Before & After - Training, lifestyle & mindset from a masters athlete POV

Live from the tent!

We may be camping but that doesn't stop us from recording the podcast!  Coming at you live from the tent, we talk about weight cuts and the different experiences we are having between the healthy slow approach cut that Rachel is on and the physique show cut that Hannah is half way through.  We highlight the importance of having a plan to get into and out of any kind of extreme cut and how willing we are to make the kinds of 'trade off' necessary to live at lower body fat percentages.  Sprinkle in some references to genetics and epigenetic factors and voila you have episode 27.  Happy listening!

When life gives you lemons...you become a Crossfit Games athlete!

When we started this podcast we hoped that in time we might just attract some truly inspirational guests ready and willing to share their personal journey's with body image and related topics.  So you can imagine we were beyond excited when none other than a Crossfit Games adaptive athlete slid into our DM's to see if we would be interested to chat.  You better believe we jumped on that and with great enthusiasm welcomed Rebecca Shingledecker to the show.  A star in the women's neuromuscular division at the 2021 Crossfit Games, Rebecca shares with us her story of the chain of events that lead to her becoming an adaptive athlete, how she felt about being accepted as a Games athlete and her plans for future athletic domination in the Wheel Wod Games!  More details can be found at http://wheelwod.com/wheelwod-games-2021/.  This lady is an unstoppable force and a genuine inspiration.  
Happy listening, get ready to ditch all your go to excuses and be sure to follow Rebecca on IG @lemonademaker76

Top 10 Things We Love About Lifting Weights

We had some fun with this one and decided to each make a top 10 list of things we love about lifting weights.  If you are an avid listener of the show then you will know that we preach about loving what your body can do rather than focusing on aesthetics so we decided to celebrate our love for all things heavy.  If this doesn't inspire you to pick up some heavy s&%t then we don't know what will :).  We also introduce you to the research project we will be conducting over the next 6 weeks as Hannah attempts to become bikini show ready and Rachel takes on the responsibility of being the posing coach.  Stay tuned to the @before_after_podcast Instagram story for regular updates.
Thanks for listening!

Trust the process

After a busy month of work and back to back weekends of birthday celebrations, we reflect on how we get back on track and avoid getting sucked into a season of letting it all go.  Whether it is the cooler weather that brings it with it the opportunity to cover up more in comfy clothing or knowing that January 1st where we can all reset again (yay) is just around the corner, this certainly is the time of year where motivation to stick with healthy habits and maintain the hard work seems to wain.  We also take a dive into the art of trusting the process and what happens when you appreciate the journey rather than being fixated on the destination.
Thanks for listening!

Old Lady Gains

What is not to love about Old Lady Gains!!  In this episode we chat with Kim Munoz founder of clothing brand Old Lady Gains.  We ask her all about how she got started, the brains behind her epic slogans such as "Kinda Vintage, Kinda Savage", "Older Smarter, Jacked and Hotter" and "Lift More Age Less". We talk about her own athletic journey and discover of Crossfit, about building a brand and the awesome masters athletes she admires.  With a mantra of 'figure it the F out' and a belief that immobility is a choice, Kim is a firm favorite of ours and we absolutely love her shirts!
Check out www.oldladygains.com and follow her on IG @oldladygains.  As a special offer for our listeners you can apply the code BEFOREAFTER15 at checkout for 15% off your order.  
Happy shopping and happy listening!

Improving Your Say/Do Ratio

Ever wondered why you just can't seem to stick to a diet or follow an exercise program for more than a couple of weeks?  Do you find yourself stuck in a pattern of saying you will do x or y only to rarely or never follow through with getting it done?  Panic not!  This episode takes a deep dive into how to improve your say/do ratio.  We take a look at the disconnect that often exists between external wishes and internal values and explore the importance of understanding what it is that you truly value.  We also discuss the importance of reviewing whether you are ready, willing AND able to commit to something before you say you will do it.  Lot's of great insight in this one.  Happy listening!

Sleep Tracking Devices

We all know how important a good night's sleep is in terms of how we feel the next day.  Waking up like a bear with a sore head is no fun for anyone but lack of sleep has ramifications beyond mood.  Sleep is essential for recovery and repair and critical part of achieving optimal performance be it athletic or being able to feel alert and firing on all cylinders at the office.  It is also a lifestyle factor to monitor if you are looking at body recomposition, particularly fat loss.  In this episode we talk about the various tracking devices we have worn and used, the data that we have found useful and what it costs to access this information.  Thanks for listening!

Body Modification

We veer away a little from our usual theme of body size and shape and take a look at various methods of body modification.  From tattoos to tongue splitting, sub dermal implants to the bagel head trend and silicone abs, we ponder the why behind certain trends and discuss our own tattoo stories (sorry mom!).  How far would you take body modification and at what point does personal art become a medical ethics issue?
We hope you enjoy this one, please like, share and give us a rating!  If you have any topic suggestions or requests or would like to be a guest on the show then DM us and we will be in touch.  Happy listening!

Vacation Take Aways

Thank you for your patience while we took a little vacation!  In this episode we catch up on our vacation experiences which are about as opposite as they get.  While Hannah spent 7 days eating and drinking in the bustling city of New Orleans Louisiana, Rachel back packed in Desolation Wilderness near South Lake Tahoe.  One of us consumed an abundance of calorically dense foods while the other burned an abundance of calories, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who did what!  The point of this catch up episode is to bring you some insight into our relationship with food and drink when we are outside of our comfort zones and don't have complete control over the energy in vs energy out scenario.
Happy listening and feel free to share, comment and DM us!

Who Needs Toes Anyway!

We had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Jordyn Sloan a former competitive gymnast born with no toes.  This amazing young lady has amniotic band syndrome meaning her feet are about the size of her hands yet this has never stopped her from being a competitive athlete.  Jordyn speaks openly about her training and experience with different coaches as she learned how to use alternative muscles in her body to compensate for her lack of toes.  She also talks about the prevalence of eating disorders in the sport of gymnastics and how she developed anorexia after retiring from competition.  Jordyn is a true inspiration!
Happy listening.