Coffee Talk #211: How to Build Strength

It’s Tuesday! Grab your cup and let’s settle in for a chat.

Question of the week: When do you start decorating for the holidays? Have you already started? Are you a strict post-Thanksgiving decorator? Not decorating? Tell me! 

If we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you that husband looked at me last night and said ‘Let’s start decorating for Christmas now.’ So, I guess we are pre-Thanksgiving decorators this year!

If we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you that the winter holiday season is not my favorite, but I’m pulling out all the stops to make it fabulous. How? I’m hosting some awesome fitness classes, fitness events, and several virtual fitness and wellness groups. (Muscles & Mistletoe, Barre Blast, 12 Days of Stretch-mas, and Mindful Magic). I’m determined to ‘run the holidays’ this year.

If we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you that I’m thinking a lot about STRENGTH this season. Winter is a great time to evaluate your strength and build a plan to work on it (truthfully, any time is great to start, but that doesn’t support my post, now does it?).

I waxed poetic about my thoughts on women + strength training on the live Coffee Talk post, but TL;DR version: I’m excited that more women are recognizing the importance of building strength and not afraid to do it. So excited.

Ready to get started with building strength? I have a few tips.

How to build strength

1) Make a plan – Don’t do this without a plan. If you have a goal to build strength, follow something. Check out some free information on google or instagram. Even better, make an appointment with a trainer to build a customized plan to follow.

2) Rest – this is essential for building strength. When you lift weights or work on the muscles, they tear. The goal is for those muscles to rebuild stronger. The only way to ensure that this happens, after all the work you’re putting into it, is to rest those muscles. Plan for rest days in your schedule.

3) Work on form – this is where most people should start with strength training. Don’t add too much weight too quickly, that can lead to injury. Instead, focus on bodyweight movements and check your form. Not sure where to start? Google the movement. Get several trainer opinions. Remember that MY squat will look differently than YOUR squat. Video yourself. Check yourself out in the mirror. Form is KEY for building strength.

4) Measure progress – Just as important as making a plan – track the plan. Write down how the movement felt, when you felt fatigued (which reps), how much weight you used for that movement. Review your progress each week and use that to make a plan for the next week. Don’t be afraid to tweak your strength plan, that’s how you grow.

5) Ask for help  – There are literal professionals who want to see you succeed. Chat with a trainer. Even better, book a few sessions with a trainer. Right now, trainers are pivoting their businesses and would love to offer their services to you, even virtually.

Need even more? Here are my top 7 movements to get started with strength training. Note that these are MY favorite moves and may/may not serve your needs. And always consult with your doctor before attempting a new program.

FWA CORE 7 Strength movements:

• Squats (especially goblet squats)
• Lunges (I like walking lunges)
• Push-ups (Incline are my favorite)
• Wall-sits (burn)
• Glute bridges (burn more)
• Step-ups (arguably my favorite strength move ever)
• Plank (staple move!!)