Mitch Bernier Pn2, FMS, USATF

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Mitch Bernier Pn2, FMS, USATF

Clients have been telling me for the longest time to start my own fitness page. So I did. And of course, we will be discussing movement too!!

On this page I will be discussing everything from breathing to sleep and everything in between.

27/03/2026

So Do You Like to Run?

I wonder why.

It's crazy how true this statement is.
Blurring images.
Fleeing reality.
Finding solace in the heart beat.
90 minutes of heaven.
Freedom.

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16/03/2026

NEW SEASON!!

If you have been running indoors, like me, for the last few months, getting back outside is exciting!!!

Be careful as your tissues adapt to the new ground reaction forces that differ from the treadmill.

Today's Training was about 'feeling it out'

Training (Farlek)
• Flat Road - 3 miles warm-up
• Sprint Intervals - 1.5 miles, 100m sub 5min/mil 100m recov
• Hill Climb - .75 vertical climb.

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04/02/2026

High Intensity. Don't Believe The Hype.

Okay. I may lose a few followers from the audience on this one. But I have a question for you.

Are you as fit as an Olympic Athlete?

I ask this question because a fad is circling back around- Short Bout High Intensity Training.

This can come in the form of Sprint Interval Training or High Intensity Continuous Training.

Lots of clients asking me about one or both of these as their favorite Online Doc or Podcaster speaks about the 4x4 protocol or the repeat 12 minute ALL OUT burst to drive time and efficiency.

Sigh. There is a time and place for SIT and HIIT in your training. However none of these are SUSTAINABLE all year long. And we look at how the general population adapts to change those that have sustainable, all year long habits, do better than their FAD peers.

The above table shows a summary of training volume and intensity distribution over 14 years and over 5,000 training sessions from a world
and Olympic Champion female skier (data courtesy of Espen Tønnessen, with permission from athlete Bente Skari).

14 years. Olympic Athletes. What zones do they stay in the most?

Think sustainable outcomes for yourself. You will still get to your goals. And more importantly, you won't be broken when you get there.

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29/01/2026

Fat. What Works Best?

The conversation on the best fat loss strategies continue daily. As a personal trainer, educator and nutrition coach, no matter how a client wants to reach a fat loss goal, I always ask them "is this sustainable long-term?"

Looki g at the above study, it looked at 36 studies to try to identify the best strategy for short-term fat loss.

It looked at resistance training alone, aerobic training alone and concurrent training alone to help answer the best short-term strategy for fatloss.

In the conclusion meta-analysis the authors state, "While there are no differences in percent body fat loss between exercise modes, Aerobic Training and Concurrent Training are more effective than Resistance Training alone in reducing absolute fat mass."

While this study included 36 studies to come up with this conclusion, I don't want you the AUDIENCE to go running out increasing your Aerobic work in hopes of moving the needle in your fatloss journey.

When looking at fatloss, the people that maintain or improve their lean mass, seem to do better at keeping the fat off longer term.

And that's what I believe is what most people are looking for.

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31/12/2025

Fat: Diets. Which Diet is Best?

Which Diet is Best? The one you can sustain long term.

But, clients oftern as me about popular diets they would like to try, so over the next few posts I'll dicsuss some of the most popular diets.

● Low-fat diets.

The strategy of reducing total fat intake is widely used for weight loss because a single gram of fat contains more calories than a gram of carbohydrates or protein.

Fat = 9 calories. Carb/Protein = 4

A low-fat diet usually consists of a dietary composition of fat ranging from very low ( ≤ 10% of calories from fat) to more moderate ( ≤ 30% of calories from fat and < 7%–10% from saturated fatty acids).

However, randomized trials have
failed to demonstrate better weight-loss maintenance by reducing energy intake from fat than other dietary interventions. This can mean fat or carb deficits don't matter as long as you are in a deficit.

The results of a meta-analysis did not support use of low-fat diets over other dietary interventions for long-term weight loss. In another study, although low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level was reduced among individuals with obesity who
followed a low-fat diet, triglyceride level increased and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels decreased.

Thus, diets low in saturated fatty acids, as
well as those supplemented with good-quality fat and fibers, are a reliable and healthy strategy for people with obesity to achieve weight management and to prevent some types of cancer (including colorectal cancer and breast cancer) when combined with total calorie restriction.

22/12/2025

Fat: It's Usually Not Effort But Strategy.

Here is another look, at a study, that talks about strategy and not your efforts that will lead term fat loss.

And of course, I want to continue to provide data to support, the AUDIENCE, your fatloss journey.

In this study, the thoughts are really focused around persons who are resistance training, frequently, as a way to promote fatloss.

Here is the data:
• Set the Target, Don’t Rush It
Aim to lose 0.5–1.0% of bodyweight per week.

Because faster weight loss increases muscle loss, hormonal stress, and rebound weight gain.
Slow fat loss isn’t weak. It’s protective.

• Protein Is the Non-Negotiable
Daily protein target: 2.2–3.0 g/kg bodyweight

But distribution matters just as much as totals:
3–6 meals per day
0.40–0.55 g/kg per meal
One meal 2–3 hours before training
One meal within 2–3 hours after
This keeps muscle protein synthesis elevated and prevents lean mass loss.

Muscle isn’t just strength, it’s metabolism.

• Carbs Are a Tool, Not the Enemy
Carbohydrates should match activity level, not fear: 2–5 g/kg/day, depending on training load

More training = more carbs
Less training = fewer carbs
Carbs support: performance recovery adherence.

You don’t burn fat by under-fueling training.
You burn fat by training well.

Great study here, with good data. Let me add my bias and then I hope you can choose to act on at least one of the points above.

My bias:
• without keeping NEAT behavior high (measured using steps per day), very little will support fatloss long term
• aim for 10,000 steps per day
• sleep 6-8 hours
• Protein intake matters more than anything else
• Veggies are key for fiber and long term fatloss.

23/11/2025

Fat and Sleep Loss.

Sleep Loss Makes You Gain Belly Fat, Even When Calories Don’t Change. Sleep is more important for fat loss and brai ln health then we give credit.

In the study above, researchers restricted adults to 4 hours of sleep per night for 2 week, and watched visceral fat increase, even without overeating.

Let me state that again: People didn't increase calories and saw an increase visceral fat increase!

Sleep restriction didn’t just make people tired,
it reprogrammed their metabolism toward fat storage.

What This Means for Your Fat-Loss Journey

You can be:

• Eating clean

• Training consistently

• Hitting your caloric targets

• Doing your Zone 2
…
and still struggle, if sleep is poor. So......

To keep metabolism running and visceral fat down:

✔ Aim for 7–9 hours consistently
✔ Keep bedtime + wake time stable
✔ Cut light exposure late evening
✔ Limit late-night snacking (sleep loss ↑ cravings)
✔ Add more Zone 2 on sleep-restricted days (Metabolic Flexibility support)
✔ Prioritize protein (helps hunger control)

Trying to provide you, the AUDIENCE, with actionable steps....

Save and share to someone who is struggling with fatloss.

05/11/2025

Fat and LPL - Lipoprotein Lipase.

LPL is the enzyme that decides where your fat goes (and how you burn it).

Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL) sits on your blood vessel walls like a metabolic gatekeeper. When fat (in the form of triglycerides) floats by in your bloodstream, LPL breaks it apart into free fatty acids.

Then it decides:
➡️ send them into muscle for fuel
or
➡️ park them into fat tissue for storage.

Your activity level and it seems like the amount of this enzyme you have on your muscle or active tissues, plays a role in keeping fat loss.

Exercise Flips the Switch

When you move, muscle-based LPL activity skyrockets. Your body starts vacuuming fat from the bloodstream to use as energy. When you sit all day, adipose-based LPL takes over and the fat gets stored instead of burned.

This is why NEAT behavior is so powerful.

Nutrition & Hormones Steer the Flow

Insulin (after meals) reduces LPL in muscle and boosts it in fat tissue which equals more storage.

Fasting or endurance training does the opposite. Meaning more LPL in muscle equals more oxidation or muscle usage.

Protein and omega-3s help support healthy LPL balance and historically American lack Omega-3 in their diet.

End note: I write these for you, the AUDIENCE, to understand how powerful movement and training is and that you can drastically change your life one training session at a time.

02/11/2025

Race Day.

I had a great test out today. I had a pace that I wanted to hold and was just 2 seconds off pace. When you are within 6 seconds of your pace, you are pacing well.

The bridge itself was tough. Ascending and trying to hold pace, in my case 7:30 min/mil or better, it a battle. Economy goes out the window as your body needs to recruit more fibers to climb. This in turn adds more metabolites into the tissue, effecting pH, increasing heart rate and fuel (CHO) consumption at a faster rate.

It makes me think, "can I hold this pace over the bridge for the next two mile?" And "am I going to cramp up and have to walk because I am burning through too much fuel?".

It turns out that I was fine. Other than two 20 second stops for hydration, I held pace.

But I want it to feel easier. I want to have reserves for the last kick......

I want more.....

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