Determined Society with Shawn French | Adversity & Mindset - Training High-Performance Athletes with Giovanna Giancola | The Omni Performance Institute

Episode Date: January 13, 2025

Welcome to another episode of The Determined Society Podcast! Join us as we dive into an inspiring interview with Giovanna Giancola at the Omni Performance Institute. Discover insider fitness tips, athlete nutrition secrets, and the transformative power of sport-specific training. Don't miss out on how top athletes achieve their dreams with the right guidance. Like, comment, and subscribe if you enjoy the content! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Not slamming you guys, sorry. But it's the truth, right? Sorry. Oops. I don't like those. Yeah, she doesn't like this. She can have a preference, damn it. A lot of people think the less they eat, the more fat the lose and stuff, but that's not the case.

Yeah, their body's actually eating away the muscle and keeping the fat. Right. skinny fat. You don't want to see that your body's eating all the protein to use for energy. You want it eating the carbs and the fat. Shut, French, what else? Let the pain inspire me. I put my all and everything I'm doing. Up until it's done, I meet for the entirety.

I'm putting an overtime. I'll be working. Just know I'm a go for mine because I earned it. They watch and I know it's time. I confirmed it. A whole society determined. What's up everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the Determined Society.

If today is your first day listening or watching on YouTube, please don't forget to hit the subscribe button, share the show with someone you know that needs to hear this conversation about high performance athletes and what they need to do to get to the next level of their sport. Today I have with me a very special guest while I'm here live at the Omni Performance Institute, my friend G, it is Giovanna Giancola. Yes. Thank you. It's been here.

It's been forever. It's been a while. It's been a while. It's been a while since I've actually filmed a show here. And what we thought was like, well, why don't we do it inside the performance center? It is a little more quiet. But you know, you guys are building something great here. So I wanted to highlight it.

Oh, thank you. Yeah, it's still hot in here, though. It's still. It's a little warm. Oh. But it's okay. Don't worry. I'm just messing with you.

I have any seat there. No, no, no. I can do a sauna. It's fun. Okay. It's fun. I have more weight to lose here. Going the cold lunge after.

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So, look, everything looks great. It's good to see you. walk the audience through that doesn't know about the Performance Institute, just not here in this building, but also the gym next door. Like walk everybody through what's going on here at the Omni. Okay. Well, we had a vision for the entire complex, actually, and we wanted to be a whole wellness village. And we thought the first step would be to open up a fitness center. So right now we

have some of the best equipment and the most equipment in all of Southwest Florida. And we're here to not only help you age better, but also help high school athletes, grade school athletes, work, and hopefully move on to get scholarships or play professional. I just found that three people that attend the classes here got selected to Division I schools on scholarships. Let's talk about that real quick. There's one girl got accepted into the University of Maryland. That's pretty cool.

And then another one is becoming a gator, and they're all on full scholarships. Wow. What sports? Softball, and I'm not sure of the others. Is the gator the softball or is the... No. Maryland and the other, it's another big top time school. That's so awesome.

So it's really nice to see that. our hard work and of course there's this pain off sure it's it's important like training specific athletes is so important and the other thing that you you touched on that i think it's super important to highlight and everybody in southwest florics you know we do live in a slower down area is to age better right i always find that when you're hydrated and you put good things in your body and you work your body you almost look five to 10 years younger yes yes and then the equipment that we have here i is great because, I mean, I'm only 35, but my bones crack and I walk around. So I actually use the equipment here.

And I feel better. I do. Otherwise, I can't sleep on my side or anything. But a lot of this stuff really helps. And not only makes you feel better, but it correlates with your fitness goals. So how does it make you feel and just everybody involved when you hear the news that three of your young. athletes that work out here and give time here that you guys have all gotten to know are getting to actualize their dream of playing big Division I sports.

Oh my gosh, the class instructors elated. Patrick Ryan, who. Oh, he's the best. Yes. He's the best. I love that, dude. Yes, he's elated. He's so happy for them.

And we're going to have a little feature for them at the front desk and stuff. That's so cool. Yeah, we really focus on their specific needs for their sports and work with us. in order to obtain their goals. So this is important, right? So when we're talking about sport-specific training or specific needs for the sport, a lot of trainers say, okay, well, we need to get stronger.

So we're going to do push, pull, push, pull, right? And break it up on different days, right, so you don't completely wear out your muscles. But what you guys do here is very specific and you take the approach for what the athlete needs to be done. Correct. That to me is worth all the money. in the world because that prevents injury and it promotes strength and agility.

Yes. Yes. It's been really helpful. And they focus on if you're a sprinter or if you run distance, if you're a swimmer, there's a lot of hockey kids. Is it really? Yeah. Hockey, soccer. In Florida. Who knew that? Baseball. Yeah, of course baseball. Best sport on the planet. Right. Absolutely. Are you a baseball fan? I like to go to any sports games. What's the one sport you don't want to watch? I don't know. It could all be interesting. Yeah?

Yeah. Hmm, interesting. I have a newfound love for soccer. Okay. My son apparently is really good at soccer. It's just like he played last year and he was a little timid. We put him in this year. He's a baller.

Yeah. Baller. I was going to say I didn't like five-year-old soccer, but then... No, he's 11, so you'd like it. My niece is in it. and it's kind of funny to watch them. It's fun to watch, right? They get aggressive a little bit.

You could even get into ping pong on a day if you want. Why not? There's pickleball now. Right. You know, ping pong on its adult, you know, ping pong. Yes. So I think, you know, and I know what you guys are doing here is super special to the community. And I'm sure there's some places that do it, but you guys are doing it in such an elegant way and it's top-notch.

How has that been received by the community that comes in here and gets to receive coaching from, from, I mean, Patrick's a legend. I mean, he's played professional football. He's done well. You know, I think he came from here, didn't he? I think so, yeah. His son's really good, too. Yes.

The son's a badass. Actually, he's, I have no idea where he's going, but he's, his son got accepted into some combine. Really? He's flying next week sometime. That's really awesome. Or Wednesday. Nope, see, it's coming up.

Mm-hmm. I want you guys to really, if you're watching this or listening, I want you guys to take this in. We're about 10 minutes into a conversation at a local performance center here in Fort Myers, Florida that has top D1 athletes coming out of here. And that also has a kid, he's in middle school, right? Or about to be in middle school. Yeah. And he's being accepted to combines. The kid's an amazing football player. There's just so much talent running through this place here. Like I don't want to miss talking about that because that to me, that's credibility. is proof that what you guys are doing here is working. I mean, how does that, how does that feel?

It feels good. It's nice to have a vision, I guess, and then see it all come to life. And now we're really, we have a great staff and everything here. So yeah, and now we have the HP lab. Yeah, the HP lab. Human Performance Lab. Okay, so let's talk about this place. Okay. So we have the bod pod in there, right? And that measures body fat, all that good stuff. What other cool things you got going on in here? So I just try and put it through a whole little loop, you know, if somebody was coming in and they did the bod pod, then they get to see their body fat percentage. And then maybe they want to know more about the food they're consuming and the calories.

So over there, we have what's called acute energy. Okay. And then you could lay under that for 20 minutes, and it'll tell you exactly if you're burning protein, fat, or carbohydrates. That's wild. Tell you exactly how many calories to consume in your resting energy rate. Okay. And then we have a stim-a-well, which is also over there, for if you have any injuries in your back, it could help with osteoporosis. if you just have a tight shoulder,

it's something like a tense therapy, but a little more intense. It feels good. It feels like a massage. And you could even do a back workout on there. So if you want to look more tone, all you have to do is lay down for a little bit. Well, sign me up.

Right. Because that sounds like much better than doing all the work. What do we got over there on the desk? Looks like there's bottles and what is going on over there? That desk? On your desk. Like all the cool, like, things.

What is on the front of desk? That's a little gift bag. Oh, gift bag. Yeah, for anybody that comes in. They'll give you a gift, too, guys. You come in, you know, get humbled by the bod pod and the other machine to tell you that you're not burning fat. We can all just feel better with a goody bag. Yeah, we provide nutrition counseling, or I do, actually.

Okay, so this is important for an athlete. Yes. Right? It's not just calories in. It's what type of calories. Correct. You need to be able to fuel your body the right way. So I always say, like, you know, with my dog,

or my RAM TRX, I'm not going to put regular gasoline in it because it's not going to perform well. Right? I got to put premium in. So that's the same thing with nutrition. So how do you specify or, I guess, differentiate from athlete to athlete with the nutritional advice that you give? I have a list of different questions. I come from more of a medical background. Okay. Until I moved here, I worked in hospitals and nursing homes. So I really like to know if you're deficient in anything or if you feel tired and then of course the bod pod and the cue energy and everything help and then it's not completely changing your diet it's adding stuff in or taking things out and then depending on how much you like to cook then you could have fun and make new things or

it could be easy what do you find athletes are most deficient in or people in in general, that just roll through here. You know, I think the biggest eye roll would be protein. Everybody wants more protein, but getting it and getting it the right ways. I personally hate the core power protein drinks and stuff. There's definitely cleaner protein sources for sure. Not slamming you guys, sorry. But it's the truth, right?

Sorry. Oops. I don't like those. Yeah, she doesn't like this. She can have a preference, damn it. But no, that's the thing. It's like, you know, having a good protein source, I always believe that there needs to be some type of supplementation

because you can't just sit there and eat meat all day long. Right. You just, it's, it's, yeah. So I like to do a protein before I work out. Then I have a breakfast. And then mid-morning protein, lunch, some mixed nuts, and then my dinner, right? But people are really deficient of protein, huh?

Protein. Or even if you work out a lot and really trying, just eating in general. A lot of people think the less they eat than the more fat they'll lose and stuff, but that's not the case. Yeah, their body's actually eating away the muscle and keeping the fat.

Right. Now they're skinny fat. Right. You don't want it. Which, again, you could tell in the Q energy, but you don't want to see that your body's eating all the protein to use for energy. You want it eating the carbs and the fat.

Do you have a problem with athletes come in, like with their fruits and their vegetables, or is it just being aware of the portion size with the proteins and then adding in those types of sides? I think awareness, not so much the high school kids because they live more structured lives, but for somebody that, like you, that's got to be hard to have some sort of nutrition structure. Yeah, I mean, the thing that I find the hardest is the planning, right? And that's something I've always struggled with. and I've gotten my shit together lately.

And, you know, it's been nice. But the one thing that I'll always say is I don't like to meal prep. I will not meal prep because I do not like the taste of leftover chicken. Like if can't do it. Like I gag. Like, don't make me throw up on my show. I just can't do it. But like if I cut it up real small,

I can throw it in with my egg and my egg whites in the morning and I'm good. Right. So I use it for that. Stakes, I can eat leftover all day long. I could eat red meat every meal if I was allowed to. I really, really would. I love it. But the planning side for me, right, is like they always say to meal prep.

Right. So you have your options. But for me, I'm mostly out of my house. So I feel like, okay, well, I didn't have lunch today. So I cooked up a bunch of ground turkey. And I had that with a bunch of let. I made a little salad. Right.

So I was able to do that. But my challenge, and I think a lot of, you know, adults in their mid-40s is having something readily available so that they can eat it. And then if they don't have that, it's like, okay, well, I'm going to stop at Chick-fil-A, or I'm going to stop at Burger King, but it's only going to be this once. Right. Or if you don't have it, then I love Taco Bell. It's my favorite.

Dude, I love Taco Bell. It's the best. I know. And there's like. Talk dirty to me. Like Taco Bell. Just, God, I love it. I have a shirt.

that says I'll drop kick a child for Taco Bell. Really? Yeah. Don't ever wear that near an elementary school. Or do? I don't know. I love it. What's your favorite thing on the Taco Bell menu?

Bean burrito. Dude, so back in the day, I used to get the bean cheese, rice burritos, extra cheese. Mm-hmm. Like, and then I wondered why I had a weight problem. Like, I would always eat them. But I love them. It's actually not bad.

Well, that was not bad. But, yeah. Cheese, yeah, but the gorditos are good, too. Yeah. The cheese cacadillas. I, I feel like Taco Bell should throw some money for this, like, for like

advertising porn. I don't even care. Just like send me some hot sauce or something. Yeah. I went there on. She likes the fire sauce guys. I went there on Valentine's Day. Like, I am a big Taco Bell person.

Okay. That's cool. No, I mean, Taco Bell is great. But like, and that's the other thing too, right? You don't need to be 100% on 100% of the time. Right. You're allowed to take these small little breaks as long as you get back on the horse,

because I think the most important thing for an athlete is when they start going off the rails too much, right? Even if they're lean, you cannot tell me that an athlete is performing peak levels eating chicken filet or Taco Bell consistently, even though they look good aesthetically. They are not performing like they would if they were eating a good nutritional plan.

Yes. But those are good two good ones, Chick-fil-A and Taco Ball because there's other options there where if you're running around and you can't get even to your refrigerator. One billion percent. Then helping people choose those options when they're out. I will go, if I'm in a pinch, I'll go to Chick-fil-A and get two grilled fillets. And I'll just eat them.

They've seen me do it. Like, my team see me do it. I'll roll in with a bag and afterwards, I'm just not on chicken when I'm walking out. But I mean, if you got to do what you got to do, right? Right. Have you seen issues with athletes that come in here that you tell them like, hey, listen, this is how you should be eaten. And then they kind of buck the system a little bit. They don't really want to buy into that. Yeah, some, but also they're paying for it. It's the same as a personal training session. So if they're doing that, they're somewhat invested. Or there's something that. maybe if I come up with a meal plan and I tell them make smoothies and they don't have a blender. And obviously they're going to not do that.

So then it's trying to figure out where the disconnect is and how we could mesh well together. Yeah, I love that because that's leadership and that's coaching. Because if you're going to have something like this, you're going to need to understand that some families do have different, I guess, challenges. Maybe they don't have a blender. Maybe you should get blenders out. Or even ethnic backgrounds. Yeah. I mean, what do you mean by that, though?

You know, different ethnicities like different foods or it's now Greek Orthodox, so now they're vegan and they eat fish. And all these, you know, just making sure that they have foods that they like and nothing they don't like. Yeah. I love it. Simple enough for them to follow. I just think that you need to have options, right? And I think that's the great part about what you guys are doing here is you're able to decipher who needs what. And then you're able to give a plan based on what they prefer.

I think that's important for everybody because if you do not find something that you can be sustainable, you're going to fall off quick. You might make it two, three weeks. Right. And that's fine. That's just with anything in life, right? You want to go 100% right away. And then for the audience listening and watching, it's like, this is a great, lesson because I always like to parallel everything to life. You find something sustainable.

If it's not sustainable, you don't do it. You can get the quick fix all you want. You can lose all the weight. You can make the money in three months. But at the end of the day, you're so burned out because the systems were not repeatable. Right. And what we want to do here at the Performance Institute is make everything repeatable. Yes. You excited this is here now? Because you guys been working on this for a while. I really am once I, you know, they call me a little scientist just in here. The mad scientist. Yeah. The mad scientist. Now this is playing with everything and figuring it out. But like this is your dungeon now. This is where you're at. This is, this is your spot. It is. You know? Yes. That's really cool. Is it quiet all the time?

Yeah. Other than when you have athletes coming in and doing their thing. Right. So you can just sit over there and just. There's birds that are nesting over there. I don't know where they went. So that's pretty interesting. Ooh, it starts with an M. I looked it up. And I looked up how to rehome them. How do you ream home them?

I guess my friend said she has a farm. Okay. She says you just like put them in a dog crate since this is all going under construction. Yeah. And then you just rehome them to a pond. Interesting. You want to know what I saw today? What?

I saw something crazy. So I was in Publix. I told you I was getting my stuff. and I see this big old pole at the entrance and this weird little net, this black net. It looked like it, it was like the world's biggest hair net. Okay, but on the other side, there was another pole. I'm like, what is going on in here?

What are you guys doing? Like, there's a bird in here. We're trying to catch it. Oh, my God. I'm like, well, why don't you catch it? What are you going to do with it? And then she's like, well, we're going to take it outside. I'm like, well, how do you get it out of the net?

I mean, the net was like almost 90 feet long. It was wild. I don't know. You started talking about birds, so I felt it was appropriate. They're my new friends. Yeah? They keep you company all the time. Right.

That's cool. They probably have a name for you too. I'm sure. They do. I want to know what kind of bird it is, though. You're going to have to text me that. I will. Yeah.

So what's next around here? What is next in the performance center? What are we looking to add in the future? Oh, yeah. Question. Well, this is all temporary. And so although we spruce it up a bit once we do all the demo and rebuild, it's going to be a whole part of the fitness center.

Yes, yes. And it's going to have different tiers. The pickle ball court will be on the roof and it'll be really, really nice looking. So let's rewind. Because the audience that hasn't been here doesn't, they don't know the plans. So talk to the audience about what is coming. here shortly after everything is demoed and you rebuild back up with everything going on, the full vision of what this place is and what this little community is going to be. The full vision is an actual wellness village. So I'm from Chicago. Couldn't tell.

But anyway. I know. I know. He noticed too right away. I thought I was losing my accent. No, you're good, girl. We take frequent trips back and forth. Yes.

Yeah. True. But so with the fitness center being the central hub, we're going to have some apartments. We're going to have a hotel here where the members of the hotel can use the fitness center. It's wild. And then the apartments get a free membership in their HOA fees. And then we'll have different restaurants and boutiques and just really, where you don't have to get in a car and drive, you could walk around and get some food

or work out or hang out with the people. And yeah. So you're like building like a mini little brickle. Yes. Right here, right? I kind of feel like, because that's the way it is in Brickle. Like you have the gym, and then you have all these amazing places you can eat,

then you have the train. Like you literally do not have to leave this little area, right? And you have the Mary Brickle Center with all the shopping. That place is cool. Wow, that's awesome. Can't wait for that. I mean, do we have a, do we have a tentative date?

We're going to start knocking it down in a couple months. Oh, wow. Yeah, just waiting on permits. Knocking it down. Is a gym going to stay open while everything is being? Yes, it'll be open until the next one's ready. That's really cool. That's really cool.

Anything else you would like to share about all the amazing things going on here? Let's see. We have a P-E-M-F mat as well. Okay. And then athletes, I know Bella's fiancé in baseball, they would make them walk around without shoes on the field for grounding. Possibly. Yeah. They didn't do that at LSU.

No. No, we didn't do that. We didn't do hippie shit like that. But, you know, Florida State does. It's whatever. It's fine. Right. But no, it is a thing.

Yes. So I'm sorry. Yes. But that helps stimulate your cell growth. and your muscular system. So we have a PMF mad as well, blood pressure. I think I went through them all now. It's awesome.

Yeah, we have a whole bunch of stuff in a little space. Well, I appreciate you coming on today and telling the audience about what you guys have going on here. I think it's super important, especially for the athletes in the community, right? If audience, if you're looking just to get healthy, this is a great place to come. If you live in Southwest Florida, located right here,

the Omni Performance Institute in Fort Myers, Florida, come check it out, bring your kids. You guys have a lot of fun things too. You guys have yoga. You guys have a lot of things at night that they can come and be a part of. You guys are truly building a community, truly living like the wellness community is already here. I think that's what's really really needed. Yeah.

We have an eight-week fitness challenge coming up. Do you? Yeah. So it's based on the winners. It's based on your improvement. Okay. So when it comes to lifting, obviously you're going to lift more than me,

but I could improve more. You could. You probably would. You probably would. The bodpods included in that, and non-members could join as well. And the winner could get a free membership. There it is.

Yeah. There is. Win it. All right, guys, thank you so much for watching and listening. Again, don't forget to give a rating or a written review on Apple or Spotify

and share the show with the athlete or the person that needs to hear this today. So until next time, stay determined.