AdapNation: all things Self-Optimisation!

Whilst we’re not a CrossFit Podcast, and we have a natural bias towards more traditional strength and weight training, we massively appreciate CrossFit for the positive impact it’s had on people's relationship with health and fitness over the last decade. Moreover, Bryn got started with a CrossFit box a few months ago and has a really interesting perspective as a PT and someone who has always favoured strength training. 

This episode will help those who are considering CrossFit and/or those who have specific body goals understand all the value, benefits and downsides of CrossFit, from a relative Newbie who is not dogmatic and cult-like about the sport. 

Bryn walks Steve through his experience, motivations and realised benefits to date. We cover:

1️⃣ What does a typical CrossFit session look like?

2️⃣ Why did Bryn Start going?

3️⃣ Is he still interested in going?

4️⃣ Is it in support of his physique and strength goals?

5️⃣ What have been the benefits and carryover?

6️⃣ Does Bryn do CrossFit exclusively?

7️⃣ What about risk of injury?

8️⃣ What is the average age demographic?

9️⃣ Is Lisa (Bryn’s Wife) enjoying and getting value from CrossFit?

🔟 Summary Pros, Cons and Barriers to Entry

If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star reviewand letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.

AdapNation Useful Links:

AdapNation Website - where you will find articles, videos and journals on all things wellness, training and mindset

AdapNation Food Diary- 100+ Tasty Healthy Meal Ideas, that are focussed on helping you thrive

Facebook Community - To get into conversation with like-minded folk wanting to be their best

#HyperWorkoutsYouTube Videos - 8-week training blocks, with video guides and print-outs

AdapNation Instagram - To see how Steve uses and progresses in the gym

What do you listen to when you hit the gym? What gets you fired up to lift heavy and have intensity, and what have you realised does NOT work?

That’s the topic of discussion in this half an hour fun chat. As always, Bryn and Steve have some differences in our needs and motivations. Check it out.

Oh, and for you Oldskool Michael Jackson fans, there’s a little treat for you towards the end of this Episode. I think you’ll like it. 😉

What we discuss:

1️⃣ Listening to Audible & Podcasts whilst training

2️⃣ Steve’s need for over-stimulation and zero distraction...

3️⃣ Aggression or Calm when lifting really heavy?

4️⃣ What are the #Instafamous listening to when they film their workouts?

5️⃣ Oldskool favourites of Steve when he first found working out as a young teenager

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If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star reviewand letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.

AdapNation Useful Links:

■ AdapNation Website - where you will find articles, videos and journals on all things wellness, training and mindset

■ AdapNation Food Diary- 100+ Tasty Healthy Meal Ideas, that are focussed on helping you thrive

■ Facebook Community - To get into conversation with like-minded folk wanting to be their best

■ #HyperWorkoutsYouTube Videos - 8-week training blocks, with video guides and print-outs

■ AdapNation Instagram - To see how Steve uses and progresses in the gym

Steve’s 37 and Bryn is 29. Neither are spring chickens, but we still feel like youth is on our side. In part this comes from the actions we take towards health, nutrition and strength, and in part our assumptions of what getting older should ‘feel’ and ‘look’ like. 

And given Bryn’s PT practice works with a reasonable volume of ‘older’, say 40-80 years old, we thought it would make for a good episode to discuss the observational and recommendation differences between a young person and someone more mature. 

For younger folk, this episode is looking into a crystal ball into the future, and should give you food for thought. And for those in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and older, you should be able to take some comfort, inspiration and practical recommendations from this discussion. 

For the first 5 mins, Steve has a quick rant about the amount of accumulated crap in his house they are having to sift through as part of a multi-room decoration effort.

Here’s what we cover: 

1️⃣ - Actual Age vs Fitness Age - it’s time to reset your view of what ‘old’ feels like

2️⃣ - There’s a decline in body health and mobility - 40 year olds are coming in riddled with issues

3️⃣ - Body goals morphing from purely aesthetics to including longevity and function as people get older

4️⃣ - Considerations for working on BIG aesthetic goals for the older population

5️⃣ - Muscle building hormonal differences between young and older people

6️⃣ - Bryn’s Top 7 Observations and Recommendations for older clients - 

To be clear, this is not an attempt to label a certain age bracket as old. Instead, this guidance is intended to help understand what changes occur as the human body ages in todays day and age, so that you can set the right expectations and train smart.

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If you like this and other AdapNation episodes,please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well asleaving a 5 star reviewand letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.

AdapNation Useful Links:

■ AdapNation Website - where you will find articles, videos and journals on all things wellness, training and mindset

■ AdapNation Food Diary - 100+ Tasty Healthy Meal Ideas, that are focussed on helping you thrive

■ Facebook Community - To get into conversation with like-minded folk wanting to be their best

■ #HyperWorkouts YouTube Videos - 8-week training blocks, with video guides and print-outs

■ AdapNation Instagram - To see how Steve uses and progresses in the gym

• AdapNation Website - where you will find articles, videos and journals on all things wellness, training and mindset

Step one - lets get the diet in check. Reduce the foods that cause your body stress and amplify all the tasty nutritious food that can have you thrive. Food is powerful stuff, and when done right you can rid yourself of symptoms and diseases, as well as making you feel on fire - ready to own every day.

That said, there is a place for Supplementation, to fill in the nutritional gaps in your diet, and act as an insurance policy that helps have all your bases covered. Moreover, there are some supplements that provide benefits not easily extracted from common western diets, and as such stand out for their ability to further boost your wellness and vitality.

This episode carries on the conversation from AdapNation Episode 35 (The Anti-Inflammatory Diet Progress Update), as Steve walks Bryn through the Supplement ‘stack’ he takes for optimal wellness, as well as some interesting insights into the global health decline and Steve’s real why behind caring so much about nutrition.

The Supplements discussed are broken down into these categories: 

1️⃣ -Supporting Muscle Growth & Performance

2️⃣ - Assisting Rest & Recovery from Training

3️⃣ - Supporting General Wellness 

4️⃣ -Boosting Optimal Wellness (the ‘weird’ stuff)

5️⃣ - Supplement-like Superfoods

This is by no means is a prescription of what you should take, not is it an exhaustive list. Instead, you’ll get to understand what Steve takes and why. This may help you better understand the supplementation strategy that’s right for you. 

You can check out the list of all the supplements Steve takes in this article - Supplement Pills & Potions - Optimising Health, Energy & Gains.

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If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star review and letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.

AdapNation Referenced/Useful Links:

■ Supplement Pills & Potions - Optimising Health, Energy & Gains

■ Steve’s “Awesome” Morning Fuel

■ IIFYM+ Thrive - AdapNation’s Eating Approach for Nutritional Wellness

■ AdapNation Food Diary - 100+ Tasty Meal ideas that help you Thrive

Third Party Referenced/Useful Links:

▪︎ Muscle For Life Podcast: What can BCAA’s actually do for you? - Great podcast on debunking the value of BCAA's

▪︎ Legion Athletics Supplements - Trustworthy and optimally formulated supplements founded by Mike Matthews

▪︎ Awesome Supplements - A great UK based supplement company that has an incredible Vegan Protein shake. Founded by Ben Coomber

▪︎ Mentioned biohackers - Dave Asprey & Ben Greenfield

In this short episode, Steve updates Bryn on the three week Anti-Inflammatory Diet that Steve, Michelle and the kids are on, in an attempt to reduce systemic inflammation and aid the regression of auto immune conditions and other commonly experienced symptoms.

This diet is simply the total avoidance of Gluten, Refined Sugars & Artificial Sweeteners and Dairy. The idea is that these foods are universally the biggest culprits behind many of the modern conditions, obesity and diseases we suffer with today, as they cause internal inflammation that creates a whole cascade of issues your body has to deal with. 

It’s an incredibly hard diet to consider and prepare for (physically and mentally), and getting going is pretty brutal. However, in reality it’s not as bad as it sounds after a few days, and has some tremendous upside for you today, and most importantly your future self. 

Steve chats about:

1️⃣ - The challenges of the diet. This will surprise you

2️⃣ - The rewards so far for the whole family

3️⃣ - The mind blowing movements of discovery and experience

4️⃣ - How Steve & Michelle have gamified the experience to make it exciting and enjoyable for their young kids

5️⃣ - The Bigger Why behind this diet for Steve’s kids

If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star review and letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.

Referenced Links:

■ Tom O'Bryan - Auto Immune Fix - This is the book that gives the why and how for this experimental diet

■ AdapNation Website - where you will find articles, videos and journals on all things wellness, training and mindset

■ AdapNation Food Diary - 100+ Tasty Healthy Meal Ideas, that are focussed on helping you thrive

■ Facebook Community - To get into conversation with like-minded folk wanting to be their best

A foundational concept of getting stronger and developing muscle is Progressive Overload. 

If this is not respected, that result in the gym will be at best random, and at worst non-existent. 

Steve and Bryn have learnt the hard way. Many ways of ‘wasted’ effort and pain in the gym, all for little to no progressive towards the physique goals we had. 

So, in the spirit of increasing our Gym IQ, this podcast chat goes into what is Progressive Overload, how to think about it in everyday life, and then on to tall the ways you can think about progressively overloading in the gym. 

Before we get into that discussion, for ~20mins, Bryn shares his big-group holiday in Spain - the good, the beautiful, and the stressful. Pretty shocking, and some lessons to take from his experience…

Here’s what we cover on Progressive Overload, with many examples and personal anecdote to help drive the points home:

1️⃣ - What is Progressive Overload?

2️⃣ - How it relates to every day life

3️⃣ - How to make sure you are Progressively Overloading

4️⃣ - The Progressive Overload Formula

5️⃣ - The 6 ways to Progressively Overload from week-to-week

If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star review and letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.

Useful and/or Referenced Links:

#HyperWorkouts YouTube Videos - 8-week training blocks, with video guides and print-outs

AdapNation Website - where you will find articles, videos and journals on training

AdapNation Food Diary - 100+ Tasty Healthy Meal Ideas, to support your training efforts

AdapNation Instagram - To see how Steve uses and progresses in the gym

Facebook Community - To get into conversation with folk wanting to build their best body and mind too

There are a few companies exploding at the moment offering entire nutrition in four shakes a day. In what has been a spirited debate on this subject on the AdapNation Facebook Community, it made sense to bring this conversation to the Podcast and get you thinking about both the good and not-so-good aspects of these Food Replacement Shakes. 

In this 30-40min chat about the growth and refinement of Food Replacement shakes and companies, we ended up taking a ying and yang position as we both conceded a little but still held on to our very different starting beliefs on man-made shakes replacing real food.

Are they good or bad for individual health and for society at large?

Steve’s Starting Positions:

1️⃣ Total Food Replacement Marketing

Bryn’s Balance Perspective:

1️⃣ A great supplement for those with irregular schedules and road warriors

If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star review and letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.

Useful and/or Referenced Links:

AdapNation Food Diary - 100+ Tasty Healthy Meal Ideas

AdapNation Website

AdapNation Instagram

#HyperWorkouts YouTube Videos

Facebook Community