Fiercely Fueled

In this episode of the Fiercely Fueled Nutrition Podcast, Coach Joni sits down with powerlifting coach and United In Strength founder Dennise Bacolas to talk about strength, community, and creating spaces where women feel truly welcome in sport.

Dennise shares her journey from struggling with fitness and body image to discovering powerlifting and falling in love with what the body can do instead of how it looks. Together, they discuss the growth of powerlifting in Australia, evolving coaching philosophies, and the importance of making strength sports more inclusive and supportive for all women, including trans women.

They also dive into Dennise's women-only meet, Queens of the Platform, which removes many of the intimidating aspects of competition and focuses on building confidence, connection, and fun.

Episode Highlights:

✅ Dennise Bacolas shares her journey from "couch potato" to powerlifting coach and community leader

✅ Why powerlifting helped shift the focus from appearance to performance

✅ The story behind *Queens of the Platform* and creating women-centered lifting spaces

✅ Making strength sports more welcoming and accessible for beginners

✅ The importance of inclusive environments for all women, including trans women

✅ How coaching philosophies evolve to support real life, recovery, and longevity

✅ The rapid growth of powerlifting in Australia and the community behind it

This episode is a powerful conversation about empowerment, accessibility, and redefining what strength really means both on and off the platform.

Connect with our Guest:

Follow Dennise Bacolas on Instagram: @unitedinstrength https://www.instagram.com/unitedinstrength/

APPLY FOR COACHING https://10tkto34p7j.typeform.com/to/aI4uHZgU

Get our free pre & post-training meals guide https://guide.fiercelyfueled.com/podcast

Follow Fiercely Fueled Nutrition:

Instagram: @fiercelyfuelednutrition https://www.instagram.com/fiercelyfuelednutrition/

In this episode of the Fiercely Fueled Nutrition Podcast, Coaches Joni and Bela talk about how summer can challenge your nutrition, training, recovery, and routines. Between vacations, cookouts, lake days, alcohol, late nights, and nonstop "summer body" messaging, it can feel easy to lose consistency or fall into all-or-nothing thinking.

They break down how to balance physique goals with performance goals, navigate social events without guilt, and stay aligned with what actually matters to you instead of outside pressure. The conversation also covers practical ways to handle vacations and busy weekends while still supporting your energy, recovery, and training.

The conversation also covers:

✅ Summer body pressure and diet culture

✅ Staying consistent during vacations and social events

✅ Prioritizing protein, hydration, and sleep

✅ Fueling outdoor activities and higher activity days

✅ Alcohol, recovery, and performance

✅ Letting go of perfectionism and getting back on track

Whether you are training for a competition or just trying to feel your best this summer, this episode is a reminder that consistency does not require perfection.

APPLY FOR COACHING https://10tkto34p7j.typeform.com/to/aI4uHZgU

Get our free pre & post-training meals guide https://guide.fiercelyfueled.com/podcast

Follow Fiercely Fueled Nutrition:

Instagram: @fiercelyfuelednutrition https://www.instagram.com/fiercelyfuelednutrition/

In this episode of the Fiercely Fueled Nutrition Podcast, Coaches Joni and Pia break down one of the most overcomplicated topics in fitness nutrition: hydration and electrolytes. Listen in as they unpack what electrolytes actually do, whether carbs are necessary for hydration, and why social media often makes hydration far more confusing than it needs to be.

They explain how carbohydrates can help transport electrolytes, why sodium and potassium balance matters, and how simple things like urine color can be useful hydration indicators. They also talk about the dangers of overhydration, why chugging water is not always the answer, and how to rehydrate more effectively during training and everyday life.

***Listen to Episode 42 about Hydration Basics https://sites.libsyn.com/430623/hydration-episode-42

The conversation also covers:

✅ How much water most people actually need

✅ Signs you may benefit from extra electrolytes

✅ Why sweaty athletes are not all the same

✅ The difference between smart hydration and clever marketing

✅ Whether electrolyte drinks really help hangovers

✅ Why most people eating balanced meals probably do not need daily electrolyte supplements

APPLY FOR COACHING https://10tkto34p7j.typeform.com/to/aI4uHZgU

Get our free pre & post-training meals guide https://guide.fiercelyfueled.com/podcast

Follow Fiercely Fueled Nutrition:

Instagram: @fiercelyfuelednutrition https://www.instagram.com/fiercelyfuelednutrition/

In this episode of the Fiercely Fueled Nutrition Podcast, Coach Bela explores a topic many athletes quietly struggle with: when being an athlete stops being something you do and starts feeling like who you are.

Drawing from her own lifelong experience in sports and training, Bela unpacks both sides of athlete identity. On one hand, it can build structure, confidence, discipline, and a strong sense of community. On the other, it can create a mindset where your mood, self-worth, and daily decisions rise and fall with your performance in the gym.

She talks openly about the all-or-nothing thinking that can show up after a missed lift, a skipped workout, or a day of imperfect nutrition, and how that can lead to guilt, overtraining, or avoiding rest and real life. She also shares how she works through those moments by stepping back, looking at factors like sleep, fueling, stress, and recovery, and choosing a more grounded response instead of defaulting to self-criticism.

This episode is a reminder that discipline and flexibility can exist together. You can take rest days, enjoy your life outside the gym, and still pursue your goals without tying your worth to them

APPLY FOR COACHING https://10tkto34p7j.typeform.com/to/aI4uHZgU

Get our free pre & post-training meals guide https://guide.fiercelyfueled.com/podcast

Follow Fiercely Fueled Nutrition:

Instagram: @fiercelyfuelednutrition https://www.instagram.com/fiercelyfuelednutrition/

In this episode of the Fiercely Fueled Nutrition Podcast, Coaches Joni and Bela talk about what they wish they had done differently when they first started training and how those early choices around food and recovery can shape everything that follows.

They reflect on their own experiences with dieting, chasing smaller bodies, and following low carb trends that ultimately hurt performance. Bela shares how years of strict meal plans and overtraining kept her stuck in a cycle of burnout, and how shifting her focus to eating enough, including more carbs and fats, and paying attention to things like sleep and HRV changed not just her training, but how she felt day to day.

The conversation also takes on the influence of social media, where nutrition trends change constantly and often create more confusion than clarity. They get honest about alcohol and its impact on sleep and recovery, the pressure to drink in social settings, and why relying on stimulants to get through workouts can be a sign that something deeper is off.

In this episode, they cover:

• Why nutrition and recovery matter more than you think early on

• How dieting and underfueling can hold back your progress

• What actually helped them feel stronger and more energized

• The role of carbs, fats, and total calories in performance

• How alcohol affects recovery and sleep

• Why needing constant caffeine might be a red flag

Whether you are just starting out or years into training, this episode is a reminder that it is never too late to build a better foundation.

APPLY FOR COACHING https://10tkto34p7j.typeform.com/to/aI4uHZgU

Get our free pre & post-training meals guide https://guide.fiercelyfueled.com/podcast

Follow Fiercely Fueled Nutrition:

Instagram: @fiercelyfuelednutrition https://www.instagram.com/fiercelyfuelednutrition/

In this episode of the Fiercely Fueled Nutrition Podcast, Coach Pia sits down with Dr. Nathan Dailey, a physical therapist who works with powerlifters through the RTS network, to talk about what it really takes to return to lifting after an injury.

Nathan shares his path from endurance sports into powerlifting and how he found his way to the RTS "Emerging Strategies" approach. From there, the conversation dives into what lifters deal with most often, including low back pain and neck issues that show up as shoulder pain, and how to tell the difference between normal training soreness and something that needs attention.

They break down one of the biggest misunderstandings in rehab, the idea that pain always comes from the exact spot it hurts. Instead, Nathan explains the importance of proper assessment, understanding patterns of pain, and tracking real changes in function over time. He also makes a strong case for staying active when possible, using smart training modifications instead of immediately shutting everything down.

You will learn:

• How to tell if it is soreness or an injury

• Why pain is not always coming from where you feel it

• Common rehab mistakes lifters make

• When it makes sense to keep training through pain

• What good physical therapy should actually look like

• How to adjust training without losing progress

This episode is a practical, grounded guide for lifters who want to train hard, recover well, and stay in the sport long term.

APPLY FOR COACHING https://10tkto34p7j.typeform.com/to/aI4uHZgU

Get our free pre & post-training meals guide https://guide.fiercelyfueled.com/podcast

Follow Fiercely Fueled Nutrition:

Instagram: @fiercelyfuelednutrition https://www.instagram.com/fiercelyfuelednutrition/

In this episode of the Fiercely Fueled Nutrition Podcast, Coach Pia gets real about what it actually looks like to feel stronger, more confident, and more at home in your body, especially in your 40s.

After a recent reel of hers went viral, Pia found herself at the center of some harsh (and very telling) online reactions. Instead of brushing it off, she uses it as a jumping-off point to unpack the quiet and not-so-quiet judgments that still exist around bodies, strength, and who "belongs" in fitness.

She shares her own story of starting out as an overweight, pre-diabetic beginner who felt completely out of place, and how powerlifting helped her shift from chasing appearance to building performance. But she also offers an important reality check: stepping into strength sports doesn't automatically heal body image and ignoring nutrition and recovery can be its own form of avoidance.

This episode is a refreshing, no-BS take on fueling your body without falling into restrictive dieting, especially for mid- and plus-size athletes who are often left out of the conversation.

APPLY FOR COACHING https://10tkto34p7j.typeform.com/to/aI4uHZgU

Get our free pre & post-training meals guide https://guide.fiercelyfueled.com/podcast

Follow Fiercely Fueled Nutrition:

Instagram: @fiercelyfuelednutrition https://www.instagram.com/fiercelyfuelednutrition/

APPLY FOR COACHING https://10tkto34p7j.typeform.com/to/aI4uHZgU

In this episode of The Fiercely Fueled Nutrition Podcast, Coach Pia hosts Clarice Tighe in a recorded "office hour" style episode discussing major frustrations in strength sports, especially the lack of regulation in powerlifting and fitness coaching and the risks of unqualified coaches giving programming, nutrition, or psychological advice. Clarice argues that words and behaviors create lasting ripple effects and advocates better coach education in psychological skills. The conversation covers reflection practices after meets and training sessions to manage "post-comp blues," build confidence through interpretation and context (not just numbers), and use consistent actions to navigate both strong and disappointing performances.

Connect with our Guest:

Connect with Clarice Tighe @clarice_odyssey https://www.instagram.com/clarice_odyssey/

Get our free pre & post-training meals guide https://guide.fiercelyfueled.com/podcast

Follow Fiercely Fueled Nutrition:

Instagram: @fiercelyfuelednutrition https://www.instagram.com/fiercelyfuelednutrition/

In this episode of The Fiercely Fueled Nutrition Podcast, Coach Joni and Coach Bela discuss the rapid rise of AI-generated social media accounts in the fitness space. They discuss how AI content is becoming difficult to detect and frequently targets midlife women with menopause/perimenopause weight-loss and muscle-gain claims, and how it can worsen comparison and body-image pressures. Listen in as they share practical cues for identifying AI accounts and the importance of doing due diligence, seeking real human connection and community, and remembering that sustainable fitness changes are habit-based and not "sexy" quick fixes.

APPLY FOR COACHING https://10tkto34p7j.typeform.com/to/aI4uHZgU

Get our free pre & post-training meals guide https://guide.fiercelyfueled.com/podcast

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Instagram: @fiercelyfuelednutrition https://www.instagram.com/fiercelyfuelednutrition/

Today on the Fiercely Fueled Nutrition Podcast, we have a special crossover episode recorded with Ross Leppala on The Intentional Athlete. In this episode, Coach Pia is interviewed about how strength training and powerlifting transformed her life. Pia recounts starting as a journalist and aspiring war photographer, moving into banking for financial stability, and later becoming pre-diabetic after years of poor health habits. She describes leaving a high-level corporate role, opening Lift Coffee, buying Fiercely Fueled three years ago, and valuing the honesty of lifting over corporate politics. The conversation also explores quality of life, autonomy, boundaries, self-sabotage, awareness, priorities, and how strength training builds resilience and presence.

Follow Ross Leppala

Instagram @ross.leppala https://www.instagram.com/ross.leppala/

Follow Coach Pia

Instagram @pia_marangoni https://www.instagram.com/pia_marangoni/

APPLY FOR COACHING https://10tkto34p7j.typeform.com/to/aI4uHZgU

Get our free pre & post-training meals guide https://guide.fiercelyfueled.com/podcast

Follow Fiercely Fueled Nutrition:

Instagram: @fiercelyfuelednutrition https://www.instagram.com/fiercelyfuelednutrition/