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Wits & Weights | Strength & Fat Loss Over 40
You’re over 40, lifting weights, and doing everything right, but your body composition isn’t changing. 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. It’s strength training over 40 and fat loss for men and women, built for skeptics of the fitness industry.
If you’re tracking macros and following every rule, you’re probably overcomplicating it. Wits & Weights shows you how to build muscle, lose fat, and achieve real body recomposition by focusing only on what the evidence actually supports. The show centers on women over 40, but plenty of midlife men listen for the same approach.
Evidence-based 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 body recomposition, whether you're focused on building muscle, losing fat, or both. The focus is on strength training over 40, body recomposition for women over 40, perimenopause and menopause fitness, metabolism recovery, hormone health, and longevity.
You've seen the conflicting advice, even on other nutrition podcasts. 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 plus identity-based behavior change) and lifting weights, you can build muscle, improve your physique, and maintain your results for life without rebound weight gain. You'll also learn about metabolism recovery, and why years of dieting can lead to metabolic adaptation that makes fat loss harder than it needs to be.
You'll learn smart, efficient strategies for movement, metabolism, muscle, and mindset: why fat loss matters more than weight loss, why all the macros (protein, fats, and yes even carbs) are critical to body composition, how just 3 hours a week of proper hypertrophy training can outperform twice that time, why building muscle is the single most powerful thing you can do for metabolic health and longevity, why perimenopause and menopause don't have to derail your progress, and how shifting the way you think about fitness drives more growth than any program alone.
Looking for fat loss podcasts, nutrition podcasts, or strength training podcasts for women and men over 40? Wits & Weights brings the science-based answers without the conflicting noise. If you're ready to learn what actually works, hit "follow."
Popular Guests: 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: strength training for women over 40, strength training over 40, women's strength training, body recomposition for women over 40, body recomposition after 40, body recomposition, muscle building after 40, muscle building, hypertrophy training, fat loss for women over 40, perimenopause fitness, menopause fitness, menopause metabolism, metabolism recovery, metabolic adaptation, protein for women over 40, nutrition for lifters over 40, hormone health, longevity and healthy aging, lifting weights for fat loss, macros and nutrition tracking
Episodes
693 episodes
How Your Spaces Are Sabotaging Your Fat Loss (The 6S Method) | Ep 207
Are your personal spaces getting in the way of consistency with your nutrition or training?Learn about how the 6S method from engineering can make it much easier to achieve your goals. You can transform your kitchen a...
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5 Fat Loss Mistakes That Make You Regain Weight Fast (Evidence-Based Truth) | Ep 206
Eat these five superfoods and lose 20 pounds by next week! Grabs your attention, doesn't it?It's the kind of promise that floods our social media feeds, beckoning us with the allure of quick, effortless weight loss or other results. Are...
Bonus Q&A - Recovery from Overtraining, Calories Burned from Wearables, Binging After Weight Loss
If you're feeling stuck with your training, overwhelmed by conflicting data from your wearable, or worried about regaining weight after a big cut, in today's bonus Q&A you'll get the answers you're looking for.Philip answers 3 quest...
The Hidden Brain in Your Gut Might Be Controlling Your Cravings with Dr. William Ferro | Ep 205
Are you struggling to lose weight despite trying every diet? Could your gut be secretly driving your cravings, mood, and performance? Are you ready to unlock the power of your "second brain"?Philip (
Eat More To Lose Weight? (The Iron Triangle of Fat Loss) | Ep 204
Just eat more food and you'll lose the weight!This advice has been floating around the fitness industry for years and it still persists. Today, we are going to use an engineering concept called the Iron Triangle to show why this idea do...
Why Women Get Bigger, Leaner, and Sexier But Not "Bulky" From Lifting Heavy Weights | Ep 203
Is the fear of getting bulky holding you back from lifting heavy weights? Are you confused by all the mixed messages about how strength training affects a woman’s body? Do you wonder if strength training will give you that lean, toned look or m...
Celebrity Fat Loss Secrets You Can Use (No Personal Chef Required) with Obi Obadike | Ep 202
Have you ever wondered how celebrities achieve jaw-dropping physical transformations for blockbuster roles? What if you could unlock their secrets and apply them to your own fitness journey? Imagine sculpting the body of your dreams wit...
The Paris 2024 Olympics Strategy for More Muscle and Less Fat (Optimization Theory) | Ep 201
How do Olympic athletes achieve peak performance while optimizing their body composition? The 2024 Paris Olympics are in the final stretch this week, so we're celebrating with this special themed episode!Olympic athletes (and most athle...
7 Biggest Fitness & Nutrition Myths Busted After 200 Episodes (According to Listeners) | Ep 200
Are you tired of hitting roadblocks in your fitness journey? Do you wonder if some of your fitness and nutrition beliefs might be holding you back?In this milestone 200th episode of Wits & Weights, host Philip (
Build Strength AND Lose Fat (Breaking the 300 Pound Barrier) | Ep 199
Have you ever felt like you're stuck between conflicting fitness goals? Maybe you're trying to drop fat while increasing strength or lean out while building muscle. What if you didn't have to choose? In this episode, Philip (
Avoid Joint Pain in Strength Training to Lift Weights Forever | Ep 198
Are you pushing yourself to the limit in the gym, chasing PRs, but worried about the toll it's taking on your joints and tendons (knees, elbows, shoulders)?What if there was a way to keep making progress without risking nagging injuries?...
Your Very First Cut (Lose 10-30 Pounds of Fat) | Ep 197
Do you want to lose 10-30 pounds of fat without sacrificing muscle or energy? Do you know the common pitfalls that derail fat loss and how to avoid them? Are you ready to learn the smarter, more efficient approach to your first cut? Tod...
Overcome Food Addiction and Stop Overeating for Good with Dr. Judson Brewer | Ep 196
Are those late-night cravings for ice cream sabotaging your fitness goals? Do you struggle to tell the difference between real hunger and emotional eating? Have you ever wondered if there's a way to manage cravings without relying on willpower ...
Bigger Isn't Always Better for Strength or Metabolism (Scaling Laws) | Ep 195
How can a small guy deadlift more than the big guy, or why does your smaller friend never seem to gain weight no matter how much they eat? And what does this mean for your lifting and calorie targets?Discover the science behind ...
Why Macros Might Be All You Need to Streamline Your Nutrition | Ep 194
Nutrition can be overwhelming: from calories and macros to saturated fats, fiber, micronutrients, and meal timing. But what if you ONLY tracked macros? Is that enough for a diet that supports your health and physique?In this episode, Ph...
The Extreme Cost of a Lean, Ripped Body and Visible Abs with Brittany & James Gatewood | Ep 193
What does it ACTUALLY take to achieve a lean, ripped, shredded physique?Join Philip (@witsandweights) as he welcomes Brittany and James Gatewood, the powerhouse couple behind the "...
Spend 70% of Your Time HERE to Build Muscle Faster (Rapid Prototyping) | Ep 192
What if you could get FASTER results with your physique development by spending most of your time on something very few people put much energy into?What if spending less time goal-setting, researching, planning, and designing your train...
My Stair-Step Fat Loss Process to Get Lean and Ripped | Ep 191
Are you tired of endless yo-yo dieting or struggling to get through a fat-loss phase? What if there was a smarter way to get lean that works with your body and not against it?In today’s episode, Philip (
Surprising Advice Women Over 50 NEED for Strength, Health, & Longevity with Pam Sherman | Ep 190
Are you a woman over 50 looking to hit your fitness goals, get strong, and have fun along the way? Have you ever wondered how you can integrate fitness into your busy life without feeling overwhelmed?In this episode, Philip (
How to Build Muscle and Lose Fat with Less Effort (Pareto Rule) | Ep 189
What if doing LESS is the answer to more results overall...your fitness, training, nutrition, and anything else going on in your life?Imagine achieving 80% of your fitness goals with just 20% of your efforts. Today is the first Wednesda...
From 280 Pounds to Well-Muscled Boston Qualifier at Age 55 with Hybrid/Concurrent Training | Ep 188
Have you ever dreamed of running a marathon but felt it was impossible due to your weight or fitness level? Or that lots of cardio will kill your muscle and gains? Discover how Ben went from 280 pounds to qualifying for the Boston Marathon at 5...
This Over 50 Family Man Lost His Power Belly (36 Pounds) But NOT His Muscle or Strength! | Ep 187
Are you over 40, juggling a demanding career, family responsibilities, and struggling to stay fit? Meet Jerry Bonanno, a 50-something family man who shed 36 pounds of fat and 5 inches off his waist without losing his hard-earned muscle or stren...
Why Women SHOULD Load Their Spine for Stronger Bones | Quick Wits
Are certain exercises are too risky for women, especially as they age?Today, we're challenging a common misconception in the fitness world: the idea that women should avoid loading their spine.Is this well-intentioned advice act...
My 3 New Dieting Methods for Smarter, Easier Fat Loss | Ep 186
Are you sick of counting calories but still want to shed fat? Is your metabolism stuck in slow motion? Do you want to lose fat but feel overwhelmed by complex diet plans?In this episode, Philip (
Stop Doing THIS and You'll Finally Get the Result (Fat Loss, Muscle, or Any Goal) | Quick Wits
Have you ever wondered why, despite all your efforts, you're not seeing the results you want in your fitness?Today, we're exposing a sneaky little habit that's sabotaging your progress, whether you are aiming for fat loss, muscle gain o...