The Pendola Project Podcast

Chad Sweet is the director of Reno Little Theater (Reno, NV), a father and a husband. He is also Matt's best friend of over 20 years. Matt and Chad sit down to talk about core values, the importance of friendship and community when it comes to raising a family. Chad delves into his experiences and how he lives to follow his passions. Having a team around you, those who hold you up and support your...

Matt speaks with Dr. JoAnn Dahlkoetter, the best selling author of the book "Sports Psychology Coaching for Your Performing Edge: The Complete Mind-Body Guide for Excellence in Sports, Health and Life". While most people talk about physical preparation, the mental part is often overlooked, such as building positive images, affirmations for success, being relaxed and focused. This is the area of ex...

Matt and Erin discuss how family traditions have shaped their lives and in turn, how it is shaping the way they choose to raise their family. Keeping it simple by getting outside and making new traditions are laying the foundation for making fitness fun! Being reminded of "the good old days" brings back the why behind family time, putting a perspective on what is truly important in life and the le...

Neal Fincher is a master of Krav Maga: "contact combat", an Israeli art of self defense and fighting system. By talking about the fight and being in the fight, he trains his students to be ready at all times, for any situation. Neal believes in going back to the basics and training with intent; purposeful practice makes progress! email the show: erin@pendolatraining.com website: www.pendolatrainin...

Visualize your success! Matt and Erin share their experiences and what tools have worked for them and their clients along the way. If you can find your happy place and enjoy the process, you will be able to deal with high pressure situations in your own way. Keeping the mindset of "I get to do this" not "I have to do this" will place you in the moment and allow you to celebrate every moment of the...

Matt speaks with his longtime athlete, Katie Turner, today. Katie is an extremely accomplished student, athlete and person. As a Division 1 basketball star playing for Davidson College, Katie has lived many athletic moments to be proud of. But there are numerous other pieces of Katie's life that she holds dear and that have made her the person she is today. Listen in as Katie talks about her upbri...

Matt goes solo on this episode to talk about the five best lessons he learned in athletics and how they translate into being a great parent. 1. Stop asking if you are good enough! 2. Do I have enough time to be a good parent? 3. Don't worry about being perfect- your children are not judging you! 4. Enjoy the process. The process is the entire point and is what matters the most. 5. Surround yoursel...

Gabby Williams joins Matt on today's episode. Matt and Gabby have worked together since Gabby was 15 years old. They discuss what it means to be an athlete (on and off the court), how learning to deal with and adapt to high pressure situations can lead to long term readiness and maturity. We hear how playing professionally in the U.S. differs from Europe and Gabby's favorite part of the Pyramid of...

The gyms have reopened! What does that mean for clients and coaches alike? With the new protocols, time off from training and finding your new set point, there is so much to consider. 2:19 New protocol in place- masks, distance and so much cleaning 5:37 Online training, in person training or a mix of both. More flexibility in scheduling and affordability! 9:32 2020 goals: How have these changed? 1...

Matt and Billy are back to discuss concurrent training. What is concurrent training? Who should use it and why? All of this and more will be covered right here! :35 Simple defintion of concurrent training: engaging in two types of training at the same time: i.e. resistance or strength training and endurance training. 2:47 How to training for endurance. In this case, we are talking about 60 minutes...

Matt and Erin discuss their new normal after/during the Covid crisis. How have we made changes, for the better? What positive principles or habits did you form over the 10 week shut down that you plan to continue? 1:51 Getting back to "normal". A lot changed over closure period, but for the better! 6:15 Silver linings after Covid: balancing family, business, personal relationships 10:29 Giving som...

In Part Two of the fat adaption series, Matt and Billy get into the specifics of the how and why behind fat adaption for the endurance athlete. 6:00 Billy's reasoning about fat adaption and nutritional strategies 9:42 26.2 miles for a birthday run! How to pick your distance and the nutrition required for each task 12:56 Pallete fatigue: whole foods vs. gels, liquid carbohydrates, etc. 14:48 Evolut...

In this two part series, Matt and Billy discuss the fat adapted nutrition program. With so much information out there about this subject, listen to this perspective to break it down so that you can understand better and decide what's right for you! 3:28 "Wired to Eat" by Robb Wolf Are you doing this for health, fitness, longevity, aesthetics or perhaps all of the above? 6:36 I look good, but do I...

In today's episode we discuss breakthrough stories and how to use these stories for future success. Remember, it's the journey not the destination! So take a breath, trust your training and move forward toward your goals. 8:57 Take your experience and use it for future progress. How to get into the "flow" and focus on the present. Make it organic! 13:37 Get your mind and muscles primed and ready t...

In this episode, Matt and Erin discuss the 4 P's- Present Focus, Positive Images, Power Words and Personal Goals. How can using these tactics improve your performance? 1:35 Dr. Jo Ann Dahlkoetter "Your Performing Edge" www.drjoann.com 3:21 Present Focus: Focus now. How to stay in the moment and what you can do right now to continue your progress 12:30 Positive Images: Visualize to Engergize (Dr. J...

We discuss common misconceptions regarding nutrition and training. Can we adapt to the changes we need to make to reach our goals? 7:02 How do we eat? 8:45 Different people have different needs 11:17 Too few calories vs. what we are really consuming 12:58 N.E.A.T non-exercise activity thermogenesis 14:41 Mental adaptations to lifestyle changes 17:16 Cut the carbs! But which ones? 21:48 Strength vs...

Are your goals unicorns? Meaning, are your goals realistic for you, or are they based on a fantasy? 4:00 - Rock climbing like Alex Honnold 9:30 - What is your “why?” 12:30 - 6 weeks to 6 months 14:30 - Plan in pencil 18:00 - Does it work for you? 21:00 - Compared to what? 24:00 - Does your plan fit your lifestyle? 28:00 - Survive or thrive 30:00 - Rinse and repeat 31:00 - Relative vs realistic roo...

Do you struggle with negative thoughts, or do you have sufficient confidence in yourself? When you’re faced with a challenge do you think of how you will succeed or fail? The point is: whatever you think about your abilities, you’re probably right 7:00 - Always/Never 13:45 - Fortune Telling 16:45 - Mindset Practice 17:20 - Mechanical Feedback vs. Intrinsic 19:40 - Mind Reading 23:00 - Personalizat...

Do you have a basketball laying around the house? Then you’ve got a makeshift medicine ball! If you’re working out at home for the duration of the shutdown like we are, there are plenty of pieces of equipment to improve the experience, and many that you probably already have 3:30 - Basketballs make great medicine balls 6:15 - Balancing shoes on your fists are fun for Turkish getups 8:30 - PVC pipe...

Are you a fan of supplements? Some people like them, some don’t, but we can all agree there are a lot out there that don’t really do much good, and some can even lead to an unhealthy mental state with food. Matt and Erin let you in on which supplements they think are worth the time and effort. 4:00 - Supplements encourage you to not exercise smart 14:00 - Supplements and nutrition for aging athlet...

Does foam rolling really work? What about taping and cupping? Matt and Erin Pendola are not only fitness coaches, they’re also LMTs. Listen and learn about how, when and why to implement foam rolling and other forms of self-myofascial release, and how to incorporate strength training to ensure long-term benefits

Movies are fun, but they can also provide real life lessons. Rocky taught us to never give up; The Karate Kid taught patience and foundation. Today, Matt and Erin go over some of their favorite movies and the lessons they taught them to live their best lives. 1:30 - Karate Kid; Keep It Simple Stupid 7:00 - Keep your foundation strong 10:00 - The 80/20 rule 13:00 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; pat...

What makes true success? Does success comes from doing more and more work? No! There’s an entire other variable in the equation, and that variable is rest. Often overlooked as less important, the rest you take - when combined with your work - can be the missing element in getting you toward your goals. 6:30 - What makes true success? 8:30 - More movement doesn’t always mean more improvement 12:00...

In times of uncertainty, anxiety and stress can creep up to unbearable levels. Today’s episode focuses on turning that stress into excitement, and circumstance into opportunity. 5:00 - COVID-19 has impacted us too, but we’re trying to fail forward 11:30 - Fitness troubles during the pandemic 15:00 - Getting creative with exercises to replace gym equipment 29:00 - These times can bring out the best...

Today’s episode is featuring Erin Pendola! Martial artist, LMT and ex-pro dancer, Erin joins us to give the female perspective of a life dedicated to fitness, as well as some inside information on being the other half of an entrepreneurial couple. Erin and Matt talk about the different things that get them each excited about their fitness journeys, as different as they are. For example, Erin likes...