The Thick Thighs Save Lives Podcast

How is brain performance connected with the body’s movement? Today, Rachael and Kelsea are going to talk about that, as well as how you can build and train energy as you would a muscle. Listen to the episode to hear Rachael and Kelsea discuss the impacts of allowing students to move on their academic work, why you should show up for workouts even if you don’t have energy, and the connection betwee...

ADHD can make all sorts of tasks that other people take for granted more complex, so it’s no surprise that it can cause challenges with eating as well. Today,  Kelsea interviews Becca King, a registered dietician who has ADHD herself and who focuses on the ins and outs of ADHD eating. In today’s episode, you’ll learn more about the challenges and hurdles of ADHD eating and how people can addr...

How do you find balance? What kind of balance should you be looking for? It’s time to start admitting that when we decide to emphasize one part of our lives, something else has to give. It’s important to understand that balance means that everything can’t be at 100% all of the time. In today’s episode, we discuss creating balance and not trying to convince yourself you feel a certain way. Listen i...

Why do you get sore after a workout? Why is that soreness delayed for so long? Why do some people feel it more than others? In today’s episode, Rachael and Kelsea explore soreness and many of the topics connected to it. Their comprehensive conversation about soreness will help you gain a deeper understanding of it. Listen to the episode as Rachael and Kelsea discuss lactic acid, delayed soreness,...

Serena Williams has announced her retirement. As a top athlete, she’s long been an inspiration to female athletes everywhere, including Rachael and Kelsea. In today’s episode, they’ll be talking about and working through their feelings about Serena Williams’s life, career, and decision to retire. Listen in to hear them talk about the backlash to women in competitive sports, particularly tennis, th...

Nutrition is often the missing link in a person’s fitness journey. In today’s episode, we’ll talk to Alex Parker about finding that link. Alex is a former Crossfit games athlete and the owner of Tactic Nutrition. Her nutrition program is a fuel-based approach that stresses the importance of using food as a baseline for feeling great. Listen in the episode to hear what Alex has to say about finding...

The number of people struggling with all kinds of anxiety is up, and unsurprisingly, that includes health anxiety. Health anxiety can include a lot of things, including obsessive weighing or taking photos of yourself and worrying too much about them. In today’s episode, Rachael and Kelsea will discuss health anxiety and how it looks and acts. Listen in to hear what Rachael and Kelsea have to say a...

Is late-night snacking your downfall? Are you sure about that? Late-night snacking tends to get a bad reputation, but generally, if you’re eating late at night, there’s a reason. Such as something that’s missing earlier in the day. So, what was missing? What were you eating – or not eating – during the day? Listen to the episode to hear what Rachael and Kelsea have to say about late-night snacking...

Katy Ferguson is a gym owner, a personal trainer, a certified nutrition coach, and, as her Instagram handle suggests, a woman who is as strong as a mother. She joins the podcast today to discuss her experiences in the fitness industry, her thoughts on nutrition and fitness, and how people should think about them. Listen to the episode to hear what Katy has to say about what to do when you’re feeli...

Do you ever feel as if fitness and nutrition require so much knowledge and so many things that there are just too many barriers to entry for you to get into it? There always seems to be something more that you “should” have before it will be enough. But do you really need to do that to yourself? Today, Rachael and Kelsea discuss the friction points between you and fitness and nutrition, and how yo...

Are you getting the squat depth that you want? If not, do you know how you can? It might be different for you than for somebody else. In today’s episode, Rachael and Kelsea discuss squat mechanics. They talk about protecting your spine, squatting below parallel, and committing to proper squat mechanics. Listen in to learn more about what you’ve been wanting to know about squat depth. Topics Discus...

Trauma affects anything we do in life, including our fitness activities. And we’ve all experienced some sort of trauma, even if we don’t necessarily recognize or acknowledge it. What does that have to do with weightlifting, though? In today’s episode, TTSL coach Isley joins the podcast to talk about a recent course she took in trauma-informed weightlifting. She explains how she’s using this inform...

Pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period all mark big changes in a woman’s life. And many women don’t know what to expect or what they should be doing with their bodies during these changes. Today’s guest is a coach who focuses on pregnancy and postpartum athleticism, and she has a lot to say about what women can do during pregnancy and postpartum. Brianna Battles is the creator of the onl...

If you’re a parent, you’ve either had concerns about your children’s relationship with their body image, or you will eventually have those concerns. Today’s guest, Dr. Charlotte Markey, understands these concerns because she’s had them herself for a very long time. She’s a professor of psychology at Rutgers and the author of four books, including The Body Image Book for Girls and The Body Image Bo...

Do you have difficult questions that you’ve been searching for the answers to? Today’s hot takes may be just what you’ve been looking for. In this episode, Rachael and Kelsea answer some of the questions that they’ve been asked in the CVG communities. Listen to the episode to hear what they have to say about their recent Murph calendar and challenge, incorporating weight-lifting into hiking and ou...

What is stress doing to your brain? We usually think of stress as a bad thing, but there is such a thing as good stress, and even in the case of bad stress, it can have some effects on your brain that your brain actually likes. So are you addicted to stress? Are you seeking it out without realizing it? And what is that doing to you? Listen to today’s episode as Rachael and Kelsea talk about stress...

Are you overtraining? Do you know what the signs of overtraining are? It’s become common to think of overdoing it in terms of productivity as an aspiration, not a problem. People aim to work the most hours, sleep the least hours, and hustle the hardest. And that sort of attitude bleeds over into training. Unfortunately, overtraining doesn’t mean that you’re improving. In today’s episode, Rachael a...

Why don’t you trust yourself? Why would you give your power to someone else? In today’s episode, Rachael and Kelsea talk about the promises that we make and break to ourselves, and why we need to show up for ourselves and trust ourselves. Listen to the episode to hear what Rachael and Kelsea have to say about setting sustainable goals, whether you should be affected by things the people around you...

What does it mean to work on your tempo? It’s not about your music. It’s about adjusting the speed at which you do movements. Sometimes, there are real benefits to slowing down your movements. In today’s episode, Community Manager and Head Coach of TTSL, Isley Boyarski, returns to the podcast. You’ll learn what tempo work is, how it can help strengthen just a piece of a movement, and how you’re st...

How are you feeling? How is your progress going? Is there something you think is getting in the way of your progress? If so, what do you think it is? Today, Rachael and Kelsea discuss the IT factor – the one thing that’s missing. That one factor that gets in the way of your progress. It’s probably not what you think it is. The good news is, it’s free! Listen to the episode to hear Rachael and Kels...

There is a lot of advice out there about weight loss, but weight isn’t the only way that food and nutrition affect your body. Today’s guest is going to discuss some of the things she’s learned in the nutrition field and how she advocates for women’s health. Dana Monsees is a dietician, nutritionist, and body image coach. In her conversation with Rachael and Kelsea today, she discusses whether gut...

Your brain needs training and conditioning just the way the muscles in your body do. Today’s guest is a leader in the women’s empowerment space. She talks about what feminism means to her, and what you need to know about redirecting your thoughts and teaching your brain to think the way that you want it to. Listen to today’s interview with Kara Loewentheil to learn more about thought work, confide...

When you picture a runner’s body, what do you picture? If you tend to only think of a runner as looking one particular way, today’s guest will challenge that stereotype. In today’s episode, Rachael and Kelsea interview Mirna Valerio, a runner, teacher, and author, who is helping to advocate for more inclusivity of all types in the running space. Listen to the episode to hear what this ultramaratho...

In today’s episode, Rachael and Kelsea are joined by “mompreneur” Ashley Kolozsvary. Ashley is a busy mom who’s also developed her own nutrition and coaching plan that is meant to benefit other moms as well. Listen in to learn about why Ashley believes logging food is important, and how she’s leading with health. Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode: Logging food and learning about food Making sure...

What are you most comfortable working out in? Do you choose your workout clothes for your own comfort or because of the preferences of the people around you? Many people feel a type of imposter syndrome based on how they look or how they think other people perceive the way they look. You may feel like appearances or clothes single you out as someone who doesn’t belong, or who at least looks like t...