My name is Cori Lefkowith and I started Redefining Strength in 2014 with one mission…
That mission goes beyond goals. We’re here to provide you with a science-backed approach that not only supports your health and fitness journey but also empowers you through education.
My team of experts will guide you in building habits that seamlessly become a part of your lifestyle, ultimately reshaping your identity. Get ready to redefine what strength means to you and embrace a transformative experience with us.
I still weigh myself daily (Fitbit Aria 2), but I use a website called TrendWeight to gauge my averages. If overall things are going down, I'm not overly concerned with my eating (although my food choices admittedly aren't 100% clean)
I agree I need more protein, but eat plant-based to avoid artery clogging saturated fat, environment and animal treatment concerns. Please provide (if you haven't already) ways to increase plant-based protein consumption.
The logic behind the 30g protein portion is flawed. Using ur logic, if i eat 1 meal of 30g protein; assuming 20g goes to hair/skin. Does mean if i eat 5 meals of 30g protein each, 100g will go to hair/skin? Seriously? You also recommend meals of 100g protein, so does that mean my second meal only has 50g protein? Then what about my third meal, no protein? Even if we take someone who should eat 200g protein per day, thats 2 meals of 100g and a third meal w no protein…………………. So what, the 100g meal is dinner right before he sleeps? Or?? The problem with your points is that your unspoken assumption seems to be, your viewer only eats 2-3 meals a day. Thats not true. Instead of saying “20g protein is a myth”, you should instead say “eat more protein”
I will clarify as I think you're misunderstanding what I meant by that...yes the key is overall protein intake for the day. And increasing that overall is the most key. I didn't "assume" clients ate any specific number of meals. The point of the 30 over the 20, or even 40g in a sitting as we get older is due to the fact that we aren't able to utilize protein as efficiently. So a greater load in one sitting, not to mention that all protein isn't just used for muscle building (which is why often 20-30 grams is even recommended and that being all you "should" eat IS a myth I'm fighting against), is needed to create the same stimulus for muscle growth that we once were able to accomplish with less. More basically is "wasted" by our body being less efficient as we get older. That is why studies have shown that potentially increasing portions at meals as we get older, and if we're training hard, can be valuable to get that portion to produce results. I also share this to not make people fear eating more in one sitting. I have many clients who like to snack so do eat less while increasing protein over the day and see results. And those that eat 1-2 big meals and hit their protein and see results. Lots of things can work but also knowing the costs and rewards can help us create the best plan for us as our body, needs and goals change.
I weigh and measure. My coworker doesn't. He constantly tells me I have too little meat in my sandwich. I have a serving that fits macros and calories. He has 3x the serving. That's fine if he was tracking it, but instead he's gaining weight and can't figure out why
Hello. What about metabolic resistance training? I am writing from Brazil and MRT is a big thing here right now. I personally enjoy it and achieve this leaner, more toned figure that I really like.
Strength work can be more metabolic but MRT isn't just one training technique...it can be circuits, intervals so many different things and each have a purpose. And depending on your schedule, it may suit your needs best. But even the benefits you get from it depends on the types of moves you include. So I think it can be beneficial and when designed to work with your recovery and fueling, can produce amazing results. But all about including everything with intention to challenge ourselves based on our needs and goals!
I have been working out & lift weights for 9 months now I do not care about the scale but I have notices that I fit well in my clothes & I got a smaller waist with a bigger behind lol & I feels great
I lost about 4.5 lbs in the last 2 weeks...but I had a nasty stomach bug and after being healthy for only a couple days I was bit by a black widow spider. 2 nights in the ER plus 2 more days to mostly recovery. My appetite has been wonky through all this. According to a scale at the gym, I lost 1 lb of fat and 3 lbs of muscle. Ugh. Hopefully I will gain my muscle back quickly. I was plateued with muscle gain even before these problems.
Wishing you a speedy recovery! Focus on that fueling and protein. And if you focus on that challenge in your strength workouts you will rebuild. Often hydration does impact those scales as we don't lose fat or muscle overnight! (And with being sick our hydration can get very off!)
Things that really work for me are meal prep and just eating the same thing. I eat the same things Mon through Saturday. I like the food I eat, it’s easy because I know the macros and calories are correct. On Sunday I mess around with a different meal maybe slightly higher calorie but I always lose it again during the week. I can see my abs and look great. I’m 47. Having this and that all the time was just too much work to prepare and calculate and I got fed up. I like skyr/berries for breakfast, oatmeal and protein powder for lunch, tuna and apples for snack, chicken rice and veggies for dinner and skyr with chocolate sauce for dessert! That’s it… works a treat for me! 🎉
Love it! I definitely agree that having some easy go to meals can make prep easy and keep us on track without as much stress or time. And studies have even shown that it may be easier during a weight loss phase to eat the same things as we don't often then want to overeat those foods we habitually have as much as something new and fun. Love that you've found your balance!
I am curious about what your thoughts are on the potential for high protein consumption to trigger mtor and suppress autophagy which may lead to an accelorated rate of aging, looking older and even illness. I think it is clear that a higher protein intake has many benefits in helping to build lean body mass, lose weight and so on and as we get into old age lack of muscle mass is a huge predictor of frailty and earlier death. But then other science shows that a continuous abundant intake of protein reduces the bodies efficency in how it uses protein and reduces the amount of recycling of old damage proteins in the body and that lower dietry protein prompts more of this recylcing, more efficent protein use and may be protective against cellular aging and even cancer. I don't have any partiticular bias here at all it is just something I am personally looking into at the moment and trying to understand and I am interested in other peoples views on this as there appears to be no overall consensus from experts.
I don't think there can be a full consensus and honestly from all of my research protein only helps us feel, look and move our best as we age from improved cellular repair to muscle mass retention to even benefits in terms of cognitive functioning. But I also think there is so much nuance to everything. As the quality of your protein matters. How that fueling the leads to better recovery and sleep. And I feel like often you can't separate out factors to say it is just solely one. Because often if you're focusing on quality protein, you're probably also focused on other micros which have benefit as well. I do also think we don't often enough talk about the micros that are in specific proteins and only available in that form in that food. All of which has an impact! And also, high protein, and what we need varies. It isn't just one set number for everyone.
@@redefiningstrengthOC Thanks for responding and giving such a thoughtful answer! I suppose all an individual can do is to experiement with there intake and see what gives them the best overal results as per their goals. Thanks again!
Dios eres genial, mil gracias por educarnos tan bien, explicas de una forma que hasta un niño de 4 años podría entenderlo, por otra parte adoro tu canal en Español, a veces no es facil encontrar personas tan capacitadas para ayudarnos. Nueva suscriptora
Do you recommend additional hormones and testosterones? I am exactly what you are saying. 62, workout 4-5 times a week. I’ve always workout - it’s a mental thing for me. BMI is good 20%, 5’4 116lb (up 10lbs in last 2 yrs) but I want to lose 8-10 lbs primarily to fit my clothes. I cant seem to lose any weight. I have added protein base on your videos. I’ve always been about 105-108. Cant seem to drop any weight. Love your tips. Been on an estrogen patch for about 15 yrs. Losing motivation :(
No I never recommend hormones to people. While I do have clients that have gone that route with their doctor, my focus is purely on workouts and nutrition. And honestly, what used to work often doesn't as we get older. If you're working out intensely and focusing on protein, paying attention to even your carbs and fat ratios may be key. And even making sure you're eating enough. Because if you're working out hard and under eating, you could be negatively impacting your muscle mass and metabolic rate, making you gain weight even though that seems against what we've always heard.
My problem now is that diabetes runs in my family. I’ve aged and though I did lose the yo-yo dieting weight over 10 years ago, I did it without really working out and I have lost a lot of muscle. People lose some as they age anyway. I actually maintained at about eight or 9 pounds lighter for four or five years, but I saw that my A1c was going up even though I was eating mostly whole food and mostly plants. I switch to less carbs but not low-carb and extremely small amounts of sugar and almost no junk food. But my A1c went down by one point after all those efforts. However, again, I did not exercise a lot. I had a relapse on carbs, and my fat content has gone up enough in my body now that I have gone into the prediabetic range. I am not being offered any medication and I am not eager to take anything until I see if I can turn this around With mostly exercise and eating good quality food. But it’s very hard to think that I need to eat enough to gain some weight because there’s a theory that everybody has a certain threshold of fat beyond which they start developing diabetes and I think I’ve already surpassed it so the idea of putting on some more, frightening. The calculators say that I should be able to eat more than I do and when I say calculators, I’m talking about having gone to a lab that measured my VO2 and RMR and body fat. When I think of trying to eat the maintenance calories that they’re talking about as well as the protein amount, Just feel like my old lady stomach can’t eat that much anymore. I guess this week started working with Personal Trainer because I also have arthritis and some movement complications and I know that I am not capable of doing an exercise program on my own and keeping my body safe. But I know that I have a lot of foundational work to do before I can expect, much result in terms of muscle synthesis. If any younger women and most women are younger than I am now are reading this, please please please work on your Fitness. I know that too much aerobic work can be problematic for the recomposition, but the O2 max is extremely highly correlated with longevity and delaying aging so we have to find a balance. Muscular strength is as well but VO2 topic. Good luck, everybody!
I'm flattered you think I look that good but I haven't done bodybuilding ever. I'm not lean enough nor have any desire to put in the work to reach that level. Kudos to you though for doing that. And I'm all natural. You can actually see over my videos the transformation I've had from the start till now! Been a long process and that's why I share what worked for me over years of consistency!
Some elderly friends of mine are both rather obese. Their brilliant GP suggests more protein, so they came to me asking about what is a good protein powder to put into making 'shakes' and 'baking' in order to up their protein intake. I suggested we start with movement plus more meat, less shakes, less baking & pastries - and *gasp* even to cut out the numerous wet sugar with bubbles beverages they consume daily. But no... their GP didn't say anything about that so it's all about adding protein powder while continuing on their ways of consuming trash. Sigh.
We do often turn to those supplements first as they are an easier change. And while not ideal and there are so many other amazing changes we can make...one thing can build even if it isn't "ideal." But I think if you even celebrate that first change and step toward considering their health, and then encourage one more on there, even going for a walk together, you can create that habit stack. The more we do, the more we do! And the more we make things less daunting, sometimes the more we can help those around us even take that first step and start!
I'm 57 and have never been more muscular and lean. I'm glad you mentioned how long it takes. Totally worth it. My problem is that I always do cardio first. I need to stop. 😂
YES! Strong and lean at any and every age! And if it is working for you, no need to change it. I think just understanding the risk and reward of things helps us design with intention to see results!
I’m really struggling with this. I was an athlete in my younger years and I’ve always worked out and stayed pretty fit. I’m 45 had a hysterectomy in November of 23. I gained 10lbs that I have not been able to get rid of. Although it’s not alot of weight mentally it’s driving me crazy. Trying to eat more protein and lifting more 5x a week. Thank you for the tips and encouragement I need it 😞
You've got this! With hormonal changes, that can be caused by a hysterectomy, you can need to adjust how you fuel and train! Nothing works forever so constantly tweaking is key! Love your focus on that strength work and protein! Just remember too, while not a lot of weight, those last few pounds can be the slowest to come off when you're focusing on true fat loss!
Why are you not writing a weight training book for women? Hardly any women's strength books are out there and even fewer are written by women. I've read the guy books and that just doesn't cut it, they are too interested in showing off their own eating frenzies and weight amounts for me to think that they are seriously considering a woman's point of view. I would buy your book in a heartbeat. Please give it some serious consideration. We need you!!!
I have my Dynamic Strength program that has workout progressions already created and I do have macro courses as well :-) Not to push those on you but just if you are looking for resources! :-) I'd love to help further! redefiningstrength.com/programs?sl=yc
Hi, love love love your videos! I'm lifting weights 3 times a week, 2 times a week I do yoga ( same days as weights) and 2 days a week I do 45 minutes of cardio. I take Saturdays and Sundays off, I'm adding inches without seeing muscles, I'm becoming bulky without seeing muscles. I'm a 66 year old woman who has always exercised and eaten well, I have a double don black belt in taekwondo and I'm a breast cancer survivor 😊. Please tell me what I'm doing wrong. I'm thinking about increasing my cardio time and days. Thank you so much.
Honestly "eating well" doesn't mean our portions are in line. I wouldn't try to out exercise your diet and do more or that may backfire. I'd track your food, assess your macros and calories and go from there. Even under eating while training hard may backfire. Or not the right ratio of protein, carbs and fats. So adjusting your nutrition will be the key to that definition!
I stopped drinking 2 years ago and most of that koney goes into protein: whey, chicken and eggs, in that economic order. Also, honourable mention, roasted #ChanaJor #ChanaJorGaram that is low on calories and is so tasty. We dont get fatfree yogurt easily so full fat yogurt is my thing. In my previous house, they threw buttermilk as it was "waste left after extracting butter!" Oh, how I miss that! There were days when I even had a pedicure in buttermilk, so much was the abundance! Well! #CestLaVie! Love, Ra!
I have reached 54 years of life and never had to consciously focus on losing fat or scale weight until perimenopause descended upon me. At 5’2”, I’m a petite woman carrying an extra 20 to 25 pounds and I’m finding shifting that excess weight to be an on-going challenge since entering this new stage of life. I’m not quite sure how I landed on your YT page, but I really value the jewels you highlighted in this message. Over the last 14 weeks, I implemented a modest calorie deficit, started tracking my meals and began a body recomposition by lifting heavy four times per week in conjunction with walking three to four miles in a ten pound weighted vest three or four days per week. Consequently, I’ve managed to lose ten pounds of fat, but I envisioned that my efforts would have generated more desirable results within this timeframe. Since that wasn’t the case, I literally, just this morning, concluded that this was not going as planned and that I should instead impose a larger caloric deficit and tweak my training to become more cardio dominant and reduce strength to twice per week. However, stumbling upon this specific message at this specific time addressing these specific concerns is not a coincidence. Hearing you affirm that while the process is slow and harder as we age, it is not impossible which resonated with me and encouraged me to stay the course and keep moving forward because at the end of the day, slow progress is still progress!
YES! Keep going! Especially during perimenopause when your hormone levels are fluctuating, it will be slower BUT even more essential you don't rush! Keep focused on those small tweaks and changes. That recomp you're seeing is amazing! GREAT JOB!
So the bicep isn't really a prime mover in the push up....this video may interest you - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cVWD6WjeZf8.html
After a lifetime of harsh yo-yo dieting I struggle with calories. I weight train at least 4 days a week. I am making myself watch this everyday because the message is so quickly replaced with my inner voice telling me over and over again to eat less. I want so badly to undo the damage I have done and escape this vicious circle. Thank you for this video ❤
You've got this! Just remember it is a slow process and can be frustrating. And you may go backward before you go forward. I say this not to be negative but the more we are prepared for this, the easier it is to embrace. Here are more tips too - redefiningstrength.com/eat-more-and-lose-fat-heres-how?sl=yc
This was a great video as I have just a few kg's to lose but it's becoming so hard but I see now I need to shift my thinking a little so thank you for that. Also, I always look out for the fluffy dogs at the end, what cuties they are 🥰
Thank you for all your amazing informative content on strength training, diet, and longevity. Your inspirational videos are helping so many people live healthier, better and longer lives. You are great at what you do and sharing your knowledge in a fun, honest way is much appreciated!! 💗
