Think Fit. Be Fit.

What’s slippery, sloping and jolting?  If you think it relates to one of the most difficult things to do in sports, you might be right.  Once again, we’re joined by our friend and esteemed colleague, Dr. David Behm, who shares his insights into what constitutes the hardest skill in sports. While acknowledging the need for physical prowess in performing motor skills, the trio shifts the focus to the often overlooked cognitive requirements of skill, which are highly influential in determining performance outcomes.  How do cueing and feedback affect cognitive performance? Finally, we return our skill-based conversation to the gym. We introduce new substrates of skill and describe how these can be used to promote skill acquisition, even in an exercise as pedestrian as a leg extension!  How?  You’ll have to listen to find out, so jump right in and enjoy this unique and layered exchange that is chock full of practical ideas that you can try yourself! In this episode we discuss: The relative difficulty of skill

One of the big myths in core training is that one muscle is more important than the other. For example: videos that claim you must do leg lifts to strengthen your ‘lower abs’ or therapeutically releasing the psoas to help back pain are simply not accurate.    Christopher Verdi, the inventor of Core Restore Training System™ talks with Jenn to break down this myth and they share their perspectives for challenging the core muscles in an effective way.  Chris's truly unique training system has the ability to challenge muscles in a 360 degrees set up and decrease recovery time for athletes and those with chronic tightness alike.  Check out Chris and The Core Restore on instagram, YouTube and if you are interested in purchasing a CRTS™ reach out to info@core-restore.com  Topics: Development of core muscles after spinal fusion What muscles are included in the Core Core training myth revisited: no one more muscle is more important than the other  The transition from MAT to exercise and core exercise ADVE

And, we’re back!  A little change of scenery is in order to kick off season 3 of Fitness for Consumption.  Catching up after a short summer break, GG offers his view from his own personal training camp while Dr. J invites us on his road trip to California.  While regaling us with a story from the road, PJ shares an insight describing how driving with cruise control can quickly scale up from an activity controlled with a simple flick of the wrist, to one that demands complex spatial and temporal problem solving. And thus we introduce the prevailing theme of this season’s episodes; motor skill. Episode one begins with a question, what is the hardest skill to perform in sports?  But before we can answer that, we need to define skill.  What is it exactly, and how does it relate to the exercises we do in the gym?  Is an exercise, in fact, a skill, or the thing we do to develop skills? Continuing, PJ and GG deconstruct skills into their constituent parts, while introducing different categories of skill.  What mu

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:  https://youtu.be/HyCiZVMMDW4 (https://youtu.be/HyCiZVMMDW4)  Get ready to be inspired by perspective and industry wisdom on exercise trends, past and present! Your hostesses can be found at: Jennifer Schwartz https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_simone_schwartz/ (Instagram) https://twitter.com/JennImpact (Twitter) Meredith Mack https://www.instagram.com/meredith_mack/ (Instagram ) Website  ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach dedicated exercise professionals, future trainers, and

There is not much useful substance in a long list of ‘ab’ exercises. Core training myths have infected the fitness industry’s ability to teach exercise in a meaningful way.  Today’s episode is a beacon for a better understanding of our core exercise parameters and strategy. Fitness has been oversimplified for too long. Jennifer shares her beliefs about core training and her perspective that an oversimplified view of exercise has created a mainstream fitness culture full of cheap, palatable information without substance.   Jenn goes into 6 Core Training Myths and even shares a story from her clinic about a basketball player's post surgery back pain and core training .   Items discussed: Learn the critical thinking tools Jenn uses when scrolling the internet Is the core really the starting point of all movement? Is there really a best exercise for training the core? Is one core muscle more important than another? Expanded thoughts on why ‘sucking in your belly button’ is not helping your stability How

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/ Follow Jenn on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_simone_schwartz/ 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

Here at Think Fit. Be Fit. we are constantly on a quest to identify the best way to communicate effective exercise techniques and concepts.  Today, Nikki and Jennifer discuss 3 commonly used cues in exercise instruction that simply do not do your movement justice. If you have ever found exercise instructions utterly confusing then tune in and start sharing because the cues that Jenn and Nikki cover in this episode are overused daily.   Topics discussed: An alternative to cueing that doesn’t make a lot of sense How injuries are not likely to be associated with structural alignment Pervasive fitness myths Body resilience  #freebritney and fitness purity culture  Nikki is an experienced fitness professional.  “Workouts that don’t hurt” is one of the by-lines on her instagram bio @naablevy   She shares messy and intimate positions on recognized fitness myths and how the fitness industry can be dehumanizing and unfair to consumers.     To me, she really sets the tone for change in the fitness

The Fitness Influencer culture is messy and full of gaping knowledge holes.  Because of the popularity of Fitness Influencers, it's becoming more apparent that the things we typically celebrate in fitness are too extreme and unrealistic for them to work and this leads to a lack of activity and burnout.   Jennifer and Nikki Naab-Levy of www.naablevy.com discuss the context of our fitness practice shaping so many things in our life.  This episode is part spontaneous conversation and part solo-cast from Jennifer.  They discuss one of the most important factors in the consumption of exercise and fitness- context matters.  Topics discussed: how the fitness industry can be dehumanizing and unfair to consumers.   Fear of weight training and basic strength training models being burned by fitness culture and trendy workout routines. decreasing the chances of falling prey to false marketing Nikki Naab-Levy is a strength coach and Pilates teacher with bachelor’s degrees in both Exercise Science and Jour

When we train our body with access to our unconscious mind we are taking advantage of our biology's ability to reset and unlocking the potential for tremendous physiological and psychological health benefits. Jennifer discusses the advantages of training the unconscious mind with Utah's only MAT Rx™ specialist, Jesse Wild of www.jessewildma.com  Jennifer even shares her experience with knee injuries and integrating this type of training for a full recovery.   Your mind is powerful.  Are you consciously creating a strong and healthy body?  Start to harness your jedi mind power by tuning in to this episode. Topics discussed: Pain, injury and emotions that wreck havoc on your progress Why fitness culture hurts our chances of being relatively pain free Muscle Activation Techniques™ as a tool to help people with injury and tightness How Jesse integrates MAT™ with Neuro-Linguistic programming and hypnosis Jesse Wild is a MAT Rx Full Body Practitioner in Utah. He is an enthusiastic and experienced exerci

Once we understand stress and resilience and that it is key to take feedback from our body, we can truly experience how exercise reaches us on a deep level.  Jennifer discusses how exercise and cold thermogenesis are the cornerstones of building strength and resilience.  Jesse Wild joins her to discuss how to use the body as a bridge to both greater health, pain free movement and higher states of consciousness.   Resilience is built from partnering with your body.  With intuition, tracking our activity or technology we can see the internal state of our body that is responsible for responding to stress.   Resilience is not simply being a bulldog and "toughening up". It has nothing to do with aggression and the ‘do-more’ culture of high intensity exercise or sports.  Resilience is about accepting what is within our control.  We must tune the body back into itself and understand that the human body actually loves acute stressors.  Listen in to learn about the mindset that Jenn uses and Jesse's first time in

What if we can embrace ‘tension’ in our exercise to make it easier and more enjoyable? Meredith Mack joins Jenn to discuss that being influential means showing people a different way.   This is a rare conversation about diverging into creative energy and using different perspectives for our own best fitness and movement practices while staying grounded with strength training.  They even touch on toxic fitness culture in their own experience. Enjoy this heart centered fitness conversation!   Topics discussed include: Meredith's brand, Tension Generation Meredith’s experience as a IFBB pro Tension as a concept to embrace in our exercise Exploring different types of movement like gyrotonics, roller skating, strength training, living room exercise Freedom to choose exercise and explore the possibilities Being open- minded and systems based Create a well rounded system to continue growth in our body   ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach dedicated exercise professionals, future trainers, and exercise enthusia

Think Fit. Be Fit. x Fitness For Consumption are providing a lot of valuable information through this channel.  This update includes an exciting announcement about a new segment and how you can help us create more intelligent fitness content.  Like Jennifer, this podcast network is full of energy for an exalted, kick ass version of fitness.    We are here to support an ongoing conversation about all the things that create more health expansion and opportunities to think about what goes into our fitness journey and how science interprets it.  Let us know what is working for you by contacting us or send your comments and questions to hello@thinkfitbefitpodcast.com  Hang out with us and our friends on instagram https://www.instagram.com/fitnessforconsumption/ https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_simone_schwartz/ https://www.instagram.com/thinkfitbefit_podcast/  Links mentioned SURVEY! https://impactyourfitness.typeform.com/to/uoYsv3It Support the show by checking out our affiliate page: https://www.thin

HRV or Heart Rate Variability is a hot topic in high performance exercise or sports, but what about the rest of us?   What does it mean for chronic pain and climbing your stairs pain-free?  Jessica Thiel and Jennifer explore this topic from the unique perspective of being Muscle Activation Techniques™ Rx practitioners.   This episode has a lot of laughs and you’ll even hear Jennifer and Jessica share stories about working with their clients.   Topics discussed: Heart Rate Variability Learning from our clients as Muscle Activation Techniques™ practitioners Jessica’s unique approach and understanding of strength training   Jessica Thiel is a Chicago based trainer and MAT Rx™ practitioner. Check out her blog here: https://www.strengthsustained.com/ (https://www.strengthsustained.com/)       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  SUBSCRI

Gregory Charlop MD is a Stanford and UCLA trained anesthesiologist that followed his passion for wellness into telemedicine.  His practice is dedicated to anti-aging medicine and the medical wellbeing of retired athletes.   Jennifer and Gregory discussed the many facets of health in women’s sports, high school athletes and retired athlete health.  Dr. Greg even shares tips on anti-aging medicine from his book, Why Doctors Skip Breakfast. .    Topics discussed: https://www.womenssportsforum.com/ (Women’s Sport Forum) Female athletes and health issues Mental health and athletes Retired athlete health  Anti-aging medicine https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086Y6K2TP/ (“Why Doctor’s Skip Breakfast” by Gregory Charlop, MD)   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

And that’s a wrap!  Season two of the Fitness for Consumption is now officially in the books!  Or,  technically speaking, stored on the cloud for your listening pleasure, but, either way, join us for the season two wrap up episode with the founder of the Think Fit Be Fit network and fellow podcast host of the same name, Jenn Schwartz.     Jenn, PJ & GG go through the season episode by episode reflecting on lessons learned, surprising takeaways and questions that remain unresolved.   If you’ve been listening to the episodes this is a great one to hear some further insights, if you haven’t yet had a chance to listen, this show is a great opportunity to get introduced to the body of work we have covered this season including power training, research study conclusions, biomechanics, unstable surfaces and stretching just to name a few.   We’re taking a little break but will be back this Summer with season three, where we plan on delving into the science of skill acquisition.  Please drop us a comment to let us

A brief summary of this episode

When it comes to the human body, Size Matters.  And this is particularly so for those who are interested in increasing their muscle mass.  What exactly are we increasing, however, when our muscles grow?  And how much bigger should we try to be?  Is it just a matter of personal taste, or is there an optimal degree of hypertrophy for human movement?  Some think bigger is better, while others believe that too much can be detrimental to movement and motor skill.  Once again we’re faced with a fitness controversy, having no dearth of opinions.  To help us sift through the science and uncover some of the secrets behind the size, we sat down with professor of physiology, researcher, and former Mr. United States Natural Bodybuilding Federation champion, Dr. Fred DiMenna.   Our previous two episodes, Power Play and It’s About Time, centered on rate of tension development (RTD), fatigue and the neuromotor implications of those constructs, so hypertrophy was a logical next subject.  We cover some exercise physiology s

How many times are we going to listen to fitness experts having a conversation about cardio exercise being ‘good’ or ‘bad’? Not this time, Jennifer and Remy Rory of MNE Fit Camp have a conversation about keeping our mind open, in a nonjudgemental spaciousness, to entertain different approaches to exercising our cardiovascular systems. Exercise is so nuanced that we really can’t take the assumption that there is only one way to hack your system for healthy living.   Topics discussed: Remy’s practical approach to helping his clients “Make No Excuses”  Different tools for cardiovascular exercise: kettlebells, jump ropes, suitcases, calisthenics Jenn discusses Pain Science and getting out of your own way 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,

Exercise, it’s About Time, time under tension (TUT) that is.  If you lift weights you’ve most likely heard this term at some point along your journey. Good chance it was mentioned in a conversation, media piece or Google search related to recommendations for increasing muscle mass.   “They,” the collective voice of conventional wisdom on exercise, often propose that increasing TUT is a necessary step for building hypertrophy.  But...what are they talking about, exactly?  The amount of time it takes to complete a single rep?  The amount of time it takes to complete a set?  The amount of time a muscle is exposed to tension during an entire workout?  All the above?     Is increased time under tension a magical elixir for all muscular development concerns, including making gains in strength and power?  Could it be that increasing TUT might actually inhibit the development of certain substrates!?  Are there some lesser known applications you can try in the gym tomorrow that might just yield better results?  Well

Continuous exercise progress comes from your body’s natural wisdom that allows you to create, innovate, and push boundaries.  The typical ‘exercise more to improve fitness’ model serves only a small population of active people. Without context most motivated exercisers are running themselves into the ground without any knowledge of how to rebound into a commitment with exercise that is long-term and sustainable.  In this episode, Jennifer shares the 8 principles of sustainable fitness that she lives by and wants to share this with the 1000s of athletes that she has worked with over her career span.   Understanding these 8 principles will have direct implications for your current workout plan and she invites you to join a free webinar in which she fully dives in to the first principle of exercise set up and anatomy. Sign up for the Free Webinar: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/37/5orv5h3z Purchase the course Be Your Own Exercise Guru: https://jennschwartz.kartra.com/checkout/8cba67c6b0fd5310dca4