The Exercise Engineer

In today's episode, Lou discusses the power of streaks and the challenges of maintaining them. Drawing from personal experiences with swimming, podcasting, and step goals, Lou discusses the impact of breaking a streak and the difficulty of getting back on track. She explores practical strategies for creating and sustaining streaks, such as setting non-negotiables, establishing optimal targets, and using rewards.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Streaks can be powerful tools for achieving goals, but breaking them can make it difficult to get back on track.
• Establish streaks for habits like steps, workouts, bedtime routines, etc., to work towards fitness goals.
• Make streaks non-negotiable and have optimal targets to avoid an all-or-nothing approach.
• Identify and eliminate excuses and blockers to make it easier to stay on track.
• Setting deadlines and time blocking tasks can help maintain consistency and focus on achieving goals.

BEST MOMENTS

"We all know that nothing focuses the mind like the last minute, so just make sure you have set deadlines, whether that's a daily deadline, a time or maybe it's within the week you need to have done a certain task by."

"I'm a firm believer that, yes, you can have it all, but you really can't do it all at once. So you've really got to lean into what you want to focus on at the moment."

"Just remind yourself why you started. Why did you start the diet? Why did you start exercising? Why did you start going to the gym? Why did you start running? Why did you blah blah blah? You get the picture. Just remind yourself why you started."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://linktr.ee/theexerciseengineer
[email protected]

HOST BIO

Lou's personal journey with body confidence and food struggles began at the age of 15, where overeating and guilt around food consumed her. But everything changed during the lockdown in March 2020. Determined to regain control, Lou immersed herself in research, found joy in working out in her garden, and started tracking her nutrition and steps. Surprisingly, she lost a stone in less than three months and discovered a newfound love for fitness.

Fueling her passion, Lou pursued personal training qualifications and launched her Instagram page in September 2020. After months of building a solid foundation, branding, and gaining relevant expertise, she started helping others achieve what once felt impossible—losing fat, feeling empowered, and loving the journey without restrictions. With numerous success stories, digital products, and a thriving membership program called Train with Lou, Lou now coaches, teaches, and learns about food, exercise, and mindset.

Today, Lou investigates the essential topic of nutrition for optimal performance, recovery, and results, addressing long-standing listener requests. With a focus on fueling the body effectively, she covers the importance of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats, along with hydration tips and practical meal strategies for pre- and post-workout.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Carbohydrates are essential for peak performance and recovery. They should make up 50-60% of your daily caloric intake, especially for those engaging in high levels of physical activity.
• Adequate protein intake is crucial for muscle repair and recovery. Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, which should account for 20-30% of your daily intake.
• Healthy fats are important for long-term energy and hormone regulation, particularly for women. They should not be completely avoided, but consumed in moderation to prevent excessive calorie intake.
• Eating a balanced meal with carbohydrates and protein before and after workouts is vital. Pre-workout meals should be consumed 1-3 hours prior, while post-workout meals should be consumed within 1-2 hours for optimal recovery.
• Staying hydrated is crucial for performance, especially during endurance training. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, cramping, and poor recovery, so it's important to drink water before, during, and after workouts.

BEST MOMENTS

"You can be working out super, super hard, but you are only gonna be as good as what you are eating."

"Carbs are life and they are our body's primary energy source, without them we are going to be running on an empty tank."

"You will be technically underfueling and you will feel fatigued, you may also end up with mental burnout as well."

"You can still lose fat and eat a crap load of carbs. I promise I am living proof of it right now."

"Don't try something new on the day [of the race]. Your body's not ready; just stick with what you know."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://linktr.ee/theexerciseengineer
[email protected]

ATHENA Nutrition for Females: https://t.cfjump.com/90866/t/89892

Apply to be coached by me here: https://tr.ee/TFsv2VpeG4

HOST BIO

Lou's personal journey with body confidence and food struggles began at the age of 15, where overeating and guilt around food consumed her. But everything changed during the lockdown in March 2020. Determined to regain control, Lou immersed herself in research, found joy in working out in her garden, and started tracking her nutrition and steps. Surprisingly, she lost a stone in less than three months and discovered a newfound love for fitness.

Fuelling her passion, Lou pursued personal training qualifications and launched her Instagram page in September 2020. After months of building a solid foundation, branding, and gaining relevant expertise, she started helping others achieve what once felt impossible—losing fat, feeling empowered, and loving the journey without restrictions. With numerous success stories, digital products, and a thriving membership program called Train with Lou, Lou now coaches, teaches, and learns about food, exercise, and mindset.

In this episode, Lou chat to Olivia King, a former professional athlete in swimming and rowing, as the guest. Olivia shares her journey from starting competitive swimming at a young age to transitioning to rowing and making the Canadian national team. She discusses her intense training regimen, including swimming 10k in a pool after a planned open water swim got canceled. Olivia provides insights into her training techniques, such as focusing on breathing, stroke rates, and using paddles for resistance training. Their conversation delves into the mental aspect of swimming, including thoughts during long swims and the importance of goal setting.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Olivia found a balance between school and swimming by transitioning to a public high school to experience a more normal high school life while still focusing on swimming and maintaining good grades.
• Olivia emphasized the importance of race simulation in training, where she practiced her longest swim two weeks before the event to prepare for the actual race conditions and challenges.
• Olivia highlighted the significance of breathing technique in swimming, emphasizing the importance of breathing to the opposite side to maintain balance and efficiency in the water.
• Olivia discussed the use of paddles as a form of resistance training in swimming to improve arm strength and stroke efficiency, providing a way to enhance performance and technique.
• Olivia shared insights into her mental approach during swimming, mentioning how she engages in self-reflection, technique correction, and even sings songs in her head to stay focused and motivated during long swims.

BEST MOMENTS

"I was taken to a pool, had to try out. So like little eight year old Olivia with the cap and goggles on got into lane eight and this coach watched me swim up and down the pool."

"I think that elite level of sport at such a young age was, it definitely had its benefits."

"I was so against waterproof headphones, only because I think the beauty of sport in general, and I think the beauty of individual sports, especially like being able to go for a run, or go for a swim, or even just go for a hike."

"I always teach the little kids this is you know when you go to blow into a tissue yeah blow your nose that's you breathe out under the water yeah so that when you go to turn your head to breathe all you have everything's out of you all you got to do is suck in."

"Swimming really has been like the OG of Restricted breathing and working on your VO2 and your cardio that way."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://linktr.ee/theexerciseengineer
[email protected]

HOST BIO

Lou's personal journey with body confidence and food struggles began at the age of 15, where overeating and guilt around food consumed her. But everything changed during the lockdown in March 2020. Determined to regain control, Lou immersed herself in research, found joy in working out in her garden, and started tracking her nutrition and steps. Surprisingly, she lost a stone in less than three months and discovered a newfound love for fitness.

Fueling her passion, Lou pursued personal training qualifications and launched her Instagram page in September 2020. After months of building a solid foundation, branding, and gaining relevant expertise, she started helping others achieve what once felt impossible—losing fat, feeling empowered, and loving the journey without restrictions. With numerous success stories, digital products, and a thriving membership program called Train with Lou, Lou now coaches, teaches, and learns about food, exercise, and mindset.

Today, Lou dives into another Q&A session, addressing various questions from clients and Instagram followers. The episode covers topics such as the challenges of losing belly fat, strategies for staying motivated to exercise in cold weather, tips for improving mind-to-muscle connection during workouts, and the importance of habits in achieving fitness goals. Lou provides practical advice on managing calorie deficits, optimizing workout performance, and balancing weight loss goals with maintaining muscle mass.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Losing belly fat is not achieved through spot reduction, but rather through a calorie deficit and overall fat loss.
• Mind-to-muscle activation can enhance muscle engagement during workouts, leading to better results.
• Building habits and discipline are crucial for achieving fitness goals, especially when working from home.
• Walking and increasing movement throughout the day can help reach step goals even when working remotely.
• Balancing heavier weights with proper form and range of motion is essential for muscle growth and injury prevention during workouts.

BEST MOMENTS

"You cannot spot reduce fat. So wherever you likely want to remove fat from you generally can't straight away like you can't remove it from that area by trying to work out that area."

"The fact that you're not hungry is amazing and it's down to the fact that you are fueling your body extremely well with whole foods, protein, vegetables."

"Change happens when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of doing the thing that makes the change."

"You can easily rack up 7,000 steps just from doing three 20-30 minute walks a day easily."

"If you do go for a full range of motion you have potential for an injury if your form is not correct."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://linktr.ee/theexerciseengineer
[email protected]

HOST BIO

Lou's personal journey with body confidence and food struggles began at the age of 15, where overeating and guilt around food consumed her. But everything changed during the lockdown in March 2020. Determined to regain control, Lou immersed herself in research, found joy in working out in her garden, and started tracking her nutrition and steps. Surprisingly, she lost a stone in less than three months and discovered a newfound love for fitness.

Fueling her passion, Lou pursued personal training qualifications and launched her Instagram page in September 2020. After months of building a solid foundation, branding, and gaining relevant expertise, she started helping others achieve what once felt impossible—losing fat, feeling empowered, and loving the journey without restrictions. With numerous success stories, digital products, and a thriving membership program called Train with Lou, Lou now coaches, teaches, and learns about food, exercise, and mindset.

In today's episode, Lou speaks to Heather Masterson, a performance nutritionist who shares her insights on nutrition for athletes, particularly focusing on the importance of fueling correctly for training and performance. Heather discusses her journey into nutrition, emphasizing the significance of understanding individual nutrition needs and developing personalized strategies. Lou and Heather consider topics such as carb loading, training the gut, and considerations for female athletes, including managing nutrition around the menstrual cycle.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Nutrition plays a crucial role in supporting training, recovery, and overall performance in athletes.
• It is essential to develop personalized nutrition strategies based on individual needs, goals, and training demands rather than following generic guidelines.
• Carbohydrate loading before endurance events like marathons can help maximize energy stores and improve performance. It involves increasing carbohydrate intake in the days leading up to the event.
• Gradually introducing fueling strategies during training sessions can help train the gut to tolerate and utilize carbohydrates effectively, especially during long runs or races.
• Understanding the impact of the menstrual cycle on training and performance can help female athletes manage symptoms and optimize nutrition and training strategies accordingly.

BEST MOMENTS

"Sydney is just so busy with running and sport. Everybody's doing something every day. You are included in that. You do not sit down."

"When we're training, any kind of training that's moderate to higher intensity, carbohydrates will be our main fuel source. And we're pulling on carbohydrates that are stored, say, in our muscles and our liver when we're going over that hour, 90 minute mark."

"How good is your energy? Is your performance improving? Is your sleep improving? Are you picking up niggles, aches, pains? Are you constantly thinking about food, training?"

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://linktr.ee/theexerciseengineer
[email protected]

HOST BIO

Lou's personal journey with body confidence and food struggles began at the age of 15, where overeating and guilt around food consumed her. But everything changed during the lockdown in March 2020. Determined to regain control, Lou immersed herself in research, found joy in working out in her garden, and started tracking her nutrition and steps. Surprisingly, she lost a stone in less than three months and discovered a newfound love for fitness.

Fueling her passion, Lou pursued personal training qualifications and launched her Instagram page in September 2020. After months of building a solid foundation, branding, and gaining relevant expertise, she started helping others achieve what once felt impossible—losing fat, feeling empowered, and loving the journey without restrictions. With numerous success stories, digital products, and a thriving membership program called Train with Lou, Lou now coaches, teaches, and learns about food, exercise, and mindset.