Personalizing Fitness by ADAPTing (feat. Philip Pape)

Personalizing Fitness by ADAPTing (feat. Philip Pape)

Author: Jenn Trepeck August 20, 2025 Duration: 52:32

What if you could take the guesswork out of fitness and create a truly personalized approach that actually works for you? 

In this episode, Philip Pape joins Jenn Trepeck to discuss his ADAPT framework, a step-by-step guide to personalizing your fitness routine. They talk about the importance of assessing your current situation, taking action, and analyzing your progress to make informed choices. Philip shares his insights on how to progress in strength training, adapt to injuries, and use evidence-based strategies to achieve your goals. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced athlete, this episode is packed with actionable tips and techniques to help you take your fitness to the next level. So, let's get started!

The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast, hosted by Jenn Trepeck, explores real-life wellness and weight loss, debunking myths, misinformation, and flawed science that surround our understanding of nutrition and the food industry. Let’s dive into wellness and weight loss for real life, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store.

IN THIS EPISODE: 

  • (00:00) Intro: NEAT, aka non-exercise activity thermogenesis
  • (04:57) Philip’s experience of flailing around in the world of fitness
  • (07:54) The importance of measuring energy and performance      
  • (12:26) Introducing the ADAPT framework
  • (14:56) “A” stands for ACCESS  - movement and capacity for activity 
  • (16:31) "D" stands for DO - the importance of taking action and collecting data
  • (17:53) “A” stands for ANALYZE - what are you keeping track of
  • (21:42) “P” stands for PIVOT - making subtle changes
  • (23:12) “T” stands for TEST - doing a controlled experiment
  • (27:54) Discussion of progression in strength training, emphasising overload and rest
  • (31:25) Does your plan or program meet your goals and the value of coaching
  • (33:07) Personalizing walking and how to make it a habit, citing the benefits of increased non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)
  • (37:48) The importance of using affected areas and promoting blood flow when injured
  • (41:01) Building a home gym and the importance of mindset and moving forward

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Personalizing fitness is crucial for achieving success, and it starts with assessing your current situation, including your goals, lifestyle, and constraints. By understanding your unique needs, you can create a tailored approach that works for you.
  • Tracking progress and analyzing data are essential for making informed choices and adjusting your approach as needed. This includes monitoring metrics such as body composition, resting heart rate, and biofeedback, and using that data to pivot and make changes to your training and nutrition plan.
  • Patience and persistence are key when it comes to achieving your fitness goals. By focusing on progressive overload and consistent data collection, you can make steady progress and celebrate small wins along the way. It's also important to reframe your wins and focus on the positive changes you're experiencing, rather than getting discouraged by setbacks or plateaus.

QUOTES:        

(01:00) "One thing you'll learn from almost every episode is that we talk about guidelines, not gospel. There’s biology, then we figure out how that works for each of us.” - Jenn Trepeck

(11:36) "Even if you are not physically injured, the mental component of feeling like something's wrong with you is so much bigger than people realize.” - Jenn Trepeck

(20:20) “We're not focusing on any one measurement in isolation or any one data point. It's about the collective and patterns.” - Jenn Trepeck

(23:57) “I like the idea of TEST because it reinforces what we often talk about, which is approaching it with curiosity.” - Jenn Trepeck

(29:28) “Are you bumping up the correct amount that's not overreaching and stressing you out and creating fatigue, but is enough to push you?” - Philip Pape

(33:07) "I love walking because one of the biggest things we have control over with our metabolism is our NEAT, right? Our non-exercise activity thermogenesis.” -  Phillip Pape

RESOURCES:

Become a Happy Healthy Hub Member

Jenn’s Free Menu Plan

A Salad With a Side of Fries

A Salad With A Side Of Fries Merch

A Salad With a Side of Fries Instagram

GUEST RESOURCES:

Wits and Weights - Podcast

Philip Pape - Facebook

Wits & Weights Podcast - YouTube

Phillip Pape Instagram

Philip Pape Threads 

BIOGRAPHY: Philip Pape

I spent years chasing every diet trend out there (Atkins, Paleo, Keto, intermittent fasting), trying to get lean and stay strong. Nothing stuck. Then I hit 40, built a home gym, and took a deep dive into evidence-based nutrition and strength training.

Since then, I’ve coached hundreds of clients, spoken on stages, and launched Wits & Weights, a Top 25 (Top 1%) podcast helping people cut through the noise and finally transform their bodies. 

Today, I coach and podcast to help others build a leaner, stronger, healthier life... especially in their 40s and beyond.

KEYWORDS: Wits and Weights Podcast, Phillip Pape, Adapt Framework, Personalizing Fitness, Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, Progressive Overload, Evidence-Based Strategies, Coaching Practice, Anecdote and Personal Experience, Hierarchy of Evidence, Track Your Progress, Biofeedback, Nutrition Data, Body Composition, Resting Heart Rate, Blood Sugar Management, Walking, Strength Training, Injury Prevention, Scar Tissue, Home Gym, Adjustable Dumbbells, Power Rack, Barbell Training, Mindset Piece, Perfectionism Paralysis, Consistent Data Collection, Pivot with One Thing at a Time, Patience and Persistence, Reframe Your Wins, Forget the Scale, Data, Analyze Your Progress, Make Informed Choices, Start Doing, Start Assessing, Assess and Adapt, Get Stronger Over Time, Load or Resistance Training, Microplate, TRX Machine, Banded Work, Calisthenics, Suspension Trainers, Gravity-Based Resistance


Ever feel like the world of nutrition and wellness is full of rules that just don't fit into your actual life? That's exactly where Salad With a Side of Fries Nutrition, Wellness & Weight Loss comes in. Hosted by coach Jenn Trepeck, this isn't about rigid meal plans or labeling foods as good or bad. Instead, it's a conversation about finding a practical, balanced approach that sticks. You'll hear honest discussions that cut through the noise of popular trends, offering tools for sustainable healthy eating that doesn't require perfection. Each episode feels like getting actionable advice from a knowledgeable friend who understands the real challenges of maintaining a healthy lifestyle while still enjoying the foods you love. The focus is on strategies that work long-term, moving beyond quick fixes to build a smarter, more flexible relationship with food and your overall well-being. Tune in for a refreshingly realistic take on weight loss and nutrition, where the goal is progress, not punishment, and where a side of fries can absolutely be part of the journey. This podcast provides the grounded perspective and straightforward wellness advice needed to finally feel unstuck and empowered in your choices.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Salad With a Side of Fries  Nutrition, Wellness & Weight Loss
Podcast Episodes
Eyes are the Window to Your Health (feat. Dr. Joseph Allen) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:59
Eye health isn't just about whether you need glasses; your eyes are basically a tell-all that can reveal diabetes, high blood pressure, and even early signs of Alzheimer's. When's the last time you got an eye exam? Your…
Nutrition Nugget: Moringa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:41
Nutrition Nugget! Bite-sized bonus episodes offer tips, tricks and approachable science. This week, Jenn is talking about Moringa—the supplement that's suddenly flooding everyone's social media feeds. But is this ancient…
Nutrition Nugget: Holding Hands [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:54
Nutrition Nugget! Bite-sized bonus episodes offer tips, tricks and approachable science. This week, Jenn is talking about holding hands and how something so simple can have a big impact on your health and happiness. She…
Book Talk: Uncomplicating Wellness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:44
Wellness without rules isn't just a concept; it's a revolution in how women can approach their health. Are you tired of conflicting advice, restrictive diets, and the overwhelming noise of wellness culture? It's time to…
Nutrition Nugget: Royo Baked Goods [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:37
Nutrition Nugget! Bite-sized bonus episodes offer tips, tricks and approachable science. This week, Jenn is talking about Royo Baked Goods, a family-run Brooklyn bakery that's making some bold claims about their bread an…
Have Your Cake and Feel Great! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:08
Eating cake without guilt starts with understanding how your body actually functions. The secret isn't lack of willpower; it's focusing on quality nutrition and wellness strategies that buffer those sweet treats. Jenn is…
Nutrition Nugget: LMNT [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:42
Nutrition Nugget! Bite-sized bonus episodes offer tips, tricks and approachable science. This week, Jenn is talking about LMNT’s zero-sugar electrolyte mix, and she's not holding back on her signature deep-dive analysis.…
Liver and Thyroid Health for Detox Support (feat. Sara Banta) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:20
Feeling drained or stuck with stubborn weight that just won’t budge? Or maybe you’re endlessly exhausted, breaking out in rashes, or other seemingly unexplainable symptoms? A sluggish liver or thyroid can leave you feeli…
Nutrition Nugget: Organic Bread of Heaven [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:46
Nutrition Nugget! Bite-sized bonus episodes offer tips, tricks and approachable science. This week, Jenn is talking about Organic Bread of Heaven, a small family-run bakery that’s making bread (and more) the old-school w…