Episodes

In today’s episode, we answer listener questions about nutrition, fitness, and mindset, with our characteristic blend of personal experience, evidence-based expertise, and compassionate advice, while debunking widespread myths along the way… This Q&A sesh ranges from the things we learned last year, the effects of extended fasting on health, plant-based diets and protein intake, to building muscle (specifically the glutes) and gym etiquette for teens. We also discuss the nuances of managing stre...

In today’s episode, Val Lusvardi joins us as we dive into the crucial aspects of fitness and nutrition, emphasizing the importance of dedication, discipline, and the power of habit formation. Val, a mom, wife, coach, and bikini pro athlete, shares her insights on the significance of sticking to her training schedule, and we move beyond training to include the broader scope of self-care, boundary setting, and the mental aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Prioritize and thrive! We discuss...

In today’s episode, nutrition researcher Alan Aragon joins us again, and this time we dive into the complex and often misunderstood world of dietary fats, specifically the controversial topic of seed oils. We specifically address common concerns and arguments around canola oil, olive oil, and the importance of looking beyond isolated nutrients or ingredients and focusing on the overall food matrix and dietary patterns. We speak a bit about how nutrition research and funding actually happens, and...

In this insightful episode of the podcast, we dive deep into the essentials of creating a healthier lifestyle. This conversation is a perfect New Year kickoff, focusing on the 'big rocks' - the foundational elements crucial for sustainable health and wellness, from basic nutrition best practices to providing solid practices to level up your sleep routine. We debunk common myths and providing practical tips. Their approach is holistic, advocating not just for physical well-being but also for ment...

In today’s episode, Lindsay Parker (LiftingLindsay) joins us to share her journey into health and fitness. We chat about “starting where you are,” pushing outside comfort zone, truly experiencing maintenance, and how so many women are still feeling the negative effects of being in a calorie deficit because they’re scared to eat a little more and find a true, healthy maintenance. We talk emotional attachment to the scale, why it’s important to choose quality exercises for your goals, how to weed...

On this episode, Shannon Collins (The Gym Nurse) joins me for an enriching conversation about a range of topics. Shannon shares her personal story of overcoming health challenges and we bond over similar histories and starting points in fitness, social media, and as coaches. We discuss the oft-overlooked importance of progress pictures and the tendency people have to over-analyze them in an unhelpful way. We discuss gym culture, fostering a welcoming gym environment, overcoming gym anxiety, dev...

Matt Van Der Laar is an online strength and nutrition coach who helps lifelong dieters conquer all-or-nothing thinking so they can sustainably lose fat without giving up their favorite foods. Matt joins us today, and shares how a family member’s health emergency brought him into the coaching world. We chat about what the phrase “diet culture” means to us, exploring the dichotomy between the extremes of diet culture and the "no fat loss" stance, advocating for a balanced, mindful approach to die...

In today’s episode, we discuss DEXA and InBody scans: Are they worth it? What do they actually tell us? Brooke shares her personal experiences, and we share client experiences, highlighting the emotional toll they can easily take on an individual. We emphasize, as always, the importance of taking a holistic view of one’s fitness and body recomposition journey. We also discuss the common phrase “listen to your body” and the missing nuance when we see it thrown around on social media and in forum...

In today’s episode, Rusty Meier, better known as Coach Frizzle of Fitness, joins us to chat all about the holidays and the stressful things that come with them. We discuss the common frustrations when people they feel they’ve wasted years not making progress, and how our language and our mindsets are 100% in our control. We emphasize, as always, that true transformation is not just about achieving aesthetic targets, but must involve a deeper psychological shift. We walk through some practical s...

In today’s episode, nutrition science researcher and educator Alan Aragon joins us to unpack some nutrition noise and misinformation circulating on social media. We dive into the fear of oats and oatmeal, and explain why it’s both unjust and unfounded, the absurdity of demonizing such foods, misconceptions about the dangers of glyphosate in normal food consumption, and the importance of embracing a gray-scale view of nutrition and health. We touch on The Dirty Dozen, what Flexible Dieting reall...

In today’s episode, we talk about trigger foods and how to deal with them. We dive into the emotional complexities surrounding the labels people put on food and themselves, especially in the run up to the holiday season, which lead to a toxic mindset and obstruct their journey to health and fitness. We discuss the pitfalls of using food as a coping mechanism around the holidays, the importance of the language we use about food and ourselves, the dangers of “trigger food” and “cheat day” terminol...

In today’s episode, physio and running coach Dr. Marie Whitt joins us to talk about how you can efficiently and effectively balance running and strength training without compromising health and succumbing to burnout or fatigue. We discuss concurrent training, perceived readiness, the optimal time between running and a lifting session, and tailoring strength training to support running performance. Dr. Marie Whitt’s FREE strength guide for runners: HERE “You can only train as hard as you recove...

In today’s episode, we talk about why you’re not losing weight, despite your efforts to be in a calorie deficit. We discuss TDEE calculators and the problem with using them blindly, mindfulness on the weekends, mindfulness when tracking, untracked meals and restaurant eating during a calorie deficit. We cover many sneaky ways we can unintentionally eat more calories than intended, and the big problem with adding in calories burned from exercise. “If you want to be the best version of yourself, ...

In today’s episode, Ryan Kassim, friend and Health & Fitness Coach, joins us to talk about the conflicting emotions of not caring about health and fitness in the face of life’s challenges, while also recognizing the importance of these very aspects as coaches and humans. We dive deep into mental well-being and finding a balance between fitness goals and living in the moment. We talk about how controlling our reactions and focusing on what is within our power is crucial for mental health, especi...

On today’s episode, our friend and mentor Jordan Syatt joins us to talk about the profound impact parenthood has on fitness, health, priorities, and long-term goals. Jordan shares his personal evolution from prioritizing powerlifting to focusing on health and longevity, and we discuss the importance of setting an example and a strong foundation of movement and athleticism for our children - not just in words, but in action. We dive deep into how our choices as parents significantly influence the...

This week, we’re answering listener questions! “I stopped drinking because it was becoming a problem. I started using alcohol to mask what I was feeling that I didn’t want to come to light.” - Brooke Madigan “With a new diagnosis of anything, a lot of emotions come up that you need to deal with because your life is different now. You can’t deny that. Things about your life need to change that you have no control over. That’s really hard.” - IrisDeadlifts This week on Tater Talks: Two Bitche...

Friend and HBIC Beth Wilkas Feraco joins me on the show today to conduct a thought experiment and speak about fostering a healthy relationship with food and body in our kids. We discuss how taking pride in our cooking and our food adds a layer of joy and confidence in life, and we talk about how important it is to lead by example. We talk about how empowering strength training can be for kids, and how important it is to get them involved in the kitchen, exercise, and caring for themselves. “If ...

On today’s episode, we discuss the importance of practicing radical honesty with ourselves, the lightbulb moments and mental shifts that we all have versus the practical application of those mindset shifts. We also touch on why it can be incredibly damaging to compare yourself to others… ever, but especially when you don’t know the full story. “If you’re killing yourself over your goals, you’re doing it wrong. Let’s be more efficient with our time and our energy.” - Brooke Madigan “There’s a ...

Aram Grigorian joins me on the show today to dive into the importance of setting boundaries, establishing routines, and understanding the difference between short term fitness goals and sustainable life changes. We discuss the perennial myth that lifting automatically makes a person bulky, and truth that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to fitness. Aram chats candidly about why he initially dove into fitness as an insecure kid who was also an immigrant from another country, and sheds ligh...

Today on the podcast, we tell our stories, how it started and how it’s going. We walk through our first fitness memories and journey through our winding histories of fad dieting and exercise. We had vastly different upbringings, but they hugely influenced how we handled food and fitness in our young adult lives, and it’s been an interesting experience to dismantle... hiding, hoarding, food insecurity, scarcity, etc… “It scared me, but I started learning more, and I just absolutely fell in love...

Today, Amy Rudolph joins us on the podcast! Amy is an oncology physical therapist and online strength and nutrition coach with Team BFF. She leverages her knowledge and personal experience to guide clients toward their fitness goals, empowering them and emphasizing the importance of sustainable habits over deadline-driven weight loss. Amy shares the breakthrough moments in her fitness journey, and we discuss overcoming self-judgement, embracing curiosity, and maintaining a healthy balance betwe...

Today on the show, we talk about how to handle fitness and nutrition when you get sick. We share our personal experiences, and discuss giving ourselves grace when we’re under the weather. We especially focus on your return to fitness after an illness, and the importance of easing yourself back in and removing your emotions from your workouts and nutrition. We offer actionable steps to make your nutrition super easy, and how to get the ball rolling when you start to feel better. “Nothing good c...

Michelle Raines is a certified breath guide who empowers others to harness the power of breath, helping to instill a profound sense of inner peace, tranquility, and self-confidence, enabling them to manage anxiety and lead more fulfilling, joyful lives, one breath at a time. Michelle joins us today to share her personal journey to breathwork, what it means to “drop into the body,” the physical and mental benefits of breathwork, and how breathwork can help us explore new or avoided feelings with...

Today on the podcast, we dissect three big scams we consistently see in the fitness industry. We talk about gender-specific supplements and the exploitation of women in the fitness industry, slimy marketing tactics, and BCAAs. We discuss “fat burning” versus “losing fat” and why distinguishing between the two matters. We talk about fat burning pills, fat burning workouts, and devices that tell you whether or not you’re burning fat. And, talk in depth about continuous glucose monitors, the role o...