85. Q+A Day | Cardio Types, Running Tips & Heart Rate Hacks
Release Date: 09/04/2025
104. “I Stopped Spiraling”—Angie’s Shift from Perfection to Food Freedom
The Fitness League
In this candid client interview, Angie shares how she broke free from perfectionism in nutrition and built real confidence with her food choices—while juggling life as a busy parent. We talk about flexible dieting without obsession, eating out without guilt, and why progress comes from mindful choices, not rigid rules. You’ll hear how she balances family schedules with sustainable habits, what finally ended the “start over Monday” cycle, and how tracking can be a tool—not a trap. Perfect for anyone ready to replace all-or-nothing thinking with practical routines that actually fit...
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103. How to Optimize Sleep: 5 Fixes You Can Start Tonight
The Fitness League
Tired, wired, and waking up groggy? This episode breaks sleep down into five fixes you can start tonight to boost deep sleep, recovery, and next-day energy—without gadgets or a 17-step routine. We explain why poor sleep stalls fat loss and performance, then walk you through exactly how to improve circadian rhythm, reduce night-time alertness, and wake up actually rested. Plus, you'll learn the 5 simple fixes you can implement TONIGHT for better sleep.. Perfect for busy parents, shift workers, and anyone training hard who needs better recovery—fast. APPLY FOR COACHING: SDE Method app: ...
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102. Simplifying Fitness: Start With These FOUR Things
The Fitness League
Overwhelmed by all the rules of fitness? You’re not alone—and it’s probably holding you back. In this episode, we strip away the noise and break fitness down into just 4 simple pillars anyone can follow: nutrition, exercise, movement, and sleep. No overthinking. No overhauls. Just real, doable starting points. We walk through what actually matters (hint: it’s not cold plunges or macros to the decimal), like how to build a better plate, how much training you really need, and how to stop making movement and recovery so complicated. If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by too much information...
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101: How Kara Took Back Her Health—and Changed Her Family’s Future
The Fitness League
In this powerful client spotlight episode, Kara shares her journey from exhaustion and loss to strength, confidence, and lasting change. What started as a decision to prioritize her health turned into a transformation that impacted her entire family. With the support of coaching, Kara learned how to advocate for her own well-being, set better boundaries, and make small, consistent choices that led to massive results. This episode is a reminder that true transformation isn’t just about fat loss or food tracking—it’s about reclaiming your energy, your confidence, and your life. ...
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100. How We Travel Well: Can You Be Health-Conscious at Disney World?
The Fitness League
In this episode, Josh and Alessandra pull back the curtain on how they're prepping for their upcoming family trip to Disney World—through the lens of the L5 Method. Instead of obsessing over macros or trying to “stay on track,” they share how they’re prioritizing training, nutrition, mindset, movement, and habits in a way that supports energy, recovery, and actually having fun. They walk through their rough itinerary, what workouts (if any) they’ll be doing, how they think about food while traveling, and why they believe the point of fitness is to enhance life, not restrict it....
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99. Lara’s Story: From Food Guilt to Fueling Strength (Client Spotlight)
The Fitness League
In this episode of The Fitness League, Lara opens up about her deeply personal journey from battling food guilt and body image struggles to stepping into a stronger, more empowered version of herself. With the guidance of her coach, Lara shifted her focus from weight loss to fueling for performance, building a healthier relationship with food, and celebrating her body for what it can do — not just how it looks. She shares how injury setbacks became opportunities for growth, how prehab and mindset work changed her approach to training, and why redefining success beyond the scale was the key...
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98. The Challenge Just Got Smarter: Inside Our Newest Fitness League Feature
The Fitness League
In this episode of The Fitness League, we’re pulling back the curtain on one of the most exciting updates to our app yet: the all-new challenge feature. But this isn’t just another 30-day shred or burnout bootcamp. We're redefining what fitness challenges should look like — sustainable, consistent, and rooted in community. We talk about why most fitness challenges fail, how our approach flips the script, and what makes this new feature a game-changer for real people with real lives. You’ll learn how the app now supports daily habits, rewards consistency over intensity, and helps you...
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97. You Can’t Do It All: How We Actually Choose Our Health Protocols
The Fitness League
With all the options out there—strength training, cardio, recovery tools, nutrition strategies, supplements—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed trying to “do it all.” But the truth is, you don't have to. In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on how we prioritize our own health and fitness routines based on real life, current goals, evolving interests, and actual needs—not trends. We break down: Why we don’t always do what’s “optimal” How we adjust protocols based on seasons of life How we choose the way we're going to train What we’re saying no to in order...
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96. Fitness, Family & Fatigue: How to Stay Consistent When Life Is Anything But
The Fitness League
SDE Method app: The Fitness League Waiting List Macros Guide Join the Facebook Community: FREE TOOLS to start your health and fitness journey: Alessandra's Instagram: Joelle's Instagram: Josh's Instagram: Chapters 00:00 Morning Routines and Parenting Challenges 01:57 Relatability in Fitness and Parenting 05:45 Flexibility in Workouts and Parenting 10:59 Managing Weight and Health During Stress 13:02 Navigating Shift Work and Family Life 14:38 Balancing Sleep and Workouts 21:18 Dealing with Sickness and Recovery 27:17 Postpartum Fitness and Pain Management 32:17...
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95. Self-Care Isn’t Selfish — It’s How You Lead Your Family
The Fitness League
In this powerful episode, we challenge the modern myth that “good parenting” means self-sacrifice at all costs. Instead, we explore what it really takes to show up strong for your family — starting with how you lead yourself. From the societal pressure to “do it all” to the quiet burnout no one talks about, we unpack how ignoring your own needs doesn’t make you a better parent — it makes it harder to be the present, grounded leader your kids actually need. We redefine self-care as self-leadership and break down the mindset shifts, personal responsibility, and daily actions that...
info_outlineIn this Q+A episode, we’re diving deep into all things cardio and running. From choosing the best cardio modality for your goals, to navigating heart rate training without overcomplicating it, this conversation tackles what actually matters when it comes to building endurance and improving performance.
We also discuss how to manage exercise-induced asthma, the benefits of cardio during pregnancy, and how to get started if you're new to running or just getting back into it. Whether you're deciding between treadmill or outdoor runs, trying to balance strength training with cardio, or wondering how nutrition and warmups factor in, we’ve got practical, real-world advice.
Plus, we share insights on the mental side of running—and why yes, you absolutely can be a runner, no matter your body type or experience level.
APPLY FOR COACHING:
https://www.lvltncoaching.com/1-1-coaching
SDE Method app:
https://www.lvltncoaching.com/sde-method-app
The Fitness League Waiting List
https://quest.lvltncoaching.com/project-b
Macros Guide
https://www.lvltncoaching.com/free-resources/calculate-your-macros
Join the Facebook Community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lvltncoaching
FREE TOOLS to start your health and fitness journey:
https://www.lvltncoaching.com/resources/freebies
Alessandra's Instagram:
http://instagram.com/alessandrascutnik
Joelle's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/joellesamantha?igsh=ZnVhZjFjczN0OTdn
Josh's Instagram:
http://instagram.com/joshscutnik
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Cardio Modalities
02:31 Choosing the Right Cardio for You
05:19 Understanding Heart Rate Zones
08:29 Exercise-Induced Asthma and Cardio
10:56 Getting Started with Cardio
14:24 Outdoor vs. Treadmill Running
17:28 Cardio During Pregnancy
20:05 Adapting Cardio for Injury Recovery
22:51 Breathing Techniques in Cardio
25:29 Balancing Cardio and Strength Training
28:16 Nutrition and Cardio Performance
31:08 Mental Toughness in Running
33:48 Warmups and Injury Prevention
36:22 Running Goals and Progression
39:08 Stroller Running Tips
41:49 Winter Running Considerations
45:25 Body Types and Running
48:26 Building a Running Community
51:13 Final Thoughts and Encouragement