In this episode of the Smart Strength Training Podcast, I discuss the topic of fasting and whether women should train fasted. Emerging data shows the differences between men and women concerning fasting, including the effects on stress hormones, blood glucose levels, energy fluctuations, and hormone balance. But is this true of shorter duration fasting, and does the type of exercise being performed and women's overall nutrition status, sleep, and stress levels matter? 

Summary:

00:00 Introduction

00:41 Topic: Should Women Train Fasted?

03:57 Shorter Duration Fasting and Implications

06:21 Pre-Workout Nutrition and Considerations

07:48 Type of Exercise and Fasting

10:03 Nutrition, Sleep, and Stress Factors

12:27 Who Should Fast and Who Shouldn't

For information about my bespoke online personal training, check out:

https://www.andyvincentpt.com/online-personal-training/

In this episode, I discuss why diets fail and the challenges people face in losing and maintaining weight. If you can see from the outset what causes the biggest issues with weight loss, you can arm yourself with a strategy to ensure success.

Summary:

00:00 Why Diets Fail: Understanding the Challenges 

03:48 Adherence and Sustainability: The Key to Success 

08:02 Energy Balance and Social Strategies for Weight Management

If you need help with your own training and nutrition, I am available for bespoke 1-on-1 online personal training and nutrition coaching:

https://www.andyvincentpt.com/online-personal-training/

In this episode, I discuss the most overrated and underrated aspects of training, emphasising the importance of simplicity and focusing on the big picture. I cover training splits, celebrity workouts, specific exercise selection, rep and set structures, weight loss workouts, spot reduction, and supplements. I also highlight consistency, workout logs, loading, and rest:

Summary:

00:00 The Overrated Aspects of Training

10:55 The Underrated Aspects of Training

In this episode of the Smart Strength Training Podcast, I discuss gym floor anxiety and how it can be a common experience for many people. I share some of my own recent experience and highlight some common triggers for anxiety. I also give some strategies to overcome gym floor anxiety to help you build confidence. 

In This Episode:

00:00 Understanding Gym Floor Anxiety

01:35 Common Triggers for Gym Floor Anxiety

08:21 Building Confidence in the Gym

12:39 The Joy of Seeing Clients Grow in Confidence

This Smart Strength Training Podcast episode discusses the importance of incorporating movement into daily life and the challenges people face. It highlights the sedentary nature of modern lifestyles and the negative impact on health. The concept of metabolism and its components are explained, emphasizing the significance of non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). The episode also addresses the misconception that walking is not a form of exercise and emphasizes the benefits of walking and other forms of movement. Practical tips for staying active and finding activities one enjoys and can sustain throughout the year.

Chapters

00:00 The Impact of Sedentary Lifestyles

03:06 Understanding Metabolism and NEAT

07:08 Debunking the Myth: Walking as Exercise

08:14 Practical Tips for Incorporating Movement

12:07 The Importance of Finding Sustainable Activities

In this week's podcast, I discuss muscle soreness and its relationship to muscle growth. Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is often misunderstood and is not necessarily an indicator of a good workout. I explain muscle damage and recovery and discuss what truly is the primary driver of muscle growth. I unpack the type of training that is effective and why a focus on progressive overload while limiting excessive soreness is key.

In this episode:

00:00 Understanding Muscle Soreness
01:30 The Role of Muscle Damage and Recovery
08:05 Factors Contributing to Muscle Soreness
09:26 The Importance of Progressive Overload
10:30 Limiting Excessive Soreness

If you need help maximizing your training while minimizing soreness, click the link below to find out more about my 1-on-1 online personal training.

https://www.andyvincentpt.com/online-personal-training/

In podcast episode 11, I explore whether doing too much cardio affects one's ability to build muscle. The concept of concurrent training, which involves combining strength training and cardiovascular training, is discussed, as well as the interference effect, where cardio can disrupt the pathways required for building muscle. I also explain why not all cardio is equal and I explain strategies for mitigating the interference effect to ensure you can build muscle at the same time as doing a fairly high level of conditioning.

In This Episode:

00:00 Introduction: Does Doing Too Much Cardio Affect Muscle Building?  

00:59 Understanding the Interference Effect in Concurrent Training  

06:19 Strategies for Mitigating the Interference Effect  

If you need help balancing strength training with conditioning in your own workouts, check out my 1-on-1 online personal training program:

http://www.andyvincentpt.com/online-personal-training/

In this podcast, I am following up on the last episode by discussing how to lose weight and body fat without tracking calories. There are some obvious problems with tracking calories: inaccuracy in the numbers can cause anxiety and potentially lead to disordered eating behaviours. And we know why diets generally don't work. In this episode, I will give you strategies for weight loss without tracking.

In this episode:

01:52 Why Diets Don't Work

04:06 The Importance of Weight Management

07:45 Low Hanging Fruit Approach

09:38 Focusing on Energy Dense Elements

14:13 Keeping Meal Volume High

16:01 The Role of Protein

16:31 Including Fruit and Vegetables

19:23 Avoiding a Reactive Approach

22:00 Long-Term Weight Management

In this episode of The Smart Strength Training Podcast, I explore the controversy surrounding calories and whether they matter for weight loss. I address the main arguments against the calories in versus calories out model and discuss the role of hormones, nutrient quality, and genetics in weight management. 

In this episode:

00:40 Arguments against Calories

03:33 Calories as Energy

04:02 Energy Balance Equation

05:30 Lack of Nuance in the Calorie Conversation

07:14 Importance of Nutrient Quality

08:12 The Carb Insulin Model

09:36 Role of Hormones in Weight Gain

11:00 Genetics and Behavioral Factors

In this episode, I am talking about the popular trend of reverse dieting. I’ll examine the claims and terminology associated with reverse dieting and review the research. I will explain in what situation reverse dieting could be a good idea and when reverse dieting is definitely not something to consider.

In this episode:

00:54 What is Reverse Dieting?

02:22 Claims and Terminology

03:48 Origin of Reverse Dieting

06:37 Managing Weight Regain

08:06 Debunking Claims

12:46 When Reverse Dieting Could Be Sensible

15:59 Who Should Consider Reverse Dieting