Grab your free Muscle-Building Nutrition Blueprint to learn how to eat for your training goals (even when managing blood sugar and eating carbs). Go to witsandweights.com/muscle

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Are carbs really your enemy? Should you be training fasted? Can someone with diabetes actually build muscle and thrive?

Registered dietitian and strength coach Ben Zeal, who’s been living with type 1 diabetes for over 25 years, joins me to break down some of the biggest myths in fitness and nutrition. We discuss carb fear, insulin misconceptions, and the truth about fasted training, CGMs, GLP-1s, and more. 

Ben also covers how blood sugar management isn't just for diabetics, but for anyone wanting consistent energy, better performance, and body composition goals that stick. Our discussion is packed with real talk and practical strategies to train smarter, eat with confidence, and stop fearing carbs.

Today, you’ll learn all about:

4:39 – Should non-diabetics track glucose?
6:13 – Walks, workouts, and insulin sensitivity
9:28 – Can movement replace medication?
13:11 – How to overcome carb fear
15:14 – Best training approach for blood sugar
22:36 – Stress: the hidden blood sugar saboteur
27:40 – GLP-1 drugs and smart strategy
30:48 – What insulin pumps actually do
36:32 – How to become a consistent lifter
41:44 – Does fiber really matter for blood sugar?
44:25 – Where to find Ben and free resources

Episode resources:

• Your Diabetes Insider Podcast
• Website: yourdiabetesinsider.com 
• Instagram: @manoftzeel 
• Youtube:  @yourdiabetesinsider
  
  

Support the show

📱 Get Fitness Lab - Philip’s science-based AI app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training for people over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without guesswork.

🎓 Try Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support and accountability (free custom nutrition plan with code FREEPLAN).

👥 Join our Facebook community - Free fat loss, muscle building, and body recomposition strategies for adults over 40 who want practical, science-backed fitness guidance.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram

Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS to see exactly how these walking breaks impact your daily calorie burn and support your muscle-building or fat loss goals or go to witsandweights.com/blog/macrofactor

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Can you immediately increase muscle building by 47%?

It's 3 PM on a Tuesday, and you've been glued to your desk since 8 AM. Your back is stiff, your energy is crashing, and you can feel that familiar tightness setting in from hours of sitting.

But here's what you don't realize: that prolonged sitting isn't just making you uncomfortable. It's actively blocking your muscle protein synthesis, sabotaging your ability to build muscle from the food you eat.

A groundbreaking 2022 study revealed a shocking truth: prolonged sitting can reduce your muscle protein synthesis by nearly 50%, effectively blocking your body's ability to build muscle from the protein you eat. 

This happens through multiple pathways we'll discuss, and there's a stupidly simple solution that can have the opposite effect and boost muscle building by 47%!

Main Takeaways:

• Prolonged sitting creates "anabolic resistance" that can reduce muscle protein synthesis by up to 50%
• A simple walking hack can completely reverse this effect and boost muscle building by 47%
• The biological mechanisms: improved blood flow, enhanced amino acid delivery, reactivated mTOR signaling, and better insulin sensitivity
• Compound benefits beyond muscle building include stable energy, better blood sugar control, improved recovery

Study Mentioned:

• Study by Moore et al. (2022) published in The Journal of Physiology

Timestamps:

0:01 - The hidden cost of prolonged sitting
4:05 - Why sitting blocks muscle gains
8:08 - How 2-minute breaks reverse the damage
11:16 - Practical tips to implement TODAY
14:15 - Compound effects beyond muscle building

Support the show

📱 Get Fitness Lab - Philip’s science-based AI app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training for people over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without guesswork.

🎓 Try Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support and accountability (free custom nutrition plan with code FREEPLAN).

👥 Join our Facebook community - Free fat loss, muscle building, and body recomposition strategies for adults over 40 who want practical, science-backed fitness guidance.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram

Try Wits & Weights Physique University free for 2 weeks at witsandweights.com/physique - get a custom nutrition plan, live coaching calls, workout programs, and join Allan and our supportive community tackling similar fat loss and body composition challenges

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Have you ever looked in the mirror and felt like you were staring at a stranger... but in a good way?

That's exactly where Allan finds himself after successfully building visible muscle mass and fundamentally changing his relationship with food.

In this real-time coaching session, we get into the fascinating psychological phenomenon of mental lag that happens when your body transforms faster than your self-perception can keep up.

Discover how to handle rising metabolism during cuts, manage post-bulk hunger, and process the psychological side of major physique transformation.

Episode Mentions:

• Allan's previous episode: After Bariatric Surgery, He Found Optimal Health and Strength Over 60
• Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS

Timestamps:

0:00 - Allan's physical and mental transformation since Episode 77
6:31 - "Feeling fat" is a fallacy
11:49 - Relationship with food and emotional eating
16:06 - Current training and what's working
19:03 - Live coaching on metabolism and hunger challenges
27:27 - Identifying the real cause of grazing behavior
34:32 - Family responsibilities and life balance
39:15 - Planning the next bulk
44:15 - The deeper "why" behind transformation
46:35 - Importance of proper warm-ups and injury prevention
52:40 - Biggest takeaways and next steps

Support the show

📱 Get Fitness Lab - Philip’s science-based AI app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training for people over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without guesswork.

🎓 Try Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support and accountability (free custom nutrition plan with code FREEPLAN).

👥 Join our Facebook community - Free fat loss, muscle building, and body recomposition strategies for adults over 40 who want practical, science-backed fitness guidance.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram

Grab your FREE Ultimate Macros Guide, designed for those who are serious about optimizing their physique. It's not a quick fix; it's a playbook that teaches you how to make smart eating choices, track your biofeedback, and implement gradual changes for success.

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Are you chasing success but running on empty? Do your workouts feel harder yet deliver fewer results? What if your energy, not your money, is the real currency of success?

I sit down with Alex Feinberg, ex-pro athlete, former Google exec, and elite performance coach, to break down how high achievers can stay lean, energized, and efficient all year long. We explore why doubling your training volume might be hurting your progress, how to optimize your metabolism for maximum fat loss, and why treating energy like currency changes everything. Alex also reveals simple frameworks to track recovery, train smarter (not harder), and turn your body into a high-performance machine. 

Today, you’ll learn all about:

2:35 – Why energy beats more money
4:30 – How high performers get stuck
6:58 – The kingpin habit that changes everything
13:15 – The myth of the 3 PM crash
18:39 – How carbs affect sleep and energy
24:37 – Why your workouts aren’t working
33:04 – High-intensity training, defined
38:25 – How to stay shredded eating pizza
44:39 – Processed food vs real food
50:02 – Train what you usually ignore
53:13 – Fitness is your wealth-building shortcut

Episode resources:

• Website:  feinbergsystems.com 
• Instagram: @alexfeinbergofficial 
• X: @alexfeinberg1 
• Facebook: @alexfeinbergofficial 
• Youtube: @alexfeinberg1
  
  

Support the show

📱 Get Fitness Lab - Philip’s science-based AI app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training for people over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without guesswork.

🎓 Try Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support and accountability (free custom nutrition plan with code FREEPLAN).

👥 Join our Facebook community - Free fat loss, muscle building, and body recomposition strategies for adults over 40 who want practical, science-backed fitness guidance.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram

Get your free Nutrition 101 guide at witsandweights.com/free to understand the fundamentals of nutrition without getting lost in the weeds, including how to set up energy balance, macronutrients, and calories in a way that actually makes sense

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"Calories don't exist, they're just made-up numbers."

"You don't eat calories, you eat food."

These statements have gained traction on social media, usually from people trying to dismiss energy balance or suggest that tracking food is meaningless.

But this argument reveals a fundamental misunderstanding about measurement in science and engineering.

Let's dismantle the anti-calorie argument for good.

Learn why calories are actually one of our most precise tools for understanding energy and how, at the same time, you don't need to obsessively count every calorie to benefit from understanding energy balance, and acknowledging their importance doesn't mean ignoring food quality, hormones, or individual differences.

Main Takeaways:

• Calories are a precise unit of energy measurement, just like miles measure distance and money measures value
• The "calories aren't real" argument is a category error that could invalidate any scientific measurement
• Bomb calorimetry directly measures the chemical energy in food's molecular bonds
• Reductionism through measurement is how we understand and control complex systems
• Calories provide a foundational tool that works alongside other factors like food quality and hormones

Episode Resources:

• Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS - the app that uses calorie data to calculate your actual metabolism

Timestamps:

0:02 - The "calories aren't real" argument
4:06 - Measurement validity and category error
6:24 - What calories actually measure and why they're precise
7:42 - Useful approximation vs. perfect measurement
10:59 - 3 reasons people dismiss calories
14:18 - How we use calories for real nutrition results like fat loss

Support the show

📱 Get Fitness Lab - Philip’s science-based AI app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training for people over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without guesswork.

🎓 Try Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support and accountability (free custom nutrition plan with code FREEPLAN).

👥 Join our Facebook community - Free fat loss, muscle building, and body recomposition strategies for adults over 40 who want practical, science-backed fitness guidance.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram

Join my free email list for exclusive mindset content or go to witsandweights.com/email

--

That crushing moment when you see someone warming up with what you consider your max lift. We've all been there. 

Your confidence evaporates, and suddenly you're questioning everything about your training, your genetics, and your worth as a lifter. But what if this entire mindset is exactly what's holding you back?

Learn why your current strength numbers don't define you and how the comparison trap is sabotaging your progress, motivation, and enjoyment in the gym.

Discover the psychology behind why we get caught up in strength comparisons and the simple mindset shift that will transform every workout into an opportunity for growth rather than a test of your worth.

Main Takeaways:

• The comparison trap shifts your focus from personal progress to arbitrary rankings that don't serve your goals
• Your current numbers are just a snapshot of where you are now, not your potential or worth as a lifter
• True strength is measured by consistency, effort, and continuous improvement within your own context
• Ego lifting, exercise avoidance, and lost joy in training are the hidden costs of number obsession
• Focus on the process of getting stronger rather than comparing absolute numbers to others

Timestamps:

0:01 - The gym confidence killer
3:29 - The comparison trap explained
5:35 - Why there's no universal "strong enough"
7:53 - Numbers matter as tools, not identity
10:28 - What actually defines you as a lifter
12:27 - The destructive costs of number obsession
14:15 - Redefining strength and progress
17:23 - 5 mentally healthier strategies to track progress
20:31 - The irony of strong but insecure lifters
22:55 - Applying this mindset beyond the gym

Support the show

📱 Get Fitness Lab - Philip’s science-based AI app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training for people over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without guesswork.

🎓 Try Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support and accountability (free custom nutrition plan with code FREEPLAN).

👥 Join our Facebook community - Free fat loss, muscle building, and body recomposition strategies for adults over 40 who want practical, science-backed fitness guidance.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram

Join Physique University (free for 2 weeks) to get a custom nutrition and lifestyle plan with the simple steps to start engineering your ideal physique, plus weekly coaching to commit, take action, and build momentum! 

–

Why wait for motivation to get healthy? What if that’s exactly what’s keeping you stuck, and there’s a better way forward?

I’m joined by Jenn Trepeck, host of Salad with a Side of Fries and an optimal health coach who helps people build sustainable habits, without extremes. We break down why motivation is not the key to fitness success and how relying on it keeps us in a cycle of guilt, shame, and inconsistency. Instead, we talk about building momentum through simple, repeatable actions that fit into real life, even on your busiest days. Jenn also shares two practical movement routines anyone can start today.

Today, you’ll learn all about:

3:43 – Replace motivation with another M word
6:23 – What discipline really looks like
10:21 – Make fitness fun and doable
16:07 – How to start without overwhelm
20:04 – Consistency beats intensity
25:49 – Aligning expectations with your life
35:02 – When tracking helps more than hurts
54:27 – Your sustainable plan starts here
58:45 – Two-minute routine for busy days
1:01:17 – Affirmations that actually work

Episode resources:

• Podcast: Salad with a Side of Fries  
• Instagram: @jenntrepeck
• Youtube: @jenntrepeck 
• “It’s Not What to Eat, It’s How to Eat” (free download)
  
  

Support the show

📱 Get Fitness Lab - Philip’s science-based AI app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training for people over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without guesswork.

🎓 Try Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support and accountability (free custom nutrition plan with code FREEPLAN).

👥 Join our Facebook community - Free fat loss, muscle building, and body recomposition strategies for adults over 40 who want practical, science-backed fitness guidance.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram

Join our free Facebook community at facebook.com/groups/witsandweights

--

Tired of the inflammation fear-mongering? Stop obsessing over "toxic" foods and learn what actually drives chronic inflammation in your body.

While fitness influencers point fingers at gluten, seed oils, and nightshades, the real culprits are hiding in plain sight... and they're not what you think.

This episode dismantles the myths surrounding inflammation and reveals the true drivers of this misunderstood health concern. While we're scrutinizing ingredient labels and avoiding specific foods, the actual causes of chronic inflammation are hiding in plain sight... and they have little to do with what's on your plate.

Discover how to engineer an anti-inflammatory lifestyle using systems thinking instead of food perfectionism.

Main Takeaways:

• Acute vs. chronic inflammation are completely different systems requiring different solutions
• The #1 driver of inflammation isn't foods
• One organ functions as your body's natural anti-inflammatory pharmacy
• Specific lifestyle factors matter more than eliminating specific foods
• Western dietary patterns drive inflammation, not individual ingredients

Episode Resources:

• Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS - Apple/iPhone or Google/Android

Timestamps:

0:00 - The inflammation myth
2:16 - Acute vs. chronic inflammation
3:39 - The real drivers of inflammation
5:31 - Why specific foods don't matter
8:42 - Engineering an anti-inflammatory lifestyle
12:13 - The anti-inflammatory organ you can develop
14:47 - Systems approach to inflammation

Support the show

📱 Get Fitness Lab - Philip’s science-based AI app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training for people over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without guesswork.

🎓 Try Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support and accountability (free custom nutrition plan with code FREEPLAN).

👥 Join our Facebook community - Free fat loss, muscle building, and body recomposition strategies for adults over 40 who want practical, science-backed fitness guidance.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram

Grab your free Menopause Fat Loss Over 40 Guide to get the complete evidence-based strategy for navigating fat loss during this transition

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Struggling with unexplained weight gain during perimenopause or menopause? You're not alone, and it's not just "hormones and aging."

The menopause transition triggers a perfect storm of metabolic changes that go well beyond simple hormone fluctuations. Research shows us that during a specific 3.5-year window, women experience accelerated fat gain and muscle loss that can dramatically alter body composition, even when the scale barely moves (though in many cases it does and you seem to always gain weight).

Learn the real science behind why your body composition changes during this transition (including the surprising protein leverage effect that's sabotaging your efforts) and discover evidence-based strategies that actually work to improve your body composition and support fat loss.

Main Takeaways:

• The menopausal transition uniquely accelerates fat gain and muscle loss in a specific 3.5-year window (it's not just normal aging)
• Body composition can shift dramatically even when the scale doesn't move (you lose muscle while gaining fat, especially belly fat)
• The "protein leverage effect" drives overconsumption when muscle protein breakdown increases your appetite for protein
• FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) affects metabolism independently of estrogen, starting before estrogen significantly declines
• Strategic lifestyle, nutrition, and training adjustments can prevent or reverse these changes

Episode Resources:

• Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS - Track your food and let the app calculate your metabolism
• Lifting Weights vs. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for Fat Loss Over 40 | Ep 278

Timestamps:

0:01 - Why the scale keeps creeping up and jeans keep getting tighter
2:50 - Body weight vs. body composition
6:45 - Beyond estrogen (the role of FSH in metabolism)
9:27 - The protein leverage effect (affects overeating)
12:17 - Menopause myths (age and inevitable weight gain)
16:45 - 5 evidence-based solutions
18:22 - This 1 behavior gives you more confidence and control
21:32 - The role of chronic stress in exacerbating metabolic changes
24:42 - Reframing the menopause transition as an opportunity

Support the show

📱 Get Fitness Lab - Philip’s science-based AI app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training for people over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without guesswork.

🎓 Try Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support and accountability (free custom nutrition plan with code FREEPLAN).

👥 Join our Facebook community - Free fat loss, muscle building, and body recomposition strategies for adults over 40 who want practical, science-backed fitness guidance.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram

Can walking alone get you to your fat loss goals? Should you tweak your nutrition on heavy lifting days versus lighter training sessions?

This bonus Q&A episode tackles two questions in the Wits & Weights Facebook group in our monthly #AskPhilip live.

1. Jasmine asked: “How long can I keep losing fat with walking alone, and how do I ease into strength training without tanking my energy or hormones?”
2. John asked: “On heavy deadlift days, should I eat more fats or protein instead of carbs to recover better?”

Tune in to find out the answers.

And join our free Wits and Weights Facebook group to ask your question for the next Q&A!

Support the show

📱 Get Fitness Lab - Philip’s science-based AI app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training for people over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without guesswork.

🎓 Try Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support and accountability (free custom nutrition plan with code FREEPLAN).

👥 Join our Facebook community - Free fat loss, muscle building, and body recomposition strategies for adults over 40 who want practical, science-backed fitness guidance.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram