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

The All Junk Food Diet vs. Clean Eating (Lyle McDonald on "Excluding the Middle") | Ep 356

Get a FREE custom nutrition plan when you join Physique University to maximize both strength and muscle growth simultaneously at this link (special for podcast listeners): http://bit.ly/podcast-new-wwpuGet 50% off Chef's Foundry P600 ceramic cookware (no PFAS, no Teflon, no microplastics) at witsandweights.com/chefsfoundry--Influencers claim you can get shredded eating nothing but junk food. At the same time, clean eating gurus demonize a single cookie (or even broccoli!) as though it's poison. Both miss the point entirely.This false dichotomy creates an all-or-nothing mindset that undermines your success. When we operate at extremes, either "if it fits your macros" with zero regard for food quality or rigid clean eating that moralizes every bite, we set ourselves up for an unhealthy relationship with food. The research consistently shows that the sustainable solution lives in the unsexy middle ground that nobody wants to talk about because it doesn't get views or sell weight loss programs.Learn about Lyle McDonald's concept of "Excluding the Middle" and why the fitness industry's obsession with extremes traps you in cycles of all-or-nothing thinking that undermine long-term success.Main Takeaways:Why both "if it fits your macros" junk food diets and rigid clean eating miss the pointThe research supporting the middle ground: 85% whole foods, 15% flexibilityHow rigid dietary restraint increases binge eating risk while flexible restraint improves outcomesThe exact framework for implementing sustainable nutrition without moralizing foodWhy planning for flexibility (not spontaneous perfection) is key to long-term successEpisode Resources:Get 50% off Chef's Foundry P600 ceramic cookware (no PFAS, no Teflon, no microplastics)Lyle McDonald's "Excluding the Middle" articleTry MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTSEpisode: Why Macros Might Be All You Need to Streamline Your NutritionTimestamps:0:01 - The false dichotomy of nutrition extremes 6:04 - All "junk food" diet 10:35 - 100% clean eating 15:28 - The middle ground 21:07 - 300 calories a day for enjoyment 22:27 - Flexible vs. rigid restraint (targets + guidelines) 24:19 - THIS is everything 25:30 - Planning for flexibility vs. spontaneous "perfect" choicesSupport the show🎓 Lose fat for good in Physique University, now just $27/mo (tap here and I’ll create a FREE custom nutrition plan when you join) 👥 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)

73 Year Old Listener Doubles Sprinting Power in 4 Months (12-Minute Protocol) | Bonus

Join Physique University for just $27 a month to access our workshop on sprint training and receive a free custom nutrition plan using this exclusive listener link: http://bit.ly/podcast-new-wwpu--Today we're celebrating a huge win for 73-year-old listener Bruce @bruceandjantrain.Bruce achieved impressive results following the sprint protocol discussed in Episode 293, increasing his power output by 78% in just 4 months and demonstrating the effectiveness of this time-efficient training approach for lifters. Age is no barrier!Listen to the Sprinting for Lifters episode here:7 Benefits of Sprinting to Lose Fat (And Why It Beats Cardio, Especially for Lifters!)Support the show🎓 Lose fat for good in Physique University, now just $27/mo (tap here and I’ll create a FREE custom nutrition plan when you join) 👥 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)

Ozempic Envy, GLP-1 Microdosing, and the Weight Loss Wars | Ep 355

Get your free custom nutrition plan (exclusive to podcast listeners) when you join Wits & Weights Physique University for just $27/month--The psychology behind weight loss methods has created a moral battleground where people judge themselves and others based on whether they use traditional lifestyle approaches or pharmaceutical interventions like GLP-1 drugs.People are losing 40 pounds on Ozempic or secretly microdosing GLP-1 drugs, while underground resentment brews between those who "did it the hard way" and those accused of taking "shortcuts."We're keeping it real about the psychology behind the Weight Loss Wars using a (more reasonable) systems-based approach that eliminates judgment while optimizing for what actually matters: YOUR sustainable results.Main Takeaways:"Ozempic envy" reveals more about our relationship with effort than with resultsFat loss is an engineering problem, not a moral issueGLP-1 microdosing creates fascinating case studies in behavior modification (and still requires building lifestyle skills)The most successful people combine external tools with internal skill developmentStop keeping score of who's doing it "right" and start engineering systems that work sustainably for YOUEpisode Mentioned:Eat More To Lose Weight? (The Iron Triangle of Fat Loss)Timestamps:0:00 - The Weight Loss Wars and moral superiority 3:00 - What is "Ozempic Envy"? 8:00 - GLP-1 microdosing 11:00 - Why we assign moral value to effort and struggle 15:00 - GLP-1s and/or lifestyle skills18:00 - Designing YOUR system (ignoring distractions)22:00 - Lifelines vs. shortcuts 24:00 - How to stop the weight loss warsSupport the show🎓 Lose fat for good in Physique University, now just $27/mo (tap here and I’ll create a FREE custom nutrition plan when you join) 👥 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)

Q&A - Post-Bulk Fat Loss, Walking Too Much, and Diet Fatigue (Brandon DaCruz) | Ep 354

Check out the other half of our Q&A on Brandon's Chasing Clarity podcast, where we tackle your questions on hunger, cravings, appetite, and artificial sweeteners.---Just wrapped a bulk and scared to lose muscle? Over 50 and unsure if gains are still possible? Walking 20,000 steps a day with no results?In this Q&A, I team up with physique coach Brandon DaCruz, host of the Chasing Clarity podcast, to tackle five hot topics around fat loss, muscle building, and diet fatigue. We break down smart post-bulk strategies, how much walking is too much, and realistic expectations for muscle gain over 50, plus how to recover when dieting burns you out.Don’t miss part two of this episode on the Chasing Clarity podcast, where we explore how hunger, cravings, and sweeteners impact your results.Main Takeaways:A smarter way to cut after a bulkWhen walking too much backfiresMuscle gain over 50 is slow—but possibleDon’t underestimate diet fatigueLifestyle stress and recovery matter more than you thinkTimestamps:2:00 – Post-bulk strategy for women 40+8:34 – Are 20K steps a day too much?22:15 – Building muscle after 5028:49 – Best small-space home gym setup36:56 – How to recover from diet fatigue41:08 – Training and recovery during a fat loss phase46:54 – The signs you're hitting a wall53:50 – Training mindset and strength drops during a cutCheck out the other half of our Q&A on Brandon's Chasing Clarity podcast, where we tackle your questions on hunger, cravings, appetite, and artificial sweeteners.Support the show🎓 Lose fat for good in Physique University, now just $27/mo (tap here and I’ll create a FREE custom nutrition plan when you join) 👥 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)

5 Rules of Ronnie Coleman, King of Bodybuilding (Lifting Legends #1) | Ep 353

Get the new RESOLUTE 5-day Powerbuilding Program in Physique University and stop second-guessing your approach to lifting. Join for just $27/month and get a custom nutrition plan included when you tap this special link for podcast listeners--Eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman didn't just build a legendary physique. He created a blueprint for what dedication, consistency, and love for lifting can achieve.His famous "light weight, baby!" was about an approach to training that transformed his body and an entire culture of lifting.This is the first episode in our new Lifting Legends series, where we connect modern training science with the rich history of lifting culture to extract timeless principles that are relevant today more than ever.Main Takeaways:Ronnie's blueprint for greatness: consistency, simplicity, and genuine love for the lifting processWhy fundamental movements (squats, deadlifts, presses, rows) built the greatest physique in bodybuilding historyHow to channel Ronnie's commitment while training smarter for long-term health and sustainabilityThe difference between training hard and training smart (and why you need both)Episode Mentioned:12 Rules of Training Volume to Build More MuscleTimestamps:0:02 - The King's blueprint for greatness 4:22 - Ronnie's humble beginnings at Metroflex Gym 6:30 - Ssimplicity executed at an elite level 12:56 - Why Ronnie's methods align with modern science 17:13 - Building your own lifting legacy 18:44 - What to emulate vs. what to avoid from Ronnie's approach 23:25 - Excellence + sustainability 26:48 - THIS separates legends from everyone elseSupport the show🎓 Lose fat for good in Physique University, now just $27/mo (tap here and I’ll create a FREE custom nutrition plan when you join) 👥 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)