Wits & Weights | Evidence-Based Fitness & Nutrition for Lifters Over 40
Wits & Weights is a strength and nutrition podcast where in every episode I put a popular piece of fitness advice under the microscope, find the hidden reason it doesn't work, and give you the deceptively simple fix that does. For skeptics of the fitness industry who are tired of following the rules and still not seeing results. If you've been lifting weights, tracking macros, and doing "all the right things" but your body composition hasn't changed, you're probably overcomplicating it. This is the fitness podcast that shows you how to build muscle, lose fat, and achieve a real body recomp by focusing only on what the evidence actually supports. Evidence-based fat loss coach Philip Pape brings an engineer's approach to strength training, nutrition, and metabolism. Instead of another generic program or meal plan, you get specific, science-based strategies for optimizing body composition, whether you're focused on building muscle, losing fat, or both. The focus is on strength training over 40, hormone health, perimenopause and menopause, and longevity. You've seen the conflicting advice. One expert says cut carbs, the next says eat more. One says train six days a week, another says three is plenty. Building the body you want doesn't have to be this confusing or time-consuming. By using your wits (systems + identity-based behavior change) and lifting weights, you can build muscle definition, improve your physique, and maintain your results for life without rebound weight gain. You'll learn smart, efficient strategies for movement, metabolism, muscle, and mindset, such as: - Why fat loss matters more than weight loss for both your health and your physique - Why all the macros, including protein, fats, and yes even carbs, are critical to body composition - How just 3 hours a week of proper hypertrophy training can deliver better results than most people get in twice that time - Why building muscle is the single most powerful thing you can do for metabolic health, longevity, and aging well - Why perimenopause and menopause don't have to derail your progress when your training and nutrition are dialed in - How shifting the way you think about fitness can unlock more physical (and personal) growth than any program alone If you're ready to learn what actually works with evidence-based training and nutrition, hit "follow" and let's engineer your best physique ever! Popular Guests Include: Mike Matthews (author of Bigger Leaner Stronger), Greg Nuckols (Stronger by Science), Alan Aragon (nutrition researcher), Eric Helms (3D Muscle Journey), Dr. Spencer Nadolsky (Docs Who Lift), Bill Campbell (exercise science researcher), Jordan Feigenbaum (Barbell Medicine), Holly Baxter (evidence-based physique coach), Laurin Conlin (physique coach), Lauren Colenso-Semple (nutrition researcher), Karen Martel (hormone optimization expert), Steph Gaudreau (women's strength and nutrition), Bryan Boorstein (hypertrophy coach) Popular Topics Include: hormone health, metabolism optimization, hypertrophy training, longevity and healthy aging, nutrition tracking, best protein powder selection, strength training over 40, women's fitness, perimenopause, menopause, muscle building, body recomp, macros and nutrition tracking
Episodes
You track your food. You lift. You can explain why protein matters for building muscle. So why hasn't your body changed?
The gap between knowing what to do and getting results is not a discipline problem. It's a structure problem. And more nutrition and fitness information won't fix it.
Philip breaks down what's actually missing for experienced lifters over 40 who have tried multiple programs and still feel stuck...
Do you love endurance training AND want to build muscle, but you've been told you have to pick one?
The "cardio kills gains" claim has been around for decades, and if you're over 40, it can feel like an impossible tradeoff between the activities you enjoy and the strength training your body needs.
However, the "interference effect" on hypertrophy is negligible when sessions are structured correctly, and ...
Why does “just eat in moderation” fail so often? Why do binge eating and emotional eating feel stronger than your willpower?
I’m joined by psychologist and former food industry insider Dr. Glenn Livingston to break down what’s actually happening in your brain.
We unpack the neuroscience of cravings and why a healthy brain can struggle in a hyperpalatable food environment. You’ll learn how food cues override hunger signals and quiet...
Are you strength training, watching your nutrition, doing cardio, and still not seeing the fat loss or muscle gains you expected?
The problem isn't effort. It's that your fitness goals are in conflict, physiologically fighting each other, and every week you train this way, you're getting further from all of them.
Philip breaks down exactly why fat loss and muscle building require opposite nutritional environments, whet...
You've been told cardio is for a healthy heart and lifting weights is for building muscle. But what if strength training is itself a form of cardio?
What if you're ignoring one of the most effective tools for lowering blood pressure, improving cholesterol, and reducing your risk of heart disease?
Philip breaks down the evidence showing that strength training lowers blood pressure on par with first-line medication, improves ...
Are hormones making you gain belly fat?
Is menopause really breaking your metabolism, or is something else going on? And does hormone replacement therapy help or hurt body recomp after 40?
Body recomp, weight loss, hormone health, and women’s fitness all collide in this conversation with Dr. Maria Sophocles, a board-certified OBGYN and nationally recognized menopause expert with 30 years of clinical experience.
We break down why wom...
Struggling with low T?
The testosterone supplement industry wants you to believe your T levels require exotic herbs, pills, and "testosterone booster" powders.
The TRT industry wants you to believe your hormones are the root cause.
Many men over 40 with suboptimal testosterone don't have (primarily) a hormone problem.
They have a lifestyle problem. Chronic under-sleeping, chronic dieting, and chronic stress suppress test...
Do carbs make you fat?
Are spikes in blood sugar and insulin a problem for health or weight loss?
Maybe you've been cutting carbs or tried keto or carnivore, yet your strength training progress has stalled, your recovery feels sluggish, and you're still not seeing the body composition results you want.
The problem isn't your discipline. It's a fundamental misunderstanding of what insulin actually does (especially ...
Submit your question for the podcast at witsandweights.com/question. If your question is featured, you'll get a shout-out on the show!
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Big changes are coming to Wits & Weights!
My goal is to deliver higher-quality, more focused content while respecting your time.
Also... what do YOU want to hear on the show?
👉 Submit your question or topic and help shape the future of the podcast!
Get Fitness Lab, the #1 adaptive coaching app that adjusts to YOUR recovery, YOUR schedule, and YOUR body. Build muscle, lose fat, and get stronger with daily personalized guidance.
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How does someone smash a 515-pound raw squat at 181 pounds bodyweight?
What separates elite strength training from the way most people lift weights? And are ...
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You're training consistently, eating enough protein, doing everything you're supposed to, but when you look in the mirror or step on the scale, nothing seems to be changing.
Or worse, you look softer than last week. What&apo...
If what worked in your 30s isn't working anymore, it's not your fault. Your body and life have changed. The Fitness Lab app adapts to your sleep, recovery, and stress so you can actually build muscle and lose fat over 40. It also now syncs with Apple Health (iPhone version only).
Podcast listeners get 20% off at bit.ly/fitness-lab-pod20
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Does menopause cause muscle loss or make it harder to build muscle?
The fitness industr...
Get Fitness Lab (20% off for listeners), the #1 coaching app that adapts to YOUR recovery, YOUR schedule, and YOUR body. Build muscle, lose fat, and get stronger with daily personalized guidance.
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If you train hard, want to build muscle, and still lose fat, how do you actually recover faster without breaking yourself down? Can electrical stimulation really support body recomp and strength training, or is it just another sh...
Try Calocurb, a 100% natural appetite support supplement that activates your body's GLP-1 signals to reduce cravings by 40% and hunger by 30% within one hour. It's a helpful tool for your next recomp or fat loss phase. Get 10% off at witsandweights.com/calocurb
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If you're over 40, cutting calories to lose fat can backfire.
Why? Because if your approach is too aggressive or your stress is too high, your hunger spikes, ...
Since late 2025, the 20% discount link for Fitness Lab wasn't applying at checkout but it's fixed now!
Plus: a quick update on Apple Health ❤️ integration for iPhone users.
Here's the (working) link for 20% off Fitness Lab:
https://bit.ly/fitness-lab-pod20
📱 Get Fitness Lab (exclusive 20% off) - The #1 adaptive fitness and nutrition app. Daily coaching, workouts, and biofeedback-based guidance to help yo...
Struggling with hunger during your cut?
Try Calocurb for natural appetite support that activates GLP-1 to help you feel satisfied. Clinical studies showed a 40% reduction in cravings and 30% reduction in hunger within one hour. Get 10% off at witsandweights.com/calocurb
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Hungry after every workout and stuck in an endless “eat less, move more” loop?
Strength training is actually one of the most powerful appetite control tools you ha...
For the ultimate in personalization, check out my Fitness Lab app, now with full Apple Health integration. It's like having a coach in your pocket. Listeners get 20% with this exclusive link:
http://bit.ly/fitness-lab-pod20
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What does it mean to "personlize" your fitness really?
In this episode, you'll learn about my ADAPT framework for personalizing fitness:
- Assess your starting point
- Do the thing (take ac...
Get Fitness Lab (20% off for listeners), the #1 coaching app that adapts to YOUR recovery, YOUR schedule, and YOUR body. Build muscle, lose fat, and get stronger with daily personalized guidance. Now with Apple Health integration.
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Are biohacks keeping you stuck instead of helping you lose fat and build muscle? Why does body recomp feel so hard even when you are doing all the “right” things?
Body recomp, build muscle, and lose fat c...
Try Calocurb natural appetite control (40% fewer cravings and 30% less hunger). It's prescription free, affordable, and fast acting. Get 10% off:
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If all you've done is diet, every cut will be harder than the last.
More hunger, less energy, slower results. There's a reason, and it's not just your age or metabolism.
Learn why building muscle first makes cutting (fat loss) dra...
Join the Get Lean in 45 Days Workshop TODAY at live.witsandweights.com to get the complete mini-cut protocol, training template, 8-week guided course, and your first month in Physique University. Workshop starts at 12pm Eastern (recording included if you can't make it live):
https://live.witsandweights.com/
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Want to lose 8-12 pounds of body fat in the next 6 weeks?
Learn the mini-cut approach: a shorter, more aggressive but...
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