When I first started strength training, I had a feeling it would become a lifelong hobby of mine. Although I was in the minority of women leaving the cardio section behind, I quickly realized that weight lifting was the one type of movement I looked forward to each day and a form of progress I could objectively track. As time passed, I saw more women join the weights section and came to appreciate the numerous benefits of strength training. I strongly advocate for people with all kinds of goals—whether it’s weight loss, muscle growth, healthier bones, or improved energy—to do their research and incorporate a few days of strength training into their routines. Through trial and plenty of error, I’ve had my fair share of frustration but each time, I’ve emerged more determined to reach my goal of getting stronger. If anything, I think a younger version of myself (like the one who wrote “My Guide to Strength”) would be proud of all I’ve learned and hope to share here.
As previously mentioned, I have picked up many lessons since I began lifting weights back in 2022, some more significant than others. Among them, I find these to be the most overarching ones that would have allowed me to see progress more quickly and with less stress.
- Less is More
A common mistake I made — and often see others making — is adopting the mindset that longer, more strenuous workouts are the most effective. However, through research and insights from experts like the team at Mind Pump Fitness, I’ve come to embrace the principle of “doing the least to elicit the most change.” When it comes to lifting weights, more isn’t always better.
As I’ll discuss later, recovery is the most important aspect of strength training. Once you break your muscles down beyond a certain point, they struggle to adapt and grow stronger. Instead of performing numerous exercises that target the same muscle in a single plane of motion, it’s far more effective to focus on fewer exercises, prioritize proper form, and challenge yourself with progressive overload.
Personally, I usually keep my workouts centered around four main exercises, focusing on compound movements. This approach allows me to train more consistently and feel stronger, rather than constantly depleted and weak. Be cautious with trendy workouts from influencers; instead, ensure that every exercise in your routine serves a clear purpose, and stay consistent with those to see real results.
2. Only You Know the Best Exercises for You
Building on my first point, exercise selection is highly individual. Even within the same plane of motion, there are various exercises to choose from. For example, both a single-arm cable row and a single-arm dumbbell row target the lats in the sagittal plane. So how do you decide which one to include in your workout? Ultimately, it comes down to which exercise allows you to achieve the best mind-to-muscle connection.
For a long time, I chose exercises simply because they were labeled as “the best.” However, I’ve consistently seen better results when I select exercises that I can mechanically take through a full range of motion with proper tempo and form. While some people may prefer hamstring curls, I prefer Romanian deadlifts (RDLs). Just because an exercise works well for someone else doesn’t mean it will be equally effective for you.
3. Your Time Outside the Gym is Just as Important as Your Time in the Gym
Of all the lessons I’ve learned, this one took the longest to fully grasp. Training in the gym can be both exhausting and rewarding. Initially, I believed that once I pushed myself through long, taxing sessions, I could stop worrying about how I moved and cared for my body the moment I stepped out of the gym. In reality, the true work begins the minute you leave.
It’s crucial to understand that muscles grow only when they are properly fueled and rested. While it’s easy to overlook the smaller details involved in building muscle or losing fat, these details can ultimately make or break your progress. Volume and intensity in your workouts are important, but so are sleep, nutrition, and stress management. Sometimes, skipping a training session in favor of a nap might be the wiser choice. At other times, a solid workout followed by a protein-packed meal is exactly what your body needs.
In general, it’s essential to prioritize consistent movement throughout the day to boost your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) and to pay attention to how you can provide your body with the tools it needs to support your goals. Progress isn’t just made in the gym—it’s also shaped by the habits you maintain outside of it.
4. “You Can’t Out-train a Bad… Relationship with Food”
You’ve probably heard this lesson before: “You can’t out-train a bad diet.” But take a closer look, and you’ll see my version is a bit different. As a beginner in the gym with my own share of struggles around dieting and food, I experienced moments of both hyper-vigilance and extreme complacency when it came to my diet. I was so focused on tracking every meal and gram of protein that I became trapped by the idea of maintaining a “good” diet. But what exactly is a good diet?
A good diet isn’t about steak and bananas perfectly styled on aesthetic cutting boards or drinking multiple protein shakes a day. For me, it’s less about the specific foods I eat and more about my relationship with food. You could eat all the chicken breast and broccoli in the world, but if you consistently eat past comfortable fullness, it might not have the effect you’re hoping for. Similarly, you could avoid ice cream entirely, but if the one time you do have it, you eat the entire tub, it could not only hinder your progress but also leave you feeling defeated.
For some, a good diet might mean strict rules and macro counting. Food choices should be personalized, and it’s essential to find what works for you. That said, I encourage you to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Strength training is a lifestyle, not a quick fix. For me, that means being mindful of how I nourish myself—eating in a way that fuels my workouts and supports muscle growth, while still allowing me to enjoy life outside the gym.
5. Strength Training is Great, But…
The final lesson I want to share is one I might have hesitated to admit in the past. Strength training has been—and likely always will be—my favorite way to move my body. Still, like anything, it isn’t perfect. Over the years, I’ve had periods where I fell out of love with lifting weights. I grew tired of constantly feeling sore and frustrated when I didn’t see the results I hoped for. I felt trapped by a fixed weekly split that left little room for variety. In that sense, I understand why this form of exercise might not appeal to everyone.
If I could give my past self one piece of advice, it would be this: working out should never feel like a constraint. Instead, it should make you feel free, energized, and excited. These days, while I still go to the gym multiple times a week, I’ve embraced other forms of movement like running, pilates, dancing on a team, and even kickboxing. Finding consistency while allowing space for flexibility has been the key to not only enjoying my workouts but also seeing better results.
At first glance, lifting weights might not seem like a journey. After all, it’s a repetitive process—picking up increasingly heavier loads to perform the same exercises week after week. But beneath the surface, it involves discipline, self-discovery, and constant improvement. Each day I lift, I become just one percent better, and for that, I am grateful.
Through strength training, I’ve learned more about myself and how to tailor my workouts and other areas of my life to suit my needs. My hope is that you’ll do the same, taking each day one step at a time and finding what works best for you.
Happy Living!
“Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.” — Oprah Winfrey
chocolate and politics 