November 14, 2025 • 45 mins
Join the early access list for my new Fitness Lab app, the #1 adaptive training and nutrition app that evolves with your progress, recovery, and lifestyle so you can build muscle and lose fat over 40 with science-based AI coaching:
https://witsandweights.com/email
--
400 episodes and 4 years of challenging the fitness industry's myths and proving that building muscle and losing fat doesn't require complicated protocols or expensive interventions!
Today you'll hear 15 reflections from the Wits & Weights journey, from listeners who transformed their physiques through evidence-based training, to world-class strength coaches and researchers who've shaped the field, to fellow podcasters who understand what consistency really means.
Evidence-based fitness and body recomposition work across borders, backgrounds, and goals. Building muscle, losing fat, and getting sustainably strong comes down to consistency, systems thinking, and rejecting the industry's noise in favor of what actually works.
Episode Resources
- Join the FREE Facebook Community
- Search the entire podcast library to find an episode mentioned in today's show
Timestamps
0:00 - 400 episodes of evidence-based fitness and building muscle
1:43 - Jo S.: Breaking through training plateaus with strength training
3:09 - Julia D.: How muscle tissue improved chronic health conditions
8:41 - Kevin Palmieri: Prioritizing fitness while building a business
12:41 - Pam Sherman: Strength training for women over 50
14:41 - Dr. Eric Helms: Combating misinformation with evidence
16:48 - Jenn Trepeck: Consistency for sustainable fat loss
18:23 - Sam Brake Guia: Podcast growth and marketing
22:39 - Brandon DaCruz: Evidence-based physique coaching
25:00 - Carol Hanshew: From client to nutrition coach
27:49 - Allan Friedman: Food as a tool for strength training over 40
30:34 - Tony Perri: Flexible approach to building muscle
32:35 - Gabilu M.: Morning workout motivation
34:18 - Mike Millner: Consistency in fitness content
36:06 - Alana V.: Weekend diet protocol for fat loss
38:10 - Megan Dahlman: Strength training consistency
41:22 - Building a strong physique through evidence and systems
📱 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
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Philip Pape (00:01):
400 episodes of Evidence-Based Fitness means 400
opportunities to challenge whatwe think we know about building
muscle and losing fat.
Today you're gonna hear 15voices from the saga that is the
Wits and Weights podcast,listeners, world-class strength
coaches, evidence-basedresearchers, fellow podcasters,
but most importantly, all myfriends who have supported the
(00:24):
show in some way.
What did they take away from400 episodes?
How does that affect you whenyou strip away the distractions
of the fitness industry and askthe question, what should I know
and what should I do with mytraining and nutrition to get
the result I want?
Welcome to episode 400.
Welcome to Wits and Weights,the show that helps you build a
(00:52):
strong, healthy physique usingevidence, engineering, and
efficiency.
I'm your host, certifiednutrition coach, Philip Pape.
And today we're gonna dosomething I've never done before
because it is episode 400, andI've received 15 separate voice
messages from people around theworld who shared what this show
(01:12):
has meant to them.
There's some questions, there'ssome stories, there's some
shout-outs from listeners whotransformed their physiques, to
colleagues who've challenged meto be better, to guests who've
shared their expertise sogenerously.
And I'm gonna add some of mythoughts, a little bit of
commentary after each message,but mostly I'm letting their
words speak for themselves, andI think you're really going to
enjoy it as we togethercelebrate episode 400.
(01:35):
All right, let's get into itwith the first message, which is
from Jo S, and she is in theUK.
Jo S. (01:43):
Hi, this is Joe, listening from the UK.
I'm a huge fan of the Wits andWeights podcast, and I look
forward to the new episodes eachtime.
Congratulations, Philip, on 400episodes.
Please keep going.
Keep it coming.
I absolutely love it.
I'm a member of the Wits andWeights Physique University as
well, seeing some great results.
And for the first time,breaking through some of the old
(02:06):
habits that have kept me stuck.
So thank you, and thank you,Carol, as well, the other coach,
for all of your great work onthere.
Keep going.
Congratulations.
Philip Pape (02:16):
So that was Jo, and she's in Physique University,
as she mentioned.
She's one of the very engagedmembers who is always asking
questions when she gets stuckand trying to figure out how to
move forward.
And I love how she mentionedbreaking through old habits.
I think that is what systemsthinking helps us do.
The habits could be very simpleand we take them for granted.
(02:37):
Like you go to bed at 10:30every night, and now you have to
develop a system to get to bedat 10 every night.
I also like how she gave ashout-out to Carol, who is my
other coach in PhysiqueUniversity, and she's going to
have actually have a shout-outlater on in the show.
And lastly, Joe is from the UK.
We actually have a lot ofmembers and clients and
listeners from all over theworld, which is an amazing
(02:59):
outcome of the digital world welive in and the ability to reach
more people.
So thank you so much, Joe, foryour message.
All right, the next one isJulia D from Germany.
Julia D. (03:09):
Hi, Philip.
This is Julia from Germanyspeaking, you know who.
Wow.
First of all, congratulationsto episode 400 of your podcast.
This is huge.
This is amazing.
Oh my gosh.
First of all, I've learned fromyou that why I've lost so much
(03:31):
muscle over the past years andmy my metabolism slowed down so
much.
And yeah, why I gained muchmore fat without eating
differently.
So yeah, I'm into protein now,and the right amount of protein.
I learned so much abouthormones for women after 40.
(03:54):
I learned how importantstrength training is.
I've done it before, but nowI'm seriously committed and have
regularly done it for severalmonths now, which is the first.
And wow, I loved your nerdyepisode about what muscle tissue
(04:15):
has for advantages asadvantages.
Because of that, I learned thatmore muscle tissue will
seriously better my chronichealth condition, which on the
first glance has nothing to dowith muscle muscle tissue or
anything.
So that's why I'm so committedto the strength training now,
(04:38):
because I know in the long runmy chronic condition will be
better gradually.
You motivated me to think aboutmy physique with a much, much
longer time frame over years,not weeks or even months.
You motivated me to go intoaggressive maintenance first.
(05:02):
So in well, a little bit ofhead loss, but basically first a
recomposition just to gain thefirst amount of muscle to later
then be easier able to lose fat.
Yeah.
And I'm so looking forward tothe cycle over the year with
(05:22):
shredding fat in the summerseason for to be, yeah, to have
a bikini body, you know.
And then enjoying all theholiday food in the winter
season while also buildingserious muscle.
This will be so much fun.
I could say tons more, but justfor the moment, I I also love
(05:45):
your personality, I love yourstyle, you're so empathetic,
you're so client-centered,always respecting individual
choices.
And at the same time, you areso clear and you're so able to
really condense complexinformation and highlight the
(06:06):
main points.
So, yeah, seriously, you shouldtake money for your podcast
because it's so valuable.
Thank you so, so, so much,Philip.
I hope there will be tons ofmessages which motivate you to
go on with it because so, somany people need your advice
with your personality and yourstyle.
(06:28):
Thank you so, so much.
Philip Pape (06:31):
Wow, and thank you so, so much, Julia.
I don't know where to begin.
That was so kind.
You basically explained theentire podcast journey in just a
few minutes.
I love that you tookinformation that is universal in
terms of muscle mass, forexample, and applied it to a
chronic condition you have,knowing that these work no
(06:53):
matter who you are.
It's just how it'spersonalized.
And that mindset shift tothinking over the longer term is
fantastic.
Some people don't have verymuch patience, and that's one of
the messages we preach here.
And of course, a bunch of otherthings you said I don't need to
repeat because folks could hearthat.
But at the end of the day, Ithink your words at the end
really touched me the most aboutempathy and being
(07:15):
client-centered and all of that.
I personally have gone througha journey over the years.
When I was younger in my 20s, Iwas not that way.
I didn't have much emotionalintelligence at all.
I could be very rude, verydefensive to people.
And those things don't alwaysget called out on.
But when you reflect onyourself and then you see how
you treat people and what adifference it makes, the
(07:35):
opposite is true in terms of ifyou can really get into their
shoes and understand wherethey're coming from and
understand whatever questionsomeone asks, there's no stupid
question in this context, andthat is a I truly believe that,
but also understand wherethey're coming from.
There's a reason they'reasking, there's something
they're frustrated with, there'ssomething that they're not
getting.
And that question comes from aplace of curiosity, and
curiosity is what we're allabout.
(07:57):
So those are my thoughts,Julia.
Thank you so much for themessage.
I really, really loved it, andI hope the listeners did as
well.
All right, so that was twolisteners as well as two clients
in Physique University.
Our next one is from KevinPalmeri, who is a stand-up guy,
a super guy in the industry.
He's actually the head ofNextLool University, co-founder
(08:17):
with Alan Lazarus.
And Alan was on the show, bythe way, recently, actually last
week.
But Kevin is a personal mentorand coach of mine.
He leads the team that editsthis podcast.
They do the interview episodes.
I do the solo episodes, butthey do the interview episodes,
which are more complex with thevideo with multiple people and
all that.
And so I'm going to let youhear his message, which also
(08:39):
includes a question.
Kevin Palmieri (08:41):
Philip, my friend, 400 podcast episodes.
That is truly amazing, myfriend.
I am so, so, so very happy foryou, and I am so happy to see
your success and your continuedsuccess.
And probably more thananything, I am honored to see
you help so many people.
(09:01):
You are really, really helpinga lot of people.
And I hope you know that, and Ihope you feel that, and I hope
that you accept the recognitionthat you deserve.
So super proud of you, myfriend.
And it's amazing to see yougrow and help as many people as
you are.
I have a question for you.
As somebody who is busy andgrowing a business, how often
(09:24):
are you prioritizing fitnessover other things?
So when I get superoverwhelmed, fitness is usually
the first thing to go because itdoesn't pay the bills,
unfortunately.
So sometimes I'll either skip aworkout or I'll wake up two
hours earlier than I should so Ican get my workout in.
What are your thoughts on that?
(09:45):
And how do you prioritize andhow do you choose?
And then how do you live withwhatever decision you make?
Philip Pape (09:52):
Kevin, my friend, thank you for the message.
Thank you for the message.
I always can count on you tochallenge me to think about why
I do things and where what theintention is behind it, but also
I know it serves as a model forhow others might think about
similar challenges.
So the question you asked abouthow I prioritize my fitness, I
(10:14):
think like any anchor habit thatis the priority in your life,
it be it's the first part of thestack.
And what I mean by that is if Iwere to plan out my week on a
blank sheet of paper, numberone, where does my training go?
Now, some people might say,Well, what about your
relationship with your wife?
What about your kids?
What about your job and yourbusiness?
(10:35):
I'd say, Yeah, I'm gonna getthose done.
But to me, fitness and in thiscase, strength training in
particular is a catalyst formaking all of those things way
more productive to the pointwhere I feel like the ROI is at
least break-even, right?
And what I mean by that is thehour and a half I spend four or
(10:56):
five days a week is paid back inspades by the productivity, the
energy, the mindset, theconsistency that I get with
everything else.
Now that's not the case foreveryone.
Some people, because of theirschedules, because of how much
they have to spend on otheractivities, may have to make
other trade-offs like workingout three days a week instead of
four or five, or even just twodays a week, or doing two a days
(11:19):
that are small exercise snacks.
And these are a lot of thethings we talk about on the
show.
So I think it starts fromsaying, look, if this is a
priority, how can I fit it intomy week?
And then we're actually doing achallenge called the Strong
Finish Challenge in PhysiqueUniversity, where we talk about
having a minimum, a minimumviable habit, which I think is
(11:40):
what your uh co your partnercalls it, minimum viable habit,
but also having a bailoutstrategy.
So if your optimal is to gointo the gym four days a week,
90 minutes, your minimum mightbe three days a week for 30
minutes.
Your bailout might be a short15-minute body weight workout
two days a week, right?
So it's kind of having thosedifferent levels.
(12:02):
That that's how I would put it,Kevin.
And I will admit there areother things that are important
to me that I've not done thatto, and it shows.
In other words, sleep hasn'tbeen as high a priority as I
quote unquote should make it formyself, like training, and
therefore it's suffered.
And I know that and I'm awareof that, and that's a thing that
I can pop to the top if needed,if I need to double down.
(12:23):
So I hope that answers yourquestion, Kevin.
Thanks for challenging me asalways.
I'm gonna go to the nextmessage, which is from Pam
Sherman.
And guys, Pam was just on thelast episode of the podcast for
the Women Over 50 QA, and I'veknown her for a while.
She's a trainer, coach, uhamazing woman in the space.
And I'm gonna play her messagefor you now.
Pam Sherman (12:41):
Philip, Pam Sherman here.
I am so excited to be part ofyour journey.
It's been amazing to be a gueston your podcast, to be a guest
on your Facebook group.
You are awesome.
I know a lot of people in ourwell health and wellness space,
and I resonate with you so much.
You're my people.
You try to keep it simple, youtry to keep it easy while doing
(13:04):
so much research.
I know you want what is bestfor your audience.
You want to give them the truthabout what works and what
doesn't work.
You and I have both struggled.
We've both struggled with ourweight, with our workouts, we've
done everything wrong.
And now we're on the otherside, so we can help as many
people as possible get on top oftheir nutrition, know the right
(13:25):
way to eat fuel for theirworkouts or for weight loss or
just for a healthy life.
I am so happy that KarenMartell introduced us because I
you are one of my very favoritepeople in this space.
Congratulations again on 400episodes, and thanks for having
me be a part of this journey.
Philip Pape (13:43):
Thank you, Pam.
And you are also one of myfavorite people.
And yeah, you know, KarenMartell is a through line on
this podcast.
Um, her ears are are burning.
You guys she's gonna befeatured in a little bit.
And yeah, she brought ustogether, but we've kept it
going from episode 190 when youwere on, where we talked about
why women over 50 need strength,health, longevity to
(14:05):
yesterday's episode or earlierthis this week's episode about
some QA questions on proteintraining, all of that.
And really, at the end of theday, I just love to hang around
people who are always learning,who are improving, who show that
age is definitely not a factorwhen it comes to your health,
that we could get after it andyes, help help each other and
help others make an impact.
(14:26):
And I hope those of youlistening to the show feel like
this show helps you and guestslike Pam having been on the show
help you, and that you aresharing with others the message
and sharing them this, sharingthem this podcast so that they
can learn as well.
All right, our next message isfrom someone who probably needs
no introduction.
So I'm gonna let it speak foritself and then give my thoughts
afterward.
Eric Helms (14:46):
Philip, my man, just want to say thank you so much
for what you do with Wits andWeights.
Educating the public and othertrainers and other professionals
to be more effective at helpingothers is a huge service.
And there's so muchpseudoscience, misinformation,
and unfortunately disinformationout there that we need more
voices and leaders in thisspace, making evidence-based
(15:08):
information clear,understandable, and interesting.
It's always a pleasure to beon.
And I look forward, if you'llhave me, from coming back on
Wits and Weights.
Keep doing the thing, man.
You're crushing it.
Philip Pape (15:19):
And that means a lot coming from Eric.
Just so you guys know, some ofthe backstory here.
You know, Eric is one of theauthors of Muscle and Strength
Pyramids, which is one of thethings that I read back in the
2019, 2020 timeframe that was acatalyst for me learning more
about evidence-based fitness,you know, with the the pyramids
themselves, that whole idea ofadherence as the foundation,
(15:42):
sustainability, and thenbuilding up from there of what's
most to least important iscrucial when it comes to making
this work for you.
But I also like the idea ofmaking evidence-based
information clear andinteresting.
We've had Eric on for threeepisodes so far 72, 121, 391.
And the first time I asked himto be on, I was completely
(16:03):
surprised because I was justgetting started.
And then I realized, hey,there's a lot of generous folks
out there who, you know, they'renot like untouchables.
They're they're real humanbeings who we can reach out to
and talk to and just have goodconversations with and you know,
develop friendships andnetworks over the years.
So, Eric, your message reallydoes mean a lot to me, truly.
(16:23):
You're definitely going to comeon the show again.
Keep doing what you do, keepcontributing to the research,
but also the conversation.
And I, for one, will always beon your side in this battle.
All right.
The next message is from JenTrepik.
Jen was on the show, episode337.
She hosts Salad with a side offries.
Such energy and passion forthis.
(16:44):
We really hit it off, and youknow, we've collaborated on some
other things, been talkingbusiness behind the scenes, and
she's definitely my kind ofperson.
And I'm gonna let her messagespeak for itself.
Jenn Trepeck (16:53):
Your podcast friend and colleague Jen Trepik
from Salad with a Side of Fries.
Huge, huge congratulations on400 episodes.
Believe me, I know that is nosmall feat.
I'm so excited for you and allthat you do for your clients,
your members, your community,your listeners.
(17:15):
You are truly changing lives.
It is an honor to know you andto call you a friend and a
colleague.
Congratulations again.
Philip Pape (17:23):
Jen, thank you so much.
I always love messages fromfellow podcasters because you
really get it when it comes tothe business side of this, not
only as a coach, but podcastingitself.
And what a, I'll say pleasantgrind it can be, right?
That's the way I'm gonna putit.
It's one of those things thattakes time to really build the
momentum.
And I appreciate you calling mea friend and doing this
(17:45):
collaboration together.
And for those listening, Jen isgonna be on the show again
pretty soon.
It might be in the new year.
She has a new book, and Iwanted to come in, have her come
on and talk about a specifictopic that I think is gonna
resonate really hard with all ofus.
But I'm gonna leave it at that.
You guys keep following thepodcast for when Jen comes back
on.
Jen, it's awesome to know you,and we're definitely gonna be in
touch.
So, our next guest who sent in,I shouldn't say guest, our next
(18:09):
listener slash colleague, slashfriend who sent in a message.
His name is Sam Brake Gia.
And I was actually on his show,Mike's Tamillion.
He is the co-founder ofPodwritten, but he actually
explains all of this in themessage, and it's kind of an
interesting, I'll say, originstory that we went through that
I think you'll find pretty coolfrom a behind-the-scenes
perspective.
Sam Brake Guia (18:28):
Hi, I'm Sam BreakGear, and I am the
co-founder of Podwritten and thehost of Mike's Samillions.
I first connected with Philipin June 2024 in what seems like
very unusual circumstancesbecause I sent him a cold pitch
suggesting a guest and herejected it.
Now, most people might assumean interaction like that
(18:48):
wouldn't lead to a friendship ormultiple collaborations.
But I think really early on wesaw that how we approached the
situation really set us apartfrom most people.
So my method of pitching guestsand Philip's thoughtful uh
handling of this inboundrecommendation really created a
foundation for an unlikelyfriendship because we saw that
we both do things differentlythan than most people are in our
(19:11):
industry.
And from the start I could tellthat Philip had taken so much
time to carefully review mypitch and provide thoughtful
feedback.
And that attention to detailreally made him stand out.
And I was so appreciative ofthe insights and feedback that
he shared.
I could see that there's areason why he was so successful
in creating wits and weights andwhat made it a standout show.
(19:34):
And he would make a fantasticguest for my podcast, is what I
thought.
And that's when I invited himon.
We had a great chat, I reallyenjoyed it.
It was so much fun.
And he could see also that Iwasn't a typical podcast booking
agent, so I'm not in thebusiness of just getting my
clients anywhere and everywhere,but I really want to focus on
(19:57):
getting them on specific showssince then.
I booked multiple right fitclients or guests on wits and
weights, and he's also been akey guest on two of my podcast
episodes, and I really lovethose episodes.
I'd even argue uh that Philippotentially has better knowledge
around podcast growth andpodcast marketing than most
(20:19):
podcast marketing professionalsyou'll find online.
I also love the fact that he'ssuper easy to collaborate with,
he has a really positiveattitude all the time whenever
we interact.
He's very responsive, he'ssuper open to feedback and
encourages it wherever possible.
And I am really surprised aswell by his analytical skills.
I'm not surprised, butimpressed.
And that's definitely somethingI see coming through from his
(20:42):
engineering background.
So, yeah, I'm really gratefulto be a part of this wits and
waste journey, and I can't waitto see where the podcast and
Philip go next.
Here's to another 400 episodes.
Keep up the amazing work,Philip.
Philip Pape (20:54):
Sam, thank you for that message.
I'm glad the listener can heara little bit of you and this
behind-the-scenes business stuffwhen it came comes to guest
pitching.
Guys, Sam did reach out to me.
The guest wasn't a great fit,but because we had a cordial
conversation and he wasinterested in the show and the
audience and how he could help,it came through as very genuine
(21:17):
and honest.
And those are the kind ofpeople I'm so gravit, I so
gravitate to, and that's why westill have a connection to this
day.
And it has led to other things.
You don't, you guys don't hearabout all this directly on the
show.
I don't talk about it maybeenough.
But one of those was otherhaving other guests come on the
show and also talking abouttactics and strategies behind
the scene related to podcastgrowth and marketing.
(21:39):
The whole analytical thing, youknow, doesn't just apply to
fitness in my case.
You guys know I'm an engineer,love to do things behind the
scene.
He had actually asked me torecord a clip about how I use, I
think it's overcast for podcastadvertising.
And so if you kind of check outthese other shows of Sam's that
I was on, you can hear some ofthat behind the scenes.
But definitely another 400episodes.
(22:00):
I feel like just as the yearsfly by, the episodes fly by,
Sam, and it's totally doable.
Uh back at episode 200 or 100,that would have sounded insane,
but that's kind of how thisthing goes.
And I appreciate you and I'mgrateful for everything you've
done for me.
Let's continue to make ithappen and do things from the
heart and from the soul andreally keep pushing positivity
(22:23):
into the world, is the best Ican put it.
Thank you, Sam.
Moving on, we have somebodythat you guys will know.
He's been on the show severaltimes.
Brandon DeCruz is a world-classphysique coach, host of the
Chasing Clarity podcast.
And let me tell you, this guyis also so, so generous.
He will reach out if you reachout to him and is just
(22:43):
passionate about the industry,the science, helping people
reach their goals.
Again, truly from the heart.
Again, these are the types ofpeople I just love to be around
in their orbit.
So have a listen to hismessage.
Brandon DaCruz (22:55):
What's going on, guys?
This is Brendan Cruz of theChasing Clarity Health and
Fitness Podcast.
I just want to take a moment tocongratulate my friend Philip
Pape on hitting episode 400 ofthe Wits and Weights podcast.
That is no small feat, my man.
It's been an absolute pleasurebeing a guest on your show
multiple times, going all theway back to episode 58 and
watching how much you've grownthe platform since then.
(23:16):
You've done an incredible jobconsistently putting out
high-quality, evidence-basedinformation while making it
engaging, relatable, andactionable for your audience.
And let's be honest, you've gotthe best podcast intros in the
business.
Congratulations again, myfriend.
Forget episodes is a milestonethat reflects your dedication,
consistency, and genuine passionfor helping others become the
strongest, healthiest versionsof themselves.
(23:36):
I'm proud to know you and tohave been part of your journey.
Philip Pape (23:39):
I really appreciate that, Brandon.
And for the listener, you know,folks like Brandon taking the
time to do these messages reallyspeaks a lot for the type of
person they are.
And Brandon was on episodes 58,so that was the early days, 99,
and then recently 354, youknow, so spanning three years
been on the show watching thisplatform grow, but I've also
(23:59):
seen him do more and more in thespace with his podcasts.
We've done Q ⁇ A's together.
He's, as far as his craft as aphysique coach, if you follow
him, say on Instagram, you willsee just a constant uh reminder
of how he helps one person afteranother from physique
competitors to everyday peoplejust trying to improve their
(24:19):
bodies, their health, theirlongevity, their strength, all
of that.
And Brandon, I really doappreciate your friendship.
I wish I could have you onmore.
Honestly, like there's so manyfolks that I love that we, you
know, we could have them on, butthen I would never make any
other episodes.
So uh and I really enjoy the QAwe did not long ago.
So hope, hopefully, listenersget to check that out.
We'll throw all this stuff inthe show notes for all these
guests.
(24:39):
It's gonna be an extravaganza.
But again, thank you, Brandon,so much for everything you do
and the expertise you bring.
All right, our next two, I'llsay listeners slash former
clients slash friends slashcurrent team members are Carol
Hanshu and Alan Friedman.
I'm gonna play them back toback.
Actually, no, I'm gonna playCarol's, then I'm gonna give a
(25:01):
little commentary and thenAlan's.
Carol is, she's a friend, she'sa former client, she's now a
personal trainer and nutritioncoach.
She has her own business, butshe's also helping us in
physique university as anassistant coach in that
business.
So she's all over the placehelping everyone, but especially
women over 40, hormones,thyroid issues.
She has a lot of personalexperience there.
(25:22):
And she is so kind, genuine,but also really intelligent and
helpful when it comes to helpingclients get through specific
issues.
When we have our two-on-onecoaching calls in Physique
University, she's right therehelping you solve your problems
and get the next step.
So I'm gonna let player messageand you guys can judge for
yourself.
Carol Hanshew (25:42):
Philip not only helped me achieve my fat loss
goal, but working with him alsoinspired me to give my own
certification as a nutritioncoach and personal trainer.
Philip is the real deal.
He's honest, sincere, and willalways do his best to get to the
bottom of any problem orchallenge you might be facing.
(26:02):
It's an honor and privilege towork with him, and I'm excited
to celebrate this 400th episode.
Philip Pape (26:09):
And Carol, the honor and privilege is all mine.
Just so the listener knows,Carol has justified all the odds
in terms of, you know, chronichealth issues and hormones and
really getting the strong fitbody composition that she's
going for.
And she's really a role modelto people.
And you can hear how, you know,she's soft-spoken, but she is
(26:30):
so honest and sincere herself.
I know those are the words youused.
She's also really a whiz whenit comes to cooking and recipes
and meal planning and groceriesand all that fun stuff on the
food side that I joking, I jokewith her that like those are the
things I don't like to thinkabout as much, which sounds odd
for a nutrition coach, but youknow, we all have our strengths.
And anybody who's working inour community, whether it's in
(26:52):
our free Facebook group, whichyou can join anytime, you'll see
Carol there, or in PhysiqueUniversity, where she's putting
up all sorts of wonderfulcontent.
And now she's helping us getready for the strong finish
challenge next month, willappreciate immediately, you
know, her the way she thinksvery compassionately,
empathetically, but alsospecifically.
You know, she she even has alittle bit of that engineering
(27:15):
mind in her, even if she won'tadmit it or maybe she will, to
really just go after theproblem, use numbers, use data,
use logic, but also use somecreativity and empathy along the
way.
So, Carol, it's a pleasure tohave you on my team.
And I'm glad people got to heara little bit from you today.
And those who work with you getto experience that all the
time.
So thank you, Carol.
All right, and as promised, ournext one is from Alan, who is
(27:38):
also a friend of mine, formerclient, and he's on the team.
And I will play his messagenow.
Allan Friedman (27:43):
Hi, I'm Alan.
Before I listened to Philip, Iwas driven by the low calorie,
low-carb mindset.
Philip has taught me that foodis a tool used to be used in
conjunction with strengthtraining and overall activity,
with the end result beingoverall health, and that daily
food consumption is notsomething to be judged, but
looked at as a variable toaffect change.
(28:05):
Philip has assisted me toobserve that my body does
respond to changes in nutritionand how I adapt to changes in my
strength training.
Philip has helped me through myjourney by encouraging the
establishment of goals acrossthe long term so I can see the
big picture and where I'm going.
Thank you, Philip, for yourwork with wits and weights and
(28:26):
your wise content in the fitnessindustry.
Philip Pape (28:29):
Thank you so much, Alan, for the message.
Now, again, for the listener,Alan, you can see is very
soft-spoken.
I'm very much attracted topeople who are kind, are
empathetic, are helpful, havenothing but positive energy in
wanting to help people, andthey've all gone through gone
through their own struggles.
I encourage you to go way backand listen to episode 77.
Alan was on as a guest talkingabout how after bariatric
(28:53):
surgery, he finally foundoptimal health, optimal strength
over 60.
And he will be the first guy toreach out and say hello, ask
how I'm doing, ask about mykids, ask about anything, but
but also he gives and he helps.
He helps with the business, hehelps with the coaching, he does
so many things behind thescenes.
(29:13):
Sometimes I forget how muchhe's doing.
And Alan, I'm very, verygrateful to you for that.
And I know it comes from theheart.
You're just a true, trulywonderful guy.
And for the listener, what'sneat about Alan is he he kind of
jumped onto this pretty earlywhen Wits and Weights came out
and reached out and said, Hey, Ilove the show.
I'm kind of I'm learning somethings.
And he kind of learned alongwith me as I was creating the
(29:36):
podcast.
And we've bounced ideas offeach other a lot, including
ideas for the for the app I hadthe new app I have coming out,
wouldn't have been what if whatit was if it wasn't for being
able to brainstorm with Alan.
So never underestimate thepower of people and friends and
being able to connect.
And if you're an entrepreneuror even if you're not, anybody
(29:56):
can become a really importantpart of your life.
When you least expect it.
You know, uh he went from alistener to a client to a team
member.
He's a moderator in ourFacebook group.
And I mean, we're pretty muchjust friends.
Yeah, I coach him, he helps me.
You know, we don't like keep atally.
It's just let's lift each otherup and upward spiral the heck
out of our lives and those ofothers, and that's how we change
(30:19):
the world.
All right, so I thought itwould be fun for the next
message to be another friend ofmine who has a little bit of a
different style and is stilljust as, I'll say, helpful and
important to me in my life,whether he wants to admit it or
not, whether he's rolling hiseyes right now, or getting ready
yet again to send me aninappropriate reel that he knows
(30:40):
I'm gonna completely laugh atand appreciate that he sent it
to me.
Here he is, my friend, mylifting buddy, Tony.
Tony P. (30:48):
This is Tony, client and friend of Phillips.
The reason I'm a listener tothe Wits and Waits podcast is
that it's a refreshing breakfrom typical social media
fitness content that eithertries to pad the pockets of the
hosts, build their ego, orregurgitate content.
Philip has been consistent withhis very open-minded,
understanding, directedapproach, whether he's talking
(31:09):
macros, barbells, or cardio.
He'll never tell you what todo, only give options.
Philip Pape (31:14):
Thank you, my man.
And I think I have you fooledbecause the whole purpose of the
show is to pad my pockets andto build my ego, but I haven't
been able to do that yet.
So the fallback is, I guess, toput out the best content I can,
and that's what I try to do.
And I appreciate you sayingthat.
But also, again, to thelistener, Tony's a guy that I
can go back and forth andbrainstorm on, get
(31:34):
philosophical, really get deepon topics and talk about
everything from engineering tocraftsmanship to philosophy to
lifting, of course, to thescience to the bros, to
everything in between, topolitics, really anything goes.
And I appreciate you know youropenness to hear me out, but
also, like you alluded to inyour message, lean into that
(31:56):
flexibility, thatpersonalization that comes along
for the ride, even though thereare solid principles in place.
And by the way, Tony was on wayback in episode 115, talking
about our time working togetherwhen he was a client, where he
lost 15 pounds of body fat, 8%body fat, is big into barbell
training, really talked aboutthe whole process of a mini cut
(32:17):
that I think you're gonna findinteresting.
So go check out episode 115 forthat.
All right, next up we have alistener, Gabelou M from Mexico.
Gabilu M. (32:26):
Hi, wits and weights.
I am Gabelou Mireles.
I'm from Mexico, and I am alistener and fan of this amazing
podcast.
Congratulations on thisincredible anniversary.
I am such a fan of everythingyou share.
This podcast is my companion.
Every morning that I wake up at4 30 a.m.
(32:48):
It's the first thing I listento, and it just pumps me up for
my workout.
I love learning everything thatthere is to learn about working
out, but how to make it reallyeffective for each and every one
of us.
Thank you so much for all yourhard work, for sharing all this
information with all over theworld, and I hope you have an
(33:12):
amazing, amazing podcast formany, many years.
Philip Pape (33:15):
Wow, you guys are really encouraging me to go on
with this.
And I wasn't planning onstopping anytime too soon, trust
me.
But Gabby Lou, I love how youlisten to it at 4:30 in the
morning.
I don't know if you listen tothem the day they come out, but
I do set it to release at 4 a.m.
And I've toyed with should I dothat later?
And I'm like, no, I knowthere's people that go to work
out in the morning uh early, andmaybe it's something that they
(33:36):
like to have.
So I really appreciate hearingfrom you.
And guys, I connected withGabby Lou recently on Instagram.
If you go to my Instagram atWits and Waits, definitely give
me a follow there if you don'talready.
But she reached out and Ialways respond.
I usually send audio messages,we go back and forth.
It's a fun place to connect.
And so, Gabby Lou, I appreciatethe loyalty and the you know,
being a fan of the show andreaching out again.
(33:57):
And I hope this reaches you aswell.
Maybe you're working out rightnow and go after it.
All right, thank you so muchfor the message.
The next message is fromsomebody you guys might know
again on the business side, alsoin the coaching space.
His name is the Mike Milner,host of the Mind Over Macros
podcast.
He is also a long-termnutrition coach of Pop and is a
(34:20):
business coach.
He actually has helped me a lotwith email marketing, with ads,
with things like that from anauthentic perspective, not a you
know, cold sales, sleazy typeof marketing that we none of us
like when it comes to fitnesscoaches, but more of an
authentic be yourself, explainwhat it is, be transparent
approach.
So here's his message.
(34:41):
Thank you for sending this in,Mike.
Mike Millner (34:43):
Hey, what's up, Phillip?
Just want to drop a quickmessage and say congrats on 400
episodes.
It's a huge accomplishment fromone podcaster to another.
I know what it takes to be thatconsistent and disciplined, and
I just appreciate the work thatyou're doing.
I think our industry needs morepeople like you who put out
true, valuable content and keepdoing your thing.
(35:03):
And let's, you know, let's do400 more episodes, as I'm sure
you will, and well beyond that.
Thanks for all the work thatyou're doing, and we'll talk
soon.
Philip Pape (35:11):
Thanks for that shout-out, Mike.
And from one podcaster toanother, I know how challenging
it is to keep that going, butit's also a lot of fun because I
know, I mean, you're reallygood at this of bringing up very
current topics from questionsand problems that come up in
your audience.
Literally, the day beforeyou're like, let me get on the
horn and record a podcast aboutit.
(35:31):
So, guys, go to episode 123.
Again, one of one of ourclassics at this point, since
we're we're at 400 now, it wasabout the hidden barriers
holding you back.
Mike is all about psychology.
I've learned a lot aboutbehavior and psychology from
him, not how to manipulatepeople, but how to better reach
people and connect with them,which I think is so, so
important in this industry.
So thank you again, Mike.
(35:51):
All right, we've got two moremessages.
The next one is for anotherlistener who I connected with
recently, Alana.
And what's cool about hermessage and her experience is
she took a very specific episodeI did about a specific protocol
or approach and applied it andhad the results that I talked
about.
And she did it.
She tried it out.
She's like, let me see if thisworks, and she did.
(36:13):
So here is Alana's message.
Alana Van Der Sluys (36:15):
I just wanted to give a shout out to
Phil because I listened to hisepisode about the weekend diet,
which I thought was superinteresting.
And I was just about to go intomy second cut, and I tried the
weekend diet.
I did it exactly the way hedescribed it.
He had a lot of studies to backit up, and it was basically,
(36:36):
you know, eating a little bitless during the weekdays and
eating more at maintenance onthe weekends during a cut to
give yourself a little bit of areprieve.
And it was by far the bettercut out of the two that I had.
I had amazing results, and Ihave Phil and his research to
thank for that.
So thanks, Phil.
Philip Pape (36:56):
And thank you, Alana.
And I hope you don't mind mesharing your other Instagram
handle, your business handle,which is at Freedom with Food
and Fitness on Instagram.
And I will say Alana wasn'tpushing the fact that she's a
coach or anything.
She literally just wanted toadd value and say, hey, I
listened to this show about theweekend diet.
I did it, and it seemed to workreally well.
And if you're not sure what sheis talking about, it's episode
(37:17):
324, and it's based on researchthat shows that a weekend refeed
where you're dieting during theweek and then you eat up to
maintenance during the weekendmight have a slight advantage
for muscle mass retention duringfat loss and also making you
feel better and recovered.
So, Alana, thank you so muchfor doing that, for trying it.
I wish anybody listening whohears something that they think
(37:39):
might help them would go aheadand take that action, document
the results, and send me amessage on Instagram at wits and
weights.
And whether I share it on thepodcast or not, we'll have a
conversation.
And if it worked for you, Ireally would love to hear it.
Maybe it didn't work for you,and you can let me know that as
well.
It's all good data.
And that brings me to the finalmessage.
Last, but as they say,definitely not least.
(37:59):
And this is someone you aregoing to recognize because we've
collaborated for a while.
She's been on the show severaltimes.
I was on her show when she hada podcast.
Now she's a huge YouTube star,doesn't have a podcast anymore,
but that's intentional.
And we all we all know and lovethis woman in the space.
Her name is Megan Dahlman, andhere's what she has to say.
Megan Dahlman (38:17):
Well, Philip, Megan Dahlman here, and it's
crazy to think that you havereached 400 episodes.
That's nothing short of aremarkable feat.
When, you know, in the fitnessand health industry and
nutrition, we all know that itis so hard just to show up every
single day and make thosedecisions on a daily basis to
(38:39):
take care of our body.
And your consistency anddedication to simply producing a
top-notch podcast shows howgreat of a coach you are.
So much of being a healthyperson is being just consistent
with the basics and producing,publishing a podcast.
(39:03):
It's nothing short of justbeing consistent with those
basic things.
And I know that all the workthat you've put into the show
has reached thousands andthousands of individuals, and
it's helped encourage them totake care of their health, to
show up, eat, eat good,nutritious, robust meals, and be
strong and healthy and justmarch forward every year into a
(39:29):
healthier version of themselves.
So we all greatly appreciatejust all of your dedication,
inspiration, and just energythat you bring to this space.
So can't wait to see where thenext 400 episodes take you.
Hopefully you'll have me on thelist.
I'd love to come back.
It's been always fun to sharewith your audience.
(39:52):
And but but boy, we're all justcheering you on, and we we just
appreciate all the work thatyou've put into the Wits and
Weights podcast.
Keep up the good work.
We'll be in touch.
Philip Pape (40:02):
Megan, Megan, Megan, thank you so much.
I mean, you're one of the onesin the space that I just truly
honor our friendship and ourability to collaborate on the
things that the listener caresabout so much and values, not
just in the nuts and bolts oftraining, which obviously you
have a lot of expertise in, butyour point about consistency.
(40:24):
And when you do something for along time with a system in
place and you've developed ahabit, you develop a routine,
it's not that it's automatic,right?
You still have to do it.
It still can be hard.
It still takes trade-offsometimes, sacrifice, but it's
almost inevitable because you'veset things up that way.
And that's kind of whereeverybody wants to get.
(40:45):
I appreciate what you've donefor us on the show.
You've been on multipleepisodes, three so far, 149,
217, and the recent one 349.
And it's always a blast.
I mean, there are definitelysome guests who I have a rapport
with.
You're one of those.
And I really, really appreciateyou giving the shout-out here
and spending time, as always,with our listeners to teach us
and help us become better.
(41:06):
All right.
I don't want this episode to golonger than it needs to be.
There you have it.
That was 15 messages fromaround the world, from around
time, with again the saga, theepic that is wits and weights,
400 episodes strong with many,many more to come.
And lots of things really stoodout for me.
I'm not going to repeat mycommentary, but a few things
just in general.
One is the international reach.
(41:27):
It's so cool to hear peoplefrom the UK, from Germany, from
Mexico, obviously from the US.
And we have listeners from, Ithink, well over 100 countries.
I don't remember.
I didn't haven't checked in awhile, but that's just really
cool.
That's just amazing.
Secondly, is all of thesetransformations that people get
by actually taking action onthis information.
I'm a big podcast listenermyself.
(41:48):
And I've I've heard thingsthrough osmosis that I'll say,
hmm, that's interesting.
Why don't I try that out?
And so you have, you know,Julia with her chronic
condition, Alana with a weekenddiet, Carol, you know, was a
client, now she's a coach.
Like all of these things thatare happening, I'm so proud and
happy to have been a part ofwith all of you, with the
listeners, with my colleagues,with my friends, all of that.
(42:08):
And that leads me to themission.
The mission, cutting throughthe BS, challenging the nonsense
in the industry, makingevidence-based information more
clear, more interesting,hopefully entertaining in a way.
And that's what I set out to dobecause this industry, yeah,
it's full of people, like Tonysaid, patting their pockets,
building their egos,regurgitating the same tired
contest content.
(42:29):
And it's full of amazing peoplewho have it in their heart to
help people and do it in a waythat is just aligned with who
they are.
And if they haven't a businessin the process doing that, then
they should be rewarded forthat.
That's my, but that is a goodform of capitalism, the one
where everybody's aligned andit's a win-win for everyone.
And then lastly, you know,Megan talked about consistency.
(42:50):
Yes, the podcast is beingconsistent with the basics, but
also is taking care of yourhealth and your dedication to
showing up, like Brandonmentioned, the engineering
mindset applied to the contentcreation, but also your fitness
system and continuousimprovement.
So, what do I want you to takeaway from this, be besides
everything else I hope we'vetaken away, is that the 400
(43:14):
episodes is about somethingthat's become, I think and I
hope a lot bigger than just me.
I'm a person, but it's Iwouldn't have done it without
having all of you listen andprovide feedback and share it
and challenging me and helpingme challenge conventional wisdom
and treating people like adultswho can think critically and
(43:35):
make informed decisions.
And it's about the community aswell, like the community of
podcast listeners, our Facebookcommunity, physique university
clients.
Like to me, it's just one biggiant happy family.
Not all of you know everybody.
I know a lot of you, which isawesome.
Like, I feel like it's a bigfamily, even colleagues, even
guests who've been on the show,even business partners, you
(43:56):
know, Eric, Pam, Jen, Brandon,Kevin, Sam, Megan, all of all
these great people who push theevidence-based approach forward.
So this show exists because ofthat.
It just wouldn't have existed,you know, 400 episodes ago it
didn't exist.
Now it does.
That is mind-blowing to me.
It's the questions you send,it's the episodes you share,
it's the reviews you leave, it'sthe transformations you achieve
(44:16):
and tell me about.
And yeah, I'm proud of 400episodes, but I'm even more
excited about the next 400because we are just getting
started.
So I've given you a lot ofresources already throughout the
episode, like other episodes tocheck out.
I'm not gonna pitch youanything now.
All I'm gonna ask is that youlet someone else know about the
(44:37):
podcast.
It doesn't have to be thisepisode, because honestly, if
you've never heard the podcast,this might be a little much and
it isn't really exactly the sametype of uh format as or most of
our episodes.
But share an episode that youdid like, you know, share one of
the ones mentioned on the showor a timestamp or whatever, and
then tag me, let me know, reachout to me on Instagram, whatever
makes sense.
And to everyone who sent amessage for this episode, thank
(44:58):
you, thank you, thank you.
To everyone who's beenlistening, whether it's all 400
episodes or just this is yourfirst one, thank you to my
friends, to my colleagues, myassistant coaches, every guest
who shared their expertise,thank you.
Here's to the next 400episodes.
Until next time, keep usingyour wits, lifting those
weights.
And remember that just likebuilding a podcast takes all the
(45:20):
things we talked about today,so does building an impressive
and healthy physique.
It's consistency, it'sevidence, it's systems that
actually work.
This is Philip Pape, and I'lltalk to you next time here on
the Wits and Weights podcast.
400 episodes of Evidence-Based Fitness means 400
opportunities to challenge whatwe think we know about building
muscle and losing fat.
Today you're gonna hear 15voices from the saga that is the
Wits and Weights podcast,listeners, world-class strength
coaches, evidence-basedresearchers, fellow podcasters,
but most importantly, all myfriends who have supported the
(00:24):
show in some way.
What did they take away from400 episodes?
How does that affect you whenyou strip away the distractions
of the fitness industry and askthe question, what should I know
and what should I do with mytraining and nutrition to get
the result I want?
Welcome to episode 400.
Welcome to Wits and Weights,the show that helps you build a
(00:52):
strong, healthy physique usingevidence, engineering, and
efficiency.
I'm your host, certifiednutrition coach, Philip Pape.
And today we're gonna dosomething I've never done before
because it is episode 400, andI've received 15 separate voice
messages from people around theworld who shared what this show
(01:12):
has meant to them.
There's some questions, there'ssome stories, there's some
shout-outs from listeners whotransformed their physiques, to
colleagues who've challenged meto be better, to guests who've
shared their expertise sogenerously.
And I'm gonna add some of mythoughts, a little bit of
commentary after each message,but mostly I'm letting their
words speak for themselves, andI think you're really going to
enjoy it as we togethercelebrate episode 400.
(01:35):
All right, let's get into itwith the first message, which is
from Jo S, and she is in theUK.
Jo S. (01:43):
Hi, this is Joe, listening from the UK.
I'm a huge fan of the Wits andWeights podcast, and I look
forward to the new episodes eachtime.
Congratulations, Philip, on 400episodes.
Please keep going.
Keep it coming.
I absolutely love it.
I'm a member of the Wits andWeights Physique University as
well, seeing some great results.
And for the first time,breaking through some of the old
(02:06):
habits that have kept me stuck.
So thank you, and thank you,Carol, as well, the other coach,
for all of your great work onthere.
Keep going.
Congratulations.
Philip Pape (02:16):
So that was Jo, and she's in Physique University,
as she mentioned.
She's one of the very engagedmembers who is always asking
questions when she gets stuckand trying to figure out how to
move forward.
And I love how she mentionedbreaking through old habits.
I think that is what systemsthinking helps us do.
The habits could be very simpleand we take them for granted.
(02:37):
Like you go to bed at 10:30every night, and now you have to
develop a system to get to bedat 10 every night.
I also like how she gave ashout-out to Carol, who is my
other coach in PhysiqueUniversity, and she's going to
have actually have a shout-outlater on in the show.
And lastly, Joe is from the UK.
We actually have a lot ofmembers and clients and
listeners from all over theworld, which is an amazing
(02:59):
outcome of the digital world welive in and the ability to reach
more people.
So thank you so much, Joe, foryour message.
All right, the next one isJulia D from Germany.
Julia D. (03:09):
Hi, Philip.
This is Julia from Germanyspeaking, you know who.
Wow.
First of all, congratulationsto episode 400 of your podcast.
This is huge.
This is amazing.
Oh my gosh.
First of all, I've learned fromyou that why I've lost so much
(03:31):
muscle over the past years andmy my metabolism slowed down so
much.
And yeah, why I gained muchmore fat without eating
differently.
So yeah, I'm into protein now,and the right amount of protein.
I learned so much abouthormones for women after 40.
(03:54):
I learned how importantstrength training is.
I've done it before, but nowI'm seriously committed and have
regularly done it for severalmonths now, which is the first.
And wow, I loved your nerdyepisode about what muscle tissue
(04:15):
has for advantages asadvantages.
Because of that, I learned thatmore muscle tissue will
seriously better my chronichealth condition, which on the
first glance has nothing to dowith muscle muscle tissue or
anything.
So that's why I'm so committedto the strength training now,
(04:38):
because I know in the long runmy chronic condition will be
better gradually.
You motivated me to think aboutmy physique with a much, much
longer time frame over years,not weeks or even months.
You motivated me to go intoaggressive maintenance first.
(05:02):
So in well, a little bit ofhead loss, but basically first a
recomposition just to gain thefirst amount of muscle to later
then be easier able to lose fat.
Yeah.
And I'm so looking forward tothe cycle over the year with
(05:22):
shredding fat in the summerseason for to be, yeah, to have
a bikini body, you know.
And then enjoying all theholiday food in the winter
season while also buildingserious muscle.
This will be so much fun.
I could say tons more, but justfor the moment, I I also love
(05:45):
your personality, I love yourstyle, you're so empathetic,
you're so client-centered,always respecting individual
choices.
And at the same time, you areso clear and you're so able to
really condense complexinformation and highlight the
(06:06):
main points.
So, yeah, seriously, you shouldtake money for your podcast
because it's so valuable.
Thank you so, so, so much,Philip.
I hope there will be tons ofmessages which motivate you to
go on with it because so, somany people need your advice
with your personality and yourstyle.
(06:28):
Thank you so, so much.
Philip Pape (06:31):
Wow, and thank you so, so much, Julia.
I don't know where to begin.
That was so kind.
You basically explained theentire podcast journey in just a
few minutes.
I love that you tookinformation that is universal in
terms of muscle mass, forexample, and applied it to a
chronic condition you have,knowing that these work no
(06:53):
matter who you are.
It's just how it'spersonalized.
And that mindset shift tothinking over the longer term is
fantastic.
Some people don't have verymuch patience, and that's one of
the messages we preach here.
And of course, a bunch of otherthings you said I don't need to
repeat because folks could hearthat.
But at the end of the day, Ithink your words at the end
really touched me the most aboutempathy and being
(07:15):
client-centered and all of that.
I personally have gone througha journey over the years.
When I was younger in my 20s, Iwas not that way.
I didn't have much emotionalintelligence at all.
I could be very rude, verydefensive to people.
And those things don't alwaysget called out on.
But when you reflect onyourself and then you see how
you treat people and what adifference it makes, the
(07:35):
opposite is true in terms of ifyou can really get into their
shoes and understand wherethey're coming from and
understand whatever questionsomeone asks, there's no stupid
question in this context, andthat is a I truly believe that,
but also understand wherethey're coming from.
There's a reason they'reasking, there's something
they're frustrated with, there'ssomething that they're not
getting.
And that question comes from aplace of curiosity, and
curiosity is what we're allabout.
(07:57):
So those are my thoughts,Julia.
Thank you so much for themessage.
I really, really loved it, andI hope the listeners did as
well.
All right, so that was twolisteners as well as two clients
in Physique University.
Our next one is from KevinPalmeri, who is a stand-up guy,
a super guy in the industry.
He's actually the head ofNextLool University, co-founder
(08:17):
with Alan Lazarus.
And Alan was on the show, bythe way, recently, actually last
week.
But Kevin is a personal mentorand coach of mine.
He leads the team that editsthis podcast.
They do the interview episodes.
I do the solo episodes, butthey do the interview episodes,
which are more complex with thevideo with multiple people and
all that.
And so I'm going to let youhear his message, which also
(08:39):
includes a question.
Kevin Palmieri (08:41):
Philip, my friend, 400 podcast episodes.
That is truly amazing, myfriend.
I am so, so, so very happy foryou, and I am so happy to see
your success and your continuedsuccess.
And probably more thananything, I am honored to see
you help so many people.
(09:01):
You are really, really helpinga lot of people.
And I hope you know that, and Ihope you feel that, and I hope
that you accept the recognitionthat you deserve.
So super proud of you, myfriend.
And it's amazing to see yougrow and help as many people as
you are.
I have a question for you.
As somebody who is busy andgrowing a business, how often
(09:24):
are you prioritizing fitnessover other things?
So when I get superoverwhelmed, fitness is usually
the first thing to go because itdoesn't pay the bills,
unfortunately.
So sometimes I'll either skip aworkout or I'll wake up two
hours earlier than I should so Ican get my workout in.
What are your thoughts on that?
(09:45):
And how do you prioritize andhow do you choose?
And then how do you live withwhatever decision you make?
Philip Pape (09:52):
Kevin, my friend, thank you for the message.
Thank you for the message.
I always can count on you tochallenge me to think about why
I do things and where what theintention is behind it, but also
I know it serves as a model forhow others might think about
similar challenges.
So the question you asked abouthow I prioritize my fitness, I
(10:14):
think like any anchor habit thatis the priority in your life,
it be it's the first part of thestack.
And what I mean by that is if Iwere to plan out my week on a
blank sheet of paper, numberone, where does my training go?
Now, some people might say,Well, what about your
relationship with your wife?
What about your kids?
What about your job and yourbusiness?
(10:35):
I'd say, Yeah, I'm gonna getthose done.
But to me, fitness and in thiscase, strength training in
particular is a catalyst formaking all of those things way
more productive to the pointwhere I feel like the ROI is at
least break-even, right?
And what I mean by that is thehour and a half I spend four or
(10:56):
five days a week is paid back inspades by the productivity, the
energy, the mindset, theconsistency that I get with
everything else.
Now that's not the case foreveryone.
Some people, because of theirschedules, because of how much
they have to spend on otheractivities, may have to make
other trade-offs like workingout three days a week instead of
four or five, or even just twodays a week, or doing two a days
(11:19):
that are small exercise snacks.
And these are a lot of thethings we talk about on the
show.
So I think it starts fromsaying, look, if this is a
priority, how can I fit it intomy week?
And then we're actually doing achallenge called the Strong
Finish Challenge in PhysiqueUniversity, where we talk about
having a minimum, a minimumviable habit, which I think is
(11:40):
what your uh co your partnercalls it, minimum viable habit,
but also having a bailoutstrategy.
So if your optimal is to gointo the gym four days a week,
90 minutes, your minimum mightbe three days a week for 30
minutes.
Your bailout might be a short15-minute body weight workout
two days a week, right?
So it's kind of having thosedifferent levels.
(12:02):
That that's how I would put it,Kevin.
And I will admit there areother things that are important
to me that I've not done thatto, and it shows.
In other words, sleep hasn'tbeen as high a priority as I
quote unquote should make it formyself, like training, and
therefore it's suffered.
And I know that and I'm awareof that, and that's a thing that
I can pop to the top if needed,if I need to double down.
(12:23):
So I hope that answers yourquestion, Kevin.
Thanks for challenging me asalways.
I'm gonna go to the nextmessage, which is from Pam
Sherman.
And guys, Pam was just on thelast episode of the podcast for
the Women Over 50 QA, and I'veknown her for a while.
She's a trainer, coach, uhamazing woman in the space.
And I'm gonna play her messagefor you now.
Pam Sherman (12:41):
Philip, Pam Sherman here.
I am so excited to be part ofyour journey.
It's been amazing to be a gueston your podcast, to be a guest
on your Facebook group.
You are awesome.
I know a lot of people in ourwell health and wellness space,
and I resonate with you so much.
You're my people.
You try to keep it simple, youtry to keep it easy while doing
(13:04):
so much research.
I know you want what is bestfor your audience.
You want to give them the truthabout what works and what
doesn't work.
You and I have both struggled.
We've both struggled with ourweight, with our workouts, we've
done everything wrong.
And now we're on the otherside, so we can help as many
people as possible get on top oftheir nutrition, know the right
(13:25):
way to eat fuel for theirworkouts or for weight loss or
just for a healthy life.
I am so happy that KarenMartell introduced us because I
you are one of my very favoritepeople in this space.
Congratulations again on 400episodes, and thanks for having
me be a part of this journey.
Philip Pape (13:43):
Thank you, Pam.
And you are also one of myfavorite people.
And yeah, you know, KarenMartell is a through line on
this podcast.
Um, her ears are are burning.
You guys she's gonna befeatured in a little bit.
And yeah, she brought ustogether, but we've kept it
going from episode 190 when youwere on, where we talked about
why women over 50 need strength,health, longevity to
(14:05):
yesterday's episode or earlierthis this week's episode about
some QA questions on proteintraining, all of that.
And really, at the end of theday, I just love to hang around
people who are always learning,who are improving, who show that
age is definitely not a factorwhen it comes to your health,
that we could get after it andyes, help help each other and
help others make an impact.
(14:26):
And I hope those of youlistening to the show feel like
this show helps you and guestslike Pam having been on the show
help you, and that you aresharing with others the message
and sharing them this, sharingthem this podcast so that they
can learn as well.
All right, our next message isfrom someone who probably needs
no introduction.
So I'm gonna let it speak foritself and then give my thoughts
afterward.
Eric Helms (14:46):
Philip, my man, just want to say thank you so much
for what you do with Wits andWeights.
Educating the public and othertrainers and other professionals
to be more effective at helpingothers is a huge service.
And there's so muchpseudoscience, misinformation,
and unfortunately disinformationout there that we need more
voices and leaders in thisspace, making evidence-based
(15:08):
information clear,understandable, and interesting.
It's always a pleasure to beon.
And I look forward, if you'llhave me, from coming back on
Wits and Weights.
Keep doing the thing, man.
You're crushing it.
Philip Pape (15:19):
And that means a lot coming from Eric.
Just so you guys know, some ofthe backstory here.
You know, Eric is one of theauthors of Muscle and Strength
Pyramids, which is one of thethings that I read back in the
2019, 2020 timeframe that was acatalyst for me learning more
about evidence-based fitness,you know, with the the pyramids
themselves, that whole idea ofadherence as the foundation,
(15:42):
sustainability, and thenbuilding up from there of what's
most to least important iscrucial when it comes to making
this work for you.
But I also like the idea ofmaking evidence-based
information clear andinteresting.
We've had Eric on for threeepisodes so far 72, 121, 391.
And the first time I asked himto be on, I was completely
(16:03):
surprised because I was justgetting started.
And then I realized, hey,there's a lot of generous folks
out there who, you know, they'renot like untouchables.
They're they're real humanbeings who we can reach out to
and talk to and just have goodconversations with and you know,
develop friendships andnetworks over the years.
So, Eric, your message reallydoes mean a lot to me, truly.
(16:23):
You're definitely going to comeon the show again.
Keep doing what you do, keepcontributing to the research,
but also the conversation.
And I, for one, will always beon your side in this battle.
All right.
The next message is from JenTrepik.
Jen was on the show, episode337.
She hosts Salad with a side offries.
Such energy and passion forthis.
(16:44):
We really hit it off, and youknow, we've collaborated on some
other things, been talkingbusiness behind the scenes, and
she's definitely my kind ofperson.
And I'm gonna let her messagespeak for itself.
Jenn Trepeck (16:53):
Your podcast friend and colleague Jen Trepik
from Salad with a Side of Fries.
Huge, huge congratulations on400 episodes.
Believe me, I know that is nosmall feat.
I'm so excited for you and allthat you do for your clients,
your members, your community,your listeners.
(17:15):
You are truly changing lives.
It is an honor to know you andto call you a friend and a
colleague.
Congratulations again.
Philip Pape (17:23):
Jen, thank you so much.
I always love messages fromfellow podcasters because you
really get it when it comes tothe business side of this, not
only as a coach, but podcastingitself.
And what a, I'll say pleasantgrind it can be, right?
That's the way I'm gonna putit.
It's one of those things thattakes time to really build the
momentum.
And I appreciate you calling mea friend and doing this
(17:45):
collaboration together.
And for those listening, Jen isgonna be on the show again
pretty soon.
It might be in the new year.
She has a new book, and Iwanted to come in, have her come
on and talk about a specifictopic that I think is gonna
resonate really hard with all ofus.
But I'm gonna leave it at that.
You guys keep following thepodcast for when Jen comes back
on.
Jen, it's awesome to know you,and we're definitely gonna be in
touch.
So, our next guest who sent in,I shouldn't say guest, our next
(18:09):
listener slash colleague, slashfriend who sent in a message.
His name is Sam Brake Gia.
And I was actually on his show,Mike's Tamillion.
He is the co-founder ofPodwritten, but he actually
explains all of this in themessage, and it's kind of an
interesting, I'll say, originstory that we went through that
I think you'll find pretty coolfrom a behind-the-scenes
perspective.
Sam Brake Guia (18:28):
Hi, I'm Sam BreakGear, and I am the
co-founder of Podwritten and thehost of Mike's Samillions.
I first connected with Philipin June 2024 in what seems like
very unusual circumstancesbecause I sent him a cold pitch
suggesting a guest and herejected it.
Now, most people might assumean interaction like that
(18:48):
wouldn't lead to a friendship ormultiple collaborations.
But I think really early on wesaw that how we approached the
situation really set us apartfrom most people.
So my method of pitching guestsand Philip's thoughtful uh
handling of this inboundrecommendation really created a
foundation for an unlikelyfriendship because we saw that
we both do things differentlythan than most people are in our
(19:11):
industry.
And from the start I could tellthat Philip had taken so much
time to carefully review mypitch and provide thoughtful
feedback.
And that attention to detailreally made him stand out.
And I was so appreciative ofthe insights and feedback that
he shared.
I could see that there's areason why he was so successful
in creating wits and weights andwhat made it a standout show.
(19:34):
And he would make a fantasticguest for my podcast, is what I
thought.
And that's when I invited himon.
We had a great chat, I reallyenjoyed it.
It was so much fun.
And he could see also that Iwasn't a typical podcast booking
agent, so I'm not in thebusiness of just getting my
clients anywhere and everywhere,but I really want to focus on
(19:57):
getting them on specific showssince then.
I booked multiple right fitclients or guests on wits and
weights, and he's also been akey guest on two of my podcast
episodes, and I really lovethose episodes.
I'd even argue uh that Philippotentially has better knowledge
around podcast growth andpodcast marketing than most
(20:19):
podcast marketing professionalsyou'll find online.
I also love the fact that he'ssuper easy to collaborate with,
he has a really positiveattitude all the time whenever
we interact.
He's very responsive, he'ssuper open to feedback and
encourages it wherever possible.
And I am really surprised aswell by his analytical skills.
I'm not surprised, butimpressed.
And that's definitely somethingI see coming through from his
(20:42):
engineering background.
So, yeah, I'm really gratefulto be a part of this wits and
waste journey, and I can't waitto see where the podcast and
Philip go next.
Here's to another 400 episodes.
Keep up the amazing work,Philip.
Philip Pape (20:54):
Sam, thank you for that message.
I'm glad the listener can heara little bit of you and this
behind-the-scenes business stuffwhen it came comes to guest
pitching.
Guys, Sam did reach out to me.
The guest wasn't a great fit,but because we had a cordial
conversation and he wasinterested in the show and the
audience and how he could help,it came through as very genuine
(21:17):
and honest.
And those are the kind ofpeople I'm so gravit, I so
gravitate to, and that's why westill have a connection to this
day.
And it has led to other things.
You don't, you guys don't hearabout all this directly on the
show.
I don't talk about it maybeenough.
But one of those was otherhaving other guests come on the
show and also talking abouttactics and strategies behind
the scene related to podcastgrowth and marketing.
(21:39):
The whole analytical thing, youknow, doesn't just apply to
fitness in my case.
You guys know I'm an engineer,love to do things behind the
scene.
He had actually asked me torecord a clip about how I use, I
think it's overcast for podcastadvertising.
And so if you kind of check outthese other shows of Sam's that
I was on, you can hear some ofthat behind the scenes.
But definitely another 400episodes.
(22:00):
I feel like just as the yearsfly by, the episodes fly by,
Sam, and it's totally doable.
Uh back at episode 200 or 100,that would have sounded insane,
but that's kind of how thisthing goes.
And I appreciate you and I'mgrateful for everything you've
done for me.
Let's continue to make ithappen and do things from the
heart and from the soul andreally keep pushing positivity
(22:23):
into the world, is the best Ican put it.
Thank you, Sam.
Moving on, we have somebodythat you guys will know.
He's been on the show severaltimes.
Brandon DeCruz is a world-classphysique coach, host of the
Chasing Clarity podcast.
And let me tell you, this guyis also so, so generous.
He will reach out if you reachout to him and is just
(22:43):
passionate about the industry,the science, helping people
reach their goals.
Again, truly from the heart.
Again, these are the types ofpeople I just love to be around
in their orbit.
So have a listen to hismessage.
Brandon DaCruz (22:55):
What's going on, guys?
This is Brendan Cruz of theChasing Clarity Health and
Fitness Podcast.
I just want to take a moment tocongratulate my friend Philip
Pape on hitting episode 400 ofthe Wits and Weights podcast.
That is no small feat, my man.
It's been an absolute pleasurebeing a guest on your show
multiple times, going all theway back to episode 58 and
watching how much you've grownthe platform since then.
(23:16):
You've done an incredible jobconsistently putting out
high-quality, evidence-basedinformation while making it
engaging, relatable, andactionable for your audience.
And let's be honest, you've gotthe best podcast intros in the
business.
Congratulations again, myfriend.
Forget episodes is a milestonethat reflects your dedication,
consistency, and genuine passionfor helping others become the
strongest, healthiest versionsof themselves.
(23:36):
I'm proud to know you and tohave been part of your journey.
Philip Pape (23:39):
I really appreciate that, Brandon.
And for the listener, you know,folks like Brandon taking the
time to do these messages reallyspeaks a lot for the type of
person they are.
And Brandon was on episodes 58,so that was the early days, 99,
and then recently 354, youknow, so spanning three years
been on the show watching thisplatform grow, but I've also
(23:59):
seen him do more and more in thespace with his podcasts.
We've done Q ⁇ A's together.
He's, as far as his craft as aphysique coach, if you follow
him, say on Instagram, you willsee just a constant uh reminder
of how he helps one person afteranother from physique
competitors to everyday peoplejust trying to improve their
(24:19):
bodies, their health, theirlongevity, their strength, all
of that.
And Brandon, I really doappreciate your friendship.
I wish I could have you onmore.
Honestly, like there's so manyfolks that I love that we, you
know, we could have them on, butthen I would never make any
other episodes.
So uh and I really enjoy the QAwe did not long ago.
So hope, hopefully, listenersget to check that out.
We'll throw all this stuff inthe show notes for all these
guests.
(24:39):
It's gonna be an extravaganza.
But again, thank you, Brandon,so much for everything you do
and the expertise you bring.
All right, our next two, I'llsay listeners slash former
clients slash friends slashcurrent team members are Carol
Hanshu and Alan Friedman.
I'm gonna play them back toback.
Actually, no, I'm gonna playCarol's, then I'm gonna give a
(25:01):
little commentary and thenAlan's.
Carol is, she's a friend, she'sa former client, she's now a
personal trainer and nutritioncoach.
She has her own business, butshe's also helping us in
physique university as anassistant coach in that
business.
So she's all over the placehelping everyone, but especially
women over 40, hormones,thyroid issues.
She has a lot of personalexperience there.
(25:22):
And she is so kind, genuine,but also really intelligent and
helpful when it comes to helpingclients get through specific
issues.
When we have our two-on-onecoaching calls in Physique
University, she's right therehelping you solve your problems
and get the next step.
So I'm gonna let player messageand you guys can judge for
yourself.
Carol Hanshew (25:42):
Philip not only helped me achieve my fat loss
goal, but working with him alsoinspired me to give my own
certification as a nutritioncoach and personal trainer.
Philip is the real deal.
He's honest, sincere, and willalways do his best to get to the
bottom of any problem orchallenge you might be facing.
(26:02):
It's an honor and privilege towork with him, and I'm excited
to celebrate this 400th episode.
Philip Pape (26:09):
And Carol, the honor and privilege is all mine.
Just so the listener knows,Carol has justified all the odds
in terms of, you know, chronichealth issues and hormones and
really getting the strong fitbody composition that she's
going for.
And she's really a role modelto people.
And you can hear how, you know,she's soft-spoken, but she is
(26:30):
so honest and sincere herself.
I know those are the words youused.
She's also really a whiz whenit comes to cooking and recipes
and meal planning and groceriesand all that fun stuff on the
food side that I joking, I jokewith her that like those are the
things I don't like to thinkabout as much, which sounds odd
for a nutrition coach, but youknow, we all have our strengths.
And anybody who's working inour community, whether it's in
(26:52):
our free Facebook group, whichyou can join anytime, you'll see
Carol there, or in PhysiqueUniversity, where she's putting
up all sorts of wonderfulcontent.
And now she's helping us getready for the strong finish
challenge next month, willappreciate immediately, you
know, her the way she thinksvery compassionately,
empathetically, but alsospecifically.
You know, she she even has alittle bit of that engineering
(27:15):
mind in her, even if she won'tadmit it or maybe she will, to
really just go after theproblem, use numbers, use data,
use logic, but also use somecreativity and empathy along the
way.
So, Carol, it's a pleasure tohave you on my team.
And I'm glad people got to heara little bit from you today.
And those who work with you getto experience that all the
time.
So thank you, Carol.
All right, and as promised, ournext one is from Alan, who is
(27:38):
also a friend of mine, formerclient, and he's on the team.
And I will play his messagenow.
Allan Friedman (27:43):
Hi, I'm Alan.
Before I listened to Philip, Iwas driven by the low calorie,
low-carb mindset.
Philip has taught me that foodis a tool used to be used in
conjunction with strengthtraining and overall activity,
with the end result beingoverall health, and that daily
food consumption is notsomething to be judged, but
looked at as a variable toaffect change.
(28:05):
Philip has assisted me toobserve that my body does
respond to changes in nutritionand how I adapt to changes in my
strength training.
Philip has helped me through myjourney by encouraging the
establishment of goals acrossthe long term so I can see the
big picture and where I'm going.
Thank you, Philip, for yourwork with wits and weights and
(28:26):
your wise content in the fitnessindustry.
Philip Pape (28:29):
Thank you so much, Alan, for the message.
Now, again, for the listener,Alan, you can see is very
soft-spoken.
I'm very much attracted topeople who are kind, are
empathetic, are helpful, havenothing but positive energy in
wanting to help people, andthey've all gone through gone
through their own struggles.
I encourage you to go way backand listen to episode 77.
Alan was on as a guest talkingabout how after bariatric
(28:53):
surgery, he finally foundoptimal health, optimal strength
over 60.
And he will be the first guy toreach out and say hello, ask
how I'm doing, ask about mykids, ask about anything, but
but also he gives and he helps.
He helps with the business, hehelps with the coaching, he does
so many things behind thescenes.
(29:13):
Sometimes I forget how muchhe's doing.
And Alan, I'm very, verygrateful to you for that.
And I know it comes from theheart.
You're just a true, trulywonderful guy.
And for the listener, what'sneat about Alan is he he kind of
jumped onto this pretty earlywhen Wits and Weights came out
and reached out and said, Hey, Ilove the show.
I'm kind of I'm learning somethings.
And he kind of learned alongwith me as I was creating the
(29:36):
podcast.
And we've bounced ideas offeach other a lot, including
ideas for the for the app I hadthe new app I have coming out,
wouldn't have been what if whatit was if it wasn't for being
able to brainstorm with Alan.
So never underestimate thepower of people and friends and
being able to connect.
And if you're an entrepreneuror even if you're not, anybody
(29:56):
can become a really importantpart of your life.
When you least expect it.
You know, uh he went from alistener to a client to a team
member.
He's a moderator in ourFacebook group.
And I mean, we're pretty muchjust friends.
Yeah, I coach him, he helps me.
You know, we don't like keep atally.
It's just let's lift each otherup and upward spiral the heck
out of our lives and those ofothers, and that's how we change
(30:19):
the world.
All right, so I thought itwould be fun for the next
message to be another friend ofmine who has a little bit of a
different style and is stilljust as, I'll say, helpful and
important to me in my life,whether he wants to admit it or
not, whether he's rolling hiseyes right now, or getting ready
yet again to send me aninappropriate reel that he knows
(30:40):
I'm gonna completely laugh atand appreciate that he sent it
to me.
Here he is, my friend, mylifting buddy, Tony.
Tony P. (30:48):
This is Tony, client and friend of Phillips.
The reason I'm a listener tothe Wits and Waits podcast is
that it's a refreshing breakfrom typical social media
fitness content that eithertries to pad the pockets of the
hosts, build their ego, orregurgitate content.
Philip has been consistent withhis very open-minded,
understanding, directedapproach, whether he's talking
(31:09):
macros, barbells, or cardio.
He'll never tell you what todo, only give options.
Philip Pape (31:14):
Thank you, my man.
And I think I have you fooledbecause the whole purpose of the
show is to pad my pockets andto build my ego, but I haven't
been able to do that yet.
So the fallback is, I guess, toput out the best content I can,
and that's what I try to do.
And I appreciate you sayingthat.
But also, again, to thelistener, Tony's a guy that I
can go back and forth andbrainstorm on, get
(31:34):
philosophical, really get deepon topics and talk about
everything from engineering tocraftsmanship to philosophy to
lifting, of course, to thescience to the bros, to
everything in between, topolitics, really anything goes.
And I appreciate you know youropenness to hear me out, but
also, like you alluded to inyour message, lean into that
(31:56):
flexibility, thatpersonalization that comes along
for the ride, even though thereare solid principles in place.
And by the way, Tony was on wayback in episode 115, talking
about our time working togetherwhen he was a client, where he
lost 15 pounds of body fat, 8%body fat, is big into barbell
training, really talked aboutthe whole process of a mini cut
(32:17):
that I think you're gonna findinteresting.
So go check out episode 115 forthat.
All right, next up we have alistener, Gabelou M from Mexico.
Gabilu M. (32:26):
Hi, wits and weights.
I am Gabelou Mireles.
I'm from Mexico, and I am alistener and fan of this amazing
podcast.
Congratulations on thisincredible anniversary.
I am such a fan of everythingyou share.
This podcast is my companion.
Every morning that I wake up at4 30 a.m.
(32:48):
It's the first thing I listento, and it just pumps me up for
my workout.
I love learning everything thatthere is to learn about working
out, but how to make it reallyeffective for each and every one
of us.
Thank you so much for all yourhard work, for sharing all this
information with all over theworld, and I hope you have an
(33:12):
amazing, amazing podcast formany, many years.
Philip Pape (33:15):
Wow, you guys are really encouraging me to go on
with this.
And I wasn't planning onstopping anytime too soon, trust
me.
But Gabby Lou, I love how youlisten to it at 4:30 in the
morning.
I don't know if you listen tothem the day they come out, but
I do set it to release at 4 a.m.
And I've toyed with should I dothat later?
And I'm like, no, I knowthere's people that go to work
out in the morning uh early, andmaybe it's something that they
(33:36):
like to have.
So I really appreciate hearingfrom you.
And guys, I connected withGabby Lou recently on Instagram.
If you go to my Instagram atWits and Waits, definitely give
me a follow there if you don'talready.
But she reached out and Ialways respond.
I usually send audio messages,we go back and forth.
It's a fun place to connect.
And so, Gabby Lou, I appreciatethe loyalty and the you know,
being a fan of the show andreaching out again.
(33:57):
And I hope this reaches you aswell.
Maybe you're working out rightnow and go after it.
All right, thank you so muchfor the message.
The next message is fromsomebody you guys might know
again on the business side, alsoin the coaching space.
His name is the Mike Milner,host of the Mind Over Macros
podcast.
He is also a long-termnutrition coach of Pop and is a
(34:20):
business coach.
He actually has helped me a lotwith email marketing, with ads,
with things like that from anauthentic perspective, not a you
know, cold sales, sleazy typeof marketing that we none of us
like when it comes to fitnesscoaches, but more of an
authentic be yourself, explainwhat it is, be transparent
approach.
So here's his message.
(34:41):
Thank you for sending this in,Mike.
Mike Millner (34:43):
Hey, what's up, Phillip?
Just want to drop a quickmessage and say congrats on 400
episodes.
It's a huge accomplishment fromone podcaster to another.
I know what it takes to be thatconsistent and disciplined, and
I just appreciate the work thatyou're doing.
I think our industry needs morepeople like you who put out
true, valuable content and keepdoing your thing.
(35:03):
And let's, you know, let's do400 more episodes, as I'm sure
you will, and well beyond that.
Thanks for all the work thatyou're doing, and we'll talk
soon.
Philip Pape (35:11):
Thanks for that shout-out, Mike.
And from one podcaster toanother, I know how challenging
it is to keep that going, butit's also a lot of fun because I
know, I mean, you're reallygood at this of bringing up very
current topics from questionsand problems that come up in
your audience.
Literally, the day beforeyou're like, let me get on the
horn and record a podcast aboutit.
(35:31):
So, guys, go to episode 123.
Again, one of one of ourclassics at this point, since
we're we're at 400 now, it wasabout the hidden barriers
holding you back.
Mike is all about psychology.
I've learned a lot aboutbehavior and psychology from
him, not how to manipulatepeople, but how to better reach
people and connect with them,which I think is so, so
important in this industry.
So thank you again, Mike.
(35:51):
All right, we've got two moremessages.
The next one is for anotherlistener who I connected with
recently, Alana.
And what's cool about hermessage and her experience is
she took a very specific episodeI did about a specific protocol
or approach and applied it andhad the results that I talked
about.
And she did it.
She tried it out.
She's like, let me see if thisworks, and she did.
(36:13):
So here is Alana's message.
Alana Van Der Sluys (36:15):
I just wanted to give a shout out to
Phil because I listened to hisepisode about the weekend diet,
which I thought was superinteresting.
And I was just about to go intomy second cut, and I tried the
weekend diet.
I did it exactly the way hedescribed it.
He had a lot of studies to backit up, and it was basically,
(36:36):
you know, eating a little bitless during the weekdays and
eating more at maintenance onthe weekends during a cut to
give yourself a little bit of areprieve.
And it was by far the bettercut out of the two that I had.
I had amazing results, and Ihave Phil and his research to
thank for that.
So thanks, Phil.
Philip Pape (36:56):
And thank you, Alana.
And I hope you don't mind mesharing your other Instagram
handle, your business handle,which is at Freedom with Food
and Fitness on Instagram.
And I will say Alana wasn'tpushing the fact that she's a
coach or anything.
She literally just wanted toadd value and say, hey, I
listened to this show about theweekend diet.
I did it, and it seemed to workreally well.
And if you're not sure what sheis talking about, it's episode
(37:17):
324, and it's based on researchthat shows that a weekend refeed
where you're dieting during theweek and then you eat up to
maintenance during the weekendmight have a slight advantage
for muscle mass retention duringfat loss and also making you
feel better and recovered.
So, Alana, thank you so muchfor doing that, for trying it.
I wish anybody listening whohears something that they think
(37:39):
might help them would go aheadand take that action, document
the results, and send me amessage on Instagram at wits and
weights.
And whether I share it on thepodcast or not, we'll have a
conversation.
And if it worked for you, Ireally would love to hear it.
Maybe it didn't work for you,and you can let me know that as
well.
It's all good data.
And that brings me to the finalmessage.
Last, but as they say,definitely not least.
(37:59):
And this is someone you aregoing to recognize because we've
collaborated for a while.
She's been on the show severaltimes.
I was on her show when she hada podcast.
Now she's a huge YouTube star,doesn't have a podcast anymore,
but that's intentional.
And we all we all know and lovethis woman in the space.
Her name is Megan Dahlman, andhere's what she has to say.
Megan Dahlman (38:17):
Well, Philip, Megan Dahlman here, and it's
crazy to think that you havereached 400 episodes.
That's nothing short of aremarkable feat.
When, you know, in the fitnessand health industry and
nutrition, we all know that itis so hard just to show up every
single day and make thosedecisions on a daily basis to
(38:39):
take care of our body.
And your consistency anddedication to simply producing a
top-notch podcast shows howgreat of a coach you are.
So much of being a healthyperson is being just consistent
with the basics and producing,publishing a podcast.
(39:03):
It's nothing short of justbeing consistent with those
basic things.
And I know that all the workthat you've put into the show
has reached thousands andthousands of individuals, and
it's helped encourage them totake care of their health, to
show up, eat, eat good,nutritious, robust meals, and be
strong and healthy and justmarch forward every year into a
(39:29):
healthier version of themselves.
So we all greatly appreciatejust all of your dedication,
inspiration, and just energythat you bring to this space.
So can't wait to see where thenext 400 episodes take you.
Hopefully you'll have me on thelist.
I'd love to come back.
It's been always fun to sharewith your audience.
(39:52):
And but but boy, we're all justcheering you on, and we we just
appreciate all the work thatyou've put into the Wits and
Weights podcast.
Keep up the good work.
We'll be in touch.
Philip Pape (40:02):
Megan, Megan, Megan, thank you so much.
I mean, you're one of the onesin the space that I just truly
honor our friendship and ourability to collaborate on the
things that the listener caresabout so much and values, not
just in the nuts and bolts oftraining, which obviously you
have a lot of expertise in, butyour point about consistency.
(40:24):
And when you do something for along time with a system in
place and you've developed ahabit, you develop a routine,
it's not that it's automatic,right?
You still have to do it.
It still can be hard.
It still takes trade-offsometimes, sacrifice, but it's
almost inevitable because you'veset things up that way.
And that's kind of whereeverybody wants to get.
(40:45):
I appreciate what you've donefor us on the show.
You've been on multipleepisodes, three so far, 149,
217, and the recent one 349.
And it's always a blast.
I mean, there are definitelysome guests who I have a rapport
with.
You're one of those.
And I really, really appreciateyou giving the shout-out here
and spending time, as always,with our listeners to teach us
and help us become better.
(41:06):
All right.
I don't want this episode to golonger than it needs to be.
There you have it.
That was 15 messages fromaround the world, from around
time, with again the saga, theepic that is wits and weights,
400 episodes strong with many,many more to come.
And lots of things really stoodout for me.
I'm not going to repeat mycommentary, but a few things
just in general.
One is the international reach.
(41:27):
It's so cool to hear peoplefrom the UK, from Germany, from
Mexico, obviously from the US.
And we have listeners from, Ithink, well over 100 countries.
I don't remember.
I didn't haven't checked in awhile, but that's just really
cool.
That's just amazing.
Secondly, is all of thesetransformations that people get
by actually taking action onthis information.
I'm a big podcast listenermyself.
(41:48):
And I've I've heard thingsthrough osmosis that I'll say,
hmm, that's interesting.
Why don't I try that out?
And so you have, you know,Julia with her chronic
condition, Alana with a weekenddiet, Carol, you know, was a
client, now she's a coach.
Like all of these things thatare happening, I'm so proud and
happy to have been a part ofwith all of you, with the
listeners, with my colleagues,with my friends, all of that.
(42:08):
And that leads me to themission.
The mission, cutting throughthe BS, challenging the nonsense
in the industry, makingevidence-based information more
clear, more interesting,hopefully entertaining in a way.
And that's what I set out to dobecause this industry, yeah,
it's full of people, like Tonysaid, patting their pockets,
building their egos,regurgitating the same tired
contest content.
(42:29):
And it's full of amazing peoplewho have it in their heart to
help people and do it in a waythat is just aligned with who
they are.
And if they haven't a businessin the process doing that, then
they should be rewarded forthat.
That's my, but that is a goodform of capitalism, the one
where everybody's aligned andit's a win-win for everyone.
And then lastly, you know,Megan talked about consistency.
(42:50):
Yes, the podcast is beingconsistent with the basics, but
also is taking care of yourhealth and your dedication to
showing up, like Brandonmentioned, the engineering
mindset applied to the contentcreation, but also your fitness
system and continuousimprovement.
So, what do I want you to takeaway from this, be besides
everything else I hope we'vetaken away, is that the 400
(43:14):
episodes is about somethingthat's become, I think and I
hope a lot bigger than just me.
I'm a person, but it's Iwouldn't have done it without
having all of you listen andprovide feedback and share it
and challenging me and helpingme challenge conventional wisdom
and treating people like adultswho can think critically and
(43:35):
make informed decisions.
And it's about the community aswell, like the community of
podcast listeners, our Facebookcommunity, physique university
clients.
Like to me, it's just one biggiant happy family.
Not all of you know everybody.
I know a lot of you, which isawesome.
Like, I feel like it's a bigfamily, even colleagues, even
guests who've been on the show,even business partners, you
(43:56):
know, Eric, Pam, Jen, Brandon,Kevin, Sam, Megan, all of all
these great people who push theevidence-based approach forward.
So this show exists because ofthat.
It just wouldn't have existed,you know, 400 episodes ago it
didn't exist.
Now it does.
That is mind-blowing to me.
It's the questions you send,it's the episodes you share,
it's the reviews you leave, it'sthe transformations you achieve
(44:16):
and tell me about.
And yeah, I'm proud of 400episodes, but I'm even more
excited about the next 400because we are just getting
started.
So I've given you a lot ofresources already throughout the
episode, like other episodes tocheck out.
I'm not gonna pitch youanything now.
All I'm gonna ask is that youlet someone else know about the
(44:37):
podcast.
It doesn't have to be thisepisode, because honestly, if
you've never heard the podcast,this might be a little much and
it isn't really exactly the sametype of uh format as or most of
our episodes.
But share an episode that youdid like, you know, share one of
the ones mentioned on the showor a timestamp or whatever, and
then tag me, let me know, reachout to me on Instagram, whatever
makes sense.
And to everyone who sent amessage for this episode, thank
(44:58):
you, thank you, thank you.
To everyone who's beenlistening, whether it's all 400
episodes or just this is yourfirst one, thank you to my
friends, to my colleagues, myassistant coaches, every guest
who shared their expertise,thank you.
Here's to the next 400episodes.
Until next time, keep usingyour wits, lifting those
weights.
And remember that just likebuilding a podcast takes all the
(45:20):
things we talked about today,so does building an impressive
and healthy physique.
It's consistency, it'sevidence, it's systems that
actually work.
This is Philip Pape, and I'lltalk to you next time here on
the Wits and Weights podcast.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com