Robert Linkul is the head personal trainer and the owner of Be STRONGER Fitness in Sacramento, CA, and specializes in training for older adults. Robert has his masters degree in personal training from the United State Sports Academy (University of Alabama) and a bachelors degree in kinesiology from California State University of Sacramento. He was named the NSCA’s 2012 Personal Trainer of the year and Robert serves as the chairman for the NSCA’s personal trainer special interest group and is the career development columnist for the NSCA’s personal training quarterly publication.

Linkul is an NSCA Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT *D) and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS *D) with distinction. Robert has also earned a Master Sandbag Instructors Certification from Alpha Strong and is a CPT and CSCS exam preparation symposium instructor for the NSCA. Robert has been in the personal training industry since 1999 and has developed a semi-private group training style that few in the industry have mastered.

In this episode, Robert and I discuss:

* Why he trains older adults

* His journey through 13 surgeries and how it affects his training

* The danger of training exclusively for performance

* Identifying a training purpose

* Why he doesn’t call assessments “assessments” to clients

* The concept of training for life

* The importance of being an educator

* Misconceptions about training older adults

* External load for stronger bones

* Why he programs throws and explosive movements

* The principles of training that apply at every age

* Training with pain (and arthritis)

* Having a referral network and team

* Emotional challenges older adults face

* The mindset older adults bring to training

* Why he rarely programs presses

* Be Stronger Fitness

Learn more about Robert’s company: bestrongerfitness.com

Find Robert’s course: trainingtheolderadult.com

Follow Robert on Instagram: @robertlinkul

Check out his Youtube channel: youtube.com

Paul Hynes is a Toronto-based trainer who started strength training during his college years as an art student, where he walked into the gym as a skinny guy looking to “get jacked.” He lifted some weights, made some mistakes and saw some results which encouraged him to keep going. That early experience in the gym instilled a drive that helped Paul discover his true calling: Coaching.

Paul loves coaching! This profession has allowed him to work with people from all walks of life with a variety of goals. Whether people are training for looks, injury prevention, strength or just life improvement, Paul’s goal is to help them achieve their goals in a safe and sustainable way.

In this episode, Paul and I discuss:

* Paul’s start in fitness & why he loves coaching

* How art skills apply to fitness

* How biases and assumptions affect coaching

* Client-centered coaching

* What to look for in a trainer

* Training for the long game

* Adaptability in a training program

* Developing awareness

* Internal vs. external cues

* Considerations for exercise selection

* Backing off 10%

* How to train with injuries

* The mental aspects of pain

* Language & beliefs surrounding pain

* Paul’s experience in powerlifting

* Why there’s no such thing as a “good” or “bad” exercise

Learn more about Paul and Hynes Performance: hynesperformance.ca

Find Paul on Instagram: @paul.hynes 

Find more resources on pain: greglehman.ca/blog

In this episode, I’m reflecting on National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. I share my thoughts about my past experiences with an eating disorder and subsequent disordered eating. I talk about diet culture and how it infiltrates the fitness industry so thoroughly, and consider the importance of learning to listen to our body and its innate wisdom when it comes to what we need in terms of nourishment and movement.

Find me on Instagram @caseymzav

If you’re enjoying what you’re hearing, please rate, review and share the show!

Ben Pratt is the Programme Coordinator for the leading online training provider, Nordic Fitness Education. He has actively worked in the fitness industry since 1995 and within the field of fitness education as a tutor and international presenter since 2003. Amongst numerous vocational fitness certifications, he achieved a BSc in Sports Science, and a MSc in Holistic Nutrition. Ben is the author of more than 15 health, fitness and nutrition certifications, the most recent of which is the Sleep Recovery Specialist online certification that offers fitness professionals an exciting niche to support clients achieve their goals.

In this episode, Ben and I discuss:

* Why Ben prioritizes sleep above fitness and nutrition

* How to improve your sleep quality

* Sleep phases

* When and how to change your training program if you haven’t slept well

* How exercise can be detrimental if you haven’t slept enough

* Stress and sleep

* How hormones are affected by sleep

* How sleep affects your appetite and body composition

* Sleep chronotypes and how to determine yours

* Differentiating your habits from your chronotype

* How chronotype changes with age

* What to do to feel better in the morning

* Creating a nighttime routine

* Mind stimulation at night

* Whether supplemental melatonin is effective or not

* Oversleeping

* Repaying sleep debt on the weekend

* Social jet lag

* How to get better sleep as a shift worker

* The accuracy of sleep trackers

Learn more about the Sleep Recovery Specialist Course:  nordicfitnesseducation.com

Use Code sleepnow10 for a 10% discount on the course!

Find Ben on Instagram: @nordicfitnesseducation

Find Ben on Twitter: @N_Fit_Education

Katie Hake is an Indianapolis-based registered dietitian and fitness professional. After her own struggles with feeling addicted to exercise and hyper-focused on healthy eating, it is now her my mission to empower women to overcome their need to measure success by the numbers. She believes that by owning your strength and confidence from within, you can stop quantifying and start living.

In this episode, Katie and I discuss:

* The effects of overtraining and undereating

* How you can’t determine someone’s health or wellbeing based on their appearance

* The pressure for trainers to look a certain way

* How “healthy” behaviors can become unhealthy

* The components of wellness beyond fitness & nutrition

* Orthorexia

* Disordered eating

* How everyone you see is on their own journey and to take wellness advice with a grain of salt

* The positives and negatives of group fitness spaces

* How diet culture is rampant in gyms

* Tapping into your WHY

* Improving your relationship with food and exercise

* Katie’s values as a dietitian

* Doing less

Find Katie on Instagram: @kthake

Learn more about Katie and her services: katiehake.com

As a New York-based Podiatrist, Human Movement Specialist and Global Leader in Barefoot Science and Rehabilitation, Dr. Splichal has developed a keen eye for movement dysfunction and neuromuscular control during gait. She approaches every patient with the belief that we hold he power to our health and well-being in our own hands. Functional and regenerative medicine and the role of anti-aging science as it relates to movement longevity is where Dr. Splichal’s passion is focused. She also provides content and speaks about the importance of proper foot activation as it relates to stabilization and training.

In this episode, Dr. Emily and I discuss:

* Why we should care about our feet

* Feet as our foundation & contact with the ground

* Why feet are key for stabilization & balance

* Flat feet vs. arched feet

* Plantar fasciitis

* Foot activation

* Exercises for flat feet

* The connection between the feet & the core

* Teaching your body to stabilize subconsciously

* Barefoot training

* How shoes affect our feet & movement

* Movement longevity

* Why humans can walk upright

* A daily routine for foot performance

* Why socks are not the same as bare feet

* Why foot activation makes you stronger

* Tips for a stronger pull-up

* “Tension stacking”

Learn more about Emily and her services: dremilysplichal.com

Learn more about Nabosco Barefoot Technology: nabosotechnology.com

Watch videos from EBFA Fitness: youtube.com

Find Dr. Emily’s book: amazon.com

Find Dr. Emily on Instagram: @dremilydpm

Cassie Day is a functional strength coach and the founder of All Day Fit in Toronto, ON.

In this episode of the podcast, Cassie and I discuss our opinions on:

* The best & worst fitness trends of the decade

* Social media trends of the decade

* The best apps of the decade

* The best artist of the decade

* The best movie of the decade

* The best & worst nutrition trends of the decade

* The best TV show of the decade

* Wellness trends of the decade

* The most influential women of the decade

* Our favorite moments of the decade

Find All Day Fit at alldayfit.com or follow @alldayfit.co on Instagram.

Find Cassie @cassiedayyy on Instagram.

Anna Sweeney is a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian and Supervisor, Certified Sports Nutritionist, Certified Intuitive Eating Specialist and owner of Whole Life Nutrition. Anna is an expert in the treatment of individuals struggling with eating disorders, disordered eating, and emotional eating. She combines her knowledge of the science of nutrition and experience in the treatment of eating disorders with direct, compassionate, and heartfelt care to help her clients realize the pleasures of living a Whole Life. Anna’s goal is to help her clients to heal their relationships with food and body, trust their own wisdom, appreciate self-care, and to enjoy every bite along the way.

In this episode, Anna and I discuss:

* My experience with an eating disorder

* The reason Anna specialized in eating disorders

* Anna’s attempt to heal her multiple sclerosis through nutrition

* The value and power of intuitive eating

* How diet culture puts food on a pedestal

* Packaging old nutrition concepts as groundbreaking “new science”

* Challenging the idea of food rules

* How to learn to incorporate “challenge foods”

* Disordered eating behaviors that are culturally praised vs. shamed

* Biological causes of binge eating

* The reason you’re feeling preoccupied by food

* How to know if you’re being restrictive with food

* The guideline of 3’s

* How to work through your fears surrounding food

* The importance of getting support to heal

* The fact that health exists at any size, in a wide variety of bodies (HAES)

* Devastating effects of weight stigma & discrimination

* Thin privilege

* Genetic diversity of bodies

* How diet culture hijacks “health” terms and buzzwords

* The danger of trainers making specific nutrition recommendations to clients

* That there’s no magical cure in nutrition

* Anna’s relationship to her body having MS

* The importance of modifying programs for all body sizes

Learn more about Anna and Whole Life Nutrition: wholeliferd.com

Follow Anna on Instagram: @dietitiananna

Gus is an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner for Toronto FC and the Canadian National Kickboxing Team. Gus is a graduate from the University of Windsor as well as Indiana State University. In 2003, he completed his Doctorate in Osteopathy Manual Practice from the Canadian College of Osteopathy. As an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner and Athletic Therapist, he uses both skills in his private practice and with professional athletes. Gus has taught for over 20 years at York University in the Athletic Therapy/Kinesiology and Health Sciences Department.

In this episode, Gus and I discuss:

* The practice of osteopathy

* “Natural, holistic, hands-on approach to healthcare”

* Searching for the true CAUSE of a problem

* Helping the body heal itself

* Prioritizing the body’s systems

* Working with athletes

* Looking at the body as a whole

* Why a body might require the same adjustments over and over again

* Helping the client understand WHY

* Understanding fascia

* Getting buy-in from clients

* Osteopathic adjustments

* Having a rib out of place and the cascade of effects

* Treating athletes with performance pressures

* Why he loves teaching

* Lifelong learning

* Other treatment modalities such as laser and ultrasound

* Following up treatment with training

* Working with trainers

* Establishing a network of practitioners

* Getting Eriq to buy in to osteopathy

* How he was drawn to the practice

* What sets the best practitioners apart from others

Learn more about Osteopathy in Ontario and Find a Practitioner: osteopathyontario.org

Learn about Athletic Therapy at York University: yorku.ca/athletic-therapy-certificate

 

Mike Robertson is one of the most highly sought-after coaches, consultants, speakers and writers in the fitness industry today. Known for his “no-nonsense” approach to training and brutal efficiency, Mike has made a name for himself as a go-to resource for professional athletes from every major sport. Mike is the President of Robertson Training Systems and the co-owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (IFAST) in Indianapolis, Indiana. IFAST has been named one of the Top 10 Gyms in America by Men’s Health magazine three times in the past six years. Mike currently coaches a handful of professional athletes during their off-season, and is the physical preparation coach for the Indy Eleven professional soccer team.

In this episode, Mike and I discuss:

* Balancing the hard and soft skills

* His drive to be great

* Making a name for himself in the fitness industry

* Consistency in content production

* Not overthinking your content

* Understanding your training bias

* Prioritizing your client’s needs

* The evolution of the fitness industry over the last 20 years

* Helping frustrated clients

* Helping clients feel successful

* Supporting clients emotionally

* Athletic training beyond standard lifts and weight training

* Sport specific programming

* Progressive overload

* Defining “movement quality”

* Getting feedback from clients on sessions

* How to squat effectively

* Why Mike hates the word “functional”

* Understanding the “why” behind your goals

* The importance of putting yourself first

* Mike’s 4 non-negotiables in his life

* 90 minute pre-sleep routine

* The Complete Coach Certification

* Making a positive impact on the world

Learn more about Mike and find his content: robertsontrainingsystems.com

Follow Mike on Instagram: @robtrainsystems

Find my episode on Mike’s podcast: The Physical Preparation Podcast