The Dr. Shannon Show

Latest Episodes:

#76: How to ACTUALLY workout around your period to optimize results Aug 25, 2022

Show notes

Research around women's training and hormones is still emerging. The fitness industry tends to confuse some of this research and encourages taking it easy during menstruation. Dr. Payton, PT, DPT speaks to how this may be misguided and that dialing it back during your period could be a missed opportunity. She talks about how it may be more appropriate to dial it back right before menstruation due to hormone levels. Learn how to work out before and during your period to optimize sustainable fitness results and stay consistent in your routine.
1:22: Hormonal changes throughout your cycle
4:36: How you might feel when you workout while PMSing
8:00: How the general person can adapt their training schedule around this cycle
12:14: Will I lose progress if I adapt my schedule each month?
16:20: What if I don’t have significant PMS symptoms?
18:34: Importance of maintaining a routine of movement
19:45: How to workout during your period
24:10: Summarized practical applications

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#75: Four fitness mistakes that seem to save time but don't Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

We all want efficient workouts. But we also want effective and safe workouts. In this episode, Shannon talks about how you can save time, and four common mistakes that seem like they are saving time but are actually not as effective as you would think.
1:25: The issue with prioritizing central fatigue over peripheral fatigue
7:02: Trying to work upper and lower body at the same time
10:00: Jumping between too many programs
13:32: Measuring your workouts based on sweatiness
15:34: Combining balance with strength

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#74: Exercising in heat: how heated workouts affect your outcomes Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

Working out in heated rooms can be beneficial, but exercising in rooms too hot or overheating your body decreases performance. Shannon speaks on the neuromuscular changes that occur with environmental temperature and general recommendations for working out in heat.
2:12: Bottom line up front- working out in hot vs. cold can affect the nervous system in different ways
3:29: Why exercising in the cold is not ideal for strength training
4:35: The breaking effect
5:30: Difference in increasing central vs. local temperature
6:47: The effect of room temperature on performance
8:24: Central temperature increases can lead to decreased neural drive
10:24: A tool to increase local temperature without increasing room temperature
11:20: Don’t use heated workouts with the purpose of expediting weight loss
14:30: Don’t use heated workouts to gain more flexibility
15:23: Don’t work out in heated rooms if you have a medical condition and/or have not been cleared by your doctor
15:39: Consider exercising in a warm room when doing light cardio
18:02: Consider exercising in a warm room to improve muscle activation
19:20: Consider exercising in a warm room if you work out in the morning
20:52: General recommendations if you want to start working out in a warmer room

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#73: Using PT as a bandage for overexercise: an interview with Hailey Miller Aug 04, 2022

Show notes

Shannon was interviewed on Figuring It Out with Hailey Miller, where she talked about her past with exercise, and gives tips for how to structure your workouts, and create a sustainable routine.
Figuring It Out

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#72: How sleep can affect your fitness results with Dr. Meredith Broderick, MD Jul 28, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Meredith is a neurologist and sleep doctor out of Washington. We discuss sleep cycles, how sleep affects weight and fitness, sleep apnea, and how to improve sleep hygiene.
2:04: What is a normal sleep cycle?
4:22: Brainwave patterns during different stages
5:55: Which phase is most responsible for muscle recovery?
7:10: Signs that may indicate you are not reaching the stage of restful sleep
9:25: The relationship between weight and sleep
12:00: Working with a patient on sleep
13:25: Sleep apnea
16:15: Jaw/airway development and the impact on sleep
19:18: Elements of nutrition that affect sleep
20:36: Sleep hygiene
22:18: How light affects your sleep
23:33: Exercise recommendations when you’re not able to get quality sleep
26:18: How to work with Dr. Meredith

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#71: Why we shouldn't train like athletes Jul 21, 2022

Show notes

"Training like an athlete" is a very common fitness mindset. But if general fitness is your goal, I don't recommend training for performance. I break it down in today's episode.
1:35: “Train like an athlete” comes from advertising
3:10: Reason number 1: The goal of performance and the goal of general fitness are separate entities
5:18: Prevalence of back pain in elite athletes
7:30: Reason number 2: Skill training is different than training for health and/or body composition
10:58: Reason number 3: Athletes have sport-specific needs; exercise selection is sport-specific
13:16: Reason number 4: Completing an athlete’s program because you “want to look like them” may leave you disappointed
15:06: Reason number 5: Athletes have an off season
17:14: Understanding the risks that come with “training like an athlete” for general fitness

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#70: "Toning" and "tightening" workouts: what they are and aren't doing for your body Jul 14, 2022

Show notes

"Toning" and "tightening" are misleading terms to describe an exercise program. In this episode, we discuss why these terms are used in fitness marketing and what is actually happening to create a "toned aesthetic."
1:48: “But I just want to tone up” and the fitness marketing behind this desire
3:54: what are “toning” workouts?
5:00: Reasons why the workouts themselves are not contributing to significant fat loss
5:15: Seeing fat loss when you first increase your activity level
6:18: Should you be “mixing up” your routine?
6:40: Muscle hypertrophy and progressive overload
8:19: Soreness does not equal effectiveness
9:19: Viewing exercise as “fat burning” as opposed to “muscle building” can set you up for long-term issues
10:09: Fat loss happens systemically
10:58: Systemic fat loss occurs with changes in nutrition
12:25: Our bodies respond differently to diet and exercise
13:50: What to look out for when choosing an exercise program
15:19: Separating marketing from reality

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#69: Can you train your lower abs? With Doug Brignole Jul 07, 2022

Show notes

Doug Brignole is former Mr. Universe and the author of The Physics of Resistance Exercise. Today, we discuss the "lower abs" and myths around training the abdominals. We discuss spot-treating the abdominal area, exercise selection, training the lower abs, and more.
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#68: What is stretching doing or not doing for your body? With Dr. Payton, PT, DPT Jun 30, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Payton and Dr. Shannon, two DPTs, discuss why they don't prioritize a ton of stretching. They educate about why we get tight and what may be more effective at improving tightness and mobility. They add that stretching may be a "band-aide" because tightness is a symptom of instability or another underlying issue. They also discuss their recommendations for dos and don'ts around stretching.
00:52: What is tightness?
02:35: Difference between tightness and ROM restrictions
04:15: Analyzing ROM: bilateral vs. unilateral
06:45: What ROM deficits could indicate
11:37: What will improve tightness
14:40: Neuromuscular reeducation/“brain mapping”
17:18: Strength training can improve mobility
17:55: Does stretching improve motor mapping?
19:43: Practical application
21:10: What stretching is doing from a neuromuscular standpoint
26:02: Using stretching as a bandaid
31:48: Why stretching might not be the first line of defense
35:58: Can stretching be dangerous?
39:10: Stretches that are not recommended
43:33: General recommendations for stretching
48:30: Improving flexibility as you age
50:41: At what point in your workout should you stretch

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#67: How the nervous system affects your results: why exhausting workouts aren't more effective Jun 23, 2022

Show notes

How the nervous system affects your results: why exhausting workouts aren't more effective
In this episode, Shannon discusses the difference between systemic and specific fatigue, known as central and peripheral fatigue. She discusses why this theory highlights that workouts don't have to wear you out to have big payoffs. She leaves you with practical applications on knowing if your workouts are centrally or peripherally fatiguing.
1:40: Introduction of systemic fatigue (central fatigue) vs. specific fatigue (peripheral fatigue

3:05: Increasing muscle definition without wearing yourself down

5:30: How hypertrophy (gaining muscle) happens + motor unit recruitment

8:03: Different types of fatigue (central and peripheral fatigue)

9:40: How central fatigue affects peripheral fatigue

10:29: How peripheral and central fatigue affect results differently

13:15: The “interference effect”

13:53: Different types of workouts/exercises that can lead to high levels of central fatigue

14:45: Peripheral fatigue for muscle hypertrophy

15:45: Practical applications

17:08: Individual responses to exercise dosage/tolerance to fatigue

18:18: How to know if your workout is more centrally fatiguing than peripherally fatiguing

20:00: Is soreness a reliable indicator of effectiveness of your workout?