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.

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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.

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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.

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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

In this episode of the Movement Logic podcast, Sarah and Laurel take on the most persistent—and profitable—myths about menopause and women’s health. From metabolism myths to cortisol panic, creatine hype, and new exercise “rules”, they separate marketing spin from actual science.

They also unpack the nuanced role of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT)—who it helps, when it’s useful, and why menopause isn’t a medical emergency needing endless “fixes.”

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10:12 8 Menopause Myths and Misconceptions

37:08 Cortisol and Menopause

43:14 Exercise and Menopause

51:33 Muscle Loss and Menopause

55:00 Hormone Therapy and Muscle Mass: The Evidence

57:56 Debunking the Rapid Bone Loss Myth

01:04:31 The Truth About Creatine Supplementation

01:18:48 Menopause Symptoms vs. Aging: What's the Difference?

01:29:24 Menopause Hormone Therapy: Myths and Realities

01:42:25 Concluding Thoughts and Recommendations

Ep 8 A Perimenopause Perspective

63: Dismantling Long and Lean Pt 2

108: Does it Have to be Heavy?

Study Daily Energy Expenditure Through the Human Life Course

Study Changes in Physical Activity and Body Composition in Postmenopausal Women

Study Evaluation of sex-based differences in resistance exercise training-induced changes in muscle mass, strength, and physical performance

Study Changes in body composition and weight during the menopause transition

Study Association Between Hormone Therapy and Muscle Mass

Study Longitudinal changes in BMD during perimenopausal transition

Study BMD Changes During the Menopause Transition

Study Efficacy of Creatine Supplementation Combined with Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Muscle Mass

Study Creatine Supplementation During Resistance Training Does Not Lead to Greater Bone Mineral Density

The Vajenda

North American Menopause Society

Dr Lauren Colenso-Semple

Professor Susan Davis

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Dr. Sarah Court and Laurel Beversdorf critically evaluate the claims made by YogaU Online about the connections between breathing practices and bone health during a recent promotional webinar for a new workshop called “Breath As Medicine: Yogic Breathing for Vital Aging.” They meticulously analyze research studies cited by YogaU, debunking pseudoscientific assertions about nitric oxide production, VO2 max, and the impact of breathing on bone density. The hosts highlight the ethical implications of such misleading information and emphasize the importance of evidence-based practices in the fitness and yoga communities. The discussion also touches on marketing tactics that prey on the fears of older women, underscoring the need for transparency and integrity in health advice.

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03:48 Calling Out Pseudoscience

05:19 Yoga U's Dubious Claims

17:47 The Breath as Medicine Workshop

18:39 Debunking the Claims

32:57 Understanding Breathing Pathologies

01:01:56 Lung Function and Bone Mineral Density: A Study Review

01:03:57 Debunking Misleading Claims in Yoga Marketing

01:09:38 Sleep Apnea Studies and Their Misuse

01:17:57 Hypoxia and Bone Health: Misinterpretations

01:23:23 Nitric Oxide and Aging: Separating Fact from Fiction

01:41:02 Cardiovascular Fitness: Misconceptions and Realities

01:50:47 Yoga U's Ethical Dilemma and Call for Accountability

01:59:38 Conclusion and Call to Action

References:

Episode 5 Does Yoga Asana Build Bone Density?

Episode 38 Got Bones? Yoga Asana Isn’t Enough

Episode 79 Make YogaU Make Sense

Episode 92 Make Dr. Loren Fishman Make Sense

Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss

Recognizing and Treating Breathing Disorders: A Multidisciplinary Approach by Leon Chaitow

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor

Association between lung function and bone mineral density in children and adolescents

Assessment of Bone Mineral Density and Bone Metabolism in Young Men with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Bone Mineral Density and Changes in Bone Metabolism in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Hypoxia is a Major Stimulator of Osteoclast Formation and Bone Resorption

Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Hypoxia-Induced Alterations in Bone Remodeling

Front Page Fitness podcast

Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, we take a hard look at one of our own core messages and ask: does it have to be heavy to build bone? We unpack a landmark systematic review and meta-analysis that compared more than 100 exercise interventions in postmenopausal women, looking at low, moderate, and high intensities across resistance training, impact, and combined programs.

We explain the big picture: resistance training works across intensities, moderate intensity often performs just as well as heavy, and impact-only isn’t the standalone solution it’s often made out to be. We also highlight how few truly high-intensity trials exist, why that matters, and what it means for interpreting the data.

Along the way, we reflect on why it’s important to update your message when new evidence emerges, and how this research shifts—not our programming, but our language—around lifting heavy. You’ll come away with a clearer understanding of what actually builds bone, what the science says (and doesn’t yet say), and why there’s more than one effective way to get stronger bones.

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00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

09:37 New Research on Exercise Intensity and Bone-Building Exercise for Postmenopausal Women

37:08 About the Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

52:20 Meta-Analysis Results Overview

54:16 Lumbar Spine Analysis

59:00 Femoral Neck Analysis

01:01:43 Total Hip Analysis

01:02:40 Key Takeaways and Summary

01:04:17 Meta-Regression Insights

01:09:47 Clinical vs. Statistical Significance

01:14:14 Discussion on Bias

01:17:26 Engaging with the Community and Expert Opinions

01:39:46 Debunking Myths About Women and Heavy Lifting

01:40:39 Addressing Misconceptions around Lifting Heavy

01:47:25 Cultural Shifts and Women in Strength Training

02:05:58 Practical Benefits of Heavy Lifting

02:11:44 Final Thoughts

REFERENCES:

LIFTMOR Trial and YouTube video

Kistler-Fischbacher Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

91: LIFTMOR, Not Less: An Interview with Professor Belinda Beck

Stu Phillips IG page and post

Korpelainen paper

100: The Hidden Cost of "Just Do Something" Fitness Advice

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Laurel unpacks what warm ups actually do—and why cool downs aren’t necessary. She explains how warming up sharpens focus, raises tissue temperature, and primes the nervous system, setting you up to perform better and reduce injury risk. Laurel shares five simple principles for effective warm ups, clears up myths about stretching and “activation,” and contrasts them with cool downs, which don’t aid recovery or prevent soreness.

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References:

Article - (Stronger by Science) Heavier warm-ups are best, new study suggests

Paper - Systematic Review with Meta Analysis on Cool Downs (Afonso, 2021)

Ep. 90 - Capacities for Longevity: Strength

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Dr. Sarah Court explores the fascinating impact of the placebo effect on sports performance and rehabilitation. Dr. Court discusses recent studies, including a unique experiment involving a pink, calorie-free drink that boosted bench press performance among trained lifters. The episode delves into how beliefs and expectations can lead to measurable physiological changes, the historical context of the placebo effect, and its implications in physical therapy and exercise routines. Dr. Court also emphasizes the significance of positive mindsets in overcoming physical challenges and achieving fitness goals.

01:31 The Pink Drink Study: Exploring the Placebo Effect

02:36 Understanding the Placebo Effect

04:03 Historical Context and Research on Placebo

06:02 Detailed Analysis of the Pink Drink Study

10:19 Implications of the Placebo Effect in Exercise

12:08 Placebo Effect in Rehabilitation and Pain Science

14:49 Practical Takeaways for Enhancing Performance

16:49 Mindset and Belief in Physical Therapy

20:25 Encouragement and Final Thoughts

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References:

The placebo effect of a pink non-caloric, artificially sweetened solution on strength endurance performance and psychological responses in trained individuals

Mouth Rinsing With a Pink Non-caloric, Artificially-Sweetened Solution Improves Self-Paced Running Performance and Feelings of Pleasure in Habitually Active Individuals

The Placebo and Nocebo effect on sports performance: A systematic review

Placebo effects on kayak sprint performance in child athletes