially strict because she wants them to be intuitive about their own bodies. 10:45 - Strict meal plans aren’t sustainable and don’t result in lifestyle changes. 11:45 - One of the biggest obstacles Lindsay’s clients face most often is their own mindsets. 13:38 - Lindsay has her clients imagine the end result of where they want to be to motivate them to propel through their own resistance. 15:00 - Lindsay dislikes running but loves walking and aims for about 10,000 steps/day. 17:34 - Most of her dance training is cardio. 18:27 - During the football season, Lindsay balances her personal training work by being very deliberate about taking her rest. 20:15 - On game day, Lindsay’s nutrition involves feeling as light as possible while still knowing how many calories she needs to perform optimally. 21:04 - Lindsay is strategic about her calorie intake, particularly for recovery. 21:28 - Lindsay doesn’t usually track her macros but eats an average of 2,000-2,400 calories and follows general strategic guidelines for things like protein and carbs. 23:00 - People who eat a plant-based diet have the most trouble meeting their guidelines for protein intake. 23:55 - Lindsay doesn’t usually suggest protein supplements, she prefers the nutrients come from whole foods. 26:42 - Sometimes it’s hard for people to accept that they have to eat more in order to achieve the lean muscle mass they’re looking for. 27:12 - It’s less about weight loss than it is about body recomposition, and it has to be addressed individually with each client. 32:30 - For Lindsay, it depends on accountability and knowing what your client needs. 34:00 - The responsibility for your success starts with who you choose as your coach. 35:55 - People should look for a coach who will be honest and transparent with them. 36:30 - The best trainers are the ones who keep it simple, aren’t overly focused on marketing, and build a business of referrals. 38:08 - Lindsay foresees a continued shift to online training in the wake of the pandemic.   3 Key Points: Training can be less about tracking stats and more about trusting yourself and your body to intuitively understand what it needs. Be sure to take your rest and to eat enough to support your body through recovery. Every single person’s needs and goals are going to be different, so it’s important to know your client and tailor your recommendations to them.   Tweetable Quotes:  “That’s a question that you have to ask yourself. Is the risk/reward worth it? Where do you actually want to be in 5 years? And to me it’s not worth it.” –Lindsay Price “I just began really trusting myself, trusting my body, and I know that if I stayed consistent for so long, especially as a professional, you just know what your body  needs.” –Lindsay Price “It’s very hard for women to accept the fact that they have to eat more for the body they’re trying to achieve. Because oftentimes we’re told that that body means we have to be challenging ourselves & when we think of challenge, some people think of starvation.” –Lindsay Price   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: info@vitalmetabolic.com  Website: www.vitalmetabolic.com  “The Cost of Getting Lean” article Lindsay Price: Website Facebook Instagram

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Clifton Harski, trainer and Director of Education for the Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification. Hear Cliff share his tips to help new trainers get started and build their businesses, the pros and cons of online training, and whether you should spend time on Instagram marketing.   Episode Highlights:  1:10 - Clifton Harski is the Director of Education for the Pain-Free Performance Specialist certification with previous Vital Metabolic guest John Rusin. 3:29 - Cliff’s business has been going well; he’s been working on the curriculum for the PPSC full-time and training their presenters to do the presentations. 4:16 - The business Cliff was previously a part owner of prior to COVID had to close. 7:35 - If Cliff was a new trainer starting right now, he would split his time between personal training and group fitness. 9:07 - In group training, you need to be able to fix someone’s form and come up with a solution very quickly, and that experience can be really helpful in one-on-one training. It also allows you to see many more and a wider range of people. 11:05 - You can also use the group setting to get to know people and develop them into higher paying 1-on-1 clients. 12:55 - A lot of marketing wisdom will tell you to hyper-specialize, but it’s better for a trainer to have range and be more general in your approach until opportunities to focus more present itself. 16:55 - You need to define what an “online trainer” means to you and your business; do you provide a program as a workout provider, or are you actually actively training people, providing feedback and coaching? 18:40 - Clifton did online training in 2012-2013, and started every client on the same 4 week program where the workouts were done live so he could see how the person moved before providing coaching and moving into the next phase of the training. 23:00 - Whether you’re doing online coaching, 1-on-1, small group, or large group training, you need to have a realistic expectation of deliverables. 25:35 - There are some Facebook groups that do reviews of the potentially shady social marketers claiming they can grow your following. 28:30 - People are so grateful for follow-up after a session. 30:10 - Go experience other facilities and other trainers and see how they do things, so you can generate ideas of what would be useful to apply to your own business. 32:13 - Set the expectation with your clients that you will be punctual, so you expect them to be too. 33:15 - Meet your client where they’re at in terms of communication; a millennial may prefer to text, but a client in their 70s may only want to use phone calls. 34:15 - Cliff predicts that after COVID, there is going to be a consolidation of who’s offering what; whatever businesses survive this are going to end up thriving. 35:20 - Convenience is the biggest factor in getting clients. 36:20 - Technology is catching up to allow virtual training to become so customized that it will begin to rival in-person training. 40:15 - Some trainers are even offering at-home gym designs, helping people build their own gym space. 41:05 - Instagram trainers give potential clients a false expectation. 42:00 - A lot of people who seem successful on Instagram actually aren’t, because they may have a lot of followers but they have very low engagement. 44:10 - Social media is saturated with trainers, and it’s likely time to start exploring other business models like a referral system. 46:00 - Decide if investing in Instagram is actually worthwhile to your business or if it is just going to feed your ego. 46:35 - Two examples of good Instagram use are John [last name?] and Kyle Dobbs because they both provide actionable, educational content. 48:23 - Think about the aspects of social media that you like, and start there with your content. 50:55 - PPSC is hoping to dominate the in-person education space. 51:35 - In 2021, they have an aggressive schedule of 10 events per month.   3 Key Points: New trainers should gain the broad experience of group fitness classes so that they can see a large volume of people. Don’t implicitly trust shiny Instagram business coaches and marketers; instead, experience other facilities and trainers firsthand to see what ideas it gives you. Drive your Instagram strategy from what you enjoy about social media.   Tweetable Quotes:  “If you are only doing 1-on-1s, that can be extraordinarily tiring. You’ve got to be the energy guy that brings them up the entire time, whereas with group, oftentimes the group can give you energy as the instructor and you feed off of it.” –Clifton Harski “The benefit for a lot of people with online training is that it’s lower cost for consumers. They pay less for it. But if you’re doing true coaching, it might cost you more of your time, which as a trainer means we should be charging even more.” –Clifton Harski “The #1 determiner of if someone signs up for you is convenience.” –Clifton Harski “Find the positives with the social media so that you can be consistent in your messaging, that you can help more people and the people will come to you.” –John Parker   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: info@vitalmetabolic.com  Website: www.vitalmetabolic.com  Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification: Website Clifton Harski: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter  John Rusin: Instagram Kyle Dobbs: Instagram

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Natalia, known as the Qigong Lady. Hear about the benefits of a qigong practice, both on its own and as a complementary practice to other forms of fitness. Learn about how Natalia discovered qigong, why the practice isn’t for everyone, and how you can get started.   Episode Highlights:  1:49 - Natalia is originally from Russia and now lives in Abu Dhabi after traveling around quite a lot. 2:40 - Natalia began her qigong practice when she was living in Thailand. 3:06 - She was curious about tai-chi, energy practices, and spirituality, but she had trouble finding tai-chi classes and found qigong instead. 4:59 - With healing practices like qigong, it’s really about drawing energy into the body and controlling it, unlike strength and conditioning which is about the output of energy. 5:30 - Qigong is deeply spiritual and you aren’t going to build on your practice if you only focus on your body. 7:10 - Qigong is a broad practice that means working with energy, and there are different forms or branches that exist underneath it. Some can be considered martial arts, others healing practice, and more. 8:16 - Natalia practices medical qigong, in which the forms are very dynamic and are integrated into your body’s movements. 10:50 - Natalia uses qigong as her main fitness practice, but sometimes adds things like yoga practice; qigong complements every form. 13:00 - In group classes, Natalia teaches the form she studied the most, but if a private client comes to her with a specific issue, Natalia chooses the qigong forms that would be most beneficial. 15:16 - John has seen people doing qigong in the five minute breaks people take between weightlifting sets to balance their energy. 16:09 - Qigong allows you to choose what will work best for you each day. 17:46 - Each form of qigong uses a different style of breathing. 20:05 - Natalia combines individual and group classes, as well as workshops. 20:54 - She started with qigong somewhat later in life, as an adult, but she believes it came to her at exactly the right moment. 22:28 - She sees common injuries or conditions from people who come in for general qigong practice, including postural misalignments and other internal blockages. 23:01 - Everything in the body is connected, so an injury may not have originated in the spot where the pain is, but in a connected joint that isn’t as mobile as it should be. 24:00 - An injury means a blockage in energy or a break in the flow of your chi. 26:35 - Qigong has been growing because people are realizing they need to find alternative ways of finding flow and healing. 27:25 - People often have perceptions of tai-chi or qigong as being done by old people in a park, but having Natalia be a representative for it makes it more accessible. 28:00 - The pandemic has actually helped Natalia’s business because people suddenly had the time to dedicate to trainings and helped people realize they needed to focus more on their health. 30:53 - Natalia is a perfectionist and wanted to go as deep into qigong as she could as fast as she could, but she had to learn to be patient and listen to her body. 31:48 - It’s important not to practice to the point of fatigue every day or else you won’t have anything left for the next day. 33:15 - Natalia thinks the industry is doing well and wants it to reach more people, but qigong isn’t for everyone because it requires patience and dedication over a longer period of time. 34:00 - It’s about increasing the awareness about it and making it accessible to those who want to learn. 35:15 - Natalia’s practice looks different every day depending on how she feels, but the typical length of practice is 45 minutes to 1 hour. 36:26 - She ran online classes back in December but is running another series this month. 37:20 - She also offers a lot of free classes on the White Tiger Qigong Youtube channel.   3 Key Points: Qigong integrates a physical practice with a mental and spiritual practice. It is a broad term with many types of qigong practice, meaning it can complement any other fitness practice and can be adjusted to fit any person’s needs. Natalia hopes to make qigong practice more accessible and to spread awareness.   Tweetable Quotes:  “Everything happens because of the intention. Because of that deep, spiritual aspect of qigong. If you just do the form and you call it qigong but you focus only on the body, you won’t be building much of qi.” –Natalia “Qigong is very diverse. You are taught different things in different forms and different meditations. And on a daily basis you choose what works best for you.” –Natalia “In our culture, we think that more is better. Especially with exercise, people run themselves into the ground until they’re no longer physically able to do that... I tell my clients that we always leave the session with a half a tank of gas left.” –John Parker   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: info@vitalmetabolic.com  Website: www.vitalmetabolic.com  Natalia: Website Facebook Instagram  White Tiger Qigong: YouTube

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Maverick of Field House. Learn about the Field House’s training philosophy, Maverick’s approaches to nutrition and recovery, and the importance of treating the people you train as students, not clients.   Episode Highlights:  03:25 - Maverick of Maverick’s Field House is a US Air Force veteran. The Field House has been open since 2014, and he is a Level 1 and Level 2 and is a Kettlebell Kings rep. 04:42 - Maverick thinks 2020 has exposed what the fitness world is likely to become and transitioned to Zoom immediately. 05:30 - They had been building their online presence for the past two years which really laid the foundation for pivoting to all-online classes during COVID. 07:55 - Maverick started working out in middle school after getting shoved into a wall and getting a concussion. 09:17 - He trains with people stronger than him as motivation so he never plateaus. 10:15 - His CrossFit coach was the one who suggested he start using kettlebells. 10:50 - What is the Beast Tamer challenge? 13:10 - The kettlebell community provides a lot of camaraderie and support. 15:35 - People need to get to the point where they know their number is good enough; the point should be a life of movement rather than being sedentary. 17:40 - Whatever you weigh, you should be able to move a certain percentage of your body weight, depending on your goals. 19:45 - Maverick has Field House specific benchmark goals for clients, including the Bodyweight Complex, 25 goblet squats at half your body weight in 1 minute, and 10 snatches on each side with half body weight. 22:46 - There are three factors of strength that are consistent with every sport: grip strength, leg strength, and core strength. 24:00 - Maverick doesn’t promote working out, he promotes training; it’s a different mindset. 26:00 - Your body doesn’t care how you move, just move well, move often, and move with intent. 28:19 - Think of the people you work with as students, not clients. 29:24 - For recovery, Maverick thinks of the seven P’s: Prior proper planning prevents piss poor performance. 29:45 - Maverick uses a WHOOP wearable. 30:50 - He uses a grafton tool for recovery while in the shower. 31:30 - Maverick also uses a Marc Pro. 32:05 - He recommends a CBD muscle rub before training. 32:50 - Maverick uses netcon supplements; make sure any supplement you take is as clean as possible, with all-natural ingredients and no synthetics. 35:29 - All of us can do anything we want to accomplish with just a little bit of drive. 37:20 - Maverick eats exclusively to perform, making sure he gets enough calories to train, about 100g of protein, and he trains within his means. 38:40 - After watching the documentary Gamechangers about eating a plant-based diet, Maverick decided to try it. He ended up eating around 100-150g of protein a day and didn’t lose any muscle mass or strength. 40:20 - Maverick has always done intermittent fasting and he thinks it’s the best thing you can do. 41:30 - Maverick doesn’t deprive himself, but advises you to understand the consequences of what you eat and accept them. If you go to New York and don’t eat a slice of pizza, you’re a fool. 43:45 - The core of Maverick’s diet is to eat nutrient-dense foods. 47:10 - Field House will be doing a single kettlebell training program for 5 weeks online. 47:47 - For any programs you sign up for, the videos get sent to you personally by Maverick in order to build a coach-student relationship. 48:15 - There is also a 5 week calibrated strength and conditioning program. 49:10 - They are launching a 3 day a week monthly subscription for people who only own one single kettlebell. 49:51 - Field House is also launching a live online class. 51:30 - Maverick will be writing a book about the philosophy of the Field House.   3 Key Points: Cultivate a life of movement and continuing education about fitness. Eat to perform, and train within your means to aid in recovery. The relationship between the trainer and student is important to prioritize.   Tweetable Quotes:  “If you’re trying to get strong, never lift with anybody who’s as strong as you. You’re only going to be as strong as the strongest person in the gym, and if that’s you, you’re gonna plateau.” –Maverick “We kind of get lost in the vision of what strength is supposed to be for every given person. I find that the universal definition of strength is that you should be able to look in the mirror, feel good about yourself, be a good husband or wife & be a useful person.” –Maverick “You just need to have enough calories in you to maintain the physique & structure you want. If you want to build lean muscle mass, do your data based on you because your DNA is different than anybody else in the world. What works for me is not going to work for you.” –Maverick   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: info@vitalmetabolic.com  Website: www.vitalmetabolic.com  Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Sponsor: Vivo Barefoot Sponsor: Revive CBD Anti CBD muscle rub: https://iloveanti.com/product/anti-2000mg-cbd-muscle-rub/ Maverick’s Field House website: https://mavericksfieldhouse.com/ 

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Jeremy Malecha of Biocanic. They discuss the benefits and pitfalls of collecting health and fitness data, uses for wearable trackers, the future of this technology, and more. Listen to hear about Jeremy’s health journey and where his passion for data began.   Episode Highlights:  5:38 - Jeremy Malecha is the CEO and co-founder of Biocanic. 6:43 - Biocanic is a tool that James uses for his home coaching and personal training clients to help him design training plans. 7:13 - Jeremy got interested in data tracking and optimization as far back as childhood because he was fascinated by human performance. 9:20 - As he reached his mid-30s, he started noticing his own declining health including elevated blood sugar levels, chronic back pain, headaches, and low energy. 9:50 - Jeremy’s wife was training to be a functional diagnostic nutritionist and used him as a guinea pig. 10:37 - Jeremy used to be a runner but had to quit endurance workouts because of his back issues. 11:08 - He was stuck in trial and error trying to figure out what workouts, supplements, etc., would work best for him. 12:14 - Jeremy took the mediator release test, which tests for food sensitivities, found out he was sensitive to beef, cut it out, and lost 8% of his body fat in 30 days. 13:00 - The test takes multiple vials of blood and measures your immune and inflammatory response. 16:40 - Jeremy recommends starting with a food sensitivity test, especially for someone not working with a coach for personal guidance. 17:44 - He recommends doing this test even if you don’t think you’re experiencing any symptoms, because you could be unaware of sensitivities. 21:20 - Jeremy has also done hormone tests as a way of finding the cause for why he was resistant to weight gain and had high blood sugar. 23:06 - Cortisol levels are a great indicator of your overall health. 24:04 - Jeremy’s dutch test flagged high estrogen and issues with estrogen disposal, and was told to take dim as a supplement. 25:30 - Ultimately, dietary changes were more effective for Jeremy than supplements. 27:01 - Overall, Jeremy is primarily a carnivore with fatty fruits and some vegetables on weekends. 28:11 - Jeremy also took a microbiome test and had resistant h-pylori, c-diff, CIBO, low good gut flora, and other issues. 30:39 - John likes the data that comes from wearables but worries about people becoming orthorexic. 31:09 - Jeremy likes the Ora ring and notes that people need to be wary of wearables’ ability to detect sleep stages accurately.  34:55 - The use for wearables for data tracking is to see if something has caused a dramatic shift in your normal rather than honing in obsessively on small details. 37:07 - Jeremy thinks the technology for wearables will continue to improve and get more accurate over time. 38:27 - A company is developing a smart toilet that can run daily urinalysis and microbiome analysis. 40:17 - Jeremy hopes that where this is headed is the accessibility of this data to the mass population to help inform dietary and health decisions. 41:20 - Biocanic is useful for monitoring lab tests, programs, supplements, and more, and lets you add your data from wearables. 42:19 - Integrative and functional approaches have overlap and seem similar but are different and personalized. 43:12 - Wearables give you accountability. 46:49 - Intake assessments should be shorter and easier to do, both for the client and the practitioner. 48:20 - Biocanic is now trying to solve more and more pain points for its users. 48:50 - Biocanic is also trying to compare and overlay data from multiple sources to find more correlations people might otherwise not detect.   3 Key Points: Health and fitness data helps to tailor treatments and dietary plans to your specific needs. Wearable technology provides accountability to those trying to stick to health plans. Collecting health data is empowering more and more people to take control of their wellness.   Tweetable Quotes:  “I was trying to figure out what would get to my personal body composition and strength goals. It was never really effective because it was never coherent. It was that cycle of trial and error that everybody gets caught into.” –Jeremy Malecha “If you don’t test, you’re just guessing, you might think you’re fine with certain foods—’Oh, I feel fine’—but you really don’t know what your optimal is.” –James Wheeler “How do people actually get to that point where they understand that there is a difference in how much you pay for food and how it affects you, your behavior, and your overall health.” –Jeremy Malecha   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: info@vitalmetabolic.com  Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Sponsor: Vivo Barefoot Sponsor: Revive CBD Biocanic: Website Instagram Facebook Mediator Release Test FDN Conference

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker break down the “big three” in powerlifting: The benchpress, back squat, and deadlift. Learn about variations you can do to accommodate your personal strengths or injuries and the key movements you should master.   Episode Highlights:  1:10 - The Big Three in powerlifting are the three main lifts judged in a meet. 1:29 - The three main lifts are the back squat, deadlift, and benchpress.  3:20 - What these movements have in common is compound movements, using multiple joints. 4:55 - Strength training should fit the person; no one movement is good or bad. 5:45 - Lifting is a great way to measure how strong you are getting over time. 6:25 - You need to take a lot of things into consideration to make sure you have good form when bench pressing to avoid injury.  7:28 - Genetically, some people are going to be better at certain movements than others.  8:45 - Variations to help ease shoulder injuries include doing a dumbbell bench press, including a foam roller bolster to help give you better range of motion, or pressing down to a small degree. 10:10 - The “landline” press is an alternative if bench pressing is painful. 10:30 - It’s important to develop the horizontal movement pattern necessary for bench pressing, and you can do this simply by training with push-ups. 12:10 - Another option is the cable pulley press, which gives you an integration from your toes to your fingers, with the whole central nervous system working together. 15:23 - These variations that change the angle of the press is important for maintaining shoulder health. 18:08 - The back squat is the “undisputed champion” of lower body training. 18:23 - The motion of a back squat is similar to jumping. 18:45 - The back squat is one of the most complex movements and it is overused. 19:45 - James would give a back squat to advanced athletes who are looking to build mass, but their end goal should be the starting point for how and why they do back squats. 20:12 - There are a lot of variables to how each individual does a back squat. 20:45 - James looks at a new client’s crawling pattern for coordination, their jump for power, whether they can do a pull-up for overall strength, how long they can do a passive hang from a bar to test grip, and some squatting to test mobility. 23:25 - James gives a box squat to a client who’s 6’6” to provide additional stability.  24:40 - Leverage the eccentrics in your back squat; lighten the weight you’re lifting and focus on the tension in your lower body to work the muscle while keeping yourself safe. 26:20 - You’re the strongest isometrically, second strongest eccentrically, and third strongest concentrically. 26:55 - The barbell front squat takes some of the load off the spine and shifts it to the quads, and builds the anterior core strength. 28:10 - James sometimes uses wrist straps to help in front squat deadlifts for those with limited wrist extension. 31:10 - Low bar back squats have become popular because of power lifting as a sport. 32:05 - James is more of a high bar back squatter, but John prefers low bar; it depends on whether you are more hip dominant or more quad dominant. 35:20 - The hip hinge is the most important movement in training because it opens up the options for you once you master it. 36:15 - James will start a beginner with hip bridges on a bench so they can start to feel their hamstrings and glutes work. 40:10 - John’s main exercise for hip hinging is the single leg deadlift. 40:38 - The single leg deadlift allows your center of gravity to stay in line as opposed to you having to navigate around your knees, which can cause lower back issues. 41:57 - John took a year break from deadlifts and only did kettlebell swings. 42:29 - Don’t be afraid to take a break, especially if you’re developing overuse injuries. 42:55 - James suggests varying your workout with kettlebell front squats or heavy dumbbell front squats. 43:16 - 25 reps with half your body weight is a huge feat of strength for the average person and it’s a good test. 43:44 - The point is to do functional movement patterns that suit your body and fitness level. 46:32 - A key benefit of powerlifting is learning how to lift appropriately.   3 Key Points: Every exercise you do should ideally be tailored to your body in order to maximize its benefit. Consider your end goal when determining what exercises to focus on in your training. Variation in your exercise routine is key for avoiding overuse injuries.   Tweetable Quotes:  “Changing the angle of presses is vital for shoulder health.” –James Wheeler “The back squat. I think it’s kind of the undisputed champion of lower body training.” –John Parker “As we start to get older, we need to figure out what’s the endgame, what’s the reward, what’s the risk?” –John Parker “There’s a difference between competing and health. If you’re competing in a sport, you have to benchpress, you have to back squat, you have to deadlift, because that’s a portion of your sport.” –James Wheeler   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: info@vitalmetabolic.com  Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Sponsor: Vivo Barefoot Sponsor: Revive CBD

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Anthony Roumell of the Center for Balanced Training. They discuss Anthony’s background as a bodybuilder and what inspired him to train other aspects of his fitness. They also talk about mentors and coaches, different training tools, how COVID is impacting the fitness industry, and more.   Episode Highlights:  06:36 - Anthony Roumell is a corrective exercise specialist who loves to work with adaptive athletes and kids with disabilities. 07:08 - Anthony has explored bodybuilding, resilient jiu-jitsu, yoga, gymnastics, hand balancing, and slacklining. 09:35 - Anthony focuses on a specific skill for a while, then works it into a maintenance program, with the goal of creating a sustainable experience. 10:09 - He started out as a musician and didn’t really focus on athletics until his 30s. 11:20 - He credits his discipline today to the skills he learned in music. 13:55 - The band split up at the end of high school, and Anthony filled that hole by going to the gym and starting to work with a trainer to become a bodybuilder. 19:06 - Anthony’s first bodybuilding show was when he was 19. 19:55 - Bodybuilding is the exact opposite of what your body wants physiologically, so it takes a ton of discipline. 22:47 - Anthony loved the challenge of working towards a larger goal, but it can be a problem to build your entire identity around what you look like. 24:15 - A friend suggested jiu-jitsu to him because he was getting bored with bodybuilding. 25:49 - In his first jiu-jitsu session, he was choked out and defeated in one move by a small, skinny guy. Anthony decided not to run from it but soak in it, and it made him determined to make himself better. 29:00 - While training, Anthony realized he needed to improve his flexibility and started going to bikram yoga. 32:10 - Anthony had built a lot of strength, but didn’t know how to use it and didn’t have a good range of motion. 33:20 - After 7 years of training in bikram yoga, Anthony went from having limited range of motion to being hypermobile, which eventually caused injuries. 39:00 - Anthony didn’t want to continue working in a busy training studio because he wanted to have a deeper connection with his students. 41:12 - The person Anthony was working with to open this gym had a lot of training tools that he was curious about learning, including the slackline, so Anthony tried it and quickly found it helped stabilize his previously injured leg, ankle, and pelvic floor. 45:27 - Anthony and his mentor had a dream of building a gym where you could serve the client with exactly what they need and train in a pure, focused way with all the equipment you could need. 49:37 - Anthony has continued to make things work with the business and stay afloat during the pandemic. 51:40 - He has been training about 40% virtually. 53:31 - They predict COVID-19 will shift the fitness industry from a volume-based business model to a quality-based business model. 54:55 - Anthony has been mostly self taught until this year when he started working with a coach on handstands; he’s always had mentors, but he hasn’t specifically hired a coach before. 57:00 - Having a coach helps you illuminate areas where you might otherwise get bogged down and feel discouraged. 57:55 - Anthony’s favorite part of teaching is sharing his experience and knowing that there is no shortcut.   3 Key Points: Training in a balanced way helps alleviate boredom and over-training in any one area. Just building strength doesn’t mean knowing how to use it in different contexts. The fitness industry is moving towards a model of building a relationship with a trainer or coach to train more deeply.   Tweetable Quotes:  “You’re doing the exact opposite of what your body wants to do naturally when you bodybuild. Your body does not want to get big and shredded. It wants you to get big and fat and hibernate, or get lean and shredded to survive.” –Anthony Roumell “I just love intense environments because it really forces me to surrender, to let go, and to really check my ego.” –Anthony Roumell “I do not play victim in my life. I am the creator. I live in choice. Things don’t just happen to me. At the end of the day, things happen, but I still have a choice how to react to it.” –Anthony Roumell   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: info@vitalmetabolic.com  Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Sponsor: Vivo Barefoot Sponsor: Revive CBD Center for Balanced Training Website Anthony’s Instagram

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with physical therapist and former strength and conditioning coach Cameron Yuen of Bespoke Treatments. They discuss why Cameron became a physical therapist, what makes his practice unique, and his philosophy on training and PT. Cameron also shares insights about the different energy systems in our bodies and the ways to train each of them in a balanced way.   Episode Highlights:  08:15 - Cameron’s background growing up is in kickboxing and martial arts. 09:10 - Cameron started the lifting team at UC San Diego, but ultimately found powerlifting to be too one-dimensional for him. 09:56 - His highest deadlift was 485lbs and about 580lbs benching. 10:45 - Cameron found that his body was developing some imbalances due to the training required for powerlifting, and shifted to training almost exclusively with kettlebells. 12:10 - Cameron learned techniques in training with kettlebells to control his breath, relaxation, and turning off tension quickly. 12:53 - Cameron points out that powerlifting only trains one energy system, but he recognizes that some people need low-intensity training as well. 14:40 - The three energy systems are anaerobic alactic, anaerobic lactic, and aerobic. 16:25 - Most people will want to stay between the alactic and aerobic zones, but some high-intensity training will go into the lactic zone. 16:55 - Cameron structures training with the recognition that all the energy systems affect each other. 19:53 - Cameron encourages using wearables to track heart rate and your energy zones. 21:28 - They share thoughts on the idea that anything over 5 reps is cardio. 24:15 - Cameron decided to get his doctorate in physical therapy because he wanted to be able to work with clients at every part of the spectrum—people with injuries, beginners, post-op clients, etc. 26:25 - Cameron found that his background in strength training helped him immensely in PT school. 27:45 - When physical therapists and trainers don’t meet clients where they’re at to challenge them appropriately, they can end up in the “rehab black hole.”  30:30 - Cameron’s practice does a comprehensive evaluation of every patient’s strength, joints, and injuries. 30:53 - A lot of PT practices send you off to an aide who isn’t a trainer to do your exercises, so Cameron’s practice is set up more like a small gym and they see themselves as a strength training center. 33:40 - Part of meeting people where they’re at is understanding what they’ll actually do at home between sessions. This will result in better compliance from your patients. 35:40 - Sometimes patients’ injuries could be alleviated if they lost weight or addressed some other bigger issue that should come first before addressing smaller issues. 36:35 - There has to be a relationship and rapport with the client before you can have a conversation about lifestyle. 42:45 - They discuss their thoughts about the Active Release gun to break up scar tissue. 44:20 - Different types of sensory information affect patients differently once contextualized in their brains. 45:47 - They discuss their thoughts on foam rolling. Cameron thinks it’s great if it helps you and makes you feel better, but he doesn’t especially care if someone does it. 49:20 - It’s important to decide what your goal is with therapies and tissue work because that will impact what you do and when you do it. 53:00 - Bespoke switched to virtual appointments when COVID hit and now they’re back to about 50/50 virtual and in person visits. 55:55 - Cameron thinks most people are probably too one-dimensional in their exercise because they gravitate towards what they’re good at when you should really focus on your weaknesses.   3 Key Points: Work to make your training plan less one-dimensional.  Meet clients where they are and be realistic about what they will do on their own. A lot of therapeutic treatments work differently for different people.   Tweetable Quotes:  “Some people never want to get better, necessarily, and they want to have their hand held, but I think the goal should be to make yourself better than you were prior to the surgery.” –James Wheeler “I don’t care what you do in your treatment session so long as you are taking care of what is actually important.” –Cameron Yuen “If you really care about your health, your physical expression, you should explore all the different types of exercise and movement that are offered.” –Cameron Yuen   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: info@vitalmetabolic.com  Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Sponsor: Vivo Barefoot Myrevivecbd.com Vital20 Bespoke website: http://www.bespoketreatments.com Bespoke Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bespoketreatments/  Bespoke Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bespoketreatments/ 

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker break down different elimination diets, such as the Carnivore Diet, Whole30, and Paleo AIP. Elimination diets get a bad wrap in the tabloids, but the fact is that some foods can have negative effects on our bodies. At the end of the day, it’s up to us to find out which diet works best for our body!    Episode Highlights:  Most people do not realize the importance of elimination when it comes to dieting and nutrition. 1:18 Food sensitivity tests would indicate that everyone should try some sort of elimination diet. 2:27 Gluten, corn, soy, and dairy are the most common inflammatory foods that elimination diets tend to target. 3:07 Not everyone needs to go have tests done; sometimes, people just need to clean up their lifestyle. 4:25 James has mostly stuck to a paleolithic diet, but before this, as a trainer and business owner, he was constantly feeling drained. 5:05 People with active lifestyles make the mistake of thinking that they can eat foods that are high on the glycemic index. 6:20 Breaking down a carnivorous diet and the differences that James saw in his mental and physical health. 7:18 John consumes a mostly carnivore-ish diet to battle his ongoing IBS. 8:50 Vegans have reported being hungry all the time, partly due to the lack of protein and fat in their diet. 10:00 Energy levels can be much more sustained with a high-protein high-fat diet as compared to a glucose-based diet. 10:55 Exogenous glucose involves consuming foods that are high on the glycemic index and are entering your body as glucose already. 11:40 Carnivore diets have been shown to battle degenerative conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis. 14:10 It’s important to test out what foods work for you after going through an elimination diet. 15:15 James followed the vertical diet for 60 days and noticed that he became dose-dependent on carbohydrates after he was done. 16:10 The world needs to get over the myth that carbohydrates are bad, but they can be overconsumed. 18:12 Diet cheating is a sign of mental issues and can be categorized as a form of addiction. 20:10 Hara Hachi Bu involves eating until you are 80% full and could be the reason that the rest of the world has lower obesity rates than western countries. 22:00 It’s as simple as keeping these addicting foods out of your house; eliminate the temptation. 23:55 Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) can have incredible physical benefits but may not be sustainable for every. 25:50 When you can stop assigning so much pleasure to food, you will be able to see food as medicine. 28:12 You can practice an elimination diet while still loving to eat food. 32:00 Whole30 works towards eliminating all those inflammatory foods that your body doesn’t actually need. 32:50 Lectins in plant food obstruct the body’s ability to absorb minerals from the food. 35:53 Gastrointestinal distress can be a result at the beginning of an elimination diet because of your body’s over-dependence on fiber. 36:48 As someone who suffers from IBS-D, John finds that a lower-fiber diet makes him feel the best. 39:12 It’s up to each of us to listen to our bodies and decide which diet works best for us. 41:48 Dieting is a process of rehabilitation and it will be a continuous learning experience for the rest of your life. 43:04 Decide how much you need and do your best to not take more than that. 46:00   3 Key Points: People use substances such as caffeine from espresso and coffee as a crutch to battle their energy dips that are caused by high-glucose diets. Carbohydrates are not bad, especially if you live an active lifestyle, but just like anything, overconsumption can become poisonous. It’s important to stay flexible with nutrition while you experiment on which diets work best for you. Don’t be afraid to change your stance as you continue to learn.   Tweetable Quotes:  “When I was on this elimination diet..I was able to see true energy and a lot of stability.” - James Wheeler “When you are doing an elimination diet, it is not necessarily about weight loss all the time. That is a side effect of eating well.” - James Wheeler When you cheat, you cheat yourself. You really do need to stay disciplined on this stuff. If you don’t think you can, it’s likely a mental issue.” - John Parker “It’s a very simple rule, guys. If it’s in the house, either you’re going to eat it or someone else is going to eat it.” - James Wheeler “I don’t get my kicks with food. I’m not a drug addict with food.” - John Parker “We have to remember the gut microbiome changes all the time.” - John Parker   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Jordan Peterson Mikhaila Peterson Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Book: The Paleo Solution Redmond Real Salt Whole30

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Awais Spall, a published cannabis researcher from Revibe CBD. At Revibe, Awais and his team have been able to develop a transdermal formulation with which CBD can be applied as a topical product. There is so much interesting science that lies behind CBD and its relationship with the human body, and Awais is here to talk all about it!   Episode Highlights:  You can buy CBD pretty much everywhere right now, so it’s time for the public to educate themselves. 6:50 Awais has been able to develop a transdermal formulation so people can apply a topical product as compared to smoking or swallowing. 7:20 There are dozens of types of cannabinoids and scientists are constantly discovering new ones. 8:23 Cannabidiol (CBD) is the cannabinoid that scientists find is the most powerful in the cannabis plant. 9:00 CBD interacts with your metabolic pathways in ways that help your body recover faster after exercise. 10:05 Everyone’s endocannabinoid chemistry is unique, bringing people different “highs” after working out. 11:30 Receptor densities in receptors that help deal with chronic stress have shrunk throughout human evolution. 12:22 High doses of antioxidants post-workout are counterproductive to muscle recovery. 13:42 CBD is adaptogenic to cortisol levels post-workout, lowering harmful T cells. 14:40 Chronic stress can cause adrenal fatigue if there is an unhealthy relationship with the hypothalamus. 16:08 Sociopolitical factors have slowed and stunted CBD research and the positive effects that it can have on the body. 17:16 There lies a difference in the clinical setting and the research setting. 18:17 Someone who is chronically stressed is more likely to get stuck in that stage when taking CBD than someone with a different biochemical status. 19:04 Some natural products that are on the market have no transdermal element to get the CBD into your system. 20:55 Pharma-style products use high quantities of endocrine-disrupting chemicals to get CBD into your system, but these are incredibly toxic. 21:39 Due to regulations around CBD, there is a race to the bottom, and the CBD world is a dirty one. 23:02 MSM is a type of salt and has been known to disrupt the gut lining when taken orally. 25:22 Taking MSM topically allows CBD to enter the system by signaling nerves to loosen up on the amount of calcium that they are letting through, thus decreasing nerve pain. 26:40 CBD is an effective treatment method for a plethora of pain conditions when properly administered. 28:13 Pharmaceuticals damage your body’s natural ability to deal with pain over time. 30:20 People should off-cycle CBD during the week so their bodies can rebound and it will be more effective. 31:40 A combination of Kratom and CBD has shown mixed results amongst those that are recovering from addiction. 33:20 The differences between full-spectrum and isolate CBD extracts and what those mean for consumers. 34:56 Combining CBD and THC can have great effects fully depending on the settings of each dose. 39:23 Breaking down the effects of combining the Ketogenic Diet with CBD when treating degenerative diseases. 42:10 Our bodies have receptors that suggest we have evolved around cannabinoids and other compounds in nature. 44:59 Plants have been here much longer than humans and have played their part in spreading all over the world. 50:00 Spiritual elements throughout life should not be completely disregarded because they have not been proven yet. 52:11 People are finally realizing all the different factors that play into a healthy lifestyle and how to supplement that life. 55:30   3 Key Points: Through his research, Awais and his team have been able to develop a topical form of CBD that helps heal the mind and the body. Due to the fact that human beings have unique biochemistry to those around them, everyone reacts differently to CBD. Based on endocrine system chemistry from individual to individual, CBD has been shown to be an effective treatment with pain-based conditions.   Tweetable Quotes:  “You can actually take CBD post-workout and it’s not going to blunt the exercise stress, it’s actually going to help out.” - James Wheeler “They’re getting lower percentage of delta sleep when they are taking CBD orally, so the question is what’s going on biochemically?” - Awais Spall “They’re natural. It kind of has some bee’s wax in it. There’s no mechanism to drive CBD into your circulation...it’s a beauty product at that point.” - Awais Spall “You’re actually putting CBD into your body. I think people forget that sometimes.” - Awais Spall “When you put anything on your skin...the skin is going to absorb that stuff...With CBD, we need good stuff.” - John Parker “This is the biggest problem with pharmaceuticals, they damage your endocannabinoids and reduce your body’s natural receptors over time.” - Awais Spall   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel (Discount: Vital20) Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya (Discount: Vital20) Sponsor: Vivo Barefoot (Discount: Vital20) Sponsor: Revibe CBD (Discount: Vital20) The Secret Life of Plants (book)

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Ryan Monahan of The Mindful Nutrivore about getting a diagnosis, his approach to health, and how to get the most out of every day.    Episode Highlights:  8:50 - Ryan has Hashimoto’s and it took more than a decade for him to get diagnosed. 11:06 - Ryan was in a band for a long time, and in college they began to be courted by record labels.  13:13 - Ryan didn’t get diagnosed with Hashimoto’s until he was 28, and it began a major paradigm shift for him in terms of his lifestyle and diet.  16:40 - When he was diagnosed, he got lucky and saw a doctor who did a full blood workup so that he could see exactly what was going on.  18:38 - Ryan thought the way he was feeling was just his “normal.”  21:20 - The thyroid is the master regulator for our metabolism, and is also the thermostat for the body and regulates body temperature. 22:35 - Hypothyroidism can manifest as chronic fatigue syndrome, because when the thyroid slows down everything else in your body slows down.  23:51 - Everyone with hypothyroidism is different, but nutrient deficiencies are nearly universal across those with the diagnosis.  25:21 - Seafood is a good source of iodine to help with deficiencies, as well as kelp and other forms of seaweed.  27:00 - The symptoms of hyperthyroidism are the mirror image of hypothyroidism, and taking too much of your medication can cause this reversal.  30:29 - Micronutrient deficiencies can manifest in multiple different ways, including fluctuating body weight, skin issues, or neurological issues like anxiety and depression.  32:45 - It’s unusual for Ryan to see someone who has hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s who doesn’t have issues with gut function.  38:32 - A lot of health issues go back to the fundamental issue of inflammation.  40:34 - Inflammation is essential to being alive, but when it gets out of control it can be harmful.  41:48 - Auto-immunity happens when there is too much inflammation in the body.  44:05 - CBD can help the body to heal in many different ways.  46:15 - There are cannibidiol receptors all over the body, and as there is more research done on CBD there is evidence that it is possible to be CBD deficient.  48:05 - When putting patients on an anti-inflammatory diet, Ryan starts with the “low-hanging fruit” and has clients remove gluten, dairy, soy, and alcohol from their diets first.  52:05 - Ryan tries to set aside 20-30 minutes every day for some light exercise.  53:07 - Ryan practices mindfulness daily.    3 Key Points: The thyroid gland controls many of the vital functions of the body.  Inflammation is an essential function of the body, but when it gets out of control it can be harmful.  While research is currently limited, it has been found through practice that CBD can be helpful in managing many different health conditions.    Tweetable Quotes:  “Symptoms may be common, but that doesn’t mean they’re normal.” - Ryan Monahan “Being healthy doesn’t have to be complicated.” - Ryan Monahan “You just need to do what you can today, and if you can just improve yourself by one percent a day, mentally, spiritually, and physically, then by the end of the year you’re a completely changed person.” - Ryan Monahan   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: info@vitalmetabolic.com Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Sponsor: Vivo Barefoot Sponsor: Revive CBD Ryan Monahan Facebook Twitter Instagram The Mindful Nutrivore

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Derek Toshner, co-founder of TNT Adventure, about his daily workout routine and his philosophy on training.   Episode Highlights:  10:58 - Derek’s dad was very athletic, so he introduced him and his brother to sports at a very young age.  11:45 - Derek wrestled throughout high school for a very competitive school, and all 4 years they won conference titles.  12:50 - He started to run track when he was in college for another competitive school that won 8 titles in a row.  17:23 - When Derek graduated from college and went back into the weight room, he had no endurance left because of running sprints in college.  19:25 - Derek decided to start doing hurdles in college because he was a technical athlete and understood exactly what he had to do to get the result he wanted.  21:20 - Derek likes to snatch for endurance training. 22:50 - Derek has to train for something specific in order to feel motivated rather than exercising to maintain a certain body weight or body fat percentage.  24:01 - He has been rock climbing since 2003.  28:30 - Depending on where he is in his training cycle, Derek eats 3500-5000 calories per day.  33:12 - The ways in which Derek trains a client mostly depends upon the money and time the client is willing to put in.  36:45 - If your technique isn’t solid, using a barbell to strength train is going to be impossible.  40:40 - Using a kettlebell is easier on the body than deadlifting or box jumps.  43:39 - It is important to train your legs when climbing, and it is possible to build strength without building too much muscle.  46:40 - John and James always ask training clients whether or not they were athletes growing up.  49:00 - Derek tore his left ACL when he was in high school, and he recommends alternating heat and cold with contrast baths when healing an injury.  51:25 - When Derek started kettlebell training, he experienced an immediate change in his daily back pain.  54:00 - As a result of being an athlete his whole life, Derek is very in tune with his body and what it needs.  56:10 - He recommends wearables for his clients because it takes years of practice to be truly in tune with your body.    3 Key Points: When training, there are often results to be gained in the mundane.  It’s important to prepare for the realities of hiking while still training in the gym.  There is a difference between being injured and pain and soreness from working muscles while training.    Tweetable Quotes:  “When you’re out in the mountains and it counts, that’s when you’re really happy you actually did something.” - John Parker “Starting people off with the basics is essential.” - Derek Toshner  “I really enjoy training people for something because they have more buy-in.” - Derek Toshner   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: info@vitalmetabolic.com Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Sponsor: Vivo Barefoot Sponsor: Revive CBD TNT Adventure Derek Toshner: Facebook Instagram

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with three-time bestselling author Ben Azadi, the creator of Keto Kamp.    Episode Highlights:  10:14 - Ben says that the ketogenic diet can be very bad for you if you substitute foods that provide nutritional value with things like cheese and oils.  11:20 - Keto is not a diet, it’s a metabolic process.  12:30 - Ketoacidosis and ketosis are not the same thing; ketoacidosis is only found in people who are type 1 diabetic, and can be dangerous. Ketosis means that your body has burned through its sugar stores and starts to use fat instead.  16:30 - On average, it takes about 14-21 days to achieve ketosis.  18:30 - Especially in the first 30 days of keto, Ben suggests eating 30-40 grams of protein at every meal, with a 2:1 ratio of fats to protein.  20:30 - The body manufactures glucose whether you eat sugar/carbohydrates or not.  22:44 - You can have carbs around your workout when doing high impact workouts such as lifting that require a lot of strength.  24:00 - John shares that he doesn’t eat a lot of carbs, and does “carb cycling” but doesn’t recommend this to people because of the tendency to binge eat food groups that you haven’t been eating.  25:30 - John and James both do a “relaxed carnivore” diet.  28:00 - Ben has Raynaud’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease, and while doing a 40-day carnivore diet he had very few flareups after months of having a flareup every day.  31:50 - If you do keto the right way, you won’t get the “keto flu,” which Ben says are just carb withdrawal symptoms.  34:00 - Having healthy bile is very important for overall health. Ben suggests using arugula, dandelion greens, lemons and limes, rosemary, thyme, and basil, among other things, to stimulate healthy bile production.  35:10 - Ben suggests overdoing it with fat consumption for the first 28 days of the keto diet.  36:15 - John recommends taking digestive enzymes or digestive bitters to help break down the fat you consume properly.  37:59 - Ben talks about the lab tests he does on his clients when they first come to him.  38:43 - Ben recommends rotating supplements monthly rather than taking the same ones month after month.  41:10 - Practicing gratitude and self-love are a vital first step in the process of losing weight.  42:16 - Our environment is hugely important in determining our overall health.  43:50 - Ben had to hit rock bottom in order to make a change and lose weight.  47:30 - Ben tries to balance high-intensity training and weightlifting with making sure he gets good sleep and getting lower intensity exercise from walking his dog.  50:00 - Ben talks about his experience using an Oura Ring, a sleep and activity tracker. 52:00 - Ben shares the supplements he takes to enhance his workouts.  54:55 - Ben says that a vegan diet can do more harm than good for people dealing with an autoimmune disease. 58:10 - Ben says it inspires him to have a goal to work towards.    3 Key Points: Keto isn’t a diet, it’s a metabolic process.  Mental health and environment are just as important when trying to lose weight as diet and exercise. Balance is key when working to change your lifestyle into a healthy one.    Tweetable Quotes:  “We don’t lose weight to get healthy, we get healthy to lose weight.” - Ben Azadi  “We have a choice: we can get our calories from the plate of food in front of us, or we can get it from our body fat.” - Ben Azadi “I believe that there’s nothing external that can help us or hurt us, it’s really our thoughts.” - Ben Azadi  “I became at this moment a victor of my future, and I stopped becoming a victim of my past.” - Ben Azadi   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Sponsor: Vivo Barefoot Sponsor: Revive CBD Keto Kamp Keto Kamp Podcast Ben Azadi: Twitter Youtube Facebook Instagram Force of Nature Meats Dr. Shade's Bitters No. 9 Oura Ring Ion Gut Health PureForm Omega

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Bob Thompson, the founder and CEO of Legion Transformation Center and FitPro Syndicate. They talk about how Bob got into the fitness business, the importance of self-training, how to avoid burnout, and the future of fitness after COVID.    Episode Highlights:  9:25 - Bob didn’t play sports when he was in high school, and only got into fitness when he was dumped by a woman and decided to bulk up. 10:50 - He didn’t initially get results when he started working out, but he found a passion for it.  12:10 - He acknowledges that his relationship failed because of who he was as a person at the time, but getting into fitness helped him gain self confidence.  13:06 - Bob credits a lot of his success to the time he spent attending junior college before he transferred to Georgia Southern University.  15:13 - When he first graduated college, he originally worked in pest control and then got his first job in the fitness field as a sports performance coach for high school students.  18:02 - Bob stresses the importance of working with mentors and getting as much hands-on experience in the field as possible.  19:31 - James clarifies that there are some certifications that are necessary to work in the field, but there are a lot that are unnecessary and won’t help you become a better trainer.  21:47 - John says that when obtaining certifications, you should take things with a grain of salt and figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.  24:40 - Bob didn’t open up his own location until 2012; prior to that, he was training people out of a basement.  26:14 - When he first opened up his gym, he didn’t know anything about marketing.  27:21 - Bob made six figures of profit in the first year of owning his own business.  28:57 - When he first started, Bob would drive around and knock on people’s doors and send cold emails inviting people in for a session.  32:07 - Bob owns 7 locations of Legion, and over 30 franchises have been awarded.  34:27 - Bob shares that he almost went out of business when he opened his second location.  36:34 - When he opened his second location, he had to figure out how to make his business model scalable and got a mentor.  39:17 - James talks about the dangers of burnout for trainers and how he combats it.  42:36 - Bob is on a three week vacation when they’re recording the podcast, and he notes that he’s never taken a vacation this long. 43:52 - Once he started his own business, Bob knew that he was most passionate about the business side rather than training clients all the time.  45:20 - Bob says that stepping away can show you the things in the business that you need to work on, but you can also see your team step up.  48:30 - Bob emphasizes the importance of having a set schedule that works for you rather than training on clients’ schedules.  50:56 - Bob says that not everybody should have their own business.  52:09 - When asked about the future of fitness after COVID, Bob stresses the importance of having online components to your business.  55:05 - 30% of fitness businesses have gone under during COVID.    3 Key Points: Fitness professionals should focus more on self-learning and connecting with clients on a human level than obtaining as many certifications as possible.  When building a business, it is important to make sure that your model is scalable and sustainable.  It is just as important to take care of yourself as a trainer as it is to take care of your clients.    Tweetable Quotes:  “I knew that as long as I stuck with it, I would get results, it was just a matter of me figuring out how to get those results.” - Bob Thompson “When it comes to training people, it’s so much about the connection you make with the person. You can be the best coach in the world, but if you can’t relate to people...it doesn’t matter.” - Bob Thompson  “A lot of these great, successful businesses all start with a small idea.” - John Parker “As coaches, not only are we healers, but we listen to our clients.” - James Wheeler  “Every time I remove myself from a component of the business, the business has gotten better.” - Bob Thompson “When you own your own business, it shouldn’t be just to have a job, it should be to live the life that you desire.” - Bob Thompson   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Sponsor: Vivo Barefoot Sponsor: Revive CBD Legion Transformation Center Locomotion Athletics Bob Thompson: Instagram Fitness Pro Syndicate Facebook group

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with John Odden from Kettlebell Gains Apparel. They discuss John’s experience competing in the Highland Games, setting multiple world records. John shares information about how he trains, what he tracks (or doesn’t), the importance of understanding your body, and more.   Episode Highlights:  8:30 – John lives in Bend, Oregon, with a lot of blue collar folks who he considers “industrial athletes” with physically demanding jobs. 10:20 – John did some winter training prep work for all the outdoor sports in Oregon, and he does a little bit of everything and treats it as time to play rather than treating all activity as formal training. 13:48 – There’s a stigma around lifting weights, but in outdoor sports, building muscle is like building armor that helps to buffer you from breaking a bone in a fall. 16:29 – John asks people to commit to him for just 90 days to try lifting to see the results and how it transforms their experience of their favorite outdoor sports. 19:20 – They recommend a book called What Doesn’t Kill Us by Scott Carney, which talks about the Wim Hof method. 19:53 – Overcoming physical objects like lifting stones creates a lot of resilience. 20:36 – John has been participating in the Highland Games since 2004 and is a world record holder. 21:00 – What inspired John to participate in the Highland Games and what is his training like? 24:42 – As John grew in the sport, he broke through the misconceptions that you had to look a certain way to be able to throw certain numbers. 26:26 – There are different stones used in the event, some about 22-30lbs, open stones weighing about 16-20lbs, two weight throws at 28lbs and 56lbs, and hammer throws at 22lbs and 15lbs, and the weight over bar event. 28:35 – John formerly held the record for the standing shot over bar, and then one of his students broke it. 28:55 – There are weight classes within the sport. 29:51 – The last two events are the sheith toss (a larger medicine ball in burlap thrown with a pitchfork) and the caber toss (a massive telephone pole-like object). 32:16 – Watch the Highland Games documentary episode called Home Game on Netflix.  33:12 – John has not tracked his body fat or food in years. 38:25 – The Dinnie Stones was featured in a documentary about old-time strongmen, and these stones weigh a combined 734lbs.  39:50 – They have ring handles to lift, and today the challenge is less about whether you can lift them at all, but how long you can hold them. 42:18 – John is particularly proud of how he trained for the Dinnie Stones, including getting ring handles to simulate the lift.  44:14 – John feels like he’s made for the battlefield more than the gym, and likes that he looks more athletic than like a giant bodybuilder. 46:25 – It’s important to understand what your physiology, genetics, and natural proclivities are. 47:42 – It can be a challenge to find a balance between maintaining your fitness and deadlift weight while also pushing yourself, without hurting yourself as you age. 48:55 – Successful coaches will still often have their own coaches to tell them whether they should do more or do less. 50:12 – What is “strong enough”? It depends. 51:00 – John has owned his own facility for about 5 years but has been coaching for 20 years. 51:51 – To get started, you need a mentor to learn from someone who knows more about training than you. 53:01 – One of John’s mentors has set the goal to fail three times this week. 53:25 – John called around to about 15 different facilities and asked them what was working for them and what wasn’t before he decided to open his own.   3 Key Points: Understanding your body is more important than looking a certain way or fulfilling certain stereotypes about lifting. People’s bodies are built to excel at different movements, exercises, and skills. Working with a trainer can help you avoid training yourself into injury and pain.   Tweetable Quotes:  “So many times, we’re often stuck in our limitations.” –John Parker “I would break down. I thought I was way too small, all those things… I just kept going with it. I just kept building my momentum in the sport and realized that I can break past that, what that looks like to throw xyz distance in any event.” –John Odden “I’m so mindful and I’ve been such a big follower of precision nutrition principles for a long time, and I’ve tracked it for so long that I just know when I’m in the range that I need to be in.” –John Odden “I’m not gonna suffer for my sport. If I didn’t feel as good or better than ever right now, going into competition, I just wouldn’t be doing it anymore.” –John Odden “If you are training yourself into the ground, you will eventually be in the ground.”  “Coaches make the best students.”  “You gotta fail. You gotta fail forward fast.” –John Odden   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Sponsor: Vivo Barefoot What Doesn’t Kill Us by Scott Carney Home Game on Netflix The Dinnie Stones John Odden Instagram  Empowered Strength training Instagram www.Empoweredstrength.com  Sanctuary of Strength Instagram

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Kyle Dobbs, a coach, education director, national services director, and more. They discuss Kyle’s philosophy of putting principles over systems, balancing specificity and variability in training programs, and the importance of considering the full context of a client’s environment when developing a training program for them. They also talk about expectations in the client-trainer relationship, the benefits and pitfalls of tracking biometric data, and more.   Episode Highlights:  6:55 – Kyle Dobbs has been a coach for over 15 years. 7:50 – Kyle’s business was already 100% remote, so luckily it hasn’t been impacted by COVID-19. 9:43 – How has Kyle kept up with his high reps at heavy weights during lockdown, when he didn’t have access to the equipment? 10:25 – Kyle has a tendency to work himself into aches and pains, so it was probably good for him to work out from home and return to technique basics. 12:11 – Kyle started sprinting more, which he feels has helped him maintain his neuromuscular side of things rather than power and intensity. 13:11 – Kyle tracks total pounds over individual sessions and over weeks. 14:39 – How does Kyle address people saying they’re bored with lifting because they aren’t seeing progress? 15:05 – This has become a persistent issue as boutique fitness has grown in popularity. 15:13 – Kyle looks at specificity and variability in the programs for his clients. 15:59 – Specificity is probably more detrimental to a general population client’s goals. 17:25 – With specificity, Kyle looks at actual empirical data. For variability, it’s more qualitative and about sensory-motor and capacity-driven. 20:13 – Kyle mostly does individual training but sometimes consults with facilities that run group programming. 23:09 – In “Strong First” teaching, you’re not just selling a workout but training people to build strength or lose body fat. 24:35 – The ideas behind “Principles over Systems” are general scientific laws like physics, biomechanics, and how gravity affects our positioning and neuromuscular integration. 25:26 – Systems are brands and acronyms and jargon. They have value, but they’re effective in certain contexts, they aren’t a tool you can use in any context. 27:16 – You have to think about the full context and the individual environment in which the training will occur or else your program won’t work. 27:50 – The way a person performs a certain move has to be considered in the context of why that person is doing that movement. 30:32 – Kyle got popular in the powerlifting community from his prep and recovery work, so it’s been a learning curve to see how these athletes train and what movement strategies they rely on. 32:07 – Powerlifters often end up overextended because of their movements, and Kyle has seen some of them end up having impaired breathing mechanics because of it. 33:33 – In NYC, people tend to be overstimulated and under-moved, so they’re unable to regulate themselves within such a stimulating environment. 36:34 – Orthorexia can develop when using wearable fitness trackers. 37:48 – Kyle used Omega Wave personally and with his clients for almost 5 years because he loves data, but he did find himself becoming obsessive so he stopped. 38:35 – Part of why Kyle moved to the midwest was for his physical health because his autonomic systems were fried—he couldn’t sleep, he had high testosterone readings, he had no appetite, etc. 41:06 – Skipping a workout because you aren’t at your best doesn’t serve you in the long run. Better to do a less strenuous workout and adjust your lifestyle choices instead. 42:50 – James has his clients sign a contract to establish expectations and their commitment to training. 43:58 – The coach is responsible for the strategy, and the client is responsible for the willpower. 50:38 – Trainers spend more time with clients than any other healthcare provider out there. 52:15 – Kyle’s typical client is a trainer who’s going through a transition in their career. 55:10 – They work on scaling a business and helping the trainers maximize their time. 57:25 – They use some traditional tools like business models but also some behavior analysis and how to build your strategy and how to market it to the right people. 59:20 – Kyle loves finding people who think about fitness completely differently than he does but still get the same results. 59:45 – Models are completely dependent upon who they’re being applied to. 1:01:05 – Kyle predicts there will be a big fitness rebound when the pandemic ends, but with remote training and smaller facilities that allow for more private training.   3 Key Points: Looking at trends is more effective than nitpicking changes in stats on a daily basis. Trainers should look at both specificity and variability in their training models and emphasize one over the other depending on the context. Both trainers and clients are making certain commitments and have to meet certain expectations to achieve goals.   Tweetable Quotes:  “Specificity always has cost. If you want to be truly elite in any one bucket, whether it be strength or endurance or movement/mobility, you're probably going to be giving up something in those other two buckets.” –Kyle Dobbs “Anytime I think about group programming, I think about simplicity being my friend and complexity being my enemy.” –Kyle Dobbs “I have to understand who I’m training before I decide what tools I’m actually going to be using.” –Kyle Dobbs “Even if you’re healthy, even if you’re working out, even if you’re doing all these things, you can still suffer from that HVA dysfunction.” –James Wheeler “You can’t look at these scores acutely. You can’t look at them as a day by day proxy. You have to look at trends.” –Kyle Dobbs “You have to set the expectation but then you actually have to be true to the expectation you set.” –Kyle Dobbs “Everything works for somebody.” –Kyle Dobbs   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Sponsor: Vivo Barefoot Kyle Dobbs’ Compound Performance Instagram Compound Performance Website

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Marcus Martinez, Master kettlebell coach for Kettlebell Kings and highly experienced kettlebell trainer. Marcus is a trainer who specializes in kettlebells and kettlebell flow. Marcus speaks about what brought him to kettlebells, how he uses them in training, and why he prefers to stick to a vegan diet.   Episode Highlights:  4:25 - John reads a quick bio for Marcus. 5:40 - When did you pick up your first kettlebell and what was your experience like? 7:40 - When Marcus started using kettlebells in 2006, there was not much information online to help him learn how to train with them. 9:10 - Did you do any other strength and conditioning in your life prior to kettlebells? 12:40 - Do your foundations come from the hard-style work? 15:10 - How do you apply general principles, or more specific principles, with the thought of sport or just daily life in mind? 18:45 - What are some exercises that get us out of the sagittal plane and more into the transverse and frontal planes? 24:40 - Marcus’ main reason for starting his Instagram was to show kettlebell exercises and what all is possible with the kettlebell. 25:55 - Marcus always makes sure he uses a weight that is significant in a way that is taxing for him. 29:00 - Can you explain the difference between a chain, a complex, and a flow? 31:20 - Marcus speaks about his experience with Olympic lifting. 34:30 - In the classes you teach, do people often have goals? How do you work with those? 37:22 - For Marcus, kettlebell flow is a way to play, which helps him mentally and makes it a very different experience. 39:30 - Marcus also speaks about how kettlebells help him with grip training. 41:30 - Marcus speaks about his diet and being largely plant based. 43:30 - For Marcus, being (mostly) vegan has helped him to feel his best. 45:13 - Marcus speaks about what his meals look like and his balance of macronutrients. 47:17 - The group discusses low-carb diets and why they do and don’t work for different people. 50:00 - Marcus answers some rapid-fire questions. 53:00 - Marcus tells listeners where to find his courses and follow him on social media.   3 Key Points: Kettlebell flow allows you to move in ways that you wouldn’t necessarily plan. Kettlebell flow can be a way to “play” and make exercise a different type of experience. Diet plays a significant part in your overall health, and it’s important to get the right macronutrients..   Tweetable Quotes:  “As soon as you pick up a kettlebell, you realize just the unique anatomy of the bell, how different it is from anything else.” -Marcus Martinez “You need to become the expert on you.” -Marcus Martinez   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Marcus: YouTube Instagram Facebook The Kettlebell Difference Living.Fit

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with kettlebell trainer Jeff Sokol. Jeff speaks about his history growing up in a very small town, the path that brought him to coaching, the importance of a sense of community, and the healing power of being in nature.    Episode Highlights:  6:10 - What is up with your training and philosophy and how has it changed over time? 9:30 - Jeff speaks about his history growing up with parents who were loggers and put low emphasis on education. 11:20 - Jeff played football and baseball growing up, but his coaches did not focus much on training. 12:34 - Where did you grow up in Washington? 14:05 - Was your military experience the driver behind you becoming a coach? How did you get into strength and conditioning? 16:30 - The night before he started in the military, Jeff actually spent the night in jail after breaking a table at his mother’s house. 18:00 - Jeff talks about the different places he lived while in the military, including Alaska. 21:50 - Jeff speaks about how his job with the stage agency made him realize that he needed to make some changes. 23:25 - Finding the right coach (Andrea) who helped him perfect the basics is what got him to change his path. 24:12 - What got you to start teaching? 31:00 - Jeff’s passion built small and started to grow more slowly and organically. 33:10 - Jeff speaks about the healing process he went through as he learned to become a coach. 38:20 - Are you mostly doing group classes or one-on-one? What is the business currently like? 38:50 - During the week, Jeff prefers teaching one-on-one or small group classes instead of large groups. 40:00 - Does your training mostly include kettlebells or is it a mixture of modalities? 41:40 - How do you get your clients to buy into being stronger? 44:00 - Jeff believes that the main focus of coaching should be community, and quality is more important than quantity with his clients. 46:40 - Because you love hiking, how do you put hiking in your program and what it means to you? 49:00 - The group discusses the healing that can take place while in nature. 51:00 - John and James take turns asking Jeff rapid-fire questions. 54:15 - Jeff speaks about Sokol strong tv and other places listeners can find him online.   3 Key Points: Jeff did not grow up with a strong passion for coaching or training, he found it later on. Learning to train others was a very healing process for Jeff. With clients, a sense of community is very important.   Tweetable Quotes:  “There was nothing in my early days that led me to my coaching career. Like, zero.” -Jeff Sokol “I was healing as I was coaching and trying to become a coach.” -Jeff Sokol “It is hands down my happiest place to be. It is, It’s just, out there, taking a walk in nature.” - Jeff Sokol   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Jeff: Instagram Website Facebook YouTube Sokol strong tv

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Zen Master Bon JPC, an ordained Buddhist monk, who believes in humanity and the power of human happiness. Zen Master Bon JPC speaks about mentorship and his path to becoming a monk, the power of mindfulness and meditation, and the value of compassion and love in the human experience.   Episode Highlights:  3:40 - John reads a short bio for Zen Master Bon JPC. 6:30 - What is your motivation for drawing mandalas on the sand, knowing that the tide will come wash them away? 9:00 - You first studied to be a Baptist minister, you were a policeman, you were in the Navy and National Guard, how did you become a Buddhist monk? 10:50 - He was tired of catching people at the end, he wanted to help people at the beginning. 12:50 - Zen Master Bon JPC’s mentor was the one who originally recommended he become a monk. 13:20 - What does it look like for a layperson to become ordained? What is the process? 15:00 - Zen Master Bon JPC prefers the path with a mentor and guidance, even though it takes longer. 17:50 - Zen Master Bon JPC talks about finding his mentor in an airport and learning about the Bon lineage. 20:00 - Can you talk more about the sects of Buddhism and how Zen actually started? 21:29 - The Zen was more of the Japanese style of meditation. 24:15 - Are there certain rules you have to follow in regards to nutrition? 24:25 - Other than Tibetan monks, most Buddhists work with “suggestions” instead of “rules.” 27:10 - What is your nutrition and lifestyle like? 27:20 - Zen Master Bon JPC discusses his dietary preferences and the types of food he typically eats. 32:00 - What did your meditation practice look like when you were being ordained, and what does it look like now? 34:30 - Zen Master Bon JPC has found that it is best to incorporate his meditation into the things he does in his daily life. 36:44 - He also has dedicated meditation times. 38:27 - What are some core principles you are trying to instill in the community right now? How can we get better together and individually? 40:40 - Become the best version of yourself by sharing compassion and patience. 45:45 - Zen Master Bon JPC talks about ways he can find peace with all that has happened recently. 47:30 - John comments on how just speaking with Zen Master Bon JPC has calmed his mind and body. 49:30 - What are some actionable tips that may help the average person searching for inner peace? 51:40 - Look at your space and environment and see what you can let go to simplify your life. 57:00 - Zen Master Bon JPC explains where listeners can find him online.   3 Key Points: Most Buddhists work with “suggestions” and not hard-set rules. Meditation can be incorporated into your daily routine, in the shower, making coffee, etc. The power of meditation and mindfulness is what helps us through uncertainty.   Tweetable Quotes:  “Good or bad, whatever we’re feeling, it will pass.” -Zen Master Bon JPC “I didn’t go into Buddhism to be a monk, I went into it to discover me.” -Zen Master Bon JPC “I was diagnosed with bipolar depression, and I haven’t taken medication in 15 years.” -Zen Master Bon JPC “This is all about the human experience.” -Zen Master Bon JPC “At the end of the day, I have to believe that within us is truly a place of love.” -Zen Master Bon JPC “Buddhists believe everyone is Buddhist, they just haven’t discovered it yet.” -Zen Master Bon JPC   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Zen Master Bon JPC: Facebook Website Instagram Meditations monk@madeforjoy.live 

On today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Paul Wolkowinski, an Indian Club specialist and owner of Indian Clubs and How to Use Them as well as Indian Clubs Academy, who helps others learn how to train and strengthen using Indian Clubs. Paul explains the history and culture behind Indian Club practice, the different types of Clubs, how he formulates his own workouts, and the physical and mental benefits of training with Indian Clubs.   Episode Highlights:  6:00 - Paul talks about what first got him started using Indian Clubs. 11:20 - Paul talks about how he expanded his range of movements using Indian Clubs. 15:30 - After learning many different patterns and routines, Paul continued to build complexity using the Clubs. 17:30 - Paul usually started with lighter clubs that are longer before increasing the weight. 19:20 - John asks about the history of Indian Clubs. 22:00 - Paul also talks about the history of Gadas and practices with them. 23:51 - Paul talks about Jori Clubs and their cultural use. 26:15 - Paul explains proper posturing when using a Gada. 32:00 - Paul discusses the pros and cons of using a longer mace. 34:55 - Can you tell us about your exercise routine now? 35:10 - Paul explains how his diagnosis of prostate cancer changed the way he trains. 39:20 - In the last 3 years, Paul has set the goal of complexity with his patterns, and exploring new ways to teach. 40:45 - Paul tries to do 1 hour long workouts. 41:46 - When cycling, Paul started to find that his legs would get stuck, but an electric bike helped. 42:40 - Indian Club patterns not only help your body physically, but also have benefits for your mental health. 44:00 - Many people use grips that are too tight when using Indian Clubs. 48:40 - Paul explains an exercise that even people who aren’t trained in Indian Clubs can practice. 51:30 - You can find videos for Indian Club training on Paul’s YouTube channel. 54:10 - Clubs swing to a beat and lighter clubs swing faster than heavier ones. 57:10 - Paul tells listeners where they can find his resources and connect with him.   3 Key Points: There are different sizes with Indian Clubs, and Paul recommends starting with lower weight and longer length. Indian Club training helps keep you young physically and mentally. You can find videos for Indian Club training on Paul’s YouTube channel.   Tweetable Quotes:  “I’m having to literally day by day look at what I’m like physically and try and read my body as much as I possibly can.” -Paul Wolkowinski “The first thing that they [Indian Clubs] produce is alertness.” -Paul Wolkowinski   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Paul: Instagram YouTube Indian Clubs Academy Indian Clubs and How to Use Them

In today’s episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Jenn Malecha, certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN) practitioner, personal trainer, master transformational coach, and business mentor for FDNs. Jenn discusses how to personalize virtual training, setting boundaries with clients, overall tips for being healthy, and how she coaches others with her business.   Episode Highlights:  5:20 - What is new in your world post Covid? 8:20 - What is the line between being virtual and in-person? Is the line less than it used to be? 8:45 - There is a way to create a personal experience in a virtual world. 11:00 - Creating personalized virtual trainings is an art and takes practice. 14:00 - Jenn uses multiple ways to contact her clients and potential clients, including email, call, and text. 16:15 - Jenn uses Biochanic with her clients to create custom trackers to send messages to clients. 18:11 - How do you work with coaches on creating boundaries? 19:40 - Just like you need structure in your workout routine, you need structure in your boundaries. 21:45 - When you let policies slide with certain clients, you aren’t doing either of you any favors. 22:45 - Know what you will do and know what you will not do. 26:15 - If you are a coach, remember that your time is valuable. 32:00 - Jenn talks about her past medical struggles, including skin cancer, mold toxicity, and Hashimoto’s. 37:00 - When you are too stressed, it’s better to stick to low intensity exercises while you get everything back to normal. 41:00 - There is more to being healthy than just sleep, diet, and exercise. 42:20 - Don’t try to willpower yourself out of a bad strategy. 43:49 - If you are trying to get rid of body fat it’s better to chip away at it over time. 45:35 - Jenn talks about the foundations for supplements. 50:20 - Eating organ meat can be very beneficial. 52:00 - Jenn talks about her business and how she does her business coaching.   3 Key Points: As a coach, you need to have clear boundaries with your clients. Low intensity exercises are more beneficial when you are in a state of stress. Minerals are important to consider when taking supplements.   Tweetable Quotes:  “In order to perform at a higher level physically, you need structure to your workout routine in order to accomplish the goals that you want.” -Jenn Malecha “Healthy is a way of being, not just doing.” -Jenn Malecha “In business and marketing, your success is based off of targeting 4% of the market.” -Jenn Malecha   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya Jenn: Website Instagram Facebook Jenn’s email: jenn@wholistichealthboss.com

On today’s episode of Vital Marabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with the Biohacker Babes, Lauren Sambataro and Renee Belz, sisters who share a strong passion and drive for wellness and to discover our bodies through the world of biohacking. Lauren and Renee start by talking to listeners about biological dentistry before transitioning into metabolic diets, flexibility, and how they incorporate biohacking into their daily lives.   Episode Highlights:  5:30 - Lauren and Renee grew up dancing ballet 6:30 - Can you explain what a holistic/biological dentist is? 8:20 - Is oil pulling an example of the type of holistic oral care people should be doing? 9:45 - Many fillings used currently contain high levels of mercury and it can be dangerous to drill back into them. Silver fillings are actually 50% mercury. 10:30 - Renee shares how her dad got into biological dentistry. 12:30 - What is your take on dentists going to “primitive” cultures and analyzing their jaw structures, diets, etc. 13:00 - Once we introduced flour and sugar into our diets, it started to actually change people’s jaw structures. 15:30 - There is research that looks into your genetic lineage to determine which types of macronutrients should be on your plate. 16:10 - Renee noticed working with her dad that many vegans and vegetarians had severe dental decay. 18:45 - Lauren explains what metabolic typing looks like. 20:25 - How do we help people look at their diet objectively? 20:50 - Renee likes to focus on fixing what people eat for breakfast before looking at anything else. 23:00 - How does fixing the breakfast come into play and do you recommend fasting? 25:15 - You need to know how to eat before you start to practice fasting. 25:50 - What do you know abou research relating to thyroid hormone? 30:15 - Lauren and Renee talk about their background as dancers. 34:45 - Did the ballet practice lead into other forms of dance? 35:20 - How long were the dance practices? 36:20 - How was the transition from being in the dance studio to fitness the way other people think of it? 40:10 - Lauren talks about flexibility and movement, and how she always feels the need to be moving. 41:19 - Renee talks about how she includes mobility and flexibility into her routines. 42:45 - What does daily biohacking look like for you and is it something that is accessible for everyone? 47:00 - Getting more time outside in sunlight is an easy thing most people can do. 51:10 - Everyone tells their favorite biohacking tips.   3 Key Points: As our diets have included more flour and sugar over time, it has changed our physiology. Metabolic typing can help people determine the best diet for them. Biohacking comes on a spectrum, but it can be accessible to everyone.   Tweetable Quotes:  “You can see so much nutrition right in your face.” -Lauren Sambataro “Let’s take a step back and try to find that healthy balance again.” -Renee Belz “We are meant to be outside. We’re meant to see sunshine. We’re meant to connect with the ground.” -Lauren Sambataro “I think the world, at large, does not take enough deep breaths.” - Lauren Sambataro “Think about all the toxins you can release through sweat. So, just find a way to sweat every day.” -Renee Belz   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel, code: vital20 for 20% off Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya, 20% off during lockdown with pre-orders Biohacker Babes: Website Facebook Renee: Website Instagram Lauren: Website Instagram

During this episode of Vital Metalibic, our hosts talk with Brendan Vermeire. Brendan is a functional medicine consultant, clinical researcher, board certified holistic health practitioner, master nutrition coach, master personal trainer, a USAW sports performance coach, and crossfit certified trainer. Brendan is the owner and CEO at Metabolic Solutions, LLC. Brendan discusses the physiology behind mental health, the correlation between gut health and mental health, and spirituality.   Episode Highlights:    9:00 - What has your life been like? How did you get started and get to where you are now? 10:40 - How far into becoming a Navy Seal were you when you got injured and had to be discharged? 12:55 - Did you know you had a hernia going in? 14:40 - Brendan talks about his experience with depression and mental health awareness. 17:00 - Brendan talks about depression as a symptom of other underlying conditions. 18:15 - Brendan likes to focus on physiology instead of psychiatry.  20:55 - Brendan has some hope about psychedelics being used professionally to treat depression and other mental health disorders. 24:10 - It can take about 20 years for the negative side effects of medication to come to light with the general population.  27:40 - Brendan mentions how we need to change how we are living as a species if we want to continue thriving. 29:45 - Life expectancy for humans is going down, for the first time in recorded history. 30:20 - Do you see this as a systemic, top to bottom issue? 32:00 - John talks about organic vs non-organic food and its possible effects on health and digestion. 35:00 - People weren’t able to predict the rise in chronic conditions while we were trying to make life more comfortable. 36:30 - It’s also important to consider the collective healthcare implications from the chronic conditions that we are dealing with. 38:45 - Why can’t people stop eating certain foods? Are things like depression a symptom or a cause? 40:00 - Brendan talks about how highly processed foods are made to seduce our senses and provide instant gratification. 42:15 - How do we “wake up?” 47:20 - Brendan talks about some baseline, natural supplements that he recommends to his clients. 54:30 - Brendan talks about the pros and cons of super-physiological doses of supplements. 56:00 - Brendan believes that everyone should take a quality multi-vitamin. 57:00 - Is a whole foods paleo-based diet a good starting place for most people? 1:00:00 - Our obsession with the human physique is not really natural, and it’s probably not very healthy. 1:01:55 - Brendan talks about his company, Metabolic Solutions LLC.   3 Key Points:   Be wary of taking medications that you don’t need; sometimes dietary changes are all you need. If you’re not happy with your life, take a look at your belief system. Gut health is the foundation for the rest of your physiology.   Tweetable Quotes:    “I don’t think ignorance is bliss anymore. I think it used to be.” -Brendan Vermeire “We used to be such an intuitive species, and we were connected to the higher vibrations and frequencies. Now we’re just so egocentric and disconnected.” -Brendan Vermeire “I would really say that gut health is going to be the foundation of the rest of your physiology.” -Brendan Vermeire “How many ways can we overcomplicate eating real food?” -Brendan Vermeire   Resources Mentioned:    James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Email: questions@vitalmetabolic.com Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel, code: vital20 for 20% off Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya, 20% off during lockdown with pre-orders Brendan: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Website

During this episode of Vital Metabolic Podcast, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Dr. Debbie Bright, a doctor of chiropractic who has shifted her passion to functional diagnostic nutrition. Dr. Debbie discusses how she determines the diets for particular patients, elimination diets, supplements, and the importance of having a nutrition coach.   Episode Highlights:  4:50: Dr. Debbie is also a certified kettlebell instructor. 5:25: Why did you get into chiropractic? What was your life like as a kid? 5:55: Dr. Debbie largely works with millennial-aged women, helping them lose their next 7-21 pounds in 21 days. 6:55: What did running track and field bring into your goal of becoming a chiropractor? 10:35: Dr. Debbie talks about her experience with exercise intolerance and adrenal burnout. 11:20: James, how do you structure training with your clients to help them deal with burnout? 13:25: James believes people need to do more focused training. 14:15: Can you tell us about your life between running track in college and deciding to get a doctor of chiropractic, and why you decided to switch to functional medicine? 15:40: After getting her doctor of chiropractic, Dr. Debbie got a master’s in nutrition and human performance. 16:50: What is the reason you wanted to help people at this deeper level? 17:30: Dr. Debbie describes her experience with one particular patient and how her chiropractic knowledge alone wasn’t enough to help him 100%. 23:07: What is your process like for determining what foods to eliminate with patients? 25:25: What would you say is the average timeline for someone to correct diet-related health issues? 29:00: Weight loss causes the entire body, such as the liver or the skin, to get healthier. 31:35: What’s it like gaining compliance from your patients? 34:00: Dr. Debbie mentions how many millennials are eating inflammatory foods all day long. 35:45: When you eat some “crappy” meals and weigh more the next day, is it just the water weight? 36:15: Dr. Debbie talks about the importance of the liver in inflammation and weight loss. 38:25: When you take on clients, you are very specific on their dietary outline. Can you explain their specificity with this? 40:00: If people are too inflamed, lab testing is not the best practice. It is better to let their system cool down first. 44:02: Can you talk about how you use supplements and what works to heal the gut? 45:45: Dr. Debbie’s 5R approach - remove, replace, re-inoculate, repair, rebalance. 52:10: What are some big things that you would tell pretty much everyone to do. 52:20: Sleep 7-9 hours every night, eat to support your hormones (healthy fats, fiber, protein), exercise, get stress under control, look at your inner circle.   3 Key Points:   If you stick with the plan laid out for you, it takes 21 days to correct diet-related health issues. The elimination and reintroduction diet is the best way to determine what foods are inflammation triggers. Supplements are very important, but it is important to have a coach and testing so you know you are taking the right ones.   Tweetable Quotes:    “Weight loss is just a symptom of a healthy body.” -Dr. Debbie Bright “You can’t exercise out a bad diet.” -Dr. Debbie Bright “If you were to cheat on the weekends and on every major holiday, it ends up breaking down to being like 45-46% of the year.” -Dr. Debbie Bright “The gold standard, even above lab testing, is the elimination diet.” -Dr. Debbie Bright   Resources Mentioned:    James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Dr. Debbie: Twitter Instagram Facebook Millennial Health Website  Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel, code: vital20 Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya, 20% off during lockdown with pre-orders

During this episode of Vital Metabolic Podcast, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Franz Snideman, founder of FS Athletics and Primal Speed. Franz speaks about his athletic history with running and sprinting, how he uses kettlebells while training his clients, the importance of trainer adaptability, and what he sees for the future of the profession.   Episode Highlights:  4:47 - Today’s guest is Franz Snideman, a master kettlebell instructor and a high-level sprint enthusiast. 7:34 - What was it like back in 2002 when you were getting certified in kettlebells? 8:00 - It wasn’t structured like it is now, but it was unique and different. It was a game changer for the industry. 8:38 - Was it like an underground movement at that point? Or do you think it was a natural progression of fitness? 10:21 - Kettlebells opened up the world to using other tools such as Indian clubs. 11:00 - James feels that kettlebells are the best and most versatile tool for overall fitness. 12:35 - What was your early athletic career like? 15:45 - Can you tell people who Paul Chek is? 16:00 - Instead of focusing on muscles, he emphasizes focus on movement patterns. 18:30 - John speaks on the importance of having a mentor. 20:45 - The main goal is to get people moving. 21:00 - At the end of the day, is your client getting healthier and are the building blocks of fitness in place. 22:00 - Strength does not necessarily equate with performance. 23:40 - Franz needs multiple types of training to keep his body where he wants it to be. 25:55 - Transitioning into kettlebell training, did you notice anything with your speed? 26:50 - Kettlebells are great for teaching athletic qualities, even to non-athletes. 28:11 - All exercises have a risk factor, it’s the job of the coaches to determine whether the reward factor outweighs the risk. 28:55 - The goal of training is to continue training, and if you’re injured you can’t keep training. 31:00 - Take into account whether a certain style of training is appropriate for that individual person. 33:10 - What do you think about the current state of the industry with personal trainers? 33:50 - It’s very easy for people to get their message out, which has its pros and cons. 36:30 - James feels that right now is a great opportunity for coaches and trainers to be part of the solution to the health crisis. 37:45 - What are your plans for the future? 38:40 - Franz feels that a big part of his future will be integrating diagnostic testing and lifestyle behavior modification. 40:40 - It’s an exciting time with a lot of ambiguity, but Franz is staying optimistic about the future. 43:00 - Do you have any advice for new coaches starting out or current or new clients who will be training with you?  45:55 - It’s important to know who you want to work with, but also who you don’t want to work with. 47:00 - Do you have any new and exciting projects coming up?   3 Key Points: Having a mentor as a trainer can be incredibly beneficial in growth. As a trainer, you need to meet your client’s individual needs and necessarily stick with your personal favorite training style. Looking toward the future, trainers have a very important role to play but they will need to be adaptable.   Tweetable Quotes:  “Absolute strength definitely does not equate with better performance.” - Franz Snideman “If there’s one thing I’m really good at, it’s learning how to match exercises for people’s current capabilities.” -Franz Snideman “The most important thing for a trainer is education.” -Franz Snideman “We don’t need more trainers. We need more trainers who are passionate and really good at what they do.” -Franz Snideman “If you want to be a good coach and you want to treat it as a profession you have to take it seriously.” -Franz Snideman   Resources Mentioned:  James: Facebook Instagram Twitter John: Facebook Instagram Twitter Franz: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Sponsor: Kettlebell Gains Apparel, code: vital20 Sponsor: Great Lakes Giriya, 20% off during lockdown with pre-orders  

During this episode of Vital Metabolic Podcast, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Kelly Manzone, who is an expert on training with kettlebells and clubs. Kelly talks about how she incorporates movement into her training, the importance of creativity, and how to get started with circular training.   Episode Highlights:  What inspired you to add kettlebells into your training? Kelly was the first to bring kettlebells into the New York Sports Club she was working at. Kelly battled infectious colitis for 3 years after a severe bout of food poisoning. Kelly sees kettlebells as a way to fill in the missing gaps. Accessory training doesn’t mean you have to lose your background, whatever that may be. How do you utilize these tools with your clients? Kelly uses different tools with different clients on a case-by-case basis. John mentions that training is not just about traditional approaches, there is an art behind it. How does working on stability vs mobility look in your training? Kelly is hypermobile, so she does feel like she works more on stability. When you are training with kettlebells, what are you thinking about? When Kelly is training for herself, she does it more intuitively, but she does have days where it is really structured. Kelly also talks about how she uses kettlebells with her clients and ways to be creative. Kelly likes to work on skill-based modalities with her clients. Kelly mentions that, with skill-based modalities, clients have to be trusted to practice on their own. They can’t only practice once or twice a week.  How do people get started with circular training? Remember that your body is a moving unit. People have always been moving, pulling, pressing, etc. long before it was formatted by an industry. Kelly is more active on her Instagram. Kelly feels that there is too much comparison within the industry, and that it’s completely fine for people to have different training styles. It’s important for trainers to understand their strengths/weaknesses and areas of expertise, and know when to refer to someone else. Do you have anything else to share?  Where can people find you?   3 Key Points: Kelly believes that creativity is a very important part of the training process. With skill-based modalities, you have to be willing to keep working on them at home. There does not need to be so much competition in the fitness industry.   Tweetable Quotes:  “Movement is its own language.” -Kelly Manzone “I’ve never been able to put myself in a box and describe exactly what I am. It’s because I’m constantly curious about what’s on the other side.” -Kelly Manzone “I train a lot of type-A personalities, and I want them to tap into feeling.” -Kelly Manzone   Resources Mentioned:  James’ Facebook Instagram Twitter John’s Facebook Instagram Twitter Kettlebell Gains Apparel code vital20 Kelly’s Facebook Instagram Website kelly@kmmoves.com https://www.indianclubsacademy.com/

During this second episode of Vital Metabolic, James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Dr. John Rusin, physical therapist and a leading expert in the pain-free performance training model. Dr Rusin describes his functional hypertrophy training, which combines increasing muscle with decreasing stress on the body. Dr. Rusin also talks about his pain-free performance system, and what he sees for the future of strength training and coaching.   Episode Highlights:  Dr. Rusin played multiple sports growing up. Was it football that brought you into the world of strength and conditioning training? Dr. Rusin tells a story about his first exposure to using weights and strength training, and how it put him off going to the gym for 2 years. Dr. Rusin has his doctorate in physical therapy. How has the field of physical therapy changed since you first went to school? Dr. Rusin does not practice traditional physical therapy, and so is a little “out of the loop.” Dr. Rusin looked into the difference between prevention and reaction. Dr. Rusin spent time in China training olympic athletes. Dr. Rusin developed a program called functional hypertrophy training, which focuses on helping people build muscles while sparing their joints. How do you talk to people about functional hypertrophy training and building muscle mass? Dr. Rusin believes that slight variation in training keeps it fun and makes it more motivating to keep training. Do you take on one-on-one clients or how does client structure work for you? Dr. Rusin does a one-on-one online coaching program, which allows him to continue working one-on-one while being busy and traveling. Dr. Rusin stays within his expertise when taking clients. When did the pain-free performance system start? How did it start and how has it grown? Dr. Rusin explains how the system went from him lecturing to a small group of people to a full course with certification. What are some of the things you see that are taking away from people getting where they want to go, and what don’t you like about the industry right now? Personal trainers are not unified or licensed as professionals, even though people need them now more than ever. From your perspective, what does the future of the fitness industry look like post-pandemic?   3 Key Points: Functional hypertrophy training is a program that helps people to build muscle while also focusing on keeping them from getting hurt.   Dr. Rusin offers a certification in his pain-free performance training, and over 100 courses were slated to occur in 2020 before Covid-19. Personal trainers and coaches need to be more unified as a profession and increase their credibility, especially with the health needs the world is currently facing.   Tweetable Quotes:  “The thing that really works well for us is giving people what they need but also what they want. And we achieve this with slight variation.” -Dr. Rusin “If you’re not having fun it’s not challenging you.” -Dr. Rusin “Fitness has a bad reputation...and one of my missions with the pain-free performance certification is to professionalize the workforce of the fitness industry.” -Dr. Rusin “What do people value? When you think about that question, that’s what you need to be delivering.” -Dr. Rusin   Resources Mentioned:  James’ Facebook Instagram Twitter John’s Facebook Instagram Twitter John Rusin’s Website Instagram Facebook

During this first episode of Vital Metabolic: The Art and Science of Strength, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker get to know each other and explain the personal histories and what brought them to fitness and training, how they individualize trainings, the importance of picking the right trainer, and what they think fitness will look like going forward.   Episode Highlights:  1:35 - The lifestyle behind strength and training is the critical component that many people are missing. 2:06 - What got you (James) into strength and conditioning? 3:02 - James wanted to work with athletes because that related to his personal history. 5:13 - James and a friend started Locomotion Athletics in 2016, and they opened a brick and mortar location in 2018. 5:50 - What positions did you (James) play in football and basketball? 6:54 - Did you (James) play any sports outside of the organized sports? 7:55 - John tells about his history in organized sports 10:15 - John talks about how he got burnt out on sports by his senior year of high school. 11:11 - John went to school for history and Spanish literature while working towards his CSCS. 12:45 - The strength and conditioning industry is still fairly new and everyone in the industry is still learning. 15:44 - James explains how he differentiates training for people who are not very active and people who may participate in other sports within the same groups. 17:50 - John also explains how he approaches groups when training his clients. 20:50 - There is a spiritual element to strength training, especially in the discipline of it. 25:10 - With strength training, you will get out what you put into it, especially with your trainer. 26:57 - Make sure you hire someone with experience who can help you reach your goals. 28:11 - The STRONG acronym stands for Simplification, Training, Rest and Recovery, Optimization, Nutrition, Grounding 30:15 - John gives a personal example to describe “grounding.” 32:48 - James talks about how our brains can only absorb so much information, and now that we always have so much information at our fingertips, getting outside is all the more important. 34:30 - What is going on with Locomotion Athletics and how do you see us getting out of lockdown? 39:06 - John explains why he prefers to work out at home. 41:50 - Make sure when you are going to a gym that you are always washing your hands after touching gym equipment. 42:19 - John converted all his clients to Zoom sessions when lockdown started. 45:07 - John and James answer rapid fire questions.   3 Key Points: The discipline of strength training can carry over to other aspects of your life. Hire a trainer who is a good fit for you and the goals you want to achieve. James and John explain what they think gyms will look like in the future.   Tweetable Quotes:  “We want to get to the nuts and bolts of what real strength training is and what it means to you, how much intensity you have to put forward. How many times per week you have to do this, and what your real focus should be on a day to day basis.” -John Parker “Our goal is to help you streamline a lot of this information and a lot of these practices so it’s available to you.” -James Wheeler “Once your body starts turning on you from training too hard, you have to readjust.” -John Parker “I can’t wait to expand on this platform more to help people...Life is limitless and it all starts with your physical wellbeing.” -James Wheeler   Resources Mentioned:  James’ Facebook Instagram Twitter John’s Facebook Instagram Twitter Locomotion Athletics