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Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – An Interview with the Founder & Head Instructor of Amir Academy of Martial Arts, Amir Ardebily

This Addicted to Fitness has been a long time coming, but before we get into the juicy part of this week’s episode, we’ve got a couple important announcements to share with you all.

I know Shannon and I are starting to sound like broken records, but we want to make sure you all take advantage of the free fitness consultations I’m currently offering and vote for Addicted to Fitness as “best local podcast” in Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay contest before it’s too late. Send an email to elementaltampa@gmail.com to schedule your consultation and follow the directions in the caption below to help ATF bring home the gold.

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Visit cltampa.com, click on the Best of the Bay tab and you’ll find Addicted to Fitness in the “People, Places and Politics” category under the best local podcast.

As previously mentioned, this episode of the podcast is long overdue. When I first conceptualized Addicted to Fitness, I knew I wanted to have an interview component. Before I even recorded my first episode, I made a list of individuals that I wanted to speak to and at the top of that list was the person I was fortunate enough to interview on this week’s show.

I’ve mentioned him several times before on the podcast as the man primarily responsible for my current obsession with all things health and fitness. He taught me how to literally & figuratively fight for the fitness that I desired. This week’s Addicted to Fitness features an interview with life long martial artist and founder of Amir Academy of Martial Arts (link) in Saint Petersburg, Florida, Master Amir Ardebily.

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Master Amir looks on moments before I tap to tight armbar (photo courtesy of Jeff Morris)

Amir’s father started teaching him martial arts at the age of 6. By the time he was 16, he had opened his own martial arts studio in his native Iran. Unfortunately, war erupted between Iran and Iraq while Amir was in high school and he was drafted into the army upon graduation. He spent 2 years in Iranian special forces before seizing the opportunity to immigrate to the United States.

Amir visited the U.S. while he was a teenager but was forced to go back to Iran once the war began. He had always wanted to go back to the United States and had his chance in 1984. There are a several great moments in this interview but Amir’s immigration story is reason enough to listen to this episode.

We also discuss how Amir started his first martial arts school in the U.S. without knowing how to speak the language, the affect Bruce Lee had on his teaching philosophy and why the UFC plays an important part in introducing martial arts to the masses.

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If you live in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area, I strongly encourage you to visit Amir Academy of Martial Arts. Call 727-821-4097 for more details.

Also, Amir is organizing another one of his great amateur kickboxing events for November 11th in St. Petersburg. I’ve had the honor to both compete and attend these events and I can say with all sincerity that they are top-notch. Put it on your calendars now!

Thanks again for all the support you give us. We love producing these episodes for you and if you love hearing them, please let us know. You can drop us a line at elementaltampa@gmail.com, on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter) or leave us a rating and review in iTunes (link). Thanks in advance and stay healthy this week’s peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-founder-head-instructor-amir-academy-martial/id1121420986?i=1000391008396&mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/an-interview-with-the-founder

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/an-interview-with-the-founder-head-instructor-of-amir-academy-of-martial-arts-amir-ardebily

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Fat + Coffee Taste Test

We kick off this week’s Addicted to Fitness discussing our training accomplishments for the week. Shannon is working towards logging 3 Peloton rides per week and is starting to perform more exercises to improve strength & endurance in her legs, butt and lower back. I on the other hand am focusing on building strength & mobility in my upper back with daily workouts at Tampa Strength, and increasing my run training. I love long distance running which is like nails on a chalkboard to Shannon who prefers long rides on her bike. This fact promted her to remind me that she kicked my butt in the bike portion of the sprint triathlon we did together back in 2011.

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Post triathlon selfie of Shannon and I

After our training recap, Shannon and I launch into the main portion of this week’s podcast, which was inspired by a listener’s request. One of our favorite listeners, Lindsey, asked if we had any knowledge of the health benefits of the fat + coffee mixture known as “bulletproof coffee”. We’ve actually discussed the idea of fat + coffee in several episodes of the podcast (episodes #3, #8, #39) but we figured why not do a taste test of multiple types of these beverages. You don’t have to twist my arm to get me to drink coffee, especially ones that have my preferred macronutrient.

Bulletproof coffee was made popular by Dave Asprey, who claimed that a combination of high quality coffee blended with healthy fats, grassfed butter and MCT (medium chain triglycerides) oil, can act as a meal replacement and provide several other health benefits. Believers of fatten coffee claim that it provides immediate sustained energy, improves metal acuity, kickstarts your metabolism and puts you into fat burning mode (source). I’ve been drinking fatten coffee for sometime now and I can attest that I’ve experienced some of these supposed benefits, but I often vary my recipe. Shannon and I decided to taste test 4 different fattened coffee recipes:

  • Coffee + 2 tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream = 100 calories & 12g fat
  • Coffee + 1 tbsp Coconut Cream + 1 tbsp Coconut Oil = 165 calories, 18g fat, <1g sugar
  • Coffee + 1 tbsp Butter = 100 calories & 12g fat
  • Coffee + 1 tbsp Omega Power Creamer (Ghee, Coconut Oil, MCT oil) = 120 calories, 14g fat

I’ve been drinking the coconut cream & oil version for sometime and it is my go-to not only because of the taste (like a coffee & a pina colada had a baby according to Shannon) but because it helps me minimize the amount of dairy I ingest on a daily basis. Shannon actually enjoyed the butter version the most because of the non-oily mouth feel and it’s latte-like characteristics.

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Fatten coffee works well for me because I feel that I function better running on fats opposed to carbs. If you’d like to become “fat fueled” this morning coffee concoction may be for you, but I do want to warn potential fatten coffee drinkers that regularly combining it with a high carb breakfast could lead to potential health problems (click here for article on other potential health problems associated with bulletproof coffee). I want to convey that you should always consult a physician or certified dietician before making any major additions to your diet, but please feel free to continue to send us podcast topics for future episodes.

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You listeners helped us set our download record in March and we’re on pace to set another record in April. Please keep listening, sharing and sending us feedback on how we can make Addicted to Fitness the best health & fitness podcast available. If you promise to keep helping us spread the good word of fitness, we promise to keep churning out interviews, product reviews, taste tests, and everything else you’ve come to enjoy about the podcast. Keep sharing and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fat-coffee-taste-test/id1121420986?i=1000384200765&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/fat-coffee-taste-test

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – An Interview with Juice Plus+ Senior Sales Coordinator, Elise Rosato-Devin

This week’s episode starts off with a bit of celebration as the podcast hits a monthly download record of about 1500 downloads in the month of March. We couldn’t have done it without you! So first off we have to give credit where credit is due and thank you all for listening and sharing the podcast each week.

We’ll keep things rolling so you can keep on listening!

Before we dive on into the main interview of the podcast, we chat about an interesting new experience for Nick. This week, he left the kickboxing bags and mitts and donned some sticky ankle socks for some work at the barre. No, that is not a spelling mistake. We’re not talking about some booze filled tavern, but rather the isometric workout that focuses on small movements for a total body workout that will give you a new respect for all those ladies who are hitting the barre hard multiple times a week.

The reason for all the pelvic tucking and toe pointing exercise at Pure Barre South Tampa was the instructor, Elise Rosato-Devin, who is not only a pure barre instructor but also a spin instructor, a fitness competitor and a national sales coordinator for Juice Plus.

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Follow Elise on Instagram at @barrebellafit

Nick and Elise met up at a local coffee shop and dug into some background and details.

First up, as it was top of mind since Nick just completed his first class, was the Barre workout. The contracting of muscles, the intense control, is all about tearing down the muscle fiber and rebuilding them with isometrics. This training usually appeals to women (95% of clients are female) because it builds long lean muscle, while men come in, try the workout and usually struggle with the poses. In his 55-minute workout, Nick burned almost 400 calories!

In addition to teaching barre, Elise is also a spin instructor at Soho Cycling, where her focus is more on building cardio. She is even a fan of Peloton and she recently visited their home studio in New York to train!  Elise focuses on the shake and burn while in the barre studio, she uses interval training in her spin classes to burn fat and build heart health.

Elise also goes into her experience as a fitness competitor. When she was training to compete in 2016, she was lifting weights six days a week, but overtraining most likely led to a back injury that forced her to put her hopes of competing on hold. This temporary setback helped her realize she needs to have a different mindset when she restarts her training later this year, especially as a vegetarian, which can make consuming enough protein without consuming too many carbs difficult.

The topic of nutrition helped draw their conversation to her use of Juice Plus for its whole food nutrition. The supplements are based on a “juicing” concept to provide individuals with a multivitamin that people can actually absorb, unlike synthetic vitamins you get at the drug store. Since our current food system is drastically lower in nutrient dense whole fruit and vegetables, Juice Plus juices fruit and vegetables fresh from the farm in order to provide the maximum amount of nutrients possible.

The supplements provide the nutrients we need to fight inflammation and oxidative stress, which can causes illness and disease. Elise tested the product on herself for four months before she started sharing it with her network of friends and family as a sales coordinator. She was impressed by the large amount of clinical research Juice Plus did to confirm the legitimacy of their products’ nutritional benefits. Plus, if you use Juice Plus, you can sponsor a vitamin program for a child for free up to four years – a great program giving back to kids in need.

Learn more about the Jucie Plus products Elise provides HERE.

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Nick and I were both really impressed with Elise’s diverse fitness journey. I was a wee bit jealous of her trip to the Peloton studio in NYC for sure!

Since the topic of Juice Plus had been requested by one of our friends and listeners, Katie C., we were happy to finally get into this, especially with a great interview subject. I have used some of the Juice Plus products previously and had positive experiences. No doubt, we’ll be looking into Juice Plus ourselves in the future, Nick is really eager to try it out before officially endorsing it to clients and family.

If you’ve used Juice Plus before, we’d love it hear about it, along with any other feedback you’d like to provide about the podcast. Don’t be a stranger and get in touch with us. Connect with us on our social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) or send us an email at elementaltampa@gmail.com.

Thanks again for making March our best month yet!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-juice-plus-senior-sales-coordinator-elise/id1121420986?i=1000383626057&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/an-interview-with-juice-plus-senior-sales-coordinator-elise-rosato-devin

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Crutch Foods & How To Avoid Them

We were working late again on this week’s podcast, which is pretty evident straight off the bat as poor annunciation (listen for the excellent “recrap” instead of “recap” moment) led to some pretty funny moments amidst our discussions.

Our first point was serious praise for all you listeners who have truly stepped up in the recent weeks and are leading the podcast to some exciting milestones. Keep up the sharing and listening as we work to make the podcast better than ever!

In our look back on our past week of training, Nick called out his most recent accomplishment – taking his first barre class at Pure Barre in South Tampa. You’ll be hearing more about this experience in the future, but for now here’s a little taste…

Me at barre

I’ve never felt so uncomfortable at a bar

Meanwhile, I got back on the Peloton cycle and had to make some decisions of my own, reevaluating my fitness goals and identifying the changes I needed to make. We’ll go into it more in the future, especially the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) parameters that you can use to set successful goals.

One of the biggest areas of health and fitness goal setting is diet, which brings us to this week’s main podcast topic – Crutch Foods.

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Any of these items your crutch food?

The first question we seek to answer is what is a crutch food?

Nick’s definition of crutch food included more of an emotional aspect = food that elicits a pleasurable feeling, or rather comfort foods.

My definition focused more on it being the habitual use of comfort foods so that it becomes an unconscious addition to almost every one of your meals. You don’t eat the food item for its nutritional value, but rather it takes over as a reliant go-to.

For me, my recent crutch food was an old friend/foe – breads and carbs – but I have also used cheese and dairy as a crutch food in the past, thus the reason I was a vegan at one point in time.

Nick’s crutch food is coffee. Though he’s not currently drinking an unhealthy amount he drinks it regardless of whether he needs the benefits it provides or not. It has become something he leans on, like a crutch.

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A diet of whole & seasonal ingredients can lead to better health

This brings us to how do you shake or avoid crutch foods.

Though it may come as a surprise, a great resource recently came out in the April 2017 issue of  Martha Stewart Living. Since Nick is as big of a Marth Stewart fan as I am (which we have a good laugh about – though he denies just how much he loves her), we talk through the article “The New Way to Eat” and the 12 principles it outlines to put the focus back on whole, seasonal foods.

The 12 Principles:

  1. Expand Your Food Horizons – be adventurous and explore different types of whole foods; incorporate more in your diet
  2. Get Satisfaction – Remove distractions while eating to fully ensure your focus is where it should be
  3. Let Things Simmer – Embrace some crockpot-style cooking to capitalize on the benefits
  4. Be Smart About Starch – Carbs aren’t the devil and some like starches can be a smart part of your diet
  5. See Seafood Differently – Get some of the original smart food: seafood (avoid large predatory fish – high in mercury)
  6. Wine is Fine – Studies show that some wine, especially the antioxidant-rich dark reds, can have some added benefits in moderation
  7. Go for Full-Fat – Though some can’t handle dairy, those who can, will see benefits from full-fat dairy which is actually easier for our bodies to digest than processed, low-fat versions
  8. Fill Up On Fiber – Fresh produce has more than vitamins; it’s loaded with fiber which is vital to our digestion
  9. Finish Strong – Use herbs as a way to pack a tasty and satisfying punch to your meals
  10. Eat Sweets with Intention – A zero-tolerance policy doesn’t work when it comes to desserts so indulge wisely with the utmost intention on enjoying quality in your sweet treats.
  11. Take the Spice Route – Spices pack more than a punch of flavor, some have incredible anti-inflammatory and brain-benefiting powers, so use them when you can
  12. Lock It In For Life – Focus on real food, not just for a day, but every day to create lasting impact

Nick and I break down each of the principles and talk about how they can be used to formulate a good diet and strong lifestyle. Many of the principles are ones we already subscribe to, but it’s easy to forget just how important healthy eating is. The article provides an important reminder.

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Thanks again for making March our best month yet. Keep listening and sharing the podcast and if you have time please give us a rating and review in iTunes. Be sure to keep connected with us and feel free to send any feedback via our social channels or email elementaltampa@gmail.com.

Links for this week’s episode:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/crutch-foods-how-to-avoid-them/id1121420986?i=1000383159057&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/crutch-foods-how-to-avoid-them

 

 

 

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – 2nd Annual Girl Scout Cookie Challenge

I had so much fun last year, I had to do it again this year. That’s right. We’ve got another Girl Scout cookie challenge on this week’s Addicted to Fitness podcast. If you didn’t hear the first Girl Scout cookie challenge, I urge you to go back and listen to that episode (link). The ultimate goal of the challenge is to burn off the calories contained in the cookies as quickly as possible. Last year we used battle ropes and jump squats. This year we tried a different piece of exercise equipment.

I’ll admit to you guys now, we didn’t get actual Girl Scout cookies. However, Wal-mart makes some pretty damn good knockoffs. I woofed down 3 of the Tagalongs look alikes and then jumped onto our Peloton cycle (click here for more info on this awesome piece of machinery). I choose to go with spinning as my exercise choice because we discovered in a past episode of the podcast (link) that it burned a tremendous amount of calories in a short period of time. Shannon did a great job entertaining everyone with information about the cookies’ nutritional facts, her recent yoga training, and Wim Hof all while I sweat out 240 calories worth of sugary goodness.

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This year’s challenge was just as tough as last year’s

This is a fun challenge to do once in a while, but this is by no means a recommended way to exercise. I would never suggest that anyone eat RIGHT before working out, let alone eat COOKIES! Even though I worked off the calories associated with the cookies, that doesn’t mean there aren’t determintal health effects associated with eating nutrient poor items that are high in sugar. If you have a strong grasp on your fitness, and you can afford to have a sweet treat every so often, go for it. Just don’t buy a year’s supply of Girl Scout cookies when you see them set up in front of your grocery store.

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We are big fans of fun fitness challenges, and if you have any in mind, please feel free to email them to us at elementaltampa@gmail.com. We’d also love it if you gave us a rating & review in iTunes and please share the podcast with a friend. We want to help as many people as possible enhance their quality of life by improving their health & fitness. I believe that this podcast can do that, but only with your help. Thanks in advance and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-podcast/id1121420986?mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/the-2nd-annual-girls-scout-cookie-challenge

 

 

 

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Exercise & Diet: When, what and why

Shannon and I have fallen into a pretty good rhythm of recording the podcast on weekends, which use to have a lot less obligations than our weekdays. However, the script has flipped on us recently, and it seems we’re more busier than ever on the weekends. Which is why this week’s episode was recorded late into the evening hours on a school night. With that said, I think working outside our comfort zone led to one of the most entertaining Addicted to Fitness episodes yet.

We kick off this week’s podcast discussing Shannon’s upcoming yoga teacher training weekend. Yep, it’s that time again. We quickly transition into my current personal training schedule at my new home gym, Tampa Strength (link). My first client at the new location is taking advantage of my early morning training sessions and I’m about to start an early morning running program for a longtime ETT client. Discussing these morning training sessions segue nicely into the first main topic of this week’s episode: morning exercise.

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Click here to learn how you can train with ETT

Both Shannon and I prefer morning workouts. We both feel that completing a workout first thing in the morning sets you up for success for the rest of your day.  Shannon also believes that morning exercise helps you make better dietary choices throughout the day. Which is an interesting assumption because according to a recent Shape.com article discussing the benefits of morning exercise, she’s right. The article (link) uses research published in peer reviewed journals and other credible sources to explain how morning exercise can help you lower your blood pressure, get better sleep, burn more fat, and prevent chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes. The next topic we broach in this episode offers some of the same benefits as morning exercise, but it has more to do with what you eat. Actually, it has more to do with when you eat.

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Photo courtesy of Terry Crews’ Facebook page

This week, my buddy Dan Greene, who happens to be owner of TUFMED, posted a video of the actor Terry Crews explaining his approach to nutrition. In the video (link), Crews explains that he uses intermittent fasting to help his body function optimally. He states that during his 16 hour daily fasting period, his body is undergoing autophagy, which is essentially your body recycling old and possibly damaging cells. Seeing this video was extremely coincidential because I’ve also been trying intermittent fasting as of late and have really had some positive results. Most obvious to me is that I’m not nearly as hungry as often and I don’t feel the need to indulge in not so healthy food items. Those “not so healthy” food items is what we dive into next, and this topic brings on a rant from me in which I call out one of the most powerful people in all media.

When I talk about “not so healthy” food items, I’m really talking about pro-inflammatory foods. Inflammation occurs when the body sends out white bloods cells to protect itself from foreign invaders like bacteria or viruses. However, ingesting certain foods can also create an inflammation response. Pro-inflammatory foods include sugar added beverages, refined carbohydrates and fried foods to name a few (link). A more extensive list of pro-inflammatory foods can be found on another website (link), which as you can tell when you listen to this episode, got me really miffed. I’m not going to go into too many specifics but I’m pretty sure I’m on the “DO NOT INVITE” list for the Oprah Winfrey Show. I KNOW YOU LOVE CHIPS OPRAH, THAT’S THE PROBLEM. Sorry, sorry.

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Nothing like a good rant to end another episode of the Addicted to Fitness podcast. We always enjoy producing these episodes for you and we really hope that you enjoy listening to them. If you do, please let us know by giving us a rating or review in iTunes (link), or by sharing the podcast with a friend (just text them one of the links below 🙏). As Shannon always says “sharing is caring!” We care about you all and we hope you stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/exercise-diet-when-what-and-why/id1121420986?i=1000382543350&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/exercise-diet-when-what-and-why

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – First Rule of Yoga Training: YOU DON’T TALK ABOUT YOGA TRAINING

Last week’s episode was recorded during a relaxing trip to a tropical paradise. All our wants and desires were catered too and Shannon and I really took advantage of our lack of obligations. It was a good thing we took the time to recharge our batteries because we go over the highlights of the numerous health & fitness activities we’ve been participating in since our return on this week’s Addicted to Fitness podcast.

The first topic we dive into on this week’s episode is Shannon’s first yoga immersion weekend. For all those that may not know, Shannon is enrolled in the Bella Prana yoga teacher training program. Her program last 8 months and consists of 200 hours of training, which means once a month she spends Friday thru Sunday and the following Thursday, doing nothing but yoga. Not only does she practice different forms, she learns about the history of yoga, different teacher techniques, yoga’s effect on human anatomy and much more. Shannon has been praticing yoga in some capacity for the last 21 years, but she realized after her first immersion weekend that she had barely even scratched its surface. She can’t devulge too many secrets about the training, but stay tuned for periodic updates on her journey to become a full fledge yogi.

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The weekend after Shannon’s total immersion into yoga, both her and I, and a few members of the Elemental Training Tampa community, decided to take part in a local 5k. The 5k was part of the Gasparilla Distance Classic which takes place every year in Tampa and includes several running events and a giant health expo. Shannon, Adrien, Darian and I all had respectable showings and this race has me itching to sign up for another event. I’m want to sign up for a 41 floor stairclimb that benefits the Tunnel to Tower Foundation, but Shannon thinks I’m crazy. She’s probably right, but that’s never stopped me before.

We had less than 24 hours to recover from our race before we had to set up for our Facebook Live workout. Shannon directed me through a 15 minute HIIT workout complete with live feedback from viewers (click here to see the workout). One piece of feedback we recieved during the workout was acutally a question about exercises for individuals with knee pain. One of the viewers was curious if forward lunges were a good exercise for someone with such an affliction. My knowledge of exercising with knee injuries made me think “No” right away, but I wanted to make sure my initution was correct. I found an article from a source I trust, Mike Boyle, on stack.com that reaffirmed my assumptions and gave examples of exercises someone with knee pain could perform (click here to see article).

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ETT representing at the Gasparilla 5k

The last fitness related topic we discuss on this week’s episode involves my biggest challenge to date as a personal trainer. I was hired on to be a personal trainer to an individual who has several pre-existing health conditions and is overweight. Not only am I responsible for helping this person maintain a regular exercise program, I’m also in charge of educating them about proper nutrition. After our first couple sessions, I realized that the nutrition portion of the training will be a much bigger hurdle for this individual than the exercise portion. I’m always up for a challenge, especially when it comes to helping a person improve their quality of life.

I’m also up to the challenge of creating fun, entertaining and educational content each week on the podcast. If you enjoy Addicted to Fitness, please do us a favor and share it with a friend. We need your help to reach a broader audience. If you promise to keep sharing, we promise to keep churning out interviews, product reviews, taste tests, and everything else you’ve come to enjoy about the podcast. Keep sharing and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/first-rule-yoga-training-you-dont-talk-about-yoga-training/id1121420986?i=1000382236070&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/first-rule-of-yoga-training-you-dont-talk-about-yoga-training

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Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Adicto a la aptitud de Mexico

Not only is this the 40th episode of Addicted to Fitness, it is the FIRST international episode of the podcast, which you may have already known if you are fluent in Spanish or curious enough to put the episode’s title into a translator on google. Shannon and I decided our trip to Mexico to attend a friend’s wedding would be an ideal environment to record a podcast. Picturesque scenery, relaxing ocean waves and all inclusive access to resort amenities both healthy and not so healthy.

Shannon and I have been running and gunning since the start of the year and this weekend gave us the opportunity to recharge our batteries. Finding moments of temporary stress relief are important to both your physical and mental health. Another practice that can be beneficial to your health is a 30 day challenge. Whether it be 30 days of progressive pushup repetitions or 30 days without dairy, these periodic challenges can help you develop sustainable healthy habits.  I love doing 30 day challenges, and you’ll hear in this episode that I celebrated the completion of 30+ days without alcohol while on the trip. I did celebrate the completion of my challenge with a drink or two, but I quickly discovered why I started the challenge in the first place. Shannon and I may have made some naughty dietary choices while on our short vacay, but we did participate in an activity that was extremely beneficial to our health.

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If you’re an avid listener of the podcast, I’m sure you’ve heard me mention that I’m a big fan of massage. Well apparently Shannon heard me because she scheduled a surprise couples massage at the resort spa during our stay. Therapeutic massage is not only relaxing it can help you move more efficiently. “Tight” muscles can be painful and can create improper movement patterns that could lead to injury. If you know a qualified massage therapist and can afford regular treatments, I’d recommend doing it. Much like this trip, I think it would be money well spent.

We hope you guys enjoy this week’s international episode. If you do, please let us know by giving us a rating and review in iTunes. We’d also really appreciate it if you shared Addicted to Fitness with a friend. Simply copy one of the links below and paste it to their Facebook page or text it to them. We appreciate the support. ¡Mantente saludable esta semana!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/adicto-a-la-aptitud-de-mexico/id1121420986?i=1000381935294&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/adicto-a-la-aptitud-de-mexico