In the world of fitness and nutrition, there is so much misinformation and oversimplification of concepts out there. This is why Dr. Alyssa Olenick is here to continue our conversation surrounding everything from heart rate zones to perceived excursion and how to balance your intensity properly.
If You Want to Improve Your Cardiovascular Health, You Should:
Focus on getting fit and meeting the physical activity guidelines if you are just starting out
Don't get caught up in the all-or-nothing perfectionist mentality when it comes to your heart rate
Get over the idea that you have to annihilate yourself for fitness to count
Finding Balance with Dr. Alyssa Olenick
Dr. Alyssa Olenick, or Dr. Lyss, is currently a Postdoctoral research student studying metabolism and menopause. She has a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology, where she researched metabolism and exercise science in females. Dr. Alyssa is on a mission to redefine evidence-based fitness. She is passionate about science-based nutrition and fitness and how the two integrate so that she can help people become their healthiest selves while chasing their boldest fitness goals.
Learning to Love Zone 2
Whether you are just starting out with your cardiovascular health journey or have been going for a while, there is a good chance the conversation surrounding Zone 2 has come up more than once. Dr. Lyss has a ton of experience in understanding and applying the nuance of research to everything from your heart rate, RPE, level of intensity, recovery, and so much more. Learning what to focus on and pay attention to at the different levels of your training will help alleviate your concerns about both strength training and cardiovascular fitness.
Training in a Different Way
Dr. Lyss wants to encourage you to think about your training program holistically. Balanced fitness training can help you develop characteristics for health, life, and longevity. However, this takes a different mental approach and view of what quality training and intensity are. It is not just about pushing yourself to your maximum; it is about looking holistically at your overall intensity to see where you can go harder because you have held back in other areas.
Female physiology needs both strength and cardiovascular health. A well-rounded training and athletic approach program can help you be the most resilient human you can be.
What is your relationship to cardiovascular training? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.
“Do not worry about the mode or how you do it or how intense it is or the zone that you are in; the first thing you need to do is get to the physical activity guidelines.” (7:29)
“But you have to decide, once you have been doing this for a while, ‘what do I actually want from this?’.” (16:15)
“When you are doing more intense exercise, you are having to focus more on your steps and your breathing and what you are doing. So these are all things that I like to use for checking in with yourself.” (30:25)
“Not all training needs to be hard to be quality.” (36:43)
“Hybrid training is health. And it doesn't have to be running and lifting. It can be so many different things. But train multiple characteristics of your fitness.” (43:37)
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FYS 420: Dr. Alyssa Olenick (Part 2)
It is no secret that there are sex differences in fitness and nutrition. However, it might not be what you have been led to believe. Nutrition, training concepts, and fueling your workouts are key aspects to training whether you are a man or a woman. By empowering yourself with evidence-based science, you can take an informed approach to your fitness and strength training.
If You Are Interested in the Data Behind Womens Physiology, You Should:
Work to understand what goes on in the research world
Be careful of how things are marketed to you
Listen to Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Alyssa
Facing the Facts with Dr. Alyssa Olenick
Dr. Alyssa Olenick, or Dr. Lyss, is currently a Postdoctoral research student studying metabolism and menopause. She has a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology, where she researched metabolism and exercise science in females. Dr. Alyssa is on a mission to redefine evidence-based fitness. She is passionate about science-based nutrition and fitness and how the two integrate so that she can help people become their healthiest selves while chasing their boldest fitness goals.
Finding Faith in the Data
While it is true that we need better data when it comes to female health in general, Dr. Alyssa says it's not all bad news. She encourages others not to be so critical of science and research until they really understand what it takes behind the scenes. The barriers faced are in part, the reason that we have this gap, but there is some solid data out there that can help you better understand your body and what it needs to succeed. By looking at the research with a lens of what we know, and where we need more information, you can translate that information into practical and usable tools that work for you.
Don’t Believe Everything You Are Sold
Unfortunately, what tends to happen is a ‘pinkifying’ effect from coaches, influencers, brands, and companies who are trying to put a pretty pink bow on anything deemed ‘for women only’. If you can avoid these marketing schemes and focus solely on what the research is telling us, you will see the results you have been looking for.
You don't need to engage with these cyclic and hormonal protocols, you just need to adopt proper training and fueling instead.
Have you ever been told to do something differently because you are a woman? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.
“Good education and good training can make all the difference in people's health and life, and so that's kind of just been my philosophy the whole way through.” (10:15)
“You have always had permission to listen to your body. You have always had permission to just intensity based on perception. You have always had permission to take a rest day if you feel like hot, flaming raccoon trash can garbage. And you have always had permission to fuel yourself appropriately to support your training.” (26:28)
“There is a difference between sex differences and menstrual cycle differences. Those are two completely different things that we are talking about here.” (29:52)
“You don't need radically different things. We see this with cycle training and pregnancy and menopause. It's repackaged pinkifyed versions of training that are literally the same thing you probably have boy college football players doing, but in a nice pretty, pink, ‘this is safe for you and good for you’ package.” (36:20)
“Whether you think you are an athlete or not, you want your session to give you the things that you want out of it.” (45:04)
Apply for Strength Nutrition Unlocked Here
Follow Lyss on Instagram
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
FYS 393: 3 Ways To Increase Your Metabolism As An Athlete