Heffner Wellness & Consulting

10/07/2026

“In Shape” Isn’t a Force Field

A few days after my shingles shot, I had mild symptoms of the flu without the flu: achy, tired, a low-grade fog. I train people for a living and spend most of my week in a gym, and my first thought was still a little embarrassed: “shouldn't I be past this?” That reaction is worth examining, because it rests on a belief almost everyone shares, including many people who work in fitness....

08/19/2026

You’re Exercising, Eating Well, and Still Not Losing Weight. What Gives?

One of the most frustrating things I hear is, “I exercise regularly. I eat healthy. I feel good. I have plenty of energy. So why am I not losing weight?” It’s a fair question, and the answer isn’t necessarily that you’re doing something wrong. In fact, one of the most important things to understand about weight loss is that your body weight is not a report card on how hard you’re working....

One of the most frustrating things I hear is, “I exercise regularly. I eat healthy. I feel good. I have plenty of energy. So why am I not losing weight?” It’s a fair question, and the answer isn’t …

07/29/2026

Stop Obsessing Over Heavy Weights: The Science Says Effort Matters More

By Scott Heffner, NASM-CPT, July 29, 2026 Read time: 3 minutes "If you want to build muscle, you've got to lift as heavy as possible." It's a belief that has been passed down through decades of bodybuilding magazines, gym locker room conversations, and (more recently) social media influencers. While lifting heavy has its place the latest body of research suggests something much more interesting...the biggest driver of muscle growth may not be how much weight is on the bar, but how close you get to temporary muscle failure....

By Scott Heffner, NASM-CPT, July 29, 2026 Read time: 3 minutes “If you want to build muscle, you’ve got to lift as heavy as possible.” It’s a belief that has been passed dow…

07/16/2026

The Problem With “Miracle” Fitness Headlines

By Scott Heffner, NASM-CPT July 16, 2026 Read time: 2 minutes A client recently sent me an article with the following headline: “Harvard Study Shatters the Myth: Running Isn’t the Answer - The Anti-Aging Exercise That Makes You 20 Years Younger in a Year Is Seriously Overlooked.” If you’ve worked with me for any length of time, you know I’m not someone who believes there is one magical exercise that fixes everything....

By Scott Heffner, NASM-CPT July 16, 2026 Read time: 2 minutes A client recently sent me an article with the following headline: “Harvard Study Shatters the Myth: Running Isn’t the Answer – Th…

07/01/2026

Stop Chasing The Ball

By Scott Heffner, NASM-CPT July 1, 2026 Read time: 2 minutes We are in the middle of the World Cup, and it has been so exciting watching some incredible matches showcase amazing athletes and improb…

06/11/2026

Cortisol Isn’t the Villain. Sometimes It’s Just Sounding the Alarm.

By Scott Heffner, NASM-CPT June 11, 2026 Read time: 3 minutes Somewhere along the way, cortisol became the boogeyman of the wellness world. Scroll social media long enough and you’ll find someone blaming cortisol for belly fat, poor sleep, cravings, inflammation, low energy, stubborn weight loss, bad moods, and your dog barking too much. Cortisol is one of the body’s primary stress hormones produced by the adrenal glands....

By Scott Heffner, NASM-CPT June 11, 2026 Read time: 3 minutes Somewhere along the way, cortisol became the boogeyman of the wellness world. Scroll social media long enough and you’ll find someone b…

04/08/2026

Consistency Isn’t Always Lost

By Scott Heffner, NASM-CPT March 19, 2026 Read time: 3 minutes There is a specific kind of workout you stop doing without ever actually deciding to stop. It does not end with some dramatic moment - there is no injury, no big life event, no bold declaration that you are done. It is quieter than that. You just start skipping it a little more often....

By Scott Heffner, NASM-CPT March 19, 2026 Read time: 3 minutes There is a specific kind of workout you stop doing without ever actually deciding to stop. It does not end with some dramatic moment &…

03/19/2026

The Real Reason Workouts Don’t Stick

By Scott Heffner, NASM-CPT March 19, 2026 Read time: 2 minutes There’s a moment that happens in almost every first session I have with a new client. We’re not even talking about sets or reps yet. We’re just having a conversation, and somewhere in the middle of it, something clicks. Not in their muscles but in their eyes. It usually sounds simple - “I’ve tried everything, I just can’t stick with it.” For years, the fitness industry has treated that like a discipline problem....

By Scott Heffner, NASM-CPT March 19, 2026 Read time: 2 minutes There’s a moment that happens in almost every first session I have with a new client. We’re not even talking about sets or reps yet. W…

02/25/2026

Using “Nudges” for Exercise Consistency

By Scott Heffner, NASM-CPT February 25, 2026 Read time: 2 minutes Most people think they skip workouts because they lack discipline. That’s the story we tell ourselves. But if you’ve ever gone to bed fully intending to train and then talked yourself out of it by morning, you’ve experienced something far more predictable than laziness. In the book Nudge, authors Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein argue that our decisions are shaped less by character and more by environment....

By Scott Heffner, NASM-CPT February 25, 2026 Read time: 2 minutes Most people think they skip workouts because they lack discipline. That’s the story we tell ourselves. But if you’ve ever gone to b…

02/12/2026

Training Through The Winter -

If you’ve noticed your motivation dipping during the winter months, you’re not alone. Every year around this time, clients share the same frustrations like “why can’t I get going?”, “I’m just not motivated”, and “I feel more tired than usual and just want to stay under a blanket......