Podcast
Redefining Strength Podcast
Hosted by Cori Lefkowith · EN
You train hard. You try to eat well. You stay disciplined. And yet progress slows. Energy drops. Fat loss stalls.
The Redefining Strength Podcast is for women who work hard on their health… but still feel like their body isn’t responding the way it used to.
Hosted by Cori Lefkowith, founder of Redefining Strength, this show helps you understand what’s actually happening inside your body — and what to do about it.
Cori is the creator of the STRONG System, used by over 10,000 women around the world to transform their bodies and build results that last.
Through real coaching insights and conversations with leading experts in women’s health, metabolism, and behavior change...each episode breaks down the science in a way that actually applies to real life.
Because the answer isn’t working harder. It’s learning how to work smarter so your effort finally creates the strength, energy, and confidence you’ve been chasing.
If you’re ready to stop starting over and start building a body you can count on, this podcast will help you get there.
43episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
10 Ridiculous BLUNT and Honest Truths About Body Recomp
5d ago00:19:19Tap to summarizeI'm going to be brutally honest. I've been struggling.Struggling to set a goal. Struggling to stay focused. Struggling to find the discipline and flow that, honestly, I usually have. There have even been moments where I just didn't care about doing the things I knew I needed to do.The moment I caught myself thinking about all the things I "should" be doing, it became the wake-up call I needed. It forced me to recognize my own drift, my own excuses, and the patterns that were quietly pulling me away from the person I wanted to be.That reflection led me to some cold, hard truths. These are lessons I've learned, and had to relearn, over nearly two decades of losing fat, building muscle, and trying not to sabotage my own progress.If you've ever felt like you're constantly starting over, this video is for you. The truth is, we're all human. We all drift. But understanding why it happens and how to stop it is what changes everything.By the end of this video, you'll know the 10 ridiculously blunt and honest truths about body recomposition and long-term results that can help you break the cycle and finally make lasting progress.
Transcribe →The Worst Cardio For Fat Loss (For Women 40+)
2w ago00:18:10Tap to summarizeSo many of us are doing the worst cardio for body recomp while thinking we're doing the exact thing we should be doing for weight loss.I made this mistake for years…I slaughtered myself with spin classes and logged miles on any cardio equipment I could find. Not because I loved it. But because I thought more cardio was the answer.Spoiler alert. It's not.I ended up burnt out. My cravings were through the roof. I was yo-yo dieting. And despite all that work? I was looking softer not leaner.Here's what I didn't understand then...weight loss and body recomposition are not the same thing. And the approach that drives one actively works against the other.That’s what led me to create my muscle-first fat loss approach. This isn’t an anti-cardio approach. It's about understanding what different types of cardio actually do to your results...and building a system where your training and nutrition work together instead of against each other.So my goal isn’t to make you ditch your runs if you love them, but to highlight how to use cardio strategically so your hard work isn’t making your results worse.By the end of this you're going to know the 2 forms of cardio I use strategically for muscle-first fat loss while not demonizing the cardio you may enjoy.
Transcribe →The 7 Laws of Body Recomp After 40 (That Actually Work)
3w ago00:18:19Tap to summarizeNothing worth having comes easy and that's especially true of your body after 40.Anyone telling you there's one magic supplement, protocol, or 30-day fix is lying to you. Or selling you something. Usually both.After almost two decades of coaching over 10,000 women, I've figured out the frameworks that actually work even in perimenopause, even at 85, even if you feel like nothing works anymore. I call them laws at this point, because when women follow them, their bodies respond. When they ignore them, it's always the same story.I know because I ignored them too, for years. And I've broken every single one of them...that's exactly how I know they matter.In this video, I'm breaking down the 7 laws for building the leanest, strongest version of you after 40:If you want help applying these laws to your actual life, I coach women through exactly this. Apply for a free consultation call here: https://apply.redefiningstrength.com/t/vF5azzRcPmus
Transcribe →The Scale Is your Worst Frenemy...Here's Why
4w ago00:13:59Tap to summarizeYou've stared at the scale and let one number undo weeks of hard work. In this episode, we're flipping the script on the most misunderstood tool in your fitness journey.The scale doesn't measure fat. It measures everything: water, food, stress, hormones, inflammation, and about a dozen other things that have nothing to do with your progress. So why does it still have so much power over how we feel?We're breaking down exactly why the number can jump while your jeans get looser (and why that's actually a good sign), walking through a pre-weigh checklist that gives you context before the number can ambush you, and sharing a real client story about the moment she almost let one bad reading erase months of visible progress.Then we get into the controversial part: why weighing more, not less, might be the key to finally taking your power back. It's not about obsession. It's about desensitization, turning a scary number into just information.If you've ever cried over a number that made no sense, this episode is your permission slip to understand it instead of fear it.
Transcribe →Why Menopause Belly Fat Won't Budge (Even When You're Doing Everything Right)
Jul 1000:23:59Tap to summarizeYou're training hard, eating clean, doing everything "right," so why is menopause belly fat still creeping up? In this episode, I break down why your old fat-loss strategies stopped working and what's actually happening hormonally as estrogen declines.You'll learn:✅ Why overtraining and high-intensity cardio spike cortisol and drive fat storage straight to your midsection✅ Why under-eating (especially below 1200 calories) backfires and slows your metabolism instead of speeding it up✅ Why shifting from cardio-first to strength-first training changes your body composition without doing moreI also share a real client story: how going from 1,000 to 1,650 calories a day helped her lose weight, not gain it, and finally get her energy back.If you're a woman in perimenopause or menopause who feels like your body stopped responding to everything that used to work, this episode will explain why, and give you a clear, science-backed path forward.Want personalized help applying this to your body? Learn more about what we do: https://redefiningstrength.com/coaching/
Transcribe →The 5 Hidden Metabolism Killers That Are Sabotaging Your Body Recomposition Results
Jul 300:21:57Tap to summarizeYour metabolism doesn’t “die” — but it can adapt down when your body is under-fueled, over-stressed, under-recovered, or stuck in the wrong fat loss mindset.In this episode, we’re breaking down the 5 hidden metabolism killers that can sabotage fat loss, body recomposition, energy, and long-term results — including the clean eating trap, chronic stress, low daily movement, sleep deprivation, and the “stay skinny” mindset.You’ll learn why eating less and training harder isn’t always the answer, how stress and sleep impact muscle protein synthesis, recovery, cravings, and fat storage, and why building muscle is one of the best ways to support a healthy metabolism long term.If you feel like you’re doing everything “right” but still stuck, this episode will help you spot the patterns that may be holding you back — and show you how to start rebuilding your metabolism instead of constantly fighting against your body.Free Metabolism Masterclass: https://recipe.redefiningstrength.com/sleep-stress-body-recomp-class-join
Transcribe →10 Harsh Truths I Had to Accept to Finally See Real Body Recomp (Lose Fat + Build Muscle)
Jun 2500:23:52Tap to summarizeI resisted every single one of these for way too long. These are the 10 hard doses of reality I had to face to get leaner and stronger, protect my metabolic health, and actually feel my best while looking my most fabulous.Body recomp is real, but it's slower and more nuanced than "calories in vs calories out." It means losing fat while building muscle (or building muscle while losing fat), and that takes a primary focus, smart phases, and a willingness to let go of the diet mentality, the scale obsession, and the idea that recovery is weakness.Watch to the end for a bonus 11th truth that ties it all together.Tell me in the comments: which one hit you the hardest? Every one of these called me out at some point.Grab my FREE Body Recomp Guide in the description below 👇https://redefiningstrength.com/recomp
Transcribe →5 Reasons You Fail At 30-Day Challenges (Ft. Dr. Caroline Leaf)
Jun 1901:04:17Tap to summarizeEver finished a challenge only to slide right back into old habits? You're not lazy, and you don't lack willpower...you've just been repeating a pattern no one taught you how to break.In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the five mistakes that kept me restarting every 21 or 30 days: going in without an exit strategy, blindly following a plan instead of understanding why it works, ignoring the mind-body connection, believing it has to feel hard to count, and cherry-picking pieces of a system instead of trusting the whole thing.Then I'm joined by neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf, who breaks down the science behind why real change takes about 63 days—three cycles of 21and why most challenges only ever get you through the first phase. We dig into the difference between the mind and the brain, how the labels you put on yourself quietly run the show, and her five-step Neurocycle for rewiring the patterns that keep tripping you up.If you're tired of starting over, this one will help you understand what's actually happening underneath the cycle and how to finally step off it.In this episode:- Why a challenge should be an "exit ramp," not a finish line- The hidden mindsets that sabotage habits before they stick- How your mind creates meaning (and why that's good news)- Dr. Leaf's Neurocycle, step by step- Honoring your past without living in it
Transcribe →The 7 Weird Habits That Helped Me Lose Fat And KEEP It Off
Jun 1200:18:22Tap to summarizeStruggling to lose fat and actually keep it off? It's not a magic macro ratio or the perfect workout plan that gets you lasting results...it's finding the weird variations of habits that fit who YOU are. In this episode, I'm breaking down the 7 weird habits and mindset shifts that helped me lose fat, build lean muscle, and maintain my body recomposition results long term.You'll learn why I said "eff it" to clean eating and started planning dessert FIRST, how 3-week workout progressions helped me build muscle without burning out, why telling myself I'd "track macros forever" actually made tracking easier, and how planning meals out at restaurants kept me consistent during fat loss without feeling like "that person on a diet." Plus, I share why doing the minimums BEFORE you need them is the secret to staying consistent through the holidays, busy seasons, and life changes — and the one bonus mindset shift that prepares you for anything that could derail your progress.Whether your goal is fat loss, building muscle, or full body recomp, these sustainable habits will help you stop the all-or-nothing dieting cycle, find food freedom, and create results that actually last.📥 Download my FREE Body Recomp Guide: https://redefiningstrength.com/recomp
Transcribe →Stop Apologizing for Wanting to Look Good
Jun 600:19:57Tap to summarizeYou're allowed to want to look good. Full stop.But somewhere along the way, aesthetic goals got villainized...like wanting to lose those last few pounds or finally see some definition means you're choosing vanity over health. That ends today.In this video, I'm sharing the 5 shifts that helped me finally look AND feel my most fabulous without sacrificing the lifestyle I love...and why owning your aesthetic goals might actually be the healthiest thing you can do.In this video:Why qualifying or downplaying your goals is quietly sabotaging youThe nutrition precision vs. flexibility balance that most people get wrongWhy protein and muscle are the bridge between looking good AND being healthyHow to structure your workouts in the right hierarchy for your goalsWhy what gets you to your goal isn't what keeps you there — and why you need an exit strategyThe truth is, lifting heavy, building muscle, and fueling your body right gets you the look you want and a body that's strong, capable, and powerful. You don't have to choose.👇 Grab my free Body Recomp Guide in the link below to start dialing in your workouts and nutrition today.https://redefiningstrength.com/recomp
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