Season 3, Episode 7 - Dr. Rachele Podjednic

🚨 NEW EPISODE – Season 3, Episode 7 of the Medical Fitness Podcast 🎙️ “Muscle as Medicine: Strength Training for Health & Longevity”. Featuring Dr. Rachele Pojednic Powered by the Medical Fitness Association and the MRF Institute.What happens when an Ivy League scientist, Harvard educator, Stanford faculty member, and lifelong fitness advocate steps into the medical fitness conversation? You get an unforgettable episode with Dr. Rachele Pojednic—who brings the receipts and the passion..This episode is a deep dive into why skeletal muscle is one of the most powerful, underrated tools we have to combat chronic disease, improve metabolic health, and extend healthspan. Rachele breaks it down in a way both clinicians and fitness professionals can use immediately in practice..🔬 Topics we cover:Why muscle is a critical organ, not just tissue for movementThe role of resistance training in metabolism, glucose regulation, and insulin sensitivityLandmark studies on high-intensity training in the oldest old—and what they prove about aging and adaptationThe massive gap in female-specific research on strength training and performance, and how that’s finally changingCommon myths that still dominate the fitness industry around women and liftingWhy postmenopausal women CAN build muscle (despite outdated claims to the contrary)Training strategies for special populations, including women with MS, older adults, and post-surgical clientsWhy there’s no single perfect protocol—and how to find what works across life stagesHow protein intake, carbohydrate balance, and nutritional literacy impact strength, performance, and body compositionThe damaging effects of “optimization” culture and one-size-fits-all thinking in fitness and health.Rachele also shares personal insights from working in both academia and the wellness industry, and how bridging those silos is essential for real impact. She gets blunt (and refreshingly honest) about the social conditioning that keeps women away from strength training—and what we can all do to change that narrative.This is one of those episodes you’ll want to share with your clients, patients, students, and colleagues. If you're a clinician, strength coach, trainer, or anyone working at the intersection of medicine and movement, this conversation is mandatory listening.📍 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts 🔗 Full episode + show notes linked in bio 👥 Follow Dr. Pojednic at @rachelepojednic and rachelepojednic.com 🧠 Learn more about the MRF Institute and the work we're doing to connect medicine, rehab, and fitnessSupport the show