I really don't like the word diet.  It has this negative association to it.  Mainly because everyone thinks of weight loss and eating like a rabbit instead of eating foods you like or you honestly need.  I prefer the term fuel your body, because fueling your body defines the use of food to provide your mindand body with the nutrition it needs to operate at its best.  But does it matter?  Do we really need to pay attention to the kind of foods we eat and worry more about the quality of food over calories in and calories out?

The answer is yes.  But there's a lot more to it.  And in today's episode we talk about how we can better fuel our body and consider body composition goals without putting our health and state of mind at risk.

Like many, you may be struggling with how to adjust to changes in life due to the quarantine.  How do you workout?  How do you change your diet?  Today's episode is short, but we address some of the concerns about food, exercise, and mental outlook with options and information on how to adapt to this temporary circumstance.  

The key here is to keep a positive mindset and remember that this is temporary.  Find ways to stay on track with nutrition and physical activity, even if it is slightly different than before.

We've all heard the phrase, "Food is fuel." But what does that really mean? Can any food be fuel? Most of us wish that we could eat whatever we want and still perform at our best and look like a superhero. But in reality, the kind of food we eat can either help or hinder our performance or physique goals. In this episode, we talk about different foods and how they interact with your body to produce energy for varying reasons. I also refer back to some previous episodes for some additional info on food for energy. So be sure to check out episodes 2, 3, and 8.

There's a lot of debate about doing any sort of aerobic exercise when you're training for strength. I've even heard some say not to run to the car because it could be so catabolic to your muscle size and strength. Will it kill your gains? Is it as bad as some people make it out to be? The answer is, it depends. While cardio can reduce muscle size and strength, there are a lot of benefits to performing concurrent training (Aerobic exercise and strength exercise in one program). The caveat is that there are certain factors to make sure you aren't limiting your adaptions.

Check out the latest episode for more on why you may want to include aerobic exercise in your strength program and how to include it within your program.

In previous episodes, discussing how to put together a training program, we talked about Specificity and Overload. In order to create an overload that leads to adaption towards a specific goal, we create variation. Variation is not random movements. And no it's not muscle confusion...that's not a real thing...so how do we add variation that will help us towards our goal? Check out the latest episode where we discuss methods of variation and how to effectively create a program.

Have you ever seen someone using bands or chains during a lift and wondered why, and what the purpose is? Most of us are familiar with a constant weight on the bar, but chains and bands are a method called Variable Resistance Training. Meaning the weight varies throughout the lift.

Check out this latest episode for how chains and bands differ from a constant load, and from each other, and how they can improve your strength and power. Both bands and chains are very versatile tools most should consider in their program.

Plyometrics are often used in sports like soccer, basketball, football, track & field, etc. But they are not used quite as often in strength-based sports like Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, and strongman. Which is a shame, because plyometrics and other power and velocity-based training methods can have a huge positive impact on performance.

In episode 17 we talk about how plyometrics can specifically improve areas of training adaption which will then help you with lifting heavier weights faster, getting past that sticking point, and hitting new PRs

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast because in future episodes I will talk about other ways of increasing power, like lifting with bands and chains. You don’t want to miss out!

References mentioned in Min 21:

Marcora, S. M. (2010). Perception of effort. In E. B. Goldstein (Eds.), Encyclopedia of perception (pp. 380–383). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Pageaux, B. (2016). Perception of effort in exercise science: definition, measurement and perspectives. European Journal of Sport Science, 16(8), 885–894. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/17461391.2016.1188992.