Redefining Strength Podcast

What if the problem isn’t that your habits are “good” or “bad” but that they no longer fit who you are or where you’re going?
In this episode, we unpack a more nuanced approach to habit change. Instead of chasing perfect routines or relying on willpower, we explore how to audit your habits with curiosity, adjust your environment, and build systems that actually support your current goals. We talk about identity, autonomy, and why habits should evolve as you do...plus how to recognize when something that once worked is now holding you back.
If you’ve ever felt stuck, burned out, or frustrated trying to force habits that don’t fit anymore, this conversation will help you rethink the process and rebuild with intention.

If you feel like you’re working out seven days a week just to get smaller but you still don’t feel confident, energized, or powerful in your own skin...this episode is for you.

The truth is, society has conditioned us to believe that "success" means shrinking. We’re told that if we aren’t exhausted after every workout, it doesn't count. But real, lasting transformation happens when you stop trying to disappear and start focusing on what you can build.

In this episode of the Redefining Strength Podcast, I sit down with Tara LaFerrara. Tara is a premier fitness coach, creator of the Broads app, and an expert at helping women move away from the "all-or-nothing" mindset to build real strength and confidence.

Together, we break down:

The "Shrinking" Trap: Why success isn't measured by a number on the scale and how to shift your focus to taking up space.

The HIIT Girly Phase: Why the "more is better" approach leads to burnout and how to transition to intentional lifting.

Identity Shift: Why building a habit takes 60 days, but building an identity takes years and why most people stop too soon.

The Challenge Gap: Why we stop challenging ourselves as we get older and how to regain the courage to be a beginner again.

Filtering Information Overload: How to put blinders on when social media tells you there is only "one way" to train.

The All-or-Nothing Solution: Practical strategies to win your day even when you can't get all ten things on your to-do list done.

Under-Recovering vs. Overtraining: Why rest and deload weeks are actually the fast track to breaking through plateaus.

If you’ve ever thought:
“It only counts if I’m dripping in sweat and exhausted.”

“I want to be strong, but I’m afraid of taking up too much space.”

“I’m an all-or-nothing person; if I miss one workout, the whole week is ruined.”

“I’ve built the habits, but I still don’t feel like I’ve changed who I am.”

This episode is for you.

Chapters:

00:00 – Stop Trying to Shrink!
01:50 – Leaving the "HIIT Girly" Mindset Behind 
14:27 – Why We Struggle to Be Beginners as Adults 
19:22 – Habit vs. Identity: The Real Timeline for Change 
25:21 – Filtering the "Information Overload" of Social Media 
31:52 – How to Finally Break the All-or-Nothing Cycle 
37:23 – Why Recovery & Deloading Are Non-Negotiable

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