Ep. 14: The Problem with Pilates

The Problem with Pilates, Building Glutes, and Fixing Nutrition Myths, with Erin Brick

Episode 14 brings on Erin Brick, a personal trainer and online coach, for a wide-ranging conversation on training and nutrition. Erin lays out her top three glute exercises and how she structures a program for someone trying to grow their glutes, then moves into nutrition myths she hears constantly from clients (fear of carbs, demonizing red meat, chasing supplements instead of fixing the basics). Is there a problem with Pilates? She also gets into why habits matter more than macros for most people, why training intensity can't outrun a bad diet, and the coaching psychology that actually keeps clients consistent.

TAKEAWAYS

1. Erin's top three glute exercises: hip thrust, RDL, cable abduction. Hip thrust first because it's safe, heavily glute-focused, and easy to load heavily. RDL second, since it still demands a lot from your back. Cable abduction third, to train the lateral movement that squats and hip thrusts miss.

2. Train glutes at least twice a week, three times if you can recover from it. Erin's structure for three days: day one is a big hip thrust day, day two is a lighter RDL day, day three is a smaller squat-focused day. Going beyond three days a week means being very deliberate about effort and recovery.

3. You cannot out-train a bad diet. Calories in versus calories out is not something training intensity beats. Erin has had clients work out seven days a week and not lose weight because their nutrition didn't match. Fat loss is a nutrition problem first.

4. Build nutrition habits before jumping to macros. For someone with no structure, Erin starts with something as simple as eating at the same three times a day, or adding one protein shake daily, before ever introducing numbers. Macros only work once the basic habits are already in place.

5. Protein is a poor energy source, and that's fine. Carbs and fats are your body's primary fuel. Protein only gets used for energy in extreme cases, like starvation. Eating a protein bar before a workout won't give you an energy boost — that's not what it's built for.

Pro Tip: Schedule your workouts and meal prep like appointments, not intentions. Erin's biggest predictor of client success is whether someone commits to a specific day and time rather than saying they'll "try." If a client relies on meal prepping, groceries need a fixed day too — otherwise the whole plan can fall apart.

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