the downsides of perfectionism, should you train when you’re sick? and the difference between men + women when they’re sick—amongst other shenanigans :) enjoy!

We back bischis!!! @vanessamarilynn @mahan.elmi_

a mutli-timezone episode with fellow fitness trainer and coach Larisa @larifitfam all the way from Romania! Lari discusses leaving her corporate job to follow her passion, what mindset is required to make a big change in your life, what fulfills her most in her professional life now, how she helped a client who was misled by a toxic diet trend, and the difference for her between remote and in-person coaching.

we talked it was fun and deep :D complacency, control, food mind/body/brain emotional connection, going for that job, being in a rut, adversity, self-validation, challenge and change and some 🔥 sleep tips! @mahanelmi_ @vanessamarilynn

“There is nothing more important than your health and your mental wellbeing. And if that is not on the top of your to-do list, it’s going to come back and bite you in the ass.” We FINALLY have Morgan Woodfine on the show:) Let’s talk S.A.D., tanning your booty hole, motherhood, post-partum, sexual expression, the need for co-regulation and community, soothing your nervous system, attachment theory, sexuality, kinks, BDSM, and much much more! @morganwoodfine / @mahanelmi_ / @vanessamarilynn

Is fruit making you gain weight? How about French fries? We open up this episode with some good old fashioned myth busting and are joined by the lovely fellow strength coach Alessandra Orehek. We chat gut health, nutrition, stress, trauma, healing, pizza, pleasure, the joy of eating, living an extraordinary life, lavender lattes, and things you actually need to know to improve your health and fitness. *This episode is not intended to be used as medical advice ;). You can find Alessandra on Instagram @alessandra_orehek and your hosts @mahan_elmi and @vanessamarilynn

This is kind of a wild and wacky episode where we didnt know what we talked about… but it’s got some good chunks of gold! Topics include: getting hate on social media, setting boundaries, people pleasing and how it effects your health, mental health, S.A.D. and our personal tips on burnout as well as some suuuuuuper unsolicited and unqualified parenting advice no one asked us for. :) Have fun!

The one about PERIODS!

In this episode we discuss:

• The importance of consent and choice in training and coaching

• (29:55) V’s thoughts on training around The Menstrual Cycle, the “cycle syncing” craze, and the biggest facts you need to know about your cycle. “Flo Tracker” is the app Vanessa refers too and reccomend (free version available).

Send us a DM on Instagram any time to let us know if you like the show, if you have any questions for us, or would like to suggest a topic for our brains to pick at. Vanessa can be found on IG @vanessamarilynn and Mahan @mahanelmi_

“Instead of “the gym is therapy” let’s try, “the gym could be therapeutic for some.””

-Tracy Arias

Welcome back to another awesome episode, today we have the lovely and electric Tracy Arias. Tracy is a mom, a competitive powerlifter, and psychotherapist. We talk therapy, chosing the right therapist, the gym as therapy, how to decide if you should workout in an emotionally charged state or not, emotions, stress cycles, how being triggered presents itself in an internal and external way, and hot tips for a “lid flip” moment. This episode is all about lifting, psychology and quickly turns into a therapy session for Mahan and V and they loved every single second of it.

You can find Tracy and her lifts on Instagram at @t.d.izzle, and your hosts at @mahanelmi_ @vanessamarilynn.

Thanks for listening! xx-Mahan and V

-Getting back to life after being sick, injured etc. and the art of doing less

-Why the gym isn’t therapy

-Why the scale isn’t the best measure of progress

-Why and how weight fluctuations happen

-Muscle vs. Fat

-Learning to not define yourself based on numbers

-The proper way to weigh yourself on the scale and track your bodyweight

-The macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs) and why you need them and what they do

-Why losing muscle is an issue

-The fastest and best way to improve your metabolism

-The dangers of under-eating, and how “skinny fat” happens

-The importance of protein, especially for those who menstruate, are menopausal, and how our needs increase as we age

-Why the lower abs/belly are the hardest to tone

-Body image and accepting our bellies

-Why you don’t need to “get ready” before you hire a trainer

-Why being sore after every workout isn’t a good thing

And much much much more…

You can find Mahan on Instagram at @mahanelmi_ and Vanessa at @vanessamarilynn. If you’d like to work with either Mahan or V, you can contact them via their email address in their Instagram bios.