Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher explore how strength training is more than just a workout—it's a lifelong investment in your health, mobility, and resilience. You'll learn why proactive strength training can act as your body's insurance policy, how to recover faster after an injury, and the surprising science behind strength training through pregnancy. Amy and Dr. Fisher start by explaining why strength training is like an investment for your future health: Build strength reserves now to maintai...
Jan 21, 2025•13 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher chat with Dr. Wayne Westcott, an accomplished international authority in health, fitness and aging. He's the author of over 25 fitness books and the go-to expert and deep source of knowledge for maintaining strength at any age. They discuss how strength training not only combats muscle and bone loss but also helps prevent obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic conditions. Tune in to hear how you can age gracefully and improve your overall health by focusing o...
Jan 14, 2025•42 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher explore the science, strategies, and mindset shifts needed to set meaningful goals and build sustainable habits. From understanding what health truly means to leveraging neuroplasticity and dopamine to stay motivated, they share actionable insights that can help you take charge of your well-being and make the upcoming year your healthiest yet. Amy and Dr. Fisher start by exploring what health truly means and why it's essential to consider multiple areas of well-be...
Jan 07, 2025•28 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher dive into the best resistance training exercises for seniors, offering insights into how these exercises improve strength, mobility, and independence. You'll learn why resistance training is essential for healthy aging, how to tailor exercises to individual needs, and practical tips to start or improve your fitness journey. This episode is perfect for anyone ready to embrace a stronger, healthier future! Amy and Dr. Fisher start by explaining why strength training...
Dec 31, 2024•29 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Amy Hudson, Brian Cygan, and Dr. James Fisher answer all your burning questions about health, fitness, and strength training. They cover the best way to warm-up before strength training, eating before or after a workout, and why you should prioritize strength training over cardiovascular exercises. Amy, Brian, and James discuss how becoming stronger can improve all aspects of your life. Question 1 - To warm-up or not to warm-up? Dr. Fisher explains that there is no evidence to support any need f...
Dec 24, 2024•41 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Welcome to Season 2 of the Strength Changes Everything! In this kickoff pisode, Amy Hudson, Brian Cygan, and Dr. James Fisher dive into the science of strength training and how it can help optimize your health, wellness, and longevity. Expect to hear the latest science, practical tips, and inspiring stories to help you build strength, optimize health, and redefine what's possible at any age. Amy, Brian, and James start the conversation by discussing the relaunch of Strength Changes Everything. T...
Dec 17, 2024•41 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about myths involving fitness... Brian and Amy explore a couple of articles talking about the impacts of weight loss vs. exercise on longevity, and discuss the myths surrounding losing weight and achieving optimal physical health. Learn why focusing on losing weight is the wrong goal, and why a proper strength training program is the best way to maintain fitness as we age. There is a ton of information regarding health and fitness out there...
Dec 11, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 212
Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about dose-response and what it means for your fitness... Learn how a little-known principle in exercise determines whether you get the fitness results you are looking for, or you just spend some time moving weights up and down at the gym. Find out why the dose-response to exercise is what you should really be paying attention to, and how it can guide you to easier fitness gains in a shorter amount of time. More exercise is not necessarily ...
Dec 04, 2024•12 min•Season 1Ep. 211
Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about how strength training should complement dieting for weight loss... Dr. James Fisher answers the question "Why does muscle really matter for weight loss?" Find out why muscle mass should be a vital component of your weight loss strategy and why dieting without strength training is a recipe for long term disaster for your body. There is a direct connection between your body's muscle mass and its metabolic effectiveness, the ability to l...
Nov 27, 2024•9 min•Season 1Ep. 210
Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about effective exercise for your lower back and what can surprisingly make lower back pain worse... In part two of the interview with Dr. James Fisher, we explore what it takes to actually strengthen the lower back and why exercises like the deadlift are not effective in targeting your lower back muscles. Find out how some people can experience significant lower back strength gain in as little as ten weeks with only 15 total minutes of mus...
Nov 20, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 209
Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about solving the problems causing lower back pain... Brian Cygan and Dr. James Fisher discuss the origins of lower back pain and why the vast majority of Americans will experience some form of lower back pain in their lives. Learn about the root cause of lower back pain and why most treatments only deal with the symptoms and the pain instead of solving the problem, which often leads to even worse issues down the road. Fisher is an academic...
Nov 13, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 208
Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about the importance of muscle burn... Amy Hudson and Brian Cygan explain why that feeling of your muscles burning is exactly what you want to feel every time you go to the gym. Learn why muscle burn is one of the best indications that you're exercising at the right intensity and without it, you won't get the fitness results you're looking for. The intensity of an exercise is crucial to achieving the fitness results you want, and the feelin...
Nov 06, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 207
Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about life-changing advice and details about pre-diabetes... Amy and Brian break down the science behind pre-diabetes and how strength training is the most efficient and effective way to escape the negative feedback loop of insulin resistance, systemic inflammation, and weight gain. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed as pre-diabetic, this information could change your life. Approximately 1 in 3 Americans are pre-diabetic, which i...
Oct 30, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 206
Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about the Exercise Coach's strong business model... Amy and Jesse Hudson explore the reasons the Exercise Coach saw phenomenal growth over the past 18 months while other fitness brands struggled to stay open. Learn about the key differences in the business model that make the Exercise Coach a great franchise to open, and why the community of franchisees that support one another is the secret ingredient to franchise success. Jesse is the Nat...
Oct 23, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 205
Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about misconceptions about machines and if free weights or machines are better... Amy and Brian settle the age-old debate of which one is better: free weights or machines? Learn about some common misconceptions about machines that prevent people from getting the fitness results they want in the timeframe they want, and why free weights can lead to reduced strength gains and a higher risk of injury. Spoiler alert: You're not going to find an...
Oct 16, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 204
Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about how you can use more effort in less time... Amy and Brian go into the science behind eccentric overload and why this little-understood movement is responsible for the incredible gains in strength Exercise Coach clients experience in their first six sessions. Find out what eccentric overload is and how to optimize your exercise so you can use more effort in less time, and see greater results. Eccentric training is well understood by re...
Oct 09, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 203
Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about the science and principles behind strength training... Brian and Amy explore the scientific research that shows that strength training is the ultimate exercise for combatting the aging process, getting into the best shape of your life, and how those principles are applied to every workout session at the Exercise Coach. Over the past few months, Brian has been working on the Strength Changes Everything Scientific Support Paper. It has ...
Oct 02, 2024•12 min•Season 1Ep. 202
Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about the benefits of strength training in a fun manner... In the midst of preparing for the upcoming National Exercise Coach Conference, Brian and Amy play a game of trying to name as many benefits of strength as they possibly can without repeating themselves. As you would expect of something as important to your long-term health and performance as strength training, the ensuing list is ridiculously long and comprehensive. With the Nationa...
Sep 25, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 201
Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about what is accepted versus what is truth... In part 2 of this interview, Brian Cygan and Dr. James Fisher discuss the science of strength and why the accepted wisdom of exercise may actually be causing more harm than good. Learn how many exercises you really need during a session, why "cardio" exercises aren't necessary if you use the right level of effort, and how to keep yourself from getting injured by reducing the range of motion whi...
Sep 18, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 200
Join us for this replay from the archives to learn more about the science of strength and how it may affect your fitness plans and goals... Brian Cygan and Dr. James Fisher break down the science of strength and discuss what the proper level of resistance during training is, the threshold for the effort that you need to achieve to see results, and why some exercises are best avoided if you want to see optimal fitness benefits. Fisher is an exercise scientist in the UK and was a personal trainer ...
Sep 11, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 199
Join us for this replay from the archives and learn more about why supervision is key to effective workouts... When it comes to fitness results, the key to rapid, positive changes is having a coach who can give you the accountability and motivation you need to work harder and more effectively while still being safe. Brian Cygan and Amy Hudson discuss why supervision is the key to effective strength training, and how when that's combined with the digital feedback at the Exercise Coach, you can ac...
Sep 04, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 198
Join us for this replay from the archives and learn more about isolation vs compound exercises... Amy and Brian explore the question "Should you pre-exhaust your muscles with isolation exercises before taking on compound movements?" Find out why the idea of the pre-exhaustion sequence is actually hurting your fitness progress and why putting compound exercises at the very beginning of your exercise program is the key to getting the most results in the shortest amount of time. Pre-exhaustion is t...
Aug 28, 2024•7 min•Season 1Ep. 197
Join us for this replay from the archives and learn more about the right movements and how they may give you more time... Discover the secret to amplifying your total-body fitness results while also spending less time at the gym. Find out why multi-joint movements can have a serious positive impact on your strength and physical fitness while taking less time to perform, as well as which exercise is the most effective movement in The Exercise Coach program. The aim of The Exercise Coach is to des...
Aug 21, 2024•11 min•Season 1Ep. 196
Join us for this replay from the archives and learn the truth about stretching before and after exercise... Before you jump into your next exercise session, learn why what you've been told about stretching is completely wrong and how it can actually increase the odds of you getting injured. Brian and Amy explore some common myths regarding stretching before and after exercise and discuss whether or not stretching is a necessary component of strength training. Do you need to stretch before you wo...
Aug 14, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 195
Join us for this replay from the archives and learn more about oxygen intake and masks... Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a lot of talk about whether or not wearing a mask during exercise is a safe thing to do. Amy and Brian breakdown the studies and science behind wearing a mask and oxygen intake, and reveal why The Exercise Coach program makes wearing a mask a minor detail in the pursuit of fitness results. Covid has made wearing a mask much more common but a lot of people ...
Aug 07, 2024•12 min•Season 1Ep. 194
Join us for this replay from the archives and learn more about how smart scales can be important to your fitness journey... Brian and Amy discuss the pros and cons of a smart scale and how using one properly can help you stay motivated and on track to hit your fitness goals. You will also learn how to avoid one of the most common mistakes people make with a smart scale that can derail them in the first few weeks of their fitness journey. What is a smart scale and how are they different? The majo...
Jul 31, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 193
Join us for this replay from the archives and learn more about how strength training can help people with osteoporosis... Learn why strength training is the foundation to rebuilding bone strength and bone density and why osteoporosis isn't a permanent sentence. Amy and Brian break down the research around bone density and strength training, what exercises you should do to strengthen the most vulnerable parts of your body, and what exercises you should avoid completely. Many people are recommende...
Jul 24, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 192
Join us for this replay from the archives and learn more about the optimal amount of exercise... One of the most common questions we get at the Exercise Coach is "Is exercising twice a week really often enough?" Listen in as Brian Cygan and Amy Hudson explore why whole effort exercise twice a week is not only enough, it's the optimal amount you need to achieve the best fitness results for your body in the shortest amount of time possible. Exercising twice a week is more than enough. In fact, exe...
Jul 17, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 191
Join us for this replay from the archives and learn more about muscle vs fat while on the road to improved health... Brian Cygan and Amy Hudson break down the age-old question of whether muscle really weighs more than fat and why the number on the scale can be very misleading when you're trying to improve your health and fitness. When many people start a strength training program, they look at their body composition and may wonder whether muscle is heavier than fat. The accurate answer is that m...
Jul 10, 2024•7 min•Season 1Ep. 190
Join us for this replay from the archives and learn more about the benefits of doing the right workout... Amy Hudson and Brian Cygan reveal the truth behind the fitness industry and why you don't need to spend hours at the gym every week in order to stay fit and healthy. Learn the science behind the 20-minute workout and how you can achieve optimal health benefits by doing the right workout, for the right length of time, just twice a week. Is 20 minutes long enough to have a great workout? Simpl...
Jul 03, 2024•9 min•Season 1Ep. 189
