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_outlineIs 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 adaptations most people are interested in when it comes to growing their muscle.
- Hypertrophy is an increase in muscle size.
- Dr. Fisher explains that, “When we begin strength training, almost 99% of our adaptations and increases in strength are neural.”
- Dr. Fisher goes on to say that at some point our hypertrophic adaptations, or increase in muscle size, will kick in which can lead to an increase of muscle strength as well.
- Did you know that most people aren’t able to recruit 30% and maybe 90% of their muscle fibres.
- Dr. Fisher touches upon a project that looked at the different reactions (and results) between people used to exercise and some who typically don’t…
- “The increase in force and the increase in ability to produce force is a product of our ability to send continued, sustained and higher frequency impulses from our brain to our muscle fibers,” says Dr. Fisher.
- There are different structures within a muscle: the muscle fascicle, the muscle fiber, and the myofibrils. A 1-2% change in one of them doesn’t equal a change in the whole muscle.
- Dr. Fisher and Amy go through each muscle structure and its role within strength training and in the muscle growth process.
- It’s good to note that “myo” refers to muscle, so myofibril, for instance, refers to a fibril within a muscle.
- Hypertrophy revolves around an increase in size, while hyperplasia has to do with an increase in numbers.
- There’s some evidence around hyperplasia, though many people still question whether it truly exists.
- Did you know that somebody that has average size in muscles but is very strong has arguably better muscle quality than somebody who can produce the same amount of force but has much bigger muscles?
- The conversation touches upon two ways to measure muscle growth, “in vivo” and “in vitro,” as well as muscle architecture, the motivators for wanting to increase the size of one’s muscle, and the pennation angle of our muscles.
- For Dr. Fisher, strength training is wasted on people that just want bigger muscles, as it’s a superficial acceptance or adaptation to strength training.
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Previous episode - Beyond the Gym: The Role of Protein in Personal and Strength Training Success
Previous episode - Evidence-Based Strength Training: Ditching Old Paradigms for Proven Success
Identifying the Structural Adaptations That Drive the Mechanical Load-Induced Growth of Skeletal Muscle: A Scoping Review by Kent W. Jorgensen et al. 2020
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