What if the strongest version of you isn’t the one who always pushes harder—but the one who knows when to pause, pivot, or rest?

In this episode of The Psyche Behind the Physique, Maddy sits down with Brandee, founder of Pinellas Run Club in St. Pete, Florida, to talk about mindset, running, and redefining what it really means to be “mentally tough.”

Brandee didn’t grow up loving to run. In high school and college, running was tied to punishment and weight loss. Training for her first half marathon, she hated the process and walked away from the sport for years. It wasn’t until later in life—after moving to St. Pete, finding community through run club, and doing a lot of inner work—that running found her again in a completely different way.

Together, Maddy and Brandee explore:

• How revisiting something later in life can feel empowering when you’re equipped differently mentally
• Why mindset is more than “just push harder”
• The power of 1% better, instead of chasing dramatic overnight change
• How to tell the difference between a discipline problem and true fatigue
• Why rest can actually be the more mentally demanding “rep”
• Showing up when there’s no big, time-sensitive goal on the calendar
• The importance of pause, quiet, and nervous system safety in deciding what’s next
• Brandee’s race story—rolling her ankle mid-marathon, choosing to keep going, and discovering she was far stronger than she thought

If you’ve ever hated something the first time you did it (running, dieting, lifting, prep…) and wondered if it could ever feel different—or if you’re in a season where you’re tired, between goals, or unsure what’s next—this conversation will help you see mindset, rest, and identity through a completely new lens.

🎯 Inside 1:1 coaching at MPowered Coaching Collective, we don’t just focus on your physique—we help you rebuild your body, your hormones, and your relationship with yourself from the inside out. Apply to work with us 1:1 below. Join HERE.

📲 Connect with @madsmichiefitness on IG with your biggest takeaway or topic requests

🔗 Find Brandee/follow her journey here

Local to 🌴 St Petersburg? Check out PRC here

What happens when the race you’ve built your life around… ends?

In this episode of The Psyche Behind the Physique, Maddy sits down with her friend Corin, a seasoned marathoner who went into her 13th marathon at the Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio fully believing this would be the one that qualified her for Boston. She trained smarter, managed an injury well, tapered intentionally, and focused on mindset—only to have race day derailed by unexpected GI issues from new gels.

But this conversation isn’t just about a race that didn’t go to plan. It’s about what came after.

Maddy and Corin unpack the emotional crash that followed: low motivation, not wanting to leave the house, skipping workouts she’d planned, and feeling unmoored without the structure and identity of marathon training. They explore the fears so many women face after a big goal or intense season—whether it’s a show, a Hyrox, a wedding, or a major fat loss push:

• Who am I if I’m not “the runner” or “the fit girl”?
• What if I lose this level of fitness and conditioning?
• Can I actually trust myself to find a new rhythm I feel proud of?

Maddy breaks down how the brain’s Reticular Activating System (RAS), Default Mode Network, and amygdala can trap you in a loop of “I’m failing,” even when you’re actually doing the hard, necessary work of transitioning. Together, they talk about redefining what “hard” really is—how, for an endurance athlete, it might be easier to override your body and keep grinding… and far harder to slow down, honor recovery, try new forms of movement, and let your athlete identity expand beyond one sport.

This episode will help you:

• Normalize the post-race / post-show / post-goal crash
• Separate your identity from any single season, sport, or physique
• Understand how your brain’s filters shape what you see as “evidence”
• Gamify a new chapter so it feels exciting, not like a downgrade
• See rest, variety, and pivoting as growth—not failure
• Lean on community and the right people when you feel lost between chapters

If you’re in that weird in-between—no longer in the peak, not yet in your next thing—this conversation will remind you that you’re still an athlete, you’re still allowed to evolve, and you don’t have to navigate the “after” alone.

🎯 Inside 1:1 coaching at MPowered Coaching Collective, we don’t just focus on your physique—we help you rebuild your body, your hormones, and your relationship with yourself from the inside out. Apply to work with us 1:1 below. Join HERE.

📲 Connect with @madsmichiefitness on IG with your biggest takeaway or topic requests

🔗 Find Corin/follow her journey here

What if the patterns you’ve been trying to “fix”… aren’t flaws at all—but misapplied strengths?

In this episode of The Psyche Behind the Physique, Maddy sits down with Brandon Miller, CEO and co-founder of 34 Strong and certified Gallup CliftonStrengths coach, to explore how understanding the way you’re wired can completely transform the way you approach health, fitness, and personal growth.

So many high-performing women pride themselves on discipline, drive, and high standards—but underneath that often lives burnout, self-criticism, comparison, and a constant pressure to do more.

This conversation unpacks why those patterns aren’t random—and how they may actually be rooted in your greatest strengths operating in their “basement” rather than their “balcony.”

Maddy shares her personal experience working with Brandon, and how learning her own strengths helped her release guilt, build self-awareness, and create more alignment in both her life and her coaching.

Together, they break down how this work applies directly to the patterns Maddy sees every day in her clients—from overtraining and under-eating to impatience, comparison, and the inability to slow down.

This episode will help you understand:

• Why focusing on strengths is more powerful than fixing weaknesses
• What “balcony vs. basement” means—and how it shows up in your life
• The psychology behind overtraining, control, and self-criticism
• Why some women struggle more with comparison and impatience
• How self-awareness can improve both your mental and physical results
• Practical ways to start working with yourself instead of against yourself

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything right—but still feel stuck, frustrated, or disconnected—this episode will help you see yourself in a completely new way.

🎯 Inside 1:1 coaching at MPowered Coaching Collective, we don’t just focus on your physique—we help you rebuild your body, your hormones, and your relationship with yourself from the inside out. Apply to work with us 1:1 below. Join HERE.

📲 Connect with @madsmichiefitness on IG with your biggest takeaway or topic requests

🔗 Take your Clifton Strengths Assessment HERE (Click Discover Your Top 5 Strengths) and listen to Coach to Coach HERE

What if your past results aren’t proof you’re not capable… but proof you’ve been running the wrong race?

In this solo episode of The Psyche Behind the Physique, Maddy breaks down the 2026 Kentucky Derby upset where Golden Tempo came from last place to win at 23–1 odds—and uses it as a powerful metaphor for your own health and fitness journey.

From starting at the “back of the pack,” to changing strategy mid-race, to conserving energy and executing a fierce late finish, this story becomes a lens for how women approach fat loss phases, preps, reverses, and long-term transformation.

Maddy dives into why so many high-performing women quietly count themselves out before they even begin, giving more power to old evidence than to who they are now. She unpacks the difference between belief and fantasy, urgency and strategy, grit and good design—and why “trying harder” isn’t the same as running a smarter race.

In this episode, you’ll explore:

• Why your past attempts don’t have to define your identity
• The danger of turning failed outcomes into a personal verdict
• How “coming out of the gates blazing” leads to burnout and inconsistency
• Why foundation work (maintenance, reverse dieting, muscle building) is not wasted time
• How to remove unnecessary friction so success feels more sustainable
• The mindset traps that make you self-sabotage near the “finish line”
• How comparison pulls you out of your lane and ruins your own strategy
• What it looks like to steward your goals instead of trying to control everything

If you’ve ever felt behind, embarrassed by how many times you’ve restarted, or tempted to assume “it always goes this way for me,” this episode will challenge that narrative—and invite you to run this race differently.

🎯Inside 1:1 coaching at MPowered Coaching Collective, we don’t just focus on your physique—we help you rebuild your body, your hormones, and your relationship with yourself from the inside out. Apply to work with us 1:1 below. Join HERE.

📲 DM @madsmichiefitness to connect or share your biggest takeaways and topic requests!

In this episode of The Psyche Behind the Physique, Maddy is joined by coach and HYROX athlete Doug Stossmeister for a raw, powerful conversation on identity, resilience, and what it actually takes to change your life.

Doug shares what it was like growing up in extreme scarcity in rural Alaska—where survival wasn’t a mindset, it was reality. From driving boats to school to navigating food insecurity, his upbringing shaped a deeply ingrained belief: everything is on me.

But what happens when that mindset starts holding you back?

Together, Maddy and Doug unpack how early environments shape our relationship with food, discipline, self-worth, and even our bodies. They explore the hidden patterns that keep women stuck—not just in their fitness journeys, but in careers, relationships, and identities that no longer align.

This episode dives into:

• Scarcity vs. abundance mindset in health and life
• Why so many women stay stuck in cycles of burnout and restriction
• The fear of becoming someone new (and why it keeps you stagnant)
• The emotional and mental toll of chasing physique goals without alignment
• What it really means to “choose happy”—and why it’s not selfish
• How to navigate major life pivots, even when you’re terrified

If you’ve ever felt stuck between who you are and who you know you could be… this conversation will hit deep.

Because transformation isn’t just physical—it’s identity.

⚡ After coaching hundreds of women through fat loss, hormone healing, and body recomposition… I can confidently say: it’s not just about doing more—it’s about doing what’s right for your body. If you’re ready for that level of support, apply for 1:1 coaching below.

🎯 Join MPowered Coaching Collective for lifestyle & contest prep — where physique goals meet functional health and community.

📲 DM @madsmichiefitness with your biggest takeaway or topic requests and connect with Doug here

What if fertility isn’t something you prepare for when you want a baby… but something you’ve been building your entire life?

In this episode of The Psyche Behind the Physique, I’m joined by Dr. Carolyn Nygaard, naturopathic doctor and midwife, to break down the real drivers of fertility, pregnancy health, and early childhood development — through a functional, root-cause lens.

We dive into how autoimmunity, inflammation, environmental toxins (like microplastics), and nervous system health all play a role in conception, pregnancy outcomes, and even the long-term health of your child.

This conversation is for the woman who wants to feel informed, empowered, and proactive about her health — whether she’s preparing for pregnancy or simply wanting to better understand her body.

🧠 IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why fertility is built years before conception
• Autoimmunity + inflammation’s role in fertility
• Microplastics + hormone disruption
• Preconception health (for both partners)
• Nervous system + stress impact on pregnancy

Fertility is not random — it’s a reflection of your internal environment. Your body must feel safe to reproduce. And the choices you make today can influence not just your health… but the health of your future children.

🎙️If this episode resonated with you, and you’re wanting personalized support with hormones, gut health, inflammation, or a fertility-safe training and nutrition plan — my team and I would love to walk alongside you. We work with women at every stage — from athletes to those healing their cycles, preparing for pregnancy, or rebuilding after burnout.

🎯 Join MPowered Coaching Collective for lifestyle & contest prep — where physique goals meet functional health and community.

📲 DM @madsmichiefitness with your biggest takeaway or topic requests and connect with Dr Ngyaard here

In this episode, I sit down with Kierin Hopping, a HYROX Worlds Pro and Boston Marathon qualifier, for an honest conversation about what it really looks like to train at a high level as a woman.

We talk about the shift from aesthetic goals to performance goals, how Kierin’s relationship with food changed after bodybuilding, what it means to fuel for endurance and hybrid performance, and why having a menstrual cycle is one of the clearest signs that your body feels safe and supported.

This episode also dives into the side of athleticism that people don’t talk about enough: overtraining, imperfect recovery, the mental load of discipline, and the reality that even elite athletes are still learning how to balance performance with health.

We cover:

• the transition from bodybuilding to marathon running and HYROX
• healing a disordered relationship with food through performance-based goals
• under-fueling, low energy availability, and menstrual health
• balancing aesthetic goals with athletic goals
• signs your training load is outpacing your recovery
• what beginner athletes get wrong about HYROX
• why progress does not require perfection

This is such an important episode for female athletes, high achievers, and women who want to train hard without losing themselves in the process.

🎙️ If you’ve ever felt like you had to have your training, recovery, body composition, or nutrition perfectly dialed in before you could succeed, this conversation will challenge that belief in the best way.

If this episode resonated with you and you’re ready to build a healthier relationship with your body, your hormones, and your goals, my team and I would love to support you.

🎯 Join MPowered Coaching Collective for lifestyle & contest prep — where physique goals meet functional health and community.

📲 DM @madsmichiefitness with your biggest takeaway or topic requests and connect with Kierin here

In this episode of The Psyche Behind the Physique, host Maddy Michielssen sits down with naturopathic physician and founder of Naturopathic by Design, Dr. Corina Dunlap, for an honest and deeply educational conversation about what healing actually looks like when we stop chasing quick fixes and start addressing root causes.

After experiencing her own breaking point with chronic infections, digestive pain, hair loss, and debilitating fatigue, Dr. Dunlap discovered the transformative power of naturopathic medicine — a moment that reshaped both her health and her career. Today, she works with women across the country helping them reconnect physiology, nervous system safety, environment, and lifestyle as part of sustainable healing.

Together, Maddy and Dr. Dunlap unpack what naturopathic medicine truly is — beyond common misconceptions — and how it works alongside conventional medicine rather than against it.

In this episode, we explore:

• The difference between naturopathic and allopathic medicine — and where each excels

• Nervous system regulation, the HPA and HPO axis, and why stress physiology drives hormone dysfunction in women

• Female energy, play, nature, and connection as legitimate biological medicine

• Functional diagnostic testing including DUTCH hormone testing, GI Mapping, micronutrient panels, mold testing, mineral analysis, and food sensitivities

• How functional testing complements traditional bloodwork

• When prescriptions are necessary — and when root cause work matters most

• Supplements women actually benefit from (and the ones often overused)

• Whether there are conditions naturopathic medicine cannot address alone

🎙️ If you’ve ever felt dismissed, stuck between medical systems, or unsure where to start when your body stops responding the way it used to — this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and science-backed perspective.

If this episode resonated with you and you’re ready to build a healthier relationship with your body, your hormones, and your goals, my team and I would love to support you.

🎯 Join MPowered Coaching Collective for lifestyle & contest prep — where physique goals meet functional health and community.

📲 DM @madsmichiefitness with your biggest takeaway or topic requests and connect with Dr. Dunlap here