The holidays are busy, loud, joyful, and… secretly exhausting. In this post, we break down why sleep always seems to fall apart this time of year and share simple, realistic ways to protect your rest without sacrificing the moments that matter. If travel, stress, late nights, or family chaos usually derail your sleep, this guide will help you navigate the season feeling more grounded, rested, and human.

Sleep isn’t just rest—it’s the foundation of recovery, hormones, and performance. Morgan, Ryann, and Brooke dive deep into how sleep affects muscle growth, fat loss, cravings, and mood. They share coaching strategies to improve sleep hygiene, balance real-life tradeoffs, and create routines that actually work. Learn why better sleep might be the missing piece in your results.

Newborn sleep deprivation is brutal, but you’re not powerless. In this post, Black Iron coaches Maggie, Kelly, and Joyce share nutrition hacks, movement strategies, and mindset shifts to help new parents survive—and even thrive—through sleepless nights.

Low energy doesn’t just hit your workouts — it drags down your workdays, mood, and life outside the gym. Learn the real reasons you’re feeling drained and the nutrition and lifestyle fixes that actually work, from eating enough (and early) to identifying your personal energy leaks

In this blog post, we’re recapping the latest episode of Black Iron Radio, where coaches Krissy, Ryann, and Maggie tackle the age-old question: can you actually become a morning person? Whether you’ve always hit snooze on early alarms or you’re just looking to make your mornings more productive, this episode dives into circadian rhythms, practical habit shifts, and how to build a routine that works for you (without needing a 4 a.m. wakeup call). If you’re curious about what it takes to feel better in the morning—this one’s for you.

In this blog post, we’re recapping the latest episode of Black Iron Radio, where coaches Maggie, Ryann, and Jess dig into a topic that hits way too close to home for most of us: caffeine. Whether you’re fueled by cold brew, pre-workout, or a 3PM energy drink, this episode explores what happens when that reliance goes unchecked. They break down how caffeine actually works, why more isn’t always better, and how to cut back without hating your life. If you’ve been feeling anxious, exhausted, or just wondering if your caffeine habit is helping or hurting, this one’s for you.

Your menstrual cycle can influence everything from your energy levels to your food cravings—and it’s completely normal. In this blog post, Coach Jess Saxon breaks down how each week of your cycle may impact your mood, sleep, and appetite, and why understanding these shifts can help you feel more in control. If you’ve ever felt off and wondered why, this guide will help you recognize patterns and make a plan that supports you all month long.

In this blog post, we’re breaking down the essential takeaways from our latest episode of Black Iron Radio, where coaches Whitney, Chelsea, and Krissy share practical strategies to help you stay injury free. Whether you’re a runner, lifter, skier, or multi-sport athlete, this conversation dives into what really matters when it comes to avoiding injuries—like sleep, nutrition, stress, and recovery—and what to do when something starts to feel “off.” If you’ve ever pushed through pain or wondered if a nagging ache could turn into something more, this episode will help you train smarter, recover better, and stay in the game longer.

People want to glamorize recovery with fancy tools like the recovery boots and massage guns but what really matters?

Really, there are four important parts of recovery. If these points are not a priority, those fancy recovery tools aren’t going to do much!

Did you know that the average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep per night?

Did you know athletes may need even more?

Lack of sleep or sleep deprivation can cause slow reaction times, can alter pain reception and can even decrease accuracy. All things every athlete needs to stay in tip-top shape.

When most of us look to change our lifestyle to lose weight we often turn towards a healthy diet and exercise. Up at 4 am for our first workout, lots of fruits and veggies, and maybe an evening weightlifting session. By the end of the week we are exhausted, hungry, and wishing for an extra hour of sleep. Is it worth it to press the snooze button and get that extra hour of sleep? Will that really help you reach your goals? You better believe it….

This Cherry Almond Oat Muffins recipe is a great option for breakfast or snacks!

Sleep. People aren’t getting enough. And that’s not an exaggeration. People are not sleeping nearly as long or as well as their bodies need. Our bodies NEED it to function, to recover, to fulfill our potential each day.

Deep sleep is a period of sleep when your brain waves are at their lowest frequency. This is when it is hardest to wake you up. Usually, people get spurts of it within the first couple of hours of the night. Some with genetic mutations are able to get more deep sleep, but studies are showing that around 20% of deep sleep for adults is optimal. This equates to around 1.5 hours a night or more. You can track deep sleep through tracking devices such as an Oura ring, Fitbit, Whoop, and other brands. You may be able to tell if you’re not getting enough deep sleep if you’re waking up a lot early on in the night, not feeling rested in the mornings, even with 8+ hours of consistent sleep every night.

There is a myriad of chemicals, amino acids, enzymes, nutrients, and hormones that work together to help regulate our sleep cycle and improve the quality of our sleep. These include, but aren’t limited to…

Just because you hired a nutrition coach and put “fat loss” as your goal, it doesn’t mean you’re going to start a caloric deficit right away. I try to put my clients on maintenance calories most of the time when we first start together (excluding special scenarios like yo-yo dieters and chronic dieters/under-eaters).

Our bodies need to recover. The harder you train, the more important it is to make time for it. Preventative care is so important, yet many of us wait until we’ve pushed ourselves too far. I hear it all too often, the frustration from clients who’ve suffered an injury because they weren’t proactive or they ran themselves into the ground. Recovering from an injury is stressful and a test of our mental strength. Trust me, I’ve been there myself.

It’s 2:45 AM and I’m lying in my bed listening to my husband snore. My mind is racing - thoughts like “I’m never going to fall asleep”, and “my day is going to be ruined” stream across my mind. After flipping over onto my side for what feels like the thousandth time, I accept defeat. I lost the battle. I crawl out of bed, stomp downstairs, and flop onto the couch, much to the dismay of my 4-year old Rhodesian Ridgeback…