Today’s episode of the podcast is all about how you can strengthen and heal lower back pain through stretching and strength training movements. If you suffer from chronic lower back pain, you’re not alone. Back pain is one of the most common reasons people stop working out, which could actually make things worse. In reality, exercise is often the solution to lower back pain. We’re here to tell you the most common reasons you might be experiencing back pain and what movements you can incorporate into your routine to work through the pain and heal.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why Exercise Is Key for Back Pain
• Why Weak Glutes are Often the Culprit
• Benefits of Targeted Back Exercises
• Easy Stretches for Back Pain Relief
• Strengthening Exercises for a Healthy Back
• Tips to Exercise Safely with Back Pain
• Why Consistency Is Key for Lasting Back Pain Relief

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Today on the podcast, we share our general protocol for choosing the right weight for your lifts. Training isn’t just about how hard a set feels at the moment. It’s about whether the work you’re doing creates enough stimulus to drive adaptation without creating so much fatigue that it interferes with future sessions. When the weight is too light, you aren’t creating enough stimulus to promote change. When the weight is too heavy, form breaks down, reps turn sloppy, and the limiting factor becomes joint stress or low back fatigue instead of the target muscle. So what do you do? We have some general guidelines to help you figure out where your sweet spot is.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why Choosing the Right Starting Weight Matters
• How to Determine What Weights to Start With
• Common Mistakes Beginners Make
• What is RPE and Reps in Reserve?
• Adjusting Weight Across Different Rep Ranges
• How to Progress Weight Safely Over Time
• Signs You’re Lifting Too Light or Too Heavy

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Join our Stronger Than Your Boyfriend Facebook group to ask questions that we will address on the podcast!

Question 1: l've heard that women are different from men regarding the post workout training window for optimal recovery regarding protein (1hr for women, men are more like 3hrs) what are good quick post workout snacks or meals with plenty of protein would you recommend?

Question 2: When you're doing movements like chin-ups or even a prone row on a bench etc…do you completely relax your body between reps or do you always keep the region you're moving active?

Question 3: I am hoping to add a habit of doing yoga at least one day a week. Do you think it’s important to follow the same routine each week or simply do whatever routine feels needed for that day?

Question 4: Any tips for strengthening weak hips?

Resource: https://barpathfitness.com/blog/how-to-stretch-and-strengthen-the-hips/

Question 5: What supplements will help my 60 year old body build muscle?

On today’s episode of the podcast, we discuss the NEW food pyramid. The US Department of Food Services and the USDA just released a new food pyramid as a dietary guideline. We give a brief history of the food pyramid as a visual dietary guide, what we appreciate about the updated version, and which recommendations may be unsound, or even potentially harmful, for the general population.

In this Episode, we Discuss:

• What Is the 2026 Food Pyramid?
• Why the Food Pyramid Was Updated Again
• Old Food Pyramid vs New One
• Key Changes That Raised Concerns
• Who Benefits Most From the New Pyramid?
• Scientific Evidence: What Supports It—and What Doesn’t
• How the 2026 Pyramid Affects Everyday Eating Habits
• What a Healthier Food Guide Could Look Like from a Nutritionist
• Should We Trust the 2026 Food Pyramid

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Today, we talk about discipline vs. obsession in fitness. When you start working out, you incorporate fitness into your identity, which is a good thing. Research shows that it helps keep you disciplined in your fitness routine. However, obsession with exercise is a slippery slope that can actually be detrimental to your health through feeling like you have to earn food and feeling anxiety when you can’t workout. Injuries can also have a huge impact on your mental health. This episode is about coming to a state of balance, and what might happen when fitness becomes who you are.

Resources:

US Government Nutrition Policy Fact Sheet

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Fitness Slowly Becomes an Identity
• Exercise Obsession: The All-or-Nothing Mindset
• The Motivation–Obsession Gray Area
• When Injury Forces the Question: Who Are You Without Fitness?
• How to Build a Sustainable, Enjoyable Relationship With Fitness
• Training Hard Without Letting Fitness Take Over Your Life

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On today’s episode of the podcast, we talk about vibration training and if it’s worth the shake. We're covering all vibration training tools, specifically vibration plates, and the research on whether these products work or not. Stay tuned to hear the science on our opinion on this reemerging trend.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What is Vibration Training?
• How Vibration Training Affects Muscles & the Nervous System
• Benefits of Vibration Training
• Types of Vibration Tools
• How to Safely Use Vibration Tools for Training & Recovery
• Vibration Training vs Traditional Training
• Is Vibration Training Right for You?

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Today on the podcast, we talk about why it is imperative to have a movement practice when you're dealing with pain or injury and what that might look like. Movement can and should be used as medicine when you have an acute injury or chronic issues. We see people living in pain who were never told that movement could actually help. We discuss the science behind our opinions and share how you can bring movement back into your life, no matter what issue you’re working with.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What Does “Movement as Medicine” Really Mean?
• Why Complete Rest Can Slow Recovery
• How Movement Supports the Healing Process
• Understanding Pain vs. Harm During Injury
• What Types of Movement Are Safe When Injured
• How to Modify Movement During Injury
• Rethinking Injury Recovery: Movement as a Therapeutic Tool

Resources:

Podcast Episode 22: Training After an Injury (What Happens After Physical Therapy Ends)

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Taking time off from training happens. Injury, burnout, work, stress, travel, or just life getting busy. Getting back into the gym usually feels harder mentally than it does physically. In this episode, Heather and Katie talk through how to return to training after a long break in a way that actually sticks.

We break down what to focus on, what to avoid, and how to rebuild strength and consistency without burning yourself out or trying to train like you never stopped.

What We Cover:

• Why checking your ego matters more than your old PRs
• Why starting with less than you think is the fastest way forward
• Why consistency beats intensity when you are coming back
• What to expect with soreness and fatigue after time off
• Why RPE and reps in reserve matter more than percentages
• Why volume should come before intensity
• Why recovery is non negotiable when returning to training

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