The Practical Fitness Podcast

What happens when the race you've spent months preparing for becomes only one part of a much bigger story? In this deeply personal episode, I share how training for the Boston Marathon became intertwined with losing my father, recovering from norovirus just days before the race, and discovering that some of life's biggest goals matter because of what they ask of us along the way. This is...

Some people say Zone 2 is the best way to train for fitness and health. Others say women should avoid it altogether. In this episode, I dig into what the evidence actually says about Zone 2 cardio by breaking down a recent review paper on the topic. You'll learn what Zone 2 actually is, where many of the claims about it come from, what the research says about fitness adaptations like mitochon...

A lot of people think feeling tired, sore, or heavy after training means something is wrong. In this episode, I break down why fatigue itself is not the problem and how misunderstanding it can make training feel way more confusing than it needs to be. In this episode, I walk through five common ways people misinterpret fatigue, including mistaking it for progress, assuming it means progress has st...

If you're consistently landing on even numbers or 10 reps for your sets, you might be stalling your progress. And in this episode, I explain why. Most strength programs give you tidy rep prescription, such as to do 3 sets of 10. But when 10 becomes the thing you chase, it’s easy to lose sight of the variable that actually drives progress. In this episode, I break down why reps and load are no...

If strength training keeps slipping through the cracks of your schedule, even though you know it matters and you want to be consistent, this episode is for you. Most people are taught to organize strength training around workouts. And when workouts become the thing that matters most, missed sessions quickly turn into frustration, guilt, and the feeling that you’re failing at something you care abo...