E322: 리즈 조이스(Liz Joyce) - 리드줄의 핸들러 쪽을 위한 피트니스

So I'm really drawn to the crowd for that reason. And also, y'all are an amazing, down-to-earth, kind, wonderful group of people that I just really love. Awesome. Can you share a little bit more about Hazel, more about Levi maybe, share a little bit about your own experience training your own dogs and kind of how that influences your approach to then working with dog sports handlers? It's influenced and changed a lot of how I deal with people when I'm training with them. The thing that I love that I transfer from dog training to training people is splitting, splitting things into extremely small little pieces. And also, I have developed a very, very good eye for when in a movement people are having a challenge and also what can we do to address that. I also found that the timing of that is really good. And the clarity for the people that I'm working with, when I work with dog sport handlers, I will tell them. I just actually give them a few. Yes, that was right. They understand, which is wonderful. The other thing that I really love about training dogs that I'm also seeing happen when they're training people is approaching a situation and for our solution that we both want from a variety of different ways. If I want my dog to be able to hold a down stay in a bank, I have to be able to practice that in a number of different ways. And I also kind of take that. That is a very, maybe not the best example, but I take that approach with people too. So if they're having a challenge with an area of their body or a fitness goal that they have going on, I do my best to attack that from a variety of different ways so that they always have, you know, a variety is nice when you're working out. And they also develop skills that are going to complement the initial goal while also developing other skills that are valuable for them. So I know that you work with a ton of the FDSA folks. So a ton of the instructors, a number of your clients are also students. Part of the reason that there's such a natural crossover there, right, is that how you approach fitness training really aligns with FDSA's approach to training dogs. Can you just talk a little bit about kind of your philosophy when it comes to fitness for dog sports folks? Yeah, for sure. The number one thing that I think about when I'm working with dog sport handlers is can we be as least time invasive and as effective as possible? You guys are busy. You have your travel for dog sports and training. You train your dogs. And like the needs of working and sporting dogs are high.

So my philosophy is how can we develop as much strength, balance, mobility, speed, if that's what people are looking for, in a way that leaves them mentally fit and mentally strong and not drained physically either so that they can still invest in their life and do the sport that really that's what they're here for in the first place and can do that in as little time as possible. So it's taken some practice and I'm very good at that now. So that's how I really approach training dog handlers. In some of your stuff that I've read through, right, you talk about this idea of like honoring the body that you live in. And so I wanted to just explore that a little bit. Can you talk to me about what that means for you? Yeah, for sure. It means a bunch of different things for me. And I'll go over a couple of them. When I'm thinking about people and their bodies, I think about them almost as separate entities. The body is like the vessel for the person. And when I think about people honoring their body, it for me means that they are taking care of their body's needs. And I think a lot about that in the way of doing things that are not in line with what your body needs at that time. For example, if you're approaching needing a knee replacement, is doing sprints going to benefit you as much as maybe hill walking? Like, no. So those are the kinds of things that I think about. I also think about it through the lens of celebrating the body that you're in. I am putting through a lot of conversations with people that are vulnerable and intense in a way that a lot of people aren't about bodies. And there's a lot of shame and disappointment surrounding that. And that's painful for people. So honoring the body that you're living in, for me, also means just taking a step back and being appreciative that you can do the things that you do do. And that you have a body that's hopefully healthy and able to support you in reaching the things that you want to do. And also being responsible about the things that you're asking of it. I'm turned 40 this month. And I'm recovering from surgery. So for me to ask of my body what I would have asked of it when I was 20 and I was working part-time and I wasn't ill, that's unfair and unkind. And I think that people often compare themselves to their younger selves. And that's not fair or kind. And I feel like that's an extension of honoring the body that you live in for me as well. I really like that. And I think it's super important to think about honoring the fact that our bodies change. That we can impact that change. You can impact that change.

And those changes happen if you go to impact them or you don't. And I feel like people always have this. Most often, actually, people have this image of themselves when they're in their very best shape. Or they loved how their aesthetics looked at one point in time. And that's their bar. They always want to be at that place. And who doesn't? And also, it's not realistic. So it's like you kind of got to just maybe make some peace with that. But also, just know that you can celebrate and you're worth celebrating every step of the way, even if you aren't at what you consider to be your very best. I like that. I like that a lot. I know you work with folks in kind of all different sports. Like just from the folks that I know that you work with, I know that it covers the gamut, right? Nose work and agility and bite sports and all the things. Can you talk a bit about what handling skills we can really impact through training our own bodies? Yeah, for sure. And it depends a lot on how you're training and the things that you are working on when you're spending that time. So you will always get what you train for, just like dog training. So the course that I have coming up in FDSA is about strength training. And that course I designed as a kind of couch to 5K equivalent. So really the people that feel like working out might be inaccessible for them, this is the course that I designed so that it would be accessible for them. And the people that are going to take this course, if they are in agility, they will notice that they have faster speed, better control in their decelerations, crisper send and goes. People that are in any kind of fight sport are going to have a much easier time restraining their dog on leash, tugging with them. They will have better endurance also for being had those kind of long training days, better balance for uneven terrain when they're out tracking and stuff like that. That is no joke. That is a lot of walking, nose work too. Line handling will be improved. And overall, you know, there's two people or two beings on your team, your dog and yourself. And when you are in a better shape and you're not injured, you can continue to participate and the train keeps rolling. And the goal really of this course is to put you in a position that's going to prevent that from happening, as well as have you be able to handle and do the sport you want with a lot more ease and confidence. So you mentioned the class in there. I want to talk more about that.

But before we kind of transfer entirely to that, I think that anyone who knows you or has worked with you would kind of emphasize the fact that you really approach training with the same kindness and positive reinforcement focus that kind of we typically emphasize in dog training here at FTSA. And yet I know that a lot of folks are listening to this and even with the really awesome description you just gave of the class going, yeah, but, right? So they're saying, yeah, but I have bad knees or yeah, but I'm overweight or yeah, but I'm getting older. Can you talk a little more about kind of that piece of the picture? What do we, you know, what do we accept? What do we try to change? How does that kind of fit into all of this? This is a great question. And a lot of people get stuck in this rut where their body isn't where they want it to be and they don't want to do anything or even attempt fitness until their body feel great. And, you know, people that are in all different walks of life and have all different injury histories, there is almost always, and I'm going to say almost always, but like 99.999% of the time, things you can do to invest in your physical health and strength and mobility, regardless of what you have going on. And, you know, fitness really is for everybody. And it's just the avenues that you choose that are going to make that a positive experience for you and one that you're going to grow from physically and get more comfortable and more able or not. So a good way to check that out is try something for a month or two and see if you feel any better and go from there. And it's okay to reassess. It's also okay to change disciplines as you age and your interests change and your body changes too. I think the idea of like what do people want to change and what can they accept? I think that anyone can work on the power that you would feel in your body. If I could have people, when they finish working with me, leave the experience feeling powerful and being more able, that is like really my end goal for working with people. And the things that you can accept, like you do need to accept, you know, if you've had children, your body will have changed. If you are aging, and we all are, our bodies are going to change. If you encounter a chronic illness, your body will change. And I think you need to, everyone needs to just take a hard look at it and be appreciative of the things that you still can do. And the things that you can change, you know, if you're in chronic pain, it's, there's a lot of medication and doctors and things like that that can help with that.

But generally speaking, also getting stronger and having better mobility will help your comfort in, regardless of your situation. So we mentioned the class, and I want to go back to that now. You're offering a class for dog sports handlers during the August term. You mentioned you kind of set it up as a couch to 5K type program, but for dog sports handlers and strength training. Can you share a little more about the class? How will it work? What does it look like? What you got going on? Yeah, I sure can. So the first week, I love that I did this. I put together 10 or 12 videos all about foundations. And the foundations are really hammering home the idea of the basic form. So people can really work through and practice good form. Just like dog training, flashy stuff is an expression of an extension of beautiful foundations. And so people taking this class can expect to learn how to better engage their muscles and improve their physical literacy in terms of how they're actually moving, which I love. The class builds from there. So if you're thinking about foundations and thinking, oh, this feels like maybe it's going to be too easy for me. That is the foundation part. The class has quite a lot of range in terms of rep ranges and weight selection. And I talk a lot about how to find that happy spot for yourself. The class itself is going to be posted in FDSA. So the workouts will be there listed in all of the videos. And also the participants are welcome to join that class on my app where it's super easy to follow. They can enter the reps. They can enter the weight they've used. All of the timed exercises have a timer on it. There's like amazing reinforcement in terms of, hey, you're on a 10-day streak and stuff like that that comes up, which is really, really nice. So people can expect all of those things and also just a really thoughtfully designed program. So building strength in the ways that are going to support more complex movements. And I'm hoping and what will happen is between week one and week six, if people were at week one to look at week six, thinking that it would be really, really challenging, they will enter week six having all the skills and the strength they need to do those workouts. And so it's going to be a really empowering and fun experience for people. That's awesome. So I want to go back to something you said in your answer there. You talked about the foundations and the physical literacy, and I've had the opportunity to see some of the workshop stuff you've done. Can you just give an example of what that might look like?

Like that little foundation piece, like what are we talking about when we say foundations? Okay. Foundations are things like when you lie on your back, are you able to not use your six-pack muscles and use your inner core muscles to keep your back flat on the ground? If you can do that, can you also do that while you're lifting your leg? Can you do that while you're doing a variety of different things? And that is the foundation piece, building that inner core work, the inner core strength that's going to transfer to you having genuinely a lot better balance and a better posture. So that's one example. Another example, people that drive a lot or have desk jobs typically get quite weak glutes. So when you don't use muscles very often, they get sleepy and you can turn them back on by using them. So some of the other foundation skills in there are learning how to use your glutes when both of your feet are on the ground, learning how to use them when one foot is on the ground and so on. And just simply learning how to fire your muscles properly. And there's a tutorial video for all the relevant muscle groups that we're going to cover in the course. And learning how to use your muscles properly is going to improve the efficiency and the effectiveness of the exercises that you enter into, which is amazing. And also the more you use those muscles, the more your body is going to have access to them. So you'll be able to use them when you're just out walking your dogs and doing different things. And you won't need to be thinking about, you know, could I engage my core like I should? It will just work for you. And in that way, the training just becomes also part of something that you do all of the time, which builds on kind of a snowball effect of it being even more effective in the course, which I really love. Okay, so equipment. What do people need? What should they purchase or what do they need to purchase? And then from a skill level, you know, who should consider signing up? Equipment-wise, there's a band set that I recommend people purchase or that is, I'm going to say, mandatory for the class. It's like $25, maybe $30. And it is 10 to 50 pound tensions on the band. And they have handles and a door anchor. And there are many bands that go along with this set. So that is a key piece of equipment. I would also recommend people have something comfortable to lie on. You do not need to purchase a yoga mat. You do not need to purchase a bunch of stuff. A carpet or carpeted surface in your home is adequate. And then dumbbells. I'm recommending five, 10 and 15 pound sets.

And also if people, you know, need to go lower or higher in those weights. That's something that I'm super happy to help people decide what is appropriate weight range for them. Those are the weights and equipment that I am going to recommend. And then who should kind of think about signing up? When I think about the ideal person that's going to take this class, it's someone that has been busy with their dog for a long time. And they have maybe not had the time to take care of their own physical strength and fitness and mobility for a while. So when I think about the most ideal person to take this class and really who I made this for, it is someone who is 35 and older in all different body shapes that hasn't worked out in a while. Or maybe hasn't ever worked out. Or maybe worked out in high school. Or is feeling nervous about, am I going to be able to do my form properly? Or they've gone to fitness classes and found that they are too hard. And maybe their foundation skills were lacking. Or they arrive at their trials and find when they get out of their vehicles, their body just feels kind of achy and tight and sore. Or they've noticed over the years that handling their dog is getting harder. Their sport is getting harder. Those are the kinds of people that I really would love to see in the class. Yeah. I love some of the phrases you used. Just really kind of paint the picture of who we're talking about, right? In terms of time commitment, I know you're asking for 30 to 40 minutes, two to three times a week, plus daily mobility work. Can you talk more about that mobility work piece? What does that look like? What do you mean by mobility work? What's mobility work? Mobility is the difference between flexibility and mobility is that in mobility you have strength and control at the end range of the stretch. Building mobility is going to help you be able to handle so much more effectively. It's super common that people get tight and then tug with their dogs or go to pick a container or bag of dog food up from kind of a weird maybe angle. And their bodies just kind of freak out a little bit. So having better mobility will open up a lot of handling options. And if you're an agility handler, it's also going to really help you express more speed, which is super valuable. And for anybody will build a lot more comfort for them in their life. Mobility is just stretching. There's a number of different stretches that I've put together that are going to address really the key areas. I think there are 12 of them, 10 of them.

And they are amazing stretches that really are and they could progress throughout the course as well. So the mobility work piece is something that I ask people to do every day, especially during the first six to eight weeks. And the reason for that is when you're strength training, if you haven't been strength training for a while, the first eight to 12 weeks is when your body's neuromuscular connections get so much stronger. So people notice that they get so much stronger during the first eight to 12 weeks. And some of that is strength. And also it is this neuromuscular connection that's building. So when we're building patterning and muscle memory, we want to do that in the most effective way possible and pattern and reinforce form that we want to see happen again and again. And the best way to do that is to have really good mobility so you can do the different exercises without compromised form or range of motion due to a lack of mobility. So there's, you know, some tips and tools that I share in the class, which are, you know, split the mobility work up into different chunks and maybe stagger them one set one day, another set the other day. Or if some of these stretches maybe aren't relevant for you, you do not need to do them, but pick the ones that are more challenging for you. And it's just like, it's really great when people can stretch regularly for the first six to 12 weeks when they're beginning a strength training program. It really makes the whole picture come together in a much better way. We talked a little bit about skills earlier, but what kind of skills can handlers maybe expect to see improve as they work through the course in particular? But depends on the sport that you're in. So if you're an agility athlete, you will notice, you know, anytime you're walking, you will have two feet on the ground at some points in that motion. When you're running, you only ever have one foot on the ground. So having better balance is going to help your sprinting speed and also help your ability to handle effectively. It's going to help you with your send and goes. It's also going to help you with your decelerations and keeping your body more compact and strong and tight when you're on the course. So your movements, I should say, which I love. And it's amazing to see the changes of people. The agility handlers that I work with that get stronger, their handling just changes completely. It's amazing. People that do bitey sports can expect to have much easier handling of the dog. Tugging will be a lot easier.

I think that their ability to have maybe a more expressive tug game with more movement from them will increase too, which is always really fun. And any of these dog sports too come with other lifestyle stuff, you know, like picking up dog food and moving crates around and all that kind of stuff, which will get easier for people as well. So kind of one more class specific question here. I got to tell you one more thing. I also know that people are going to have improved endurance. So, you know, trial days can be long. It can be warm out. It can be cold out. It can be a bunch of different things. And when your physical fitness is at a higher, at a better place, it is improved. You will be able to do more when your body is under fatigue or stress. So that also will be something that runs across all of the dog sports. Awesome. Important one to mention. Yeah. So obviously this is a little bit different than a dog training class, right? So how will the silver and gold spots kind of work for the class? Well, gold spots and silver spots will have the opportunity to post videos. There was a thread going on in FENZ about people feeling maybe a bit nervous about posting videos. So by the time this aired, I will have a video in the alumni group showing just a demonstration of the types of videos that I expect and want to see for form corrections. What I would like to see in the video submissions are a couple of reps of different exercises, preferably when the person is fatigued or at areas of the exercise that they're having challenge with. And then I will, from that point, either give them different directions in terms of how they can think about executing that, or we will change what they're doing so that it better fits what they need. So that's what I will ask of both the gold and the silver students. And anybody else watching this too, it is super easy. And there's a huge variety of people that I work with too. So of the gold spots, and there's going to be 15 of them, there is going to be a variety of people. So if you are considering signing up for a bronze, it is not going to be hard for you to pair yourself and your movements with somebody who's in a gold spot. And then follow their progress through and check their exercise videos also. Awesome. Any final thoughts or key points you just want to kind of leave listeners with here? I think we've covered a lot of ground. We have, yeah. Yeah, I do. You know, for your dog sport, being stronger is going to help you. And being more mobile is going to help you. And you are also more than half of the team.

And if you can, and if I can show you how to invest a little bit of time in yourself with huge improvements that are going to pay off in your life long term, short term, as well as your dog sport, it's really worth the investment. And if you're feeling nervous about it, I am maybe the nicest person that you'll ever meet in fitness. And you are going to have a really great time. What a good note to kind of leave things on. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast. Thanks for having me. Absolutely. And thanks to all of our listeners for tuning in. We'll be back next week with Nancy Little to talk about start lines, stays, and agility, how to get them, how to keep them, and what to do if yours are broken. If you haven't already, subscribe to our podcast in iTunes or the podcast app of your choice. We'll have our next episode automatically downloaded to your phone as soon as it becomes available. Today's show is brought to you by the Fenzie Dog Sports Academy. Special thanks to Denise Fenzie for supporting this podcast. Music provided royalty free by bensong.com. The track featured here is called Buddy. Audio editing provided by Chris Line. Thanks again for tuning in. And happy training. cop cop cop cop