StrongHer Collective

In this episode, we’re talking about one of the most misunderstood topics in women’s fitness: protein. Protein plays an important role in changing your body composition, but it’s not the magic solution many influencers make it out to be.

I break down what protein actually does in your body—how it supports muscle repair, helps you feel full, and slightly increases your energy expenditure—and what it can’t do (spoiler: it doesn’t “burn fat”). You’ll also learn why resistance training, recovery, and consistency—what I call the“boring basics”—are still the real miracle tools for building strength and maintaining muscle, whether or not weight loss is part of your journey.

You’ll learn:

• Why eating protein without strength training won’t maintain muscle
• How protein supports satiety, recovery, and metabolism
• What is the thermic effect of food (and how small that impact really is)
• Why the “boring basics” are anything but boring when it comes to results

Mentioned in this episode:

• GLP-1 medications and muscle maintenance
• Common misconceptions about protein and fat loss
• Evidence-based basics for sustainable body recomposition

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Influencer marketing has exploded in recent years, and supplements are one of the most profitable products promoted on social media. But when profit is the priority, consumers are often left with exaggerated claims, hidden risks, and misleading information.

In this episode, we look at how influencers make money from supplements through commissions, brand deals, and white labeling. We discuss the ethical concerns when influencers and even licensed physicians sell supplements online, and how conflicts of interest can blur the line between education and marketing.

Links for the nerds:

Disinformation on dietary supplements by German influencers on Instagram (Ricke & Seifert, 2025)

Geneva Declaration (World Medical Association)

International Code of Medical Ethics (World Medical Association)

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Injuries are a part of life and they’re almost unavoidable. But did you know women are more prone to certain injuries than men? In this episode, we talk about what injuries women are prone to, discuss theories on why this is the case,  talk about what you can do to prevent injury, strategies for working around an injury, and how to build resilience.

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
2:20 Episode overview
2:47 Injuries can happen anywhere!
6:02 Common injures in woman athletes (Harvard Health provides a list, )
8:46 Why are some injuries more common for women? (Here's a 2018 article that talks about differences in bone structure and landing mechanics between men and women)
13:53 Preventing injuries 
27:27 What to do when you get injured 

Video of Katherine Switzer discussing what it was like to be the first woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1967. 

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Supplements line the shelves of every health store and flood our social media feeds with promises of fat loss, energy, and better performance. But how safe are they really? In this episode, we break down how dietary supplements are regulated in the U.S., noting important difference in consumer protections with supplements vs. drugs.

Timestamps
0:00 Intro
2:43 What I'm reading right now! Let's Get Physical by Danielle Friedman
7:30 FDA's treatment of Drugs vs. Supplement
12:40 The story of Ephedra 

Resources

• FDA's Statement on the ban of Ephedra (2004)
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Integrative Medicine ingredient database - you can look up an ingredient here to see what it does, what scientific data backs it up, etc.
• Case study of ephedra psychosis caused by a weight loss supplement
• 2015 New England Journal of Medicine emergency room visits due to dietary supplements
• NSF 3rd party testing
• US Anti Doping Agency high risk supplement list

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The supplement industry is massive—worth over $60 billion in 2024 in the U.S. alone—and chances are you’ve come across it in your daily life, whether at the grocery store, on Instagram, in a doctor’s office, or even from a well-meaning mother-in-law. But with so many powders, pills, and potions out there, how do you know what’s worth your money and what’s just clever marketing?

In this episode, I break down the world of dietary supplements in a way that’s clear, evidence-based, and practical. We’ll cover:

• What counts as a supplement (according to the Food and Drug Administration)
• Reasons for taking a supplement—from addressing deficiencies to boosting athletic performance
• The big problem with supplement regulation in the U.S. (and why supplement safety matters)
• Which supplements are helpful for fitness (specifically protein powder and creatine)
• Common gimmicks and marketing traps you can skip
• My personal take: which supplements I actually use

You’ll walk away knowing how to spot quality supplements (hint: third-party testing is key, and NSF certification is the gold standard) and how to make smart choices without wasting money or risking your health.

Chapters

0:00 Intro
2:15 What is a supplement?
4:45 Not all supplements are created equal.
6:00 Supplement regulation in the US
8:20 Supplement marketing tactics
10:30 Protein supplement
15:47 Creatine supplement
20:58 My supplement stack

Links

Read more about supplements on the FDA website

Creatine and Protein 

NOTE: None of these are affiliate links, they are simply all NSF certified and reasonably priced. I will NEVER sell you supplements because I see it as a conflict of interest. 

Biosteel Creatine 

Bare Performance Nutrition Creatine

Biosteel Protein Powder (plant based)

Biosteel Protein Powder (whey)

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Have you ever seen a workout that promises to get rid of belly fat with three moves? In this episode I explain that targeted fat loss is a complete lie, because that is simply not how biology works. However, for decades we have heard about workouts to blast belly fat, "bounce back" from pregnancy, "tone up" arms, "reduce" inner thighs, and so much more. This can be confusing, so let's dive into the science so you can understand how fat loss actually works. 

Further reading: 

• Seminal study that looked at arm fat in tennis players to see if people lose more fat around working muscles.
• 2023 article with a small sample size that did find some evidence of targeted fat loss in men. 

Links:

Get 3 exercises a week sent to your inbox: https://strongher.kit.com/41e98aeb53

1-1 Virtual training: https://forms.gle/sTBnmgHUiwUhtaW5A

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It’s summer, which means the weather’s hot and the pressure to have a “summer body” is even hotter. In this episode, we unpack where that idea comes from, how it harms women, and what we can do to push back. From magazine covers to crash diets, we're shifting the focus from appearance to strength, function, and confidence.

PS - Any Good Place fans out there? If you don't get the "Bullshirt" reference in the episode title, this is your sign to discover one of TVs best shows! 

Further reading:

Read Anna Maltby's Refinery 29 article reacting to Women's Health outlawing "Bikini Body" on covers.

Content analysis of Women's and Men's Health Magazine covers found that all prominent captions were objectifying phrases. 

Check out the How-To Fitness Podcast's episode on toxic masculinity to learn more about the pressures that boys and men have to achieve unrealistic physiques. 

Links:

Get 3 exercises a week sent to your inbox: https://strongher.kit.com/41e98aeb53

1-1 Virtual training: https://forms.gle/sTBnmgHUiwUhtaW5A

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Think you need 10,000 steps a day to be healthy? Think again.
In this episode of the StrongHer Collective podcast, I’m breaking down where that magic number really came from (hint: it wasn’t science), what the research actually says about step counts and health, and why small, consistent movement matters more than hitting an arbitrary target. We’ll dive into the real benefits of walking, the importance of making fitness accessible, and why strength training still reigns supreme for overall health.

Major takeaways:

More steps correlate with better health outcomes, but you don't need 10,000 steps to see big benefits!

• 1,000 steps reduces risk of death by 15%, 500 steps reduces risk of death by cardiovascular emergency by 7%. 
• A 2019 Harvard study of nearly 17,000 older women found that those who walked just 4,400 steps per day had a 41% lower risk of death compared to the most sedentary group, with benefits increasing up to about 7,500 steps—after which the impact plateaued, suggesting more steps aren’t always significantly better.
• More recently a 2022 study (Liu et al.) found a similar leveling off of benefits at 7,500. In this meta analysis, researchers found that those who walk 4,000 steps lower their risk by 37%, 6388 lowers by 60%, and 10k has a 75% lower risk. If you graph this, the steepest reduced risk happens around the 7500 mark. 

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This week we tackle YOUR questions about women's fitness, and fitness in general. We cover considerations for perimenopause and menopause (also check out the episode titled Menopause & HIIT: Science vs. Social Media claims), cycle syncing (surprise - don't spend money on "miracle" programs), lifting heavy and the effects on joints as we age, sleep and sleep debt, what it actually means to lift heavy, and how often to train vs. rest. 

Resources:
1-1 Virtual Training Application form
Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Cheat Sheet - Downloadable PDF
Email newsletter subscribe 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Updates
03:48 Perimenopause/Menopause - does training need to change? 
6:50 Lifting Heavy and the effects on our joints as we age
9:18 Cycle Syncing 
15:41 Understanding Sleep Cycles and Sleep Debt
20:22 The Importance of Recovery in Fitness
26:44 How to figure out how heavy to lift? Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) 

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This week, I’m joined by Suz Stein, a registered dietitian, former D1 athlete, and fitness instructor, to dive deep into the complex world of nutrition and fitness. Together, we explore all things nutrition related, from fueling your workouts with carbohydrates, optimal protein intake to build muscle, health beyond weight loss, and so much more.

Suz’s refreshing perspective will support your approach to nutrition—whether your goal is health, performance, or simply feeling your best.

Connect with Suz at [email protected] or on Nourish: https://signup.usenourish.com/providers/suz-stein

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Suz Stein: A Journey into Nutrition and Fitness

05:42 Understanding the Role of Registered Dietitians vs. Nutrition Coaches

11:02 The Ideal Diet: Balancing Nutrition and Enjoyment

16:04 The Impact of Morality on Dietary Choices

19:07 Common Mistakes in Dietary Overhauls and the Importance of Self-Compassion

25:38 The Importance of Realistic Goals

27:57 Body Image and Health Perception

31:10 The Impact of Comments on Body Image

32:59 Health Beyond Weight Loss

34:10 Small Changes for Big Impacts [American Institute for Cancer Research has further reading on nutrition choices]

38:33 Protein Intake and Muscle Gain

46:18 Fueling for Performance: Carbohydrates and Workouts

48:16 The Importance of Protein Timing

51:10 Navigating Protein Supplements: Myths and Realities [research study about banned substances in supplements]

57:48 Fat Loss vs. Muscle Gain: The Balancing Act

01:04:31 The Reality of Bodybuilding and Health

01:23:33 Where you can find Suz

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