The Code: A Guide to Health and Human Performance

Dr. Andrew Fix

Welcome to The Code, where we give you the guide to living the ultimate human life. Join host Dr. Andrew Fix as he deep dives into the key areas that drive our health and wellness. You’ll learn about topics such as sleep hygiene, stress management, nutrition, movement, relationships, and more. Listen in as he interviews fitness professionals, athletes, coaches, doctors and other industry experts to hear how they implement these strategies into their own and clients’ lives. If you are ready to crack the code on health and human performance, this show is for you.

  1. 48m ago

    249. The Comparison Trap: Mental Performance, Identity & Youth Sports | Sydney Nolan

    When young athletes start measuring their worth by wins, rankings, and recruiting opportunities, the sport they once loved can become a source of pressure.   For young athletes, constant comparison, recruiting expectations, and the pressure to succeed can take the joy out of sports. Staying competitive without tying self-worth to performance takes more than physical training. Parents and coaches also play an important role in shaping how athletes respond to success, setbacks, and pressure.   Dr. Andrew Fix talks with Sydney Nolan, founder of Snap Mental Performance, about the psychology of athletic performance, the risks of early sports specialization, and why so many young athletes experience burnout. They discuss how comparison and negative self-talk affect confidence, how to handle setbacks, and why developing an identity beyond sports matters for long-term well-being.   The conversation extends beyond sports to the way adults define themselves through their careers and achievements. Whether you're an athlete, parent, or working professional, Sydney shares practical ways to manage pressure, reconnect with your priorities, and build an identity that extends beyond performance.   Quotes “Comparison ends up being just a measuring stick. It's about everything that I'm not. And it's about how other people's successes means that I'm a failure.” (08:53 | Sydney Nolan) “The challenge with that is we put our focus so externally with comparison that we forget to focus on ourselves in our process.” (13:39 | Sydney Nolan) “I think burnout also just comes from the comparison piece, the pressure, the fear, it's when we have all these psychological challenges as well, beyond just the physical time.” (42:49 | Sydney Nolan) “There's a difference between saying I'm angry and I'm feeling angry. When we say I'm angry, we're attaching to it and letting it take over. When I'm feeling angry, we're labeling an emotion and realizing that that's an experience we're having, but that's not us.” (53:43 | Sydney Nolan) “Taking the things that I loved about lacrosse, like I loved the challenge of it. I loved the community aspect of it. I loved the learning aspect of it. And like you can take those things and apply it to something else.” (59:04 | Sydney Nolan) Connect with Sydney Nolan: SnapMentalPerformance   Sydney grew up in Colorado and earned her B.A. in Neuroscience & Behavior while playing collegiate lacrosse. Many people find their way into sport psychology through their own experiences in sport, and Sydney is no exception — a career-ending knee injury and her fair share of ups and downs. But what truly led her to the field was a passion to break the stigma around seeking mental support. Rather than treating mental performance work as something you turn to when things go wrong, she wanted to build a culture where it's something to be proud of and excited about, creating FOMO around strengthening their mental game.  That mission led to Snap Mental Performance, where Sydney and her team of three work with athletes from youth through professional levels, as well as competitive and recreational adults. Snap approaches performance optimization by strengthening focus, awareness (internal and external), and psychological flexibility — the same skills that drive success on the physical side of sport.   Mito Red Light (5% off)   SideKick Tool   Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board 15% off Promo Code: DRA15   RAD Roller   Revogreen   HYDRAGUN    Athletic Brewing 20% off: ANDREWF20   Connect with Physio Room: Visit the Physio Room Website Follow Physio Room on Instagram Follow Physio Room on Facebook Andrew’s Personal Instagram Andrew’s Personal Facebook     Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

  2. Oct 27

    248. Stay in the Box: What Jake Bauers Teaches Us About Resilience

    How do you keep showing up when every setback gives you another reason to quit?   After nearly walking away from baseball, Jake Bauers became the NLCS MVP, helping lead the Milwaukee Brewers to their first World Series appearance in 44 years. His comeback offers a lesson in patience, resilience, and knowing when to keep going.   In this solo episode of The Code, Dr. Andrew Fix shares what Jake Bauers' baseball story can teach us about perseverance and the importance of focusing on the process rather than the outcome. How often does self-doubt hold us back more than our circumstances? And how can we turn past failures into opportunities for growth?   Drawing from his own experiences with multiple surgeries, injury recovery, and career changes, Andrew explains why progress rarely follows a straight line and how small, consistent efforts can lead to meaningful breakthroughs. Whether you're recovering from an injury, facing a career setback, or working toward a difficult goal, Andrew explains why staying consistent matters, even when progress feels slow.   Quotes “Many of us have a story that we keep telling ourselves. I'm not ready. I'm not good enough. It's not my time yet. And that story is the actual thing standing in our way.” (09:02 | Dr. Andrew Fix) “You don't have to hit every pitch. You just have to survive the bad ones until a good one comes your way.” (17:40 | Dr. Andrew Fix) “You just need to show up and put in your best effort. Go to bed, wake up the next day and show up and put in your best effort. Do that over and over and over again and start falling in love with the process because the process is what leads to the results.” (21:21 | Dr. Andrew Fix) “Setbacks can be fuel instead of just a verdict of who you are and what you're capable of.” (25:38 | Dr. Andrew Fix) “You do not have to hit it out of the park today. Just stay in the box. Keep showing up. Foul it off and keep showing up.” (28”20 | Dr. Andrew Fix) Links   https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/milwaukee-brewers-star-talks-nearly-170429137.html    Mito Red Light (5% off)   SideKick Tool   Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board 15% off Promo Code: DRA15   RAD Roller   Revogreen   HYDRAGUN    Athletic Brewing 20% off: ANDREWF20   Connect with Physio Room: Visit the Physio Room Website Follow Physio Room on Instagram Follow Physio Room on Facebook Andrew’s Personal Instagram Andrew’s Personal Facebook     Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

  3. Oct 20

    247. Small Steps, Big Changes: The Science of Behavior Change in Running & Life with Jen Hickman

    The fastest way to lose your love for running might be to turn every workout into a test of your worth.   How do you push yourself to improve without turning something you love into another source of stress? And what happens when injuries or setbacks make you question what you're capable of?   In this episode of The Code, Dr. Andrew Fix sits down with running coach Jen Hickman, founder of Perseverance Endurance, to discuss the psychology of behavior change and the role of coaching in building confidence and resilience. With more than two decades of experience in the zoo industry, Jen brings an unexpected perspective on behavior change.   Jen shares how running went from being a source of stress relief to another source of pressure, and how this experience shaped her approach to coaching. She and Dr. Fix explore the mental challenges of pursuing performance goals, handling setbacks, and adapting training to life's demands. They also discuss how trust, communication, and small changes in behavior help runners build confidence and make lasting progress.   Their conversation offers a fresh perspective on handling disappointment, rebuilding trust in your body after injury, and recognizing when adjusting your goals is a sign of good judgment rather than failure. Whether you're training for a marathon or working toward a personal goal, the ability to adapt and keep showing up may be your greatest measure of progress.   Quotes "I just need to do the next small thing that gets me a win and helps me build some confidence. And then that snowballs until I finally get some training momentum." (06:19 | Jen Hickman) "Running should be fun. It should not be a chore." (16:56 | Jen Hickman) "You don't train in a vacuum. You train with all of these other outside influences." (25:25 | Jen Hickman) "You didn't lose all of that work that you've put in before. Like that work is valuable. That work does something." (50:56 | Jen Hickman) "We have to experience things that are scary and uncomfortable first before we can build up that resilience and be able to take on the bigger, scarier things." (57:42 | Jen Hickman) Connect with Jen Hickman: Perseverance Endurance Follow Jen on Instagram I started running back in middle school in the Colorado mountains—mostly because my friends were doing it. Over time, running became more than just a social activity. As an adult, it turned into my way to de-stress and connect with nature. I mostly stuck to 5Ks and 10Ks, enjoying the rhythm and routine. But in 2018, something changed. Running started to feel harder than it used to. I wasn’t seeing progress, and my motivation was slipping. I knew how good running could make me feel, so I decided to get help. That’s when I hired a personal trainer who specialized in running. With the right strength training, improved nutrition, and a personalized training plan, everything shifted. My performance improved dramatically. Since then, I’ve finished the Boston Marathon twice and achieved stronger results in races across the board. Seeing firsthand the power of coaching, I felt inspired to help others experience the same transformation. I went on to earn run coaching certifications through 80/20 Endurance and the United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy (UESCA).  I began my career in the animal profession in the mid-1990s. As a zookeeper, one of the most rewarding parts of my job was helping animals thrive by shaping behavior in a way that supported their well-being. To do that effectively, I had to build trust, understand what motivated each animal, create an environment for success, and adapt continually to their needs.These same principles guide my approach to coaching. The first step is building a strong, trusting relationship with you. I want to understand what motivates you—Why do you run? What brings you joy? What challenges are you facing? As we work together, I’ll break down your training into small, achievable steps that build confidence and momentum. My goal is to set you up for long-term success, not just quick wins. And just like in the animal world, I’ll continually assess, adjust, and refine your training based on your progress and feedback—because your needs aren't static, and your plan shouldn't be either.   Mito Red Light (5% off)   SideKick Tool   Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board 15% off Promo Code: DRA15   RAD Roller   Revogreen   HYDRAGUN    Athletic Brewing 20% off: ANDREWF20   Connect with Physio Room: Visit the Physio Room Website Follow Physio Room on Instagram Follow Physio Room on Facebook Andrew’s Personal Instagram Andrew’s Personal Facebook     Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

  4. Oct 13

    246. Perfect is the Enemy of Done

    Dr. Andrew Fix planned to work out in the afternoon. By 7:40 p.m., he was still in his garage, squeezing in whatever exercise he had time for. His point is, a short workout beats skipping one because the day didn't go as planned.   Perfectionism can make simple goals harder than they need to be. When the plan changes or the timing falls apart, it becomes easy to do nothing. Dr. Andrew Fix shares why done is better than perfect and how a more flexible mindset can help you stay consistent.   If you’re wondering how to stop procrastinating, start by lowering the bar enough to take action. A short workout still counts. A small step still moves you forward.   Andrew also shares one easy health habit: walking after meals. It can support blood sugar regulation and digestion while giving you a chance to step away from screens and connect with the people around you.   Your workout doesn't need to happen at the perfect time or last as long as you planned. Do what you have time for, and move on with your day.   Quotes “But this is what we've got. It's better for me to get this in than to get nothing in.” (07:41 | Dr. Andrew Fix) “If I let just needing and wanting the perfect scenario to happen today, then I'm gonna wind up with nothing because that's just not gonna be what happens today.” (07:47 | Dr. Andrew Fix) “I'm gonna pick these things up and just get something in and get it done and get it accomplished and not stress out over the fact that it's not perfect.” (07:58 | Dr. Andrew Fix) “Just start doing something. You don't have to have all the details figured out. Everything doesn't have to be perfect.” (08:20 | Dr. Andrew Fix) “Get it done. Don't worry about it being perfect.” (09:22 | Dr. Andrew Fix) Links Mito Red Light (5% off)   SideKick Tool   Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board 15% off Promo Code: DRA15   RAD Roller   Revogreen   HYDRAGUN    Athletic Brewing 20% off: ANDREWF20   Connect with Physio Room: Visit the Physio Room Website Follow Physio Room on Instagram Follow Physio Room on Facebook Andrew’s Personal Instagram Andrew’s Personal Facebook     Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

  5. Oct 6

    245. Why Group Training Works | Jeremy Crawford

    The workout that changes your life is the one you’ll actually come back to.   So what makes someone stick with fitness while someone else keeps starting over? For coach and personal trainer Jeremy Crawford, the answer often comes down to connection, environment, and whether the approach actually fits your life.   Jeremy joins Dr. Andrew Fix to explore why the right coach, gym, or community can make such a difference. They talk about the energy and community that come from group training, the individualized support of personal training, and why it helps to understand what you want from exercise before deciding how you want to train. Are you looking for structure? More connection? Expert guidance? A place where you can turn your brain off and simply follow the workout?   They also look at the relationship between coaches and clients. Trust and genuine care matter, but so do healthy boundaries and honest conversations when a relationship no longer feels productive.   Ultimately, fitness becomes a long-term investment in how you want to live. You do not need an upcoming race or competition to have something worth training for. As Andrew puts it, we are all training for life.   Quotes "What separates success and failure with coaching and training or even in the therapy world is it comes down to the relationship at the end of the day." (07:41 | Jeremy Crawford) "You already know that you're not where you want to be. What are you waiting a few weeks or waiting for this quote unquote right time? What is that going to do for you? There is no right time. The time is when you want to do it." (21:44 | Jeremy Crawford) "Don't just do something because it's the fitness craze. Do it because it's actually something that you see yourself realistically doing." (22:27 | Jeremy Crawford) "Knowing how to have that healthy boundary, I think is super, super important because that will allow you, I think, to have those hard conversations easier." (34:18 | Jeremy Crawford) "Your worst workout is sometimes more beneficial than the one that you crushed because you mentally beat the battle." (45:33 | Jeremy Crawford) Connect with Jeremy Crawford: The EPOC Experience  Carbon Strength & Conditioning   Jeremy Crawford started training in 2008. He got his break in 2009 as a coach for a high school baseball player for the pros. Jeremy started group fitness in 2010. In 2015 he ran multiple gyms, coached and trained individuals and group fitness building communities in the Denver area.   Mito Red Light (5% off)   SideKick Tool   Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board 15% off Promo Code: DRA15   RAD Roller   Revogreen   HYDRAGUN    Athletic Brewing 20% off: ANDREWF20   Connect with Physio Room: Visit the Physio Room Website Follow Physio Room on Instagram Follow Physio Room on Facebook Andrew’s Personal Instagram Andrew’s Personal Facebook     Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

  6. Sep 29

    244. Stop Trying to Change You and Start Being Them

    The person you want to become isn’t waiting somewhere in the future. Your choices today decide who shows up.   Dr. Andrew Fix shares a simple mindset shift that can change how you approach your health, work, relationships, and everyday habits: stop treating personal growth like a constant effort to fix yourself. Instead, consider the person you want to be and start making choices from that identity today.   Who are you telling yourself you are? And are those beliefs making your goals harder to reach? Being someone who takes care of their health, follows through on commitments, or shows genuine interest in the people they love starts with acting in ways that support those qualities now.   Andrew also looks at the role your environment plays in reinforcing that identity. The people around you can make consistent choices easier or much harder. This is a reminder to pay attention to both the story you tell yourself and the company you keep.   You don’t have to wait until you’ve changed to act like the person you want to become. Start with the next choice.   Andrew also shares details about the upcoming Health and Performance Summit in Lone Tree, Colorado, where experts and local health and wellness businesses will come together for a day centered on better health and performance.     Quotes "Stop trying to change who you are and start being who you want to be." (01:31 | Dr. Andrew Fix) "Who are you and who do you believe that you are?" (02:43 | Dr. Andrew Fix) "If you believe that you're a person that takes good care of yourself, then it's easier to wake up when that alarm goes off." (02:56 | Dr. Andrew Fix) “We need to put ourselves around other people that are supporting that same mentality, that are supporting that same type of lifestyle that you're thriving for. It is so hard to be the one that's trying to live a certain way, that's trying to do a certain thing. If you're surrounded by a bunch of people that are doing the exact opposite of that.” (03:25 | Dr. Andrew Fix) "Just start doing what you're hoping happens. Just start being who you want to be." (05:41 | Dr. Andrew Fix)   Links   Health and Performance Summit   Mito Red Light (5% off)   SideKick Tool   Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board 15% off Promo Code: DRA15   RAD Roller   Revogreen   HYDRAGUN    Athletic Brewing 20% off: ANDREWF20   Connect with Physio Room: Visit the Physio Room Website Follow Physio Room on Instagram Follow Physio Room on Facebook Andrew’s Personal Instagram Andrew’s Personal Facebook     Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

  7. Sep 22

    243. How to Communicate with Anyone | David "Kiwi" Kiwimagi

    Communications coach David "Kiwi" Kiwimagi joins Dr. Andrew Fix to explain why unspoken expectations quietly wreck marriages and workplaces alike, and how a few simple frameworks can turn resentment into agreement before it ever takes root.   Kiwi built his coaching career on a hard truth learned from his own marriage: most conflict has nothing to do with bad intentions and everything to do with expectations nobody bothered to state out loud. Trouble starts when two people both assume the other one owns a task, or when a conversation begins with no sense of where it's headed. Kiwi walks through his "frame it" method for opening any conversation with a clear time, topic, and outcome, a technique that works as well in a sales call as it does at the end of a long day at home.   The most useful idea here might be the three mental loads behind every task: execution, logistics, and the emotional weight of getting something done right. Kiwi uses laundry and dinner as his examples, but the real payoff is a new lens for spotting effort that usually goes unnoticed. He also shares "couch time," a three-question daily ritual he still uses with his wife after a decade of marriage, and a lasagna story that took ten years to resolve for the simple reason that nobody said what they actually wanted.   Good communication keeps conflict from festering into resentment. Whether the relationship in question is a marriage, a team, or a client engagement: clarity offered earlier and more often beats effort spent cleaning up after the fact.   Quotes "I firmly believe that when you improve your communication, you improve every relationship in your life." (08:54 | David "Kiwi" Kiwimagi) "Uncertainty creates anxiety." (11:18 | David "Kiwi" Kiwimagi) "Unmet expectations lead to resentment. And resentment can grow like a weed in the garden of your relationship. And so in situations like this, turning unmet expectations into agreements is vital." (27:28 | David "Kiwi" Kiwimagi) "Sometimes something is unrealistic because of the time you wanna do it in." (28:33 | David "Kiwi" Kiwimagi) "With simple communication techniques, you can avoid 10 years of resentment.You can turn unmet expectations into agreements. You can avoid 10 years of frustration. And when you learn how to frame conversations, you can eliminate wasting time, energy, and effort." (1:08:03 | David "Kiwi" Kiwimagi)   Links Connect with David “Kiwi” Kiwimagi: Kiwi Coaching  David "Kiwi" Kiwimagi is a Navy veteran and 15-year speaker who helps business owners fix the one thing standing between a great presentation and a booked client: the presentation itself. Through Maximize My Message, he's helped over 150 people stop getting compliments and start getting calls.    Mito Red Light (5% off)   SideKick Tool   Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board 15% off Promo Code: DRA15   RAD Roller   Revogreen   HYDRAGUN    Athletic Brewing 20% off: ANDREWF20   Connect with Physio Room: Visit the Physio Room Website Follow Physio Room on Instagram Follow Physio Room on Facebook Andrew’s Personal Instagram Andrew’s Personal Facebook     Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

  8. Sep 15

    242. Preparedness Beats Frustration Every Time

    You can't expect to get better at anything you've never actually practiced, and Dr. Andrew Fix explains why performance and practice are two completely different skills.   Picture missing shot after shot on a basketball hoop you haven't touched in years. Then getting annoyed at yourself for being rusty. Andrew unpacks the real gap. You have the ability. You skipped the practice. When was the last time you actually practiced the thing you expect yourself to be good at?   He explains why golfers who play a few rounds a year never improve, why runners who race every training session tend to get hurt instead of getting faster, and why top athletes spend far more time drilling and reviewing film than competing. The performance is only a small piece of the process. The rest happens in drills and film review.   Then he applies the idea to conversations. What changes if you prepare for a hard talk with your kid, your partner, or a client the same way an athlete preps for a big game, instead of hoping the right words show up on the spot? Communication breaks down for the same reason a jump shot does. Nobody rehearses it.   Pick the thing you keep getting frustrated about. Have you ever practiced it outside the moment it counts? If not, that's where to start.   Quotes "Practice is really where the gains can be made to acquire the skills that you're trying to acquire, no matter what we're talking about." (01:24 | Dr. Andrew Fix) "If we do anything like that, like we only do something occasionally, it's always a performance, it's always a game or a round of golf when we're playing with no intentional practice, how can we expect to get better at it?" (03:57 | Dr. Andrew Fix) "We can get better at any multitude of things, but we have to practice them. And we have to practice different than when we're performing." (05:26 | Dr. Andrew Fix) "Try not to get frustrated with yourself when something doesn't go according to plan, when you didn't put any real effort into getting better at that thing before the performance came up, before the opportunity presented itself for you to play." (10:29 | Dr. Andrew Fix) “Where you put that time and intention into, that area of your life is going to grow no matter what it is.” (11:15 | Dr. Andrew Fix) Links Mito Red Light (5% off)   SideKick Tool   Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board 15% off Promo Code: DRA15   RAD Roller   Revogreen   HYDRAGUN    Athletic Brewing 20% off: ANDREWF20   Connect with Physio Room: Visit the Physio Room Website Follow Physio Room on Instagram Follow Physio Room on Facebook Andrew’s Personal Instagram Andrew’s Personal Facebook     Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

See All (249)

5
out of 5
48 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Code, where we give you the guide to living the ultimate human life. Join host Dr. Andrew Fix as he deep dives into the key areas that drive our health and wellness. You’ll learn about topics such as sleep hygiene, stress management, nutrition, movement, relationships, and more. Listen in as he interviews fitness professionals, athletes, coaches, doctors and other industry experts to hear how they implement these strategies into their own and clients’ lives. If you are ready to crack the code on health and human performance, this show is for you.

Information

You Might Also Like