The Practical Fitness Podcast

Laurel Beversdorf
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Fitness

The Practical Fitness Podcast is a podcast about strength, cardio, and training decisions that actually hold up in real life. Hosted by strength and conditioning coach Laurel Beversdorf, the show focuses on practical, evidence-informed guidance for people who want to train consistently without overcomplicating it. Episodes break down common misconceptions, explain what actually matters (and what doesn’t), and help listeners make sense of exercise advice so they can stop second-guessing their choices and start building strength and endurance in ways that fit their time, energy, and goals.

Episodes

  1. Jul 10

    05: The Story Behind My Boston Marathon

    What happens when the race you've spent months preparing for becomes only one part of a much bigger story? In this deeply personal episode, I share how training for the Boston Marathon became intertwined with losing my father, recovering from norovirus just days before the race, and discovering that some of life's biggest goals matter because of what they ask of us along the way. This isn't an episode about how to qualify for Boston or how to train for a marathon. It's the story of setting a long-term physical goal, trusting the process through uncertainty, navigating grief, illness, friendship, and ultimately crossing one of the world's most iconic finish lines. Along the way, I reflect on why meaningful physical goals can provide direction, resilience, and perspective—even when life doesn't go according to plan. FREE STUFF Follow @laurelbeversdorf on Instagram Follow @laurel_beversdorf on YouTube www.laurelbeversdorf.com TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – This isn't a Boston training guide—it's my story 06:00 – Why I believe in setting big physical goals 12:15 – Deciding to qualify for the Boston Marathon 25:00 – Qualifying for Boston at the Bayshore Marathon 29:30 – Starting Boston training while injured 46:30 – Losing my dad during marathon training 48:15 – Getting norovirus one week before Boston 57:20 – Race morning 1:01:30 – Running the Boston Marathon 1:10:30 – What Boston taught me about goals, grief, and meaning

    05: The Story Behind My Boston Marathon

  2. Jun 16

    04: Much Ado About Zone 2

    Some people say Zone 2 is the best way to train for fitness and health. Others say women should avoid it altogether. In this episode, I dig into what the evidence actually says about Zone 2 cardio by breaking down a recent review paper on the topic. You'll learn what Zone 2 actually is, where many of the claims about it come from, what the research says about fitness adaptations like mitochondrial function and fat metabolism, and the practical pros and cons of moderate- versus higher-intensity cardio. FREE STUFF Follow @laurelbeversdorf on Instagram Follow @laurel_beversdorf on YouTube www.laurelbeversdorf.com EPISODE RESOURCES Watch on YouTube: Simplify Cardio: What Matters for Results Read the review paper Much Ado About Zone 2 Listen to The Real Science of Sport podcast episode featuring one of the authors of Much Ado About Zone 2 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why Zone 2 has become so controversial 02:25 What Zone 2 actually is and why it's difficult to measure 04:20 Where the claims about mitochondrial function and fat burning come from 06:40 What the review paper found about Zone 2 versus higher intensities 08:00 Why Zone 2 is really moderate-intensity exercise 09:45 The CDC and WHO cardio recommendations 10:45 Does Zone 2 improve mitochondrial function and fat metabolism? 13:35 Why higher intensities often improve fitness more efficiently 14:15 The practical problems with trying to stay in Zone 2 15:50 The pros and cons of moderate versus vigorous cardio 18:55 Why the best cardio is the kind you'll actually do consistently

  3. Mar 22

    03: Stop Fearing Fatigue. Stop Chasing Fatigue.

    A lot of people think feeling tired, sore, or heavy after training means something is wrong. In this episode, I break down why fatigue itself is not the problem and how misunderstanding it can make training feel way more confusing than it needs to be. In this episode, I walk through five common ways people misinterpret fatigue, including mistaking it for progress, assuming it means progress has stalled, and changing programs instead of letting adaptation happen. FREE STUFF Follow @laurelbeversdorf on Instagram Follow @laurel_beversdorf on YouTube www.laurelbeversdorf.com EPISODE RESOURCES Watch on YouTube: How to Schedule Strength and Cardio for Better Recovery Laurel's other podcast Movement Logic: Strong Opinions Loosely Held TIMESTAMPS 01:05 Fatigue is not the stimulus 04:10 Fatigue can mask progress 07:05 Why changing things up can backfire 11:20 You do not need to feel fully recovered to train again 17:15 Why fatigue does not stay this high forever 22:10 What fatigue is and what it is not 24:05 Watch the YouTube video for weekly training structure

  4. Mar 8

    02: Reps Done vs. Reps Left — And Why It Matters

    If you're consistently landing on even numbers or 10 reps for your sets, you might be stalling your progress. And in this episode, I explain why. Most strength programs give you tidy rep prescription, such as to do 3 sets of 10. But when 10 becomes the thing you chase, it’s easy to lose sight of the variable that actually drives progress. In this episode, I break down why reps and load are not the primary drivers of strength, why effort at the end of the set is what truly signals change, how to use reps in reserve, and how to spot a subtle clue in your training log that **might** mean you’re under-efforting. FREE STUFF Get my FREE STRENGTH “Macro” TRACKER Follow @laurelbeversdorf on Instagram Follow @laurel_beversdorf on YouTube www.laurelbeversdorf.com EPISODE RESOURCES (Nuzzo, 2024) PMID: 38781472 TIMESTAMPS 01:00 The floor and ceiling of rep ranges 03:00 Why reps do not make you stronger 07:00 Effort as the real signal for strength adaptation 09:00 What effort reflects physiologically (motor unit recruitment) 14:00 How reps in reserve works 6:00 Failure as a reference point 22:00 What real strength progress looks like over time 26:00 How I program effort with clients 29:00 What rep drop-off across sets can reveal

  5. Feb 2

    01: Let's Talk About Sets, Baby!

    If strength training keeps slipping through the cracks of your schedule, even though you know it matters and you want to be consistent, this episode is for you. Most people are taught to organize strength training around workouts. And when workouts become the thing that matters most, missed sessions quickly turn into frustration, guilt, and the feeling that you’re failing at something you care about. In this episode, I introduce a different way to think about strength training. Instead of organizing your training around workouts, schedules, or session length, we’re going to organize it around sets. This shift makes strength training more flexible and much easier to stick with over time, especially when your schedule changes frequently and life gets busy and unpredictable. FREE STUFF Get my FREE STRENGTH “Macro” TRACKER Follow @laurelbeversdorf on Instagram Follow @laurel_beversdorf on YouTube www.laurelbeversdorf.com EPISODE RESOURCES Watch on YouTube - How to Strength Train Whole Body When Your Busy TIMESTAMPS 01:00 Why workout-based organization of strength training can make it hard to stick to 03:00 Sets as the smallest unit of strength training that matters 05:00 What makes a set challenging enough to count 07:00 Why strength doesn’t care how you package the work 09:00 Using short pockets of time to accumulate sets 12:00 Why doing something beats doing nothing 15:00 Client story: replacing long workouts with short daily sessions 19:00 Applying the sets framework to real, busy lives 22:00 How this approach supports long-term consistency

  • 5 Episodes

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

The Practical Fitness Podcast is a podcast about strength, cardio, and training decisions that actually hold up in real life. Hosted by strength and conditioning coach Laurel Beversdorf, the show focuses on practical, evidence-informed guidance for people who want to train consistently without overcomplicating it. Episodes break down common misconceptions, explain what actually matters (and what doesn’t), and help listeners make sense of exercise advice so they can stop second-guessing their choices and start building strength and endurance in ways that fit their time, energy, and goals.

Information

  • Creator
    Laurel Beversdorf
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Practical Fitness Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Practical Fitness Podcast

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