The Weekly Riff with Louise Green

Fitness does not exist in a vacuum. Women arrive at movement carrying decades of messaging about beauty, body size, aging, worth, and what it means to take up space in the world. In this episode, Louise Green explores why fitness is a feminist issue, examining the historical, cultural, and economic forces that have shaped women's relationships with their bodies. From Victorian ideals of fragi...

For decades, women have been encouraged to become smaller, quieter, lighter, and less demanding. We have been sold exercise programs designed to burn calories, shrink our bodies, and keep us focused on appearance rather than capability. But what if strength is about far more than fitness? In this episode, Louise Green explores strength as a political act and argues that women's physical stren...

Who you are today is not who you'll be a year from now. We are always evolving.  In this week's Riff, Louise explores one of the most powerful, and often uncomfortable, parts of personal growth: identity change. Inspired by the ideas in Atomic Habits by James Clear and her own experiences navigating major life transitions, Louise examines what happens when the identities we've carri...

How many opportunities, dreams, adventures, conversations, careers, relationships, and goals have been left sitting on the bench while we wait to feel ready? In this episode, Louise shares a lesson that has shaped some of her biggest moments of her life: confidence doesn't come before action, it comes because of action. Whether it's signing up for a race, applying for the job, starting t...

This week on The Weekly Riff , Louise Green dives into one of the biggest debates currently happening in women’s fitness: should women over 40 be lifting heavy weights, or can lighter weights with higher reps deliver the same benefits? Inspired by the ongoing conversation between leading experts Dr. Stacy Sims and Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, this episode explores the science behind strength trainin...

In this week’s episode of The Weekly Riff, Louise Green explores the complicated relationship many people have with numbers in fitness and how metrics can quietly shift from being helpful tools into emotional scorecards. After experiencing frustration in her own training week, Louise reflects on how quickly performance numbers can impact mindset, confidence, and motivation. From scales and calorie...

In this powerful episode of The Weekly Riff, Louise Green opens up about the book she has been trying to write for years: Fitness Justice. This conversation goes far beyond exercise. Louise unpacks the systemic bias, cultural conditioning, and exclusion deeply embedded within fitness culture and explores why so many people, especially those in larger bodies, feel alienated from movement spaces tha...

Barbell training is one of the most misunderstood tools in fitness, especially for women and especially for women in larger bodies. In this episode, I break down why the barbell is not just for elite athletes or smaller bodies, but one of the most effective, empowering ways to build real strength at any size. We talk about what actually happens in the body when you lift heavy, why larger bodies of...

What happens when you never see a body like yours in fitness… and what changes when you finally do? This week’s Weekly Riff explores the psychology of representation and how it shapes belief, confidence, and whether someone engages with movement at all. Because this isn’t just about visibility. It’s about access, inclusion, and whose health is directly impacted by who feels like they belong and wh...

As we head into the spring and summer vacations will mostly likely be more prevalent and sometimes people worry about vacations long before they head out because it will mess with their exercise routine that they have worked so damn hard to put in place. This is especially so for people who have had fraught relationships with exercise and consistency in an "all or nothing" mindset but ha...

Protein is everywhere right now. From “hit your macros” to “1 gram per pound,” the messaging is loud, constant, and often overwhelming. But what happens when those recommendations don’t actually fit your life? In this episode of The Weekly Riff, Louise breaks down what protein actually does, where common recommendations come from, and why this conversation starts to fall apart for many people, esp...

If you grew up in the 80s and 90s being told your body was wrong, and now you’re being told to lift heavy, eat more, and take up space… this episode is for you. Because that shift? It’s not simple. It’s whiplash. In this episode, Louise Green breaks down the complicated relationship women have with exercise after decades of diet culture, and why so many are struggling to connect with strength trai...

In this episode, Louise Green takes a closer look at the idea of joyful movement and why it might not be the full picture when it comes to building a sustainable relationship with exercise. She breaks down the idea that movement isn’t just “joyful or not”… it’s a spectrum. Sometimes you love it, sometimes you feel neutral, and sometimes the win is simply feeling better after. And all of that count...

In this episode of The Weekly Riff, Louise Green breaks down one of the biggest misconceptions in fitness: that you need a gym membership or expensive equipment to start strength training. Inspired by a client suggestion, Louise shares how simple and affordable it can be to build a home workout space and begin developing strength right where you are. She walks listeners through how strength traini...

This is our 40th Episode!  In this episode of The Weekly Riff, Louise Green challenges the outdated narrative that midlife is the beginning of physical decline for women. Instead, she presents a powerful reframe. Midlife may actually be the most important moment to prioritize strength. As women move through perimenopause and menopause, hormonal shifts make muscle mass, bone density, and metabolic...

In this episode, Louise Green discusses the concept of 'Health at Every Size' (HAES), exploring its origins, principles, and the misunderstandings surrounding it. She emphasizes the importance of body diversity, the impact of weight stigma, and the need for inclusive healthcare and fitness spaces. Green advocates for a shift in focus from weight loss to overall health and well-being, enc...

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...

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 hi...

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 inclusiv...

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 adapta...

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 conver...

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...

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 conf...

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, wh...

In this episode of The Weekly Riff, Louise Green is joined by Team Fit n Fab, winners of the Unstoppable Challenge, for a real conversation about what carried them through 12 weeks of consistent exercise. This isn’t a story about motivation or willpower. It’s about commitment, consistency, and learning how to stay when things feel slow, messy, or uncomfortable. Together, they talk about what consi...