2 buff beards podcast by Kelvin Franklin

Each day we encounter environmental food cues almost everywhere we look. The effects of food cues may have a subtle but powerful influence on our decisions regarding what to eat and drink. The smart packaging, the clever logos, and the catchy jingles all serve to remind us of the enjoyable experience of eating certain foods in the hopes that we will buy and eat more of it.

Changing too many variables at once is just not a good move in my opinion. Making a lifestyle change is challenging enough. Most of the time we have a lot of things that we need to work on. Transforming too many things at once can add stress rather than decrease it. Lifestyle changes are a process that takes time and requires support. Once you’re ready to make a change, the difficult part is committing and following through. Today's podcast dives into what we think about changing too many variables at once and how you should combat the temptation of going down that path.

To continually make progress, you must develop a set of training principles that keep you moving forward. The number of principles that make up a sound training program are few. In today's podcast we dive into the pros and cons of different programs and what you should be aware when it comes to training with a specific goal in mind. 

There are a lot of things that get in the way of your health and fitness goals.

Cardio training is exercise with the purpose of developing cardiovascular or aerobic fitness. Cardiovascular fitness is a good measure of the heart’s ability to pump oxygen-rich blood to the muscles.

Many of us set goals,  and new years resolutions. There is nothing wrong with that. The problem is we typically end up not in a celebration of reaching them. Far too often we are way too close to an epic face-plant from failing. We want to achieve goals that could vastly improve our lives, but we usually don’t. Eight percent. Only eight percent of people successfully achieve their New Year’s resolution. So, that’s depressing. 

Your mind may actually be your biggest hurdle to staying fit and athletic well into your 80s and 90s, especially if you buy into the myth that you've got to spend your afternoons siting in a rocking chair once you reach 75.

You have the free liberty of making choices every day. What is a good choice? Good choices are decisions that keep you heading in the direction in which you want to go. Bad choices, on the other hand, end up being counterproductive and can quickly begin spiraling into stress, confusion, and despair.

Hunger strikes big in moments where you are going through a calorie deficit to lose body fat. The body doesn't know you are only temporarily going through a few months of cutting your calories back to lose fat or starving to death. It sends the alarm of starvation which is why that hunger signal is so loud and can be overwhelming to you.

Building muscle is no easy feat. But the majority of information out on the internet makes it seem like you can look like Hercules in 6 weeks. 

Is there a trick to making good food choices during the holidays? Managing your nutrition during the holidays can be tough but only because we go into it without a plan.  

A mindset is a belief that orients the way we handle situations. Our mindsets effect the way we sort out what is going on and what we should do. Our mindsets help us spot opportunities but they can trap us in self-defeating cycles as well.

I have had the benefit of surrounding myself with amazing people over my career. Today, I got to sit down with my good friend Kyle Hardwick and we talked about lots of things during this episode. I hope you get something out of today.

The misinformation floating around the internet can be confusing at times. Everything is so black and white to some people because they feel the need to take a side. Then it becomes sort of like tribalism where they launch out a full on attack against anyone who doesn't believe what they believe. Listen, in health and fitness the answer is always somewhere in the middle. On today's episode we talked about a few myths that we often hear and wanted to just give our insight into what we thought about them.

If you are reading this then you have experienced soreness at some point and time after a hard workout. Do you remember those times when your legs were so sore that you made a stink face getting out of the car? Or when it was hard to sit in a chair? What about the time your arms hurt so bad that doing anything to your hair was just pure agony?

Individuals should consider varying their exercise routines for two fundamental reasons: to prevent boredom associated with doing the same things workout after workout and to consistently progress and not remain stagnant. Research has shown that adding variety to an exercise program can improve adherence.

The weekday dieter.

Inadequate sleep doesn't make you tough, but it certainly affects your efforts in the gym. While you may be able to "function just fine" on a few hours of sleep, doing so still short changes your body composition goals.

If you don't belong to some category or group when it comes to nutrition then chances are you won't fit in with some crowds. I have always said the conversations that surround nutrition are all wrong. Most diets are practically the same anyways. Why is everyone trying to one up someone else with their nutritional practice. In today's episode we dive into some common myths regarding nutrition and unpack a new way of thinking about the foods you put in your body. 

I love lifting weights. Anyone that knows me and Zac understands that we enjoy our time in the weight room.

I think we can all agree that goals are important. Setting goals is proven to help you achieve more because goals help you strategically pick the right actions, help you put in more effort, and keep you motivated over time.

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise. It ranges from the energy expended walking to work, typing, performing yard work, undertaking agricultural tasks and even fidgeting. 

This was one of my favorite episodes so far. Living a healthy lifestyle begins when you learn how to embrace the process. You can make strides in the right direction prior to understanding this concept. But you begin to make lasting change and see a mental shift that helps you sustain a healthy lifestyle when physical changes may be stagnant. 

I've often said that America doesn't have a weight loss problem. But more of a weight maintenance problem. Today's episode dives into why we think America is overweight. 

Online training is growing into a big business. You see the term online fitness coach now being used as a career title. 10 years ago this was unheard of but the fitness industry has evolved with technology. Should everyone have an online health and fitness coach? In today's episode we dive into the pros and cons of having a virtual fitness coach. 

Should you avoid eating out?

Today's 2 Buff Beards Podcast dives into my personal journey a bit. I still sit back and can't believe I have been a personal trainer for over 10 years now. Of course it can't all be covered in one podcast but I hope that you learn a little bit more about me and my healthy lifestyle journey. 

Strength training is a passion of ours so of course we had to dive into some of the benefits of partaking in a strength training program. Who doesn't want life to be a little easier, look better naked, feel stronger, and prevent degenerative diseases? I hope you enjoy the podcast today as we unpack some of the few benefits of resistance training.

Boy oh boy am I excited to share this episode with you. I have so much admiration and respect for Zac that I can't even begin to put it into words. Zac left a position of being comfortable so he could pursue a career in health and fitness. I don't want to give too much away from the episode but I hope you enjoy getting to know my good friend and other half of 2 Buff Beards Podcast. 

The conflicting information on what you should do to get in shape for the summer time is so conflicting. Crash diets, detoxes, two a day cardio sessions, and high intensity training are just a few of the things you will hear being preached. What should you listen to and what should you ignore? In today's episode we cover some general rules when it comes to getting ready for the summer. 

You can find a supplement for anything today. There is a supplement addressing every goal you can think of. Do we really need them? If we do need them, which ones do you take and which ones should you leave on the shelf? During today's episode we dive into the controversy surrounding supplements. 

There is so much information out there today that it is difficult to sift through what is real and what is fake. In this episode we discuss some of the more common myths we hear when it comes to health and fitness.