Wits & Weights: Strength and Nutrition for Skeptics
Philip Pape
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For skeptics of the fitness industry who want to live longer by getting stronger with strength training and sustainable nutrition. I’m your host, Philip Pape, and in each episode, we’ll examine strategies to help you achieve physical self-mastery through a healthy skepticism of exercise and nutrition science, and a commitment to consistent lifting and nutrition.
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
9 hours ago
Ep 55: The “Best” Diet for Weight Loss and Finding Food Freedom with Kate Bay Jaramillo
Today we dive into some hot nutrition topics. What is the “best” diet for weight/fat loss and how can women over 40 prioritize and optimize their health? Should you consider intermittent fasting (time-restricted feeding), especially for women? How can you unleashing the power of your mind to create results?
We touch on disordered eating habits and body image concerns, and what to do if someone is resistant to change or has difficulty following their nutrition plan. Finally, we discuss the online nutrition coaching business, establishing a unique niche, and the best way to measure the success of your nutrition coaching to keep improving.
My guest is Kate Bay Jaramillo, a business coach of mine who has helped me serve clients and listeners better than I could ever have imagined and has impacted many other coaches and clients during her career.
Kate is a Master Fitness Instructor, Nutrition Business Coach, and cookbook author. She is the Founder of Ketogenic Living 101, and the Co-Owner and Director of Client Success at Beyond Macros. If you’re a nutrition coach, check out their Facebook group, called Online Nutrition Coach Community #ONCC, where you can meet Kate firsthand and see all of the great work she’s doing.
Most importantly, Kate is a loving wife and mother of four amazing children. In her spare time, Kate enjoys traveling, cooking, and coaching elementary cheerleading.
*Today you’ll learn all about:*
* How Kate got into the fitness, nutrition, and business coaching space
* The “best” diet for weight loss
* How women over 40 can prioritize and optimize their health
* Intermittent fasting (time-restricted feeding), especially for women
* Why nutrition and fitness (whole-body wellness) are essential
* Unleashing the power of our minds to create results
* How to balance the need for individualized plans with science
* Disordered eating habits and body image concerns
* Clients who are resistant to change or have difficulty following their nutrition plan
* Differentiating from other online nutrition coaches with a unique niche
* Measuring success of your business to keep improving
*Episode resources*
* Visit the Online Nutrition Coach Community
* Find Kate on Facebook here
* Watch the episode on video here
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **https://www.instagram.com/witsandweights/*
* *Email: **philip@witsandweights.com*
💪 *Need help optimizing your body composition? Check out Wits & Weights individualized, one-on-one nutrition coaching:
**https://witsandweights.com/coaching*
👩💻 *Free 30-minute call with Philip:
**http://bit.ly/3JAFKSz**
*
🥩 *Free Ultimate Macros Guide* and *50 High-Protein Recipes:
**https://witsandweights.com** *
*👏 ENJOY THE SHOW? *
* ⭐ Leave a review here
* 💁♀️ Become a supporter and get a shout out here
* 👥 Join our free community for guides, live trainings, & challenges here
* *🙋♀️* Ask a question for Q&A here
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3 days ago
Ep 54: What You REALLY Need to Transform Your Body and Succeed in Life with Kevin Palmieri
What is the meaning of self-improvement and how does it apply to health and fitness? What do you need to achieve your goals? We explore whether struggle is necessary for progress and success, and what role confidence plays in our fitness journey. How do you find your purpose? What is the importance of self-love, emotion, and vulnerability in self-improvement? We also dive into the significance of emotional intelligence and self-awareness in self-improvement and whether fear can be a positive tool.
My guest today is Kevin Palmieri, the founder and co-host of the Next Level University podcast and Podcast Growth University.
Early in his life, Kevin found “success”, but after a brush with suicide he realized he wasn’t living a life he truly wanted. He became passionate about self-improvement and decided to make it his purpose in life to impact as many people as possible by becoming a role model podcaster and speaker.
His podcast is now one of the top 100 with over 1000 episodes and listened in over 125 countries, and he’s taken his life to the next level and achieved both personal and professional success.
*You’ll learn all about:*
* Kevin’s journey from early success to rock bottom to his “no-BS approach to holistic self-improvement”
* Defining self-improvement and its application to health and fitness
* The importance of consistency in self-improvement
* Is struggle necessary for progress and success?
* What is confidence and how can someone become more confident in their fitness journey?
* How to find your purpose (your “why”)
* The role of self-love, emotion, and vulnerability in self-improvement
* The importance of emotional intelligence and self-awareness in self-improvement
* Kevin’s biggest fear
*Episode resources:*
* Find the Next Level University podcast, coaching, speaking, and group coaching at Kevin's website - nextleveluniverse.com
* Next Level University on YouTube here
* Free course - Next Level 5 to Thrive
* Find Kevin on Instagram - @neverquitkid
* Watch the episode on video here
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **https://www.instagram.com/witsandweights/*
* *Email: **philip@witsandweights.com*
💪 *Need help optimizing your body composition? Check out Wits & Weights individualized, one-on-one nutrition coaching:
**https://witsandweights.com/coaching*
👩💻 *Free 30-minute call with Philip:
**http://bit.ly/3JAFKSz**
*
🥩 *Free Ultimate Macros Guide* and *50 High-Protein Recipes:
**https://witsandweights.com** *
*👏 ENJOY THE SHOW? *
* ⭐ Leave a review here
* 💁♀️ Become a supporter and get a shout out here
* 👥 Join our free community for guides, live trainings, & challenges here
* *🙋♀️* Ask a question for Q&A here
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Mar 17, 2023
Ep 53: 5 Mistakes People Make During Fat Loss
In today’s special solo episode, we uncover 5 of the most common mistakes people make during their fat loss journey.
As someone who is 8 weeks into my own 12-week fat loss phase, I can empathize with these challenges and offer guidance on what to avoid and how to successfully navigate your next fat loss phase!.
Drawing from my daily experiences with clients who have also faced these common struggles, I share practical advice to help you overcome them and make the most of your health and fitness journey.
*Episode resources:*
* MacroFactor food logging app (use affiliate code “WITSANDWEIGHTS” to extend your free trial):
* Ep 21: 21 Ways to Measure Progress and Crush Your Fitness Goals
* Ep 25: Lose 30 Pounds (or More) the Right Way and Keep it Off
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **https://www.instagram.com/witsandweights/*
* *Email: **philip@witsandweights.com*
💪 *Need help optimizing your body composition? Check out Wits & Weights individualized, one-on-one nutrition coaching:
**https://witsandweights.com/coaching*
👩💻 *Free 30-minute call with Philip:
**http://bit.ly/3JAFKSz**
*
🥩 *Free Ultimate Macros Guide* and *50 High-Protein Recipes:
**https://witsandweights.com** *
*👏 ENJOY THE SHOW? *
* ⭐ Leave a review here
* 💁♀️ Become a supporter and get a shout out here
* 👥 Join our free community for guides, live trainings, & challenges here
* *🙋♀️* Ask a question for Q&A here
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Mar 14, 2023
Ep 52: How to Control Emotional Eating and Exercise Consistently with Ashley Carlotta
Today we discuss emotional eating and healthy habits, the difference between physical hunger and emotional eating, why we eat emotionally, and how to address this for consistent habits and results. We also explore strategies for planning ahead and staying accountable, why it's hard to go it alone when trying to live a healthy lifestyle, managing food choices during a gaining phase, and the importance of non-food behaviors like hydration, activity, and self-care for success.
My guest is Ashley Carlotta, a Certified Accountability Health Coach. Ashley has helped hundreds of clients accountable to eat well and exercise consistently while living in moderation and practicing mindfulness.
She is the founder of Better Health by Accountability, where she coaches men and women all over the world. Ashley believes that daily accountability support is key to reaching your health and wellness goals. Ashley’s coaching provides daily communication, check-ins, guidance, and continuous reminders, and her clients find success with her direct, no excuses, fun-loving style.
*You'll learn all about:*
* Ashley's story and why she became a coach
* The difference between physical hunger and emotional eating
* Why we eat emotionally
* How to "fix" emotional eating or take control for consistent habits and results
* How to plan ahead for dining out, travel, and other opportunities to eat emotionally
* How to cultivate accountability and planning ahead (and why we don't already do this)
* Why it's hard to go it alone when trying to live a healthy lifestyle
* Managing food choices when in a gaining (muscle building) phase
* The importance of non-food behaviors (hydration, activity, self-care) for success
*Episode resources:*
* Download your free cheat sheet - 5 ways to start losing weight without dieting
* Ashley's website - betterhealthbyaccountability.com
* Find Ashley on Instagram - @betterhealthbyaccountability
* Watch the episode on video here
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **https://www.instagram.com/witsandweights/*
* *Email: **philip@witsandweights.com*
💪 *Need help optimizing your body composition? Check out Wits & Weights individualized, one-on-one nutrition coaching:
**https://witsandweights.com/coaching*
👩💻 *Free 30-minute call with Philip:
**http://bit.ly/3JAFKSz**
*
🥩 *Free Ultimate Macros Guide* and *50 High-Protein Recipes:
**https://witsandweights.com** *
*👏 ENJOY THE SHOW? *
* ⭐ Leave a review here
* 💁♀️ Become a supporter and get a shout out here
* 👥 Join our free community for guides, live trainings, & challenges here
* *🙋♀️* Ask a question for Q&A here
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Mar 10, 2023
Ep 51: Mental Resilience and Commitment to Training Despite Adversity (Earthquakes!) with Heather Clinger
Today I’m joined by my client Heather Clinger, a wife and mother of 5 currently homeschooling her children in Turkey. She is passionate about teaching and creating music and is enjoying learning how to lift heavy things.
I met Heather 4 months ago when she reached out for one-on-one nutrition coaching to improve her body composition, get stronger, and build muscle. Most importantly, she wanted to FEEL her best and set an example for her kids of achieving results through hard work and committing to a sustainable process. Despite constant upheaval for her and her family during the recent earthquakes in Turkey, Heather found the mental resilience, commitment, and strength to continue her training and maintain her fitness routine to cope.
Through us working together, Heather has been mastering strength training, nutrition, and mindset, both through a muscle-building phase and now a fat loss phase. But the change in her strength and body composition are just a small part of what she’s learned and the practices she’s developed that give her a resilient, positive, and sustainable outlook on life.
We talk about her experience during the earthquakes, our nutrition coaching journey together, and specific lessons and strategies YOU can use to stay focused on getting results.
*You'll learn all about:*
* What she struggled with before working with a coach
* Why she reached out for one-on-one coaching
* What surprised her when she started working with a coach
* Her strength training routine and what she learned from training
* What happened on February 6, 2023
* How the earthquake affected her training routine
* Why Heather didn't take a break from training despite everything going on
* How working with a coach was beneficial during this crazy time
* Living the best version of you; aspiration and hard work
* How Heather's habits and mindset around food have changed
* Unexpected benefits or changes in other areas of her life
* Advice for someone who is hesitant about hiring a nutrition coach
*Episode resources:*
* Meet Heather in the (free) Wits & Weights community
* Food logging app - MacroFactor (affiliate code *WITSANDWEIGHTS* to extend your free trial)
* Watch the episode on video here
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **https://www.instagram.com/witsandweights/*
* *Email: **philip@witsandweights.com*
💪 *Need help optimizing your body composition? Check out Wits & Weights individualized, one-on-one nutrition coaching:
**https://witsandweights.com/coaching*
👩💻 *Free 30-minute call with Philip:
**http://bit.ly/3JAFKSz**
*
🥩 *Free Ultimate Macros Guide* and *50 High-Protein Recipes:
**https://witsandweights.com** *
*👏 ENJOY THE SHOW? *
* ⭐ Leave a review here
* 💁♀️ Become a supporter and get a shout out here
* 👥 Join our free community for guides, live trainings, & challenges here
* *🙋♀️* Ask a question for Q&A here
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Mar 7, 2023
Ep 50: Cultivating Discipline, Perception, and Mindset to Build Momentum in Health and Fitness with Scott Friedman
In today's episode you'll learn about how to be more consistent and build momentum in your health and fitness journey through mindset and discipline with my guest, Scott Friedman.
Scott is a nationally accredited Personal Trainer, Fitness Nutrition Coach, and Behavior Change Specialist who has been in the fitness industry for years.
He has worked with hundreds of clients and specializes in mentoring them on how to build long-term, sustainable habits using his key principles of mindset, motion, and momentum.
Scott is a unique and engaging speaker, coach, and host of the Power of Progress podcast (make sure to subscribe!). He prides himself on understanding the needs of those who wish to change their lives.
Through storytelling, personal experience, and a refreshingly honest take on the fitness and nutrition industry, Scott empowers and inspires his audiences and clients to take congruent action to achieve their goals. His authentic “grip it and rip it” style resonates with people and motivates them to take practical steps that improve their lives.
*You'll learn all about:*
* What inspired Scott to enter the fitness industry and his "grip it and rip it" style
* Goals vs. process-oriented objectives and lifestyle changes
* Motivation vs. discipline
* Small, consistent steps vs. changing everything at once
* Perception and mindset for achieving results and how to shift one's mindset
* Why positive thoughts don't work unless you feel it
* Why having specific goals is crucial for success
* How to understand the needs of those who wish to change their lives
* Storytelling and public speaking to empower and inspire audiences
*Episode resources:*
* Scott's website - scottspeaksfitness.com
* Get your free ebook Back to Basics - at this link
* Email Scott at scott@scottspeaksfitness.com
* Download the Power of Progress podcast - Apple or Spotify
* Watch the episode on video here
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **https://www.instagram.com/witsandweights/*
* *Email: **philip@witsandweights.com*
💪 *Need help optimizing your body composition? Check out Wits & Weights individualized, one-on-one nutrition coaching:
**https://witsandweights.com/coaching*
👩💻 *Free 30-minute call with Philip:
**http://bit.ly/3JAFKSz**
*
🥩 *Free Ultimate Macros Guide* and *50 High-Protein Recipes:
**https://witsandweights.com** *
*👏 ENJOY THE SHOW? *
* ⭐ Leave a review here
* 💁♀️ Become a supporter and get a shout out here
* 👥 Join our free community for guides, live trainings, & challenges here
* *🙋♀️* Ask a question for Q&A here
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Mar 3, 2023
Ep 49: Q&A - Bigger Glutes, Insulin Resistance, Carb Cycling, Refeeds, and Fat Intake for Hormones
This is another Q&A episode!
Today I’m answering five questions from members of the Wits & Weights Facebook community covering training, nutrition, and health.
*Questions:*
* I want to build my glutes. How many times a week should I train them? Is once a week too little?
* How would you train and coach someone differently who struggles with insulin resistance?
* What do you think about carb cycling? Is it beneficial to load up on carbs and calories and reduce fat on the workout days (mostly before and after the heavy lifting session), and reduce carbs and calories a lot and increase fat on the non-lifting days, assuming you maintain protein and your weekly calorie deficit? I am aiming for body recomposition. Will I feel increased performance during workout and avoid metabolic adaptations?
* Are refeeding days okay when you are in a fat loss phase? Like one day a week when you intentionally eat at maintenance as opposed to a deficit?
* I have a client who has gastrointestinal issues from having her gallbladder removed and heard that fat intake shouldn’t be higher than 30%. The question is, how do I stay within that 30% if her body needs fat to produce hormones? She is suffering from poor digestion, falling asleep periodically and can’t sleep a full night. So I know there is a hormonal imbalance.
*Episode resources:*
* Join our Facebook community (FREE)
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **https://www.instagram.com/witsandweights/*
* *Email: **philip@witsandweights.com*
💪 *Need help optimizing your body composition? Check out Wits & Weights individualized, one-on-one nutrition coaching:
**https://witsandweights.com/coaching*
👩💻 *Free 30-minute call with Philip:
**http://bit.ly/3JAFKSz**
*
🥩 *Free Ultimate Macros Guide* and *50 High-Protein Recipes:
**https://witsandweights.com** *
*👏 ENJOY THE SHOW? *
* ⭐ Leave a review here
* 💁♀️ Become a supporter and get a shout out here
* 👥 Join our free community for guides, live trainings, & challenges here
* *🙋♀️* Ask a question for Q&A here
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Feb 28, 2023
Ep 48: Overcome Any Obstacle and Stay Fit While Thriving with a Disability with Kevin McShan
A few months ago, I joined Kevin McShan on his incredible and prolific podcast, Let’s Have This Conversation, and he’s returning the favor today to talk about how to thrive while living with a disability.
Kevin McShan is a graduate of St. Clair College’s Journalism, Print and New Media Program. Kevin has an extensive history of promoting employment equality for individuals with disabilities most recently, as the Job Developer and Enhanced Employer Support Facilitator with the YMCA of Windsor-Essex County. He also continues the effort of promoting inclusion for people with disabilities through his motivational speaking efforts.
Through Kevin’s experience in sports, journalism, podcasting, and advocating for those with disabilities, he brings an exciting blend of education, experience, and entertainment to the motivational speaking industry.
*You'll learn all about:*
* Kevin's story and how he brings seemingly unlimited energy to the world
* Advice for someone facing adversity to overcome any obstacle
* How business leaders and individuals can foster a culture of inclusion and diversity
* How to achieve equity and equality for individuals with disabilities in the workplace
* How to thrive while living with a disability
* How to stay physically active while living with a disability
* Why fitness is so important
* Unique nutritional considerations to complement fitness and lifestyle
* Kevin's advice for someone living with a disability on how to get started with fitness
* What he has learned from producing so many podcast episodes and talking with so many people
*Episode resources:*
* Kevin's website - kevinmcshan.com
* Find Kevin on Twitter - @McShan819
* Download the Lets Have This Conversation podcast
* Check out the Lets Have This Conversation YouTube channel
* Watch the episode on video here
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **https://www.instagram.com/witsandweights/*
* *Email: **philip@witsandweights.com*
💪 *Need help optimizing your body composition? Check out Wits & Weights individualized, one-on-one nutrition coaching:
**https://witsandweights.com/coaching*
👩💻 *Free 30-minute call with Philip:
**http://bit.ly/3JAFKSz**
*
🥩 *Free Ultimate Macros Guide* and *50 High-Protein Recipes:
**https://witsandweights.com** *
*👏 ENJOY THE SHOW? *
* ⭐ Leave a review here
* 💁♀️ Become a supporter and get a shout out here
* 👥 Join our free community for guides, live trainings, & challenges here
* *🙋♀️* Ask a question for Q&A here
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Feb 21, 2023
Ep 47: Becoming a Better Man, Mental Muscle-Ups, Self-Accountability, and Emotional Intelligence with Carl Berryman
This one is for all the men listening to the show. I am joined by my man Carl Berryman for a conversation about being a man, from fitness to communication to expressing your feelings and everything in between.
You MUST check out Carl's podcast, Inspired by Impact, where he delves into all areas of your life to apply the strategies you learn in the gym OUTSIDE the gym to be a better man.
Carl is a Personal Trainer turned Men’s Movement Advocate. He is a man who had his world crumble around him, was able to put back the pieces, and simply wants to share his strategies for success so that other men don’t have to suffer the same fate he did.
*You'll learn all about:*
* Carl's background from personal trainer to Men's Movement Advocate
* The concept of the Mental Muscle-Up
* Why men make up 80% of suicides
* Why women initiate 70% of divorces
* What's wrong with the fitness industry
* Why men don't know how to communicate with their partners
* Why men can't express their feelings
* What emotional intelligence means for a man
* Getting into the best shape of your life
* The importance of accountability for self and loved ones; shouldering suffering
* What Carl does for fun
* The best books for men to become better men
*Episode resources:*
* Find Carl on Instagram - @ignitetheimpact
* Download the Inspired by Impact podcast
* Watch the episode on video here
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **https://www.instagram.com/witsandweights/*
* *Email: **philip@witsandweights.com*
💪 *Need help optimizing your body composition? Check out Wits & Weights individualized, one-on-one nutrition coaching:
**https://witsandweights.com/coaching*
👩💻 *Free 30-minute call with Philip:
**http://bit.ly/3JAFKSz**
*
🥩 *Free Ultimate Macros Guide* and *50 High-Protein Recipes:
**https://witsandweights.com** *
*👏 ENJOY THE SHOW? *
* ⭐ Leave a review here
* 💁♀️ Become a supporter and get a shout out here
* 👥 Join our free community for guides, live trainings, & challenges here
* *🙋♀️* Ask a question for Q&A here
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Feb 14, 2023
Ep 46: Optimal Health, Effective Programming, the Fitness Industry, and Olympic Lifting with Yosh Stoklosa
On today’s episode I am joined by Yosh Stoklosa, whom I’ve known for many years through our association with Romeo Athletics (in Enfield and Avon, Connecticut), him as a coach and trainer and myself as a long-time member.
We talked about coaching, the fitness industry, optimal health, and training, including programming and Olympic lifting.
Yosh is a Certified Sports Performance Coach and Personal Trainer at Romeo Athletics in Connecticut. Through his professional career as a Behavioral Counselor and Group Fitness Coach, Yosh learned about the importance of mental health and wellness, and now serves as a guide and mentor to others on their own fitness journey.
*You'll learn all about:*
* Yosh's background in fitness, coaching, and mental health
* His approach to training, programming, and coaching others
* Lessons as a Behavioral Counselor that apply to fitness / personal training
* What optimal health looks like
* The current state of the fitness industry
* Who benefits the most from hiring a coach (is it everyone?)
* Advice for someone who wants to go it alone to get started, be consistent, and find success in their training
* Top 3 priorities/tips regarding training
* How someone finds purpose (to stick with the plan / optimize their health)
* Olympic lifting (why someone would learn, benefits, why you enjoy competing)
*Episode resources:*
* Find Yosh on Instagram - @the_yo5h
* Find Yosh at Romeo Athletics (in Enfield and Avon, Connecticut)
* Watch the episode on video here
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **https://www.instagram.com/witsandweights/*
* *Email: **philip@witsandweights.com*
💪 *Need help optimizing your body composition? Check out Wits & Weights individualized, one-on-one nutrition coaching:
**https://witsandweights.com/coaching*
👩💻 *Free 30-minute call with Philip:
**http://bit.ly/3JAFKSz**
*
🥩 *Free Ultimate Macros Guide* and *50 High-Protein Recipes:
**https://witsandweights.com** *
*👏 ENJOY THE SHOW? *
* ⭐ Leave a review here
* 💁♀️ Become a supporter and get a shout out here
* 👥 Join our free community for guides, live trainings, & challenges here
* *🙋♀️* Ask a question for Q&A here
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Feb 10, 2023
Ep 45: Q&A - Strength for Women 40+, Safe Lifting, 3 vs. 4 Day Splits, Workout Nutrition
This is the first Q&A episode ever for Wits & Weights!
I'm covering four training-related questions from followers of our Facebook group (Wits & Weights) and plan to do more episodes like this to answer your questions there and on Instagram (follow me at @witsandweights), with a shoutout to you (if you want)!
And if you like this Q&A type of episode, let me know and I'll do more of them to release on Fridays between my other episodes. Just email me (philip@witsandweights.com) or direct message me on Instagram.
*Questions:*
* What would a solid strength training protocol for women over 40 look like?
* Another woman over 40 here. I have been lifting with progressive overload for a year and I have not been able to progress as much as I would like. It’s not that I don’t want to go heavier; I just don’t feel safe in doing one rep, let alone 4-6. What are my options?
* Does research show a difference between a 3-day full-body strength training schedule vs. breaking it up into a 4- or 5-day split such as Push/Core, Pull/Calves, Legs/Core, Full Body?
* What are your recommended pre- and post-workout nutrition strategies?
*Episode resources:*
* Join our Facebook community (FREE) to watch future episodes LIVE (days or weeks before they come out on the podcast)
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **https://www.instagram.com/witsandweights/*
* *Email: **philip@witsandweights.com*
💪 *Need help optimizing your body composition? Check out Wits & Weights individualized, one-on-one nutrition coaching:
**https://witsandweights.com/coaching*
👩💻 *Free 30-minute call with Philip:
**http://bit.ly/3JAFKSz**
*
🥩 *Free Ultimate Macros Guide* and *50 High-Protein Recipes:
**https://witsandweights.com** *
*👏 ENJOY THE SHOW? *
* ⭐ Leave a review here
* 💁♀️ Become a supporter and get a shout out here
* 👥 Join our free community for guides, live trainings, & challenges here
* *🙋♀️* Ask a question for Q&A here
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Feb 7, 2023
Ep 44: Menopause and Weight Gain, Brain and Heart Health, and Empowering Women with Alison Bladh
I was honored to speak with Alison Bladh about women’s health, particularly during menopause, to help demystify the associated affects on weight, brain and heart health, sleep, stress, and other symptoms to empower women to take control of their health.
Alison Bladh is a registered nutritional therapist and beauty therapist living in the wilds of Sweden after falling for the charms of a Viking man!
Alison worked in the health and wellness industry for over 30 years specializing in menopausal women’s health and currently runs an online clinic helping women worldwide manage the negative symptoms of menopause.
Her mission is to support her clients with individualized changes to diet, health, mindset and lifestyle so they can harness their hormones and get their confidence and sparkle back.
Alison supports busy, midlife women who are stressed, depressed, gained weight, and have lost their confidence…because all women, no matter what age, deserve to reclaim their health and feel g…
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Jan 31, 2023
Ep 43: Nutrition Roundtable: Mindset, Consistency, Endurance Training, and Longevity with 5 Incredible Coaches Making an Impact
Today is a first for the show because we are doing a coaches roundtable with 5 amazing people in my inner circle—whom I would consider friends at this point—who are making an impact on peoples’ lives—both active and aspiring nutrition coaches and personal trainers.
These incredible women and men each have a unique perspective on health and fitness and agreed to come together despite being in different timezones all around the world, to share their experience and expertise to help you thrive and achieve physical self-mastery.
After all, that is the mission of this podcast and why I’m constantly looking to bring on experts who share that mission, even if we use different paths to get there.
We will be covering nutrition and training, women’s health, navigating social situations, tracking your food, endurance sports and ultra-running, how to be more consistent, and longevity, just to name a few.
*You'll learn all about:*
* Managing stress and "getting out of your head"…
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Jan 24, 2023
Ep 42: High-Impact Entrepreneurship, Inspiring Leadership, and Resilience in Coaching and Business with Lauren Tickner
Prepare yourself for some deep insights about entrepreneurship, leadership, online coaching, the fitness business, mindset, and more from today’s special guest.
I am extremely excited to be joined by the amazing Lauren Tickner.
Lauren is ranked as Forbes Magazine’s #1 business coach for 2021…and a Forbes Top 10 Entrepreneur in 2020.
Lauren now works with her team at Impact School to help their clients implement systems and gain freedom in their businesses.
*You'll learn all about:*
* Lauren's story from content creator to online fitness coach to high-impact business coach
* Core principles for finding success with online programs
* How her fitness journey has impacted her business mentality/strategy
* How fitness and business are similar
* The value of systems and how to amplify them for business or life
* If someone loves fitness but dreads the idea of running a business
* The importance (or not) of having a niche market / unique approach / ideal client
* Ho…
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Jan 17, 2023
Ep 41: Massive Mindset Shifts, Habit Building, Productivity, and Self-Mastery with Monica Ricci
Today we are digging into shifting your mindset to achieve self-mastery and live your best life through things like identity, habits, productivity, and of course as always on this show, how those tie back to your fitness and health.
My guest is Monica Ricci. Monica has been facilitating positive change for over 20 years. She founded Catalyst Organizing, LLC in 1998, working with individuals, business owners, and business teams to help clarify priorities, achieve goals, create organization, and improve productivity.
In the world of productivity, Monica has been an author, blogger, speaker, radio host, and frequent TV guest on many local morning shows as well as Fox & Friends, CNN.com, and HGTV.
Today, she uses her experience and talents to facilitate positive change and transformation through coaching, speaking, and social media.
Monica lives a nomadic life, coaching via Zoom while traveling the country. When she isn’t moving to a new city, she enjoys strength training, cycling, b…
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Jan 10, 2023
Ep 40: Everything You Need to Know About Fat Loss (Simple Strategies for a Fitter, Leaner Body)
Whether you're trying to lose extra weight, switch to a fat loss phase after building muscle, get lifestyle lean, or finally achieve success with your new year’s resolution, this episode will help you get there.
You will learn everything you need to know about fat loss so you can lose the weight and keep it off sustainably, efficiently, and in a way that actually improves how you look and feel for the long term.
This is NOT a “rapid weight loss” prescription. This is a “fat loss for life” approach that I use with clients that you can use on your own with a little bit of knowledge, practice, and accountability.
Also, I'm starting my own 12-week fat loss phase the week this episode goes live and will be adhering to these principles, so if you want to follow along and see updates of my journey, make sure to join our free Wits & Weights Facebook community. I also made a *Fat Loss for Life Guide* I can send you after joining the group.
Just check out the links below to join o…
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Jan 3, 2023
Ep 39: Training Principles, Rep Ranges, Avoiding Pain, and Flexible Dieting with Matthew Spiewak
I am joined by a member of our Wits & Weights Facebook community, Matthew Spiewak, to chat about training and nutrition, including flexible dieting, compound lifts, pain and injury, and programming.
Matthew is an ACSM-certified Personal Trainer in the Chicagoland area with a degree in Kinesiology.
He loves helping people feel and look better and transform their health through his hands-on work in the gym as a trainer, so Matthew has both the educational and practical experience to help you succeed.
Matthew also hosts a 30-minute Instagram live every Tuesday at 5pm Central time in the U.S. and brings on new guests every week.
Topics discussed in this episode:
* How and why Matthew got into fitness
* Flexible dieting and who benefits from it
* Whether anyone should NOT use flexible dieting
* Whether people should squat and deadlift, benefits, how to incorporate in training
* The best rep ranges for strength, hypertrophy, and physique
* Bench press form (and getting t…
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Dec 27, 2022
Ep 38: Body Fat Overshooting, Body Composition, and Avoiding Weight Loss Mistakes
This episode from my appearance on Paul Hanton’s podcast, The Healthy Fit Life, for the episode “Avoiding Common Issues with Sustainable Fat Loss.”
Paul interviewed me about body composition, body fat overshooting, the difference between weight loss and fat loss, what happens when we lose weight, mistakes people make during weight loss, and what we can do instead for a more sustainable approach while still getting results.
If you feel like you’ve put in effort to improve your health and fitness but aren’t getting results, I’d like to invite you to *apply for my one-on-one coaching program* to get the body you desire, lose fat, build muscle, and make real progress.
We’ll work together to examine everything you’re doing and NOT doing to figure out what’s missing so you can look better, perform better, and feel better. Just go to *witsandweights.com/coaching* to learn about my program and apply today or click the link in the show notes.
Thanks for listening and enjoy…
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Dec 20, 2022
Ep 37: Training and Nutrition for Strength & Endurance, Managing Recovery for Longevity, and Backcountry Mountain Hunting with Josh Isley
Today is a special one because it’s our first episode featuring a member of our *Wits & Weights Facebook community*, Josh Isley.
We discuss strength, lifelong health, training for events, avoiding overtraining, and lots more.
Josh Isely is a 42-year-old mechanical engineer who loves hunting the backcountry and mountains but who also rides a desk every day.
He was an athlete in high school and as happens to many people, relied on his natural abilities for too long and, in his own words, “let himself go a bit.” Josh was inconsistent with training and developed a bad relationship with food.
He spent the last several years training on and off for hunts and finally got it dialed in this year in preparation for a mountain goat hunt!
Josh still struggles with food and binging but is getting better all the time; his program worked well as he was able to climb much better than he could last year. He is now moving into recovery mode and beginning to prepare for New Zealand in the spri…
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Dec 13, 2022
Ep 36: Demystifying Lifting, Cardio, Nutrition, and Fat Loss
This episode is from my appearance on Karen Martel's podcast, *The Other Side of Weight Loss*, where we demystified as much as we could about lifting, cardio, nutrition, fat loss, and more.
Topics discussed in this episode:
* What is the best way to train?
* What is the best cardio for weight loss?
* How long should our workouts ideally be?
* What does the science tell us about step counting when it comes to weight loss?
* What cardio is most stressful?
* How many times a week should we be lifting?
* How can we take it to the next level and should we?
* What is the ideal timing of days off and on from workouts?
* What are compounded movements and why do we want to do them?
* How often should we be adding more weight to our barbells and dumbbells?
* How often should we wait between sets?
* How many carbs, calories and protein should we be eating to build muscle yet lose weight?
* How to calculate your protein needs.
* What is the anchor macronutrient?
* W…
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Dec 6, 2022
Ep 35: Learn to Enjoy Your Training for Optimal Health and Consistent Results with Paul Hanton
Paul Hanton joined me to talk about different types of training and how to be consistent and get the most enjoyment from your workouts so you can reach your fitness goals.
Paul is the owner of Hydra Fitness, a personal training company that helps career-driven men lose weight without giving up spending time with family or friends.
He is also the podcast host of the Healthy Fit Life podcast, which is focused on educating listeners on how they can improve their health through quick and easy tips to implement in their life.
As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach, Paul has helped numerous busy men lose weight and improve their health. Paul was also diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2014 but has not let that stop him from his fitness goals or enjoying life.
Topics discussed in this episode:
* Paul’s background as a coach/trainer and what inspired him to get into fitness
* Why people might not enjoy their training
* Why people slog through workouts if they don’t enjo…
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Nov 29, 2022
Ep 34: Speed Up Fat Loss (and Live Longer) without Excessive Dieting or Cardio
What if there was an easy way to speed up fat loss, burn 500 more calories a day (which is 1 extra pound a week), increase your potential lifespan, reduce your chance of disease, all without excessive cardio or dieting?
This is not the next big fitness industry secret but instead one of the easiest, natural, and most effective forms of movement for humans . . . and that is WALKING!
Whether you already “get your steps” or you sit around most of the day behind a desk, we are going to dissect the many benefits of walking, from its ability to burn way more calories than you think, increase your metabolism, improve your overall function in life, preferentially burn fat to improve body composition, reduce mortality, and improve associated markers like blood pressure, resting heart rate, cholesterol, depression, and VO2 max.
Walking is perhaps the most underrated but effective forms of exercise we can incorporate.
Finally, as always on this show, we will discuss easy, actionable strat…
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Nov 22, 2022
Ep 33: Sustainable Weight Loss, Emotional Awareness, and the Dieting Mindset with Paul Salter
Joining me on the show today is Paul Salter, a Registered Dietitian (RD) and Sustainable Weight Loss Expert. Since 2013, he’s personally coached over 1,500 women to lose 20 pounds or more and KEEP IT OFF (without feeling like they're dieting).
He’s done so by taking an inside-out approach that focuses on cultivating feelings of self-love and self-worth from day one—not after weight is lost—and by paying much more attention to one’s mindset and emotional intelligence, in addition to the nutritional Xs and Os.
He’s a twice published Author, host of The 5% Way Podcast (make sure to subscribe), and Founder and Head Coach of The 5% Community.
Topics discussed in this episode:
* Sustainable weight loss and why it's difficult for most people
* The role of self-talk in achieving sustainable weight loss
* The role of emotional intelligence in sustainable weight loss
* Self-talk / identity / transformational model of change
* Prioritizing self-love
* Where to begin wi…
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Nov 15, 2022
Ep 32: Fix Your Nutrition (Client Success Story) with Tyla Serro
One of my superstar clients, Tyla Serro, joined us live in the Wits & Weights Facebook Group to share her journey. She was my first interview guest (back in Episode 17), before we started working together on her nutrition plan, and she even planted the idea of me becoming a nutrition coach.
Tyla Serro is a powerlifter, mom of a toddler, military spouse, and working professional. She keeps herself busy lifting heavy weights, volunteering with Protectors of Animals, all this while working full time as a Configuration Manager in the Aerospace Industry.
Tyla recently acquired the title of Connecticut State Referee for the United States Powerlifting Association and will be judging an upcoming powerlifting meet in November. She’s passionate about raising awareness of Primary Lymphedema, a rare disease that her son was born with.
When she's not doing all of these things, she enjoys the outdoors with her family and truly believes that an active lifestyle is one of the many hacks to living…
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Nov 8, 2022
Ep 31: Hormones and Weight Loss During Perimenopause with Karen Martel
I am extremely excited for today’s guest, Karen Martel, not only because of her work in women’s fat loss and hormones but her genuine passion for helping others, which comes through on her podcast and in my personal interactions with her.
Karen Martel is a Certified Hormone Specialist & Transformational Nutrition Coach and women’s weight loss expert.
She is the host of the top-rated women’s health podcast The Other Side of Weight Loss where she helps women to unlock the mysteries of female fat loss and hormone imbalance.
After struggling with her own health issues, Karen was determined to bring her knowledge to others with a bold new approach to women’s hormone health and weight management. Karen’s passion lies in helping women balance and optimize their hormones in peri- and post-menopause and breakthrough weight loss resistance.
Topics discussed in this episode:
* Hormonal weight loss resistance
* Hormone imbalances that cause weight gain
* Sugar cravings from…
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Nov 1, 2022
Ep 30: Stop Overeating, Binge Eating, and Obsessing Over Food with Dr. Glenn Livingston
Dr. Glenn Livingston is a veteran psychologist and was the long time CEO of a multi-million-dollar consulting firm for Fortune 500 clients in the food industry. You may have seen his (or his company’s) previous work, theories, and research in major media outlets like The New York Times, ABC, or CBS radio, among many others.
Disillusioned by what traditional psychology had to offer overweight and food obsessed individuals, Dr. Livingston spent several decades researching the nature of bingeing and overeating in working with his own patients AND a self-funded research program with more than 40,000 participants. Most importantly was his own personal journey out of obesity and food prison to a normal, healthy weight and a much more lighthearted relationship with food.
Topics discussed in this episode:
* Glenn's personal story with overeating and binge eating
* Why the modern world is a perfect storm for overeating and binge eating
* Practical strategies people can use to stop ov…
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Oct 25, 2022
Ep 29: Science Says - Diet (Calorie Deficit) vs. Exercise (Cardio) for Fat Loss
This is another "Science Says" episode, where we break down a single recent article relevant to the fitness (lifting, nutrition, health) industry and strategies you can apply right away based on what the science says.
Today's article is "Reduction in obesity and related comorbid conditions after diet-induced weight loss or exercise-induced weight loss in men. A randomized, controlled trial." by Ross, et al. (2000).
The main question is, which is better for weight loss: diet (a calorie deficit) or exercise (in the form of cardio)? Listen to find out—you might be surprised!
*RELATED LINKS*
* Ross, R., Dagnone, D., Jones, P. J., Smith, H., Paddags, A., Hudson, R., & Janssen, I. (2000). Reduction in obesity and related comorbid conditions after diet-induced weight loss or exercise-induced weight loss in men. A randomized, controlled trial. Annals of internal medicine, 133(2), 92–103.
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **…
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Oct 18, 2022
Ep 28: Body Composition for Health and Performance (From Overweight or Skinny Fat to Lean)
Whether you’re trying to lose weight, get healthier, increase strength or performance, or just look and feel better in your body, improving your body composition is the path to overall health.
Body composition refers to the percentage of muscle versus fat in your body, which determines how “lean” you are. The lower your body fat percentage (or higher your muscle percentage) relative to your weight, the leaner you are.
Someone who weighs 180 pounds at 40% body fat is not as lean as someone who weighs 180 pounds at 25% body fat. This is more about composition than scale weight.
But why is “leanness” important?
Yes, being leaner affects how you look and feel. Even better, improving your body composition goes way beyond aesthetics and has numerous benefits for health, performance, and longevity.
Everyone can benefit from improving their body composition, and today we’re diving into the topic, including its benefits and the most important priorities for achieving a leaner,…
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Oct 4, 2022
Ep 27: Training, Performance, Programming, and Exercise Selection with Eric D’Agati
Eric D’Agati joins me to talk about training.
Eric has spent over 20 years in the fitness industry as a coach, trainer, and instructor. Each year, he travels around the world teaching and speaking to trainers, coaches, and therapists as a lead instructor for Functional Movement Systems and guest speaker for prestigious organizations including Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York University Medical, the Navy SEALS, The Mayo Clinic, and multiple major universities. Eric also appeared in the NY Times bestseller “The 4-Hour Body” by Tim Ferriss.
His list of training clients includes an Olympic Gold Medalist, All-Americans, National Champions, World Series Champions, and Pro-Bowl athletes. He also works with many high-level sports teams from high school to professionals.
Eric’s latest projects include “Diamond Revolution Training,” an online training platform for baseball and softball athletes, and the “Principles of Program Design”, an educational workshop series and coaching se…
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Sep 20, 2022
Ep 26: Sustainable Fitness, Physiology, Fat Loss, and Running at Any Age with Louise Valentine
Today I am joined by *Louise Valentine* to talk about how to achieve sustainable fitness goals by doing less rather than more, how to work WITH our physiology and not against it, how to optimize health for women 35 and older, and actionable tips you can start applying right away to unlock your best health despite age, a busy life, or obstacles.
Louise is a Physiologist, best-selling author, avid runner, and military spouse. She was named #1 Health Specialist in the U.S., has worked for the NFL, and published research on how to solve the root cause of health and fitness problems.
She is now CEO of *BreakingThroughWellness.com*, where she offers one-on-one coaching, courses, and the groundbreaking Badass Breakthrough Academy for women runners and fitness lovers age 35 and beyond.
Just some of the topics discussed in this episode:
* Overcoming health diagnoses at any age
* The root cause of health and fitness problems
* Doing less, not more, for sustainable success
* Strategie…
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Sep 6, 2022
Ep 25: Lose 30 Pounds (or More) the Right Way and Keep it Off
What if you have significant weight to lose—around 30 pounds or more?
Most people have no problem losing weight . . . in the short term. What usually follows is a rebound, usually because calories or the diet itself were so restrictive that they were impossible to maintain for more than a few months.
In this episode, we discuss a completely different approach. Instead of “weight loss,” we want to achieve FAT LOSS. We want to improve our body composition over time and actually become leaner.
Our topic is how to lose 30 pounds or more the right way…and keep it off.
Not how to lose 30 pounds in 30 days, or how to lose weight now and then…good luck!
Those approaches to dieting are completely myopic. They’re short-term. Just cut calories and lose weight. Then you’ll be lean.
The problem is, every time you lose weight this way, usually without enough protein or resistance training, you lose some muscle and then regain mostly fat. This bodyfat overshooting phenomenon cause…
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Aug 30, 2022
Ep 24: Science Says - Protein Distribution to Increase Muscle Mass
This is our first "Science Says" episode, where we break down a single recent article relevant to the fitness (lifting, nutrition, health) industry and strategies you can apply right away based on what the science says.
Today's article is "Evenly distributed protein intake over 3 meals augments resistance exercise–induced muscle hypertrophy in healthy young men" by Yasuda, et al. (2020).
The main question is, can we build more muscle mass by evenly distributing protein throughout the day (primarily by increasing protein at breakfast if it is low to begin with)?
*RELATED LINKS*
* Yasuda, J., Tomita, T., Arimitsu, T., & Fujita, S. (2020). Evenly distributed protein intake over 3 meals augments resistance exercise–induced muscle hypertrophy in healthy young men. The Journal of Nutrition, 150(7), 1845-1851.
* Body by Science (Bill Campbell, PhD)
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **https://www.instagram.com/witsandweig…
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Aug 23, 2022
Ep 23: How to Minimize Fat Gain and Get Lean with Cuts and Bulks
If you could be in a calorie surplus for three-quarters of the year and constantly get leaner, would that appeal to you?
Today’s topic is something that ended my many, repeated unproductive cycles of crash dieting and changed my mindset to one of abundance, performance, improved body composition, a better relationship with food, and sustainable results.
You’re going to learn how to periodize your nutrition with cut and bulk cycles to get leaner and leaner by minimizing fat gain while maximizing muscle gain.
Why do we periodize our nutrition anyway? Why use so-called cut and bulk cycles
Why not just lose a bunch of weight and then maintain? Or gain a bunch of muscle and maintain? Or gain muscle and lose fat at the same time (the holy grail known as body recomposition)?
Because our biology has thrown us a curveball. When you lose weight, you DO lose fat but you ALSO lose some muscle. Conversely, when you gain weight, you do gain muscle but also gain some fat.
Therefore, why don…
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Aug 9, 2022
Ep 22: How to FINALLY Achieve (and Keep) Your Fat Loss and Fitness Results
This episode is all about achieving LASTING results: finding that place where you no longer have to yo-yo diet, jump from one program to another, or feel like the only way to success is severe calorie restriction, excessive cardio, or short-term transformations.
If what you’ve tried before just has NOT worked, maybe it’s time to engage the help of another person.
Someone who can hold you accountable, give you some extrinsic motivation to help you build momentum and develop new, sustainable habits, so you can finally achieve the weight loss, muscle building, and body recomposition goals you desire and MAINTAIN them for the long term.
Yes, I’m talking about working with a coach, especially one who understands nutrition.
We are going to make the distinction between effective and not-so-effective coaching and why you might (or might NOT) actually need a coach for your particular situation.
*RELATED LINKS*
* MacroFactor diet sidekick (use discount code *WITSANDWEIGHTS*)
👉…
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Jul 26, 2022
Ep 21: 21 Ways to Measure Progress and Crush Your Fitness Goals
How do you know when you’ve reached your goal?
If you’re trying to lose 20 pounds, do you just instinctively change your eating behaviors and eventually magically arrive at your target weight? If you’re trying to build muscle, do you go to the gym without a program and randomly hit up different weights and machines, rep ranges, rest periods, and muscle groups?
Chances are, when you’re committed to a goal, you come up with a plan and then measure progress along the way. Otherwise, how do you “close the loop” between desire and outcome?
In this episode, we dive into 21 specific ways to measure progress toward your health and fitness goals, categorized into six areas: biometrics, biofeedback, nutrition, physical activity, behaviors, and self-awareness. We want to select the right measures for the job so we have clear, objective feedback that tells us whether we’re on track.
With these tools at your disposal, and strategies to use them that I’ll talk about, you can crus…
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Jul 12, 2022
Ep 20: Training and Nutrition While on Vacation
In this episode, we’re talking about what to do with your carefully-honed, consistent, so-far-successful training and nutrition plans when you go on vacation!
Summer’s here, and despite exorbitant gas prices and airfare, we can’t help but get away from it all, even for just a week or even a long weekend. Vacations are the perfect time to shut off those devices, relax with a drink in your hand, and enjoy that well-deserved leisure.
But that raises the question, should I continue my current health and fitness behaviors when I’m off jetting about in faraway lands (or even a road trip to the next state over)? If so, to what extent?
What do I do on vacation?!
*TIMESTAMPS*
00:00 - Intro
04:13 - Establishing a routine and planning ahead
05:25 - Nutrition while on vacation
09:09 - Tracking macros while on vacation
15:28 - Activity and training while on vacation
19:32 - What I did on my recent vacation
*RELATED LINKS*
* MacroFactor diet sidekick (use discount code *WITSANDWEIGH…
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Jun 28, 2022
Ep 19: Functional Strength, Longevity, and Martial Arts with Ken Caputo
Today we have another special interview guest!
Ken Caputo is a lifelong athlete who eventually found his way to strength training in his late 30s—something he and I have in common!
From an early age, he competed in swimming, track, cross country, and even pole vaulting and spring board diving at the University of Connecticut, eventually becoming an expert in martial arts.
I invited Ken on today because of his passion for lifting and nutrition, and how they can keep someone healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally, as well as recover from injury.
*RELATED LINKS*
* Ken Caputo at ken@questersway.com
* Ken Caputo's Linktree
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **https://www.instagram.com/witsandweights/*
* *Email: **philip@witsandweights.com*
💪 *Need help optimizing your body composition? Check out Wits & Weights individualized, one-on-one nutrition coaching:
**https://witsandweights.com/coaching*
👩💻…
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Jun 14, 2022
Ep 18: 25 Ways to Improve Sleep (The Missing Ingredient to Nutrition and Recovery)
Today’s topic may not seem exciting, but it could be the critical missing ingredient to your nutrition and recovery, whether everything else is dialed in or not.
I’m talking about sleep: too little sleep, low quality sleep, irregular sleep, and poor sleep habits.
Many people suffer from insomnia or a sleep disorder, and a lack of sleep can lead to terrible consequences like medical errors and car accidents. A lack of sleep can increase hunger, reduce your metabolism, impair memory, affect hormone balance, and even accelerate aging.
Yet there is hope. In a paper published in 2019 by Vitale et al., called Sleep Hygiene for Optimizing Recovery in Athletes: Review and Recommendations, the authors reviewed the effects of sleep deprivation and extension on athletes to see how applying sleep hygiene methods could improve their performance.
In this episode, I am shamelessly borrowing from their list of sleep hygiene recommendations. First, we talk about the tremendous benefits of impro…
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May 31, 2022
Ep 17: Powerlifting, Competition, Training, and Life with Tyla Serro
I have the honor of hosting a very special guest, Tyla Serro, for the first ever interview on this podcast. Tyla is not only an engineering colleague of mine—we work for the same aerospace company—she finds time to train and compete as a raw powerlifter, placing second this March in the 2022 USPA Connecticut state championship in her weight class…and only missing first in a close tiebreaker against her training partner.
I invited her on the show because I think her story is very relatable to those of us who are working professionals with busy lives, maybe a full-time job and a family, who still want to find a way to get “big, strong, jacked, swole, ripped, fit, tone, lean, healthy” whatever term you want to use. Tyla juggles work, family, and the challenges of life using a sustainable approach to training and nutrition, so I wanted to pick her brain on how she makes it all work.
*RELATED LINKS*
* Tyla Serro on Instagram @tylaserro
* RTL Powerlifting Training
👉 *If…
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May 17, 2022
Ep 16: One Year After Back Surgery (My Story)
Last year, I went under the knife for a microdiscectomy, a type of minimally invasive spine surgery where a portion of a herniated disc is removed using microsurgical tools.
In this episode, I share my story of what happened, how I dealt with low back pain in the context of health and fitness, the surgery and recovery process, and lessons I learned along the way.
I hope my story sheds light on some productive ways to think about pain and injury and even inspires you to consider multiple options when faced with a situation like this.
*Medical Disclaimer*
One last thing. I am NOT a medical practitioner and am NOT dispensing medical advice in this podcast. Everything I say is my personal opinion and experience. Do NOT use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition. Consult your own physician for any medical issues!
*Timestamps:*
00:00 - Intro
06:18 - Different types of pain
10:18 - Book recommendation for lifters dealing with pain
12:10 - Things to try before consi…
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May 3, 2022
Ep 15: Maximize Your Lifting Sessions: Warmups, Supersets, Rest Periods, and More
Let’s say you’re a busy, working professional, perhaps in your 40’s with a family, a mortgage, and a high-stress job. But you want to improve your health through lifting and nutrition. That’s why you’re listening to this podcast!
The last thing you want is a one-size-fits-all training program that has you lifting six days per week with 90-minute-long sessions. Something so out of whack with your current lifestyle is not exactly sustainable, and it’s a surefire way to bomb out within weeks if not days.
On this podcast, we focus on maximizing your time, inside and outside the gym, for a sustainable, long-term approach you can stick to consistently. Results only come with steady application over time. That is the “first principle” of this whole deal, or else the rest is irrelevant.
Therefore, you’ll probably want a training program that has you in the gym maybe 3 or 4 days a week (of course, if you can swing more and that makes sense for YOU, go for it) for maybe an h…
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Apr 19, 2022
Ep 14: 20 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight
As a follow-up to the last episode on losing weight without losing muscle, I want to address the frustration many of us have experienced with either not being able to lose weight or hitting a plateau, usually in the form of scale weight no longer going down.
This is a complex, nuanced topic that ultimately comes down to understanding the root cause behind being unable to lose weight and taking back control so YOU can do something that will nudge your fat loss back in the right direction.
That’s not to say this is your “fault” but rather that, 99% of the time, we just need to identify the problem so we can apply the right solution, and YOU are empowered to uncover the problem with the right tools and information. That is the goal of this podcast!
Every fat loss phase is just a bit different, even for an individual. You may sail through and shed the pounds with ease, or you may struggle with fits-and-starts, ravenous hunger, and the feeling that there’s just something else goi…
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Apr 5, 2022
Ep 13: Losing Weight Without Losing Muscle
The last episode covered why gaining weight while training hard is an effective way to get lean by packing on muscle, increasing metabolism, and making it easier to lose fat later.
Today we’re tackling the “losing fat” part of getting lean. If you haven’t listened to episode 12, go back and do that first. If you’re a newer lifter who is not extremely overweight, your best gains will come through hard strength training and eating at maintenance or in a slight surplus to improve your body composition. I recommend focusing on building muscle before you worry about losing fat.
However, if you’re a late novice or intermediate lifter who has spent time in a building phase and is ready to “lean out” through a fat-loss phase, this episode is for you. After all, most of us want to maintain a healthy weight, and we can’t keep packing on muscle (along with some fat) forever. The body adapts, muscle-building slows down, and sometimes we need to “rev the engine” by taking a…
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Mar 22, 2022
Ep 12: Gaining Weight to Get Lean
It seems that everyone wants to get “lean” these days. There’s almost an obsession with six-pack abs, visual muscularity, and thinness if you’re to believe the legions of fitness influencers who appear ready for an instant photo shoot on any given day.
I’ve got nothing against maintaining a healthy weight, and in fact this podcast is all about finding a sustainable way to get stronger, build muscle, and stay healthy. But if you were to ask yourself, “what exactly is my goal when it comes to body composition?,” most of us would answer that we want to be lean, as in lower our body fat percentage.
The reasons why are many, from improved performance and cardiovascular health to just feeling and looking good, often measured by whether we can fit into our favorite pair of pants again.
But it often leads to a cycle of aggressive dieting and gaining back the weight (and then some) in an attempt to “see our abs” rather than a steady, consistent approach that results in “l…
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Mar 8, 2022
Ep 11: Your First Year of Lifting (Doing What Matters)
You decided to get stronger, improve your body composition, and become more healthy. You selected a simple but effective barbell-based strength training program and committed to consistent training. During your first year of lifting, there will be many new things to learn, habits to develop, and temptations to lead you off your chosen path.
After going through the process myself and talking with hundreds of other lifters, I wanted to share some thoughts to help you keep making progress and avoid some common pitfalls that could derail you. When I started lifting seriously and intelligently a few years ago, it was thanks to those who came before me that I could avoid making some big mistakes while still figuring out what worked for me as an individual. I hope these ideas help you in your first year of lifting or really any time during your fitness journey!
*Timestamps:*
00:00 - Intro
01:36 - Set yourself up to develop successful new habits
04:13 - Objectively measure your progress
05:…
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Feb 22, 2022
Ep 10: Focus on These 7 BIG Priorities for Strength and Fitness
Sometimes advice from the fitness industry can be overwhelming. There are so many ways to program your lifting, eat your food, and meet your goals that we often get lost in the small details.
At the end of the day, it’s the BIG details, applied consistently, that contribute the most to your progress and result in sustainable habits of success in getting big and strong, losing or gaining weight, and sculpting a healthier version of you.
In this episode, I wanted to take it to a higher level, so to speak, and go over 7 “big priorities” for strength and fitness that, if you can do these at least 80% of the time, will help you accomplish your goals.
*Timestamps:*
00:00 - Intro
01:23 - Get moving!
03:17 - Keep programming simple and fun
04:54 - Get enough sleep (recovery)
06:44 - Get enough protein (as part of hitting calories)
10:53 - Make your own food for most meals
13:21 - Track progress
16:18 - Enjoy the PROCESS (the results will follow)
👉 *If you want to learn more about…
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Feb 8, 2022
Ep 9: 10 Fitness and Nutrition “Facts” I Changed My Mind About
Today I share some helpful and sometimes counterintuitive things I’ve learned over the last year about fitness and nutrition that either changed my mind or were completely new to me.
As a forty-something-year-old lifter who has only been training seriously and effectively for the last few years, I used to believe a lot of nonsense—ideas, myths, preconceptions, assumptions, whatever you want to call them—that often held me back from progress or, even worse, were counterproductive.
Chances are that you’ve heard some of these too, and it’s quite possible you’ll be surprised by some of my thoughts in this episode—or perhaps not. At the very least, I hope you’ll learn something new that will help you continue to remain skeptical, ask questions, and become even more informed on your journey to greater strength, better health, and long-term consistency.
*Timestamps:*
00:00 - Intro
01:35 - #1 More muscle means you can eat more
04:09 - #2 Metabolism is determined by body com…
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Jan 25, 2022
Ep 8: Build the Ultimate Home Gym to Make Gains, Save Time, and Be Consistent
One of our big goals on this podcast is sustainability and consistency, and the whole process of going to the gym is a huge barrier for many of us.
The hassle of preparing your clothing, gym bag, nutrition, and then factoring in drive time, weather, convenience within our schedules, compounded by access to random equipment at the gym, sharing a rack or barbell with other members, and sometimes dealing with policies like “no deadlifting” are just some of the many reasons we find to just hit the snooze button and avoid our workouts altogether.
That’s why building your own home gym can be a huge factor in developing good habits and consistency with your workout routine. It saves a ton of time, you can choose exactly the equipment you need, you can control the entire experience, and you can be more flexible with your training schedule. It’s a simple but highly effective step you can take to eliminate excuses and keep making progress.
In today’s episode, we cover:
* The pros…
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Jan 11, 2022
Ep 7: A Journey of Strength (Interview on Finding Your Strength Radio)
I had the pleasure of being on another podcast a few months ago called Finding Your Strength Radio Powered by Romeo Athletics, where I was interviewed by Andrew Romeo. He’s an excellent host, experienced coach, and the owner of my long-time gym, Romeo Athletics.
He asked me a ton of great questions about my journey to fitness, how I got into lifting and strength training, different movements and programming, my recent bulk and cut, body recomposition, sustainable nutrition, and other random topics like metabolism, walking, and even the similarities between music and lifting.
I think the conversation has some interesting and valuable information for those of you looking to transform your life in terms of strength, diet, and overall fitness.
It was a fun interview, and if you want to learn more about Andrew’s podcast, Finding Your Strength Radio, I’ve linked to it below, and I encourage you to check it out and subscribe.
Enjoy the conversation!
*RELATED LINKS*
* Finding You…
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Dec 28, 2021
Ep 6: Set Your Fitness and Nutrition Habits on Autopilot
Today we wrap up our foundational series by diving into some practical strategies, tools, and life hacks to set your fitness and nutrition habits on autopilot.
If you’re at all familiar with the autopilot in an airplane—and as a side note, I used to fly small planes years ago and still work as an engineer in the aerospace industry—you know it’s a tool to eliminate constant manual intervention by the pilot.
In a similar way, we want to find ways to create consistency with our lifting and eating by using systems and tools to eliminate manual steps, barriers, and—frankly, excuses—that prevent us from taking action and developing solid habits.
Given that you have enough to think about between your profession, your family, and the million other things you enjoy, why not put in place some “life hacks” so you can just get to it and make progress! A word of warning—none of this relieves you of discipline and hard work—but a little preparation when you’re more motivated…
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Dec 14, 2021
Ep 5: How to Diet Without Being "On" a Diet
Today is the DIET and NUTRITION episode, one of my favorite topics. Although this IS a podcast focused on lifting and getting strong, what you eat—and more importantly, HOW MUCH you eat—plays a huge role in your ability to lose fat (while preserving muscle) or gain muscle (while limiting fat gain).
You can’t have one without the other—and I’m going to assume you’re here because you want to get stronger AND leaner, and you want to do it productively without spinning your wheels.
I’m very passionate about taking a SUSTAINABLE approach to diet because, like many of you, I’ve personally experienced yo-yo dieting, fad diets, and all sorts of crazy food restrictions and questionable supplements over the years. Only in the last two years or so did I finally make peace with the nutrition gods and realize that proper nutrition is not nearly as complicated or restrictive as I once thought.
Today we’re going on a journey together that will equip you with the tools you need to…
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Nov 30, 2021
Ep 4: The Truth about Metabolism, Cardio, and Fat Loss
Today we’re focusing on the “calories out” side of energy balance with a discussion of metabolism, as well as whether and how we can manipulate this “calories out” side of the equation.
We will not discuss diet or nutrition, which is the “calories in” side of the equation. Stay tuned for the next episode. In the meantime, understanding metabolism and especially how to accurately calculate your own energy expenditure sets the foundation for a sustainable approach to diet later on.
In today’s episode, we cover:
* What is metabolism in the context of your total daily energy expenditure?
* How to estimate your expenditure, which will be useful later for weight management
* Whether it’s possible change your baseline metabolism, both short- and long-term
* The truth about cardio and its effect on metabolism and fat loss
* A more efficient, sustainable way to burn fat
*Timestamps:*
00:31 - Energy balance and metabolism
05:35 - Does more activity really burn mo…
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Nov 16, 2021
Ep 3: Why is Strength so Important?
Today’s episode is all about the “S” word—STRENGTH. What is it, why is it important, and how to get it.
If you’re listening to this podcast, it’s a safe bet that you have some sort of fitness related goal. You want to improve yourself physically in some way: build muscle, burn fat, get lean, get strong, improve athletic performance, look good in a bathing suit, or even improve mobility, flexibility, or balance.
What if there is one attribute above all others that permeates each of these attributes of fitness—that if you just focus on this attribute for a while as your top priority, it will translate to improvements in all those other attributes?
Well you’re in luck, and if I haven’t made it painfully obvious by the title and intro of this episode, that one fitness attribute is…strength!
In today’s episode, we cover:
* What do we mean by strength?
* Why is strength the most important fitness attribute?
* Assuming strength is so important, how do you get…
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Nov 2, 2021
Ep 2: How to Choose a Strength Training Program
This is the episode where we lay out our fitness philosophy and give you steps to take action right away.
Strength training is by far the most effective way to increase muscle mass, boost your metabolism, and improve your health in more ways than you can imagine, from mobility, balance, and flexibility to reduced risk of metabolic disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and injury. It also tests you physically and mentally because it’s hard—one of the best reasons for doing it!
Today is about getting you moving on a training program right away.
We will definitely cover some basic principles of strength training and muscle building, but we’ll save a deep dive into all things strength-related for the next episode, where we’ll examine in great detail WHY strength and resistance training are so important.
But today is all about ACTION. Getting you moving and lifting right away. No excuses.
*Timestamps:*
00:31 - The effectiveness of strength training
02:05 - Understand…
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Nov 2, 2021
Ep 1: Let's Get Strong Together
Welcome to the very first episode of Wits and Weights: Strength Training for Skeptics.
If you’re a skeptical, critically-minded person like me, you’ve probably gotten tired of what the modern-day so-called fitness industry has to offer, and you just want to know what actually works.
Not only that, you’re probably a busy, working professional with a full-time job or perhaps you own your own business or run several side hustles, so time is at a premium. Can you actually build a stronger, healthier body and maintain a sustainable, active lifestyle?
The answer is an emphatic YES.
Plenty of everyday folks have figured out what works in terms of exercise, nutrition, habits, mindset, and lifestyle, but there is so much information out there—even from highly respectable sources—that it can be overwhelming to distill it down to a single, focused plan that works for you.
That’s why I created this podcast.
On this very first episode, learn about my background, the importance of…
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Oct 21, 2021
Wits & Weights Podcast Trailer
The Wits & Weights: Strength and Nutrition for Skeptics podcast is for skeptics of the fitness industry who want to live longer by getting stronger with strength training and sustainable nutrition. I’m your host, Philip Pape, and in each episode, we’ll examine strategies to help you achieve physical self-mastery through a healthy skepticism of exercise and nutrition science, and a commitment to consistent lifting and nutrition.
*Check out the latest episode and if you like it, follow and let others know!*
👉 *If you want to learn more about lifting and nutrition, reach out to Philip:*
* *IG: **https://www.instagram.com/witsandweights/*
* *Email: **philip@witsandweights.com*
💪 *Need help optimizing your body composition? Check out Wits & Weights individualized, one-on-one nutrition coaching:
**https://witsandweights.com/coaching*
👩💻 *Free 30-minute call with Philip:
**http://bit.ly/3JAFKSz**
*
🥩 *Free Ultimate Macros Guide* and *50 High-Protein Recipes:
*…
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