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In this episode of The Forever Athletic Podcast, we're tackling one of the biggest reasons fat loss stalls: weekend overeating.

If you spend Monday to Thursday eating well, training consistently and feeling in control, only to undo it all by Sunday night, you're not alone. It's a pattern that leaves a lot of people feeling frustrated and convinced they need more willpower. In reality, the problem is usually much simpler than that.

This episode explains why weekends feel so much harder than weekdays, why relying on motivation never works, and how a lack of structure leads to overeating without you even realising it. You'll learn practical strategies to stop weekend overeating without giving up meals out, drinks with friends or enjoying your weekends.

If you're tired of starting over every Monday and want a more sustainable approach to fat loss, this episode will help you build habits that work seven days a week, not just the first four.

• Why weekend overeating has far more to do with structure than self-control.
• The reason weekdays often feel easy but weekends quickly unravel.
• How an all-or-nothing mindset keeps you stuck in the Monday reset cycle.
• Why making food decisions in advance leads to better choices.
• The power of having one or two non-negotiable habits each weekend.
• How to enjoy meals out without feeling like you've "blown it."
• A realistic approach to fat loss that works in real life, not just Monday to Thursday.

For many people, fat loss isn't undone by one takeaway or one meal out. It's the repeated cycle of treating weekends like they don't count. When your weekday routine disappears and every food decision is made in the moment, weekend overeating becomes much more likely.

The solution isn't stricter dieting or trying to avoid social events. It's creating enough structure that your weekends don't become the complete opposite of your weekdays. Small anchors, a bit of planning and realistic expectations go much further than relying on willpower.

Learning how to stop weekend overeating is about building consistency rather than perfection. When the gap between your weekday habits and your weekend habits gets smaller, fat loss becomes easier to maintain, and Monday stops feeling like another fresh start.

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https://www.coachianwood.com

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https://www.instagram.com/coachianwood

The Forever Athletic Podcast is for busy adults who are tired of starting over every Monday. If you want practical advice on fat loss, strength training, nutrition and building sustainable habits without fad diets, fitness misinformation or all-or-nothing thinking, you're in the right place.

New episodes are released regularly to help you build a healthier, stronger body that fits around real life.

Ready to build a fitness plan you can actually stick to?

Apply for 1-to-1 online coaching today:
https://www.coachianwood.com

🚀 Ready to stop starting again every Monday?
Apply for 1-to-1 online coaching:
https://www.coachianwood.com

In this episode of The Forever Athletic Podcast, we're talking about one of the biggest reasons people spend months in the gym without seeing much to show for it: they're training hard, but they're not applying progressive overload.

If you've been lifting the same weights for months, finishing every session exhausted, and wondering why your strength or muscle isn't improving, this episode is for you. The problem usually isn't your work ethic. It's that your training lacks a clear plan for progression.

You'll learn what progressive overload actually means, why effort alone doesn't build muscle or strength, and the common mistakes that keep people stuck. We also cover the simple habits that make the biggest difference, including tracking your workouts, setting clear performance targets, and sticking with the same key exercises long enough to improve them.

If you want better results from your strength training without spending more hours in the gym, this episode will help you focus on what really drives progress.

• Why training hard isn't the same as making progress.
• What progressive overload really means and why it's essential for building muscle and strength.
• The biggest mistakes that stop people progressing in the gym.
• Why not tracking your workouts is holding you back.
• How changing exercises too often can slow your results.
• Why getting close to muscular failure matters more than simply feeling tired.
• Three simple habits that make consistent strength training far more effective.

A lot of people believe that if they're sweating, out of breath and leaving the gym feeling exhausted, they must be making progress. Unfortunately, your body doesn't reward effort for effort's sake. It adapts to a new challenge, and that's exactly what progressive overload provides.

Without tracking your workouts, aiming to improve your performance and repeating the same core lifts consistently, it's very easy to spend months working hard without getting stronger or building more muscle. That's frustrating because it often leads people to blame themselves or jump to another training programme when the real issue is much simpler.

Understanding how progressive overload works helps you train with purpose instead of just exercising for the sake of it. Small improvements made consistently over time will always beat random hard sessions if your goal is lasting strength, muscle growth and long-term fitness.

🌐 Coaching
https://www.coachianwood.com

📸 Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/coachianwood

The Forever Athletic Podcast is for busy adults who are tired of starting over every Monday. If you want practical advice on fat loss, strength training, nutrition and building sustainable habits without fad diets, fitness misinformation or all-or-nothing thinking, you're in the right place.

New episodes are released regularly to help you build a healthier, stronger body that fits around real life.

Ready to build a fitness plan you can actually stick to?
Apply for 1-to-1 online coaching today:
https://www.coachianwood.com

🚀 Ready to stop starting again every Monday?

Apply for 1-to-1 online coaching at https://www.coachianwood.com

After more than 20 years working in the fitness industry, I've watched trends come and go, then come back around again wearing a different outfit.

What surprises me most is that despite having more access to quality fitness advice than ever before, we're still surrounded by fitness misinformation.

In this episode, I share the three things currently winding me up about the fitness industry. From the obsession with optimising every tiny detail, to influencers selling unrealistic physiques without being honest about what's behind them, to the rise of photoshoot culture as a coaching sales tool.

If you've ever felt like you're working hard but still questioning whether you're doing enough, this episode will help you cut through the noise and focus on what actually matters for long-term progress.

• Why chasing the "optimal" plan often leads to inconsistency.

• How fitness misinformation is making sustainable fat loss harder than it needs to be.

• The problem with influencers hiding their use of TRT, peptides and GLP-1 medications.

• Why lighting, posing and editing create unrealistic expectations.

• My thoughts on photoshoot culture and why it isn't the goal most people think it is.

• What genuinely leads to long-term fitness success.

The fitness industry is full of good intentions, but it's also full of misleading fitness advice and unrealistic expectations. When we're constantly told there's a perfect way to train, eat or look, it's easy to feel like we're falling short.

The truth is that sustainable fitness isn't built on perfection. It's built on consistency. This episode is a reminder that you don't need the latest hack, supplement or trend to make progress. You need a plan that works in real life and one that you can still follow months and years from now.

🌐 Coaching:
https://www.coachianwood.com

📸 Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/coachianwood

The Forever Athletic Podcast is for busy adults who are tired of starting over every Monday. If you want practical advice on fat loss, strength training, nutrition and building sustainable habits without fad diets, fitness misinformation or all-or-nothing thinking, you're in the right place.

New episodes are released regularly to help you build a healthier, stronger body that fits around real life.

Apply for 1-to-1 online coaching today and build a plan that actually works in the real world.

https://www.coachianwood.com

Click here to apply for coaching: https://www.coachianwood.com

In this episode, I break down the 5 biggest changes I've made to my training as I approach 40, compared to how I trained in my 20s. If you're a lifter noticing more niggles, slower recovery, or wondering how to keep training hard without breaking down, this episode is for you.

What we cover:

• 🏋️ Why I now do compound lifts later in my session — and how using isolation work as an extended warm-up de-loads the whole workout
• 📈 Why I've slowed my progression schemes (8–12 / 6–10 instead of 8–10 / 6–8) — and why slower is actually more sustainable
• 🤖 Why machines make up a bigger part of my training now, and how good resistance profiles let me push closer to failure, safely
• ⏱️ Why tempo — pauses and slower eccentrics — has replaced pure power and strength work from my volleyball days
• ⏳ Why my sessions have shrunk from 90 minutes to 45–60 — and why that's actually improved my results

Perfect for: lifters over 35, anyone managing joint pain or chronic niggles, and former athletes transitioning from performance-based training to longevity-based training.

Apply for coaching 👉🏻 https://www.coachianwood.com/

A new drug called apitegromab has been developed to prevent muscle loss in people taking GLP-1 weight loss medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro — and a study published in Nature Medicine suggests it works. People taking it alongside tirzepatide lost around 15% of their weight from muscle, compared to 30% in those who didn't take it.

But in this episode, I want to have a different conversation.

Because the muscle loss being caused by these medications isn't a mystery. Large, aggressive calorie deficits — created by any means, including GLP-1 drugs — break down muscle tissue alongside fat. And we already know how to prevent most of that: a moderate calorie deficit, adequate protein intake, and consistent resistance training.

These aren't complicated interventions. They're the same fundamentals that would get most slightly overweight, otherwise healthy people the result they want — without the medication, without the side effects, and without the need for a second drug to manage the first one.

In this episode I break down what the EMBRAZE trial actually found, why the muscle loss is happening mechanically, what the evidence says about preventing it, and my honest professional perspective after 20 years of coaching women through sustainable fat loss.

This isn't an anti-medication episode. It's a basics-first episode.

What You'll Learn:

• What the Nature Medicine apitegromab study actually found — and what it means
• Why GLP-1 medications cause muscle loss, and why it's not unique to the drugs
• The three evidence-based strategies that prevent muscle loss during any calorie deficit
• Why a drug to fix a drug's side effects isn't always the right answer
• The honest question to ask yourself before reaching for a pharmaceutical solution
• How to lose fat and preserve muscle with the fundamentals — protein, resistance training, and a moderate deficit

Keywords / Tags: Ozempic muscle loss, Ozempic butt, GLP-1 side effects, apitegromab, Mounjaro muscle loss, how to avoid muscle loss on Ozempic, weight loss jabs, resistance training for fat loss, protein for weight loss, minimum effective dose, women's fat loss, sustainable weight loss, basics before pharmaceuticals, Start With 6

Resources Mentioned:

Start With 6 — [insert link]

Sources Referenced:

Pratley RE, et al. Apitegromab for lean mass preservation during tirzepatide-induced weight loss: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial. Nature Medicine, 2026.

BBC Health. New drug to stop 'Ozempic butt' muscle loss side effect of obesity jabs. June 2026.

Apply for Coaching Here 👉🏻 www.coachianwood.com

In this episode, I break down two major peer-reviewed studies that together make one of the most compelling cases for consistent strength training ever backed by science.

Study one: a 30-year study of 147,374 people published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that 90 to 120 minutes of resistance training per week reduces the risk of dying early by 13%, the risk of cardiovascular death by 19%, and the risk of neurological disease death — including dementia — by 27%. Combined with regular cardio, the risk of early death from any cause drops by up to 58%.

Critically: doing more than two hours a week added zero extra benefit. This is the minimum effective dose — and it's lower than most people think.

Study two: a University of Michigan study of 3,873 older adults tracked for 12 years used two of the most validated biological ageing clocks — GrimAge and PhenoAge — to measure cellular age through DNA methylation. People who exercised regularly were biologically 1.26 to 1.70 years younger than inactive counterparts. Both long-term and recent activity were independently protective. Starting later still counts.

Together, these studies tell us the same thing: consistency over time is what drives outcomes. Not intensity. Not perfection. Just showing up, regularly, for the long term.

If you've ever felt like you're not doing enough, or that you've left it too late — this episode is for you.

What You'll Learn:

• What the 30-year British Journal of Sports Medicine study found about resistance training and mortality risk
• Why doing more than two hours of strength training a week offers no extra benefit
• How scientists are now measuring biological age through DNA — and what exercise does to it
• Why starting later still meaningfully changes your biology
• The practical minimum effective dose for longevity and healthy ageing

Keywords / Tags: strength training, resistance training, longevity, biological age, epigenetic ageing, how much should I train, exercise and dementia, exercise and heart disease, healthy ageing, women's fitness, fat loss, consistency, minimum effective dose, GrimAge, PhenoAge, DNA methylation, strength training for women

Sources Referenced:

Zhang Y, Lee DH, Rezende LFM, et al. Long-term resistance training with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: assessing dose-response and joint associations with aerobic physical activity. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2026.

Ammous F, Peterson MD, Mitchell C, Faul JD. Physical Activity Is Associated With Decreased Epigenetic Aging: Findings From the Health and Retirement Study. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, 2026.

How to Find a Good Personal Trainer (And Avoid Getting It Wrong)

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The fitness industry has a problem — and it's costing people time, money, and sometimes their health. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on something most coaches won't talk about: how easy it is to fake credibility in an industry that is almost entirely unregulated.

After 20 years as a PT, 12 years in strength and conditioning, and a Master's degree with a research thesis specifically on the effectiveness of online coaching, I've seen the full spectrum of good and bad. Here's what I've learned.

What's covered in this episode:

• Why the fitness industry is largely unregulated — and what that means for you as a consumer
• The two types of coach you'll encounter, and why they can look identical on Instagram
• Why qualifications alone don't make a great coach (and what actually does)
• The five things that separate exceptional coaches from average ones: education, experience, coaching reps, mistakes, and empathy
• Five practical questions to ask any coach before you hire them
• The red flags that should make you walk away immediately

Key takeaways:

• Anyone can legally call themselves a personal trainer or nutrition coach — there is no meaningful governing body with legal authority
• A coach who lost weight themselves is not automatically qualified to help you reach your goals
• Great coaches ask a lot of questions before prescribing anything — be wary of anyone who immediately tells you exactly what you need
• How a coach handles a question they can't answer tells you everything
• The right coach isn't the flashiest on social media — it's the one who understands where you are and has the knowledge and humanity to help you get there

This episode is for you if:You're looking to hire a personal trainer or online coach, you've had a bad experience with a coach in the past, or you're trying to build muscle, lose weight sustainably, or improve your performance and don't know who to trust.

Work With Me 👉🏻 https://www.coachianwood.com/

There’s one big inconvenient truth about building muscle after 35:

It doesn’t happen by accident anymore.

In this episode, I break down why so many adults over 35 struggle to build muscle despite training hard — and why more effort, more sweat and more “fitness” often isn’t the answer.

We cover:

• Why HIIT classes and random workouts often fail for muscle growth
• The biggest training mistakes people make after 35
• How recovery, stress and lifestyle impact muscle building
• The 3 key drivers of muscle growth
• Why progressive overload matters more as you age
• How to structure your training for lean muscle and fat loss
• Why consistency beats intensity for long-term results
• The importance of tracking workouts and repeating successful training blocks
• How to build muscle without living in the gym

If you’ve been:

• training consistently but not looking different
• feeling constantly fatigued from workouts
• stuck in the cycle of random classes and programme hopping
• or frustrated that your body no longer responds like it did in your 20s…

This episode will help you simplify your approach and focus on what actually works.

• Why building muscle after 35 requires more intent
• The recovery problem with excessive HIIT training
• Mechanical tension, muscle damage and metabolic stress explained
• How often to train each muscle group for growth
• A simple progressive overload strategy that actually works
• Why tracking your workouts is non-negotiable
• The truth about “random workouts”
• How to train smarter as you get older

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If you enjoyed the episode, share it on Instagram and tag me so I can repost it.

And if you want help building muscle, losing body fat and creating a sustainable approach to fitness, click the link below to learn more about coaching.

https://www.coachianwood.com/

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In this episode, I talk about the 3 fitness compromises I’ve happily made as someone rapidly approaching 40 — and why they’ve actually improved my consistency, recovery and relationship with training.

We cover:

• Why lower training volume can still build muscle effectively
• The reality of maintaining a lean physique in your 30s and 40s
• Why slightly higher body fat levels can improve quality of life
• The problem with chasing “optimal” fitness all the time
• Why slower progress is often more sustainable long term
• How to balance fitness goals with work, family and real life
• The mindset shift from extreme fitness to sustainable fitness

If you feel stuck in the cycle of starting over, chasing perfect plans, or feeling like fitness is becoming harder to maintain with age, this episode is for you.

Worried about losing progress while travelling? In this episode, I share my realistic approach to staying fit on holiday without strict diets, obsessive tracking or ruining the whole point of taking a break.

After 20+ years in the fitness industry, this is exactly how I approach holidays so I can switch off, enjoy great food and come home feeling refreshed — not like I need to “start again”.

You’ll learn:

• Why most “holiday workout plans” fail
• The mindset shift that stops post-holiday weight gain
• How to maintain fitness while travelling without rigid routines
• The 4 simple rules I use to stay in shape on vacation
• How to return home feeling motivated and back in control

This is the exact philosophy behind my coaching programme Start With 6, designed to help you lose your first 5kg through realistic habits and routines that actually survive real life.

👉 Join the Start With 6 presale here:
www.coachianwood.com/startwith6