Alena Luciani (@Training2XL) is Strength and Conditioning Coach and educator who works with both athletes in sport, and athletes in life. She played both basketball and lacrosse at Laurier University before progressing into her coaching career, where she has worked with athletes of all sports and all levels. She is also focused on elevating the field of strength and conditioning through her Cueing and Programming clinics for trainers and coaches, which you can find at https://www.training2xl.com/. Coaching is about so much more than barking instructions, writing down exercises, and counting sets and reps – It’s about connecting with people. This is perhaps the least taught, yet most important skill to learn as a coach. Alena learned this through watching her father coach football and connecting with his players on an individual level, as well as learning about body language and human behaviour with her mother. She utilizes this knowledge in her own coaching, as well as passing it along to other coaches. Anyone who seriously played sports knows that it’s difficult to lose your “athlete identity” and find out who you are outside of sport. Similarly, it’s difficult to find your own identity as a coach without simply copying what’s always been done. Alena and I spoke at length about her own journey through this and how it would apply to anyone in any field. We are more than our titles, we are who we are. Alena also has a fantastic system in place to optimize working at home and utilizing her environment to her advantage rather than it being a downfall. From creating separate spaces to the clothes you wear and the routines or habits you follow, you must master your environment. Alena works with people of all walks of life locally in Toronto and the GTA, as well as virtually with humans all over. If you’re a coach, you should definitely check out her Cueing & Programming Clinic. To get in touch and learn more about what she does, check out her website https://www.training2xl.com/ and follow her on IG. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! If you enjoy this podcast, I would be extremely grateful if you subscribed and left a short review on iTunes or rating on Spotify.  It really helps to spread the message and ultimately help more people.  Connect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on Twitter @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

In 2018 Mike Dougherty along with his brother Doug and their mother Suzy started Wild Meadows Farm (@wildmeadowsfarm_ontario). Wild Meadows Farm uses regenerative farming practices to raise beef, pork and chicken using no hormones, antibiotics or GMOs. The farm is located in Conn, Ontario. Regenerative farming is a term that applies to the methods of farming. It involves raising the animals in such a way that would most closely resemble their wild selves. Typically, regenerative refers to the actual land – where the animals are rotated in such a way that allows the land to recover and prosper over time, as opposed to being depleted. However, regenerative also refers to regeneration of the animals allowing them to live better lives, regeneration of those who later eat these animals, regeneration of local economies and a host of widespread benefits. Regenerative farming helps everyone. It’s no secret that there are some issues with our food supply. Grocery stores are filled with more “food products” than actual food. And of that actual food, do we really have any idea what’s in it, and what it’s doing to us? We don’t and we can’t. But simple logic suggests that a healthier animal will produce healthier food. Healthier food produces healthier people, and this is important. Using food to heal us, or to thrive in life is vitally important to each of us. We also talked about the convenience of a modern society, and how most of us are so completely disconnected from our food. Do you have any idea how that fast food order made it to your house? Probably not. With local regenerative farms, you can learn about the process of where food comes from, and how it’s made – to build a relationship with the food, and the farmers who raise it. Wild Meadows Farm also works with several other local farms to deliver all kinds of naturally grown and locally produced products. The farm is located in Conn, Ontario, and is open for you to visit by getting in touch with them. The also deliver to most of Southern Ontario. You can see all Wild Meadows Farm has to offer on their website: https://wildmeadowsfarm.ca/ and follow them on IG as well. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! If you enjoy this podcast, I would be extremely grateful if you subscribed and left a short review on iTunes or rating on Spotify.  It really helps to spread the message and ultimately help more people.  Connect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on Twitter @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Calvin Huynh (@awesomefitnessscience) is a trainer, online fitness and nutrition coach, and writer. He shares in-depth information in a way that is digestible for everyone to read, comprehend and implement on many fitness websites, but his best work is on his own site, https://awesomefitnessscience.com/. Calvin is currently going through a “bulking” phase, where he is working towards building muscle. Bulking is essentially a term used to describe a period of time where one is eating in a caloric surplus, and training in such a way that they will “bulk up” and gain muscle, and a little fat as well. We spoke all about why this would be necessary, who should use it, and the different ways to approach it. We also discussed some different methods of fat loss as well. Typically after a bulk, a person will then start to “cut”. Meaning they are dropping all the excess fat they gained, in order to be leaner, while maintaining all of their new muscle tissue. Naturally, there are several ways to go about this, and the best method is the one that is the best for YOU the individual; there is no one-size-fits-all approach. We discussed some of the different methods and their applications. Finally, we touched on the concept of reverse diets. A reverse diet is something that one might use after a period of dieting in order to eat their way back up to maintenance, in an effort to avoid excess fat gain. While we both agree that it’s not necessary, we discuss some scenarios where it may be useful. Be sure to follow Calvin on IG, YouTube, and TikTok (soon). Most importantly, check out his information on his website, https://awesomefitnessscience.com/ and join his free email list. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! If you enjoy this podcast, I would be extremely grateful if you subscribed and left a short review on iTunes or rating on Spotify.  It really helps to spread the message and ultimately help more people.  Connect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on Twitter @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Can someone please give me some credit for that pun in the title? Come on!!!! Anyways... Episode 49 was about the results of my 6 months of bulking, and so now as I start to cut and lose all the excess body fat I want to take you along with me. This episode is what I will be doing. I want to be very clear with this. Nothing that I am doing is necessarily the only way, the right way, or the best way to do it FOR YOU. Only you know what the best way is for yourself. The goal of this episode is to explain how I'm doing things, why I'm doing things, and take you along with me. I also explained how I would change things for someone else, and how I would change my plan if my circumstances were different. So I hope that you can learn from what I'm doing and find a way to think about what might work best for you and apply it. Not to simply copy me. Because you are not me, and I am not you. If you're looking for coaching, or advice of any kind, I would love to work with you and help you through this process. Part of the value of a coach is figuring out the details for you, and presenting options that you may not have thought of. If you're interested in working together, please send me a message on IG or Twitter. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! If you enjoy this podcast, I would be extremely grateful if you subscribed and left a short review on iTunes or rating on Spotify.  It really helps to spread the message and ultimately help more people.  Connect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on Twitter @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Matthew Bousson (@boussytheboss) is a great friend and mentor of mine newly relocated to San Diego California. He’s accomplished nearly all there is as far as S&C coaching in high level sports having worked with athletes in the UFC, NFL, pro rugby and NCAA. He is also a legit scientist at one point working towards a PhD. We previously recorded an episode last year that has some more background on Coach Boss, which you can find here: Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts.Matt is now moving on from full time coaching and beginning to work towards a career in architecture. And at the same time, he’s working on #ProjectHeros. The Project Heros mission is to raise funds and awareness for various charities and organizations dedicated to improving health & wellness and to inspire millions around the world to live healthier lifestyles along the way. Matt will be training to compete in the GODZone adventure race in New Zealand in 2023. All the while displaying his own training to get there, and going from being an “off-the-couch ZERO, to an Adventure Athlete HERO” in 12 months. Never being able to totally leave fitness and health in the past, Matt hopes to find ways to use architecture to improve health and wellbeing. Whether it be the way cities are designed, buildings are constructed, or whatever the case may be, he’s looking to make an impact on health using architecture. Throughout the episode we also spoke about some of the behind-the-scenes stuff – both good and bad – related to the world of professional sport and fitness, as well as some insights into the way scientific research is conducted. Many of these things led Matt to deciding to drop his PhD research, and I think you’ll find some of the reasons why rather surprising. To keep up with everything Matthew Bousson has going on, follow him on IG. To check out more details, get involved, and donate to Project Heros, you can check out the website here. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! If you enjoy this podcast, I would be extremely grateful if you subscribed and left a short review on iTunes or rating on Spotify.  It really helps to spread the message and ultimately help more people.  Connect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on Twitter @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Fitness and health goals are always among the most popular of New Years Resolutions. I personally think it's an amazing thing and always will be an advocate to make positive changes. If the New Year is the motivation you need to kick things off, then by all means I'm here for it. However, it's tough to stick to these changes. In my experience, it's often because of the way we approach the goals. They are more like dreams, rather than things we can actually achieve. "I want to get healthy" sounds awesome, but what does that mean? In this episode I went into detail as to how I'd advise you to think about your fitness goals in a way that is most conducive to you being successful. It's not easy, but with some smart planning and thinking it can certainly be done! If you'd like to work with me in 2022 on reaching your fitness goals, please send me a message on Instagram and we'll have a conversation on how we can work together. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! If you enjoy this podcast, I would be extremely grateful if you subscribed and left a short review on iTunes. It really helps to spread the message and ultimately help more people.  Connect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on Twitter @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Time really does fly by, and it's a little crazy to think this podcast is already 50 episodes deep. I'll spare you the cushy feelings here because I'm sure there's enough of it in the episode... but keep reading to the end of this description for a small surprise. The first half or so of this video is me giving out some much deserved thank you's as well as sharing some behind the scenes stuff of the podcasting world and how this all works. I always enjoy taking you on the ride with me, and I always wondered these things before I started. The second half of the episode I summarized the 5 most important and consistent lessons I've learned thus far from all of the guests. Surprisingly or not, many of the conversations have arrived at similar conclusions but all from different angles. Which in my opinion is the most amazing part of it. These lessons all pertain to fitness and health in some way or life overall, and if I found them valuable I thought you might as well.SPECIAL OFFER: this podcast will be published on December 29th. For one week, ending January 5th, 2022, anyone who listens to this podcast and has read this description will receive 1 FREE month of 1 on 1 online coaching. Send me a DM on Instagram (@danielyores) or Twitter (@danielyores) saying "FREE MONTH" so I know you read this and qualify. No tricks or gimmicks, open to anyone in the world as long as you message me before January 5th. Thank you for being here, I very much appreciate you.I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! If you enjoy this podcast, I would be extremely grateful if you subscribed and left a short review on iTunes. It really helps to spread the message and ultimately help more people.  Connect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on Twitter @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

If you're not following me on Instagram you should be @danielyores where I've been documenting more of my training and eating and everything to be in bulking mode over the past 6 months. Now that it's over, I wanted to record this podcast to go over why I did it, how I did it, what the results were, what I'd change, how I'd advise others to do it, and what's coming up next as far as my own training goals. I mentioned it several times throughout this episode but it bears repeating: what I did worked for ME. It is by no means the best or most perfect or most applicable way to do it. The purpose of sharing what I did is to spark some ideas in your head, maybe allow you to consider some things you may have not thought about, and then use all of that to start to formulate your own plan.It's been a really fun and successful 6 months of training, and I'm ready for the next phase. Also, as mentioned towards the end... opening up more 1 on 1 online personal training spots for January. Send me a DM on IG or Twitter if you'd like to work together on your personal fitness goals.I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! If you enjoy this podcast, I would be extremely grateful if you subscribed and left a short review on iTunes. It really helps to spread the message and ultimately help more people.  Connect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on Twitter @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Dr. Cathy Tran (@drcathyyy) is a chiropractor and a wonderful person. She treats patients at Eikonic Health + Wellness in Vaughan, Ontario. As we spoke about in the podcast, Dr. Cathy LOVES being a chiro, but she also loves to be herself and enjoy all that life has to offer; spreading smiles along the way! This conversation is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. I certainly was smiling throughout the entire conversation. Cathy has an incredible outlook on life, and this translates directly into how she cares for her patients. She cares deeply about the whole individual; not just their immediate physical pain. This is something that cannot be faked, and can only be genuine. We spoke a lot about how connected our mental and physical health is. They both feed each other, and we must take steps to work on all aspects of this. Whether it’s going for a walk, going shopping, or making a stranger smile, there are wonderful things we can do to help ourselves and each other. Cathy says she loves her life and that it’s perfect. This is not to say that she doesn’t have her troubles, but more so to highlight how she perceives everything around her. Up to and including the privilege of being a chiropractor where people trust her with their care. This whole sentiment was sprinkled throughout the conversation. We are all multifaceted human beings. We are not our jobs, or our pain, or any one thing. And the best part is, there’s only one of YOU. Dr. Cathy says (via Dr Seuss) that nobody is “you-er than you”! We should all strive to be the you-est you that you can be! Follow Dr. Cathy Tran on IG (where she shares tons of amazing food) and contact Eikonic Health + Wellness to book an appointment for any chiropractic care. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! If you enjoy this podcast, I would be extremely grateful if you subscribed and left a short review on iTunes. It really helps to spread the message and ultimately help more people.  Connect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on Twitter @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Inam Saleem is the founder of Inner Mettle. Inner Mettle is an apparel company that aims to create products that provide superior functional benefits, while considering the socio-economic and environmental implications. You’ve probably never thought about the materials used to make our clothes, and the impacts they have on our personal health, as well as the health of the planet. Well, Inam and Inner Mettle have, and they’re set out to improve the way we use these products.  I was first introduced to Inam to discuss OS-1 as well as the Inner Mettle Earth Connect shoe. Two extremely exciting projects that we discussed throughout the episode. OS-1 hasn’t made it’s way to Canada yet, but it will soon enough. I’ve been wearing the Earth Connect shoe for many months now and I find them fantastic both as simple shoes, as well as a way to experience the benefits of earthing when going barefoot is not an option. Inam has lived all over the world, and as you might assume has learned many lessons about different cultures and ways of life. He’s also had a wide range of life experiences from running a marathon barefoot, to visiting Mount Everest, to building multiple companies. All of this lived experience has led to the creation of Inner Mettle.  There is a lot to unpack in this episode as we covered quite a bit of a ground very quickly. Definitely worth a second listen! You can check out Inner Mettle on their website, on IG as well as follow along with the developments of OS-1.I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! If you enjoy this podcast, I would be extremely grateful if you subscribed and left a short review on iTunes. It really helps to spread the message and ultimately help more people.  Connect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on Twitter @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss