Wits & Weights | Fat Loss, Nutrition, & Strength Training for Lifters

Philip Pape, Evidence-Based Nutrition Coach & Fat Loss Expert

For skeptics of the fitness industry who want to work smarter and more efficiently to build muscle and lose fat. Wits & Weights cuts through the noise and deconstructs health and fitness with an engineering mindset to help you develop a strong, lean physique without wasting time.Nutrition coach Philip Pape explores EFFICIENT strength training, nutrition, and lifestyle strategies to optimize your body composition. Simple, science-based, and sustainable info from an engineer turned lifter (that's why they call him the Physique Engineer).From restrictive fad diets to ineffective workouts and hyped-up supplements, there's no shortage of confusing information out there.Getting in the best shape of your life doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming. By using your WITS (mindset and systems!) and lifting WEIGHTS (efficiently!), you can build muscle, lose stubborn fat, and achieve and maintain your dream physique.We bring you smart and efficient strategies for movement, metabolism, muscle, and mindset. You'll learn:- Why fat loss is more important than weight loss for health and physique- Why all the macros (protein, fats, and yes even carbs) are critical to body composition- Why you don't need to spend more than 3 hours in the gym each week to get incredible results- Why muscle (not weight loss) is the key to medicine, obesity, and longevity- Why age and hormones (even in menopause) don't matter with the right lifestyle- How the "hidden" psychology of your mind can unlock more personal (and physical) growth than you ever thought possible, and how to tap into that mindsetIf you're ready to separate fact from fiction, learn what actually works, and put in the intelligent work, hit that "follow" button and let's engineer your best physique ever!

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Is Personalized Health a Luxury or a Necessity? (Fishbone Diagram) | Ep 381

    Take our free 2-minute Metabolic Quiz and get a 15-page assessment and body recomposition road map  Book your Performance Bloodwork Analysis at witsandweights.com/bloodwork to identify your biggest constraints and get a personalized plan based on your hormone levels and metabolic markers. Podcast listeners get 20% off with code VITALITY20. -- We've been conditioned to think that spending money directly on coaching, guidance, accountability, and taking ownership of our own healthcare is indulgent, while spending on products, equipment, and supplements feels responsible. The average American spends $13,000 annually treating preventable conditions, while personalizing your health might cost $2,000. Learn how an engineering tool called the Fishbone Diagram helps you prioritize where your resources (time, money, effort) should best be spent. Investing in your health isn't selfish. When you have more energy, you show up better for your family. When you're strong and confident, you're more effective at work. When you feel good in your body, you're more present in relationships. Taking care of yourself doesn't take away from others, it's what allows you to give more. Main Takeaways: 5 high-ROI interventions that actually move the needle for personalized healthHow to separate evidence-based health optimization from expensive wellness theaterInvesting in your health isn't selfish, it's foundational for showing up for othersEpisode Mentioned: How Performance Bloodwork Reveals What's Really Blocking Your Fat Loss (Constraint Theory)Timestamps: 0:00 - The personal spending paradox 5:13 - The privilege narrative 8:03 - Wellness "theater" vs. what works 11:50 - What personalized health actually means 17:23 - The real cost of prevention vs. treatment 22:22 - Permission to invest in yourself 23:37 - What is the Fishbone Diagram? 28:34 - 5 high-ROI health interventions 41:03 - Addressing the "selfish investment" mindset 44:29 - Accessibility doesn't mean compromise Support the show 🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🩸 Book a Performance Bloodwork Analysis to find out what's slowing your metabolism, fat loss, and muscle gain - 20% off with VITALITY20 🎓 Lose fat + build muscle in Physique University, now just $27/mo (use code FREEPLAN for a custom nutrition plan when you join) 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support 👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram 📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

    50 min
  2. 3 DAYS AGO

    Drop Belly Fat Without Dieting or Ab Exercises (7 Root Causes and Solutions) | Ep 380

    Book your Performance Bloodwork Analysis at witsandweights.com/bloodwork to identify your biggest constraints and get a personalized plan based on your hormone levels and metabolic markers. Podcast listeners get 20% off with code VITALITY20. Get 20% off Cozy Earth temperature-cooling sheets (with code WITSANDWEIGHTS) at witsandweights.com/cozyearth -- Are you gaining belly fat with age and frustrated that restricting calories and ab exercises aren't working any more (if they ever did)? Discover the 7 root causes of midlife belly fat, most having nothing to do with what you're eating or how you're training.  Understanding these physiological mechanisms helps create targeted solutions that address the real reasons fat is being stored around your midsection rather than simply doing more of the same. Main Takeaways: Root cause #1 tells your body to store fat centrally, even in a calorie deficitRoot cause #2 disrupts hunger hormones and directly raises insulin resistanceRoot cause #3 shifts fat distribution to the abdomen with ageRoot cause #4 promotes belly fat storage, especially liver and visceral fatRoot cause #5 suppresses fat-burning enzymes independent of exerciseRoot cause #6 slows metabolism and favors central fat storageRoot cause #7 suppresses fat oxidation while raising cortisol and lowering testosteroneEpisode Resources: Get 20% off Cozy Earth bamboo-derived sheets (use code WITSANDWEIGHTS) at witsandweights.com/cozyearthGet 20% off a Performance Bloodwork Analysis (use code VITALITY20) at witsandweights.com/bloodworkTimestamps: 0:00 - Why you gain more belly fat with age 5:06 - The 7 root causes 41:13 - Why belly fat responds fastest when you fix the right things 42:17 - How to get deeper answers about the 7 root causes Support the show 🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🩸 Book a Performance Bloodwork Analysis to find out what's slowing your metabolism, fat loss, and muscle gain - 20% off with VITALITY20 🎓 Lose fat + build muscle in Physique University, now just $27/mo (use code FREEPLAN for a custom nutrition plan when you join) 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support 👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram 📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

    44 min
  3. This Former Athlete Ditched Low Carb to Stay Shredded After 40 | Ep 379

    6 DAYS AGO

    This Former Athlete Ditched Low Carb to Stay Shredded After 40 | Ep 379

    Want to build muscle, lose fat, balance hormones, and enjoy life? ⁠⁠⁠Join Physique University and get a FREE custom nutrition plan using code FREEPLAN. Go to witsandweights.com/physique — Think you’re too old to transform your body? Brian Kopka proves otherwise. At 46, Brian, a medical professional and former athlete, was stuck in the low-carb trap, feeling drained and frustrated. Six months later, he’s stronger, leaner, and more energized than ever.  Brian joins me today to share how reintroducing carbs supercharged his workouts, why logging every rep reignited progress, and how coaching gave him the push he didn’t know he needed. We also talk openly about the struggles men rarely admit: scale obsession, restrictive eating, and the mental toll of chasing fitness alone. Today, you’ll learn all about: 3:07 - Why Brian hired a coach 6:09 - Tracking workouts and progressive overload 8:08 - How carbs transformed performance 15:12 - Using data to cut through fitness myths 18:43 - The truth about aging and decline 25:00 - Coaching as an accelerator for growth Episode resources: Brian’s email: mdkicker17 [at] yahoo.com Support the show 🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🩸 Book a Performance Bloodwork Analysis to find out what's slowing your metabolism, fat loss, and muscle gain - 20% off with VITALITY20 🎓 Lose fat + build muscle in Physique University, now just $27/mo (use code FREEPLAN for a custom nutrition plan when you join) 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support 👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram 📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

    47 min
  4. 24 SEPT

    How Performance Bloodwork Reveals What's Really Blocking Your Fat Loss (Constraint Theory) | Ep 378

    Get your Performance Bloodwork Analysis - Use code VITALITY20 for 20% off and discover what's really constraining your progress at witsandweights.com/bloodwork -- Stop guessing what's holding back your metabolism, fat loss, or muscle gains. Learn how to use performance bloodwork analysis to identify your body's biggest constraint and fix it using the engineering principle of Constraint Theory. Main Takeaways: Your body is an engineering system limited by its weakest linkPerformance bloodwork uses optimal ranges (not just "normal" disease-prevention ranges) to identify constraintsPattern recognition reveals hidden issues that standard bloodwork misses (like being both inflamed and dehydrated)Max impact interventions can improve 5-7 biomarkers at once instead of chasing individual symptomsThe most efficient improvement comes from using a feedback loop to identify your constraintsEpisode Resources: Performance Bloodwork Analysis - Code VITALITY20 for 20% off at witsandweights.com/bloodworkTimestamps: 0:00 - The hidden constraint blocking your progress 2:08 - Introduction to Performance Bloodwork Analysis 2:55 - Your body as an engineering system (Constraint Theory) 7:25 - Performance vs. "normal" lab ranges 11:06 - Pattern recognition and hidden constraints missed by standard bloodwork 13:25 - How Performance Bloodwork Analysis works 16:53 - Max impact interventions and the engineering feedback loop 20:31 - Real-world application examples (fat loss, muscle growth, recovery) 29:06 - Why most people chase symptoms in circles 31:42 - Your body is a system to be optimized, not a mystery Support the show 🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🩸 Book a Performance Bloodwork Analysis to find out what's slowing your metabolism, fat loss, and muscle gain - 20% off with VITALITY20 🎓 Join Physique University for just $27 + get a FREE 6-month nutrition plan: bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support 👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram 📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

    37 min
  5. 22 SEPT

    Lose Fat Faster with THIS One Thing (Hint: It's Not Cardio or Eating Less) | Ep 377

    Get Cozy Earth temperature-cooling sheets and use code WITSANDWEIGHTS for 20% off: witsandweights.com/cozyearth -- Tracking every calorie, hitting your workouts consistently, staying in that deficit... but the scale isn't budging? Your energy is tanking and you're obsessing about food despite all your effort? This ONE thing is the often-overlooked catalyst that determines whether you can lose fat efficiently with good energy and minimal cravings, or find yourself stuck in a miserable cycle of extremely low calories and poor results. It's... recovery! Rest and recovery acts as your body's operating system, controlling whether you can lose fat eating plenty of calories with good energy, or get stuck at very low calories feeling miserable with terrible biofeedback. Main Takeaways: Recovery determines how much you can eat while still losing fat consistently by supporting higher energy expenditureSleep restriction can reduce fat loss by 55% compared to adequate sleep in the same caloric deficitChronic stress elevates cortisol, promoting visceral fat storage and water retention that masks progressPoor recovery creates a downward spiral: decreased performance → lower calorie burn → harsher deficits → worse recoveryStrategic recovery practices support higher NEAT, better training performance, and optimal metabolic functionEpisode Resources: Adaptive Cardio Workshop Replay at live.witsandweights.com/replaySubmit a question for the podcast (and get a personal reply plus a shoutout). Just go to witsandweights.com/questionTimestamps: 0:00 - Why your deficit isn't working 3:29 - Why traditional weight loss approaches fail 7:41 - The master controller of fat loss efficiency 11:53 - The #1 saboteur of fat loss even in a reasonable deficit 16:04 - Recovery-performance feedback loop 19:33 - Autonomic nervous system and measurable recovery markers 22:29 - Metabolic adaptation and why recovery acts as a buffer 23:45 - How recovery creates an upward spiral 26:42 - Recovery is NOT the opposite of intensity Support the show 🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🩸 Book a Performance Bloodwork Analysis to find out what's slowing your metabolism, fat loss, and muscle gain - 20% off with VITALITY20 🎓 Join Physique University for just $27 + get a FREE 6-month nutrition plan: bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support 👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram 📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

    28 min
  6. 21 SEPT · BONUS

    Is THIS the Perfect Fitness App? | Bonus

    If you could design the perfect fitness app, what would it do? Let me know at witsandweights.com/question -- What if a fitness app could actually think like a human coach? Not just track your activities, but understand them, analyze them, and make intelligent adjustments in real-time? That's exactly what I'm designing: an AI-driven fitness coach in your pocket built on the Wits & Weights philosophy of personalized, sustainable body recomposition, built on sound principles of evidence, physique engineering, and experience. It will adapt dynamically to your training, nutrition, lifestyle, and biofeedback as you take action and make progress. It will motivate you and provide accountability. It will "close the loop" between what you do and the results you're seeing. The tentative launch timeline is this November 2025! And I need your help. What would the PERFECT fitness app do? I want to hear YOUR ideas! Go to witsandweights.com/question and let me know. Everyone who submits a question will be added to a special list and get a bonus when the app launches. Support the show 🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🩸 Book a Performance Bloodwork Analysis to find out what's slowing your metabolism, fat loss, and muscle gain - 20% off with VITALITY20 🎓 Join Physique University for just $27 + get a FREE 6-month nutrition plan: bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support 👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram 📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

    4 min
  7. How He Lost 340 Pounds with Lifting, Walking (No Cardio), & GLP-1 (Jamie Selzler) | Ep 376

    19 SEPT

    How He Lost 340 Pounds with Lifting, Walking (No Cardio), & GLP-1 (Jamie Selzler) | Ep 376

    Want to build muscle, lose fat, and train smarter? ⁠⁠⁠Join the new Physique University for just $27/month⁠⁠⁠ and get a FREE custom nutrition plan using this special link. — Can you really lose 340 pounds without surgery? What if the secret isn’t dieting harder, but thinking differently? I am joined by Jamie Selzler, who completely transformed his body and life using three tools: GLP-1 medication, walking, and lifting weights, and four simple rules that kept him consistent when motivation ran out.  Jamie reveals how he went from struggling to walk 20 feet to seeking out movement every day, why food noise nearly controlled his life, and how self-respect changed everything. Whether you want to lose 20 pounds or 200, Jamie’s story proves it can be done without extremes. Today, you’ll learn all about: 3:06 – From avoiding movement to seeking it 6:07 – Facing mortality and fear of dying young 10:15 – Confidence versus true self-respect 14:25 – Keeping promises to yourself daily 18:03 – Food noise, GLP-1s, and relief 29:47 – Loose skin, body comp, and lifting 40:34 – Jamie’s four rules for sustainability 59:01 – Why lasting change takes years Episode resources: Website: jamieselzler.com Instagram: @jselzler Facebook Group: Jamie’s Wellness CircleTiktok: @jamselz Youtube: @jselzler Support the show 🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🩸 Book a Performance Bloodwork Analysis to find out what's slowing your metabolism, fat loss, and muscle gain - 20% off with VITALITY20 🎓 Join Physique University for just $27 + get a FREE 6-month nutrition plan: bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support 👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram 📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

    1h 7m
  8. 17 SEPT

    3 Sleep Fixes to Improve Fat Loss and Recovery | Ep 375

    Try my favorite sheets from Cozy Earth and get 20% off with code WITSANDWEIGHTS. Cozy Earth sheets are made with viscose from bamboo that wicks away heat and sweat to keep you cooler for deeper sleep and better recovery. Go to witsandweights.com/cozyearth -- Sleep isn't just about feeling rested. It's a foundation that amplifies everything else you're doing for your physique goals, from optimizing fat loss and recovery to enhancing cognitive performance. Learn 3 system-level sleep fixes that address root causes instead of just symptoms for deeper, more restful sleep and recovery. Episode Resources: Get Cozy Earth temperature-regulating sheets (20% with code WITSANDWEIGHTS) at witsandweights.com/cozyearthDownload the Better Sleep, Better Body GuideTimestamps: 0:00 - Why is sleep so important for fat loss, muscle gain, and recovery? 3:37 - Sleep fix #1 (training schedule) 7:48 - Sleep fix #2 (body temperature) 12:04 - Sleep fix #3 (weekends) 14:56 - 2 bonus sleep hacks Support the show 🔥 Take our 2-minute Metabolic Quiz to find out what's stalling your metabolism... and get a personalized roadmap to sustainable fat loss 🩸 Book a Performance Bloodwork Analysis to find out what's slowing your metabolism, fat loss, and muscle gain - 20% off with VITALITY20 🎓 Join Physique University for just $27 + get a FREE 6-month nutrition plan: bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan 👥 Join our Facebook community for Q&As & support 👋 Ask a question or find me on Instagram 📱 Try MacroFactor 2 weeks free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS (my favorite nutrition app)

    20 min

Trailer

4.6
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

For skeptics of the fitness industry who want to work smarter and more efficiently to build muscle and lose fat. Wits & Weights cuts through the noise and deconstructs health and fitness with an engineering mindset to help you develop a strong, lean physique without wasting time.Nutrition coach Philip Pape explores EFFICIENT strength training, nutrition, and lifestyle strategies to optimize your body composition. Simple, science-based, and sustainable info from an engineer turned lifter (that's why they call him the Physique Engineer).From restrictive fad diets to ineffective workouts and hyped-up supplements, there's no shortage of confusing information out there.Getting in the best shape of your life doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming. By using your WITS (mindset and systems!) and lifting WEIGHTS (efficiently!), you can build muscle, lose stubborn fat, and achieve and maintain your dream physique.We bring you smart and efficient strategies for movement, metabolism, muscle, and mindset. You'll learn:- Why fat loss is more important than weight loss for health and physique- Why all the macros (protein, fats, and yes even carbs) are critical to body composition- Why you don't need to spend more than 3 hours in the gym each week to get incredible results- Why muscle (not weight loss) is the key to medicine, obesity, and longevity- Why age and hormones (even in menopause) don't matter with the right lifestyle- How the "hidden" psychology of your mind can unlock more personal (and physical) growth than you ever thought possible, and how to tap into that mindsetIf you're ready to separate fact from fiction, learn what actually works, and put in the intelligent work, hit that "follow" button and let's engineer your best physique ever!

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