Strength Training Can Lead to an Improvement in Quality of Life
Strength Changes Everything - Video Edition
If you had to put a number on your happiness, energy, and overall well-being—what score would you give your life right now? In this episode, Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher dig into the science of quality of life—how researchers actually measure it, and why it’s about so much more than health stats or fitness levels. They reveal why building physical strength often leads to emotional freedom and how strength training improves mental health, social connection, and vitality. Tune in to learn how training your body can completely reshape the way you feel about your life. Amy shares her...
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Why Strength Training Is the Best Exercise For Your Arthritis
Strength Changes Everything - Video Edition
What if you could keep your joints strong and pain-free for decades—without endless cardio or risky workouts? Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher continue their series on the benefits of strength training, breaking down the connection between osteoarthritis and strength training. They reveal how targeted strength work can reduce joint stress, slow degeneration, and even improve quality of life. Tune in to learn how strength training can protect your joints and keep you moving pain-free. Dr. Fisher starts by explaining what osteoarthritis really is--a degenerative joint disease where cartilage...
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What the Science Says About How Strength Training Can Prevent and Reverse Diabetes
Strength Changes Everything - Video Edition
Did you know strength training can do more for type 2 diabetes than medication ever could? Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher continue their series on the benefits of strength training and reveal how powerful it can be for managing—and even reversing—type 2 diabetes. They break down why excess sugar builds up in the bloodstream, how your muscles play a critical role in blood sugar control, and what kind of training yields real, measurable results—without needing extreme diets. If you—or someone you know—is dealing with type 2 diabetes, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Dr....
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The Best Exercises to Lower Cholesterol – The Science Behind Strength Training
Strength Changes Everything - Video Edition
We’ve been told to run, bike, and diet our way to lower cholesterol, but what if the real game changer is strength training? In this episode, Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher unpack the science behind resistance training and why it might be the best exercise to lower cholesterol. They explore what research actually says about lifting weights, LDL reduction, and long-term heart health — and why it might be time to rethink your approach to fitness. Dr. Fisher defines cholesterol--a waxy, hormone-like substance that your body produces and regulates on its own. While it often gets labeled as...
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Why Strength Training Should Be Your Go-To Exercise for Blood Pressure Reduction
Strength Changes Everything - Video Edition
What if lowering your blood pressure didn’t require medication, endless cardio, or drastic lifestyle changes? In this episode, Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher explore the benefits of strength training as an effective, science-backed way to reduce blood pressure. They discuss how lifting affects your heart health, the ideal training intensity for real results, and why even short, infrequent workouts can make a big difference. Tune in to hear how simple, time-efficient workouts can support heart health, and why it might be the most underrated tool in your fitness routine. Dr. Fisher...
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Muscle Size Increases - What's Happening Within Your Muscles
Strength Changes Everything - Video Edition
Is bigger always better when it comes to strength training? In this episode, Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher break down the science of muscle growth, revealing why increased size doesn’t always equal increased strength. From neural adaptations to muscle fiber recruitment, they explore what’s really happening inside your body when you train – and why understanding it can transform the way you approach your workouts. Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher talk about increasing muscle size, and when that doesn’t happen. Back in the 1980s, a hypothesis by Digby Sale looked at the two key...
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Fix Your Core, Fix Your Back: Personal Training Insights You Probably Haven’t Heard Before
Strength Changes Everything - Video Edition
Think core training is all about crunches and six-packs? What if the real key to a strong, pain-free core is the muscles you can’t see? Hosts Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher dive deep into the science of core strength, bust common myths, and reveal how personal training can help you target the low back and pelvic muscles that truly support your spine, posture, and overall function. Today’s episode features hosts Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher addressing a listener’s question about the core. Dr. Fisher starts his contribution by discussing the origin of the core, as well as where it’s...
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Evidence-Based Strength Training: Ditching Old Paradigms for Proven Success
Strength Changes Everything - Video Edition
When it comes to your health and to your strength training, more specifically…Do you rely on social media trends or real science for your exercise routine? And how do you know if your workouts are actually safe and effective? Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher break down what “evidence-based strength training” really means, exposing common myths and highlighting why scientific research – and not old paradigms – should drive your fitness decisions. Hosts Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher unpack evidence-based strength training. Dr. Fisher believes that personal trainers should embrace an...
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Beyond the Gym: The Role of Protein in Personal and Strength Training Success
Strength Changes Everything - Video Edition
Did you know that what’s on your plate can help you while you’re at the gym? Join hosts Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher as they dive into the vital role of protein in muscle health and strength training. What’s the ideal protein intake you should aim for every day? And where can you get proteins from, in the first place? Whether you’re just starting out or enhancing your regimen, this episode will equip you with the knowledge to optimize your protein intake for maximum personal training and health gains. Hosts Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher begin the conversation by discussing why...
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Beating the Gym: How Personal Trainers and Supervised Training Lead to Lasting Fitness Habits
Strength Changes Everything - Video Edition
Big Box Gyms: Yay or Nay? And how do they compare to working out with a personal trainer? Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher look at big box gyms and the benefits of working with a personal trainer. You’ll hear about everything from motivation and habit-building to fitness results, and will walk away with clarity on which option to go for to make the most out of your time and exercising efforts. Dr. James Fisher kicks things off by sharing a frightening stat: only about 10% of the population engages in regular strength training. What’s interesting is the fact that only about one-third of...
info_outline“What happens if I stop strength training?” That’s the audience question hosts Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher address in this new episode of Strength Changes Everything.
Join them to hear about the benefits and negative consequences of doing and stopping strength training, as well as a 2017 study that looked at how a group of people were affected by halting their 6-month strength training.
You’ll walk away with a better understanding of how strength training works and what will happen to your body and mind if you decide to suddenly stop doing it.
- Hosts Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher address a question from a listener: “What happens if I stop strength training?”.
- Dr. Fisher explains that our body will react to the demands that are imposed on it and that, when it comes to muscles, there’s a sort of “use it or lose it” dynamic.
- You can make a muscle-skill analogy: stopping practice will lead to you seeing a deficiency in that skill. The same applies to your muscles.
- The consequences of stopping strength training will depend on several factors, such as someone’s age and training history, their genetics, and how long it took to make those initial muscle adaptations.
- Ceasing strength training completely today could lead to loss of strength and muscle mass, loss of type-2 muscle fibers, loss of cardiorespiratory fitness, an increase in body fat, and body fat percentage.
- Metabolic changes, changes in sleep patterns, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease are additional issues that may arise as a result of an abrupt halt in strength training.
- Dr. Fisher expects most people who are past their 40s or 50s to start to see the implications and effects of detraining within a 3 or 4-week period.
- Dr. Fisher shares a 2017 German study that looked at the impact of detraining, after having done strength training for several weeks, on a group of elderly people.
- After six months of strength training, those who stopped did lose strength and muscle size, but were still stronger and had more muscle mass than they did at their baseline level.
- The group of elderly people who decided to keep training on their own, after the six months of the initial supervised strength training, lost almost as much strength as the group that had chosen not to train at all.
- For Amy, the 2017 German study makes a case for “If you don’t have a great reason to stop, why should you stop?”.
- Amy lists the benefits of strength training, including improvement of your metabolic health, decreased inflammation, decreased disease risk, improved mood, and improved hormonal state.
- A quote to keep in mind: “You can have all the problems in the world, but if you don’t have your health, you have one problem.”
- Amy and Dr. Fisher explore the mental and cognitive aspects of strength training – and what may happen if you stop it.
- Dr. Fisher points out that people who go to the gym and engage in strength training on a regular basis have a sense of accomplishment in the task, rather than in the outcome itself.
- Amy invites us to be mindful of our brain: it’s always looking for excuses to sabotage the healthy habits that we intend, especially if they’re newer!
- Did you know that being weak is more detrimental to our health than being overweight? Dr. Fisher and Amy explore the “Fat but Fit” paradigm further.
- Dr. Fisher and Amy talk about the scenario in which someone picks up strength training for a month but then stops.
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Previous episode - Why Most People Fail in the Gym (and How Supervision With a Personal Trainer Can Help)
Previous episode - The 6 Essential Elements of an Effective Strength Training Program with Matt Brzycki
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