The Essential Strength Podcast
David Skolnik
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Strength is synonymous with success. This podcast dives into strength in its many forms - from physical to mental, intellectual to professional. Learn how to cultivate your own strength and expand your potential for success in all arenas of life.
Available episodes
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Jul 20, 2022
Dr. Kyle Gillett - Concerning Health Trends & Full Spectrum Medicine
Our guest this week is Dr. Kyle Gillett.
In today’s conversation, Dr. Gillett and I talk about the concerning health trends he sees in men and women between the ages of 25 and 45 as well as the health trends that those over 50 should be aware of. We talk about the continuum of diet, exercise and pharmaceutical interventions in addressing obesity and the many downstream risk factors associated with excessively high body fat percentages. We also go deep on the topic on infertility - why rates are climbing and what we can do about it.
You can *LEARN MORE *about Dr. Gillett's work & his new venture, GilletHealth - HERE
*Our Partner Today is **Stronger In Motion** *- Whether it's 1:1 Strength Coaching, Nutrition Consultation or our new Enduring Strength Program - we can take take the guess work out of training and nutrition and guide you towards the STRONGEST version of yourself!
*Connect with Dr. Gillett *- @kylegillettmd*
Connect with David - *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show - *@essential.strength.podcast
*Action Plan
*My biggest takeaway - the the inspiration for your ACTION PLAN this week is this: while there are trends towards higher rates of certain diseases right now, especially metabolic conditions and declining fertility rates - there is also SO MUCH WE CAN DO ABOUT IT! Lifestyle changes, pharmaceutical support, dietary interventions… there is almost no problem that we cannot solve with the right team around us and the necessary tests to identify our personal risk factors.
So, your action plan this week is simply to go check out Marek Health - learn more about what they do and also, if you haven’t seen a doctor in 5 years - make a freakin appointment! If you feel amazing - GREAT - go get some labs done and figure out what your internal environment looks like when you feel awesome - that way in the future you and your medical team will know what to do in the inevitable event that one day you don’t feel so awesome whether because of age, environment, stress or illness. Be an active agent of your own health!
That’s it for this week. Until next time, we wish you *STRENGTH* and *GOOD HEALTH.*
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Jul 6, 2022
Frank Benedetto - How to Avoid Burnout & Design a Life You Love
Our guest this week is Frank Benedetto.
On today’s episode, Frank and I talk about why so many healthcare professionals are finding themselves burned out but scared to leave their jobs, when and how to find your niche as a practitioner and I ask Frank if it is ever too early or too late to start a side hustle. Frank is also gracious enough to offer two free tools to help everyone listening design a life they will love and to help them discover their niche - both resources typically reserved for members of The Honey Badger Project - so be sure to check today’s show notes for links!
*Check Out **Pain Free Performance** - *our partner on today's show is THE BEST educational resource for trainers, coaches and allied health professionals looking to advance their skills and ensure their clients will train PAIN FREE while improving their performance!
!! USE THE CODE "ESSENTIAL" AT CHECKOUT FOR 15% OFF !!
* *Download the **Life Design Worksheet*
* *Download the **Find My Niche Worksheet*
*Connect with Frank - *@frank_benedetto*
Connect with David - *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt
*Connect with the Show - *@essential.strength.podcast
*Action Plan
*Your action plan for the week is this - Block out the time needed to fill out the Life Design Worksheet, which is linked in the show notes for this episode. I can tell you from personal experience - the first time I did this exercise it was eye opening in a lot of ways. It gave me clarity as to what I really want my life to look like in a way I’d never experienced before, and it highlighted how my current work, income, and time management was not necessarily in alignment with what I said I wanted. And, spoiler alert - it still isn’t. I’m moving in the right direction - albeit slowly - but it’s high time I sat down and completed the Life Design Worksheet again, this time with my wife, and started taking more concrete steps towards living out my ideals. I hope you gain some valuable insight from this exercise… in fact I’m quite sure that you will.
That’s it for this week - until next time, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.
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Jun 22, 2022
Dr. Kristin Phillips - Women's Health, Pelvic Floors & Better Sex for All
Our guest this week is Dr. Kristin Phillips, DPT & a Re-Release of the fifth most popular episode in Essential Strength History!
Check out our partner on today's episode - *Barbell Rehab** - *and use the code "stronger25" to save $25 off any online continuing education course!
*Remember -* if you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis!
*Highlights - *In today’s Conversation, Dr. Phillips and I discuss the pros and cons of the term “Women’s Health” in light of the fact that both men and women both have pelvic floor anatomy that can benefits from assessment and treatment. We talk about the link between pelvic health and sexual function as it relates to both men and women and we talk about some of the common misconceptions that people have about the day to day job of a pelvic health therapist.
*Connect with Dr. Phillips: *@kristinphillips_dpt*
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast
*Action Plan - *Your action plan this week is two fold:
First - your very practical action plan is simply to hop on the good old google machine and find your local women’s health physical therapist. You might not need their services now, but maybe you know someone who recently had a child and doesn’t even know pelvic floor rehab is available, and maybe at some point in the future this will be important for you personally. It’s always good to know where the healthcare specialists are in your area.
Second - your more broad action plan is to expand your professional knowledge base. Don’t assume that because you’ve been in an industry for 5 years, 10 years or longer that you have “seen it all” or that you know everything there is to know. This is part fo why I love having guests on who are fellow Physical Therapists specializing in treatment approaches I’m only peripherally familiar with, or has one lecture on in school. The best time to learn is now, and the next best time to learn is every day for the rest of your life.
That’s it for this week, be sure to tune in next time for my conversation with Frank Benedetto and a conversation that initially aired on November 3rd, 2021. This one is all about professional BURNOUT, especially as it relates to health and fitness professionals.
Until then - we wish you *STRENGTH* and *GOOD HEALTH!*
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Jun 8, 2022
Saad Alam - Building a Better System for Supporting Men's Health
Our guest this week is Saad Alam.
Saad Alam is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hone Health (formerly known as Peak), an online clinic that treats men’s hormonal imbalances and low testosterone.
Saad is a lifelong health advocate dedicated to researching new and innovative ways to improve overall well-being. Saad set out on his journey to build a next-generation men’s health clinic after experiencing testosterone imbalances firsthand, which inspired him to learn more about male hormones and to help other men. Since founding the company, Saad has devoted himself to assisting men realize that age should not dictate how one feels and to have confidence as they evolve. He believes that we can maximize human life span past 100 years and is committed to helping people understand how to cultivate a holistic approach to actually feel younger as they age.
*Remember* - If you’re enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis! Tag the show on Instagram - @essential.strength.podcast - and tag me, your friendly host - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt.
And don’t forget to check out our partners on today’s episode:
*STRONG Coffee
*If coffee is one of your daily essentials, do yourself a favor - check out STRONG Coffee and save 15% of every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout.
*Connect with Saad:* @msaadalam
*Check out Hone Health: *HoneHealth.com
*Connect with David:* @dr.DavidSkolnik.dpt
*Connect with the Show:* @essential.strength.podcast
*Action Plan
*Your action plan this week is, once again, to get your blood work done and to take the results to a naturopath or hormone optimization specialist. Someone who won’t write off your results as “aging” when you’re 32 years old (or younger). I’m going to keep beating this bloodwork drum until you all understand it’s importance. I’m working on improving some health markers. My wife is working on improving some health markers. I have co-workers and friends who are taking positive action towards a better, healthier, more energized life and in a minute, you’re going to hear Saad’s story - one that inspired an entire company that is working to revolutionize men’s health. So please - get your blood work done and take the results to a professional who cares about optimizing health, not just managing sickness.
*What's Next?
*That’s a wrap for this week’s episode but make sure to tune in in two weeks for the first of our HIGHLIGHT SERIES featuring the five most popular episodes in Essential Strength history - starting with an episode featuring Dr. Kristin Phillips, DPT and a conversation about pelvic health, pelvic floor physical therapy and why women’s health isn’t actually just for women.
Until then, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.
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May 11, 2022
Danny Matranga - The Myth of Motivation & Other Common Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Our guest this week is Danny Matranga.
In today’s conversation, Danny and I talk about the key elements he wants every client to understand about training, the difference between the idea of a “best diet” vs. “best dietary practices”, what Danny sees as the biggest scam in the fitness industry and the potentially bleak inevitability that we will all eventually have to prioritize our health.
*Remember* - If you’re enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis! Tag the show on Instagram - @essential.strength.podcast - and tag me, your friendly host - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt.
And don’t forget to check out our partners on today’s episode:
*STRONG Coffee
*If coffee is one of your daily essentials, do yourself a favor - check out STRONG Coffee and save 15% of every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout.
*The Enduring Strength Training Platform!*
If you are tired of doing the same workouts and getting the same results... if you are ready for a training plan that will get you Strong & Healthy now and for the long run, send me an e-mail: david@strongerinmotion.com
*Connect with Danny:* @danny.matranga
*Check out Danny's Podcast: *Dynamic Dialogue
*Connect with David:* @dr.DavidSkolnik.dpt
*Connect with the Show:* @essential.strength.podcast
*Action Plan
*This week I want to focus on a single statement Danny made during our conversation. The statement is:
“Someone else making progress faster than you is not a personal failure.”
I want you to identify 1 or 2 areas of your personal or professional life where you find yourself feeling like a failure because you aren’t where someone else is, and I want you to make time to compare more than just your current situation but instead to consider your path to where you are vs. theirs, your currently trajectory vs. theirs, your goals vs. theirs, your definition of success vs. theirs… you might actually need to have a conversation with this person or these people you think are “beating you.” I can’t guarantee what you’ll discover but I do know that you’ll be taking steps towards comparing apples to apples instead of apples or oranges and that alone will help you see that you are not a failure.
*What's Next?
*
Be sure to tune in next week for a solo episode where I’ll be taking a deeper dive into the differences between personal training, group coaching and following a training plan - you’ll learn which of these three options is best for you, how to weigh both the financial and fitness sides of the decision and for the coaches and trainers listening, you’ll learn how to create offers that target all three levels of this fitness/business continuum.
Until then, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.
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May 4, 2022
Shanté Cofield - Cutting Through the Noise to Make Your Online Business Stand Out
Our guest this week is Shanté Cofield.
Shanté is a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and the creator of The Movement Maestro, a website and social-media based platform devoted to all things human movement and mobility and a business coach who helps people discover their unique stories so they can stand out in the crowded online business landscape.
In today’s conversation, Shanté and I talk about her two keys to good content and why it’s vital for folks to “stop watching other people’s stories and start writing their own.” Shanté defines empathic listening, shares the values that guide her life and business and we discuss when it’s appropriate for coaches to guide our clients and when it’s better to be their sidekick.
*Remember* - If you’re enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis! Tag the show on Instagram - @essential.strength.podcast - and tag me, your friendly host - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt.
And don’t forget to check out our partners on today’s episode:
*STRONG Coffee
*If coffee is one of your daily essentials, do yourself a favor - check out STRONG Coffee and save 15% of every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout.
*Pain Free Performance Specialist Certification
*If you are a health and fitness professional who is ready to step up and take your place on the true FRONT LINE of preventative health, then you need to check out GetPPSC.com and sign up for the LvL 1 Coaching Course. use the code ESSENTIAL to save 15%.
*Connect with Shanté :* @themovementmaestro
*Connect with David:* @dr.DavidSkolnik.dpt
*Connect with the Show:* @essential.strength.podcast
*Action plan*
If you are a content creator, whether on Instagram, TikTok or any other platform, and your end goal is to convert followers to customers - my challenge to you is to be more like Shanté in one specific way:
The Challenge - use your platform and your content to move your people forward before they ever actually decide to work with you. Make your content so valuable that when people do decide to work with you - and if you make it easy for them to do so, they will - make it so valuable that they say “Your content helped me so much in my fitness journey, my business development, my self-care, it helped me so much that I just can’t wait to work with you.”
Now, I know what you’re going to say - if I give it all away fro free, why would anyone pay to work with me? Well, I posed that exact question to Shanté in today’s conversation so, you’ll just have to keep listening to find out what she had to say about it!
That’s it for this week, but make sure you tune in next week for our conversation with Danny Matranga for a conversation about the five things he wants every client to understand about training, the difference between the idea of a “best diet” vs. “best dietary practices”, what Danny sees as the biggest scam in the fitness industry and potentially bleak inevitability that we will all eventually have to prioritize our health.
Until then, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.
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Apr 27, 2022
Mark Breedon - Strength Training for Women & Breaking Fitness Barriers
Our Guest this week is Mark Breedon.
Mark is an online strength coach for women who uses strength training to build their confidence in and out of the gym, and make them feel like a confident badass lifter. Mark is passionate about helping those who don't fit the typical mold of someone who is strong and wants to show you that strength training is for everyone. Mark's mission is to change the focus on why we exercise, to move away from training for the weight on the scale and instead use exercise for health, self-confidence, and feeling strong!
In today’s conversation, Mark and I talk about training for strength vs. training for fat loss, Mark defines a “weight neutral” approach to coaching, how he helps his female clients celebrate “non scale victories” and we talk about the “five minute rule” for exercise. I’m really excited to share this one with everyone listening because the world needs more strong women and it’s going to take more coaches like Mark breaking down barriers!
*Remember* - If you’re enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis! Tag the show on Instagram - @essential.strength.podcast - and tag me, your friendly host - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt.
And don’t forget to check out our partners on today’s episode:
*The Enduring Strength Training Platform!*
If you are tired of doing the same workouts and getting the same results... if you are ready for a training plan that will get you Strong & Healthy now and for the long run, send me an e-mail: david@strongerinmotion.com
*STRONG Coffee
*If coffee is one of your daily essentials, do yourself a favor - check out STRONG Coffee and save 15% of every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout.
*Connect with Mark:* @training.strong.women
*Connect with David:* @dr.DavidSkolnik.dpt
*Connect with the Show:* @essential.strength.podcast
*Action Plan
*This week’s action plan is a reimagining of one of the questions that Mark asks his clients. The question is - “What would make you feel strong?”
I’d like you to spend 10 minutes this week answering this question in one of two ways. You can simply sit down and free-write on the question of “what would make you feel strong”. Let you mind go, let the words flow and see where you get. Alternatively, if that sounds a bit to unbridled for you taste, I’d suggest you break this question down into three categories:
What would make me feel physically strong?
What would make me feel intellectually strong?
What would make me feel emotionally strong?
If you take 10 minutes to define what a STRONGER YOU actually looks like, you may find that you have a renewed sense of motivation and direction after this exercise!
That’s it for this week, but make sure you tune in next week for our conversation with Shante Cofield, aka The Movement Maestro and a conversation about how to own your time, build trust, live your values and make your online business stand out in a time when everyone has gone online.
Until then, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.
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Apr 20, 2022
Ebenezer Samuel - How Technology is Lowering the Barriers to Fitness
Our guest this week is Ebenezer Samuel.
Ebenezer is the fitness director for Men’s Health, the largest men’s media brand in the world, and a personal trainer for a wide range of clients from NFL players to working mothers and from broadcast personalities to firefighters. He's also the head of training innovation at the virtual training platform FlexIt.
In today’s conversation, Ebenezer and I talk about how the fitness industry can do a better job of promoting client health vs. specific physical attributes, I get Ebenezer’s insight on how the growing market for fitness technology can have positive impacts for both coaches and clients, the importance of critical thinking for coaches and why making workouts and recovery fun is the key to activity adherence. Ebenezer has a unique perspective as both a coach and a journalist and I’m thrilled to share this episode with everyone listening!
*Remember* - If you’re enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis! Tag the show on Instagram - @essential.strength.podcast - and tag me, your friendly host - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt.
And don’t forget to check out our partner on today’s episode - *The Enduring Strength Training Platform!*
If you are tired of doing the same workouts and getting the same results... if you are ready for a training plan that will get you Strong & Healthy now and for the long run, send me an e-mail: david@strongerinmotion.com
Connect with Ebenezer: @ebenezersamuel23
Connect with David: @dr.DavidSkolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast
*Action Plan
*This week’s action plan will speak directly to the coaches, trainers and fitness professionals in the audience. I want you to take the next 7 days and make an effort to talk to your clients about the health-related benefits of physical activity, nutrition, or whatever kind of service your are providing. I’m not saying to stop talking about bigger biceps, flatter stomachs or new PRs... but there are more important things in the long term. Things that might motivate these current clients to become forever clients which is not only great for their health, but pretty good for your bottom line when coaching is your career. Stable health and stable income is a winning combination. This action plan might require you to do a bit of research - maybe you should go back and listen to a few more episodes of this podcast for some brain gains - it will be time well spent. Understand - as a coach or trainer you have the ability to be working on the TRUE front line of healthcare - the preventative side of the line. Don’t every underestimate the value you can bring and don’t be afraid to show every client just how powerful healthy lifestyle choices are!
That’s it for this week. Make sure you tune in next week for our episode Mark Breedon and a conversation about strength training with female clients, common barriers to entry for the female gym goer, weight-neutral training and defining success without looking at the scale.
Until then, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.
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Apr 13, 2022
Reed Davis - Metabolic Chaos, Functional Nutrition & Taking Responsibility for Your Health
Our guest this week is *Reed Davis*.
Reed is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner (HHP) and Certified Nutritional Therapist (CNT). He is an expert in functional lab testing and holistic lifestyle medicine. Reed is the Founder of Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® (FDN) and the FDN Certification Course with over 3,000 graduates in 50 countries.
*Our Parter* on today's episode is *Functional Diagnostic Nutrition** *- Use this special enrollment link to gain access to the most in-depth nutrition and lab testing certification course ever developed!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
*Today's Conversation *with Reed touches on the importance of personal responsibility, both as a prerequisite to being a strong person and also as it relates to taking responsibility for your own health. We discuss how conditions that are “common” in modern health should by no means be considered “normal” and the difference between a doctor who labels you with a diagnosis code and a practitioner who identifies your opportunities to heal. Reed and I get into concepts like individualized micronutrient metabolism testing, why Reed no longer uses the phrase “root cause” when it comes to health and we talk about Functional Diagnostic Nutrition. This is one of the more unique, eye opening conversations I’ve had on the podcast and I can’t wait for all of you out there to hear it!
*Connect with Reed: *Reed on LinkedIn *
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast
*Check out Functional Diagnostic Nutrition: *functionaldiagnosticnutrition.com
*Action Plan
*This weeks action plan could easily be to get your bloodwork done… again. But that was your action plan last week and I’m confident you all went out and got that done right away! So, this week’s action plan is simply take stock of Reed’s 5 categories of wholistic health - his DRESS Principle:
Diet, Rest, Exercise, Stress Reduction and Supplementation.
Rate yourself 0-10 on category and write down 3 concrete steps you can take to raise your scores.
Simple. Actionable. Health.
*What's Next - *Make sure you tune in next week for our episode with Ebenezer Samuel and a conversation about the intersections of technology and fitness, why the fun factor is key to exercise adherence and how global accessibility to coaching is changing the game for both coaches and clients. I hope you’ll join me!
Until next time - we wish you *Strength* and *Good Health*.
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Apr 6, 2022
Ali Gilbert - Testosterone: Why It's Low & What To Do About It
Our guest this week is *Ali Gilbert*.
Ali has 20 years of experience as a Strength & Conditioning Coach specializing in Men’s Health and Hormone Optimization and has presented on these topics nationwide.
*Our Parter* on today's episode is *Testosterone School** *- Use this special enrollment link to sign up and learn everything you need to know about testosterone and TRT in this self-paced course!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
*Today's Conversation *with Ali focuses on one hormone in particular - Testosterone. Ali explains why testosterone levels are plummeting in industrialized nations. She covers exactly what Testosterone does in the body and why low testosterone has a nasty cascade of effects on everything from focus to energy to libido. Ali also explains how the traditional healthcare system is failing men with low T and what every guy can do about it - including educating themselves with Ali’s immersive new online platform - Testosterone School.
*Connect with Ali: *@thealigilbert* ** **
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast
*Check out Testosterone School: *thetestosteroneschool.com* *
*Action Plan
*This week’s action plan is very concrete - I want you to get your blood work done. By the end of this episode I think you’ll understand why this is the second time that blood work has been your action plan - the first one was Episode 60 w/ Dr. Kyle Gillet. My wife and I have both recently gotten bloodwork done and it’s lead to changes in diet, stress management practices, household product use, you name it. There are processes happening inside our bodies that we simply cannot see, hear or even necessarily feel. That’s where a male or female wellness panel comes into play. Most insurances WILL COVER a wellness panel at one of the big lab companies in America. If you are interested in thriving rather than just surviving though, what you do with those lab results makes the difference. Ir you’re in a state where naturopathic physicians can practice, set up an appointment. Or find a men’s or women’s health specialist, a hormone optimization specialist … find someone who is going to hold you to a high standard than the standard American because sadly, only 12% of American’s are metabolically healthy and if you’re listening to this podcast, I know you don’t want to fall in that other 88%.
*What's Next - *Make sure you tune in next week for our episode with Reed Davis and another conversation all about REAL HEALTH - Reed and I go deep on the power of food sensitivity testing, metabolic profiles, the difference between “normal” and “common” when it comes to health conditions and why personal responsibility is paramount. I hope you’ll join me!
Until next time - we wish you *Strength* and *Good Health*.
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Mar 30, 2022
Roman Rodriguez - The Social Psychology of Coaching & Democratizing Fitness Education
Our guest this week is *Roman Rodriguez*.
*Roman* is the founder of The Coaching Marketplace, Director of Training at Moxy, PPSC Lead instructor and has been coaching and educating in the fitness industry for over a decade.
*Our Parter* on today's episode is *Pain Free Performance *- Use the code "ESSENTIAL" to save 15% on the BEST weekend certification in the fitness industry!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
*Today's Conversation *with Roman explores his journey as a trainer, an educator and a tech founder. We cover the importance of telling a good story, the social psychology skills that most coaches are sorely lacking, the importance of competition even when you don’t always win and Roman will dive deep into the problems he sees in the fitness education industry, the solutions he is building with Th…
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Mar 23, 2022
Kenny Santucci - Healing the World Through Fitness
Our Guest this week is Kenny Santucci.
Kenny is the owner of Strong New York and The Strength Club NYC. Kenny has established himself as a top trainer and thought leader in the New York City Fitness Landscape
*Our Partner* on today's episode is the STRONG Coffee - *save 15%* with the code *ESSENTIAL *at checkout!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
*Today's Conversation* with Kenny is about his vision for Healing the World Through Fitness, his personal reasons for pursuing a strong life, how to get more people physically active and the keys to effectively training the general population client.
*Connect with Kevin:** *@kennysantucci*
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast
*Action Plan
*This week’s action plan is specifically for the coaches listeni…
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Mar 16, 2022
Kevin Mullins - Men's Mental Health in the Fitness Industry
Our guest this week is Kevin Mullins.
Kevin is a Miami-based personal trainer, Pain Free Performance Lead Instructor, and published author. Kevin and I share many of the same interests and passions in the realm of health & fitness and we are both part of the Pain Free Performance Education team.
*Our Partner* on today's episode is the Pain Free Performance Specialist Certification - *save 15%* on the BEST weekend certification in the Fitness Industry with the code *ESSENTIAL *at checkout!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
*Today’s Conversation *with Kevin isn’t about how to cue a squat or program effectively for online clientele… no. Today’s conversation with Kevin is about mental health. Specifically, it’s about the mental health of men in the fitness industry. How we’re taught to deal with di…
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Mar 9, 2022
Chris Swart - Practical Advice for the Next Generation of Fitness Professionals
Our guest this week is Doctor Chris Swart.
Doctor Swart is an Exercise Science Professor with a PhD in Exercise Physiology. While this conversation is built on our shared experiences in the field of Exercise Science, there are a lot of universally applicable lessons that can be applied to the pursuit of any career or any stage of life - including the importance of networking early and often, finding mentors and testing your knowledge.
*Our Partner *on today's episode is FNXFit - save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
*Today’s Conversation *with Doctor Swart includes the story of his decision to pursue a career in academics vs. a career in coaching or rehab, the common mistakes he sees undergraduate students make as they prepare for graduation and…
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Mar 2, 2022
Cory Camp - Struggling with Life After Sports & Becoming a Forever Athlete
Our guest this week is Cory Camp.
Cory is a former Division One athlete, Founder of Forever Athlete and host of the Forever Athlete Podcast. After his athletic career ended, Cory experienced a profound loss of identity and felt that he’d been “locked out of flow” - the state of being where we are at our most creative and intuitive. The realization that he had invested too much of his identity into a single element of life, lead Cory to dedicate himself to helping other athletes make a smoother transition into life after sport.
*Our Partner *on today's episode is STRONG Coffee* *- save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
*Today’s Conversation *with Cory is about human connection, training for a marathon, getting uncomfortable and the struggles…
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Feb 23, 2022
Matteo Franceschetti - Unlocking the Secrets to a Perfect Night's Sleep
Our guest this week is *Matteo Franceschetti*.
An athlete his entire life, Matteo has always been obsessed with performance. First, it was athletics. Then business. Now, sleep. The first two pursuits - athletics and business - lead to many sleepless nights, rationalized by the pursuit of record performance. It was Matteo’s quest for more restorative sleep, in fact, that led him to quit his previous life and launch Eight Sleep, a company dedicated to fueling human potential through optimal sleep, and to turning the bed into a seamless health platform for improved health, performance, and longevity.
*Our Partner *on today's episode is FNX Fitness* *- save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
*Today’s Conversation *with Matteo centers around how to h…
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Feb 16, 2022
James Ellis - Thinking Fast, Acting Fast & Betting on Myself
Our guest this week is *James Ellis*. James is a friend here in Phoenix and the owner of Hammer CrossFit. I’ve described James as a guy who would give you the shirt off his back, even if it was the last shirt he owned. This selflessness is juxtaposed by James’ self-proclaimed tendency to be an “over thinker” and today’s conversation is a deep dive into how James is able to both take bold action while still finding time and space to reflect on his decisions.
*Our Partner *on today's episode is STRONG Coffee* *- save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
*Today’s Conversation *with James centers around how to apply your strength in productive ways, the risks of using external strength to cover internal struggles, trying to find a balance betwe…
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Feb 9, 2022
Astrid Naranjo - Emotional Eating & The Four Pillars of Health
Our guest this week is Astrid Narajo - aka The Anti-Diet Dietician.
*Our Partner *on today's episode is FNX* *- save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
*Today’s Conversation* centers around Astrid’s four pillars of a wholistic health, common self-limiting mindsets that undermine fat loss goals, various ways to increasing caloric expenditure and the importance of asking yourself some very simple questions before you reach for your next snack.
*Connect with Astrid: *@antidiet_dietician*
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast
*Learn More Astrid's Business: *So Many Resources!
*Action Plan
*Today’s action plan is - you guessed it - diet related! That being said - I am not going to give you…
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Feb 2, 2022
Austin Cohen - Building the Future of A la Carte Fitness
Our Guest this week is Austin Cohen.
Our partner on today's episode is *STRONG Coffee** *- save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
In today’s conversation, Austin and I talk about the origins of FlexIt Fitness, the problem the company is out to solve, and the challenges of fitness entrepreneurship. Austin provides some very practical advice for anyone looking to branch into and build up their online coaching presence and we discuss the pros and cons of joining an established coaching company vs striking out on your own.
*Connect with Austin: *@austin_flexit*
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast
*Learn More FlexIt Fitness: *https://flexit.fit/virtualpt/
*Action Plan
*Today’s action plan…
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Jan 28, 2022
Nelly Attar - Grief, Strength & Growing Through Adversity
Our guest this week is *Nelly Attar*.
Our partner on today's episode is *STRONG Coffee** *- save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
Nelly Attar joins us all the way from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Nelly is a sports entrepreneur, trainer and athlete. After completing two degrees in psychology and working in mental health for four years, Nelly followed a calling to pursue her growing interest in physical activity and sport and has become a driving force in the emerging sports landscape in the middle east as wall as a champion of ecotourism and adventure tourism in the region. Nelly has summited mount Everest, run 6 full marathons, completed 2 half ironman races and is currently training for the most demanding physical challenge of her life.
*Connect with N…
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Jan 19, 2022
Sarah McDevitt - Demystifying Meditation & Learning to Enjoy the Journey
Our Guest this week is *Sarah McDevitt*.
Our partner on this week's episode is *Pain Free Performance* - Save 15% with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
In today's conversation, we talk to Sarah about her personal experiences with anxiety and her realization that, like many of us, achieving the deeper states of meditation was really freakin hard! In today’s conversation, Sarah walks us through the benefits she found from meditation and breath work and small discoveries along the way that lead her to develop Core as she realized that utilizing an external object allowed her to better anchor herself in the present moment.
*Connect with Anthony:** *SarahMcDevitt on LinkedIn *
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast
*Learn…
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Jan 12, 2022
Anthony Mendez - How to Double Your Income & Beat the Instagram Algorithm
Our guest this week is Anthony Mendez.
Our partner on this week's episode is *STRONG Coffee* - Save 15% with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
In today’s conversation, Anthony and I walk about how to define success for yourself rather than measuring your success by someone else definition. We talk about both the big and the small stepping stones in Anthony’s career and lessons learned along the way and we talk about algorithm-proof tactics for building a large and engaged social media presence and the impact social media can have on a health and fitness business!
*Connect with Anthony: *@mendezfitness*
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast
*Check Out Anthony's Podcast: *Sweat It Out
*Action Plan
*If you have an i…
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Jan 5, 2022
Julie Shiller - Get Strong for the Greater Good
Our guest this week is Julie Shiller.
Our partner this week is *Pain Free Performance* - use the code ESSENTIAL at checkout to save 15%
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!
In today’s conversation, Julie and I talk about her evolving definition of strength, the benefits of taking risks and intentionally trying things you are bad at, the role of courage in living a strong life and the urgent need for everyone to begin strength training given our current health climate.
*Connect with Julie: *@theother23hourscoaching*
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast*
Action Plan
*I want to you grab a pen and paper and make a short list of things you want, but you’ve been too afraid to ask for. That could mean things that require you to ask permission from someo…
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Dec 29, 2021
Valentina LeQueux - Lessons Learned on the Path to Self Love
Our guest this week is Valentina LeQueux.
Our partner this week is *STRONG Coffee* - use the code ESSENTIAL at checkout to save 15%
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis!
On today’s episode, Valentina and I talk about her recovery from crippling anxiety and the steps she took to learn to love herself more than ever. We talk about the importance of being open about your feelings, seeking help when its needed and the unfortunate judgement most people fear when discussing mental health. Valentina and I also both share how physical health has helped solidify our mental health and we chat about the All Vibes Welcome project, whose aim it is is to normalize the full spectrum of emotions reduce the pressure to feel “good vibes only”.
*Connect with Valentina: *@valentinalequeux*
Connect with David: *@dr.dav…
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Dec 22, 2021
Brandon Whitehead - Using Food to Fix Your Broken Gut
Our guest this week is Brandon Whitehead.
Our Partner on Today's Episode is FNXFit - use the code ESSENTIAL and save 25% on all your sports nutrition needs!
*Remember - *If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis!
In today’s conversation, Brandon and I talk about the roll of being open to change as it relates to coaching and to being coached. We discuss the links between gut health and brain health and mindset shift from thinking only about what you’re eating but also about what your body is able to digest and Brandon breaks down his four keys to restoring a healthy gut - remove, replace, repair and repopulate.
*Connect with Brandon - *@bwlegend_tcm*
Connect with David - *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show -* @sessential.strength.podcast* **
Action Plan - *Your action plan for the week is this - I want to com…
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Dec 15, 2021
Dr. Carolyn Stone - Warning Signs & Treatments for Thyroid Disorders, Low Testosterone and Autoimmune Disease
Our guest this week is Dr. Carolyn Stone.
Check out our partner on today's episode - STRONG Coffee* - *and use the code ESSENTIAL to save 15% off every purchase of organic coffee!
*Remember -* if you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re SUBSCRIBED, and that you’re SHARING these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis!
*Highlights - *In today’s Conversation, Dr. Stone defines Hashimoto’s Disease, why it is increasingly common and why it is such a primary focus of her practice. I ask Dr. Stone what’s behind the silent epidemic of low testosterone in young men and why Testosterone is something every guy should care about. We also discuss how strength training can directly effect our hormonal health.
*Connect with Dr. Stone: *@drstoneaz*
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast
*Action Plan - *it’s simple. Get your damn blood drawn and establish…
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Dec 8, 2021
Dr. Kristin Phillips - Women's Health, Pelvic Floors & Better Sex for All
Our guest this week is Dr. Kristin Phillips, DPT.
Check out our partner on today's episode - *Barbell Rehab** - *and use the code "stronger25" to save $25 off any online continuing education course!
*Remember -* if you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis!
*Highlights - *In today’s Conversation, Dr. Phillips and I discuss the pros and cons of the term “Women’s Health” in light of the fact that both men and women both have pelvic floor anatomy that can benefits from assessment and treatment. We talk about the link between pelvic health and sexual function as it relates to both men and women and we talk about some of the common misconceptions that people have about the day to day job of a pelvic health therapist.
*Connect with Dr. Phillips: *@kristinphillips_dpt*
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with…
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Dec 1, 2021
Mark Bell - Protein Mandates, Fat Proofing Your Home & Lessons Learned from Dieting
Our guest this week is Mark Bell.
Our partner this week is *STRONG Coffee** - *save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL! A portion of every purchase helps support this show.
*REMEMBER* - if you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis!
*HIGHLIGHTS *-* *Mark is back for his second appearance on The Essential Strength Podcast, and today we are talking all about DIETS. For anyone who follow’s mark on social media, you know that he is ALWAYS pursuing some sort of dietary goal and experimenting with different diet principles and approaches to goal-oriented nutrition. In today’s conversation, Mark pulls back the curtain on all the things he’s learned from the last 18 months of dieting in one form or another, and provides some incredible take-home messages for anyone committed to living a stronger, healthier life.
*Con…
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Nov 24, 2021
Pat Darby - Financial Advice for the Fitness Business Owner
Our guest this week is Pat Darby.
Our partner on this week's episode is *STRONG Coffee** *- save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout! A portion of every purchase helps support this show.
REMEMBER - if you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis!
*HIGHLIGHTS - *In today’s conversation, Pat and I talk about the benefits of hiring a money coach and why so many people think they need to make money before they hire someone to help them make and manage their money. Pat tells me why there is no simple answer to the question - ‘what’s the best investment’, and we discuss how to approach the conflict of paying yourself vs. re-investing in your business.
*Connect with Pat: *@patdarbybiz*
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast
* *
*Action Plan
*Whether…
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Nov 17, 2021
Hayden Bowe - Raising the Standard on Powerlifting & Business
Our guest this week is Hayden Bowe.
Today's Partner is *Pain Free Performance** *- use the code "essential" to save 15% on any in -person course.
Remember - if you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis! Tag the show on Instagram too - @essential.strength.podcast - and tag me - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt - its super fun to see whose listening!
Hayden Bowe is Co-Owner of Hybrid Performance Method, Co-Host of the Hybrid Unlimited Podcast, Gold Medal Winning Powerlifter and Champion Weight Lifter. In today’s conversation, Hayden and I talk about the Sport of Powerlifting - the origins, the future, how to improve the athlete experience and the fan experience and how to “professionalize” the sport. From powerlifting, we shift to business - how Hybrid has evolved, the bumps along the way, the apparel and coaching elements and how to…
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Nov 10, 2021
Natalie Newhart - Lessons Learned from Over Training & Poor Stress Management
Our guest today is Natalie Newhart.
*Our Partner on Today's Show - **FNX Fitness** - *Use code "essential" for 25% off every purchase
In today’s conversation, Natalie and I walk at length about her definition of strength and how it has changed in the last 3 years, why learning to manage stress is just as important as the food we eat and the weights we lift, and strategies for overcoming the compulsive desire to always train harder.
*Connect with Natalie - *@natalie.newhart*
Connect with David - *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show - *@essential.strength.podcast
Remember - if you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis! Tag the show on Instagram too - @essential.strength.podcast - and tag me - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt - its super fun to see whose listening!
Today’s action plan centers around something Natalie said abou…
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Nov 3, 2021
Frank Benedetto - How to Avoid Burnout & Design a Life You Love
Our guest this week is Frank Benedetto.
On today’s episode, Frank and I talk about why so many healthcare professionals are finding themselves burned out but scared to leave their jobs, when and how to find your niche as a practitioner and I ask Frank if it is ever too early or too late to start a side hustle. Frank is also gracious enough to offer two free tools to help everyone listening design a life they will love and to help them discover their niche - both resources typically reserved for members of The Honey Badger Project - so be sure to check today’s show notes for links!
*Check Out **Pain Free Performance** - *our partner on today's show is THE BEST educational resource for trainers, coaches and allied health professionals looking to advance their skills and ensure their clients will train PAIN FREE while improving their performance!
!! USE THE CODE "ESSENTIAL" AT CHECKOUT FOR 15% OFF !!
* *Download the **Life Design Worksheet*
* *Download the **Find My Niche Works…
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Oct 27, 2021
Dr. Kyle Gillett - Concerning Health Trends & Full Spectrum Medicine
Our guest this week is Dr. Kyle Gillett.
In today’s conversation, Dr. Gillett and I talk about the concerning health trends he sees in men and women between the ages of 25 and 45 as well as the health trends that those over 50 should be aware of. We talk about the continuum of diet, exercise and pharmaceutical interventions in addressing obesity and the many downstream risk factors associated with excessively high body fat percentages. We also go deep on the topic on infertility - why rates are climbing and what we can do about it.
You can *LEARN MORE *about Dr. Gillett's work with Marek Health - HERE
*Our Partner Today is **Stronger In Motion** *- Whether it's 1:1 Strength Coaching, Nutrition Consultation or our new Enduring Strength Program - we can take take the guess work out of training and nutrition and guide you towards the STRONGEST version of yourself!
*Connect with Dr. Gillett *- @kylegillettmd*
Connect with David - *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show - *@essen…
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Oct 20, 2021
Danial Hooper - Using Return on Relationship to Build a Brand
Our guest today is Danial Hooper.
In today’s conversation, I ask Danial about the role of community within the framework of building a brand, what challenges he has faced in building a digital brand and Danial shares an incredible shift in perspective from assessing Return on Investment (or ROI) to prioritizing Return on Relationship (ROR). Plus I get Danial to spill the beans on some new products and projects coming down the pipe at FNX Fitness.
*Our Partner on Today's Show - **FNF Fitness** - *Use code "essential" for 25% off every purchase
*Connect with Danial - *@instadanial_*
Connect with David - *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show - *@essential.strength.podcast
*Book Recommendation - *The Go Giver (Bob Burg & John David Mann)
*Action Plan
*I want to zero in on one of Danial’s core philosophy’s for delivering amazing customer service - and that is the idea of delivering home cooked meals. I haven’t stopped thinking about this since Danial and I recorded this…
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Oct 10, 2021
Crystal Miranda - All Vibes Welcome & The Dangers of Toxic Positivity
Our guest today is Crystal Miranda.
Crystal is back as our very first repeat guest and today we are talking about the dangerous nature of Toxic Positivity and the importance of normalizing the full spectrum of human emotions.
Today’s episode is being released on October 10, 2021 on World Mental Health Day and in support of Crystal and the non-profit work she is doing through The Healthy Mind Movement - we are releasing a new piece of apparel. I’m sure everyone listening has seen someone wearing a “Good Vibes Only” T-shirt, but what about all the other vibes? The anxious vibes? The angry vibes? That accepting and nurturing vibes? Even the bad vibes? Life is full of emotions, all of which are innately normal and human, which is why were are releasing our "ALL VIBES WELCOME" t-shirt today, on World Mental Health Day, with all proceeds going directly to The Healthy Mind Movement to support access to mental health services.
*Connect with Crystal - *@healthymindmovement*
Connect w…
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Oct 6, 2021
Sarry Ibrahim - Build Financial Wealth by Learning to Think Like a Bank
Our guest this week is Sarry Ibrahim.
In today’s conversation, Sarry and I talk about how to define financial strength, what it means to Think Like a Bank, the importance of having financial objectives and goals and what Sarry thinks people can do right now to set themselves up for strong financial futures.
*Sign up for Enduring Strength** *- Take the guesswork out of your workouts with this year-round program coached by Dr. David Skolnik, DPT. Build Strength, Gain Muscle and Improve Your Endurance with Enduring Strength. Hit the link above to e-mail David directly and receive your link to join the join the program!
*FNXFit - *Use the code "essential"* - *Take 25% off any order from FNXFit. FUEL YOUR GREATNESS!
*Connect with Sarry - *Sarry Ibrahim, MBA, LTCP
*Connect with David - *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the show - *@essential.strength.podcast
Book Recommendation - Who Not How: The Formula to Achieving Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork
*Action Plan
*Your ac…
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Sep 29, 2021
Dr. Justin Farnsworth - What the F$CK Happened to Healthcare?
Our guest today is Dr. Justin Farnsworth, DPT.
In today’s conversation, Dr. Farnsworth and David talk about how the American Healthcare system is failing to keep us healthy and how the Fitness Industry needs to step up to fill the void. They talk about why it is so difficult for people to take personal responsibility for their own health and the dangers of “convenience culture”. This is a no-holds-barred conversation, with a lot of passion - these issues are vitally important and its going to take a lot of difficult discussions to bring about real change.
If you are listening on Apple Podcasts - don't forget to leave a 5 star rating and short review. These simple actions make a major impact on the show's future!
*Connect with Dr. Farnsworth: *@drjustinfarnsworth*
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast*
Our Partner Today is **Pain Free Performance** - Use the code "essential" for 15% off.
*The Pain Free Performance Certif…
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Sep 22, 2021
Kyle Benson - Cultivating a Strong Romantic Relationship
Our guest this week is Kyle Benson.
Kyle is a marriage and sex therapist who has worked with dozens of couples to help them understand the root causes of their wants, needs, insecurities and find the truth in their relationships.
In today’s conversation, Kyle and I talk about how to cultivate intentionally intimate relationships, how to adjust the “thermostat” on your relationship, balancing individuality with partnership, and how to root out defensiveness and stonewalling to allow for effective communication.
Connect with me and to connect with this podcast via Instagram where we produce weekly video content and would love to get a chance to know you, our listeners! If you have a second to rate and review this podcast, that would also mean the world to me and help get these messages into more heads and more hearts!
*Connect with Kyle: *@_kylebenson*
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast
* *
*Recommended Reading
*For Ne…
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Sep 15, 2021
Building a Healthy Mindset & Busting Fitness Myths w/ Hayley Pettinato
Our guest this week is Hayley Pettinato.
In today’s conversation, Hayley and I talk about the power of daily affirmations and how to optimize your self-talk. We discuss different forms of journaling, and Hayley and I dive into three of the biggest health and fitness myths that can have damaging effects on both our physical and our mental health.
If you have a second, please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a five star rating and write a quick review. It means the world to me, and it helps get this podcast out into the ears of more people looking to discover their strength. Check us out on instagram too, @essential.strength.podcast - where you can catch video clips of every episode, motivational quotes and keep up with everything happening on the show!
*Connect with Hayley: *Instagram @iamhayleynoelle // YouTube Hayley Noelle // Philosophy of Fitness Podcast*
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast
*Our Partner on Today's P…
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Sep 8, 2021
Simple Strategies for Being Happy & Healthy w/ Mads Friis
Our guest this week is Mads Friis.
On today's Episode, Mad's and David discuss strategic goal setting, the importance of sleep and rest, and why so many people are unhappy despite their perceived success.
Mads is, by his own admission, excessively curious and this curiosity has lead hum to question why so many people seem so unhappy and unfulfilled. It is his mission with his Podcast and his coaching business, to help as many people as he can figure out what makes them happy, where they want to be in life, and show them how simple it is to start taking concrete steps towards fulfilling their highest desires.
*Connect with Mads - *Instagram: @madsmfriis // Website: GrowthIsland.com // Podcast: Growth Island w/ Mads Friis*
Connect with David - *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show - *@essential.strength.podcast
*Check out our Partner on Today's Episode!
*15% off at FNXFit when you use the code "ESSENTIAL" at checkout!
*
*FNXFit is my go-to performance supplement brand - from t…
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Sep 1, 2021
Adapt or Die: A Lesson on How to Handle Hard Things w/ Joe Sullivan
Our guest this week is Joe Sullivan.
In today’s episode, Joe and I talk about the origin of his “Adapt or Die” mentality, the importance of family, what makes a good coach and Joe answers some questions from gym members at my home gym, American Raw Fitness out here in Gilbert, Arizona.
Joe is an All Time World Record holding powerlifter, a coach, an entrepreneur and an educator. He is very familiar with hardship and speaks frequently on the power of mindset as it relates to overcoming difficult circumstances.
*Our Partner on Today's Episode
*Barbell Rehab - use the code "stronger25" to get $25 off any online courses from Barbell Rehab.
*Connect with Us:
*Connect with Joe - @joesullivan_aod & on YouTube
Connect with David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show - @essential.strength.podcast
Remember to SUBSCRIBE and RATE the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts :)
*Action Plan
*This week’s action plan is two-fold:
The first thing I want EVERYONE to do is take a se…
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Aug 25, 2021
From Consumption to Action: How to Build a Brand on Instagram w/ Kandace Hudspeth
Our Guest this week is *Kandace Hudspeth*.
On today’s episode, Kandace and I talk about all the things you need to know to leverage Instagram to support your personal brand and business. From how lay out your page, build trust, increase interaction and help people transition from consuming your content to taking action on it.
Kandace is a career brand strategist and lifelong fitness enthusiast who pivoted her career, from big agency leadership to fitness business and brand innovation. With 20 years building brands and crafting digital marketing strategies, Kandace brings proven growth and an elevated touch to every brand and team she works with.
*Connect with Kandace - *@kandacehudspeth on Instagram // Kandace Hudspeth on LinkedIn
*Connect with David - *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt
*Connect with the Show - *@essential.strength.podcast
*Books & Products we Talked About
*1. Pain Free Performance - use the code "essential" at checkout for 15% off
2. The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og…
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Aug 18, 2021
Who is David Skolnik? w/ Guest Host Christian Carranza
Our guest today is *David Skolnik*.
We’re changing things up to make episode 50 with something special. Today, my producer - Christian - is interviewing me. The idea is, a reintroduction of sorts. Now that we’re 50 episodes in, I know it’s not just my mom and dad and a few friends listening any more, so getting to know who I am, and why I do what I do seemed the pertinent thing to do.
*Connect with David - *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show - *@essential.strength.podcast
*Our Partner today is - **Get PPSC** - use the code "Essential" for 15% off
*The Pain Free Performance Certification is the ULTIMATE in-person learning experience for any fitness professional who wants to provide the absolute best for their clients.
*Action Plan
*Your action plan for the week is this - If you have some element of your own personal story that you find it hard to talk about, I want you to lean into that discomfort just a little bit more this week. There were elements of my experience…
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Aug 11, 2021
Eating to Achieve Your Goals w/ Hallie Tobias
Our guest this week is Hallie Tobias.
In our conversation today, Hallie and I talk about how to eat to achieve specific goals, we talk about the psychology and personal development aspects of nutrition coaching, and I learn what has surprised Hallie the most about working as a nutrition coach.
*Check Out Our Partner on Today's Episode - *FNX Fitness
Save 15% off any purchase of the BEST nutritional supplements in the game!
Use the code "ESSENTIAL" at checkout to save some dolla dolla bills ya'll :)
*Connect with Hallie - *@hallietobias_tcm*
Connect with David - *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show - *@essential.strength.podcast*
Action Plan
*Hallie had a quote earlier in the conversation that really struck me - she said “Nobody is perfect, and perfection is not required to reach your goals.”
I’m sure that some of you listening have been hesitating to make a change in how you approach your eating, but are stuck in the planning phase of change because the complexity a…
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Aug 4, 2021
How to Turn Circumstance into Opportunity w/ Joe Rinaldi
Today’s guest is *Joe Rinaldi*.
Joe is a Doctor of Physical Therapy based on Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - but Joe will tell anyone who asks that he is far more than his professional title. His personal mission is to serve, love, encourage and inspire everyone he meets, and to leave the world better than he found it. There is a contagious positivity about Joe that I am sure everyone listening will feel.
In today’s conversation, we talk about who Joe wants to be and the work he is doing to become that person, we talk about balancing selfishness and selflessness, how and why Joe is able to view negative circumstances as opportunities and why being a good person is essential to being a good healthcare provider.
*Connect with Joe - *@joerinaldi.dpt*
Connect with David - *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show - *@essential.strength.podcast*
Check out this week's partner - **Barbell Rehab**
*Barbell Rehab is a resource for the fitness-minded Physio and the evidence based coach l…
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Jul 28, 2021
Reimagining Health & Wellness with Full Spectrum CBD w/ Matt Lombardi
Our guest this week is *Matt Lombardi*, Former Professional Hockey Player, Entrepreneur, Avid Cross-Fitter and Co-Founder of Beam, a THC-Free CBD brand committed to producing the best possible products for better everything.
In our conversation today, Matt and I talk about CBD and why it stood out to him as an athlete surrounded by a million different supplements. We talk about Beam, their core products, and their mission to reimagine health and wellness. We also discuss the “dark sides” of entrepreneurship that happens behind the flashy ad campaigns and celebrity endorsements.
*Our partner *on today's episode is - *Beam*
Use the code "Essential" for 15% off any purchase from Beam's full line-up of THC-free CBD products and start experiencing better everything!
*Connect with Matt: *@mattlombardi24*
Connect with Beam: *@beam*
Connect with David: *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
**Connect with the Show: *@essential.strength.podcast
*Action Plan
*The way that Matt described his approach to…
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Jul 21, 2021
A Guide to Blazing Your Own Trail in the Fitness Industry w/ Scott Howell
Our guest this week is *Scott Howell*.
From training clients in small boutique gyms, to overseeing regional operations at one of the biggest corporate fitness brands to owning his own successful gym business, Scott has seen, and done, more than most in this industry.
In today’s conversation, Scott and I talk about the risk and rewards of working for a larger company vs. blazing your own entrepreneurial trail, we talk about whether there is any such thing as “stability” in the workplace anymore, and I get Scott’s insight into how he has created local networks and worked to bridge the gap between health and fitness at Red Dot Fitness.
*Connect with Scott - *@ironsightspodcast
*Connect with David - *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show - *@essential.strength.podcast*
*Our parter on today's episode is *GetPPSC** - *The Pain Free Performance Certification is the most valuable course available for fitness professionals looking to improve the new client acquisition, assessm…
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Jul 14, 2021
The Pursuit of Fulfillment & Finding Community w/ Conny Schneider
Our guest this week is Conny Schneider. Conny is the owner of KomplexFit in Petaluma, California. She is a personal trainer, community builder, knowledge seeker and as you’re learn today - not afraid to take bold steps in pursuit of fulfillment.
In today’s conversation, Conny and I talk about the strength that was required to pick up her entire life and move from Germany to Northern California after high school, how she first got involved in the fitness industry, her decision to start her own business and the challenges she faced when she she realized it was time to leave that business and start a new one. Throughout it all, we discuss the importance of human connection and community and how these concepts are central to everything in her life.
*Connect with Connie - *@connie.komplex*
Connect with David - *@dr.davidskolnik.dpt*
Connect with the Show - *@essential.strength.podcast*
*Our parter on today's episode is *GetPPSC** - *The Pain Free Performance Certification is the most…
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Jul 7, 2021
A Practical Guide to Being a Strong Leader w/ Layci Nelson
Today’s Guest is *Layci Nelson*.
In today’s conversation, Layci and David talk about the differences between someone in a leadership position and someone who is a real leader, why ego checks and apologies are key components of effective leadership, and the potential pitfalls of becoming friends with your employees.
Follow Layci - @layci_nelson
Follow David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Follow the Show - @essential.strength.podcast
*Check Out our Partner - *GetPPSC
** Use the Code *"essential" * to take 10% off any in-person GetPPSC Course and become a Pain Free Performance Specialist
*Action Plan
*Your action plan for the week is a page right out of Layci’s Leadership manual - when was the last time you apologized and truly meant it? No ulterior motive, no sarcasm, no “I’m just saying sorry because that’s what you want to hear”. A real apology and an intention to make things right. Why is this your action plan for the week? Because, at the end of the day, *we are all leader…
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Jun 30, 2021
How to Have Effective & Empathetic Conversations About Weight w/ Gabi Dixson
Our guest this week is *Gabi Dixson*.
Today’s conversation is focused on how health and fitness professionals, and the public at large, can have more effective and empathetic conversations about body weight, and how the lived experience of being in a bigger body shapes one’s outlook on life.
Gabi is the Winner of New Zealand’s Strongest Woman 2020 and is currently training for USPA Powerlifting Nationals in July 2021 and World’s Strongest Woman in November 2021. She is also an aspiring coach on a mission to create space for black and brown people in the fitness world and to inspire women of all shapes and sizes to try new things, be strong, and chase their dreams.
Follow Gabi - @gabigrl
Follow David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Follow the Show - @essential.strength.podcast
*Check Out Our Partner on Today's Episode - **FNXFit**
**Action Plan**
*Your action plan for the week falls in line with that intention - This week I want you to seek out a difficulty conversation about a top…
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Jun 23, 2021
Playing the Long Game in the Fitness Industry w/ Andrew Coates
Today’s guest is *Andrew Coates*. Andrew is a personal trainer based in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. He hosts a weekly podcast called Lift Free and Diet Hard, and is a prolific writer in the fitness space who has contributed articles to T Nation, True Coach, The PTDC and Generation Iron. He is a mentor, and a bonafide scholar of all things health and fitness.
Follow Andrew - @andrewcoatesfitness
Follow David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Follow the Show - @essential.strength.podcast
*Our Partner* on today's episode is GetPPSC - use the code "essential" at checkout for 10% off any in-person certification course!
*Your Action Plan
*Your action plan for the week is this - if you use social media to promote your business or your personal brand, ask yourself the same question Andrew and I promote when it comes to exercise - “Why am I doing this?” Is your content consistent with your message? Does that message convey a clear purpose? A is that conveyed message the one you actually intended t…
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Jun 16, 2021
Is Mindfulness Training the Key to More Effective Policing? w/ Richard Goerling
Our guest this week is Richard Goerling.
Richard is a certified mindfulness trainer, retired police officer and military veteran. He is the founder of The Mindful Badge and specializes in training health, resilience and human performance skills to first responders.
Connect with Rich - The Mindful Badge
Connect with David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show - @essential.strength.podcast
Check out our partner - GetPPSC - and take 10% off any live course with the code *essential* at checkout!
*Your Action Plan
*I would ask that you find an opportunity to practice being compassionate to someone or some thing that you strongly disagree with. To take the time and make the effort to work on understanding, empathy and to do the work required to move beyond your gut reaction and into something more skillful and more self-aware.
Until next week, we with you *STRENGTH* and *GOOD HEALTH*.
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Jun 9, 2021
Could a Dysfunctional Pelvic Floor be Causing Pain & Limiting Performance? w/ Dr. Michelle Gilpin, DPT
Our guest today is *Dr. Michelle Gilpin, DPT*. Michelle is a Doctor of Physical Therapy who practices out of Evolution Healthcare & Fitness in Portland, Oregon. In Today’s conversation we focus on one particular area of body, the pelvic floor. What is it? What is its function in the wholistic system of the body? What are the signs and symptoms that the pelvic floor is not functioning properly or optimally? And how training the pelvic floor can lead to enhanced performance in both sport and life.
Follow Michelle - @drmgpt
Follow David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Follow the Show - @essential.strength.podcast
*Our Partner on Today's Episode
*Barbell Rehab is bridging the gap between healthcare and fitness with online and in-person courses for clinicians, coaches and trainers who understand the value of barbell training and want to use this tool in both rehab and performance. Our listeners get $25 off the Barbell Rehab Workshop Online Course & the Strength Training the Post-Operate Client c…
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Jun 2, 2021
Helping Military Veterans Find Community Through Fitness w/ Chris Phillips
Our guest today is *Chris Phillips*. Chris is a US Army Veteran who conducted 4 tours of Afghanistan and Iraq as an Infantryman. In 2019, a solider Chris has been especially close with took his own life, and Chris decided it was time to do something. So he created Quality Resilience Fitness, QRF Fit for short, a non-profit organization that uses their proceeds to help veterans pay for gym memberships, entrance fees into lifting competitions, and to find community through fitness. His ultimate goal is to make sure that our Military Veterans know they are not along, and there is always someone here to support them.
Follow Chris - @qrffit
Follow David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Follow the Show - @essential.strength.podcast
*Stronger Than Stigma
*I’m really proud, and excited to announce that Chris, Myself and previous guest on the show Crystal Miranda have teamed up to launch the *Stronger Than Stigma* Initiative. This is a fund-raising initiative to support the work that is being done b…
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May 26, 2021
Simple, Sustainable Fat Loss w/ Jumha Aburezeq
Our guest today is *Jumha Aburezeq*. Jumha is the founder and head nutrition coach at StoopidFit, a health and wellness brand focused on helping people to live a healthier lifestyle as simply as possible. By focusing on simple actionable habits, Coach Jumha has helped hundreds of people lose weight, gain confidence, and feel better than they ever have before. In today’s conversation Jumha and I talk about the biggest pitfalls that trip people up when they are trying to loose fat and change their relationship with food. We talk about the STOOPID easy thing people overlook when it comes for fat loss and sustainable dieting and I get to learn about Jumha’s pet peeves in the diet industry, the advice and content that he wishes would just go away and never come back.
Follow Jumha - @stoopidfit
Follow David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Follow the Show - @essential.strength.podcast
Download Jumha's Free E-Book - The Nutrition Manual: Mastering Your Diet Made Simple
*Today's Partner
*FNX Fitn…
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May 19, 2021
Empowering the Next Generation of Fitness Professionals w/ Gini Grimsley
Today’s guest is *Gini Grimsley* - Gini is the Director of Fitness Product for VASA Fitness. She is known for creating cutting-edge programming and introducing approachable, results-driven fitness concepts. She enjoys any opportunity to empower the next generation of fitness professionals and is passionate about furthering their education and expertise to provide opportunities for development and career advancement.
*Today's conversation* spans everything from the common strengths and weaknesses of new fitness professionals, how to build a brand, how to build teams, and how VASA balances aggressive growth in the gym industry while raising the bar on personal training services for their members.
Follow Gini @gdotperiod
Follow David @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Follow the Show @essential.strength.podcast
*Today's Partner:*
GetPPSC - a ground breaking educational platform for Health & Fitness professionals worldwide, offering the Pain Free Performance Certification Course. This course will…
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May 12, 2021
Everyone is an Athlete & We all Need to be Strong w/ Sam Johnson
Hello my Friends! And welcome back to *The Essential Strength Podcast!*
Our *Partner* on today's show is FNX Fit* **- *maker of Rebalance Super Greens and tons of other amazing performance nutrition and supplementation products. Hitting this link RIGHT HERE or using the code "ESSENTIALSTRENGTH" will get you 15% off your entire purchase - protein, creatine, a sleep aid, some krill oil, pre-workout... it's all there and it's all Uhh-Mazing. * *
........
Today’s guest is Sam Johnson. Native to Portland, Oregon, Sam is passionate about leading all people to live a sustainable, strong, healthy lifestyle. He is the owner of Strength Farm in Southwest Portland, and has 10+ years of coaching experience as well as personally competing in the CrossFit Games, USAW Weightlifting Nationals, and numerous sports give him a unique perspective to help Athletes reach their Goals. His prior experience as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force for 7 years also gives him a unique perspectiv…
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Mar 10, 2021
What Does it Take to Destigmatize Mental Health? w/ Crystal Miranda
Welcome to another episode of The Essential Strength Podcast. Our guest this week is Crystal Miranda.
Crystal Miranda is a clinical social worker and a currently pursuing her PhD in psychology. Her area of research is examining the experience of utilizing emotional states to enhance performance among strength athletes. Crystal is also the founder of The Healthy Mind Movement – A non-profit organization that aims to promote mental wellness and self-growth through evidence-based information and community immersion.
In today’s conversation, I ask Crystal about how psychological pathologies have been used to label people and how she helps people separate themselves from their diagnosis. We talk about alternative coping mechanisms that can aid us in dealing with difficult times, and about how Crystal helps the folks she works with realize that even strong people can struggle with mental health.
*Connect
*To learn amore about Crystal and the work she is doing, you can check out The H…
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Mar 5, 2021
Why Coaches & Clinicians Need to Choose Their Words Wisely - Health & Fitness Friday
What’s up everybody, welcome to this week’s episode of Health & Fitness Friday on The Essential Strength Podcast. This is your 5 minute download of some health and fitness knowledge meant to make you a little bit smarter and a little bit stronger as you head into the weekend!
Last week, we started the conversation about corrective exercise, some of it’s limitations, and I gave you my thoughts on whether or not it’s still useful. Today, we’re going to continue that conversation with the number one, most important consideration and caveat for using corrective exercises that will enhance pt and client outcomes.
Just like last week, this conversation is framed by a recent article from Barbell Rehab which can be found on the reading list at StrongerInMotion.com.
Long story short - Words Matter. Language Matters.
If you, as a coach or clinician, feel that you need to break a person down and show them all the areas where they are broken, so that you can then sell your services a…
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Mar 3, 2021
Redefining What it Means to be Tough w/ Greg Everett
Our guest this week is Greg Everett, owner of Catalyst Athletics and author of the new book “Tough”
As the subtitle of Greg’s book explains, this book is a guide to building true mental, physical & emotional toughness for success & fulfillment. It’s about a lot more than how to be the traditional vision of a “tough guy” - and in today’s conversation we talk about why clearly defining your values and purpose are foundational to becoming tough, the four C’s that define toughness for Greg, and why tough people should have a journaling routine.
To connect with Greg, give him a follow on Instagram where he is @catalystathletics and to order the book online you can check out becomingtough.com where you will find a ton of absolutely glowing reviews for this book.
This conversation is not what you might expect. A world renowned olympic weightlifting coach, on the Essential Strength Podcast, talking about toughness - and we’re having a conversation about fulfillment, empath…
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Feb 26, 2021
Health & Fitness Friday - Is "Corrective Exercise" Still a Useful Paradigm?
This week, we are talking about the concept of Corrective Exercise, and as always this conversation is framed by the latest article that we posted on the Reading List at StrongerInMotion.com. The title of the article is: Revisiting the Corrective Exercise Conundrum, written by Dr. Ben Geierman and published by our friends at Barbell Rehab.
Recently, the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy published an editorial that included the following statement:
"In physical therapy, management paradigms for various musculoskeletal conditions are dominated by identifying abnormalities in posture and alignment, among others, Most abnormalities have NO ASSOCIATION with pain or disability, challenging the use of corrective exercises.”
So…what might this mean for physical therapist and coaches? Particularly for those who have found consistent success with corrective exercise prescription?
Just because more recent research indicates corrective exercise isn’t the super start we o…
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Feb 24, 2021
How to Build a Champion Mindset w/ Stacy "Bama" Burr
Our guest this week is none other than *Stacy ‘Bama’ Burr*.
Bama is a former competitive power lifter who, in 2019, achieved her lifelong goal of becoming the *Strongest Woman in the World*, achieving a powerlifting total of 1,435lbs - including a 565lb squat, a 320lb bench press and a 550lb deadlift - all while weighing in at only 148lbs bodyweight.
The road to this achievement was extremely rocky. She lost friends, lost touch with family, and nearly lost herself to a battle with depression and hopelessness when her goals seemed out of reach. But she battled back, continued to do the work, and ultimately achieved everything she set out to in the sport of powerlifting. These days, Bama is traveling around the country hosting workshops where she teaches others how to build a Champion Mindset, which is how I was fortunate enough to connect with her. Stacy also hosts a weekly podcast called The Champion Mindset Podcast, and she coaches powerlifting athletes and anyone who wants to g…
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Feb 19, 2021
Health & Fitness Friday - Strategies for Making Fitness Essential
Welcome to this week’s episode of Health & Fitness Friday on *The Essential Strength Podcast*. This is your 5 minute download of some health and fitness knowledge meant to make you a little bit smarter and a little bit stronger as you head into the weekend!
Today we are going to finish the conversation we started two weeks ago about *Why Fitness isn’t Essential in America*. In part one, we discusses the ways in which the fitness industry itself - and how we represent ourselves to the public - is largely responsible for the disconnect between the way fitness professionals view their services, and how most American’s view “fitness”.
This episode outlines 4 strategies we can implement RIGHT AWAY as coaches, trainers and business owners to make ourselves ESSENTIAL in the eyes of the public. And just like last time, today’s conversation draws on information from the an article posted on John Rusin’s blog, authored by Kevin Mullins, and which can be found by going to stronger…
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Feb 10, 2021
Overcoming Self-Doubt & Developing Olympic Discipline w/ Georganne Moline
Our guest today is *Georganne Moline*, and she has a distinction that very few can claim - Olympian.
Georganne is a professional Track & Field athlete who represented the USA in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, running in the 400m hurdles. Her olympic chance came relatively early in her career, while she was still a student athlete at the University of Arizona.
Despite that early success, Georganne experienced self doubt and anxiety that were often crippling. If she underperformed, she couldn’t handle the disappointment. If she performed well, she was terrified of the standard she was setting for herself. It’s these kind of experiences that lead Georganne to be an outspoken advocate for mental health, and the benefits of both therapy and coaching. Her outlook on competition has changed dramatically in the last few years, even while facing some of the biggest set backs and disappointments of her career. I think each of you listening will find that there is incredible value in m…
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Feb 5, 2021
Health & Fitness Friday - Why Fitness Isn't Considered Essential
If you are a person who goes to the gym, you’ve likely experience A LOT of frustration in the last 11 months since the COVID-19 Pandemic started. You’ve also likely seen a lot of rhetoric that looks something like this:
If liquor stores are open, why aren’t gyms? Are we saying that alcohol is more essential than exercise?
*OR*
If 250 people can be shopping in a grocery story, why can’t 6 people be training at a small gym with all the same protocols in place?
I don’t have simple answers to these questions. No one does. That’s why they have been a source of so much frustration!
But instead of focusing on questions that I don’t have the answers to - I find it more productive to ask different questions. Questions that might actually have answers. One of which is - Why is it that Fitness is not considered essential in America? And, could the fitness industry itself be at least partially at fault for the situation we find ourselves in?
For answers to those questions, toda…
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Feb 3, 2021
From Timid to Fierce: How to Cultivate Confidence & Strength w/ Colleen Conlon
Today’s guest is a kettlebell specialist who is on a mission to help women build strength and master the art of training with kettlebells. Her name is *Colleen Conlon** *and her story is one that I am so happy I have a chance to share with all of you listening to this podcast.
As the title of today’s episode implies - Colleen hasn’t always been a confident, kettlebell swinging exemplar of strength. For major chunk of her life she was anything but. She was timid. She was uncomfortable in her own skin. She battled with an eating disorder that left permanent scars not just on her mind but on her body as well. And even when she began to get healthy and and happy again, her fitness journey was meandering and taught her a lot about what she didn’t want to do before ultimately finding her calling.
Her story is one I can relate to, and I think many of you will relate to as well.
*Connect with Colleen
*
* Collen's Website - www.colleenconlon.com
* Colleen on Instagram - @iamcoll…
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Jan 29, 2021
Health & Fitness Friday - Does Beverage Choice Matter for Hydration?
This week, we’re looking a little deeper at how the fluids you choose impact hydration, as well as other areas of health.
Let’s start by reiterating the fact that the majority of your fluid intake should come for plane old water. Nothing groundbreaking here. Intrinsically, I think we all know that water should be our beverage of choice most of the time when it comes to staying properly hydrated.
Next up on the list of hydrating fluids - are coffee and tea.
Third on the list is skim or 1% milk and non-dairy alternatives.
Level four beverages are labeled as “treats”, with the recommendation not to be consumed daily - diet sodas and other forms of drinks with non-calorie artificial or natural sweeteners like Stevia.
Level 5 includes alcohol, whole fat milk, sports drinks, fruit juices and vegetable juices.
And finally, at level 6, and given a resounding “thumbs down” - beverages high in sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.
In summary - think before you drink and when in d…
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Jan 27, 2021
Suffering, Serenity & Running a Rainier Infinity Loop w/ Jason Hardrath
Today we have a guest that is sure to inspire all of you. His name is *Jason Hardrath*. Jason is an elementary school PE teacher in a small town in Southern Oregon who spends his summer breaks on trails all over the country chasing what are known as FKTs - Fastest Known Times - which he defines in the beginning of our conversation today. His ultimate goal is to set 100 FKTs which involve anything from simple trail running over epic distances and sometimes multiple days of effort, to mixed discipline trails involving technical rock climbing or mountaineering.
Jason found running early in his life and it helped him overcome the struggles he was dealing with academically and socially due to impulsive ADHD. To this day, he still struggles at times with maintaining focus or staying on top of routine tasks, but he finds serenity, even spirituality, on the trails where he pushes his body harder and faster than anyone ever has, and advocates for the cognitive benefits of exercise in his class…
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Jan 23, 2021
Into the Ice - How & Why Mike McCastle is Tackling His Next World Record
Welcome to a very special episode of the *Essential Strength Podcast*, coming to you on Saturday morning, January 23rd, 2021! It’s a historic day, and you are about to find out why!
Today, we have a conversation between myself, and Mike McCastle, and if you are listening to this on the date of release, today is the day that Mike takes on his 8th Labor - attempting to break the world record for time fully submerged in ice. The goal - 3 hours packed in ice from the neck down.
Now, for those unfamiliar with Mike’s 12 Labors Project, this is the 8th in a series of progressively challenging physical challenges, each linked to a charitable cause that is close to Mike’s heart. From breaking the world record for pull-ups in 24hrs, to pulling a pick up truck 22 miles across Death Valley in July, Mike has set out to lead a life that inspires others, and challenges everyone - himself include - to find out what lies on the fringes of the human spirit, what greatness we are all capable of i…
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Jan 22, 2021
Health & Fitness Friday - Why is Proper Hydration so Critical?
Welcome to this week’s episode of Health & Fitness Friday on The Essential Strength Podcast. This is your 5 minute download of some health and fitness knowledge meant to make you a little bit smarter and a little bit stronger as you head into the weekend!
We’ve been talking about exercise for the last couple weeks, how it’s quite possibly the single most effective way to improve your overall health and also why it’s so hard to form an exercise habit. Today, we’re going to shift gears a little bit and talk about *HYDRATION*.
A few of the key bodily functions impacted by our hydration status are body temperature regulation, joint lubrication, nutrient delivery, cellular function, infection control and our natural detoxification processes.
The best way to avoid dehydration? You guessed it - drink water! It’s your zero calorie, readily available dehydration prevention beverage!
We will continue this conversation about hydration next week, when we will get into more detail a…
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Jan 20, 2021
Overcoming Addiction & Discovering Your Passion w/ Kyle Sullivan
*This is Episode 27 and our guest is **Kyle Sullivan**. *
Kyle has been sharing his story, speaking on his experiences with alcohol addiction, the trials he faced, mistakes he made, lies he told himself and others, and strategies he has used over the last four years to go from the lowest point imaginable - writing his suicide note - to the point where, in his own words he is just “happy to be existing on this planet”, happy to experience everything this life has to offer and happy to connect with anyone and share anything in an effort to be of service and continue walking down the path that led him away from despair and into hope and happiness.
I had heard bits and pieces of Kyle’s story over the course of our friendship, but a lot of the details and insights he shared during this conversation were brand new to me and every one of my expectations for this conversation were exceeded. I sincerely hope you enjoy this conversation with Kyle Sullivan, and share it far and wide becau…
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Jan 15, 2021
Health & Fitness Friday - Why is an Exercise Habit so Hard to Form?
Welcome to this week’s episode of *Health & Fitness Friday* on The Essential Strength Podcast. This is your 5 minute download of some health and fitness knowledge meant to make you a little bit smarter and a little bit stronger as you head into the weekend!
So, why is it that we haven’t evolved to enjoy something as beneficial as exercise? Evolution has created all kinds of hacks, loops and short cuts that in essence trick us into enjoying things that are good for us. But not exercise. Why? In a new book by Harvard Evolutionary Biologist Daniel Lieberman titled “Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to do is Healthy and Rewarding” we learn just that.
*Want to learn EVEN MORE!?
*Click this link to find the original article cited in this week's podcast and take a deeper look at exercise through the lens of human evolution!
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Jan 13, 2021
How to Live a Courageous Life w/ Patrick Sweeney
Today we have a guest that I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the chance to speak with. His name is Patrick Sweeney. He is the author of Fear is Fuel, and a keynote speaker that Inc. Magazine has called “One of the world’s most interesting people”. He is a cancer survivor, a father, and a philanthropist. Patrick spent 6 years interviewing and learning from three dozen of the world’s top neuroscientists on how fear and the act of overcoming it, creates changes in the brain. He took all that knowledge and put it into his book, Fear is Fuel. Patrick’s mission, in both his writing and his speaking engagements, is to teach people how to make decisions based on opportunity rather than fear, and how courage is the key to unlocking growth, happiness, success and fulfillment.
I have little doubt that after listening to this episode you will understand why I felt so fortunate to have someone of Patrick’s stature and with his world class resume of coaching, speaking and leading…
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Jan 8, 2021
Health & Fitness Friday - Medical Breakthrough: Miracle Cure?
Happy Friday, it’s been … quite a week kicking off 2021. We’ll leave it at that, and move on to the reason you’re here - to gain some health and fitness knowledge as you head into the weekend!
We’ve got a really cool, and in my opinion honestly *life changing bit of science* for everyone today. We’re talking about a breakthrough in preventive medical treatment that has been shown to address an incredible amount of common illnesses, ailments and other maladies. It’s a treatment that is backed by a ton of science and research and I’m so excited to share it with all of you!
*This medical intervention has the following effects:*
* Reduces pain and disability in people with knee arthritis by 47%
* Reduced progression of Alzheimer’s in the elderly by 50%
* Reduced diabetes progression by 58%
* Reduced risk of hip fracture in post-menopausal women by 41%
* Reduced anxiety by 48%
* Relieved depression in 30% of cases with low dose treatment and 47% in higher do…
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Jan 6, 2021
Preparing for Every Outcome & Trusting Your Training w/ Ricky Simon
Today’s guest kicks off 2021 here on The Essential Strength Podcast, and it’s the first in a series of episodes that will all focus on mental health and mental strength. Our guest today is Ricky Simon, a professional UFC fighter from Vancouver, WA whose next bantamweight fight is on January 16th on Fight Island, part of the upcoming UFC Fight Night on ESPN.
In today’s episode you will get a glimpse behind the curtain, into the mind of a fighter. We talk about Ricky’s upbringing and how combat sports have been part of his life from the the very beginning. We talk about how he handles unexpected obstacles in the ring, and moments when the best laid plans don’t work out in moments of extremely high stakes. One recurring theme we found when talking to Ricky was his trust in hard work and preparation. As long as he gives 100% effort in camp and prepares his mind for every possible outcome, he enters the octagon with no doubt, and no distraction. I think we can all learn a lot fro…
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Dec 16, 2020
What is Your Personal Definition of Strength?
Questions or comments? E-mail Us - david@strongerinmotion.com - or hit us up on Instagram - @essential.strength.podcast
*Have your subscribed to **The Essential Strength Podcast** yet? *- If you’ve enjoyed this podcast so far but have not yet subscribed, that would mean a lot to us.
*Episode 24*
Today is Episode 24 and it’s episode unlike anything up until this point. Today, we are sharing a highlight reel of some of our favorite definitions of strength from guests up to this point.
*Featured Guests *(in order)
1. Mark Bell
2. Claire Zai
3. Chase Chewning
4. Holly Myers
5. Alex Piccirilli
6. Adrian Conway
7. Max Artsis
8. Cody McBroom
9. Karin Steere
10. Laura Poburan
We’ve absolutely loved hearing each and every guest define what strength means to them and how it shows up in their lives. The 10 definitions in this episode highlight both the diversity of answers as well as the common threads - that strength is more than just physical, that it is about overcoming resistance o…
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Dec 11, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - What's Better: Walking or Running?
*Questions or Comments? E-mail us! *- david@strongerinmotion.com
What's Better: Walking or Running?
There's a lot to unpack in a question like this, but today's episode aims to tackle the two biggest reasons why people might wonder - "Should I walk or should I run?"
*Want to learn more? Check out the link below for an article from **Medical News Today*!
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/walking-vs-running
*Catch ya'll next week!*
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Dec 9, 2020
How Coaches Can Create Deeper Connections for Better Results w/ Laura Poburan
Today is Episode 23 and our guest is Laura Poburan.
Laura is the founder and lead mentor of TriggerMapping - a certification and mentorship program for nutritionists, dieticians and wellness coaches. Her core philosophy revolves around how the power of connection and human psychology must be understood and used with clients to cultivate permanent, deep and meaningful change. She is leading a shift in the weight loss industry away from traditional coaching practice towards a more healing-based approach, and preparing coaches to implement this shift and truly support their clients on every level.
*Reminder
*The official launch date for the *Enduring Strength *program is Dec. 23 - so save a little bit of that holiday shopping money to get something for yourself! - and the waiting list is open now at strongerinmotion.com
The initial launch will only include 15 participants, so sign up quick before they’re gone! This program will give you access to me as your coach for only $30 a mont…
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Dec 2, 2020
Higher Education in the Pandemic & The Future of Physical Therapy w/ Karin Steere
You are in for a treat this week, an incredibly powerful conversation with Karin Steere, my favorite professor from my PT school program who is still teaching the physical therapists of tomorrow while also completing her PhD in neuroimmunology.
I know the title this episode focuses on her roles as an educator and a physical therapist, but the first 30 minutes of this conversation played out more as a conversation about where human beings draw their motivation from, the impacts of our lived experience, and how each person’s journey to healing is uniquely important. I think you’ll quickly understand why I always looked forward to Karin’s classes and opportunities to learn from her any time I had the chance, she is truly a uniquely insightful and intelligent person.
*Connect with Karin*
* e-mail: Ksteere@pugetsound.edu
* Twitter: @KarinTownson
* Instagram: @KarinTownson
*Announcements*
* Review of the month on Apple Podcasts! - Username Bernardkindall - E-mail me at dav…
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Nov 27, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - The Importance of Strength Training in This Pandemic
We know physical activity and exercise is important to our health and well being. And we know that being physically fit reduces the risk of serious complications should we be exposed to COVID-19.
But what do most of us think of when we consider being “physically active?” Walking? Jogging? Riding a Bike? We used to think about about going to the gym - and I believe we will again in the future - but even then, there’s a reason the elliptical, the stationary bike and the treadmill are the most frequented pieces of equipment in any globogym. When we think of physical activity, we think of cardiovascular exercise.
Well, there are decades of research on the benefits of strength training, also called resistance training and it’s benefits for muscle mass, bone density, circulatory health and mental health - particularly in reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
It can reduce the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. In older individuals, it appears that re…
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Nov 25, 2020
Counting Macros & Realizing Control is Freedom w/ Cody McBroom
Today is episode 21 and we had the pleasure of spending about an hour talking to Cody McBroom, owner of Tailored Coaching Method, host of The BoomBoom Performance Podcast. Cody is an entrepreneur who has built an extremely successful Nutrition Coaching business, he is a nutrition specialist, a coach, a husband, a father and in his own words, he is PASSIONATE about personal development.
A few points to look forward to include Cody’s personal story of being the “chubby friend” growing up and when he flipped the switch and decided he wanted to change his body and his life, how he feels about hardship and exposure to suffering, and how the coaching staff at Tailored Nutrition balance individualizing every client experience while stilling making nutrition simple and easy to understand.
*REMEMBER - *This is the final episode of November, which means you have less than a week to leave a review on Apple Podcasts and become eligible for the Review of the Month Giveaway. Our favorite rev…
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Nov 20, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - Social Jet Lag & Blue Light Blocking Glasses
Welcome to this weeks episode of Health & Fitness Friday on The Essential Strength Podcast! This is your bite-sized podcast designed to make you a little smarter and a little stronger heading into the weekend!
This week we’re talking about the concept of Social Jetlag and whether or not Blue Light blocking glasses actually work to help improve sleep and recovery and prevent this new form of jet lag we are likely all suffering from to one degree or another. Today’s podcast is inspired by a recent research review from Tailored Coaching Method
So, what is social jet lag? It’s a newer term used to explain the issues that arise when our social clock - our normal times of socialization, work, school, etc. - gets increasingly out of sync without biological or circadian clock which controls hormone release, helps os wake up and wind down, etc.
Overall, the research on Blue Light Blocking glasses is split - some studies show an effect, some don’t. This research roundup cited a 2017 s…
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Nov 18, 2020
Back In Motion - A Hybrid Approach to Pain w/ Stefi Cohen & Ian Kaplan
*Welcome to this week’s episode of The Essential Strength Podcast!
*Today is Episode 20, which feels like a big one! It’s one of those nice round numbers that feels like a milestone and we’re lucky enough to have a big guest for today! We had the chance to sit down for an hour with Stefi Cohen and Ian Kaplan of *Hybrid Performance Method* to talk about their new book, *Back In Motion*.
For those who don’t know, *Stefi Cohen* is The Co-Owner of HYBRID Performance Method, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, 25X World Record Holding Powerlifter, author, educator, creative thinker.
*Ian Kaplan* is the COO of HYBRID, Doctor of Chiropractic, Coach, data science enthusiast and creator of the HYBRID Tech Stack.
We get into what makes Back In Motion a completely unique book, but to set the stage, I’ll steal the words directly from Stefi and Ian: This book is NOT about diagnosing back pain. No anatomical diagrams of the spine or sophisticated discussions of neurophysiology. It is a book…
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Nov 13, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - So... I think I had COVID-19
My wife and I had COVID-19.
Today was my first day back in the gym now that I've achieved the benchmarks for days since first symptoms, days without a fever and symptom reduction. The strangest part - I never actually tested positive, even though my wife, Rebecca, did. We made no effort to distance from each other after I developed symptoms and yet... I still tested negative... TWICE and with two different forms of testing.
And that is, in large part, what this episode is about. It's not about the symptoms we experienced, but instead it's about the difficulties we had in getting testing in the first place, the cost associated and the lack of confidence in the results.
COVID-19 is bad enough without the entire testing system being a headache all on it's own!
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Nov 11, 2020
The Four Pillars of Fitness & Doing "The Work" w/ Maggie Dong
Welcome to Episode 19 of The Essential Strength Podcast with our guest this week, Maggie Dong - host of the Mind Muscle Enlightenment Podcast and someone who has a powerful message to share about expanding out definition of what it means to be healthy and fit.
On today’s episode, we talk about Maggie’s four pillars of fitness, what is means to “do the work” and how the journey is so much more important than the destination. We talk about a recent episode of Maggie’s podcast that I found super interesting, in which she speaks on how forgiveness is the first step toward building self confidence. We wrap up the conversation with Maggie explaining the current personal weakness she is working to turn into a strength, and it is a deep one that many of you may relate to.
*Links*
* Maggie On Instagram
* Maggie's Podcast Website - The Mind Muscle Enlightenment Podcast
* The Mind Muscle Enlightenment Podcast on Apple Podcasts
* The Mind Muscle Enlightenment Podcast on Spotif…
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Nov 6, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - Have People Always Had Back Pain?
What’s up everyone, it’s David back with this weeks episode of Health and Fitness Friday. Your bite sized podcast meant to make you a little smarter and a little stronger at the end of every week.
We’re still riding the back pain train this week, but we’re taking it BACK IN TIME.
Back Pain seems like a modern dilemma. We sit more and more for our jobs, we sit and watch Netflix at home, we sit in our cars and therefore we have back pain.
People probably didn’t have back pain before our lifestyles became sedentary, right? Actually, not right. We can look back as far as 3,000 years ago and find documented cases of back pain. Now, back in the day - meaning like, 1500 BCE - we don’t have statistics to tell us the per capita case rate of back pain or anything of that nature, but we can say that some of the most influential names in the history of science and medicine were pondering back pain, what caused it, and how to treat it, many many centuries ago.
And now, at least 3,00…
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Nov 4, 2020
Hard Work, Grit & Building FNX Fit w/ Adrian Conway
Today’s guest is none other than Adrian Conway - former pro-football player, multiple time CrossFit Games Team Champion, Coach, Podcast Host and Co-Founder of FNX Fit.
On today’s episode we talk about Adrian’s athletic background, the birth of FNX and their commitment to building a supplement company grounded in transparency, quality and community, we talk about Adrian’s recent venture into podcasting - he is the host of RISE and POD with Adrian Conway - and I ask Adrian about the importance of two key themes in his life and success - HARD WORK and the power of A POSITIVE MINDSET.
*Review of the Month - October Winner!
*Out favorite Apple Podcast review from October was from "lupecc" - if you're reading this, please reach out either via Instagram - @essential.strength.podcast - of send an e-mail to david@strongerinmotion.com to claim your prize - any product of your choosing from FNX Fit!
*FNX Fit Affiliate Partnership!
*One of the biggest reasons we wanted to have Adrian…
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Oct 30, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - Re-training the Brain with Chronic Pain
Congratulations ! You have made it to the end of another work week and that means it’s time for Health & Fitness Friday here on The Essential Strength Podcast! This is the bight sized podcast meant to make you a little smarter as the week comes to a close!
This week we’re talking about how to take control and start undoing some of these painful connections and feedback loops that cause pain when you just think about an activity like walking, carrying groceries, etc.
I read a great analogy for neuroplasticity since our last conversation. Neuroplasticity is the phenomenon in which out brain and neural network physical changes as we go through life experiences. The analogy was this - Think of a river carving out a channel. The more water that move flows through the channel, the slicker and deeper it becomes. To that I would add, as the channel becomes deeper, the more water will pass through every minute, every hour, and every day. And if that channel is maladaptive, if it’s creat…
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Oct 28, 2020
Learning, Leading & The Importance of Relative Strength w/ Max Artsis
This is episode 17 and our guest today is Max Artsis.
Max is a coach, trainer and speaker based in Los Angeles. In his own words, Max is fortunate to train gold medal Olympians, and athletes in the NFL, MLB, WNBA, NBA, and NCAA. He spent 6 years at Nike World Headquarters, including time as the Nike Master Trainer Network Lead, was the Director of Sport Science and Education for Rokke Performance Therapy, and continually keynotes for companies/conferences globally. He is endlessly fascinated with the psychology of sport, and how the holistic picture of the human behind the athlete affects performance.
In this episode we speak about Max’s definition of strength and the importance he places on the concept of “relative strength” both in the gym and in life, and we talk at length about the concept of “staying in your lane” does more harm than good in the health and fitness industries. There is a whole lot more to this conversation but... you'll just have to listen!
*More About…
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Oct 23, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - Why Do We Feel Pain?
Today we’re continuing our conversation about pain, and in particular we’re asking the question - why do we feel pain? What is the point of this unpleasant sensation and why, if it’s so important, does it seem that we all experience it differently?
Pain is, at its core, our body’s way of signaling a real or perceived threat. That threat is most commonly one that could cause damage to the physical structure of the body. We experience pain as a way of breaking the pattern and creating a sensation so acutely unpleasant that our attention is drawn almost immediately away from whatever else we may be doing to address whatever the source of the pain is. Remember, at the end of the day our brain’s only job is to keep the body alive at all costs.
It might be useful to think of pain as the smoke detectors in your house. They go off when there is smoke in the air, and then it is your job to determine the source of that smoke and what to do about it. The smoke detector doesn’t tell…
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Oct 21, 2020
Yoga, Strength Training and Empowering Strong Women w/ Alex Piccirilli
Today is episode 16 and out guest is Alex Piccirilli - one of the most effusively energetic and positive people I have the pleasure of calling a friend.
Alex is a Certified Group Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer and RYT-200 Yoga Teacher who recently left Portland and moved to Nashville, TN. As a coach, Alex focuses on moving with intention and integrity, building confidence through strength, and holistically increasing performance in a fun and sustainable way. She grew up playing sports and discovered her love of strength training through college athletics as a cheerleader at the University of Miami and is grateful that she can now share this love and knowledge with others for a living!
Today’s conversation ranges from some eye opening insights into the physical challenges and discipline required to be a collegiate cheerleader this experience as a college athlete laid the foundation for Alex’s love of strength training. We talk about what lead her to becoming a certified yoga…
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Oct 16, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - Chronic Pain Changes Your Brain
Today we’re continuing our conversation about pain, and in particular today we’re talking about how it literally changes your brain.
Because the experience of chronic pain is associated with multiple networks of the central nervous system, it is actually classified as a Central Nervous System Disorder with sensory, cognitive, emotional and behavioral elements.
Long story short, the brain is a complex and interconnected structure - in the case of pain, the areas of the brain responsible for interpreting the messages coming from other areas of the body are connected with the areas responsible for our emotions and motivation - these areas cannot be separated, which is why people often have an emotional response to pain. And chronic pain appears to change these connections. For example, several studies of people with persistent or chronic back pain have found increased functional connectivity between the prefrontal cortex (one of the pain perception centers) and the areas responsible…
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Oct 14, 2020
Injury, Mentorship & Building SoCal Powerlifting w/ Zack Bartell
Today is Episode 15 and our guest is the Great and Powerful Zack Bartell.
Zack Bartell is the sole owner of SoCal Powerlifting, located in Irvine California. He is a retired competitive powerlifter, and also works as a business coach to fitness businesses around the country, helping them grow and scale their own operations.
On today’s episode, Zack takes us back to when his powerlifting career was ended prematurely due to injury and puts himself back in that moment when his entire identity was ripped away from him. We talk about the how SoCal Powerlifting came to be and why he is more proud of the community he has created than any financial and material success, and we talk about how mentorship and a thirst for learning have been constants throughout his life.
*LINKS*
* Zack's Instagram
* SoCal Powerlifting Instagram
* SoCal Powerlifting Website
* Zack's Business Coaching
*BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS*
* Extreme Ownership - Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
* The Infinite Game - S…
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Oct 12, 2020
Motivation Monday - Be Uncommon
It’s the little things we do that either moves us forward towards high achievement or pulls us backward towards the safety of low expectations.
When most stop…keep going. Risk safety for uncertain.
Let your values and principles serve as anchors during the inevitable storms that life sends your way
Mike is back with another Motivation Monday segment!
This one will help you shed the fear and mediocrity that comes with "the crowd." It might be just the spark you need break free and begin to live the life YOU want, to fulfill YOUR dreams, and to live an UNCOMMON LIFE - no longer fearing that death will come before you've truly lived.
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Oct 9, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - Low Back Pain and Exercise: What Does the Evidence Say?
Last week we began our conversation about pain and the importance of continuing to find ways to stay active and keep mobile even in the presence of pain. Today, we are going to zoom in a little bit and discuss Low Back Pain and the state of the literature as it relates to what does and does not work when it comes to exercises designed to rehabilitate chronic low back pain.
In particular, we’re talking about the findings of a literature review published in December, 2018 that looked at various common exercise paradigms used to address low back pain and how they affected pain, disability, quality of life, strength, mobility and flexibility.
Before we dive into some details - here is the Great News: This review found that every single approach - be in Pilates, Global Postural Rehabilitation, McKenzie Exercises, etc. - every approach was effective for reducing pain, disability and improving quality of life AND the effects help up over time. These exercise-based interventions were also…
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Oct 7, 2020
Integrated Healthcare & Fitness w/ Brad Farra
Today is Episode 14 and our guest is Brad Farra. Brad is a sports chiropractor and the owner of Evolution Healthcare and Fitness in Portland, Oregon. Evolution is the Premier Integrated Healthcare and Fitness Facility in the Pacific Northwest, and a unique look into what many of us in the healthcare and fitness industries becomes common place - a single facility boasting Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, Massage, Acupuncture, Naturopathic Medicine and Dietetics along with a group of experienced coaches and trainers all working in concert under a single roof, supporting one another and pushing each other to be better.
In today’s episode we talk about what Brad found, and more importantly did not find, during his first years in practice as a Chiropractor, and what ultimately lead to his decision to build Evolution and create the kind of opportunity he couldn’t find anywhere else. We talk about the state of the healthcare and fitness industries, the role of strength in rehabilitation a…
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Oct 2, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - Can I Train with Pain?
Happy Friday!
Let's talk about pain - and specifically, can you continue training when if you have pain?
Short answer to a very complex question: YES...most of the time. There are some caveats to this answer, and LOT's more to talk about moving forward but here is the biggest take home from today's episode:
If you are experiencing mild pain (At or below 4/10) you likely SHOULD continue to train with modification to ensure you aren't making your pain get WORSE during exercise. In general, our bodies heal faster when we stay active and keep moving vs. choosing complete rest.
If you are currently experiencing pain and it's impacting your training, or impacting you life - there is a team of clinical coaches at Stronger In Motion ready to help! Connect with us via our website, or via social media and let's get you moving better, with less pain, and more joy!
Tune in next week as we dive deeper into back pain and how it impacts big lifts like squats and deadlifts.
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Sep 30, 2020
Kettlebells, Coaching & The Greater Good w/ Holly Myers
Hello My Friends!
This is *Episode 13* of The Essential Strength Podcast and our guest is Holly Myers.
Holly is a coach and business owner based in Portland, Oregon. Along with her partner, Arryn, she owns Lift With Holly and Arryn - an online coaching business with the mission of Creating a Kinder Fitness Industry through Play, Awareness and Courage. The emphasis of their platform is coaching other coaches on how to get stronger and move more joyfully using barbells, kettlebells and other modalities.
Much in the same was that The Essential Strength Podcast was born of a desire to illuminate the ways that people experience strength far beyond just it’s physical expression, Holly’s definition of strength goes far beyond muscles - into the realms of human potential, failure, resilience and integrity.
We talk about Holly’s own journey with strength training, and how it almost didn’t happen due to common gender stereotypes and fears, the best and most challenging aspects of bui…
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Sep 25, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - Physical Activity, Aging & The Pandemic
On today’s episode of Health & Fitness Friday, we’re talking about the importance of maintaining physical activity as we age, and how COVID-19, with all it’s health risks and policies, has made it harder than ever for older adults to get the recommended amount of weekly physical activity.
To frame the situation, let’s quickly re-cap: COVID-19 becomes increasingly dangerous with pre-existing conditions, such as the types of chronic medical conditions common in older adults such as heart disease, respiratory diagnoses, and hypertension among. All of this happens at the same time as the aging process natural diminishes the effectiveness of our immune systems. All this to say - COVID-19 is more dangerous for the older members of out community whose immure systems do not respond as subtly has the younger counterparts.
What does this mean in a practical sense? It means legitimate concerns about re-entering social spaces, increased worry about exposure risk, and an increased likelih…
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Sep 23, 2020
The Historic Power of Rhythm w/ Steven Skolnik
Hello friends! Welcome to another episode of The Essential Strength Podcast. After a week off that involved moving from Northern California to Phoenix, Arizona … we are back to our normally scheduled Wednesday full-length episodes and this one is particularly special to me personally because I had the chance to sit down with my brother, Steve Skolnik, to talk about the power of rhythm throughout history, and how much like strength, rhythm is ever present in our lives, and in the world all around us.
In this episode you’ll learn about Steve’s path from a little kid who loved music classes in elementary school, the to moment he realized he wanted to be a drummer and how that moment has defined the next 20 years of his life, from performing, teaching and studying music to how he sees rhythmic structure everywhere he looks.
Here is my practical advice to real seal in the flavor of this episode - I want you to notice when you are influenced by rhythm and to appreciate how it feels.…
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Sep 21, 2020
Motivation Monday - The Unlikely Labor
Mike McCastle recently completed an Unlikely Labor, pulling a 2.5 ton truck for 10 miles along the Dalton Highway in freezing temperatures. This labor took him into the Arctic Circle, and beyond the what the vast majority of people may consider the limits of human achievement.
But for Mike, this labor was more about relief than about the struggle. Relief from an anguished mind, struggling to come to grips with the loss of a previously planned labor, one that is a part of a series of tasks he has but one lifetime to complete, and all of which serve a purpose that has more value than a single human life.
As Mike says in this reflection on his labor, *he is and always will be the author of his own story. *Nothing is given, nothing is promised, and it is up to each of us to decide will be succumb or will be overcome.FNX Fitness
Supplements To Fuel Your Greatness - - Use code ESSENTIAL for 20% at check-out
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may rece…
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Sep 9, 2020
What Cancer Can Teach Us About Strength w/ Dr. Shai Sewell, DPT
Hello friends, and welcome to this week’s episode of the Essential Strength Podcast! This is episode 11 and I had the pleasure of speaking this week with one of my best friends and fellow physical therapist Shai Sewell. We talked about his experiences as a physical therapist working with cancer patients, and also about what he learned from the time his mother spent battling cancer, and how her spirit and fight informed his decision to pursue this unique career and become an advocate not just for his patients, but for the professionals working to serve this population.
We cover a lot of ground during this conversation, but in the end all of us, and all of you listening, will be touched by cancer if you haven’t been already. It could be a parent, a friend, or it could be you. Cancer is indiscriminate and unpredictable. Gaining an understanding of how best to provide support for a loved one, to be an advocate, to put yourself in the best position and create the best personal health y…
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Sep 4, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - The American Health Emergency
There is a health emergency in this country, and it dates back far longer than this novel Corona Virus, COVID-19. But now, it's directly effecting our citizens risk of contracting the Corona Virus, as well as their risk of hospitalization and even death.
We are a sick country, and unfortunately our system is set up to respond only after we become sick, rather then helping us find and maintain true health.
It's a band aid approach to wellness that is not just failing us, it's literally doing us harm. Think of all of our pills and diet fads are band aids for our feet, but our collective "floor" (environment) is covered in broken glass. No sooner do we put one band aid on (call it a blood pressure pill), another shard of glass cuts us open. There are not enough band aids in the world to stop our bleeding. What we need isn't another pill, it's a paradigm shift.
I hope today's episode inspires you to take control of the components of your health you have the power to impact. If you want…
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Sep 2, 2020
The Incredible Power of Accepting Change w/ Chase Chewning
Hello friends and welcome to Ep. 10 of *The Essential Strength Podcast*
Today we are talking with the one and only Chase Chewning, host of Ever Forward Radio.
We get into a lot of deep topics in this episode - from why people fear change to what happens in our own heads when we are left alone with our thoughts.
Chase and David talked about quite a few books during today's episode, In no particular order, here are the books that were mentioned:
1. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
2. Ego Is The Enemy by Ryan Holiday
3. Stillness Is The Key by Ryan Holiday
4. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
5. Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson
6. The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
7. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy (we talked about this one off air)
We'd also like to remind everyone of our new Affiliate Partner - Barbell Apparel
Makers of clothing designed with the lifter and the athlete in mind. Listeners of *The Essential Strength Podcast *get 10% off any purchase from Barbell Apparel…
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Aug 28, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - Positive Psychology & Mental Agility
Welcome to Health & Fitness Friday on The Essential Strength Podcast!
Today’s episode is supported by the amazing folks over at FNX Fit. FNX Fit is a Utah-based company committed to creating the highest quality nutritional supplements and training apparel to fuel your greatness. As a listener of the Essential Strength Podcast, you get 15% off of any purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!
Let's talk about PSYCHOLOGY - the everyone’s favorite subject from their personal training coursework, right? For those non-trainers and non-coaches out there - that’s what we call a JOKE. There is essentially NO training for how to handle the psychological factors at play in this job, even though physical and mental performance are inextricably linked. The longer I work as a therapist and a coach, the more I realize managing the psychological factors is absolutely VITAL to get people the results they want.
Considering the world we live in right now, most of us and our clients have had…
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Aug 26, 2020
Fighting Gender Inequality in the Fitness Industry w/ Claire Zai
Welcome to Episode 9 of The Essential Strength Podcast!
Our guest today is Claire Zai. Claire is competitive powerlifter and holds a Masters of Science in Exercise Physiology from the University of Colorado. She currently lives in San Diego, where she works in a research lab while applying to Medical School, runs a small coaching business called BullZai Strength and contributes to group programming for Barbell Medicine.
Claire has a story that I am sure many female athletes and lifters will relate too - initially drawn to the weight room to improve performance as a team sports athlete, she received little attention or guidance in a gym full of high school football players. Add to that the institutionalized gender stereotypes demanding women train to get smaller, slimmer, and more “toned” and she was soon discouraged.
*Here are your action steps for today:*
*First* - If you are a guy and you go to the gym, don’t be a dick. Like so many other areas of life right now, it’s imp…
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Aug 21, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - The Benefits of a Gym Buddy
Welcome to another edition of Health & Fitness Friday. Your weekly mini-podcast covering health and fitness knowledge that will leave you a little smarter and a lot more motivated in less than 10 minutes!
*The topic this week - Gym Buddies*
Most people have an intrinsic sense of why it’s good to have a gym buddy or a workout partner. But what does the research say? Is there more to it than just having a friend to keep you accountable?
Researchers at the University of Aberdeen set out to answer that question, and their findings - published in 2016 - confirmed that finding an exercise companion increased the amount of exercise that people did, and that there was one key trait we should look for in our gym partners.
While simply having an exercise companion increased exercise volume, a partner who offered emotional support lead to even greater increases in exercise when compared to a companion who offered more practical support. The lead researcher, Dr. Pamela Rackow, concluded that…
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Aug 19, 2020
Emotional Trauma, Stress and Injury Risk w/ Shauna Ericksen
Can emotional stress increase your risk of physical injury?
That's just part of the question that today's guest, Shauna Ericksen, is attempting to answer with her PhD research. It's the type of question that could create a major shift in how coaches manage athletes, how athletes advocate for their own well being and have a ripple effect into so many other areas of sport.
Shauna Ericksen is an Athletic Trainer with a Masters Degree in Sports Conditioning and is currently pursuing her PhD at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. In her time as an Athletic Trainer, Shauna started to notice a pattern - when an athlete experienced increased life stress or mental fatigue, their risk of physical injury also increased. When she looked for evidence to support this observation, she found very little. Most research was focused on the inverse relationship - how does physical injury effect mental health? This is important to know, but if a better understanding and awareness of mental health c…
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Aug 14, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - Why Everyone Should Train Like an Athlete
What is it that you love to do the most?
We're talking specifically about things that involve physical activity - gardening, cycling, adult league softball, summer hiking, etc.
Now - consider that your "Sport"
Training and thinking more like an athlete, using concepts like off season training and in season training, can be the key to unlocking better performance in any activity you love to do. Whether than means using the winter to get your grip stronger and your low back stronger for those house of gardening you know are coming as soon as the weather warms up, or improving your single leg strength and endurance to power up the hills on your favorite bike ride - you don't have to play a traditional sport to train like an athlete!
That's what today's episode is all about, and if you just open you mind a little bit and try the exercise of considering your chosen activity as a sport that you can train for - you may find that one winter of strength training leads to feeling better on y…
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Aug 12, 2020
Creating A Bright Future for Health & Fitness w/ Michael Mash
What if healthcare providers and fitness professionals worked together in an integrated system that built people up to become the strongest, healthiest, most resilient versions of themselves?
Sounds amazing, right?
Well, there are a handful of people laying the groundwork for this future, and today's guest is one of them.
Dr. Michael Mash, PT, DPT, CSCS is the owner and founder of Barbell Rehab, an educational company dedicated to helping rehab and fitness professionals improve their management of barbell athletes. His flagship course, The Barbell Rehab Workshop, is available in both a home-study format and taught live at various gyms across the world.
In this episode, Dr. Mash shares his journey from physical therapy student with a passion for Barbell Training, to where he is now - working full time educating other clinicians and fit pros on how to use the barbell as a rehab tool and improve patient and client experiences across the spectrum from rehab to performance.
Dr. Mas…
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Aug 7, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - Should You Use a Collagen Supplement?
Collagen Supplements - What are they, who should take them, where should you get them?
Let’s actually start with that last point - where should you get your collagen supplements? Well, it just so happens that we have our first partner on the Essential Strength Podcast! Super stoked to say we are working with the great people at FNX Fitness, which is where I personally have been getting the majority of my supplements for the last 2 years - Including their *Resilience Collagen
*
By the time I’m done talking about the benefits of collagen supplementation, you’ll probably want to grab some for yourself - so why not *save 15%*
Head to FNX Fitness and use the code *ESSENTIAL* at checkout to *save 15% on your entire purchase!
*Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins in the body - its the main structural protein that forms connective tissue like bones, muscles and tendons, and it makes up 80% of your skin!
Research has shown promising results from supplementing with collagen -…
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Aug 5, 2020
Strength is Never a Weakness w/ Mark Bell
Mark Bell has a saying - "Strength is Never a Weakness and Weakness is Never a Strength."
Today on Ep. 06 of The Essential Strength Podcast, Mike and David had the honor of spending over an hour talking to the one and only Mark Bell about how strength plays a roll in his life inside and outside the gym. While most people are familiar with "Smelly" as the owner of Mark Bell's Slingshot and Super Training Gym, the man who has squatted 1,000lbs and continues to workout like a savage - we wanted to know how he uses his strength to be a good father and a good husband. We were fascinated by a man who has been very open about his struggles in school and yet he has become obsessed with learning and providing so much education to his audience. We even find out a little known fact about the first book Mark has ever read.
We dive into times where Mark has had to overcome fear and discuss how embracing the hard workouts and "staying in the pocket" prepared him for difficult times in his life. We…
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Jul 31, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - What Happens When You Don't Sleep?
Sleep deficiencies have both long term and short term impacts on your health. And while sleep is one of the most fundamental ways to improve our health and well being, it is also one of the easiest to overlook. In our modern world, full of endless entertainment and information, 33% of American Adults get less than 6.5 hour of sleep per night. As you'll learn in this week's Health & Fitness Friday mini-pod, habitual sleeplessness has both short and long term effects that are universally negative.
Today's mini-pod was inspired by a recent blog from Precision Nutrition, which you can find here - https://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-sleep
The original post is FULL of information on how sleep relates to body composition, the concept of "sleep debt" and more.
I would love to hear from our listeners why Health & Fitness topics matter to YOU and what you would love to learn more about on future Health & Fitness Friday Podcasts. The best way to do this is to send us a message via Inst…
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Jul 29, 2020
Achieve Your True Potential by Training Your Mind & Body
Achievement lies on the other side of struggle.
Unfortunately, for almost all of us, our minds will persuade us to stop long before we find out just how much we can struggle and still overcome. Ultimately, that's what this conversation is about.
David & Mike start by talking about how they approach hard training sessions, and what years of repeated exposure to physical challenges has taught each of them about their bodies and minds. As the conversation progresses, the discussion moves well beyond just physical training and into a discussion of how often the limits we impose on ourselves are superficial and based on our mind's programming to seek comfort as a means to ensure survival.
The concepts of pre-determined failure and harnessing purpose in your training are discussed. You'll also get a glimpse into just how passionate Mike is about showing people how much greatness they are capable of, and how frustrating it is to hear people say, "Oh, I could never do that" before they've e…
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Jul 24, 2020
Health & Fitness Friday - Do Strong People Live Longer?
Happy Friday Everyone!
David here to announce that we are launching a new component of *The Essential Strength Podcast* today called *Fit & Healthy Friday!!
*Every Friday you will get a bite sized podcast covering a health and fitness topic that you can apply to your own life. Think of it as a little gift at the end of a long week, and something to take with you into the weekend as motivation to keep moving in the right direction - THE HEALTHY DIRECTION!
Today, we're reviewing an article that was originally published in Outdoor Magazine's online platform titled - *To Delay Death, Lift Weights** *(click the title to read the full article)
This article was also shared on the *Reading List** *at https://www.strongerinmotion.com
which is the home of my personal training and nutrition business, *Stronger In Motion*.
In this mini-pod you'll learn about how two different research studies looking at large groups of adults found indicators that would suggest strength training and developin…
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Jul 15, 2020
The Psychological Science of Diet and Behavior Change w/ Dr. Cat Steele
Addressing obesity isn't as simple as "eat less, move more".
On this episode we sit down with Dr. Cat Steele to learn how the food we eat literally changes our brain, why food cravings are so powerful, and what we each can do to support healthy eating choices.
Dr. Cat Steele has a PhD in Psychological Sciences from Kansas State University, and completed postdoctoral work in Clinical Nutrition. She will be starting as an Assistant Professor in Psychology at Texas A&M International University in August, where she will teach and conduct research in human psychology.
To learn more from Dr. Steele, follow her on Instagram here - https://www.instagram.com/steelephd/?igshid=12qdecze78l8u
To go straight to Dr. Steele's website and read her blogs and research, click right here - https://linktr.ee/steelephd
We sincerely hope you enjoy this episode! We know you will come away from this conversation with Dr. Steele owning a greater understanding of how what we eat, where we live and what we d…
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Jul 7, 2020
Momento Mori - Find Strength in Your Mortality
Get comfortable with your own mortality.
While many people seem to act as if they will live forever, this is simply not the way things work. No one in history has ever escaped the ultimate exit plan - death. Along with birth, it is the defining characteristic of human life which unites all people regardless of class, religion, or nationality.
Despite it's certainty, however, few people contemplate the reality of death because it's too grim. But what if something as certain and universal as mortality could be harnessed as a tool to build your strength and resolve? What if reflecting on your imminent death allowed you to fully engage in life? These questions are at the core of today's episode; how to use Momento Mori and reflection on your own mortality to eliminate excuses and clarify your actions. When you accept that the next breath could be your last, suddenly it becomes easier to quit those bad habits that aren't serving you, and double down on what you know to be your true callin…
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Jun 30, 2020
Data Driven Strength w/ Brian Buck
On Episode 2 of The Essential Strength Podcast, David & Mike sit down (virtually, of course) with Brian Buck, Director of Sports at Sparta Science.
The conversation starts with an exploration of Brian's path to his current position; his education, his time as an outfielder in the Major League Baseball system, his mentors in the field of sports science, and his work as a Strength & Conditioning Coach in the pro sports industry.
From there, the conversation shifts specifically to Sparta Science - what they do, and who they aim to serve. Sparta Science is a data collection company that creates predictive models for injury risk and performance enhancement. They work with professional and collegiate sports teams, the military, and the general population to advance our understanding of why we get hurt, how we get hurt, and what we can do to reduce our risk while improving our performance whether that be on the field as an NFL Linebacker, or off the field as a mom who wants to play with her…
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Jun 19, 2020
The Origin Story
Welcome to the FIRST episode of The Essential Strength Podcast.
In this episode, David & Mike introduce themselves and share their backgrounds, including the vital role that STRENGTH has played during challenging times in their lives as well as how they have found the strength to succeed both personally and professionally.
As the conversation evolves, David & Mike discuss the power of the mind to turn even the most bleak situations into joyful memories, the importance of finding footholds to climb out of despair, and how mental strength is a practice, not something that comes overnight.
Mike also makes an announcement about his upcoming 7th Labor, which will be his most challenging yet. You'll definitely want to stay tuned for that!
Hope you enjoy this inaugural episode of The Essential Strength Podcast.
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