Wits & Weights | Fat Loss, Nutrition, & Strength Training for Lifters

Get your FFMI calculated automatically with the Physique & Biofeedback Tracker in Physique University to track your actual muscle development over time and understand exactly what phase of training you should focus on next. This special link also gets you a FREE custom nutrition plan:bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan--Is your strength training actually building muscle?Scale weight fluctuates, body fat measurements are inconsistent, and progress photos depend on lighting and angles.There's one metric that cuts through all this noise:Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI)It shows your actual muscle development regardless of whether you're carrying extra fat or feeling bloated, and once you understand yours, it changes everything about setting goals and how to focus your training.Most lifters have never heard of FFMI. Unlike body weight or even body fat percentage, FFMI isolates your actual muscular development from everything else, giving you clarity about your progress that no other measurement can.Main Takeaways:FFMI measures your muscularity independent of body fat percentageTwo people with the same training experience can have vastly different FFMI numbers, requiring completely different approachesBuilding muscle takes years, while losing fat takes months, so you need a more precise way to track thisYour FFMI determines whether you should prioritize muscle building or fat loss (vs. your feelings or the mirror)Episode Resources:Chef's Foundry non-toxic ceramic cookware (50% off): witsandweights.com/chefsfoundryBody Recomp Workshop replay and bonuses at live.witsandweights.com (includes free custom nutrition plan)Timestamps:0:00 - What is FFMI and why it's a game changer 5:06 - 2 scenarios that reveal everything about your training focus 8:16 - FFMI values explained (what your number actually means) 11:15 - How FFMI determines whether you should cut vs. bulk 17:12 - Natural vs. enhanced FFMI limit 19:45 - Why low FFMI means muscle building is your priority 22:14 - How the fitness industry gets muscle vs. fat loss backward 25:29 - Tracking FFMI over time to validate objective progress 27:03 - Muscle development vs. body compositionSupport the show🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🎓 Join Physique University for just $27 + get a FREE 6-month transformation plan (podcast exclusive): bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

Build muscle and lose fat (no dieting or bulking) with the 90-Day Body Recomp Workshop replay + bonuses (90-day week-by-week plan, custom nutrition plan, and training programs for 3, 4, and 5 days per week):live.witsandweights.com--You've been told that belly fat gain during midlife is inevitable... just part of aging and declining hormones that you have to accept.Recent research from the landmark SWAN study that followed 308 women for 12 years reveals the truth: "menopause belly" isn't random aging.It's a specific, predictable hormonal reshaping of where your body stores fat that begins 3 years before menopause and can be prevented and reversed.Discover the exact timing windows when intervention works best, why some women don't experience this shift at all, and the science-backed strategies that can help you take control of your body composition during this transition... no matter where you are in the process.Main Takeaways:Menopause belly is a measurable shift from protective fat storage (hips/thighs) to dangerous visceral fat around organs (not just general weight gain)Fat redistribution accelerates dramatically during the menopause transition but begins up to 3 years earlierYou can prevent and reverse this fat redistributionEpisode Resources:90-Day Body Recomp Workshop with replay and bonuses: live.witsandweights.comChef's Foundry non-toxic ceramic cookware (50% off): witsandweights.com/chefsfoundryTimestamps:0:00 - The research on menopause belly fat 5:41 - Visceral vs. android vs. gynoid fat patterns 7:50 - When fat redistribution actually begins 9:33 - Biological mechanisms 12:59 - Individual differences 14:40 - 5 ways to reverse menopause belly fat 24:23 - Why this research is empowering for all womenSupport the show🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🎓 Join Physique University for just $27 + get a FREE 6-month transformation plan (podcast exclusive): bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

This week in my Instagram feed, I shared 2 critical principles that determine if your nutrition plan will actually work for fat loss and muscle building in real life, such as:When life is at its messiest, not just when everything is perfectDealing with social events, travel, and celebrations (birthday cake!)Eating more but not eating more caloriesMaking fat loss easier and more sustainableFollow me on Instagram @witsandweights to read more pithy, nerdy, out-of-the-blue, but ultimately helpful (i.e., practical!) thoughts on fat loss, nutrition, training, diets, behavior, psychology, and more.Send me a DM letting me know which principles resonate with you and how you plan to implement them!Just go to instagram.com/witsandweightsSupport the show🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🎓 Join Physique University for just $27 + get a FREE 6-month transformation plan (podcast exclusive): bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

Joe Cohen, founder and CEO of SelfDecode, discusses the role of genetics in fitness and nutrition. He separates the hype from the science of DNA testing, revealing why most genetic health tests fall short. Joe explains how understanding genetic pathways and combining them with lab data can create personalized fitness strategies. He shares his personal journey battling food intolerances and the importance of tailored dietary approaches. This conversation is a deep dive into how your DNA might hold the key to your fitness success.

Get your free Nutrition 101 for Body Composition Guide to learn the fundamentals of energy balance, macros, and meal timing for building muscle and losing fat: witsandweights.com/freeGet Chef's Foundry P600 Ceramic Cookware - 50% off at witsandweights.com/chefsfoundry--Stop letting inaccurate metabolism estimates sabotage your nutrition goals. The fitness industry has convinced us that estimating metabolism requires expensive tests, fancy gadgets, or complex formulas, but there's one method that cuts through the noise using evidence, engineering, and efficiency.Your fitness tracker says you burned 3,200 calories, online calculators recommend 2,400 for maintenance, and your metabolic test shows 1,850 RMR. They're all probably wrong.Discover the one method gives you your actual daily calorie burn with scientific precision so you can run your next fat loss or muscle building phase confidently and with success.Main Takeaways:Your metabolism has 4 components that fluctuate constantlyOnline calculators can be off by 300-600 calories per personFitness trackers have 27-93% error rates for energy expenditureThe only accurate method is to track calorie intake + trend weight over 3-4 weeks to reverse-engineer your actual TDEEThis approach is self-correcting, personalized, adaptive, and works even with imperfect food loggingEpisode Resources:Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS - the app that automates metabolism tracking using the method discussedGet Chef's Foundry P600 Ceramic Cookware - 50% off at witsandweights.com/chefsfoundryRelated Episode:4 Ways to Increase Your Metabolism by 500 to 1000 Calories per DayTimestamps:0:01 - Why most metabolism estimates are completely wrong 6:30 - Online calculators 9:10 - Fitness trackers and wearables 10:43 - RMR testing 12:29 - Measuring inputs/outputs vs. mechanisms/effects 15:10 - How to calculate your real TDEE 23:38 - My favorite app that does this for you 26:08 - Imperfect food logging, water weight, and metabolic issues 30:40 - Why you should start tracking TODAY 31:48 - Becoming the scientist of your own physiologySupport the show🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🎓 Join Physique University for just $27 + get a FREE 6-month transformation plan (podcast exclusive): bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

Join the 90-Day Body Recomp Workshop tomorrow (Tuesday, August 19) at 12 PM Eastern for only $27 (replay included). Get Philip's complete system for simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain, plus a custom nutrition plan. Register at live.witsandweights.com--Think you need a calorie deficit to lose fat? Or months of bulking followed by months of cutting to reshape your physique?Think again.Body recomp (the simultaneous loss of fat and gain of muscle) isn't just possible... it's achievable for most people under the right conditions. Your body can become remarkably efficient at energy partitioning, directing nutrients toward muscle growth while mobilizing stored fat for fuel. This episode breaks down exactly how this works: how your body can simultaneously burn fat and build muscle, often without scale changes.Learn who can achieve this "impossible" feat and how to do it.Main Takeaways:Body recomp is simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain, possible even at maintenance caloriesYour body actively partitions energy based on training stimulus and protein intakeBeginners, detrained individuals, and overweight people have the highest recomp potentialScale weight becomes virtually useless - track strength, measurements, and photos tooEpisode Resources:90-Day Body Recomp Workshop - Tuesday, August 19, 12 PM Eastern ($27)Chef's Foundry P600 Non-Toxic Ceramic Cookware - 50% off at witsandweights.com/chefsfoundryTimestamps:0:01 - The scale weight paradox 3:45 - Body recomposition 5:06 - Why THIS is non-negotiable for recomp 6:48 - Energy partitioning and insulin sensitivity 9:30 - Who can achieve body recomp (spoiler: more people than you think) 12:27 - Detrained individuals 13:45 - Overweight or obese 15:09 - Older adults and advanced lifters 18:34 - What is required for body recomp & how to track 22:37 - Patience + realistic expectations 26:02 - Metabolic health improvements 28:39 - Sustainable physique developmentSupport the show🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🎓 Join Physique University for just $27 + get a FREE 6-month transformation plan (podcast exclusive): bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

Register for the 90-Day Body Recomp Workshop this Tuesday, August 19th at 12pm Eastern (replay included) at live.witsandweights.com--Tired of cutting and bulking (or just don't want to)? Frustrated with approaches that leave you either feeling too fluffy or too depleted?Is there a middle ground that works instead?Yes, it's called body recomposition or "body recomp" where you build muscle and lose fat at the same time.Most people get stuck in the cut-bulk cycle, never feeling satisfied with where they land.But body recomposition offers a smarter approach: a method that fuels muscle growth while still allowing for fat loss.What You'll Learn:Why the scale lies during body recompThe 3 biggest myths keeping you stuckHow "aggressive maintenance" worksWhat metrics actually matter for tracking progressReady to dive deeper?Join the 90-Day Body Recomp Workshop this Tuesday, August 19th at 12pm Eastern (replay + bonuses included).Get the complete 3-phase plan, Physique & Biofeedback Tracker, training template, and a full month in Wits & Weights Physique University.Register: live.witsandweights.comSupport the show🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🎓 Join Physique University for just $27 + get a FREE 6-month transformation plan (podcast exclusive): bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

Want to build muscle, lose fat, and train smarter? ⁠⁠⁠Join the new Physique University for just $27/month⁠⁠⁠ and get your custom nutrition plan FREE (limited time): bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan—Were women in the past weaker than men, or have we been sold a lie? What if prehistoric women could outlift most modern athletes? And how does understanding this history change the way you train today?I’m joined by Anne Marie Chaker, author of Lift: How Women Can Reclaim Their Physical Power and Transform Their Lives. We break down archaeological evidence that shows ancient women had elite-level strength, explore how cultural narratives have stripped women of their physical identity, and reveal why midlife can be a prime time for building muscle. You’ll learn simple, sustainable ways to start lifting, structure your workouts, and rethink food as fuel, not the enemy.Today, you’ll learn all about:0:00 – Intro2:24 – From journalist to competitive bodybuilder4:30 – Archaeological proof of elite ancient women7:07 – The Viking warrior who wasn’t a man11:10 – The mixed messages of modern fitness culture17:37 – How to fuel like an athlete26:10 – Navigating perimenopause and training30:05 – First steps for women new to lifting36:10 – A brief history of strong women in sport40:09 – How lifting shapes identity and mindsetEpisode resources:Website: annemariechaker.comBook: Lift: How Women Can Reclaim Their Physical Power and Transform Their LivesLift SubstackLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anne-marie-chaker-62119317 Instagram: @annemariechaker Support the show🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🎓 Join Physique University for just $27 + get a FREE 6-month transformation plan (podcast exclusive): bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

Get your free Nutrition 101 for Body Composition guide to understand the fundamentals of nutrition and personalize your calories/macros:witsandweights.com/free--Diet culture emerged in the 1920s, when calorie counting was invented, cigarettes were marketed as weight loss aids, and thinness became associated with moral virtue for the first time in American history.Discover how the birth of modern diet culture 100 years ago created patterns we're still repeating today.Main Takeaways:Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters invented calorie counting in 1918, selling 2+ million copies of the first diet bestsellerLucky Strike's "Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet" campaign increased cigarette sales 300% by targeting weight-conscious womenThe moral dimension of dieting (connecting food choices to character and virtue) started in the 1920s and persists todayBizarre 1920s fads (grapefruit diets, tapeworm pills, vibrating belts) reveal humanity's eternal search for effortless weight loss shortcutsEnergy balance remains the core principle, but now we understand the many other nutrition and lifestyle components that matterThe desire for quick fixes is deeply human but misleading... sustainable success comes from embracing fundamentalsEpisode Resources:Join Wits & Weights Physique University for $27/month - get your custom nutrition plan built for free when you use this exclusive podcast listener link: bit.ly/wwpu-free-planGet Chef's Foundry P600 Ceramic Cookware - 50% off at witsandweights.com/chefsfoundryTimestamps:2:37 - Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters, calorie counting pioneer 6:42 - Cigarettes vs. sweets campaign 9:30 - Bizarre 1920s fads (grapefruit diet, tapeworms, and vibrating belts) 12:44 - What the 1920s got right about weight loss 15:18 - 3 major mistakes that persist today 19:17 - Why we still seek the same quick fixes 100 years later 22:21 - Sustainable fundamentals vs. magic solutionsSupport the show🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🎓 Join Physique University for just $27 + get a FREE 6-month transformation plan (podcast exclusive): bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

Get Chef's Foundry P600 ceramic cookware at 50% off plus a complete guide on cookware materials and safety at:witsandweights.com/chefsfoundry--Do you cook with nonstick pans, microwave with plastic containers, or wonder about materials you drink out of?Learn about the science behind 3 major categories of chemical exposure from cookware and food packaging: microplastics, PFAS ("forever chemicals"), and plasticizers like BPA.While avoiding fear-mongering, we discuss legitimate concerns about how these compounds might affect hormones, inflammation, and long-term health when exposure accumulates over time.Plus, learn practical steps to minimize exposure without losing your mind over every container in your kitchen.Main Takeaways:Microplastics from scratched cookware and PFAS from nonstick coatings are legitimate concerns worth addressing through simple swapsThe "dose makes the poison" cumulative exposure over time matters more than occasional contactEasy wins include replacing scratched nonstick pans, using glass containers for microwaving, and choosing ceramic or stainless steel cookwareYour body's detoxification systems are enhanced by the same foundational health practices we always discuss (strength training, quality nutrition, adequate sleep)Timestamps:0:02 - 3 categories of chemical exposure from cookware 3:20 - Microplastics 5:21 - PFAS "forever chemicals" 6:56 - Plasticizers, BPA, and aluminum leaching 8:38 - How these exposures might affect you 10:38 - Recommended cookware 14:46 - Should you be concerned? 19:25 - 3 levels of kitchen safety 21:30 - Avoiding food safety anxiety 22:17 - Recap for cookware, storage, and waterTry Chef's Foundry P600 ceramic cookware at 50% off - Swiss-engineered ceramic coating with removable handles, no PFAS, no Teflon: witsandweights.com/chefsfoundrySupport the show🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🎓 Join Physique University for just $27 + get a FREE 6-month transformation plan (podcast exclusive): bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)