Today I chat with Trisha Cicero, a former MMA athlete who has transitioned into coaching and supporting women in combat sports. Trisha shares her journey through the challenges of weight management, the impact of training intensity on women's health, and the importance of balance in nutrition and training. We discuss the toxic culture of weight cutting in combat sports and the significance of recovery in athletic performance. Trisha also offers advice for young women entering combat sports and shares her current focus on helping women navigate their health and fitness journeys postpartum.

Key topics include:

• Trisha’s early start in karate at age seven, her rise through kickboxing, and MMA.
• The pressures of weight cutting in combat sports and its impact on body image, health, and performance.
• How Trisha developed Hashimoto’s disease due to the extreme demands of her sport.
• The mental and physical toll of overtraining and competing without breaks.
• Trisha’s recovery journey and how she now helps women avoid the same pitfalls.
• Her transition into coaching women, especially in maintaining sustainable health practices.

Find Trisha on Instagram at @TrishaCicero.

Are you a pregnant combat athlete? Check out my free resource for BJJ during pregnancy and postpartum: https://go.briannabattles.com/bjj-freeguide

MORE ABOUT THE SHOW:

The Practice Brave podcast brings you the relatable, trustworthy and transparent health & fitness information you're looking for when it comes to coaching, being coached and transitioning through the variables of motherhood and womanhood.

You will learn from athletes and experts in the women's health and coaching/performance realm as they share their knowledge and experience on all things Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism.

Whether you're a newly pregnant athlete or postpartum athlete, knowing how to adjust your workouts, mental approach and coaching can be confusing.

Each week we'll be tackling questions around adjusting your workouts and mindset, diastasis recti, pelvic health, mental health, identity, and beyond. Through compelling interviews and solo shows, Brianna speaks directly to where you're at because she's been there too!

Tune in every other week and share the show with your athlete friends!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we receive a small commission from the seller if you decide to purchase (at no additional cost to you!) We only share products and services we have used, tested, and love ourselves!

Today, Julia Scardone joins me as she shares about her career as a Judo athlete and how she’s embraced the change and growth in motherhood. She discusses how she approached her training during her (unexpected!) pregnancy and how, despite having an emergency c-section was determined to get back to the mat as fast as possible. She soon learned how different life was now, but wanted to prove that she was still an athlete. Because she is. Athleticism does not end when motherhood begins and Julia is an awesome example of that.

Find Julia on Instagram at @ju.scardone.

If you’re looking for support during pregnancy and postpartum for Jiu Jitsu, I have two resources for you:

Jiu Jitsu During Pregnancy and Postpartum FREE EBOOK:

https://go.briannabattles.com/bjj-freeguide

Jiu Jitsu During Pregnancy and Postpartum ONLINE WORKSHOP:

https://go.briannabattles.com/combat-workshop-registration

Learn how to support and coach pregnant and postpartum athletes with the Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism Certification Course:

https://briannabattles.com/ppacoach

MORE ABOUT THE SHOW:

The Practice Brave podcast brings you the relatable, trustworthy and transparent health & fitness information you're looking for when it comes to coaching, being coached and transitioning through the variables of motherhood and womanhood.

You will learn from athletes and experts in the women's health and coaching/performance realm as they share their knowledge and experience on all things Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism.

Whether you're a newly pregnant athlete or postpartum athlete, knowing how to adjust your workouts, mental approach and coaching can be confusing.

Each week we'll be tackling questions around adjusting your workouts and mindset, diastasis recti, pelvic health, mental health, identity, and beyond. Through compelling interviews and solo shows, Brianna speaks directly to where you're at because she's been there too!

Tune in every other week and share the show with your athlete friends!

Adam Fuller is a CrossFit Level 4 Coach, garage affiliate owner (CrossFit Thin Air, Buena Vista, Colorado), and Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism Coach. He tells us his story of opening and growing his affiliate, why he decided to become a P&PA Coach, and how he applies the certification in more ways than just pregnancy & postpartum. He has a passion for coaching moms, helping them with their specific needs and goals, and seeing their wins as they pursue their lifetime of athleticism. Adam is a husband and father and has a priority of putting his family first before his business and building it in a way that supports his goals. He’s created a safe space for pregnant + postpartum athletes and has become known in the community for providing this. Adam is an awesome addition to the P&PA Team!

You can find Adam and his affiliate on Instagram at @cfthinair and on their website, cfthinair.com.

Join the 4,000+ coaches from all over the world!

The Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism™ Certification is open NOW OPEN enrollment!

Save $300 through October 6: https://www.briannabattles.com/coachsale

Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism™ is an online certification course that will connect the dots between pelvic health and athletic performance for pregnant + postpartum athletes.

We go beyond extreme examples and generic advice to provide a practical training approach and emotionally intelligent coaching style that leaves clients feeling supported and informed during these seasons.

With 10 modules, 20+ expert interviews, 90+ live coaching demos, plus more!

MORE ABOUT THE SHOW:

The Practice Brave podcast brings you the relatable, trustworthy and transparent health & fitness information you're looking for when it comes to coaching, being coached and transitioning through the variables of motherhood and womanhood.

You will learn from athletes and experts in the women's health and coaching/performance realm as they share their knowledge and experience on all things Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism.

Whether you're a newly pregnant athlete or postpartum athlete, knowing how to adjust your workouts, mental approach and coaching can be confusing.

Each week we'll be tackling questions around adjusting your workouts and mindset, diastasis recti, pelvic health, mental health, identity, and beyond. Through compelling interviews and solo shows, Brianna speaks directly to where you're at because she's been there too!

Tune in every other week and share the show with your athlete friends!

Pelvic floor physical therapy is becoming more and more of a mainstream thing…but we have a long way to go. Mindy English is a PFPT local to Eagle, Idaho who chats with us today about what pelvic floor physical therapy is, why it’s helpful, and why she’s so passionate about it. Mindy took the Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism Certification and it’s helping her connect the dots between treating her patients through the lens of physical therapy and how to help athletes in their specific sports and interests. I’m grateful to have Mindy as a collaborative colleague as she just joined me last week for the P&PA Live Coaches Seminar in Boise, ID where she spoke and collaborated with P&PA Coaches from around the country.

You can find Mindy on Instagram at @mindy.english.dpt and at Therapeutic Associates in Eagle, Idaho (https://www.therapeuticassociates.com/team/mindy-english/).

Next week, I’ll be hosting a FREE workshop for coaches to learn all about how to coach pregnant + postpartum athletes.

You’ll learn:

• The 3 biggest factors that coaches need to understand about pregnant + postpartum athletes
• Misconceptions we see in the medical and fitness communities about exercise
• Core + pelvic health symptoms that are common in pregnancy and postpartum and how to help

Register for the workshop here: https://www.briannabattles.com/workshop

MORE ABOUT THE SHOW:

The Practice Brave podcast brings you the relatable, trustworthy and transparent health & fitness information you're looking for when it comes to coaching, being coached and transitioning through the variables of motherhood and womanhood.

You will learn from athletes and experts in the women's health and coaching/performance realm as they share their knowledge and experience on all things Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism.

Whether you're a newly pregnant athlete or postpartum athlete, knowing how to adjust your workouts, mental approach and coaching can be confusing.

Each week we'll be tackling questions around adjusting your workouts and mindset, diastasis recti, pelvic health, mental health, identity, and beyond. Through compelling interviews and solo shows, Brianna speaks directly to where you're at because she's been there too!

Tune in every other week and share the show with your athlete friends!

Today I have with me Antonia Henry, owner and head coach of A1 Fit Coaching and P&PA Coach, as we discuss what the research actually is saying about intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and how that translates to your lifting. We discuss common reasons you may be peeing while you lift and what can be done about it, as well as dig into more about IAP and why pressure management and core + pelvic health are important factors in your performance as an athlete.

Big thank you to Antonia for sharing her expertise!

Here are the citations of the research mentioned in the episode:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37443166/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36977774/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38512833/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35641077/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37516287/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35837994/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31820378/

Find Antonia on Instagram @a1fitcoaching and her website a1fitcoaching.com.

If you’d like to learn more about coaching pregnant + postpartum athletes, check out my Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism Course:

https://briannabattles.com/ppacoach

MORE ABOUT THE SHOW:

The Practice Brave podcast brings you the relatable, trustworthy and transparent health & fitness information you're looking for when it comes to coaching, being coached and transitioning through the variables of motherhood and womanhood.

You will learn from athletes and experts in the women's health and coaching/performance realm as they share their knowledge and experience on all things Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism.

Whether you're a newly pregnant athlete or postpartum athlete, knowing how to adjust your workouts, mental approach and coaching can be confusing.

Each week we'll be tackling questions around adjusting your workouts and mindset, diastasis recti, pelvic health, mental health, identity, and beyond. Through compelling interviews and solo shows, Brianna speaks directly to where you're at because she's been there too!

Tune in every other week and share the show with your athlete friends!

Today I sit down with my friend Miranda Granger who is a retired UFC fighter and is now pregnant with her second baby. Miranda reflects on her journey as a fighter and how she came to the decision to have her first baby and how that changed her as a fighter. She’s excited for the next phase of motherhood with her second baby and anxious to see how that postpartum goes. Go follow her on Instagram at @mirandagranger.

Miranda has been utilizing the Pregnant Athlete Training Program and has said it’s been very helpful in her training. It’s just completely revamped and updated! You can learn more about that program here: http://briannabattles.com/pregnant-athlete

Looking to coach pregnant & postpartum athletes? Check out Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism: https://briannabattles.com/ppacoach.

The Practice Brave podcast brings you the relatable, trustworthy and transparent health & fitness information you're looking for when it comes to coaching, being coached and transitioning through the variables of motherhood and womanhood.

You will learn from athletes and experts in the women's health and coaching/performance realm as they share their knowledge and experience on all things Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism.

Whether you're a newly pregnant athlete or postpartum athlete, knowing how to adjust your workouts, mental approach and coaching can be confusing.

Each week we'll be tackling questions around adjusting your workouts and mindset, diastasis recti, pelvic health, mental health, identity, and beyond. Through compelling interviews and solo shows, Brianna speaks directly to where you're at because she's been there too!

Tune in every other week and share the show with your athlete friends!

Today, I have with me OBGYN and Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism Coach, Lamia Zafrani, who shares with us what her life currently looks like as a pregnant athlete. Lamia is an incredible resource and collaborator and is actually one of the expert interviews in the P&PA Course itself. I truly value her perspective and work in this community!

Today she shares more in-depth about what it means to be “cleared”, her own very personal experience with miscarriage and recovery from pregnancy loss, how she utilizes woop to keep data on her health (and how her woop actually helped her discover her miscarriage), and the importance of learning HOW to listen to your body during pregnancy and what to listen for. This is an eye-opening episode and a must-listen for pregnant athletes!

You can find Lamia on Instagram at @lamiazafrani.

Join the Pregnant Athlete Challenge!

Learn how to modify your training safely and effectively, so you can stay strong and active throughout your pregnancy, then share what you’ve learned on Instagram. Tag @pregnant.postpartum.athlete and use hashtag #iamapregnantathlete.

Sign up for the challenge here:

https://go.pregnancyandpostpartumathleticism.com/pregnancy-challenge

**COMING SOON: The All-New Pregnant Athlete Training Program! Coming on Labor Day, September 2, 2024!**

MORE ABOUT THE SHOW:

The Practice Brave podcast brings you the relatable, trustworthy and transparent health & fitness information you're looking for when it comes to coaching, being coached and transitioning through the variables of motherhood and womanhood.

You will learn from athletes and experts in the women's health and coaching/performance realm as they share their knowledge and experience on all things Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism.

Whether you're a newly pregnant athlete or postpartum athlete, knowing how to adjust your workouts, mental approach and coaching can be confusing.

Each week we'll be tackling questions around adjusting your workouts and mindset, diastasis recti, pelvic health, mental health, identity, and beyond. Through compelling interviews and solo shows, Brianna speaks directly to where you're at because she's been there too!

Tune in every other week and share the show with your athlete friends!

We’re told “just do what you’ve always done” and “just listen to your body”, but we know that this is not enough. I hope by the end of this episode you gain a better understanding of how to train during pregnancy and why we need to adjust in the first place. I dive into mindset (athlete brain), core + pelvic health considerations, and more.

If you’re a pregnant or postpartum athlete looking for resources, I can help:

The Pregnancy Cheat Sheet Free E-Book:

https://go.briannabattles.com/adjust-cheatsheet

The 8-Week Postpartum Athlete Training Program:

https://go.briannabattles.com/8-week-postpartum-athlete-training-program

**COMING SOON: The All-New Pregnant Athlete Training Program! Coming on Labor Day, September 2, 2024!**

Learn to coach pregnant + postpartum athletes:

http://briannabattles.com/ppacoach

JOIN THE #iamapregnantathlete CHALLENGE!

Here: https://go.pregnancyandpostpartumathleticism.com/pregnancy-challenge

The Practice Brave podcast brings you the relatable, trustworthy and transparent health & fitness information you're looking for when it comes to coaching, being coached and transitioning through the variables of motherhood and womanhood.

You will learn from athletes and experts in the women's health and coaching/performance realm as they share their knowledge and experience on all things Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism.

Whether you're a newly pregnant athlete or postpartum athlete, knowing how to adjust your workouts, mental approach and coaching can be confusing.

Each week we'll be tackling questions around adjusting your workouts and mindset, diastasis recti, pelvic health, mental health, identity, and beyond. Through compelling interviews and solo shows, Brianna speaks directly to where you're at because she's been there too!

Tune in every other week and share the show with your athlete friends!