Feeling anxious about staying on track with your fitness goals during the holidays? You're not alone. Between shorter days, endless treats in the break room, and social gatherings where you have zero control over the menu, this season can feel like everything is working against you. In this episode, I'm sharing my professional strategies as a personal trainer for navigating the holidays without losing your progress—or your mind.

I break down my three-step approach: know yourself and your unique triggers, create a specific plan for the challenges you'll face, and give yourself grace to be human. You'll learn practical tactics like how to handle holiday parties without overeating, what to do when workout motivation tanks, how to set boundaries when people pressure you to eat, and why the fear of "losing all your progress" is overblown. I also talk about why it's okay—and even healthy—to have seasons where your body fat percentage is a little higher.

Whether you decide to stay strict with your plan, use this time to bulk and build muscle, or give yourself permission to enjoy the season and get back on track in January, this episode will help you make that choice intentionally. Because at the end of the day, your body reflects what you do most of the time, not what you do during a couple of weeks in December.

Links:

• Watch on Youtube
• Episode Blog
• Apply to Work With Me!
• Livestreams on Twitch

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are everywhere right now, and they can be incredibly effective for weight loss. But here's what most people aren't talking about: if you use these medications without also changing your eating habits and building muscle through resistance training, you're setting yourself up to regain all the weight you lost—and possibly even more.

In this episode, I break down how GLP-1s actually work, why they can be a helpful tool for some people, and the critical mistakes I'm seeing that lead to rapid weight regain. I'll explain why losing muscle mass while on these medications slows down your metabolism, making it even harder to keep weight off long-term. More importantly, I'll share exactly what you need to be doing alongside the medication to ensure lasting success.

Whether you're considering a GLP-1, currently taking one, or just curious about how these drugs work, this episode will give you a realistic, shame-free look at what it takes to lose fat and actually keep it off for good. No magic bullets—just evidence-based strategies that work.

Links:

• Watch on Youtube
• Episode Blog
• Apply to Work With Me: 1-on-1 Coaching
• Gains Club Membership
• Get My Workout App
• Livestreams on Twitch

Ready to take your training to the next level with heavy lifting? In this episode, we're diving into the final part of my three-part series on how hard you should train during your workouts. If you've been building muscle for a while and you're ready to transition into maximal strength training, this episode is for you.

Lifting heavy feels completely different from high-volume training, and understanding those differences is crucial for your success and safety. I'll walk you through what to expect as you approach muscle failure during heavy sets, why you won't get that familiar burning sensation, and how to recognize when you're pushing hard enough (or too hard). We'll also cover the mental aspects of heavy lifting, proper safety protocols, and how to use your one rep max to guide your training intensity.

Whether you're curious about starting heavy lifting or you're already doing it and want to make sure you're challenging yourself appropriately, this episode will help you train smarter and safer. Remember: this type of training is for intermediate lifters with at least 6-12 months of consistent lifting experience. Let's talk about how to push your limits while respecting your body's signals.Links:

• Watch on Youtube
• Episode Blog
• Apply to Work With Me!

Are you pushing yourself hard enough in your resistance training workouts? Or maybe you're pushing too hard and risking injury or burnout? In this episode of the Coaching Corner podcast, I break down exactly what it should feel like to challenge yourself effectively during high volume resistance training to build muscle and get stronger.

I'll teach you how to use the reps in reserve (RIR) strategy and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) scale to gauge your intensity, what sensations to look for (like the burning in your working muscles), and how to find that sweet spot between challenging yourself and overdoing it. Plus, I'll share the red flags that mean you need to stop immediately and the signs that you're not pushing hard enough.

Whether you're just starting your fitness journey or you're looking to optimize your muscle-building workouts, this episode will help you train smarter and make consistent gains without burning out.

Links:

• Watch on Youtube
• Episode Blog
• Apply to Work With Me!

Wondering if you're pushing hard enough in your cardio workouts—or maybe pushing too hard? In this episode, I break down what it actually looks and feels like to challenge yourself appropriately in cardiovascular training. You'll learn the key differences between moderate and high intensity cardio, including specific heart rate ranges, physical sensations to watch for, and the talk test that makes monitoring your effort simple.

I cover practical examples of both moderate intensity activities (like brisk walking and dancing) and high intensity workouts (like HIIT and circuit training), plus how to know which type is right for your fitness level and schedule. Most importantly, I share the red flags that indicate you're pushing too hard and risking injury or overtraining—because sustainable progress means challenging yourself without crossing into dangerous territory.

This is part one of a three-part series on challenging yourself in different types of training. Tune in to discover how to work at just the right level to keep making progress, burning calories, and improving your cardiovascular fitness without burnout.

Links:

• Watch on Youtube
• Episode Blog
• Apply to Work With Me!
• American Heart Association Recommendations for Exercise
• Livestreams on Twitch

Struggling to lose fat despite your best efforts? You're not alone. In this episode, I'm breaking down the five most common mistakes I see clients making in their fat loss journeys—and more importantly, how to fix them so you can finally start seeing the results you deserve. From eating too little (yes, that's a thing!) to skipping strength training and not tracking your food properly, these mistakes could be the reason you've hit a plateau or even started gaining weight again.

I'll walk you through why a moderate calorie deficit beats an aggressive one every time, why strength training is non-negotiable for fat loss, and how tracking your food can reveal hidden calories you didn't even know you were consuming. Plus, I'm sharing a real client story about how fixing one simple nutritional mistake completely eliminated her intense cravings and got her weight loss back on track.

If you're ready to avoid these common pitfalls and create a sustainable fat loss plan that actually works, this episode is for you. And if you want personalized guidance and accountability, check out my 90-Day Fat Loss Transformation Program—enrollment is open now!

Links:

• Watch on Youtube
• Episode Blog
• Apply to Work With Me!
• Fat Loss Transformation Program

Welcome to the Coaching Corner Podcast with Jayd Harrison (Jaydigains)! In this episode, we're diving deep into one of the most important exercises in strength training: the squat.

Squats are essential for building total body strength and leg muscle, but this complex movement involves multiple joints working simultaneously, which creates plenty of opportunities for error. In this episode, Jayd breaks down the five most common squat mistakes and provides clear, actionable solutions to help you master this foundational exercise.

✅ Why slowing down your squat tempo leads to better muscle growth

✅ The importance of core bracing for spinal protection

✅ How to identify and prevent "butt wink"

✅ Why all your joints should move at the same rate

✅ The connection between quad strength and proper squat mechanics

The Problem: Fast, uncontrolled movements make it impossible to assess technique and increase injury risk.

The Solution: Practice a 4-2-1 tempo:

• 4 seconds lowering down
• 2 second pause at the bottom
• 1 second standing up

Why It Works: More time under tension, especially during the eccentric (lowering) phase, leads to greater muscle growth and strength gains.

The Problem: Poor core engagement allows the spine to move during the squat, which can lead to pulled muscles or disc injuries.

The Solution: Engage your entire torso—abdominals, obliques, spinal erectors, lats, and external shoulder rotators—just like you would during a plank or bird dog exercise.

Key Point: Your spine should stay in the same position from top to bottom. No flexion, extension, or lateral movement.

The Problem: Your hips tilt under at the bottom of the squat, causing your lumbar spine to round and creating strain on your lower back.

The Solution:

• Work on hip and hamstring mobility
• Stop your squat before the butt wink occurs, even if you can't reach parallel
• Prioritize safe depth over arbitrary depth standards

The Problem: This turns your squat into a "good morning" exercise and indicates weak or under-engaged quadriceps.

The Solution

• Incorporate more targeted quad work
• Think "stand up tall" rather than "lift your butt"
• Ensure all joints extend at the same rate

The Problem: Joints moving at different speeds throughout the range of motion compromises technique and efficiency.

The Solution: Your ankles, knees, and hips should all bend and extend simultaneously and at the same rate throughout the entire movement.

🎯 You should be able to pause at any point during the squat

🎯 Keep your torso completely rigid—no spinal movement

🎯 Quality always trumps quantity when it comes to squats

🎯 Slow tempo squats build both technique and muscle

🎯 Address mobility limitations before pushing for depth

Jayd is currently enrolling 5-6 new clients in her 90-Day Fat Loss Transformation Program:

• Lose up to 25 pounds in 90 days
• Customized training program
• Custom meal plan
• One-on-one coaching for sustainable results

👉 ENROLL NOW👈

Are you constantly beating yourself up about your food choices or fitness habits?

Hey there! 👋 I'm Jayd Harrison (Jaydigains), personal trainer and host of the Coaching Corner podcast. In this episode, we're continuing our discussion on how to deshame your relationship with fitness and food. I'm breaking down why shame-based motivation is actually sabotaging your progress, and sharing the positive psychology approaches that actually work for creating lasting change.

You'll learn how to adopt a growth mindset that allows for mistakes and imperfection, why consistency matters more than perfection (your body reflects what you do 60% of the time!), and how to redefine what "being on track" really means. I'm also teaching you the shame spiral interrupt technique—a game-changing skill that helps you catch negative self-talk in the moment and reframe it into growth-oriented statements that actually move you forward.

Whether you're struggling with all-or-nothing thinking, perfectionism, or just being way too hard on yourself, this episode will give you practical tools to approach your health journey with more compassion and effectiveness. Remember: you don't have to be perfect to make big changes in your body. You just have to show up most of the time and give yourself grace along the way.

Links:

• Watch on Youtube
• Episode Blog
• Fat Loss Transformation Program

Mentioned in this episode:

90 Day Fat Loss Transformation

Lose up to 25lb in 3 months with my 90-Day Fat Loss Transformation program!

Fat Loss Transformation Coaching