Kim Kardashian's Personal Trainer Reveals It Only Takes 5 Minutes A Day To TRANSFORM Your Body

Senada Greca 0:00 I started dealing with depression and anxiety at the same time. And working with physicians, you know, they're a little bit quick to push medication on you. It wasn't till I found a physician that was running marathons herself where she suggested actually getting stronger. And when I saw what kind of a difference working out did for my mental health is when everything changed.

Jay Shetty 0:22 Hey, everyone. I've got some huge news to share with you. In the last 90 days, 79.4% of our audience came from viewers and listeners that are not subscribed to this channel. There's research that shows that if you want to create a habit, make it easy to access. By hitting the subscribe button, you're creating a habit of learning how to be happier, healthier, and more healed. This would also mean the absolute world to me and help us make better, bigger, brighter content for you and the world. Subscribe right now. The number one health and wellness podcast.

Speaker 0:59 Jay Shetty.

Speaker 1:00 Jay Shetty.

Speaker 1:01 The one, the only Jay Shetty.

Jay Shetty 1:03 [laughs] Hey, everyone. Welcome back to On Purpose, the place you come to to become happier, healthier, and more healed. Now, in 2024, I want to help you get fitter, stronger, calmer, and feel like you have more courage. And in order to do all those things, I'm looking for guests, experts, and thought leaders who can help you build different muscles. Today's guest is a friend of mine, and she is incredible, here to help us get fitter and stronger. I'm speaking about Senada Greca, a world-renowned thought leader in fitness and wellness. Senada is the founder of WRISE, a female empowerment platform that takes a holistic approach to health, wellness, and personal development. Senada is also the founder of ZENTOA, a women's athletic apparel brand that has outfitted thousands of women around the world with high-performance and stylish activewear. Senada has been sought after by some of the biggest names in the world. She's trained Miranda Kerr, Bebe Rexha, amongst many others, and currently Senada works with Kim Kardashian. I'm so excited to welcome to the show my friend and incredible thought leader, Senada Greca. Senada, welcome-

Senada Greca 2:19 Hi, Jay

Jay Shetty 2:19 ... to On Purpose.

Senada Greca 2:20 Thank you so much. Thank you for having me here.

Jay Shetty 2:23 I am so happy to have you. We've been looking forward to this. I remember when I DM'd you a while ago, and we got connected. You came over to our home. We were hanging out. You've got to know Radi. And I definitely feel like before we dive into the fitness conversation, I felt like there was a soul connection when we met.

Senada Greca 2:40 Absolutely.

Jay Shetty 2:40 And, and I think that's what made me so excited to have this conversation with you. So-

Senada Greca 2:44 The same

Jay Shetty 2:44 ... thanks for making the time.

Senada Greca 2:45 Thank you so much for having me here. I'm so excited. And like you said, there was that spiritual connection with both yourself and Radi, and just [laughs] yeah, and honored.

Jay Shetty 2:55 Oh.

Senada Greca 2:55 So thank you so much for having me.

Jay Shetty 2:57 Absolutely. Well, 2024

Jay Shetty 2:59 is here.

Senada Greca 3:00 Mm.

Jay Shetty 3:00 We're already a few months in, and most likely people have fallen short of some of their fitness goals. Some people might be kind of just holding on. Maybe some people are doing well as well. If someone has fitness goals, if someone has strength goals-

Senada Greca 3:18 Mm-hmm

Jay Shetty 3:18 ... how do you start by setting a goal? How do you start? How do you start?

Senada Greca 3:22 I, actually, the, a great statistic that I just reviewed from the WRISE app is that people were on average by week, um, doing three and a half workouts. So I was like, "Yes-

Jay Shetty 3:33 Wow

Senada Greca 3:33 ... something is working so far as, uh, as about a week ago." So hopefully everybody keeps the momentum going. But if you're looking to start, I always say start small. You know, you want to climb that mountain one step at a time versus, you know, doing a, uh, a day-long trip, so to speak. So take the smallest step, you know. Start with 20 minutes. If we cannot start with 20 minutes, start with 5 minutes or even one minute, and then build that habit because it's about creating that consistent habit day after day that will carry you through. You know, a lot of the time we think that motivation is what's needed, and it's not. It's, it's that habit that we create on a daily basis. So start small. Start with what is attainable. Create a daily calendar, and make sure that you're placing, hopefully, that workout at the same time every day. You're most likely to, to stick to it. Create an environment that is supportive of you working out. So if you are working out at home, create a little space for yourself with all of your items, workout items. And if you're going to the gym, then lay out your workout clothes. Lay out your shoes the night before. Some people a- actually even wear their wor- their workout clothes [laughs]

Jay Shetty 4:52 To sleep? [laughs]

Senada Greca 4:53 Uh, to sleep, and because it eliminates another step. So how can you make it more accessible-

Jay Shetty 4:59 Mm-hmm

Senada Greca 4:59 ... and easy for yourself to, to accomplish that? And then what is the time of day that does actually work best for you when you feel more energetic? There is no specific time that is, you know, this is the best time to work out, um, for whatever reason. It's like, what, what time is best suited for your life and lifestyle? I would suggest, if possible, for most beginners to, to have it in the morning so you, you know, kind of get it out of the way, and don't leave it up to chance for later in the day. Things occur, you know, work and kids and a million things that you have to do throughout the day. So if you leave it up to chance, you most likely are not gonna do it. Um, but if you're confident, if you're, if you, you know, set that time aside, even if it's in the afternoon, which is when I work out myself, that's when I find it, that I'm most energetic and when I-

Jay Shetty 5:48 In the afternoon

Senada Greca 5:48 ... find in the afternoon for myself. Um, there is some ... studies that suggest that the optimal time might be between 11:00 AM and, uh, and 5:00 PM. But again, I say when is it more accessible to you?

Jay Shetty 6:03 Mm.

Senada Greca 6:03 That's, that's key.

Jay Shetty 6:04 Absolutely. That,

Jay Shetty 6:06 let's say someone... I, and I think this is the world we live in today, where we look at five minutes and go, "What's the point of working out-

Senada Greca 6:12 What's... Exactly. Mm

Jay Shetty 6:13 ... for five minutes?" So what's the point of working out for five minutes? Like, what can you get in five minutes?

Senada Greca 6:18 You'll start to create a habit, and that's what's key about making fitness a long l- uh, a lifelong activity because I see it as not a, you know, a sprint. It's a lifelong marathon. You want to stay active throughout your entire life for as long as you can. Um, so five minutes is just creating that habit. You won't see [laughs] drastic results. You might see no results from five minutes, but five minutes today for a week, 10 minutes the next week for a week, and then you start building from there. Uh, again, that makes it just more accessible and creates that habit. And, uh, it does take some time for, for h- for a habit to be, especially when it comes to fitness, to, to be established. Somewhere between 21 days might be when you're, like, starting to, to create the foundation. But some research fi- um, shows that it's actually around, like, 60, 66 days when you really solidify that, that habit of working out. So while in the, you know, in the immediate term, like, it doesn't really provide results, that five minutes will just set you up for success.

Jay Shetty 7:21 Mm-hmm. Absolutely. I think that's such a good point. Like, we look at it as, like, oh, five minutes isn't, doesn't have any value.

Senada Greca 7:28 Mm.

Jay Shetty 7:28 But you committing to something-

Senada Greca 7:30 Exactly

Jay Shetty 7:30 ... for five minutes a day-

Senada Greca 7:32 Every day

Jay Shetty 7:32 ... and you keeping that promise to yourself-

Senada Greca 7:34 Exactly

Jay Shetty 7:35 ... to turn up every single day, that's what matters about the five minutes.

Senada Greca 7:39 Exactly. It builds that self-confidence, too, in yourself. You know, your body listens. As in with meditation, too. Five minutes might not break you through to where you need to be, but five minutes every day and y- you're setting up that, that habit and you're also saying like, "Yes, I got this. I'm doing it," you know? "I'm dedicating five minutes, uh, to myself, for myself."

Jay Shetty 8:01 Absolutely. So let's say someone's listening right now and they say, "Senada, Jay, I'm with you. I only have five minutes. What do I do with five minutes?" What should they do-

Senada Greca 8:08 [laughs]

Jay Shetty 8:09 ... in a five-minute workout if that's all they have and they're starting out?

Senada Greca 8:13 Yeah. There's, there's five minutes, just jump on, uh ... You can ... Let's start with the treadmill, you know? We can, um, just warm up for a minute. Do maybe a few squats. Just some of the basic movements. Um, and maybe deadlifts. I ... You, you know where I'm going with this. It's a little bit more strength training focused for me. But, um, you know, do something to warm you up for, for a minute or so and then go into some squats, go into some deadlifts. Go into some, like, major movements that will target some of the biggest muscles in your body. Maybe do some rows, and then you got a few movements covered there. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 8:49 And if someone's at home and they don't have any gym equipment and, um, how does it-

Senada Greca 8:52 Yeah, no equipment, you still, you still utilize your body weight. It's perfectly fine to do so. Even if you're starting o- out, squat to seat. So basically just squat to your seat, stand up. Squat to your seat, stand up. Um, you can do hip thrust. Back, uh, of your shoulders on the couch, feet planted on the ground, hip thrust, body weight, perfectly fine. Grab a kid, put him on your hips.

Jay Shetty 9:15 [laughs]

Senada Greca 9:15 Hip thrust the kid. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 9:16 [laughs]

Senada Greca 9:17 Or any object. I'm a big believer that you can turn anything around your house into something to work out with. Add a little bit of extra resistance, um, and it's, it's doable.

Jay Shetty 9:29 Were you always fit and energetic and strong? Was that always been a part of your life, or is this something that you had to develop at a certain point?

Senada Greca 9:38 As a kid, I've always been active. I love being outdoors, playing with friends. Whenever I could be outside, I would. I would be on trees picking fruit, 'cause, you know, in Albania you have to kinda like forage a little bit [laughs] for ourselves and ... Or like, um, on rooftops. Um, it just, just an active kid. I played sports. Um, so I've always been active. Not necessarily, like, strong fit, more active into the teenage years. Unfortunately, that shifted where, you know, your body changes. So I was trying to deal with this extra weight that I was, like, starting to carry and, um, I started to work out for the wrong reasons, which I would consider is, you know, trying to be as skinny as possible, limiting food intake to be as thin as possible. So it shifted in that fashion, and that was not a healthy way to work out. Um, and then, you know, I started dealing with depression and anxiety at the same time. I think everything kind of, like, hit at the same time. And, um, working with physicians, you know, they're a little bit quick to push medication on you, which, which I, I did, um, I did take. But it wasn't 'til I found a physician that was running marathons herself where she suggested, you know, actually getting stronger. And that's what, what made the biggest difference for me, is gaining that strength, working out for the right reasons, which for me at the time were mental, um, for my mental health. And when I saw what kind of a difference working out did for my mental health, whenever it ... is when everything changed. Now I was nurturing my body for health versus, um, dieting it to, to be as skinny as possible.

Jay Shetty 11:31 Mm.

Senada Greca 11:31 So it has taken ... The journey of fitness for me has taken a bit of a, uh, of a, [laughs] of a path, of a different path throughout the years. And then, but when I found strength, when I found strength training is when I found the strength in me and, um, I was able to overcome a lot of the things that were That were weighing on me, that were affecting me, like depression, anxiety, and then eating disorders

Jay Shetty 12:01 Walk us through how just, you know, walk us through the dangers of, I guess, the way, like you said, the wrong reasons. Walk us through some of the dangers physically and biologically-

Senada Greca 12:16 Yeah

Jay Shetty 12:16 ... of what happens to the body-

Senada Greca 12:18 Mm-hmm

Jay Shetty 12:18 ... when we're starving the body or when we're not-

Senada Greca 12:21 Right

Jay Shetty 12:21 ... really helping ourselves in the right way.

Senada Greca 12:23 Of course. I mean, you... If you're working... I mean, there's, there's extremes to everything, so while working out is good, doing workouts to the extreme for hours on end while malnourishing the body can be detrimental to your physique, where you're not, uh, incorporating those nutrients that your, your body needs, so you're depleting yourself to, uh, to extreme levels, both with the nutrition and the physical activity. So, um, it, it's, it is not healthy. It's not healthy mentally. It's not healthy physically. Your, your, your body starts to deteriorate, you know. You st- see your, like, gums and teeth deteriorate, and, you know, everything else that goes on internally, um, that, that goes with that. So it is not healthy. It is not healthy. While being thin naturally can absolutely be healthy, it's... There's nothing wrong with that, but when it happens in a forced manner, when you're starving yourself and when you're working out to, to extremes, that's when it becomes unhealthy.

Jay Shetty 13:25 Yeah. Walk us through the different types of exercise. You obviously focus on strength training. I wanna hear about the benefits of that, but, you know, people are trying to make sense of, like, do I need to do Pilates? Do I need to do yoga?

Senada Greca 13:36 Right.

Jay Shetty 13:36 Do I need to do HIIT workouts? Do I n- You know, there's just so much on offer today-

Senada Greca 13:40 Yeah

Jay Shetty 13:41 ... especially in LA.

Senada Greca 13:41 Mm-hmm.

Jay Shetty 13:42 But there's so much on offer all over the world.

Senada Greca 13:44 Absolutely.

Jay Shetty 13:44 And people are just wondering what's gonna work. I was telling you earlier that, you know, if I'm doing a workout and I'm not seeing progress, either in strength or physique or whatever it may be, then you get discouraged, and then you let go of it.

Senada Greca 13:57 Right.

Jay Shetty 13:57 So walk us through the different benefits of different exercises and why strength training is a priority for you.

Senada Greca 14:02 In my actual programming, I also incorporate some higher intensity, and I try to weave in a little bit of fun cardio. So I do incorporate different modalities. It's not strictly, you know, strength training or... And it's not power lifting by any means. It's, it is strength training, but I do incorporate, like, HIIT sessions and, and some cardio because you need... I value all of the components, uh, all of the different modalities. But for me, strength training is sort of like the, the golden standard because that is what is going to strengthen your bones. That's what's going to build muscle mass and a vast array of, uh, other benefits, um, that not every modality has, you know. Strength training is proven to, to increase, like I said, bone, bone density and muscle mass, whi- which are so crucial to longevity and a healthy longevity. And, you know, longevity now has become such a buzzword, and if you could do one thing for your longevity is strength tr- is strength train.

Jay Shetty 15:03 What's actually happening when we do strength training? Like, why does it link to longevity? The bone density is an important part.

Senada Greca 15:09 Yeah.

Jay Shetty 15:09 What else is happening because of strength training? Because what I always hear about is, you know, as you get older and if you fall over, you need the strength to pick yourself back up. But, like, what... How is strength training in other ways really impacting our longevity?

Senada Greca 15:21 Yeah, I mean, because it is inc- our bone, our bone density max is reached at about age 25 to 30, and from there, we start to lose bone density. And by the age 40 and on, we start to lose bone density faster than we can build it. So then what happens at that point is that when we do fall, we break a hip or a wrist, and then the chances of recovery from that are much less, so that leads to deaths. I think there is, like, 32,000 deaths caused from fall injuries in adults, like, 65 and older. And obviously, if you can build... And m- muscles the same way. You start losing... After the age of 30, believe it or not, you start losing, um, muscle mass at about 3 to 8%, um, every decade. So that's, that's-

Jay Shetty 16:15 Wow

Senada Greca 16:15 ... that's in- incredible. Those are incredible numbers. I mean, at the age 30 is a little bit slower, but then it starts to pick up at 40, 50, and then by 60 is even faster. So if you can build as much as you can in bone and muscle as when you can, that will just help you carry, um, will help you carry yourself through and, and healthier in the, in the older years, in the, in the later years of life. Because again, you can either prevent yourself for falling, or you can recover faster from an injury because your bone density, um, is where it, it, it is more optimal than it would've been if you hadn't been building that bone mass. And even especially for women, women are more prone to osteoporosis, which is bone density loss, than men. Um, and by, by menopause, uh, the, the numbers are staggering as to that bone density loss. Um, and for men actually, even though the osteoporosis, um, instance is less than women, their causality of death, their death due to falls is higher than women.

Jay Shetty 17:22 Oh, wow.

Senada Greca 17:23 So I mean, a lot of the time, I know it's like when we're in our, in our 20s or even our 30s, we think of ourselves as, as invincible. You know, we, we've got these amazing bodies. They're, they're incredible, of course, but how do we prepare ourselves now when it is possible for the future selves? Our future self will, will thank us.

Jay Shetty 17:46 This is really powerful stuff, Senada. This is really gonna connect with the audience to hear these recent studies and recognizing the changes that are happening in every decade-

Senada Greca 17:55 Mm-hmm

Jay Shetty 17:56 I think so many of us, like you said, and I remember that, I remember being 22 years old and thinking I was Superman-

Senada Greca 18:02 Right

Jay Shetty 18:02 ... and thinking nothing could defeat me. And I remember my dad kept telling me, "You need to focus on your health. You need to focus on your health." And I was like, "Ah, I'm healthy. It doesn't matter." And then, you know, when I had a couple of my own personal challenges with health, it really kind of stuck with me as to what an investment it needed to be.

Jay Shetty 18:20 What are some of the biggest things that you consistently see getting in people's way when they're trying to get fitter and stronger? What are the challenges, the most common ones that you see people that you've trained over the years that you find they struggle with?

Senada Greca 18:36 Well, the first one is relying on feelings. [laughs] A lot of people rely on motivation. I don't feel motivated, so, you know, how ... Or how do you get motivated to work out? A lot of the time, I just am not motivated. I don't want to necessarily work out. The coziness of the home is, is a lot better than, you know, [laughs] getting up and getting moving, but it's ... Uh, we, we don't rely on that. You know, you take that, you take those feelings, you put them aside, and you put your shoes and you keep going 'cause that's what you do. It's like brushing your teeth. You ... There's no, there's no, for me, there's no, um ... It's a non-negotiable. Working out is a non-negotiable, not just for right now, not because of aesthetics, but for longevity, like I- we were talking about, quality, longevity. Um, aesthetics come. It's beautiful. Once you do the things, the right things for your body with nutrition and working out, aesthetics are a byproduct that will come. 'Cause a lot of people take that approach of, like, wanting to look a certain way, which I find can be motivating, but for it's, it's short-lived, especially if the results are taking a little bit longer, which could take longer for some people. But if you are doing it, again, for those right reasons, for the reasons of, like, I want to be as strong as I can in this body so this body can carry me forward in the healthiest possible way for as long as, uh, as possible.

Jay Shetty 20:00 Mm.

Senada Greca 20:01 So that is the, the, the biggest one that I face is, like, how do you ... So how do I get motivated? How do I stay motivated? It's like act. Don't wait for the feelings. Act. Um, the other thing is I'm too busy. I'm too busy. [laughs] There's always time. I'm sorry, but you can always make time for yourself. You can find that time. A lot of the time we find ... I'll even ... There, th- [laughs] there's been even arguments back and forth with people on Instagram, you know, "I don't have time." Yet two hours later, they're still responding to that same chain of communication. [laughs] Well, you had two hours right there. You have time. A lot of the time it's just we, we ... Analyze your day. Just analyze your day as to where you're, you're spending time that you could carve out. Not saying don't watch TV or don't, don't be on social media.

Jay Shetty 20:52 Do it while watching TV.

Senada Greca 20:53 Exactly.

Jay Shetty 20:53 Yeah.

Senada Greca 20:54 Do that. How can you incorporate it?

Jay Shetty 20:55 I found that-

Senada Greca 20:55 That's-

Jay Shetty 20:56 For me, incorporating-

Senada Greca 20:57 Yeah

Jay Shetty 20:57 ... is so powerful.

Senada Greca 20:58 Incorporate it. Exactly. And I'm, I'm a big, big believer of, like, not doing all or nothing.

Jay Shetty 21:04 Mm-hmm.

Senada Greca 21:04 So even wh- when it comes to nutrition, it's like you wanna eat a burger, fine, just how can you maybe take one of the sides of the bun out? [laughs] You know what I mean? How can you substitute half of the fries with a salad? It's like don't, don't completely take things out. Try to incorporate, uh, in your life. So find out. There, there is definitely always a little bit of time that you can find.

Jay Shetty 21:27 Absolutely. Yeah. When ... Going back to the feelings point-

Senada Greca 21:29 Yeah

Jay Shetty 21:30 ... I found that things that are good for me-

Senada Greca 21:33 Mm

Jay Shetty 21:33 ... feel bad before-

Senada Greca 21:36 Yes

Jay Shetty 21:36 ... but feel amazing after.

Senada Greca 21:38 After, exactly.

Jay Shetty 21:39 And the things that are bad for me, they feel really good before-

Senada Greca 21:42 Yeah

Jay Shetty 21:42 ... but they don't feel so great after.

Senada Greca 21:44 Exactly.

Jay Shetty 21:45 And so I'm the same as you. When I wake up in the morning, I often go on a hike. That's, like, m- how I like to start my morning.

Senada Greca 21:50 That's great.

Jay Shetty 21:51 I like the fresh air.

Senada Greca 21:51 Yeah, I'm going for a walk. Yeah, same.

Jay Shetty 21:53 I like sweating.

Senada Greca 21:53 Yeah.

Jay Shetty 21:54 And I like being active, and I don't wanna do something too strenuous-

Senada Greca 21:57 Exactly

Jay Shetty 21:57 ... because my day is quite busy.

Senada Greca 21:59 Exactly.

Jay Shetty 21:59 And I found that when I wake up in the morning, I don't wanna work out.

Senada Greca 22:03 Mm.

Jay Shetty 22:03 I don't feel like it, and you're so right that I just have to say to myself, I have to remind myself, but I know how I'll feel after.

Senada Greca 22:10 Mm-hmm.

Jay Shetty 22:10 And when it comes to eating a burger, trust me, I wanna eat a burger all the time, and I have to remind myself, but I know how it's gonna feel after. And so it's almost like you've gotta connect your brain to the after feeling-

Senada Greca 22:23 Absolutely

Jay Shetty 22:23 ... because the after feeling is so much more what you have to live with because the feeling before kind of comes and goes.

Senada Greca 22:29 Exactly.

Jay Shetty 22:29 Right? I wanna eat a burger. I ate a burger. Now I don't feel so great. I don't wanna work out. I ignore working out. I didn't work out. Now I don't feel so great.

Senada Greca 22:37 Right. Right.

Jay Shetty 22:38 And you're living with that feeling after for much longer than you're living with the feeling before.

Senada Greca 22:42 Very true. Very true.

Jay Shetty 22:44 So, so that's definitely helped me. And, and the busy one is so true. I mean, I feel like if I work out while watching ... I love watching football-

Senada Greca 22:52 Mm-hmm

Jay Shetty 22:52 ... soccer highlights.

Senada Greca 22:53 Mm-hmm.

Jay Shetty 22:53 I miss watching soccer, and I don't get to watch it, uh, full ... I don't get to watch full games anymore because they're-

Senada Greca 22:58 Mm

Jay Shetty 22:58 ... different timings because I live in LA.

Senada Greca 23:00 Right.

Jay Shetty 23:00 The games are all in London or England. And I will put on a highlights of the game, which are, like, 20 minutes, and I'm like, "This is perfect for a 20-minute workout. I can watch the highlights. I can work out, and it's gonna force me to get through 20 minutes." Whereas if I didn't have the highlights on, I know I'd give up in, like, six.

Senada Greca 23:19 Yeah.

Jay Shetty 23:20 And so when the highlights are on, I know that I'll be able to get through a full 20-minute workout, which is what I'm trying to do if I'm traveling or-

Senada Greca 23:26 Mm-hmm

Jay Shetty 23:26 ... or moving around. So I, I love that idea of incorporating things-

Senada Greca 23:30 Mm-hmm

Jay Shetty 23:30 ... into it.

Senada Greca 23:30 Incorporating things.

Jay Shetty 23:31 Yeah.

Senada Greca 23:31 And, and that's true when it comes to creating habits that, that are tough to, to create in the beginning. Uh, how can you tack on something that, that is, is enjoyable, like a little bit of a reward system? And a reward system doesn't have to be that I get to eat, you know- [laughs]

Jay Shetty 23:47 [laughs] Yeah

Senada Greca 23:48 ... whatever I want afterwards.

Jay Shetty 23:48 Tell us, what is it, what is it ...

Jay Shetty 23:50 What is the right reward system for being fit? Because I think a lot of people think it is Then getting to eat what you want

Senada Greca 23:57 Yeah, yeah, yeah. It could be, you know, like you said, you, you like to watch the highlights, you know, uh, a show that you, that you enjoy or another activity that's enjoyable, you know, or if you want to treat yourself, find maybe, when it comes to food, find a, a, a healthier option. I'm a great believer also in substituting, you know. A lot of the recipes that I post are... I have a sweet tooth, [laughs] a major sweet tooth, so how can I create recipes that are healthy, that will satisfy and will taste just as good as the naughty [laughs]

Jay Shetty 24:29 [laughs]

Senada Greca 24:30 Uh, foods. So it's just, uh, for every person it could be, it could be different, um, what that reward f- for them is. But tack it onto it and, m- you know, our, um... In, in the We Rise app we have Dr. Gina, who is a habits expert, habits building expert, one of the, I think, four leading, um, uh, researchers of habits, and she has so much input and so much information on how to make habits sustainable, you know. I wish I had a Dr. Pocket Gina that I could [laughs]

Jay Shetty 25:05 [laughs]

Senada Greca 25:06 Uh, ask, yeah. But yeah, she, she'll have such a, an amazing, uh, insight as to how to create and sustain these habits.

Jay Shetty 25:13 Mm.

Senada Greca 25:13 Yeah.

Jay Shetty 25:14 What's the biggest misconception with strength training? What do you think people get wrong?

Senada Greca 25:18 That women will get, like, bulky and big-

Jay Shetty 25:20 Right

Senada Greca 25:21 ... and, and gigantic. That's, like, the biggest thing is, like, "I don't wanna get too bulky. I don't wanna get too big."

Jay Shetty 25:26 That's what you hear a lot.

Senada Greca 25:27 That's what I hear a lot, and that is a huge misconception because, uh, in females, our, our hormones are... do not allow us to get to the levels that, for example, a man's physique can get naturally. It is not biologically, uh... I... There's obviously different levels of hormones in different women that will promote growth in some more or less than others. But I always say at the very, at the end of the day, you can just back off. Back off. You, if you are feeling... But I guarantee you that you, once you start gaining a little bit of muscle, you'll be addicted. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 26:05 [laughs]

Senada Greca 26:05 You will, because it, the, the, the, the feeling of strength and confidence that it, that it gives you, like a stronger body gives you, at least for me and for the people that I've worked with, uh, the, those feelings that it gives them are, far outweigh any, any negative, uh, misconceptions. I'm gonna say misconception because it is. It's, you're not gonna get big. [laughs] You're not gonna get huge. You're not gonna be like Hulk. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 26:31 Yeah. [laughs] I know, I know Radhi loves strength training. Like, it's such a passion of hers.

Senada Greca 26:36 Mm.

Jay Shetty 26:37 And she loves that feeling of being stronger and loves that feeling of, like... It's, it's amazing to see because I think you are right that we have this worry that our body's gonna change and look a way that we don't want it to look.

Senada Greca 26:48 Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Jay Shetty 26:50 Yeah. What should someone eat right before a workout and right after, especially a strength training workout?

Senada Greca 26:56 So a, before a workout, about an hour, maybe 30 minutes at, uh, at most, 'cause you don't wanna eat too close. I would eat, um, a combination of protein and carbs, maybe a little bit higher in, in, uh, in carbs. And then afterwards, a meal that is higher in protein, so at least, at least 20 grams of protein in that meal after the workout. I mean, the, the studies are a little bit over the, all over the place when it comes to this. O- obviously for somebody that's been working out for a long time, you're a little bit more flexible with that. Uh, or for somebody that is, um, trying to, that, that is trying to, to gain m- muscle mass or weight, then again, it's a little bit more flexible versus a beginner. Then you have to l- be a little bit more strict with, strict n- a little bit more on top of, of your nutrition when it comes to not just before and after, but throughout the day. And at the end of the day is what you're consuming throughout the day that is most important. So are you reaching... So not so focused, 'cause a lot of people focus so much on before and after. I would start with, how do you feel before a workout? Do you feel... You know, if you're working out in the morning and you're energized enough, um, then feel free to work out on an empty stomach. That's completely fine, and if you can carry that energy through. If you feel like you need to have a little bit of nutrition beforehand, that's great, too. It's how do you optimize for yourself? How do you optimize for yourself?

Jay Shetty 28:32 How do genetics play a role in achieving your goals?

Senada Greca 28:36 Genetics, they do play a role, a big role in the sense that... Well, genetics will not get you out of bed. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 28:43 [laughs] For sure.

Senada Greca 28:45 Because a lot of the time, you know, uh, people see my physique and say, you know, "It's all genetics." I actually had to fight against a lot of my genetics to get out of bed and work out. My... I'm predisposed to, to depression and anxiety, so battling those, uh, those factors, that's a genetic factor that goes into play. But then when it comes to actual physique building, um, y- yes, it will, you'll, you'll vary as to, like, the muscle mass that you'll put on. But you can always improve. You know, there's not, "Let's not even bother working out because I don't build bigger muscles," you know? You don't even know till you've tried to what capacity you can build.

Jay Shetty 29:30 Mm.

Senada Greca 29:30 So genetics will play a bit of a, of a, of a factor in the body that you're trying to achieve. You know, some people will carry a little bit more weight around their stomach, so their abs will not be as, uh, easily, um, visible as others. So they'll have to, in a healthy way, potentially diet if they can, but, uh, to see the, the visible abdominal, abdominal, abdominal muscles. [laughs] Not that that is a golden standard of anything, just hypothetically saying that it'll take them longer than others to, to do, to, to achieve that.

Jay Shetty 30:05 Yeah.

Senada Greca 30:06 Because again, genetics do play a role in that.

Jay Shetty 30:08 Talking about that, what is the

Jay Shetty 30:12 ... health benefit of having a lower body fat percentage? Like, what is the goal? Right? Because we know that people are-

Senada Greca 30:19 Mm-hmm

Jay Shetty 30:19 ... trying to lower their body fat percentage in order to have-

Senada Greca 30:22 Yeah

Jay Shetty 30:22 ... abs. But what's the actual health-

Senada Greca 30:25 Mm-hmm

Jay Shetty 30:25 ... benefit of having a lower body fat percentage?

Senada Greca 30:27 Yeah, and al- even with that, you want to maintain a healthier one. You, so you don't wanna go too low. You don't wanna be too high. If you're going too low, then your hormones start to, to get messed up, and we don't want that.

Jay Shetty 30:38 Walk me through that. Yeah, what happens if it goes too low?

Senada Greca 30:39 Um, if it goes too low, so then we start to, you know, women will start to miss their period. So i- it will affect them that way. Obviously, that puts the body in a little bit of a frenzy. It's not homeostasis anymore. Um, when it goes too high, then you're starting to deal with cardiovascular issues, um, you know, insulin resistance, and all of the things that will then lead to an unhealthier individual. So there is a range there that we should be.

Jay Shetty 31:08 Talking about cardio-

Senada Greca 31:09 Mm-hmm

Jay Shetty 31:09 ... you said that you incorporate cardio.

Senada Greca 31:11 Yeah.

Jay Shetty 31:12 How much is

Jay Shetty 31:13 cardio important in a strength training practice, and how much is it not needed?

Senada Greca 31:17 The question would be what are the reasons for adding cardio? So are you adding cardio because a lot of people think that cardio is what's gonna help them lose weight, and that's not neces- that's not true. Um, it's all about calories in versus calories out. So if you're talking about strictly losing weight, is how many calories are you putting in your body and how many calories you're expending. So if you're deciding to utilize strength training as a way to expend those calories, great. If you're utilizing, uh, cardio, great. There is some studies again that suggest that you'll get faster into that fat burning phase if you're doing strength training before and then cardio after. And also cardio, w- if you're doing strength training also before and then cardio after, you're, you're not compromising your strength training process, um, as if you were to do cardio beforehand. How much cardio? Th- th- that also is on ind- individual basis. Um, cardio, a lot of people hate cardio. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 32:14 [laughs]

Senada Greca 32:14 Uh, so what I try personally to do, I'll incorporate it on upper body days. So I'll do somewhat of an interval training. So I'll do an exercise that's upper body focused and then 30 seconds to a minute of sprinting and then another, you know, exercise or set of an upper body focus and then... So that's what, how I make it fun in my personal training and for everybody in the WeRise app. And obviously, if you're wanting to add more cardio because you feel like, you know, adding a s- a, a steady state cardio session after at a separate day, a separate part of the day, um, because you're wanting to be at a more of a caloric deficit, that's completely fine as well.

Jay Shetty 32:58 It sounds like you don't like cardio. [laughs]

Senada Greca 33:00 I don't love cardio. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 33:01 [laughs] That's good for us to know.

Senada Greca 33:03 Well, I, I, so I ran marathons and-

Jay Shetty 33:05 Oh, wow

Senada Greca 33:05 ... and that was great. I've run three marathons. I, I enjoyed it. You do put your body through a lot. But I have found personally what I've achieved through strength training when it comes physically and mentally has been far more rewarding than cardio. There's some, you know, benefit to cardio in the sense that some people feel more of the endorphins and the feel-good hormones during HIIT sessions or cardio, so there is a benefit to that. Um, and at the end of the day, what is... So while, so let's say while I value strength training, pick your poison [laughs] at the end of the day, or pick your remedy I should say. Pick your elixir, you know? What would that be for you? As long as you can get some activity in. So while there is hierarchies of you, what you want to achieve, so if you want to build muscle, strength training really is, like, the golden standard, right? But if, you know, you absolutely hate it, um, it, what is your activity of choice

Senada Greca 34:05 at the end of the day is what I would say.

Jay Shetty 34:07 Walk me through what your regime was for running the marathons.

Senada Greca 34:11 [laughs]

Jay Shetty 34:11 Like, what, what did you, how did you build up to that? What was your practice? What was your workout routine and nutrition plan?

Senada Greca 34:18 I wish I could say that I followed one of the [laughs] one of the plans 'cause this was quite a few years ago. Um, they kind of build, um, slowly, and it worked on, like, hill, hill sprints and, and, you know, just a different variety of, uh, of things that you need to work on when you're running a marathon. But I basically started to, started with three miles and then increased to five miles and then after a, a week or so increased, so s- incrementally increasing the length that I would run till I got to the, to the marathon, I guess. Yeah, I never, you never run the whole marathon when you're doing, when you're practicing. It's more, like, up to, like, 18 miles.

Jay Shetty 35:01 Yeah.

Senada Greca 35:01 But it was just slowly over time building up to that, yeah, and definitely feeling that, that, that, those calories that were burning [laughs] almost couldn't, couldn't keep the weight on me at that point, yeah, 'cause you're expending so much energy.

Jay Shetty 35:17 What would you now say is a great nutrition plan while someone's strength training? Like, what kind of things have you found to be really integral-

Senada Greca 35:26 Mm-hmm

Jay Shetty 35:26 ... and useful-

Senada Greca 35:27 Yeah

Jay Shetty 35:27 ... to have, and then what have you found to be useful to leave out?

Senada Greca 35:31 Definitely prioritizing protein. So if you're consuming about .8 to, to just a little bit Over 1 gram per pound of body weight of protein per day, that's a good place to be. And then filling the rest with carbs and, and fats. Um, but that's what I always say, prioritize protein. That's what's going to help n- not just building muscle, but just your ph- physiological, um, needs. You know, protein is the building block of our, of our body. And what you can leave out is the infamous sugars, you know? [laughs] The refined sugars and, um ... So opt more for, uh, for complex carbs. Um, I still like eating fruit. I know there's been ... Fruit suddenly has become controversial. [laughs] Like, if you're eating fruit and vegetables, you're good. Just, uh, fit into that macro. Um, w- what... E- especially if you're starting out and you want to... You have a specific goal, it is important to find out what your appropriate macros are for, for the day, and macros are the macronutrients. So what are, what is your daily intake of protein, carbohydrates, and fats? Um, but I always prioritize protein.

Jay Shetty 36:48 And with the protein, I mean, most of us are not getting close to that much-

Senada Greca 36:51 No

Jay Shetty 36:52 ... amount of protein, right?

Senada Greca 36:52 Most of us are not. Um, like I said, for, let's say 120-pound person, like a gram, so you need 120 grams of protein, uh, or around that per, per day. So, you know, they're in a piece of, like palm of your hand of, of, of, uh, let's say chicken, there's like 20 grams of protein. So you need to be a little bit more, um, discerning of your meals. So always include protein with every meal and maybe even with your snacks.

Jay Shetty 37:26 Yeah. I think for most of us it feels like protein takes up probably that 20 grams-

Senada Greca 37:30 Mm

Jay Shetty 37:30 ... and then we're filling the rest-

Senada Greca 37:32 Yeah

Jay Shetty 37:32 ... with carbs, fats-

Senada Greca 37:33 Yeah

Jay Shetty 37:33 ... and everything else. But I've definitely found that when I first learned about that, I just couldn't believe how hard it was-

Senada Greca 37:40 To, yeah

Jay Shetty 37:40 ... to actually prioritize getting... And I'm doing that plant-based, which is even harder.

Senada Greca 37:44 It is harder, right.

Jay Shetty 37:45 But even for my friends who eat meat-

Senada Greca 37:47 Yeah

Jay Shetty 37:47 ... even they were saying just how challenging it was for them. Like, it's not easy across the board. And so raising that up to that-

Senada Greca 37:53 Yeah. Yeah, it is

Jay Shetty 37:54 ... amount of protein

Senada Greca 37:55 It's important, especially as we age. Believe it or not, like we, we need to intake even more protein.

Jay Shetty 38:01 You've shared so much amazing research and studies with us today. Are there

Jay Shetty 38:04 any others that really come to your mind that you think, "This is really important for women to know," or, "This is really important for strength trainers to know"? Because some of the studies you've shared with us have really been powerful.

Senada Greca 38:14 Yeah, I mean, the, the, the muscle loss is huge. The, um, like I said, the 32,000 deaths per, per year, which actually, crazy enough, has, has almost doubled from like 2012 to 2021, if I believe, if I remember correctly. And I wonder what's gone into that, like why there's been such a drastic increase and like that's due to falls during, um, this time. Like maybe we've become less, um, we've become less mobile. Uh, maybe there's medications in the market that are affecting our bone density. It's actually when it comes to, to depression and anxiety, mood disorders, it has been found that even as little as 150 minutes of activity per week can relieve symptoms to about 40 to 60%, 42 to 60%, while as compared to psychotherapy and pharmaceuticals, the numbers are, uh, 20% to 30% in relief of symptoms. So even-

Jay Shetty 39:21 Incredible

Senada Greca 39:21 ... the highest, the higher upper end limit of pharmacological products and, uh, psychotherapy doesn't even come close to what you can achieve by physical activity, and that's only at 150 minutes per week. So to me, like that's, that's mind-blowing what you can achieve because... And I'm not negating the need for psychotherapy or, or phar- pharmacological products, absolutely, you know, w- where it's necessary. But why not start with exercising? Like start there. You will achieve results that might be even higher than what you can do with, with pharmaceutical products.

Jay Shetty 40:02 That's like just over 20 minutes a day.

Senada Greca 40:04 Yeah, exactly. Just over 20 minutes a day.

Jay Shetty 40:07 That's incredible.

Senada Greca 40:07 Yeah, absolutely.

Jay Shetty 40:08 That's pretty amazing to know.

Senada Greca 40:10 Yeah.

Jay Shetty 40:10 I mean, wow. Like yeah, and the difference too, like you're saying instead of 20 to 30% reduced, 40 to 60% reduced-

Senada Greca 40:17 Yes, absolutely

Jay Shetty 40:18 ... so double on, on both the upper-

Senada Greca 40:20 Exactly

Jay Shetty 40:20 ... and lower end limit.

Senada Greca 40:21 Low, exactly. Exactly.

Jay Shetty 40:22 That's... Yeah. And, and you're right. I, again, we're not telling anyone not to take things that they need to take, but-

Senada Greca 40:28 Absolutely

Jay Shetty 40:29 ... the idea that why not have the full package? Like why not-

Senada Greca 40:32 Exactly. Why not have the full package? That's what it is. Because a lot of the time it can be that psychotherapy or pharmacologics don't necessarily work for, for some people. I think there is some statistics of like around 40% of the people don't experience the relief that they need, so either in conjunction or starting with an exercise program-

Jay Shetty 40:55 Mm-hmm

Senada Greca 40:55 ... that will provide significant relief. I mean, firsthand, I'm standing here as somebody that has, um, achieved that kind of relief without now being on any pharmaceuticals. Um, I s- I... The, this is why I work out every day. I don't want to experience those symptoms of depression and anxiety, uh, any, uh, ever. So this is why I keep going.

Jay Shetty 41:22 Mm, mm. So powerful. So powerful. So inspiring to hear that as well.

Senada Greca 41:26 Thank you.

Jay Shetty 41:27 So inspiring to

Jay Shetty 41:28 hear that. What, what was it for you that was causing that? Where was that coming from for you personally?

Senada Greca 41:34 Ah, it's been [laughs] ... I mean, there's so many factors, I think. You, when you, you're talking about being, uh, anxiety and depression-

Jay Shetty 41:42 Experiencing, yeah

Senada Greca 41:42 ... experiencing that. I think some of it is genetic. Um, some of it is Being a teenager and moving countries, going from Albania to, to the United States and completely in a new world, a new space. Um, my family didn't know English at the time. I was the only one that did, so I had to support them, so I had to assume the role of an adult at a fairly young age. So I was 14, 15 at the time where I had to become an adult in my family. So I think there's a cornucopia of, like, things that, that kind of came together for me to experience, um, anxiety and depression and trying to fit in and not... You know, being a foreigner at the time and a teenager and being bullied and made fun of, um, all kind of led [laughs] , paved the path a little bit for me to experience that. And, um, I do feel for, for, for teenagers, and I do feel for the, um, the, the generation that is, that, that is living through, through these times. It's not easy.

Jay Shetty 42:59 Mm-hmm.

Senada Greca 42:59 It's not easy. But find, find, find comfort in the discomfort of working out-

Jay Shetty 43:08 Mm-hmm

Senada Greca 43:08 ... and in that physical activity because it will help.

Jay Shetty 43:12 Absolutely. Thank you for sharing that. Thank you so much. I wanted to talk to you a bit about steps. What's your take on the 10,000 steps?

Senada Greca 43:19 [laughs] It's a good place to start. Like I said, like, walking, that's, it's, that's great. Uh, 10 to 12,000. My, uh, my dad does it every day. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 43:29 Yeah.

Senada Greca 43:30 He's committed to it. Uh, it's a good starting point. It's a good starting point, but it's how you make those steps quality-

Jay Shetty 43:37 Mm

Senada Greca 43:37 ... quality steps, you know?

Jay Shetty 43:39 Do you

Jay Shetty 43:40 work out every day of the week?

Senada Greca 43:42 Most days, but I don't-

Jay Shetty 43:43 Do you have a rest day?

Senada Greca 43:44 I, I find that it is great to keep yourself active, even if it's something light. So if I'm not working out, I'll go for a long walk or a hike. I think it's so important to keep ourselves active because we do end up spending most of the day sitting.

Jay Shetty 43:59 Mm-hmm.

Senada Greca 43:59 So even, even working out for an hour a day, if you spend most of your day sitting, it doesn't negate that sitting.

Jay Shetty 44:07 Mm-hmm.

Senada Greca 44:08 So it is important, even speaking, like, throughout the day, to get up and, and, and take a little bit of a walk, like, every half an hour, every hour. So I do, I do try to keep active every single day. So if I'm not doing a full workout, I'll go for a walk, like I said, or a hike. Yeah.

Jay Shetty 44:23 No days off.

Senada Greca 44:24 No days off, really. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 44:25 No days off. I love it.

Senada Greca 44:26 A body in motion stays in motion. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 44:28 Yeah. No, I know what you mean. It's, it's so interesting how much-

Senada Greca 44:31 Yeah

Jay Shetty 44:32 ... staying sedentary is the cause of so many of our issues. We had, uh, Dr. Darshan Shah on a few months back, and he talked about the idea of just how much our quality of life changes because we're not getting up-

Senada Greca 44:47 Exactly

Jay Shetty 44:48 ... from our seats all day, whether we're at our desks or work or wherever else it may be. And so I love what you're saying about the idea of moving, even if it's not a full workout.

Senada Greca 44:57 Exactly. Yeah.

Jay Shetty 44:58 So your rest day is my best workout day.

Senada Greca 45:00 [laughs]

Jay Shetty 45:00 Basically. Basically, my ideal workout day.

Senada Greca 45:03 Oh. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 45:03 She's like, "I go on a hike when I'm not working out." And I'm like, "Here I am going, 'My hike is my workout.'"

Senada Greca 45:08 Ah. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 45:09 I love that.

Senada Greca 45:10 You do. You work out. You-

Jay Shetty 45:11 My best day is your worst day

Senada Greca 45:13 ... you work out. You're, you're... You just told me you're into calisthenics, so yeah.

Jay Shetty 45:16 Yeah.

Senada Greca 45:16 You work out. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 45:17 Yeah. That's so funny. I love it. Um,

Jay Shetty 45:21 one thing I wanted to dive into about as we're coming to a close here is you train some of the most well-known people in the world who seem to work really hard. Obviously, Kim's been on the show.

Senada Greca 45:33 Mm-hmm.

Jay Shetty 45:34 And we always see Kim posting you and, and you guys training together.

Senada Greca 45:37 [laughs] Mm-hmm.

Jay Shetty 45:38 What, what have you learned about training with her? What have you learned about her from training with her?

Senada Greca 45:42 So one thing that I've learned about Kim with training with her, it's her dedication. She, she shows up, shows up on time and is ready to, to go. Never does she complain or backs away from something that I put her through, [laughs] and I put her through a lot. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 46:00 And she never backs away.

Senada Greca 46:01 She never backs away. She always pushes through-

Jay Shetty 46:03 Wow. That's impressive

Senada Greca 46:04 ... which is very impressive. Yeah.

Jay Shetty 46:06 Yeah, I'm not surprised. She did say her workout was one of her favorite things.

Senada Greca 46:09 She's very dedicated, for sure. Yeah.

Jay Shetty 46:12 And you guys get organized, right? If she has a shoot coming up or she's got a specific outfit to wear for an event, like, you get really-

Senada Greca 46:19 We, we, we dial it in.

Jay Shetty 46:20 Yeah.

Senada Greca 46:20 We dial it in, for sure.

Jay Shetty 46:21 I mean, you moved to LA for, for-

Senada Greca 46:22 [laughs] I did. I did, and I ended up staying here for a little bit longer than I was, uh, yeah, it was expected.

Jay Shetty 46:30 What was it like when she first reached out and said, "I need you to come over"? What was that like? What was that conversation like?

Senada Greca 46:35 "Yes, I'll be there." [laughs]

Jay Shetty 46:37 [laughs]

Senada Greca 46:38 Um, because, uh, obviously it is Kim, but I believe in working with these people that have such high influence because of the impact that they will have on the larger population. So if they can send... If through them I can send a message of strength for women, so strength is beautiful. Strength is confidence. Whatever that looks like. Strength doesn't have to, to come with big muscles, you know? But if I can send a message of strength to especially young women, then to me, I've done my, my purpose is fulfilled.

Jay Shetty 47:12 That's beautiful.

Jay Shetty 47:13 What's the first thing you ask someone when they come to you? Anyone that comes to work with you, what's the first thing you ask them?

Senada Greca 47:18 [laughs] How serious are you about this? [laughs]

Jay Shetty 47:21 Right.

Senada Greca 47:22 Yeah.

Jay Shetty 47:22 It's a great question.

Senada Greca 47:23 How serious are you about this? Like, are, you know, are you gonna give me a day here and there? Because that's just not going to achieve anything for you or, or, or myself.

Jay Shetty 47:34 Mm-hmm.

Senada Greca 47:34 So, uh, you have to be serious about your health. Um, and I, I like to make it, even though somebody comes to me saying that they need to look, look a certain way, I always try to make it about health and longevity.

Jay Shetty 47:48 Yeah. It's similar in coaching, actually. Whenever I take on a client, I've found that clients who are willing to dedicate and commit time-

Senada Greca 47:55 Exactly

Jay Shetty 47:56 ... see phenomenal results.

Senada Greca 47:57 Exactly.

Jay Shetty 47:58 Like, I've had clients that I have met for- 2 hours a day every day for two years

Senada Greca 48:05 Mm-hmm

Jay Shetty 48:05 ... and other clients that I've met twice a week, thrice a week, for three to six months, and then I have someone who's, like, kinda checking in once a month, kinda checking in once a quarter, cancel, doesn't have... And you just start to notice, and, and it's hard because it's not that someone is not wanting to work hard, or it's not that they're a bad person or a weak person

Senada Greca 48:25 Right. Right. Of course

Jay Shetty 48:25 ... just people have different discipline levels.

Senada Greca 48:28 Absolutely.

Jay Shetty 48:28 But it's like in order to really see an impact and see the results, there has to be that commitment, for sure.

Senada Greca 48:33 There has to be that commitment, absolutely.

Jay Shetty 48:35 You talked about the purpose of strength training. What is the purpose of workouts like Pilates and yoga and, and other forms? What, what is the purpose of those kind of workouts compared to strength training?

Senada Greca 48:45 They... Like I said, I respect and utilize, have utilized myself all modalities. You know, I love yoga, but I think they're great additives.

Jay Shetty 48:54 Mm-hmm.

Senada Greca 48:54 They're great in addition to strength training because they will not most likely build, uh, muscle mass in the way that strength training can.

Jay Shetty 49:05 Mm-hmm.

Senada Greca 49:06 They will build maybe endurance. They'll build some endurance. They'll build, uh, flexibility and some strength, but not to the level that lifting weights, uh, will, will, will. Not in... So in the way that lifting weights will build your bone density, um, yoga and Pilates, unless you're doing some crazy yoga [laughs] or Pilates session-

Jay Shetty 49:29 Yeah

Senada Greca 49:29 ... um, they, they will not do that. So but again, there is a great place and time, in addition, I believe, to strength training to incorporate yoga and Pilates.

Jay Shetty 49:42 What's the difference

Jay Shetty 49:43 in the workout you prescribe to someone who wants to gain muscle versus someone who wants to lose weight through strength training?

Senada Greca 49:50 They don't have to be the same at all.

Jay Shetty 49:51 Yeah.

Senada Greca 49:52 They, they could be one and the same because, again, at the end of the day, um, when you're building muscle, you're, you're challenging yourself. You're challenging your muscles with a weight that you're, you're lifting, which is expanding calories, and that's what you need in weight loss as well. You need expenditure of calories that, but at a caloric deficit. So that's the only changing component, is that caloric deficit. So it's more in the nutrition versus in the workouts. I mean, there is, you know, you can work out, um, you can challenge yourself with the duration of the workout and then maintain your nutrition, or you can, um, eat less basically, so be at a deficit in, in calories, and then lose weight. So it, it doesn't have to be the... Uh, any difference there.

Jay Shetty 50:42 Mm-hmm.

Senada Greca 50:42 It's just how you manage nutrition versus output.

Jay Shetty 50:45 Got it. Got it. And if you're working out on your own without a trainer, it's much harder. How

Jay Shetty 50:51 do you know what to add to make it more challenging to, to continue to get stronger or to continue to shift? Because I find, like, most people are working out without a trainer.

Senada Greca 50:58 Right.

Jay Shetty 50:59 Of course, they can use the WeRise app-

Senada Greca 51:01 Yeah

Jay Shetty 51:01 ... and have that. That's what the WeRise app does, right?

Senada Greca 51:03 Yeah. Absolutely. So it'll give you the guideline if you'll... It'll give you the, the workouts. What you can do on your own is challenge yourself with the weights that you're lifting. So if, for example, the recommended, uh, reps are between 8 and 12, when you get to that 8 or 10, 9, 10, 12 rep, like, how... Are you challenged? Can you do... Can you do 10 more? If you're doing 10 more after that, or if you can do, you're doing, you're doing too little weight, so you need to increase the weight. That's what you have to keep in mind. I also value strongly that mind-muscle connection, um, so truly thinking about the working muscle. There's actually studies that, that show that if you are thinking of the muscles that you're working, then that actually creates, um... The muscle gets bigger.

Jay Shetty 51:49 Mm-hmm.

Senada Greca 51:50 Uh, there is, there's studies to that. So if you are slowing down the movement, thinking about the muscles that you're working, I sometimes try to touch. You know, this is working. It sends that signal from your, your, your brain to the muscle that, hey, we're working here, we're working here. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 52:05 Mm.

Senada Greca 52:05 And that, uh, will increase strength, will increase muscle mass actually.

Jay Shetty 52:09 Yeah.

Senada Greca 52:10 Yeah.

Jay Shetty 52:10 I've heard about that study-

Senada Greca 52:11 Yeah

Jay Shetty 52:11 ... the idea of people almost doing weights in their mind-

Senada Greca 52:13 Yeah. Yeah, yeah

Jay Shetty 52:14 ... and, and it added to strength

Senada Greca 52:14 There were studies that they just simply just did that without any weightlifting, and, uh, they found a significant difference.

Jay Shetty 52:22 Yeah.

Senada Greca 52:22 Yeah.

Jay Shetty 52:23 Yeah. That's-

Senada Greca 52:23 The power of the mind is incredible.

Jay Shetty 52:25 What,

Jay Shetty 52:26 what else have you done for the power of the mind to affect your body? Like, what other practices have you taken on at a mental or spiritual level that you feel have positively impacted your physical health?

Senada Greca 52:37 Well, meditation, um, is huge, in my opinion, for mental health, but also if you're wanting to visualize certain results. I feel like whenever I've been in a place where I needed to... I've competed, for example, um, in, in, in bodybuilding competitions in the beginning level, so that I found when it came strictly to, like, the physique, if you are... It's, it's basically manifestation, you know, at, uh, at that cellular level when you're thinking about the way that you want to, to look, um, or feel or present yourself. So meditation is huge. I try to incorporate that every day. Um, journaling. Um, also gratitude. Every night before going to bed, I practice gratitude. Not sure how that relates to the physique, but it [laughs] relates to the mental aspect.

Jay Shetty 53:29 Grateful for your body, I guess.

Senada Greca 53:30 Absolutely.

Jay Shetty 53:31 Yeah.

Senada Greca 53:31 Absolutely.

Jay Shetty 53:32 I had to learn that.

Senada Greca 53:33 Yeah.

Jay Shetty 53:33 I had to learn that. I, I definitely was very grateful for my mind and my intelligence and my abilities, but it always felt like my body was letting me down.

Senada Greca 53:41 Mm.

Jay Shetty 53:42 And that negative approach to my own body-

Senada Greca 53:45 Yeah

Jay Shetty 53:46 ... only made my body let me down more.

Senada Greca 53:48 Absolutely. Yeah.

Jay Shetty 53:48 It's like someone in your life. If you feel like that person in your life always lets you down-

Senada Greca 53:52 Mm

Jay Shetty 53:52 ... guess what? They end up letting you down.

Senada Greca 53:53 They're gonna let you down because you're gonna look for that. Yeah.

Jay Shetty 53:56 Exactly. And so I was always talking to my body subconsciously in that way-

Senada Greca 54:01 Mm-hmm

Jay Shetty 54:01 ... where I was like, "Oh, my mind is amazing, but my body lets me down And that language-

Senada Greca 54:05 The words that we use-

Jay Shetty 54:06 ... totally

Senada Greca 54:06 ... are so important, you know. Just the [laughs] in the, in, in this recent journey that just shared, uh, about before with you, um, that was one of the big lessons that, that I learned is the way that sometimes, uh, we talk to ourselves, the words that we use, whether they're out loud or even just spoken in silence to ourselves are, are huge.

Jay Shetty 54:29 Mm.

Senada Greca 54:29 Are huge. So if you c- tell yourself, you know, like, "I hate my body," like, "I wanna change this," like, "I hate," I don't know, like, "my stomach," like, that's not coming from a place of love. You are less likely to achieve results if they're, if that's coming from a place of negative sentiments towards yourself. I always... That's another thing that I always try to impart on whoever I'm working with, especially in person, is, like, I want us to start from a place, place of love for ourselves, not from, "I need to lose 20 pounds," because that again comes from, like, "I hate this 20 pounds that's on me." Um, but yeah, starting from a place of love for wherever we're at and for, "I wanna, I wanna do this because I wanna become a healthier version of myself."

Jay Shetty 55:16 Mm-hmm. Fantastic. Senada, it's been so informative talking to you today. I feel like there's been so many great insights that we can... I think I'm gonna be pulling on a lot of your insights to gain drive and gain focus to connect back in with my body, because a lot of what you've shared with me has made me realize just how important strength training is-

Senada Greca 55:36 Mm

Jay Shetty 55:36 ... especially in my 30s where I am now.

Senada Greca 55:38 Mm.

Jay Shetty 55:38 And, and how important it's gonna be long-term, even if I don't feel it right now. So thank you so much.

Senada Greca 55:43 Yeah, of course.

Jay Shetty 55:44 Uh, we end

Jay Shetty 55:45 every episode with a Final Five. These have to be answered in one word or one sentence maximum.

Senada Greca 55:50 [laughs]

Jay Shetty 55:51 And so Senada Greca, these are your Final Five. The first is, what is the best health or fitness advice you've ever had or received?

Senada Greca 55:59 Well, the advice not necess- well, it, it's... The best advice ever was to stay true to myself-

Jay Shetty 56:06 Mm

Senada Greca 56:06 ... and to my uniqueness.

Jay Shetty 56:08 Mm-hmm.

Senada Greca 56:08 So I, I don't think it necessarily has to deal with the-

Jay Shetty 56:11 That's good advice, though

Senada Greca 56:12 ... the fitness part, but it's to, to embrace your unique self and stay true to it. Um, the advice that I would give when it comes to, to fitness, though, um, would be to just start.

Jay Shetty 56:25 Mm.

Senada Greca 56:25 Just start.

Jay Shetty 56:26 Uh, second question. What is the worst advice you've ever had or received?

Senada Greca 56:30 [laughs] Stop lifting weights. [laughs] It'll get you to be masculine and-

Jay Shetty 56:36 Yeah

Senada Greca 56:36 ... bulky. [laughs]

Jay Shetty 56:38 And that's not the case.

Senada Greca 56:39 Yeah.

Jay Shetty 56:39 Yeah.

Senada Greca 56:39 Yeah. At the end of the day, it's also let's not judge people for how they want to look, you know? If they want to appear a certain way, if that's what drives them, that's what they, they want, let's allow.

Jay Shetty 56:54 Question number three: What's your hope for people in 2024?

Senada Greca 56:59 Uh, just to do everything from a place of love, whatever that is. So whether it's working out, nutrition, or, um, anything in their life, just start from a place of love for themselves and for everybody around them.

Jay Shetty 57:13 Question number four: What's the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night?

Senada Greca 57:17 [laughs] First thing, I meditate. Last thing, I say my gratitudes.

Jay Shetty 57:23 Beautiful. And fifth and final question: If you could create one law that everyone in the world had to follow, what would it be?

Senada Greca 57:31 I would say, because this was one of my biggest lesson, was to allow. I don't know if it makes sense, but one of the biggest lessons for me recently was to allow and stop being so much, uh, needing to, to control everything. Um, so maybe this is more on a personal level, but I think if we allow for the good in our life or the love for the right type of circumstances, um, I think there's so much to gain from that.

Jay Shetty 58:05 Mm-hmm. That's beautiful. Senada, thank you so much-

Senada Greca 58:08 Thank you

Jay Shetty 58:09 ... uh, for being here. Everyone who's been listening or watching, Senada's app is the We Rise app, uh, where you can find fitness and health tips and practices. And of course, if you don't already, you can follow her on Instagram at @senada.greca. Uh, please go and follow her right now for more fitness tips, for great workouts to get you started, to get you going. I want 2024 to be a year you're stronger, fitter, and better, uh, and Senada's gonna be a big part of making that happen.

Senada Greca 58:35 [laughs]

Jay Shetty 58:35 Thank you so much, Senada, again-

Senada Greca 58:36 Thank you, Jay

Jay Shetty 58:37 ... for your-

Senada Greca 58:37 Appreciate it

Jay Shetty 58:37 ... time and energy. I'm so grateful. Yeah.

Senada Greca 58:39 Thank you so much. Thank you for having me here. I truly appreciate it.

Jay Shetty 58:42 Thank you.

Senada Greca 58:43 Thank you.

Jay Shetty 58:43 If you loved this episode, you'll enjoy my conversation with Megan Trainor on breaking generational trauma and how to be confident from the inside out.

Speaker 58:53 My therapist told me, "Stand in the mirror naked for five minutes." It was already tough for me to love my body, but after the C-section scar with all the stretch marks, now I'm looking at myself like I've been hacked. But day three when I did it, I was like, "You know what? Her thighs are cute."