Episode 17 - Why Barbell Training Changes Everything for Women of All Sizes

Episode 22: The Identities We Outgrow: Who Are You Becoming?

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 carried no longer fit the lives we're trying to build. Many of us become attached to old stories about who we are: the athlete, the people-pleaser, the caretaker, the "big person," the successful professional, the parent with a busy household. But life moves in seasons. Relationships change. Bodies change. Priorities shift. And sometimes growth requires us to release identities that once served us so we can step into new ones. In this episode, Louise explores why lasting change isn't about setting better goals, it's about becoming the kind of person who naturally lives those behaviours. She discusses how habits reinforce identity, why confidence follows action, and how small daily choices become evidence for the person you're becoming. Whether you're rebuilding after loss, navigating midlife, changing careers, strengthening your relationship with movement, or simply feeling the pull toward something new, this conversation is an invitation to stop asking, "Who am I?" and start asking, "Who am I becoming?" In this episode: *  Why identity is the foundation of lasting behavior change  *  How habits provide evidence for who we believe ourselves to be  *  The identities we inherit versus the identities we intentionally choose  *  Why growth often requires grieving former versions of ourselves  *  How fear keeps us attached to familiar identities  *  The connection between action, confidence, and self-belief  *  Practical ways to begin building the identity you want to embody Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong [https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong]

Episode 21: Getting Off the Bench: Finding the Courage Before You Are "Ready"

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 the business, joining the gym, ending the relationship, writing the book, or stepping onto a competition platform, most of us spend far too much time waiting for certainty. We tell ourselves we'll do it when we're more confident, more prepared, more experienced, or less afraid. But that's not how growth works. In this conversation, Louise explores why discomfort is a normal part of growth, what neuroscience tells us about building confidence, and how every small act of courage expands our sense of what's possible. You'll learn why waiting to feel ready can keep you stuck, how action rewires the brain, and why the people we admire most aren't necessarily braver than us they've simply practiced taking the next step. In This Episode: * Why confidence is a result of action, not a prerequisite * The neuroscience of fear, uncertainty, and growth * How avoiding discomfort shrinks our world * Why courage and confidence are built through repetition * Lessons from competition, performance, and putting yourself out there * The hidden cost of waiting for the "perfect" moment * How taking one small step can change the trajectory of your life * A simple challenge to help you get off the bench this week Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong [https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong]

Episode 20 - Before We Debate Heavy Weights, We Need To Talk About Access

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 training, muscle growth, menopause, aging, and performance while cutting through the noise that often leaves women feeling overwhelmed and confused. But this conversation goes far beyond reps and sets. Louise challenges the fitness industry to confront a larger issue that rarely gets enough attention: millions of women are not struggling with optimization, they are struggling with consistency, confidence, and access. In a culture where many women feel judged, excluded, intimidated, or unsupported in fitness spaces, the “perfect” workout program becomes irrelevant if people cannot sustain movement long term. Inside this episode, Louise breaks down: • Heavy lifting versus lighter weights  • Menopause and resistance training  • Muscle hypertrophy and aging  • Bone density and fast twitch muscle preservation  • Progressive overload explained simply  • Accessibility and inclusivity in fitness culture  • Motivation, consistency, and long term adherence  • Redefining what “successful” fitness looks like for women over 40 Keywords Women’s fitness, menopause fitness, strength training for women over 40, heavy lifting, high reps, muscle growth, hypertrophy, healthy aging, bone density, progressive overload, fitness accessibility, inclusive fitness, resistance training, midlife health, women’s health, longevity, exercise adherence, gym culture, confidence in fitness Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong [https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong]

Episode 19: When the Numbers Start Running the Show: How Fitness Metrics Can Quietly Hijack Your Motivation

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 calories to lifting stats and clothing sizes, fitness culture has conditioned many of us to attach meaning and self worth to data, often at the expense of building a sustainable relationship with movement. Louise discusses why some people thrive with metrics while others become discouraged, obsessive, or emotionally derailed by them. She also explores how stress, sleep, hormones, aging, recovery, and mental health all influence performance, reminding listeners that bodies are not machines and progress is rarely linear. This episode is a conversation about learning how to use numbers as information rather than identity and why emotional resilience may be one of the most important skills in long term fitness. In This Episode • Why numbers can become psychological quit points in fitness  • The emotional impact of scales, lifting stats, calories, and tracking  • How fitness culture conditions us to equate performance with worth  • Why performance fluctuations are a normal part of being human  • Different fitness personality types and how some people respond better to metrics than others  • The importance of separating self worth from performance outcomes  • How to build a more sustainable and compassionate relationship with movement Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong [https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong]

Episode 18 - Fitness Justice: Why Fitness Still Fails So Many People

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 that are supposedly designed to support health. From weight stigma in healthcare to toxic fitness messaging, inaccessible gym environments, and the psychological impact of never seeing yourself represented in fitness media, Louise examines the hidden inequities shaping our relationship with movement. This is not a conversation about motivation. It’s a conversation about belonging. Louise also challenges the deeply ingrained belief that people in larger bodies simply “lack discipline,” revealing how shame, humiliation, and exclusion directly impact exercise participation, mental health, and long-term wellbeing. But this episode is not about hopelessness. It’s about rebuilding fitness culture into something more humane, inclusive, and accessible for everyone. This episode explores: • The hidden psychological impact of exclusion in fitness spaces • Why weight stigma reduces movement participation • How healthcare bias impacts people in larger bodies • The damaging legacy of shame-based fitness culture • Why representation in fitness media matters • The connection between belonging and exercise consistency • The pressure women face to shrink, optimize, and control their bodies • Why “lazy” is often a misunderstanding of trauma, shame, and exclusion • The difference between performative inclusion and true accessibility • How fitness culture can evolve toward dignity, safety, and equity Sound Bites “Most people don’t hate movement. They hate humiliation.” “We are demanding participation from people while refusing to build systems that support participation.” “Fitness culture has normalized body surveillance.” “When people don’t feel represented, they stop believing they belong.” “Movement should not require humiliation as the price of admission.” Chapters 00:00 – Why Louise Is Finally Writing Fitness Justice 03:12 – The Contradiction at the Heart of Fitness Culture 06:45 – Weight Stigma, Shame, and Exercise Avoidance 10:20 – How Fitness Media Shaped Body Image 13:40 – Why Women Feel Exhausted by Fitness Culture 16:18 – Medical Weight Bias and Healthcare Harm 19:22 – Accessibility, Representation, and Belonging 22:35 – Why Most People Don’t Actually Hate Exercise 24:50 – Rebuilding Fitness Culture Through Justice and Inclusion Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong [https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong]