The Daniel Yores Podcast

I turned 30 over the weekend! Getting old, or just getting started? All a matter of perspective… I sat down to reflect, as one does, and came up with a list of 30 things I’ve learned related to fitness and beyond. The entire premise of this podcast is that fitness lessons are synonymous with life lessons, and this episode is a great embodiment of that. As I go through each of them, they are all interrelated and relevant in the gym, and in many areas of life. It’s a great exercise to reflect on things you’ve learned and even better to then share them with others. That’s what it’s all about. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. The best way to support the podcast is to share the episode with a friend. You can support yourself and the podcast by applying for 1:1 online coaching here. Grab my FREE Protein Cheat Sheet here. Join 1000’s of others in receiving the best fitness tips, tools and tactics for free via the Sunday Meal Prep newsletter. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! Comments, questions, and feedback are greatly appreciated. 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.  Website danielyores.comConnect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on X @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Semaj Hunter (@semajhunterfitness) is an online fitness & nutrition coach, father, family man, and a person who genuinely loves helping others. He mainly works with general population clients and bases his coaching on sustainability, and finding the right solution for each individual. *we had some slight connection issues during recording causing some lag, so if you notice some strange pauses, that’s what happened* Semaj is a thinker. It’s very obvious that he’s been a coach for a long time and helped so many people because he has such a broad perspective, yet is also able to distill concepts down to their simplest forms. Which is actually a great reflection of the central theme of this conversation: decisions. Every day we are faced with hundreds or thousands of decisions. Each one moving us slightly further or closer to our goals. But every decision has pros and cons, and every decision that moves us further from our goals, isn’t necessarily a bad thing - and in the long run may even be the thing that moves us closer. Semaj and I speak at length about how to evaluate information and options in order to make smart choices. Choices that aren’t always easy or obvious. But choices that you’ll look back on and be thankful for. I really believe you’ll want to listen to this episode several times, and keep it saved to revisit as needed. Semaj is a phenomenal coach, and an amazing person to learn from. To keep up with Semaj, follow him on IG, and visit his website. The best way to support the podcast is to share the episode with a friend. You can support yourself and the podcast by applying for 1:1 online coaching here. Grab my FREE Protein Cheat Sheet here. Join 1000’s of others in receiving the best fitness tips, tools and tactics for free via the Sunday Meal Prep newsletter. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! Comments, questions, and feedback are greatly appreciated. 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.  Website danielyores.comConnect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on X @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Patrick DiBello (@patrickdibellofitness) is an online fitness coach and hybrid athlete. He’s learned from and trained under some of the absolute best coaches in the world and has since been giving it back to everyone who wants to build strength, endurance and mobility while living a healthy lifestyle. A hybrid athlete is certainly a bit of a recent buzzword, but it refers to a person who is training to be very strong in the gym, and also have elite levels of endurance. Two things that are typically separated - you’re either a strong dude, or run marathons, but not both. Patrick does both. We spoke a lot about how he organizes his training and his life in general to accomplish this, and how you can begin to implement it. Patrick has also trained extensively in calisthenics, or bodyweight exercises. There’s a misconception that since it’s “just” bodyweight, it’s somehow easier. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Many calisthenics exercises are extremely advanced and difficult to even attempt. Patrick gives an incredible lesson on how to start and progress with your calisthenics training from wherever you’re at. There’s a ton to learn from Patrick and I feel this episode only scratched the surface. Definitely follow him on IG to keep up and keep learning more, and send this episode to a friend to spread the love. The best way to support the podcast is to share the episode with a friend. You can support yourself and the podcast by applying for 1:1 online coaching here. Grab my FREE Protein Cheat Sheet here. Join 1000’s of others in receiving the best fitness tips, tools and tactics for free via the Sunday Meal Prep newsletter. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! Comments, questions, and feedback are greatly appreciated. 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.  Website danielyores.comConnect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on X @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Jeff Pachtman (@jeffpachtmanfitness) is a personal trainer and online fitness coach who works with people around the world who want to change their life. Losing the last 10lbs is cool, but losing the first 50 is life changing, and that’s where Jeff specializes. Jeff has been through the ringer of diet fads and tried all of the methods. After years, he finally found what works, and how to communicate that to people just like you. We spoke about Jeff’s journey through figuring this all out and how he got through it. It’s no secret that there are endless ways to lose weight. They all are different ways of getting at the same thing, but packaged in so many different ways. Some of them are outright dumb - but many of them have validity to them. We speak about how to navigate this, and find what’s best for you. You’ve probably started several diets before, and maybe not stuck to it. Jeff gives some amazing advice for how to actually stick to your plan. This is perhaps the most important information you need to hear. Jeff is an amazing coach and also creates phenomenal fitness content, please follow him on IG to keep up with everything he has going on. The best way to support the podcast is to share the episode with a friend. You can support yourself and the podcast by applying for 1:1 online coaching here. Grab my FREE Protein Cheat Sheet here. Join 1000’s of others in receiving the best fitness tips, tools and tactics for free via the Sunday Meal Prep newsletter. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! Comments, questions, and feedback are greatly appreciated. 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. Website danielyores.comConnect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on X @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Before anything - at the very end of the episode I badly misspoke and said that lean bulking is a bad idea. Of course this was a mistake and I mean to say dirty bulking. But this is a 1 take show and a 1 man team so I wasn’t about to re-record the whole thing for that small mistake, onwards!I know it’s tempting to want to get as big as possible, eat as much as you can, have little regard for body fat, and really see how big and strong you can get - but I highly suggest you avoid this.Eventually, you’ll want to stop and lean out again, and then this is where you’ll want to spend most of your time thereafter. It would be much healthier, and overall more effective if you just stay lean and slowly bulk up over a longer period of time. The 5 mins of happiness you get from hitting an all time high weight and strength is not worth putting on the necessary body fat to do this. I spoke about my recent experience with this, why I did it, what I regret about it, and what I would do instead. At the end of the day, I hope you learn from my mistakes and avoid this trap, ultimately leading to greater success in your own health and fitness. The best way to support the podcast is to share the episode with a friend. You can support yourself and the podcast by applying for 1:1 online coaching here. Grab my FREE Protein Cheat Sheet here.Join 1000’s of others in receiving the best fitness tips, tools and tactics for free via the Sunday Meal Prep newsletter. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! Comments, questions, and feedback are greatly appreciated. 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. Website danielyores.comConnect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on X @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Asad Sayal (@asadwuzhere) is a personal trainer and strength coach located in Toronto, Canada. Asad works with clients to make them stronger, happier, and more resilient in their body and in their life. Asad and I met at a few seminars in Toronto and it was quickly obvious that he’s one of the trainers who really knows his stuff, and communicates it well. During the conversation we found that we also have similar philosophies on training and life and all that all intertwines, which is really what it’s all about. In this episode we discussed some of those training and life philosophies, and also some thoughts on the fitness industry as a whole. Most importantly we spoke about some detailed training information. “Tempo training” may be something you’ve heard of, but if you’re unfamiliar with what it is or how to use it to your benefit, this is the episode for you. We discussed all you need to know about how to implement, when and how to do so, and why you should be using this. It’s not an exaggeration that this episode may change how you train forever, for the better. So listen closely. To get in touch with Asad or ask any questions, follow him on IG. The best way to support the podcast is to share the episode with a friend. You can support yourself and the podcast by applying for 1:1 online coaching here.Grab my FREE Protein Cheat Sheet here.Join 1000’s of others in receiving the best fitness tips, tools and tactics for free via the Sunday Meal Prep newsletter. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! Comments, questions, and feedback are greatly appreciated. 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.  Website danielyores.comConnect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on X @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Ryan Yusella (@themeatball365_2.0) is a personal trainer and specializes in helping people move better to become pain free, resilient, stronger, and more badass overall. Ryan has been through his own tough experiences with pain and injuries and found his own unique way through it. He uses this experience to coach others to find solutions to their movements problems. Ryan coaches out of Brooklyn, NY. Ryan is one of those people who you see videos of the exercises and movements he’s capable of, and can’t help thinking that he “must be so lucky”. And then when you talk to him, you realize that it’s exactly because he’s been unlucky with injuries that he learned how to train and move the way he’s now capable. Strength training IS mobility training and the way Ryan speaks about training exemplifies this perfectly. You don’t start by being able to do crazy stuff - you start where you are, and build from there. In the episode, Ryan and I discuss this at length, and he gives some excellent actionable tips on how you can find your entry point into mobility training and moving better overall. Ryan has a ton of great training knowledge to share and this is an episode I believe you’ll want to listen to more than once because it’s so packed with information. For more, be sure to follow Ryan on IG, and reach out for coaching or if you have any questions. The best way to support the podcast is to share the episode with a friend. You can support yourself and the podcast by applying for 1:1 online coaching here. Grab my FREE Protein Cheat Sheet here. Join 1000’s of others in receiving the best fitness tips, tools and tactics for free via the Sunday Meal Prep newsletter. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! Comments, questions, and feedback are greatly appreciated. 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.  Website danielyores.comConnect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on X @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Kirby Martin (@kirby.87) is a coach and the owner of Crossfit Elmira (@CrossfitElmira) in Elmira, Ontario. Kirby found fitness while living in the Philippines, and then made it his life’s work to give back and improve the lives of others through fitness. Kirby has truly benefited and improved his entire community through the gym. Say what you will about CrossFit, but nobody can deny the strength of the community it’s built, and how widely it’s spread fitness in general. Kirby’s been involved in CrossFit for over 10 years so who better to learn the ins and outs of the pros & cons of it from. Kirby and I discuss what to look for in CrossFit or group fitness gyms as a prospective member, and how to make the most out of your training there. A big part of Kirby’s gym and outlook on fitness are the wide-ranging benefits that extend far beyond the gym and your physique alone. Getting a 6-pack and big biceps is cool, but totally transforming your life for the better is WAY cooler. Kirby and I discuss how this happens, how to facilitate it for yourself, and what to look out for to recognize it. Kirby is a truly great ambassador of fitness and health. He has so much to teach, and really just wants to help you become fitter, healthier, and improve your life. Follow him on IG to get in touch or keep up, and check out the gym, CrossFit Elmira online or if you’re passing through Elmira. The best way to support the podcast is to share the episode with a friend. You can support yourself and the podcast by applying for 1:1 online coaching here. Grab my FREE Protein Cheat Sheet here. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! Comments, questions, and feedback are greatly appreciated. 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. Website danielyores.comConnect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on X @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Summer 2024 Q&A was a good one, and thank you for your questions. As a reminder I’ll do these ~quarterly, and will put out a call for questions close to when I record the next one, but if you do have questions any time, feel free to send them my way whenever they come up. Here’s what was covered in this episode: WarmupsWhen to take rest days vs toughing it outWhether it’s ok to do cardio and lift in the same workoutHow to know if you’re at a fat loss plateau, and how to break itWhen it’s (maybe) ok to skip leg dayHow to include strength training while preparing for a marathonAs mentioned in the episode, you can join my email newsletter “Meal Prep Sundays” here. The best way to support the podcast is to share the episode with a friend. You can support yourself and the podcast by applying for 1:1 online coaching here. Grab my FREE Protein Cheat Sheet here. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! Comments, questions, and feedback are greatly appreciated. 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. Website danielyores.comConnect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on X @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss

Injuries absolutely suck. But if you train hard and push yourself, they are almost inevitable. Except for extremely bad luck, you should avoid any major or catastrophic injury, but little tweaks are going to happen.There are few people I know who have been injured more than I have. I don’t say this to brag, I wish it weren’t the case, but it gives credibility to the protocols laid out in this episode. Note: this is not an episode about how to NOT get injured. Based on what I just said, I clearly don’t have the answer to that. This is from the moment injury occurs onwards. If you’re unlike me and not used to being injured, it’ll be confusing and maybe freak you out a bit, so having this plan in the back of your mind will greatly help you if/when it happens. Another note: this is not medical advice. I explain in the episode when/how to seek professional medical care and how to go about working with qualified individuals to get yourself back to full strength. But these people will not be there at the moment the injury occurs, so you need to know how to take care of and then advocate for yourself. Thanks for listening, I hope you never need anything I said in this episode, but since you’re listening, I know you train hard and want to push yourself, and odds are you’ll pick up some minor injuries along the way. Such is life. The best way to support the podcast is to share the episode with a friend. You can support yourself and the podcast by applying for 1:1 online coaching here. Grab my FREE Protein Cheat Sheet here. Share this episode with a friend who would enjoy or benefit from it! Comments, questions, and feedback are greatly appreciated. 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.  Website danielyores.comConnect with me on Instagram @danielyoresConnect with me on X @danielyores Podcast Cover Art by @octopuslegss