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. FEB 22

    Episode 8 - The Empowered Mindset: From Doubt and Restarting to Decision, Authority and Consistency

    Send a text Summary In this conversation, Louise Green explores the themes of empowerment and disempowerment, particularly in the context of fitness and personal growth. She discusses how identity plays a crucial role in shaping our mindset and actions, emphasizing the importance of shifting from a disempowered identity to an empowered one. Louise highlights the significance of curiosity, consistency, and the need to celebrate small wins as part of the journey towards empowerment. She encourages listeners to reframe negative thoughts and approach their fitness journey with an open mind and a willingness to explore possibilities. Takeaways Disempowerment can become an identity that hinders progress.Shifting to an empowered identity is essential for success.Curiosity and openness are key to personal growth.Motivation should not be relied upon solely for action.Celebrating small wins is crucial for building confidence.The journey to empowerment involves consistent effort and commitment.Negative thoughts can be reframed to foster a positive mindset.Understanding the difference between disempowered and empowered actions is vital.Building skills takes time and requires patience.Anything is possible when approached with the right mindset.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

    24 min

  2. FEB 15

    Episode 7 - Adversity, Resilience, and the Strength to Handle Hard Things

    Send a text In this conversation, Louise Green explores the concept of resilience, emphasizing its scientific basis and personal significance. She shares her own experiences with adversity, illustrating how challenges can lead to personal growth and strength. Green discusses the importance of discomfort in building resilience and the role of trust in one's ability to endure hardships. The conversation highlights that resilience is not about avoiding pain but about moving through it and learning from it, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding of one's capacity to handle life's challenges. takeaways Resilience is a biological and psychological process.Adversity can lead to personal growth and a new baseline of strength.Self-efficacy is crucial for health behavior and persistence.Stress can be a tool for building strength, not just a negative force.Physiological resilience works through challenge, stress, recovery, and adaptation.Emotional resilience is built through friction and discomfort.Adversity creates pressure, which over time creates strength.Resilience does not mean never falling apart; it means moving through pain.Growth can come from clarity gained through difficulty.Trusting oneself is key to overcoming challenges.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

  3. FEB 8

    Episode 6 - National Eating Disorder Awareness Week - Health Does Not Have a Look (and Neither do Eating Disorders)

    Send a text In this episode, Louise Green discusses the importance of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week and the need for a shift in how society views health and body size. She emphasizes the impact of weight neutrality in the fitness industry and the distinction between eating disorders and disordered eating. Louise highlights the dangers of diet culture and weight stigma, advocating for a more inclusive understanding of health that recognizes the struggles of individuals in all body types. The conversation calls for compassion, awareness, and a change in narrative surrounding eating disorders and body image. takeaways Eating disorders are clinically diagnosed mental health conditions.Weight neutrality is crucial in the fitness industry.Disordered eating is more common than diagnosed eating disorders.Diet culture and weight stigma contribute to eating disorders.Health does not have a specific look or size.Compulsive exercise can be a sign of disordered eating.Support exists for those struggling with food and body image.Compassion is essential for healing and recovery.Representation matters in discussions about eating disorders.Changing the narrative can help millions who deserve care.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

  4. FEB 2

    Episode 5 - Unlocking Strength: Progressive Overload and Why it Matters for Every Body

    Send a text In this episode of the Weekly Riff, Louise Green delves into the concept of progressive overload, emphasizing its importance for anyone engaging in strength training. She explains how progressive overload is not merely about lifting heavier weights but about gradually increasing the demands placed on the body to foster adaptation and growth. The conversation covers the science behind muscle adaptation, the significance of consistency in training, and how progressive overload applies to individuals at all fitness levels. Louise also highlights the empowering aspect of strength training, focusing on body function rather than appearance, and encourages listeners to embrace a supportive and intelligent approach to their fitness journey. takeaways Progressive overload is essential for building strength and muscle.It's not about maxing out; it's about adaptation.Gradually increasing the demand on the body is key to progress.Consistency is crucial for effective strength training.Beginners often see faster progress with progressive overload.You don't need to lift heavier every session to improve.Progressive overload is a conversation with your body.Strength training should focus on function, not appearance.Everyone can benefit from progressive overload, regardless of fitness level.Building strength takes time and requires a supportive approach.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

    22 min

  5. JAN 25

    Episode 4 - Readiness: What it Actually Takes to Be Ready for Fitness

    Send a text In this episode, Louise Green explores the concept of readiness in fitness, distinguishing between physiological readiness, which is measurable and essential for exercise, and cultural readiness, which often leads to procrastination. She emphasizes that feeling ready is not a prerequisite for action and discusses the five stages of change individuals go through in their fitness journey. The conversation highlights the importance of listening to one's body while also taking action, regardless of emotional readiness, and reframing the concept of readiness to empower individuals in their fitness journeys. Readiness is often misunderstood in fitness culture.Physiological readiness is measurable and essential for exercise.Cultural readiness can lead to procrastination and inaction.Feeling ready is not a prerequisite for taking action.Confidence and capability come from repetition and movement.Low readiness does not mean failure; it means adjusting your approach.Fitness culture often misinterprets readiness as a feeling rather than a capacity.Engagement and consistency are key to building readiness.Movement should not be delayed until conditions are perfect.You have agency over your fitness journey, regardless of how ready you feel.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

    16 min

  6. JAN 19

    Episode 3 - Why Big Declaration Goals Usually Fail and What Actually Works

    Send a text Wanting something, isn't a plan. Every January, the same promises flood our feeds. New year, new habits, new discipline. And every year, most of them quietly fall apart. In this episode of The Weekly Riff, fitness expert Louise Green takes a hard look at why traditional goal setting fails so many people. Spoiler: it’s not a motivation problem. It’s a structure problem. Instead of focusing on outcomes and declarations, Green breaks down goal setting like a business, emphasizing scaffolding, systems, and sustainability. She explores why vague resolutions trigger burnout, how discipline has been culturally tied to conformity and shame, and what it actually takes to build goals that survive real life, low energy weeks, and inevitable setbacks. This episode challenges the idea that consistency must look rigid or punishing to count. It offers a reframing of success that centers effort, recovery, and return rather than perfection. For anyone who has ever felt like goal setting wasn’t made for them, this is a grounded, feminist take on building change without self betrayal. If you’re tired of starting over and ready to build goals that actually hold, this episode is worth a listen. 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

    24 min

  7. JAN 11

    Episode 2 - January Isn’t Particularly Motivating. Here’s What Actually Helps You Start

    Send a text In this episode, Louise Green discusses the challenges of starting a fitness routine, particularly in January, and addresses the issue of gym intimidation. She emphasizes the importance of a weight-inclusive approach to fitness, highlighting the need for supportive environments and competent trainers. Green outlines non-negotiables for effective fitness programs and offers strategies to build confidence in gym spaces, ultimately advocating for a fitness culture that respects individual bodies and promotes self-trust. takeaways Fitness isn't something that magically turns on in January.January is often a challenging time for fitness resolutions.Most fitness advice fails at the starting line.Weight stigma affects participation and adherence in fitness.Consistency is more important than rapid body changes.Progress should be measured in multiple dimensions, not just weight.Rest and recovery are essential components of fitness programs.Finding the right trainer can significantly impact success.Gym intimidation is a real barrier for many individuals.Confidence in fitness is about showing up as you are.If you are looking to get started with all the framework for success, my next fitness challenge starts Jan 18th, 2026.  Right here.  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

    24 min

  8. 12/21/2025

    Episode 1 - Why Women Won’t Get Big and Bulky From Lifting Weights, and the Real Reason We Fear It.

    Send a text In this episode, Louise Green tackles one of the most persistent lies in fitness culture: the fear that women will accidentally get big and bulky from lifting weights. She breaks down where this fear actually comes from, not biology but culture, marketing, and diet culture narratives designed to keep women small, compliant, and focused on shrinking. Louise explains how muscle is actually built, why “toning” is so misunderstood, and why strength training is not a threat to femininity but a direct path to power. This is a conversation about permission. Permission to be strong. Permission to take up space. Permission to stop fearing your own potential. Key Takeaways  Many women are afraid of getting big and bulky from strength training. That fear is cultural, not based on lived experience or physiology. Muscle growth is slow and intentional, especially for women and particularly over 40. “Toning” is mostly about body fat changes, not light weights or endless reps. Diet culture sells the fantasy that bodies are endlessly controllable. Strength training is about capability, confidence, and autonomy, not aesthetics. Women are conditioned to shrink themselves physically and socially. The fear of bulk is often a fear of power. Strength improves health, resilience, bone density, and longevity. We need new cultural stories that support strong women, not smaller ones.Sound Bites “There is no accidental bulk.” “Strength disrupts the narrative.” “Take up the space.” Chapters 00:00 Debunking the myth of getting bulky 06:56 How muscle actually grows and what toning really means 09:23 Diet culture and the lie of body control 11:46 Why strength is a feminist act 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

    18 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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