Training Themes for Optimal Fitness

Speaker 1 0:00

Hey , this is Philip Pape , and welcome to this special Saturday bonus episode of Wits and Weights . I'm going to keep this one somewhat short , but what I wanted to do is talk about three major themes that keep coming up in the 2025 podcast listener survey . That is still out . It is still open until the end of the month and link is in the show notes . If you haven't taken that yet , I highly encourage you to do that , because that's a way to have your voice heard and shape the future of the podcast . But today I want to share some insights about three themes that keep coming up over and over again , related to questions about what topics you would like to see , and I'm going to give you some specific tips today . So this isn't just a summary of the survey results . Stick around and you'll learn something . Today .

Speaker 1 0:40

The first theme is women-specific training and body composition , especially for women over 40 . And look , I've worked with many women who spent years afraid of lifting heavy or of being bulky , of eating enough food , eating enough protein , worried about gaining too quickly . But here's what actually happens when they finally embrace the process of progressive overload proper protein intake , food intake , doing this in a precise , controlled way . They get leaner , they get more defined . They don't get bigger . New-ish client who thinks they want to lose fat . And then , after a few months where we're starting to set up for the fat loss phase , they realize how amazing the training methodology is . That's allowing them to get stronger and actually start to look better . And they haven't even lost a pound and they're already starting to get to lose body fat . And it's a huge shift in your mindset . And oftentimes I'll say you know what , maybe I should just do a muscle building phase instead . Let's try that . And women who start lifting heavy they often find their energy skyrockets , their sleep improves , they feel more capable in their daily life . A lot of the very problems that they came to me with that they thought losing weight would solve , building muscle and lifting heavy actually solved . Newer clients recently told me how surprised she was that after just a few months of and I mean like two months , not even very long of strength training , actually first , on the very first week , she said she was already hitting PRs because of the extra recovery , the extra rest , the lifting , lower rep , heavier weight and actually pushing the weight , like thinking in terms of progress and not just going to the gym and exercising , and so you expand that to a few months later , you know her clothes fit better , she could carry whatever the heck she needs to and play with her kids , and all this not feeling tired , feeling very energized , being able to be there for her family and not having to lose weight on the scale or diet to do it . I mean it's crazy , right ? This isn't about getting bulky . It's about building the strength and vitality that makes life better at any age . The increased muscle mass then helps you maintain a healthy metabolism and that makes the food side easier as well , and it makes it easier to stay lean long-term . So that is one theme that I'm gonna talk about more in the future .

Speaker 1 3:08

The second major theme is training through life changes , through transitions , through setbacks , through injuries . Think about this Every time that life throws you a curveball which is just about every week whether it's a health issue , right , a lot of people getting sick this time of year some major life event , new job , you got to move , you have children , whatever you're forced to adapt , and I've seen clients make their best progress after these challenges because they had to create systems that work in real life , not just when everything's perfect , right , in fact , if I have a client , sometimes I'll have a client that doubts themselves and say you know what ? I just had , covid , I got sick . All this stuff , I'm not sure this is the right thing for me . And I said this is exactly when you need the support to show how we get through this , based on the system we built for you , because you're going to the interruptions to your routine . Those are the building blocks for how you make your approach more sustainable .

Speaker 1 3:57

Next time you face a setback , you're forced to question your assumptions about what you really need in your life for progress . Maybe you can't train five days a week right , so you're going to train three . Maybe you can't train three , so you're going to train two . Or you're going to make it work . Maybe you can't meal prep every Sunday , so you have flexible strategies that work even with the limited time , right . Not everybody's the same and these are adaptations , just like your physical ones . They often lead to better , more sustainable results than the rigid approach that you start with day one I'm gonna do all these things , I'm gonna do them perfectly , I'm all in . No , that is not sustainable .

Speaker 1 4:34

You know , I have lots of clients who've been through different health setbacks . Maybe they had a surgery , maybe they got sick , whatever , and instead of just saying , okay , now I'm just going to get back to exactly what I was doing . That's the time to reassess and say do we want to shift our approach based on what you can manage Right ? Um , I'm thinking specifically surgery and injury here , where your whole life is has changed . So now you need a different routine , and even a new year could mean a different routine , it doesn't really matter . The point is you're not just building strength , you're not just doing the habits . You're creating a positive relationship with fitness in your life as a process of something where you're always pushing yourself to grow . That is absolutely true , but it's also sustainable and you're going to have long-term results , and now you can handle any setbacks in the future more resiliently . So that's the second theme is like talking about injuries and setbacks and how we deal with those , including my own personal experiences with them .

Speaker 1 5:31

And then the third theme revolves around training for health and longevity , and what's fascinating here is a lot of the same principles that build an impressive physique . You know , progressive overload , recovery , nutrition are exactly what promote long-term health . They are synergistic , they go together . My strongest clients are usually my healthiest clients , because when you train primarily for performance , the aesthetic results and the health benefits naturally follow . They all work together as a beautiful a party of I don't know what I'm trying to say here . Synergy , right , I said that word already before , but think about it here .

Speaker 1 6:05

Lifting weights it builds muscle , yes , but it also strengthens your bones . It improves insulin sensitivity , enhances your brain function , helps you maintain mobility as you age . Think about it . They're all connected . The protein intake that I'm asking you more of . It helps with muscle maintenance . It helps preserve bone density . It supports your immune system .

Speaker 1 6:22

Right , the recovery we talk about in terms of lifting heavier , having more rest periods , having more types of mental and physical and emotional rest in between . Those are the same types of practices that will reduce inflammation , that will support cardiovascular health . Right , the walking , the movement . All of that's connected . And so I've seen this play out countless times , where clients come in focused on wanting to lose weight or look better , but as they adopt proper training principles , they find that their health markers are improving across the board .

Speaker 1 6:52

One thing leads to another Upward spiraling is another name for this and then their doctors are amazed . You know they always tell me in stores . Oh my gosh , my doctor was just wondering what the heck are you on Like ? What amazing is this ? The same person , right , your bone density is much higher in your dexa . We didn't even think that was possible . Your blood work is like we thought you were pretty diabetic , but heck if you took the survey and shared these with me . But many of you shared these same things , and so now I'm going to explore them in more depth in upcoming episodes and your input is what's helping me to make that happen . And again , if you haven't taken the 2025 listener survey , I really want to hear your voice before it closes . Even if it's criticism , even if it's the things you don't like , that helps me improve as well . That's my progressive overload for this podcast for you . So click the link in the show notes or go to witsandweightscom slash survey . Very simple link witsandweightscom slash survey or click the link in the notes .

Speaker 1 7:58

Now , if any of these themes I talked about today have sparked specific questions underneath or you submitted a topic in this realm , I want to hear very specifically what your question is , so I can create a podcast just around that question , right ? Maybe you want to know exactly how to implement heavy , progressive overload as a woman over 50 , or how to modify your training after health , the specific type of health setback or the specific ways to train for both performance and longevity . Whatever it is , I want to help you and answer that question . So for that I want you to go to witsandweightscom slash question . It's a new form I've recently set up where you can submit a question and I will answer it on the podcast and I'll give you a shout out

Challenge and Change for Fitness

Speaker 1 8:40

if you want it .

Speaker 1 8:40

So witsandweightscom slash survey if you want to take the survey or if you already have and you want to give me a question in one of these areas , that I can turn into a specific episode , witsandweightscom slash question . I Until next time , keep using your wits lifting those weights and remember , sometimes the most powerful changes come from challenging what we think we know , and that's what I'm all about . I'll talk to you next time here on the Wits and Weights podcast .