EP042: An Interview with Philip Pape of the Wits and Weights Podcast
Diabetes Strength Training: How Building Muscle Transforms Blood Sugar, Energy, and Long‑Term Health (with Philip Pape)
“Muscle is your metabolic battery—lifting improves insulin sensitivity for up to 72 hours.”
Welcome to the Diabetes Podcast Blog, where real stories meet real science. In this episode recap, we sat down with Philip Pape—host of the Wits and Weights podcast, coach, and engineer—to explore how strength training can change your blood sugar, your energy, and your future health. If you’ve wondered how to start lifting without getting hurt, how muscle affects insulin sensitivity, or how to keep going on chaotic days, this guide is for you.
Big Idea: Muscle Is Your Metabolic Battery
Lifting improves insulin sensitivity for 24–72 hours—independent of weight loss.
More muscle = more storage for glucose = steadier blood sugars.
Walking + lifting is a powerful combo for both immediate and long-term control.
Why Strength Training Matters for Diabetes
Muscle helps clear glucose from your blood. When you contract muscles, you activate GLUT4 “doors” that pull glucose into muscle cells—even without insulin.
Resistance training depletes muscle glycogen, priming muscles to soak up glucose from your next meals.
With more muscle, you can often handle more carbs with fewer spikes.
This is true whether you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes—and it helps if you are insulin resistant.
Common Blind Spots Philip Sees
Not lifting at all or not lifting hard enough to see change.
Chronic dieting: too few calories and too little protein, which leads to muscle loss, stress, and poor recovery.
Where Beginners Should Start
Start where you are. Chair squats count.
If you’re totally sedentary, begin with:
Walking daily (even 5–10 minutes after meals helps).
Basic movement patterns: squats, hinges (hip back), pushes, pulls, carries.
If you can access a gym or a trainer, you can start with dumbbells or barbells right away at an appropriate load.
How Hard Should It Feel?
Use “reps in reserve” (RIR): stop a set when you feel you have about 2–4 reps left in the tank.
You don’t need “no pain, no gain.” Think “no challenge, no change.”
As a beginner, try “sets across”: for example, 3 sets of 8–10 reps with the same weight. Next session, add a little weight. You’ll learn what “challenging” feels like.
What to Expect First 2–3 Months
Strength improves fast from neuromuscular adaptation—your brain gets better at using your muscles.
Visible muscle comes later. Keep going.
Simple Weekly Training Template
2–3 days per week of full-body lifting.
Choose 4–6 movements per session:
Squat pattern (chair squat, goblet squat, barbell back squat)
Hinge pattern (hip hinge, dumbbell RDL, barbell deadlift)
Push (push-ups, dumbbell press, overhead press)
Pull (rows, lat pulldown)
Core/bracing (planks, carry)
2–4 sets each, 6–12 reps, leaving 2–4 reps in reserve.
Walk most days, especially 5–15 minutes after meals.
Safety, Pain, and Past Injuries
Lifting done with good form is one of the safest activities.
Movement is medicine. Many people report less knee or back pain once they learn to squat and deadlift correctly.
Deep squats done well can help knee pain. Poor shallow squats can aggravate it.
For the back: a controlled deadlift with proper bracing often reduces pain over time.
Learn to brace: take a belly breath and create intra-abdominal pressure before the hard part of a lift. Weight belts can help later, not on day one.
If You’re Scared to Start
Tie your actions to your identity. “I’m the grandparent who plays on the floor.” “I’m the person who chooses strength and health.”
Start small: stand up and sit down from a chair 5–10 times; add one rep next time.
If you can’t walk much, walk a little more than you do now. Do what you can, not what you can’t.
Walking + Lifting + Sleep: The Winning Stack
Walking after meals helps your blood sugar today.
Lifting a few times a week improves insulin sensitivity for days.
Sleep drives cravings down, energy up, and makes fat loss easier.
Manage stress to reduce emotional eating and improve recovery.
Carbs, Protein, and Performance
Lifting increases your carb tolerance because muscles need glycogen.
Balanced meals help: protein, fiber, and some fat slow digestion and blunt spikes.
Many people feel and perform better eating before training. Try both ways and compare.
Carbs aren’t the enemy; context is everything. Build muscle and walk, and carbs work better.
CGMs: Helpful Tool or Stress Machine?
For type 1 diabetes, CGMs are essential.
For others, CGMs can help if you learn to interpret the data correctly.
Don’t fear every spike. Look at trends, your A1C, fasting insulin, and how you feel.
Use CGMs with coaching or education to avoid fear-based food choices.
Metrics That Matter Over Time
A1C and fasting glucose/insulin
Waist circumference and how your clothes fit
Strength progress (weight, reps, or easier effort)
Energy, sleep quality, and cravings
Make Progress on Messy Days: Minimum, Optimal, Bailout
Optimal plan: your full workout and best meals when the day goes right.
Minimum plan: shift a workout by a day, shorten sets, simplify meals.
Bailout plan: 5-minute win when life blows up (chair squats, a brisk walk around the block, protein + fruit). Never hit zero.
Realistic Entry Checklist
Pick two post-meal walks per day (5–10 minutes).
Lift 2–3 days per week using the template above.
Eat protein at each meal (aim ~25–40g, adjusted for your size).
Go to bed 30–60 minutes earlier.
Track what you do. Adjust one lever at a time.
Inspiration: You Can Do This at Any Age
You can start with very light weights or body weight.
You can train around injuries and build capacity safely.
Progress is possible whether you’re 15 or 80. The body adapts.
About Philip Pape and His App
Philip is a coach and engineer who built a coaching app that blends evidence, systems, and real-world coaching psychology. It helps you take the next best step, answers questions when you’re stuck (even at 3 a.m.), and keeps you moving toward your goals.
Podcast: Wits and Weights
Our listeners get 20% off via the special link here.
Key Takeaways
Muscle is your metabolic battery. Lifting improves insulin sensitivity for up to 72 hours.
Walking after meals + lifting + sleep is a game-changing combo.
Start with what you can do today. Chair squats count.
Use tools like CGMs with context and guidance.
Have an optimal plan, a minimum plan, and a bailout plan so you keep winning.
Call to Action
Choose your one big lever this week:
Add two post-meal walks, or
Do two full-body lift sessions, or
Go to bed 30 minutes earlier.
Track it. Next week, add the next lever.
If you need additional help or have additional questions, reach out to us at [email protected].
Disclaimer
The information in this blog post and podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not replace a one-on-one relationship with your physician or qualified healthcare professional. Always talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or care team before starting, stopping, or changing any medication, supplement, exercise plan, or nutrition plan—especially if you have diabetes, prediabetes, heart, liver, or kidney conditions, or take prescription drugs like metformin or insulin.
Results vary from person to person. Examples, statistics, or studies are shared to educate, not to promise outcomes. Any discussion of medications, dosing, or side effects is general in nature and may not be appropriate for your specific situation. Do not ignore professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you read or heard here. If you think you are experiencing an emergency or severe side effects (such as persistent vomiting, severe diarrhea, signs of dehydration, allergic reaction, or symptoms of lactic acidosis), call your local emergency number or seek urgent care right away.
We strive for accuracy, but health information changes over time. We make no guarantees regarding completeness, timeliness, or suitability of the content and assume no liability for actions taken or not taken based on this material. Use of this content is at your own risk.
Links or references to third-party resources are provided for convenience and do not constitute endorsement. By reading, listening, or using this information, you agree to these terms and understand that you are responsible for your own health decisions in partnership with your licensed healthcare provider.
