Look Good Move Well

S5E8: It's OK For the Gym to Come First

Make no mistake, you’ve got to push to see results from your fitness. But this episode shows you what’s between 0 and 100 so you can take an intelligent approach to your conditioning. Consistency makes the difference in keeping you healthy and motivated to train for the long haul, so learn how to stay in the sweet spot with these approaches to pacing and structuring conditioning work.

What do you do when you value your fitness and a healthy lifestyle, but also want to travel and taste the far corners of the world? Today’s listener question gives us the opportunity to take a step back and appreciate how fitness and health can help us experience more in life, as well as provide some ways to honor your body while you enjoy yourself.

What are the differences in a nutritional profile for a competitive athlete vs. someone who wants to look good, enjoy training, and have energy and mental focus throughout the day? There are similarities we recommend to all our clients, and some key differences. How do you tell what to change if you're raising or lowering your training volume? We cover what you'll need to know in this episode.

When you've lost that lovin' feeling for training, give this episode a listen for some insights into why it happens and how to get out of your funk. Often athletes get stuck in the picture of what training should look like even when it feels miserable, but the best approach is to walk away - literally. Use these pointers to empty your stress buckets and refuel your enthusiasm for getting back in the gym.

We get a lot of questions about cool-downs, including today's listener submission. But first, let's get clear on whether you're looking for a true cool-down to transition your body and mind away from the sympathetic state into the next part of your day, or a finisher that will have the opposite effect. Then we'll hit some cool-down tips to give you plenty of options to try out for yourself.

Has a client ever come at you with an unrealistic expectation? Maybe to hit it hard and shed pounds fast, with who knows what going on in the kitchen and elsewhere in their lives? Today we answer a listener question about helping clients get what they need to make the changes they want by meeting them just where they are. Listen in for some ways to approach the conversation, as well as design programming that works.

We often get asked for advice from passionate fitness enthusiasts who want to craft a career out of coaching. Certifications are great, but you should also pursue ways to deeply connect with your clients and evaluate their needs. As we start on a new season of Look Good Move Well, we're covering the intellectual as well as emotional ways to grow into a kickass coach.

What’s the hardest feat you’ve ever accomplished? As Marcus shares in recounting some of his hardest tests as an athlete, being wracked with nerves, anxiety, and fear is extremely uncomfortable. In this final episode of Season Four, learn how you can accept these feelings as part of your journey, and use them to help you when you step out on the floor.

Want our list of secret recovery weapons? Number five will shock you! Just kidding - but you may be surprised that our favorite recovery methods do not involve foam rolling, bands, or mobility routines. When you’ve hit some hard training, you need to heal your brain, your soft tissues and ligaments, and even your gut from training stress. Learn what active recovery really means, and what to do outside the gym that will keep you ready to return for more.

Clean bulk? Dirty bulk? Recomp? Today we take a question from a listener who just wants to lose those love handles, and we'll carve through the confusion on bulking and cutting. If you want to look good naked not just this year, but for decades or more, you can step off the diet merry-go-round for good with the tips on both training and nutrient intake in today’s episode.

Got aches and pains? Who doesn’t? Despite this extremely common side effect of training (and life in general), fixing bothersome pains isn’t so simple. Today we explore the ideal scenario of working with a pro to assess and prescribe training that helps your body heal and stay sound. And we’ll also give you some takeaways to try on your own - including one exercise that all niggling shoulders will love.

To keep the joy alive in your fitness, it’s worthwhile to include time to play and explore new movements and skills. But most of us are so busy we can barely hang on to our schedules of getting in a planned workout and making it to the next thing on the list for the day. If the days when you could head to the park and play around for hours are long gone, listen in for some ways to keep play and exploration alive in your busy schedule.

We all know that warming up is essential for a successful training session, but it’s tempting to skim through preparations to “save yourself” for the parts that excite you the most. When you bring intention and energy to your training prep, you can get more quality out of your session and improve your athleticism while still staying safe and injury-free. In today’s episode, we talk about maintaining quality throughout your entire training time, and how much is too much preparation.

Many of our individual design clients have this question that a listener also voices: what do you do when you crave the the motivation and fun that comes with the community aspect of a gym, while also staying true to your own body’s needs and your personal goals? Too much group fitness can make you feel crummy and contribute to nagging injuries and burnout, but we have social needs too. Balance both with suggestions from today’s episode.