#374 Ava Cowan - Lessons and Risk of Fitness Competition Dieting

#374 Ava Cowan - Lessons and Risk of Fitness Competition Dieting

Author: Andrew Coates June 19, 2025 Duration: 52:29

Ava Cowan is a legendary Pro Figure Champion and Coach who’s appeared on the cover of over 20 fitness magazines.Ava joins me to share:-When do fitness competition diets become dangerous-What are the red flag behaviours to watch for-How to create guardrails to diet safely-Ava’s positive and negative experiences from a long and successful competitive career-Are there people who are drawn to competition for the wrong reasons-Helpful lessons for fat loss from competition dieting-What’s happening when someone hits a fat loss plateau and how to navigate -Are people being honest when tracking their calories-And much more.01:12 Dangers of Fitness Competition Diets02:20 Health Risks and Eating Disorders06:56 Coaching Everyday People08:24 Importance of Off-Season and Reverse Dieting17:24 Personal Experiences and Lessons from Competitions21:07 Old Beliefs and Modern Approaches in Fitness26:39 The Dark Side of Fitness Competitions29:36 Lessons from Competition Prep for Everyday Fat Loss31:57 Navigating Muscle Gain Challenges36:24 Understanding Fat Loss Plateaus38:41 The Reality of Calorie Tracking Errors44:29 The Entitlement to Eat and Stay LeanI’ve been putting a lot of time and effort into making these new episodes valuable for you. You can help me get these great guests and their knowledge in front of more people by:-Subscribing and checking out more episodes-Sharing on your social media (please tag me - I promise I’ll respond)-Sharing with the friend you think of who needs this episodeFollow Andrew Coates:Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@andrewcoatesfitness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join My Email List:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.andrewcoatesfitness.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get the RP App at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rpstrength.com/coates⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - use the code COATESRPUse Code ANDREWCOATESFITNESS to save 10% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://justbitememeals.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use MacrosFirst for tracking nutrition ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.macrosfirst.com/⁠⁠Go to www.knkg.com/Andrew59676 for 15% off your KNKG bag.Join my Forever Strength 13 week women’s online strength program ⁦www.foreverstrength.ca⁩ and use the code: liftfree to save 10%Get 13 weeks of progressive full body strength workouts. Choose between 2 to 4 workouts each week, workout at your schedule. And have me to coach and support when you need it. You also get access to my Facebook community, full of other supportive members. Join today to secure your spot, they’re limited to 125 total. Starts Monday June 30th


Andrew Coates hosts Lift Free And Diet Hard, a conversation grounded in the belief that strength and wellness are built on more than just routines. This podcast moves beyond quick fixes to examine the principles and personal stories that shape a sustainable, intentional life. You’ll hear from a variety of inspiring guests who share not only their expertise but also the real-world challenges and triumphs they’ve faced. The discussions naturally weave together the science of fitness with the practicalities of daily choices, offering a nuanced look at what it means to truly care for your physical and mental health. Each episode is designed to provide actionable insights you can use to navigate your own path, fostering resilience and confidence whether you're in the gym or the kitchen. By focusing on informed decision-making over dogma, the Lift Free And Diet Hard podcast becomes a resource for anyone looking to cut through the noise of wellness culture. Andrew facilitates these explorations with a focus on empowerment, ensuring every conversation adds a layer of understanding to the complex journey of building a strong, healthy life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew Coates
Podcast Episodes
#423 Melody Schoenfeld - Vegan Myth Busting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:38
Melody Schoenfeld is an author, gym owner, nutrition coach, and holds a Master's in Health Psychology. She brings deep expertise, a sharp nonsense detector, and evidence-based nuance to one of the most polarizing topics…
#422 Dr. Allan Bacon - Breaking Fat Loss Plateaus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:44
Dr. Allan Bacon returns to break down one of the trickiest parts of health and fitness: fat loss plateaus.Allan blends evidence, coaching experience, and no-nonsense communication to clarify why plateaus happen, why most…
#421 Alex Allen - You’ll Never Hate Yourself Into a Body You Love [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:39
Alex Allen is one of the most skilled coaches in the industry at communicating nuance around training, lifestyle, and nutrition. She brings deep compassion and lived experience to the conversation - including weight gain…
#420 Chris Duffin - Resilience Engineered [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:30
Chris Duffin is an iconic strength athlete, entrepreneur, inventor, author, and educator known for engineering both world-class feats of strength and world-class systems of mindset.In this episode, Chris opens up about h…
#418 Jaime Filer - Is Anxiety Interfering With Your Progress? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:54
Jaime Filer is the founder of Filer Fitness and a respected speaker and educator in the fitness industry.In this episode, Jaime brings a mix of humor, vulnerability, and hard-earned wisdom to help unpack the very real wa…
#415 Kris Gethin - How To Transform Your Body, Mind, and Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:33
Kris Gethin is one of the most recognizable figures in the global fitness industry, known for his role as the longtime Editor-in-Chief of Bodybuilding.com, his transformation programs, and his relentless commitment to ph…