Beyond Life and Fitness

it can be very frustrating when you are doing the work, putting in the time, hitting your protein, getting lots of sleep and you just cannot seem to add muscle. the #1 thing we see in clients when it comes to stalled muscle growth is lack of intensity when training. So many times when we work with clients in person do they say how much harder the workout is vs when they train on their own. That is...

Who has time to stretch, work on mobility or take a hot bath at night. As coaches we see this all the time with recovery work being tossed to the side as not important. But it is in recovery that we grow, get stronger and stay healthy so today we are chatting about 3 ways our bodies need to recover so we can continue to evolve in and outside the gym. 1. physical recovery 2. mental recovery 3. emot...

In the fitness industry, September is like the other Jan 1st. As kids gear up to go back to school, parents plan out all the extra-curricular activities, and routines are put back into place from the holidaying summer fun, people start to re-think their fitness and nutrition. Ideally, some consistency and routine with food and movement is ideal all year around preventing the whole getting back on...

Today's quick chat is about labels we have either put onto ourself or have allowed others to put onto us. These labels can be both positive or negative. The key is that these labels do not hold us back from our true potential with ourself, our careers, our friendships and relationships. It is these labels that can hold back clients from the transformation they are truly wanting and so recogniz...

At the time of this recording, coach Meghan is 3 weeks from her Pro-Qualifier show in Toronto and so we are chatting about how this prep has been going for her, what has been different from previous preps and we give you 5 takeaways if you are thinking of competiting in a bodybuilding show yourself. The 5 takeaways will help you decide if this is the best idea for you or not based on your personal...

Today we shift focus onto how I have been dealing with menopause during prep for a show. In short, it has not been going to plan and that is what we chat about today and how I have had to shift my mental focus, put more focus on sleep and stress management while looking into the possible use of HRT (hormone replacement therapy). This is part 1 of 2, maybe 3 depending on what is decided with HRT an...

Being online coaches and have worked with 100's of clients both in person and online, we have seen and heard clients claim to be in a deficit when that is not always the case. There are so many things to consider when deciding to go into a calorie deficit for fat loss and what a lot of clients don't know or realize is how much more precise you need to be with your food, rest, training and...

Is the first thought that comes to mind when you have hit a plateau is to do more cardio?? We are not anti-cardio, we need cardio for overhead heart health and endurance, but when it gets to be excessive and you are spending an hour+ running or on a cardio machine you are only telling your body to become more efficient and to pare down muscle making it even harder to lose the weight. We love havin...

With being both online and in person coaches, the key to any successful relationship is the understanding the role of the coach so that you can get the best experience and results from your coach. Understanding that there is no such thing as a bad check in. We want to hear the good, the bad and the ugly so that we can help you navigate your challenges, learn from them and be able to move on. Under...

Do you crush it all week to only throw all caution to the wind on the weekend ending with feelings of guilt, shame and sometime disgust. Not only are you losing at your fat loss goals, but you are losing in your relationship with food and your overall mental health. Are you being too Strict during the week that you cannot control the post work week cravings? Are your expectations not in alignment...

It is human nature to compare oneself to others, but at what cost? Watching other people post their transformational journey can be inspiring and what gets you started, but it can also be what holds you back when you feel that you are not as good. Comparison is the thief of all joy, and no one is immune to playing the comparison game. Our goal today is to show you how we navigate and how we help o...

The majority of our listeners are people wanting to learn how to lose the weight, the extra fluff and ONE key piece of the fat loss puzzle is SLEEP! If you are consistently running on empty with your nutrition and not getting enough good quality sleep, your body will think it needs to go into survival mode to make sure you survive the next day. We use sleep to recover and repair everything from ou...

Do you sometimes wonder the grocery store or stare into your fridge or pantry wondering what do I need to have to start taking those first steps toward my fat loss goals without it feeling like I am giving up everything I like to eat. There are few food basics that we feel should be in everyone's house and of coarse this is a short list of the basics. But if you are feeling stuck, still not sure w...

Sometimes when we start to "clean up" our diet, replacing processed food with more whole foods, things can get a bit backed up. This can happen because it may have been to much of a change to fast. With the increase in fiber and protein from more whole food options the digestive system may not have had enough time to adjust and if you water intake is low, then it is easy for things to ge...

Meghan and I go back and forth on this topic for a bit as Meghan as trained fed for a long time, and I have trained fasted until the past 4 weeks at the time of this recording. It was been interesting to compare the two methods, but what it really boils down to is what time of day you train, how you train, your ability to recover and be able to hit all your macros. We don't feel there is a rig...

We both get asked a lot about creatine for women and athletic teenagers, and we both say use it! Creatine is the most researched supplement on the market and totally safe for 99% of the population from active teens playing sports, to the aging population for its cognitive benefits to everyone inbetween. Creatine as been seen in the past as a bodybuilder supplement as it does help give you more ene...

We have those days where the thought of getting out of your warm bed to put on winter boots and coats to warm up the car to head off to the gym just doesn't seem worth it. So how do we stay motivated when it is cold and dark outside? Well, the solution will be a bit different for everyone, but today we chat about a few strategies to make sure you can stay consistent when you are not a winter p...

Why is that the some people seem to be more productive each day while others struggle to keep their head above water? Both Meghan and I over the years of owning businesses, have had times of super productivity, moving the needle forward in our businesses, and other times we feel like we are drowning, and its in the times of feeling like we are drowning, we notice we are not controlling our control...

There are 2 types of women in the gym... 1. those who embrace strength training 2. those held back by these 3 myths. So what are these 3 myths that hold women back from feeling their strongest. 1. that heavy weights will make you bulky 2. that cardio is better for fat loss 3. I am to old to start strength training. Our goal is to help you get out of your own way so you can live a stronger, indepen...

We ALL have limiting beliefs. Those stories we tell ourselves that we are not deserving or worth the time and effort to achieve something we really want whether it be in relationships, health or career. We chat about how to expose them so that we can see the limited beliefs for what the are...limiting. We also talk about how taking ownership for our current health, happiness and success is the onl...

Getting the common cold or a winter flu is no fun, but there are supplements out there that can help reduce the duration and symptoms making it more tolerable to get through and help the body fight it off. Not everyone wants to run to the pharmacy to grab cold and flu medication, so here are some alternatives that you can try when you feel something coming on AND supplements that you can take year...

Is training from home just a good as training out of a gym? YES! Some people think that in order to get a good workout in, to be able to train well you have to go to a gym, and that is simply not true. You can can get just a strong at home as you can from a gym. The key is knowing how to train well from home especially if you have limited equipment and that is part of what we talk about in this ep...

Even with all the positive reasons for lifting heavier especially as we get older, there are still lots of women who are afraid that they will look like the next pro body builder as soon as they start challenging themselves with heavier weights. We promise this will not happen! But will happen is a more athletic, lean look with a healthier, more robust metabolism that will give you the food freedo...

Let me ask you a question... how many "diets" have you been on, reached your goal to only quit right after reaching that goal because it was not sustainable? We hear way to often of clients going on and off unsustainable, restrictive diet, after diet to only keep getting further and further from what they want to accomplish - feeling better, feeling stronger, feeling in control, feeling like a win...

The holidays can be a stressful time for a lot of people who have not created the skill set to manage expectations and navigate the holiday food extravaganza's. There is nothing more rewarding then hosting a holiday dinner, or going to one and leaving feeling GOOD about the food, drinks and company vs shame and guilt over the lack of control. We hope you can take 1 or all of our tips to help you s...