Joe: 00:00

What's up, Welcome back to another episode of the Freedom Talks podcast. This is your host, Joe Ogden. This week, we've got a really fun interview as we're going to sit down with Doctor. Anna Grassman, who is a fellow PT here in Fox Point. And what we're going talk about today is talking about women and weightlifting.

Joe: 00:18

I've said this before. I've said this probably a million times. Anna sets the standard for, you know, getting in the gym routinely, lifting heavy weight, seeing the benefits. So we're gonna pick her brain a little bit, and she's gonna empower people to really work their best, lift heavy, and just enjoy the functions of life. I'm super excited to sit down and and talk with Anna about this.

Joe: 00:41

Again, as I've said many times before, I think she really sets a standard and and does a really good job holding that standard of, you know, really improving your health and really keeping your top health goals in mind and seeing the benefits of lifting weights and strength training. Super excited here and without further ado, let's get to our podcast interview with Anna. Anna, what's up?

Anna: 01:03

Hi.

Joe: 01:04

How you doing?

Anna: 01:05

Pretty good.

Joe: 01:05

So this was as I was on paternity leave. This was Anna's idea to get this podcast on, then I cancel on her. So we got this rescheduled. Mhmm. But this was this is Anna's baby.

Joe: 01:15

We're I've actually been looking forward to having this conversation with Anna because as I said in the pre little intro here, Anna's always bust her butt at the whack. How many days a week are you working out routinely?

Anna: 01:26

Three to four.

Joe: 01:27

All strength training. Right?

Anna: 01:28

Yeah. Yep.

Joe: 01:29

We're trying to get Anna to get on the the long distance cardio train, but we're not getting there yet.

Anna: 01:37

Happen. No. It's not my jam.

Joe: 01:39

Anna, tell everyone just kind of I've said it a little bit, but I want you to kind of talk about yourself a little bit. Talk about your current training program and just, you know, what weightlifting quote unquote is in your opinion?

Anna: 01:57

I was like did some sports in high school. And then when I got to college, I was like, don't really know what I like to do, like, for exercise

Joe: 02:06

Yeah.

Anna: 02:06

So that I didn't have sports. And I thought that you had to do cardio. Like, that's what everyone did. Like, that's, like, what working out is. And I hated it.

Anna: 02:15

And it didn't make my lungs feel good. I have asthma, so it's never felt like easy for me. And then I started to do some strength training in PT school just like when I figured out like what muscles do, like what my sets and reps should be, things like that. And I really found that I could actually get that, like, runner's high from weightlifting. And I just found it, like, it's a sport that's competitive for myself.

Anna: 02:40

And that's why I enjoy it because I can just, you know, I can see improvements. I can ramp it up. I can ramp it down. I can switch things. And And I just I that's my jam.

Anna: 02:50

Yeah.

Joe: 02:50

Do you feel like I feel like that stigma is there more for the cardio with women than it is for men. Would you agree with Yeah. Why do you or not even why that is, but like, why do you think women are more attracted when you go into a commercial gym? It doesn't matter any setup, whether it's at school or at the WAC that you go to or even if it's a PT gym. Mhmm.

Joe: 03:13

Why is it that do you think women automatically go to the cardio machines?

Anna: 03:18

I think I think it's changing. But I think for a long time that was what women were told. Or that's what more was more advertised or geared towards them because it was a lot big in weight loss, you know. I think that is changing in the past, like, maybe five, ten years. That's like shifting a

Joe: 03:38

little would say even less.

Anna: 03:39

Probably less. Yeah. But so I think it's been geared a little bit more towards females. There's more females doing weight lifting. And I think also, like, weight lifting used to be, like, using two or three pound kettlebells or not kettlebells, dumbbells during, like, your little aerobic training

Joe: 03:56

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Anna: 03:57

As a way to bump up your aerobics instead of, like, purely strength training. Because, like, ladies didn't wanna be bulky, you know. So I think that is shifting. But I think that's that was even for me when I came out of doing sports. I was like, this is what I'm supposed to do for working out.

Joe: 04:11

Right. Let's talk about that a little bit. So, mean, obviously, you and I follow each other on social media. You post at the whack all the time. I your strength training, I think, is a little different than a lot of people would picture because you're lifting heavy.

Joe: 04:27

Yeah. Even you wanna change that a little bit, I'm trying to talk you out of that.

Anna: 04:31

I I've gone back to lifting heavy. Yeah. I wimped out.

Joe: 04:34

Yeah. Let it rip. But how does someone get into setting up a strength program? So let's let's say let's say you're bringing a friend to the gym. Yeah.

Joe: 04:43

Or we'll talk about my wife. Yeah. Because she is hooked on that cardio. She's not Mhmm. She's a little afraid of the adding the bulk.

Joe: 04:53

Okay. Right? Yeah. You start lifting heavy, it's bulk. You're not she doesn't understand shaping the muscle.

Joe: 04:57

Probably part of that is because I'm telling her that. Right? What do

Anna: 05:00

I know? Yeah.

Joe: 05:01

But if you have her in front of you, like, how would you go about kinda introducing the weight room to someone who, you know, maybe hasn't done it for a while or it has never been there at all?

Anna: 05:11

So first of you don't have to train for bulk. I mean, you you can strength train without adding the bulkiness for sure. So we we can, you know, kind of shift that there. But you also have to think as you age, and we're we're not that old, but as you age You're

Joe: 05:28

older than I am.

Anna: 05:29

Yeah. That I am. Strength is more important. And you also have to think, like, for someone like your wife, she's picking up a one year old. She's picking up a baby.

Anna: 05:39

She's probably picking up groceries, laundry. She's also a nurse, so she's probably doing at least some kind of transfers. Yeah. So she's already lifting during the day. Like, why wouldn't she want to train for that and make that easier on her body?

Anna: 05:53

Why wouldn't she want to, you know, reduce any injuries with that? I think that's like the biggest thing for me is like women in general, like lift too light. They think that like, oh my god, this is 10 pounds. Wow, that looks like that's so much. Realistically, like, no.

Anna: 06:08

Like, gallon of milk is like eight pounds. Most like laundry baskets are between ten and twelve. You think you're probably picking up your pet. You're probably picking up a kid, grandkid. Like, you're already doing those things and you should be training for those things.

Anna: 06:21

That's probably my biggest like pet peeve with women. Like they're so afraid of dumbbells and weights and we really like need to push through that because they're really not that heavy. You're already doing those things. Like in general, like our bodies are very strong and you just like, need to train to be able to lift more. And if you wanna do strength training as your primary form of physical activity, that's great.

Joe: 06:41

How would you go about so I a % agree with you. I think there's a stigma there Mhmm. For a lot of people. Right? They're when you start talking about squat bench, deadlift, right, the three big ones

Anna: 06:54

Mhmm.

Joe: 06:55

Most of us do that at some point throughout the day, but the second you start adding a load to it Yeah. In a gym setting, people kinda go haywire

Anna: 07:02

Mhmm.

Joe: 07:02

Which always is kinda comical to me. It's like we're doing it anyway. Yeah. Mhmm. How would you go about kinda setting up a general program?

Joe: 07:09

Like, if someone's trying to go in and be like, okay, I wanna start lifting. Yeah. How do I set that up?

Anna: 07:16

I mean, I'm a big person and, like, stick stick to the basics and do them well and then increase them. If you're a person who hasn't done any of those, going to see a PT, that's great. Going to see a personal trainer, even if it's just for a couple of sessions, just to get your form down solid. Yeah. I love that There's more like at gyms, there's more like intro to weights or like I know what the WAC has women in weights.

Joe: 07:42

Oh, do they really? Mhmm. That's cool, actually.

Anna: 07:44

Or they might have a series of, like, the big three, the big five or whatever, if that's how you want to start with it. I'm not always a fan of machines, but sometimes they can be a good way to start. They're not always a good way to start with, like, deadlifts, but you can get a good start with like squatting and benching. If you like aren't comfortable with the free weights, then it's a good way to start. But get really comfortable with the form of the basics.

Anna: 08:09

So like squats, deadlifts, bench press, lunges, curls, overhead press. Like, that's pretty much what I do for a workout. I vary it slightly, but I do maybe three to five. Maybe three is a little low. Excuse me.

Anna: 08:27

Like five to seven motions and three to four reps of those, and that's all that I do. Now I might vary it a little bit based on like, okay, I feel like I could change this up. I'm getting a little bored with this, or I feel like I'm kind of hitting a plateau and I want to challenge myself in a different way, like challenge the same muscle in a different way. But, like, otherwise, I stayed with pretty much the same basics.

Joe: 08:45

Are you so it sounds like and I don't wanna put words in your mouth, but you're training movements, not specific exercises. Is that right?

Anna: 08:53

A little bit of both, but for the most part, movements. Yeah.

Joe: 08:56

If you let's talk about your if you had to set up your ideal training regimen. Mhmm. So on Monday let's say Monday is your day one. Yeah. I know it's like, for me, Saturday is my day one just because of work schedule.

Anna: 09:09

Okay.

Joe: 09:09

But let's say Monday's your day one. Like, what is your ideal gym setup? Meaning, like, Monday is your your push day, pull day, that type of thing.

Anna: 09:17

Yeah. Yeah. I typically do, like, push pull legs. I do, like, push and buys and pull and tries, which I know some people split it separately. Yeah.

Anna: 09:27

That that's fine. I think there's an argument for both. But I try to do at least one of each and switch off. If I can get a second one in, that's great. Or sometimes I'll make that a total body day.

Anna: 09:38

But, yeah, it's usually like any kind of push, so a bench, an overhead press, a couple of curl variations, lateral raises, and then like a pull day might be a lat pull down, gorilla rows. They have the new, like, t bar at my gym, which I've been liking. Some kind of a row variation. And then legs will either be a deadlift or a squat because that's my heaviest lift. And then some kind of a unilateral movement.

Anna: 10:03

So that can be a Bulgarian split squat lunge, something of that nature.

Joe: 10:07

Just for the people that may not know, unilateral means one leg. Right?

Anna: 10:11

One leg. Yep. And I think it's really important to train both. I know I have one side that's weaker than the other, and I'm really trying my best to beef that up. But if like, most people have a slight variation, whether it's mobility or strength in one side versus the other.

Anna: 10:23

So if you're doing a squat or a deadlift that's really heavy and you have a deficit there, you're probably just strength strengthening one side more than the other. So you really wanna make sure you're doing a little bit of unilateral and

Joe: 10:32

then a

Anna: 10:33

little bit with both legs.

Joe: 10:35

Do you think too that it's important for recovery in between? So are you doing, like, workout Monday, rest Tuesday, workout Wednesday, rest Thursday, workout Friday?

Anna: 10:46

It is. I will say my schedule doesn't always allow for Yeah. Recovery in between. But I I never do the same muscle group two days in a row.

Joe: 10:55

Okay.

Anna: 10:56

So I think that that gives me usually enough time. I I rarely feel like, oh, I'm still sore from Monday when I'm at a Tuesday because I'm not training the same thing. Yeah. But I do think that's important because, I mean, that's where you start running into, like, some kind of, you know, tendonitis, tendinosis. You're just not lifting as heavy because you're fatigued by the second time.

Joe: 11:17

Yeah. Are you going based off feel for for when you train? Meaning, like, okay, I'm gonna go to the gym today.

Anna: 11:24

Mhmm.

Joe: 11:24

I know it's my push day. Mhmm. That, you know, let's see where I can get to. I I wanna try and get five to seven reps or whatever you do programming wise. Like, are you tracking the weight that you're doing every week, trying to progress that, or how are you going about that?

Anna: 11:40

I record my weight lifts. I some people do it in their phone or in an app. I just have a notebook. And I started doing that four years ago, five years ago, and I noticed, like, a significant difference in being able to progress my lifts. So I'll do, you know, what type of day it is, push pull legs.

Anna: 12:01

Did I do some type of warm up? And then sets reps of each. And then if I feel like I can increase either the repetitions or the strength next time, I'll write that in there. Like if three sets of 12 felt really easy to me, like okay, maybe I can up the weight next time. Or if like something just didn't feel great for some reason or I want to try to switch it up next time, it's a really good way to, like, look at that.

Anna: 12:25

Because then the next time that I go to a pull pull day, push day, whatever it is, I'll look back at that. And it's it it makes just a smoother, more efficient workout. And then it's really nice to be able to, like, write those little notes to yourself. Yeah. It's a really easy way to progress.

Joe: 12:38

The note part, I think, is the most critical part

Anna: 12:39

because you Seriously. It really like, whatever you feel comfortable

Joe: 12:42

I forget half the time too. Don't know about you. Where you look back the next week, don't really remember going that heavy. Yeah. Alright.

Joe: 12:48

I guess we're doing it.

Anna: 12:49

Yeah. Or if, know, you you drop down for a specific reason, then you can look back. Okay, I dropped down a little bit, like, a couple weeks ago. Maybe it's time to ramp it back up. And this is where I was the last time.

Anna: 12:59

So

Joe: 12:59

How do you know at this point, how do you know that the push pull legs is the what is the sequencing that works best for you? I mean, have you tried other programs, quote unquote?

Anna: 13:13

I have not. Where I get a little nervous is people will need to modify this in a different way. Like what we do for work is like very manual heavy. I, if I do too much, like grasping, will start to get like forearm pain. So just based on the fact that, like, we are very manual workers, that will sometimes flare it up with certain ways that I split my workout.

Anna: 13:40

So for me, this is the best split to not make my forearms mad because I do a lot of manual work for work. So most people probably won't have that problem, but I have in the past had that problem. And now that I split it this way, I don't that doesn't bother me. But that's that's a unique circumstance. So I have not tried a lot of other things now that I've found this.

Joe: 14:01

How do you protect your beautifully manicured nails? How do you make sure that that doesn't get screwed up in the

Anna: 14:07

That doesn't that really I'm I mean, they're they're fairly short. But unless I drop something on it, it's gonna be fine. I'm probably one of the only ladies in the gym who has, like, a good manicure, but it's alright.

Joe: 14:17

Somebody has to.

Anna: 14:18

Someone has to.

Joe: 14:20

How would you how would you how do you know okay. So we've talked about, you know, this is typically how you'd set it up. Right? A push pull legs. I do mine a little differently.

Joe: 14:29

I just have an upper, lower, upper, lower split.

Anna: 14:32

Okay.

Joe: 14:32

One is a max day and one is an eccentric high hypertrophy focused day.

Anna: 14:36

Oh, okay.

Joe: 14:37

But it's really tomato tomato. Right? Yeah. So we I know I wanna do training wise to how to program someone or myself, I wanna start working out. How do I know whether it's really safe or not for me to do something?

Joe: 14:52

Like, how do I know if something's too heavy? Or how do I know that I'm doing it correctly? In general. I know it's exercise specific sometimes, but

Anna: 15:03

Yeah.

Joe: 15:03

In general, like a general safety. I've never been to a gym before. I just wanna make sure that things are okay.

Anna: 15:06

Well, that's why I think, you know, either going to a class, having a a couple personal trainer sessions, seeing a PT, whatever, getting solid on your form is really important, especially if you've never been to a gym before. Like, I really highly suggest that, and that's way better than even watching someone on YouTube or Instagram or wherever you've seen them. Second thing is like if you can only do six or less, like seven or less like repetitions of something, it's probably too heavy. Or if you feel like you're not

Joe: 15:37

like For a beginner.

Anna: 15:38

For a beginner. Yeah. If you feel like you're not getting your full range of motion too, like, for a while I was at my the depth of my squat was like really not great. And that like, again, is probably like, okay, you need to ramp it down, go to a lighter weight, work on your form, get that depth, and then you can work it back up. So if you're not getting a full range of motion, if you're getting really low, number of repetitions, if you feel like you can't do a third set, those are probably the things that I'd be like, okay.

Anna: 16:07

You need to drop the weight down a bit.

Joe: 16:09

Okay. I'm gonna ask you a couple of kind of fire off some questions here. I'm gonna hope that we find something we disagree on because I'd like to have a Okay. Little argument here on something.

Anna: 16:17

Alright. Okay.

Joe: 16:19

Squat form. Do you go all the way to the ground?

Anna: 16:22

I do not. I've never that's never felt great for me. I I just I I can go to 90. I use a box, actually.

Joe: 16:29

Oh, you're a box squatter?

Anna: 16:30

Yeah. I just for me, mentally, it helps me shift my body weight backwards. I don't want that

Joe: 16:36

posterior weight shift.

Anna: 16:37

Yeah. And I I I'll try to take it away, and then my form just goes you know? And I don't do a full squat. Like, really, just, like, tap it. And for some reason, mentally, that helps.

Anna: 16:46

And, honestly, with a lot of patients, that does too if we're doing squats. Even if you have a chair there and you're not giving full weight, it just mentally is some kind of, like, tactile cue for me. So I'm

Joe: 16:54

about to Yeah. Why are you you just said you just tap it and go up? Mhmm. Why did you say that in a negative way?

Anna: 17:01

I don't do, like, a full sit. I know some people start with that.

Joe: 17:04

Why would you go to full sit on a box one?

Anna: 17:08

I I think I'm probably doing a little bit better of, like, an eccentric that way.

Joe: 17:12

I But once you sit down, doesn't your core shut off? No. It doesn't?

Anna: 17:16

No. Mine doesn't. No. Try to do when I do my, like, breathing with my core, think about, like

Joe: 17:24

You're gonna hold that once you sit down.

Anna: 17:26

Yes. Yes. So I actually saw this on squat university.

Joe: 17:31

Which is beautiful.

Anna: 17:32

Yep. He thinks about if you're like in a pool. Yep. And your head is just above the water that you hold your breath and your core contraction until you go under the water. So that's like maybe, you know, 25% of your descent.

Anna: 17:46

You hold it until you get to the last 25% of your descent. So that honestly has really helped me a lot. Yeah. If you're a person who's, like, working on some pelvic floor stuff, same thing. Hold that pelvic floor contraction, same way.

Joe: 17:57

I think that's where the box squat I I see the most screwed up Or one of the most screwed up, I would say. We're especially, I don't understand why this is talking kids so early. Just teach a squad moving in my opinion.

Anna: 18:08

Yeah. Yeah.

Joe: 18:09

Use a box but don't get to that level. Yeah. But they sit on the box, they take a breath. Well, now they've decompressed everything. Yeah.

Joe: 18:15

Yeah. Now they're crushing on their spine. Boom and go back up. Either tap and go

Anna: 18:18

Yep.

Joe: 18:18

Or you better hold that breath the whole time, in my opinion. Yep.

Anna: 18:21

Yeah.

Joe: 18:21

Alright. So we agree there. Let's see if I get something we disagree on.

Anna: 18:24

Okay.

Joe: 18:27

Do you always think that form is the most important thing? Like, is there any example that you can think of in the gym that you're training where you're like, you know what? For the most part, make sure you have good form, but we're gonna push it here a little bit. I just wanna see what I can get out of it.

Anna: 18:45

I I'm not a big one rep maxer. Like, I even, like, my heaviest, I'll try to do three to five reps. So, like, I I'm not no. I I I I understand the importance of a one rep max, but, like, I am not a person that's just, like, looking to see, like well, I can I am I am looking to see how heavy I can do it? But, like, with good form and multiple reps, if you can only do it one time, it's fine.

Anna: 19:09

I can be very good.

Joe: 19:10

I stick to three to five personally. Yeah. More so because I work out by myself. Mhmm. If I'm doing something once, probably it could be a problem.

Anna: 19:17

Yeah. Yeah. And my

Joe: 19:18

two year old is not gonna be much help when she's working out with me.

Anna: 19:21

Yeah. So

Joe: 19:22

three to five is my Yeah. Thing. But like, let me ask you this hypothetically. So on on the for me, the eccentric and hypertrophy day, my first push movement or pull movement, it'll be either three to four sets of six to eight reps somewhere in there.

Anna: 19:39

Okay.

Joe: 19:40

Once that's done, that working set, I take 60% of that heaviest weight. Oh. And then crank out 50 reps or whatever that movement is. Okay. As fast as you can.

Joe: 19:49

Yeah. Once you once you take a rest, rest the least amount possible, finish it. I'll be honest. Towards the end, like, the reps aren't the most perfect, but I

Anna: 19:58

think Yeah.

Joe: 19:59

You're also managing a weight that's light enough that you're probably not gonna have an injury.

Anna: 20:03

Right.

Joe: 20:04

Do you think that's something that you would buy into as well, or do you think, that's just not my cup of tea?

Anna: 20:09

Possibly. I I just it's different. I think there's it's fine

Joe: 20:14

to be Oh, Anna. Anna said it's different. She doesn't she doesn't agree with it. But she's too nice to say something No.

Anna: 20:20

It's different. I guess I've never I've never tried that out or like, had someone suggest that to me. So I'm I'm open to it.

Joe: 20:27

I'm a big personally, I'm a big eccentrics guy because that if you I always tell people if at any point in this movement, if I tell you to stop, should be able to hold it. Because most people are so out of control. I like Mhmm. The eccentrics. Like, for me personally, I don't know how if you feel like this.

Joe: 20:43

I always warm up at the barre with a squat.

Anna: 20:47

I it's Oh, yeah.

Joe: 20:48

It's just always been my I don't know why I do that. I usually don't feel great with it until I start loading it and eccentrically just focusing on the squat movement. I think it's easier with some sort of load to get into a movement like that Mhmm. Than to just say, hey, go do an air squat. Let's see what what you look like.

Anna: 21:04

I yeah. I agree. I mean, I'll do some like, I'll, like, warm up my, like, lateral hip. So, like, my glutamine and mint just for stability. But then yeah.

Anna: 21:14

I don't always feel great with just, the the bar. I think it's almost, like, too light. So usually, I'll warm up with, one thirty five. Like that feels like it's enough load for me to like have to concentrate on my form versus I'm just kinda like wiggling about with the 45.

Joe: 21:29

I'm not gonna let you slide on this one. No. How many other women do you see just warming up at one thirty five on the bar?

Anna: 21:37

Some. Not no. There's not a lot of ladies back squatting or dead lifting, I will say.

Joe: 21:43

What's your best lift?

Anna: 21:45

Probably my back squat.

Joe: 21:46

Which is what?

Anna: 21:47

Two twenty five. I can do a couple reps of that.

Joe: 21:49

Which is more, honestly, I'll It is worth of that more than my body weight. I'll edit this out if you don't want me to put that in there. No. It's more than your body weight.

Anna: 21:57

Right? It is more than my body weight. Yes.

Joe: 22:01

How many times can you do it?

Anna: 22:03

The last time I did it was I think, three, but I'm working back up to it.

Joe: 22:10

Three total reps?

Anna: 22:11

Yeah. Yeah.

Joe: 22:15

That's really high above your body weight, isn't it? Mhmm. So it's pretty impressive.

Anna: 22:19

Yeah. Thanks. I'm trying.

Joe: 22:20

Yeah. I say that in the nicest way possible. I know some people are probably gonna listen to and be like, what are doing to ask about your body weight? I'm not. I promise.

Anna: 22:26

Bother me. No.

Joe: 22:29

Have you ever done your body weight challenge? Mm-mm. Where it's like, do if you can do your body weight in a squat and and then squat at your age, that's the, like, gold standard.

Anna: 22:39

Oh, interesting. A squat at your age. What do you mean by

Joe: 22:42

So you take your body weight. Yeah. How old are you? 30? 30?

Anna: 22:47

30 one.

Joe: 22:47

Okay. 31. So whatever your body weight is, we can do that 31 times. You're golden. Now for you, your asthma, because you're not training for, you know, any any cardio stuff.

Joe: 22:58

Might not be able to do it.

Anna: 22:59

But I don't think I could do my body weight for my age. That'd be a lot.

Joe: 23:03

I can't. I tried. I got to 20.

Anna: 23:04

That'd be a lot.

Joe: 23:05

I had two twenty five. And that was I only got to 20 and I was dead. Okay. But do you think to the how do we change this stigma? Because I feel like there's so much stigma around lifting heavy.

Joe: 23:20

You're just gonna get big, bulky, and like just stiff. Right? All these bodybuilders. Right? Yeah.

Joe: 23:25

How do we change this stigma in the gym? And when I say we, I mean you because you Yeah. Are changing a stigma yourself.

Anna: 23:32

Thank you. I appreciate that. Not everyone's body changes the same way. If I gave the same workout that I do to, like, three other ladies, we're not going to come out looking the same. Just we're not.

Anna: 23:46

Everyone's body's different. And I think I also started when I was doing weightlifting, was like lifting too light and I was like, I don't want to get bulky. So I was that person.

Joe: 23:57

What changed?

Anna: 23:59

I just liked the lifting. I've liked how I felt. I liked the challenge of it. I, you know, liked how I felt when I was, you know, at work in a physical setting. I really like knowing that I can outlift my husband, you know, that makes me feel really good going off at night.

Joe: 24:18

Enjoy that, Charles Hoffman.

Anna: 24:21

I don't know. I think I just got over the aesthetic piece. Like, like, if this makes my body feel good, like I am able to do more, like my joints feel good. Just like the aesthetic piece kind of like became like secondary. But yeah, I also like this is a slight offshoot.

Anna: 24:42

And was like, when I started weightlifting, was following some, like, fitness influencers that I like. I was like, Okay, I like their body So much garbage out there. Yeah, know. I know. I was swindled into it too.

Anna: 24:56

So and I've started obviously, like, looking for more people who either have, like, an athletic training or PT background. But then I also started, like, following people who looked like me now. Like, not like what I would like to look like. And I mean, I don't care at this point. That's not what I'm looking for.

Anna: 25:13

But people who like girls who have my body type. And that's, like, been really good for my noggin.

Joe: 25:20

Yeah. I

Anna: 25:20

think just because my body does not move like someone who's one hundred thirty five and really thin. Like, I just

Joe: 25:27

I feel like women have a lot more variability too.

Anna: 25:30

Yeah.

Joe: 25:30

Yeah. The fitness space, feel like too.

Anna: 25:32

And just, you know, seeing someone lift really heavy weight like I'm lifting in a gym and being really, like, happy about it and, like, living a healthy lifestyle is, like even though you might think that it doesn't, like, do anything to, you know, your mental health, it it, like, really that was helpful for me too.

Joe: 25:50

Do you because I'm trying to get this through to my wife because you guys are very similar. Are you someone so if if we're gonna say like, this is this is what I track progress with. But behind the book, I mean, I I I think if you're not writing it down, you're wasting your time, quite honestly.

Anna: 26:08

Yeah. Yeah. I agree.

Joe: 26:09

Are you someone who looks in the mirror at just how you feel and how you look? Or are you also then thinking there's value in looking at a number on a scale as well to be like, I feel better. This number reflects that. Mhmm. Or how how are you tracking?

Anna: 26:25

I'm gonna be really last time the only time I weigh myself is when I have to go to the doctor.

Joe: 26:30

Because I'm not a big weigh yourself person personally.

Anna: 26:32

I'm not either. And here's the reason why. When I started weightlifting, I started gaining weight. And that's a really confusing thing for especially a female who, like, thought that, like, losing weight meant health.

Joe: 26:45

Correct.

Anna: 26:46

And it didn't make me feel good. It made me really confused about like

Joe: 26:49

You let that number dictate how you felt.

Anna: 26:51

Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And then, you know, you start realizing, like, you know, my clothes were fitting tighter and that was also confusing. But my clothes were fitting tighter because I was gaining muscle.

Joe: 27:01

Yeah.

Anna: 27:01

And they were but the you know, was gaining it in different places. Like, I winter, I couldn't fit any of my coats on around my shoulders.

Joe: 27:10

I remember you saying that.

Anna: 27:12

But I it doesn't really bother me at this. Like, it doesn't because I feel good. Like, I like what I do when I go to the gym. It makes me happy. I can get that runner's high.

Anna: 27:23

And so I don't weigh myself anymore because I don't that doesn't indicate my health. You know, I I know that I'm probably gaining some, but I'm gaining it in muscle.

Joe: 27:31

So for you, it sounds like it's mostly just mental. You just feel good doing it.

Anna: 27:33

I feel good. I mean, I can tell, like, in the mirror when I feel leaner for sure. Yeah. But I also understand like there's seasons in where you're gonna go up and down. Yeah.

Anna: 27:42

I'm not like a bulk and a cut person. I just Some people do that and that's great. I I don't wanna, like, get myself into the headspace of having to, like, count things. I just, like, don't love that.

Joe: 27:53

I wish I would have never done that. It's kind of ruined it for me. Yeah. Like, I I wouldn't say I have any, like, mental struggles with it, but I try and focus now on just, like, long term longevity, like eighty twenty. Yeah.

Joe: 28:04

But that Balkan cut that I did in college all the time

Anna: 28:07

Oh. Has For sport?

Joe: 28:09

No. Just No. Just cuts. In general. It has ruined it completely where you just hyper focus on but at that time Yeah.

Joe: 28:16

Which we both were in college the same time. At that time, there was so much garbage out there

Anna: 28:20

Yeah.

Joe: 28:20

In the extremes of that industry were showing where now I think it's transitioned to and maybe I just see it more because we're both PTs and we follow people like that. Yeah. Where now I think it's more like level headed, like making sense of some of this stuff. Like, don't be don't be crazy. Just do

Anna: 28:34

this. Yeah.

Joe: 28:36

Who are some people that you would recommend following?

Anna: 28:39

I mean, I like the squat university. I think some I don't always love the, like, okay, here's a person with a problem. Here's how I'm gonna fix it because I think that might be a little smoking whatever. But I I like his tips on lifting. Mhmm.

Anna: 28:53

Like I said, about the breath work, I really like. Yeah. I can't think of any I have a couple of PTs that I follow. I can't think of any off the top of my head. But I really do like squat universities, like, tips.

Anna: 29:04

Because he is a he's a PT. Right?

Joe: 29:06

Yes.

Anna: 29:07

I think so. Yeah. Do you know

Joe: 29:10

who John Rousson is? He's out of Madison. He's a PT as well. No. He's a he's a big just he's a PT.

Joe: 29:18

His training is a lot of functional stuff.

Anna: 29:20

Oh, cool.

Joe: 29:21

His wife is someone who wakes up at, 03:00 in the morning every day and trains at their house. Oh. Her name is La la. Live with La la.

Anna: 29:28

Okay.

Joe: 29:29

But he's a PT out of Madison. His stuff's really good.

Anna: 29:31

Okay. Good to know.

Joe: 29:32

Little little eye level.

Anna: 29:35

Oh, not.

Joe: 29:36

He's crazy. But really good. Who are do you mostly follow PTs? Or do you have any, like, fitness influencer that you think is really good?

Anna: 29:46

I have a couple. Oh, boy. I'm gonna have to find them.

Joe: 29:52

Lord. Because I've changed personally changed so much on what I consume because I thought there was so much bad stuff out there.

Anna: 29:58

Yeah. I I have a couple of influencers that I cannot influencers that I cannot find at this current moment. But who are not PTs or athletic trainers. But I think they at least have enough knowledge where I like trust their and I'm gonna be really honest in that I don't always follow so like every once in while I'll be like, oh I like that exercise. It's a good variation of what I'm doing.

Anna: 30:22

But some of it is for their clothing. Because like for for like weightlifting, like I know their stuff is gonna fit me.

Joe: 30:28

Oh yeah.

Anna: 30:30

But that, you know, because like some of the stuff that these influencers wear, I'm like, can't wear

Joe: 30:33

that to the gym. Yeah, right.

Anna: 30:35

But again, it's just it's good representation. Like I think that's, you know, some people blow that off, but like representation is very important. So like looking at someone doing what you're doing and being really happy about it is good. Yeah.

Joe: 30:49

Is there any are you a big supplement person? Mm-mm. Do you take anything at all? Mm-mm. Well, that's a bad question on what you would recommend.

Anna: 30:59

I'm sorry.

Joe: 30:59

Yeah. What's so you we you just had a really good workout.

Anna: 31:05

Yeah.

Joe: 31:05

Okay. How do you recover? Like, are you big? Like, how do you get that nutrients back in your system?

Anna: 31:13

This might not be forever. I don't love working out on a full stomach. I, like, don't eat a ton before I go. It just makes me feel kind of nauseous, especially because I work out early in the morning and I'm usually a little nauseous in the morning. But I always eat some kind of protein.

Anna: 31:28

Like, I am, like, usually ravenously hungry. So for a while, I did, like, egg bakes, some cottage cheese. Right now, I'm on a big hard boiled egg kick, thanks to you. Yeah. No problem.

Anna: 31:39

But I I mean, that changes, but it's some some form of protein. And I usually have some kind of, like, granola bar protein bar because, like, I I'm ravenously hungry and usually, like, on the verge of feeling a little light headed. So I should probably eat it quicker than I do. But I I And you can get hangry too.

Joe: 31:54

I've seen it firsthand.

Anna: 31:55

Can get hangry. Yes. So I always have that, and I always have a couple of extra just in case my workout was really good. So

Joe: 32:01

Anna, that was good. I think, again, you won't say this about yourself, but I I think what's crazy is you set this standard and you hold this standard for women in the weight room. Most people lift really light. They don't touch anything. Mhmm.

Joe: 32:17

You're like, screw that. Let's go lift heavy. Yeah. And be good at it. Mhmm.

Joe: 32:20

Because it it is super beneficial. Mhmm. Which goes against the grain. It's slowly coming back this way. Mhmm.

Joe: 32:27

But there's still not that many people doing it.

Anna: 32:29

Yeah. I mean, I'm glad that I see more women in the weight gym. That always makes me really happy. Yeah. And I've had a couple of, like, ladies come up to me and, like, say, you know, something positive and, like, it's nice to see you in here, like, lifting heavy, like, regularly.

Anna: 32:46

And Yeah. Always makes you feel good. Because if I can give someone else a little bit of that boost up to be like, oh, yeah. I can do that too. That's great.

Joe: 32:53

Give us give us some words of wisdom to finish this podcast off. Give me something inspirational.

Anna: 33:02

I don't know. Like

Joe: 33:03

I'm gonna put you on the spot too.

Anna: 33:05

I don't know. It's it's a good day to lift something heavy. Like, I I always feel that way, like, when I go to the gym.

Joe: 33:09

Yes.

Anna: 33:11

It just does. You, like, feel like you've done something. You feel like you made your body work. I'm like, you know, this is this is what I do this for. It's a good day to lift something heavy.

Joe: 33:19

I'm gonna start tagging that in my stories of my workouts in the morning. It's a good day to lift something heavy, then tag you, and it's gonna go back and forth.

Anna: 33:24

Perfect.

Joe: 33:24

Okay. It's gonna be the new tagline. Yeah. We're gonna end it there, everybody. It's a good day to lift something heavy.

Joe: 33:29

Anna, thank you very much.

Anna: 33:31

You are welcome.