Redefining Strength Podcast

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

If your belly fat hasn’t budged no matter how “disciplined” you are, this isn’t a motivation problem it’s a strategy problem.

If what you were doing actually worked, you wouldn’t still be fighting the same area. The problem is a predictable loop most smart, driven people fall into: Go extreme → burn out → quit → start over with a new version of the same plan.

You don’t lose stubborn fat by trying harder. You lose it by finally using a strategy that matches how your body actually works...one where muscle and macros are key.

In this video, I'll break down the 5 Golden Rules to Lose Belly Fat, look at why belly fat is biologically more stubborn, why it’s usually the last place to change, and gives you the REAL five rules that drive lasting results.

💪 In this training, you’ll learn:

-Why belly fat is scientifically harder to lose (and why it often looks worse before it looks better)
-The 5 Golden Rules that actually drive fat loss without burning you out
-How to use protein, carbs, and fats to lose fat without losing muscle
-Why all-or-nothing thinking is keeping you stuck (Golden Rule #1)
-Why muscle is the real “metabolic advantage” and how to train for it (Golden Rule #4)
-How food quality, fiber, and gut health affect your results
-Why walking daily is one of the most underrated fat-loss tools

This is not a quick fix. It’s the foundation that actually works when you stick to it long enough.

Why You Keep Starting Over (And The Habit System That Actually Works)

If you keep starting over with your workouts, nutrition, or routines and you’re starting to think the problem is your motivation or discipline, this episode will completely change how you think about habits.

Because the truth is: willpower isn’t the problem. Most people are using a habit system that doesn’t match how they’re wired. And when that happens, even the best plan eventually falls apart.

In this episode of the Redefining Strength Podcast I sit down with Gretchen Rubin, one of the world’s leading experts on habits, happiness, and human nature and the New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project, Better Than Before, and The Four Tendencies.

Together, we'll break down:

Why some people need accountability, some need freedom, some need clarity, and why forcing yourself into the wrong system keeps you stuck

The Four Tendencies framework (Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels) and how each type should build habits differently

Why identity can either support your goals or secretly sabotage them

The simple One-Minute Rule that can dramatically reduce mental clutter and build momentum

How to stop blaming yourself and finally build habits that actually stick

If you’ve ever said:
“I’m great for a few weeks and then I fall off.”
“I know what to do, I just can’t stay consistent.”
“I feel like I’m always starting over.”

This episode is for you.