Ever been told that reformer footwork is the equivalent of a barbell squat? Or that adding a dumbbell to your Pilates workout counts as strength training?

In this episode, Nikki is joined by mechanical engineer and Pilates teacher Kaleen Canevari to discuss the physics of Pilates spring resistance and the potential applications of Pilates and strength training through the lens of exercise science.

Topics covered:

• Why springs get heavier the longer they're stretched and how that resistance will change based on the height of your client and the exercise being performed.

• The math behind a reformer spring vs a free weight (e.g. a dumbbell or barbell) and how that influences the amount of weight that you're moving during an exercise.

• The difference between progressing movement complexity and progressing in how much weight you can move during an exercise.

• Why new movers often make strength gains early in their Pilates practice and how this may change as they become more advanced.

• Why standing on a reformer with a dumbbell is not a good replacement for strength training if your goals are to increase bone density, strength, or muscle mass.

• Why it's difficult to track Pilates based metrics and what that might look like in the future.

Connect with Kaleen Canevari

• Instagram:@kaleenc_

• Website: Pilatesphysics.com

Connect with Nikki

• Instagram: @naablevyfitness

• Website: naablevy.com

• Get your FREE personalized strength plan! Naablevynaablevy.com/free-strength-plan

• Get your free macros and calories calculator + guide: NaablevyMacros Made Simple - NaabLevy

In this episode, Nikki is joined by PA and nutrition coach Stormy Weather to talk what it's like to be a hypermobile competitive athlete and navigating the medical system with hypermobility, POTS, and MCAS.

Topics covered:

• Why being high-functioning and athletic often works against you when you're trying to get support from medical providers.

• The mindset shifts required to train at a high level while also accommodating the symptoms and limitations that hypermobility presents with.

• Why it's so difficult to get treatment and care within the medical system when you have symptomatic hypermobility.

Connect with Stormy Weather

• Stormy's Instagram: @stormywtr

• Show Your Work Nutrition Instagram: @showyourworknutrition

• Website: https://www.showyourwork.net/

Connect with Nikki Naab-Levy

• Instagram: @naablevyfitness

• Website: naablevy.com

• Get your FREE personalized strength plan! Naablevynaablevy.com/free-strength-plan

• Get your free macros and calories calculator + guide: NaablevyMacros Made Simple - NaabLevy

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 | Stormy's background: PA, nutrition coach, and competitive masters athlete

05:38 | Modifying your training goals as a competitive athlete with symptomatic hypermobility and long Covid

08:39 | The boom-bust training cycle: managing flares without losing your fitness

16:17 | Experiences with MCAS, dysautonomia, and potential medication options for hypermobility comorbidities

30:34 | Low dose naltrexone: How it works and why it's gaining traction for hypermobility

38:07 | Getting care on the fringes when the standard system has nothing for you

40:08 | Navigating the medical system with hypermobility

53:35 | Options to managing rib subluxations

In this episode, Nikki is joined by a roundtable of coaches and movement teachers to unpack the America's Next Top Model documentary and how it applies to the fitness industry.

They discuss:

• The impact of America's Next Top Model on body image and beauty standards
• How harmful industry norms are justified and perpetuated under the guise of "that's just how it is"
• Parallels between reality TV and the fitness industry, including transformation culture and exploitative marketing
• The influence of early 2000s media vs modern social media on shaping our beliefs around our bodies, food, and "success"
• Why as fitness professionals we should challenge misinformation and create better standards for marketing

Connect with Adrienne Johnson

• Instagram: @thelionesstouch
• Website: https://www.thelionesstouch.com/

Connect with Steph Gaudreau

• Instagram: @steph_gaudreau
• Website: https://www.stephgaudreau.com/

Connect with Greg Sutton & Vanessa Zingaro

• Instagram: @evolvetoexcel
• Website: https://evolvetoexcel.com/

Connect with Nikki Naab-Levy

• Instagram: @naablevyfitness
• Website: naablevy.com
• Get your FREE personalized strength plan: Naablevynaablevy.com/free-strength-plan
• Get your free macros and calories calculator + guide: NaablevyMacros Made Simple - NaabLevy

#ResultsNotTypical, #FitnessMyths, #ANTM, #BodyImageIssues, #HealthAndFitnessIndustry, #ToxicBeautyStandards, #Hypermobility, #FitnessPodcast, #RealityTVCritique, #StrengthTrainingForWomen