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Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Functional Training // Injury Rehabilitation // Running Analysis

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    • Fireside Chat with David Jennings, DPT – “Improving Mobility for Runners”
    • Core Training for Runners (FREE Webinar Replay)
    • ‘In the Spotlight’ with Mary Lynn Griffin
    • Pelvic Control: The Overlooked Link to Better Running Performance & Injury Reduction (FREE Webinar Replay)
    • Fireside Chat with Jill Merkel, RD – ‘Nutrition Tips that Last Beyond New Year’s Resolutions’
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Browsing Category Nutrition

Fireside Chat with David Jennings, DPT – “Improving Mobility for Runners”

February 22, 2021 · by Garrett McLaughlin

Welcome to the Fireside Chat! This series was designed to provide runners and the general population easy to absorb information regarding running mechanics, nutrition, strength training, and injury prevention. As the series progresses, we will cover a myriad of topics and speak with different professionals in the health & running community.

In this 7th edition, we had a great conversation with guest, David Jennings. David is a physical therapist in Nashville, Tennessee with a wealth of knowledge in the orthopedic space, but specifically regarding running-related injuries.

Have you been suffering from lingering tightness and immobility? Do you want to improve mobility but don’t know how? David has you covered with some fantastic information that can be immediately applied to your situation.

In this Fireside Chat, we covered a variety of topics, including…

  1. Background and experiences (1:05)
  2. What is mobility? (2:32)
  3. Conditions associated with immobility (5:30)
  4. The take home message on stretching (8:10)
  5. Is the muscle actually tight? And strategies to address muscle length (11:52)
  6. Range of motion during running (20:40)
  7. Things to check (27:23)
  8. Q&A (31:39)

Click the video below to instantly watch the replay of this chat!

Did you enjoy this Fireside Chat and are interested in learning more about upcoming segments as well as high quality educational content for runners? If so, click here to join the Ignite Your Run private Facebook group. The Ignite Your Run group is a FREE community for runners to learn and interact in the journey to become the best version of yourself possible. You can also click here to view the resource page containing previous Fireside Chat’s and webinars.

Here are additional resources regarding today’s chat and how to learn more about physical therapy services from David Jennings…

  • Email: DavidJ@PerformancePTTN.com

Thanks for watching!

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Fireside Chat with Jill Merkel, RD – ‘Nutrition Tips that Last Beyond New Year’s Resolutions’

January 22, 2021 · by Garrett McLaughlin

Welcome to the Fireside Chat! This series was designed to provide runners and the general population easy to absorb information regarding running mechanics, nutrition, strength training, and injury prevention. As the series progresses, we will cover a myriad of topics and speak with different professionals in the health & running community.

In this 6th edition, we had a great conversation with guest, Jill Merkel. Jill is a sports and women’s wellness dietitian in Nashville, Tennessee. She has been my go to nutrition resource for years and for good reason. She not only knows her stuff but is able to simplify complex topics in a way that creates sustainable long-term results.

Has improving nutrition been on your mind as we enter the New Year? Do you have big running goals and want to learn how proper hydration and fueling can play a role in that? Jill has you covered with fantastic information that can be immediately applied to your situation.

In this Fireside Chat, we covered a variety of topics, including…

  1. Background and experiences (2:06)
  2. Why restrictive diets don’t work (3:30)
  3. Focus on what you can add versus taking something away (9:33)
  4. The 3 things to consider for hydration (12:33)
  5. What dietary changes to make based on your training (19:28)
  6. Q&A (29:00)

Click the video below to instantly watch the replay of this chat!

Did you enjoy this Fireside Chat and are interested in learning more about upcoming segments as well as high quality educational content for runners? If so, click here to join the Ignite Your Run private Facebook group. The Ignite Your Run group is a FREE community for runners to learn and interact in the journey to become the best version of yourself possible. You can also click here to view the resource page containing previous Fireside Chat’s and webinars.

Here are additional resources regarding today’s chat and how to learn more about sports & women’s wellness dietitian, Jill Merkel, RD.

  • Website: jillmerkelrd.com
  • Email: Merkel.jill@gmail.com

Thanks for watching!

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Fireside Chat with Jill Merkel, RD – “Debunking Food Rules & Myths”

July 27, 2020 · by Garrett McLaughlin

Welcome to a brand new series called the “Fireside Chat.” This was designed to provide runners and the general population easy-to-absorb information regarding running mechanics, nutrition, strength training, and injury prevention. As the series progresses, we will cover a myriad of topics and speak with different professionals in the health & running community.

In our first segment, we were fortunate to have guest Jill Merkel, who is a registered sports and women’s wellness dietitian in the Nashville, TN area. Over the last 3-4 years, Jill has been a tremendous resource to my clients as the nutrition component is often very misunderstood in the running community. She has tons of knowledge and experience in the nutrition field and can very easily simplify complex topics in a way that leads to better execution and reliable long-term results.

In this Fireside Chat, we covered a variety of topics, including…

  1. The impact of low carb on energy levels (8:05)
  2. Weight gain during the pandemic (19:09)
  3. The difference between foods being filling vs. satisfying, and why both can be important (28:52)
  4. How to get in contact with Jill (31:59)
  5. Q&A (36:05)

Click the video below to instantly watch the replay of this chat!

Did you enjoy this Fireside Chat and are interested in learning more about upcoming segments as well as high quality educational content for runners? If so, click here to join the Ignite Your Run private Facebook group. The Ignite Your Run group is a FREE community for runners like you to learn and interact in the journey to become the best version of yourself possible.

Here are additional resources regarding today’s chat and how to learn more about Jill…

  • Website: www.jillmerkelrd.com
  • Intuitive Eating Small Group: https://www.jillmerkelrd.com/intuititve-eating-support-group
  • Nutrition for Runners Webinar: https://www.jillmerkelrd.com/runners-workshop

Thanks for watching!

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Strategies to Optimize the Recovery Process

December 8, 2015 · by Garrett McLaughlin
| Article written on December 8th, 2015 at 09:49am | Follow Garrett on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram |

I am often asked the question, “Can I strength train two days in a row?” Or, “Do I need a rest day in between workouts?”

Rest and recovery are often overlooked aspects of physical exercise. We are so focused on doing more to get more, that we underemphasize rest days. With that being said, most people are NOT working out at a high enough intensity to warrant complete days off in between sessions. Unless you are doing a full body “kill session,” structuring your program properly will allow optimal recovery.

Why Recovery is Important?

Exercise without proper recovery is counterproductive. If you think about it, recovery is actually where the mojo happens. Once we provide an adequate stimulus to break down muscle fibers where they will remodel the way we desire, we shouldn’t put more damage on top of that. This will have a catabolic effect.

Exercise is essentially damage to your tissues. Recovery is the repair process. We need a balance between the two to create positive adaptations without increasing the risk of overuse.

Taking time to allow for tissue repair and remodeling is what makes us stronger, faster, and better individuals. This doesn’t mean using a day to sit on the couch between sessions. Creating a program that alternates its focus to allow for recovery is key. Or, implementing strategies to enhance the process.

Structuring Your Program Properly

With that being said about recovery, the demand on the body needs to be high to warrant a complete day off between each exercise session. I always recommend one complete day off per week, but even that contains self-myofascial release (SMR) and mobility work to enhance the recovery process and improve weaknesses.

If you structure your program properly you can continue to exercise with little risk of overtraining. This is done by alternating muscle groups each session, whether that be upper/lower body splits or by body part. Bodybuilders are infamous for breaking down their workouts into areas, such as: back and bis, chest and tris, shoulders and arms, legs, etc.

Personally, I am a fan of total body workouts with a different emphasis each session. If on Monday you complete heavy squats and lighter single leg deadlifts, Tuesday you can complete heavy bilateral deadlifts and lighter split squats. Interchanging bilateral and unilateral focused exercises with different rep ranges can be effective. Since you would be doing total body workouts, the volume on each body part will remain low causing the need for longer recovery periods to be minimal.

Ways to Enhance the Recovery Process

At this point you are just finished with your workout and starting to feel it. That “it” is soreness, muscle fatigue, and being worn down. Immediately after the last exercise is completed, the recovery process begins (or even during your workout in many situations).

Will you facilitate the recovery process or slow it down? What I mean is most people just go on their way, jump in the shower, get in the car, and go about their day.

Did you cool down?

Did you stretch?

How about some diaphragmatic breathing to bring down your nervous system?

Some key things to think about following your exercise session to enhance recovery are:

Cool Down: Taking 5-10 minutes to slowly unwind from your session. Slow aerobic exercise is beneficial here to circulate blood and oxygen to damaged cells, as well as buffer lactate produced during exercise.

Foam Rolling: Studies have shown that foam rolling following exercise decreases muscle soreness as well as relieves tissue tension. Restoring tissue quality is key.

Stretching: Returning your muscles back to normal length will help prevent that tight feeling the next day. This is maximized in addition to foam rolling.

Deep Breathing: Breathing directly affects the nervous system. After a workout our bodies are in a more sympathetic (alert) state. Breathing deeply while utilizing the diaphragm will help decrease alertness and allow us to return to homeostasis.

Nutrition: Although nutrition is not my area of expertise, providing your body the proper nutrients to recover is important. Hydration is also key to replenish fluid loss during exercise. Nutrition is arguably the most important and underemphasized aspect of wellness.

Sleep: Most of our tissue repair and remodeling happens while we are sleeping. Are you getting enough hours? Adequate sleep will allow ample time for our bodies to shut down and truly build back up.

Next time you finish your workout, be prepared to facilitate recovery. Exercise alone is only one piece of the puzzle and most people need to improve their recovery strategies.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Don’t Wait for 2015, Get Started Today!

December 9, 2014 · by Garrett McLaughlin

Plain and simple, why not start NOW?

2011-year-resolution-400x400The first week in December has already come and gone, and that means the new year will be right around the corner. This is always a time when people set lofty health goals, work hard for several weeks, and then give in to the difficulty of changing their lives dramatically to achieve them. During this time of year, I always preach to look at it as marathon training, not a sprint. We don’t just run the race and expect to do well, but start training slowly and gradually progress each week. That is very difficult in a society where we want results yesterday, but if done properly you will see the benefits not only for 2015, but for the years to come.

Where do I start?

It’s essential to have some kind of baseline before setting goals. If we set goals without even know where we currently are, what’s the point? Get a piece of paper and write down some things like: how often do you currently exercise, what’s your weight, what’s your body fat percentage, what’s your resting heart rate, are you in pain from a previous injury, how would you rate your stress levels, are you happy, what does happiness look like to you, how many servings of fruits and vegetables do you consume, etc. Start getting an idea of what your life looks like, because then we can see the areas that need to change. Oftentimes, I hear people say they want to lose 20lbs in 3 months. For some this may be a good goal, but for others we are just throwing a number out there and hoping that while being 20lbs lighter we will instantly be happier.

Now that you have a list of values or ideas which represent the current you, which of those affect you the most on a daily basis? It would be great to work towards improving all of them, but realistically 2-3 goals is sufficient to start without getting side tracked and not achieving any of them due to overload. Instead of picking weight loss, pick the one’s that break weight loss down into smaller components, like drinking more water, eating more vegetables, staying away from sugary drinks, etc. Finding manageable goals is the key to success. Even if those goals seem small, the victory of accomplishing them can often be big and yield pretty impressive results, not to mention the habits you are building towards a new lifestyle.

Change starts with a plan

woman-writing-plan-do-check-act-blink-imagesOur next step is to develop a plan. By now you should have 2-3 realistic goals laid out which effect you on a daily basis. This is where the marathon analogy comes in. Most people say I’m not eating fast food anymore when they currently eat it 5 times per week. This is not realistic and will surely lead to failure. If that example fits you, only eat out 3-4 times per week, and try to replace those 1-2 meals with a homemade meal. Notice I didn’t get too particular or challenging with that plan. Even a poor quality homemade meal will provide your body with more nutrients than a fast food meal, and we are starting to show ourselves that cooking isn’t so bad. Do you drink 4 cokes per day? Try drinking only 2-3 and start carrying around a water bottle with you. The idea is that every few weeks to a month you will start to make these actions actual habits and they become part of your normal routine. Once you feel you have accomplished that small change and feel comfortable with it, you can plan to do something else to work towards a better you. Eventually, you will scratch off your current goals completely and move on to your next 2-3 goals. That’s when you develop your next plan of action.

I hope this post helps you get started towards those trouble New Year’s resolutions. Stop looking at them as something that has to be accomplished right this second. Goals must turn into habits which turn into results, but not without a solid plan in place. I encourage you to write things down. What are your goals, and what are you doing to achieve them? Were you successful the past week, and if not, what got in the way? By seeing things laid out honestly in front of you is often an much needed eye opener. We tend to not want to believe we are failing to accomplish what we were so passionate about, so a little honesty can go a long way. Please leave some feedback below if this post has helped you start planning for success. I’d love to hear your opinion or personal story of what has and hasn’t worked for you in the past. Goodluck in 2015!

P.S. I am offering complimentary 30-minute consultations through January for those who have questions or need advice on creating an actionable plan towards their health goals.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

The Simple Way to Success

September 25, 2014 · by Garrett McLaughlin

Getting results are often tough to come by. But, sometimes its not all about what you’re doing, but how you’re doing it. Consistency is truly the key to long-term success in terms of health, wellness, and also personal and professional growth. In the health and fitness industry there are always new trends and fads being invented, and there are also those people that become victims. It is great that they have gained interest and have become more committed in their own health but it isn’t the type of exercise, it is consistency that gets results.

Think about the people you know who are the healthiest. Most likely they all do a different type of exercise such as: running, weight lifting, yoga, pilates, play sports, etc. They don’t all do the same thing and see the same great results. The biggest factor is they find an activity they enjoy and then do it long enough to see results, consistency at it’s finest. So next time you are looking to get better results, just stay committed. It takes months of consistent habits that will make the biggest impact.


Garrett McLaughlin is an athletic trainer, and personal trainer who enjoys making a lasting impact on people’s lives. In addition to exercise, he focuses much attention on nutrition, sleep, and stress management. By improving all of these areas and being consistent, we can make lasting changes to our health. Contact Garrett for more information.

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