Episode 22: MAKE TODAY COUNT w/ Cooper Brunner & Kirsten McCallum

Today’s guests are Cooper Brunner & Kirsten McCallum, co-hosts of the Cooper Brunner Podcast. We’re talking training, diet, and ways to MAKE TODAY COUNT with episode 22!

Cooper was a Division 1 baseball player at Oregon State but got burned out and faced the tough reality that professional baseball wasn’t part of his long-term future. After battling with uncertainty and depression, he ignited his passion for health and fitness by coaching others and sharing his story via his podcast and website, CooperBrunner.com.

Kirsten was set to play college volleyball when a rotator cuff injury and two back surgeries derailed her plans. After being bedridden for 9 months, she nursed herself back to health. With college volleyball no longer an option, Kirsten found a passion for weight lifting as a means to shape her body and cleanse her mind. In 2019, she took weight lifting to the next level by competing in body building. Stepping on the stage was just the icing on the cake to a highly rewarding experience that took months of training, sacrifice, and dedication.

Key Takeaways

  • Take fitness advice from individuals who have been where you are and walked the journey
  • The results you get from weight lifting can become addictive…in a good way!
  • Weight lifting is highly motivating because you can easily measure progress
  • Any physique you desire is possible through diet and weight lifting
  • Lifting is fun…dieting is hard
  • Body building requires significant dedication and sacrifice
  • Have a strong support system otherwise it’s easy to derail your goals
  • When training for physique competition, you’re in a calorie deficit nearly every day
  • Staying physically active for life is more important than being able to lift crazy amounts of weight
  • Weight lifting DOES NOT make you look big and bulky
  • Putting on muscle increases calorie burn which makes weight loss much easier!
  • Knowing your goal is just as important as the training and nutrition
  • Training in the evening helps maximize strength because your body is fully fueled
  • Start small and increase training volume as you become more fit and experienced
  • Regardless of the diet philosophy you follow, a calorie deficit will lead to weight loss
  • Surround your workouts with carbs rather than having them at times when you will be relaxed/sedentary
  • Whether it’s fitness or some other goal…take small steps and be consistent.
  • No matter your current fitness level, you can always get started and make progress

Quick Bites!

  1. What was the biggest single factor holding you back from starting your healthy lifestyle?
    • Cooper: Discipline
    • Kirsten: Lack of nutrition knowledge
  2. What is your favorite exercise routine or program?
    • Cooper: German Volume Training
    • Kirsten: Leg Day & Shoulder Day
  3. Favorite specific lift?
    • Cooper: Barbell Deadlift
    • Kirsten: Shoulder Press & Glute Bridge
  4. One healthy food you can’t live without?
    • Cooper: Medium-Rare Top Sirloin Steak
    • Kirsten: Cucumbers
  5. What is your favorite muscle-building recipe?
    • Cooper: Protein shakes
    • Kirsten: Lots of nutrient-dense food all day long
  6. Favorite un-wise food choice?
    • Cooper: Sesame donuts
    • Kirsten: Energy drinks
  7. One thing you’ve been successful in because of your dedication to fitness?
    • Cooper: Ditto Kirsten!
    • Kirsten: Focus in all areas of life.
  8. What is one item in your kitchen you can’t live without?
    • Cooper: Blender
    • Kirsten: Skillet
  9. What book are you reading now?
    • Cooper: The Law of Attraction by Mike Losier
    • Kirsten: Think and Grow Rice by Napoleon Hill
  10. What podcasts do you listen to?
    • Cooper: MFCEO, Gary Vee, Joe Rogan, Ed Mylett Max Out
    • Kirsten: The Mindset Mentor
  11. What is your favorite thing to listen to when working out?
    • Cooper: 2Pac, Biggie Smalls, Green Day, AC/DC
    • Kirsten: Neffex
  12. One song you refuse to take off your workout mix?
    • Cooper: Win by Tee Grizzley
    • Kirsten: Rumors by Neffex
  13. Something that you’re passionate about right now?
  14. Will we see a professional baseball game in 2020?
    • Cooper: Yes, it will be no crowd, but yes we will! Go Mariners!
    • Kirsten: Yes, we’re gonna give the people what they want!!
  15. One last piece of advice for listeners looking to improve their health/fitness?
    • Kirsten: Be knowledgeable about nutrition. Training is easy, dieting is hard
    • Cooper: Find a plan, stick to the plan, surround yourself with positivity

WISE EATS PODCAST EPISODE 22

The gruesome death of George Floyd has caused outrage all over the world. On April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated causing similar turmoil throughout the country, but Bobby Kennedy helped lead our country through that crisis. That day, he delivered a speech to help unite the country, and before we get to today’s episode, I just wanted to share the following quote from his speech:

Bobby Kennedy’s 1968 Speech

“But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings who abide in our land. Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people”. – Bobby Kennedy

What’s up Wise Gals and Gals? Welcome to Episode 22 of the Wise Eats Podcast.

I hope you all are staying healthy and safe. It’s tragic what is happening in our country right now with the injustices and riots happening. The whole situation is sad really, and there’s no justifying it through violence.

Seems strange to talk about health and fitness during a time like this, but that’s where it starts. Your mental and physical health starts with your nutrition and physical activity.

One of the things I’m trying to do with this show is inspire people to become passionate about health and fitness, which is why I’m excited to have Cooper Brunner on today’s episode, creator of CooperBrunner.com and the Cooper Brunner Podcast. He’s a former college baseball player and fitness coach. Also joining me today is his co-host Kirsten McCallum, a women’s physique competitor and former volleyball player.

It was a privilege having them on the show and I hope you enjoy it. It’s time to Wise Up!

MAKE TODAY COUNT AND MAKE WISE CHOICES!

Episode Timestamps

  • Wise-Eats.com/Episode22 for the show notes and YouTube video (0:00)
  • Speech from Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 announcing the assassination of MLK, Jr. (0:00)
  • Intro! Talking health and fitness amidst economic and political turmoil (1:00)
  • Introducing Cooper Brunner & Kirsten McCallum (2:00)
  • Off to a great start when I mispronounce Kirsten’s name 😊 (2:45)
  • Talking COVID-19 life in Oregon and Michigan (3:30)
  • Working out at home during COVID-19 (5:20)
  • Check out the Cooper Brunner Podcast at CooperBrunner.com (7:00)
  • How Cooper and Kirsten started podcasting and became co-hosts (7:15)
  • Overcoming getting fat after being a division one athlete (9:45)
  • How Cooper differentiates himself from other coaches and relates to clients (10:30)
  • Kirsten’s fitness journey – Volleyball, weight lifting and physique competing (11:40)
  • When did you first become passionate about health and fitness? (13:00)
  • Lowest and highest moments of their athletic careers? (15:50)
  • How Kirsten overcame multiple back surgeries and being bedridden for 9 months (16:10)
  • How Cooper’s baseball career came to an end (18:00)
  • How Cooper uses his baseball experience to inspire others (19:00)
  • Kirsten’s weight lifting routine since having back surgery (20:40)
  • What attracted Kirsten to weight lifting (22:00)
  • Advice for women who are reluctant to get into weight lifting? (23:00)
  • Advice for someone who is interested in bodybuilding / physique competition? (24:40)
  • Biggest difference between training for physique and training for general health? (25:30)
  • Your training regimens on a typical day? (26:50)
  • Cooper’s philosophy of “High Intensity Body Building” HIBB (27:25)
  • Inspiration from Ryan Fischer and German volume training (27:25)
  • Why Kirsten prefers to lift weights in the evenings (28:30)
  • The body parts Kirsten likes to focus on in the gym (Spoiler alert: No chest day!) (28:50)
  • Lots of volume and heavy lifting! (29:40)
  • What are your current health and fitness goals (30:50)
  • Encouraging others to be active at CooperBrunner.com (31:05)
  • Transitioning from competition to normal, healthy life for Kirsten (31:50)
  • What does a typical diet day look like for you? (33:00)
  • Intermittent fasting, warrior diet, Dr. Rhonda Patrick, Macros, My Fitness Pal (33:00)
  • Kirsten LOVES food: Her diet routine (35:45)
  • How she uses carbs to fuel her workouts (36:50)
  • Quick Bites! Rapid Fire Questions (38:00)
  • What was the biggest single factor holding you back from starting your healthy lifestyle? (38:15)
  • What is your favorite exercise routine or program? (38:45)
  • Favorite specific lift? (39:15)
  • One healthy food you can’t live without? (39:30)
  • What is your favorite muscle-building recipe? (39:40)
  • Favorite un-wise food choice? (39:50)
  • One thing you’ve been successful in because of your dedication to fitness? (40:00)
  • What is one item in your kitchen you can’t live without? (40:25)
  • What book are you reading now? (40:50)
  • Think and Grow Rice by Napoleon Hill and The Law of Attraction by Mike Losier (40:50)
  • What podcasts do you listen to? (42:00)
  • The Mindset Mentor, MFCEO, Gary Vee, Joe Rogan, Ed Mylett Max Out (42:00)
  • What is your favorite thing to listen to when working out? (43:20)
  • Neffex, 2Pac, Biggie Smalls, Green Day, AC/DC (43:20)
  • One song you refuse to take off your workout mix? (44:20)
  • Win by Tee Grizzley, Rumors by Neffex (44:20)
  • Something that you’re passionate about right now? (45:00)
  • Replace SR Endurance Products (45:00)
  • Kirsten getting refocused on training and her professional life (45:45)
  • Will we see a professional baseball game in 2020? (46:15)
  • One last piece of advice for listeners looking to improve their health/fitness? (46:30)
  • Be knowledgeable about nutrition. Training is easy, dieting is hard (46:30)
  • Find a plan, stick to the plan, surround yourself with positivity (47:00)
  • @cbrunner37  @kirsten_m1320  CooperBrunner.com MAKE TODAY COUNT (47:40)
  • Wise-Eats.com/Episode22 for show notes, pictures, transcript, and more! (49 :00)

Articles/Brands/Products Mentioned in This Episode:

Wise Eats Healthy Recipes: Wise-Eats.com/Recipes

Website Design Thank You: DoeringDesign.com

Logo Design Thank You’s: @this_show, MGSignsDesign.com

Editing Animations Thank You: Darin Roberts aka Misteredit1 on YouTube

The Wise Eats Podcast is written, filmed, edited, produced by Wesley Wise, and shared by YOU. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Submit questions, comments, feedback to WiseEatsPodcast@gmail.com or to @weswisefitness on Instagram. Thanks for watching, listening, reviewing, liking, subscribing, and sharing. Be good to yourself, be good to others, and make wise choices!

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