Wits & Weights | Evidence-Based Fitness & Nutrition for Lifters

7 Natural Testosterone Boosters That Actually Work (Evidence-Based) | Ep 438

Get your free 14-Day Rapid Start Fat Loss Guide to set up a sustainable approach that protects your testosterone and performance instead of the chronic restriction that tanks your hormones. Go to:https://witsandweights.com/fatloss--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 testosterone far more than you might think.Learn the 7 evidence-based lifestyle factors that affect testosterone levels in men, why strength training is non-negotiable for hormone health, how chronic calorie restriction backfires (even if you're trying to lose fat), and the BIGGEST factor that is lowering your testosterone by 10 to 15 percent.You'll also discover why popular supplements like ashwagandha and tongkat ali are the last thing to focus on, and how to reframe testosterone optimization as a natural byproduct of doing the fundamentals right for building muscle and losing fat after 40.Timestamps:0:00 - Why testosterone boosters fail and what actually works3:39 - Testosterone as a signal of how you treat your body7:19 - How the HPG axis regulates hormone production9:31 - 7 natural, evidence-based testosterone boosters11:31 - Strength training as the foundation for hormone health15:30 - Chronic dieting vs. strategic fat loss for men over 4019:11 - Sleep deprivation and the testosterone crash study22:23 - My 14-day rapid start fat loss approach23:12 - Body fat, aromatization, and when losing fat helps vs. hurts26:19 - Stress, cortisol, and the recovery connection📱 Get Fitness Lab (now 20% off) - Science-based coaching app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without the stress. 🎓 Join Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support + 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

Carbs Spike Your Insulin (But That's IDEAL for Muscle Growth) | Ep 437

Download my FREE macros guide: Nutrition 101 for Body Composition. Learn exactly how to set your protein, carbs, and fats for muscle building and fat loss using a flexible approach that works long-term: witsandweights.com/macros--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 if you lift weights).Insulin is not a "fat-storage hormone" but a nutrient-partitioning hormone whose effects depend entirely on context: your training status, muscle mass, and energy balance. Learn how resistance training changes the way your body handles carbs, why lifters over 40 actually benefit from strategic insulin spikes, and how muscle tissue acts as a "sink" for glucose that determines where your nutrients go. It's not about eating unlimited carbs but understanding why carb tolerance is built through strength training and how to use that to your advantage, and to stop fearing spikes in blood sugar.Whether you want body recomp, trying to build muscle while losing fat, or wondering why your low-carb diet isn't working despite consistent strength training, this episode gives you an evidence-based framework to rethink your nutrition strategy. Plus, get a simple post-workout protocol that can improve your next-day training performance.Timestamps0:00 - Why carbs and insulin don't automatically cause fat gain3:20 - How training context changes what insulin does with your food7:25 - The real reason lifters fear carbs (and why it's misguided)11:55 - What insulin actually does (nutrient partitioning explained)18:40 - How carbs support muscle building, recovery, and strength training performance24:20 - Fat loss and insulin (why energy balance matters more than spikes)29:20 - Acute insulin spikes vs. chronic dysfunction (the critical difference for body recomp)📱 Get Fitness Lab (now 20% off) - Science-based coaching app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without the stress. 🎓 Join Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support + 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

New Episode Schedule (Plus I Need YOUR Questions)

Submit your question for the podcast at witsandweights.com/question. If your question is featured, you'll get a shout-out on the show!--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 (now 20% off) - Science-based coaching app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without the stress. 🎓 Join Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support + 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

She SMASHED the Raw Squat World Record at 515 lb with THIS Training Program (Steph Mager) | Ep 436

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.Now 20% through February 17. Take the free 2-minute quiz to see your custom plan before you buy.—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 deloads quietly sabotaging your body recomp progress?Body recomp, strength training, and lifting weights look very different when world-record powerlifter Steph Mager joins me on this episode. Steph holds the all-time raw squat world record at 181 pounds bodyweight, and she breaks down how a personalized conjugate system helped her build muscle, protect her metabolism, and avoid burnout. We unpack why most lifters misunderstand deloads, how evidence-based training balances max effort with volume, and how nutrition and macros shift between off-season and meet prep.We also dig into women’s fitness, hypertrophy, recovery, and mindset, including how elite lifters manage stress, fuel muscle building, and approach weight loss without sacrificing performance. Tune in to learn more.Today, you’ll learn all about:0:00 – World record squat context2:35 – Athlete mindset and ego9:02– Conjugate training explained11:58 – Max effort vs dynamic work26:01 – Deloads most lifters misuse38:53 – Nutrition and protein targets50:39 – Learning from failed meets54:06 – Developing an athlete mindsetEpisode resources:Instagram: @stephm.fit📱 Get Fitness Lab (now 20% off) - Science-based coaching app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without the stress. 🎓 Join Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support + 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

5 Signs You're Building Muscle (Even When the Mirror Says Otherwise) | Ep 435

Upgrade your sleep and recovery with Cozy Earth's bamboo pajamas and blankets. Temperature-regulating, lightweight, and designed to help you fall asleep faster. Go to witsandweights.com/cozyearth--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's going on?The mirror and scale are terrible short-term indicators of muscle growth. They're influenced by glycogen levels, water retention, inflammation, and your nervous system, none of which reflect actual changes in muscle or fat tissue. If you're judging progress by how you looked this morning vs. last week, you're setting yourself up for frustration and bad decisions.Learn the 5 reliable signs that you're actually building muscle. You'll also hear the common scenarios where feedback gets confusing (deloads, building phases, body recomp, and post-diet maintenance) and exactly what to expect during each one.Plus, we answer a listener question about what to track during a deload week.Whether you're focused on strength training over 40, working on body recomp, or just trying to build muscle without the mental games, you'll get a framework to trust your process.Timestamps:0:00 – Why the mirror and scale are misleading when building muscle 3:28 – How glycogen and water create short-term visual fluctuations 5:32 – 5 reliable signs you're building muscle 10:48 – Strength progression and recovery as leading indicators 14:32 – Changes in your clothes and performance 18:10 – Biofeedback markers (sleep, energy, hunger) 20:29 – Sleep and recovery tools for better adaptation 23:07 – What to expect during a deload week 28:20 – Reading your data correctly early in a building phase 31:23 – Body recomp and post-diet maintenance pitfalls📱 Get Fitness Lab (now 20% off) - Science-based coaching app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without the stress. 🎓 Join Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support + 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