261 Joe LaVacca: How to keep training through pain and injury, advice from a physical therapist
Mindful Strength
We do so many podcasts on pain because pain is a part of human life, which means it's bound to come up in training at some point or another (or all the time). Most of what we have been taught about pain is that pain = damage, pain is not normal, pain shouldn't be happening. Avoiding anything painful can really hold people back, limit movement and keep us stuck in sedentary patterns which arguably makes everything worse. In this episode Kathryn and PT Joe Lavacca talk about helping people keep moving and training, while managing pain. They talk about pain medication, where cardio fits into the...
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260 Jules Mitchell: Do we actually need stability and proprioception training?
Mindful Strength
Today we welcome Jules Mitchell back to the podcast for a 5th or 6th time, we have lost count! Jules and Kathryn have been colleagues and friends for a number of years, and today they are talking about stability and proprioception training. The big question they keep coming back to is why do some exercises get labelled in research as stabilizing, or for proprioception, while others don't? What is a deadbug giving you for stability that a deadlift isn't? This podcast gets into the weeds of language, philosophy, and will have you questioning the common narrative on stabilization. We...
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259 Dr. Stephanie Carter Kelley: Pain is more than mechanics
Mindful Strength
We welcome back Dr. Stephanie Carter Kelley for a third time! In this episode Kathryn asks all about pain, and why it can be so complex and about more than just mechanics. Stephanie sheds light on how the brain creates pain as a protection response and how the immune system get's involved as well. They talk about stepping back to look at the whole ecosystem of the body, not just the joints or muscles affected. Kathryn asks about menopause and why pain can become so intense at this time in life. Stephanie shares about her own personal journey through menopause and how stress management is often...
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258: 10km Race Recap with Kathryn and Kyle
Mindful Strength
Today we are talking about our 10km race last weekend. Kathryn and Kyle talk a little bit about the lead up, balancing training and recovery, and a break down of the run itself. They talk about pacing, why they kept their start pace even when everyone was blowing past them, pre-race carb loading, the taper week and how to challenge what's possible in a really sustainable way. We hope you enjoy listening! To sign up for our upcoming
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257: Rest intervals and super sets
Mindful Strength
Welcome to our third solo episode of 2025. Today Kathryn is talking about rest intervals, and why we need them between heavy compound exercises. She also talks about super sets and which exercises you can link together with less rest. We hope these episodes help you understand strength training in more detail and help you become more successful with your training. Episode addition: in this episode Kathryn talks about CNS activation being a main reason why we need rest intervals, but there's more. The energy systems that fuel lifting also need time to recover, and recovery is aided by the...
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256: Why writing down your lifts and training is a game changer
Mindful Strength
Welcome to our second solo episode of 2025! If you have not already listened to episode 255 we suggest you start there. In todays segment Kathryn is talking about the value of writing down your lifts and keeping track of your numbers over the long term. When you write down your lifts you collect valuable data about yourself, your patterns, and you gain a lot of context. If training isn't going well or feeling great, you have a log to look back through which will help you make strategic changes. Tracking your lifts over time also shows gaps in the training, shows where you might...
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255: Which exercises should always be in your program, for your goals
Mindful Strength
Welcome to Kathryn's first solo episode of 2025! In this segment Kathryn talks about the big mistake a lot of people make when it comes to strength training, which is rotating the exercises too frequently. Building strength means repeating the same exercises over long periods of time. There is a lot patience involved with strength training. Kathryn talks about certain exercises she plans to train forever, and how to make those decisions based on your goals. She also talks about how most people underestimate how much they are capable of lifting, what to do when you can lift your goal weight,...
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254 Laurel Beversdorf: Combining lifting with cardiovascular training, and why we recommend you do both!
Mindful Strength
In this episode Kathryn and Laurel talk about how they both got into running and what they have learned about cardiovascular exercise. We want to emphasize that you do not need to begin running, there are many ways to build up your cardio including the bike, rower, elliptical machine. In this episode you will learn why strength training and cardio are the perfect match and why it's essential to have both in your weekly routine. They talk about how adding cardio has changed their lifting routine, their relationship to carbohydrates, and the practical elements of doing varied training...
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253 Deb Benfield: Enjoying food and nourishing yourself in midlife and beyond
Mindful Strength
Today we welcome dietician and body image coach Deb Benfield for a conversation about finding strength and joy in midlife. Deb talks about the main times in many women's lives that their bodies change quickly, puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. She speaks about how these are moments when we are at higher risk for developing disordered eating behaviours as a means to control our naturally changing bodies. Kathryn and Deb also touch on internalized agism, the longevity movement, the importance of strength and nutrition for muscle and bone strength, and our culture's strong emphasis on macro and...
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252 Chantal Lalonde: How much exercise do adults need? Unpacking physical activity guidelines
Mindful Strength
Today we welcome Chantal Lalonde for a conversation about exercise in general. So many people fall into the trap of hyper specialized exercise, correcting movement patterns or setting lofty unattainable goals. In this episode we unpack the physical activity guidelines and how to focus on more consistency and less on doing things perfectly all the time. Learn about the balance of cardiovascular exercise and strength training that are recommended for all adults. Chantal and Kathryn also talk about fitness trackers, mindset around training, and what it's like to be very average, but highly...
info_outlineIn this episode we welcome exercise physiologist Raphael Bender for a conversation about a few popular topics where we often see mixed messages and sometimes even misinformation. If you are a person who loves to learn about how muscles fire, how strength is built, and what current research is saying about certain topics, this is for you!
Kathryn and Raphael talk about how muscles fire and whether or not we need activations in our warm-ups. They also discus the idea of feeling a muscle working and how many people who can't feel muscles working get told they are doing things wrong. They talk about the difference between building muscle and building strength, and why building the strength to lift heavy things is a coordinative skill. They finish the conversation with the topic of pelvic instability, if a pelvis can really be unstable, how this research is conducted and the problems with manual assessment of an area like the S.I. joint.
To listen to Raphael's podcast click here.
To follow Raphael on Instagram click here.
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