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Learn about one of the biggest nutrition hoaxes of our generation - the famed Blue Zones, where people supposedly live extraordinarily long lives due to their traditional diets and lifestyles.

When demographer Dr. Saul Justin Newman examined the data behind these celebrated longevity hotspots, what he discovered was shocking. Those regions with the most reported supercentenarians (people over 100) weren't the healthiest places. They were areas with poor record-keeping, poverty, and weak documentation systems. What's going on?

You'll also discover how regions celebrated for plant-based eating actually consume meat daily, and get a data-driven framework for spotting diet deceptions.

Main Takeaways:

• Blue Zone supercentenarian claims are largely based on fraudulent data and poor record-keeping
• Many "plant-based" Blue Zone regions actually consume animal products daily
• Extraordinary health claims require extraordinary evidence - use the 5-point framework to evaluate nutrition advice
• Real longevity factors are simple and well-established by the evidence without the need for "secrets," supplements, or hacks

Timestamps:

0:01 - The Blue Zone data fraud
8:17 - The plant-based diet deception in Blue Zones
10:10 - Other diet myths: alkaline diets, detox cleanses, dietary extremism
14:20 - 5-point framework for spotting nutrition nonsense
25:53 - What actually contributes to healthy aging
29:05 - Healthspan vs. lifespan

Support the show

👩‍💻 Book a FREE 15-Minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment:
https://witsandweights.com/free-call

🎓 Get your first challenge + 2 weeks FREE in Physique University:
https://physique.witsandweights.com/

👥 Join our Facebook community for live Q&As & support

👋 Let's connect! Ask a question, get my FREE newsletter, or find me on Instagram

📱 Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS

🏋️‍♀️ Download Boostcamp for free for evidence-based workout programs

🫙 Get 20% off Legion supplements with code WITSpod

Register FREE for today's live workshop on Progressive Overload by joining Wits & Weights Physique University (WWPU). Get your first 2 weeks free, including today's free training, this month's challenge, and all the other goodies to help you lose fat, build muscle, and build your ideal physique:
http://witsandweights.com/physique

We're announcing this month's podcast review giveaway toward the end of the episode. Just send me an email to claim your prize!

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Understanding how to increase weights, sets, reps, and/or effort based on your training level and program type is crucial to get the most out of your training.

Progressive overload gets confused because of the term "overload" when it's really about working within current capabilities to challenge yourself and progress over time.

Our bodies are incredibly adaptive machines.

They quickly get used to whatever stress we put on them... and then stop changing unless we intelligently modify that stress.

That's why I'm dedicating our next Physique University live coaching call to the science of progressive overload, which is the missing link for most lifters in their 40s and beyond who feel stuck.

Today (Tuesday June 3, 2025) at 1pm Eastern (replay will be available to everyone who signs up), I'm breaking down exactly when to:

• Add weight to the bar
• Increase reps
• Add more sets
• Push closer to failure

You can get this training (including the replay and everything else in Physique University) free for your first two weeks when you join now.

You'll get immediate access to the private community, your personalized nutrition plan, workout programs designed for real progress, and Tuesday's live call on progressive overload.

===> Click here to join WWPU and claim your free 2-week trial

Support the show

👩‍💻 Book a FREE 15-Minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment:
https://witsandweights.com/free-call

🎓 Get your first challenge + 2 weeks FREE in Physique University:
https://physique.witsandweights.com/

👥 Join our Facebook community for live Q&As & support

👋 Let's connect! Ask a question, get my FREE newsletter, or find me on Instagram

📱 Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS

🏋️‍♀️ Download Boostcamp for free for evidence-based workout programs

🫙 Get 20% off Legion supplements with code WITSpod

Join WWPU (Wits & Weights Physique University) to get a tailored nutrition and training system to lose fat and build muscle (at any age) - first two weeks free:
https://witsandweights.com/physique

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"You're too old to build muscle."

"With injuries like that, you should stop lifting weights."

Have you heard these discouraging statements from doctors, trainers, or well-meaning friends, either yourself or older adults in your life?

We are shattering these harmful myths through the journey of my client Beth, who at 68 years old is successfully building muscle despite dealing with a significant shoulder injury.

If you've been told that age means you can't build muscle anymore or that injuries mean you should abandon your fitness goals, this episode will change your perspective.

Beth reveals exactly how she's adapting her training around medical limitations, why prioritizing muscle growth before fat loss has been revolutionary, and the specific techniques allowing her to gain muscle despite challenges that might sideline others.

Main Takeaways:

• Why building muscle is not only possible but essential after 60
• How to adapt training around injuries without sacrificing progress
• The mindset shift needed when transitioning from years of dieting to muscle building
• Why strength training becomes more important, not less, as we age
• How to balance strength training with other activities like cycling

Timestamps:

0:01 - Building muscle after 60 despite shoulder injuries
4:50 - History with "traditional" dieting (Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, etc.)
6:53 - How thyroid medication changes affected her metabolism
15:49 - Dealing with shoulder injuries (SLAP lesion and rotator cuff issues)
19:21 - Training modifications for shoulder limitations
24:44 - Psychological benefits of being strong at any age
26:56 - How she gained mostly muscle and dropped body fat without having to lose weight
31:01 - How strength training enhances her cycling performance
35:02 - Strategies for balancing strength training, biking, and recovery
46:54 - Advice for older adults hesitant about strength training
47:58 - Beth's 94-year-old mother who lifts weights

Join WWPU (Wits & Weights Physique University) free for 2 weeks!

Support the show

👩‍💻 Book a FREE 15-Minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment:
https://witsandweights.com/free-call

🎓 Get your first challenge + 2 weeks FREE in Physique University:
https://physique.witsandweights.com/

👥 Join our Facebook community for live Q&As & support

👋 Let's connect! Ask a question, get my FREE newsletter, or find me on Instagram

📱 Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS

🏋️‍♀️ Download Boostcamp for free for evidence-based workout programs

🫙 Get 20% off Legion supplements with code WITSpod