Ep. 102 Amanda Cooper - How to Become More Confident, Stronger, & More Comfortable in the Gym!

On this week’s episode of The Chasing Health Podcast I welcomed Amanda Cooper onto the show!  Amanda is a Strength Coach. Horse mom. Coffee Connoisseur, and Outdoor adventurer. She’s also the host of the Carbs & Coffee podcast. Amanda found fitness through her personal journey in navigating eating disorders and extreme challenges with body image. She found her love for the weight room early in high school and has been at it ever since. Her initial experience was in the rehab field working in a chiro clinic as an assistant and personal trainer—giving her insight into the human body and a different perspective on coaching. Amanda realized how much of a gap there was in the fitness space for personalized programming and nutrition and how she could simplify the complexity of health and fitness to make an impact. We had an excellent conversation about all things fitness and training!  In the episode, we discussed:  Working with women from all training ages, from those who have never worked out in the gym to those who are advanced.  What’s the best way to get yourself into the gym and start becoming more active?  Optimal vs. Practical workouts Taking a look at nutrition in order to build muscle - it’s not just the workouts.  What is a Calorie Surplus? What’s the best way to go about getting into one?  What kind of mindset does it take in order to go through a bulking(gaining) phase?  Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition Myth Busting: Fasted Cardio, The Anabolic Window, & Body Fat Spot Reduction How to construct a workout on your own The different functional movements that you should have in your program RPE vs. RIR The importance of training to failure occasionally and training intensity Her two tips for getting started Thanks, Amanda, for joining me on today’s show!  If you’d like to connect with Amanda: Instagram: @ambitiouscoaching  Podcast: Carbs & Coffee Facebook group: Ambitious Women's Fitness Secrets