The Leo Alves Podcast

Ep. 284 Oct 27, 2026

In this episode of The Leo Alves Podcast, I'm sharing 10 observations I've made from a decade of coaching people with different goals, personalities and lifestyles. I talk motivation, confidence, self-discipline, expectations, personal growth and why understanding the person behind the fitness goal is often just as important as understanding the goal itself. Book a Consultation Call 1:1 Online Coaching 14-Day Fat Loss Kick-Starter Free Fitness Guides "Your Fat Loss Journey Starts Here" Book Instagram Threads YouTube Tools I Use for Training, Work, and Daily Life Timestamps: (00:14) Coaching Background (02:45) Why Accountability Matters (06:16) Hidden Real Obstacles (10:01) Success Does Not Transfer (12:32) Clients Too Self Critical (15:47) Underestimating Potential (17:34) Action Builds Confidence (19:00) Different Motivations Same Goal (19:34) Same Plan Different Results (20:26) People Remember Feelings (21:55) People Are Complex (24:42) Wrap Up And Next Steps

Ep. 283 Oct 13, 2026

If you only had 3 hours a week to work on your fitness, what should you actually prioritise? In this episode, I break down exactly how I'd structure those 3 hours to get stronger, build muscle, improve fitness and support fat loss without overcomplicating things. I cover full-body strength training, progressive overload, cardio, daily movement, protein, calories, recovery and why you probably need less exercise than you think to make solid progress. Book a Consultation Call 1:1 Online Coaching 14-Day Fat Loss Kick-Starter Free Fitness Guides "Your Fat Loss Journey Starts Here" Book Instagram Threads YouTube Tools I Use for Training, Work, and Daily Life Timestamps: (00:14) Sick Week and Rest Lesson (02:41) Consistency and Backlog Plug (03:22) Spotify Reviews Request (04:06) Define Getting Fit (05:03) Prioritise Strength Training (06:26) Full Body Split Setup (08:16) Compound Movement Patterns (09:16) Progressive Overload Basics (11:47) Stop Switching Exercises (12:46) Train Hard Not Max (14:55) Daily Movement Outside Gym (17:57) Cardio in Small Doses (19:12) Nutrition Calories Protein (20:54) Boring Repeatable Plan (23:06) Long Term Progress Mindset (24:30) Wrap Up and Final Ask

Ep. 282 Sep 29, 2026

In this episode, I explain how to find your maintenance calories, manage scale fluctuations, stop tracking without losing control and prevent your weight from gradually creeping back up. Book a Consultation Call 1:1 Online Coaching 14-Day Fat Loss Kick-Starter Free Fitness Guides "Your Fat Loss Journey Starts Here" Book Instagram Threads YouTube Tools I Use for Training, Work, and Daily Life Timestamps: (00:30) Maintaining After Fat Loss (02:23) Why The Journey Continues (03:24) Maintenance Is A Skill (05:42) Reverse Dieting Debate (09:14) Finding Maintenance Calories (11:09) Scale Spikes Explained (12:24) Use A Weight Range (13:55) How Often To Weigh (17:19) Habits To Keep (18:58) Tracking Calories Long Term (21:07) Holidays And Eating Out (24:23) Preventing Regain And Wrap Up

Ep. 281 Sep 22, 2026

In this episode, I share 10 things I wish I'd understood earlier—from keeping workouts simple and learning how hard to actually train, to setting realistic expectations, doing cardio year-round and training for more than just looking better. Book a Consultation Call 1:1 Online Coaching 14-Day Fat Loss Kick-Starter Free Fitness Guides "Your Fat Loss Journey Starts Here" Book Instagram Threads YouTube Tools I Use for Training, Work, and Daily Life Timestamps: (00:38) Intro: What I Wish I Knew When I Started Working Out (03:04) Track Your Workouts Properly (07:16) Focus on Getting Stronger (11:33) Learn How Hard to Actually Train (18:08) Keep Your Workouts Simple (20:42) Take Recovery Seriously (24:13) Do Cardio Year-Round (27:53) Stop Trying to Eat Perfectly (29:50) Stop Wasting Money on Fitness Stuff (31:48) Set Realistic Expectations for Progress (35:46) Train for More Than Just Looking Better (37:34) Conclusion: 10 Things I'd Do Differently If I Started Working Out Again

Ep. 280 Sep 15, 2026

Are you overthinking your workouts, diet and fat loss? In this episode, I break down 10 fitness topics that get far more attention than they deserve—from finding the "optimal" exercise and changing your programme too often, to meal frequency, clean eating, soreness, sweating and calorie burn. Book a Consultation Call 1:1 Online Coaching 14-Day Fat Loss Kick-Starter Free Fitness Guides "Your Fat Loss Journey Starts Here" Book Instagram Threads YouTube Tools I Use for Training, Work, and Daily Life Timestamps: (00:29) Introduction: 10 Things That Matter Less Than You Think for Fitness (04:54) The obsession with finding the "optimal" exercise (07:26) Constantly changing your programme (09:21) Morning vs evening workouts (12:44) Trying to maximise calorie burn during your workout (15:27) How sore you are after training (17:53) How much you sweat during a workout (19:28) Whether you eat 3, 4, 5 or 6 meals per day (21:18) Whether individual foods are "good" or "bad" (23:05) Eating "clean" (25:14) Going over your calorie target for a day (27:53) Conclusion: 10 Fitness Mistakes You're Overthinking

Ep. 279 Sep 1, 2026

If you feel like you're doing everything right but still not losing weight, this episode breaks down 13 common reasons your fat loss may have stalled. I cover calorie deficits, weekend overeating, inaccurate tracking, exercise calories, daily steps, water retention, inconsistent weigh-ins and more. Join "The Fat Loss Sprint" Group Coaching Book a Consultation Call 1:1 Online Coaching 14-Day Fat Loss Kick-Starter Free Fitness Guides "Your Fat Loss Journey Starts Here" Book Instagram Threads YouTube Tools I use for training, work, and daily life Timestamps: (00:30) Intro: Why You're Not Losing Weight Even Though You're Doing Everything Right (02:21) You're not actually in a consistent calorie deficit (05:22) Your weekends are wiping out your weekday deficit (08:17) You're underestimating calories without realising it (10:20) Your portions have gradually crept up (12:12) "Healthy" food doesn't automatically mean fat loss (14:39) You're eating back your exercise calories (16:48) You're overestimating how many calories exercise burns (20:49) Your daily activity and steps are lower than you think (22:05) Your old calorie target may no longer work (23:35) You're less consistent than you think (27:00) Your weigh-ins are too inconsistent (30:28) You're judging progress too quickly (31:38) Water retention may be hiding your fat loss (32:13) Conclusion: Doing everything right but still not losing weight

Ep. 278 Aug 25, 2026

In this Q&A episode, I break down aggressive fat loss. What it actually means, how much weight you can realistically lose per week, whether rapid weight loss is unhealthy, and who a more aggressive approach may—or may not—be suitable for. Get on the Priority List for The Fat Loss Sprint

Ep. 277 Aug 18, 2026

Fitness advice changes as you gain more experience, coach more people and realise that a lot of things aren't as black and white as they first seemed. In this episode, I break down eight fitness beliefs I've changed my mind about, including aggressive fat loss, using cardio for weight loss, training to failure, IIFYM, tracking macros and over-optimising your workout routine.

Ep. 276 Aug 11, 2026

Working shifts can make losing fat, eating well, training consistently and getting enough sleep far more difficult than it is for someone working a predictable nine-to-five schedule. In this episode, I answer 10 common questions about fat loss and fitness for shift workers, including whether eating during a night shift causes weight gain, how to structure your meals around early, late and rotating shifts, when you should train, how to manage hunger and what to do when you're too exhausted to complete your planned workout.

Ep. 275 Jul 28, 2026

In this episode, I answer 10 questions about weekend eating and fat loss, including whether two days of overeating can undo five days in a calorie deficit, why body weight rises after weekends, and how to handle meals out, alcohol and social events without constantly restarting every Monday.

Ep. 274 Jul 21, 2026

A Q&A about hunger during fat loss, covering calorie deficits, appetite control, protein, fibre, filling foods, meal timing, evening hunger, sleep, stress, diet breaks and how to know when your diet is too aggressive.

Ep. 273 Jul 14, 2026

It's been a while since I gave a proper update on my own fitness, training and life—so that's exactly what this episode is. I answer 15 questions covering my current workout routine, recovering from tennis elbow, returning to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, cardio, calorie tracking, nutrition and whether I'm currently trying to lose fat, build muscle or maintain.

Ep. 272 Jul 7, 2026

Can you really build muscle from home, or is a gym membership essential? In this Q&A episode, I answer 10 of the most common questions about building muscle at home, including whether bodyweight exercises and resistance bands are enough, the minimum equipment you need, how to progressively overload without heavy weights, and when joining a gym actually becomes worthwhile.

Ep. 271 Jun 30, 2026

What really happens when you stop working out? Do you lose muscle after a week? How quickly does strength disappear? Can you take a month off without ruining your progress? And how long does it take to regain your results once you start training again? In this Q&A episode, I answer 10 common questions about detraining, muscle loss, strength loss, training breaks, and what happens when life gets in the way of your fitness routine.

Ep. 270 Jun 23, 2026

You know protein matters. You know strength training works. You've downloaded the apps, watched the videos, and probably restarted your fitness journey more times than you'd like to admit. So why does progress still feel harder than it should?

Ep. 269 Jun 16, 2026

In this Q&A episode, I answer 10 questions about the world of collecting, including trading cards, football stickers, Pokémon, grading, card shows, World Cup collectibles, investing, collecting mistakes, and the future of the hobby. I discuss what got me back into collecting as an adult, the collectibles I regret not buying, the best deals I've found, whether card shows are still worth attending, and why I believe some areas of the hobby may still be undervalued.

Ep. 268 Jun 9, 2026

In this episode, I answer 10 common questions about building muscle after 30, including recovery, strength training, consistency, busy adult life, and whether it's actually harder to get in shape as you get older. I discuss common mistakes that make people feel physically older than they should, whether training needs to change after 30, how recovery and lifestyle impact muscle growth, and whether it's too late to make serious progress if you've restarted your fitness journey multiple times.

Ep. 267 Jun 2, 2026

In this episode, I answer 10 common questions about changing workout plans, program hopping, and why so many people struggle to stay consistent with strength training long enough to see progress. I talk about how often you should actually change your workout routine, why over-optimising might sabotage your results, what metrics genuinely matter, and why simple programs often outperform constantly changing "perfect" ones.

Ep. 266 May 26, 2026

In this episode, I answer 10 common questions about training close to failure—one of the most misunderstood topics in strength training and muscle growth. I cover what "training to failure" actually means, whether beginners should do it, how close to failure you really need to train for muscle growth, why many people underestimate workout intensity, and whether pushing every set to the limit is actually helping or hurting your progress.

Ep. 265 May 19, 2026

In this episode of The Leo Alves Podcast, I'm joined by Austin Chan for a wide-ranging conversation covering fitness, travel, American culture, entrepreneurship, Marvel, and life in New York City. We discuss everything from the downfall of the MCU and the greatness of Daredevil, to travelling abroad, American healthcare, work/life balance in the USA, and what Austin has learned from experiencing different cultures outside of America.