This past weekend I had the pleasure to attend the Realign | Reconnect retreat hosted by James Gardiner (@firstar.therapy). James was a guest on the podcast in episode 13 and I also was a guest on his show, FIRSTAR Let's chAT in Session 81.It was an incredible weekend that I needed to check in with myself and become more of me. I tried to organize my thoughts into 5 main lessons to share through the podcast. In short they are: The power of guilt can help you lean into your strengthsPhysical distraction and finding the signal through the noiseStillness is powerfulThere are answers in the darknessThere is more OF you than you thinkI learned a ton and this weekend was extremely helpful for me. So I figured it only right to share what I took away from it in hopes that it also helps you. If you're not tuned in to what James is doing, you're missing out. Because what he's doing is helping you find more of YOU. You can get in contact on IG or through his website and podcast. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. If you could share this with a friend, that would mean the world to me. 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

Brian Butz (@b.r.butz) is a personal trainer, coach at Onnit, and one of the most genuine, hardworking, and dedicated people I've ever met. From growing up on a farm in Pennsylvania, to joining the military, to working construction, fitness has been the backbone and catalyst to so much of what he's accomplished. Taking fitness seriously is a force for positive change in all aspects of one's life, and the same is true for Brian. This episode goes deep. There is A LOT that goes into being a GREAT coach. Yes you've gotta know your anatomy and physiology, your basic exercise science, sets and reps and programming. But what you can never learn in school, is the art of applying all of that to real people to help them achieve real world goals. Brian lives and breathes coaching, and everything he does is in an effort to improve himself so that he may be the best possible coach he can be. It's a never ending pursuit of mastery that he is committed to. With Brian it's palpable, you can hear it in his voice, and if you ever have the opportunity to train with him or be coached by him, you can feel it in the room. It's not easy to be the best and healthiest version of ourselves. The gym might be the thing that gets us going. Wanting to lose fat and build muscle might be the initial motivator, but very quickly, it becomes way, WAY more than that. PS. the part about IG butts is a hilarious quick story right near the end of the episode. You can follow Brian on IG where his posts are always detailed, informative and entertaining. Be on the lookout for his Back to Basics program releasing early 2022. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. If you could share this with a friend, that would mean the world to me. 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

A former client of mine starting training at a new gym when we both moved to different places. This is the story of how that has progressed.She's an A+ personal training client. Dedicated, punctual, works hard, interested to improve, and an all around awesome person to spend a few hours per week with. I no longer train her, but we still speak all the time.When she started at this new gym, she was told how much "potential" she had. This quickly turned into an aggressive diet and crazy training protocol that turned out to not be what she wanted at all. The longer it went on, she started to push back and was met with resistance. Instead of the trainer accepting that she didn't want to do what he was asking - which was unreasonable and unnecessary - he stood his ground. After several conversations, they finally came around to make an appropriate adjustment to better suit her goals and needs. This was an improvement, yet still problematic as this new plan was just the next step in their client "protocol" regardless of what she needs.In my opinion, none of this is ok. As the client, you know what's best for you. And if your coach is not willing to work with you on that, and only push their ideas on you, then that's not ok.My goal with this episode is to highlight that just because someone knows more about a topic than you, it doesn't make them an expert in YOU. Only you know what's best for you, and YOU have to stand up for that. Ask the questions, demand explanations, and work TOGETHER to reach your goals.I am taking on online training clients to build muscle, lose fat, and work towards using fitness as the foundation to building your best life. We'll work together to understand what you need and are willing and able to do. I did an Instagram Live video here that you can watch for some more details. If you're interested, send me a DM on IG.I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. If you could share this with a friend, that would mean the world to me. 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

Gary Martinez Jr (@gary_martinez_jr) is a speaker, teacher, fitness trainer, author, and father of two children. Through raising his daughter, he has developed skills and techniques for using fitness as a means to help autistic children thrive in school and in life. Gary's daughter was diagnosed with Autism as a young child. Since that time, Gary dove all the way to find the best ways to help her thrive in life. Using his background as a personal trainer he found that exercise, physical activity, play-based activity and overall healthy habits and routines were among some of the best tools to help her. There is a very individual approach needed for each child. Gary spoke about how he approaches training sessions with some children and how he must cater the session that individual child's needs in order for it to be successful. Gary explained how routine and physical activity can be an excellent way to start the day for autistic children. It's a way for them to center themselves and be prepared to handle whatever may come that day. However, there will still be times when children experience meltdowns for any number of reasons. When these events occur, one must work with the child to support them through it. Using the strategies worked on previously to prepare themselves for the day often works, but must be catered to the situation. Gary tells an incredible story of a meltdown his daughter had in a public park and how he used exercise coupled with the use of imagination of some her favourite movie characters to help her through it. There are many people in the world who fall on the autism spectrum, and they need to be supported. Exercise is one such tool that can be useful to help children thrive in school and in life. If you or someone you know is living with someone with autism, this episode and Gary's resources would be an excellent place to find more help. You can find Gary's book, "Living Life Through Their Eyes, Our Journey Together On The Autism Spectrum" on Amazon. You can also find Gary on his website: https://www.autismstar.net/, Youtube, IG, TikTok and Facebook. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. If you could share this with a friend, that would mean the world to me. 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. Kyle Kotchie (@itsdockyle) is a chiropractor and the Owner of Re+Active Sports Medicine (https://www.reactivesportsmedicine.ca/) in Toronto, Canada. Prior to becoming a chiropractor, Kyle was a D1 baseball player and also represented team Canada. His athletic background and personal experience with sports injuries have shaped the way he treats and cares for patients, taking a very active and goal oriented approach to wellness. In the episode we spoke a great deal about prioritizing one's health. There are always reasons why we can't exercise or eat healthy, but in most cases we can do a better job if we make it more of a priority. Kyle spoke about how we can also be very flexible with this. There's no one right way to exercise, and you may not enjoy certain activities. But if you continue to try new activities, eventually you'll find something you enjoy to do. Whether that be lifting weights, swimming, dancing, yoga, or anything else you can think of - there is something out there for you to enjoy and stay active. Kyle also outline his treatment process and discussed his active approach to care. He works with patients to help them move better and return from injury better off than before. Reduce pain, restore function, and then improve physical ability. This goes hand-in-hand with his 7 pillars of health approach. The 7 pillars include: education, manual therapy, optimal nutrition, hydration, sleep hygiene, progressive overload and strengthening, and breathwork. Kyle treats patients from all walks of life along with his multi-disciplinary team at Re+Active Sports Medicine. The clinic is located in East York, Toronto. Check out the clinic website for more information and to book an appointment. You can also connect with Kyle on IG, where he's also very active and engaging. If you’re looking for more guidance or coaching for yourself and you’re not sure where to begin, I’d love to work with you and be your coach to help you achieve whatever fitness goals you have set for yourself. Contact me on Instagram or Twitter to get started. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. If you could share this with a friend, that would mean the world to me. 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

Lauren Benbasset (@lauren.benbasset) and Elise Tresley (@elisetresley) are the co-founders of Realm Foods (@realmfoods). Realm is a ready-to-go nutrient rich smoothie blend made with all natural fruits, veggies, nuts, and plant protein. There are no preservatives and no nonsense in the blend as all ingredients are freeze-dried and crushed to maintain maximal freshness and nutrient density.Lauren and Elise were busy professionals working in New York City. Constantly on the go with work and personal life, they were looking for quick meals they could take on the go - but they didn't want to be slugging back shakes with ingredients they couldn't pronounce. They couldn't find a product that had top notch healthy ingredients, convenient, and tasted good. And so, Realm was born.They shared the story in greater detail as how Realm was created out of necessity, which really is probably the best reason to create any product. It wasn't easy to get it to a point that was up to their standards, but after many trials and mixtures they finally found the winning formula.We spoke about this at length, as well as the industry of meal replacements as a whole. We also spoke about what the future of the industry might be, as well as the future of Realm. Their product will continue to improve and evolve over time as well, just like any good product should!On that note, Lauren and Elise so graciously unveiled the plans for the next iteration of Realm products in the episode, which I'm very excited for! And just for you, you can use code DANIEL20 at checkout on realmfoods.com to save 20% and try out their current and upcoming products! Realm is currently available in 3 flavours: Tropical Greens, Berry Fresh, and Bold Cacao. You can also pick up the starter pack to get all three, and then choose your favourite!If you’re looking for more guidance or coaching for yourself and you’re not sure where to begin, I’d love to work with you and be your coach to help you achieve whatever fitness goals you have set for yourself. Contact me on Instagram or Twitter to get started. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. If you could share this with a friend, that would mean the world to me. 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

Elsie Sieberg (@elsie_sieberg) is an online fitness coach and friend of mine currently living in Florida. She's been through all the same trials and tribulations as you and I trying to sort out the mess of fitness and nutrition, and now she's coaching others to find the balance and improve their fitness and health. Elsie commonly uses what's known as a reverse diet with her clients. in the episode we spoke about what that is, how it works, and who should use it. It's an excellent way to combat chronic undereating and repair one's relationship with food. Like any nutritional protocol though, it has to be right for YOU and Elsie is also a big proponent of individualizing your fitness and health routine to fit your life. Another big topic we tackled is the ever-powerful myth that women will get "bulky" if they start lifting weights. We know this to not be true, but at times it can still be difficult to wrap our heads around it. Elsie spoke about her personal struggles combating these ideas, how she got over it and how she coaches her current clients to overcome it as well. Along those lines, lifting and getting in shape makes you feel powerful. Physically, yes. But also in every other aspect of your life. And this is really where the magic lies. Getting in the gym is not about being the smallest you can be, or the biggest you can be. It's about being the best version of yourself. And grinding through physical training is a n excellent way to unlock this. If you have further questions for Elsie on anything in this episode, or would like to hire her as a coach, you can connect with her on IG. And look out for her upcoming podcast! If you’re looking for more guidance or coaching for yourself and you’re not sure where to begin, I’d love to work with you and be your coach to help you achieve whatever fitness goals you have set for yourself. Contact me on Instagram or Twitter to get started. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. If you could share this with a friend, that would mean the world to me. 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

Susan Niebergall (@susanniebergallfitness) is a coach, author, podcaster, and an incredibly kind and intelligent human being. Susan has a book titled Fit At Any Age, her podcast is called Strong and Lean at Any Age and along with Jordan Syatt, she coaches their Inner Circle members to get in the best shape of their life.We spoke about why anyone at any age or stage of life should continue to exercise and pursue fitness goals. This also goes hand in hand with wanting to improve all other aspects of your life. It doesn’t serve anyone to simply stop growing.Many of our gym environments have changed over the course of the past two years and Susan’s is no different. Her primary gym is closing and now she’s navigating finding a new gym “home”. So we spoke about how to go about this in order to get comfortable in the new space and with the new people. It’s also important to note that as “fitness people” we still experience the same discomforts with new gym environments.Susan is a huge proponent of performance based goals. Meaning, instead of chasing “fat loss” in the gym, you should be chasing an actual gym goal – like Susan’s current goal of being able to row the 100lb dumbbell. Performance goals put everything in a positive frame of mind and allow you to actually pursue something, rather than focusing on something negative – “losing” fat – which is better accomplished by your outside-of-the-gym behaviour anyways.This was a wildly enjoyable conversation for me and one of my favourite conversations on the podcast to date, and I’m sure there will be many great lessons you can take from this episode.Once again, you can connect with Susan on IG, on her website, read her book, listen to her podcast, and learn more about the Inner Circle. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. If you could share this with a friend, that would mean the world to me. 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

Another solo episode recapping my recent trip to Austin, Texas. I spent 5 days in Austin and it was an INCREDIBLE time and so I figured I needed to speak about and share it, as I do. I spent most of the week hanging out at Onnit and meeting and connecting with people there. The rest of the time was spent exploring the city of Austin and letting pinball machine do it's work, as well as getting into the best BBQ ever and tons of delicious food. I loved Austin and will certainly be back to visit, and maybe even try to spend an extended period of time there. Overall lesson and message from the trip: go do the things that you want to do in your life, stop waiting or making excuses. Also, opening up spots for online coaching that I decided mid recording to add in there, so excuse my rambling... but send me a DM on IG with the word "AUSTIN" so I know you listened to this, and let's get it going. Fitness, nutrition, lifestyle, habits, LIFE: I'm your guy. Love ya!I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. If you could share this with a friend, that would mean the world to me. 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

Andrew Coates (@AndrewCoatesFitness) is a personal trainer, podcaster, writer and now speaker from Edmonton, Alberta. He’s one of the most genuine people I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to and interacting with in the online fitness world to date. He is the host of his own podcast, The Lift Free and Diet Hard Podcast and is a regular contributor to notable fitness websites such as T-Nation, TruCoach the PTDC, Generation Iron and others. Andrew has had significant, organic growth on social media over the past 2 years and is leaving behind a roadmap for others to follow. The secret? Create relatable, shareable and high quality content, and have genuine interactions with followers and colleagues. No gimmicks and tricks… surprise, surprise.  We spoke a great deal about the importance of getting off the sidelines. Meaning, your duty to contribute to creating good content and spreading good messaging in a time and place where there is so much nonsense out there. It’s one thing to complain about the “influencers”, but if you’re not stepping into the arena, you’re not helping to solve anything. In fitness, and any other industry the “good guys” have a duty to maintain the integrity and contribute good work. Andrew and I spent most of the episode speaking on the business and behind the scenes end of things in the fitness industry, but as usual these are all translatable to your physical fitness, your life outside of the gym, and any other industry you might work in. You can connect with Andrew on Instagram, check out his podcast, view his upcoming seminars and speaking engagements as well as view his writing and publications on his website here. I would greatly appreciate any comments, questions or feedback. If you could share this with a friend, that would mean the world to me. 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