Fitness Unfiltered

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Michelle Griffith Robinson, an Olympian, life coach, mentor, and personal trainer for 21 years. We chat about her Olympic career, what it was like to be a triple jumper, and what she’s learned as a professional athlete and how she’s applied those lessons to her life today. 

We also discuss what it takes to become successful, as an athlete or anything else, and what happens behind the scenes to achieve that success. Michelle shares about the sacrifices she made, what her lifestyle looked like, how she stayed motivated, and why overcoming her limiting beliefs were the keys to success in her career and life. 

Tune in to learn more about the life and career of the Olympian and life coach Michelle Griffith Robinson! 

Some Questions I Ask: 

• How do you walk into a room of strangers and get them to open up? (5:36)
• What is the training for an Olympian like? (13:33)
• Are some people naturally made for success? (21:22)
• What skills as a professional athlete have you applied to your life now? (40:29)
• What’s next for you? (47:34)

In This Episode You Will Learn: 

• Who is Michelle Griffith Robinson? (2:11)
• The reality of what it’s like to become an Olympian. (12:44)
• How Michelle stays motivated. (24:22)
• How to overcome your limiting beliefs and find your strengths. (34:51)
• Why support systems are essential for success in your career and life. (40:51)

Connect with Michelle Griffith Robinson: 

Website

Instagram

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In today’s episode, I’m joined by Psycle Master Instructor, Nike Ambassador, DJ & Life Coach, Kaya Cansfield! We chat about the direction we feel the fitness industry is heading, the after effects of the racial movements permeating the globe, and how spinning helped Kaya during her recovery period with anorexia. She is an incredible figure within the health and fitness field and her tenacity and spirit to live life to the fullest is truly admirable.

We also dive into the health and wellness industries’ position and involvement within the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement and support of figureheads who are fighting to ignite social change. Many businesses, including those outside of fitness, have had to examine their own actions towards members of marginalised groups and be honest about where they want their industries to move going forward. I share my own experiences on this, as well as my perspective on how my thinking has shifted after the events that have taken place in the US in recent weeks.  

If you’re interested to hear more and would like a deeper insight into Kaya’s story, then tune in to Episode 27 of Fitness Unfiltered!

Some Questions I Ask:

• What are the differences you’ve noticed in your mindset from when you started pursuing this career path to now? (12:39)
• When did your job as a DJ come into the mix of things you do? (15:03)
• Could you talk about the recovery period after your major surgery? (19:25)
• How have gyms being in lockdown affected you & What changes have you seen within the health and fitness industry post Coronavirus? (27:25)
• What’s been your experience with the ‘boutique’ fitness industry? (42:00)
• What do you do in your daily practice that helps you through low points? (49:48)
• How long have you been practicing Nichiren Buddhism? (53:38)

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• Some background on Kaya Cansfield and her introduction to the fitness industry (3:02)
• How cycling and fitness helped Kaya recover from her battle with anorexia (8:25)
• Kaya’s experience with physical burnout and how it forced her to reflect on what she wanted out of life (16:20)
• The challenges of balancing your mental wellbeing with prioritising clients’ needs & A deeper look into what self care means (22:42)
• My children’s experiences in lockdown and how they have shifted my ways of thinking whilst we’re all quarantined (31:14)
• What I think the health and wellness industry will look like after the pandemic (35:44)
• How the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement has forced every industry to examine how they’re contributing to social change and inclusion (38:48)
• My personal experience within the health and wellness field & How I have recognised my own privilege (44:03)
• The realities behind the aftermath of Coronavirus (47:51)
• The philosophy behind ‘Nichiren Buddhism’ (50:20)
• My experience with silent meditation and sound therapy (1:00:11)

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In today’s episode, I’m joined by Co-Founder and Owner of ‘Track Mafia’ and one of my favourite people Cory Wharton-Malcolm! Cory is a living example of ‘do the thing’ and his story of building what is yours, without the need for approval from others, is incredibly inspiring to me.

We discuss Cory’s journey to co-creating ‘Track Mafia’, and how he has developed such a strong community; and his personal philosophy on being surrounded by the right peer group. Cory also shared his background on learning to accept himself and act as an outspoken individual, something so many of us can relate too. 

Through the work Cory has done coaching at ‘Nike Run Club’ and ‘Track Mafia’, he has cultivated a safe, welcoming environment, that doesn’t sugar coat running, yet draws people to it because the philosophy extends way beyond, just running. 

To hear more on Cory’s incredible story and learn about the track running industry as a whole, tune in to Episode 26 of Fitness UnFiltered! 

Some Questions I Ask:

• How did you get into running? (2:39)
• What inspired you to create ‘Track Mafia’? (4:05)
• What did your training sessions look like before your business took off? (8:18)
• How did you make running track appealing to your audience? (12:08)
• Where do you see the track running industry heading in the future? (18:04)
• Could you talk about the importance of having honest peers around you? (36:53)
• What will change look like for you moving forward? (45:22)

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• An introduction on Cory Wharton-Malcolm (0:10)
• How the community aspect of ‘Track Mafia’ was developed (5:39)
• What sets Cory’s business apart from others in the fitness industry (9:15)
• Cory’s approach to coaching with honesty and realism & How he manages clients’ expectations of running (15:18)
• How Cory has learned to be his authentic self (21:06)
• Why it’s important to understand the reasons we’re pursuing something (26:03)
• What made Cory leave his nine-to-five job and start a track running business (29:23)
• Our experiences with ‘imposter syndrome’ & The need for external validation (33:27)
• How lockdown has helped me connect with others & The effect this year has had on everyone so far (43:17)
• Cory’s experience with racism and not feeling comfortable enough to speak up in the past (45:52)
• Why diversity within the fitness industry is so important (51:21)
• My take on how people will respond after Covid-19 has settled down (56:54)
• What we think life will look like in 2021 (1:00:47)

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Today’s conversation is going to be a little different. The murder of George Floyd has sparked global outrage and it has been an eye-opening few weeks for a lot of us. For too long, racial injustices have been accepted and ingrained as just another part of our culture, but that has to change now. 

In this episode, I’m joined by Footwear Specialist and Sports Scientist, Emma Kirk Odunubi who shares her thoughts on the current situation flooding the globe, as well as personal experiences she’s had growing up as a bi-racial child. 

I feel this is a turning point for real change and am confident that this movement will lead to far greater outcomes in the future. Being able to speak openly with my children and educate them on the inequalities that are faced throughout the world has been just one effect and I sincerely hope that their generation does not have to face the same fight.     

For more information on how this matter has impacted both myself and Emma, as well as what we can do as a society to invoke positive change, tune in to Episode 25 of Fitness UnFiltered! 

Some Questions I Ask:

• How did you become a footwear specialist? (5:01)
• What made you decide to take a break from social media recently? (17:06)
• What do you think the fitness industry will look like moving forward? (31:30)
• How do you think the world will look in a year’s time? (46:07)

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• Background on Emma Kirk Odunubi (3:28)
• Our experiences growing up bi-racial & How our perspective on race was influenced by the world around us (7:49)
• How the response to George Floyd’s murder has made us question our own beliefs and assumptions towards racism (15:11)
• Why a lot of us feel a lack of control over our emotions at the moment (19:36)
• Why this moment in history is a turning point for us as a society (22:53)
• How this movement has helped me foster a dialogue on racism with my children (24:35)
• Why seeing my siblings thrive was so vital to how I viewed my capabilities as a mixed-race individual (28:32)
• My take on gender diversity and education within the fitness industry (36:18)
• My thoughts on what the ‘new normal’ is going to look like going forward (43:15)

Let’s Connect!

• Instagram
• Website
• Email

Connect With Emma Kirk Odunubi:

• Instagram
• Website
• Youtube Channel

Resources:

• Organisation: “The Conscious Kid”
• Thanks so much!

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Today I’m joined by Nuco Nutrition Coaches and Crossfit Trainers, Debs Manlove and Holly Hammill! In this episode, we discuss what Nutrition Coaching is all about, what clients can expect from a session and how Debs and Hols view the process of habit building in their practice. 

Thought patterns surrounding our food intake are often ones we need to unlearn later in life and it’s important we use the correct language when talking about our diets and bodies. Because of their collective backgrounds in both psychology and biology, Debs and Hols know to take these things into account when bringing in new clients and actively create safe environments for them through the messages they promote. 

If you’re keen to learn more about building sustainable, healthy habits in your fitness and nutrition, then have a listen to Episode 24 of Fitness UnFiltered! 

Some Questions I Ask:

• What is Nutrition Coaching? (2:58)
• What does your process look like when taking on new clients? (6:00)
• How do clients that seek instant results respond to your style of coaching? (9:14)
• What does habit building look like in your training? (11:52)
• Does it take less effort to break a bad habit than to create a new one? (23:27)
• How do you approach clients who experience feelings of guilt around food? (26:36)
• What made you take the steps in setting up Nuco? (46:43)
• What strategies do you apply to running your business? (51:40)

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• Background on Debs and Holly (1:20)
• The meaning of ‘mindful eating’ & How Nuco clients respond to the concept (12:02)
• Other examples of habits that are built through Nuco coaching (15:11)
• How Debs and Hols change the way clients respond to nutrition and food intake (17:29)
• How habits are an integral part of our lives (20:42)
• Tools to recognise triggers for negative habits (25:09)
• How habits fluctuate throughout the coaching process (34:19)
• How nutrition relates to performance (40:23)

Let’s Connect!

• Instagram
• Website
• Email

Connect With Debs & Holly:

• NUCO - Facebook 
• NUCO - Instagram
• Holly - Instagram
• Debs - Instagram
• Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode of Fitness UnFiltered I speak with my good friend, Niki Bird! Niki is a professional Athlete playing for England Touch Rugby, as well as a Personal Trainer and Fascial Stretch Therapist. 

Niki and I take a deep dive into FST and how she has integrated it into her training sessions. We also talk about our experience first starting out as PT’s, how sport and fitness can be used as a coping mechanism, and how setting boundaries and prioritising our time has benefited our working lives. 

Niki has an interesting background in the health and fitness industry, as in her early life sport was used as a form of escape due to struggles with school and academics. Before she was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia, there was never a clear understanding of what she needed to improve or work on. Sport was her way of learning to communicate and socialise with others as well as gaining control over her situation, a feeling that can be hard to achieve as a personal trainer. 

Working in the fitness industry is riddled with thoughts that your client’s needs must be put before your own. We’ve learnt over time that this mindset can not only be damaging to ourselves, but to the people we’re trying to help as well. Through sharing both mine and Niki’s insights, we hope you can take away some useful tips on how to break those thought patterns and create a balance in your life. 

If these topics sound like your kind of listening, get yourself comfy and tune in to episode 23 of Fitness UnFiltered!

Some Questions I Ask:

• How did you get into sport and what impact did it have on you? (1:32)
• You knew early on that playing sport was your coping mechanism, even before you were diagnosed with ADHD + Dyslexia. How did all of that manifest into the work you do now? (7:57)
• How did having that diagnosis change things for you? (12:42)
• Since you’ve started doing FST, how has it changed your approach with clients? (18:43)
• How do you balance being an Athlete, Personal Trainer, and Fascial Stretch Therapist? (20:31)
• What will your classes look like moving forward during lockdown? (39:31)

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• How coaching and team sports can assist with communication and socialising (8:44)
• What Fascial Stretch Therapy is all about (16:10)
• How FST can be applied in personal training sessions (18:53)
• How setting boundaries and prioritising yourself creates a healthier work environment (21:03)
• The thought process behind burnout and overworking yourself (25:46)
• What influence sport injuries had on Niki when pursuing FST (33:28)
• More on Joslyn’s background in sports rehab (35:37)
• Information on Niki Bird’s FST class concept (37:59)

Connect With Joslyn Thompson Rule:

• Instagram
• Website
• Email

Connect With Niki Bird:

• Instagram
• Facebook

Resources:

• Book - “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” Author, Greg McKeown 

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Our bodies have a deep rooted connection with our minds. For a lot of us, this concept isn’t an easy one to grasp and it can be difficult to assume that our mental stressors play a factor in chronic pain or physical ailments. 

Today, I sat down with my good friend and Naturopatic Nutritional Therapist, Keris Marsden.  For those of you who have been lucky enough to listen to Keris in person or follow some of her work, this recording is a little different.  Instead of educating us around our hormonal health and wellbeing, Keris has spent the last year on her own healing journey. In this episode we chat all things alternative medicine, life during lockdown and what role mental health plays in your overall physical health. 

As two women in the health and fitness industry, learning how to effectively practice self care and adopt a mindset that benefits our own mental state has been a difficult path. I’m a self proclaimed “recovering perfectionist” and know how hard it can be to break out of those negative thought patterns which carry into our everyday lives. 

It’s all too common to focus on the lows, as a previous guest, Emma Hackett explained - nearly 80% of our thoughts are negative and habitual. But reflecting on those thoughts and behaviours doesn’t have to be a daunting exercise if we use that information correctly. A lot of the time when something is awry in our bodies, it’s a signal that something needs help in our minds, and learning how to tune into that information is vital. 

If you’re curious to learn more about these topics, grab a cuppa and join us on episode 22 of Fitness UnFiltered!  

Some Questions I Ask:

• What has your personal health journey been like? (3:22)
• What made you decide to look deeper into the issues going on in your body? (8:37) 
• What did your success with Chinese medicine look like? (14:55)
• What does your future self look like in terms of adopting positive habits? (50:06)

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• What Electroacupuncture is all about (16:55)
• How the neuroendocrine immune system plays a role in the mind / body connection (21:48)
• Gabor Mate’s philosophy on authenticity, Author of “When The Body Says No” (30:08)
• How our thought patterns affect everything around us + statistics from Emma Hackett (Mental Performance Coach) (40:32)
• Plus Much More

Get In Touch With Joslyn Thompson Rule:

• Instagram
• Website
• Email

Get In Touch With Keris Marsden:

• Website
• Instagram
• Fitter Food Community

Resources:

• Book - “When the Body Says No” Author, Gabor Mate
• Podcast - Under The Skin with Russell Brand
• Book - “Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself” Author, Dr. Joe Dispenza
• Podcast - “How To Fail” Elizabeth Day  

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On this episode, I speak with my good friend and colleague Luke Worthington. He’s a cutting-edge trainer who has worked in the health & fitness industry for 20 years. 

Throughout our conversation, we discuss the pressures that people face during the COVID-19 lockdown and why coaches feel that they’re not delivering enough to their clients. We also discuss how to approach new online programming in a way that clients benefit from, as well as growing their understanding of their own body and how it moves. 

Take a listen to learn how you can learn to move your body from home. 

Some Questions I Ask: 

• How did you develop your at-home strength training program? (4:19)
• What movements have you chosen to be part of your program that might surprise people? (13:27)
• What is your guide called? (52:50)

In This Episode, You Will Learn: 

• Why the fitness industry is taking a particularly hard hit during the lockdown. (3:07)
• Why Luke is focusing his energy on helping new trainers right now. (8:03)
• How people may experience performance gains through utilizing Luke’s movement mastery program. (21:33)
• Why athletes taper off their training before big events and how that strategy helps athletes slow down during lockdown. (27:00)
• How the fitness industry is evolving amidst the COVID-19 challenges. (40:20)

Connect with Luke: 

Website

Instagram

Resources:

Core Training Guidebook

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On this episode, I speak with Dr. Anita Mitra, a medical doctor and scientist who is working toward normalizing conversations around menstrual cycles.

Throughout our conversations, we don’t go too deep into the science around periods, but we do talk in-depth about what good nutrition looks like, how training can affect your cycle, and why sleep is a non-negotiable to have a healthy body and healthy period.

Take a listen to learn more about the impact of training, nutrition, and general lifestyle on y our menstrual cycle.

Some Questions I Ask:

·      Introduce yourself. (2:35)

·      How are you helping people open their eyes and talk to their doctors about the state of their periods? (7:24)

·      How does stress affect periods? (19:36)

·      Talk to me about how food consumption affects periods? (31:12)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

·      How Anita is working toward normalizing talking about periods. (6:05)

·      How Anita and Joslyn met. (11:17)

·      How exercise can either reduce stress or create additional stress in your life. (18:50)

·      Why it’s so important for women to prioritize bone strength. (27:34)

·      Why ketogenic diets and some vegan diets are not helpful long-term lifestyles. (31:49)

·      Anita’s advice for developing a healthy diet. (41:11)

·      The truth about dairy consumption. (44:49)

·      How sleeping fewer hours affects your body and brain’s functional abilities. (49:08)

Connect with Anita:

Website

Instagram

Twitter

Resources:

The Gynae Geek by Dr. Anita Mitra

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On this episode, I speak with the phenomenal Chloe Whylie: personal trainer, weightlifting coach, and hybrid lifter.

Throughout our conversation, we discuss what her unique training schedule looks like for her, how she balances weightlifting and powerlifting, how she’s progressed through her career so far, and what she had to do to earn proper respect in the fitness industry.

Take a listen to learn more about Chloe’s journey, the behind-the-scenes of weightlifting, and how she maintains her positive mindset.

Some Questions I Ask:

·     How did you get into personal training? (2:56)

·     How did going within help you combat depression during your transition to a personal trainer? (4:24)

·     How do you balance being a hybrid lifter? (6:53)

·     How do you manage your coaching business, being a personal trainer, and your own training? (13:06)

·     What’s your advice to trainers just starting out? (18:56)

·     What are your favorite training books? (27:38)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

·     What led Chloe to where she is today. (1:59)

·     How Chloe schedules her training sessions. (8:13)

·     What mindset guided Chloe to finding the right personal and professional life balance. (14:59)

·     Why women need to work so exceptionally hard to be a successful personal trainer and weightlifter. (23:56)

·     How Chloe’s clients train without access to a gym. (29:48)

·     What’s next for Chloe. (37:38)

Connect with Chloe Whylie:

Instagram

Website

Resources:

Olympic Weightlifting by Greg Everett

Sports Motivation Podcast

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