Help Me Understand

In this Q&A-style episode, Coach JK takes four real posts from Threads and expands on the short comment-section answers that rarely leave room for meaningful context. Topics include: - Caffeine and sleep (and what might actually be keeping you up), - How to think through trying a CrossFit gym without relying on stereotypes - The nuance behind the “don’t eat before lifting” debate. He also shar...

Most people think their results should match the hours they spend in the gym. In this episode, Coach JK introduces different a way to look at your effort: a ratio between time spent working out and time spent supporting that work. The gym is only part of the equation. The systems behind it are what determine whether you maintain, stall, or actually make progress. JK breaks down the difference betw...

If you’ve been lifting consistently but your numbers haven’t changed in weeks, this episode will clear up why. Coach JK breaks down when to increase the weight you’re lifting and how to do it without overcomplicating your training. You’ll learn a simple progression model you can use for the long run, why staying at the same weight leads to plateaus, and how to apply this immediately in your next w...

In this episode, Coach JK breaks down an internal struggle most people feel but rarely name: wanting more flexibility while resisting the structure that actually creates it . Using exercise as the main lens, JK explains why true flexibility isn’t about doing everything whenever you feel like it...it’s built by committing to a simple structure first, then earning the freedom to adapt, pivot, and ex...

Coach JK is joined by Deanna Harder, a personal trainer and fitness coach based in Canada, for a conversation about what happens after you’ve taken fitness to the extreme. Deanna has lived on that end of the spectrum, from intense training and rigid food rules to bodybuilding prep, and she’s candid about where it eventually leads when discipline quietly turns into obsession. They talk through why...

In this episode, Coach JK talks about why constant exposure to fitness advice, podcasts, and “better” methods is making consistency harder, not easier. He introduces a simple framework to help you put new information on H.O.L.D. instead of immediately reacting to it, so you can stay focused on what actually moves the needle. This episode is a reminder that every new piece of information is not a s...

In this episode, coach JK shares his POV on the difference between making a choice and deciding what your options are. The episode centers on the idea that commitment happens once, up front. After that, the work isn’t about renegotiating the decision, but about giving yourself multiple ways to follow through when life, energy, or schedules don’t cooperate. ---- Instagram: @coachJKmcleod Email: JK@...

In today's fitness Q&A episode, coach JK covers what to do when you lose the motivation to workout in your 40s. He also offers suggestions for someone who is looking to buy dumbbells for workouts at home. ----- Instagram: @coachJKmcleod Email: JK@jkmcleod.com

In this episode, coach JK answers your fitness & nutrition questions. - What's the best app to use for macros tracking? - I'm struggling to find consistency when I'm not on #75Hard - How many days per week do I need to workout to lose weight? - Should I cut carbs to jumpstart my weight loss? ------ Instagram: @coachJKmcleod Email: JK@jkmcleod.com

In this episode , Coach JK McLeod shares why lasting habit change starts with identity. The focus is on three ideas: - consistency is about patterns, not perfection - a clear sense of identity makes daily decisions easier - outcome goals only work when they fit into a lifestyle you can actually maintain. Today's episode asks listeners to stop chasing short-term results and start thinking about...

In this episode of the Help Me Understand podcast, Coach JK explores the concept of the "messy middle", a space where individuals find themselves without a specific goal but still feel the urge to pursue something meaningful. JK shares his perspective on how to navigate this space by examining areas of life where supplements have become substitutes, encouraging listeners to focus on impr...

In today's episode, JK shares his perspective on what the "secret sauce" is for locking in and being consistent with fitness. He also shares how a recent book read (The Gap & The Gain) provided a different way to look at finding harmony with how far you've come and the drive to keep going towards your goal. ----- Instagram: @coachJKmcleod Email: JK@jkmcleod.com

In this episode, Coach JK reflects on, what it took to reach 265 podcast episodes, and why consistency matters more than confidence, clarity, or perfect conditions. If you’ve been waiting for the right time, the right plan, or the right setup to begin something important, this episode is for you. It’s a reminder that most progress starts messy, motivation fades, and action is what carries things f...

Coach JK McLeod closes out the year with Melissa’s annual return to the podcast, using her one-word theme and “__ for __” (ie "25 in 2025") list as a way to reflect, reset, and move forward without the usual New Year pressure. Melissa's perspective on 2025 pushes back on the idea that a new year requires a clean slate, and instead explores the value of revisiting what was left unfini...

In this episode of Help Me Understand , Coach JK McLeod examines how self-imposed limitations often come from old stories that were never revisited or questioned. Through everyday examples, he shows how assumptions about what’s “allowed,” “professional,” or “realistic” can restrict our habits around training, health, and daily routines. Listen in as he shares perspective on how many of these limit...

In this episode, Coach JK explores how small, everyday decisions shape long-term fitness and health outcomes. Listen in for JK's perspective on how focusing on the micro choices around eating, sleep, and exercise will slowly determine whether routines stay on course or drift to a different destination. ---- Instagram: @coachJKmcleod Email: JK@jkmcleod.com

In this episode, JK talks about sleep debt in a way that actually makes sense for real life and real training. What starts as a simple client conversation about “off” sleep turns into a clear look at how small, repeated gaps in rest add up to quietly undercut your energy, decision-making, and performance. You’ll hear why chronic under-sleeping hits harder than most people realize, why weekend “cat...

In this off-the-dome episode, Coach JK hits three topics. First, he talks about “scamming season” in retail and what listeners can do to help protect the people they love from gift card and romance scams. Then he breaks down why the take “body positivity = avoiding accountability” completely misses the mark. He closes by reflecting on how time away from lifting after wisdom-tooth surgery reminded...

This episode of Help Me Understand answers a familiar problem: “My evenings aren’t predictable anymore. How do I make morning workouts actually stick?” JK breaks down how to remove early-morning friction, avoid the snooze-and-scroll loop, lower the startup cost of training, and use simple cues to flip into workout mode. He also sets expectations for the awkward first few weeks and explains why you...

On today's episode, JK explains why zone 2 is best understood through how it feels, how long you can sustain it, and what it does for your heart and overall capacity. You’ll hear why many people slip into that “almost hard” middle zone that doesn’t build a real cardiovascular base, and how simple, steady cardio can improve your lifting, energy, and even your sleep. ---- Instagram: @coachJKmcle...

As you’re taking action, and motivated..ask: Why will I continue to do this even when I don’t feel like it?  What can I put in place to be a healthy reward for continue to workout?...because if the initial thing that got me moving was a negative report from the doctor…how will I keep going once that result is “back in range”?   This episode of Help Me Understand unpacks a simple question that come...

Trying to change everything at once is why most people never stick to anything. In this episode, Coach JK shares why he focuses on building one foundational fitness habit at a time, and how it leads to building the complete system you need to make real progress that lasts. -------- Instagram: @coachJKmcleod Email: JK@jkmcleod.com

Coach JK shares his take on the commonly shared statistic: “85% of diets fail” ...and what that stat actually means. He covers four main drivers behind weight regain and explains what to focus on instead for results that last. Referenced research includes work from Mann (2007), Fothergill (2016), Polivy & Herman (1985), Konttinen (2019), Hall (2015), and Byrne (2018). Instagram: @coachJKmcleod...

In this episode, Coach JK takes a closer look at the belief that traveling automatically leads to weight gain. Drawing from client experiences and real-world examples, he breaks down what’s actually going on when the scale jumps after a trip. The conversation explores how travel changes energy balance, sleep, and routines. He also shares why those shifts often have more to do with temporary habits...

The idea that you start losing a significant amount of muscle at 40 has been floating around for decades, but it’s based on outdated research and oversimplified messaging. In this episode, Coach JK revisits where that belief came from, how it spread, and what newer data actually shows about muscle loss as we age. He breaks down why the “cliff at 40” story doesn’t hold up, what really happens close...