Tina's SurThrival Guide to Health over 40

Jennifer Kirsch, a personal trainer and nutrition coach with nearly 30 years of experience, shares her training experience which reconciles the difference between research-backed fitness advice and the realities of working with real women in peri- and post-menopause. While well known menopause medical experts and academics advocate for heavy lifting to maintain bone density and muscle mass, Coach...

In this podcast episode I am sharing how I am re-thinking a lot of concepts I was taught in my baby trainer years, from the "best" way to swing kettlebells, to the "wrong" way to squat with barbells. Over the past 12 years, I've learned there is no BEST single way to do anything just as there is no best degree to get in college, best job path, best way to date. Every school of teaching has somethi...

Little food for thought about setting personal standards instead of one off goals. Where to find me or work with me: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@IronStrongFit ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠IronStrongFitness.net⁠⁠ My small group strength training schedule in Jersey City: https://www.ironstrongfitness.net/schedule Each week's episode drops every week.

The other day, I overheard a trainer talking to another trainer about a member they knew left the gym to go to a new fitness studio.  The member's new gym was a place similar to an F45 and Orange Theory.  The trainers was essentially talking shit about the new fitness studio the member had switched over to.  The shit talking they were doing is something I, too, have done in the past.  Many trainer...

I love to share my knowledge with other trainers about how to grow their business online. In fact you can find me easily at a coffee shop chatting with a new trainer friend about how she can grow her business. In this episode I cover the key elements to starting your own online business so that you are not limited by your physical time and location. Spoiler alert:  it all starts with being consist...

This episode is inspired by feedback one of my student's in my Strength & Intro to Plyometrics 8 week program. She wanted more plyometrics in the workouts - rightfully so! Yet, I jumping gradually progressed in their workouts. In this episode, I share the logic behind adding small doses of jumping into workouts, rather than going head on into a workout full of jumping. Some of the facts I cove...

In this episode I talk about 2 steps that lead to my career changes. Often it is unhappiness in a situation that spurs our action or consideration for change. Yet, no single action precipitates the abrupt change. I share two steps I took: exploration of an interest and testing out the interest that lead me from finance to jewelry and from jewelry to fitness Where to find me or work with me: Instag...

This past weekend I binged the current and entire season of Industry.  In case you don't know, it's a drama about working at an investment bank, specifically the sales and trading desk at a international bank in london. The main characters are in their first career like I was when I worked on Wall Street. While most of the sex and drugs are exaggerated, I love the show because it reminds me so muc...

When people have had an injury, specifically knee, even after rehab, their mindset about what they can do shifts.  Comments I’ve heard in a class or during training: "I can’t jump as I’ve had a knee injury." "I’m afraid I’m going to re-injure my knee." Usually, after rehab, people are plopped right back in the original gym environment, right where they started.  What to do? Today,  I have a guest...

Why do we leak? How does a pelvic floor therapist teach us how to stop it? For  my small group class and in my personal workout programming business, I've had students disclose how they pee a little when jumping rope or doing some kind of jump exercise. When there is an injury someone is working through (even for myself),  my first go to is a physical therapist and not a primary care physician. Wh...

If you suffer from 3+ nights a week of difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and have been for more than a month, you likely suffer from chronic insomnia. I know I do, which is why I started my research into sleep solutions. What I discovered is that CBTi (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia) is the most effective (non medication) evidence based solution for sleep. I am so pleased to...

As promised in the episode, here is the waitlist link for my next 5 person cohort for Strength & Introduction to Plyometrics: https://bit.ly/intro-to-plyo Back when I owned my brick and mortar jewelry stores for 10 years, I was featured in more than 40 editorials from top fashion magazines from 2000-2010. I was my own PR. Since starting my own fitness business, I've been featured as an expert...

Lift weights, do plyo, HIIT and SIT, do steady state cardio, don't do steady state cardio, get mobile. There is so much, TOO much information out there about the kind of exercise and workouts we need to be doing for healthy aging bodies. I, too, have been caught up and overwhelmed by information that sometimes asks for conflicting actions. In this episode I cut through the bullshit and share w...

There is SO much on the interwebs about how much protein we need, how we're not getting enough and how to get it in. This week, I wanted to interview an expert who has spend 25 years in the nutrition field and who knows the science & research about how much protein we need. Dr. Jenn Salib Huber, registered dietitian, naturopathic doctor and intuitive eating coach, breaks the myths and shar...

Concise medical and research based information answering all our questions about GLP1’s, strength training, perimenopause weight loss, and hormone therapy with NYC based endocrinologist & weight loss specialist Dr. Salas-Whalen Dr Rocio Salas-Whalen Dr. Salas-Whalen is a New York City based triple board-certified physician with broad experience across all facets of endocrinology, with an empha...

5 years ago, no one wanted to talk about perimenopause and menopause.  Now, I see it loud and proud all over social media to a level where there are specific products constantly being marketed to women in their 40’s and 50’s: supplements to balance hormones, diets for weight loss in perimenopause, etc. One of those marketing ploys that has been coming up on my radar:  specific workouts that are su...

Talking female focused strength gyms and pre and post natal training with Coach Nora Matthew, founder of Her Strength Studio and mom of 5 little boys. In this episode, my guest Coach Nora Matthew shares 1. Why she chose to open a female focused strength gym 2. The type of strength workouts her members do at Her Strength Studio 3. Why she chose to be an elite StrongFirst affiliated gym (for referen...

This is a shortie episode and a mid year check in. Are you dialed into making the second half of 2024 all about you? Where to find me or work with me: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@IronStrongFit ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠IronStrongFitness.net⁠⁠ My small group strength training schedule in Jersey City: https://straightupstrong.as.me/tinas-jersey-city-group Each week's episode drops Tuesday

In this episode I talk with Matt McInnes Watson, plyometrics specialist about the benefits of plyometrics, how it's not just for athletes, whether going barefoot is better when jump training, and why he calls it the fountain of youth. Matt McInnes Watson (known as the Plyo Guy online) is a former high jumper turned performance coach and specialist in track and field, speed, power and plyometri...

As I mentioned in the beginning of episode, to get on the Intro to Plyometrics 8 week program waitlist: https://bit.ly/intro-to-plyo Today's episode: Last week, I had a member in one of my classes text me, "I forgot to ask you about creatine? All BS?" Recently, Coach Michelle wrote a Sunday Strong email. (our weekly newsletter) about the benefits of creatine for women. It is also the...

"You know a lot of people. You’re a good networker” a friend said to me recently. It surprised me because I suck at networking. When I worked in other industries, I hated networking events. I felt like an imposter at those events that made me feel “to network” was forced.  In this episode I share how I've come to know a lot of people in my industry: Summarized by: Walk in and smile Shout...

In the perimenopause space on the interwebs, there is so much marketing and targeting around weight loss. Gaining weight is one of the top 3 symptoms that most women complain about - and this episode isn't about the physiology of the weight gain. It is about how we feel about it and what we do about it. Throughout my 20’s, 30’s and early 40’s, I was on some kind of diet. I want to share that i...

This week, a fun lesson from Dr Christine Hyde, my monthly special guest who is a sex therapist. She answers the questions: How dan the summer season affect your sex life? What makes summer sex more exciting? What can we do to enhance our sexual summer selves? About Dr Hyde: Dr Christine Hyde is the founder of NJ Center for Sex Therapy and has been a practicing sex therapist for over 26 years. htt...

My coach colleague Kathryn Londoff, a long time gyrotonic instructor is doing something different than many of her colleagues, she’s incorporating strength training with her clients.  I’ll be talking to her about why and why it’s controversial. About Kathryn Kathryn Londoff is the owner and lead instructor at Integrity Movement Lab - GYROTONIC® Seacoast in North Hampton, NH  She offers private les...

I’ve gone through two major career changes.  It’s not for everyone. In contemplating the steps to make them, the changes can be daunting because there is no blueprint for career transition. Today, I have a very special guest, Amaris White, who has made such a change and we’re going to hear her story about how she did it and what inspired her change. Amaris shares the catalyst for leaving her job a...