Welcome to Episode 112 of the Movement Logic Podcast! In this special episode, Laurel and Sarah talk to four women who recently completed Lift for Longevity about their experiences. Whether it’s overcoming fear of injury, finally finding a program that sticks, breaking free from perfectionism, or realizing barbells belong in their hands, each woman brings a unique and inspiring story.

In this episode, you’ll hear from:

Karen Klubertanz, an interior designer and yoga therapist who came to us after chronic back pain and years of yoga and kettlebells. Her story is about overcoming fear, learning to train with RPE, and discovering she could get stronger safely and sustainably.

Anna Grojec, a freelance writer and editor in New Jersey who found us through the podcast and has now completed the course twice, entirely asynchronously without ever taking a live class. Her story is about making strength training stick for the first time in her life through structure and community support.

Terry Littlefield, a longtime yoga teacher and old friend of Sarah’s who came in skeptical, took our free class, and realized she had to join. Her story is about shifting from perfectionism to consistency and finding confidence under the barbell.

Janai Leeb, a personal trainer in northern Los Angeles County who first got the impression in her PT cert that barbells weren’t for her. She joined to build her own barbell skills and now teaches them to her clients. Her story is about finding her lane with the barbell and showing others that anyone can lift, at any age.

If you’ve ever wondered if you’re too old, too inexperienced, or too "not a gym person" to lift barbells and get stronger, these conversations will change your mind.

SIGN UP for our FREE CLASS for Bone Density Course on October 17th WITH REPLAY

FOLLOW @MovementLogicTutorials on Instagram

In this episode, Laurel and Sarah take a look at one of the most influential and controversial voices in women’s health: Dr. Stacy Sims. Known for the phrase “women are not small men,” Sims has built her brand on the idea that women need entirely different training and nutrition strategies than men.

Laurel and Sarah trace Sims’ rise to prominence, the research she leans on, and the rhetorical playbook she uses on major platforms like the Mel Robbins Podcast, and the Huberman Lab podcast. They examine how Sims’ is able to persuade listeners of her ideas, even though her catchy slogans and bold claims outpace the evidence.

Rather than just fact-checking Sims’ most dubious claims on cycle syncing, fasted training, cardio, and how women should train, this episode instead focuses on how Sims’ messages are delivered. You’ll listen for how Sims’ and the hosts of these podcasts frequently employ persuasive tactics like appeals to authority, fearmongering, absolutist framing, pseudo-feminist virtue signaling, and what Laurel and Sarah call “mechanism theater” can make the weak evidence and shaky reasoning behind the claims sound stronger than it is. These strategies aren’t unique to Sims; you’ll start noticing these persuasive tactics everywhere, especially in menopause marketing and wellness content online.

SIGN UP for the FREE CLASS for Bone Density Course

FOLLOW @MovementLogicTutorials on Instagram

RESOURCES

Sims’ TedX talk

110: Fact-Checking Female-Specific Training & Nutrition Advice with Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, PhD

Debate between Sims and Colenso-Semple on Docs Who Lift

Post Debate Interview on Barbell Medicine

109: Hot Flashes, Cold Facts: Menopause Myths that Won’t Die

62: Make McGill Make Sense

Bulky mug

Social Post from Dr. Colenso-Semple about choice to use mechanistic, rat, or men’s data

108: Breathing for Bone Density? YogaU Cannot Be Serious

108: Does it Have to be Heavy? Rethinking the Lift Heavy Shit Narrative

98: Capacities for Longevity Part 3 - Cardio

Decoding the Gurus

Front Page Fitness

Conspirituality

Yoga Meets Movement Science

Barbell Medicine

In this episode, Laurel and Sarah sit down with  muscle physiology researcher and science communicator Lauren Colenso-Semple to take a hard look at some of the most popular and problematic claims circulating in women’s health and fitness. Together, they unpack the slogan “women are not small men,” and the idea that women need completely different training and nutrition approaches than men. Lauren explains where the evidence actually stands on topics like muscle loss at 30, lifting to failure, cardio recommendations for women, bone density changes at menopause, training fasted versus fed, cycle syncing, cortisol “hacks,” and more.

This conversation is a deep dive into separating women's physiology from marketing ploys. Learn why overcomplicating women’s training does more harm than good. You'll gain clear, evidence-based guidance for women in perimenopause, post-menopause, and beyond.

Sign up for the Bone Density Course Interest list

Follow us @MovementLogicTutorials on Instagram

04:30 Why Naming Sources Matters

08:15 “Women Are Not Small Men”: What’s True and What’s Branding

16:00 How Much Research on Women Actually Exists

29:30 Training to Failure, Heavy vs. Light Loads, and Age-Specific Claims

31:00 The Case for Keeping Moderate-Intensity Cardio

36:15 Bone Loss Myths and What Exercise Really Helps

46:30 What “Challenging Sets” Mean in Research

49:00 Cortisol, Fasted Training, and Breakfast Timing

52:30 Low Energy Availability vs. Simply Skipping Breakfast

01:08:00 Cycle Syncing and Monthly Program Overhauls

01:15:00 Rapid-Fire Q&A: Creatine, Weighted Vests, Collagen, Protein Targets, Electrolytes

01:23:30 How Overcomplicated Rules Keep Women Out of Exercise

01:24:00 Has Stacy Sims Done More Good or More Harm?

01:26:30 Why Simple, Progressive Training Works for Everyone

Dr Lauren Colenso-Semple on Instagram

Front Page Fitness Podcast

Study Menstrual cycle phase does not influence muscle protein synthesis or whole-body myofibrillar proteolysis in response to resistance

Mel Robbins Podcast interview with Dr. Stacey Sims

Huberman Lab Podcast interview with Dr. Stacey Sims