Where Optimal Meets Practical

In this episode, I sit down with coach Alex Thieme to talk about the psychology behind sustainable fat loss, behavior change, motivational interviewing, self-belief, and why changing your environment often matters more than relying on willpower. We also dive into identity, self-talk, parenting, decision fatigue, grocery shopping, and how to build habits that actually stick long-term.
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Guest
Alex Thieme is an online coach and educator known for his thoughtful approach to behavior change, mindset, and sustainable fitness. His work focuses heavily on helping people build self-belief, improve their relationship with health and fitness, and create realistic systems that fit into real life.
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What We Cover
03:55 – Becoming a parent, purpose, creativity, and life changes after kids
10:56 – Why we tell ourselves stories that may not actually be true
14:46 – Alex’s coaching philosophy and helping clients build self-belief
18:20 – Motivational interviewing, asking better questions, and behavior change
27:20 – The “five whys” framework and uncovering deeper motivations
30:58 – Optimizing your environment instead of relying on willpower
35:49 – Practical examples of reducing friction and improving habits
43:10 – Grocery shopping, convenience foods, meal structure, and reducing decision fatigue
56:03 – Identity, self-talk, and why “all or nothing” thinking keeps people stuck
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Connect with Alex
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexthiemefitness/
Website: https://alexthiemefitness.com/
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Connect with Jordan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanlipsfitness/
WOMP Training: https://marketplace.trainheroic.com/workout-plan/team/womp-gym-home-bundle?attrib=548099-ig

Episode Description
In this episode, I sit down with hybrid coach and athlete Alec Blenis to break down what it really means to train for both performance and longevity. We dive into his goal of running a sub-2:30 marathon while maintaining strength, the biggest mistakes people make with running volume, and why “perfect form” might actually be limiting your progress.
We also unpack the concept of movement optimism, why pain doesn’t always mean stop, and how the fitness industry has unintentionally made people more fragile. If you’ve ever worried about technique, injury, or balancing lifting with endurance training, this one will shift how you think about it.
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Guest
Alec Blenis is a hybrid coach and athlete specializing in combining endurance and strength training. He’s been coaching for over a decade and is currently documenting his pursuit of a sub-2:30 marathon while maintaining gym performance.
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What We Cover
0:00 – Intro + hybrid training misconceptions
2:00 – Alec’s background and coaching journey
5:00 – Why Austin is a hub for hybrid athletes
8:20 – The sub-2:30 marathon goal + recent 2:40 PR
11:00 – Overcooking training + bouncing back after a DNF
13:30 – Increasing mileage from ~40 → 70+ miles/week
17:00 – Why the “10% rule” for running is flawed
20:00 – Quality vs quantity in endurance training
23:30 – Why most runners get injured (not overtrained)
26:00 – What “movement optimism” actually means
28:00 – How the fitness industry creates fear around movement
30:30 – Pain during training: should you stop or keep going?
33:00 – Pain monitoring system (practical framework)
38:00 – Why you shouldn’t catastrophize minor injuries
40:00 – When to rest vs when to load
41:30 – “Weird” exercises (Jefferson curls, knees over toes)
44:00 – Risk vs reward in training
48:00 – Is any movement inherently dangerous?
49:30 – RDLs, lumbar flexion, and technique nuance
53:00 – Why technique must be viewed across the full program
56:00 – The problem with chasing “perfect form”
58:00 – Individual anatomy and why cues don’t work for everyone
1:00:00 – What actually matters for hypertrophy and progress
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Connect with Alec
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alecblenis/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/alecblenis

Does your training split actually matter… or are we overthinking it? In this episode, Jordan and Bryan break down the bro split debate, why most training roads lead to the same place, and what actually drives long-term progress. They also dive into the “bulking is dead” conversation, range of motion nuances, and why chasing perfection might be holding you back more than helping.
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Guest 👇🏼
Bryan Boorstein is a coach and founder of Evolved Training Systems as well as the co-founder of Paragon Training. He is known for his practical, experience-driven approach to strength and hypertrophy.
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What We Cover👇🏼
0:00 – Intro + catching up
3:00 – The return of the bro split and why it still works
7:30 – Do different training splits actually lead to different results?
10:00 – Frequency vs volume vs sustainability
15:00 – What people obsess over vs what actually matters
18:00 – The “bulking is dead” debate explained
22:00 – Why a small surplus still matters in practice
26:00 – The most practical way to think about gaining muscle
27:00 – Range of motion: general vs muscle-specific training
30:00 – Squat depth, internal rotation, and quad targeting
34:00 – How much technique cueing actually matters
37:00 – “Analysis paralysis” in training execution
38:00 – The case for being a fitness generalist
43:00 – Strength training vs mobility (and why the line is blurry)
48:00 – What mobility training actually looks like in practice
52:00 – Kids and lifting: how to approach it the right way
57:00 – Letting kids lead vs forcing structure
1:00:00 – Final takeaways on range of motion and training balance
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Connect with Bryan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryanboorstein/
Connect with Jordan👇🏼
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanlipsfitness/
WOMP Coaching: https://marketplace.trainheroic.com/workout-plan/team/womp-gym-home-bundle?attrib=548099-ig

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Emily Dow to break down some of the biggest misconceptions in nutrition and fitness right now. We get into why simple advice often falls short, how understanding the “why” can actually improve results, and where most people are getting tripped up with things like gut health, fueling, and eating enough.
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Guest:
Emily Dow is a registered dietitian with a PhD in exercise and nutritional sciences, blending research, coaching, and real-world application to help people better understand how to fuel their bodies.
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What We Cover:
00:00 Why a PhD changes how you think about nutrition and uncertainty
08:05 What Emily has changed her mind about including gut health and probiotics
16:25 The messy reality of research and why quick recommendations can be misleading
24:50 Why explaining the “why” leads to better results than just giving advice
30:47 How to balance simplicity with nuance in coaching and content
37:01 Why women struggle to build muscle and the importance of eating enough
41:46 The real reason “eat more” advice exists even with rising obesity rates
47:24 Practical fueling strategies for lifting and cardio
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Connect with Emily:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilydow_rd/
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Connect with Jordan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanlipsfitness/
WOMP Training: https://marketplace.trainheroic.com/workout-plan/team/womp-gym-home-bundle?attrib=548099-ig

Where to find me ⬇️
IG: @JordanLipsFitness
Podcast: Where Optimal Meets Practical
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Helping you find the balance between OPTIMAL and PRACTICAL
🫶🏼JL