Training Women

Join Nardia Norman and Olivia Park, two seasoned fitness experts with over 40 years of combined experience, as they dive deep into the world of women's training, health, and performance. On the Training Women podcast, we blend practical knowledge, empathy, and a touch of Kiwi humour to provide actionable insights and strategies for trainers, coaches, and athletes alike.

052 | Exploring the Exercise Gender Gap 12/16/2024

052 | Exploring the Exercise Gender Gap Can lipstick and scrunchies really transform your mood? We think so, which is why we smack on some pre-show lippie to get us in the right headspace to jam - especially for conversations like today. In this episode, we tackle a big topic and shed light on a pressing issue: the exercise gender gap. Inspired by a New York Times article, we grapple with the societal pressures that nudge women to put others first, often at the expense of their health. Balancing self-care and societal expectations is a tightrope walk for many women, especially mothers. We unpack the weight of "mum guilt" and the notion of self-sacrifice. Through personal stories, we highlight the need for parents to model self-care. It's about fostering environments where asking for one's needs isn't met with judgement but with understanding, ensuring a holistic approach to family well-being. Communication is the lifeline of any relationship, and we explore the courage it takes to express personal needs and boundaries. Juggling responsibilities without losing oneself requires a delicate balance, and we share insights on maintaining fitness routines amidst life's chaos. Tune in for a candid conversation that challenges perceptions and equips you with strategies to achieve personal health goals while nurturing healthier relationships. ****** ⚡ The Training Women podcast by Nardia Norman and Olivia Park is where we jam on women's training, health and performance. With a combined experience of over 40 years in the fitness space, hundreds of humans trained and programs written, we bring a mix of applied knowledge, compassion and good ol' Kiwi (and Mum) humour. After each show, you'll walk away with a new insight, perspective, tip or strategy to help you feel, be and do better as a trainer, coach or athlete. Be sure to and leave an encouraging message on Apple podcasts so other smart coaches and fitness bunnies can be in the know. Comments and questions can be sent to [email protected], and you can also . /episode/index/show/fitnesslegitness/id/34461975

051 | When Other Health Professionals Need To Stay Out Of Our Lane 11/13/2024

051 | When Other Health Professionals Need To Stay Out Of Our Lane Welcome to the Training Women podcast, where today we lovingly tear down a specific midlife strength training protocol for women being recommended by a popular OBGYN. We love seeing the vast amount of education coming out from respective professionals, whose intention is to improve the health of midlife women. But what happens when they drift out of their lane and into ours and start spruiking exercise prescriptions like a 4 x 4 (4 x sets x 4 reps) protocol? We’re all aware of the message ‘Lift Heavy Shit’ and now do ‘4 x 4’, but simply following overly simplistic strength training advice like this can be ineffective or even unsafe without crucial context and individualisation. Instead, we emphasise the need for a balanced, progressive approach that cycles through different training phases, gradually building movement patterns, volume, and intensity before attempting heavy low-rep training. Working at high intensities demands proper preparation to allow continued progression, prevent plateaus, and mitigate injury risk. Tune in as we unpack this whole shenanigan. *Note: We drop an F Bomb right at the start so get the ear muffs ready for little ears **************** ⚡ The Training Women podcast by Nardia Norman is where we jam on women's training, health and performance. It's a mix tape of solo episodes where I go #bts on my own health and training, collaboration episodes with Olivia Park, and conversations with other experts/epic women. After each show, you'll walk away with a new insight, perspective, tip or strategy to help you feel, be and do better as a coach or athlete. Be sure to and leave an encouraging message on Apple podcasts so other smart coaches and fitness bunnies can be in the know. Comments and questions can be sent to [email protected], and you can also . 👉 Ready to grow an online female-focused education business but don't know where to start? Here’s how > 🖥️ /episode/index/show/fitnesslegitness/id/33920937

050 | Nutrition and Training Insights from A Competitive Masters Hockey Athlete 10/02/2024

049 | Menstrual Health, Motherhood and Post Partum Training Done Different 09/23/2024

048 | The Modern Approach To Women’s Health and Performance 09/05/2024

048 | The Modern Approach To Women’s Health and Performance One of the good things to come out of those crazy Covid times is that people are now more conscious of their mental health, and health in general than before. This means our clients are more sophisticated and want to go beyond the typical ‘focus on aesthetic’ goals that monopolised our industry for decades. Women clients demand better services and want a holistic approach to their health and well-being. And with so much advice readily available for women it’s up to us trainers to help them a) discern the helpful information from disinformation, and b) create programs that consider their whole being. That’s why inside my Female Health + Performance certification I created an easy-to-understand model for FitPros to teach their clients, and for clients to learn how to connect the dots between their lifestyle choices and their results. It’s called the Hierarchy of Healthy Results model, and in this episode, I briefly go over each step, and why it’s important. Whether you are a fitness enthusiast or a veteran of the industry, this model will help you take a 360-degree approach to your health and ultimately performance. Happy Listening ******* ⚡ The Training Women podcast by Nardia Norman is where I talk about women's training, health and performance. It's a mix tape of solo episodes where I go #bts on my own health and training, collaboration episodes with Olivia Park, and conversations with other experts/epic women. After each show, you'll walk away with a new insight, perspective, tip or strategy to help you feel, be and do better. Be sure to and leave an encouraging message on Apple podcasts so other smart coaches can be in the know. Comments and questions can be sent to [email protected], and you can also . 👉 Ready to grow an online female-focused education business? Here’s how > 🖥️ /episode/index/show/fitnesslegitness/id/32905707

047 | The Unhinged Era 08/21/2024

046 | Decoding Pelvic Pain and Hypermobility in Women 06/21/2023

045 | How To Create A Recognisable and Memorable Fitness Brand 05/12/2023

044 | Should You Hire Your Own Personal Trainer If You're A Trainer? 09/08/2022

043 | Your Competitive Advantage 08/17/2022

042 | Don't Quit If You're Tired - The World Needs You 08/11/2022

041 | Why Clients Need An Aerobic Base 07/14/2022

041 | Why Clients Need An Aerobic Base Both Olivia and I have noticed a problem that's been popping up in the fitness industry, more so of late. And that is the issue of injecting women into workouts or training programs that include high-intensity interval training, or high-intensity resistance training, without a foundation of aerobic fitness. We see it all the time. While the responsibility falls on the trainer, part of this can also be blamed on the way the fitness industry has set up expectations. Many clients enter our training partnership with the preconceived idea that the trainer's (Gym) job is to make them sweaty, exhausted and feel 'as if they've done something hard'. The trainer then feels pressure to meet this expectation out of fear of losing the client if they don't give them what they want and expect. It's a vicious cycle that keeps both the client and trainer stuck in an inefficient (and potentially harmful) way of being. It's a lose-lose situation. When a fitness professional keeps prescribing high-intensity activity without first establishing a solid foundation of movement and capacity, it limits the client's potential. This is why both of us put a lot of attention on building a solid base of aerobic conditioning when building out programs (regardless of the goal). Tune in to hear us talk about: 1. Why skipping aerobic conditioning is problematic 2. Our definition of aerobic conditioning 3. The big difference between developing fitness and just 'doing' fitness 4. How to build this into your programming It's juicy so get ready to take notes!! *** Subscribe + Review iTunes Are you subscribed? If not, I encourage you to do that today so you never miss an episode. And, if you're feeling the love please leave me a review. These reviews help others to find this podcast which means, together, we can help a lot more female fitness peeps! Comments and questions can be sent to and you can also DM at my page. Join our Page too. /episode/index/show/fitnesslegitness/id/23739386

040 | The Secret To Understanding Why Someone Will Pay You 07/01/2022

039 | You Get To Change Your Mind In Your Business 06/21/2022

038 | Be Thankful For Your Social Media Following 03/19/2022

037 | How To Feel More Legitimate In The Fitness Industry 03/02/2022

037 | How To Feel More Legitimate In The Fitness Industry A new year is typically a time for new ideas, enthusiasm and motivation. However, my observations of late have led me to believe that many (many) women in fitness have started the year feeling the opposite. That is, they are tired, overwhelmed, unsure of what direction to take their business, and are on the verge of quitting. I don't blame them, and if this is also feeling familiar to you, then know you aren't alone. The past 2 years of C-Fkery have taken a toll. Businesses, relationships, finances, physical and emotional health have all taken a hit. From what I've observed people are operating from a depleted cup. The physical and emotional depletion that I've witnessed leads to feelings of fear, anger, confusion and uncertainty. And, that state my friend, is a freaking hard place to be. The question I keep getting asked is 'how can I hold space for my clients, and be their cheerleader, guide and support person when I'm drowning on the inside?' Sound familiar? I can totally resonate with this, which is why in today's episode the conversation is around how to feel more legitimate in your business and the fitness space (even if you don't right now). I share 5 ways you can start to be and feel more legitimate. Three of these are practical, tactical action steps that you can do right now, and two are mindset based. If you need a boost of inspiration, motivation or any sort of 'tion' word then this is the show for you. Remember, your business your rules, so get at it. Enjoy **** Subscribe + Review in iTunes Are you subscribed? If not, I encourage you to do that today so you never miss an episode. And, if you're feeling the love please leave me a review. These reviews help others to find this podcast which means, together, we can help a lot more female fitness peeps! Comments and questions can be sent to and you can also DM at my page. Join our Page too. /episode/index/show/fitnesslegitness/id/22108664

036 | Setting Business Intentions for 2022 02/12/2022

036 | Setting Business Intentions for 2022 Goals are great, and I still set them each year but once I've set them I only tend to revisit them during my scheduled review times. This is a big shift for this notorious goal-driven woman. In the past, I would set lofty goals then go out and chase them down. Often at the expense of other things. I just wanted to achieve the goal. Unfortunately once I achieved the goal, it felt empty. I was quick to dismiss it and move on to the next big thing (if you're a Type A personality this probably resonates big time). It got to the point where my goal setting become transactional and quite frankly boring. After months of having a goal to 'not set goals' and digging deep into why the hell I thought this way, I realised that my approach needed to change. Through my daily mindset work and following my mindset bae BB (Brendon Burchard) I realised that setting intentions was a better fit. To me the word 'intention' invites more emotion, connection, and flexibility. It just seems less rigid and formulaic than goal setting. For the past 3 years, I have focussed on setting Intentions. I set yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily intentions. Yes, I know this may sound like a lot, but it's not. Often my intentions are single words or a sentence that describes how I want to feel or behave. I jot them down in my journal and check in with them regularly. All of this leads to today's podcast. The first episode for Season 3 and the year - Setting Business Intentions for 2022. In today's session, I share with you the top 3 intentions I have set for the year (and they will be a struggle!). I'm truly putting myself on the hook by publicly sharing these intentions. Tune in if you're interested to hear what I'm going to be focussing on this year, and to follow my journey as I figure it out (hopefully it doesn't become a trainwreck). This will also be helpful to you if you feel like you waste time on social media, aren't being productive and are not sure what kind of content to be putting out this year. I share a pretty awesome concept that you may want to implement. ****** Subscribe + Review in iTunes Are you subscribed? If not, I encourage you to do that today so you never miss an episode. And, if you're feeling the love please leave me a review. These reviews help others to find this podcast which means, together, we can help a lot more female fitness peeps! Comments and questions can be sent to [email protected] and you can also DM at my page. Join our Tribe Page too. /episode/index/show/fitnesslegitness/id/22108343