Strong Jon Fitness

Julia Mastalski, a mom and business owner, shares her experience working with Jon Vlahogiannakos as her coach. 

She struggled with her fitness and weight after having a baby during the COVID-19 pandemic. Julia was skeptical of trainers in the past who didn't listen to her needs and limitations. 

However, working with Jon, she experienced breakthroughs in her fitness journey, including visible weight loss and increased strength. She also found relief from muscle pains and learned about the importance of nutrition. 

In her own words:

"I lost weight and I was starting to visibly look like I was losing weight, not just feeling better."

"Fat loss for a lot of women is kind of like that where it's like you feel better, but every day you look in the mirror, you don't really notice. I recommend your coaching for parents, busy professionals, and individuals with autoimmune disorders or joint issues”

Some of the big takeaways from our chat:

• Working with a coach who listens to your needs and limitations can lead to breakthroughs in your fitness journey.
• Visible weight loss and increased strength can be achieved through consistent workouts and proper nutrition.
• Coaching programs that can be done at home or in the gym are beneficial for parents and busy professionals.
• Individuals with autoimmune disorders or joint issues can benefit from a customized fitness program.
• Accountability and support from a coach can help overcome challenges and stay on track with fitness goals.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

01:34 Struggles Before Working with a Coach

08:09 Relief from Muscle Pains and Joint Issues

11:25 Accountability and Support

11:52 The Impact of Nutrition

13:14 Who Can Benefit from a Coaching Program?

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Pratik Patel, a marketing manager in Toronto, shares his journey and results from a coaching program with Strong Jon Fitness. 

He initially struggled with his weight and noticed his clothes getting tighter. Through the program, he learned about the importance of nutrition and high protein intake. 

He also implemented strategies like banking calories and making healthier choices when eating out. 

Pratik lost 14.4 pounds and saw significant changes in his body composition. He emphasizes the importance of accountability and flexibility in maintaining progress while still enjoying life.

Takeaways

• Implementing simple strategies like banking calories and making healthier choices when eating out can make a big difference in weight loss.

• Accountability and flexibility are key to maintaining progress while still enjoying life.

• Education and mindset shifts around daily habits and weekend approaches are crucial for long-term success.

• Consistency and steady progress are more important than perfection.

• Having structure and guidance in workouts can lead to better results.

• Graduating from a coaching program doesn't mean the end of accountability; it's important to continue checking in with oneself.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

01:06 Recognizing Struggles and Setting Goals

05:19 The Power of Simple Strategies

08:19 Banking Calories and Planning Ahead

10:39 Maintaining Consistency and Structure

12:25 Visible Results and Clothing Fit

13:11 Recommendations and Accountability

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The perfect time is now.⁠

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Life is always going to throw curveballs at you and it's going to get hard sometimes.⁠

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But you know what you won't regret?⁠ Taking that first step.⁠

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Maybe you're unsure because home workouts provide a new challenge or you just miss the gym entirely.⁠

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Maybe it's because you feel bad spending time away from your family, even though it's in pursuit of your health.⁠

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Or maybe you just don't want it that badly. Too many people say they do, yet when push comes to shove they are in the same spot year after year.⁠

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But you have to really ask yourself:⁠

⁠

"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳?"⁠

Enjoy the episode!

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It’s that time of the year again.

You know, you’re starting to see the sun shine a little bit. Weather is getting warmer. You can finally feel that the dread of winter and layers of clothing is coming to an end.

So you decide it’s time to go on a diet and try and finally lose the weight that seems to be stuck year after year around this time.

But you don’t want to fall into the same trap as last year, or the year before…

So what do you do?

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I’ll explain exactly how you should approach your diet so that you can stick to it and stop trying to diet down year after year

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I’m going through some of what’s been going on with me and how it can help you in your journey.

Thank you for listening.

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by one of my amazing Fit Parent Blueprint clients and fellow online coach, Kristine Williams.

Kristine joined my coaching program in the spring of 2023 because she was struggling with her digestion, her weight was slowly creeping up and she felt tired often. She has been training consistently for years but felt like she was coasting through workouts and wasn’t prioritizing her health and fitness as much as she should have.

After 6 months of working together, she has lost 10lbs of fat, improved her digestion, improved her strength and recovery, and just felt better overall - all in time for her 50th birthday.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• What she was skeptical about before joining the program

• Kristine’s biggest breakthrough

• Obstacles she overcame throughout the program

• Her specific results

• Who she recommends this coaching program for

• And so much more!

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Terri Boodhram.  

Terri is a Registered Psychotherapist in Burlington, ON helping high-achievers overcome their fear of failure and self-doubt.

Here’s what we got into in the episode:

• Perfectionism

• ADHD and exercise 

• Mindset around food heading into the holidays

• Awareness as a skill

• And so much more!

Follow Terri here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Don Saladino.

Don has been coaching for over 20 years. He opened his first NYC Gym, Drive 495, in 2005. After operating brick-and-mortar gyms for 15 years, Don expanded to a global online fitness business. He has developed a reputation for training some of the biggest names in Hollywood for the big screen. Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively,  John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Liev Schreiber, Sebastian Stan, Anne Hathaway, Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, & David Harbour are among his roster of clients.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• How Don got into the fitness industry

• What it means to be disciplined and persevere 

• How to get started on your journey

• The most powerful quote I’ve ever read

• And so much more!

Follow Don here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Al Painter.

Al is NASM CPT, CES, PES, and SFC certified and has been a trainer since 2001. He specializes in simplifying people's workouts to save them time getting the results they want. He loves telling busy parents to stop working out so they can focus on developing their consistent movement habit.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• Why parents should switch focus

• Consistent movement habits

• Managing stress as parents

• The power of accountability

• And so much more!

Follow Al here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by one of my amazing Fit Parent Blueprint clients, Kathryn B.

Kathryn joined my coaching program in the spring of 2022 in hopes of finally dropping the weight she had struggled to lose. She had tried keto and cutting carbs and none of it worked. After looking up options online, she found my website and applied. Since then, she has lost 30lbs of fat, 6 inches off her waist, 3 inches off her hips, and set personal bests in 5K and triathlon races.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• What she was skeptical about before joining the program

• Kathryn’s biggest breakthrough

• Obstacles she overcame throughout the program

• Who she recommends this coaching program for

• And so much more!

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Dr Karin Nordin.

Karin is a loving dog mom, funfetti flavor super-fan, and self-help book encyclopedia… and she also happens to be a PhD expert in health behavior change and published mindset theory researcher. After graduating with her doctorate, Karin had a striking realization: The typical self-help and productivity approaches of the personal development industry were shockingly inconsistent with the actual research on change. That inconsistency became the fuel for her business Body Brain Alliance, where she’s on a mission to teach compassion-first change techniques that help dedicated self-improvers become their 2.0 selves.

As part of that mission, Body Brain Alliance provides programs for change enthusiasts, as well as high-level education on curriculum design and coaching practices for impact-first entrepreneurs. To make it simple: We teach people to change, and we teach coaches how to teach people to change

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• How Karin got started with behaviour change

• What people get wrong with behaviour change

• Setting and changing expectations

• Behaviour change for busy people who get overwhelmed with life 

• And so much more!

Follow Karin here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I am pulling out all of the biggest gems from my notebook after a weekend of learning at the Evolve Conference. With 15 speakers across the fitness industry, there were many different topics covered but I wanted to make sure I found things that applied directly to you in your fitness journey.

If you found any of them helpful, tag me on Instagram and share this episode with a friend.

Here’s what we got into in the episode:

• 2 main principles to long-term success

• How behaviour changes starts

• How to weave fitness into your life

• 1 massive mindset shift to change your life

• And so much more!

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Yana Fox.

Yana came to me earlier this year with the goal of losing body fat and increasing her strength and muscle tone. She was working out 5 days per week, doing cardio twice per week and had dance practices weekly on top of it. She was frustrated with the lack of resutls she saw and felt it was time to get some help.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• What she was skeptical about before joining the program

• Yana’s biggest breakthrough

• Obstacles she overcame throughout the program

• Who does she recommend this coaching program for

• And so much more!

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I got a chance to speak with Kate Solovieva. Kate is a life coach with over ten years of experience, having worked with 1,000+ clients and having mentored 200+ coaches. 

Her academic background includes undergraduate and graduate psychology degrees, focusing on health and stress management, as well as post-graduate degrees in trauma and cognitive behavioral therapy. She is also a writer and a mom. 

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• From college professor to coach

• Is behaviour change that simple?

• Using the seasons to your advantage

• AI in the health and fitness industry

• And so much more!

Connect with Kate here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we are talking about ways to help parents get fit and stay fit.

For busy parents, fitting in time to take care of your physical health and well-being can be especially difficult. You often feel like you don’t have enough hours in the day to both take care of your family and work on your own personal health goals. 

That’s why I’ve put together 5 tips for helping parents get fit. Enjoy!

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Alex Shaw.

Alex is an online coach and whiskey enthusiast helping other whiskey drinkers to get in shape while enjoying a few pours.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• Why whiskey?

• Incorporating alcohol and fitness

• How much is too much?

• Common issues with weight loss programs

• And so much more!

Follow Alex here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I am going on a bit of a diary entry of ranting and tangents based on what I’ve experienced and what I’ve been hearing of late.

Here’s what we got into:

• How do you get out of a rut?

• Where are most people lacking?

• A framework for life

• And much more…

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Nick Lambe.

Nick is a sleep expert (also known as The Online Sleep Coach), a father, course creator, speaker, and a host of many events both in person and online.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• The state of sleep in the fitness industry

• Behavioural sleep patterns

• How to get optimal sleep

• What to do when you can’t sleep

• And so much more!

Connect with Nick here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Kyle Smith.Kyle is an online coach who helps stuck, frustrated & overwhelmed dapper dudes construct clarity, cultivate curiosity & captivate the consciousness

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• What it means to have clarity

• How to develop intention in your actions

• The 4 F framework for life

• Are you the rival or the role model?

• And so much more!

Follow Kyle Smith here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Jay Jackson.

Jay is an online fitness coach helping men burn fat and build muscle while losing the gut and man boobs without giving up their favorite food or lifting for hours. He is also the author of Guts to Abs and Lies, Lies, Lies (available on Amazon)

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• What got him into fitness

• His personal development after football

• Biggest issues men face losing fat

• What successful people do best

• And so much more!

Follow Jay Jackson here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I am digging into what it was like preparing for 2 photoshoots in one week and my reflections on how I felt after the fact

Here’s what we got into:

• Comparing my 2020 shoot to 2023

• How was this journey different?

• Was I happy with the results?

• Setting up your environment for success

• Self-growth (and what that looks like)

• And much more…

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In today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I’m giving you tactical tips (finally) on how to see more results without using willpower.

Here’s what we got into:

• What is willpower?

• How is it being used?

• 5 strategies to implement ASAP

• What you can do to change the course of your health?

• And so much more

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In today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we discuss a common theme I’ve seen with clients and other parents alike. Something that needs to change if you want to see long-term success with your fitness goals.

Here’s what we got into:

• Do you use a calendar?

• Where are you on the calendar?

• How fast should this go?

• Setting the intent

• And so much more

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EP 112 - My Experience with ADHD

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we are talking about my experience with ADHD. How it’s affected my fitness, family life, business and everything in between

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• The key catalyst in helping symptoms

• How I knew I had ADHD

• Ways I manage it

• And so much more!

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Dan Feldman. He is a registered dietitian, personal trainer, and competitive powerlifter here to help you reach your health and fitness goals.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• Biggest fitness influencer red flags

• Creating structure with food

• How to simplify nutrition at home

• What is the food spectrum

• And so much more!

Follow Dan here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I am giving you an inside look into my process of how I get results for my clients.

I cover:

• 3 components to my program

• Why I am not selling anything

• What to look out for if you want a coach

• And more!

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I want to talk about why you’re not putting yourself first and why you need to as soon as possible. Some people might not like what I have to say and that’s fine, but it needs to be said.

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Kristine Williams. She is an online coach for women looking to get stronger and regain their confidence to become their most fabulous selves!

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• Challenges moms face in their fitness journey

• Changing out of curiosity, not judgment

• Getting over our old stories

• How the home environment can shape the family

• And so much more!

Follow Kristine here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by my incredible client, Tim Goodson.

Tim joined the Fit Parent Blueprint coaching program in October of 2020 and has not looked back since. He found himself in bad shape and headed on a path he did not want to go. With a leap of faith and a consistent 2.5 years, he’s now down 90 pounds and completely transformed his body and life.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• What he was skeptical about before joining the program

• Tim’s biggest breakthroughs

• Obstacles he overcame throughout the program

• Who he recommends this coaching program for

• And so much more!

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I'm touching on the major misconceptions I've seen with people who are trying to get into shape. Basically it's a short list on things to avoid to make your journey easier!

Here's a brief rundown:

• long, grueling workouts
• cutting out carbs, bread, sweets, etc
• the workouts have to leave you sore
• you'll be happier when you reach a certain weight
• the fit-fluencers take the supplements they're selling you (or that they even made a difference at all)
• finances and fitness

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I am digging into 3 mistakes you MUST avoid in order to lose weight and keep it off and create a healthy lifestyle for your family.

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Christa Baker.

Christa is the Owner of FSP Fitness and a fellow OTM Success Coach based in Ontario, Canada. This episode was a ton of fun to do and we will definitely be back with a part two - there’s just so much more to dig into.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• Why she got into coaching

• Problems with the fitness industry

• How to get the solutions that work for you

• What are the foundations of fitness

• And so much more!

Follow Christa here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Mike Doehla.

Mike is the founder of StrongerU. Since he sold the company to Anytime Fitness in 2021, he is “retired” and spends most of his days with his family. He considers himself more of a Nutrition Strategist, where he can help people look at food differently and just make it easy for themselves.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• What’s been wrong with the industry

• Is tracking food bad?

• People’s biggest nutrition downfalls 

• Customer service is a crucial part of coaching

• And so much more!

Follow Mike Doehla here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I’m going solo again to give you an insight into where I’m at and how to change the course of this year for yourself.

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I am digging into the lessons I learned from the Raise the Bar Fitness & Business Conference and how they apply directly to your fitness and life.

Here’s what we got into:

• The concept of your wallet and your watch
• The 80% mindset
• Where to focus your energy
• A few tweaks to how you operate
• And so much more

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Alex Harriman. He is the owner of Breaking 90 Fitness - an online fitness and nutrition coaching company that helps busy women lose 15lbs (or more) in 90 days and keep it off.

Here’s what we got into:

• How he got into the fitness industry
• Common pitfalls amongst clients
• Why BAMs are so important
• And so much more

Follow Alex here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Daniel Yores.

Daniel Yores is a personal trainer and podcaster who believes that improving your fitness is the easiest way to improve your entire life

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• How he got into the fitness industry
• Get out of the all or nothing mindset
• Tendencies of today’s society
• What to do to get results
• And so much more

Follow Daniel here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Steven Hicks.

He is the owner of Health Rebels and an online holistic health coach whos been in the industry for about 13 years.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• How he overcame a massive setback
• A brief history of physical fitness
• The problem with the current state of the industry
• What we can do as coaches to fix things
• And so much more

Follow Steven here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Tom Mouland.

He is the owner and head coach of Tom the Trainer Fitness where he helps frustrated people lose weight while eating their favorite foods on weekends.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• Why he prefers calorie cycling for his clients
• Communication as a coach is key
• The main reasons people don't commit
• Why he doesn’t recommend protein shakes
• And so much more

Follow Tom here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Meghan & Joe Zundl.

They came to me in the spring of 2022 because they wanted to lose weight and tone up but be able to keep it off. That was their biggest struggle with transitioning to being parents and having a busier schedule than they were used to.⁠ This incredible couple lost over 40+ lbs combined in 7 months while raising a daughter & enjoying social lives⁠. 

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• What they were skeptical about before joining the program
• Meghan & Joe's biggest breakthrough
• Obstacles they overcame throughout the program
• Who they recommend this coaching program for
• And so much more!

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I’m digging into how becoming a parent nearly ruined my health and fitness and why I decided to help parents transform their lives.

This story and chapter of my life has been a defining one to this point and I am grateful I’m able to share this with you.

Thank you for listening.

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Clayton Nicholson

Clayton is a body transformation coach for moms who want to feel confident in their clothes.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• What got Clayton into coaching mom’s specifically
• Biggest barriers for moms trying to lose weight
• What to watch out for when it comes to diet and training plans
• How to get started and no longer wait
• And so much more!

Follow Clayton here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Jeb Stuart Johnston

Jeb is a Health & Wellness Coach who works on helping people overcome obstacles in their lives through improved relationships with food, exercise, others and themselves.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• Jeb’s journey into the fitness industry (it was a wild ride)
• Traps people fall into when trying to lose weight
• Weight neutral approaches to weight loss
• All or nothing mentality & how to break it
• And so much more!

Follow Jeb here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Marci Nevin.

Marci is an online coach and business owner who specializes in 3 M’s: Movement Focused Lifestyle, Macro Based Nutrition, and Mindset Development to make fitness easier for everyone.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• The ups and downs of running a business with social media
• How alcohol can impact your fitness goals
• How to navigate the holiday season
• Mindset behind habits and choices
• And so much more

Follow Marci here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Amanda Schissler

Amanda is the CEO of ASFitness - a team who is dedicated to helping badass mamas transform their health and bodies by eating more and saying bye to diet culture.

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• Struggles that moms go through getting in shape
• Why moms need to feel sexy too
• How health and fitness improves relationships
• Tips on where to start
• And so much more!

Follow Amanda here:

On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, I am going back in time to share my journey across the last 6 years.

Who the hell am I? Why am I qualified to be here? And just to share some insights and nuggets I’ve learned along the way.

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re covering questions I’ve received from clients, and from you in my Instagram DMs and email inbox.

Here’s what we got into:

• Will my fat loss be negatively impacted by late meals?
• How do I speed up my metabolism?
• Can I eat the same foods daily? I feel like my body is getting bored and used to the same stuff which makes it harder to lose weight.

BLACK FRIDAY CODES

Today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast is a short one. Consider this your tough love episode. I’m talking about what to do this time of year and push back on you if you normally give up.

Give this one a listen (or two) and get back to me with some feedback if it helped (or not). Thanks for listening!

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On today’s episode of the Strong Jon Fitness Podcast, we’re joined by Emma Pilgrim

Emma has completely changed the course of her health (and her daughter's future) with just one decision last year.⁠ Since then, it's been a journey with ups and downs but she's gone on to lose over 40lbs and drop 3 pant sizes!⁠

Here’s what we got into in the interview:

• What she was skeptical about before joining the program
• Emma's biggest breakthrough
• Obstacles she overcame throughout the program
• Who she recommends this coaching program for
• And so much more!

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