The Weekly Riff with Louise Green

Louise Green
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Fitness

The Weekly Riff cuts through fitness culture’s noise with real talk from Louise Green — award-winning coach, author, and size-inclusive fitness trailblazer redefining what strength looks like. In a world where most fitness spaces still exclude, this podcast offers something rare: a space that honours all bodies and holds the belief that your body is fully capable of strength, power, and performance — through every season of life, including midlife and menopause. Each 20-minute episode dives into strength training, body image, mindset, and the deeper layers of showing up for yourself — without the toxic pressure to shrink, conform, or apologize. Louise blends expert insight, lived experience, and raw honesty to explore how we can all train for strength and self-respect, not validation. Expect conversations that challenge stereotypes, dismantle diet culture, and invite you to rise — as you are, right now. 🎧 Tune in weekly for unfiltered, empowering riffs on what it really means to be strong — in body, mind, and culture.

  1. 5d ago

    Episode 24 - Fitness is a Feminist Issue

    Fitness does not exist in a vacuum. Women arrive at movement carrying decades of messaging about beauty, body size, aging, worth, and what it means to take up space in the world. In this episode, Louise Green explores why fitness is a feminist issue, examining the historical, cultural, and economic forces that have shaped women's relationships with their bodies. From Victorian ideals of fragility to modern wellness culture, she unpacks how women have been encouraged to shrink, consume less, and view their bodies as lifelong improvement projects. Louise offers a different vision of fitness—one rooted in strength, autonomy, self-trust, and participation—while sharing practical ways to recognize these influences and build a relationship with movement that supports a bigger, fuller life. Key Topics Defining feminism beyond politics and common misconceptionsWhy fitness is a feminist issueThe historical regulation of women's bodiesFrom fragility to fitness culture: changing ideals of womanhoodThe influence of beauty standards, media, and marketingHow women continue to be valued differently than menThe economics of insecurity and the business of dissatisfactionReclaiming fitness as a tool for strength, confidence, and autonomyPractical ways to challenge inherited beliefs about bodies and worthBuilding a relationship with movement that expands life rather than narrows itLink to Jennifer Livingstone's Article (the news anchor bullied by a viewer).  Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong

    21 min

  2. Jun 28

    Episode 23 - Strength is Political: Why Women's Strength Matters More than Ever

    For decades, women have been encouraged to become smaller, quieter, lighter, and less demanding. We have been sold exercise programs designed to burn calories, shrink our bodies, and keep us focused on appearance rather than capability. But what if strength is about far more than fitness? In this episode, Louise Green explores strength as a political act and argues that women's physical strength has implications far beyond the gym. From the rise of aerobics culture to today's obsession with thinness, she examines how generations of women have been conditioned to pursue less of themselves rather than more. Louise discusses why strength training is one of the most powerful tools women have for reclaiming agency, confidence, and autonomy in midlife and beyond. She explores the connection between physical strength, self-efficacy, leadership, boundary setting, resilience, and longevity, while challenging the cultural narratives that have encouraged women to stay small. This conversation dives into the science, history, and social implications of strength, revealing why lifting weights may be one of the most radical investments women can make in themselves. In this episode: • Why strength is the foundation upon which confidence, courage, and empowerment are built • How women have historically been conditioned toward thinness rather than capability • The fitness industry's role in reinforcing body ideals and disconnection from strength • The relationship between resistance training, self-efficacy, and decision-making • Why stronger women often report greater confidence, clearer boundaries, and increased agency • The evidence linking strength training to improved healthspan, independence, and longevity • Why building strength in midlife is an act of resistance against ageism and diet culture Key Takeaways Strength is not vanity. It is capacity. Strength is not simply about muscle. It is about freedom, resilience, autonomy, and possibility. You cannot outsource strength, borrow it, or fake it. You earn it through repetition, discomfort, and persistence. The strongest investment a woman can make may not be in becoming smaller, but in becoming more capable. Memorable Quotes "Strength is the foundation of everything else." "Women have spent generations learning how to take up less space. Strength teaches us how to take up more." "Stronger women make different decisions because they trust themselves differently." "Strength is not just physical. It changes how you move through the world." Chapters 00:00 – Why Strength Is Political 02:25 – The Cultural Conditioning of Women to Stay Small 09:06 – The History of Women's Fitness and Strength Training 16:23 – Diet Culture's Impact on Women's Relationship With Strength 21:57 – Strength, Healthspan, and Longevity 24:48 – Building Strength as an Act of Self-Investment and Resistance Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong

    26 min

  3. Jun 21

    Episode 22: The Identities We Outgrow: Who Are You Becoming?

    Who you are today is not who you'll be a year from now. We are always evolving.  In this week's Riff, Louise explores one of the most powerful, and often uncomfortable, parts of personal growth: identity change. Inspired by the ideas in Atomic Habits by James Clear and her own experiences navigating major life transitions, Louise examines what happens when the identities we've carried no longer fit the lives we're trying to build. Many of us become attached to old stories about who we are: the athlete, the people-pleaser, the caretaker, the "big person," the successful professional, the parent with a busy household. But life moves in seasons. Relationships change. Bodies change. Priorities shift. And sometimes growth requires us to release identities that once served us so we can step into new ones. In this episode, Louise explores why lasting change isn't about setting better goals, it's about becoming the kind of person who naturally lives those behaviours. She discusses how habits reinforce identity, why confidence follows action, and how small daily choices become evidence for the person you're becoming. Whether you're rebuilding after loss, navigating midlife, changing careers, strengthening your relationship with movement, or simply feeling the pull toward something new, this conversation is an invitation to stop asking, "Who am I?" and start asking, "Who am I becoming?" In this episode:  Why identity is the foundation of lasting behavior change  How habits provide evidence for who we believe ourselves to be  The identities we inherit versus the identities we intentionally choose  Why growth often requires grieving former versions of ourselves  How fear keeps us attached to familiar identities  The connection between action, confidence, and self-belief  Practical ways to begin building the identity you want to embodyLouise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong

    30 min

  4. Jun 20

    Episode 21: Getting Off the Bench: Finding the Courage Before You Are "Ready"

    How many opportunities, dreams, adventures, conversations, careers, relationships, and goals have been left sitting on the bench while we wait to feel ready? In this episode, Louise shares a lesson that has shaped some of her biggest moments of her life: confidence doesn't come before action, it comes because of action. Whether it's signing up for a race, applying for the job, starting the business, joining the gym, ending the relationship, writing the book, or stepping onto a competition platform, most of us spend far too much time waiting for certainty. We tell ourselves we'll do it when we're more confident, more prepared, more experienced, or less afraid. But that's not how growth works. In this conversation, Louise explores why discomfort is a normal part of growth, what neuroscience tells us about building confidence, and how every small act of courage expands our sense of what's possible. You'll learn why waiting to feel ready can keep you stuck, how action rewires the brain, and why the people we admire most aren't necessarily braver than us they've simply practiced taking the next step. In This Episode: Why confidence is a result of action, not a prerequisiteThe neuroscience of fear, uncertainty, and growthHow avoiding discomfort shrinks our worldWhy courage and confidence are built through repetitionLessons from competition, performance, and putting yourself out thereThe hidden cost of waiting for the "perfect" momentHow taking one small step can change the trajectory of your lifeA simple challenge to help you get off the bench this weekLouise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong

    21 min

  5. May 24

    Episode 20 - Before We Debate Heavy Weights, We Need To Talk About Access

    This week on The Weekly Riff, Louise Green dives into one of the biggest debates currently happening in women’s fitness: should women over 40 be lifting heavy weights, or can lighter weights with higher reps deliver the same benefits? Inspired by the ongoing conversation between leading experts Dr. Stacy Sims and Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, this episode explores the science behind strength training, muscle growth, menopause, aging, and performance while cutting through the noise that often leaves women feeling overwhelmed and confused. But this conversation goes far beyond reps and sets. Louise challenges the fitness industry to confront a larger issue that rarely gets enough attention: millions of women are not struggling with optimization, they are struggling with consistency, confidence, and access. In a culture where many women feel judged, excluded, intimidated, or unsupported in fitness spaces, the “perfect” workout program becomes irrelevant if people cannot sustain movement long term. Inside this episode, Louise breaks down: • Heavy lifting versus lighter weights  • Menopause and resistance training  • Muscle hypertrophy and aging  • Bone density and fast twitch muscle preservation  • Progressive overload explained simply  • Accessibility and inclusivity in fitness culture  • Motivation, consistency, and long term adherence  • Redefining what “successful” fitness looks like for women over 40 Keywords Women’s fitness, menopause fitness, strength training for women over 40, heavy lifting, high reps, muscle growth, hypertrophy, healthy aging, bone density, progressive overload, fitness accessibility, inclusive fitness, resistance training, midlife health, women’s health, longevity, exercise adherence, gym culture, confidence in fitness Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong

    23 min

  6. May 17

    Episode 19: When the Numbers Start Running the Show: How Fitness Metrics Can Quietly Hijack Your Motivation

    In this week’s episode of The Weekly Riff, Louise Green explores the complicated relationship many people have with numbers in fitness and how metrics can quietly shift from being helpful tools into emotional scorecards. After experiencing frustration in her own training week, Louise reflects on how quickly performance numbers can impact mindset, confidence, and motivation. From scales and calories to lifting stats and clothing sizes, fitness culture has conditioned many of us to attach meaning and self worth to data, often at the expense of building a sustainable relationship with movement. Louise discusses why some people thrive with metrics while others become discouraged, obsessive, or emotionally derailed by them. She also explores how stress, sleep, hormones, aging, recovery, and mental health all influence performance, reminding listeners that bodies are not machines and progress is rarely linear. This episode is a conversation about learning how to use numbers as information rather than identity and why emotional resilience may be one of the most important skills in long term fitness. In This Episode • Why numbers can become psychological quit points in fitness  • The emotional impact of scales, lifting stats, calories, and tracking  • How fitness culture conditions us to equate performance with worth  • Why performance fluctuations are a normal part of being human  • Different fitness personality types and how some people respond better to metrics than others  • The importance of separating self worth from performance outcomes  • How to build a more sustainable and compassionate relationship with movement Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong

    26 min

  7. May 11

    Episode 18 - Fitness Justice: Why Fitness Still Fails So Many People

    In this powerful episode of The Weekly Riff, Louise Green opens up about the book she has been trying to write for years: Fitness Justice. This conversation goes far beyond exercise. Louise unpacks the systemic bias, cultural conditioning, and exclusion deeply embedded within fitness culture and explores why so many people, especially those in larger bodies, feel alienated from movement spaces that are supposedly designed to support health. From weight stigma in healthcare to toxic fitness messaging, inaccessible gym environments, and the psychological impact of never seeing yourself represented in fitness media, Louise examines the hidden inequities shaping our relationship with movement. This is not a conversation about motivation. It’s a conversation about belonging. Louise also challenges the deeply ingrained belief that people in larger bodies simply “lack discipline,” revealing how shame, humiliation, and exclusion directly impact exercise participation, mental health, and long-term wellbeing. But this episode is not about hopelessness. It’s about rebuilding fitness culture into something more humane, inclusive, and accessible for everyone. This episode explores: • The hidden psychological impact of exclusion in fitness spaces • Why weight stigma reduces movement participation • How healthcare bias impacts people in larger bodies • The damaging legacy of shame-based fitness culture • Why representation in fitness media matters • The connection between belonging and exercise consistency • The pressure women face to shrink, optimize, and control their bodies • Why “lazy” is often a misunderstanding of trauma, shame, and exclusion • The difference between performative inclusion and true accessibility • How fitness culture can evolve toward dignity, safety, and equity Sound Bites “Most people don’t hate movement. They hate humiliation.” “We are demanding participation from people while refusing to build systems that support participation.” “Fitness culture has normalized body surveillance.” “When people don’t feel represented, they stop believing they belong.” “Movement should not require humiliation as the price of admission.” Chapters 00:00 – Why Louise Is Finally Writing Fitness Justice 03:12 – The Contradiction at the Heart of Fitness Culture 06:45 – Weight Stigma, Shame, and Exercise Avoidance 10:20 – How Fitness Media Shaped Body Image 13:40 – Why Women Feel Exhausted by Fitness Culture 16:18 – Medical Weight Bias and Healthcare Harm 19:22 – Accessibility, Representation, and Belonging 22:35 – Why Most People Don’t Actually Hate Exercise 24:50 – Rebuilding Fitness Culture Through Justice and Inclusion Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong

    27 min

  8. May 3

    Episode 17 - Why Barbell Training Changes Everything for Women of All Sizes

    Barbell training is one of the most misunderstood tools in fitness, especially for women and especially for women in larger bodies. In this episode, I break down why the barbell is not just for elite athletes or smaller bodies, but one of the most effective, empowering ways to build real strength at any size. We talk about what actually happens in the body when you lift heavy, why larger bodies often have untapped strength potential, and why strength sports like powerlifting and Olympic lifting are some of the most diverse spaces in fitness. This is a conversation about shifting the goalpost from aesthetics to performance, and finally giving women permission to take up space, get strong, and redefine what being an athlete looks like. What You’ll Learn  Why barbell training is more effective than dumbbells for building full body strength  How larger bodies can have real mechanical and physiological advantages in lifting  The difference between powerlifting and Olympic lifting, and where to start  Why strength sports are more diverse than most areas of fitness  What it actually means to train for performance instead of appearance Key Takeaways  Strength is not size dependent, but size can influence force production  The barbell allows for progressive overload in a way most tools cannot  There is no single “athletic body”  Women of all sizes belong in strength spaces  Performance based training shifts your relationship with your body in a powerful way Chapters 00:00 Introduction and why this conversation matters  00:25 The biggest myths about barbell training  01:19 What strength sports actually look like today  02:22 Why body diversity shows up in lifting  02:52 The advantage conversation no one is having  03:46 Types of barbell training explained  06:55 Foundational lifts and how to approach them  08:55 Safety, confidence, and getting started  09:25 Barbells vs dumbbells and why it matters  10:21 The science of strength and body mass  11:18 Force production and how bodies generate power  12:01 Fairness and diversity in strength sports  13:23 Redefining the word “athlete”  14:13 Getting started without intimidation  15:06 What strength does for your identity  15:34 Closing thoughts on freedom and strength Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong

    15 min
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The Weekly Riff cuts through fitness culture’s noise with real talk from Louise Green — award-winning coach, author, and size-inclusive fitness trailblazer redefining what strength looks like. In a world where most fitness spaces still exclude, this podcast offers something rare: a space that honours all bodies and holds the belief that your body is fully capable of strength, power, and performance — through every season of life, including midlife and menopause. Each 20-minute episode dives into strength training, body image, mindset, and the deeper layers of showing up for yourself — without the toxic pressure to shrink, conform, or apologize. Louise blends expert insight, lived experience, and raw honesty to explore how we can all train for strength and self-respect, not validation. Expect conversations that challenge stereotypes, dismantle diet culture, and invite you to rise — as you are, right now. 🎧 Tune in weekly for unfiltered, empowering riffs on what it really means to be strong — in body, mind, and culture.

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