Wits & Weights | Strength Training & Fat Loss Over 40

Epizodes

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  Why the Most Convincing Nutrition Advice Is Usually Wrong (Zoë Rom and Kylee Van Horn) 01.10.2026 54min

  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...
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  Carb Cycling, Workout Carb Timing, and the Menopause Carb Myth 28.09.2026 28min

  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 insuli...
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  The 8 Hours of Sleep Myth for Longevity and Muscle Building After 40 24.09.2026 23min

  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: Where the 7+ hours of sleep guideline comes from and what it does and does not coverThe effect of sleep restriction on a calorie deficit, including fat loss vs fat-free (l...
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  Creatine for Women in Menopause (Dosage, Bone, and Brain Research) 21.09.2026 27min

  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? Get those answers and more, including: The REAL reason creatine worksWhy “lower creatine stores” does not mean depleted muscle...
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  5 Rep Ranges You MUST Know for Hypertrophy After 40 (Andy Baker) 17.09.2026 1h 7min

  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...
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  Do Diet Breaks Actually Work for Metabolism Recovery and Fat Loss? 14.09.2026 22min

  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, including: Where diet break claims come from, including metabolic adaptation and the MATADOR trial designWhat meta...
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  You Don't Need a Calorie Surplus to Build Muscle Over 40 10.09.2026 29min

  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. I'm breaking down the real energy cost of building a pound of muscle and the 3 conditions that decide whether body recomposition works for you. You'll also hear where the anti-surplus crowd oversel...
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  Perimenopause Doesn't Cause Weight Gain (Your Metabolism Is Fine) 07.09.2026 30min

  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. You'll learn: Medical consensus vs. social media claims about menopause weight gain SWAN DEXA findings on steady scale weight and shifting fat and lean mass Visceral belly fat and trunk fat increases during menopauseW...
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  Stop Rushing Your Rest Periods (How to Shorten Your Workout WITHOUT Losing Muscle) 05.09.2026 11min

  Cutting your rest periods to save time could backfire. Obsessing over rest periods between sets is usually the wrong way to save time in the gym when it comes to strength training over 40. Learn what the research says for hypertrophy and strength for a smarter strategy to get in those hard sets while shortening your time in the gym. Join my email list to get the exclusive 30% off Fitness Lab for life during our Labor Sale. Offer ends September 13. Hit play if you want a shorter session withou...
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  5 Beliefs I Got Wrong About Strength Training Over 40 | Ep 500 03.09.2026 37min

  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. Learn why starting at maintenance calories can still make sense, just not for “metabolic repair,” why total daily protein matters far more than perfect meal timing, and why cardio probably isn’t stealing your muscle ...
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  The 4 Essential Skills of Body Recomposition After 40 | Ep 499 31.08.2026 39min

  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: Why short-term results can regress even with good effortWhat the 3.9-year weight regain finding from research suggests about the best approachHow cognitive behavioral ther...
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  Cut, Maintain, or Build and Still Lose Fat WITHOUT Losing Muscle | Ep 498 27.08.2026 30min

  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...
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  Stop Letting a Calculator Set Your Macros and Calories for Fat Loss | Ep 497 24.08.2026 31min

  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. Why calculator-based maintenance c...
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  Testosterone, GLP-1s, and Fat Loss Over 40 (Jay Campbell) | Ep 496 20.08.2026 59min

  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. We cover why testosterone boosters usually disappoint, what free versus total testosterone can tel...
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  Menopause Strength Training and the Bone Density Myth | Ep 495 17.08.2026 28min

  Heavy lifting does build bone density. That part is true. But the rule going around that women must strength training with 5 sets of 5 at 85% of your max (1RM) plus box jumps or you lose your bone density, is a much bigger claim than the evidence supports. We dismantle this claim and explain what the best studies can and cannot prove. We also share a simpler approach that still allows you to train hard, lower fracture risk, and keeps you consistent through perimenopause and postmenopause.&nbs...
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  Did I Trigger the "Fat Folks" on Social Media? 16.08.2026 5min

  Am I mansplaining to the "fat folks" on social media and stripping away their bodily autonomy? It all started with a Threads post about GLP-1s and lifting weights. Apparently, people hear the same facts in totally different ways (if they want to hear them at all). In this bonus episode, I share a comment on a viral post about lean mass loss in the GLP-1 weight loss research, a positive message on resistance training that wasn't taken that way, and why clearer language matters online. If...
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  How Long Body Recomposition Takes (Lose Fat & Gain Muscle) | Ep 494 13.08.2026 31min

  How long does body recomposition really take? Cutting calories to lose weight can make a skinny fat physique worse by stripping away the little muscle you have while giving you misleading “progress” signals. Learn the realistic week-by-week body recomp timeline for noticeable changes, plus the simple tracking methods that prove your plan is working. If the scale hasn't budged in 3 weeks and you're about to call it off, hit play. And shout out to listener Dhiren A. on Spotify for t...
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  Reverse Dieting Is a Dead End for Metabolism Recovery | Ep 493 10.08.2026 35min

  Reverse dieting gets sold as a slow, safe way to “fix” your metabolism after fat loss, but the evidence and the real-world experience rarely match the promise. Reverse dieting came out of coaching, not research. Add 50 calories a week, bring your metabolism back up, stay lean while you do it. We break down why most people cannot execute it, why it often delays recovery, and how to transition out of a cut with faster metabolic and hormonal rebound while keeping your head straight about t...
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  Tissue Capacity and Training Through Pain for Lifters Over 40 (Dr. Tom Walters) | Ep 492 06.08.2026 48min

  Can resting an achy joint actually make it weaker? What should you do when pain flares during strength training? Dr. Tom Walters, board-certified orthopedic physical therapist and founder of Rehab Science, joins me to challenge the idea that pain always means you should stop moving. Learn why there are no inherently bad movements, only loads and positions your body may not be prepared to handle yet. We cover heavy, slow resistance training for tendinopathy, why mild discomfort can be ac...
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  Why Your Body Fights Fat Loss (The Truth About Setpoint Theory) | Ep 491 03.08.2026 24min

  Your metabolism isn't the problem. It's not making fat loss harder. On a normal diet, your metabolism slows far less than you've been told. Your body does "defend" itself, though setpoint theory may not be the reason why. I'm breaking down the real reason your weight comes back and the 3 fixes that work. You'll also hear why the researcher behind the Biggest Loser study changed his mind, what happens to your hunger a full year after the diet ends, and what reverse dieting is doing to your rec...