What happens when the smallest version of you isn’t the strongest — or the happiest?

In this episode of The Psyche Behind the Physique, Maddy sits down with Halle, a lifelong athlete and coach, to unpack what it really means to be strong in a world that rewards shrinking, over-training, and constant intensity.

Halle grew up in organized sport — swimming, gymnastics, track — and swam competitively in college. Like many former athletes, the transition after sport left her searching for identity, structure, and purpose in fitness. What began as lifting to stay active eventually evolved into a coaching career — and a deeper philosophy around performance, health, and sustainability.

Together, we explore:

• Why the smallest body is often not the healthiest or strongest
• The psychological impact of leaving organized sport
• Fitness as a mental and emotional tool — not just an aesthetic pursuit
• How chronic high-intensity training can quietly lead to burnout
• The difference between pushing your limits and punishing your body
• Why routines matter more than trends
• How to redefine progress beyond the scale

This conversation is for the woman who loves training — but is ready to stop letting fitness control her life.

🎧 If you’ve ever felt torn between wanting to be strong and feeling pressured to be smaller, this episode will meet you exactly where you are.

🎯 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 & Connect with Halle here!

In this reflective and empowering solo episode, Maddy shares a conversation she didn’t plan — but felt deeply called to record.

What started as a last-minute pivot turned into an opportunity to speak on something that has quietly changed the lives of her clients, friends, and herself for years: how we approach change at the start of a new year.

In a wellness culture that often mocks New Year’s resolutions — or frames growth as either “do nothing” or “reinvent everything” — Maddy offers a more grounded, compassionate framework for real transformation.

She introduces the Keep / Change / Flip method: a practical, nervous-system-aware way to reflect on the past year without shame, set intentions without burnout, and move forward without erasing who you already are.

Maddy also shares a personal ritual she’s practiced since childhood — creating a “treasure map” (often called a vision board) — and explains why physically engaging with your goals, seeing them daily, and being intentional with language can quietly shape the actions you take all year long.

This episode is not about becoming a “new you.” It’s about honoring what worked, releasing what didn’t, and courageously flipping what once served you — but no longer aligns with who you’re becoming.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why the New Year can be a powerful motivator — without requiring a complete reset
• The difference between behaviors you should keep, change, and flip
• Why starting goal-setting from pride (not self-criticism) leads to better follow-through
• How “flips” often require support — not because you failed, but because your life evolved
• Why macro tracking, rigid routines, or extreme saving may need to shift as goals change
• How physical vision boards (treasure maps) influence daily decisions and manifestation
• The importance of language, intention, and nervous system safety when setting goals
• Why real growth happens through alignment — not control

This episode is for the woman who:

• Feels motivated by a fresh start but doesn’t want to burn herself out
• Is tired of “all or nothing” thinking around goals
• Knows some habits worked — but senses others need to evolve
• Feels stuck between structure and freedom
• Wants growth that feels intentional, grounded, and sustainable

If you’ve ever felt conflicted about New Year’s resolutions — or unsure how to move forward without undoing your progress — this conversation will help you reframe change as something supportive, not punishing.

Growth doesn’t require erasing yourself. It requires clarity, compassion, and the courage to evolve.

🎧 Listen now to reflect on your year, reconnect with what matters, and create a path forward that actually fits your life.

🎯 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

In this deeply honest and grounding episode, Maddy sits down with podiatrist, practice owner, HYROX athlete, and longtime client Taylor Staudt to unpack a truth that’s rarely talked about in the health and fitness space:

Coaching isn’t just for weight loss — it’s support infrastructure for change.

Taylor shares her full journey: from rapid weight gain during a season of intense life stress, long-distance marriage, and business ownership… to years of binge eating that felt like part of her identity… to finally breaking the cycle — not through stricter plans, discipline, or “starting over,” but through sustained support, nervous system safety, and a shift away from aesthetics as the primary goal.

Together, Maddy and Taylor explore how binge eating is often a stress response, not a character flaw — and why so many women relapse not because the work didn’t work, but because support is removed during moments of transition.

This episode covers:

• Why most women enter coaching for weight loss — and why that’s rarely the real issue
• How binge eating, restriction, and food anxiety are often rooted in change and nervous system dysregulation
• What actually allowed Taylor to go 5+ months binge-free for the first time in a decade
• Why relapse doesn’t mean failure — it points to unmet needs during life transitions
• The difference between using a coach for approval vs support
• How performance-based training (HYROX / hybrid training) reshaped Taylor’s relationship with food and her body
• Why fueling more, eating consistently, and releasing rigid structure created better physique results
• How shifting the goal from “weight loss” to quality of life, fertility, and long-term health changed everything

This conversation is for the woman who:

• Feels stuck in cycles of dieting, bingeing, and restarting
• Thinks she “just needs more discipline”
• Panics when structure disappears
• Or wonders why progress falls apart during vacations, relationship changes, or big life shifts

If you’ve ever felt ashamed for needing support — or frustrated that weight loss never seems to stick — this episode will help you see that the issue was never you.

Healing doesn’t happen through control. It happens through safety, support, and staying resourced through change.

🎧 Listen now for a powerful reminder that health coaching isn’t about fixing you — it’s about walking with you while your life evolves.

🎯 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