Welcome to Season 4 and Episode 60 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this much requested first part of a three-part episode series, Laurel and Sarah discuss the phrase long and lean from a historical and sociological perspective. They cover the idealized image of women through art with a historical gaze, then unpick the narrative around becoming long and lean, how diet and exercise became front and center for this impossible ideal, and where we are today with social media, photoshop, and AI in t...
Feb 07, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to our supersized Episode 59 of the Movement Logic podcast and the final episode of Season 3! In this episode, Laurel and Sarah discuss certifications for movement professionals. Are they necessary? Are they useful? Do they help promote you, or just the brand? Should you be focusing on it so much? You will learn: Do certifications in the movement industry function to a means to ensure quality control and accountability the way that the equivalent does in a regulated industry Do the tests...
Oct 18, 2023•2 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Season 3 and Episode 59 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode, Laurel and Sarah discuss dogmatic beliefs and myths around the shoulders from the yoga, Pilates, and strength training worlds. We also discuss how given the fact that shoulder joint is a “complex” of many bones and joints, it’s much more useful that teachers keep their approach to teaching this area as simple as possible (and stop micro-managing their students shoulders!) You will learn: The bones and joints of th...
Oct 11, 2023•2 hr 54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 57 of the Movement Logic podcast. In this episode, Laurel and Sarah discuss the fact that lifting heavy is not automatically a strength sport and that more people would feel invited to lift heavy if the media didn’t fixate so much on barbells as equipment for large, young, competitive male lifters and instead represented people that look more like everyone else and shared goals beyond competitive ones. You will learn: The difference between powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting,...
Oct 04, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 56 of the Movement Logic podcast. In this episode, Sarah is talking about hypermobility, and what if any connection exists between hypermobility and osteoporosis. You will learn: Hypermobility, EDS, and Marfan’s Syndrome, explained Is there any agreement in the research around hypermobility and osteoporosis Why research quality always matters when we’re trying to determine a connection between conditions What does ‘statistically significant’ mean and why it matters for researc...
Sep 27, 2023•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 55 of the Movement Logic podcast. In this episode, Laurel answers two questions that she gets regularly from folks online. They are: How can I get started with strength training? And, how can I “learn more about” strength training? Spoiler: the best way to get started with strength training (the doing and the teaching) is by…wait for it…strength training! In this episode you will learn: The three most important elements of strength training—exercise technique, programming, and...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Season 3 and Episode 54 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode, Laurel and Sarah discuss dogmatic beliefs and myths around the lower back, upper back, and neck from the yoga, Pilates, and strength training worlds. You will learn: That the spine is made up of over 360 joints so maybe we should move it in all the ways (instead of keep it neutral all the time). That people are really bad at determining what position the spine is in just by observing (says research). That mo...
Sep 13, 2023•2 hr 47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 53 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode, Sarah and Laurel dissect a few research papers that studied the effects of various rest periods between loading bone, and how these rest periods can impact the efficacy of our bone density building. You will learn: Osteoblasts and osteoclasts, defined Why bone building reminds Sarah of Fraggle Rock What does your bones’ mechanosensitivity have to do with its response to load Why bone cells remind Laurel of herself (they’re eas...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Season 3, Episode 52 of the Movement Logic podcast. In this episode, Laurel and Sarah are joined by seven other guests for a panoramic, multi-perspective answer to the question “why don't more women lift weights?” Our seven guests (all of whom are movement professionals) weigh in on their previous objections to strength training. Of course they also share their impetus for starting to lift, and how it changed their lives. Sign up here for the Live Strength Training Webinar on Sept 14t...
Aug 30, 2023•2 hr 35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 51 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode, Laurel and Sarah discuss myths around osteoporosis and osteopenia, including why yoga and Pilates are poor choices for bone building (yes, we’ll talk about THAT study, again) and ultimately how weight training and impact training are both safe options when applied with the proper dosage and programming. You will learn: Osteoporosis and osteopenia, defined Why so many people with osteoporosis are afraid of falling What the fear...
Aug 23, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Laurel and Sarah discuss bracing and breathing. Why are we all so confused about our breathing mechanics and convinced we’re doing it wrong, no matter what we’re doing? When is the right (and wrong) time to brace when lifting something? What’s the difference between bracing and bearing down? And is navel to spine even doing what we think it’s doing? You will learn: Is there a right and a wrong way to breathe How social media influences our sense of right and wrong breathing Brea...
Aug 16, 2023•2 hr 33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Season 3 and Episode 49 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode, Laurel and Sarah discuss the common tendency for people (not just women) to under load when lifting weights to build muscle and strength. In fact, it’s likely a slight majority of people in the gym are either not lifting heavy enough or taking sets close enough to failure to make changes to their muscle mass or strength! You will learn: If left to their own devices, the average lifter gravitates toward sets of 10 ...
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Season 3 and Episode 48 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode, Laurel and Sarah discuss dogmatic beliefs and myths around the pelvis from the yoga, Pilates, and strength training worlds. We also discuss how correlating pelvic position with safety or pain is not backed by research, and thus what value teaching pelvic alignment may or may not have. You will learn: Natural variations on the AFAB and AMAB pelvises How there’s a variety of ideas on where neutral pelvis is, which t...
Aug 02, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 47 of the Movement Logic Podcast—our last episode of season 3! In this episode, Laurel and Sarah reflect on their most cringe stories from the teaching trenches and the big and small lessons they learned from them. You will belly laugh at their mistakes, and also learn vicariously through them!. DISCLAIMER: the language in this episode gets a little salty so you may want to listen when there are no children around. You will learn: That making mistakes is a crucial part of gett...
Jun 28, 2023•2 hr 30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 46 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode, Laurel discusses frequency, or how often to strength train per week. Laurel unpacks the concept of frequency its relationship to volume, as well as what research suggests is the “minimal effective dose” to get certain benefits from resistance training, like increased longevity and strength. By the end of this episode you will understand why workout frequency matters enormously, but why it cannot matter separately from weekly v...
Jun 21, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 45 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode, Laurel and Sarah talk about pain, injury, and safety in strength and yoga. We discuss what an injury is and how definitions of injury differ in research. We also discuss pain and how it is different (but also overlaps) with injury. Then we look at what research suggests about the overall likelihood of sustaining an injury in strength training and yoga. We’ll also discuss what safety is from a health standpoint, and about the r...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 44 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode, Sarah and Laurel talk all about their favorite strength training equipment: the barbell! Why do so many people (including Sarah until very recently) have such a mental block around creating a barbell set up at home? We also discuss: How you will need to move to barbells if you want to continue to strength training for injury prevention, bone density, and lean muscle mass How barbells are not an “advanced” training equipment bu...
Jun 07, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 43 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode Laurel sits down to talk with nutritional scientist, Dr. Ben House, PhD who has been working in nutrition and fitness for over 15 years, and has published many articles in peer reviewed, scientific journals. In their conversation, Ben and Laurel talk about the intersection between nutrition and fitness, specifically for women between the ages of 40-65 who may exercise and eat with a number of related (but different) goals like ...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 42 of the Movement Logic podcast! Laurel goes it alone this episode to unpack six common myths that still inform the way movement teachers and even clinicians think about and talk about the body, to potentially harmful effect. You will learn about: The Magical Low Back Exercise Myth The Poor Body Design Myth The Posture Predicts Pain Myth The Scapegoated Isolated Muscle Myth The Fragilista Warning Label Myth The Muscles As Modeling Clay Myth How questioning your own beliefs as...
May 24, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 41 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this solo ride, Sarah gets even deeper into the ins and outs of motor learning. Specifically, further components that can be easily brought into your class to help your students’ and clients’ motor learning. You will learn: What is motor learning (a brief review) Motor learning stages: cognitive, associative, automatic 3 New methods to improve motor learning separate from cueing How Harry Styles' dancers displayed phenomenal skill at dealin...
May 17, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 40 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this fourth BONUS episode about cueing, Sarah sits down with Trina Altman to discuss the role creativity can and should play in our cues. You will learn:: What are the essential components of creativity How teaching is an inherently creative occupation Using constraints to develop creativity in movement The freedom of giving yourself permission to use what’s available in novel ways Why simple cueing trumps flowery cueing for students How yo...
May 10, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 39 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode, Sarah takes a trip back in time to find out: Where did the ubiquitous 3x10 come from? It’s a wild ride that takes her down more than one rabbit hole and brings us face to face with 1RM, RPE, RIR, and everything else with an R in it. You will learn: Where did the 3 x 10 protocol come from How 3 x 10 has changed over time, in a significant departure from what it originally contained: progressive overload How long held beliefs ar...
May 03, 2023•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 38 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode about bone density, Sarah and Laurel talk all about what kinds of exercise are indicated by research to improve bone density, and almost more importantly: what isn’t (including yoga). We also discuss: What is bone density and how do we measure it Why women are at more risk for fracture than men, especially following menopause How to interpret DEXA scan results and its relationship to fracture risk What lifestyle and medical fac...
Apr 26, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 37 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode, Laurel and Sarah talk about the connection between plyometrics, impact training, and bone building. You will learn: The difference between plyometrics and impact training. What we need to consider if we are using plyometrics and/or impact training to increase bone density. What the stretch-shortening cycle is and why it is important for plyometric exercise. The phases of the stretch-shortening cycle, and why the amortization p...
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 36 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this listener-requested episode, Sarah and Laurel discuss somatic dominance, a phrase coined by author Matthew Remski to describe the manner in which teachers of movement, and yoga specifically, can come to exert control over their students, and the potential for abuse of this control. Content Warning: This episode contains references to physical and sexual abuse. We discuss: The definition of somatic dominance How some teachers use somatic...
Apr 12, 2023•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 35 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode Laurel sits down to talk with an old friend and colleague Dr. Caitlin Casella, DPT. In their conversation, Caitlin shares about her journey from yoga teacher to movement teacher to physical therapist. Laurel and Caitlin get into a multi-faceted discussion around the goals of rehabilitation, and how unfortunately sometimes the rehab process can fall short in fully preparing people to get back to the activities of their life afte...
Apr 05, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 34 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this third episode about cueing, Sarah and Laurel discuss a specific subset (that’s a circle within a circle) of cues: feedback. Namely, we focus on when and how your feedback cues to your yoga, movement, and strength training clients can be most effective, and how there’s a strong chance you’re not helping them with that all important goal: motor learning. We also discuss: The three stages of motor learning that all practitioners of moveme...
Mar 29, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Episode 33 of the Movement Logic podcast! Today, Sarah is flying solo - good thing she’s spent a lot of time working on her balance. We tend to think of balance as a precision activity to strive for, but in this episode, Sarah flips the script and shows you why balance is a non-falling event. You will learn: The 3 systems in the body that contribute to balance The difference between static and dynamic balance, and which is more important What types of exercise improve functional balan...
Mar 22, 2023•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Season 2 and Episode 32 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode, Laurel discusses a topic that is important but poorly understood—training volume. Too much too soon leads to pain, injury, and burnout. Too little too late leads to frustrating plateaus and boredom. It’s important to understand volume, as well as its relationship to load, progressive loading, and changing up our strength training routine with well-timed variety. In this episode, Laurel also discusses: The concept ...
Mar 15, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Season 2 and Episode 31 of the Movement Logic podcast! In this episode, Laurel and Sarah discuss three types of cues movement teachers like yoga teachers and strength coaches use—verbal, visual, and tactile cues. Namely, we look at the differences between these three ways of cueing, and the plusses and minuses of all three types. We also discuss: What deeper understanding we need to have about our students as well as the movement we’re teaching before we cue at all What a verbal, vers...
Mar 08, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
