Wits & Weights Podcast

It turns out that carb cycling does NOT improve fat loss or your metabolism. But does it have other benefits? You've heard you should load carbs on lifting days and cut them on rest days, especially after 40. Where did this idea come from? I'm breaking down the one study that comes closest to testing carb cycling and what happened when a second group of researchers reanalyzed the data. You'll also hear why the insulin and fat storage argument doesn't hold up, what one study found about insulin sensitivity after menopause, and the number of hard sets that determines whether carbs before training do anything for you. 

Do you actually need 8 hours of sleep to build muscle after 40? We put that claim under the microscope and separate what sleep research actually shows from what fitness culture spreads online. Learn about the simple rules that protect your strength training, fat loss, and daily energy even when your night falls a bit short.

The claim that women need more creatine is everywhere right now, especially if you're strength training over 40. Maybe you heard that women carry 70 to 80% lower creatine stores than men, so you need a bigger dose. What about bone health (especially in postmenopause), brain health, and loading? How much should you actually take and when? What will creatine do for you?

A diet break won't give you more fat loss. Two weeks at maintenance won't "reset" or "restore" your metabolism either.  But I still use diet breaks with almost every client over 40, but for totally different (but beneficial) reasons. We lay out a simple framework for using maintenance breaks to reduce diet fatigue, improve adherence, and avoid panicking when the scale jumps.

You don't need a calorie surplus to build muscle after 40. The common surplus numbers are shakier than most people realize. I break down the real energy cost of muscle, what the research says about maintenance versus surplus, and how to tell whether body recomposition is the right approach for you.