Fuel Your Strength

In general, we have an oversimplified understanding of our energy intake and our energy expenditure. Only thinking about calories in and calories out does not assess your daily energy needs from a complete point of view. There are many nuances that go into the energy balance discussion for athletic women, and this episode is the place to start.

If You Want to Understand Your Daily Energy Expenditure Better, You Should:

1. Remember that energy balance is a more nuanced concept than just saying calories in and calories out
2. Pay attention to your protein energy and non-protein energy rather than your total calorie intake
3. Work to understand your total energy expenditure from a complete daily point of view

Where Women Athletes Go Wrong

Often times athletic women get into trouble by trying to match a low daily energy calorie intake with a high energy output of training. This approach to fueling is where athletic women tend to go wrong and see negative outcomes.

Your metabolism and your energy consumption need to work together in order to find the energy balance that is right for you and your training. Understanding how your energy is influenced when you are at rest when you are breaking down your food, and when you are engaging in non-exercise and exercise activity is the key to getting into balance and moving past oversimplification.

The 4 Pieces of Total Daily Energy Expenditure

There are four key pieces that affect your total daily energy expenditure. How your body processes energy during these four phases is the key to being in energy balance and avoiding an energy deficit. Your resting energy expenditure, the thermic effect of food, your non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, and your exercise activity thermogenesis, or purposeful activity, all play a role in how your metabolism works together with your body.

Maintaining an appropriate energy balance is the only way to see the improvements you are looking for in a sustainable and healthy way.

Do you feel as though your energy is in balance? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• The problem with applying basic principles of thermodynamics for athletic women (5:58)
• Understanding the difference between energy intake and calories (9:59)
• Which numbers are the most important to pay attention to as a female athlete (16:02)
• How your total daily energy expenditure is impacting your metabolism (19:45)
• Why you need to stop listening to the mindset of eating less and moving more (27:27)

Quotes

"Of course, you are a biological system, and when we strip biological models of all of their complexity and nuance and strip them down to pithy one-liners like 'eat less move more,' this simplicity at best can lead you astray as an athletic person, and even at worst, do some harm to your health and wellbeing." (9:03)

"Saying a calorie is a calorie is like saying an inch is an inch or a pound is a pound. It quantifies things, but it doesn't qualify things." (11:29)

"It is important to understand how metabolism and energy balance and so on work together, specifically when we are talking about why building muscle is so freaking important, and how does that affect our basal metabolic rate." (20:44)

"I am not here to teach you intentional fat loss. What I am here to highlight is some of the ways we go astray in our thinking." (22:01)

"I think it is important for you to understand how some of these factors are going to affect your training and why my primary goal here is to get you to understand that eating enough food is so incredibly important to your training and your health and well-being." (30:42)

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FYS 388: Why You're Struggling with Motivation to Workout

FYS 391: What is Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)?

FYS 351: Strength Training Risk vs Reward

Properly fueling yourself as an athlete, especially if you are an athletic woman over 40, can have a huge impact on your training, strength, and overall health and well-being. Understanding RED-S, or Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports, is a key piece of educational information I think every athlete needs to know about.

If You are Concerned About RED-S, You Should:

1. Make sure you are eating enough protein and non-protein energy for your training
2. Work with a nutrition professional if you are struggling to gain clarity about what to do next
3. Seek a team approach treatment if you are intentionally under-fuelling

Understanding RED-S

You don't have to be an Olympic athlete to deal with RED-S or the implications of low energy availability. RED-S transcends different populations and athletic individuals. This is why it is so important to gain a clearer picture of how RED-S is defined, the signs and symptoms of low energy availability, how it impacts your performance and health, and what you can do to fuel yourself for the best success and performance possible.

Fueling Properly Is Not Optional

I want to challenge you to think about the amount you are fueling yourself in comparison to your training schedule. By the time you account for the energy you have spent through exercise and how much you are eating, there are a lot of cases where we don't provide our bodies enough energy to facilitate even basic bodily functions.

Fueling your body with enough energy to recover from training is incredibly important to basically every system you have in your body, from hormones to metabolism to menstruation. Low energy availability, or RED-S, doesn't just affect what is going on in the gym; it also has serious implications for your overall health and well-being.

What did you think about this topic? Have you ever struggled with low energy availability? Let me know your thoughts in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• What is RED-S and why you should know about it (5:06)
• Why is there a different name associated with the female athlete triad (7:22)
• Understanding low energy availability and the causes of RED-S (10:22)
• Physiological signs that you may be dealing with low energy availability (19:19)
• The possible impacts on your training and performance when it comes to RED-S (24:40)
• What to do if you suspect you are in a state of low energy availability (28:29)

Quotes

"We are trying to fuel, we are trying to eat better and fuel our performance. And at the at the same time, it is revolutionary, talking about actually eating enough as female athletes." (2:53)

"RED-S is more inclusive in terms of what the physiological implications of low energy availability happen to be. It is more expansive in terms of how this could potentially be affecting someone's performance and also their health and wellbeing." (9:18)

"The physiological impacts when it comes to under eating, especially if we have a high amount of physical activity and exercise, can accumulate quite quickly." (17:00)

"We just need enough energy in order for us to get the output in our training so that we will see the beneficial adaptations." (23:57)

"You need to eat enough to cover your training and also your basic bodily needs. And that includes both protein and non-protein energy." (28:41)

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IOC consensus statement on relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S)

National Eating Disorders Association Website

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FYS 388: Why You're Struggling with Motivation to Workout

FYS 367: 5 Strength Nutrition Lessons I Wish I Learned a Decade Ago

FYS 350: Are You Eating Enough? Low Energy Availability in Sport

Strength conditioning as an over-40 athlete can be challenging enough on its own, but when you add in the dimension of being a postpartum athlete on top of everything else, special attention is warranted. Bridging the gap between rehab and performance requires an undefined timeline that is unique for you but will ultimately get you back to doing the things that you want to do.

If You Are Thinking About Your Postpartum Training Needs, You Should:

1. Don't be ashamed of your postpartum symptoms by surrounding yourself with people who understand how you need to train
2. Make little adjustments that set up your body to perform better as a unit
3. Understand your predispositions and reverse engineer what your training looks like

Returning to the Sport You Love

Brianna Battles is the Founder of Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism and CEO of Everyday Battles LLC. She is a relentless advocate and relatable resource for women who want training during pregnancy and to make a sustainable return to performance, lifestyle, function, career, and activity postpartum because postpartum is forever!

You Are an Athlete

Many women disqualify themselves as athletes. Brianna believes that if you are consistently dedicating yourself to movement, whether you are running, doing yoga, dancing, swimming, or anything that requires physical output, you are an athlete. While you can be an athlete in all seasons of your lifetime, how you interact with your athletic ability will change over time based on your body's needs. As a female athlete, especially if you are going through pregnancy or postpartum, you are not fragile, but you are also not invincible, and the way you train needs to reflect that.

Bridging the Gap Between Rehab and Performance

Because of the common male-dominated approach to training, birth is not given the same considerations when it comes to rehab and recovery as other events. Postpartum women are not a special or unique group of the population, and postpartum women deserve a more hands-on and substantial approach to their training.

Like in jiu-jitsu, you need to be a white belt before becoming a blue belt. The same can be said for training postpartum. While pregnancy and postpartum can act as an incredible catalyst for learning about your body, it can bring out many of your vulnerabilities. If you can give yourself patience, rest, and grace, you can learn how to work with your postpartum symptoms and get to the point that you want to be.

Are you showing yourself grace while you battle postpartum? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Examples of topics in which a changing viewpoint has been made through lived experiences (12:19)
• Why people get hung up on what and who defines an athlete (19:00)
• How postpartum athletes can support their bodies in a way that a lot of people miss (21:34)
• Why your postpartum symptoms like incontinence are nothing to be ashamed about or stop you from getting back into training (27:12)
• The importance of training with someone who understands your postpartum needs (33:00)
• What coaches should know about training with postpartum women (35:05)

Quotes

"There are so many things about our body that changes during that season [of pregnancy and postpartum], and exercise has to adapt to meet the body where it is at." (13:50)

"Fitness is a great baseline in general, but it is not a guarantee for anything." (15:56)

"If you are consistently participating in fitness, you are an athlete. Its not about being a size or an ability, its honestly just an expression of dedicated physical output." (19:35)

"Postpartum requires a rehabilitation period, a rebuilding period, and then an undefined timeline of what is that going to look like for you getting back to the things you want to do." (23:29)

"If you can give yourself those seasons, and take it slow, take it gradually, get the support and resources that you need and not push boundaries, you are going to get what you want a hell of a lot faster than if you tried to push boundaries before your body or your brain or your lifestyle was ready for it." (25:56)

"I think that it is a very real possibility when we are talking about women's core and pelvic health needs across all sports. It is becoming anticipatory and being able to react where you are not able to think about it or worry about it." (42:58)

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Brianna Battles Website

Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism Coaching Certification

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LTYB 281: How To Exercise Intuitively w/ Steph Ondrusek

LTYB 345: How To Give Yourself Radical Permission w/ Hayden Dawes

FYS 372: Recovery Trackers, Training, and The Menstrual Cycle w/ Emily Capodilupo

Introducing a strength training element into your walking can have major benefits, especially as a woman athlete. A way to make your walking a bit more challenging is through rucking. Rucking is a great opportunity to take the foundational movement pattern of carrying and incorporate it into your training routine easily.

If You Want to Start Rucking, You Should:

1. Find a backpack and fill it with a weight that does not exceed ⅓ of your total body weight
2. Remember to carry your pack when going for your regular daytime walking
3. Enjoy the benefits you will feel in your strength, ability, and overall fitness

Understanding the Comfort Crisis with Michael Easter

Michael Easter is an author, professor, and adventurer. He approaches movement and training from a scientific perspective, helping others to integrate modern science and evolutionary wisdom into their lives to expand their potential. He is the author of The Comfort Crisis and is personally a big fan of rucking and all of its benefits.

Controlled Discomfort is a Good Thing

Often we think about exercise as a 30 or 60-minute period of our day when we go hard. But being stagnant for the other 23 hours of the day has no benefit. Michael wants to challenge you to find ways in your daily routine to introduce some controlled discomfort into your life.

As the world has become more comfortable over time, we have lost certain things that help to make us healthy. Lifting heavy things while in motion can have huge benefits, especially for women. Walking with weight on your body, or rucking, is usually the best option if you want to see big results.

The Benefits of Rucking

Scientific research shows that strength training is crucial to longevity, especially in women. Rucking works to put your spine in a better position while lifting, avoid intense pressure on your joints, and is uniquely good at improving bone density.

If you struggle to integrate carrying into your fitness routine, which is an essential part of the seven functional movement patterns for building strength, rucking is a great option for you. Getting started is easy and incredibly simple.

Are you ready to get started with rucking today? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Why you should put more focus on carrying in your lifting routine (12:15)
• What is rucking and why you should know about it (13:34)
• The difference, pros, and cons between wearing a weight vast and rucking (15:19)
• Why rucking is great specifically for women athletes (19:37)
• How to be a 2-Percenter in order to see big changes (27:25)
• Tips for getting started with rucking and mitigating risk (29:15)

Quotes

"[Carrying] is kind of like the thing that most people aren't doing that would help them the most. Strength wise, fitness wise, cardio wise, and also just being protective against injuries." (10:46)

"I think that rucking is a great way to add a strength stimulus for women." (20:22)

"Women really were the people, as we have evolved, that kept us alive." (22:48)

"Only 2 percent of people, when they have the option of stairs or an escalator, will take the stairs. Now, if you back up, it's actually those very small decisions that we make every day, whether to take the stairs, parking farther away in the parking lot, picking your kid up and moving them, carrying your groceries. All these little ways of adding activity back into your life, those add up over the course of the day to a greater calorie burn and stimulus than a workout." (28:01)

"You know what is more risky than exercising? Not exercising at all." (33:25)

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The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter

Michael Easter Website

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LTYB 281: How To Exercise Intuitively w/ Steph Ondrusek

FYS 385: How To Build An Athlete Mindset Over 40

FYS 384: Making Mobility Practical w/ Coach RT3

Are you lacking the motivation or energy to train? I often hear this from women athletes, and it often stems from a lack of fueling or being in a low energy availability state. If you are feeling more tired during your workouts or during daily activities, have to go to sleep hours earlier than normal, or find yourself taking the elevator instead of the stairs because you are just so tired, there is a good chance you are not fueling yourself enough.

If You Want To Increase Your Motivation to Train, You Should:

1. Get clear about how, why, and when you are fueling yourself and if it is enough for your training program
2. Look out for signs that you may be in a low energy availability state
3. Remember that your energy levels impact so much more than just your physical activity

Stop Calling Yourself Lazy

Sometimes we think that low motivation is a character flaw, that we aren't working hard enough, are feeling lazy, and just need to power through. But so often, we forget to look at what could be the underlying causes behind our lack of energy. Not fueling yourself enough, especially if you are an athletic person, is something you need to consider.

I want you to stop blaming yourself and start looking at what, how, and when you are fueling yourself. You may find that your lack of motivation is really just a low energy availability issue by checking in with yourself regarding if you are getting enough daily energy intake.

Getting Real About the Energy Your Body Needs

Your energy levels impact your entire life, not just your intentionally structured physical activity. Low energy intake, or living in a low energy availability state, has psychological, mental, and physical impacts that you might not realize are linked. Not eating enough can play a huge role in determining your relationships, mood, goals, and so much more. This is why ensuring you are fueling enough for your unique body and training schedule is crucial. While the characteristics of low energy availability have a wide range, the impact they have on your body and mind is far-reaching.

Are you ready to stop beating yourself up for being 'lazy' or 'unmotivated' and start fueling yourself the way your body needs? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Why competitive athletes who love to train can still struggle with motivation (4:47)
• The reasons athletic women undereat and how it could be affecting your training and recovery (7:51)
• Why eating enough and fueling correctly is crucial even if you didn't work out today (11:28)
• How low energy could be impacting other areas of your life outside of the gym (14:30)
• Signs that you are in a low energy availability state and what to do about it (17:39)

Quotes

"The inspiration for this podcast really comes from many, many years of working with many of you and clients out in the world, other athletic women. Especially athletic women over 40 who come to me with frustrations about low motivation." (2:00)

"You know why you love to train. You have goals, and yet, sometimes it just seems like that motivation has gone 'poof' and is nowhere to be found." (2:13)

"It's not just the energy or the 'motivation' to go train; we are talking about your energy levels impacting your entire life." (13:29)

"When you get dragged down into the busyness of life, you can lose sight of how important your energy levels are and what it takes to stay fueled and recharged." (14:52)

"It is important to note that low energy intake, or low energy availability state, can manifest itself in different ways for different people." (22:16)

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Laziness Does Not Exist by Dr. Devon Price

4 Part Energy Series

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LTYB 350: Are You Eating Enough? Low Energy Availability in Sport

LTYB 352: Energy Flux and Fueling for Athletes with Jamie Scott

FYS 382: Making Strength Gains in Your Late 40's with Allison Fitzpatrick

Diversity and inclusion belong in all areas of the fitness industry. By accepting all body types and sizes, we can help foster a sense of community and inclusion in an industry ravaged by toxic diet culture. I'm joined by Damali Fraiser, a Canadian kettlebell instructor, to talk about her mission of body acceptance in the industry, along with systemic racism and her non-diet approach to fitness.

1. See that there are other benefits to movement other than weight loss
2. Design your programming for all body types, sizes, and goals
3. Prioritize goals that are outside of weight loss

About Damali Fraiser

Damali Fraiser (she/her/hers) is a Canadian Kettlebell Instructor, Nutrition Coach, and author passionate about exploring fitness from an intersectional lens. Founder of Lift Off Strength & Wellness, Damali is a compassionate coach and student of strength who teaches hardstyle kettlebell technique, inclusive fitness, and sustainable nutrition that supports you in meeting you wherever you are and confidently moving forward to where you want to be.

Dismantling Diet Culture in Kettlebell Coaching

The fitness industry is toxic regarding diet and weight loss culture. Damali Fraiser explains why her mission to de-center weight loss is so important and how her experience growing up in the Slim Fast era initially shaped her beliefs. She makes she educates her children on the dangers of the diet industry.

Damali shares the story of how an injury led her to seek out functional fitness in the form of kettlebells. Though she's now healed, she has an improved and better quality of life thanks to her continued use of kettlebells, and her goal is to help other people feel that same sense of strength and vitality.

Inclusion and Diversity in the Fitness Industry

The kettlebell industry still has a way to go before it's fully inclusive and diverse, but Damali is passionate about changing the narrative. She explains some of the steps coaches can take to dismantle toxic diet and fitness culture – it really is about decentering weight loss in their conversations.

Damali also talks about the racist roots of diet culture. It takes all of us working together to dismantle systemic racism to move forward collectively and help heal the damage caused.

How have you used functional fitness to overcome an injury or help your clients overcome injuries? What do you think of a non-diet approach to fitness? Let me know in the comments on the episode page.

• Why it's important to have broader conversations about fitness and health with our your children [5:30]
• How kettlebells or other functional training can become a healing force in your life [13:15]
• The current inclusivity and diversity in kettlebell training [17:00]
• How to dismantle toxic diet and fitness culture [19:00]
• What a non-diet approach to fitness is [20:30]
• The challenges a non-diet approach to fitness presents [24:00]
• The relationship between racism and diet culture [25:00]

"I started to explore functional strength training for my recovery, and that was where kettlebells helped me to reconnect with myself and my body and my identity outside of Muay Thai. I appreciated how kettlebells make you feel unstable, yet that feeling is empowering, and you can now re-envision stability throughout your life." [10:20]

"With kettlebells, I can have an improved and better quality of life. I feel like I'm fully living when I'm strong in my body and moving well."[13:25]

"It's multi-faceted. It's a challenge just to be there and be present. Wanting to do a good job and have people see my expertise but also to see my humanity and know that I'm just alongside them, dealing with the same things they are." [32:38]

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Women are starting to fuel better, lift heavier, recover smarter; they have fewer aches and pains, but yet we still collectively place huge importance on the number we see on the bathroom scale. This can be problematic for women athletes, as that number is not an accurate representation of the gains you are working towards.

If You Want to Change Your Relationship with the Bathroom Scale, You Should:

1. Understand that there are many nuances and complexities when dealing with your relationship with the scale
2. Work towards stopping weighing yourself in whatever unique way feels good to you
3. Remember that the scale is not an accurate representation of the strength gains you are making

The bathroom scale has a collective power over many of us when it comes to being an athletic woman who wants to train and be strong. We can make an entire list of things that have been improving since we started training, but if the scale isn't going down, we have been conditioned to think it is not successful. But the truth is, there are so many gains we get from taking care of ourselves that have nothing to do with counting calories, eating less and moving more, or weighing ourselves every day. The scale can get in the way of your ability to feel at ease with things and fully embrace your identity as an athletic woman.

Focusing on What Matters

Weighing yourself less, removing the scale from your environment, and keeping things in perspective when it comes to gaining muscle mass and bone strength are all ways that you can work on your health rather than the number on the scale. This is not just an aesthetics game anymore; we need to move past being 'toned' or 'skinny' and focus on what really matters.

When you are fueling yourself better, lifting heavier, and recovering smarter, you begin to have more energy, see more muscle definition and size, see improvements in your recovery and your energy, and so much more. These habits might not lower our body weight to what society idealizes, but they will help you stay strong and healthy for as long as possible.

How does the bathroom scale factor into your relationship with your body, your weight, and your training? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.

• Why making strength gains has so many benefits that have nothing to do with the scale (8:29)
• How to know if you are fueling enough for your training (13:59)
• The impact of pressure from diet culture when it comes to maintaining unrealistic weight standards (20:45)
• Understanding how body dysmorphia plays into our relationship with our weight (25:35)
• What you can focus on instead of the bathroom scale (28:26)

"I want to help you move past the bathroom scale as having so much power over you as a woman athlete." (2:21)

"Especially as athletic women, who constantly have the message drilled into us that we need to just eat less and move more, eat less and move more, we deserve a little bit more of a sophisticated conversation than that." (13:33)

"There can be a lot of reasons why we still continue to put so much emphasis and importance on the scale, even when everything else is better!" (26:06)

"As an athletic woman, relying on weighing yourself less as a metric of your strength, as a metric of your improvements in the way that you are taking care of yourself and the things that you are prioritizing, is a smart way to move eventually." (30:01)

"There are lots of different things that you can think about, instead of just keeping track of your body weight on the scale." (39:36)

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HTK 120: The Scale

LTYB 314: How To Set Health Goals Beyond the Scale with Steph Dodier

LTYB 350: Are You Eating Enough? Low Energy Availability in Sport

FYS 373: The Problem with Tiny Pink Dumbells with Nikki Naab-Levy

One area that I see athletic women over 40 consistently struggling with is the implementation of the high-quality information, techniques, and strategies they know would benefit them to include. Making change can be hard, and there is a mental and emotional challenge to adapting your training as you get older. However, with the right tools and mindset, the rewards of your training and longevity will amaze you.

If you want to effectively implement new training, nutrition, and recovery techniques as you age, you should:

1. Develop awareness about what beliefs may be limiting your training gains
2. Work with a coach or program that helps you implement the changes you seek
3. Create an identity-based model to adjust your behavior and make habit changes for good

Information and the implementation of that information are two very different things. You could have high-quality information and tools to help you make a change in your training, but if you get stuck when implementing it into your routine, all that great information isn't serving you in the way it should.

You don't need to do more just for the sake of doing more. Training more efficiently, or getting the most bang for your buck when it comes to your training, is only possible by changing the way you are thinking and adapting your training routine to your changing physiology.

The Unsung Hero of Implementation

We all have been conditioned by society to fear being lazy and that if there is no pain, there is no gain. This limiting belief is a perfect example of how powerful our belief systems are and the role they play in our training, nutrition, and recovery. If you are having a hard time getting started or implementing changes, it could be because of the beliefs you are holding onto about how you train and see results.

Your beliefs affect your ability to follow through with implementing new habits that you know will be good for you. Your identity and belief system hold the key to adjusting how you can train more efficiently.

Are you ready to implement effective training techniques as you age? Share your thoughts about the connection between beliefs and identity with me in the comments on the episode page.

• The importance of shifting your training, nutrition, and recovery as you get older (4:26)
• Why it can be a struggle to implement things differently with fitness and nutrition (8:55)
• What it means to train more efficiently and implement good information (12:42)
• Learn what true HIIT training is and the importance of shorter intervals in training (18:38)
• How your beliefs impact your ability to implement the changes you know your body needs (21:13)

"If you are an athletic woman over 40 and you are someone who likes to challenge yourself, you know that you might have to do things differently as you continue to get older." (3:52)

"It's hard sometimes to recognize that you are in a different place, and to make peace with that, and then to implement the new strategies that you know are going to be better for you." (8:18)

"Beliefs are a big factor in us as we are approaching our changing physiology, and training and doing fitness and nutrition in different ways. But beliefs are going to get in our way." (21:29)

"Coach is how we help you implement habits and behaviors to create new outcomes for yourself now and in the future. And it is very interesting to observe here how beliefs intersect with changing our habits around training and fueling and recovery." (27:19)

"As were approaching our 40s and beyond as women athletes, we are trying to make a change based on our old identities, the previous versions of ourselves. (29:03)

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Acute effect of HIIT on testosterone and cortisol levels in healthy individuals study

Laziness Does Not Exist by Dr. Devon Price

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Find the full show notes here

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I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

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FYS 367: 5 Strength Nutrition Lessons I Wish I Learned a Decade Ago

FYS 381: 6 Reasons To Hire a Nutrition Coach

FYS 375: Strength Training Changes for Peri-Menopause and Post-Menopause with Dr. Stacy Sims

Often we forget what an important part of strength training mobility work is. Mobility work has the reputation of being something that you just tack on or do during a warm-up. But the reality is that mobility work is incredibly important and dictates how you move, how you feel, and the gains that you see in and out of the gym.

If You Want to Make Mobility More of a Priority, You Should:

1. 1. Support online content creators who are sharing this information by saving and sharing their content
   2. Stop thinking of mobility work as something on the side and instead center your training around it
   3. Remember to rest and recover in order to achieve the goals you are looking for

Rich Thurman, better known as Coach RT3, is a mobility specialist who is passionate about sharing his experiences as a black man in the fitness industry and advocating for coaching in a way that takes care of your body, mind, and spirit as one whole person.

Mobility is Not an Afterthought

Let's be real, does every part of your body function optimally? The chances are probably pretty low. Incorporating mobility into your strength training as the main objective will help you see the benefits you are looking for and improve your overall performance as you age.

In general, we tend to overlook and neglect important health things until it is too late. This is why Coach RT3 is so passionate about helping others understand the why behind their workouts and get specific about how mobility work can help them. Mobility work is not an afterthought; it is a key component to achieving your goals.

Knowledge is Power

Coach RT3 really understands the importance of educating people on how their body works. You need to access the full capability of your mobility to ensure your training is going to succeed. Coach RT3 believes in the power of sharing information, which can be challenging on social media. But, through his passion and tenacity for the power of mobility, he helps people move better, feels better, and do more while still recovering in a way that is essential for longevity.

The more you have access to your mobility, the better your life is going to be. What are you waiting for?

Are you ready to dedicate yourself to mobility? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.

• Understanding the struggles around creating social media content as a creator (4:48)
• Calls to action that will help amplify and support the content of diverse online creators (24:52)
• Common mistakes or fallbacks people believe to be true when it comes to mobility (33:51)
• How to incorporate mobility work as a key part of your strength conditioning (40:12)
• Tips for working with Coach RT3 and improving your relationship with mobility (51:53)

"I am a firm believer in the way I communicate and the way I put out information; it is in a sharing way. I don't hold any information back. And if you want to work with me and if you want to train with me, then you are working with me and training with me because you like the way in which I coach." (26:18)

"I want you all to be better and to understand and to learn and to grow. Because if you all learn and grow, then everyone is better." (27:40)

"Mobility should be the throughline for everything that you are doing in life because it is life." (33:19)

"If you really want mobility to be something that impacts your longevity and life, you have to slot it in as the thing, and everything else has to be the 20." (44:53)

"If you move better, you feel better… and if you feel good you do more. And if you do more, you get more of what you want overall anyways." (51:37)

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LTYB 338: Mobility, Justice, and Representation in the Fitness Industry with Rich Thurman

FYS 370: Mobility for Strength Training with Dr. Jen Hosler

You can still be a strong badass who can lift heavy as you journey through peri-menopause and post-menopause. But, you have to do it in a way that is a bit different than you did in your 20s. If you are a 40+ woman and not seeing the results you want, holding back on adjusting the way you train as your body transitions is probably the reason.

If You Want To Level Up Your CrossFit Training Through Peri-Menopause, You Should:

1. Find a trainer or program that takes into account your unique physiological needs as a woman
2. Give yourself grace when changing your mindset around getting stronger
3. Embrace the confidence that CrossFit and strength training can give you as you age

Shawna Norton is an L1 Certified Nutrition Coach through Precision Nutrition, with a B.S in Kinesiology. She holds an L1 with Crossfit and actively coaches athletes through her women's only coaching program- Competitive Female Training. She is passionate about serving the needs of women in her community and loves helping them fuel their training and focus on what their bodies can do in peri-menopause and beyond.

Why You Need to Lift Heavy Things

As we get older, sometimes we can forget about the importance of hard things. Society tells us to focus on the scale and not get 'too bulky'. But building muscle as you age, especially as a woman, is so important to your overall health, longevity, mindset, and happiness.

This new stage of life is an opportunity for you to reassess what your body needs and create a strength training program that is going to meet your unique needs as a woman. Strength training isn't just about what you look like. It is a way to ensure your quality of life throughout peri-menopause, post-menopause, and beyond.

Giving Women a Voice and a Program

Women make up 50% of the sport of CrossFit, and yet most of the programs out there are designed for men. That's where Shawna comes in. She is all about empowering women with the right tools and knowledge to be given a voice in the CrossFit world and feel confident in their training.

Shawna is dedicated to answering the question, 'what about us?'. By helping women understand the power of muscle and how to achieve their CrossFit goals in a way that is adapted to a woman's physiology as she ages, Shawna provides programming tailored specifically to the needs of women. A conversation that is not had enough, in this episode, Shawna smashes CrossFit misconceptions and provides a unique perspective on strength training in peri-menopause and on.

How have you adjusted your strength training to suit the needs of your changing body? Share your thoughts and experiences with me in the comments on the episode page.

• The biggest lessons learned through the journey of strength training and CrossFit (11:12)
• Addressing the misunderstandings around CrossFit and getting strong as a woman (15:45)
• How to adapt your training through the Competitive Female Training program (24:17)
• Why the Level M Program is a unique approach to building strength (34:31)
• Tips for shifting your mindset when it comes to how you train as you transition through peri-menopause and beyond (38:55)

"I got into CrossFit, and all of a sudden I had a barbell in my hands, and it was like, this is where I am supposed to be. I want to take up space, I want to lift heavy." (6:17)

"I am still a beautiful woman, but I am beautiful because of how I am made, not because of how society says I need to be." (12:54)

"Our programming is designed only for women. But we also communicate in a way that our female athletes can actually understand what they are supposed to do." (29:10)

"Women are 50% of the sport, and we have the right to have our weaknesses addressed to the same level that you are programming for men. Think about that when you are programming." (32:16)

"If you are not happy where you are at, you have to do something different. If you keep doing the same thing, you are going to keep getting the same results. Try it! What's the worst that can happen? You're going to get stronger?" (42:43)

"Having muscle is so much more than if you can fit into your jeans." (48:23)

Join the Group Strength Nutrition Unlocked Program Here

Competitive Female Training Website

Shawna Norton Website

Follow Competitive Female Training on Instagram

Follow Shawna on Instagram

Pull-Ups Resource

Find the full show notes here

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I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

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Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

FYS 382: Making Strength Gains in Your Late 40's with Allison Fitzpatrick

FYS 378: Powerlifting and Recovery Tips for the 40+ Athlete with Laura Phelps

FYS 375: Strength Training Changes for Peri-Menopause and Post-Menopause with Dr. Stacy Sims