Before & After - Training, lifestyle & mindset from a masters athlete POV

We have all been there and made grand plans to keep up with our regular fitness routine while traveling.  Then time zones, busy schedules, gym access and a myriad of other obstacles make it seemingly impossible to get even close to those goals we confidently set!  In this episode Rachel admits to setting unrealistic goals for a recent business trip to DC and we attempt to reframe her "failure" and...

Annnnddd we are back!!  Thanks for your patience while we took a little unscheduled time out to catch up on life.  From here on we will be back to our regular schedule of 2 episodes per month. We kick off Season 2 Episode 1 with a recap of life since we last recorded.  Then we jump into a conversation around those moments in life where you suddenly get a rude awakening and realize things about you...

Shout out to the Morning Chalk Up for doing a series of articles featuring their female contributors about their experiences surrounding body image (Fighting the Stories in Our Heads: A Series on Body Image).  We review each awesome write up and talk about how our own experiences relate. If you have ever felt too big, too small, not strong enough or even thought about comparing yourself to others...

We snuck this one in between meetings so it is a little shorter than usual but a good one none the less!  We jump into a topic that we both have experience with but from opposite sides of the spectrum - what happens when you and your partner have goals that don't align?  From extreme discipline to emotional eating both Hannah and Rachel make reference to their experiences of navigating the pandemi...

10 Episodes ago Rachel was the subject of the destination postcard and in this episode we change roles and Rachel guides Hannah through the same exercise.  What does Hannah's future look like?...Well you will have to tune in to find out but needless to say Rachel does a great job and we learn that if nothing else, a porch will be a feature! We also revisit our last conversation and discuss how we...

We didn't have a plan so we went with the flow to see what would come up!  Turns out we are both going through a period of change and we both feel the same "pressure" to look good when we attend the Crossfit Games in August.  Reflecting on previous podcasts about the destination postcard, sphere of control, values and identity we quickly realize that looking good actually means we want to feel hea...

If you only ever listen to one episode of our show, choose this one!  Back in Episode 26 we interviewed Rebecca Shingledecker, Crossfit Games Adaptive Athlete and true inspiration.  After experiencing multiple traumatic brain injuries, Rebecca's grit and determination got her to the Crossfit Games in 2021.  When we last spoke she was preparing to compete at the Wheel Wod Games in November 2021.  B...

Are you motivated by the destination or the journey?  Either way there is a good chance that at some point you run out of steam and start to question why you bother getting up every day to train.  In this episode we discuss our different approaches to training and how we have pushed through the times of 'slump' to find the motivation again on the other side.  If you can relate to that sudden disco...

Are you even aware of the rules that you live by?  Maybe you tell yourself you can't eat after 7pm (looking at you Hannah) or you are not allowed to buy cheese (oh hello Rachel).  In this episode we investigate the rules that we have lived by and decipher which ones no longer serve us and why and which rules still serve us well and have morphed into permissions.  So grab a pen and paper and play a...

We finally got ourselves a male guest and what an awesome conversation we had.  On this episode we chat with Andre, a plastic surgeon based in Ontario and long time friend of Rachel's.  We discuss the world of plastic surgery, steps taken by surgeons to identify potential body dysmorphia prior to surgery and what it takes to maintain the results.  We also discuss the difference in ageing process b...

After reviewing diet trends and body shapes over the last century, we decided to take a look at workout clothing trends so we got back to our Google research.  From wool bloomers and sailor collars to leg warmers we got it covered.  We also shed light on how to test for squat proof leggings and allude to our experiences of wearing inappropriate colors during heavy lifting and double unders (you wi...

A much needed conversation sprinkled with some pretty awesome breakthroughs regarding tracking metrics and how that affects your life.  We discuss the effect the number on the scale has on an emotional level and how our current obsession with tracking bio metrics has lead so many of us to forget to pay attention to the fundamental practice of checking in with how you actually feel. Why does a numb...

We made it to Episode 30 which is allegedly the average number of episodes a podcast lasts for.  This technically means that after this episode we will have surpassed average and can start to bring you some epic content!! ;) But seriously thanks for listening so far and we are excited to continue the conversation way beyond 30 episodes. In this episode we chat about our scars, where they came from...

Well that was an unexpected break!  Between work, travel, holiday stuff and now Covid we have been a little distracted but thank you for being patient and we really appreciate all of the requests for more podcasts!  We are back!!  We decided to change up the schedule just a little and will now be releasing 2 episodes per month on the 15th and the 30th so put that in your calendars! Episode 29 is p...

We are back!  After a mini break we regroup to catch up on life and check in with all things health, wellness and fitness.  We take a deep dive into Hannah's experimental weight cut, the expected side effects and some that took her by surprise.  After 4 Weeks, 4 pounds of fat loss with no loss of lean mass and a final percentage body fat of 11.6%, Hannah comes to the ultimate realization that fina...

We may be camping but that doesn't stop us from recording the podcast!  Coming at you live from the tent, we talk about weight cuts and the different experiences we are having between the healthy slow approach cut that Rachel is on and the physique show cut that Hannah is half way through.  We highlight the importance of having a plan to get into and out of any kind of extreme cut and how willing...

When we started this podcast we hoped that in time we might just attract some truly inspirational guests ready and willing to share their personal journey's with body image and related topics.  So you can imagine we were beyond excited when none other than a Crossfit Games adaptive athlete slid into our DM's to see if we would be interested to chat.  You better believe we jumped on that and with g...

We had some fun with this one and decided to each make a top 10 list of things we love about lifting weights.  If you are an avid listener of the show then you will know that we preach about loving what your body can do rather than focusing on aesthetics so we decided to celebrate our love for all things heavy.  If this doesn't inspire you to pick up some heavy s&%t then we don't know what will :)...

After a busy month of work and back to back weekends of birthday celebrations, we reflect on how we get back on track and avoid getting sucked into a season of letting it all go.  Whether it is the cooler weather that brings it with it the opportunity to cover up more in comfy clothing or knowing that January 1st where we can all reset again (yay) is just around the corner, this certainly is the t...

What is not to love about Old Lady Gains!!  In this episode we chat with Kim Munoz founder of clothing brand Old Lady Gains.  We ask her all about how she got started, the brains behind her epic slogans such as "Kinda Vintage, Kinda Savage", "Older Smarter, Jacked and Hotter" and "Lift More Age Less". We talk about her own athletic journey and discover of Crossfit, about building a brand and the a...

Ever wondered why you just can't seem to stick to a diet or follow an exercise program for more than a couple of weeks?  Do you find yourself stuck in a pattern of saying you will do x or y only to rarely or never follow through with getting it done?  Panic not!  This episode takes a deep dive into how to improve your say/do ratio.  We take a look at the disconnect that often exists between extern...

We all know how important a good night's sleep is in terms of how we feel the next day.  Waking up like a bear with a sore head is no fun for anyone but lack of sleep has ramifications beyond mood.  Sleep is essential for recovery and repair and critical part of achieving optimal performance be it athletic or being able to feel alert and firing on all cylinders at the office.  It is also a lifesty...

We veer away a little from our usual theme of body size and shape and take a look at various methods of body modification.  From tattoos to tongue splitting, sub dermal implants to the bagel head trend and silicone abs, we ponder the why behind certain trends and discuss our own tattoo stories (sorry mom!).  How far would you take body modification and at what point does personal art become a medi...

Thank you for your patience while we took a little vacation!  In this episode we catch up on our vacation experiences which are about as opposite as they get.  While Hannah spent 7 days eating and drinking in the bustling city of New Orleans Louisiana, Rachel back packed in Desolation Wilderness near South Lake Tahoe.  One of us consumed an abundance of calorically dense foods while the other burn...

We had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Jordyn Sloan a former competitive gymnast born with no toes.  This amazing young lady has amniotic band syndrome meaning her feet are about the size of her hands yet this has never stopped her from being a competitive athlete.  Jordyn speaks openly about her training and experience with different coaches as she learned how to use alternative muscles in...