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:

1. Exploring the dimensions of communication
2. The anatomy of a conversation
3. Humility
4. Creating an environment your employees can thrive in
5. Being the most positive person in your client’s life
6. Defining and differing proactive and reactive attitudes
7. Strategies for communicating with your clients outside of working hours
8. Problems are here for us to solve
9. Reps for Results - Mike Kurkowski 2022
10. 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/

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:

1. Muscle Activation Technique - Taking a look under the hood to find muscular imbalances and weaknesses
2. The science behind muscle contraction and muscular overuse
3. What an MAT specialist is looking for and how they assess clients
4. Breaking down the different MAT certifications and Lauren’s long journey to mastery
5. Biomechanics is the study of forces that are placed on or within living systems
6. Disruption of forces leads to injury
7. Every person has their own genetic blueprint
8. Bone structure differences on one side of the body
9. 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!

1. IG: https://www.instagram.com/gregbuildsskills/
2. 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!

1. 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:

1. Lauren’s first knee surgery at age 26
2. Lauren is introduced to MAT (Muscle Activation Technique) to combat her physical pain
3. Helping yoga teachers understand human anatomy in 2009
4. Yoga Integrated Science - Lauren’s self-made 500 hour yoga teacher training program
5. The benefit of being a teacher of some kind
6. Having the beginner’s mentality
7. Being in and drawn to the fitness industry because of physical imbalances/weaknesses
8. Staying hungry and never forgetting your “why”
9. Taking it “one day at a time” for work/life balance
10. 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!

1. IG: https://www.instagram.com/gregbuildsskills/
2. 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!

1. 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