When I hear people struggling with a lack of progress in training, it immediately brings some other questions to my mind. Adding additional weight is not the only thing you need to be paying attention to in your workouts. Nutrition, recovery, mindset, and training program are all important factors in reaching your goals, and they cannot be ignored.
If You Want to See the Most From Your Progressive Overload, You Should:
Make sure that your program is designed with your specific goals in mind
Check how the different phases of your program are being transitioned with your bigger picture in mind
Pay attention to your nutrition, recovery, and mindset, as they are equally as important to your training program
Stop the Comparison
Sometimes, as we age through our 40s and beyond, we think that we should always be able to hit heavier and heavier and heavier weights. With the right program, recovery, nutrition, and mindset, you can continue to do hard shit, but you must be willing to adjust your expectations. Heavy ‘now’ and what your heavy was before don't need to be compared. It's all about hitting your goals and continuing to get stronger in a way that is sustainable, effective, and healthy.
Finding What Works for You
There are a lot of excellent programs and amazing coaches out there who can personalize a training plan with your unique goals in mind. Grabbing some random training plan off Google or YouTube is not going to assist you in helping you reach your goals and feel the best results.
There is no one clean-cut answer to the way in which you are going to get the most out of your training. But, by presenting you with questions that will make you think and reassess how and why you train, you can get clearer on your goals and start implementing a program that is going to work for you in your here-and-now body.
When was the last time you stopped to think about how your program, training, and recovery are working for you? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.
In This Episode
Quotes
“Progressive overload doesn't only mean tweaking the weight; there are other variables you can change in your training.” (8:18)
“There is a lot that goes into planning and programming and periodizing a really great program.” (13:27)
“You don't build strength, you don't actually get stronger when you train. You get stronger, or you improve your fitness in whatever metric of fitness you are looking at when you recover from your training.” (17:29)
“We can still do hard shit. We just have to make sure the training plan is smart, we're fueling appropriately, and we are recovering well.” (21:51)
“Yes, we need to challenge ourselves. But we also do need those other elements.” (28:51)
Apply for Strength Nutrition Unlocked Here
Find 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!
Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative
Get 20% off Legion Supplements with code STEPH
Get 10% off GORUCK with code FYS10
Rate and review on Apple Podcasts
FYS 399: Are You Overtraining?
FYS 392: Understanding Total Daily Energy Expenditure
FYS 385: How To Build An Athlete Mindset Over 40
Today, we’re celebrating a milestone together. This is episode 400! While this podcast has taken on several different forms over years, it has stayed true to its mission — how to help you get strong. So let’s take a look back on where we’ve been, while also looking forward to what’s to come.
To improve the narrative around fitness we need to:
Educate clients that fitness is not an aesthetic goal
Acknowledge those who have been positive influences
Understand that points of view can change
Incorporate new research while acknowledging the existing gaps in knowledge
Gauging Strength and Fitness Outside of Weight-Loss
Longtime listeners know that I want to shift the conversation away from simply weight loss and towards other markers for fitness and health. Changing the culture around this is not a simple task. I still don’t think I have the answer. However, I feel that if coaches focus on educating their clients on why this is important to expand the conversation, changes for the better will come.
I also know it’s tempting to speak the industry lingo. That’s what many clients expect to hear. Yet, if we don’t speak the truth about this, the culture and narrative will never change.
Changing the Culture Moving Forward
As you can see, there are some things that I really wish would change in the fitness industry. I’d like to see women included more in exercise science and sports research. And I have seen this shift lately. This is a good thing, but there are caveats. Since much of the research is still new, it’s important to really understand the data and its limitations to make an informed decision.
How can you help shift and improve the conversation around strength? What changes do you see happening in this industry? Leave a comment on the episode page!
In This Episode
Educating clients on the importance of different approaches to nutrition and strength [4:30]
Some of the most influential women who have inspired me [18:40]
Recognizing and embracing change [23:00]
Looking ahead at the changing landscape of nutrition and strength [28:15]
“We as coaches have to be willing to do the education piece and constantly talk about why we’re not going to do things in this other way and why we’re doing things in this different way.” [4:50]
“Fitness is not a specific look. Fitness is how well you can perform a task; how well-suited to the task are you.” [12:08]
“If you need to make adjustments to your training because you’re not feeling it, that’s okay. But a lot of the things that we hear people talking about are just not grounded in what the collective body of research says.” [32:17]
Apply for Strength Nutrition Unlocked Here
Find 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!
Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative
Get 20% off Legion Supplements with code STEPH
Get 10% off GORUCK with code FYS10
Rate and review on Apple Podcasts
FYS 399: Are You Overtraining?
FYS 380: From Endurance To Lifting: Top Sports Nutrition & Training Lessons
FYS 3771: Why The Fitness Industry Needs Quality Coaches
Having a good training plan is key to helping you achieve your goals, but it's not everything. Overtraining can happen for a large number of reasons that have nothing to do with your training plan, which is why it is so important, especially for us athletes over 40. If you are concerned about overtraining but not sure if your training plan is to blame, this episode is for you.
If You Want to Prevent Over Training, You Should:
Make sure that you are fueling appropriately for the level of activity you are doing
Learn how to fluctuate your intensity in your training to promote active recovery
Dont forget the importance of viewing sleep as a non-negotiable
The #1 Problem I See
If you want to have a high energy output when it comes to your training, you need to have a high energy input; it is as simple as that. Not fueling properly for the activity level you are engaging in results in an energy mismatch that can have a serious effect on your results.
Not eating enough is the biggest problem I see in my clients and community. Undereating for the level of activity you are doing will put you in a state of low energy availability, and it will be impossible or even dangerous for you to push to the level you want in your training.
The good news is an athlete over 40, you don't need to do less of the things that you love; you just have to be clever about it. Allowing your body to properly and actively rest is another major key to gaining better adaptation through your training.
Fluctuating your intensity to allow for proper rest is the only way that you are going to make progress in a sustainable way. By blending your active recovery with your intensity and learning to listen to what your body is telling you, you can avoid overtraining and get better at the things you love to do.
Have you ever considered that your overtraining might have to do with something other than your movement program? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.
In This Episode
“I have made all of these mistakes. I have taken the long ass way to figure them out. And luckily for you, I have been able to condense all of that learning, all of the education, from both formal education to the school of hard knocks, and put it in the resources, the podcast, the private podcast, the courses, the coaching that I do.” (7:26)
“I’m doing this episode for you because I want you to be able to look outside of just the training plan itself and figure out if you are really overtraining or if there are other things at play.” (10:02)
“Your eating has to support your training.” (20:29)
“You can do it! You can do it all! You just have got to fluctuate the intensity of those things.” (24:17)
“Yes, having a smart training plan matters. But being able to adjust the plan is just as important.” (28:20)
Apply for Strength Nutrition Unlocked Here
Find 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!
Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative
Get 20% off Legion Supplements with code STEPH
Get 10% off GORUCK with code FYS10
Rate and review on Apple Podcasts
FYS 394: Within-Day Energy Deficit
FYS 392: Understanding Total Daily Energy Expenditure
FYS 391: What is Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)?
Today we are capping off my series on protein by going into your questions surrounding protein and your training. We're going to dive into what the research says and some of the best practices you can implement when it comes to your protein intake around your training.
If You Want to Improve Your Protein Game, You Should:
Understand your total daily protein intake
Work to distribute that protein intake across all of your meals
Ensure you are getting high-quality protein
Consider specific timing when it comes to your protein and your training
Feeling strong is a catalyst for expansion in all areas of your life. In order to feel strong, you need to make sure that you are getting enough high-quality protein, spreading it throughout the day, and understanding how it is working with your training to get you the results you are looking for.
Protein is essential to moving from muscle breakdown to muscle synthesis, so you must have the knowledge, guidance, and practical skills to implement this information into your routine.
It doesn't matter if you consider yourself a recreational exerciser or an elite athlete; protein is really important for your training, recovery, and overall health and longevity. This is especially true for active women over 40, as we need to create and implement new habits that will support our body's needs as it changes.
Nobody is going to come out of the shadows and start feeding you the right things. But it doesn't have to be scary. You must find a way to set aside time to make the big changes. By starting with just one meal a day and working your way up from there, you can make sure you are getting the high-quality protein that you need, spread out throughout the day and consumed in a way that will support your training and goals.
Are you ready to improve your protein intake in a way that will deliver you undeniable results? Share your thoughts about protein with me in the comments on the episode page.
“We can't keep doing the things we were doing when we were in our 20s. We need a different approach. And we have to understand what that approach is based on our changing physiology in our 40s and as we go through life.” (5:04)
“You feel so much better when you have a small snack on board if you are training first thing in the morning.” (12:22)
“You need to stop the process of muscle protein breakdown, and you need to get the process of muscle protein synthesis going! For repair and recovery and building and all of those wonderful things.” (14:31)
“Once we are over 40, time becomes more and more of the essence when we are talking about building muscle and adding strength and quality life and our energy levels; this stuff ramps up in terms of its importance.” (20:59)
“You've got to start with one meal, dial that in first, then go to the other meals in the day. Because if you are just trying to be perfect at everything all at once, it is not going to work.” (25:45)
Apply for Strength Nutrition Unlocked Here
Find 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!
Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative
Get 20% off Legion Supplements with code STEPH
Get 10% off GORUCK with code FYS10
Rate and review on Apple Podcasts
FYS 376: Peri-Menopause, Fasting, and Low Carb in Athletic Women with Dr. Stacy Sims
FYS 395: How to Calculate Your Daily Protein Needs
FYS 396: Should Protein Intake Be Spread Throughout the Day?