Professional
**The BittyStrong Podcast with Alyssa Ritchey**

Friends discussing a variety of topics in sports & life. We keep it genuine. If you are ready to hear some honest conversations between authentic, driven, and purpose-filled humans about their journey then you are in the right place.

Latest Episodes:

26: The Sky Is The Limit | Alyssa Ritchey Jul 06, 2020

Show notes

In the past months I have made many changes in my life, diet, and training that led to some massive numbers last Saturday at a local charity event. I was pretty shocked with my lifting.
Rp Strength code: alyssa10 to receive discounts on templates and their diet app
Juggernaut Training code: alyssa10 on all weightliftingAI programming!
Follow me on IG @alyssaritchey1
Check out my website for upcoming retreats and seminars www.alyssaritchey.con

25: The Switch From Crossfit to Weightlifting & The Adjustments Made To Live As A Full Time Athlete | Alyssa Ritchey Jun 17, 2020

Show notes

In this episode I discuss how I made the transition as a competitive crossfit/fitness athlete to become a full time Olympic bound, International level Weightlifter.
I also let you know how I survive as a low paid professional athlete and what I did to adjust my lifestyle so I could focus solely on training as a weightlifter.

Here are a few main points I discuss:

Difference between the sports
Training
Time
Money
Commitment
Coach and Program
Diet changes
Rest between sets in CF verse WLing
Competition setting

Here are the questions I was asked:
Q1: I have a CF background and I think I would like to focus more on becoming a competitive weightlifter. I know you made that transition some time ago and I was wondering if you have any tips or advice for switching over?
Q2: I want to be an elite weightlifter. I’ve been training for a year, I’m 26 y/o but now I know I want to really pursue this. I was just wondering your story and how you were able to set up your life around weightlifting. I want to give this my all but I don’t know how to really start that piece. I have a coach, I have decided to commit to this, the next step is just figuring out how to survive!
Follow my journey on instagram @alyssaritchey1 & Alyssa Ritchey on Facebook
Check out www.alyssaritchey.com to attend a weightlifting/adventure retreat with me!

24: Part 2- Love Is Love: This Power Couple Shares Their Story | Josie & Thor Jun 02, 2020

Show notes

Follow Josie @josiehamming Follow Thor @thorunnj
PART ONE:
1. Their “coming out” story.
2. How did you feel after you experimented? Was there a light bulb that went off like AH-HA thats it, I am gay!! Or did you need more time because you were a little shy at first and were nervous about what you were feeling?
PART TWO:
3. How did you open up to your family & friends about it? Did you have support from them or experience abandonment from some friends and family?
4. People ask and wonder-- “how do you know?" "I think I am straight but I find the opposite sex attractive, what If I am gay?"
5. How did you overcome the fear of JUDGEMENT/shame by others and/or yourself?
6. How can you give advice to others that are letting fear override their feelings? How can they take off the armor and set themselves free to feel what they are feeling.
7. How has your life changed from coming out?
Follow Josie @josiehamming Follow Thor @thorunnj

23: Part 1- Love Is Love: This Power Couple Shares Their Story | Josie & Thor May 29, 2020

Show notes

1. Their “coming out” story.
2. How did you feel after you experimented? Was there a light bulb that went off like AH-HA thats it, I am gay or did you need more time because you were a little shy at first and were nervous about what you were feeling?
PART TWO will be released on Monday and will include:
3. How did you open up to your family about it? And did you have support from family and friends or did you experience abandonment from some friends and family?
4. People ask and wonder-- “how do you know?" I have always been straight, but when I look at the same gender I tend to question “what if?”
5. How did you overcome the fear of JUDGEMENT/shame by others or maybe from yourself by just saying FRICK IT I am trying it?
6. How can you give advice to others that are letting fear override their feelings about being with the same sex. How can they free themselves and just try it.
7. How has your life changed from coming out?
Follow Josie @josiehamming Follow Thor @thorunnj

21: One Tough Little Cookie And The Father Standing In Her Corner | Princess P & James Townsend Apr 27, 2020

Show notes

[From minute 0:00 to minute 11:43-- the little one speaks]
Prisais, also known as "Princess P", is not your average six year old, she's one tough little cookie that has the ability to accomplish anything she sets her sights on. Prisais started playing around with weights when she was 10 months old, since dad was not able to afford daycare. Listen to the strong word this little strong girl has to share with you!
[From minute 11:43 to finish off the podcast James speaks]

James was raised by a single mother in Bronx, NY, he was an athlete at birth so he knows the pressure that it takes to be at the top. When James had his first child at age 17, he was not able to be the father he wanted because of the color of his skin.
When James found out that Amy, his current wife was pregnant with their first child, he decided it was time to dedicate his life to raising this little girl. James didn't have the support and love from his father growing up, so he wanted to be a better man, and a better father for his daughter Prisais.
James and I discuss what it means to have a loving, and supportive father figure in a little girls life. We also discuss putting kids in sports or lifting activities at a very young age.
Questions I asked James:
1. When did your girls start working out?
2. How often do they train per week? How hard do you let them push during workouts; is there a certain amount of weight they are allowed to lift until they get older or do you base it off of their best lifts?
3.What would you say to a parent that fears letting their child lift at a young age?
4. What are the steps those parents should take to make sure their child is safe...is there a specific coach they should be working with or program they should be following? What Are your recommendations?
5. How do you keep them from getting frustrated when they don’t make a lift or can’t do a skill right away?
6. Do you teach them how to have a strong mindset right away? If so, how are you teaching them to have a strong mindset?
7. How do you strive to teach your girls confidence about their muscular bodies?
8. Do you push them to be the best at their sport or do you let them figure it out on their own?
9. If they wanted to quit because they don't enjoy the sport would you let them?
Follow Prisais "Princess P": @princess_p_freya_doll Follow James: @youngtonym
Owner of @lionbravecrossfit

20: Pushing the Limits | Mattie Rogers Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

Pushing her limits and trying to get herself to the now 2021 Olympic Games.
Questions Mattie was asked:

Why did you decide to switch coaches in the middle of an Olympic quad?
How is it being coached by a woman in a male dominated sport?
How does your menstrual cycle affect your training before and after? How do you adjust your training when this happens?
During the 2016 Olympic Quad your spot was taken from you at the last second; why did this happen and what did that feel like?
Why did you continue to train for the 2020 Olympics Games after they ripped your spot away from you? What motivated you.
The 2020 Olympics were postponed to July 2021, what went through your mind when you found this news out? How do you feel about training for another year?
If you miss your first lift on stage how do you shift your mindset to prepare for your second attempt?
How do you know when to push your body on hard training days when you don’t feel great and when do you just walk out of the gym and take an extra rest day?
Bulking for the Quad and her diet needs. How do you feel about your body image at 81kg compared to 69kg?
We discuss her love for music and cats.
Fire Questions

BE SURE RATE, SUBSCRIBE, AND REVIEW THE PODCAST TO HELP IT GROW!
Follow Mattie Rogers
IG: @mattiecakesssss
Youtube: Mattie Rogers https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7M3V2TkY3XPYwKso1zdzPQ
RP STRENGTH https://renaissanceperiodization.com. USE CODE ALYSSA10 FOR DISCOUNTS ON TEMPLATES & THE RP APP!

19: Never Small Enough. Why Body Image Controlled Her Life & How Self Compassion Saved Her Life | Kailan Kalina Apr 13, 2020

Show notes

"No matter how much weight I lost, I was never small enough and there was always more to lose.⁣⁣ I was consumed by my reflection in the mirror for years. ⁣⁣"
She was never enough. Listen to how self compassion saved Kailan from the darkness of her long battle overcoming her eating disorder.
Follow @kreativebykailan
Blog: https://www.kailankalina.com/blog
My go to leggings for working out in are FLEO: http://bit.ly/35vym42

18: Supertotal BadA, Quad Queen, And Mindset Champion | Meghan Scanlon Apr 06, 2020

Show notes

Think you're strong? FALSE. Meet Meghan Scanlon, a powerhouse woman who can squat 3 times her bodyweight, and her quads make Chad Wesley Smith's look like he was born in a hen's house.
Supertotal is a strength sport that combines bench, squat, deadlift and snatch, clean & jerk. Meghan was an iron-woman athlete who switched to strength sports. She started in the sport of powerlifting, where she broke 5 world records and 12 American records, won a national championship and placed second overall at worlds. A year and a half ago Chad Wesley Smith approached her to see if she wanted to train under Max Aita. This is when Meghan began dabbling in weightlifting to start her Supertotal career.
Meghan shares with us the mindset it takes to be at the top as a Supertotal athlete. She discusses what training is like between two intense sport, and how she manages transitioning from weightlifting to powerlifting at The Arnold Classic, mentally and physically.
Train with Max Aita or Chad Smith
Juggernaut Training System
TRAIN WITH MEGHAN
https://www.megscanlift.com/1on1
Follow Meg:
@megscanlift

17: How To Overcome Pressure, Settle Anxiety, And Where to Start In Weightlifting | Jessica Lucero Mar 30, 2020

Show notes

Where you can find Jessica Lucero:

UpLift Weightlifting IG @upliftweightlifting Instagram @jessicalucero9

Podcast Covers:

Discussing her new business UpLift Weightlifting
Anxiety while traveling
How she handles the pressure in the backroom at international competitions
How she recovers her mindset after a missed first attempt on stage
16 years in the sport of weightlifting how she has grown physically, and mentally during this time
How she has overcome having no support during her time in the sport from her family
How she dealt with the hardest obstacle she has ever overcome in the sport
How she gets herself motivated when she is feeling unmotivated
What she does when she misses several lifts in training
What are the most important steps a beginner should focus on when they join the sport of weightlifting?
When does a beginner know when to sign up for their first competition?
Fire Question- to make you laugh and learn more about the guest

16: A Random Blood Test & Life Changing Results | Alyssa Ritchey Feb 10, 2020

Show notes

After many years of struggling with depression & fighting to stay motivated, I took a random blood test that exposed an abnormal lab value. This was exactly the answer I have been searching for for many years.
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Sponsors on this Podcast:
Fleo Shorts -- The best leggings on Earth!
Books I am currently reading: