Box Talk

Welcoming myself back! Took the summer off to focus on myself and the family as when school is out, routines do not exist much in our household.

But most important this introduction of Mrs Audrey Robert is a passionate young individual in the CrossFit world. What makes her so special is the experience of being an athlete to motherhood. As many know the transition from not having a child to having one is massive and life-changing!

The importance of sharing this part series is sometimes as a new mother (if you’re not engaged in parent groups) we can feel very alone in our feelings and they’re not always positive. Sometimes we have postpartum and don’t even know it. Which will create a small space within ourselves. But being a new mother isn’t always a bad thing as our bodies are meant to bear children. It does so much for our body physically, internally and for our well-being. There is something about creating a small human inside of us that develops this unconditional love you may not have experienced before.

In my own experience, I never knew I could love a human being more than I love my husband. Which was very interesting to me. That’s when I realized there was all sorts of love.

There is something also to be said about pre-pregnancy body, pregnancy body and post pregnancy body. The changes physically happens so fast that sometimes it’s hard to digest it all within that period. This obviously looks different for every woman but what we need to consider is that it just takes time. And whatever it looks like for you as an individual that is your journey and I encourage you to do everything you can to capitalize on that!

I’m happy to be back and excited to share Audreys journey with her brand new daughter Victoria-Rose ❤️❤️❤️

When is it time for change?

This episode is a segway for my new adventure and how this displays a great deal of change.

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But how do we as a culture navigate through these endeavours from person to person?

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Sometimes change comes when we least expect it or we maybe we can sit in a space where we can take some time to reflect...

The idea is to create that change at the right time. Now, it’s the space of time that create change. Or maybe transform into something better.

My dearest friend Alicia has had a big impact in my life as she comes with so much wisdom. She would be considered to have an old soul. I’m excited to share this topic because I feel anyone can resonate as we all go through these experiences one way or another.

This is a longer segment. For good reason. I have lots to say about this particular topic. All in love ❤️

When it’s time for you to listen to this segment, learn in your way maybe it was meant for you...

Thank you for all the love and support ✌🏼

@boxtalk

@tiff_fit-biff

Tiffany Garrigus

Breathing we certainly take for granted..

Breath work should be considered as a workout really. Like the way you make time to meditate or workout or just you time. I feel this gets us ready for when we really need it. We have this defence mechanism implanted in us for the scary times like when we’re getting chased by something that could possibly eat us or we see our deathbed during a time of running. But in this day and age we have all these things that put us in this place. Like the day-to-day things that stress us out.

Now during these stressful times this type of breath work could really come in handy! They’re all different kinds of breath work that help us be our better selves. And this can be during transformational times, during stressful times, or when you have purposely raise your heart rate like working out or training.

This segment is merely my thoughts and experience on this topic.

Being that this week is mental health awareness week this is a perfect time to release such an episode. What are you doing this for working out or just for your mental sanity either way this brings such importance.

Hope some of you can resonate with this. I’ll share some cool websites below that can aid with this knowledge.

https://www.healthline.com/health/breathwork

https://www.healyourlife.com/relax-and-breathe

https://mentalhealthweek.ca/

Love you all!

Boxtalk Podcast ❤️

Aka Tiff ✌🏼

@boxtalkpodcast

Everyone is so different but yet we can be so much the same. To get ready for a high stress situation like a competition, big fight, or a race we have to do things to help manage our mind.

To keep focussed at the prize at hand comes in various variations of tactics. The main ones have to be considered is proper sleep, diet and hydration. Everything in between can vary depending on who you are as a person.

But what came up the most words how to manage the mindset! First off is to take out any negative talk.

Negative talking manifest into so many things from stress to lack of sleep to self-doubt.

The other big one was who you’re surrounding yourself with. Your support system has so much to do with helping gain the confidence so we can be your best selves.

These two guests are used to living competitively. First guest Austin was interviewed during his competition and Keith was interviewed outside of competition. I feel both brought a lot of value.

I’m excited to share these two experiences as I know so many can relate.

@austinevans_

@valerospl_1rm

Much ❤️ Boxtalk

aka @tiff_fit_biff

Or @boxtalkpodcast

There are few things that actually keeps us alive and in this segment we reveal all what we wonder about our health and what we put into our body to accommodate what we think our needs are.

Learning about our bodies and what makes it tick is a forever journey. It can be overwhelming because there are so much information out there.

But overall health seems to be key when it comes to longevity. Now if your not feeling good, how long do you want to feel that way? This might be a short life in the grand scheme of things but in human years 10, 20+ is a long time to be tired, depressed, sore, bloated so on and so fourth.

We have three things we need to consume for our optimal health. The key is to find the right combination that’s RIGHT FOR YOU. Your macro’s. Fat, protein and carbs.

When we lack what our bodies need that’s when we have complications.

We may not always see what’s happening inside our bodies but it’s how we are feeling can determine what we need to consume to feel better.

The start of Jordan’s recipe is to focus on supporting the liver. I was so intrigued by the information that Jordan shares on this. And it’s makes so much sense!

We get into what a detox really is and how important it is to our bodies. And I’m not talking fasting or Wild Rose. Talking daily detoxing!

I feel in this episode I was able to ask all the questions that a lot of listeners had been asking and questions I had for myself.

It really comes down to simplifying things. But because there is so much information that combining whole foods and herbs 🌿 is something can optimize our health, Jordan can help you navigate you through it through live blood analysis and DNA testing. Her specialty!

What is live blood analysis?

Is a way to take a holistic approach to your health by analyzing the structure of blood cells.

What is DNA testing?

Is a way to find your ancestral background but DNA testing also looks at preventative health genes!

By understanding this information, you can take proactive steps to enhance your wellbeing. The good news is that through healthy diet, nutrition and exercise, you can change or improve how your DNA functions.

Testing our DNA allows us to determine if we are at risk for genetic diseases or a carrier of a genetic mutation that may get passed on to children.

Combining these two and along with Jordan’s holistic approach with nutrition can lead anyone to better health.

Brilliant if you ask me!

Please welcome Jordan Bruce everyone!

@brucesroots

brucesroots.com Promo code: BTJORDAN

Thank you with much love Tiffany Garrigus ❤️

@boxtalkpodcast

@tiff_fit_biff

Why was this episode so important to me? A few things really...

I really enjoy shenanigans. I love making light of things when things are supposed to be serious. I feel like there’s too many things in this world to be serious about and when it comes to physical health through training and good company I love laughing! Laughing brings out those feel-good endorphins along with the same endorphins that come out when you’re training.

When you’re feeling good when you’re doing something hard like training it is much more enticing to go back to do it again. Like anything that we do to get that good feeling again and again. But in this way this is a very healthy way of going about it. It’s all very natural instead of using substances to get that feel good feeling which we all know is a slippery slope.

When we’re training and we are not enjoying ourselves because of culture, people, or anything else that can hinder that feel good feeling really makes it so that you don’t want to do it again. We all are going to have times where we don’t feel like doing something but if we can just set that aside and do what we know is good for us and act on that we usually come out afterward feeling grateful that we went through with it.

I feel being active and laughing is the perfect combination to living a healthy mental and physical life. The other point I want to get across is the opposite end of the spectrum is when we’re not feeling so good. In these times it’s important for us to feel what it is were feeling, sit with it and find a way to move on. And that is what a lot of people use the gym for!

For me and many others the gym is used to release tension and stress and leaving at the door whatever happened in that day. Once you step inside that gym either if it’s by yourself or amongst your peers it is basically a new beginnings and a start to feeling better really...

This segment resonates with me about not giving a shit what anybody thinks or feels about you. There is huge importance in this because when we care too much it fills our brains with things that don’t actually matter. For instance if you did not think about these things that don’t matter then you can fill that space with things that actually do. It’s really that simple!

But how do we get to this place? In my experience I learned to practice all types of meditation, breathing especially, reading books that correlate with these things or podcasts. Like this one! lol

Also most importantly I’m putting a disclaimer on this particular episode!

We all know that I am not afraid of swearing but there is a little more swearing in this one and most likely some offensive verbiage. If you do not find a female trucker mouth entertaining or have put power behind words that everybody is finding offence these days, this episode will not be for you!

Aside from all of that I am particularly stoked to introduce my good friends Tara and Jen!

These two boss babes are practically attached at the hip and are sisters from a different mister. I absolutely love their energy and how they feed off each other. They are wives (besties) in and outside of the gym and always have each other’s back. You will not see judgement between these two and nothing but encouragement even though sometimes you feel like they are fighting, but I assure you they are not! If anything they use higher octave voices and motivating verbiage just to encourage each other to raise the bar for themselves. And in that I find most admirable because they still leave arm in arm with nothing but love.

I want to thank these two beautiful beasts for joining me on this podcast unapologetically.

I also want to thank my audience and anyone listening because getting the feedback that I’m getting and the sharing that you’re sharing, lights a fire under my ass!

I hold great gratitude towards you all ❤️

Intro song:

‘Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do’

by Robyn

Guests:

@taracard261 & @jenniferkovacs

Meet Austin!

Former high level hockey player, CrossFit athlete, coach at Opus Athletics, home of Whistler, BC. He does remote coaching and individual program design from the average person to the athlete.

Did I mention he loves coaching?...

As Austin puts it in one of his IG posts, “ it started out accidentally with a few contacts through the gym. Then it grew. Then I decided to take the OPEX coaching program to learn and grow more with individual design coaching. Now, it excites me more than ever when someone wants remote coaching. I love the connection, as well as being the guide to helping someone improve their health and fitness. It’s amazing! And it’s an easy process.” ~Austin

This episode might intrigue other coaches. When you feel passionate about making relationships and connections with your clients, your forever building yourself as an individual by furthering your training and maybe considering hiring their own coach to guide them through this process.

Learning what an individual needs to create a healthy platform takes a lot of research, strategizing and collaborating. Being that everybody’s recipe is going to look different it keeps us coaches on our game.

To start with creating this platform is by finding out what our clients goals are. Then at that point the journey begins.

Listen to what Austin’s specialty is when it comes to programming. It’s important to keep it simple but there’s 6 ✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼 movement patterns that Austin uses to create his program.

Goals are important. They are the precursor to our journey. Breaking down those goals make it so that everything you desire is achievable. It’s important to create wins for ourselves otherwise it’s a down hill spiral of disappointment.

I’d imagine that if you’re putting the time into researching about who to contact and paying for this type of coaching you would do what you’re told! If the right plan is in place for you I can ensure immediate results.

Super pumped to introduce this episode!

To ensure peek performance check Austin out on his web page @ aepreformance.ca

IG @austinevans_

Thanks you everyone ❤️

@boxtalkpodcast aka Tiffany Garrigus ✌🏼

How we grew up believing what body beautiful was, well everything we learned was not true!

What the magazines said, the look everyone was going for seem to be really hard to obtain. And, if you couldn’t obtain it that left most of us feeling not worthy.

It’s only been in recent times that having a full figure or muscles was more of the attractive look. So now lifting weights seem to be what everybody was gravitating towards trying to achieve these body image goals.

Something that Carina and I have in common (I know many others too) that we thought lifting weights would get us to these imaginary goals. But we then found out that there was more to it than just the way we looked.

We have to understand that everybody is built so differently what works for one person may not work for the next.

In Carina‘s case she was never a small framed female. In her head to get smaller was to start by lifting weights. Then she found that weights that were heavy for most were actually very light for her.

At this point something clicked for her and seem to be very attracted to powerlifting. What she did notice was that there wasn’t very many female powerlifters at that time. But also at that time the Internet was not fully blown with all the access of information that we currently have. It was very limited!

Because of her body image insecurities this was something that she only ever dreamed of and did not have enough confidence to persevere.

After a near death experience with meningitis she then realized we only have one life to live so let’s just live it to our fullest potential. And that is when her journey began.

Her first meet she was able to reach 1000 pounds as a total score. *for those who are unsure what that means it the total scores of lbs bench, back squat and deadlift. The potential after that was endless and it hasn’t stopped yet!

Carina’s most favourite achievement is having the world record bench at 341 pounds. She’s hoping to beat this in August at another sanctioned Invite only event.

How do you raise kids in the gym?

You just bring them. In powerlifting and CrossFit gyms where there’s an open floor concept you could have full eye range on your children given that they are behaving themselves LOL

The great part about this is it desensitizes them on how intimidating a gym could be and they get to watch their greatest hero of all time crush it.

Her little guy is now a huge part of their culture and powerlifting family. As young as he is, everyone helps out when Carina is working towards stepping on the podium.

Carina’s biggest message in this episode and in all of her programming she does for her clients is not just show up but she is a huge advocate of learning to love ourselves.

This is an experience that majority of us have to learn because of our culture from the past and sometimes the present on what beautiful is.

What it really is, is that YOU are beautiful regardless. And we need to find ways to believe that. It is easier said than done and it takes a little work but that’s OK. That’s just going to be part of the journey of achieving something amazing. When we love ourselves everything is limitless and we don’t care what other people say because we know it doesn’t matter. Speaking more on the negative terms.

Now that I have made you think she is a friggin GOD lol please welcome my favourite female power lifter Quadzilla aka Carina ❤️

@quadzilla

@boxtalkpodcast

@tiff_fit_biff

Love you all ❤️

The reason why this particular segment is so important is because our physical health has everything to do with our mental health.

Meet Alex! Alex got his Masters of social work at a university of Calgary which landed him a job working with male victims of domestic abuse. He did a lot of work in counselling in advocacy while training organizations and how to work differently with men. He then taught at Mount Royal while continuing healthy masculinity work. He is now in Toronto with the private practice and doing monthly groups with men with an agency creating a branch of nontraditional conversations. Alex‘s message is mostly about being a strong male role model and challenging gender norms in toxic masculinity such as social constructionism.

It is normal as humans to have excitable highs and depressing lows. But what is not considered healthy is being in these destructive lows for a long period of time.

I personally can resonate with a lot of Alixis theory, philosophy and facts! He’s a well educated man with a lot to offer. What I like about him the most is that he steered his work towards men’s mental health. Sometimes going across the board isn’t always helpful from a business point of view. But when a man sees that another therapist who is a male that specializing with men’s mental health particularly, that man may be more inclined to share.

Women as we know has fought for many years that we were more than what our grandfather said or our great great grandfathers said, so on and so forth and we have recognized the delusion of this pecking order that has been going on for many years.

A part of what we have talked about in the podcast is that men have developed toxic behavior. In regards to that there has been a delusion around what expectations are of men. They were raised to never cry and only pussies would have feelings, suck it up all that good stuff.

This is all very untrue. What we do have in common between men and women is that we all have ups and downs and the ability to develop mental health issues.

We all have our own triggers and stories that have lead us to the present of pain and suffering. So it’s very important we seek help for this navigation as we are not born with these tools on how to come out with our head held high.

Alex also mentioned an amazing non profit organization for our youth (our young men). I have a 13 year old son and we are considering this amazing opportunity!

NEXT GEN MEN is a youth-led, nonprofit organization focussed on building better men through youth and peer engagement, education and empowerment.

Website: nextgenmen.ca

Please welcome the expert in all this amazing work...

Alexander Cameron

@thetattooedtherapist

Thank you for all your loving support and listening ears ✌🏼❤️

@tiff_fit_biff

@boxtalkpodcast

There is nothing more fun than having an authentic conversation with a good friend. So many times have I wished I just press record in certain conversations. This time, Andrew and I planned to have such an authentic conversation we talked about Andrews experiences in life changes. As time goes on and you look behind you, you would probably call that a transformation.

We all have them. They may even be called milestones. Milestones are the most memorable times of your life and when you use that as part of your life’s story it’s what makes YOU for who you are.

During these heart aches and when life brings you low’s and what seems to be the end and how can you possibly move forward because it’s so challenging, these actually are what makes us so much stronger and so much better than who we were previously. Well, that’s what they’re meant for...

We actually have a choice when these memorable times come. We can either sit and stay in that grieving process or we go through a time of sorrow and choose to move forward. It always sounds easier than it is. So don’t forget that everybody’s process (journey) looks different!

Andrew shares all these experiences because this is where his biggest growth happened in the last part of his life. Don’t give me wrong, he still alive and well and thriving but there’s a lot of what he thought were dreams he had to learn to let go. This is the part of the development that I love to dive deeply into and really excited to share with everybody. I can guarantee that somebody can resonate with this.

Thank you Andrew for sharing your vulnerability and thank you everyone for your love and support!

Check out Andrew on his Instagram page. He is very inspiring and up to some amazing things, as usual!

@andybeewarhol

BOXTALK PODCAST

With your host: Tiffany Garrigus

@tiff_fit_ biff & @boxtalkpodcast

#boxtalkpodcast

Much love ❤️✌🏼