The Dr. Shannon Show

If your body is feeling broken down from a lot of intense exercise but you're afraid that doing less will cause weight gain, this episode is for you. 0:00: Introduction  0:50: Shannon’s experience with overexercise  7:15: Energy expenditure  11:15: Fitness watches 12:30: Why trackers are not an accurate representation of energy expended  17:30: Example of this energy expenditure  20:35: Botto...

Better software makes for better functioning hardware.  In this episode, we're discussing how to improve your body's software (inputs via your visual system) to improve the hardware (your muscular system). Improving our visual and vestibular system can make it easier for us to see results from our workouts and will allow us more freedom of movement along the way. 4:00  Nervous system inp...

Do women HAVE to lift heavy to see muscle growth and stay strong as we age? The answer in Shannon's perspective: no. Current literature suggests that you can use a wide variety of loading ranges, and still see muscle growth and results. Shannon explores why this is being recommended and challenges the idea that you have to lift heavy to improve body composition, improve muscle mass, and stay...

Reproductive health is a sign of overall health. Lifestyle, environmental, and dietary changes can improve endocrine health, fertility and have long-term health benefits. Dr. Audrey Gaskins talks about lifestyle, dietary, and exercise modifications to improve reproductive health. 0:00: Introduction 3:30: Dr. Gaskins’s research focus 4:58: Fertility endpoints and time windows  6:12: “Lowest hanging...

Are you someone who uses exercise as "therapy"? Exercise can improve stress resilience, but it can also add to your stress. Chronic stress can contribute to body composition changes, metabolic disease, and more. In this episode, Shannon discusses how chronic stress affects your hormones, how to know if you are chronically stressed, and how to identify if your workouts are adding or subtr...

Semaglutide is a drug that you may have heard of under the brand names Ozempic or Wegovy. This drug is used to treat diabetes but is also used for weight loss. In today's episode, endocrinologist Dr. Arti Thangudu breaks down who this drug is indicated for, who it is NOT indicated for,  the side effects, and more. 0:00: Introduction 2:24: What is Semaglutide and how does it work? 5:15: How do...

The somatic nervous system is responsible for sending your brain information via your five senses. You can use tools such as mobility and touch to stimulate your somatic nervous system, improving your brain's "map" to your muscles and therefore improving activation in your workouts. 0:00: Introduction  3:38: What is the somatic nervous system? 6:53: Inputs and outputs  9:45: Stimula...

We train our muscles and our cardiovascular system. We can also train the network that we don't see: our nervous system.  In this episode, Shannon focused on the autonomic nervous system. She talks about sympathetic and parasympathetic activation and how each influences your fitness results. She provides tangible tools and takeaways to start training your nervous system more effectively. 0:00...

If getting leaner is your goal, nutrition should be your main focus. In this episode, I talk to Registered Dietitian Hope Fitzgerald Brandt. We talk about her own journey with weight loss, what to change if you have a lot of weight to lose, and what to tweak if you have the last 10 lbs or so to lose. 0:00: Introduction 3:58: How Hope approaches weight loss and aesthetic goals 5:35: Hope’s personal...

"Eat less, move more," if weight loss is your goal. Right? Not necessarily. In this episode, Shannon breaks down how exercise affects leanness. 0:00: Introduction  1:43: Low Energy Availability (LEA) 7:22: Systematic Review of exercise alone for weight loss 9:20: Fitness trackers and weight loss 14:42: How exercise CAN affect weight loss 17:15: How does exercise use fat as fuel? 23:00: S...

Pilates is very popular right now. But is it "enough" for the modern woman? 0:00: Introduction  3:20: Why is Pilates so popular right now? Moving from high to low intensity  7:42: Pilates marketing  9:40: Pilates background 11:10: Pros of Pilates  15:37: Cons of Pilates  22:36: Complex moves and how they affect hypertrophy 27:33: Myth busting: “Pilates will make you long and lean” 30:35:...

What is "mom butt," and how can you address it? Does core stability work actually "shrink" your waist? Are crunches safe for postpartum women? Dr. Amelia Ponchur, pelvic floor and women's health physical therapist, discusses all these topics and more. 0:00: Introduction 3:30: What is “mom butt”? 10:04: What is the best way to hold a baby? 11:33: How do your feet affect you...

"Listen to your body" has become a cliche in the wellness world. What does it even mean, and how can you do it? Shannon and Payton break down what listening to your body means from a neurology standpoint, how it can improve your body image AND your results, and they break down a step-by-step process for being a better listener of your own body. 0:00: Introduction  1:14: What “listening t...

We don't do a lot of stretching. I know that's a big shift for many, and in this episode, I want to explain why. 0:00: Introduction  5:20: Tightness is a symptom, not a cause  7:48: “Security system” of the body  14:05: Why might tightness happen? 15:35: Reasons for chronic tightness 18:18: Should we be stretching to solve tightness? 19:29: Are there benefits to stretching? 20:22: What d...

In this episode, Shannon breaks down what "toning" really means, how to body recomposition, the five basics for results, and how much volume to add for muscle growth. 0:00: Introduction 5:30: “Toning” and “tightening” ( Episode 70 ) 8:35: High rep, low load workouts 12:10: What is good for fat loss? 16:38: Sustainable body recomposition ( Episode 77 ) 18:52: Nutrition + body recompositio...

In this episode, Shannon summarizes the highlights from three past episodes about cardio. She talks about why cardio isn't the best tool for fat loss, how to incorporate HIIT, and the differences between light intensity and moderate intensity steady state cardio. 0:00: Introduction 2:10: Cardio should not be a tool to expedite fat loss ( Episode 95 ) 4:03: Moderate-intensity cardio and group...

In celebration of the 100th podcast episode, Shannon is summarizing some of the "best of" episodes on various topics! First up: how to improve workout efficiency and feel better. Shannon summarizes 6 episodes: #7, #9, #48, #51, #74, and #97. 0:00: Introduction 3:28: How to know if your workouts are productive or just hard ( Episode 7 ) 8:13: Specifics of productive vs. hard workouts 9:15...

If you want better glute gains, listen to this episode! Shannon discusses the most common mistakes and her suggestions on what to do instead.  0:00: Introduction  0:58: Overuse 3:42: “Booty banded” exercises  5:23: Not getting close enough to muscle failure  6:21: Lack of glute engagement  10:18: Summary Step-up demo  Free Evlo 101 class 14 day free trial Follow Dr. Shannon on Instagram To try Evl...

How many sets/week is best for muscle growth? Shannon aggregates the research and her experience to give you guidelines for the best, most sustainable results. 0:00: Introduction 3:35: Recommended volume for muscle growth 9:08: What does this information mean for us practically? 14:11: “Optimal” vs. practical/sustainable 17:35: Variability in programming 20:34: Recommendations for adjusting volume...

What do you do when life happens, and you just can't commit much time to exercise? In this episode, I discuss the minimum amount of exercise I recommend to either maintain or progress. 0:00: Introduction  3:13: Does exercise affect fat loss? 4:38: Dosage for muscle gain for newbies and trained individuals  9:28: Example of mini class schedule you could take for a week  11:00: What about cardi...

If improving body composition (and sustaining it) is your goal, overworking is not the answer. In this episode, I provide the first half of a workshop that I led on the Evlo membership. I debunk myths, filter the noise, reference recent research, and guide you on what to avoid and what to focus on for better results without depleting yourself. 0:00: Introduction  2:58: Workshop introduction  10:38...

There is a common mistake people make in the new year: they cut calories too low and add too much cardio. I speak on the science behind how this affects your metabolism and why it often leaves you in a worse place than when you started. I give my suggestion on what to focus on instead.  0:00: Introduction  00:43: The common New Year mistake 2:10: Why under eating and overdoing cardio backfires 8:5...

In this episode, I talk about how I changed my body composition this year through a muscle-forward approach and gentle consistency. 0:00: Introduction  3:06: Misconceptions about a muscle-forward approach  7:10: Things to consider before hearing Dr. Shannon’s results  8:23: Dr. Shannon’s results of 2023 11:10: Setting the foundation for these results  16:42: What Dr. Shannon learned this year 21:0...

Dr. Arti Thangudu is an Endocrinologist and triple board-certified MD. In this episode, Dr. Thangudu debunks myths around "hormone balance," specifically thyroid hormone. We discuss weight loss and cortisol, CGMs, "balancing" blood glucose, and more. 00: Introduction 2:22: Myths about "hormone balance" 7:45: Exercise and hormone health 12:03: Overexercise and chronic...

Cycle syncing is very popular right now. On the one hand, we love that it encourages you to step away from the constant torturous workouts and vary your intensity based on how you're feeling. There is not a lot of research on the effectiveness of cycle syncing, but Dr. Shannon and Dr. Payton share their thoughts, and how to use cycle syncing to keep your body balanced.  0:00: Introduction  1:...