Strength For Life: Lifting Belts...Do They Actually Work? | Ep. 36

Strength For Life: How One 70-Year-Old Woman Lost 20 Pounds and Became Stronger Than Ever | Ep. 42

At 70 years old, she is stronger, healthier, and more active than she's been in decades. In this episode, we sit down with a longtime Village Fitness client, Cheryl, to discuss how she lost over 20 pounds, improved her bone density, lowered her A1C, and became one of the strongest members in her age group. She shares the exact nutrition changes she made, what she eats on a typical day, and how strength training helped her build the resilience needed to keep doing the things she loves. You'll hear: * The foods she eliminated and the foods she added * How she approaches protein, vegetables, and meal planning * Why walking became a cornerstone habit * How she overcame injuries without quitting * What keeps her motivated at age 70 Her story is a powerful reminder that strength isn't just about lifting weights, it's about building a body that can support the life you want to live.

Strength For Life: What To Do When You Get Injured Strength Training | Ep. 41

In this episode of the Strength For Life Podcast, Dr. Matt and Nicole break down what every person who strength trains needs to know about managing injuries without quitting, panicking, or making it worse. They share their own recent tweaks (Matt's 315-lb deadlift back tweak, Nicole's Hyrox squat tweak), then walk through the framework they use with hundreds of clients at Village. You'll learn: * The difference between soreness, a tweak, and a real injury * The 5 pillars of injury prevention * Exactly what to do in the workout, in the first 72 hours, and in the weeks after * The PEACE & LOVE protocol that's replaced RICE * The Sully 1-3-5 protocol for getting back under the bar * The red flags that mean stop and see a professional Whether you've never been hurt or you're navigating a tweak right now, this is your playbook for managing aches, pain and injuries.  🔗 Episode with Dr. Jonathan “Sully” Sullivan:  * Watch/Listen on Youtube: https://youtu.be/owP_uJNh8vU [https://youtu.be/owP_uJNh8vU] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/54R0V2GBAQ9uU17FUahPUc?si=y3Na6YGjSl-F68HgfbVf6g [https://open.spotify.com/episode/54R0V2GBAQ9uU17FUahPUc?si=y3Na6YGjSl-F68HgfbVf6g] * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strength-for-life-aging-is-an-extreme-sport-barbell/id1837732806?i=1000740408919 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strength-for-life-aging-is-an-extreme-sport-barbell/id1837732806?i=1000740408919]

Strength For Life: The History of the Village Movement Standards | Ep. 40

The Village Movement Standards didn't appear overnight. They were built, tested, argued over, and continually optimized across a decade of real-world coaching.  In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Erik Gullen, the man who designed the Standards from the ground up with a very specific goal in mind: to create a training system so therapeutically complete that you'd never need to see him as a physical therapist. Every movement was chosen with intention, so that all the typical tests you'd receive during a PT evaluation would come back negative.  We walk through the full origin story, starting from the days when we changed the programming every month with no real north star, through the influence of the Knees Over Toes movement, all the way to the 2 a.m. email that gave us the original 12 movements.  We also get into why these 12 movements are arguably the best movements for anyone over 55, covering everything your body needs to stay strong, mobile, and pain free well into the later years of life, and honestly why that applies to people of any age.  If you want to understand what makes these standards different and why that matters for your long-term health, start here.

Strength For Life: What Should You Do Between Strength Training Workouts? | Ep. 39

In this episode of Strength for Life, we break down what happens in your body after you lift—and how to recover in a way that helps you build muscle, reduce soreness, and get stronger after 50. We cover what matters most between workouts, including sleep, protein intake, daily movement, and how to structure your “off days” for better results. You’ll also learn what’s overrated, what might be hurting your progress, and how to balance rest and activity without overdoing it. Clear, simple, and something you can apply between your very next workouts. Dr. Matt Explains Strength Training VS Cardio: https://youtu.be/4ohdVePv_-I [https://youtu.be/4ohdVePv_-I]

Strength For Life: Should You Eat Before Lifting After Age 50? | Ep. 38

Should you eat before lifting, or train on an empty stomach? In this episode of Strength for Life, we break down what the research says about fasted vs. fed strength training, especially for adults over 50. You’ll learn exactly what to eat before a workout, how much protein and carbs you need, and how to fuel strength training for better performance and muscle building after 50. Clear, simple, and something you can test before your very next workout.