Spotify | Apple | YouTube

In this episode of Deadlifts and Pizza, we covered a little bit of everything: what we’re currently eating, tracking calories again, heart rate training, the Morpheus monitor, and whether the good morning exercise deserves a spot in your program.

Here’s a recap of what we talked about.

What We’re Eating Right Now

We started by sharing what a typical day of eating looks like at the moment.

My Planned Day

Breakfast: Protein shake/smoothie (43g protein, 446 calories)
Lunch: Beef and veggie bowl
- 1 lb beef split into 3 servings
- 2 scrambled eggs mixed in
- Broccoli, peas, butternut squash, onion, garlic
- ~600 calories, 48g protein, 57g carbs, 23g fat
Dinner: Mediterranean baked cod (with tomatoes and other ingredients baked together)
- ~ 325 calories, 26g protein, 23g carbs, 15g fat
- Possibly over rice or pasta, possibly on it’s own (this would add more carbs)

Total planned intake was under 1400 calories, with the likelihood of adding Greek yogurt with fruit later for more calories.

We also discussed getting back into tracking. After being sick and unintentionally eating much lower calories for about a week, weight didn’t drop. It actually increased once calories came back up. This led into a conversation about mini-cuts, metabolic adjustment, and why very low calories (like 1200) don’t always produce the expected short-term result.

The current approach:

This week = track and hit protein
Next week = Whole Foods focus
Then potentially move into a structured cut

Jaime’s Current Plan

Jaime shared her recent meal prep:

Breakfast: Roasted butternut squash soup (with red lentils and cottage cheese blended in) + chicken sausage + strawberry muffin
Lunch: White bean and tomato mixture with shrimp
Dinner: Salmon with roasted baby potatoes and asparagus
Dessert: Healthy Choice fudge bar (90 calories)

We talked about food prep habits, rotating meals, and how simple meals can still hit protein and fiber targets.

Tracking Again & Getting Back to Basics

We discussed the idea of doing a tracking challenge, not necessarily a cut, but simply getting back into the habit of logging food and recalibrating.

The focus right now isn’t extreme dieting. It’s awareness and consistency.

Heart Rate Training & the Morpheus Monitor

The conversation shifted into heart rate training and the Morpheus monitor.

Laura shared that she’s been using Morpheus to:

Measure HRV (heart rate variability) in the morning
Track resting heart rate
Monitor recovery scores
Adjust heart rate zones daily based on recovery

We discussed:

What HRV is (variability between heartbeats)
Why higher HRV is generally considered a positive sign
How resting heart rate is measured first thing in the morning
How Morpheus categorizes zones into blue, green, and red (instead of traditional Zone 1–5)
How those zones shift depending on recovery status

We also talked about:

How difficult it can be to truly hit red zone without sprinting or high-intensity efforts
How kettlebell circuits, sled pushes, burpees, sprints, and Taekwondo-style intervals can elevate heart rate
The balance between loading muscles and moving fast enough to drive heart rate up
The difference between conditioning work and strength-focused work

There was also discussion about how heart rate monitors compare in accuracy (Fitbit vs. Morpheus) and manually checking pulse.

Escalated Density Training

We briefly revisited escalated density training and how demanding it can be especially the Friday workout in the landmine program.

It was noted that intensity can be adjusted by manipulating rest periods, making the sessions scalable depending on effort.

Ranking the Good Morning Exercise

Next, we ranked the Good Morning in our S–F tier system.

For context, a good morning is essentially a Romanian deadlift pattern performed with the weight on your upper back instead of held in your hands.

Laura’s Take:

Grade: B
Prefers RDLs most of the time
Good mornings feel different and often leave hamstrings sore
Occasionally programs them for variation
Rarely chooses them over RDLs

Jaime’s Take:

Generally dislikes them
Concerned about loading the spine away from center of gravity
Notes they may have specific application for certain lifters
Acknowledges they directly load the low back more than an RDL

We discussed:

Hip positioning differences
Hamstring stretch differences
Load placement and spinal stress
When (if ever) they make sense in programming

Ranking Home Gym Equipment Part 1 (S Tier to F Tier)

Finally, we ranked common home gym equipment into tiers based on usefulness and versatility. We ran out of time to go through the full list, so look out for part 2.

Equipment discussed included:

Sled
Squat rack
Treadmill
Barbell and plates
Dumbbells
Landmine
Assault bike
Bands
Trap bar
Pull-up bar

We talked through which pieces offer the most bang for your buck in a home setup, which are versatile enough for long-term training, and which might be more situational depending on goals and space.

Final Thoughts

This episode covered real-life eating habits, tracking phases, heart rate monitoring, conditioning strategies, equipment rankings, and a hinge exercise debate — all in one conversation.

To hear the full discussion and our complete S–F rankings, listen to the full episode above of Deadlifts and Pizza.