Sets and Reps

Selected highlights from Episodes 43-48. Though there weren't many episodes of the Sets & Reps podcast, these were recorded right before my hiatus (which has been going on now, admittedly, from April to present day).  My intro briefly goes over what I've been doing and what my plans are. I like to think if you don't give too much away it is better off for you ;) Below are time codes and some helpful links! The Website: https://www.sets-and-reps.com/ The Instagram: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqd9Ec-wBXEjvtNLAIAwFWA Episodes featured in this compilation: 04:50-21:54 43. The Iron Core Way (Os Aponte) Os's website: https://www.ironcoreway.com/ 22:18-33:05 44. The Fine Line Between Medicine And Fitness (Lauren Eirk, pt. 1) 33:30-37:30 44. Force, Stress, and Muscle Activation Technique (Lauren Eirk, pt. 2) Lauren's website: https://fitnessintegratedscience.com/ 37:59-53:45 45. Uprooted And Transplanted (Mom & Dad) 54:23-1:13:23 46. Therapy And The Injured Athletes Identity (Sarah Fritsche) Sarah's website: https://therapyisbae.com/ 1:14:19-1:31:45 47. Clinician > Profession (Devyn Pioli) Devyn's website: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAlpQLSfTC-_7B0ooSWHaqSLV3tbYQaq40pwcPZYs3n961d2StGHKg/viewform 1:32:00-1:50:00 48. The Strength Connection (Michael Kurkowski) Mike's website: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-strength-connection/id1588270298  

After working in the food industry, Michael Kurkowski worked his way to the management position where he built up the next generation of trainers to be authentic and welcoming in their practice. He has also owned his own studio and online coaching business. Additionally he has hosted 2 podcasts. Currently he is the host of The Strength Connection. As said in the show’s mission statement, he connects with the top minds in strength to share stories, insights and experiences to help the world get stronger everyday! I’m grateful for this episode and the connection I have made with Mike. We dove into several topics including: Exploring the dimensions of communication The anatomy of a conversation Humility Creating an environment your employees can thrive in Being the most positive person in your client’s life Defining and differing proactive and reactive attitudes Strategies for communicating with your clients outside of working hours Problems are here for us to solve Reps for Results - Mike Kurkowski 2022 Joy is not just progressive overload

Devyn Pioli is a chiropractic student, personal trainer and former co-worker who I had the pleasure of connecting with on the podcast. Take a listen for insights and stories about overcoming burnout, the problems with valuing the profession over the clinician, all things powerlifting competitions, mentorship, filtering out bullsh*t by looking at intent and more! Experiencing a pattern of burnout (03:54) 2 Philosophies of Chiropractic Medicine (08:00) What does “out of alignment” really mean? (10:20) Being a “guide” for your clients (13:15) There’s a context where everything is useful (14:13) Information dosages (16:18) Authenticity builds buy-in (17:17) Divisive individuals within the profession (19:48) Pros and cons of having the degree as a clinician (23:37) How powerlifting competitions work (27:97) Training volume versus heavy sets (35:54) Preparing for a powerlifting meet (37:00) Mentorship (38:33) Filtering out B.S. from people you follow (41:35) Arching your back in the bench press (48:00) Online personal training platform (50:00) One trick for an hour plus of productive work to start a project (51:48)

www.sets-and-reps.com Today’s guest is Sarah Fritsche, a therapist, athlete and future doctor of psychology! With her doctoral research she is giving back to the athletic community by building awareness around the mental side of the female athlete’s injury recovery. Having been a part of this category she questions the system and knows there is information lacking. I was grateful to learn all about what she is doing in pursuit of merging the mental and physical fields of recovery for this population. In addition, we cover a top-down view of some of the most effective therapy models and which ones might be used in certain client situations. Sarah takes a humanistic approach to her sessions with clients which means they lead in whatever direction they need. I share my own experiences with you and Sarah, and relate them to our conversation about what long and short term therapy looks like. Read the rest of my takeaways from today’s episode of Sets and Reps: the podcast below! A lot of listening at a young age led to a therapist’s career Learn different styles of therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy: an action-based approach for short term outcomes Greg’s experiences with therapy Online therapy Debunking Misconceptions of Therapy Increasing client “buy-in” to therapy coping skills How to avoid playing the “therapy role” in professions outside of that scope Fitness and physical activity for self care Resources missing for athletes on the mental health side of injury recovery Sarah’s doctoral research: The psychological effects of injury in female collegiate athletes Fill out Sarah's online survey to be a part of the study! Specific criteria required! Identity factors in highschool vs. college female athletes Sarah’s instagram has all kinds of positivity in the form of encouraging posts that cover some of the major mental health struggles you may be going through as well as some actionable tools you can take to make some sense of it all https://www.instagram.com/therapist_bae3/ Follow your host Greg Gdanian on Instagram for daily clips and episode updates: https://www.instagram.com/gregbuildsskills/

https://www.sets-and-reps.com/about My website is officially live! Huge thank you to my designer Nick who I will have on the show very soon. He worked hard for several months to get this thing launched for me and we did a soft launch not too long ago but I am officially announcing it to you here! The website is: A home for every single current and future episode of Sets and Reps the podcast A home for my blogs (whenever I get around to writing them) A place where you can sign up for an email newsletter to receive updates about new content and a personal short blog about upcoming episodes All the ways to connect with me (your host!) On today’s episode you will meet my Mom and Dad. They have stories to tell and lessons to teach from lives well lived. They happily relocated to South Carolina in their 60’s after living in a small town called Milford for about 33 years (I’ve been alive for 23 of those years). My Dad was a pastor for a long time so he’s a great communicator/public speaker, in addition to having served the cities of Nashua and Manchester as a paramedic. My Mom is a former preschool teacher, fitness technician for Curves fitness for women, and a licensed massage therapist. Here are the main takeaways from episode 45 of Sets and Reps the podcast: Uprooted and Transplanted (A new life) 2 honest journeys of weight loss Why my parents never gave me an allowance and what they did instead! Do’s and Don’ts in the process of grieving a lost loved one What Mom and Dad share about living together for 40 years

Muscle activation technique (MAT) is a multi-tiered educational system that Lauren has been proficient in since its creation in 2002. Since then, she has watched it grow and improve while being a huge supporter and student of it for a long time. According to Lauren it largely influences how she works with individuals each day. It is a manual therapy that involves taking a look at joint symmetry in the human body and the ability of our muscles to contract. It assesses range of motion passively (on a table where the patient or client is staying relaxed). If muscles are weak in some areas and over developed in others, an MAT specialist will be able to assess you and provide you with skills and exercises to restore. After discussing MAT, Lauren and I shift gears and discuss a few biomechanical concepts as well as how forces and stresses are applied to our bodies. “A doctor may prescribe medicine or surgery. [Fitness professionals] prescribe forces on people… A force has a specific point of application, a specific magnitude, and a specific direction. Forces must be placed strategically according to the structure… If a force is misapplied over a period of time in a way that violates that structure, that structure will diminish.” Below are some of the main takeaways from this second part of my conversation with Lauren: Muscle Activation Technique - Taking a look under the hood to find muscular imbalances and weaknesses The science behind muscle contraction and muscular overuse What an MAT specialist is looking for and how they assess clients Breaking down the different MAT certifications and Lauren’s long journey to mastery Biomechanics is the study of forces that are placed on or within living systems Disruption of forces leads to injury Every person has their own genetic blueprint Bone structure differences on one side of the body Joint clicking and popping - why might this be happening and how should we react to it? Get updates on Sets and Reps the podcast and more great content from your host, Gregory Gdanian! IG: https://www.instagram.com/gregbuildsskills/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqd9Ec-wBXEjvtNLAIAwFWA Important Links to learn more about today’s honored guest! Fitness Integrated Science in Louisville, Kentucky - https://fitnessintegratedscience.com/ Download the “Fitness Integrated Science TV” App! Google Play Store:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fitnessintegratedscience “The Fitness Integrated Science Monthly On-Demand Subscription features workouts, education, and programs with Nationally recognized Health and Fitness Expert Lauren Eirk. This channel is for those who seek a more thorough, biomechanically based approach to their long-term health in order to maximize results while avoiding injury.” You can find today’s Guest on Social media: 1.) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitnessintegratedscience/ 2.) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FitnessIntegratedScience

Lauren Eirk has spent the last 35 years teaching, mentoring, and studying health, fitness, and yoga. She has a multitude of certifications including a mastery level Muscle Activation Techniques specialist, but she has also developed her own 500 hour yoga teacher training program known as Yoga Integrated Science. She is the CEO of Fitness Integrated Science, a wellness center in Louisville, Kentucky that offers a variety of services including personal training, yoga, manual body work and more.  “The role of the health professional now is so much different than it was when I first got into the field… weight loss is just one thing, eating right is just one thing, and they’re very important things, but if you don’t understand how a joint works and how muscles work and how to safely put someone through a program that’s not going to hurt them, I don’t think you’re going to stay in business for the long term. Seeking knowledge is going to have to be ongoing if you’re going to make it in this field.” Below are some of the main takeaways from this first part of my conversation with Lauren: Lauren’s first knee surgery at age 26 Lauren is introduced to MAT (Muscle Activation Technique) to combat her physical pain Helping yoga teachers understand human anatomy in 2009 Yoga Integrated Science - Lauren’s self-made 500 hour yoga teacher training program The benefit of being a teacher of some kind Having the beginner’s mentality Being in and drawn to the fitness industry because of physical imbalances/weaknesses Staying hungry and never forgetting your “why” Taking it “one day at a time” for work/life balance Working to restore people from pains and injuries Get updates on Sets and Reps the podcast and more great content from your host, Gregory Gdanian! IG: https://www.instagram.com/gregbuildsskills/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqd9Ec-wBXEjvtNLAIAwFWA Important Links to learn more about today’s honored guest! Fitness Integrated Science in Louisville, Kentucky - https://fitnessintegratedscience.com/ Download the “Fitness Integrated Science TV” App! Google Play Store:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fitnessintegratedscience “The Fitness Integrated Science Monthly On-Demand Subscription features workouts, education, and programs with Nationally recognized Health and Fitness Expert Lauren Eirk. This channel is for those who seek a more thorough, biomechanically based approach to their long-term health in order to maximize results while avoiding injury.” You can find today’s Guest on Social media: 1.) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitnessintegratedscience/ 2.) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FitnessIntegratedScience

Iron Core Way is a Kettlebell focused gym located in Oceanside, California. My guest Os Aponte is the chief instructor and face or "guardian" of the company, as he puts it. He is much more than a personal trainer, he is a genuine human dedicated to going above and beyond in service of his clients to help them stay present, focused and absolutely glued in with the right tools needed to crush their goals. I had the pleasure of connecting with him many times through social media, and before he was chosen as today's guest he became a great friend and supporter of Sets and Reps: the podcast.  Iron Core Way Gym: https://ironcoreway.com/ Read more about Os Aponte: https://ironcoreway.com/Trainers/Os-Aponte Follow Os on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironcoreway/ The Main Takeaways from Today's Episode: 1. Behind the name "Iron Core Way" 2. Educating and re-educating on the importance of the core in fitness and in life 3. Many systems make movement 4. Visual system common concerns and fixes for exercise 5. The sense of self for success in both solo and group fitness 6. How fast does someone progress in a bodyweight skill versus a resistance trained skill

Allow me to say that it's such a pleasure that you've found my show. I hope you enjoy this podcast interview with coach Jonathan Goodman, creator of the PTDC (Personal Trainer Development Center). He is bringing the fitness industry together. Since 2011 he's published 11 books, welcomed over 20M visitors to his website, and sold over 250,000 educational items to health and fitness enthusiasts. Originally from Toronto, Coach Goodman has enjoyed over 1,300 days exploring the world with his young family. Please follow him on Instagram at @itscoachgoodman Links:  https://www.theptdc.com  https://urlgeni.us/instagram/CoachGoodman

Rebecca Rouse has a background as a dedicated gymnast from a very young age. She went from working as a trainer at Equinox to building her way up to the management level. Just over a year ago, Semper Stronger was born (https://semperstronger.com/). Semper Stronger is an online fitness business co-founded by Rebecca with her active-duty marine husband. Rebecca and I discussed the innate discipline she has had since she was a young athlete with a busy schedule. We also talked the process of mental strength building early in her fitness career, and even took a look at some of the different phases of training she had participated in. In addition we discussed how a strong relationship with your romantic partner can drive a business. Thank you again, Rebecca Rouse. Keep on putting in those reps! Other topics discussed: Equinox: the mecca of personal training Imposter syndrome as a personal trainer Interpersonal skills are critical in fitness On the bodybuilding stage Judging competition in Bodybuilding vs. in Olympic Weightlifting How well our bodies can function vs. how our bodies look Gymnastics as an entry point into long term strength development Meeting you where you’re at Avoiding flashy fitness for instagram Building a business with your romantic partner Understanding the sport of Olympic Weightlifting Discussing differing styles of kettlebell training RepsForResults: My Guest’s Goals for 2022 Follow today's guest on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebecca.rouse/ Semper Stronger: https://www.instagram.com/semperstronger/ Follow your host Gregory on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregbuildsskills/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqd9Ec-wBXEjvtNLAIAwFWA