woman in brown jacket and green pants standing on snow covered ground during daytime

Grateful

If you’ve been here awhile, you’ve probably noticed my newsletters haven’t always arrived on the same day lately. I aim for Tuesdays because I imagine you easing into your week with just enough space to actually absorb what I write… but I don’t plan my content weeks in advance.

Sometimes something hits me strong and I need to write it now. Other times, I wait and let life unfold, because the stories I tell in these emails aren’t theoretical. They’re pulled from the real people I coach, train, and talk with every single week.

And one of the biggest truths I’ve learned as a coach is this:

When we seek help, what we often discover is that we’re not alone.

When life feels heavy, it’s so easy to slip into isolation—to believe that you’re the only one who’s ever gone through this.
Your experience is uniquely yours, absolutely. But when we dig deeper, we almost always find something universal underneath.

You’re not the only one who’s ever:

been injured and felt like you lost your identity
gotten stuck and myopic
felt frustrated at systems or people that seemed to hold you back
fallen into fixed mindset or “all-or-nothing” thinking
doubted your ability, even when you desperately wanted to grow

When I share my stories, and when I share the stories of the humans I’m honored to coach, what I hope to offer is a glimpse into the community you’re already part of, even if you don’t realize it yet.

A human community. A community of imperfect, resilient people learning and growing at their own pace.

And that matters. Because community is one of our greatest tools for navigating the hard stuff. When we intentionally put ourselves in spaces where people are learning, trying, failing, and still moving forward, we get evidence, real evidence, that we can do it too.

Stepping into rooms where we’re not the most skilled isn’t a weakness.
It’s a strategy. It’s how we grow.

And when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, truly vulnerable, we learn that the people we admire also have doubts, fears, and flaws. Yet they move forward anyway. And that means we can, too.

This Thanksgiving, I’m especially grateful for you.

For the humans who walk into my studio, gym, or coaching practice and set their guard down just enough to be guided.

For the conversations where you’re honest, open, and brave enough to say, “I don’t know.”

For the moments when I get to say “I don’t know” right back, and "let's figure it out!", because that’s real life, and that’s how we reclaim autonomy, together.

This is how we change ourselves, and in small ways, it’s how we change the world:
By caring.
By listening.
By modeling what we want to see in others.
By tending to our bodies, minds, and spirits in ways that strengthen, not punish, us.

Thank you for being part of Summit Stronger.
Thank you for showing up.
Thank you for being human with me.

NBC-HWC | ACSM-CPT

🏔️ TRAINING PEAKS: Let’s Talk Volume, “Lifting Heavy,” and Why Boring Works

Over the past several months, I’ve been introducing a lot of new lifters (and returning lifters) to the foundations of volume and periodization. And with all the noise right now about “lift heavy or go home,” I want to talk about what that actually means and why the magic isn’t in the hype, it’s in the structure.

Because here’s the truth you don’t hear enough:

Strength is predictable… when the variables are managed well. And those variables are: Volume, Intensity, Frequency, Load, Recovery, and Progression.

Most people, through no fault of their own, only pay attention to one of those: load. Which is why “lift heavy” gets misunderstood and people either push too hard, too often… or never actually get stronger.

So here’s a little real talk from a coach who has seen hundreds of bodies in motion:

“Lifting Heavy” Doesn’t Mean Maxing Out All the Time

When people say “lift heavy,” what they usually mean is:

➡️ Choose a weight that challenges you

➡️ …while still allowing solid form

➡️ …for the number of reps written

➡️ …and leaves 1–3 good reps in the tank

That’s it.

“Lifting heavy” is relative to you and your current training phase. Not Instagram. Not your partner. Not the strongest person in class.

It’s about appropriate intensity, not ego.

And intensity without proper volume, the total sets × reps × load across a workout or week, is meaningless. Too much volume and you burn out or get hurt. Too little and you spin your wheels.

Why Periodization Matters (And Why It’s Not Sexy)

Periodization is simply:

Training that changes on purpose. Not because you’re bored. Not because TikTok told you to switch it up. Not because the workout felt “too easy.” But because your body adapts in cycles.

A proper program cycles through things like:

➡️ Base / accumulation phases (moderate weight, higher volume to build tissue capacity)

➡️ Strength phases (heavier weight, lower volume, more rest)

➡️ Power phases (speed, explosiveness, coordination)

➡️ Deloads (on purpose, not because you got sick or quit)

You cannot live in “heavy all the time.” You should not live in “high reps forever.” You don’t get strong by random intensity.

Just like in the mountains, weather changes seasonally, your training should, too.

Why I Don’t Love Just Writing Programs

Could I write programs all day? Sure. Would they help? Probably. Would they solve your real problem? Rarely.

Because a program on paper can’t:

➡️ Correct your form in real time

➡️ Tell when your breathing changes

➡️ See when your lats aren’t actually engaged

➡️ Catch the ankle collapse that’s limiting your squat

➡️ Understand your stress levels, sleep, or recovery

➡️ Adjust load because your back is stiff or you’re running on 4 hours of sleep

➡️ Teach you how a movement should feel not just how it should look

This is why time with a coach, in person or on video, is literal gold. Technique, load, volume, progression, breathing patterns… these things need eyes and context.

A program alone is a map. Training with a coach is the actual journey.

Good Form Isn’t Boring...It’s a Cheat Code

Look, I know:

Sometimes I make you use lighter weights than you want to. Sometimes we spend entire sessions on hip hinging or scapular positioning. Sometimes it feels like, “When are we going to do the cool stuff?”

Here’s when: When your body is ready for it. Not when your ego wants it.

Good form isn’t about perfection. It’s about efficiency and safety.

And here’s the secret most people forget:

“Boring” form work is the thing that unlocks strength faster.

Because when your movement patterns are clean:

➡️ You produce more force

➡️ You recruit the right muscles

➡️ You stop leaking energy

➡️ You reduce injury risk

➡️ You can increase load with confidence

Every athlete you admire has spent YEARS, literal years, working on the basics over and over.

The cool stuff comes from the boring stuff.

Boring Works Because Consistency Works

A lot of people burn out because they chase novelty instead of progress. But long-term strength isn’t built on perfect weeks. It’s built on:

➡️ repeatable patterns

➡️ intentional progression

➡️ knowing when to push

➡️ knowing when to back off

➡️ showing up even when your motivation is sleepy

You don’t get strong by constantly testing. You get strong by training.

And training, real training, means embracing the uncool, unsexy, un-Instagrammable process of getting better at the basics until the basics become powerful.

How I can help you right now:

1:1 Coaching (virtual or in-person): Personalized fitness, nutrition, health, and lifestyle coaching designed to meet you where you are.
Group Coaching (Elevate 8 + other programs): For everyday athletes who want structure, accountability, and community while building strength and resilience.
Studio Classes & Training (Tahoe Flow Arts & Fitness): Yoga, strength, aerial, and movement training with an amazing mountain community.
Retreats & Events: Immersive experiences where movement, mindset, and connection come together.
Corporate & Team Wellness: Workshops, trainings, and programs designed to support employee health, resilience, and performance, ideal for mountain resorts, hospitality, and other organizations who want to invest in their people.

🖤 Find Strength Through Intention - Black Friday at Tahoe Flow 🖤

In this week’s newsletter, we’ve been talking about alignment, consistency, and reconnecting with what drives us. Sankalpa, a Sanskrit word for heartfelt intention , reminds us that real change starts with purpose, not pressure.

If you're feeling that call, and you're local to North Lake Tahoe, this is for you:

From now through Dec 1, our home base Tahoe Flow is offering 30% OFF select memberships, courses, and coaching.

Use code BF2025 at checkout (desktop or mobile browser only at tahoeflow.com).

Included in the sale: