I’ve been strength training since I was 16.
Do you know why?
Because I read an article in Dolly magazine that weights burn more fat than cardio.
(IYKYK)
At first, it was about changing how I looked.
But somewhere along the way, it became about how I felt. I wondered why I liked lifting weights way more than doing cardio. I even used to feel guilty that it was so enjoyable, like exercise should be more punishing to be effective.
Since then, I’ve lifted through uni, new jobs, three pregnancies, three postpartum recoveries, and just about every season of life a woman can move through (just about – I know menopause is coming but I’m sooooo glad the habit is already established)
I’ve learned a lot.
Not just from my own training… but from 20 years of working as a physio, coaching women through the same journey.
And here’s what I know now:
➡️ Most of the “rules” we were told about getting strong?
👎Outdated.
👎Unsustainable.
👎And flat-out untrue for most women.
That’s why I’ve stopped following them, and why I stopped teaching them, too.
Because real strength doesn’t require soreness, sweat, or 60-minute workouts.
It requires consistency, smart progressions, and a system you can stick to.
If you can’t imagine sustaining your training for the next 5 years (let alone the next 6months), something needs to shift.
Maybe it’s your belief in one of these myths?
- “Every lift has to be heavy to build strength”
Nope. It’s about intensity and volume, not just load - “Workouts need to be 30+ minutes to be effective”
I build strength in 10-20 minute sessions - “If you’re not sore, it didn’t work”
Soreness means novelty, not progress - “You need to sweat or be out of breath for it to count”
Puffing and sweating can happen…but they’re not the goal - “You can’t build real strength without a gym”
You can absolutely get stronger at home with minimal equipment, especially when you have a progressive, well-structured plan