679: What Is Muscle Confusion and Is It Actually Real?

Have you ever finished a workout and thought, "Wait… was that even hard enough?" Maybe you were not sore the next day. Maybe the exercises felt familiar. Maybe you have heard someone say your muscles need to be "confused" or "kept guessing" if you want to keep seeing results. And suddenly, repeating the same kinds of movements starts to feel like you are doing something wrong. I get why it sounds convincing. New workouts feel exciting. New exercises can make you sore. New formats can make you feel like you challenged your body in a completely different way. But does your body actually need to be confused to change? In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about muscle confusion, where this idea comes from, and what really matters if you want your workouts to keep working. We will also talk about why I give you five brand-new workouts every week inside Movement With Julie, while still bringing you back to the foundational movements your body needs to get stronger. What's Discussed: What people really mean when they say "muscle confusion" What soreness can make you assume about your workouts How to know when your body needs a greater challenge Where variety actually belongs in your workouts Why Movement With Julie gives you fresh workouts without random programming How to keep training interesting while still building strength Inside the Movement With Julie app, you get five brand-new workouts every week so training stays fresh, fun, and challenging without you having to piece together random workouts on your own. I handle the programming, the variety, and the structure so all you have to do is open the app, choose your weights, and press play. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 566: What Most Women Get Wrong About Progressive Overload. It is the perfect next listen if you want to understand how to keep challenging your body as you get stronger without feeling like you need to start over with a completely new workout every week. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Hey hey beautiful human! I want to talk about something I spent way too much of my life doing without even realizing how much it was affecting me. And that is…letting the mirror decide how I felt about myself. When my jeans fit right, I felt confident. When I liked what I saw, I felt good. When workouts were consistent and nutrition felt "on," I felt like I had my life together. Then my body would change, my routine would get thrown off, or I would have one of those days where I just did not feel like myself, and suddenly my confidence felt like it changed too. And sister, that is a lot of power to give to your appearance. I do not want other women to spend years believing their confidence has to rise and fall with their reflection. I do not want you to think a bad body image day means you are failing, or that changing your body is the only way to finally feel secure in who you are. That is why in this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about three things I wish I knew sooner about tying my identity to the way I look, and how to care about your body without letting your body become the thing that tells you who you are. What's Discussed: Why confidence becomes fragile when it depends on appearance How much power we can accidentally give to the mirror How fitness, routines, and body goals can become tied to identity Why your worth cannot be decided by a workout, a jean size, or the scale How to work on your body without making your body your worth Why taking care of your body can be part of healing your relationship with yourself Taking care of your body, moving it, fueling it, and treating it with respect can be part of that healing too. That is exactly what the Movement With Julie app is there to support. Head to movementwithjulie.com to learn more. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 338: To the Woman Obsessing About What Her Body Looks Like…It is the perfect next listen if you are ready to keep untangling your worth from the way your body looks and start building a healthier relationship with the person you see in the mirror. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Hey hey beautiful human! Life does not always give you the cute meal prep week. Sometimes work is wild, the kids have something every night, the calendar is packed, and by Tuesday you are standing in the kitchen at 8:30 p.m. wondering what you can eat with the least amount of effort. And then comes the guilt. The week started with the best intentions. Cook at home. Get enough protein. Hit your macros. Stay on track. But once life starts life-ing, nutrition can feel like the first thing slipping through the cracks. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about how to eat well when life feels completely chaotic. Not with a perfect Sunday reset or a fridge full of matching containers, but with simple, realistic habits that can help eating well feel possible in the middle of your actual life. What's Discussed: How to stop planning meals for a week you are not actually having The "I have no time" meals every busy woman needs in her back pocket Why protein can make meal decisions feel so much easier How convenience foods can actually help you stay consistent Where to keep high-protein grab-and-go options so they are there when you need them Why repeating meals during busy weeks can be a lifesaver Why nutrition may need to look different in different seasons of life When life is chaotic, movement does not need to be another thing you have to figure out. Inside the Movement With Julie app, you get five brand-new workouts every week so you never have to waste time piecing together a routine on your own. Open the app, press play, and let me take care of the programming for you. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 357: 7 Ways to Simplify Your Weekly Meal Planning. It is the perfect next listen if you want to keep making nutrition feel doable in your real life, not just in your most organized weeks. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

This one is for the woman who feels like she is doing everything "right" and still feels stuck. The workouts are happening. The calories are being watched. Portions are smaller. Dessert is skipped. The discipline is there. And somehow, energy feels low, cravings feel louder, workouts feel harder, and progress still feels like it is not moving. So the next thought is usually, "I just need to be stricter." But girl, what if eating less is not what your body needs right now? In this bonus episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about why eating more might actually be the answer, especially if your body has been running on too little for too long. This conversation is not about eating everything overnight or ignoring your goals. It is about learning how to fuel your body in a way that helps it feel strong, safe, supported, and ready to respond again. What's Discussed: Why eating less is not always the next best move How under-fueling can show up in your energy, cravings, workouts, and recovery Why consistency can feel harder when your body is not properly fueled What a reverse diet can help you do after eating low calories for too long Why protein is one of the simplest places to start If this episode made you realize you are tired of guessing what your body actually needs, Macro Counting Made Simple is the best place to start. Inside, I teach you how to calculate your unique macros based on your body and your goals, so you are not pulling random numbers from the internet or trying to figure it out alone. Head to macrocountingmadesimple.com to learn more. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 549: Everyone's Talking About Reverse Dieting, But Do You Actually Need One? It is the perfect next listen if this episode got your wheels turning about reverse dieting and how to do it the right way. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Mama, can we talk about the guilt for a second? I swear, after becoming a mom, guilt can attach itself to almost anything. The workout you needed. The easy dinner that saved your sanity. The moment you asked for help. The boundary you set. The quiet thought of, "I need a break," followed immediately by, "Wait, am I allowed to feel that?" And for a while, I think I confused that guilt with caring. But what I am learning is that guilt can take an already full, already demanding season and make it feel even heavier. So in this episode of Embrace Your Real, I am sharing seven things I have stopped feeling guilty about since becoming a mom. Not because I have motherhood figured out, but because I am learning that having needs, goals, boundaries, and hard days does not make me any less grateful for this life. And I am hoping that this episode helps you set down some of that guilt too. Not all at once. Not perfectly. But maybe just enough to remind yourself that taking care of your family does not mean forgetting how to take care of yourself. What's Discussed: Why mom guilt can attach itself to even the smallest decisions How workouts can still count when they look different than they used to Why asking for help does not mean you are failing How saying no can protect your time, energy, and family Why loving your kids deeply and finding motherhood hard can both be true If one of the things that feels hard to make time for right now is movement, come join me inside the Movement With Julie app. I give you five brand-new workouts every week, so you never have to spend your limited time deciding what to do. Just open the app, press play, and let me take care of the programming while you focus on showing up in whatever way fits your life that day. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 527: Overcoming Guilt: Prioritizing Your Health and Wellness While Caring for a Newborn. It is the perfect next listen if you are learning how to take care of yourself in the middle of a full life. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Someone recently asked me what "embrace your real" actually means. Not as a podcast name. Not as a cute phrase. But on a random Tuesday when the mirror feels hard, life feels messy, and the version of yourself in your head does not match the season you are actually in. And honestly, I have not stopped thinking about it. In this bonus episode of Embrace Your Real, we are going back to the foundation of this show and unpacking what this phrase really means in real life. Not the polished version. Not the pretend-you-love-everything version. The real one. This conversation is for the woman who has goals, but does not want to hate herself into reaching them. The woman who wants to grow, but is tired of building everything from pressure, shame, and comparison. What's Discussed: The question that made me look at "embrace your real" in a deeper way Why this phrase is not about giving up on your goals How to start from truth instead of pretending everything is fine Why real life has to be part of the plan, not the thing that ruins it How to stop measuring your progress against someone else's timeline Why the routines you actually enjoy matter more than you think How to look at your story without letting shame have the final word Movement With Julie was built for real life, not perfect conditions. Inside the app, you get five brand-new workouts each week with minimal equipment, so movement can meet you in the season you are actually in. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 108: Self Love: The #1 Thing That Transformed My Mindset. It is the perfect next listen if this conversation made you want to keep working on the way you see yourself. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

A workout plan can sound like it needs to be complicated. Pick the right split. Choose the right exercises. Decide how many days to train. Figure out what equipment to use. Make sure it fits your goal, your schedule, your energy, and your real life. And that is where so many women get stuck. Not because they are lazy. Not because they do not care. But because they are trying to follow plans that were never built around their actual life in the first place. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are breaking down how to build a workout plan that actually works. Not the kind that looks good on paper and falls apart two weeks later. The kind that fits your goals, works with your obstacles, feels realistic for the season you are in, and helps you stay consistent long enough to see results. What's Discussed: Why a workout plan needs to start with a clear goal How to identify the obstacles that have gotten in your way before Why realistic always beats impressive when it comes to consistency How to choose movement that you actually want to come back to What makes a workout plan the right fit for your life Why writing your own workouts can make consistency harder How a structured plan helps you stop guessing and start showing up The Movement With Julie app was built for women who want a clear plan without the overwhelm of creating one from scratch. Inside the app, you get five brand-new workouts each week, 30-minute and 60-minute options, minimal equipment workouts, and the flexibility to train at home, in the gym, or wherever life takes you. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started. And if nutrition is the piece you want to make sure supports your workouts, Macro Counting Made Simple helps you understand how to fuel your body without restriction or overwhelm. Head to macrocountingmadesimple.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 613: The Best Workout Split to Follow in 2026. It is the perfect next listen if you want help choosing a workout split based on how many days you can realistically train each week. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Postpartum body talk can get so loud. The bounce-back pressure. The timelines. The before-and-afters. The feeling that your body is something to fix as quickly as possible after it just did the most incredible thing. But mama, what if your postpartum body does not need your punishment? What if it needs your awe? In this bonus episode of Embrace Your Real, I'm sharing what I wish more moms knew about their bodies after having a baby, especially when the world keeps telling them to hurry up and "get back." This is a conversation about honoring your body, rebuilding with simple habits, and learning why the slow route may be the thing that gets you further than rushing ever could. What's Discussed: Why postpartum can change the way you see your body How awe can shift the way you treat your body after having a baby Why getting back into movement does not have to be complicated The two simple habits that supported my postpartum season Why obsessing over daily results can make the journey feel heavier How slow, steady consistency can create real change over time Why the "fast route" often leads to more starting over When movement feels like the promise you are ready to keep, the Movement With Julie app gives you five brand-new workouts each week that are challenging, effective, and time efficient with minimal equipment. The workouts are designed to help you honor your body through movement at home, at the gym, or wherever this season of motherhood has you. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started. And if fueling your body feels confusing in this season, Macro Counting Made Simple can help you understand your protein, carbs, and fats without restriction or overwhelm. It gives you a simple way to support your body, your energy, and your goals while still living your real life. Head to macrocountingmadesimple.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you'll also love: Episode 622: 3 Questions to Ask Before You Start Tracking Macros as a Mom. It is the perfect next listen if you want to decide whether macros make sense for the season you are in. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

The end of summer can feel a little loaded. Maybe the routines got loose. Maybe workouts were missed. Maybe nutrition felt more relaxed than usual. And now that fall is right around the corner, there can be this sneaky pressure to buckle down, get serious, and make up for lost time. This is not your end-of-summer guilt trip. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about five things I want you to hear before walking into a new season. Some will challenge the way you have been thinking. Some will feel like permission to stop being so hard on yourself. And some might be exactly what you need to start showing up again without turning fall into a punishment plan. What's Discussed: Why summer should not be the only season that feels joyful How to walk into fall without trying to punish yourself for summer Why getting back on track does not need to be dramatic How to choose a workout schedule you can actually stick to Why the in-between seasons matter so much What it means to honor your body instead of trying to fix it How small choices this fall can help you feel proud by the new year If fall has you wanting more structure with food, Macro Counting Made Simple is such a good place to start. It helps you calculate your macros, understand what your body needs, and make nutrition feel like a lifestyle instead of a total overhaul. Head to macrocountingmadesimple.com  to get started. For workouts, Movement With Julie gives you five brand-new workouts each week with minimal equipment, so staying consistent does not have to feel boring or complicated. Whether your number is two days, three days, or five, the app helps you honor your body through movement in a way that can actually fit your life. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started. If this episode gave you the check-in you needed, go listen to Episode 574: 6 Actually Helpful Ways to Get Back on Track This Fall (Without Burning Out by Week Two). It is the perfect next step if fall has you ready for a plan that feels simple, doable, and sustainable. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Hey hey beautiful human! Some fitness terms sound way more complicated than they actually are. Superset is one of them. It sounds like something you need a gym membership, a trainer, or a bodybuilding background to understand, but sister, it is actually so simple. A superset is just two exercises done back-to-back with little to no rest in between. That is it. Instead of doing one exercise, resting, then moving on to the next, supersets help you keep your workout moving. They save time, add intensity, keep things interesting, and make the equipment you already have work harder for you. In this bonus episode of Embrace Your Real, we are breaking down what a superset is, the different ways to use them, and why they can be such a helpful tool when you want a workout that feels effective without spending forever doing it. What's Discussed: What a superset actually means How supersets are different from regular straight sets The three ways to structure a superset in your workout Why supersets can help you get more done in less time How supersets increase intensity without always needing heavier weights Why supersets can keep your heart rate up and make workouts feel more engaging How to use supersets without letting your form fall apart The Movement With Julie app makes this simple because the workout structure is already done for you. With five brand-new workouts each week, challenging and time-efficient programming, and minimal equipment needed, you can stop guessing what to pair together and just show up. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you'll also love Episode 279: 9 Reasons Why I Choose to Workout with Dumbbells. It is the perfect next listen if you want to keep your workouts effective without overcomplicating them. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com