The Intersection Between Strength Training & Eastern Medicine, with Dr. Chris Holder

Todd is back for this week’s episode of Health is a Skill with a special guest he’s been meaning to reconnect with for over a decade: Dr. Chris Holder. Chris is a strength coach turned doctor of eastern medicine practices like Qigong and Christian mysticism, and today on the show he’s here to tell us more about where the two intersect. Todd begins the episode with an overview of what strength training is and its many benefits—inviting Chris to share how he’s seen eastern medicine practices enhance his strength training programs, specifically helping his athletes during their recovery periods. The two go on to discuss some of the biggest things Chris has learned throughout his career as a strength coach, lay out best practices for strength training as you get older, and make the case for why the science of strength training and the spirituality of eastern medicine can (and should!) go hand-in-hand. Follow Chris on social media @drholder, and check out his website here: https://www.christianmysticism.online/. Get access to Todd's free health resource: https://podtodd.com   Learn more about Stark at: https://www.stark.health CHAPTERS00:00 Holistic Health and the Wheel of Health03:51 The Power of Strength Training10:11 Emotional and Mental Benefits of Strength Training15:57 Integrating Eastern and Western Medicine20:12 The Future of Health and Wellness28:00 Integrating Qigong in Athletic Training29:54 Common Mistakes in Strength Training35:16 The Evolution of Nutritional Approaches39:26 Strength Training for Aging Populations43:09 Connective Tissue and Athletic Performance51:59 Movement Patterns and Athletic Longevity Your health is a skill you can build. Start with the free resources at podtodd.com or explore team-based health optimization at stark.health