Redefining Strength Podcast

If you feel like your workouts are “working”… but your body constantly hurts, this episode is going to change the way you think about strength training.

Because the truth is: most people don’t get injured because they’re weak. They get injured because they’re following programs that ignore how their body is actually built.

In this episode of the Redefining Strength Podcast, I sit down with Dr. John Rusin. A world-renowned performance coach, physical therapist, and creator of the Pain-Free Performance system.

Together, we break down:

Why true strength isn’t about specific exercises like squats, deadlifts, or bench press

Why the “no pain, no gain” mindset is secretly sabotaging your progress

How forcing “perfect form” can actually be what’s causing your pain

Why there is no single ideal way to move—and how to find the best movements for YOUR body

How to build strength, muscle, and resilience without beating up your joints

The biggest recovery mistake most people make (and how to fix it)

Why doing less—at higher quality—often produces better results

How to train hard AND stay pain-free for life

If you’ve ever thought:

“I’m getting stronger… but everything hurts.”

“I feel like workouts are slowly breaking me down.”

“I’m afraid to lift heavy because I don’t want to get injured.”

“I don’t know which exercises are actually right for me.”

This episode is for you.

If you’ve entered perimenopause and feel like your body suddenly isn’t responding the way it used to, you’re not imagining it and you’re not broken.
I'm joined By Redefining Strength RD Michelle and we're breaking down what’s actually happening as hormones begin to shift and why strategies that once worked can suddenly fall flat. We cover the nutrition changes that matter most during perimenopause, including why protein becomes non-negotiable, how muscle loss and metabolic slowdown really happen, and why cutting calories often backfires.
We also take a deep dive into creatine...one of the most misunderstood supplements for women. You’ll learn what creatine actually does, why it doesn’t make women bulky, and how it may support strength, muscle retention, bone health, fat loss, and even mood and brain function during perimenopause and beyond.
This episode is about understanding your changing body, removing unnecessary fear around supplements, and learning how to adapt your approach instead of fighting against your physiology.
If you’ve felt frustrated, confused, or like “nothing works anymore,” this episode will give you clarity...and a better way forward.

We spend hours in the gym training our bodies...but what if most of us are training like robots?

In this episode I sit down with Dr. Ellen Langer, Harvard psychologist and pioneer of mindfulness research, whose work over the last 45+ years has fundamentally changed how we understand the relationship between mind, body, and performance. In this conversation, Dr. Langer shares her groundbreaking work, including why "trying harder" can actually make progress harder and how noticing is your most powerful performance tool.

Dr. Langer explains why your mind and body aren’t separate — or even just “connected” — but actually one unified system. And why the way you pay attention, interpret your experiences, and relate to uncertainty can directly shape your physical health, your results, and your longevity.

Her research has shown improvements in strength, vision, hearing, weight, blood pressure, and even markers of aging...including a now-famous study where biological aging was reversed simply by changing people’s environment and mindset.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

-Why “trying harder” can actually make progress harder
-Why most stress comes from treating inconveniences like tragedies
-Why habits can make you mindless instead of better
-Why noticing is one of the most powerful performance tools you have
-And why you’re always training a system — not just your muscles

This episode will change how you think about mindset — from something fluffy or motivational into something biological, practical, and performance-altering.

If you care about getting fit in a way you can actually stay fit, this conversation is foundational.

About Dr. Ellen Langer

Dr. Ellen Langer is a Harvard psychologist and one of the most influential thinkers in the world on mindfulness and the mind-body system. Often called the pioneer of mindfulness in Western psychology, her work over the last 45+ years has fundamentally changed how we understand the relationship between attention, perception, and physical health.

Her research has demonstrated that the way we think, notice, and interpret our lives can measurably impact strength, vision, hearing, weight, blood pressure, and even markers of aging — including her now-famous “Counterclockwise” study on aging and multiple studies on health, performance, and well-being.

She is the author of numerous books, including The Mindful Body, and her work has been featured widely in major media and used in fields ranging from medicine and psychology to business, education, and performance.

Learn more at: https://www.ellenlanger.com

If you’re a driven, disciplined, all-or-nothing person… this episode might sting a little.
Because the truth is, the same “go all in” mindset that helps you succeed in other areas of life is often the exact reason your fitness progress keeps stalling, burning out, and restarting.
In this episode, we break down why perfection feels like commitment — but actually destroys consistency.
You’ll learn:
Why rigid rules and “perfect weeks” make progress fragile
How the all-or-nothing mindset turns small slips into total restarts
Why your body doesn’t care about perfect days — only what you do most often
And how to use consistency as the system, with perfection as a tool (not a requirement)
If you’re tired of the cycle of pushing hard, burning out, and starting over — and you want results that actually compound and stick — this episode will change how you think about effort, discipline, and progress.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between pushing harder and feeling worse… or doing less and feeling like you’re falling behind… this episode is for you.

At some point, almost everyone hits this moment with their body.

You get hurt. Or burned out. Or things just stop working the way they used to.
And suddenly you’re stuck between two bad options:

Do less and feel like you’re losing yourself…
Or do more and keep breaking yourself.

Most people bounce back and forth between those two for years. Not because they’re weak...but because they don’t understand the difference between pain, discomfort, and danger… or how much fear quietly controls how they train and recover.

In this episode of the Redefining Strength Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Caleb Burgess, Doctor of Physical Therapy and movement expert, to break down why “doing more” so often backfires and what to do instead if you actually want to build a body that works in real life.

Together, we cover:

-Why strength isn’t about what you lift, but what you can actually do in your life
-How fear of re-injury, fear of losing progress, and fear of losing identity sabotage recovery
-The real difference between pain, discomfort, and danger
-Why boring basics often build better results than “advanced” programs
-How perfectionism and chasing perfect form can actually make things worse
-Why “regressing to progress” is often the fastest way forward
-And how to rebuild confidence, capacity, and performance without breaking yourself again

If you’ve ever thought:

“I should be able to do more than this.”
“I’m scared to push… but I’m also scared to fall behind.”
“I keep ending up hurt, burned out, or stuck.”

This conversation will completely change how you think about training, recovery, and long-term strength.

About Dr. Caleb Burgess

Dr. Caleb Burgess is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and movement specialist known for his no-BS, real-world approach to mobility, rehab, and building a body that actually works in everyday life.

Find him here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.caleb.burgess
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.calebburgess