Wits & Weights | Evidence-Based Fitness & Nutrition for Lifters Over 40
Philip Pape, Evidence-Based Nutrition Coach & Fat Loss Expert
Wits & Weights is a strength and nutrition podcast where in every episode I put a popular piece of fitness advice under the microscope, find the hidden reason it doesn't work, and give you the deceptively simple fix that does.For skeptics of the fitness industry who are tired of following the rules and still not seeing results. If you've been lifting weights, tracking macros, and doing "all the right things" but your body composition hasn't changed, you're probably overcomplicating it. This is the fitness podcast that shows you how to build muscle, lose fat, and achieve a real body recomp by focusing only on what the evidence actually supports.Evidence-based fat loss coach Philip Pape brings an engineer's approach to strength training, nutrition, and metabolism. Instead of another generic program or meal plan, you get specific, science-based strategies for optimizing body composition, whether you're focused on building muscle, losing fat, or both. The focus is on strength training over 40, hormone health, perimenopause and menopause, and longevity.You've seen the conflicting advice. One expert says cut carbs, the next says eat more. One says train six days a week, another says three is plenty. Building the body you want doesn't have to be this confusing or time-consuming. By using your wits (systems + identity-based behavior change) and lifting weights, you can build muscle definition, improve your physique, and maintain your results for life without rebound weight gain.You'll learn smart, efficient strategies for movement, metabolism, muscle, and mindset, such as:- Why fat loss matters more than weight loss for both your health and your physique- Why all the macros, including protein, fats, and yes even carbs, are critical to body composition- How just 3 hours a week of proper hypertrophy training can deliver better results than most people get in twice that time- Why building muscle is the single most powerful thing you can do for metabolic health, longevity, and aging well- Why perimenopause and menopause don't have to derail your progress when your training and nutrition are dialed in- How shifting the way you think about fitness can unlock more physical (and personal) growth than any program aloneIf you're ready to learn what actually works with evidence-based training and nutrition, hit "follow" and let's engineer your best physique ever!Popular Guests Include: Mike Matthews (author of Bigger Leaner Stronger), Greg Nuckols (Stronger by Science), Alan Aragon (nutrition researcher), Eric Helms (3D Muscle Journey), Dr. Spencer Nadolsky (Docs Who Lift), Bill Campbell (exercise science researcher), Jordan Feigenbaum (Barbell Medicine), Holly Baxter (evidence-based physique coach), Laurin Conlin (physique coach), Lauren Colenso-Semple (nutrition researcher), Karen Martel (hormone optimization expert), Steph Gaudreau (women's strength and nutrition), Bryan Boorstein (hypertrophy coach)Popular Topics Include: hormone health, metabolism optimization, hypertrophy training, longevity and healthy aging, nutrition tracking, best protein powder selection, strength training over 40, women's fitness, perimenopause, menopause, muscle building, body recomp, macros and nutrition tracking
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 20, 2022 • 49min
Ep 37: Balancing Strength, Endurance, and Recovery for 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 spring. Topics discussed in this episode: Josh’s background and how he finds time to go hunting Why motivation is not enough (and what we should do instead) How we avoid overtraining (especially as we age) How to minimize the impact on aging/ailing joints Dealing with setbacks (injuries/anxiety/depression) and how to overcome those Managing the dichotomy of strength vs. endurance Balancing training for longevity with specific events What recovery looks like (and training periodization) in preparation for his event in New Zealand Strategies to overcome the urge to binge on processed food Dealing with the influences of your support structure when they don't “get” your nutrition/training RELATED LINKSTalk to Josh in the Wits & Weights Facebook community Watch the episode on video here💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - A 6-month coaching program for lifters over 40 who are done collecting information and ready to have real human coaches watch their data and know what to focus on each week.📱 Get Fitness Lab (exclusive 20% off) - The #1 adaptive fitness and nutrition app. Daily coaching, workouts, and biofeedback-based guidance to help you build muscle and lose fat over 40.👥 Join our Facebook community - For adults over 40 who want to build muscle, lose fat, and stop following bad advice. Weekly Q&A threads, coaching insights, and real chat with other lifters.👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram
Dec 13, 2022 • 1h 12min
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? What are the ideal set and reps? What are the signs that you are not lifting heavy enough?How long does it take to see results?Can we lose weight without calorie restricting and just lifting? and more! RELATED LINKSSubscribe to The Other Side of Weight Loss podcastVisit Karen's website at karenmartel.comFind Karen on InstagramWatch the episode on video here💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - A 6-month coaching program for lifters over 40 who are done collecting information and ready to have real human coaches watch their data and know what to focus on each week.📱 Get Fitness Lab (exclusive 20% off) - The #1 adaptive fitness and nutrition app. Daily coaching, workouts, and biofeedback-based guidance to help you build muscle and lose fat over 40.👥 Join our Facebook community - For adults over 40 who want to build muscle, lose fat, and stop following bad advice. Weekly Q&A threads, coaching insights, and real chat with other lifters.👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram
Dec 6, 2022 • 37min
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 fitnessWhy people might not enjoy their trainingWhy people slog through workouts if they don’t enjoy themThe importance of doing some sort of activity for optimal healthWhat people can do if they don’t enjoy their current trainingAlternatives to strength training and ranking those activitiesWhether training is required for a specific goal (even if you don’t like it)RELATED LINKSFind Paul on InstagramFind Paul on TikTokWatch the episode on video here💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - A 6-month coaching program for lifters over 40 who are done collecting information and ready to have real human coaches watch their data and know what to focus on each week.📱 Get Fitness Lab (exclusive 20% off) - The #1 adaptive fitness and nutrition app. Daily coaching, workouts, and biofeedback-based guidance to help you build muscle and lose fat over 40.👥 Join our Facebook community - For adults over 40 who want to build muscle, lose fat, and stop following bad advice. Weekly Q&A threads, coaching insights, and real chat with other lifters.👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram
Nov 29, 2022 • 43min
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 strategies for walking effectively that you can start using right away!RELATED LINKSJoin our Facebook community if you'd rather watch the video and to access the nutrition blueprint PDF for this episode💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - A 6-month coaching program for lifters over 40 who are done collecting information and ready to have real human coaches watch their data and know what to focus on each week.📱 Get Fitness Lab (exclusive 20% off) - The #1 adaptive fitness and nutrition app. Daily coaching, workouts, and biofeedback-based guidance to help you build muscle and lose fat over 40.👥 Join our Facebook community - For adults over 40 who want to build muscle, lose fat, and stop following bad advice. Weekly Q&A threads, coaching insights, and real chat with other lifters.👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram
Nov 22, 2022 • 47min
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 peopleThe role of self-talk in achieving sustainable weight lossThe role of emotional intelligence in sustainable weight lossSelf-talk / identity / transformational model of changePrioritizing self-loveWhere to begin with "deep work"An example of a "destructive and self-sabotaging pattern"Cultivating more intentionality to transform your relationship with foodYour thoughts on willpower and disciplineYour thoughts on "good vs. bad" foodsThe value of the pre-diet maintenance phaseWeight loss as a goal vs. body composition (adding muscle)Going on your own vs. hiring a coachRELATED LINKSSubscribe to The 5% Way podcastVisit Paul's website at thefivepercentway.comJoin The 5% CommunityFind Paul on InstagramWatch the episode on video here💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - A 6-month coaching program for lifters over 40 who are done collecting information and ready to have real human coaches watch their data and know what to focus on each week.📱 Get Fitness Lab (exclusive 20% off) - The #1 adaptive fitness and nutrition app. Daily coaching, workouts, and biofeedback-based guidance to help you build muscle and lose fat over 40.👥 Join our Facebook community - For adults over 40 who want to build muscle, lose fat, and stop following bad advice. Weekly Q&A threads, coaching insights, and real chat with other lifters.👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram
Nov 15, 2022 • 57min
Ep 32: Fix Your Nutrition for a Healthy, Balanced Lifestyle with Tyla Serro
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 your best life.Topics discussed in this episode:Tyla's background with lifting and nutritionHer fitness and nutrition goals over the last yearExperience with dietingThe process we went through for her fat loss phaseWho and why someone should track macrosTyla's proudest moment on this journeyEducation and awareness that comes from working with a coachPlanning ahead and enjoying social events and dining outTyla's increased confidence in her ability to sustain resultsThe importance of strength trainingHer thoughts about the upcoming muscle-building phaseWhere someone should start when it comes to health and fitnessRELATED LINKSFind Tyla on InstagramProtectors of Animals, a non-profit, primarily volunteer, no-kill organization whose mission is to increase the quality of life of all dogs and cats in the communities they serve.Watch the episode on video here💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - A 6-month coaching program for lifters over 40 who are done collecting information and ready to have real human coaches watch their data and know what to focus on each week.📱 Get Fitness Lab (exclusive 20% off) - The #1 adaptive fitness and nutrition app. Daily coaching, workouts, and biofeedback-based guidance to help you build muscle and lose fat over 40.👥 Join our Facebook community - For adults over 40 who want to build muscle, lose fat, and stop following bad advice. Weekly Q&A threads, coaching insights, and real chat with other lifters.👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram
Nov 8, 2022 • 50min
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 resistanceHormone imbalances that cause weight gainSugar cravings from hormone imbalancesWhat happens to hormones during perimenopauseGaining weight during peri or post-menopauseFoods or nutritional strategy to consider before therapy/supplements/medical adviceHow perimenopause affects muscle growthSafety of bioidentical hormonesWhen to start using bioidentical hormonesEffect of estrogen on weight gainSeed cycling (viable strategy for estrogen dominance?)Determine whether we are processing hormones properlyRELATED LINKSTake the Hormone Quiz and find out which hormones could be stopping you from losing weight at this linkSubscribe to The Other Side of Weight Loss podcastVisit Karen's website at karenmartel.comFind Karen on InstagramWatch the episode on video here💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - A 6-month coaching program for lifters over 40 who are done collecting information and ready to have real human coaches watch their data and know what to focus on each week.📱 Get Fitness Lab (exclusive 20% off) - The #1 adaptive fitness and nutrition app. Daily coaching, workouts, and biofeedback-based guidance to help you build muscle and lose fat over 40.👥 Join our Facebook community - For adults over 40 who want to build muscle, lose fat, and stop following bad advice. Weekly Q&A threads, coaching insights, and real chat with other lifters.👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram
Nov 1, 2022 • 55min
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 eatingWhy the modern world is a perfect storm for overeating and binge eatingPractical strategies people can use to stop overeatingStarting with just ONE rule for the most troublesome trigger food or behaviorWhy rules and a personal food plan are liberating, not restrictiveWhy generalizations like "just eat everything in moderation" are not helpfulWhy we should strive for perfectionism (with a caveat)How someone trying to GAIN weight would use this approachThe difference between HUNGER and CRAVINGSChallenging clients and situations that required a more intense approachDealing with overeating on the weekends!The one thing Dr. Livingston wished he learned earlier in lifeThe one question Glenn wished I'd asked...and his answerWhere to get a copy of his free book, "Never Binge Again"RELATED LINKSBinge Eating Recovery Coaching, Books, Tutorials and More at NeverBingAgain.comDr. Glenn Livingston on InstagramWatch the episode on video here💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - A 6-month coaching program for lifters over 40 who are done collecting information and ready to have real human coaches watch their data and know what to focus on each week.📱 Get Fitness Lab (exclusive 20% off) - The #1 adaptive fitness and nutrition app. Daily coaching, workouts, and biofeedback-based guidance to help you build muscle and lose fat over 40.👥 Join our Facebook community - For adults over 40 who want to build muscle, lose fat, and stop following bad advice. Weekly Q&A threads, coaching insights, and real chat with other lifters.👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram
Oct 25, 2022 • 15min
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 LINKSRoss, 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. 💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - A 6-month coaching program for lifters over 40 who are done collecting information and ready to have real human coaches watch their data and know what to focus on each week.📱 Get Fitness Lab (exclusive 20% off) - The #1 adaptive fitness and nutrition app. Daily coaching, workouts, and biofeedback-based guidance to help you build muscle and lose fat over 40.👥 Join our Facebook community - For adults over 40 who want to build muscle, lose fat, and stop following bad advice. Weekly Q&A threads, coaching insights, and real chat with other lifters.👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram
Oct 18, 2022 • 52min
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, healthier physique.Then I go over three scenarios—skinny fat, somewhat overweight, and very overweight—and discuss strategies for improving body composition with each.Topics discussed in this episode:What exactly is body composition?How body composition gets worse over time (unless you do something about it)The concept of "body fat overshooting" from repeated dietingBenefits of improving compositionHow to improve body compositionApplying these strategies if you're skinny fat, somewhat overweight, or very overweightRELATED LINKSJoin our Facebook community if you'd rather watch the video and to access the nutrition blueprint PDF for this episodeMacroFactor food logging app (use discount code WITSANDWEIGHTS)💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - A 6-month coaching program for lifters over 40 who are done collecting information and ready to have real human coaches watch their data and know what to focus on each week.📱 Get Fitness Lab (exclusive 20% off) - The #1 adaptive fitness and nutrition app. Daily coaching, workouts, and biofeedback-based guidance to help you build muscle and lose fat over 40.👥 Join our Facebook community - For adults over 40 who want to build muscle, lose fat, and stop following bad advice. Weekly Q&A threads, coaching insights, and real chat with other lifters.👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram
