Wits & Weights | Evidence-Based Fitness & Nutrition for Lifters
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 alone
If 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
Wits & Weights | Evidence-Based Fitness & Nutrition for Lifters
Quick Wits: When to Fire Your Coach
When is it time to fire your coach and find a new one?
Ever wondered why your fitness goals seem elusive despite having a coach? You might be working with the wrong person. This episode gives you a peek into a conversation with one of my clients who found out the difference a good coach can make in your fitness journey. We dig deep into why a stress-free and streamlined coaching process is key to your transformation, and how a complex or frustrating process might be a signal that it's time to consider a new approach.
Getting in shape shouldn't be a struggle. That's why we're revealing what a good coach should do, how their process should work, and how it can significantly impact your progress. We also delve into how making the process simple and easy for the client is essential. This episode will guide you on how to make the best decisions for your fitness journey. Whether you're a current trainee or someone considering hiring a coach, this episode will equip you with the knowledge you need. Don't let the wrong coach derail your journey to physical self-mastery.
Stay strong and tune in!
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“Quick Wits” are short, 3-5 minute episodes between full episodes to give you an actionable strategy or hit of motivation.
These mini-episodes give you practical advice on fitness, training, and mindset based on my everyday experience with clients that you can implement right away.
If you enjoy these bonus episodes or have feedback on how to make them better, just send me a message on IG @witsandweights or hit me up in the free Wits & Weights Facebook community.
📱 Get Fitness Lab (now 20% off) - Science-based coaching app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without the stress.
🎓 Join Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support + 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
When is it time to fire your coach and look for a new one? Stick around to today's quick wits to find out. Welcome to the Wits and Weights podcast. I'm your host, phillip Pape, and this twice a week podcast is dedicated to helping you achieve physical self mastery by getting stronger, optimizing your nutrition and upgrading your body composition. We'll uncover science-backed strategies for movement, metabolism, muscle and mindset with a skeptical eye on the fitness industry, so you can look and feel your absolute best. Let's dive right in.
Philip Pape:The other day, a client of mine reached out to say hey, phillip, now that I'm working with a personal trainer along with me as her nutrition coach and this is very common I have clients who work with trainers especially to get some local hands on in person coaching. She said now I realize why I've stuck with you for so long and why I enjoy our check-in and feedback process now that I've seen how another coach can do it. I said well, what's the difference? She said well, you just make it easy, you ask the right questions, you don't make it cumbersome or take too long, and therefore I'm able to be consistent and I look forward to it. That's the special sauce right there, if you have a coach, who you're working with, and the process itself is frustrating. The process itself makes it harder to be consistent with the thing you're trying to do. It's time to think about hiring a different coach or taking a different approach. When I develop my systems and processes and check-ins for folks, I think like an engineer. But part of that is making it simple and not adding stress. Because you're coming to me wanting to probably change a lot of things in your life. I'm taking the approach of well, let's focus on one thing at a time, let's build those habits, let's expand your comfort zone. Before long, within just a few short weeks, you're going to have significantly transformed toward that identity you want to be, but in a way that is sustainable, in a way that makes sense and that feels easy and less stressful.
Philip Pape:Again, if you're talking to somebody who you want hires a coach, make sure you know exactly what they do, how their process works, how you interact. If you reach out to me and say, hey, philip, I'd love to work with you, but how do you interact? I'm going to tell you exactly what I do. I'm going to tell you about our check-in process and how we communicate and what kind of information I'm looking for you, but you'll find pretty quickly that it's about as frictionless and seamless as it possibly can be, because I don't want to add stress to your life. That's what I am imploring you today to do is protect your time, protect your energy, protect your stress in everything you do, because we're not trying to make things harder. We want to make things fit within our comfort zone. We want to be able to make progress and be consistent, and that's the name of the game.
Philip Pape:If a coach or potential coach has a very cumbersome process or they don't tell you what it is, reach out to me. I will tell you exactly how it works, how ours works, why it's so seamless. I'll even put you in touch with my other clients, including the one I just mentioned who told me about the differences here. That's it. Well, you know when it's time to potentially fire a coach and find a new one. And, as always, thank you for tuning in to another QuickWits. Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Wits and Weights. If you found value in today's episode and know someone else who's looking to level up their wits or weights, please take a moment to share this episode with them and make sure to hit the follow button in your podcast platform right now to catch the next episode. Until then, stay strong.
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