In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, we take a hard look at one of our own core messages and ask: does it have to be heavy to build bone? We unpack a landmark systematic review and meta-analysis that compared more than 100 exercise interventions in postmenopausal women, looking at low, moderate, and high intensities across resistance training, impact, and combined programs.

We explain the big picture: resistance training works across intensities, moderate intensity often performs just as well as heavy, and impact-only isn’t the standalone solution it’s often made out to be. We also highlight how few truly high-intensity trials exist, why that matters, and what it means for interpreting the data.

Along the way, we reflect on why it’s important to update your message when new evidence emerges, and how this research shifts—not our programming, but our language—around lifting heavy. You’ll come away with a clearer understanding of what actually builds bone, what the science says (and doesn’t yet say), and why there’s more than one effective way to get stronger bones.

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00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

09:37 New Research on Exercise Intensity and Bone-Building Exercise for Postmenopausal Women

37:08 About the Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

52:20 Meta-Analysis Results Overview

54:16 Lumbar Spine Analysis

59:00 Femoral Neck Analysis

01:01:43 Total Hip Analysis

01:02:40 Key Takeaways and Summary

01:04:17 Meta-Regression Insights

01:09:47 Clinical vs. Statistical Significance

01:14:14 Discussion on Bias

01:17:26 Engaging with the Community and Expert Opinions

01:39:46 Debunking Myths About Women and Heavy Lifting

01:40:39 Addressing Misconceptions around Lifting Heavy

01:47:25 Cultural Shifts and Women in Strength Training

02:05:58 Practical Benefits of Heavy Lifting

02:11:44 Final Thoughts

REFERENCES:

LIFTMOR Trial and YouTube video

Kistler-Fischbacher Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

91: LIFTMOR, Not Less: An Interview with Professor Belinda Beck

Stu Phillips IG page and post

Korpelainen paper

100: The Hidden Cost of "Just Do Something" Fitness Advice

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Laurel unpacks what warm ups actually do—and why cool downs aren’t necessary. She explains how warming up sharpens focus, raises tissue temperature, and primes the nervous system, setting you up to perform better and reduce injury risk. Laurel shares five simple principles for effective warm ups, clears up myths about stretching and “activation,” and contrasts them with cool downs, which don’t aid recovery or prevent soreness.

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References:

Article - (Stronger by Science) Heavier warm-ups are best, new study suggests

Paper - Systematic Review with Meta Analysis on Cool Downs (Afonso, 2021)

Ep. 90 - Capacities for Longevity: Strength

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Dr. Sarah Court explores the fascinating impact of the placebo effect on sports performance and rehabilitation. Dr. Court discusses recent studies, including a unique experiment involving a pink, calorie-free drink that boosted bench press performance among trained lifters. The episode delves into how beliefs and expectations can lead to measurable physiological changes, the historical context of the placebo effect, and its implications in physical therapy and exercise routines. Dr. Court also emphasizes the significance of positive mindsets in overcoming physical challenges and achieving fitness goals.

01:31 The Pink Drink Study: Exploring the Placebo Effect

02:36 Understanding the Placebo Effect

04:03 Historical Context and Research on Placebo

06:02 Detailed Analysis of the Pink Drink Study

10:19 Implications of the Placebo Effect in Exercise

12:08 Placebo Effect in Rehabilitation and Pain Science

14:49 Practical Takeaways for Enhancing Performance

16:49 Mindset and Belief in Physical Therapy

20:25 Encouragement and Final Thoughts

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References:

The placebo effect of a pink non-caloric, artificially sweetened solution on strength endurance performance and psychological responses in trained individuals

Mouth Rinsing With a Pink Non-caloric, Artificially-Sweetened Solution Improves Self-Paced Running Performance and Feelings of Pleasure in Habitually Active Individuals

The Placebo and Nocebo effect on sports performance: A systematic review

Placebo effects on kayak sprint performance in child athletes

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Laurel explores whether you can train fascia, separating myths from facts about this connective tissue. She discusses her personal journey with fascia-focused methods, including self-massage and Yoga Tune Up, and questions commonly held beliefs about fascia adaptation from exercise. Laurel critiques the metaphorical narratives versus physiological mechanisms, examining the roles of muscle, tendon, and the nervous system in recovery and training. She concludes with insights on why calling it "fascia training" might be more about branding than science.

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00:00 Can you train fascia?
02:26 Personal story
10:39 Questioning what I'd been taught about fascia
12:02 Fascia as values, worldview, group identity
16:04 How did we get here – fascia research congress
16:48 The reductionism that arose out of rejecting reductionism
18:02 The problem with overpromising around significance of fascia or training fascia
18:59 Blurring metaphor and mechanism
23:24 What is fascia?
24:03 Massage mostly stimulates skin
24:29 Deep fascia and tendons are different
25:18 Fascia not great at force transfer
26:39 Visceral massage
27:04 Training fascia is not what trains proprioception – motor learning is
28:14 What makes a tissue trainable?
33:42 Difference between general and specific training
38:22 Adhesions, trigger points, scar tissue, fibrosis
40:51 Hydrating fascia
42:35 Circulation improvements
58:19 Wrapping it up

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Dr. Sarah Court, PT, delves into the trend of walking with weighted vests to improve bone density, especially among perimenopausal and menopausal women.

She reviews multiple long-term and short-term studies on the subject, comparing the effectiveness of weighted vests in bone metabolism, bone mineral density, and balance improvement. Sarah argues that while weighted vests do not significantly impact bone density for most people, they could be beneficial for balance and cardiovascular endurance, especially for the deconditioned or frail.

She also discusses the importance of proper exercise regimens like progressive overload and impact training for bone growth. The episode concludes with practical advice on when a weighted vest might be suitable.

00:43 The Weighted Vest Trend in Menopause Marketing

02:38 Debunking the Myths: Evidence on Weighted Vests

06:10 Research Study: Long-term Exercise with Weighted Vests

13:08 Research Study: Walking Exercise with and without Weighted Vests

17:48 Research Study: Short-term Aerobic Exercise with Weighted Vests

23:45 Conclusion: The Real Benefits of Weighted Vests

28:51 Final Thoughts

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References:

37 Plyometrics - Get More Bang For Your Bones

38 Got Bones? Yoga Asana Isn't Enough

51 Persistent Myths About Osteoporosis

53 Your Bones Are Bored

84 Trick or Truth: 6 Ways to Spot Osteoporosis Misinformation

91 LIFTMOR, Not Less: An Interview With Professor Belinda Beck

96 Bone Density Grifters: Introducing the Grift-O-Meter!

Instagram post #1

Instagram post #2

Long-term Exercise Using Weighted Vests Prevents Hip Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women

Weighted Vest Exercise Improves Indices of Fall Risk in Older Women

A Comparison between the Effects of the Walking Exercise with and without Weighted Vests on Bone Resorption and Health-Related Physical Fitness in the Working Women

Effects of short-term aerobic exercise with and without external loading on bone metabolism and balance in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Laurel explores how we’ve come to assign moral value to certain movement concepts—like compression, flexion, anterior tilt, and instability—and why that language does more harm than good. She unpacks how terms that are neutral by definition often get rebranded as “bad,” “dangerous,” or “dysfunctional” in movement and rehab spaces.

Rather than offering a list of “better” movement cues, Laurel invites listeners to step outside of binary thinking. This episode explores how our wiring, combined with marketing and group identity, fuels a polarizing narrative—a red-X/green-checkmark mentality that pits “functional” against “dysfunctional.”

Whether you’re a teacher, coach, or curious mover, this episode offers a reminder: biomechanical concepts are just descriptions of what’s happening—not value-laden truths. And when we let go of moralizing movement, we open the door to more creativity, exploration, and individualized problem-solving.

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Resources:

The Truth About Good vs Bad Muscles - Results Not Typical Podcast

98: Capacities for Longevity Part 3 - Cardio

94: Capacities for Longevity Part 2 - Power

90: Capacities for Longevity Part 1 - Strength

89: Is Dead Butt Syndrome Real?

80: Posture Panic Pt. 3 with Author Dr. Beth Linker, PhD

79: Make Yoga U Make Sense

78: Behemoth Knee Myths

76: Posture Panic Part 2

74: McGill We Go Again

73: Posture Panic Pt. 1

67: Popular Explanations for SI Joint Pain are Wrong, Says Science

66: Dismantling Long and Lean Pt. 3

63: Dismantling Long and Lean Part 2

62: Make McGill Make Sense

58: Alignment Dogma - Shoulders

54: Alignment Dogma - Spine

48: Alignment Dogma - Pelvis

19: Oh, NO! Nose Breathing and Nitric Oxide

Review: Effect of training and lifting equipment for preventing back pain in lifting and handling: systematic review

Review: Stoop or squat: a review of biomechanical studies on lifting technique

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Laurel shares six universal takeaways from training for and running her first marathon—and how they apply to any long term, challenging, exercise-related goal. Whether your goal is to build strength, increase stamina, or just feel more capable in your daily life, this episode explores fundamental training principles, helpful mindset coaching, and empowering tips to help you reach a long-term, physically demanding goal.

Rather than focusing on the details of marathon training, Laurel distills what she learned about goal-setting, accountability, program design, recovery, and the fatigue that can sometimes hide progress. She also calls out the overwhelming and often contradictory fitness advice targeted at women, especially during perimenopause and menopause, and urges a more individualized and practical approach to training.

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00:58 Why I trained for a marathon and what I learned
04:17 Takeaway #1: Have a realistic, measurable goal
13:34 Takeaway #2: Programming is a hypothesis
21:05 Takeaway #3: Accountability helps you follow through
27:50 Takeaway #4: Fatigue can mask your progress
35:45 Takeaway #5: Recovery reveals your fitness
42:00 Takeaway #6: Strength supports everything

RESOURCES

Episode 9: What Are the Best Exercises for Strength?

Episode 85: Inbetweenie - Boosting Recovery: What Really Works

Episode 70: Inbetweenie - Do you need a deload week?

Episode 90: Capacities for Longevity Part 1: Strength

Episode 94: Capacities for Longevity Part 2: Power

Episode 98: Capacities for Longevity Part 3: Cardio

In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Sarah explores the commonly held belief that any amount of exercise is better than none. Using recent research, she discusses the benefits of minimal exercise on cardiovascular health and longevity but also highlights the limitations of this advice. She emphasizes the need for strength training and power exercises to meet the comprehensive physical needs of the body, especially as we age. Additionally, she discusses the socioeconomic barriers to regular exercise and suggests systemic changes to make meaningful physical activity more accessible to everyone.

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00:03 The Common Exercise Advice: Just Do Something

02:01 Scientific Evidence Supporting Minimal Exercise

06:58 Limitations of Minimal Exercise

10:01 Strength Training and Its Importance

16:35 Challenges and Practical Solutions for Exercise

22:12 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

References:

Dose-response associations between accelerometry measured physical activity and sedentary time and all cause mortality: systematic review and harmonised meta-analysis

Physical Activity, All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality, and Cardiovascular Disease

Association of wearable device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity with mortality

Resistance Training and Mortality Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis