Katie Mack Fitness

STRENGTH TRAINING IS INCOMPARABLE 💰
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First off, I hope the picture doesn’t make anyone queasy. And second, I’m not posting this for validation or sympathy…I’m posting it as another reminder that exercise truly is medicine in so many ways.
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This is just one of many stressful situations I’ve gone through over the last few years, but time and again exercise has proven to be one of my greatest tools for regulation. Years of therapy have helped tremendously with the mental side, but the body also carries stress in its own way and has to learn a different physiology too.
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Strength training teaches that physiology. The intensity, endurance, discomfort, incomplete rest, heavy loads, brutal burns, nose breathing during cardio — all of it teaches your body how to recover, adapt, and endure chaos more efficiently. You build resilience physically, which carries over mentally and emotionally.
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After my dog got attacked by another dog this past Friday — and me being in the middle of it — I was definitely shaken up. I felt like I got hit by a truck afterward and was exhausted all day Saturday, but today I feel almost back to normal.
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Beyond helping regulate the nervous system, there really isn’t much else like strength training. Better metabolic health, stronger bones, more muscle and independence as you age, brain benefits, confidence, resilience, etc.
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That’s why I love this stuff. Not just for longevity and/or body composition, but because it prepares you to handle what life throws at you a little better.
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You’re tougher than you think - you just have to believe it and train hard…❤️💪

Long duration, low intensity exercise (keeping your heart rate between 60-70% of your max heart rate (220 minus your age is the most simple equation to use to determine max heart rate) for at least 30+ minutes) can do wonders for your health, especially if you tend to run more stressed/anxious/wired and/or have high resting blood pressure/heart rate. Because of the effects this type of exercise has on the heart, it can help to decrease the activity of the “fight or flight/wired” part of the body’s nervous system. When we do high intensity interval training (HIIT), we may be adding to an already stressed system and burying ourselves into a deeper hole that can only get worse. That’s not to say you can’t do high intensity exercise if you are stressed, but a trained fitness professional will develop a method that would work better for your madness relative to a “traditional HIIT” workout.
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This specific type of low intensity training improves our cardiovascular system by improving the heart’s ability to fill up with more blood between each beat. That means your heart has to work less hard over time since it can pump more blood with each beat. How cool!
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Another purpose of this type of cardio is that it can help with improving energy production and our metabolism - that’s a win! 🥇
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When our body starts displaying symptoms of pain, inflammation, autoimmunity, chronic illness, etc. it’s our body’s way of saying “SLOW DOWN!!!” We may not need to stop, but we can be smart in how we choose to behave and move to bring us into a state that promotes more recovery and healing through this type of cardio 🏃‍♀️😀👍

I’ve been improving my skill of squatting for over 15 years. These videos range from 2017 to 2026, and I’ve never stopped learning. The realizations and improvements I’ve had didn’t each occur overnight - it was a culmination of YEARS of reps. Some sessions brought more insight and awareness than others in terms of feelings of the pattern, because improving skills takes time and building awareness takes time. With each injury I’ve learned more deeply about my body and the human body as a whole.
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One point this brings me to is that patience is bitter but the fruit is sweet. Movement to me meditative, feeling new places and connections with my body through movement has been healing for my emotional and physical trust as well as my nervous system as a whole, and strength training can teach your body and nervous system to tolerate more stress in general. That’s why exercise is important and why improving any skill can be a breeding ground for growth. It can have impact on multiple areas of your life through awareness, trust, feeling safer in your body, and being able to weather more emotional and physical storms through an increased physical capacity.
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It also helps that perfecting squats affects your development in some of the most important muscles in your body - the glutes 🍑 From 2013 to now I’ve only seen improvements in this muscle group that holds the foundation for supporting your spine and stabilizing your pelvis - all providing more safety to your body, and as a result to your brain 🧠 This is huge for your psychology. Who doesn’t want that?

This summer marks 15 years that I’ve been working in the fitness industry. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned thus far is that being uncomfortable is the breeding ground for growth. I’ve thought long and often about the demographic I want to cater to, but life happens and things change and I can’t commit. I know challenging myself in this aspect is important from a business perspective, but I also know that my unclear and untraveled path has lead me to some amazing opportunities and people. I have faith that I’ll figure it out, but my goal from here is to keep leaning into discomfort and sharing the messy process with you. Let’s get healthy, weird and have fun together. You’re not here for a long time and you have the choice to make it worth it 🙃🙂

Lots of my older clients on social media hear about the importance of protein and ask me why it really matters and how much they need. I tell them proteins are needed:

-to harden bones (calcification) 🦴
-for liver activities 👨🏾‍⚕️
-hair, skin, nails, blood and muscle synthesis 💪
-immune system 🤧
-help in coordination of motor cells (movement) 🏃‍♀️
-and are essential for hormone regulation 💁‍♀️
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Protein isn’t for muscular vanity - it’s essential for a good quality life.
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I tell them to eat at least their bodyweight in grams of protein each day, especially since the aging process causes us to have a harder time using protein.
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And while protein is super important, so is fiber. Fiber is needed for digestive health, blood sugar regulation, and heart health. Fiber-containing foods contain vitamins and minerals that help drive lots of chemical reactions to live our best 🥗
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If you can get protein and fiber at every meal with anything else you’re eating, you’re winning🥇🤩
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Pictured here: chicken, ground beef, eggs (for a total of 85 grams of protein), sauerkraut, tomatoes, carrots, red onions, lettuce, sauerkraut, balsamic vinegar and Honey Mustard dressing 🔥
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Breakfast with a side of Hypertension Course ❤️💪 Just starting this awesome course that helps personal trainers learn about how to apply information regarding blood pressure with client programming and lifestyle. One big takeaway so far is that having a home blood pressure cuff is a valuable tool that can give people the power to check their numbers, catch changes early, and follow up before big issues can happen. Take your BP seriously because you matter ⭐️

Protein ain’t usually easy to come by when traveling and it’s definitely not cheap. These are some of my go-to options on the road to make sure I keep on target with my daily protein goals. Be prepared, consistent and win 🥇💪

My old men love me 😂

Body fat ⬇️ & muscle mass ⬆️ at 76 years young! 🤔 How? More whole food sources of protein and less unnecessary carbs. Protein is the building block to lean muscle tissue (and a lot more!) and my client made big changes to his body composition by focusing on eating more of the right things and less of the not so great things. Prioritizing more eggs and meats at breakfast, burgers without the extra fixings, and not grabbing for the pre-dinner bread basket put on the table when he was off to eat. The scale shows the results, he says his clothes fit differently, he’s never remembered seeing his stomach like he does now in his life, and he has improved energy levels. PROTEIN AND NUTRITION FOR THE WIN! 🥇

Struggling with low back pain during or after golf? ⛳️ It might not be your swing — it could be your glutes.

Strong, well-timed glutes are essential for:
• Pelvic stability
• Efficient power transfer in your swing
• Reducing excessive stress on the low back

When the glutes don’t do their job, the low back often picks up the slack — and that’s where pain shows up.

🎥 In this video I’m demonstrating two of my go-to exercises for golfers:

1️⃣ Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
Builds strength in muscles on the back side of your body (posterior chain), hip control, and balance — all crucial for a stable backswing and powerful follow-through.

2️⃣ Side Plank Clamshell Variation
Targets the lateral glutes and core to improve pelvic control and reduce unwanted rotation that stresses the spine.

Train smarter, swing better, and keep your body pain-free so you can enjoy the game longer.

💬 Comment “GOLF” if you want help building a strength program that supports your swing — not sabotages it.

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