Training for Life

 We All Need Coaches - Even Coaches Need Coaches!

Show Notes:
In this episode of Training for Life, Sarah Gilks and Tana Payne dive into the importance of having a coach—no matter your experience level. Whether you're an elite athlete, a seasoned trainer, or just starting your wellness journey, having a coach can provide accountability, fresh perspectives, and personal growth.

They discuss:
✅ Why even experts need guidance to keep evolving
✅ How coaches help you break bad habits and push past stagnation
✅ The role of mindset—growth vs. fixed—and how it impacts progress
✅ The power of accountability and why it increases success rates by up to 95%
✅ What to look for when choosing the right coach for YOU

Plus, they share personal stories about their own experiences with coaching, the lessons they've learned, and how seeking guidance has helped them level up in both fitness and life.

🔹 Who coaches YOU?
Let us know in the comments!

In this episode of Training for Life, Sarah and Tanna dive deep into the science and strategy behind building and breaking habits. Whether you're looking to create new healthy habits or eliminate ones that no longer serve you, they share actionable tips to make change stick. Drawing from personal experiences and expert insights, they discuss habit stacking, pattern interrupts, activation energy, and why small, consistent changes lead to lasting results.

What You’ll Learn:

✔️ The key to successfully building new habits

✔️ How to break unwanted habits with a simple trick

✔️ The science behind habit stacking and activation energy

✔️ Why small, consistent changes lead to long-term success

✔️ Personal stories and practical strategies from Sarah & Tanna

Key Takeaways:

🔹 Habit Stacking: Pair a new habit with an existing one to make it automatic.

🔹 Pattern Interrupts: Stop bad habits in their tracks with a simple action or phrase.

🔹 Activation Energy: Make good habits easy and bad habits difficult.

🔹 Start Small: Focus on one habit at a time for lasting change.

Mentioned in This Episode:

📖 Atomic Habits by James Clear

📖 The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

Join the Conversation:

💬 What’s one habit you want to build or break?

Let us know in the comments or on social media!

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @HealthyRoleModels

📩 Have a question? Email us through www.healthyrolemodels.com

Subscribe & Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast ~ it helps others find us and join the Training for Life community!

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.

Episode Title: Beyond the Beach: The Little Things from Mexico That Changed Us 🌴🏖️

After a well-deserved week off, Sarah and Tanna are back with fresh insights, hilarious stories, and a whole lot of wisdom on how to bring those vacation vibes into everyday life!

In this episode, they chat about:

✅ Feeding bananas to sea turtles (who knew?!) 🍌🐢
✅ The magic of unplugging from social media 📵
✅ How intentional rest days can be a game-changer 😌
✅ The spicy benefits of reading for pleasure 📖🔥
✅ Why working out with your partner is actually super sexy 💪💖

Plus, hear all about Sarah’s realization that achievement burnout is real and Tanna’s bold new goal: scheduling a “Do Not Disturb” day!

Get ready for laughs, real talk, and some seriously good takeaways to help you feel recharged ~ no plane ticket required!

🎧 Tune in now and let’s train for life together!

In this episode, Sarah and Tanna explore why New Year’s resolutions often fall short and how shifting your focus to intentions can lead to lasting change. They discuss the common pitfalls of unrealistic expectations and poor planning, offering actionable strategies to create a more meaningful approach to personal growth.

Key takeaways include:

Tune in for practical tips and inspiration to help you approach the year ahead with clarity, purpose, and confidence.

Sarah also covers the Healthy Role Models Acronym- GRIT:

Link to episode on G.R.I.T. ~ the process for creating LASTING change 

In this episode, Sarah and Tanna explore Sarah’s favourite tactical lessons from EPIC, an annual learning mastermind event. From Dr. James Rouse, they unpack the powerful connection between the words we use and our physical and mental health ~ reminding us that how we talk to ourselves can shape our well-being.

Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe’s insight on counting blessings and practicing gratitude offers a calming strategy for sleepless nights when worries and to-do lists feel overwhelming. Finally, Alan Stein Jr.’s concept of “performance gaps” hits home: identifying where you’re falling short of living fully and learning how to consciously create space for what truly matters.

Tune in for practical wisdom on shifting your mindset, cultivating peace, and closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

Links to Speaker Podcasts:
Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe: Resiliency Redefined
Dr. James Rouse: Change Agents
Alan Stein Jr.: Raise Your Game

In this episode, Sarah and Tanna share their best strategies for thriving during the holiday season while staying true to their health goals. Sarah highlights the power of making choices that let you feel great the next day, like skipping extra drinks or preparing a healthy dish for family gatherings. Both talk about how a pre-event protein-based snack helps them avoid overindulging at carb-heavy celebrations. They also stress the importance of saying “no” to events that don’t align with their lifestyle or bring joy. Wrapping up the conversation, they discuss how keeping promises to yourself during the holiday rush builds confidence, making the season not just about celebration, but also about feeling your best.

In this episode, Sarah and Tanna tackle the complex topic of stress. They explore the difference between good stress, which pushes you toward growth, and bad stress, which can leave you feeling overwhelmed and stuck. Sharing personal stories and strategies, they discuss how they handle the inevitable bad stress that life throws their way and highlight why not all stress is created equal.

From learning how to harness stress to fuel success to practicing techniques that ease the burden of the bad, this episode is packed with insights to help you find balance and thrive under pressure. Whether you're feeling the weight of stress or wondering how to turn it into a positive force, Sarah and Tanna have you covered!

Breaking Free: Why Free Weights Win Over Machines In this episode, Sarah and Tanna dive into the pros and cons of training with free weights versus machines—and why free weights can be a game-changer. Sarah shares her fitness journey, starting out in the aerobics room, gradually working up the courage to use machines, and eventually finding her confidence with free weights. If she could go back in time, she’d tell her younger self to get instruction early and embrace free weights sooner. Tanna, on the other hand, began her training with free weights and credits them for giving her exceptional form. She reflects on how her solid start wasn’t everyone’s experience and how important proper guidance is for building strength safely. Whether you're a free weight fan, a machine regular, or just starting out, this episode will inspire you to rethink your approach to strength training.

In this episode, Sarah and Tanna get real about the journey to accepting their natural builds—celebrating the strengths they’ve found in the bodies they have rather than the ones they thought they wanted. Sarah opens up about her long-time wish to look like the taller, leaner fitness influencers she once admired, while Tanna shares her struggles with wanting a long, slender torso.

Together, they explore the freedom that came when they stopped forcing their bodies into ideals that didn’t match their natural frames. Tanna talks about taking on Olympic weightlifting, even with long femurs that might challenge her form, while Sarah focuses on the joy she finds in balancing health, fitness, strength, and being a devoted mom. This episode is a refreshing reminder that true strength and beauty come from owning and embracing the body that’s uniquely yours.

In part two of their nutrition deep dive:

Link to part 1: What We Eat in a Day: Real-Life Nutrition That Actually Works (Pt 1)

Sarah and Tanna focus on the power of pre and post-workout nutrition for maximizing energy, endurance, and recovery. They share their tried-and-true strategies for fueling workouts, including the importance of the post-workout protein window, how they structure their meals around workouts, and why they avoid fats right before and after exercising.

They break down what they eat to optimize performance, support muscle recovery, and stay on track with their fitness goals. With insights into timing, nutrient balance, and recovery strategies, this episode offers practical tips to help you fuel smarter, train stronger, and get the most out of your workout sessions.