What if the problem isn’t discipline, but outdated health advice?

Michelle MacDonald sits down with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, board-certified physician and leading voice in muscle-centric medicine. Dr. Lyons explains why muscle, not weight, is the foundation of healthy aging for women. They cover protein targets, carb tolerance, type II muscle fibers, and why strength training matters for lifelong independence.

Favorite Moments

• 1:41 Muscle Is Agency, Not Just Fitness
• 7:10 Why Muscle-Centric Protein Guidelines Changed
• 35:56 How Muscle Determines Carbohydrate Tolerance
• 40:00 Type II Muscle Fibers: The Strength Women Lose First

“Muscle isn’t about fitness. It’s about agency.”- Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

GUEST: DR. GABRIELLE LYONS, BOARD-CERTIFIED PHYSICIAN SPECIALIZING IN MUSCLE HEALTH, AGING, AND LONGEVITY

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | The Forever Strong Playbook | TikTok

Full Guest Bio:
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon delivers science-backed strategies to help people build strength, energy, and resilience so they can perform at their best at work, home, and in life. Featured on Diary of a CEO, Huberman Lab, and the TEDx stage, she also hosts The Forever Strong Summit. A Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times best-selling author, Dr. Lyon is trusted by organizations including John Hancock, Keller Williams Realty, Shaklee, Parker Seminars, and Oprah Daily.

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Full Michelle Bio:
Michelle MacDonald is the creator of the FITNESS MODEL BLUEPRINT™ and host of the Stronger By Design™ podcast. Known globally for her transformation programs, Michelle empowers women to redefine aging through evidence-based strength training, nutrition, and mindset practices. Since 2012, she has coached thousands of women online, leveraging her expertise as a Physique Champion and ISSA Strength and Conditioning Specialist. She co-founded Tulum Strength Club and established The Wonder Women (TWW), inspiring countless transformations including her mother, Joan MacDonald (Train With Joan™). Michelle continues to lead the charge in women's fitness, launching the Stronger by Design™ fitness app in fall 2024.

Where to Watch/Listen:

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https://events.thewonderwomen.com/

Join The Wonder Women for a transformational week in Tulum, Mexico at the Amansala Resort & Spa. This retreat blends fitness, mindset, and community to help you reset your body, restore your energy, and reignite your confidence. Learn, move, and connect in paradise, with the women who understand your journey.

You’ve trained every part of your body—except the one that matters most.

Michelle MacDonald is joined by pelvic health expert Kim Vopni, also known as The Vagina Coach. Together, they dive into the often-overlooked world of pelvic floor health and its essential role in female strength, performance, and longevity. From incontinence and back pain to breathwork and bracing, this conversation breaks down the myths and gives women empowered tools to train smarter, lift confidently, and age powerfully...and a compelling case for why pelvic floor work belongs in every fitness plan.

Favorite Moments

• 5:10 Back Pain’s Surprising Connection to Pelvic Health
• 10:14 Why Every Woman Should See a Pelvic Floor Therapist
• 27:31 Pelvic Floor and Aging: The GSM Conversation
• 44:03 Strength Training Without Sacrificing Pelvic Health

"Tight isn’t strong. Strength is knowing how to contract and let go."– Kim Vopni

GUEST: KIM VOPNI (THE VAGINA COACH), WOMEN'S PELVIC HEALTH AND MENOPAUSE SUPPORT PRACTITIONER

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | Between Two Lips Podcast

Full Guest Bio:
Kim Vopni—also known as The Vagina Coach—is a certified fitness professional and pelvic health expert. She specializes in helping women improve core and pelvic floor function across every life stage. Kim is the creator of the Buff Muff Method and host of the Between Two Lips podcast.

CONNECT WITH MICHELLE

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Full Michelle Bio:
Michelle MacDonald is the creator of the FITNESS MODEL BLUEPRINT™ and host of the Stronger By Design™ podcast. Known globally for her transformation programs, Michelle empowers women to redefine aging through evidence-based strength training, nutrition, and mindset practices. Since 2012, she has coached thousands of women online, leveraging her expertise as a Physique Champion and ISSA Strength and Conditioning Specialist. She co-founded Tulum Strength Club and established The Wonder Women (TWW), inspiring countless transformations including her mother, Joan MacDonald (Train With Joan™). Michelle continues to lead the charge in women's fitness, launching the Stronger by Design™ fitness app in fall 2024.

Where to Watch/Listen:

Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

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https://events.thewonderwomen.com/

Join The Wonder Women for a transformational week in Tulum, Mexico at the Amansala Resort & Spa. This retreat blends fitness, mindset, and community to help you reset your body, restore your energy, and reignite your confidence. Learn, move, and connect in paradise, with the women who understand your journey.

What would happen if you treated your midlife like the start of your athletic prime?

Michelle MacDonald sits down with longtime client and PR executive Jodi Echakowitz to uncover how one woman redefined her relationship with health, aging, and ambition. From a scary brush with brain fog during perimenopause to transforming her body, mindset, and daily habits, Jodi shares how prioritizing her health not only gave her a new physique but a new life. Together, they unpack what real consistency looks like for women who travel, work, parent…and still make time to train like athletes. They also discuss Jodi’s decision to pursue cosmetic surgery after extreme weight loss, what self-discipline actually feels like in real life, and how chasing excellence, rather than perfection, is the most joyful form of self-respect. It's a masterclass in midlife reinvention.

Favorite Moments

• 1:48 Redefining Consistency on the Road and Under Pressure
• 5:21 “I thought I had early-onset Alzheimer’s”
• 11:24 The Trifecta of Transformation: Mindset, Nutrition, and Strength
• 43:40 Why the Gym is Her Meditation Now

"Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change." – Jodi Echakowitz

GUEST: JODI ECHAKOWITZ, FOUNDER & CEO OF BOULEVARD PUBLIC RELATIONS

Instagram | LinkedIn | Website | X | Website

Full Guest Bio:
Jodi Echakowitz is the founder and CEO of Boulevard Public Relations, a leading tech PR agency based in Toronto. With decades of experience in strategic communications, she’s built a career helping innovative companies tell their stories.

In her 50s, Jodi transformed her own story—losing 55 pounds, reclaiming her health, and embracing strength training as a non-negotiable part of life. Now a passionate advocate for women’s health in midlife, she leads with the mindset of an athlete and proves that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.

CONNECT WITH MICHELLE

Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | X

Full Michelle Bio:
Michelle MacDonald is the creator of the FITNESS MODEL BLUEPRINT™ and host of the Stronger By Design™ podcast. Known globally for her transformation programs, Michelle empowers women to redefine aging through evidence-based strength training, nutrition, and mindset practices. Since 2012, she has coached thousands of women online, leveraging her expertise as a Physique Champion and ISSA Strength and Conditioning Specialist. She co-founded Tulum Strength Club and established The Wonder Women (TWW), inspiring countless transformations including her moth

https://events.thewonderwomen.com/

Join The Wonder Women for a transformational week in Tulum, Mexico at the Amansala Resort & Spa. This retreat blends fitness, mindset, and community to help you reset your body, restore your energy, and reignite your confidence. Learn, move, and connect in paradise, with the women who understand your journey.