Hellooo!
This might surprise you. I’m not gonna recommend lifting…
If you’ve ever opened even a few workout videos, or looked at coaches, trainers, or god forbid, watched influencers’ content – the algorithm knows it, and will keep shooting out more content, certainly some is good, but some is just discouraging. Not to mention that so much strength and fitness content looks frivolous, and ignores the fact that we need to maintain strength (physical and mental) in these stressful, challenging times.
Let’s start with Irish comedian Kyla Cobbler @kylacobblercomedy giving Monday motivation about skinny being back “in” – “tell skinny to get focked…let’s get fockin’ furious and jacked.”
Meanwhile…women are being told to lift heavier, train “smarter”, which is solid advice. But what does that mean? Scroll social media for five minutes and you’ll see a parade of experts insisting you’re not doing enough, or not doing it “right.”
Strength training can feel daunting, confusing, or discouraging, especially for someone new to training, or if you’ve been off for a while.
So let’a look at finding balance, particularly today on the Equinox, when the day is equally light and dark – balance in variety and consistency in training.
Here’s the truth: getting strong can happen in many ways at any time in your life. There’s no single “right” program. There’s only what’s effective, efficient, and safe training, so it can be Pilates, yoga, Lagree, Les Mills, CrossFit, Orange Theory, Zumba, or F45, and of course powerlifting at a gym – or you can get fit and strong at home with On-Demand sessions. There’s no magic program of exercises, and it’s ok to do a variety of things. Stick with a couple of programs for several months, and switch. Find what turns you on, and balance consistency with variety.
So let’s clear it up – strength training doesn’t only happen in a gym, doesn’t have to involve a lot of equipment. Strength isn’t reserved for powerlifters, or women with fully-equipped home gyms. A space at home that’s just big enough for a mat can suffice perfectly!
What the Science Says
Muscles respond to progressive overload, which means gradually challenging muscles more over time. It can happen in lots of ways, wherever you are, whether you use dumbbells, resistance bands, your bodyweight, a barbell, or even household objects (For example, during the pandemic I trained virtual clients using a backpack filled with cans or books.)
Research consistently shows for all-around, functional strength and fitness you don’t need more than 2–3 strength-focused sessions per week, preferably with guidance from a coach, combined with daily movement, like brisk walking, biking, or rowing at a level that feels a bit challenging. Strength and mobility movement includes gardening, and carrying, and playing with kids and grandkids! All together this is enough to build muscle, improve bone density, and protect your metabolism, and mental acuity.
Your nervous system and connective tissues adapt as much as your muscles do. Lifting a loaded barbell, sure, or performing controlled push-ups, or swinging a kettlebell all stimulate these systems. Rowing absolutely fits the bill for strength and fitness, especially if you’re mindful of technique.
The Bigger Picture
Strength is functional. It’s carrying groceries up stairs without thinking twice. It’s catching yourself if you trip. No kidding – I almost went down, arms helicoptering when I caught my Birkenstock on a sidewalk crack while walking a super energetic, pulling grand dog…but I didn’t! It’s getting on the floor to play with a toddler, and getting back up easily.
Take a listen to Samantha Bee @realsambee talking with Casey Johnston @swolewoman about her book, A Physical Education. Sam Bee says she doesn’t want to lie to the flight attendant asking in the exit row whether she has strength to push open the 35 lb exit door! Yeah, Casey promotes lifting and I love it too – heavy strength training changed her life, and also mine after age 50, but it’s about the basics, what you enjoy, combined with daily movement.
Find What You Enjoy
Choose the methods you like and that fit your life. Maybe it’s my ROW + STRENGTH intervals and weighted or bodyweight sessions in your living room, or a loaded barbell at the gym, or Pilates classes with a friend. The best program is the one you’ll actually do.
My Take as a Coach
Strength training should empower you, not overwhelm you. In my 20+ years of coaching, I’ve seen women get strong lifting soup cans, gallon water bottles, using bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, the rowing machine, or… performing squats with a loaded barbell. The common thread is that there’s no perfect plan. It’s showing up, challenging your body just a little bit more over time, and recovering well.
The takeaway: Don’t get lost in the noise. Your body doesn’t need perfection; it needs practice. Getting strong is about moving forward, and even sometimes backwards, ‘regression” like when you’ve eased off a bit strategically, or if you’ve been tied up with kids, work, vacation, or even illness or injury, you can feel fresh when you begin to train again, gradually building back, slowly increasing the volume and intensity of your workouts.
Let’s do it together. Get furious and jacked.
x
Polli
