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Redefining Strength Podcast

Cori Lefkowith

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.

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26 episodes
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English

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Yesterday · 20 min
7 Tips To Build Muscle And Improve Your Metabolism After 40
If you've ever blamed your age for feeling weaker, gaining fat more easily, or struggling to see results in the gym, this episode is your reality check. Age is rarely the real problem, it's just the easiest excuse to reach for. In this episode, you'll learn why the fitness and dieting habits that used to work are now working against you, and why chasing the scale instead of building muscle is quietly wrecking your metabolism. You'll hear why "eating less" often backfires after 40, how anabolic resistance changes the way your body uses protein, and why fearing intensity in your workouts might be aging you faster than the workouts themselves. This isn't about pushing harder for the sake of it. It's about training smarter, recovering better, and finally understanding what your body actually needs at this stage of life. Whether you're dealing with a stalled metabolism, frustrating weight gain around your midsection, or just feeling like your old routines stopped working, this episode breaks down exactly what's happening and what to do about it. Age is a number. Strength is a choice.
September 11 · 15 min
The 3 Real Reasons Body Recomp Fails (It's Not Your Plan)
You can have the perfect macros and the perfect training split and still fall off track because the plan was never the real problem. In this video, I'm breaking down the three things that actually determine whether your body recomp sticks this time, and none of them are a diet tweak or a new workout split. We cover: - Why stacking small, almost-too-easy wins builds more momentum than an all-or-nothing overhaul - How to actually learn from past failed attempts instead of just feeling defeated by them - Why trying to do it all alone might be the biggest thing holding you back If you've tried body recomp before and it didn't stick, this isn't about trying harder...it's about approaching it differently. —
September 4 · 27 min
7 Body Recomp Rules I Wish I Knew Sooner (Lose Fat + Build Muscle)
Body recomp doesn’t have to be complicated. But with all the conflicting advice around fat loss, muscle building, hormones, metabolism, workouts, and nutrition, it’s easy to spend years chasing the “perfect” approach instead of focusing on what actually moves the needle. After nearly two decades in the fitness industry...and plenty of trial and error myself...there are a few things I wish I’d understood much sooner. In this video, I’m breaking down the 7 body recomp rules I keep coming back to again and again. These aren’t trendy hacks or quick fixes. They’re the fundamentals that can help you build a sustainable approach to losing fat, building muscle, and creating results you can actually maintain. If you feel like you’re working hard but your results are inconsistent, or you’re overwhelmed by everything you’re supposedly “supposed” to be doing, this video will help you simplify your approach and focus on what matters most. And yes body recomp can be slow. But when you stop chasing shiny objects and start building a system that works together, that’s when things can really start to add up. Download The Recomp Guide: http://redefiningstrength.com/recomp
August 27 · 25 min
9 Fitness Flops That Taught Me Everything About Body Recomp
I ate so clean during my first cut that I made myself sick on vacation. One spicy sangria and some Mexican food later, it was bad news bears. Then I couldn't get back on track for weeks, because that's exactly what happens when your approach is too rigid for real life. That was fitness flop number one. And after almost two decades in this industry, coaching thousands of women through their own body recomp journeys while also testing everything on myself, I have made just about every mistake in the book. Some of them were obvious in hindsight. Others took me years to fully understand. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain and sharing 10 of my biggest fitness flops. These weren't really failures, they were experiences that taught me something important, but they still cost me time, energy, and results I can't get back. Some of these lessons are about training. Some are about nutrition and tracking. A lot of them, honestly, come down to mindset, stress, and the stories we tell ourselves about what discipline is supposed to look like. If you've ever felt like you're starting over every January, caught yourself saying "I'm not being that bad" while quietly sliding off track, or found yourself stuck in that exhausting all or nothing cycle, this episode was made for you. I'm walking through what went wrong, why it went wrong, and what I do differently now, so that you can shortcut the process and skip straight to the results. This is almost 20 years of trial and error condensed into one conversation. Grab your headphones, go for a walk or get comfy on the couch, and let's get into it.
August 21 · 16 min
Get Rid Of The Arm Jiggle (5 Tips For Women 40+)
I just want to get rid of this jiggle" is probably the most common thing I hear about arms. And relaxed muscle does jiggle, that's just normal. But there is a real way to build the definition you're after, especially during perimenopause and menopause when collagen loss and hormonal shifts change the game. You can't spot reduce fat from just your arms, but you can strategically create the conditions for real change: building the muscle underneath and supporting the skin on top of it. In this video I'm sharing the 5 things that have actually helped my clients finally see the arm definition they've been chasing, everything from how you eat and train to the small daily habits that make the biggest difference. Grab my full body recomp guide and the 5 Triceps Exercises video linked in the description below. Let me know in the comments: which tip do you think you've been missing, or which small tweak made the biggest difference for you? 5 Arm Exercises To Lose Bingo Wings For Women 40+ - https://youtu.be/BLltCs-j3r4 Download The Recomp Guide - https://redefiningstrength.com/recomp
August 14 · 18 min
7 Muscle-Building Mistakes Keeping You From Looking Lean
To get leaner you might have to do the opposite of everything you've ever done. Focus on building muscle first. Or what I like to call...Muscle FIRST Fat Loss. But this is honestly easier said than done, both mentally and physically. Because the approach that actually works goes against almost every instinct and habit you've built around fat loss. And even when you know it's right it feels wrong. There are 7 mistakes I've personally made that sabotaged my results and honestly still are tough to avoid. And most women I've met are making at least 5 of them. Grab my FREE Body Recomp Guide in the description below 👇 https://redefiningstrength.com/recomp
August 7 · 19 min
10 Ridiculous BLUNT and Honest Truths About Body Recomp
I'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.
July 30 · 18 min
The Worst Cardio For Fat Loss (For Women 40+)
So 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.
July 23 · 18 min
The 7 Laws of Body Recomp After 40 (That Actually Work)
Nothing 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
July 17 · 13 min
The Scale Is your Worst Frenemy...Here's Why
You'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.
July 10 · 23 min
Why Menopause Belly Fat Won't Budge (Even When You're Doing Everything Right)
You'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 more I 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/
July 3 · 21 min
The 5 Hidden Metabolism Killers That Are Sabotaging Your Body Recomposition Results
Your 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
June 25 · 23 min
10 Harsh Truths I Had to Accept to Finally See Real Body Recomp (Lose Fat + Build Muscle)
I 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
June 19 · 1 hr 4 min
5 Reasons You Fail At 30-Day Challenges (Ft. Dr. Caroline Leaf)
Ever 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
June 12 · 18 min
The 7 Weird Habits That Helped Me Lose Fat And KEEP It Off
Struggling 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
June 6 · 19 min
Stop Apologizing for Wanting to Look Good
You'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 you The nutrition precision vs. flexibility balance that most people get wrong Why protein and muscle are the bridge between looking good AND being healthy How to structure your workouts in the right hierarchy for your goals Why what gets you to your goal isn't what keeps you there — and why you need an exit strategy The 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
May 28 · 11 min
5 Signs You're Burning Fat (Even If The Scale Says You're Not)
The scale has been lying to you and it's costing you your progress. If you've ever done everything right all week, stepped on the scale, and felt like your hard work meant nothing, this episode is for you.The truth is, the scale measures one thing: gravity's pull on your total body weight. It cannot tell you whether you're losing fat, building muscle, retaining water, or genuinely making progress. And if it's the only tool you're using to track your body recomposition journey, you are missing the full picture every single time.In this episode, we're breaking down the 5 real signs your body is actively burning fat...even when the number on the scale refuses to move (or goes up). These are the signals your body sends that most people completely overlook, ignore, or misread as failure. Once you know what to look for, you'll never let the scale have the final word again.We're covering: -Why your fat can actually feel squishier BEFORE it disappears (and what that really means) -How your clothing and measurements tell a more honest story than any scale ever could -The mirror clues that show real definition emerging even before inches change -What increased vascularity tells you about the fat you're losing under the skin -Why your gym performance might be the single most important progress marker you're ignoring We also going to take a look at the whoosh effect...why fat cells fill with water during a calorie deficit and why that's actually a sign your body IS working. Plus why diet breaks and macro cycling can suddenly unlock the visible changes you've been waiting for.Whether you're on a fat loss journey, a body recomp program, or you've been stuck at the same weight for weeks while training hard and eating right, this episode will reframe how you measure success and help you stay consistent past the point where most people quit. Because so much of fat loss is just keeping going...with the right habits, the right tracking tools, and the awareness to recognize progress when it doesn't look the way you expected. 📥 Grab the FREE Recomp Guide: https://redefiningstrength.com/recomp
May 21 · 20 min
Weight Training for Fat Loss: 5 Tips to Build Muscle & Burn More Fat
Struggling to lose fat even though you’re eating well, doing cardio, or trying to stay consistent with your workouts? The missing piece may not be more restriction or more cardio. It may be building muscle. In this episode, I’m breaking down why weight training is one of the most important tools for fat loss, especially if you want results that last. We’ll talk about how strength training helps you build lean muscle, improve your metabolism, change your body composition, and create a body that looks stronger, leaner, and more defined. You’ll learn 5 simple weight training tips to help you get better fat loss results without feeling like you need to live in the gym, starve yourself, or do endless cardio. In this video, we cover: -Why muscle matters for fat loss -How weight training supports your metabolism -The difference between losing weight and changing your body composition -How to structure strength training for better results -Why more cardio is not always the answer -How to train in a way that helps you feel strong, lean, and confident If you’re a woman over 40, or you feel like what used to work no longer works, this episode will help you understand how to use strength training more effectively so you can build muscle, burn fat, and create sustainable results. 00:00 Weight Training For Fat Loss 07:12 Tip 1: workout designs 09:52 Tip 2: power work 14:07 Tip 3: mobility work 15:23 Tip 4: tools and progressions 17:46 Tip 5: compound movements
May 19 · 23 min
Cardio vs Weights vs Pilates - Which One Is Best For Fat Loss?
If your goal is fat loss, should you be doing cardio, lifting weights, or Pilates? The answer is not as simple as picking one and ditching the others. In this video, I’m breaking down the real fat loss training hierarchy: what to prioritize first, why weight training is the foundation, where cardio actually fits, why walking is more powerful than most people realize, and how Pilates or activation work can make your strength training even more effective. We’ll talk about why steady-state cardio often gets overused, why sprint intervals can support fat loss and muscle preservation, how walking helps with recovery and daily calorie burn, and why Pilates is not just “light toning” work. Because the real question isn’t “cardio vs weights vs Pilates.” It’s: are you using each one for the right job? If you’ve been working hard but still feel stuck, this video will help you understand how to combine training methods in a way that supports fat loss, muscle building, recovery, and long-term results. Watch next to learn how to set up your strength training so it actually builds muscle and changes your body composition.
May 14 · 20 min
BODY RECOMP - 9 Mistakes I'll Never Make Again
Most women working on body recomp are making at least 3 of these 9 mistakes without even knowing it — and fixing them changes everything. In this episode, I'm breaking down the exact mistakes that were holding me back (yes, I made all 9) and what to do instead so your body can actually respond. From how you think about cravings, to your macro strategy, to how much you're relying on caffeine to get through the day — these are the sneaky things that stall your progress and keep you stuck in the cycle of losing and regaining. 📥 Grab my free Body Recomp Guide: https://redefiningstrength.com/recomp What we cover: Why cravings are a data problem, not a willpower problem Calories in vs. calories out vs. macros — what actually matters NEAT and why it outweighs adding more workouts The stress of eating "too clean" and why it backfires Using workouts as punishment and why it sabotages recomp The strength to cardio continuum and how to use it Overcaffeinating as a bandaid for bigger problems How overcorrecting after a bad day keeps you stuck Why what used to work might be what's holding you back now

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