Fuel Your Strength

The True Meaning of Strength w/ Alyssa Ages

Oct 15, 202400:50:46Tap to summarize

Have you ever asked yourself what there is to learn from the pursuit of strength? How do the lessons we learn in the gym translate to our lives outside of strength? Alyssa Ages set out on a quest to answer these questions, and in return found a multitude of answers that can help any athletic person get more from their training regime and their life. Key Takeaways If you are curious about the true meaning of strength, you should: Connect with your deeper why of strength training outside of the aesthetic value View strength training as something that can connect you more deeply to your body Be aware of the ways in which the strength training mindset can improve your life outside of the gym Strength In and Out of the Gym with Alyssa Ages Alyssa is a Toronto-based, New York-born author, freelance writer, and copywriter. She is a mom, strongman competitor, endurance athlete (six marathons & an Ironman), rock climber, CrossFitter, and former member of the Jersey City Bridge & Pummel roller derby team. Her debut book, Secrets of Giants: A Journey to Uncover the True Meaning of Strength, was featured in The New York Times and Publisher’s Weekly, among others. The book, part personal narrative, part research mission, part midlife crisis odyssey into the world of strength to answer the question: What if strength isn’t about how much we can lift, but how we manage life’s struggles? The True Meaning of Strength There is something about strength training and the pursuit of strength that is addictive and keeps bringing us back. But why do we love it so much, and feel so satisfied even when it feels hard? It all comes down to the story we tell ourselves. If you view yourself as a person who is able to handle hard shit, there's a good chance you don't mind getting comfortable with discomfort. Through Alyssa’s research, it became clear to her, that if you are purposefully able to do difficult things, the easier all of the things that you encounter in your daily life will start to feel. You Can Do Hard Things Building strength, physically, mentally, and emotionally, is all about pushing the boundaries of what humans can do. When strength is a part of your identity, you can discover things about yourself through the training process that will help you both in and out of the gym. Building strength is not just about looking good or feeling good, it is about having agency over your life and what you are doing. The ability to fail over and over again safely, allows you to learn something that is applicable in every other area of your life. That might be why we love it so much. If you are also searching for the true meaning of strength, share your thoughts with me in the comments of the episode page. In This Episode Learn about the genre of Strongman Strength Training and the role it played in Alyssa’s journey (8:43) Explore what it means to be an athlete or athletic person (19:13) Flirting with the edge of being uncomfortable and being in your comfort zone (23:42) What Alyssa discovered about women in strength throughout her research (30:10) How to address issues that come up when it comes to your strength training abilities or practice (38:24) Quotes “In the book, there is very little about what [strength] does physically to your body and your muscles, and almost exclusively about how it impacts everything else you do in your life outside of a gym setting.” (7:50) “Strongman really showed me that actually, failing was really ok and kind of awesome. Because it was the only way to understand what I actually could do.” (17:23) “It was just that little shift in mindset that gave me the courage to actually do it.” (20:05) “It was really incredible to hear from so many women that they said ‘Doing a strength sport taught me that I could love my body not for how it looks, but for what it is capable of doing’.” (30:32) “Once I started to continue with this routine of going back into the gym, with my coach and trying to do everything really safely as I was going through all of this, it helped me to start to regain this feeling of trust and this feeling of capability in my body.” (42:03) Featured on the Show Apply for Strength Nutrition Unlocked Here Alyssa Ages Website The Secret of Giants by Alyssa Ages Follow Alyssa on Instagram Strongman Video Full show notes Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Related Episodes FYS 431: Should You Get a Lifting Program?

Transcribe →

Strength Training for Sport w/ Alex Sterner

Oct 1, 202401:10:37Tap to summarize

Combining the world of strength training and sport, specifically Brazilian jiu-jjitsu, might seem counterintuitive, but it is exactly the opposite. My guest today is here to show you how a crossover between these two worlds can help you train better, prevent injury, and enjoy the sport you love for longer. Key Takeaways If you want to use strength training to improve your sport, you should: Track what you are doing and assess it Get your body accustomed to stress and impact Be consistent with the low-hanging fruit Finding a Balance Alex Sterner, BS, CSCS, is a co-founder and Head Coach of Electrum Performance and the Director of Performance at Jiujiteiro. He received his Bachelor's degree in Strength and Conditioning from the University of Connecticut and obtained a CSCS through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. As a Head Strength Coach of Atos Jiu-Jitsu HQ, he led the S&C training camp that resulted in Atos winning a team Gi World title in 2017 and 2018. Not All Stress is Built the Same Some people are afraid to lift heavy due to the threat of injury. But the truth is, your muscular cellular system will respond positively to the right amount of stress. Alex wants to encourage you to get your body accustomed to impact in a respectful and gradual way. By harnessing the power of control that you have in the gym, you can teach your body how to trust increment levels of stress so that you can come back from injury and pain with more resilience. This is why strength training is such an important asset and can lead to many more years of enjoying the sport you love so much. Track Everything Alex believes that all progress comes down to tracking. Understanding your missteps, and being able to differentiate between short and long-term gains will help you figure out where you are going right and wrong in your training. You don't need a fancy app, just a notebook and a pen. If you can figure out when something you are doing isn't showing up, you can figure out why and make a switch. It may be as simple as adjusting your work-to-rest ratio, but without tracking, you will never figure it out. If you want to explore strength training options, either specifically for jiu-jitsu or another sport, let me know your thoughts about Alex’s well-balanced and informed approach in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode Addressing the ‘insult’ of strength in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the benefits you might not realize strength has (13:42) Myth busting the belief that lifting weights will cause you to get injured and take you out of your chosen sport (20:55) Understanding how liability in the medical system could be skewing your perception of recovery (37:30) Common under-rated and over-rated jiu-jitsu specific strength training and why it needs to change (41:32) Why the spine is so important in the context of jiu-jitsu and the nuance of loading your spine (53:20) Quotes “Heavy lifting; it is not just about building this brute muscular athlete. It's about longevity; it's about preventing injury or minimizing injury so that you can spend more time on the mats.” (10:13) “When people start to trust that the weight room is this deliberate thing where we don't just make bad things worse… you start to realize that these other environments are way more open than the gym, and you don't have nearly enough control.” (26:53) “Understand what your limitations are, take whatever you still can, and go from there” (40:23) “All of it comes down to tracking. Be aware of what you are doing, is it improving? And if it is, great! And if it's not, figure out a switch to make.” (51:25) “Biological organisms respond positively to stress in the right amounts.” (57:20) Featured on the Show Apply for Strength Nutrition Unlocked Here Electrum Performance Website Follow Alex on Instagram | YouTube Full show notes Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Related Episodes FYS 425: Nutrition for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu w/ Alex Maclin FYS 431: Should You Get A Lifting Program?

Transcribe →

Should You Get a Lifting Program?

Sep 17, 202400:27:49Tap to summarize

Most women in mid-life have a common rebuttal that keeps them from taking the next step when it comes to their fitness and health journey. The pressure that women put on themselves or the expectation that they believe is there to be perfect and execute their workouts without any interruption could be limiting their ability to reach their goals. Key Takeaways If You Want to Show Up For Yourself, You Should: Stop focusing on the perfection monster mindset Focus on ways you can change your behavior through mindset changes Be kind and gracious to yourself and your workout routine Consistency is Key I want you to ask yourself, what does consistency look like to you? How would it feel to reframe how you think about your workouts and put less pressure on yourself to never miss a day or take a vacation? Fitness and health do not need to be another stressor in your life. I want you to challenge yourself to shift the way you think about your health and be curious about how you can reframe the way you think about your workouts. When it comes to working out, perfection is not the goal, but showing up for yourself is. The Science of Behavior Change If you have been holding back from working with a coach because you are unsure if you can commit 100%, I am here to tell you, that you don't need to. The all-or-nothing mentality that we have when it comes to our fitness is unnecessary, and I am here to tell you that you still get a benefit even if you can't do 10 out of the 10 workouts you want. Showing up for yourself and your health is the first step, and making it work for you and your lifestyle is the key to success. You don't need to force yourself to do something that won't work for you, and you also don't need to do something that doesn't fit your life schedule. Doing what works for you in your here-and-now body is the best thing you can do, period. Are you ready to start showing up for yourself? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode Understanding the stages of change and how to approach a new idea (3:40) Why you should start a strength training program even if you might not be perfect at it (7:09) What is endowed progress effect, and how can it help you make behavior changes (16:10) How to avoid the perfection monster through mindset shifts (22:50) Quotes “I know there is going to be at least one person listening to this podcast episode, in whatever space and time you find it, who is mulling over the question, ‘Should I get a lifting program?’.” (3:07) “Ageing is not just this linear gentle slope down in terms of the change in function, but rather, there are these punctuated times in our lives, if we are lucky enough to make it to these ages, where there are some changes going on.” (8:34) “I trust that the women I work with, who are mostly in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, are doing their damn best on any given day.” (21:41) “Consistency is more important than perfection. Especially when perfection is something we cannot hold onto.” (22:47) Featured on the Show Get a Free Sample Week of Strong with Steph Here Full show notes Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Related Episodes FYS 429: Boost Your Motivation to Train with This with Kasey Jo Orvidas FYS 427: Your Fitness App Calls it Strength Training, But is it? With Nikki Naab-Leevy

Transcribe →

Beyond Strength: Powerlifting with a Purpose w/ Tamara Walcott

Aug 27, 202400:54:09Tap to summarize

I want you to imagine a heavy deadlift. How challenging it is, the focus needed, to tune everything else out and give it your best. Now, imagine that the barbell weighs over 650 pounds. That is the reality for Tamara Walcott, a world record holder in powerlifting. But Tamara didn't always have this confidence. Having to overcome obesity and single mom guilt made Tamara the inspiring and powerful woman that she is today. Key Takeaways If You Want to Get Stronger, You Should: Work with people who support your goals and lift you up in times of hardship Accept that failure and obstacles are going to be part of the process and that you can overcome them anyway Fuel properly and often in order to support both your body and your mind Overcoming Setbacks with Tamara Walcott Tamara Walcott, the Plus Size Fitness Queen, is a record-breaking athlete, a resilient mompreneur, and a motivation to all. Her journey, marked by her triumph over food addiction and obesity, inspires others to embrace mental resilience and celebrate every victory. In this episode, we explore Tamara's world-record-setting story and join her on a transformative journey. Stay Dedicated To Your Destination, Even If You Can’t See It After stumbling into a powerlifting gym in 2017, Tamara realized that she would have to change from the inside out to achieve her goals. By 2018, she was coming in first place in her first competitions and realized that to take care of others around her, she had to take care of herself first. Her mindset, mission, and ability to navigate setbacks helped her break an all-time world record while training just three days per week. These traits, combined with her dedication and ability to accept failure as part of the process, have gotten her to where she is today. Your Strength Is Your Sexy Proving to yourself that you can do something you couldn't do before is one of Tamara’s favorite parts of powerlifting. Her mission is to bring more women into the sport and eventually get the deserved recognition from associations such as ESPN and the Olympics. She works to encourage women to stop letting comparison steal their joy and instead compete against themselves while ensuring they are fueling enough. If you believe in your ability to keep going despite the obstacles in the way, anything is possible. Are you feeling called to lift something heavy? Share how you are getting involved in the community with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode How Tamara got bit by the powerlifting bug (6:28) Surprising things about powerlifting as a sport and lessons learned (13:34) Discover the environment and energy of a powerlifting meet (16:46) Inner dialogue tips and the importance of pushing past your own limiting beliefs (26:40) Looking at the training schedule of a recording-breaking single power mom powerlifter (32:51) Understanding ‘My Strength is My Sexy’, ‘Women in Powerlifting’, and more (45:52) Quotes “I think that is the exciting thing about it, is that anyone can be a part of this sport, and not a lot of people know about it yet. Which is why I want to keep talking about it.” (5:36) “You get one minute to do your movement. But that one minute feels like 10 seconds. But it’s the best 10 seconds of your life.” (17:24) “Powerlifting literally saved my life.” (19:40) “I think the most common misconception, even when I was heavier, was that I had to eat less in order to lose weight. I had to eat less to be at the body aesthetic that I wanted to be. It's not that you have to eat less, you just have to eat the right things and fuel your body right for whatever your performance is or what your program is.” (35:39) “Failure is a part of the process. It doesn't mean to quit and give up, it means to learn what you can learn and press on.” (41:27) Featured on the Show Apply for Strength Nutrition Unlocked Here Tamara Walcott Website My Strength Is My Sexy Gym Tour Tickets Tamara Walcott 641LB Womens Elephant Bar Deadlift Record Video Follow Tamara on Instagram Full show notes Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Related Episodes FYS 378: Powerlifting and Recovery Tips for the 40+ Athlete with Laura Phelps FYS 344: Body Acceptance & Powerlifting with Christina Malone

Transcribe →

Boost Your Motivation to Train With This w/ Kasey Jo Orvidas

Aug 13, 202400:50:45Tap to summarize

Whether you are on the client side or the coach side, if you are trying to make positive changes in your life in regard to fitness, nutrition, and your health in general, having strategies to help you take a step forward and get better results is crucial. Having the right approach when it comes to improving your nutrition and fitness, especially when dealing with a lack of motivation or self-sabotage, comes down to the science behind health behavior change. Key Takeaways If You Want to Understand Your Mindset Better, You Should: Work with a coach or a client who is willing to talk about and prepare for the hard stuff Understand that mindsets can shift drastically and often Be kind to yourself when struggling with a lack of motivation or self-sabotage Your Mind and Your Health with Kasey Jo Orvidas Kasey holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and is a certified health and fitness coach. She has spent a good chunk of her life developing some serious expertise in mindset and health behavior change. She has transformed hundreds of lives (and minds) in her coaching career, while also being published in multiple peer-reviewed scientific journals for her research exploring the relationship between our mindset and our health and fitness behaviors. The Base of the Pyramid Your mindset is the lens through which you see the world through, how you assign meaning to things, and how you make sense of what is happening around you. It is the base of the pyramid for your health and nutrition, which is why it is so essential to understand the science behind making positive changes. When you are able to face mindset challenges, you can start working towards more consistency, more motivation, and ultimately better mindset health outcomes. Not All Sunshine and Rainbows I'm sure you have heard people preaching positivity and mindset in the fitness space, but this is not a show about pushing through negative thoughts. Instead, Kasey Jo wants you to think about the hard stuff and prepare yourself for those inevitable moments when you get tripped up psychologically. Addressing problems from a mindset perspective, whether you are a coach or a client, will help you determine which path will be the most successful in the long run. While truly understanding psychology, mindset, and behavior change is not necessarily the norm, Kasey Jo is working to fix that one person at a time. Are you ready to take a deep dive into the role your mindset is playing in your health and fitness? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode Why this isn't just another mindset show (5:10) Understanding the spectrum of mindset science (12:16) How to collect evidence to stop your self-limiting beliefs (23:09) Tips for coaches on making a realistic yet optimistic plan for your clients (28:54) The difference between scientific evidence-based mindset work and other offers out there (34:20) How to understand the role of your own mindset as a coach and as a client (43:55) Quotes “Really, the stuff we are going to talk about today we are going to talk about from a health and fitness lens, but it can very much so be applied to other areas of your life too.” (6:11) “Square one is where you are right now. So, literally, the worst-case scenario is just where you are right now. So the worst you can do is try, potentially be successful, level up, and get to this next spot and this outcome you are looking to achieve. Worst-case scenario you literally are where you are right now.” (18:11) “When we are talking about behavior change and longer-term goal pursuit, just visualizing the outcome, just manifesting, is not that helpful. And this is according to the research. What is helpful is sure, do all of that, please do all of that, but then also bring it back to reality. Think about what is inevitably going to get in your way; talk about the barriers, the challenges, and the setbacks. (30:56) “The reality is it is not all sunshine and rainbows all the time when you are working towards something new and challenging and different and trying to make changes in your life that you haven't been able to do before. And recognizing that things are going to be hard helps you have a different lens.” (31:25) “If you can't tell, I am extremely passionate about what I do and can really get going on some of these topics. And that is exactly what it looks like inside the program as well.” (49:24) Featured on the Show Apply for Strength Nutrition Unlocked Here The Coaching Code Health Mindset Coaching Certification Follow Coach Kasey Jo on Instagram Full show notes Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Related Episodes FYS 410: The Power of Intrinsic Motivation in Fitness FYS 388: Why You're Struggling with Motivation to Workout Blog: 5 Mindset Traps That Kill Motivation

Transcribe →

How To Unf*ck Your Brain w/ Kara Loewentheil

Aug 11, 2020Tap to summarize

Kara Loewentheil is a master certified coach and host of the badass podcast Unfuck Your Brain. The core of Kara's mission is to help others retrain their brains and stop believing the harsh things we have heard from society and have internalized as our own thoughts. Filled with humor, wisdom, and no BS, Kara is here to teach you what unfucking your brain really means. Retrain Your Brain and Start Being Kinder To Yourself By taking neutral baby steps, it is possible to change the way you think about yourself and the world. Instead of focusing on the negative, Kara wants to help you identify your thought patterns and help you think differently about the negative things that you have been taught to believe. By diving into the particulars, staying away from the immeasurable number of things you have been taught to believe, and discovering your own internal landscape, you can retrain your brain and start being kinder to yourself. Filled with simple and applicable strategies, Kara's episode is one that you do not want to miss. Are you ready to work your way up the thought ladder and stop being so hard on yourself? Share how you are working to unfuck your brain in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode How to identify your thought patterns and learn to control the thoughts you believe (10:15) Tips for working your way up the thought ladder through neutral baby steps (13:30) What it looks like to step from negative overwhelm to acceptance and peace (17:27) Why 'fake it until you make it' doesn't work and what framework you should use instead (23:53) How to distinguish emotions from body sensations and how they work together (29:50) Quotes "What I teach is a method of actually unfucking your brain, which is that you have to go in there and identify the thoughts you have that sound like they are in your own voice. That's the problem. We can identify these social messages, but in our heads, they don't sound like the magazine that we read or the announcer voice on TV that we first heard it from, they sound like our own thoughts." (9:45) "We all want to fix the big problem right away, right? Like 'I hate myself, I have low self-esteem, I just want to love myself'. And in my experience, you really cannot do effective coaching or self-coaching at that level of generality." (18:37) "Coaching is like building a building, you have to start from the ground up. So we can change huge things in our lives, but it starts a little bit by little bit." (19:18) "We want to see evidence in the world to justify the thought and have us believe it, but we have it backward. We have to believe it, at least a little bit, at first, that's how we go out and create some evidence that something is possible." (28:20) Links Join the Listen To Your Body Newsletter Unfuck Your Brain Website Unfuck Your Brain Podcast Join The Clutch Feminist Coaching Community Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Transcribe →

The Pulse

Jan 11, 2019Tap to summarize

It's no secret that on the Fierce Love Friday edition of this podcast, I often talk (and rant) about issues facing my community around health and wellness. But today, I'm taking a slightly different approach and pulling back the curtain on what went well – and didn't – in 2018, plus taking a look at what's to come this year and considering the bottom line. I was inspired to record this show based on Paul Jarvis's weekly dispatch email. Transparency is something that's often lacking in the world of online business. Yet I believe that through sharing the good as well as the challenges, we can more easily see each other's humanity and realize that we aren't alone. My hope is that this episode will inspire you to sit down and take your own pulse. Remember to find the show notes and other episodes on StephGaudreau.com On this episode: What went well in 2018 What didn't go well What I'm looking forward to this year The bottom line Resources from this episode: Episode 151: Paul Jarvis Core 4 Program - Starts Feb 3 Harder to Kill Club Tickets to the Ignited Womxn Summit Follow Steph on: Instagram| Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Twitter I'd really love it if you would take 10 seconds and subscribe to the podcast!

Transcribe →

Endo Warrior

Dec 7, 2018Tap to summarize

Endometriosis is a painful condition that so many women suffer with in silence. I am one of those women. It's not uncommon for women to go undiagnosed for years, to be dismissed, or to be told it's all in our heads. But recently, there is a growing community of women trying to learn more and support each other as we navigate life with endo. In this episode, I'm sharing my own personal story and struggles with endometriosis, plus the nutrition, lifestyle, and other interventions that have helped me manage my endo symptoms. While I can't promise that what I mention will work or is appropriate for every woman with endo (please talk to your healthcare provider), it's my hope that by formally breaking my silence, you may find something that's helpful. Remember to find the show notes and other episodes on StephGaudreau.com On this episode: My endo journey Interventions that have worked for me A new view on endometriosis as an autoimmune / inflammatory issue My favorite resources for endo, period problems, and hormonal birth control Resources from this episode: The Period Repair Manual Beyond the Pill pre-order Join the Harder to Kill Club on Facebook Follow Steph on: Instagram| Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Twitter I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave me a rating and review on iTunes!

Transcribe →

Self-Sabotage

Sep 28, 2018Tap to summarize

Self-sabotage is one of the toughest parts about making healthy lifestyle change stick, and if you experience it, you're not alone. In fact, mindset in general is one of those umbrella topics that influences our ability to make better choices. Yet unlike diet and exercise, mindset is a much more abstract thing. How, then, can you get a handle on mindset work? In this episode, the last in my Core Four pillar of health series, I'm introducing you to different reasons you may be self-sabotaging and providing three starting points for exploring the impact of mindset in your own life. Mentioned on this episode: Harder to Kill Challenge Kicks off October 1 Join the Harder to Kill Club on Facebook Get Your Mindset Right Pillar #4 Blog Post Follow Steph on: Instagram| Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Twitter I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Transcribe →

Your Brain on Food

Mar 15, 2017Tap to summarize

This is your brain on food. Get new episodes auto-magically: Subscribe on iTunes. When I "went paleo" in 2010, one of the first people I started following was Robb Wolf. I dove into his blog, read his first book, and began listening to his Paleo Solution podcast. It's safe to read more... The post Your Brain on Food: Harder to Kill Radio S2E7 appeared first on Stupid Easy Paleo.

Transcribe →

All episodes

The True Meaning of Strength w/ Alyssa Ages