These two classic weights are going head-to-head to talk about how dumbbells and kettlebells yield different benefits, what exercises they work best with and how to integrate them into your training.

03:19 dumbbell pros: super accessible, push/pull movements are the name of the game
04:18 popular exercises for dumbells and how to challenge yourself with the equipment
06:08 dumbbells are made for everyone
07:43 how kettlebells are different: design and movement

Related episodes:
Resistance bands: the silent heroes of home gyms
How to Build Sustainable Strength Gains
Eccentric training for strength
Fav gym machines

Weekly update
01:03 Blanche's update
03:58 Esther's update

07:31 How to know if you're ready to plan your own training program
08:40 "A training program is intentional in nature. So you're not just working out."
What are the different training cycles?
09:12 Macro cycle focus: an overview of 6-12 months). Will help align fitness goals and workouts to fit that longer, more sustainable timeframe.
09:53 Meso cycle focus: mini months or training blocks of 4-6 weeks (think pregnancy and each trimester)
11:15 Micro cycle focus: a week-by-week change in training
13:00 As we look at the different training seasons, we break down different focuses and types of training such as strength, endurance, mobility, muscle gain/connection, speed and efficiency to find what fits for us and make sure every movement counts.
14:30 In any program it will usually take at least 3 months to see specific results
20:21 Common splits to help narrow down the focus on those micro cycles. Keep in mind to cover the basic movement patterns: squat, hinge, push, pull, carry
24:44 Questions to ask yourself or include in a training log for your week-to-week training
25:56 Repping the reps: 3-5 reps are designed for strength- or skill-focused rep scheme, 8-12 reps are designed for building muscle mass, 12-20 reps are designed for endurance
28:00 Focusing on RPE and RIR: how to do it and why it helps train body awareness
30:48 Make your season more holistic with a main focus but not solely with a singular exercise.

Related Episodes:
How to Build Sustainable Strength Gains
Workout 101: How to build a workout
Formula for progress

What a fun 2 years it's been! After a needed summer break, Blanche and Esther are back with season 2, a rebrand and a renewed focus for the podcast and the goals we have to serve you even more. This episode is all about catching up, getting to know us a bit more and breaking in a new season of life and the podcast itself. Glad to have you here!
 
2:00 Blanche and Esther remember and recap from where we started to where we are now
12:00 The transition from doing all the things to doing things well
14:11 We are holding the tension and holding the space to serve the postpartum mom in front of us
15:10 Giving you the listener the tools to feel empowered in your process is the goal
16:55 Key principle #1 to remember when listening to our podcast: Load vs. Capacity
18:15 Principle #2 It all connects
18:52 Principles# 3 When to listen to your body and when not to listen to your body
22:01 Principle #4 Minimum effective dose
24:15 Principle #5 Having grace when you've budded but are not yet a flower
28:00 What areas am I allowing myself to grow in and what areas am I allowing myself to bloom?

Related episodes:
Episode 62: Work(out) smarter not harder
Episdoe 50: Taking the distractions out of listening to your body
Episode 49: How to "listen to your body"
Episode 40: Minimize the dose, maximize the results
Episode 38: Nix the "All or Nothing"
Episode 1: Nice to meet you

Blanche and Esther define flexibility and mobility, explain why they're not interchangeable and talk about how to incorporate them into your fitness growth.

Weekly update
01:00 Blanche's update
02:56 Esther's update

07:14 Is there a difference? Short answer: yes
07:45 Definition #1. Flexibility is passive range of motion. Key is external pressure and assistance.
09:09 You will always have more flexibility than mobility
10:04 If you have a lot of flexibility, you have to have a lot of strength to match that flexibility. Helpful to remember when you are double-jointed, hyper flexible, or pregnant. 
12:00 Pregnancy and stretching
12:55 Definition #2. Mobility is active control within that range of motion. Key is you are controlling your movement through internal, not external, assistance.
14:20 What if you lack in flexibility? 
14:55 Mobility work is strength work. 
18:28 Building mobility with CARs, or controlled articular rotations 

21:18 Implementation zone

• Assess your squat or deadlift pattern! 
• If you can’t actively hold where you passively can get, you have low-hanging fruit to work on! Practice bottom of squat holds or tempo rdl’s

23: 27 Get moving: CARs
lower back
neck
scapula (shoulder blades)
shoulder
ankle

26:36 Rooted Strength Updates
Strong(her) Core is available now! Click this link for tools to learn how to have a calm, confident approach to training your core in every season.
Want something geared toward the postpartum body? Peep info on Blanche's The Postpartum (Re)Build Program here. 

We're onto another myth-busting episode, and we're pulling out all the red flags calling out body-back culture. Rather than focusing on shedding the pounds, Blanche and Esther talk about the mindset that lies beneath the desire and give three practical applications for when you feel yourself slipping into an unhealthy relationship with weight loss in the postpartum stage.

Weekly update
01:00 Blanche's update
04:13 Esther's update

Let's chat about tackling the myth of getting your body back postpartum.
09:41 Your body never left you though we may not look the same. 
10:04 We are complex organisms that are meant to change, grow and adapt to the demands placed on in - pregnancy and postpartum included.
11:14 What is associated with wanting that past body? Was is confidence, comfort, a certain sense of familiarity when everything else feels different and new and hard in motherhood?
12:58 Are we focusing on a mindset of takeaway? What would our lives look like if we focused on giving more?
19:00 What is tied to your desire to get back to your former size? Strength, value, fortitude and morality are not tied to your size.
19:40 Body back culture is sometimes just not realistic or attainable

Implementation Zone
22:22 Observe thoughts you have about your postpartum body. Try to focus on simply observing and not having emotions about those thoughts, act like they are data points.
26:00 Take the time to invest in yourself and buy clothes at your new size that promote confidence and fit you well.
28:48 Get curious about where you have let yourself starve for aesthetics or performance

Related Episodes
Episode 64: Fitness fads: Why melting that muffin top doesn't work
Episode 58: Invest in yourself
Episode 51: Pull towards your goals
Episode 49: How to "listen to your body"
Episode 28 Seasons of Strength: Low-impact exercises for postpartum
Episode 15: Core health in postpartum

You're done with the workout, and you're not just tired, you're exhausted. But isn't this how it's supposed to feel? in this episode, Blanche and Esther talk about what happens when we take on too much load and how to break free from the mindset and habits that lead to overtraining/underrecovery.

Weekly update
01:05 Blanche's week
02:48 Karin Nordin's 6-hour syllabus to help coaches create programs
05:36 Esther's week

09:45 Why do we workout? 
11:10 Signs of overtraining
12:47 Three phases of training: overloading, overreaching, overtraining
15:28 Is overreaching necessary for general population? 
18:17 Postpartum/breastfeeding moms can see different cues when overtraining
19:30 Training age and its role on overreaching/overtraining
23:07 In the perinatal season, there are so many things that are out of our control for recovery. But we can focus on moving intentionally when we face these outside stressors. 
25:44 Why do we slip into overtraining/under-recovery seasons
26:08 We don't live our life for fitness. We live our life and fitness serves us. 

27:30 We can say no to ourselves
27:48 We can say no to what others put on you
28:13 What does life look like when we say no to letting fitness rule us and say yes to letting fitness serve us? Balance. 

Applicable tips
30:00 Identify whether you are in a season of overload, overreaching or overtraining

Get Moving
30:51 This week, we'll be sharing some mobility flows on our Instagram page for this week's Get Moving. Be sure to follow us at @BlossomStrongPodcast to follow for more movements and episodes.

Related episodes
Episode 78: How to build sustainable strength gains
Episode 70: Top 3 post-workout recovery practices
Episode 55: Pregnancy mindset: "You're not broken, but also not invincible"
Episode 40: Minimize the dose, maximize the results
 

With each new year, we want to get stronger, but how do we take that goal and make it happen?
Blanche and Esther talk about how to build sustainable strength gains throughout the episode clearly defining where we are, what we can commit to and how to adjust our mentality to perform with grit, growth, gratitude and grace.

01:30 What are sustainable strength gains?
02:50 First off, let's start by knowing where we are
02:57 Goal setting and habit building get a plan in place
04:47 Honest evaluation of output you're capable of committing to - strength abilities, time available, resources and load
08:55 Once you know where you are, you can start to plan out where you are going
09:14 Have a training plan
11:11 Have a timeline
13:37 Switch up the workouts but keep a sustained, consistent effort on target muscle groups
15:51 After knowing where you are and where you want to go, keep in mind and know when to back off
17:16 When you're creating a training plan, plan in rest days
18:21 Plan in active recovery activities
19:32 Establish the difference between strength and strain

Pillars to sustainable strength gains
21:15 Grit: It will be tough but it should not break you
21:48 Growth: Progressive growth rather than relentless effort (building is better than burnout)
22:15 Grace: It won’t be perfect, that’s okay. Give yourself grace in the journey.
22:39 Gratitude: Take time to allow yourself to appreciate the progress made

Applicable tip
23:55 Pick one of those pillars (grit, growth, grace, gratitude) and mull it over this week as you look to build strength in your plan

Get Moving
24:33 The Arnold Press

Related Episodes
Episode 74: Formula for progress when looking to bump up your workout
Episode 70: Top 3 post-workout recovery practices
Episode 69: Eccentric training for strength
Episode 52: 6 steps to practice mastery in a movement
Episode 12: Workout 101 - How to plan a workout