Wits & Weights | Strength & Fat Loss Over 40

Do you need 3 hours of Zone 2 cardio a week if you're already strength training over 40?
You've heard that Zone 2 builds your mitochondria, burns more fat, and adds years to your life, as long as you put in about 3 hours a week. I put those claims under the microscope and compare Zone 2 with harder cardio, with a focus on what you need when you already lift and don't have hours to spare.
You'll learn:
Who Zone 2 was originally built for, and why that matters if you lift
How much to trust the heart rate zones on your watch, and the simpler test I'd use
What a 30-year Harvard study found about moderate vs. vigorous exercise
Whether adding cardio cuts into your muscle and strength
My 5-part minimum cardio plan for 3 or 4 lifting days
If you want the health benefits of cardio without giving up your lifting time, hit play.
Get 20% off Fitness Lab, my AI coaching app that builds your training around the time you have and adjusts it to how you're recovering. Learn more at witsandweights.com/app and use this special link for 20% off:
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Do you need Zone 2 if you lift weights?
2:53 - Where Zone 2 came from
6:02 - Fitting cardio around your lifting schedule
8:21 - Heart rate zones, wearables, and the talk test
9:21 - Mitochondria, fat burning, and longevity
14:16 - Does cardio hurt your lifting?
17:00 - A minimum effective cardio plan
22:43 - Bonus: splitting your walks for blood sugar
Episode Resources:
Episode 511: belly fat, cortisol, and the walking trial in postmenopausal women
Episode 507: carb cycling and the difference between burning fat and losing fat
Episode 374: the adaptive cardio pyramid
Episode 443: strength training and endurance after 40

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy, the 26-week coached program to build muscle and lose fat after 40
📱 Get Fitness Lab, the AI coaching app for strength training and nutrition over 40
 📊 Track your nutrition with MacroFactor and use code WITSANDWEIGHTS for a 2-week free trial 
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Educational content only, not medical advice.

How do you track macros when food labels can be wrong by 20 percent?
You've heard food labels can be off by 20 percent, so you might wonder why you'd weigh anything to the gram. I look at what the FDA rule says, what researchers found when they tested food in a lab, and which error in your food log matters most.
You'll learn:
What the 20% rule on food labels says, and which direction the error can run
Lab results on restaurant meals and packaged snacks versus their labels
How much people miss in their food logs when a gold-standard method checks them
The 3 tracking rules that make your errors cancel out, plus the foods worth weighing
One change to when you log that lined up with more people reaching real weight loss
If you want your food log to work even when the numbers aren't perfect, hit play.
Get 20% off your first order at True Nutrition with code WITSANDWEIGHTS. You build your own protein powder, from the protein to the flavor and sweetener, and everything is third-party lab tested and first-party verified.
https://truenutrition.com/witsandweights
Timestamps:
0:00 - Precise tracking and the label error claim
3:45 - The FDA 20% label rule and rounding
7:54 - Protein that's easy to log consistently
9:49 - Lab tests on label accuracy
12:49 - Human logging error and doubly labeled water
20:40 - Calibration, bias, and noise in your log
23:00 - How to track macros with 3 rules
27:33 - Restaurant meals and fiber on labels
30:35 - Bonus: the best time to log food
Episode Resources:
MacroFactor, code WITSANDWEIGHTS for a free 2-week trial. You can support the show if you use our affiliate code!
Episode 510: Jenny's tracking lesson after decades of dieting
Episode 511: belly fat after 40, plus tracking your trend weight and waist
Episode 497: why a calculator shouldn't set your calories and macros

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy, the 26-week coached program to build muscle and lose fat after 40
📱 Get Fitness Lab, the AI coaching app for strength training and nutrition over 40
 📊 Track your nutrition with MacroFactor and use code WITSANDWEIGHTS for a 2-week free trial 
👥 Join the free Facebook community
❓ Ask a question for the show

Educational content only, not medical advice.

Is BPC-157 worth injecting for tendon pain if you're lifting weights?
You've seen the headlines about an FDA panel voting for BPC-157, and you may know someone injecting it for a sore elbow or shoulder. I look at what the FDA did this summer, every human study I could find, and my own BPC-157 experiment from a few years ago. Then I share what helps stubborn tendon pain, no injection required.
You'll learn:
What the FDA panel voted on in July, and which use it reviewed
How many people BPC-157 has been tested on, and for how long
Lessons from my own 6-week BPC-157 experiment on my shoulder
A 12-week elastic band program from a tennis elbow trial
3 questions to ask before you buy any peptide or supplement
If you're about to order peptides for a sore elbow, shoulder, or hip, hit play.
Join Eat More Lift Heavy to keep lifting around a sore joint with a training program matched to your schedule and equipment, plus 26 weeks of coaching. https://eatmoreliftheavy.com
Timestamps:
0:00 - BPC-157 and the peptide headlines
3:48 - The FDA timeline and the July panel vote
7:52 - Training, food, and time for a sore joint
10:16 - Who voted yes and who's using BPC-157
11:57 - Human studies, rat studies, and safety
16:39 - My BPC-157 shoulder experiment
19:57 - Tendon pain after 40 and progressive loading
25:51 - How to judge any peptide claim
27:17 - Bonus: cortisone shots for tennis elbow
Episode Resources:
Episode 255: my first BPC-157 experiment for shoulder recovery
Episode 492: tissue capacity and training through pain (Dr. Tom Walters)
Corrections. A few things I misspoke on air:
I said it's "technically true" that the FDA approved these peptides, but the panel only "recommended" BPC-157 for compounding. The FDA hasn't approved it or published a rule.
I said ulcerative colitis is "like" inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is a different condition.
JAMA is the Journal of the American Medical Association

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy, the 26-week coached program to build muscle and lose fat after 40
📱 Get Fitness Lab, the AI coaching app for strength training and nutrition over 40
 📊 Track your nutrition with MacroFactor and use code WITSANDWEIGHTS for a 2-week free trial 
👥 Join the free Facebook community
❓ Ask a question for the show

Educational content only, not medical advice.

Are you getting weaker because of age, or because you started "training your age"?
David Frost is 73, a retired Navy captain, adjunct professor, and writer on load management and recovery. This past June, he rowed for more than 4 hours as part of a team that set a Concept2 tandem rowing record for 100 kilometers. He isn't backing off, and he joins me to challenge the idea that getting older means you should.
We get into sarcopenia, what to do if you're starting strength training at 60, how recovery changes for your muscles and connective tissue, and how to use HRV without letting your watch run your training. David also shares the coronary calcium scan that changed how he balances hard training with longevity.
If you've been told to take it easy now that you're over 40, hit play.
Join Eat More Lift Heavy to build muscle, lose 10 to 20 lbs of fat, and learn what works for your body, 1 week at a time. https://eatmoreliftheavy.com
Timestamps:
0:00 - Why aging doesn't mean backing off
5:26 - Sarcopenia and the recovery equation
13:08 - Starting strength training at 60
21:08 - Building a longer strong span
23:32 - David's coronary calcium wake-up call
32:47 - Whole-body training and recovery timing
36:34 - Using HRV without overtrusting wearables
41:19 - Walking, sleep, and better recovery
Episode Resources:
David's website: wellpastforty.org
David on Instagram: @davidemersonfrost

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy, the 26-week coached program to build muscle and lose fat after 40
📱 Get Fitness Lab, the AI coaching app for strength training and nutrition over 40
 📊 Track your nutrition with MacroFactor and use code WITSANDWEIGHTS for a 2-week free trial 
👥 Join the free Facebook community
❓ Ask a question for the show

Educational content only, not medical advice.

Is cortisol the reason your belly fat won't budge after 40?
You've seen the cortisol cocktails, the adaptogens, and the advice to quit coffee and skip hard workouts. I put the cortisol story under the microscope, including the few studies that support it, and compare it to what the research shows about fat loss over 40.
You'll learn:
Where the "cortisol belly" idea came from, and why it probably doesn't describe you
What happened to body fat when researchers lowered cortisol with ashwagandha
Which direction the link between cortisol and belly fat runs
What changes in your body during the menopause transition, and what doesn't
The 4 basics that shrink deep belly fat, plus a weekly walking dose from a menopause trial
If you want fat loss over 40 to finally reach your waistline, hit play.
Get 20% off your first custom protein blend at True Nutrition with code WITSANDWEIGHTS. You pick the protein, flavor, sweetener, and boosts, and everything is third-party lab tested and first-party verified. https://truenutrition.com/witsandweights
Timestamps:
0:00 - Cortisol belly and the TikTok detox trend
3:19 - Belly fat and total body fat
7:27 - Protein to keep muscle while you lose fat
9:03 - What cortisol does (plus Cushing's syndrome)
11:36 - Cortisol and belly fat research
15:43 - Cortisol cocktails, coffee, and hard workouts
17:53 - Belly fat after 40 and the menopause transition
20:35 - Stress, sleep, and eating habits
21:41 - 4 basics for losing belly fat
24:58 - Bonus: weekly habit for deep belly fat
Episode Resources:
Episode 501: what perimenopause does and doesn't do to your weight
Episode 506: the 8 hours of sleep myth
Episode 507: carbs and menopause
Episode 509: what to track instead of weight loss

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy, the 26-week coached program to build muscle and lose fat after 40
📱 Get Fitness Lab, the AI coaching app for strength training and nutrition over 40
 📊 Track your nutrition with MacroFactor and use code WITSANDWEIGHTS for a 2-week free trial 
👥 Join the free Facebook community
❓ Ask a question for the show

Educational content only, not medical advice.