The Foundations of Fitness with Mike Verschelden (Part 1) | Food for Thought #36

In episode 36 of Greenfork’s Food for Thought podcast, host Stephen Zabala is joined by coach Mike Verschelden of On the Move Fitness for the launch of a 4-part series on building real, sustainable fitness programs. They break down the essential foundations—finding your “why,” setting realistic goals, reverse-engineering from the result, what makes a great coach, and why most social media fitness advice fails—while sharing practical examples and the importance of checking in with your body and recovery.Connect with Mike and learn more about On the Move Fitness at onthemovefitness.com or on Instagram @onthemovefitness.0:00 Welcome & announcement of the 4-part series with Mike Verschelden2:15 Why fitness information overload on social media fails most people4:40 First questions a coach asks (health history, lifestyle, goals)7:50 Finding your deep “why” and reverse-engineering from the goal11:10 The What (realistic long-term goals) and the How (training variables)13:55 Adaptability & what makes a great coach 16:30 Three buckets of coaching: expertise, curiosity, and rapport19:20 Couch-to-5K example: building from walk/jog intervals23:10 FITT principle (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type) explained26:40 Sample interval workouts and progressing safely29:30 Checking in with your body & why meditation matters32:05 Three ways to track progress: how you feel, how you perform, how you look35:15 Real talk on recovery days and listening to your nervous system38:20 Mike’s box breathing & different meditation styles41:50 Mindfulness, emotional awareness & avoiding burnout45:10 Why self-worth traps and training for the right reasons48:30 The power of self-reflection before setting any goal50:40 Quick recap of the Why, What, How framework & what’s coming in Parts 2-452:00 Closing & where to find Mike/On the Move Fitness