Today, Lou shares her exhilarating journey as she prepares for the High Rocks Women's Single Pro competition, transitioning from doubles open to tackling the full challenge solo. With just 14 weeks to go, she outlines her comprehensive training plan, which includes cycling, running, strength sessions, and Hyrox-specific workouts.

The episode also features a Q&A segment where Lou addresses various listener questions, covering topics such as recovery tips, the importance of sleep and nutrition, strategies for managing willpower, and practical advice for fueling during competitions.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Lou has developed a comprehensive training plan for the upcoming High Rocks Women's Single Pro event, which includes cycling, running, strength training, conditioning sessions, swimming, and track workouts to improve speed.

• There is a focus on maintaining a balance between losing fat and building muscle, especially since the competition requires lifting male weights. Lou is considering adjusting her caloric intake to create a deficit while still supporting muscle maintenance.

• Recovery strategies emphasize the significance of sleep and nutrition as foundational elements. Additional recovery methods like massages, ice baths, and saunas are considered supplementary and should only be implemented after the basics are addressed.

• Willpower is described as a limited resource that can become exhausted, making it unreliable for long-term goals. Instead, developing discipline and establishing sustainable habits is crucial for achieving fitness and nutrition objectives.

• Proper fueling strategies for events like High Rocks and marathons are highlighted, including carbohydrate loading before the event and ensuring adequate nutrition during training runs to maintain energy levels and prevent hitting a wall during performance.

BEST MOMENTS

"I've gone from doubles open to men's weights and doing the whole thing on my own. I don't really know what I was thinking."

"The key things for recovery are sleep and nutrition. If you haven't got those down to a T, then all this extra fluffy stuff is a waste of your time."

"Willpower is not enough at all. We cannot rely on it. It's more like a muscle in the body that becomes exhausted if we use it too much."

"If you are 80kg, you can store approximately 400 grams of glycogen in your muscles. That's why when we carb load, we carb load for the full 48 hours prior to the race."

"Please don't go to sleep hungry. You're going to make it so much harder to then train that day because you've not fueled your body with enough energy."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://linktr.ee/theexerciseengineer
lou@theexerciseengineer.com

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 this episode, Lou joins The Rogue Treatment Podcast as she explores the topic of calorie counting and its effectiveness in weight loss. Together, they discuss the origins of calorie counting and its relevance in today's society. Lou explores the idea of calorie counting as a tool to counteract the impact of processed foods and chemicals in modern diets. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on whole foods and the 80-20 rule, where 80% of the diet consists of unprocessed, nutritious foods.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Calorie counting is a tool that can be effective for weight loss, but it's important to focus on the quality of food consumed, not just the quantity.

• The 80-20 rule is a good approach to nutrition, where 80% of the diet consists of whole, unprocessed foods, and 20% can include indulgences like processed snacks.

• Processed foods often contain additives that make them more addictive, leading to overconsumption and weight gain.

• The origins of calorie counting date back to the 1820s, but it became popular as a weight loss tool after World War I.

• Portion control and understanding the nutritional content of food are key factors in maintaining a healthy diet, whether or not calorie counting is used.

BEST MOMENTS

"Calories are not technically made equal. If you had a handful of peanuts and then you had peanut butter, your body is going to use more calories to process the peanuts."

"At what point did calorie counting become a thing to lose weight because of the impact of all the shit that we're ingesting that maybe causes us to increase weight?"

"No one ever got fat from eating too many vegetables. It is all the processed foods that we eat and it's all the additives in the processed foods that make us want more."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://linktr.ee/theexerciseengineer
lou@theexerciseengineer.com

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 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
lou@theexerciseengineer.com

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 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
lou@theexerciseengineer.com

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
lou@theexerciseengineer.com

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
lou@theexerciseengineer.com

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.

The latest episode of The Exercise Engineer podcast features a Q&A session where the host answers various questions from listeners and clients. The episode begins with a reflection on personal growth over the past year, highlighting achievements and areas for improvement. Lou delves into topics such as preventing burnout, the benefits of commitment, and tips for beginner runners. Practical advice is shared on topics like pacing, building endurance, and proper nutrition for fitness goals. Listeners are encouraged to set goals, push past mental barriers, and focus on sustainable progress. The episode wraps up with a call to action for listeners to share the podcast with others and stay tuned for future episodes.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Q&A sessions are beneficial for reflecting on personal growth and achievements over time.

• Commitment to long-term goals is essential for success and sustainability in any endeavour.

• Proper rest, nutrition, and recovery are crucial for preventing burnout and achieving fitness goals.

• Building pace as a beginner runner involves starting slower, practising different paces, and ignoring the brain's urge to stop.

• Consistent practice and pushing past mental barriers are key to building resilience and improving performance in running.

BEST MOMENTS

"I just think this one is, it's an interesting one to ask yourself on a, I think a regular basis this should be asked, but"

"I'm proud that I can personally help people and change people's lives for the better."

"Yes, you can eat over your calorie goal every day and still lose fat."

"So really important that we know these different paces but as a beginner runner you don't need to know this."

"I say a lot of the time, like when your body tells you, when your brain is telling you to stop, you're only at 40%."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://linktr.ee/theexerciseengineer
lou@theexerciseengineer.com

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 this episode, Lou shares her insights on growing social media and creating engaging content. She discusses her journey from being an engineer to a fitness coach, and how she has grown her social media following to over 21,500 followers. Lou emphasizes the importance of consistency, value, and variety in content creation, sharing practical tips for coaches and individuals looking to improve their social media presence. She also looks at the significance of filming everyday activities to create quick and engaging content, utilizing different styles and formats to keep the audience interested.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Consistency is key in content creation, even if the results are not immediate.

• Film everything you do to have a variety of content to work with.

• Utilize different styles of content creation, such as point of view reels, trending audios, face-to-camera, voiceovers, and client reviews.

• Repurpose content by creating different variations of the same idea in various styles.

• Use simple editing tools like CapCut to quickly and easily create engaging content from everyday activities.

BEST MOMENTS

"I think a lot of people are in my position where this is their full-time job as well. And social media is a full-time job."

"So do the stuff that you do every day. And then just film it all. Having little short bursts of clips of your whole life makes it so easy to put it into a full day's worth."

"The more different reels, the more different points of view, the different angles of you running that you can get, the better."

"I think that's a really solid bit of advice. Because again, the other day we were flying and I was like, I need a piece of content. I need to make something now."

"It's one of those things where that happens. Now, where it comes to like how do you action that yourself what you said with the pillars perfect."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://linktr.ee/theexerciseengineer
lou@theexerciseengineer.com

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.