Welcome to The Follow Through!

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to

Welcome to The Follow Through!

SPEAKER_01 0:02

the Follow Through podcast. I'm John.

SPEAKER_00 0:05

I'm Erica.

SPEAKER_01 0:06

And what this podcast is, is we plan to talk about everything from fitness, health, nutrition, mental health, and everything in between. So on today's episode, we just want to tell you a little bit about who we are and why we decided to do this podcast in the first place. So

Our Hosts

SPEAKER_01 0:34

I'll tell you a little bit about myself first. My name is John. I am a veteran personal trainer of about 15 years. I have trained clients of all ages, shapes, sizes, and personalities. I am also a teacher as well. I'm an autistic physical education teacher and a behavioral interventionist. So basically, I'm getting hit all day long. Um, and among other things. Um I am also on top of that a sports psychology graduate student at Capella University. I will be graduating this December. And I am also a public speaker as of yesterday. Um and I'll talk to you a little bit about that as we go on this journey together. So I'm gonna throw it over to Erica so she can tell you a little bit about herself.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Yep. So I'm Erica. Um basically, first things first, I'm a mom. I have a 12-year-old daughter, Layla, and I have my husband. Um, I'm a software quality insurance engineer by trade. Um, but I have a deep love for nutrition and fitness. So I started my journey years and years and years ago, um, probably close to 20 years ago at this point, with health and wellness, um, with cooking, with all kinds of things. And I do have um social media that I cook on and I give recipes to those that are looking for macro-friendly recipes because macros are kind of my jam. Um, but I have recently started embarking on a journey to get some nutrition certifications. So I'm starting um with a PN1 and then I'm gonna work to a NASA, and I've got hopes and dreams and all kinds of things that I'm working towards, and it's very exciting. So that's gonna be a big part of what I talk about here on the podcast. Uh, I think that nutrition is a topic that um there's a lot out there that isn't accurate around nutrition, right? So let's start doing some debunking of those things that we hear and call out the bullshit. So that's just right off the bat I'm gonna say like we don't want to talk about, we we want to talk about the truths around nutrition, right? And you know, a big part of this podcast is that, you know, John and I have been friends for well over 20 years.

SPEAKER_02 3:15

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 3:16

And yes. And um, we met in college. We both went to Penn State University, Penn State McKee Sport represent. Um, we met there, we went through school together, you know, original paths, like my original path um in schooling was meteorology. And I loved the weather since I was a little girl. And then I saw how much physics it involved, and I was like, no, thank you. So I switched to computers and I got my degree in information sciences. And then it was basically pretty quickly when I went into, you know, doing my internship that I was like, oh, hmm, what kind of IT do I really want to do? And I came up with quality assurance engineering, which I don't quite remember how that fell into my lap. Um, but I did my internship with quality assurance and I had done a couple of courses around human-computer interaction that really intrigued me. So I basically am a manual QA tester, um, and I have been for well over 20 years now. And I focus a lot on UX. So use your experience. So when you use something, you know how to use it. It's easy to use, you know, it's not frustrating. That's that's a lot what I focus on. So um, so John and I did that. We met in college and we kept our friendship through the years. And of course, we had years where we didn't talk, we weren't in communication, you went your way with stuff, I went my way, I had a family. Um, and we've come back together over the years. And I think that John and I have a very unique relationship in that it doesn't matter how much time passes, when we get back together, it's like no time has passed. Yeah, right. So, yeah, this is really exciting. I think we are we're gonna have a really fun time on this podcast.

SPEAKER_01 4:50

I I totally agree. And I think we're gonna uncover a lot um about ourselves that we didn't know um about each other, even though we've known our each other over 20 years, um, which is hard to believe. Um but time flies. Yeah. Um, but I think for me, um I know

Those Old Beginnings!

SPEAKER_01 5:17

when we met in college, I was going for elementary education, and I was like, yes, I'm gonna I'm gonna be a teacher and I'm gonna change kids' lives, which I do currently. Um, but the road to where I'm currently at um is was not a straight line. It was a very windy, windy path, and a lot of failing and a lot of deb just, you know, debunking what I thought I wanted to do. And then the love of training came in and trying to help people better themselves and uh learning the psychology of why people do what they do, and um just figuring out that progress is not a linear thing. And no, it is not. We all have ups and downs and twists and turns and shitty things that happen in our lives, and really shitty things that happen. And um then all of a sudden you get to what I like well what is usually called a flow state where everything just starts to click. Yeah um and I think now that I'm basically in my mid-40s, I'm finding that out. Um and as we go through this podcast episode by episode, we're hopefully going to uncover, you know, s a lot of that for ourselves as well as, you know, our listeners are are you know listening to us talk about you know our personal experiences with things, um, as well as getting feedback, hopefully, from you guys. Um and you know, you telling us what your perspectives are and um things you asking us things that we want to talk about and you want us to talk about. And we just want to create a very nice, you know, conversation between us and the listeners.

SPEAKER_00 7:47

And a safe space. And right? Yeah. I I think that we're missing safe spaces in the world to talk about these these bigger topics that we're gonna be bringing up.

SPEAKER_01 7:55

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Because I think

Cultural Influences & Safe Spaces

SPEAKER_01 7:58

right now in our culture, we have a lot of people who are they're very set in, especially with um quote influencers, they have what they think to be true, and you know, that that that's great. That that's whatever. But I think if you don't subscribe to one thing, then you're wrong about everything else. So uh like Erica said, you know, you just said about creating a safe space, I think is really important because it gives people the license to be able to share ideas without being judged. Absolutely. So I, you know, I I definitely think that this podcast is a little bit unique in that we are trying to create a safe space. We are trying to create conversations that happen around real issues that people want to wrestle around with. Yeah. They want they want answers and they need strategies. And you know, hopefully between the two of us life experience. Life experience and you know, professional experience, um, we'll be able to give, you know, our thoughts and you know, feelings on help topics.

SPEAKER_00 9:34

Yeah. I mean, I think I think the biggest thing

Men, Women & Communicating

SPEAKER_00 9:37

for the spaces we're gonna talk about, right? Um, you know, as far as John's concerned, and he's talking about the fitness world, you know, in the personal training world and expectations um for men in that realm. Exactly. Um, I'm gonna talk about it from the women's perspective, expectations of us, especially moms, right? I'm in my 40s too. I mean, I'm hitting mid-40s. Um there's I'm I'm at a a very high peak in my career. Um, I'm embarking on this journey of of nutrition, you know, training and everything like that, which has been a a blast so far. Um, I I took a lot of years to educate myself just on my own, right? Which you which you did too. I mean, even though you had a lot of schooling, you were just learning as you went, right?

SPEAKER_01 10:23

I yeah, I I pretty much learned from um the trainers that I had. Right. Um I had a really, really good trainer. His name is

Mentors

SPEAKER_01 10:39

uh Jimmy. He and I still keep in touch with him now. He was my first trainer ever. Um and now he's basically my mentor. Um so whenever I have, you know, doubts or questions about, you know, should I be doing this, should I not be doing this? Um, he is a great resource for me, um, which sucks because I don't really talk to him in quite some time just because of, you know, life happening.

SPEAKER_00 11:14

Um well you're a little busy too.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

I I you're a little busy. I'm a little busy, yeah. But um I always try and make you know make time for the important people in my life. But

John's Fitness Beginnings

SPEAKER_01 11:26

um in ways of training, yeah, basically I fell into it and um I've turned it into something that I'm obviously really good at. Yeah, passionate about. And well, now I'm passionate about it. When I started, I was like, oh, I can make this a side career and make money. Um that's obviously not the case. Um it's more about the people and it's about trying to make a difference in people's lives and help them better themselves and see them, you know, create healthy existences for themselves. And um, and it's a very positive headspace to find yourself in. And um it's one that I'm you know, finding myself enjoying the more that I'm in this uh career. Um so, and you know, you've been you've been on my journey for quite some time. Yep. I've got to watch you grow. You you it's yeah, yeah, it's yeah. Well, it doesn't feel awesome.

SPEAKER_00 12:44

But you know what? That's a good thing. It's a good thing that it doesn't feel awesome because first of all, we as you said earlier, progress is linear. Right, right? You're gonna go through these waves and it's not gonna feel so great sometimes. And you're gonna fail. Right. Um, you're gonna go through some serious struggle, right? And that all helps you get to that successful piece of the journey. Right.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

Right. Right. And like I, you know, I could wallpaper the walls with like rejection letters and you know, just you know, bad reviews and um we'll talk about that later. Um but yeah, you have to feel before you make it. Um and if you don't, if you haven't made it yet, you gotta fake it.

SPEAKER_03 13:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

Um because you're your biggest cheerleader. Yeah. Which I've found out.

SPEAKER_00 13:40

Um you can't count on people being in your corner. You're not in your own corner. Exactly. I mean, that is true across the board for anything you do in life.

SPEAKER_01 13:50

Right. Because at the end of the day, nobody really cares about you and what you're doing because they're so wrapped up in their own shit that it's very hard for somebody to focus on your stuff and your progress, unless, you know, they are family or you know, somebody very close to you, which makes perfect sense. Yeah. But um, yeah, but now with me adding the grad school crap, um, it's it's not crap. Um, but it's a lot of work, it's a lot of writing. And how do we finish? But it adds to credibility, it adds to opportunities, it adds to nothing but good stuff. Um and it also helps you understand your clients better, and it also helps you understand just people in general better. Um, why do we do the shit that that we do and why do people act the way that they do? Um, it's a whole different kind of interesting scenarios that I find myself in. Um, because especially when you're dealing with the public, you you know, sit down with somebody. It's like, why are you here today? What's your goals? Well, and then fill in the blank. And it's it's very weird sometimes to listen to why people come to you about like, I want to lose weight because that's my question.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

How like what is the most common thing that you

What are people's most common fitness goals?

SPEAKER_00 15:42

get? Is it that I want to lose weight?

SPEAKER_01 15:44

No.

SPEAKER_00 15:45

Okay. Or is it just that I want to lose more version of it?

SPEAKER_01 15:48

Well, what I usually get is yes, I want to lose weight, but the reasoning is it it's wild sometimes. What I usually get is because usually when I sit down with somebody, the first question I ask is why did you come see me today? Um, what brings you in? Um, and that question alone opens the floodgates for all the all the things, all the feelings.

SPEAKER_00 16:22

So do you have to emotionally prepare yourself?

SPEAKER_01 16:24

Um I've gotten to a place where I, you know, I don't really need to prepare myself as I need to just be present with whatever it is that somebody is gonna tell me. Um usually I can tell right before they sit down as to why they're here. I've gotten to the place where I can anticipate. Yes. Um, so when somebody sits down with me and says, John, I want to, I need help losing weight, usually there comes a subset of issues as to why it has led them to come see me. So whether it's I lost my spouse, I am depressed, I'm anxious, I have a wedding coming up, I have some sort of event that deadlines. Um so it can be any number of reasons as to why somebody's coming to see me or any trainer for you know that matter as to why they want to improve upon themselves. Now I've had a couple people come and sit down and say, I don't want to change anything about myself, I will not do anything that you recommend. I'm here because my doctor has pointed me. They're being forced. And like on some level, I get it. You know, you if this is your last ditch effort before you get off the freeway of life and you know, succumb to you know, being bedridden or um having um that's great. Um I'm I'm at least happy you made the car ride attempt over over to me to you know give you information that you're probably not gonna use, yeah. Um which doesn't make sense. Um but you know, peace of mind, I guess. Um but you know, if and I totally forgot where where I was going with that. But um if if if somebody you know takes the time to understand, you know, why they're feeling a certain way, or why their energy is low, or why, you know, something just isn't jiving the way it should. Um of course I'm going to develop you know treatment plans and training plans that are going to help you progress. Now, does that mean you're not gonna regress? No, of course not, because that's just part of the journey.

SPEAKER_00 19:30

It has to be. It has to be.

SPEAKER_01 19:32

Yeah. Um, and you know this. Uh-huh. We'll talk all about it. Yeah. Um, so I think for a lot of people today, they just want quick fixes. We're, you know, we're in that spot in our society to where we have plastic surgeries for Christmas and Botox and um now GLP1s and you know, Ozepics, and you know, all that stuff. And what does it do? It just magically, you know, transforms people.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

And and well, that's the perception. That's the perception. Yep. Yeah. We gotta talk about how these are just tools in a toolbox.

SPEAKER_01 20:16

Exactly. Exactly. And that's a lot about what we're gonna do for you. You know, and for some people it's medically necessary. Absolutely. Um, which a lot of quote regular people don't understand. So seeing the results from the GLP ones and weight loss products and stuff like that, what people who don't have pre-existing conditions or things of that nature don't understand is they're doing this because this is medically necessary. It's not a it's not a lifestyle choice, it's not a vanity choice, it's something that is going to prolong their existence. Yep. Um and I have a lot of people that I sit down with who is just like, can't you just give me a shot?

SPEAKER_02 21:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

That is going to, you know, magically, you know, make me look like the picture that I have in my head of what I want to look like. The answer is, you know, a resounding no.

SPEAKER_03 21:20

Right.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

Um, if you want the body that you have in your head of what you want to look like, there's some work. You've got to roll up them sleeves. You gotta put in the work, you gotta get it. Yep. And that that's your area. Um, even though I know about, you know, nutrition and eating and you know, calories a day, all that fun stuff. Um, you're a little bit more into it than I'm very much so. Um, and we're gonna talk about that. Yeah. Um, but at the end of the day, it's but when you talk to clients. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

And they say these things to you. It's like it's like, okay, yeah, working out is definitely a part of it. That is that is your that is your body longevity that we're talking about, right? For working out. Like you want to work your muscles, you want to do your work your heart, all that stuff. We're doing this again. Oh. Oh. We're still good? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. All right. All right. So so um, so anyway, so um basically when people message me, you know, they've always asked me about weight loss, and

Weight Loss Journey's

SPEAKER_00 22:29

it's been, you know, how do I just how do I get leaner? I just like you say, like I've got a beach vacation coming up, or I've got a wedding, or or whatever, whatever, whatever. And I'm like, okay, and I have to be really honest about like the fact that it's a journey, it's a it's a marathon and on a sprint, right? So I've helped quite a few people with macros and getting to understand it, and and people have been very successful. Then there's people that just have not bothered. Now that I'm getting closer, like I'm in my 40s now, that has that has changed. It is still a lot of women coming in and saying, I need to lose weight. But it's all it's been much more about the perimenopause side of things. Right. So, like whereas like in their 20s and 30s, they would say things like, Oh, I I can't lose weight. But they would if they put the work in. But now they're really having a hard time losing weight. Okay. And and the hormones do play a do play a role because the thing there's the physiological things that happen to our bodies, absolutely. Right. But it still comes down to you're eating too many calories in the end, right? And why your number, your calorie requirements have changed, right? Right. As you get older. And the hardest part about it is the confronting of the truths. So you even said yourself, like, you, oh, you know, I love my ice cream. Like they're honest with you on that part. Right. But women today that I'm seeing when I'm talking to them, it's like they're like, oh, you know, I used to have so much more energy and I would run around and I could clean my whole house and I could do this and do that, and I just can't anymore, and I'm really tired. Right. Or, you know, I used to do this and I used to do that. Basically saying they used to be a lot more active, right? Right. And that, you know, when they followed their macros that were assigned to them or their calories, they would lose weight. Well, now they're tired. Perimenopause has kicked in. It's knocked at the door and it's saying, no, bitch, you're gonna go take a nap instead of going for that 30-minute walk.

SPEAKER_02 24:37

Right.

SPEAKER_00 24:37

You know, because you've had a very long day. That's what plays a role because your BMR, your basal metabolic rate, metabolic rate has gone down. Right. So your body's actually requiring less calories at rest because you're less active. Right. Right. So there's there's again, there's physiological things that we will talk about here and there, but the biggest concern is is that, oh, I was able to lose weight when I really worked at it 10 years ago. Now I'm in my 40s, I'm doing the same things and I can't lose weight. And I'm like, you're not doing the same things.

SPEAKER_01 25:12

Right.

SPEAKER_00 25:13

Right. So we have that hard conversation. And, you know, people are like, Well, it's just my hormones. I'm just going through through perimenopause. Your hormones aren't causing you. That's that's not how this works. Like, that's not trust me, guys, that's not how this works. Um, your hormones will cause you to be more tired. It will cause you to want to be less active. You will move less. Okay. So this plays into the fitness part, right? So when you go into the gym for a half an hour, 40 minutes, an hour a day, that's great. Do it. Keep doing it. Always do it. If you're dedicated to it and you've been dedicated to it for 20 years, go, go, go. The food in the kitchen, right? If you've been successful with that, go, go, go. But it's outside of what you do for that hour in the gym, right? And those maybe three meals a day that you have planned, right? What are you doing outside of those? We have to look at those. So those have been really hard truths to talk to women about as they're in their 40s going through these problems and going through this stage of life. Um, and look, I had to be honest with myself because I'm going through it too. I'm tired. I don't want to move as much. I mean, I went from being a crazy like mom with a young one and I was running all the time. Never did not, once I was set with my macros and I was lifting and I was doing everything, I could lose weight, no problem. Yeah, I became tired and I stopped moving around less. And that's when things started happening. That's when that's when weight started creeping back up. But I was honest with myself about it. I didn't blame my hormones. I just told myself, girlfriend, you need to check yourself. You know, what you once did is not going to work for you anymore. So these are the lessons, these are the learnings that I've had. These are the things we need to talk about because there's there's so much, there's so much crap out there about take this supplement and do this and do that. Same thing with with men for performance, you know, and all of that in the gym. Like there's supplements and there's this, and we're gonna talk all about supplements. Oh God, do we have to talk about supplements? But like, you know, the the whole thing is that no matter what you do, no matter what lifestyle you lead, if you need GLP, even if you just want to take GLP ones to help kickstart a weight loss, right? Because you know that you're heading down a really bad path or you're stuck. That's fine. But understand that something like that is a tool in the toolbox. You still have to do some exercise. You still have to do some work in the gym. And when you're on a GLP one, protein is so incredibly important. You have to understand why protein synthesis is so important for your muscles and your in your retention, your muscle retention. Like all of these things are not being considered when doctors put people on these GLP ones a lot. You know, it's not, it's not a part of their discussion. They'll say it in like passing, but most doctors don't have any, you know, they don't have much nutrition education, right? They've gotten a little bit of medical school and then, but that's what people like registered dietitians are for, right? And insurance covers registered dietitians. You meet with them, they're wonderful people. I have actually three or four friends that are registered dietitians, they're wonderful. You you really have to put in the work and talk with the right people and understand what it means, whether it's a GLP one or you're doing it naturally or or whatever, whatever you're doing. You have to understand that we have something called the boring basics for a reason. Right? It's the boring basics. I mean, it's true. You need to make sure you're watching what you're putting in your mouth and you need to make sure you move your body. Right. You know, that's your that's your field. Yeah. Food is my field, and we're both helping people in the same way with that. But the concerns as we're seeing women get older, it's it's definitely changing. But because we have these, you know, the biggest thing right now is these GLP ones and talking about them and like people are taking them. And again, if you want to take them to Jumpstart and help you down that journey, that's great. But we have to understand that it's not, it's not as magic as it sounds. Right. Right.

SPEAKER_01 29:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:16

So we'll definitely talk a lot about that more in future episodes. But I'm curious about that as you're when you get new clients in the gym, do they talk to you freely about being on GLP ones or being on supplements or anything like that? Or like do you get that

GLP-1's and Client Expectations

SPEAKER_00 29:32

at all?

SPEAKER_01 29:32

I get it's it's rare, but I have gotten um I have gotten clients who have said I'm on uh GLP one, Wagobi, Ozempic, or you know, whatever it is. Um mainly the people that I get who are on those types of medications, they are looking for the strengthening piece for me. Because obviously the weight loss they kind of have a handle on.

SPEAKER_00 30:11

So that's like something they just they just don't need to think about it. Because it's there, right?

SPEAKER_01 30:16

Right. Right. It's just there. So it's more or less I want to gain some strengthening with this weight loss that is happening. Right. Because I feel that I'm getting a little bit not so much weaker. I mean, that's probably how they feel, but it's more or less I either want to, you know, push my limits a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 30:45

Yeah. They feel they feel more confident.

SPEAKER_01 30:47

And they feel a little bit more empowered.

SPEAKER_00 30:49

So which is great. Um that's a that's uh you put that in the pro column for these for GFA ones.

SPEAKER_01 30:56

Like it happens for a lot of people. Uh yeah, because it kick starts something in the brain, like, oh shit. Like I look at how capable I can be. Yeah, exactly. Because you this person may have never had that, you know, physicality before to where they're like, oh, I feel a little bit lighter. So you know maybe I won't go for that five bowl run. Yeah. Right. Or, you know, why don't, you know, why don't I transform all this into something like a huge 180 for me? Um, so what I love those stories. Oh, they're great. I yeah, which is why I do what I do. Um, but and it's mostly for women. And I get why. Um and more Are we gonna say the yes word? No, not yet. Okay. We're gonna touch on all this a little bit later on the men's side. Stay tuned. So but um but women who look at, you know, look to me for like, I need help with uh, you know, strength building. But the number one problem I get, and the number one you know comment I get from female clients who want to start strengthening is I have no fucking clue what I'm doing. Right.

SPEAKER_00 32:19

That is so common. So common. I because I get questions. Yeah. Yeah, what do you do in the gym?

SPEAKER_01 32:24

And I'm like, like, what? Yeah, like that's a whole Pandora's box. Like, and once you open it, like it, it it can either it can go one of two ways. It can be either really good, and obviously, if you don't know what you're doing, you are gonna hurt yourself, you are going to you're gonna persuade yourself, I don't want to do this.

SPEAKER_00 32:47

So once you start doing it, it's hard. Right. It's fucking hard.

SPEAKER_01 32:51

Yeah. And you know this, you know, as somebody who, you know, having a child, coming back from it, and all the problems from that, which we'll talk about too. Yeah, right. Um but a lot of they're intimidated, um, especially if they're going to like a you know, commercial gym to where there's like there's the weight, there's the free weight area, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:19

Like I'll be the first person in that free weight area. Like I go in there and I just I ham, but I do see girls that are intimidated. Well, you're the exception. I am.

SPEAKER_01 33:28

I am because what I usually get is like I don't want to go over there because you have a lot of guys who look like they've been like eating steroids for ears. Yeah, right. And and you know, sometimes I have to talk them down and be like, Do you understand how long these people have been doing this just to get to what they look like

Erika's Early Positive Gym Realizations

SPEAKER_01 33:56

now?

SPEAKER_00 33:56

You know that they also had that fear the first time they walked in. Even guys have that, you know. Like I remember having that when I really first started with the weight training and I was going to the YMCA.

SPEAKER_03 34:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:09

And I'm like, I look at the free weights on the wall and I was like, whoa.

SPEAKER_03 34:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:14

Like that was my first that was my what it was, whoa. And yeah, I saw a bunch of people doing deadlifts and all these kinds of stuff, and I'm just like, I don't know that I'll ever be that person. Right. But I wanted to become that person. Yeah. Right. So I, so yeah, I went through the through the journey. Well, of course. Um, but that's that's the thing, is like that's not for me. They think that. Right.

SPEAKER_01 34:34

And you know, you kind of have to redirect them and just kind of say, Yeah, that is for you. You just you just haven't gotten there yet.

SPEAKER_00 34:47

And um You're like, here, take my hand.

unknown 34:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:50

That's exactly I was just thinking that.

SPEAKER_00 34:53

Um this is why we're we're such good friends.

SPEAKER_01 34:56

I am yeah, it's like I'm going to help you to the best of my ability. You know, we're gonna wait around with our galages in the muck for a while before you feel comfortable to do this on your own. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 35:12

You know, so like you might not even pick up a weight for the first, you know, four weeks.

SPEAKER_01 35:17

When I first started training two decades ago, I never wanted to pick up a free weight. Right. Only because I didn't think one I was capable of like having, you know, correct form. And, you know, I'd look like I for me back then it was all about how I looked when I exercised or lifted. And I'm like, I look like a fucking idiot doing this stuff. Um the S word.

SPEAKER_00 35:50

We're not gonna say it.

SPEAKER_01 35:51

Yes, that we're not gonna say it. Um it it will come out. But a whole episode, multiple episodes on that. Um, but it's intimidating if you've never, you know, set foot in a gym or you've never, even if you've set foot in a gym, you know, if you're if I'm working out next to some next to a guy who is 6'5, and he's just he's shredded and cut and you know, all those things, yeah, I'm gonna be intimidated as a five foot three, 44-year-old guy. Like, can I handle my own? Yeah, I mean, in general, yeah, but you know, you line me up with somebody who's taller, who I in my head looks a little bit better, yeah, I'm gonna be intimidated. But I know that that's you know, it's it's something that my brain is making up.

SPEAKER_00 37:00

Yes. Our brains lie to us. They love because they want us to stay in that, stay in that safe space.

SPEAKER_01 37:05

It's funny because I gave a talk yesterday to a elite dancer group. Um, this they're competing next week in a national competition. And I was going through some things about how your brain latches itself onto a story. So your brain craves a storyline, right? So if there if you do not make a storyline, your brain is going to automatically make one up for you. So if I'm working out next to somebody and I'm just like, I don't think about it, my brain is automatically going to, you know, look at this person and say, he's better than you. Uh-huh. Yeah. And this is why. Yep. And even though you know you know, yeah, you know. You know that it's not true. Subconsciously, your brain is making those, you know, rewirings and saying, he's better than you. You know, his muscles are bigger. You know, he's more look at him. He's more likable. He probably, you know, and this part shouldn't matter, but your brain's going to tell you he gets more sex than you. Yeah. You know, stuff like that. It shouldn't matter, but it does. But it does. Yeah. So for an average person coming in to, you know, ask me about, you know, can we do anything other than free weights? It's like, well, we can, but you're probably not going to see the results that you want. That's right. Um, we can work up to them, of course.

SPEAKER_00 38:56

I mean, you have all those machines. We have to do you have the machines and yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:03

Loved how you rolled your eyes. Oh, I have such beef with machines. That's so do I. Um, and I will say this for machines versus free

Machines vs. Freeweights??

SPEAKER_01 39:16

weights. Machines are great. Um, they have their purpose, but machines are built to do one thing and one thing only, and that is the exercise that it is built to do. Right. You can't deviate from anything other than what it's done or built to do. Right. Free weights, obviously, are a lot more liquidated. Yes, free weights are a lot more liquidated. You are you are at the you know, freedom to do whatever you want to do with them. And the same goes with, you know, bands and kettlebells and love bands. And oh, love bands.

SPEAKER_00 40:02

That we gotta talk about bands one of these days. Oh, oh like people need to know how how awesome band bands can be a whole workout and you will it will kick your ass.

SPEAKER_01 40:12

Yeah, bands can be very, very effective if you if you allow them to be. Yep. Um, but yeah, the whole machines versus free weights and other sorts of equipment. If somebody asks me to just build them a machine-only workout, I usually give them the disclaimer that it's going to be very boring, it's gonna be very repetitive because there's only so many machines to go around. Yep. Now, free weights, I could give you tons and tons and tons of variations on different air on the same exercises for the same muscle groups and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00 40:54

But um You want to know a really interesting exercise with a free weight that I learned, I mean, a long time ago, but like that blew my mind. Suck. Halos. Oh my god. Like halos are when you take the weight and you go around and in, you know, that works your shoulders. Like it is not about like front raises, lateral raises, delt raises. Like it is halos. Oh my god. When I learned how to do halos, I mean they're they're like one of my favorite things to do for shoulders in my traps. Like, love them.

SPEAKER_01 41:27

Halos are one of the first things I ever learned.

SPEAKER_00 41:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:30

Um I do them. Well, of course not.

SPEAKER_00 41:33

Well, no, because it's all about mobility. Yeah. Like that, like, but I think one thing we struggle with is mobility in our bodies.

SPEAKER_01 41:40

Well, I think as we get older, obviously our joints are gonna be a little bit um problematic, a lot more temperamental.

SPEAKER_00 41:50

A lot more short, like short, like we don't have the length that we should have in a right.

SPEAKER_01 41:54

Yeah. Um, they're not the muscles are not gonna be as eccentrically loaded as we want them to be. Yep. So there's a lot of compression, um, and there's a lot of lengthening that we need to do, especially in our shoulder area, because that's where most of us carry our stress.

SPEAKER_00 42:14

Uh women, frozen shoulder, that's a big perimenopause symptom. Shoulders, shoulder mobility, shoulder bandwork, shoulder halos, all of that. Like you want to prevent frozen shoulder? There you go.

SPEAKER_01 42:28

Yeah. That's how you do it. Yeah, exactly. And my mom had frozen shoulder about five, six years ago. Um, and it sucks. And yeah, exactly. Because I remember she was at a point where she couldn't even get her arm over, or even I don't even want to say over her head, too.

SPEAKER_00 42:49

Just up, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:50

Yeah. Um, and she went to see a physical therapist, and you know, he he gave her the you know, rote exercises that most PTs usually use for their frozen shoulder. Um and, you know, she she was very proactive. She did them at home. She did them when she went to PT. And, you know, now she's at a point where, you know, everything's back to normal. Um, but she's at risk.

SPEAKER_00 43:22

I mean, we're at risk like nonstop for frozen shoulder. Yeah. Absolutely. So you just have to carry those mobility exercises.

SPEAKER_01 43:29

Well, I mean, see, as a man, all that was new information.

SPEAKER_00 43:38

We're gonna learn a lot about things here together.

SPEAKER_01 43:41

We are gonna learn a lot about things.

SPEAKER_00 43:42

This is gonna help you as you coach women, client.

SPEAKER_01 43:44

But yeah, exactly. Plus, like

Testosterone

SPEAKER_01 43:47

what you said about testosterone, and you guys only having one tenth of what we have. So, and one of the biggest things that I sit that I hear from women is especially when they want to start strength training. I don't want to, I don't want to turn into a bodybuilder.

SPEAKER_00 44:08

Or I don't want to look like a man. And I don't want to, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:11

I don't want to be like this behemoth.

SPEAKER_00 44:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:13

You know, girls, you know how hard it is to do that. And that's normally what I tell them. I'm like, one, I'm not gonna train you that way. And two, you are not built that way. Um, reason being, men have 10 times testosterone of woman does. Yeah. Um, so you don't have to worry about it. Yeah. Um, and like you said, yes, I myself have, you know, struggled with a whole testosterone thing. And it's really a weird space that guys are around my age are in these days. Because what we're seeing is testosterone is starting to tank um a lot earlier than you know, past generations.

SPEAKER_00 45:10

I hear a lot that it's environmental.

SPEAKER_01 45:11

It's a lot a lot of it's environmental, a lot of it, you know, has outside factors that, you know, and which is weird in itself. Um I've struggled with low testosterone, probably undiagnosed, probably for 15 years, but diagnosed for the last like five years.

SPEAKER_00 45:39

Thank God diagnosed.

SPEAKER_01 45:41

Thank God diagnosed because like I felt like a fucking zombie for most of my 20s and 30s.

SPEAKER_00 45:51

Um You're just like, I guess this is how I am.

SPEAKER_01 45:53

Well, yeah, I mean, well, like, and that's the thing. Like, a lot of guys, like even friends of mine, you know, like they asked me now, you know, do you think I should, you know, how did you figure out you had low testosterone? And like I had enough, you know, schooling and you know, I this is my arena where you know this is important, that I had enough know-how to kind of get my levels checked on my own without my doctor having to say you might want to do this. Um, so when somebody tells me, like, this is how I feel, I've just feel tired, I just feel, you know, just something's off, but nothing else is wrong with me. This is usually where I tell them, like, you may want to get your levels checked, bro, because it might be low testosterone. And, you know, just because and I'm gonna point out that the levels for testosterone are extremely large. So what's considered normal for a man is I think it's the starting number is 300, and it can go anywhere to a thousand and over. Um, so before I started testosterone injections, my levels were 274. Um 300 at the base, that's low. And that is low. So, and what you have to look at the uh acceptable levels are the lowest, you have to think about like what an 80-year-old man's looks like, right? So 300 is just base functioning, right? So I basically had the testosterone levels of like a 90-year-old. Holy shit, man. Yeah. So and being in a 30-some-year-old, you know, male's body, it kind of sucks. Um, just energy-wise and mood-wise. Um so when I started getting testosterone injections this past October, I didn't you don't notice a change right away, obviously. Um, so like within two weeks, like, yeah, I had a little bit more energy. You know, things started, you know, I started noticing things. Now, a couple months in, um, the last times I got my levels checked, I think it was 117 rates, which is, I mean, it sounds like a huge dump, which it is, you know, it is. Um, but I'm finally at the levels where I naturally should be. So it feels good for you. And it feels good. I have less days where I'm like, I don't want to fucking talk to anybody.

SPEAKER_00 49:04

Um I can relate to that because my hormones were tanking. Yeah. Don't don't talk, don't come near me. Yeah. Like, right. I had like a three-year period where I wasn't, I didn't talk to anybody.

SPEAKER_01 49:16

Yeah, and me working, you know, with the public, with teaching kids every single day, you kind of have to put on this like facade where you're like, okay, today we're gonna learn about this. And you know, and half the time I was like, I really don't want to have to do this. Yeah, but you have to push yourself. So testosterone for guys obviously is very important because it's our it's our hormone, it's what makes us guys. Um when I wasn't of the levels that I'm at now, and this is more of a psychological thing, you feel like you're less of a guy. Yeah, that's a terrible thing to do to your psychedelic. Yeah, because like if I remember around my other guy friends, you know, they would be, you know, like their looks were just, you know, they would look a little bit more mannish in ways of like musculature and you know, that kind of stuff. And, you know, I remember saying to myself at times, I'm like, why can't I just look, you know, closer to that than you know, like a skinny, you know, nondescript dude. And like, so when I started, you know, on these shots and I started working out more consistent consistently, one, you notice that you develop, you know, musculature a lot quicker, um, which I was very shocked at. I remember the first week I worked up three days in a row, and like I was already like feeling like delineations between like my shoulders and like the upper part of my biceps. And I'm like, oh my god, this is awful! I was like, I've waited years for this. Um, but it's but it's the truth, yeah. And like there are there are you know, like other like emotional side effects, positive emotional side effects that come along with this. Um, and I, you know, urge any guy that's listening to this who are is feeling like something's off, you know, you might want to get your blood, you might want to get your blood checked, just to get your levels, you know, just to recommend just to get your baseline.

SPEAKER_00 52:07

Yep. You don't know where you're gonna go until you know where you came from. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 52:11

And like nobody really like keeps an eye on this until like there's a problem, or you reach a certain age. Yep. Um, so usually with guys, it's usually like maybe mid-40s that your doctor might be like, well, you might want to have your levels checked. So the thing about PCPs, PCPs are great um with a lot of stuff. They're not so great in um being schooled as to like advancements in like hormone therapy and just like keeping on top of that stuff. Like I always tell clients, I'm like, if it is not in a medical journal or a medical, you know, textbook, they're really not gonna know that much about like, you know, what the current, you know, trends are for it. So like, and with hormones, regardless of whether it's, you know, primarily for men, primarily for women, hormone stuff is is rapidly changing all the time. So whether that's you know, hormone therapy or some other some other thing in that general area, we kind of have to do our own research. And be our own advocates. And be our own advocate. Um, because if you if you aren't feeling the way you think you should be feeling at your age and you know, for your for your gender, something's off.

SPEAKER_00 53:57

And that's

Perimenopause & Hormone Struggles

SPEAKER_00 53:58

the thing that that the that a lot of doctors now like I I learned that there are menopause association certified OBGYNs. Yes. And there's actually a menopauseassociation.org or something like that. I forget. You can go there, you can look up your area, and you can find an OB that you can go to that will be. They are generally very, very well versed in the latest research of hormone therapy for women. And they will absolutely now it depends on your state, unfortunately. State's rights. Um, like Pennsylvania, I can't, I I have to go to a brick and mortar to get testosterone shots. There's not a lot of doctors still that will prescribe them for women. Um, but my OB was tickled pink when she heard what my numbers were and what they are at now because I was at like seven, which which like equivalent of you being at like 275. I was at a seven. I should be at about 79. You know where mine are now? 79. God. And I feel great, right? I'm not like through the roof, you know, the Hulk or anything like that. But but the point is that you have to find doctors that will listen to you, that will advocate, help, help you advocate, will help you get that medication because insurance will cover some of these things. Insurance doesn't cover testosterone for women yet. Right. They're working on it because we there are so many advances in hormone replacement therapy and there's so much more conversation around it for women. Like I know my husband could go to the doctor and get prescribed testosterone, no problem if his levels were lower. Right. And insurance would cover it, right? Not so much for me. So I have to work a little harder for that. Right. But you have to pro you would have to pry that out of my cold dead hands. You are never taking testosterone away from me. Right.

unknown 55:39

Right.

SPEAKER_00 55:40

My cognition is better, my muscle recovery is better. Like I have positive effects from it. Right. And there aren't any detrimentals. Um, I think a hummingbird just flew over to say hi to us. Anyway, so so there, so it's the same thing. Like you talk about the just the benefits of testosterone, right? Right. Find a doctor that you can talk to, right? That will listen to you, that will help you on that journey. And there's telehealth also. Right. There's that. Yeah. There's blokes and joy, there's MIDI health, there's these other ones. Blokes and Joy have has um treatments for men and women. Yeah. There's hers. They all require blood work. They all require things for you, we you meet with real hormone specialists, right? Real doctors, right? The that's why these exist, because the med the medical system that we have, the doctors are not keeping up with the research.

SPEAKER_01 56:31

Right. And with my testosterone, I didn't go through IPCP. I went through a wellness clinic. Um who it's uh Dr. Victor Prisk, who is a champion bodybuilder. Yeah. And he now he's a plastic surgeon. So he has a wellness clinic within his practice. Wonderful. And um, I was referred there by a friend of mine who is an amateur bodybuilder. And he's like, you might want to, you know, come on over to this side. You may want to go see. And so like it's weird because when I used to work in downtown Pittsburgh, I belonged to a gym, and Victor Chrisk was also a member there. And I, you know, like I never talked to him. Um, but I remember um just seeing him and like he was huge at the time, like physically huge. He was like a hardcore body. Yeah, like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Well, he has his pro card. Oh, there you go. So yeah, he he's been in a tool a long time. Yeah. So when I heard that he had a clinic, you know, closer to I was like, sure, you know, why not? Um, so I had my levels checked and they they were pretty much in the can at the time. You know, the nerd the nurse practitioner who was working with me, she was she was like, You're an excellent candidate for um this stuff. I didn't start out with injections because I didn't want to go that route yet.

SPEAKER_03 58:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 58:15

Um, so they have they have different things that you can do. Like creams, which I started out with, um, and didn't work that great. Um, so in October of last year, I was I just bit the bullet and I was like, fine, let you know, let's do this. And like luckily my sister's a nurse, so she gives me the injections twice a week. Um, so all the like I'm not, you know, I'm not having to take the burden of like sticking a needle in the wrong place.

SPEAKER_00 58:50

And you know, like my neighbor taught me because she's a nurse. Yeah, and I do it, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 58:54

Yeah. Um you're multiple, you you do multiple times a week, right? I do it twice a week. I only do my and Thursdays. Um and yeah, like like I said, I've It's been a game changer. No brain fog whatsoever, right?

SPEAKER_00 59:09

The brain fog.

SPEAKER_01 59:10

Yeah, like cognition and just like locking in.

SPEAKER_00 59:14

Clarity. Yeah. Nothing but clarity. Yeah, yeah, it's great. Yep. And that's wonderful. That's the biggest problem with women when they hit perimenopause, the brain fog. That's the one of the biggest symptoms outside of like them telling you I get I get hot flashes. It's the brain fog.

SPEAKER_01 59:27

Yeah. And like, I hate bringing this up because it's so cliche for men, but like the you know, the sexual side effects. Uh-huh. Too. Absolutely. You know, not having, you know, strong erections. Yeah. Not having erections at all. Which was my case, which was yeah, it was, you know, very upsetting because sexual health is so important. Yeah. And what's so important. And it it sucks because nobody wants to talk about it.

SPEAKER_00 59:57

It's not, it's a t it's taboo for a lot of people. Which it's embarrassing. Which it's I don't know. It shouldn't be.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:04

Like I'm the We're here to change that, by the way. I'm the type of person who I'm like, okay, look, it's literally just a penis.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:14

Yeah. Are you getting a heart on her aren't you?

SPEAKER_01 1:00:16

Yeah. Like, I don't really care. Yeah. You know, I'm comfortable enough with, you know, myself to be like, it's just a penis. That's right. You know, it's that's all it should be. Yep. So, like, if, you know, like, and I've learned the older I get, the one of the biggest health indicators for a man is if something is wrong, that is not working. Yep. Um, so that's kind of how I figured out early on that oh, my testosterone's bad. Yeah. Um, so like, you know, like guys, you can't be ashamed to talk about your wiener. That's right. Because if it's not working, then something's off. Yep. You want it to work. You you want it to work. Um we all we want it to work. We all want it to work. Um in our in our best interest. But um

Wrap-Up & Coming Soon!

SPEAKER_01 1:01:16

I think we should stop there. Yeah, I think that that's a good stop before. Um I turn red. Like, what my turn is red. Perfect. Like stupid. Good gone. Like, but we'll we'll talk about we'll talk about it. We're gonna continue all this. Yeah, we're gonna continue talking about wieners and wieners and yeah, testosterone level and uh and other stuff. But we want to thank you so much for tuning in.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:40

Thank you so much, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:41

Um, and coming on this journey with us because I think it's going to be very fun, very informative. Yep. And um, I know you because I know I am, especially a man viewing the woman side of the Ditto, honey. Ditto. Um, because uh men are just as, if not more complex than women most of the time. But um we will talk to you next time. And um we'll have some more we'll have some more gems for you.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:12

Yeah, we'll drop some hints on what's coming in the next episode. So don't you?

SPEAKER_01 1:02:16

Yeah. Absolutely. Thanks for coming, everybody. You have a good day, everybody. We'll talk to you soon. Bye bye. Bye