5 FITNESS & PERSONAL GROWTH PODCASTS TO GET YOU THROUGH THE WEEK

If you're anything like me, you may have some time in your day that could be better optimized. I commute 45 minutes each way to work (ugh, I know!) and I spend the better part of a day in a cubicle. How do I make the most of otherwise uninspiring time? Podcasts!

In fact, I went from barely knowing what a podcast was in the beginning of this year to becoming a heavy listener. It's a great way to take in information, get entertained and inspired all while you're doing other things in life. Podcasts are great because unlike a book, you can listen while you move! Podcasts make a great backdrop for workouts, walks, cleaning and commuting.

Turn off the radio, put your music playlist on hold and prepare to be entertained and educated! I like to listen to health and fitness related podcasts, but of course, if you search the directory, you can find people talking on almost any subject. My interests are fitness, fitness business, entrepreneurs and self-improvement. Let me introduce you to my top five fitness and personal growth podcast recommendations.

5 FITNESS PODCASTS TO GET YOU THROUGH THE WEEK

5. Lift Heavy Run Long

Have you noticed that it seems that people who run and people who lift weights tend to be in separate camps? It doesn't have to be that way! We can lift heavy, run long and all get along. Just ask the folks on the Lift Heavy, Run Long Podcast! They are good 'ol southern boys (and gal) hitting up their local CrossFit and ultra endurance trail races in their free time. They are funny, down-to-earth and engaging while interviewing inspiring everyday people doing the same. They prove that you don't have to choose between running and lifting weights, you can have the best of both worlds. Listen in on their latest endeavours to get inspired in your own journey.

4. The Strength Running PodCast

The host of the Strength Running Podcast, Jason Fitzgerald, is a man after my own heart. He is a running coach that promotes strength training for endurance athletes (sound familiar?). He interviews everyone from the biggest names in the running community to his own coaching clients. He offers great running advice, insight and stories. Each episode proves to be entertaining and educational. If you want to be a better, stronger, faster runner, this podcast is a great source of information. 

3. Resist Average Academy

The Resist Average Academy podcast can be a little rough around the edges at times, but it is one of the most inspiring podcasts in my iTunes feed. Tommy Baker goes a layer deeper with his guests, often exploring the spiritual as well as the physical, giving us inspiration for a better life and most importantly, action steps to make it happen. If you strive for a life that is well above average, this podcast is a great place to start.

2. The Jordan Harbinger Show

One of the longest-running podcasts out there, the Art of Charm podcast started over 10 years ago with host Jordan Harbinger (and even longer ago as a guide on how to pick up chicks or something like that-ugh). Oh, how they have evolved. These days Jordan Harbinger separated from the Art of Charm and has his own show, the Jordan Harbinger show. He interviews brilliant minds in nearly every industry on how to be more successful, how to build better relationships, how to have stronger networking and critical thinking skills. It's always entertaining and educational with major takeaways in each episode.

1. Mind Pump - Raw Fitness Truth

Although this is my hands-down favorite podcast I hesitate to recommend it to my friends and family....because you just never know what the guys at Mind Pump will say. When they say raw fitness truth, they aren't kidding. At first I felt like I was eavesdropping in on bro-talk at the gym, they seemed like muscle-bound meatheads. Guys being guys. What gross things do men say when women aren't around? Yeah, so if you are easily offended by strong language or bro-talk, this may not be the podcast for you. How's that for a glowing recommendation? 

However, if you are entertained by the humor (or at least can get past it), stick around awhile and you'll quickly figure out that these guys are giving some of the best health and fitness advice out there. They have decades of experience as personal trainers, gym managers and owners and have worked with all types of people from the elderly and soccer moms to the fitness models and stage competitors. I appreciate their vast knowledge on the science of training and nutrition. They are fitness agnostic, which means they don't subscribe to any one workout style or nutrition strategy. Instead of pushing the latest fads and supplements, they look at them objectively and teach us how to recognize the best parts of everything and throw out the garbage. They publish a podcast five days a week, so there is no shortage of outstanding brutally-honest science-based information. They tell the truth about things that other marketers dance around. They are a breath of fresh air in this industry, even with all those F-bombs.  

While these are my top five podcasts picks, some of my other favorites that you might enjoy are: The Side Hustle Show, The FitCast, Don't Keep Your Day Job & Grammar Girl.

Do you listen to any of these podcasts? Now that you know what I like, do you have any recommendations for me? Give a listen and let me know what you think.

Coach Lea

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Pro Pointers on Proper Positioning for Prone Iso Plank (How to Hold a Longer Plank)

Welcome to another edition of Workout Wednesday. I think my finger got stuck on the P key when I came up with this blog post title. Say that five times fast.

PRO POINTERS ON PROPER POSITIONING FOR PRONE ISO PLANK

In other words, tips from yours truly on proper form for planks, what not to do, and how to hold a plank longer. 'Prone Iso' means to face down with your stomach towards the ground. Iso is short for isometric which means to hold the muscles under tension instead of doing repetitions. 

The plank is a fantastic exercise for core strength and muscle endurance which is essential for runners, but it is important that you perform the exercise correctly in order to get maximum benefit from your hard work. 

my favorite skull leggings and pizza Yoga mat. 

PROPER PLANK POSITIONING

Position your elbows on the floor with your shoulders directly over your elbows. Your body should be in a straight line parallel to the floor. Engage your core (this means brace your stomach like someone is about to punch you). Hold it tight. Squeeze your glutes (butt muscles) and hold. Be careful not to sink your hips or raise your butt in the air. Do not clasp your hands in front of you. Keep your neck neutral. Now set a timer and see how long you can hold it. 

I can tell you what to do, but sometimes it is more effective to tell you what NOT to do. 

Tips on proper plank form (what NOT to do)

TIPS TO HOLD A LONGER PLANK

Planks are hard. If you've never done them before or have taken considerable time away from planks, it is can take some time to build up your core strength and endurance. Be patient and consistent

1. Get in a plank position and do a quick check to make sure you are not making any form mistakes.
2. Brace your abs like someone is going to punch you in the tummy. Hold it tight.
3. Squeeze and hold your butt muscles while in plank position. This helps release tight hip flexors also.
4. Set the timer on your phone but immediately turn your phone over so you can't see the screen and how much time has passed. So much of this is mental. Staring at the timer can make 10 seconds feel like 10 minutes! 
5. While bracing and holding, take a deep belly breath in through your nose and mouth and breath out. Count breaths in and out. See how many breaths in/out you can do while staying in plank position. Counting breaths instead of seconds also helps distract your brain.
6. Keep track of your time, but each time you plank try to meet or beat the number of breaths in/out that you can do while maintaining the plank position. 
7. If your lower back starts to hurt then stop for the day and try again tomorrow or the next day.

Good luck! Give it a try and let me know how long you can hold it! Keep working at planks until you can hold for one or two minutes max. There is little benefit to holding longer than two minutes. It's ok to start slow and build up over time. If you work at it consistently you may surprise yourself at how fast you progress.

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Coach Lea

A Practical Guide to Eating More Fruits & Vegetables + Sample Healthy Day Menu

As a healthy habits nutrition coach it is my job to help regular people find ways to fit healthy eating habits into their everyday lives. I don't work with fitness models or stage competitors. 

I work with people who are looking for long-term sustainable weight loss and optimal health. That means no strict diets, no calorie counting and no meal plans from me. (There is nothing inherently wrong with these and there is a place for them for some people. I have just found that most people do best by starting with building healthy habits.)

I help regular people with families, kids, careers, responsibilities, friends, pets and hobbies (you know, a life) fit healthier eating into their already busy lives. We don't try to change our whole lives around to live healthier, we find ways to make healthier choices that work inside our already hectic lives.

Our goal is to always look, feel and perform our best through nutrition and movement. If you look great but feel like crap, there's something not right. If you look great but perform poorly, there's still work to do. If you don't look like you want and you also feel bad, the good news is that you can start today to implement some healthy habits that will help you start to improve in all areas right away.

There is no best one diet or workout plan that works for everyone. It often takes some experimenting and evaluating to find out what works best for you. However, there are some basics that are often overlooked when people are too busy looking for the next quick fix. One thing you can start to implement right away is to eat the recommended five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. If you are eating considerably less than this, then start with one serving at each meal and build slowly over time. Baby steps, baby!

Eat fruits and vegetables to get the fiber that you need to feel full at meals and keep your digestive tract running...err...smoothly. Fruits and vegetables are high in nutrients and low in calories so you get more bang for your nutritional buck. A diet full of fruits and vegetables may help reduce risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals so that you shine from the inside out. Not to mention fruit and vegetables are delicious. What's not to love about all of that? 

This post is sponsored by Shine Organics. All opinions are my own. If I hated it, I'd tell you. This post contains affiliate links, that means if you click on a link, I get paid with no cost to you. No one is getting rich here, it just helps with the running (pun intended) of this blog so that I can continue to provide valuable free content. Thanks, as always, for your support.

HOW TO EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

PREP VEGGIES IN ADVANCE AND TOSS THEM INTO MEALS/SNACKS ALL DAY

How long does it take to cut seven slices of a cucumber to put in your salad for one day? How much longer does it take to just chop up the whole cucumber and put the unused slices in food storage containers and save for later? Minutes? Seconds? Not long. Same goes for peppers, onions, carrots and fresh spinach. Go ahead and wash and chop it all up in one day and put it away for later. You can toss veggies in your scrambled eggs in the morning, into your lunch salad and your stir fry or crock pot dinner. You can bag it up and take it with you for a healthy snack on the go. Taking a little time on the front end can save a lot of time during the week. If fruits and veggies are easy to grab, already washed and prepared, you're more likely to eat them. 

Jar Salad with chopped vegetables

HAVE FRESH FRUIT ON HAND AT HOME AND ON THE ROAD

Don't play hide the fruit. Buy a fancy fruit bowl for the dining room table and fill that baby up with all your favorite delicious fruits. If healthy fresh food is within arm's reach you're more likely to grab it when you're hungry for a snack. Make fruit and veggies convenient and unhealthy snacks very inconvenient (meaning leave them at the store. haha). You're more likely to eat what is easily accessible. Use laziness to your advantage. Do you really want to get in your car and drive to the store at 9PM to buy some chips or will you just eat that delicious orange in your pretty new fruit bowl? 

JOIN A LOCAL VEGETABLE CO-OP OR CSA

Join a local vegetable co-op or CSA to try a variety of locally grown fruits and vegetables. You support local farmers while getting an opportunity to try different types of vegetables maybe you normally wouldn't buy. Variety is a huge factor in ensuring we are getting all of our vitamin and mineral needs. In Texas (and other states) we have Bountiful Baskets. Do some reasearch to see what is available in your area.

BUY TRAVEL-FRIENDLY FRUITS

Have you ever brought a banana on an airplane? I have. You deplane with a totally black mushy banana smothered all over the inside of your bag...well, that's a story for another time. Not all fruit is travel-friendly. Sometimes we need options that will stay fresh while we are on the go whether it's on an airplane, at a workout class or a meeting across town.

I understand that sometimes we don't have the time to chop and bag fruits and veggies. Or we forgot because we got lost in the latest episode of the Game of Thrones. Oops. I get it. One way I encourage my clients to find ways to fit healthy habits into their lifestyle is to look for convenient, yet healthy alternatives. I like the convenience of Shine Organics Fruit pouches for on the go. Each pouch is a blend of organic fruits, veggies and chia seeds that doesn't need refrigeration, so you can throw one in your car, in your gym bag, in your kid's lunch bag or leave one at your desk at work.

Remember what I said about making healthy choices inside your already busy life? This is one great way to do that. Do the best you can what with what you have available. This is one simple and convenient way to get in a serving of fruits and veggies with unique flavors like banana, pumpkin, coconut, blackberry, vanilla, passion flower, & chia all in one pouch!

You can find Shine Organics at Target in the snack aisle near the apple sauce. Want a coupon? Of course you do! Click below to get a coupon for a $1 off a four pack!

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Find Shine Organics in the snack aisle near the applesauce. Which flavor do I want?

I like to think about nutrition in terms of what we can add to live healthier, rather than what we have to take away. Maybe if we snack on fruits and vegetables we will fill up on healthy foods and eat less of the unhealthy alternatives. Instead of depriving yourself, learn how to add value to your nutrition. 

SAMPLE HEALTHY EATING DAY

This is a sample of what a healthy day may look like with at least five servings of fruit and veggies. This is similar to my own normal eating day. Notice I also included protein and a healthy fat at each meal. Feel free to substitute your favorite foods to make it work within your lifestyle and preferences. Add more food if you need it, take some away if it is too much. Each individual will have his/her own unique needs. Slow down and notice how food makes you feel and adjust accordingly. 

BREAKFAST

Two scrambled eggs with spinach, onions, tomatoes and peppers
1/2 cup of cottage cheese or Greek yogurt with blueberries
1 small banana

LUNCH

Big salad made with fresh spinach and a variety of colorful vegetables and a protein source, like chicken or turkey
A serving of nuts (I like pistachios)
An orange

SNACK

Shine Organics fruit pouch mixed with 1/4 cup of plain Greek Yogurt
OR plain Greek Yogurt with chopped peaches or pineapple

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No, not for you. Go eat your dog food. 

DINNER

Spinach side salad with tomatoes and cucumbers
Turkey stir fry with your favorite mixed vegetables
OR salmon, roasted cauliflower and avocado. 

Be honest. Are you getting your recommended servings of fruits and vegetables each day? How can you fit in one additional serving tomorrow? 

CLICK HERE FOR $1 OFF SHINE ORGANICS COUPON

Need help with your nutrition habits? Ready to get lean and healthy? Learn more about my sustainable healthy habits program to lose weight and feel great once and for all. 

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COACH LEA