CHALK TALK

In this week’s episode we discuss some underrated aspects of coaching along with some observations and my own reflections. Maybe underrated isn’t the word choice for these, but these are things that absolutely impact the delivery, flow, and facilitation of a training session (or practice). Things like providing autonomy, spatial awareness, and reading the room. 

We dive into the importance of providing autonomy and how that can be impactful for an individual (as per the Self Determination Theory) along with long-term skill acquisition. We discuss the importance of spatial awareness and knowing when to be more hands-on vs. when to give the athlete/ client space. Finally, we discuss the concept of “reading the room” when it comes to how we’re communicating, coaching, and facilitating (and essentially how we read the VIBES of the room). 

I also share a little more information about some upcoming in-person continuing education opportunities like the NSCA Ontario Clinic on Saturday May 23rd at McMaster University and the McMaster Performance and Wellness Workshop held the next day on Sunday May 24th. 

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

Coaching Foundations Course: https://www.training2xl.com/coaching-foundations-course 

1:1 Remote Programming + Coaching: https://www.training2xl.com/shop/remote-programming-coaching 

1:1 Mentorship Intake: www.training2xl.com/11-mentoring 

NSCA Ontario Clinic: https://www.nsca.com/events/state-and-regional/ontario-provincial-clinic/ 
McMaster Performance & Wellness Workshop: https://mcmaster.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1721

In this week’s episode we discuss the concept of duality and how it pertains to coaching, entrepreneurship, and life. Duality is understanding that things can co-exist (especially opposing thoughts, feelings, emotions, interests, etc). It’s actually a really awesome concept that I’m working on embracing in both my professional and personal life. 

I think this is actually something that should be discussed more in the coaching world because I feel like it’s a common misconception that you need to act, dress, or be a certain way in order to be respected and seen as professional. I’ve spent many years not showcasing certain aspects of myself out of fear of not being taken seriously in a male-dominated field, but the older I get, and the longer I’ve been in this industry, the more I realize that it’s actually an asset to be myself. 

When we show up in a way that’s authentic, we give permission to others to do the same and that’s a powerful tool for building culture and community.

As always, feel free to comment below or send me an email to chat further!

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

Coaching Foundations Course: https://www.training2xl.com/coaching-foundations-course 

1:1 Remote Programming + Coaching: https://www.training2xl.com/shop/remote-programming-coaching 
1:1 Mentorship Intake: www.training2xl.com/11-mentoring

In this week’s episode, we discuss something that is currently circulating in the social media world about the US men’s hockey team mocking the US women’s hockey team with their president in the comfort of their locker room. 

It’s not so much that they laughed … it’s the principle of it. It’s the fact that their women fought hard to win a gold medal on the same stage they did but became the butt of a joke, and no one was there to defend them or stand up for them in that room. It’s that women everywhere have experienced this and feel exhausted constantly trying to defend themselves in different situations. 

I wanted to use this space to share more about where my own rage is stemming from after doing some reflecting and want to open up the conversation to share some perspective as a woman in a male-dominated industry. 

If you want to continue the discussion, please email me at [email protected] - my inbox is always open!

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

Coaching Foundations Course: https://www.training2xl.com/coaching-foundations-course 

1:1 Remote Programming + Coaching: https://www.training2xl.com/shop/remote-programming-coaching 
1:1 Mentorship Intake: www.training2xl.com/11-mentoring

In this week’s episode, we’re discussing the concept of staying in your professional lane. This is something that I’ve wanted to share more about for a while now because of several conversations I’ve had with TRAINING2XL teammates. If you are a service provider, it’s really important to understand the role you play in their journey based on your strengths, skill set, and education. 

Of course there is going to be overlap amongst movement professionals, but having self + professional awareness around what you offer that differs from another professional is important, and it’s important we don’t get territorial over the individuals we work with - we are stronger as a team! 

I truly believe in collaboration over competition, but have felt frustrated with some recent experiences where that respect is not reciprocated (and it doesn’t feel great). This episode is meant to share some insight and hopefully spark some conversation!

If you are a movement professional looking for continuing education, I just opened up the  Q1 Cohort of the Coaching Foundations Course for registration and we kick off live sessions at the end of the month! Check out the link for more information, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions. 

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

Coaching Foundations Course: https://www.training2xl.com/coaching-foundations-course 

1:1 Remote Programming + Coaching: https://www.training2xl.com/shop/remote-programming-coaching 
1:1 Mentorship Intake: www.training2xl.com/11-mentoring

In this week’s episode, we discuss what to look for when you’re seeking support from a professional in the movement field. I go through some key characteristics that separate individuals in the field, and ensure you’re getting care from the right person. This is specific to the field of strength and conditioning and/ or personal training, but many concepts covered can be carried into other fields as well. We discuss certifications, qualifications, insurance, and experience.

Whether you are an athlete in sport or athlete in life looking for someone to write a program for you, or you’re a coach yourself and want to ensure you’ve covered all your bases, this episode will provide insight to ensuring you’re taking the right steps forward!

Shoutout to my friend and fellow S&C coach + entrepreneur Justin Vince for sharing similar insight on his blog - find it HERE. 

If you are an athlete in sport or athlete in life, there are spots open for my 1:1 Remote Coaching, and if you’re an S&C coach, personal trainer, or movement professional wanting to continually learn and evolve as a practitioner, the Q1 Cohort of the Coaching Foundations Course opens for registration at the beginning of February! 

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

Coaching Foundations Course: https://www.training2xl.com/coaching-foundations-course 

1:1 Remote Programming + Coaching: https://www.training2xl.com/shop/remote-programming-coaching 
1:1 Mentorship Intake: www.training2xl.com/11-mentoring

In this week’s episode, we’re celebrating 10 years of TRAINING2XL! I’m sharing a little bit about the origin story and early days of T2XL. I’ll be answering some questions I received from my community on entrepreneurship, and being an S&C coach AND business owner, and finally sharing a little bit of what’s to come. I also have a special guest … the one and only Ry the Demo Guy (aka my husband Ryan). 

Whether this is your first episode of CHALK TALK or your 47th - THANK YOU for listening along and being a part of the Team. I truly appreciate it more than you know, and I’m excited for what’s to come in the next 10 years of TRAINING2XL and beyond!

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

Coaching Foundations Course: https://www.training2xl.com/coaching-foundations-course 

1:1 Remote Programming + Coaching: https://www.training2xl.com/shop/remote-programming-coaching 
1:1 Mentorship Intake: www.training2xl.com/11-mentoring

In this week’s episode, we discuss some tendencies I’ve noticed in the coaching world. I feel like in both the professional space and on social media, people love to over-complicate things, and the most interesting thing is that people tend to over-complicate very simple things …

After running a coaching clinic this week with a local gym, it struck up some thoughts and reflections that I wanted to share in this week’s episode. At the end of the day, our job as coaches/ trainers/ leaders/ movement professionals is to help create confidence and competence with the individuals we work with so they can be successful without us. 

Feel free to share your thoughts and feelings in the comments below, and be on the lookout for lots of fun things coming down the pipeline with TRAINING2XL like the 2025 Holiday Advent Calendar, the Athlete in Life 2.0 Strength Training Program, and T2XL’s 10-Year Anniversary!

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

Coaching Foundations Course: https://www.training2xl.com/coaching-foundations-course 

1:1 Remote Programming + Coaching: https://www.training2xl.com/shop/remote-programming-coaching 
1:1 Mentorship Intake: www.training2xl.com/11-mentoring

In this week’s episode, we’re discussing a very important component of strength training - intensity. Intensity can be defined in a couple different ways in regards to strength training and overall fitness, but we’re going to focus on intensity in strength training - why it’s important, how to track it/ gauge it, how to program it, along with some common misconceptions about it. 

We discuss both a ‘zoomed out’ and ‘zoomed in’ view of intensity. ‘Zoomed out’ refers to your training program/ schedule as a whole, and ‘zoomed in’ refers to a particular exercise and/or training session. It’s important to look at intensity’s role in both viewpoints! 

If you’re an athlete in sport or athlete in life, I want you to walk away from this episode understanding why and how it’s important to challenge yourself if you truly want to get stronger and increase your performance, and if you’re a coach, trainer, or movement professional, I want to reiterate the importance of properly programming intensity for sustainable progress for the individuals you work with. 

If you’re looking for someone to program for you (and take care of the intensity for you), I have 2 spots open for 1:1 Remote Coaching + Programming, and if you are looking to refine your own programming skill set, then you enrol in the Practical Programming Course for a step-by-step look at building programs for case study examples. 

1:1 PROGRAMMING BLITZ: Use code: BLUEJAYBLITZ the BASE PROGRAM option in the 1:1 Remote Coaching + Programming to get $100 off (price will be honoured for continuing phases for 6-months, which is over $600 in savings!). 

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

Coaching Foundations Course: https://www.training2xl.com/coaching-foundations-course 

1:1 Remote Programming + Coaching: https://www.training2xl.com/shop/remote-programming-coaching 
1:1 Mentorship Intake: www.training2xl.com/11-mentoring

In this week’s episode, we talk about how there isn’t anything ‘soft’ about soft skills (regardless of what industry you are in). Your ability to connect, communicate and interact with the people around you is imperative to your success in any space. 

We go through some different components of the “soft skills” like connection, communication, social agility, social awareness, emotional intelligence, and vulnerability. There are a lot of overlapping themes to episodes in the past that we’ve discussed, but I think the reminders are important for individuals in the sport and coaching space (and beyond!). 

This is why I created the Coaching Foundations Course - I wanted a resource that combines the theory and knowledge about performance, movement, programming, etc with the tools to apply it in real time with real people. The Coaching Foundations Course helps equip you with tools to teach, coach, adjust, and adapt in real time with confidence. You can register for the Q4 Cohort until Sunday!

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

Coaching Foundations Course: https://www.training2xl.com/coaching-foundations-course 

1:1 Remote Programming + Coaching: https://www.training2xl.com/shop/remote-programming-coaching 

1:1 Mentorship Intake: www.training2xl.com/11-mentoring

In this week’s episode, we’re discussing the “new year” energy that comes with fall and the month of September, and some strategies as to how you can go about reflecting on past months/seasons and prepare yourself for what’s to come in a new one. 

I share some prompts that you can reflect on by journaling, or even speaking to a loved one, and a couple exercises that you can use. I also chat about the importance of separating your professional and personal habits/goals, so each area gets the same love and attention.

We also discuss the concept of “self care” in a multitude of ways (inspired by a recent post on the Women’s Health instagram account), and how you can go about filling your own cup physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, etc. 

Finally, I share some fun updates coming straight from TRAINING2XL Headquarters like the Q4 Cohort of the Coaching Foundations Course, spots open for 1:1 Remote Coaching + Programming, the Holiday Advent Calendar launching on November 21st, the 10-year anniversary party for T2XL, new merch drops, and more!

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

Coaching Foundations Course: https://www.training2xl.com/coaching-foundations-course 

1:1 Remote Programming + Coaching: https://www.training2xl.com/shop/remote-programming-coaching 
1:1 Mentorship Intake: www.training2xl.com/11-mentoring