Help Me Understand

Cortisol gets blamed for everything right now: belly fat, poor sleep, stress, fatigue, hormone issues, and even people’s workouts. But is cortisol really the villain, or has the internet turned a normal human hormone into another thing to fear? In this episode, Coach JK shares his perspective on the cortisol conversation in a way that is less panic-driven and more practical. He looks at what corti...

JK discusses the significance of Juneteenth, his perspective on virtue signaling, and an observation on the cost of convenience. ------- Connect with JK: Instagram: ⁠⁠@coachjkmcleod⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠JK@JKMcLeod.com⁠⁠ New episodes of Make Fitness Make Sense release every Tuesday. Subscribe to the new MFMS podcast: ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠Spotify

Welcome to episode 1 of Make Fitness Make Sense with Coach JK McLeod. This podcast is for people who want fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits explained in a way that actually makes sense. In this episode, JK answers three common fitness questions: Is collagen protein worth taking? Why does recovery feel harder after 30? And how do you deal with guilt when old habits, old thoughts, or old insecu...

In episode 299, JK gives listeners a preview of where the podcast is headed as it returns to its original roots: Everyday topics, personal perspective, and conversations that move beyond fitness. This episode covers the online conversation surrounding Caleb Williams appearing on the cover of Madden NFL 27 with painted fingernails, including the broader discussion around athletes, masculinity, role...

In this Tuesday fitness-focused episode, Coach JK takes five fitness questions and topics from Threads and gives the longer answer behind the quick comment section response. Topics include: Bro split vs. full-body training...what results can I expect? Body recomposition happening, but the scale isn't moving. Recommended prompts to use AI for workouts and nutrition. Still not satisfied after re...

In this Tuesday Fitness Focus Q&A, Coach JK works through a few fitness questions that seem simple at first, but need more context to answer well. Topics include: How should you log weight on the Smith machine? What cardio machine makes the most sense for a home gym? Why some fat-loss questions need better context before better advice can happen. How to think about calories in, calories out wi...

Some seasons make it really difficult to feel like you are following any kind of plan. Work gets busier. School calendars get chaotic. Family responsibilities shift. And by the end of the day, it can feel like your health habits never really had a chance. In this episode, Coach JK shares a simple way to put a small win at the beginning and end of your day, especially when everything in the middle...

In this episode, Coach JK shares his perspective on the difference between correlation and causation, and why that distinction matters for simplifying fitness. Using aging, weight gain, strength loss, injury, menopause, and fitness marketing as examples, JK talks through how easy it is for studies, statistics, and trends to get turned into scary headlines or sales pitches. This episode is a remind...

Is barre enough for strength training? Do weighted vests make everything better? Why do some fitness accounts seem to rely on shame to get your attention? And when a machine says it targets one muscle, is that really the only muscle working? In this Q&A episode, Coach JK takes a few fitness questions from Threads and gives the longer answer behind the quick comment section response. Think of t...

In today's episode, you'll discover how different types of relationships influence your ability to build and maintain your foundational fitness habits (eat well, sleep enough, exercise regularly) . Coach JK shares his perspective on the three key roles people play in your life and how to leverage or manage them for sustained success. Referenced in today's episode: https://www.arthurtoo...

Coach JK shares 4 good things from this week. Some shared by others, some noticed along the way, all worth paying attention to. This weekly segment is a quick way to shift perspective and stack some wins. To (confidentially) submit yours, send a DM on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@coachJKmcleod⁠⁠⁠ or email ⁠⁠⁠JK@jkmcleod.com

A new headline claims bread can cause weight gain, even without eating more calories. In this episode, Coach JK shares his perspective on the study behind the claim, and how quickly research like this turns into conflicting advice. Article: https: //www.sciencealert.com/scientists-reveal-why-bread-can-cause-weight-gain-without-overeating Study: Wheat Flour Intake Promotes Weight Gain and Metabolic...

Q&A episode covering a range of real-world fitness questions, including: - What to do if late-night workouts are wrecking your sleep - The tradeoff between coaching and participation in group fitness classes - Whether or not to count the bar when tracking your lifts - The right way to log dumbbells (and why it matters less than you think) - How to realistically work toward a high daily protein...

Coach JK shares 4 good things from this week. Some shared by others, some noticed along the way, all worth paying attention to. This weekly segment is a quick way to shift perspective and stack some wins. To (confidentially) submit yours, send a DM on Instagram ⁠⁠@coachJKmcleod⁠⁠ or email ⁠⁠JK@jkmcleod.com

Trying to build muscle and stay athletic at the same time? This episode tackles that messy middle, where most people end up spinning their wheels. Coach JK breaks down how to approach both goals without burning out your progress, including how to structure your training, fuel it properly, and know what to prioritize (and when). ------- Instagram: @coachJKmcleod Email: JK@jkmcleod.com

Coach JK shares 6 good things from this week. Some shared by others, some noticed along the way, all worth paying attention to. This weekly segment is a quick way to shift perspective and stack some wins. To (confidentially) submit yours, send a DM on Instagram ⁠@coachJKmcleod⁠ or email ⁠JK@jkmcleod.com

You’ve probably seen those under-the-desk pedal things… maybe you even have one. But are they actually helping, or just making you feel like you’re doing something? This episode brings some clarity to where they fit, how to use them, and what not to expect from them. --------- Instagram: @coachJKmcleod Email: JK@jkmcleod.com

Coach JK shares 8 wins from this week. Some shared by others, some noticed along the way, all worth paying attention to. This weekly segment is a quick way to shift perspective and stack some wins. To (confidentially) submit yours, send a DM on Instagram @coachJKmcleod or email JK@jkmcleod.com

Rest days get talked about a lot… but rarely in a way that actually makes them easier to understand or use. In this episode, Coach JK offers a different way to think about them...one that shifts the focus away from “time off” and toward something that can directly impact how you show up in your training. If rest days have ever felt confusing, inconsistent, or like something you’re just guessing yo...

Coach JK shares 7 good things that happened to people this week. This is aweekly segment to share listener/follower-submitted good news. To (confidentially) submit your good news for a future episode, contact JK via Instagram ⁠⁠@coachJKmcleod⁠⁠ or email JK@jkmcleod.com

In this episode, Coach JK shares his opinions on macro coaching, and the difference between using macros as a tool and relying on them as the entire strategy. He also shares an inside look at one-time macro prescriptions, and how they're used...which is for a different reasont than you might think. ---- Instagram: @coachJKmcleod Email: JK@jkmcleod.com

Coach JK shares 3 good things that happened to people this week. This is a new, weekly segment to share listener/follower-submitted good news. To (confidentially) submit your good news for a future episode, contact JK via Instagram ⁠@coachJKmcleod⁠ or email JK@jkmcleod.com

In this episode, Coach JK answers two fitness questions and then shares a perspective on building a plan. The first question: H ow do people actually transition into becoming a “morning workout person”? The second: If someone is getting back into the gym after a long hiatus, what’s the best way to start? To wrap up, JK shares a broader perspective on why most plans don’t work perfectly the first t...

Coach JK shares 9 good things that happened to people this week. This is a new, weekly segment to share listener/follower-submitted good news. To (confidentially) submit your good news for a future episode, contact JK via Instagram @coachJKmcleod or email JK@jkmcleod.com

This week’s episode is a Q&A-style deep dive into common fitness questions that deserve more than a quick comment-section answer. Coach JK takes real questions pulled from social media and everyday coaching conversations and unpacks the nuance behind them. Topics include: • Is a two-hour workout actually productive, or just busy?• Why bodybuilding/bikini competitor style plans don't work f...