Wits & Weights Podcast
All Episodes
Is Zone 2 Cardio OVERRATED for Strength Training Over 40?
Do you need 3 hours of Zone 2 cardio a week if you're already strength training over 40? You've heard that Zone 2 builds your mitochondria, burns more fat, and adds years to your life, as long as you put in about 3 hours a week. I put those claims under the microscope and compare Zone 2 with harder cardio, with a focus on what you need when you already lift and don't have hours to spare.
How to Track Macros (When Food Labels Can Be Wrong By 20 Percent)
How do you track macros when food labels can be wrong by 20 percent? You've heard food labels can be off by 20 percent, so you might wonder why you'd weigh anything to the gram. I look at what the FDA rule says, what researchers found when they tested food in a lab, and which error in your food log matters most.
Are Peptides Like BPC-157 Worth It If You're Lifting Weights?
Is BPC-157 worth injecting for tendon pain if you're lifting weights? You've seen the headlines about an FDA panel voting for BPC-157, and you may know someone injecting it for a sore elbow or shoulder. I look at what the FDA did this summer, every human study I could find, and my own BPC-157 experiment from a few years ago. Then I share what helps stubborn tendon pain, no injection required.
Why This 73-Year-Old Will Never Stop Strength Training (David Frost)
Are you getting weaker because of age, or because you started "training your age"? David Frost is 73, a retired Navy captain, adjunct professor, and writer on load management and recovery. This past June, he rowed for more than 4 hours as part of a team that set a Concept2 tandem rowing record for 100 kilometers. He isn't backing off, and he joins me to challenge the idea that getting older means you should.
How to Lose Belly Fat After 40 (Cortisol is NOT the Problem)
Is cortisol the reason your belly fat won't budge after 40? You've seen the cortisol cocktails, the adaptogens, and the advice to quit coffee and skip hard workouts. I put the cortisol story under the microscope, including the few studies that support it, and compare it to what the research shows about fat loss over 40.
How Jenny Lost 13 Pounds While Eating MORE After Dieting Since 7th Grade
Is your metabolism damaged from decades of dieting? Jenny was sure her body was broken. She started with cabbage soup in 7th grade, and by her late 40s, Atkins and keto had stopped working for her. I'm sharing Jenny's own voice messages on how she lost 13 pounds of body fat in about 6 months, why the 10 pounds she lost with a previous coach came back within 2 months, and the tracking mistake that finally made one of our lessons click for her.
Do Weight Loss Challenges Work? (What to Do Instead)
We evaluate weight loss challenges and why they can make you "win" on the scale while losing muscle, bone, and momentum toward your true goal of improving how you look and feel. Learn what the research says about rebounds after incentives end and the 3 metrics to track instead for sustainable fat loss over 40
Why the Most Convincing Nutrition Advice Is Usually Wrong (Zoë Rom and Kylee Van Horn)
Why does bad nutrition advice sound so convincing, and how do you know who to trust? Registered dietitian Kylee Van Horn and journalist and elite ultrarunner Zoë Rom, hosts of Your Diet Sucks podcast, join me to expose how nutrition and fitness claims get distorted from actual research into confident prescriptions. We break down why mechanisms and individual studies aren’t enough, how social media rewards certainty over nuance, and why women’s fitness and hormone health have become especially vulnerable to questionable claims around menopause, cycle syncing, detoxes, testing, and supplement stacks.
Carb Cycling, Workout Carb Timing, and the Menopause Carb Myth
It turns out that carb cycling does NOT improve fat loss or your metabolism. But does it have other benefits? You've heard you should load carbs on lifting days and cut them on rest days, especially after 40. Where did this idea come from? I'm breaking down the one study that comes closest to testing carb cycling and what happened when a second group of researchers reanalyzed the data. You'll also hear why the insulin and fat storage argument doesn't hold up, what one study found about insulin sensitivity after menopause, and the number of hard sets that determines whether carbs before training do anything for you.
The 8 Hours of Sleep Myth for Longevity and Muscle Building After 40
Do you actually need 8 hours of sleep to build muscle after 40? We put that claim under the microscope and separate what sleep research actually shows from what fitness culture spreads online. Learn about the simple rules that protect your strength training, fat loss, and daily energy even when your night falls a bit short.
Creatine for Women in Menopause (Dosage, Bone, and Brain Research)
The claim that women need more creatine is everywhere right now, especially if you're strength training over 40. Maybe you heard that women carry 70 to 80% lower creatine stores than men, so you need a bigger dose. What about bone health (especially in postmenopause), brain health, and loading? How much should you actually take and when? What will creatine do for you?
5 Rep Ranges You MUST Know for Hypertrophy After 40 (Andy Baker)
If 5 to 30 reps can all build muscle, why do some rep ranges clearly work better than others?
After 40, could the “science-based” advice you’re following be the exact reason your progress has stalled? I brought strength coach Andy Baker back to challenge one of the most oversimplified ideas in evidence-based fitness: that rep ranges are basically interchangeable. We break down the five rep ranges you need to understand, from heavy 1 to 4 rep strength work through 20 to 30 rep sets, and exactly where each belongs in your training.
Do Diet Breaks Actually Work for Metabolism Recovery and Fat Loss?
A diet break won't give you more fat loss. Two weeks at maintenance won't "reset" or "restore" your metabolism either. But I still use diet breaks with almost every client over 40, but for totally different (but beneficial) reasons. We lay out a simple framework for using maintenance breaks to reduce diet fatigue, improve adherence, and avoid panicking when the scale jumps.
You Don't Need a Calorie Surplus to Build Muscle Over 40
You don't need a calorie surplus to build muscle after 40. The common surplus numbers are shakier than most people realize. I break down the real energy cost of muscle, what the research says about maintenance versus surplus, and how to tell whether body recomposition is the right approach for you.
Perimenopause Doesn't Cause Weight Gain (Your Metabolism Is Fine)
Perimenopause doesn't cause weight gain. But if you ARE gaining weight over 40 (or struggling to lose weight), then what's actually going on? Menopause changes body composition in ways the scale can hide, but it does not suspend the basic rules of energy balance.
5 Beliefs I Got Wrong About Strength Training Over 40 | Ep 500
Are you still following outdated advice for strength training over 40 when it comes to building muscle and losing fat?
After 500 episodes of Wits & Weights, I’m revisiting 5 pieces of strength training and nutrition advice I used to give and explaining what changed my mind.
The 4 Essential Skills of Body Recomposition After 40 | Ep 499
Why do weight loss and body recomp results often fade even after you have success? The real win is learning skills that still work when life changes or support (like a coaching program) goes away. We walk through 4 practical skills that make fat loss maintenance and muscle building feel simpler, calmer, and more repeatable
Cut, Maintain, or Build and Still Lose Fat WITHOUT Losing Muscle | Ep 498
You can lose fat without losing muscle, but only with the right approach. Most of us decide what to do (often out of fear) and then go collect the data that agrees with our bias. I have done it too, and so have my clients! I'm breaking down why most people choose a cut, maintenance, or a muscle-building phase incorrectly for body recomp over 40. We share the specific situations where your preference doesn't matter (your body is telling you otherwise!), plus a simple question that prevents you from starting a deficit you can't finish.
Stop Letting a Calculator Set Your Macros and Calories for Fat Loss | Ep 497
Your app or online calculator is likely wrong about calories for fat loss. It can be off by a few hundred calories, and your wearable is even worse. We challenge typical advice by showing how inaccurate maintenance calorie estimates can derail your fat loss before it even starts. I share my 7-week runway that uses consistent tracking to measure your real energy needs so you can execute a calorie deficit with confidence instead of guesswork.
Testosterone, GLP-1s, and Fat Loss Over 40 (Jay Campbell) | Ep 496
Over 40 and suddenly struggling to lose fat or build muscle? It must be your hormones... right? Not so fast. Jumping straight to TRT, HRT, peptides, or GLP-1s could be solving the wrong problem. Jay Campbell, author of The Testosterone Optimization Therapy Bible and co-founder of BioLongevity Labs, breaks down where hormones actually fit into fat loss, muscle building, metabolism, and longevity.