Help Me Understand

The idea that you start losing a significant amount of muscle at 40 has been floating around for decades, but it’s based on outdated research and oversimplified messaging.

In this episode, Coach JK revisits where that belief came from, how it spread, and what newer data actually shows about muscle loss as we age.

He breaks down why the “cliff at 40” story doesn’t hold up, what really happens closer to 60, and how much of it comes down to lifestyle, not age.

From training consistency to protein intake, movement, and recovery, this episode reframes the conversation around what aging and strength really look like.

Referenced studies:

• Lexell J., Taylor C.C., Sjöström M. What is the cause of the ageing atrophy? Total number, size and proportion of different fiber types studied in whole vastus lateralis muscle from 15- to 83-year-old men. J Neurol Sci (1988).
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3379447/

• Volpi E., Nazemi R., Fujita S. Muscle tissue changes with aging. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care (2004).
  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2804956/

• von Haehling S., Morley J.E., Anker S.D. An overview of sarcopenia: facts and numbers on prevalence and determinants. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle (2010).
  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3060646/

If this episode helps you see aging differently, share it with someone who needs the reminder that strength doesn’t have an expiration date.

Instagram: @coachJKmcleod

Email: [email protected]

Coach JK introduces a new way to check in on your fitness habits using the F.A.T.T. assessment.

This doesn't require stepping on the scale. You'll be taking inventory of where your money, time, mindset, and stuff have gone over the last 90 days.

This quarterly reflection helps you see if your habits are aligned with your goals or if small drifts have crept in.

Drawing from his own Q3 review, JK shares how simple tweaks like cutting back on food delivery, curating social media, swapping vague intentions for 30-day checkpoints, and keeping tools that support focus can set you up for a stronger finish to the year.

Instagram: @coachJKmcleod

Email: [email protected]

We’ve all said it: “Life just got in the way.” But what are we really saying when those words come out?

In this episode of the Help Me Understand Podcast, Coach JK takes a closer look at that phrase and how it shows up when we’re talking about fitness, health, and the goals we set for ourselves.

Instead of letting “life” become a vague excuse, JK breaks down what people often mean (ie kids’ activities, caring for aging parents, social commitments, or work obligations) and challenges us to reframe it.

If you’ve ever caught yourself saying “life got in the way” and felt stuck because of it, this quick episode will give you a fresh perspective...and some practical steps to start moving forward again.

Instagram: @coachJKmcleod

Email: [email protected]

Episode 250 of the Help Me Understand podcast takes on a belief you’ve probably heard (or even said yourself): Stress makes you gain weight. Coach JK breaks it down in simple terms and challenges that idea.

Instead of pointing to stress as the villain, this episode explores how stress (whether short bursts or long-term) shifts the choices you make around nutrition, sleep, and exercise. 

JK explains how the nervous system works, why people often call it “stress weight,” and what’s really happening when daily habits start slipping.

You’ll walk away with practical ways to track patterns, adjust when life feels overwhelming, and use feedback as a compass instead of letting stress set the direction.

Instagram: @coachJKmcleod

Email: [email protected]

In this fitness-focused episode, Coach JK cuts through the confusion about warmups by clarifying general vs specific warmups (including examples), and how to navigate the right strategy for yourself.

He also digs into a recent study that looked at whether or not extra warm-up sets actually improve performance, and what that means if your main goal is building muscle.

Instead of treating warm-ups like an all-or-nothing ritual, JK gives a perspective that helps you figure out when “less is fine” and when “a little more” can make a difference.

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Instagram: @coachJKmcleod

On this episode of Help Me Understand, JK shares his perspective on the comments and arguments happening online after the killing of Charlie Kirk.

Instagram: @coachJKmcleod

Email: [email protected]

On this Tuesday fitness episode of Help Me Understand, Coach JK lays out five practical reminders that make macro tracking useful instead of overwhelming...then goes point-by-point responding to five common arguments against tracking.

It’s a candid, coach’s-eye conversation about using numbers as a tool while keeping food quality, lifestyle, and sanity front and center.

Instagram: @coachJKmcleod

Email: [email protected]

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In this short episode of Help Me Understand, Coach JK McLeod shares his perspective a pattern many people fall into: It’s not the event itself that causes problems, it’s the days that follow.

A birthday party, a vacation, or a night out isn’t the real issue.

The drift begins when “just once” turns into two, three, or four days of decisions that pull you away from your habits.

Using his own recent birthday weekend as an example, JK shows how quickly lingering choices can sneak in, and why the language of being “off track” misses the point.

He reframes it as course correction, returning to rhythm, or resetting the compass.

Listeners will take away practical strategies to get back to center after events.

Instagram: @coachJKmcleod

Email: [email protected]

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Coach JK McLeod shares what turning 47 has brought into focus: being unbothered is not the same as being uncaring.

Drawing from Stoicism and a faith-centered upbringing, JK explores how this mindset shapes the way he approaches coaching, family, and everyday life.

Listeners will hear why Stoicism feels like strength training for the mind, how a faith foundation provided the “why” behind living with steadiness, and why peace comes not from caring less but from caring differently. Along the way, JK challenges the idea that staying calm means being detached, and flips the common “Life throwing you curveballs” metaphor on its head.

This short, thought-provoking episode is less about lessons learned and more about perspective gained. This is an invitation to rethink what it really means to show up with clarity, resilience, and care in a world that rarely goes according to plan.

Creatine is one of the most researched supplements out there, but the same two questions keep causing confusion: When’s the best time to take it? and Does coffee make it less effective?

In this episode, Coach JK breaks down what the science actually shows and shares how he coaches clients through these questions.

From the 2013 timing study to the old caffeine concerns, he clears up where the noise came from and why, for most people, consistency matters more than “perfect timing.”

Listeners will learn why anchoring creatine to an existing habit is the simplest strategy, why loading phases aren’t necessary for most, and what to know if you’re putting a scoop in your morning coffee.

--------Instagram: ⁠⁠@CoachJKMcLeod⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠[email protected]