The Essential Strength Podcast

Our guest this week is Dr. Kyle Gillett.

In today’s conversation, Dr. Gillett and I talk about the concerning health trends he sees in men and women between the ages of 25 and 45 as well as the health trends that those over 50 should be aware of. We talk about the continuum of diet, exercise and pharmaceutical interventions in addressing obesity and the many downstream risk factors associated with excessively high body fat percentages. We also go deep on the topic on infertility - why rates are climbing and what we can do about it.

You can LEARN MORE about Dr. Gillett's work & his new venture, GilletHealth - HERE

Our Partner Today is Stronger In Motion - Whether it's 1:1 Strength Coaching, Nutrition Consultation or our new Enduring Strength Program - we can take take the guess work out of training and nutrition and guide you towards the STRONGEST version of yourself!

Connect with Dr. Gillett - @kylegillettmd
Connect with David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show - @essential.strength.podcast

Action Plan

My biggest takeaway - the the inspiration for your ACTION PLAN this week is this: while there are trends towards higher rates of certain diseases right now, especially metabolic conditions and declining fertility rates - there is also SO MUCH WE CAN DO ABOUT IT! Lifestyle changes, pharmaceutical support, dietary interventions… there is almost no problem that we cannot solve with the right team around us and the necessary tests to identify our personal risk factors.

So, your action plan this week is simply to go check out Marek Health - learn more about what they do and also, if you haven’t seen a doctor in 5 years - make a freakin appointment! If you feel amazing - GREAT - go get some labs done and figure out what your internal environment looks like when you feel awesome - that way in the future you and your medical team will know what to do in the inevitable event that one day you don’t feel so awesome whether because of age, environment, stress or illness. Be an active agent of your own health!

That’s it for this week. Until next time, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Our guest this week is Frank Benedetto.

On today’s episode, Frank and I talk about why so many healthcare professionals are finding themselves burned out but scared to leave their jobs, when and how to find your niche as a practitioner and I ask Frank if it is ever too early or too late to start a side hustle. Frank is also gracious enough to offer two free tools to help everyone listening design a life they will love and to help them discover their niche - both resources typically reserved for members of The Honey Badger Project - so be sure to check today’s show notes for links!

Check Out Pain Free Performance - our partner on today's show is THE BEST educational resource for trainers, coaches and allied health professionals looking to advance their skills and ensure their clients will train PAIN FREE while improving their performance!
!! USE THE CODE "ESSENTIAL"  AT CHECKOUT FOR 15% OFF !!

• Download the Life Design Worksheet
• Download the Find My Niche Worksheet

Connect with Frank - @frank_benedetto
Connect with David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show - @essential.strength.podcast

Action Plan

Your action plan for the week is this - Block out the time needed to fill out the Life Design Worksheet, which is linked in the show notes for this episode. I can tell you from personal experience - the first time I did this exercise it was eye opening in a lot of ways. It gave me clarity as to what I really want my life to look like in a way I’d never experienced before, and it highlighted how my current work, income, and time management was not necessarily in alignment with what I said I wanted. And, spoiler alert - it still isn’t. I’m moving in the right direction - albeit slowly - but it’s high time I sat down and completed the Life Design Worksheet again, this time with my wife, and started taking more concrete steps towards living out my ideals. I hope you gain some valuable insight from this exercise… in fact I’m quite sure that you will.

That’s it for this week - until next time, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Our guest this week is Dr. Kristin Phillips, DPT & a Re-Release of the fifth most popular episode in Essential Strength History!

Check out our partner on today's episode - Barbell Rehab - and use the code "stronger25" to save $25 off any online continuing education course!

Remember - if you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis!

Highlights - In today’s Conversation, Dr. Phillips and I discuss the pros and cons of the term “Women’s Health” in light of the fact that both men and women both have pelvic floor anatomy that can benefits from assessment and treatment. We talk about the link between pelvic health and sexual function as it relates to both men and women and we talk about some of the common misconceptions that people have about the day to day job of a pelvic health therapist.

Connect with Dr. Phillips: @kristinphillips_dpt
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast

Action Plan - Your action plan this week is two fold:

First - your very practical action plan is simply to hop on the good old google machine and find your local women’s health physical therapist. You might not need their services now, but maybe you know someone who recently had a child and doesn’t even know pelvic floor rehab is available, and maybe at some point in the future this will be important for you personally. It’s always good to know where the healthcare specialists are in your area.

Second - your more broad action plan is to expand your professional knowledge base. Don’t assume that because you’ve been in an industry for 5 years, 10 years or longer that you have “seen it all” or that you know everything there is to know. This is part fo why I love having guests on who are fellow Physical Therapists specializing in treatment approaches I’m only peripherally familiar with, or has one lecture on in school. The best time to learn is now, and the next best time to learn is every day for the rest of your life.

That’s it for this week, be sure to tune in next time for my conversation with Frank Benedetto and a conversation that initially aired on November 3rd, 2021. This one is all about professional BURNOUT, especially as it relates to health and fitness professionals. 

Until then - we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH!

Our guest this week is Saad Alam. 

Saad Alam is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hone Health (formerly known as Peak), an online clinic that treats men’s hormonal imbalances and low testosterone.

Saad is a lifelong health advocate dedicated to researching new and innovative ways to improve overall well-being. Saad set out on his journey to build a next-generation men’s health clinic after experiencing testosterone imbalances firsthand, which inspired him to learn more about male hormones and to help other men. Since founding the company, Saad has devoted himself to assisting men realize that age should not dictate how one feels and to have confidence as they evolve. He believes that we can maximize human life span past 100 years and is committed to helping people understand how to cultivate a holistic approach to actually feel younger as they age.

Remember - If you’re enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis! Tag the show on Instagram - @essential.strength.podcast - and tag me, your friendly host - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt.

And don’t forget to check out our partners on today’s episode:

STRONG Coffee
If coffee is one of your daily essentials, do yourself a favor - check out STRONG Coffee and save 15% of every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout.

Connect with Saad: @msaadalam
Check out Hone Health: HoneHealth.com
Connect with David: @dr.DavidSkolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast

Action Plan

Your action plan this week is, once again, to get your blood work done and to take the results to a naturopath or hormone optimization specialist. Someone who won’t write off your results as “aging” when you’re 32 years old (or younger). I’m going to keep beating this bloodwork drum until you all understand it’s importance. I’m working on improving some health markers. My wife is working on improving some health markers. I have co-workers and friends who are taking positive action towards a better, healthier, more energized life and in a minute, you’re going to hear Saad’s story - one that inspired an entire company that is working to revolutionize men’s health. So please - get your blood work done and take the results to a professional who cares about optimizing health, not just managing sickness.

What's Next?

That’s a wrap for this week’s episode but make sure to tune in in two weeks for the first of our HIGHLIGHT SERIES featuring the five most popular episodes in Essential Strength history - starting with an episode featuring Dr. Kristin Phillips, DPT and a conversation about pelvic health, pelvic floor physical therapy and why women’s health isn’t actually just for women.

Until then, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Our guest this week is Danny Matranga.

In today’s conversation, Danny and I talk about the key elements he wants every client to understand about training, the difference between the idea of a “best diet” vs. “best dietary practices”, what Danny sees as the biggest scam in the fitness industry and the potentially bleak inevitability that we will all eventually have to prioritize our health.

Remember - If you’re enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis! Tag the show on Instagram - @essential.strength.podcast - and tag me, your friendly host - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt.

And don’t forget to check out our partners on today’s episode:

STRONG Coffee
If coffee is one of your daily essentials, do yourself a favor - check out STRONG Coffee and save 15% of every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout.

The Enduring Strength Training Platform!
If you are tired of doing the same workouts and getting the same results... if you are ready for a training plan that will get you Strong & Healthy now and for the long run, send me an e-mail: [email protected]

Connect with Danny: @danny.matranga
Check out Danny's Podcast: Dynamic Dialogue
Connect with David: @dr.DavidSkolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast

Action Plan

This week I want to focus on a single statement Danny made during our conversation. The statement is:

“Someone else making progress faster than you is not a personal failure.”

I want you to identify 1 or 2 areas of your personal or professional life where you find yourself feeling like a failure because you aren’t where someone else is, and I want you to make time to compare more than just your current situation but instead to consider your path to where you are vs. theirs, your currently trajectory vs. theirs, your goals vs. theirs, your definition of success vs. theirs… you might actually need to have a conversation with this person or these people you think are “beating you.” I can’t guarantee what you’ll discover but I do know that you’ll be taking steps towards comparing apples to apples instead of apples or oranges and that alone will help you see that you are not a failure.

What's Next?

Be sure to tune in next week for a solo episode where I’ll be taking a deeper dive into the differences between personal training, group coaching and following a training plan - you’ll learn which of these three options is best for you, how to weigh both the financial and fitness sides of the decision and for the coaches and trainers listening, you’ll learn how to create offers that target all three levels of this fitness/business continuum.

Until then, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Our guest this week is Shanté Cofield.

Shanté is a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and the creator of The Movement Maestro, a website and social-media based platform devoted to all things human movement and mobility and a business coach who helps people discover their unique stories so they can stand out in the crowded online business landscape. 

In today’s conversation, Shanté and I talk about her two keys to good content and why it’s vital for folks to “stop watching other people’s stories and start writing their own.” Shanté defines empathic listening, shares the values that guide her life and business and we discuss when it’s appropriate for coaches to guide our clients and when it’s better to be their sidekick.

Remember - If you’re enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis! Tag the show on Instagram - @essential.strength.podcast - and tag me, your friendly host - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt.

And don’t forget to check out our partners on today’s episode:

STRONG Coffee
If coffee is one of your daily essentials, do yourself a favor - check out STRONG Coffee and save 15% of every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout.

Pain Free Performance Specialist Certification
If you are a health and fitness professional who is ready to step up and take your place on the true FRONT LINE of preventative health, then you need to check out GetPPSC.com and sign up for the LvL 1 Coaching Course. use the code ESSENTIAL to save 15%.

Connect with Shanté : @themovementmaestro
Connect with David: @dr.DavidSkolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast

Action plan

If you are a content creator, whether on Instagram, TikTok or any other platform, and your end goal is to convert followers to customers - my challenge to you is to be more like Shanté in one specific way:

The Challenge - use your platform and your content to move your people forward before they ever actually decide to work with you. Make your content so valuable that when people do decide to work with you - and if you make it easy for them to do so, they will - make it so valuable that they say “Your content helped me so much in my fitness journey, my business development, my self-care, it helped me so much that I just can’t wait to work with you.”

Now, I know what you’re going to say - if I give it all away fro free, why would anyone pay to work with me? Well, I posed that exact question to Shanté in today’s conversation so, you’ll just have to keep listening to find out what she had to say about it!

That’s it for this week, but make sure you tune in next week for our conversation with Danny Matranga for a conversation about the five things he wants every client to understand about training, the difference between the idea of a “best diet” vs. “best dietary practices”, what Danny sees as the biggest scam in the fitness industry and potentially bleak inevitability that we will all eventually have to prioritize our health.

Until then, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Our Guest this week is Mark Breedon.

Mark is an online strength coach for women who uses strength training to build their confidence in and out of the gym, and make them feel like a confident badass lifter. Mark is passionate about helping those who don't fit the typical mold of someone who is strong and wants to show you that strength training is for everyone. Mark's mission is to change the focus on why we exercise, to move away from training for the weight on the scale and instead use exercise for health, self-confidence, and feeling strong!

In today’s conversation, Mark and I talk about training for strength vs. training for fat loss, Mark defines a “weight neutral” approach to coaching, how he helps his female clients celebrate “non scale victories” and we talk about the “five minute rule” for exercise. I’m really excited to share this one with everyone listening because the world needs more strong women and it’s going to take more coaches like Mark breaking down barriers!

Remember - If you’re enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis! Tag the show on Instagram - @essential.strength.podcast - and tag me, your friendly host - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt.

And don’t forget to check out our partners on today’s episode:

The Enduring Strength Training Platform!
If you are tired of doing the same workouts and getting the same results... if you are ready for a training plan that will get you Strong & Healthy now and for the long run, send me an e-mail: [email protected]

STRONG Coffee
If coffee is one of your daily essentials, do yourself a favor - check out STRONG Coffee and save 15% of every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout.

Connect with Mark: @training.strong.women
Connect with David: @dr.DavidSkolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast

Action Plan

This week’s action plan is a reimagining of one of the questions that Mark asks his clients. The question is - “What would make you feel strong?”

I’d like you to spend 10 minutes this week answering this question in one of two ways. You can simply sit down and free-write on the question of “what would make you feel strong”. Let you mind go, let the words flow and see where you get. Alternatively, if that sounds a bit to unbridled for you taste, I’d suggest you break this question down into three categories:

What would make me feel physically strong?

What would make me feel intellectually strong?

What would make me feel emotionally strong?

If you take 10 minutes to define what a STRONGER YOU actually looks like, you may find that you have a renewed sense of motivation and direction after this exercise!

That’s it for this week, but make sure you tune in next week for our conversation with Shante Cofield, aka The Movement Maestro and a conversation about how to own your time, build trust, live your values and make your online business stand out in a time when everyone has gone online.

Until then, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Our guest this week is Ebenezer Samuel.

Ebenezer is the fitness director for Men’s Health, the largest men’s media brand in the world, and a personal trainer for a wide range of clients from NFL players to working mothers and from broadcast personalities to firefighters. He's also the head of training innovation at the virtual training platform FlexIt.

In today’s conversation, Ebenezer and I talk about how the fitness industry can do a better job of promoting client health vs. specific physical attributes, I get Ebenezer’s insight on how the growing market for fitness technology can have positive impacts for both coaches and clients, the importance of critical thinking for coaches and why making workouts and recovery fun is the key to activity adherence. Ebenezer has a unique perspective as both a coach and a journalist and I’m thrilled to share this episode with everyone listening!

Remember - If you’re enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a week to week basis! Tag the show on Instagram - @essential.strength.podcast - and tag me, your friendly host - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt.

And don’t forget to check out our partner on today’s episode - The Enduring Strength Training Platform!
If you are tired of doing the same workouts and getting the same results... if you are ready for a training plan that will get you Strong & Healthy now and for the long run, send me an e-mail: [email protected]

Connect with Ebenezer: @ebenezersamuel23
Connect with David: @dr.DavidSkolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast

Action Plan

This week’s action plan will speak directly to the coaches, trainers and fitness professionals in the audience. I want you to take the next 7 days and make an effort to talk to your clients about the health-related benefits of physical activity, nutrition, or whatever kind of service your are providing. I’m not saying to stop talking about bigger biceps, flatter stomachs or new PRs... but there are more important things in the long term. Things that might motivate these current clients to become forever clients which is not only great for their health, but pretty good for your bottom line when coaching is your career. Stable health and stable income is a winning combination. This action plan might require you to do a bit of research - maybe you should go back and listen to a few more episodes of this podcast for some brain gains - it will be time well spent. Understand - as a coach or trainer you have the ability to be working on the TRUE front line of healthcare - the preventative side of the line. Don’t every underestimate the value you can bring and don’t be afraid to show every client just how powerful healthy lifestyle choices are!

That’s it for this week. Make sure you tune in next week for our episode Mark Breedon and a conversation about strength training with female clients, common barriers to entry for the female gym goer, weight-neutral training and defining success without looking at the scale.

Until then, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Our guest this week is Reed Davis.

Reed is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner (HHP) and Certified Nutritional Therapist (CNT). He is an expert in functional lab testing and holistic lifestyle medicine. Reed is the Founder of Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® (FDN) and the FDN Certification Course with over 3,000 graduates in 50 countries.

Our Parter on today's episode is Functional Diagnostic Nutrition - Use this special enrollment link to gain access to the most in-depth nutrition and lab testing certification course ever developed!

Remember - If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!

Today's Conversation with Reed  touches on the importance of personal responsibility, both as a prerequisite to being a strong person and also as it relates to taking responsibility for your own health. We discuss how conditions that are “common” in modern health should by no means be considered “normal”  and the difference between a doctor who labels you with a diagnosis code and a practitioner who identifies your opportunities to heal. Reed and I get into concepts like individualized micronutrient metabolism testing, why Reed no longer uses the phrase “root cause” when it comes to health and we talk about Functional Diagnostic Nutrition. This is one of the more unique, eye opening conversations I’ve had on the podcast and I can’t wait for all of you out there to hear it!

Connect with Reed: Reed on LinkedIn
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast
Check out Functional Diagnostic Nutrition: functionaldiagnosticnutrition.com

Action Plan

This weeks action plan could easily be to get your bloodwork done… again. But that was your action plan last week and I’m confident you all went out and got that done right away! So, this week’s action plan is simply take stock of Reed’s 5 categories of wholistic health - his DRESS Principle:

Diet, Rest, Exercise, Stress Reduction and Supplementation.

Rate yourself 0-10 on category and write down 3 concrete steps you can take to raise your scores.

Simple. Actionable. Health.

What's Next - Make sure you tune in next week for our episode with Ebenezer Samuel and a conversation about the intersections of technology and fitness, why the fun factor is key to exercise adherence and how global accessibility to coaching is changing the game for both coaches and clients. I hope you’ll join me!

Until next time - we wish you Strength and Good Health.

Our guest this week is Ali Gilbert.

Ali has 20 years of experience as a Strength & Conditioning Coach specializing in Men’s Health and Hormone Optimization and has presented on these topics nationwide.

Our Parter on today's episode is Testosterone School - Use this special enrollment link to sign up and learn everything you need to know about testosterone and TRT in this self-paced course!

Remember - If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!

Today's Conversation with Ali focuses on one hormone in particular - Testosterone. Ali explains why testosterone levels are plummeting in industrialized nations. She covers exactly what Testosterone does in the body and why low testosterone has a nasty cascade of effects on everything from focus to energy to libido. Ali also explains how the traditional healthcare system is failing men with low T and what every guy can do about it - including educating themselves with Ali’s immersive new online platform - Testosterone School.

Connect with Ali: @thealigilbert
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast
Check out Testosterone School: thetestosteroneschool.com

Action Plan

This week’s action plan is very concrete - I want you to get your blood work done. By the end of this episode I think you’ll understand why this is the second time that blood work has been your action plan - the first one was Episode 60 w/ Dr. Kyle Gillet. My wife and I have both recently gotten bloodwork done and it’s lead to changes in diet, stress management practices, household product use, you name it. There are processes happening inside our bodies that we simply cannot see, hear or even necessarily feel. That’s where a male or female wellness panel comes into play. Most insurances WILL COVER a wellness panel at one of the big lab companies in America. If you are interested in thriving rather than just surviving though, what you do with those lab results makes the difference. Ir you’re in a state where naturopathic physicians can practice, set up an appointment. Or find a men’s or women’s health specialist, a hormone optimization specialist … find someone who is going to hold you to a high standard than the standard American because sadly, only 12% of American’s are metabolically healthy and if you’re listening to this podcast, I know you don’t want to fall in that other 88%.

What's Next - Make sure you tune in next week for our episode with Reed Davis and another conversation all about REAL HEALTH - Reed and I go deep on the power of food sensitivity testing, metabolic profiles, the difference between “normal” and “common” when it comes to health conditions and why personal responsibility is paramount. I hope you’ll join me!

Until next time - we wish you Strength and Good Health.