We've all turned to the tub of ice cream (or whatever your favorite comfort food is) after a rough day. Eating to self-soothe does work. It's a normal and human thing to do. But when we get in the habit of using it as our only way to manage stress or emotions, we can start to feel like we aren't in the driver's seat with our eating anymore.

In this episode, we explore how self-compassion means doing what matters to us, even when we are stressed and uncomfortable. Self-compassion is often very difficult, and involves being with our own imperfections.

We cover:

• how eating to self-soothe can get in the way of our goals
• how perfection dieting is the antithesis to eating skills and true progress
• the difference between self-soothing and self-compassion
• what self-compassion is and why it's important to both skill-development and getting the results we want

Whether it's training your eating skills or handstand, the same principle applies: whoever is able to get in the most practice makes the best progress towards their goals.

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Have you ever felt limited by joint pain? The truth is, very few of us haven't experienced injury, stiffness, or pain in our joints. And unfortunately, many of us are given diagnoses like 'tendonitis' without any hope for recovery. 

In this episode, we chat with Steven Low, author of Overcoming Gravity, Overcoming Poor Posture, and now Overcoming Tendonitis, about how to overcome tendonitis and tendinopathy based on the latest research and his own clinical experience.

We answer questions you all brought up, including:

• how a pain 'habit' can be the biggest inhibitor to recovery
• how to address a longstanding elbow tendonitis
• how to adjust or modulate your activity levels
• how to know when you can start working out and doing stuff again
• the efficacy of diet and supplements

Whatever damage you were told you have, Steven shares how you can recover from tendonitis with patience and a well directed program.

Resources Mentioned:

• Steven Low's Site 
• Steven's Article on Overcoming Tendonitis
• The Book: Overcoming Tendonitis
• Our Review of Steven's Book Overcoming Gravity
• Overcoming Poor Posture, co-written with Jarlo
  
  

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With so many people now trying to exercise at home, we're hearing more and more often how challenging it can be if you're used to having more space and a specialized environment. But there's a lot to be gained from learning to use the space you have. 

• Not much room
• Bad flooring?
• Family or roommates? 

None of these are deal breakers. This episode is focused on preparing the right timing, spacing, and mindset for a productive training session. While we'd _love_ for each of our clients to have a dedicated room with nice flooring and an altar to GMB in the corner, the fact is we don't even sell signed 8x10s of Ryan, so you're gonna have to make do with what you have.

When you do, you'll find that a small space stimulates your awareness and creativity, which makes up for whatever feeling of constraint you may have to deal with in the process.

Resources

• Strategies for Training At Home
• Can't Go to the Gym?
• Podcast: Lockdown Edition

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You've likely heard a lot of different ideas about stretching: how it doesn't work, how it makes you weak, or how you'll hurt yourself if you do it 'cold.' 

In this episode, Jarlo and Rose discuss and dispel myths and seemingly conflicting information about stretching, including tips for who should stretch, when to stretch, and how to stretch.

We also cover:

• flexibility vs. mobility
• benefits of stretching, and how to maintain flexibility
• active, passive, static, and dynamic stretching

If you've ever been unsure of how to increase your flexibility, you'll want to be put this one in your ear hole.

Resources Mentioned:

• Study - Stretching Decreasing Strength
• Study - Stretching and Dynamic Work
• Guide for Flexibility
• GMB Mobility Program
• GMB Elements Program
• Hip Mobility Routine
• Shoulder Mobility Routine
• Wrist Routine

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One of the biggest questions folks have is about eating timing and frequency. How much does it matter? When does it matter? Who does it matter for?

This is one of those topics where it seems like everyone has an opinion.

This episode covers everything from intermittent fasting and two meals per day, booming now, to old school bodybuilding and five meals per day. We give an overview of how to know if you're hungry for a snack, or if it's just stress. On the other end we cover why you probably don't want to skip meals either.

Most importantly, we'll teach you how to make decisions around meal frequency and make the right choices for your needs and goals.

Resources Mentioned:

• Eating Skills Program
• Mindful Eating Episode
• Josh's Latest Book -- > Lean & Strong

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Which is better for pull-ups - rings or bar?

As in most things, there's only one right answer, and it's completely obvious. Just kidding... we're actually gonna give everybody's least favorite answer on this one: it depends. 

But why? What does it depend on? 

If you're just learning pull-ups (going from zero to your very first pull-up), what's the best way to learn?

And if you can already do some pull-ups and want to figure out the best way to continue using them to get even stronger, how do you know the best methods to do so?

We'll talk about pros and cons of both rings and bar for pull-ups and different variations and assistance techniques we prefer for training at various stages. We also cover details a lot of people tend to gloss over, like wrist health, building comfort on your chosen apparatus, and how to gage progress when just counting reps doesn't feel like it's moving very fast. 

We've talked before about ways to build back strength _without_ pull-ups, and this episode is all about making pull-ups actually work for you with whatever equipment you happen to have. 

Enjoy.

Resources:

• How To Learn Pull-Ups Video
• Pull-Up Tutorial

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Sure, being tall has its benefits, but when it comes to skill work certain movements can seem always out of reach, even when you tower over everyone else. 

Ryan and Jeff talk about why some skills are harder when you are tall and how you can train toward them anyway. They cover common obstacles and injuries you may run into and how you can use the GMB Method and smart programming to avoid them. 

Some things are more challenging when you are tall, but that doesn’t mean you need to give up on your goals, you may just need to change how you approach them. 

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If you're trying to control caloric intake, one of the most effective tactics we know also turns out to be the simplest: put your fork down between bites. 

OK, that's it. No need to listen...

Unless you want to learn:

• how it works and why this is so effective
• the psychology behind hunger and satiety signals
• how to get into the habit of really noticing how you feel as you eat

If you care about any of those things, then please do listen, because you'll learn how to notice when you're full, enjoy your food more, and be able to choose how much you want to eat, all with one concrete action.

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When you think of leg strength, squats and deadlifts (rightly) come to mind. And if you think of bodyweight leg exercises at all, it's probably as a (poor) substitute.

But very athletic movements happen with both feet firmly planted on the ground. Enter single-leg training. It's not just "something to do if you don't have a squat rack." This episode is about using single-leg exercises - some classic, and some lesser known - to strengthen your legs through their full ranges of motion. We'll cover common mistakes people make in their training and technical fixes.

You use your legs for a wide variety of movements every day. Don't trick yourself into thinking a couple of staples will fully prepare you to move at your best.

Resources Mentioned: 

• Pistol Squat Tutorial
• Pistol Squat Tutorial Video
• Pistol Squat Troubeshooting Video
• Bodyweight Squat Tutorial 
• 9 Advanced Bodyweight Leg Exercises
• Using Front & Back Scales
  
  

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In Part 1, we gave an overview of how the spine works and talked about the low back. Back bone’s connected to some other bones, so this time, we’ll talk about the thoracic spine and how to keep your back healthy and pain-free. 

In this second episode on the Spine, we cover:

• why chronic pain happens more frequently in the thoracic and neck
• how posture and ergonomics actually affect pain
• how to figure out your "directional preference" to be more comfortable and get more done in your day

Episode Transcript and Other Notes

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