In this episode of Peach Pit Fitness hosts Meredith and Jenn discuss exercises that are often overhyped and may not be the best for everyone. They share a story about a client who experienced a back spasm during a single arm fly exercise and discuss the importance of choosing exercises that are appropriate for an individual's goals and physical condition. They also highlight the potential risks of exercises like curtsy lunges and triceps kickbacks and suggest alternative exercises that may be more effective and safer.
Topics discussed:
- Choosing exercises that are appropriate for an individual's goals and physical condition.
- Exercises that involve balancing or unstable surfaces may not always be the best choice, especially for individuals with joint issues or pain.
- Machines can be a valuable tool in strength training and may offer more controlled and efficient resistance compared to free weights.
- Exercises that violate the natural structure of the body, such as curtsy lunges, may increase the risk of injury and may not provide significant benefits compared to alternative exercises.
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In this episode of Peach Pit Fitness hosts Meredith and Jenn speak with guest Rachel Garmon, a personal trainer with ten years of experience in the industry. Rachel specializes in corrective exercise and specialty movements and also competes in Olympic lifting. Jenn, Meredith, and Rachel discuss how non-binary athletes are navigating gendered sports and the important role of acceptance as we all explore this new space. They also discuss the role of hormones and how scientific research is reshaping the cultural perception of gender in sports.
Rachel Garmon on instagram
Topics discussed:
- Gender-neutral fitness trends.
- Creating inclusivity in fitness spaces
- Hormone restrictions in sports
- Intersex people and cultural differences
- Acceptance in sports and athletics
- Decolonizing fitness
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In this episode of Peach Pit Fitness hosts Meredith and Jenn discuss the book ‘Let's Get Physical’, by Danielle Friedman. The book explores the history of women in the fitness industry and exercise culture. Jenn and Meredith reflect on their own experiences with exercise and discuss the pioneering women who helped reshape the world through fitness. They also talk about the power and impact of physical activity and the importance of finding a community that resonates with you.
Let’s Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshapedthe World by Danielle Friedman
Topics discussed:
- The crucial role of female-specific research in sports and exercise in advancing women's health
- How social media and fitness intersect with the concept of feminism
- The importance of finding a community
- Bonnie Prudden
- The power of nostalgia to provide insight and inspiration
- Evolving Fitness Through Feminism
Check out this former episode on Research in Women's Strength and Fitness: watch on YouTube
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A podcast network dedicated to delivering potent fitness advice, expert opinions, and a holistic approach to health. Hosted by coach and trainers including Jennifer Schwartz, Meredith Mack, Gregory Gordon, Dr Paul Juris, and others!
The internet has a lot to say about full depth in our squats. In this episode of Peach Pit Fitness, Meredith and Jenn explore the varying opinions on squats circulating the internet today and talk about full range of motion. They share what is important to consider when advising clients and why it is essential to consider how they can execute movements while bearing a load with their body weight. Meredith and Jenn also argue that what's important is how the body gets to the position, rather than the position itself.
Let’s Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World by Danielle Friedman
Topics discussed:
- Full Range of Motion Squatting: Exploring Definitions and Nuances
- Debunking the Myth of Not Going Over Your Toes in Exercise
- The difference between a baby's body and an adult's body when it comes to squatting
- Knees Over Toes Guys and other internet fitness heros
- Hip Flexor Strengthening
- The Impact of Women's Exercise Clothing on Fitness Culture
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In this episode of Peach Pit Fitness, Meredith and Jennifer discuss lower body myths and explore whether or not there are bad exercises or inefficient exercises. They break down specific body exercises and discuss how certain movements affect particular muscle groups. Meredith and Jenn also share how to create a continuum of risk-benefit and efficiency-inefficiency in your exercise program to help people assess which exercises are best for them.
19 Exercise Equipment Fads from the 90s: Ultimate Nostalgia List
Topics discussed:
- Peach Pit Fitness explained
- Is there such a thing as a “bad exercise”?
- A risk-benefit analysis of lower body exercises such as step-ups, leg curls, and booty bands
- Pelvic stability
- Perfectionism and accessing the risks and benefits of exercises
- 90’s fitness nostalgia
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Your best training is only a breath away! Our affiliate NeuroPeak Pro just released their one-of-a-kind training device for breath training, stress reduction, and peak performance. Learn more and purchase the NTEL Belt here!
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In this episode of Peach Pit Fitness, Meredith and Jennifer discuss back training and what back exercises look like in day to day gym operations today. They talk about strength training habits, why many people struggle to connect with training certain body parts and how understanding the direction one wants to go in, but being flexible in the methods used to get there is key in strength training. They also take a look at Cindy Crawford’s 1992 three-part workout video for this week’s 90’s icon.
Cindy Crawford's 1992 Workout Video and Resistance Training
Topics discussed:
- Upper body training and learning to be appropriately uncomfortable
- Back training: execution, aesthetic look, and the internet
- Exercise progression and stabilization techniques
- The control factor in back training
- Patience in the pursuit of our fitness goals
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Your best training is only a breath away! Our affiliate NeuroPeak Pro just released their one-of-a-kind training device for breath training, stress reduction, and peak performance. Learn more and purchase the NTEL Belt here!
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In this episode of Peach Pit Fitness, Meredith and Jennifer discuss the common pursuit of toning and its long stay in fitness industry marketing. They talk about anti-muscle attitudes and misconceptions pertaining to how we build muscle strength. They share the importance of clarifying what muscle tone looks like to individuals and the danger of body shape trends. They also discuss their perspectives on how women’s fitness is shifting as culture shifts.
Marky Mark’s Home Fitness Video
Topics discussed:
- Is toning what people are actually looking for?
- What is muscle tone?
- A surprising muscle friendly hormone
- Body trends and sculpting
- Shifts in women's fitness
- 90’s fitness icon: Marky Mark
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Your best training is only a breath away! Our affiliate NeuroPeak Pro just released their one-of-a-kind training device for breath training, stress reduction, and peak performance. Learn more and purchase the NTEL Belt here!
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In this episode of Peach Pit Fitness, Jenn and Meredith break down the current conversation comparing multi-joint and single-joint exercises. They discuss muscle memory and the variety of complex definitions behind the term. They talk about assumptions that are coming from social media and the importance of understanding the purpose of individual exercises for your body.
Jenn and Meredith also have a conversation about the evolution of fitness and the cultural awareness of body types and body shapes from the 90’s up until today.
Topics discussed:
- Multi-joint vs. Single joint exercise
- Movement patterns
- Physical changes you can see vs. what is actually happening in the body
- Muscle memory
- Analyzing the purpose of an exercise for you
- How the perception of bodies and fitness has changed over time
Click below to view videos Jenn and Meredith discuss in this episode:
Single Joint vs. Compound (Multi) Joint Exercise (Which Works Better to Build Muscle?)
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In our first episode of season 2, join us for an in-depth conversation about women-specific training research and resistance training. The Peach Pit team talks with Brad Schoenfeld, a professor of exercise science at Lehman College in New York. Brad serves as the graduate director of the Human Performance and Fitness program. They discuss various studies, training methods, and common myths surrounding women and resistance training. Brad also shares his takeaways from a 2021 study on partial ROM knee extensions with solely female subjects.
Jenn and Meredith share how they train themselves and clients to use different ranges of motion and the benefits of exploring these methods. They also share their observations on the effects of single versus joint exercise on muscle hypertrophy.
Topics discussed:
- Hypertrophy
- “The Bulk Myth”: resistance training
- Women-specific training research
- Training around menstrual cycles
- Partial ROM vs. Full ROM
- Single vs. multi-joint exercise
- Promoting partial ROM for safety
- Defining stretching and eccentric, in hypertrophy literature
- Jenn and Meredith’s 90’s Fix
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Amazon Music
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The idea that we are synched is fascinating and HRV research is telling this story….
In episode 7, join us for a unique conversation on heart rate variability. HRV has substantial health implications regarding the ability to adapt to stressors and has been shown to be altered in many cardiovascular and neurological disorders. We will take you deeper into the trend, share how you can get an inside look into your training with HRV, and give you something tangible to utilize for yourself.
Bethany Rocha, Peak Performance Coach at Neuropeak Pro, talks about the NTEL belt and what she has learned in both belt and precision breath training. Rocha shares how our performance can suffer when the internal state of our bodies, our brains and our nervous systems are stuck in patterns of imbalance.
You can purchase the NTEL belt here!
Enter the giveaway on instagram!
Topics discussed:
- HRV and its significance
- Common fitness and workout obstacles
- Origins of HRV
- NTEL BELT experience
- Training vs. tracking
- What Bethany has learned with belt/precision breath training
- Belt/Precision Training: “Am I doing it right?”
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In this week's episode of The Peach Pit, Meredith and Jennifer talk about Turkish Get Ups and unpack many of the assumptions surrounding them. They discuss the current kettlebell training industry, the origins of the Turkish Get Up, and the limitations of using one exercise movement to achieve your strength and fitness goals.
Nicki Naab-Levy shares why she teaches Turkish Get Ups, the benefits of utilizing them in warm-ups, and why they are great for specific clients.
Topics discussed:
- Origins of the Turkish Get Up
- What are the benefits of a TGU?
- Art & TGU
- Why Nicki Naab Levy teaches the TGU
- Eccentric loading
- Advertising the TGU
- Jennifer’s personal experience with TGUs as a MAT specialist
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Today, Jennifer and Meredith discuss The Smith Machine, shedding light on this versatile piece of equipment.
Topics discussed:
- The history of the machine and why it was invented
- Who this could be beneficial for and when and what circumstances could it be beneficial for them
- How it’s been modify and how we can modify it for our benefit
- The main structural points and maintenance of The Smith Machine
- The place where the Smith machine shines
- Jennifer’s and Meredith’s favorite exercise to do on the Smith Machine
Episode page: https://www.thinkfitbefitpodcast.com/smith-machine-part-1
Jennifer Schwartz:
Meredith Mack
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There’s a spectrum of emotions that come with exercise. Some of the times those emotions happen in small spaces where cycling and expensive candles intersect.
Today Jennifer and Meredith are sharing optics and wisdom on this huge element in the fitness industry, Group Exercise.
Topics discussed:
- History of group exercise
- The community element of group fitness
- How Bootcamp falls short
- “Joy of Movement” and Health Psychology
- Building emotional substrates of exercise
- Spiritual intentions intersected with exercise classes
You’ll even learn about Jenn’s history of teaching group exercise!
episode page: https://www.thinkfitbefitpodcast.com/exploring-the-power-and-pitfalls-of-group-exercise/
Say hello to your PPFP Hostesses:
Jennifer Schwartz
Meredith Mack
All Peach Pit episodes can be found here: https://www.thinkfitbefitpodcast.com/tag/peach-pit-fitness/
ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach dedicated exercise professionals, future trainers, and exercise enthusiasts all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started, hello@thinkfitbefitpodcast.com
SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Dive deeper with us. Sign up here. We offer a unique view on muscles, portals to new ways to respect the body and health. Learning and ‘enjoy the process’ is a buzzy term. We take learning seriously and want to take our listeners on that journey with us and through us
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episode.
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Link of interest:
Business insider reference
https://www.businessinsider.com/why-i-stopped-going-to-soulcycle-2015-7
Kenneth Cooper and the history of Cooper Institute
Box Jumps seem quite simple, face the box and smoothly launch yourself on top of it.
Since these jumps are deemed 'full body exercises',, Fitness Influencers and experienced trainers alike use them in various ways. The claims for using them range from ‘functional strength’ to explosive strength to blasting fat. Jenn and Meredith Mack take a step into the textbooks and mechanics to look at the origin of this exercise and examine its use across the wide span of industry recommendations.
Are the jumps worth the potential cuts and bumps? Of course in most fitness circles, you’ll hear- ! Box Jumps ! have so! many benefits!
Before you jump in, on or down, check out this episode because Peach Pit takes a critical look at this popular exercise.
Be sure to tell us what you think about our new term #AppropriatelyPumpy and if it applies to your box jumps.
Topics:
Are box jumps as sensational as their hype?
Box jumps, Jump training and plyometrics: what are they? Is one better than the other?
Classical view on box jumps from strength & conditioning
Goals, sport specific training and conditioning
NSCA recommendations
Get ready to be inspired by perspective and industry wisdom on exercise trends, past and present!
Your hostesses can be found at:
Jennifer Schwartz
Meredith Mack
ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach dedicated exercise professionals, future trainers, and exercise enthusiasts all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started, hello@thinkfitbefitpodcast.com
SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Dive deeper with us. Sign up here. We offer a unique view on muscles, portals to new ways to respect the body and health. Learning and ‘enjoy the process’ is a buzzy term. We take learning seriously and want to take our listeners on that journey with us and through us
SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode.
episode.
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JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Facebook, and Instagram.
Visit the episode page: https://www.thinkfitbefitpodcast.com/box-jumps-are-they-functional-or-just-for-fun/
Links and references:
Siff, M. C. (2009). Supertraining (6th Edition)....
The “Frog Pump” exercise has been called the “the best butt exercise” by Women’s Health Magazine and is also viewed as a ‘glute activation drill’ by many in the booty building scene. Jenn and Meredith take a bite into these claims and they present a critique of the exercise design.
After listening to this episode you could potentially examine the exercise for yourself and independent of the idea that the same ‘glute activation’ drill is for anybody and everybody.
Get a look at the Frog Pump here from 'The Glute Guy" Bret Contreas:
Get ready to be inspired by perspective and industry wisdom on exercise trends, past and present!
Your hostesses can be found at:
Jennifer Schwartz
Meredith Mack
ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach dedicated exercise professionals, future trainers, and exercise enthusiasts all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started, hello@thinkfitbefitpodcast.com
SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Dive deeper with us. Sign up here. We offer a unique view on muscles, portals to new ways to respect the body and health. Learning and ‘enjoy the process’ is a buzzy term. We take learning seriously and want to take our listeners on that journey with us and through us
SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode.
episode.
WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Welcome to the first Peach Pit Fitness show, Jennifer and her new co-host Meredith Mack will dive into fitness buzzwords, workout trends or exercise through 2 segments: current trend critique and bringing back the classics of 90’s fitness.
We aim to be your guides in a new commentary on how fitness shapes our lives with our knowledge of and experience in exercise mechanics, strength training for women, anatomy, injury and how the body adapts.
Be sure to subscribe to the TFBF feed so that you don’t miss these episodes and the opportunity to enjoy exercise beyond a superficial level.
Join the podcast network newsletter here: https://www.thinkfitbefitpodcast.com/
Follow Meredith on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meredith_mack/
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The podcast network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkfitbefit_podcast/
It’s our mission to help you navigate the fluff and get into the results.
This inaugural episode explains it all!
music composed by Darren O'Brien of Activity Partners https://darrenpatrickobrien.com/