Canine Handler Fitness Podcast

You had a plan. You were going to get stronger, improve your cardio, and be a better handler for your dog. You were excited about it, too! But now a few weeks have passed, life has gotten busy, and you're finding yourself thinking, "Ugh, I really don't feel like working out today."

Sound familiar?

Here's something I want you to consider: You don't have to feel like working out to do something good for yourself.

In this episode of the Canine Handler Fitness Podcast, we're talking about what happens when the excitement wears off, why motivation is an unreliable training strategy, and why taking care of yourself doesn't always mean choosing what's comfortable.

As dog people, we're pretty good at making decisions that support our dogs' long term health, even when those decisions aren't their favorite. But are we willing to show ourselves that same commitment?

We'll talk about the difference between genuinely needing rest and simply not feeling like exercising, why we sometimes dread workouts more than we actually dislike doing them, and how a little discomfort can be part of building the strength, endurance, and confidence you want.

Because your fitness isn't just about checking workouts off a list. It's about running agility without getting winded, finishing a trial weekend with energy left in the tank, enjoying adventures with your dog, and having the physical freedom to do the things you love.

Self-care isn't always about making yourself comfortable. Sometimes it's about making yourself capable.

And you don't have to feel like it to show up for yourself.

Mentioned in this episode:

What Kind of Handler Do You Want to Be in the Spring? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/are-you-building-the-handler-your-dog-needs-this-winter/id1816025087?i=1000792577117

Canine Handler Fitness: https://caninehandlerfitness.com

The best way to understand the Canine Handler Fitness difference is to experience it. Start your free 7-day trial today.

LINK TO SIGN UP:

https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W

http://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co

You have goals. You have a plan. You might even have a great workout program.

So why is it so hard to stick with it?

You start strong. Life gets busy. Workouts get skipped. Frustration sets in.

Sound familiar?

Here's the good news: Consistency isn't something you're born with. It's a skill you can build.

In part one of our three-part Skills of Consistency series, we're talking about:

• Why meaningful goals make training easier to prioritize
• How unrealistic workout plans set you up for frustration
• Simple ways to make getting started easier
• Why you don't need more willpower to follow through

Your challenge this week:

Choose one fitness goal that matters to you. Make a realistic training plan. Then change ONE thing that will make following through easier.

Small changes. Repeated often. That's how progress happens.

🎧 Listen in, pick one thing, and put it into practice this week. Your future self will thank you!

Come see why hundreds of handlers are training differently. Your free 7-day trial is waiting.

LINK TO SIGN UP:

https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W

http://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co

Working hard on your cardio but still getting winded when you run your dog?

What if getting fitter didn't actually require you to feel exhausted every time you train?

In this episode, we're talking about the difference between workouts that leave you feeling absolutely wiped out and workouts that actually build your aerobic fitness.

I'm also sharing my experience getting back into sprinting with my Sprint Lab students after nearly four years away. Despite all the strength training I've been doing, my legs were NOT prepared for what I asked them to do. 😂

But my cardio? Fantastic.

And I think there's a really useful lesson in that.

We're talking about:

• Why easy cardio can feel surprisingly difficult, especially if you're used to pushing yourself.
• How Zone 2 training can help you run faster at the same effort and recover better between runs.
• Why walking and run/walk intervals absolutely count as cardio training.
• What better aerobic fitness can mean for your agility handling, long trial days and other dog sports.
• How to tell whether your cardio workouts are actually doing their job.

You don't have to finish every workout exhausted to be getting fitter. Sometimes the biggest sign of progress is that the things that used to exhaust you don't anymore.

If today's episode resonated with you, come train alongside us. Start your free 7-day trial and discover what purposeful training feels like.

LINK TO SIGN UP:

https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W

http://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co

Are you working out but not getting stronger, faster or fitter? Maybe you're consistent but your progress has stalled. Maybe you're struggling to fit your workouts around dog training. Or maybe you're doing a LOT and wondering why you're not seeing better results.

In this episode, I'm taking you inside five coaching conversations with handlers who all wanted to improve their fitness but needed very different things to make that happen.

We'll look at when adding another workout makes sense, why consistency might be more important than changing your program, how to get more from the workouts you're already doing, and when recovery is actually the thing that's missing.

We'll also talk about minimum effective dose versus optimal dose, and why you don't need to be trying to improve every part of your fitness at the same time.

Because the answer isn't always to do more, and it certainly isn't always to do less.

The better question is: What does this goal need from you next?

By the end, you'll have a practical way to evaluate your own training and decide what needs to change to keep moving forward.

Want some help figuring out what your fitness goals actually need from you?

Come try the Canine Handler Fitness All Access Pass free for 7 days. You'll find strength, speed, cardio and mobility training designed specifically for dog sport handlers, plus tools to help you choose workouts that make sense for your goals and your schedule.

You don't need to know exactly where to start. That's what I'm here to help with.

Start your free 7-day trial at http://CanineHandlerFitness.com.

What do you want your body to be able to do next spring that it can't quite do right now?

Summer is a great time to use your fitness. Run your dogs. Trial. Hike. Travel. Get outside. Have fun and let all that work you've done actually buy you something.

But fall and winter can have a different job.

This is build time.

In this episode, we're talking about why the quieter months are such a valuable opportunity to dig into a routine and actually change your physical capacity before next season.

I'm also getting into one of the least flashy but most valuable things many handlers could build this winter: a bigger aerobic engine. We'll talk about Zone 2 training, why easy aerobic work matters even in a sport built around short bursts of effort, and how better conditioning can give you more reserve for long training days, multiple runs and recovery between harder efforts.

Plus, if running is something you'd like to build this fall, my Couch to 5K course through Fenzi Dog Sports Academy is open now. I'll help you build your running gradually, with running progressions plus the strength and injury prevention work to support it.

Fall is where we build the handler your dog is going to compete with next year.

COURSE LINK:

https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/43371

Everything I talk about on this podcast is built into the Canine Handler Fitness app. Start your free 7-day trial and put these ideas into practice.

LINK TO SIGN UP:

https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W

http://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co

If you're working out consistently but still not getting faster, stronger or more athletic, you may not need to work harder. You may need your workouts to have clearer jobs.

In this episode, I'm bringing you inside a recent coaching call with a handler who was already doing A LOT right. She was strong, fit, consistent and training six days a week.

The problem wasn't effort.

Her legs were constantly tired, her progress had stalled, and the things she wanted most, more speed, athleticism and better agility performance, weren't necessarily what her training week was set up to build.

So we reorganized it.

I'm walking you through why I separated speed training from conditioning, where I added recovery without reducing her overall training, why strength and athleticism aren't exactly the same thing, and how one small piece of movement prep can change what someone gets out of the work they're already doing.

Because every workout can be hard. Every workout can make you sweat. Every workout can make you tired.

But what is each workout actually there to build?

A good training week isn't the one that makes you the most tired. It's the one that moves you forward.

Ready to stop guessing and start training with intention? Start your free 7-day trial of Canine Handler Fitness today.

LINK TO SIGN UP:

https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W

http://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co

If you’re already running as fast as you possibly can to make a handling position, what happens when you suddenly need another gear?

In this episode, we’re talking about speed reserve, physical capacity, and why getting faster isn’t about outrunning your dog. It’s about making the speed your sport requires a smaller percentage of what your body can do.

We’ll talk about the signs that agility may be getting too close to your current ceiling, what happens when you get a faster dog, and one of my favorite client stories: after a couple months of strength and speed training, she was suddenly getting so far ahead of her dog that she started wondering if the course spacing had changed.

The course hadn’t changed. She had.

Plus, Sprint Lab enrollment closes September 21. If you want to spend the next eight weeks building more speed, horsepower and options on course, this is your last chance to join us.

LINK TO SIGN UP:

https://liz-joyce-fitnes.kit.com/7f672deda0

http://liz-joyce-fitnes.kit.com

If today's episode resonated with you, come train alongside us. Start your free 7-day trial and discover what purposeful training feels like.

LINK TO SIGN UP:

https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W

http://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co

Your big event is getting closer and you're realizing you probably should have started preparing your body sooner. Did you leave it too late?

If you've still got a couple of months, you have more time than you think. But what you do with that time matters.

In this episode, I'm working backwards from event day and showing you how I'd approach those final weeks as your coach. When should you still be pushing to get stronger, faster and better conditioned? When should your training become more specific? And most importantly, when do you need to stop trying to build more fitness and start getting rid of fatigue?

Because you can be incredibly fit and incredibly tired at the same time.

Whether you're preparing for the US Open, another big trial, a seminar or even a big adventure with your dog, I'll help you figure out what you can realistically improve before you get there and how to arrive ready to actually use the fitness you've built.

Fitness is built before the event. Performance is revealed at the event.

Speed is your weak link?

Sprint Lab starts September 14. We're spending eight weeks training speed, acceleration, deceleration, sprint mechanics and the transition back into agility, with a sprint video review and personal coaching priority every week.

JOIN SPRINT LAB

https://liz-joyce-fitnes.kit.com/7f672deda0

Or if you need to work on strength, conditioning, mobility or another piece of your fitness, you can try the Canine Handler Fitness All Access Pass free for 7 days.

START YOUR FREE TRIAL

https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/sales-page

And if you know someone with a big event circled on their calendar, send them this episode. November is coming whether we train for it or not.

You know where you need to be on course. So why does your body sometimes make it so damn hard to get there?

“Getting fitter” isn't a very useful goal if you don't know what's actually holding you back.

In this episode, I'm putting on my coaching hat and helping you look at your handling from a different perspective. We'll talk about some of the most common physical limitations I see in agility handlers, how to start figuring out your weak link, and one thing you can work on for each.

Because the answer isn't always “get faster.” And it definitely isn't doing more random workouts.

The better you understand what your body is struggling to do, the more purposeful your training can become.

Want to put this into practice?

Sprint Lab starts September 14. If speed and acceleration are showing up as one of your weak links, we'll spend eight weeks working on your sprinting with coaching, form reviews, weekly training and support along the way.

And if you haven't grabbed it yet, Laurren Bastian and I created the free Warm Up Together Field Guide, a simple five-minute routine to prepare both you and your dog before training or competition.

[GRAB THE FREE FIELD GUIDE]

https://liz-joyce-fitnes.kit.com/552695a6aa

Know another handler who's always saying, “I just need to get fitter”? Send them this episode. It might help them figure out what “fitter” actually needs to mean for them.

You warm up your dog before you run, but are you actually preparing BOTH athletes on your team for what's about to happen?

And does a quick walk around really count as a warm-up?

This week I'm joined by canine fitness expert Laurren Bastian to talk about what a good agility warm-up is actually supposed to accomplish for your dog and your own body.

We're talking about what should happen between standing around and stepping into the ring, how long a warm-up really needs to take, what happens when there's a delay between warming up and running, and why we think about preparation as Move → Connect → Perform.

Most importantly, we wanted to make this practical.

Laurren and I created the Warm Up Together Field Guide, a simple five-minute warm-up you can use to prepare both you AND your dog for training or competition.

Grab your free Warm Up Together Field Guide using the link in the show notes, save it to your phone, and try it before your next run.

Five minutes. Two athletes. One warm-up.

Get your Field Guide by clicking HERE!

You WANT to work out. You know you'll probably feel better afterward. So why can it still feel almost impossible to make yourself do it?

You might be calling it a motivation problem when the real problem started hours before your workout.

This week, a coaching call made me think differently about what "feeling motivated" actually feels like in the body. We talked about food, hydration, routine, decision fatigue, and what happens when you're asking an already-exhausted brain to make one more good decision.

And it led me to a question I think we should be asking much more often:

Instead of asking "How do I get more motivated?" what if we asked "How do I make motivation more likely?"

If you've been frustrated with yourself because you want to be more consistent but can't seem to make yourself do it, this episode may help you see the problem very differently.

Know someone who's always saying, "I just need to get motivated"? Send them this episode.

For more practical coaching and resources for agility handlers, visit Canine Handler Fitness.

LINK TO SIGN UP: https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W

http://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co

What if eating healthier wasn't about giving things up, but about discovering foods you'll love for the rest of your life?

Most nutrition advice tells us what to stop eating.

I think there's a better question.

"What could I add?"

In today's episode, we're diving into one of the simplest habits that can have a meaningful impact on your health: increasing the variety of plant foods you eat each week.

We'll explore why diversity matters for your gut microbiome, how the foods you eat regularly may influence what your body finds satisfying over time, and why adding just one new food each week can be far more powerful than chasing another restrictive diet.

You'll learn:

• Why I focus on counting plants instead of calories.
• What researchers are discovering about plant diversity and gut health.
• How your eating habits may influence your future cravings.
• Why curiosity beats restriction every time.
• A simple challenge that can expand your diet, and maybe even change your relationship with food.

Healthy eating doesn't have to begin with guilt or cutting foods out.

Sometimes it starts with asking one simple question:

"What could I add?"

If today's episode inspired you, I'd love to hear what new plant you're trying this week. Share it with me on social media or inside the Canine Handler Fitness community!

Come see why hundreds of handlers are training differently. Your free 7-day trial is waiting.

LINK TO SIGN UP: https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W

http://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co

What if getting older didn't mean becoming slower, weaker, or less capable?

In this episode, I'm sharing why I believe we've accepted far too many stories about aging that simply aren't true. We'll talk about what the science actually says, what I've learned coaching hundreds of handlers, and why I think your best athletic years may still be ahead of you.

You'll learn:

- Why strength, balance, power, and confidence are trainable at any age.

- The biggest myths I hear about aging and exercise.

- Why athleticism doesn't have an expiration date.

- How your mindset shapes your future more than your birthday does.

- The habits that help you move toward strength, independence, and joy.

If you've ever caught yourself saying, "I'm getting older," this episode might completely change the way you think about the years ahead.

Ready to stop guessing and start training with intention? Start your free 7-day trial of Canine Handler Fitness today.

LINK TO SIGN UP: https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W

http://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co

Most leg workouts build stronger muscles. The best ones teach your body how to use that strength.

Today I'm letting you inside my coaching brain to show you why I built Handler Legs the way I did. We'll dive into the science of athletic development, contrast training, and why every exercise was chosen to help you move better, react faster, and become a more capable handler beside your dog.

You'll learn:

- Why agility demands more than strength alone.

- The Principle of Specificity and how it shapes every workout.

- Why I use contrast training to bridge strength and power.

- How single-leg training, balance, and coordination improve your performance on course.

- Why so many handlers feel faster and more athletic after dedicated strength training.

- The philosophy behind Handler Legs—and why strength has a purpose.

If you've ever wondered why these workouts look so different from a traditional leg day, this episode will completely change the way you think about training.

Everything I talk about on this podcast is built into the Canine Handler Fitness app. Start your free 7-day trial and put these ideas into practice.

LINK TO SIGN UP: https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W

http://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co

What if it isn't your age... or even perimenopause... but simply that your body has never been asked to do what you're asking of it now?

This is a real coaching story about a real client who discovered exactly that.

When her dog suffered a serious injury, agility was suddenly off the table for an entire year.

She could have put her own fitness on hold.

Instead, she asked one simple question:

"What can I build while I'm here?"

That question changed everything.

In this episode, I'll take you behind the scenes of our coaching together—from sprinting and trail races to overcoming foot pain, building endurance, and tackling one question so many women ask in their 40s and 50s:

"Is this happening because of perimenopause... or have I simply never trained this before?"

We'll talk about:

Why changing gears is often better than working harder.

How your body adapts to the demands you place on it.

The surprising power of introducing a new training stimulus.

Why confidence is built through exposure—not positive thinking.

How one client rewrote the story she'd been telling herself about what her body was capable of.

The details have been changed to protect my client's privacy, but the coaching—and the results—are real.

If you've ever wondered whether your best performances are behind you, this episode is for you.

Inspired to move? Come train with us. Start your free 7-day trial of Canine Handler Fitness and discover what it feels like to train with purpose.

LINK TO SIGN UP: https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W

http://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co

This is a real coaching story about a real client.

She came to me convinced she needed more discipline.

She was exhausted. Agility felt hard. She was constantly craving sugar, skipping workouts, and felt like she was letting her dog down.

She thought the problem was motivation.

I didn't.

Instead of giving her more rules, we started changing her physiology—and within weeks, everything started to shift. More energy. Better recovery. Fewer cravings. Weight loss. And, without even realizing it, the habits she had been fighting simply started to disappear.

In this episode, I'll walk you through exactly what we changed, why we changed it, and the science behind why it worked.

We'll cover:

Why behavior is often the symptom, not the problem.

How protein, hydration, movement, and sleep influence cravings and energy.

Why adding supportive habits works better than relying on willpower.

The power of building small wins instead of chasing perfection.

How to stop fighting bad habits by giving your body what it's actually asking for.

If you've ever thought, "I just need more motivation," this episode might completely change the way you think about fitness.

Come see why hundreds of handlers are training differently. Your free 7-day trial is waiting.

Every spring we make ambitious plans.

We're going to work out more. Train the dog. Travel. Garden. Go to trials. Tackle projects around the house. Spend more time outside.

Then summer arrives and suddenly there aren't enough hours in the day.

If your routine has disappeared, your workouts are inconsistent, and you're wondering where all your time went, you're not alone. The problem usually isn't motivation. It's that your life changed and your fitness plan didn't.

In this episode, we're talking about why summer routines fall apart, the all-or-nothing thinking that keeps many handlers stuck, and how to stay connected to your fitness even when life gets busy.

Because the goal isn't perfection. It's continuity.

In this episode:

Why summer disrupts even the best fitness routines

The surprising role structure plays in exercise consistency

How all-or-nothing thinking sabotages progress

Why successful handlers adapt instead of quit

The power of staying connected to your fitness habits

How to stop starting over every September

If your summer schedule has completely blown up, this episode is for you.

🐾 Want support staying consistent through busy seasons? Inside Canine Handler Fitness you'll find programs that fit real life, real schedules, and real dog handlers.

Most people think getting faster means doing more.

More running.

More intervals.

More workouts.

More effort.

But what if the problem isn't that you're not doing enough? What if you're simply repeating the same movement mistakes over and over again?

In this episode, we're exploring one of the biggest misconceptions in speed training and discussing what actually contributes to becoming a faster runner.

You'll learn why practice doesn't always make perfect, how movement quality influences performance, and why efficiency often beats effort when it comes to speed development.

In This Episode:

Why more running doesn't automatically create more speed

The difference between effort and efficiency

How movement patterns become permanent

What elite movers do differently

The four major contributors to speed development

Why mechanics matter more than most people realize

How small improvements compound over time

Want To Improve Your Sprint Mechanics?

My new FDSA class, Fix Your Sprint, starts July 1st and is designed to help handlers identify the movement habits that are costing them speed and efficiency.

During this three-week class we'll cover:

☑️ The most common sprint errors I see

☑️ How to identify your biggest limiter

☑️ The concept of energy leaks and how they affect performance

☑️ What actually makes people faster

☑️ How to progress sprint training safely and effectively

☑️ Video review and written coaching

If you've ever felt like you're working harder than your results suggest, this class is for you.

Join me through FDSA and let's build faster, more efficient movement together.

http://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com

Do you ever feel like you're working incredibly hard when you run, but not getting much speed in return?

In this episode, we're diving into a concept I call energy leaks—the movement habits that quietly steal speed, increase fatigue, and make sprinting feel far harder than it needs to.

Many handlers assume they need more fitness, more conditioning, or more miles. Sometimes that's true. But often the biggest opportunity isn't producing more effort—it's wasting less of the effort you're already producing.

We'll explore why efficiency matters, how small movement errors compound over time, and why the same principles we use to improve our dogs' performance also apply to our own movement.

I'm excited to be teaching a brand-new class through FDSA called Fix Your Sprint.

Over three weeks we'll identify the most common sprint mistakes I see, learn how to recognize them in your own movement, and discuss practical strategies to improve efficiency, speed, and confidence while running.

The class includes:

☑️ A 30min webinar

☑️ Practical sprint fixes you can implement immediately

☑️ Video review opportunities

☑️ Written coaching and discussion

☑️ Three short sprint workouts per week

Class starts July 1st! Join me at FDSA and let's make running feel faster, smoother, and more efficient.

Register here: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/53018

Summer arrives and suddenly the workouts that felt easy in the spring feel harder. Your heart rate is higher, your energy is lower, and between trials, travel, and hot weather, staying consistent can feel impossible.

The good news? You're probably not losing fitness as quickly as you think.

In this episode, we're talking about what heat actually does to performance, why your workouts feel harder this time of year, and how to adjust your expectations without abandoning your fitness altogether. We'll also dive into one of the most overlooked performance tools available to handlers: hydration.

From water intake and hydration habits to the surprising role food plays in keeping you hydrated, you'll walk away with practical strategies to help you feel and perform better through the hottest months of the year.

Because summer fitness doesn't have to look like spring fitness to be successful.

In this episode:

Why workouts feel harder in the heat

What dehydration does to energy, recovery, and performance

Simple hydration habits that actually work

Hydrating foods that can support your water intake

Why maintaining fitness may be a better goal than chasing progress this summer

How to adapt your workouts without losing momentum

The goal isn't to train perfectly all summer. The goal is to keep moving forward.

🐾 Ready to build strength, mobility, and confidence as a handler? Join us inside Canine Handler Fitness and discover programs designed specifically for dog sport handlers.