Why You are Wasting Your Time with Cardio & 6 Small Changes to Make For Weight Loss (The Secret Behind Kim Kardashian’s Workout) with Senada Greca

Have you been wanting to lose weight? Do you want to transform your body with your workouts? Senada Greca is widely known as Kim Kardashian’s Personal Trainer as well as a renowned fitness and wellness expert. Senada shares her transformative journey from struggling with depression and anxiety to becoming a thought leader in fitness. She is the founder of We Rise, a female empowerment platform focused on health, wellness, and personal development, and Zen toa, a women's athletic apparel brand. Senada has trained high-profile clients such as Miranda Kerr, Bebe Rexha, and Kim Kardashian. Senada's turning point came when she discovered the mental health benefits of strength training, shifting her focus from aesthetics to holistic well-being. Emphasizing the importance of building consistent fitness habits, she advocates starting small and integrating workouts into daily routines. Senada underscores the myriad benefits of strength training, particularly its role in enhancing bone density, muscle mass, and longevity, and preventing injuries, especially as one ages. Together with Jay, Senada advises against relying on motivation alone and suggests finding ways to incorporate physical activity into busy schedules. Senada gives tips on the importance of a holistic approach to health, combining physical fitness with mental and emotional well-being practices like meditation, gratitude, and visualization. She also gives easy habits to implement in your daily nutrition. In this interview, you'll learn: How to start a fitness routine How to optimize your nutrition How to use strength training for longevity How to stay active every day Remember, motivation isn't just about feeling pumped up every day; it's about building habits that become second nature. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 02:59 Do You Have a Fitness Goal? 06:06 What Can You Do in 5 Minutes? 09:29 Were You Always Fit? 12:01 The Dangers of Depleting Your Body 13:25 What Workout Works for You 15:03 How Strength Training Affect Longevity 18:20 What Most People Struggle With 23:50 The Right Reward System to Being Fit 25:14 Biggest Misconceptions About Strength Training 26:50 What Should You Eat Before Workout? 28:32 Genetics 30:12 Low Body Fat Percentage 31:13 Cardio 34:05 Practicing for a Marathon 35:17 Nutrition Plan 38:04 Muscle Loss 41:28 Anxiety and Depression 43:40 Do You Workout Everyday? 45:21 Working with Kim 47:13 Are You Serious About Working? 49:43 Managing Nutrition vs. Workout 50:51 Workout without a Trainer 52:26 The Power of the Mind 55:45 Senada on Final Five Episode Resources: Senada Greca | YouTube Senada Greca | Instagram Senada Greca | Facebook Senada Greca | TikTok WeRise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Jay Shetty?

  This episode is brought to you by Mazda. Confidence isn't something Mazda finds, it's something they practise. That's the thinking behind every Mazda. With proactive safety features designed to help keep you more aware, more connected and more engaged with the road ahead. It's why Mazda has been named Consumer Reports' safest new car brand and has won more 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus Awards than any other car brand as of July 2026. Visit www.iihs.org to learn more. A lot can happen when an accident doesn't. Visit MazdaUSA.com to learn more. Consumer Reports does not endorse products or services. This episode is brought to you by AG1. Are you feeling September reset too?

• 0:45Jay Shetty?

  Shorter days, longer to-do lists, earlier alarms, all those routines you promised yourself you'd pick back up. It can feel like your whole life is recalibrating. And when everything around you is changing, it helps to have a few things you can rely on. AG1 Next Gen is one of those easy habits to keep. It's the clinically-backed, comprehensive daily health drink that supports your gut health, energy production, and foundational nutrition all in one scoop. AG1's ingredients are sourced from quality partners for absorption, potency, and nutrient density to deliver the foundational nutrition your body needs. And alongside a proper diet, AG1 Next Gen meets 94% of nutrient requirements

• 1:28Jay Shetty?

  and it's clinically shown to enrich the gut microbiome. For a limited time, save 20% on your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro at drinkag1.com/onpurpose. That's drinkag1.com/onpurpose. This episode is brought to you by AG1. Are you feeling September reset too? Shorter days, longer to-do lists, earlier alarms, all those routines you promised yourself you'd pick back up. It can feel like your whole life is recalibrating. And when everything around you is changing, it helps to have a few things you can rely on. AG1 Next Gen is one of those easy habits to keep.

• 2:12Jay Shetty?

  It's the clinically backed, comprehensive daily health drink that supports your gut health, energy production, and foundational nutrition all in one scoop. AG1's ingredients are sourced from quality partners for absorption, potency, and nutrient density to deliver the foundational nutrition your body needs. And alongside a proper diet, AG1 Next Gen meets 94% of nutrient requirements and is clinically shown to enrich the gut microbiome. For a limited time, save 20% on your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro at drinkag1.com/onpurpose. That's drinkag1.com/onpurpose.

• 2:58Jay Shetty?

  There's a lot of talk about mindfulness these days, which is fantastic. I mean, we all want to be more present and self-aware, more patient, less judgmental. We discuss all these themes on the podcast, but it's hard to actually be mindful in your day-to-day life. That's where Calm comes in. I've been working with Calm for a few years now with the goal of making mindfulness fun and easy. Calm has all sorts of content to help you build positive habits, shift your self-talk, reframe your negative thoughts, and generally feel better in your daily life. So many incredible options from the most knowledgeable experts in the world, along with renowned meditation teachers. You can also check out my seven-minute daily series to help you live more mindfully each and every day.

• 3:42Jay Shetty?

  Right now, listeners of On Purpose get 40% off a subscription to Calm Premium at calm.com/j. That's C-A-L-M dot com forward slash J-A-Y for 40% off. Calm your mind, change your life.

• 3:57Speaker 01

  I started dealing with depression and anxiety at the same time. And working with physicians, you know, they're a little bit quick to push medication on you. It wasn't until I found a physician that was running marathons herself, where she suggested actually getting stronger. And when I saw what kind of a difference working out did for my mental health. Is when everything changed.

• 4:20Jay Shetty?

  Hey everyone, I've got some huge news to share with you. In the last 90 days, seventy nine point four percent of our audience came from viewers and listeners that are not subscribed to this channel. There's research that shows that if you want to create a habit, make it easy to access. By hitting the subscribe button, you're creating a habit of learning how to be happier, healthier and more healed. This would also mean the absolute world to me and help us make better, bigger, brighter content for you and the world. Subscribe right now.

• 4:54Speaker 02

  The number one health and wellness podcast.

• 4:57Speaker 03

  Jay Shetty. Jay Shetty. The one, the only Jay Shetty.

• 5:03Jay Shetty?

  Hey everyone, welcome back to On Purpose, the place you come to to become happier, healthier and more healed. Now in 2024, I want to help you get fitter, stronger, calmer and feel like you have more courage. And in order to do all those things, I'm looking for guests, experts and thought leaders who can help you build different muscles. Today's guest is a friend of mine and she is incredible, here to help us get fitter and stronger. I'm speaking about Senada Greca, a world renowned thought leader in fitness and wellness. Senada is the founder of We Rise, a female empowerment platform that takes a holistic approach to health, wellness and personal development.

• 5:48Jay Shetty?

  Senada is also the founder of Zentoa, a women's athletic apparel brand that has outfitted thousands of women around the world with high performance and stylish activewear. Senada has been sought after by some of the biggest names in the world. She's trained Miranda Kerr, Bebe Rexha, amongst many others, and currently Senada works with Kim Kardashian. I'm so excited to welcome to the show my friend and incredible thought leader, Senada Greca. Senada, welcome to On Purpose.

• 6:18Speaker 01

  Hi Jay, thank you so much. Thank you for having me here.

• 6:20Jay Shetty?

  I am so happy to have you. We've been looking forward to this. I remember when I DM'd you a while ago and we got connected. You came over to our home, we were hanging out, you've got to know Radhi and... I definitely feel like before we dive into the fitness conversation, I felt like there was a soul connection when we met.

• 6:37Speaker 01

  Absolutely.

• 6:38Jay Shetty?

  And I think that's what made me so excited to have this conversation with you. So thank you for making the time.

• 6:43Speaker 01

  Thank you so much for having me here. I'm so excited. Like you said, there was that spiritual connection with both yourself and Ravi and yeah, and honored. So thank you so much for having me.

• 6:54Jay Shetty?

  Absolutely. Well, 2024 is here. We're already a few months in and most likely people have fallen short of some of their fitness goals. Some people might be kind of just holding on. Maybe some people are doing well as well. If someone has fitness goals, if someone has strength goals, how do you start by setting a goal? How do you start? How do you start?

• 7:20Speaker 01

  Actually, a great statistic that I just reviewed from the ReRise app is that people were on average by week doing three and a half workouts. So I was like, yes, something is working so far as about a week ago. So hopefully everybody keeps the momentum going. But if you're looking to start, I always say start small. You know, you want to climb that mountain one step at a time versus, you know, doing a day-long trip, so to speak. So take the smallest step, you know, start with 20 minutes. If we cannot start with 20 minutes, start with five minutes or even one minute. And then build that habit because it's about creating that consistent habit day after day that will carry you through.

• 8:05Speaker 01

  You know, a lot of the time we think the motivation is what's needed and it's not. It's that habit that we create on a daily basis. So start small. Start with what is attainable. Create a daily calendar and make sure that you're placing, hopefully that workout at the same time every day. You're most likely to stick to it. Create an environment that is supportive of you working out. So if you are working out at home, create a little space for yourself with all of your items, workout items. And if you're going to the gym, Then lay out your workout clothes, lay out your shoes the night before. Some people actually even wear their workout clothes

• 8:50Jay Shetty?

  To sleep in.

• 8:51Speaker 01

  Because it eliminates another step. So how can you make it more accessible? And easy for yourself to accomplish that? And then what is the time of day that does actually work best for you when you feel more energetic? There is no specific time that is, you know, this is the best time to work out. Um, for whatever reason, it's like, what, what time is best suited for your life and lifestyle? I would suggest if possible for most beginners to, to have it in the morning. So you, you know, kind of get it out of the way and don't leave it up to chance for later in the day. Things occur, you know, work and kids and a million things that you have to do throughout the day. So if you leave it up to chance, you most likely are not going to do it.

• 9:34Speaker 01

  Um, but if you're confident, if you're, if you, you know, set that time aside, even if it's in the afternoon, which is when I work out myself, that's when I find it that I'm most energetic. And when I find in the afternoon for myself, um, there is some studies that suggest that the optimal time might be between 11 a.m. and, uh, and 5 p.m. But again, I say, when is it more accessible to you? That's, that's key.

• 10:02Jay Shetty?

  Absolutely. That, let's say someone, I, and I think this is the world we live in today, where we look at five minutes and go, what's the point of working out for five minutes? So what's the point of working out for five minutes? Like, what can you get in five minutes?

• 10:15Speaker 01

  You'll start to create a habit. And that's what's key about making fitness a long, a lifelong activity. Because I see it as not, uh, you know, sprint. It's a lifelong marathon. You want to stay active throughout your entire life for as long as you can. Um, so five minutes is just creating that habit. You won't see drastic results. You might see no results from five minutes, but five minutes today for a week, 10 minutes the next week for a week, and then you start building from there. Uh, again, that makes it just more accessible and creates that habit. And Uh, it does take some time for, for, for a habit to be, especially when it comes to fitness,

• 10:56Speaker 01

  to, to be established somewhere between twenty one days might be when you're like starting to, to create that foundation, but some research shows that it's actually around like sixty, sixty six days when you really solidify that, that habit of working out. So while in the, you know, in the immediate term, like it doesn't really provide results, that five minutes will just set you up for success.

• 11:19Jay Shetty?

  Absolutely. I think that's such a good point. Like, we look at it as like, oh, five minutes doesn't have any value, but you committing to something for five minutes a day.

• 11:29Speaker 01

  Every day.

• 11:30Jay Shetty?

  And you keeping that promise to yourself.

• 11:32Speaker 01

  Exactly.

• 11:32Jay Shetty?

  To turn up every single day. That's what matters about the five minutes.

• 11:36Speaker 01

  Exactly. It builds that self-confidence too in yourself. You know, your body listens, as in with meditation too. Five minutes might not break you through to where you need to be, but five minutes every day and you're setting up that, that habit and you're also saying like, yes, I got this. I'm doing it, you know? I'm dedicating five minutes to myself, for myself.

• 11:58Jay Shetty?

  Absolutely. So let's say someone's listening right now and they say, Sanada Jay, I'm with you. I only have five minutes. What do I do with five minutes? What should they do in a five minute workout? If that's all they have and they're starting out?

• 12:10Speaker 01

  Yeah, there's five minutes, just jump on, uh, you can, let's start with a treadmill, you know? We can, um, just warm up for a minute, do maybe a few squats, just some of the basic movements. And maybe deadlifts. I, you know, you know where I'm going with this. It's a little bit more strength training focused for me, but, um, you know, do something to warm you up for, for a minute or so, and then go into some squats, go into some deadlifts, go into some like major movements that will target some of the biggest muscles in your body. Maybe do some rows. And then you got a few movements covered there.

• 12:47Jay Shetty?

  And if someone's at home and they don't have any gym equipment and don't have access.

• 12:50Speaker 01

  You still, you still utilize your body weight. It's perfectly fine to do so, even if you're starting out squat to seat. So basically just squat to your seat, stand up, squat to your seat, stand up. You can do hip thrust, back of your shoulders on the couch. Feet planted on the ground, hip thrust, body weight, perfectly fine. Grab a kid, put him on your hips. Press the kid. Or any object. I'm a big believer that you can turn anything around your house into something to work out with. Add a little bit of extra resistance. And it's doable.

• 13:26Jay Shetty?

  Were you always fit and energetic and strong? Was that always been a part of your life? Or is it something that you had to develop at a certain point?

• 13:35Speaker 01

  As a kid, I've always been active. I love being outdoors, playing with friends. Whenever I could be outside, I would. I would be on trees, picking fruit. Because, you know, in Albania, we had to kind of like forge a little bit for ourselves. And or like on rooftops. Just an active kid. I played sports. So I've always been active, not necessarily like strong fit, more active. Into the teenage years, unfortunately, that shifted where, you know, your body changes. So I was trying to deal with this extra weight that I was like starting to carry.

• 14:13Speaker 01

  And I started to work out for the wrong reasons, which I would consider is, you know, trying to be as skinny as possible, limiting food intake to be as thin as possible. So it shifted in that fashion. And that was not a healthy way to work out. And then, you know, I started dealing with depression and anxiety at the same time. I think everything kind of like hit at the same time. And working with physicians, you know, they're a little bit quick to push medication on you, which I did, I did take. But it wasn't until I found a physician that was running marathons herself,

• 14:57Speaker 01

  where she suggested, you know, actually getting stronger. And that's what made the biggest difference for me is gaining that strength, working out for the right reasons, which for me at the time were mental,

• 15:11Speaker 01

  for my mental health. And when I saw what kind of a difference working out did for my mental health, whenever it is when everything changed. Now I was nurturing my body for health versus dieting it to be as skinny as possible. So it has taken, the journey of fitness for me has taken a bit of a. Uh, of a, of a path, of a different path throughout the years and then, but when I found strength, when I found strength training is when I found the strength in me and um, I was able to overcome a lot of the things that were, that were weighing on me, that

• 15:54Speaker 01

  were affecting me, like depression, anxiety, and then eating disorders.

• 15:59Jay Shetty?

  Walk us through how just, you know, walk us through the dangers of, I guess, the way, like you said, the wrong reasons. Walk us through some of the dangers physically and biologically.

• 16:13Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 16:14Jay Shetty?

  Of what happens to the body.

• 16:15Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 16:16Jay Shetty?

  When we're starving the body or when we're not.

• 16:18Speaker 01

  Right.

• 16:19Jay Shetty?

  Really helping ourselves in the right way.

• 16:20Speaker 01

  Of course. I mean, you, if you're working, I mean, there's, there's extremes to everything. So while working out is good, doing workouts to the extreme for hours on end, while malnourishing the body can be detrimental to your physique, where you're not incorporating those nutrients that your, your body needs. So you're depleting yourself to, uh, to extreme levels, both with the nutrition and the physical activities. So um, it, it's, it is not healthy. It's not healthy mentally, it's not healthy physically. Your, your, your body starts to deteriorate, you know, you can see, see your like gums and teeth deteriorate and, you know, everything

• 17:01Speaker 01

  else that goes on internally, um, that goes with that. So it is not healthy. It is not healthy. While being thin naturally can absolutely be healthy, it's, there's nothing wrong with that. But when it happens in a forced manner, when you're starving yourself and when you're working out to, to extremes, that's when it becomes unhealthy.

• 17:22Jay Shetty?

  Yeah. Hey, everyone, it's Jay here. My wife and I have had so much fun creating our own sparkling tea, Juni, and I've got big news for you. It's at Target and we'd love your support. If you can go out, grab a Juni, you'll be adding adaptogens and nootropics into your life with mood boosting properties aimed at promoting a balanced and happy mind. Through our commitment to our wellness journey and striving to fuel our bodies with the healthiest ingredients, it's been our purpose to make healthy choices accessible for all, which is why Juni is now on shelves at Target. So head to our store locator at drinkjunie.com and find Juni at a Target near you.

• 18:05Jay Shetty?

  Walk us through the different types of exercises. You obviously focus on strength training. I want to hear about the benefits of that. But you know, people are trying to make sense of like, do I need to do Pilates? Do I need to do yoga? Do I need to do HIIT workouts? Do I need, you know, there's just so much on offer today.

• 18:20Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 18:21Jay Shetty?

  Especially in LA.

• 18:21Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 18:22Jay Shetty?

  But there's so much on offer all over the world.

• 18:24Speaker 01

  Absolutely.

• 18:24Jay Shetty?

  And people are just wondering what's going to work. I was telling you earlier that, you know, if I'm doing a workout and I'm not seeing progress, either in strength or physique or whatever it may be, then you get discouraged and then you let go of it. So walk us through the different benefits of different exercises and why strength training is a priority for you.

• 18:42Speaker 01

  In my actual programming, I also incorporate some higher intensity and I try to weave in a little bit of fun cardio. So I do incorporate different modalities. It's not strictly, you know, strength training or, and it's not powerlifting by any means. It's, it's, it's strength training. But I do incorporate like HIIT sessions and, and some cardio. Because you need, I value all of the components, all of the different modalities. But for me, strength training is sort of like the, the golden standard because that is what is going to strengthen your bones. That's what's going to build muscle mass and a vast array of other benefits that not every modality has. You know, strength training is proven to, to increase,

• 19:27Speaker 01

  like I said, bone, bone density and muscle mass, which are so crucial to longevity and a healthy longevity. And you know, longevity now has become such a buzzword. And if you could do one thing for your longevity is strength, is strength train.

• 19:43Jay Shetty?

  What's actually happening when we do strength training? Like, why does it link to longevity? The bone density is an important part. What else is happening because of strength training? Because what I always hear about is, you know, as you get older and if you fall over, you need the strength to pick yourself back up. But like, what, how is strength training in other ways really impacting our longevity?

• 20:01Speaker 01

  Yeah, I mean, because it is, our bone, our bone density max is reached at about age 25 to 30. And from there, we start to lose bone density. And by the age 40 and on, we start to lose bone density faster than we can build it. So then what happens at that point is that when we do fall, we break a hip or a wrist. And then the chances of recovery from that are much less. So that leads to deaths. I think there is like, Thirty two thousand deaths caused from fall injuries in adults like sixty five and older. And obviously, if you can build and muscles the same way, you start losing after the age of thirty,

• 20:46Speaker 01

  believe it or not, you start losing muscle mass at about three to eight percent every decade. So that's that's incredible. Those are incredible numbers. I mean, at the age thirty is a little bit slower, but then it starts to pick up at forty, fifty, and then by sixty is even faster. So if you can build as much as you can in bone and muscle as when you can, that will just help you carry, will help you carry yourself through and healthier in the in the older years, in the in the later years of life. Because again, you can either prevent yourself from falling,

• 21:26Speaker 01

  or you can recover faster from an injury because your bone density is where it is more optimal than it would have been if you hadn't been building that bone mass. And especially for women. Women are more prone to osteoporosis, which is bone density loss, than men. And by menopause, the the numbers are staggering as to that bone density loss. And for men, actually, even though the osteoporosis instance is less than women, their causality of death, their death due to falls is higher than women.

• 22:02Jay Shetty?

  Oh, wow.

• 22:03Speaker 01

  So, I mean, a lot of the time, I know it's like when we're in our in our twenties or even our thirties, we think of ourselves as invincible, you know. We've got these amazing bodies. They're incredible, of course. But how do we prepare ourselves now when it is possible for the future selves? Our future self will thank us.

• 22:25Jay Shetty?

  This is really powerful stuff, Sanada. This is really gonna connect with the audience to hear these reset studies and recognizing the changes that are happening in every decade. Because I think so many of us, like you said, and I remember that, I remember being twenty two years old and thinking I was Superman.

• 22:42Speaker 01

  Right.

• 22:42Jay Shetty?

  And thinking nothing could defeat me. And I remember my dad kept telling me, you need to focus on your health, you need to focus on your health. And I was like, I'm healthy, it doesn't matter. And then, you know, when I had a couple of my own personal challenges with health. It really kind of stuck with me as to what an investment it needed to be. What are some of the biggest things that you consistently see getting in people's way? When they're trying to get fitter and stronger, what are the challenges? The most common ones that you see people that you've trained over the years that you find they struggle with?

• 23:15Speaker 01

  Well, the first one is relying on feelings. A lot of people rely on motivation. I don't feel motivated. So, you know, how or how do you get motivated to work out? A lot of the time, I just I'm not motivated. I don't want necessarily work out. The coziness of the home is is a lot better than, you know, getting up and getting moving. But it's, uh, we don't rely on that. You know, you take that, you take those feelings, you put them aside and you put your shoes and you keep going. Cause that's what you do. It's like brushing your teeth. You, there's no, there's no, for me, there's no, um, it's a non-negotiable. Working out is a non-negotiable, not just for right now, not because of aesthetics,

• 23:57Speaker 01

  but for longevity, like we were talking about, quality longevity. Um, aesthetics come, it's beautiful. Once you do the things, the right things for your body with nutrition and working out. Aesthetics are a byproduct that will come. Cause a lot of people take that approach of like wanting to look a certain way, which I find can be motivating, but for it's it's short-lived. Especially if the results are taking a little bit longer, which could take longer for some people. But if you are doing it again, for those right reasons, for the reasons of like, I want to be as strong as I can in this body. So this body can carry me forward in the healthiest possible way for as long as as possible.

• 24:40Speaker 01

  So that is the the biggest one that I face is like, how do you, how do I get motivated? How do I stay motivated? It's like act, don't wait for the feelings, act. Um, the other thing is I'm too busy, I'm too busy. There's always time. I'm sorry, but you can always make time for yourself. You can find that time. A lot of the time we find, I'll even, there, there's been even arguments back and forth with people on Instagram, you know? I don't have time. Yeah, two hours later, they're still responding to that same chain of communication. Well, you had two hours right there. You have time. A lot of the time is just we be.

• 25:22Speaker 01

  Analyze your day, just analyze your day as to where you're you're spending time that you could carve out. Not saying, don't watch TV or don't don't be on social media.

• 25:32Jay Shetty?

  Do it while watching TV.

• 25:32Speaker 01

  Exactly, do that. How can you incorporate it?

• 25:35Jay Shetty?

  I found that for me incorporating is so powerful.

• 25:38Speaker 01

  Incorporated, exactly. And I'm I'm a big, big believer of like not doing all or nothing. So even when when it comes to nutrition, it's like you wanna eat a burger. Fine, just how can you maybe take one of the sides of the bun out? You know what I mean? How can you substitute half of the fries with a salad? It's like, don't, don't completely take things out, try to incorporate uh in your life. So find out, there there is definitely always a little bit of time that you can find.

• 26:06Jay Shetty?

  Absolutely. Yeah, when going back to the feelings point.

• 26:09Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 26:10Jay Shetty?

  I've found that things that are good for me. Feel bad before.

• 26:15Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 26:16Jay Shetty?

  But feel amazing after.

• 26:18Speaker 01

  Exactly.

• 26:19Jay Shetty?

  And the things that are bad for me, they feel really good before.

• 26:22Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 26:22Jay Shetty?

  But they don't feel so great after. And so I'm the same as you. When I wake up in the morning, I often go on a hike. That's like how I like to start my morning.

• 26:30Speaker 01

  That's great. Yeah, I'm going for a walk.

• 26:32Jay Shetty?

  I like sweating.

• 26:33Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 26:33Jay Shetty?

  And I like being active and I don't wanna do something too strenuous because my day is quite busy.

• 26:38Speaker 01

  Exactly.

• 26:39Jay Shetty?

  And I found that when I wake up in the morning, I don't wanna work out. I don't feel like it. And you're so right that I just have to say to myself. I have to remind myself, but I know how I'll feel after. And when it comes to eating a burger, trust me, I wanna eat a burger all the time. And I have to remind myself, but I know how it's gonna feel after. And so it's almost like you've got to connect your brain to the after feeling.

• 27:02Speaker 01

  Absolutely.

• 27:03Jay Shetty?

  Because the after feeling is so much more what you have to live with. Because the feeling before kind of comes and goes.

• 27:09Speaker 01

  Exactly.

• 27:09Jay Shetty?

  Right? I wanna eat a burger, I ate a burger, now I don't feel so great. I don't wanna work out, I ignore working out, I didn't work out, now I don't feel so great.

• 27:17Speaker 01

  Right, right.

• 27:17Jay Shetty?

  And you're living with that feeling after for much longer than you're living with the feeling before.

• 27:22Speaker 01

  Very true, very true.

• 27:23Jay Shetty?

  So that's definitely helped me. And and the busy one is so true. I mean, I. Feel like if I work out while watching, I love watching football soccer highlights. I miss watching soccer and I don't get to watch it. Full, I don't get to watch full games anymore because there are different timings because I live in L A. The games are in London or England. And I will put on a highlights of the game, which are like twenty minutes. And I'm like, this is perfect for a twenty minute workout. I can watch the highlights, I can work out and it's going to force me to get through twenty minutes. Whereas if I didn't have the highlights on, I know I'd give up in like six.

• 27:59Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 27:59Jay Shetty?

  And so when the highlights are on, I know that I'll be able to get through a full twenty minute workout, which is what I'm trying to do if I'm traveling or or moving around. So I I love that idea of incorporating things.

• 28:10Speaker 01

  Incorporating things. And and that's true when it comes to creating habits that that are tough to to create in the beginning. How can you tack on something that that is is enjoyable, like a little bit of a reward system? And a reward system doesn't have to be that I get to eat, you know. Whatever I want afterwards.

• 28:30Jay Shetty?

  What is the right reward system for being fit? Because I think a lot of people think it is. Then getting to eat what you want.

• 28:37Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. It could be, you know, like you said, you you like to watch the highlights, you know, a a show that you that you enjoy or another activity that's enjoyable, you know. Or if you want to treat yourself, find maybe when it comes to food, find a a a healthier option. I'm a great believer also in substituting, you know, a lot of the recipes that I post are. I have a sweet tooth, a major sweet tooth. So how can I create recipes that are healthy, that will satisfy and will taste just as good as the naughty

• 29:11Speaker 01

  food? So it's just that for every person, it could be, it could be different. What that reward for them is, but tack it on to it. You know, our in in the We Rise app, we have Dr. Gina, who is a habits expert, habits building expert, one of the, I think, four leading. Researchers of habits and she has so much input and so much information on how to make habits sustainable, you know, I wish I had a Dr. Pocket Gina that I

• 29:46Speaker 01

  ask, yeah, but yeah, she'll have such amazing insight as to how to create and sustain these habits. Yeah.

• 29:53Jay Shetty?

  What's the biggest misconception with strength training? What do you think people get wrong?

• 29:58Speaker 01

  That women will get like bulky and big and gigantic. That's like the biggest thing is like, I don't want to get too bulky. I don't want to get too big.

• 30:06Jay Shetty?

  That's what you hear a lot.

• 30:07Speaker 01

  That's what I hear a lot. And that is a huge misconception because in females, our hormones are, do not allow us to get to the levels that, for example, a man's physique can get naturally. It is not biologically, there's obviously different levels of hormones in different women that will promote growth in some more or less than others, but I always say at the very, at the end of the day, you can just back off, back off. If you are feeling, but I guarantee you that once you start gaining a little bit of muscle, you'll be addicted.

• 30:46Speaker 01

  Because the, the, the feeling of strength and confidence that it, that it gives you, like a stronger body gives you, at least for me and for the people that I've worked with, those feelings that it gives them are far outweigh any, any negative misconceptions. I'm going to say misconception because it is, it's, you're not going to get big. You're not going to get huge. You're not going to be like Hulk.

• 31:12Jay Shetty?

  I know, I know Radhi loves strength training, like it's such a passion of hers. And she loves that feeling of being stronger and loves that feeling of like, it's, it's amazing to see because I think you are right that we have this worry. That our body's gonna change and look a way that we don't want it to look.

• 31:28Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 31:29Jay Shetty?

  Yeah. What should someone eat right before a workout and right after, especially a strength training workout?

• 31:36Speaker 01

  So before a workout, about an hour, maybe thirty minutes at at most, because you don't want to eat too close. I would eat a combination of protein and carbs, maybe a little bit higher in in carbs. And then afterwards, a meal that is higher in protein, so at least at least twenty grams of protein in that meal after the workout. I mean, the the studies are a little bit over the all over the place when it comes to this. Obviously, for somebody that's been working out for a long time, you're a little bit more flexible with that. Or for somebody that is trying to that is trying to to gain muscle mass or weight.

• 32:18Speaker 01

  Again, it's a little bit more flexible versus a beginner, then you have to be a little bit more strict with strict. A little bit more on top of of your nutrition when it comes to not just before and after, but throughout the day. And at the end of the day is what you're consuming throughout the day that is most important. So are you reaching so not so focused, because a lot of people focus so much on before and after. I would start with, how do you feel before a workout? Do you feel, you know, if you're working out in the morning and you're energized enough, then feel free to work out on an empty stomach, that's completely fine, even if you can carry that energy through.

• 33:00Speaker 01

  If you feel like you need to have a little bit of nutrition beforehand, that's great too. It's how do you optimize for yourself? How do you optimize for yourself?

• 33:12Jay Shetty?

  How did genetics play a role in achieving your goals?

• 33:16Speaker 01

  Genetics, they do play a role, a big role in the sense that, well, genetics will not get you out of bed.

• 33:24Speaker 01

  Because a lot of the time, you know, people see my physique and say, you know, it's all genetics. I actually had to fight against a lot of my genetics to get out of bed and workout. I'm predisposed to depression and anxiety. So battling those factors, that's a genetic factor that goes into play. But then when it comes to actual physique building, yes, you'll vary as to like the muscle mass that you'll put on, but you can always improve. You know, there's not, let's not even bother working out because I don't build bigger muscles, you know. You don't even know till you've tried to what capacity

• 34:09Speaker 01

  you can build. Genetics will play a bit of a factor in the body that you're trying to achieve. You know, some people will carry a little bit more weight around their stomachs, so their abs will not be as easily visible as others. So they'll have to, in a healthy way, potentially diet if they can, but to see the visible abdominal muscles, not that that is a golden standard of anything, just hypothetically saying that it'll take them longer than others to achieve that. Because again, genetics do play a role in that.

• 34:48Jay Shetty?

  Talking about that, what is the health benefit of having a lower body fat percentage? Like, what is the goal, right? Because we know that people are trying to lower their body fat percentage in order to have abs, but what's the actual health benefit of having a lower body fat percentage?

• 35:07Speaker 01

  Yeah, and even with that, you want to maintain a healthier one. So you don't want to go too low. You don't want to be too high. If you're going too low, then your hormones start to get messed up and we don't want that.

• 35:18Jay Shetty?

  What happens if it goes too low?

• 35:20Speaker 01

  If it goes too low, so then we start to, you know, women will start to miss their period. So it will affect them that way. Obviously, that puts the body in a little bit of a frenzy. It's not homeostasis anymore. When it goes too high, then you're starting to deal with cardiovascular issues, you know, insulin resistance, and all of the things that will then lead to an unhealthier individual. So there is a range there that we should be.

• 35:48Jay Shetty?

  Talking about cardio, you said that you incorporate cardio. How much is cardio important in a strength training practice? And how much is it not needed?

• 35:57Speaker 01

  The question would be, what are the reasons for adding cardio? So are you adding cardio? Because a lot of people think that cardio is what's going to help them lose weight. And that's not, that's not true. It's all about calories in versus calories out. So if you're talking about strictly losing weight is how many calories are you putting in your body? And how many calories you're expending? So if you're deciding to utilize strength training as a way to expend those calories, great. If you're utilizing cardio, great. There is some studies again that suggest that you'll get faster into that fat burning phase. If you're doing strength training before and then cardio after. And also cardio, if you're doing strength training also before and cardio after,

• 36:39Speaker 01

  you're, you're not compromising your strength training process as if you were to do cardio beforehand. How much cardio? That also is on an individual basis. Cardio, a lot of people hate cardio. So what I try personally to do, I'll incorporate it on upper body days. So I'll do some, what of an interval training. So I'll do an exercise that's upper body focused. And then 30 seconds to a minute of sprinting. And then another, you know, exercise or set of an upper body focused. And then, so that's what, how I make it fun in my personal training and for everybody in the WeRise app. And obviously, if you're wanting to add more cardio,

• 37:23Speaker 01

  because you feel like, you know, adding a steady state cardio session after a separate day, a separate part of the day, because you're wanting to be at a more of a caloric deficit, that's completely fine as well.

• 37:38Jay Shetty?

  It sounds like you don't like cardio.

• 37:40Speaker 01

  I don't love cardio.

• 37:42Jay Shetty?

  That's good for us to know.

• 37:43Speaker 01

  I, I, so I ran marathons and that was great. I ran three marathons. I, I enjoyed it. You do put your body through a lot. But I have found personally, what I've achieved through strength training, when it comes physically and mentally, has been far more rewarding than cardio. There's some, you know, benefit to cardio in the sense that some people feel more of the endorphins and the feel-good hormones during HIIT sessions or cardio. So there is a benefit to that.

• 38:14Speaker 01

  And at the end of the day, what is, so while, so let's say while I value strength training. Pick your poison at the end of the day, or pick your remedy, I should say, pick your elixir. You know, what would that be for you? As long as you can get some activity in. So while there is hierarchies of what you want to achieve. So if you want to build muscle strength training, really is like the golden standard, right? But if, you know, you absolutely hate it. Um, what is your activity of choice at the end of the day is what I would say.

• 38:47Jay Shetty?

  Walk me through what your regime was for running the marathons. Like, what, what did you, how did you build up to that? What was your practice? What was your workout routine and nutrition plan?

• 38:58Speaker 01

  I wish I could say that I followed one of the, one of the plans, because this was quite a few years ago. Um, they kind of build um slowly and it worked on like hill, hill sprints and, and, you know, just a different variety of, of things that you need to work on when you're running a marathon. But I basically started to, started with three miles and then increased to five miles. And then after a week or so increased, so incrementally increasing the length that I would run till I got to the, to the marathon, I guess. Yeah, I never, you never run the whole marathon when you're doing, when you're practicing. It's more like up to like eighteen miles.

• 39:41Speaker 01

  But it was just slowly over time building up to that. Yeah, and definitely feeding that, that, that, those calories that were burning. Almost couldn't, couldn't keep the weight on me at that point. Yeah, because you're expending so much energy.

• 39:57Jay Shetty?

  What would you now say is a great nutrition plan while someone's strength training? Like, what kind of things have you found to be really integral and useful?

• 40:07Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 40:07Jay Shetty?

  To have? And then what have you found to be useful to leave out?

• 40:11Speaker 01

  Definitely prioritizing protein. So if you're consuming about point eight to, to just a little bit over one gram per pound of body weight of protein per day, that's a good place to be. And then filling the rest with carbs and, and fats. Uh, but that's what I always say, prioritize protein. That's what's going to help, not just building muscle, but just your physiological um needs. You know, protein is the building block. Of our of our body. And what you can leave out is the infamous sugars, you know,

• 40:48Speaker 01

  the refined sugars and so opt more for for complex carbs. I still like eating fruit. I know there's been fruit suddenly has become controversial. If you're eating fruit and vegetables, you're good. Just fit into that macro, especially if you're starting out and you want to, you have a specific goal. It is important to find out what your appropriate macros are for for the day. And macros are the macronutrients. So what are what is your daily intake of protein, carbohydrates and fats? But I always prioritize protein.

• 41:28Jay Shetty?

  And with the protein, I mean, most of us are not getting close to that much.

• 41:31Speaker 01

  No, most of us are not. Like I said, for, let's say, a hundred and twenty pound person, like a gram, so you need a hundred and twenty grams of protein or around that per per day. So, you know, there in a piece of like palm of your hand of of of, let's say, chicken, there's like twenty grams of protein. So you need to be a little bit more

• 41:59Speaker 01

  discerning of your meals. So always include protein with every meal and maybe even with your snacks.

• 42:06Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, I think for most of us, it feels like protein takes up probably that twenty grams and then we're filling the rest with carbs, fats and everything else. But I've definitely found that when I first learned about that, I just couldn't believe how hard it was to actually prioritize getting. And I'm doing that plant based, which is even harder.

• 42:24Speaker 01

  It is harder, right.

• 42:25Jay Shetty?

  Even for my friends who eat meat, even they were saying just how challenging it was for them. Like, it's not easy across the board. And so raising that up to that.

• 42:33Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, it is. It's important, especially as we age, believe it or not, like we need to intake even more protein.

• 42:40Jay Shetty?

  You've shared so much amazing research and studies with us today. Are there any others that really come to your mind that you think this is really important for women to know? Or this is really important for strength trainers to know? Because some of the studies you've shared with us have really been.

• 42:55Jay Shetty?

  This episode is brought to you by Indeed. I know how important every hire is for a business. If you need to make the right hire, this is a job for sponsored jobs. Indeed sponsored jobs helps find quality candidates when you need them most. You can reach who you need based on whatever criteria you're looking for, like skills, certifications, or location. In fact, people are finding quality hires on Indeed right now. In the minute I've been talking to you, companies like yours made 27 hires on Indeed, according to Indeed data worldwide. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit at indeed.com/podcast.

• 43:38Jay Shetty?

  That's indeed.com/podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. This episode is brought to you by Vinted. Value can be found anywhere, even in the clothes sitting untouched in our closets. That's where Vinted comes in. Vinted is a secondhand marketplace app where you can sell clothes you no longer want and get more value out of them. Whether you're running out of space, moving, or simply updating your wardrobe. Listing items is a quick and simple process, and once something sells, Vinted creates a prepaid shipping label for you. And the best part, there are no seller fees, so you keep what you earn. It's a simple way to clear out your closet, be less wasteful, and maybe make some extra money along the way. And if you've been thinking about a wardrobe refresh,

• 44:23Jay Shetty?

  this can make it feel a little more worthwhile. You're not just letting go of clothes, you're getting more value from what you already have. Give your clothes a second life with Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep every dollar you earn. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. We talk a lot about intentional decision making, and that extends to the practical stuff too, like making sure your coverage actually works for your life. State Farm is there to meet you where you are, and they know how sweet it is to feel good about your decisions. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer.

• 45:08Jay Shetty?

  Availability, amount of discounts and savings, and eligibility vary by state. Powerful.

• 45:14Speaker 01

  Yeah, I mean, the muscle loss is huge. The, like I said, the thirty two thousand deaths per year, which actually, crazy enough, has almost doubled from like twenty twelve to twenty twenty one, if I believe, if I remember correctly. And I wonder what's gone into that, like, why there's been such a drastic increase and like that's due to falls during this time. Like, maybe we've become less, we've become less mobile. Maybe there's medications in the market that are affecting our bone density. It's actually when it comes to depression and anxiety, mood disorders, it has been found that even as little

• 45:59Speaker 01

  as a hundred and fifty minutes of activity per week can relieve symptoms to about forty to sixty percent, forty two to sixty percent. While as compared to psychotherapy and pharmaceuticals, the numbers are twenty percent to thirty percent in relief of symptoms. So even the highest, the higher upper end limit of pharmacological products and psychotherapy doesn't even come close to what you can achieve by physical activity. And that's only at a hundred and fifty minutes per week. So to me, like, that's, that's mind blowing, what you can achieve. Because, and I'm not negating the need

• 46:43Speaker 01

  for psychotherapy or pharmacological products, absolutely, you know, where it's necessary. But why not start with exercising? Like, start there. You will achieve results that might be even higher than what you can do with pharmaceutical products.

• 47:01Jay Shetty?

  That's like just over twenty minutes a day.

• 47:04Speaker 01

  Yeah, exactly. Just over twenty minutes a day.

• 47:06Jay Shetty?

  That's incredible.

• 47:07Speaker 01

  Yeah, absolutely.

• 47:08Jay Shetty?

  That's pretty amazing to know.

• 47:10Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 47:11Jay Shetty?

  Wow, like, yeah, and the difference too, like you're saying, instead of twenty to thirty percent reduced, forty to sixty percent reduced.

• 47:17Speaker 01

  Yes, absolutely.

• 47:18Jay Shetty?

  So double on both the upper and lower end limit.

• 47:20Speaker 01

  Exactly, exactly.

• 47:22Jay Shetty?

  That's, yeah, and you're right, again, we're not telling anyone not to take things that they need to take.

• 47:27Speaker 01

  Absolutely.

• 47:28Jay Shetty?

  But the idea that, why not have the full package?

• 47:32Speaker 01

  Exactly, why not have the full package, that's what it is. Because a lot of the time, it can be that psychotherapy or pharmacologics don't necessarily work for some people. I think there are some statistics of like around forty percent of the people don't experience the relief that they need. So either in conjunction or starting with an exercise program that will provide significant relief. I mean, firsthand, I'm standing here as somebody that has achieved that kind of relief without now being on any pharmaceuticals. I, this is why I work out every day.

• 48:13Speaker 01

  I don't want to experience those symptoms of depression and anxiety, ever. So this is why I keep going.

• 48:22Jay Shetty?

  Hmm, so powerful, so powerful, so inspiring to hear that as well.

• 48:26Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 48:26Jay Shetty?

  So inspiring to hear that. What was it for you that was causing that? Where was that coming from for you personally?

• 48:34Speaker 01

  It's been, I mean, there's so many factors, I think. You're talking about being anxiety and depression, experiencing that. I think some of it is genetic. Some of it is being a teenager and moving countries, going from Albania to to the United States and completely in a new world, a new space.

• 49:02Speaker 01

  My family didn't know English at the time, I was the only one that did, so I had to support them. So I had to assume the role of an adult at a fairly young age. So I was fourteen, fifteen at the time, where I had to become an adult in my family. So I think there is a cornucopia of like, things that, that kind of came together for me to experience anxiety and depression and trying to fit in and not, you know, being a foreigner at the time and a teenager and being. Bullied and made fun of, um, all kind of led, paved the path a little bit for me to

• 49:43Speaker 01

  experience that. And, um, I do feel for, for, for teenagers and I do feel for the, um, the, the generation that is, that, that is living through, through these times. It's not easy. It's not easy, but find, find, find comfort in that discomfort of working out and, and that physical activity because it will help.

• 50:12Jay Shetty?

  Absolutely. Thank you for sharing that. Thank you so much. I wanted to talk to you a bit about steps. What's your take on the 10,000 steps?

• 50:20Speaker 01

  It's a good place to start. Like I said, like walking, that's, that's, that's great. Uh, 10 to 12,000. My, uh, my dad does it every day. He's committed to it. Uh, it's a good starting point. It's a good starting point, but it's how you make those steps, quality, quality steps, you know?

• 50:39Jay Shetty?

  Do you work out every day of the week?

• 50:41Speaker 01

  Most days, but I don't.

• 50:43Jay Shetty?

  Do you have a rest day?

• 50:44Speaker 01

  I, I find that it is great to keep yourself active, even if it's something light. So if I'm not working out, I'll go for a long walk or a hike. I think it's so important to keep ourselves active because we do end up spending most of the day sitting. So even, even working out for an hour a day, if you spend most of your day sitting, it doesn't negate that sitting. So it is important even speaking like throughout the day to get up and, and, and take a little bit of a walk, like every half an hour, every hour. So I do, I do try to keep active every single day. So if I'm not doing a full workout, I'll go for a walk, like a set or a hike.

• 51:22Jay Shetty?

  No days off.

• 51:23Speaker 01

  No days off, really.

• 51:25Jay Shetty?

  I love it.

• 51:26Speaker 01

  A body in motion stays in motion.

• 51:28Jay Shetty?

  No, I know what you mean. It's, it's so interesting how much staying. Sedentary is the cause of so many of our issues. We had Dr. Darshan Shah on a few months back and he talked about the idea of just how much our quality of life changes because we're not getting up

• 51:47Speaker 01

  Exactly.

• 51:48Jay Shetty?

  From our seats all day, whether at our desks or work or wherever else it may be. And so I love what you're saying about the idea of moving, even if it's not a full workout.

• 51:57Speaker 01

  Exactly.

• 51:57Jay Shetty?

  So your rest day is my best workout day. Basically, basically my ideal workout day. She's like, I go on a hike when I'm not working out. And I'm like, here I am going, my hike is my workout.

• 52:08Speaker 01

  Ah.

• 52:09Jay Shetty?

  I love that.

• 52:10Speaker 01

  You do, you work out.

• 52:11Jay Shetty?

  My best day is your worst day.

• 52:13Speaker 01

  You're, you're, you just told me you're intercalisthenics, so yeah, you work out.

• 52:17Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, that's so funny. I love it. Um, one thing I wanted to dive into about as we're coming to a close here is you train some of the most well-known people in the world who seem to work really hard. Obviously, Kim's been on the show and we always see Kim posting you and you guys training together. What, what have you learned about training with her? What have you learned about her from training with her?

• 52:42Speaker 01

  So one thing that I've learned about Kim with training with her, it's her dedication. She, she shows up, shows up on time and it's ready to, to go. Never does she complain or backs away from something that I put her through. And I put her through a lot.

• 52:59Jay Shetty?

  And she never backs away.

• 53:00Speaker 01

  She never backs away. She always pushes through.

• 53:03Jay Shetty?

  Wow.

• 53:04Speaker 01

  Which is very impressive.

• 53:05Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, I'm not surprised. She did say her workout was one of her favorite things.

• 53:09Speaker 01

  She's very dedicated for sure. Yeah.

• 53:11Jay Shetty?

  And you guys get organized, right? If she has a shoot coming up or she's got a specific outfit to wear for an event, like you get really.

• 53:18Speaker 01

  We, we dial it in. We dial it in for sure.

• 53:21Jay Shetty?

  You moved to LA for.

• 53:24Speaker 01

  I did and I ended up staying here for a little bit longer than I was uh yeah, I was expected.

• 53:30Jay Shetty?

  What was it like when she first reached out and said, I need you to come over? What was that like? What was that conversation like?

• 53:35Speaker 01

  Yes, I'll be there.

• 53:38Speaker 01

  Because yeah, obviously it is cam, but I believe in working with these people that have such high influence because of the impact that they will have on the larger population. So if they can send, if through them, I can send a message of strength for women. So strength is beautiful, strength is confidence, whatever that looks like. Strength doesn't have to to come with big muscles, you know? But if I can send that message of strength to especially young women, then to me, I've done my my purpose is fulfilled.

• 54:12Jay Shetty?

  It's beautiful. What's the first thing you ask someone when they come to you? Anyone that comes to work with you, what's the first thing you ask them?

• 54:18Speaker 01

  How serious are you about this?

• 54:21Jay Shetty?

  Right.

• 54:21Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 54:22Jay Shetty?

  It's a great question.

• 54:23Speaker 01

  About this, like, are, you know, are you gonna give me a day here and there? Because that's just not going to achieve anything for you or or or myself. So you have to be serious about your health. And I I like to make it, even though somebody comes to me saying that they need to look a certain way. I always try to make it about health and longevity.

• 54:48Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, it's similar in coaching, actually. Whenever I take on a client, I've found that clients who are willing to dedicate and commit time.

• 54:55Speaker 01

  Exactly.

• 54:56Jay Shetty?

  See phenomenal results.

• 54:57Speaker 01

  Exactly.

• 54:58Jay Shetty?

  I've had clients that I have met for two hours a day, every day for two years. And I have clients that I've met twice a week, thrice a week for three to six months. And then I have someone who's like, kind of checking in once a month, kind of checking in once a quarter, cancel, doesn't have. And you just start to notice. And it's hard because it's not that someone is not wanting to work hard, or it's not that they're a bad person or a weak person.

• 55:25Speaker 01

  Right, right, of course.

• 55:25Jay Shetty?

  Just people have different discipline levels.

• 55:27Speaker 01

  Absolutely.

• 55:28Jay Shetty?

  But it's like, in order to really see an impact and see the results, there has to be that commitment, for sure.

• 55:33Speaker 01

  There has to be that commitment, absolutely.

• 55:35Jay Shetty?

  You talked about the purpose of strength training. What is the purpose of workouts like Pilates and yoga and other forms? What is the purpose of those kind of workouts compared to strength training?

• 55:45Speaker 01

  They, like I said, I respect and utilize, I've utilized myself all modalities, you know, I love yoga, but I think they're a great additives. They're great in addition to strength training because they will not most likely build muscle mass in the way that strength training can. They will build maybe endurance, they will build some endurance, they'll build flexibility and some strength, but not to the level that lifting weights will, will, will. Not in so, in the way that lifting weights will build your bone density. Yoga and Pilates, unless you're doing some crazy yoga or Pilates,

• 56:29Speaker 01

  they will not do that. So, but again, there is a great place and time in addition, I believe, to strength training to incorporate yoga and Pilates.

• 56:42Jay Shetty?

  What's the difference in the workout you prescribe to someone who wants to gain muscle versus someone who wants to lose weight through strength training?

• 56:49Speaker 01

  They don't have to be the same at all. They, they could be one and the same because, again, at the end of the day, when you're building muscle, you're, you're challenging yourself, you're challenging your muscles with a weight that you're, you're lifting, which is expanding calories. And that's what you need in weight loss as well. You need expenditure of calories that, but at a caloric deficit. So that's the only changing component is that caloric deficit. So it's more in the nutrition versus in the workouts. I mean, there is, you know, you can work out, you can challenge yourself with the duration of the workout and then maintain your nutrition, or you can.

• 57:33Speaker 01

  Eat less, basically. So be at a deficit in calories and then lose weight. So it doesn't have to be the, any difference there. It's just how you manage nutrition versus output.

• 57:45Jay Shetty?

  Got it, got it. And if you're working out on your own without a trainer, it's much harder. How do you know what to add to make it more challenging, to continue to get stronger or to continue to shift? Because I find like most people are working out without a trainer. Of course, they can use the WeRise app and have that. That's what the WeRise app does, right?

• 58:03Speaker 01

  Yeah, absolutely. So it'll give you the guideline. It'll give you the workouts. What you can do on your own is challenge yourself with the weights that you're lifting. So if, for example, the recommended reps are between eight and 12, when you get to that eight or 10, nine, 10, 12 rep, like how are you challenged? Can you do, can you do 10 more? If you're doing 10 more after that? Or if you can't do, you're doing, you're doing too little weight. So you need to increase the weight. That's what you have to keep in mind. And also value strongly that mind-muscle connection. So truly thinking about the working muscle. There's actually studies that, that show that if you are thinking of the muscles that you're working,

• 58:45Speaker 01

  then that actually creates, the muscle gets bigger. There is, there are studies to that. So if you are slowing down the movement, thinking about the muscles that you're working, I sometimes try to touch, you know, this is working. It sends that signal from your, your, your brain to the muscle that, hey, we're working here, we're working here. And that will increase strength, will increase muscle mass, actually.

• 59:09Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, I've heard about that study. The idea of people almost doing weights in their mind.

• 59:13Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. There were studies that they just simply just did that without any weightlifting. And they found a significant difference.

• 59:22Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 59:23Speaker 01

  Yeah. The power of the mind is incredible.

• 59:25Jay Shetty?

  What, what else have you done for the power of the mind to affect your body? Like what other practices have you taken on at a mental or spiritual level that you feel have positively impacted your physical health?

• 59:36Speaker 01

  Well, meditation is huge, in my opinion, for mental health. But also if you're wanting to visualize certain results, I feel like. Whenever I've been in a place where I needed to, I've competed, for example, in bodybuilding competitions, in the bikini level. So that I found when it came strictly to like the physique, if you are, it's basically manifestation, you know, at that cellular level, when you're thinking about the way that you want to look or feel or present yourself. So meditation is huge. I try to incorporate that every day. Journaling, also gratitude.

• 1:00:22Speaker 01

  Every night before going to bed, I practice gratitude. Not sure how that relates to the physique, but it relates to the mental aspect.

• 1:00:29Jay Shetty?

  Grateful for your body, I guess.

• 1:00:30Speaker 01

  Absolutely, absolutely.

• 1:00:31Jay Shetty?

  I had to learn that. I had to learn that. I definitely was very grateful for my mind and my intelligence and my abilities, but I'd always feel like my body was letting me down. And that negative approach to my own body only made my body let me down more.

• 1:00:48Speaker 01

  Absolutely.

• 1:00:48Jay Shetty?

  It's like someone in your life, if you feel like that person in your life always lets you down, guess what, they end up letting you down.

• 1:00:53Speaker 01

  They're gonna let you down because you're gonna look for that, yeah.

• 1:00:56Jay Shetty?

  Exactly. And so I was always talking to my body, subconsciously in that way. Where I was like, oh, my mind is amazing, but my body lets me down. And that language-

• 1:01:05Speaker 01

  The words that we use are so important, you know, just in this recent journey that I shared about before with you, that was one of the big lessons that I learned is the way that sometimes we talk to ourselves, the words that we use, whether they're out loud or even just spoken in silence to ourselves are huge, are huge. So if you tell yourself, you know, like,

• 1:01:33Speaker 01

  I hate my body, like, I want to change this, like, I hate, I don't know, like, my stomach, like, that's not coming from a place of love. You're less likely to achieve results if that's coming from a place of negative sentiments towards yourself. I always, that's another thing that I always try to impart on whoever I'm working with, especially in person, is like, I want us to start from a place of love for ourselves, not from, I need to lose 20 pounds, because that again comes from like, I hate this 20 pounds that's on me. But yeah, starting from a place of love for wherever we were at and for I wanna, I wanna do this because I wanna become a healthier version of myself.

• 1:02:16Jay Shetty?

  Mm hmm. Fantastic. So now there's been so informative talking to you today. I feel like there's been so many great insights that we can, I think I'm gonna be pulling on a lot of your insights to gain drive and gain focus to connect back in with my body because a lot of what you've shared with me has made me realize just how important strength training is, especially in my thirties where I am now. And, and how important it's gonna be long term, even if I don't feel it right now. So thank you so much. Uh, we end every episode with a final five. These have to be answered in one word or one sentence maximum. And so, Senada Greca, these are your final five. The first is, what is the best health or fitness advice you've ever heard or received?

• 1:02:59Speaker 01

  Well, the advice, not necessarily, well, it's, the best advice ever was to stay true to myself and to my uniqueness. So I don't think it necessarily has to deal with the fitness part, but it's to, to embrace your unique self and stay true to it. The advice that I would give when it comes to, to fitness though, would be to just start, just start.

• 1:03:25Jay Shetty?

  Uh, second question, what is the worst advice you've ever had or received?

• 1:03:31Speaker 01

  Stop lifting weights. It'll get you to be masculine and bulky.

• 1:03:38Jay Shetty?

  And that's not what it is. Yeah.

• 1:03:39Speaker 01

  Yeah. At the end of the day, it's also,

• 1:03:44Speaker 01

  let's not judge people for how they want to look, you know? If they want to appear a certain way, if that's what drives them, that's what they, they want, let's allow.

• 1:03:54Jay Shetty?

  Question number three, what's your hope for people in 2024?

• 1:03:58Speaker 01

  Uh, just to do everything from a place of love, whatever that is. So whether it's working out, nutrition, or um, anything in their life, just start from a place of love for themselves and for everybody around them.

• 1:04:13Jay Shetty?

  Question number four, what's the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night?

• 1:04:18Speaker 01

  First thing I meditate, last thing I say my gratitudes.

• 1:04:23Jay Shetty?

  Beautiful. And fifth and final question, if you could create one law that everyone in the world had to follow, what would it be?

• 1:04:30Speaker 01

  I would say, because this was one of my biggest lesson was to allow. I don't know if it makes sense, but one of the biggest lessons for me recently was to allow and stop being so much needing to to control everything. So maybe this is more on a personal level, but I think if we allow for the good in our life, for the love, for the right type of circumstances, I think there's so much to gain from that.

• 1:05:06Jay Shetty?

  That's beautiful. Senada, thank you so much.

• 1:05:08Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 1:05:09Jay Shetty?

  Everyone who's been listening or watching, Senada's app is the We Rise app. We can find fitness and health tips and practices. And of course, if you don't already, you can follow her on Instagram at at Senada dot Greca. Please go and follow her right now for more fitness tips, for great workouts to get you started, to get you going. I want 2024 to be a year, you're stronger, fitter and better. And Senada is going to be a big part of making that happen. Thank you so much, Senada, again.

• 1:05:36Speaker 01

  Thank you, Jay. I appreciate it.

• 1:05:37Jay Shetty?

  Time and energy. I'm so grateful.

• 1:05:39Speaker 01

  Thank you so much. Thank you for having me here. I truly appreciate it.

• 1:05:42Jay Shetty?

  Thank you.

• 1:05:42Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 1:05:43Jay Shetty?

  If you love this episode, you will enjoy my conversation with Meghan Trainor on breaking generational trauma and how to be confident from the inside out.

• 1:05:53Speaker 04

  My therapist told me, stand in the mirror naked for five minutes. It was already tough for me to love my body, but after the C-section scar with all the stretch marks, now I'm looking at myself like I've been hacked. But day three, when I did it, I was like, you know what? Her thighs are cute.

• 1:06:07Speaker 05

  Now, more than ever, we need someone on our side. But Rob Whitman? Whitman's votes drove up costs, cut Medicaid and risked 350,000 Virginians healthcare to pay for tax breaks for himself and his donors. He's not on our side. Shannon Taylor will fight corruption, cut taxes and bring down costs. This November, vote for Shannon Taylor. She's for us. Paid for by HMP, the House Majority PAC dot com. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.