In this week’s episode, we discuss the importance of strength training for runners. Whether you are an avid marathon athlete, or a recreational runner, strength training plays a key role in helping you feel your best when you hit the pavement and how you recover between runs. 

Having worked with so many athletes in the past, ranging from a wide variety of sports, you start to pick up on different tendencies within different sport cultures. Strength and conditioning is a big part of certain sports, and for others, the hard work that gets put in is specific to the activity (i.e. soccer athletes practicing their ball handling and penalty shots vs. being in the gym). With TRAINING2XL, I work with a wide range of runners, and many of them share common questions and inquiries, and many are nervous to incorporate strength training to their already packed training schedule. 

I wanted to share some pieces of education that I share with my runners - why it’s important, how to build it into a training schedule, key movements to incorporate into your programming, and more. If you want more information on this topic, check out theTRAINING2XL: Runners Guide to Strength Training Workshop on Saturday March 8th at 12pm EST (you can join in-person at Training Lane in Toronto, OR tune in virtually via ZOOM!). 

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website:www.training2xl.com 

Email:[email protected] 

Instagram:www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 
WORKSHOP:https://www.training2xl.com/shop/runners-workshop

In this week’s episode, we discuss the beauty of girls and women in SPORT. On Wednesday February 5th, it was National Girls + Women in Sports Day and I definitely believe that that is a day worth celebrating. 

I’ve talked about my journey as an athlete in past episodes, but I wanted to share specifically about what sport taught me and brought me as a young girl and what it continues to bring me in my adult life - confidence, resilience, discipline, and so much more. Part of why I wanted to become a strength and conditioning coach was to be able to stay involved in sport in some capacity and give back to the game and community that gave me so much. I wanted to help the next generation of athletes in pursuit of their goals, specifically young women because I know how powerful sport can be. Sport is a catalyst for major impact and we’ve already started to see shifts in recent years and I’m HOPEFUL we will continue on that track. 

TRAINING2XL is what it is because of sport, and I want nothing more than for every woman and girl to be a part of a team, learn a new skill, and know that they have a place in sport FOREVER AND ALWAYS. Let’s continue to take up space in the world of sport!

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/

In this week’s episode, we dive into two analogies that I love to use when thinking about both writing a program and following one. 

Analogy 01 is for my athletes in sport and athletes in life, and how following a program (and having a coach) is like using a GPS to get to a destination you’ve always wanted to go to, but have had trouble on route in the past. Even with some familiarity of the path you can take, you end up going in circles taking the same turn (or doing the same things), and when roadblocks come up, it forces you to back track vs. continue moving forward. Having a coach and following a program is like using a GPS that helps guide you in real time, and helps you adjust and navigate as roadblocks come up. You might be in the car by yourself, but you are by no means alone!

Analogy 02 is for my fellow coaches, trainers, and practitioners, and how writing a program for an individual is like creating a recipe to help them create the perfect meal. You need to do your due diligence (a needs analysis) and ensure you’re writing a recipe that they can enjoy, and you’re balancing out the ingredients, measuring each one out to ensure the volume is created for this specific meal. It takes some patience and time but when the recipe is followed, step by step, it turns out to be a great meal for that individual. 

I also chatted briefly about the new Q1 Cohort of the School of TRAINING2XL: Coaching Foundations Course that’s coming in February, so if you’re looking for continuing education in any of these above topics, this would be a great opportunity for you. Or if you are an athlete in sport or in life looking for a coach to be your GPS - I’ve got you!

See links below for more details⚡️

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

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

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

In this week’s episode, we discuss the importance of the environment we work, relax, play, sleep, and exist in. It’s important to recognize the types of environments that make us feel inspired, productive, and excited, and the ones that make us feel the opposite way. 

Environment is more than just the physical space around us, it’s also about the people we’re surrounded by and the “energy”. Energy is a combination of things, some you can explain, and some things you can’t quite put your finger on, but you have a strong gut feeling about. It’s important to take inventory of the environments you’re in throughout your week, and notice which ones fuel you, and which ones deplete you. Can you make a change or adjustment?

We talk about physical environment, energy environment, and creating the environment if you are an individual in a leadership role. I know that I am sensitive to the environment I’m in which makes me very particular about where I choose to spend my time (even down to the coffee shops I visit). Hopefully this resonates with you and allows you to reflect on your own environment at work, at school, at home, and in life. 

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

In this week’s episode, we dive into the 3 Big C’s of Coaching - Connection, Communication, and Cueing. These are all themes I heavily focus on in the School of TRAINING2XL because I really do think they create the biggest impact when working with different individuals. 

As with most Chalk Talk discussions, although I’m speaking from the lens of a strength & conditioning coach, I also apply it to different industries and how certain tools can be utilized to build stronger relationships, better buy-in, and a more empowering environment for everyone involved. 

We discuss the importance of building authentic connections, learning how to communicate with different individuals, and how we can use the information we acquire to better coach/guide/teach/educate the individual(s) we work with. 

I also chatted briefly about the new Q1 Cohort of the School of TRAINING2XL: Coaching Foundations Course that’s coming in February, so if you’re looking for continuing education in any of these above topics, this would be a great opportunity for you. See links below for more details!

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

School of TRAINING2XL: https://www.training2xl.com/school-of-training2xl 

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

In this week’s episode I share a quote that my mom and dad used to say to me and my brothers when we were growing up playing a multitude of sports, “You have 24-hours to mourn a loss or celebrate a victory”. 

After reading an article in the December issue of Women’s Health about whether or not athleticism was genetic or not, one of the quotes from one of the Olympic athletes that were interviewed stuck with me. Essentially, the athlete shared that her parents didn’t let her dwell on the negative things that happened in her sport for too long, and they didn’t make a huge deal about all the accolades. They focused on whether or not she was enjoying the process and was resilient enough to bounce back when things didn’t fall in her favour, and this reminded me of how parents raised my brothers and I through sport. 

I share how this relates to athletes in sport, athletes in life, coaches, entrepreneurs, and human beings in general. I think this is a mantra that can be taken into everyday life, but also understanding when it applies and maybe when you need a little more than 24-hours. In essence, it’s about not sweating the small stuff for too, and not being afraid to feel the feels. 

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/

In today's episode, we are diving into some tools and strategies that I use to reflect on the previous year and prepare for the coming year. This time of year can always feel a little chaotic and daunting (especially on social media), so I wanted to share some things that I use to set myself up for what’s to come. 

We cover the three pillars of REFLECT, PREPARE, and VISUALIZATION where I share a couple exercises for each that you can use, and I also share a couple of my own goals for 2025 - putting it out there to the CHALK TALK team for accountability!

As mentioned in the episode, here are the reflection prompts:

Last week, I hosted a virtual Habits + Goal Setting Workshop and it was a really great opportunity to connect with people and carve out some time and space to think about the highs, lows, and lessons of 2024, and set ourselves up for 2025. If you want to create that same time for yourself, you can catch the recording HERE!

I hope some of these tools will be useful to you in helping you eXceL in sport, at work, in school, and most importantly, in life! Big things to come for the CHALK TALK podcast in 2025, I can feel it! Thank you for being a part of this team :) 

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

[RECORDING] Habits + Goals Virtual Workshop: https://www.training2xl.com/shop/2024-goals-habits-workshop 

In today's episode, we are discussing something a little different. I always try to focus on staying in my lane, educating, and adding value to this wild world of ours, and truthfully, I try my best to keep my opinions of some of the things I see to myself. But as an individual who has spent a lot of time, money, and energy on my education, certifications, and experience, I want to share about the things I’ve learned and shed light on some of the ridiculous claims I’ve seen made on social media. 

I wanted to take the time to go through a couple things that have been brought to my attention, whether it be through my own social media consumption, or conversations with my athletes in real time, I think it’s important that we open up the conversation. Some of these are hard truths to hear because it’s not the easiest way to what you’re looking for, and some are unpopular opinions because they go against what social media is trying to push on us. 

I always want this to be a space for open discussion and education. I really believe there’s space for everyone to flourish in whatever way they want to, but when working with someone’s body and health, that’s not something to take lightly, and I do believe proper education is imperative when you have the privilege of working with someone towards their strength, health, and wellness goals. 

I hope you can listen to this episode with an open mind and feel free to share your thoughts below in the comments, and if you want to join the TRAINING2XL Habits + Goals Virtual Workshop on Sunday December 29th at 11am EST!

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

Habits + Goals Virtual Workshop: https://www.training2xl.com/shop/2024-goals-habits-workshop 

In today's episode, we discuss the importance of the warm-up. I’m sure this is not new information for anyone listening to this, but it’s important to reiterate how beneficial it is to warm-up before a strength training session.

We discussed the RAMP principle and how you can go about programming a warm-up for yourself or someone you work with, as well as the benefits to warm-up sets and when they might be appropriate to use in a training session. As I mentioned in Episode 13 (Order Matters!) the warm-up is one of the non-negotiable blocks in a training session. Ensuring you, or the individual you’re working with is properly prepared for what’s to come in the training session, will be a game changer for the results that are gained. 

This is something I discuss in depth in the Coaching Foundations Course and the Practical Programming Course, which, because you’re a listener of CHALK TALK, I’m extending the BLACK FRIDAY Promos for the School of TRAINING2XL. It’s either BOGO (Buy One, Get One) on mini courses - if you register for the Practical Programming Course OR the Crafted Cueing Course, you’ll receive access to the other for FREE, or if you register for the Coaching Foundations Course, you’ll receive access to one of the mini courses for FREE. No code needed!

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

School of TRAINING2XL: https://www.training2xl.com/school-of-training2xl

In today's episode, we discuss the importance of the order at which you perform exercises in a singular training session. Whether you are a coach/trainer/practitioner writing and prescribing a program to someone, or you are on the receiving end of the program, it’s important to understand how the sequence of events will directly impact the stimulus applied on the body. I like to use the GAS TANK analogy, so I use that in explaining why the order of events matters. 

One thing that’s very important to keep in mind when consuming or sharing information in regards to programming is that there are many different ways to get to the same outcome, and context is very important. This allows you to view things with some perspective and understand that it might be different for the individuals you work with, or it might look different to you following the plan. It is always important to be able to explain and understand the WHY behind a program!

Because you’re a listener of CHALK TALK, I’m extending the BLACK FRIDAY Promos for the School of TRAINING2XL. It’s either BOGO (Buy One, Get One) on mini courses - if you register for the Practical Programming Course OR the Crafted Cueing Course, you’ll receive access to the other for FREE, or if you register for the Coaching Foundations Course, you’ll receive access to one of the mini courses for FREE. No code needed!

CONNECT WITH TRAINING2XL:

Website: www.training2xl.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/training2xl/ 

School of TRAINING2XL: https://www.training2xl.com/school-of-training2xl