March 14, 2025 • 30 mins
Why Women Over 35 Should Lift Heavy: The Truth About Strength, Injury Prevention & Longevity
In this episode of MilesFromHerView, host Kat—a fitness expert, ultra-runner, and mom—explores why strength training is essential for women, especially mothers. She busts the myth that lifting heavy makes women bulky and highlights the benefits of boosting metabolism, strengthening bones, and supporting long-term health.
Kat also tackles common concerns like pelvic floor health, proper lifting techniques, and the power of progressive overload. You’ll walk away with actionable tips, including:
✔️ Mastering foundational movements for strength and injury prevention
✔️ Pairing breath control with movement for better core stability
✔️ Avoiding common strength training mistakes that hold you back
💡 Want to learn more about how strength training impacts metabolism? Check out our Muscles and Metabolism episode!
👉 Ready to get stronger and feel your best? Let’s chat! Book a free consultation call and get a customized plan tailored to your goals. Book HERE
00:00 Reflecting on Childhood Activity
00:37 Introduction to the Podcast
01:25 Spring Forward and Renewed Energy
02:05 Importance of Strength Training for Women
03:35 Muscle Mass and Aging
04:32 Benefits of Lifting Heavy Weights
08:25 Understanding Proper Weight Lifting Techniques
13:01 Pelvic Floor and Core Strength
19:53 Starting Your Strength Training Journey
22:56 Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
25:31 Encouragement and Final Thoughts
28:25 Connecting with KatFit Strength
☎️ - Schedule a complimentary call to see if KatFit Strength is a good fit for you: https://katfit.moxieapp.com/public/katfit/consultation-call
📩 KatFit Strength Weekly Newsletter:
https://katfit.kit.com/7564404daa
❓ - Have A Question About Strength Training, Nutrition, and cardio training? Submit It HERE: https://forms.gle/kndmqaf91psZEmPs6
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kat (00:00):
I want you to think back.
(00:01):
Think back to when you werelittle and you were out in the
yard, or maybe it was gym classor recess.
You would think nothing to climbtrees.
Sprint across that field andclimb those monkey bars.
Skipping one or two bars at atime.
You would climb up that pole,climb up that wall, and it just
(00:22):
was a way of life.
But somewhere along the way, wewere told to slow down, take it
easy, and stick to thelightweights.
I.
Here's the truth.
If we want to keep moving, keepfeeling strong, and keep showing
up for the life we love, we needto lift heavy.
Welcome to MilesFromHerView, thepodcast powered by KatFit
Strength, where busy women likeyou find practical solutions to
(00:44):
fuel your fitness journey withauthenticity and resilience.
I'm Kat, your host, a mom of twoactive boys, a business owner,
and an ultra marathon runner anda strength trainer in her
forties with nearly two decadesof experience.
I'm here to help you cut throughthe noise of fads, hacks, and
quick fixes.
This is a space where wecelebrate womanhood and
(01:06):
motherhood.
All while building strength andresilience and reconnecting with
you from a place ofself-compassion and worthiness.
Whether you're lacing up yourrunning shoes to go out for a
run, driving your kids topractice or squeezing in a
moment for yourself, I'm righthere in the trenches with you.
Let's dive in.
(01:27):
Welcome back to Miles from ourreview.
I'm Kat, your host, and I am soexcited that.
We have sprung forward.
Not too excited about losingthat hour of sleep.
Lemme tell you, it did hit, ittook me about until Tuesday of
this week to really get into thegroove, but I am loving the
sunlight after 6:00 PM more, youknow, the sun setting closer to
(01:51):
7 30, it has brought me arenewed sense of, of energy and
I am looking for forward towarmer weather longer days, and
honestly, I'm, I'm also lookingforward to summer.
So today we are going to betalking about strength training,
if you've been listening to thepodcast before, I talk a lot
(02:13):
about strength training.
I talk a lot about cardio andmobility, but today we're gonna
be focusing on strength trainingand why it is essential, what
strength training is, andovercoming some of those fears.
I want to focus on it from thelens of womanhood and
motherhood.
Things we're going to go overis, if you've ever worried that
(02:33):
lifting weights is gonna makeyou feel bulky or bulk up also.
If you're sticking to like thefive pound dumbbells and you've
told, been told that's allthat's best for you, we're gonna
kind of debunk that.
And I'll admit it, I'm in myforties, I'm getting older.
I'm definitely not gettingyounger, that some individuals
have been told that as you getolder that lifting heavy isn't
(02:56):
safe.
But we're gonna go into a lot ofthat.
We're gonna go into why womenneed to lift heavy, and it's not
just for a aesthetics, butoverall health and how to get
started safely.
I know this is a big fear andlifting heavy can be
intimidated, but we're reallygoing to tackle.
How we can do this safely, andespecially if there's core or
(03:17):
pelvic floor concerns.
The other thing is it is thethings we're gonna be tackling
are science backed with benefitsthat make it non-negotiable.
If you wanna stay strong.
Active for decades to come.
So grab your coffee, throw onyour walking shoes and let's get
into it.
Couple episodes ago, I coveredMuscle and Metabolism that link
(03:40):
there.
So I'm gonna give a little bitof a refresher right here.
You don't have to pause this andjump back to that.
It is.
Linked in the show notes if youwanna go and listen to that.
But as a quick overview, when weget into our thirties and
forties, we naturally start tolose muscle mass in our
thirties.
It starts to decrease three to8% every decade.
As we get into our forties andwe approach that perimenopause
(04:03):
to menopause stage in our lives,the muscle mass starts to.
Increase in in the loss.
And that is mainly because ofestrogen is starting to
decrease.
It's a natural process ofperimenopause to menopause.
The term you know of muscle massloss is called sarcopenia.
(04:23):
If you've ever heard that termto thrown around it is the same
thing as muscle mass loss issarcopenia.
What?
Strength training does andlifting heavy weights.
So the emphasis is on the heavyweights, and we will decode what
it means to lift heavy.
So you might think in your head,oh, heavy weights, that overly
(04:46):
muscled, bodybuilder, grunting,and just lifting every single
weight plate in the gym.
That is not what it means.
Why lifting heavy helps is itpreserves and builds lean
muscle.
Okay?
Muscle is lean tissue in thebody.
(05:08):
It helps speed up ourmetabolism.
Maintain our metabolism.
It.
Increases that resting metabolicrate.
So when you're sitting in youroffice chair or in the car, if
you're in your mommy taxi era,it is going to utilize more
energy that caloric burn whenyou're active.
It will also utilize more.
(05:30):
Energy.
It also helps balance the bloodsugar levels, reducing the risk
of insulin resistance.
This is also key for womenbecause as we get into the
perimenopause menopause seasonof life, ushering goes down and.
We can become insulinresistance.
However, if you have good, leanmass, good muscle retention,
(05:54):
that is strong, you are going tohave a good, I'm gonna say armor
against that.
Insulin resistance you're goingto have have a good balanced
blood sugar levels.
So I know a lot of people lovedoing cardio to stay lean, but
lifting weights is actually whatshapes and sculpts your body
(06:16):
while keeping your metabolismfiring.
The other huge, huge aspect withstrength training is stronger
bones and fewer injuries.
We tend to think about fracturesand brittle bones, not until way
later in life we think, I don'thave to worry about that until
I'm in my seventies or eighties.
(06:37):
Well, that's not the case.
That starts now.
So the reality is, after 35 boneloss speeds up, and by the time
we hit menopause, we're at amuch higher risk for
osteoporosis.
So a lot of things shift in ourthirties.
And I wanna just stop rightthere and say, don't worry.
(06:58):
It's not all doom and gloom.
So if you are listening to thisand you're like, I have never
strength trained in my life.
Oh great.
And I am 40, what am I going todo now?
I've set myself up for failure.
You have not.
Okay.
So even though I'm throwing out.
The decades and the time andthese words, there is ability
(07:19):
and time for you to maintainyour current muscle mass and
build, increase that bonedensity.
So please do not think, there'sno hope for me.
'cause that is not the case.
So let's dive into.
How lifting heavy correlates tobone density.
So when you pick up a heavydumbbell barbell kettlebell, it
(07:40):
puts stress on the bones in agood way.
So it triggers bone buildingcells to make them stronger.
So we put a heavier stress, aheavier load on the body.
The muscles start to activate tobe able to lift and sustain that
load on the body, and ittriggers bone building cells.
Studies show resistance trainingsignificantly improves bone
(08:04):
mineral density, reducing therisk of fractures and injuries
As we age, and this is huge,they start to come into play in
our forties and fifties, and wewant to be active and
independent for as long aspossible.
Lifting heavy is where it's at.
Strength training is where it'sat.
(08:25):
Okay.
Let's get into what counts asheavy.
I've said it numerous times onthis podcast, lift heavy, lift
heavy.
You may see it on social media,and I love that it's getting
more mainstream, but oftentimesthe context around lifting heavy
seems.
Odd.
It's like, well, what does thatmean?
Am I lifting heavy enough?
And that that image that kind ofcomes to my head, I definitely
(08:46):
know, is this overly muscledindividual with this barbell on
their back with all the weightplates in the whole gym and the
barbell bending.
And they are just grunting andthey are overly just overly
muscled.
But that isn't, you know, yes,that surely is lifting heavy.
But that isn't what it means foryou.
(09:08):
A good test for this is if youcan perform an exercise with
external resistance, that meansa barbell, a dumbbell, a
kettlebell, whatever externalresistance you are putting on
the body, or a pulley machine,et cetera.
Doing 15 plus reps withoutfeeling challenged, that weight
(09:29):
is way too light.
So you want to be choosing aweight that feels moderately to
very challenging by the last twoto three reps.
When I program for clients andhow I utilize this for myself is
something called RPE.
That is rate of perceivedexertion.
(09:50):
We want to ensure we areexerting our body at the correct
challenge.
So oftentimes I will want aclient to be lifting at a seven
or an eight.
That means by the last two tothree reps in that set, it is
going to be challenging.
(10:11):
It might mean that they.
Don't complete the set of allthe reps.
That is a hundred percent finebecause with my clients, we work
in set ranges and rep ranges sothat we are making sure we are
lifting in that heavy category.
And this is with their strengthtraining programmed because it
is a progressive strengthtraining plan, meaning we're
(10:33):
building strength over time.
When you are going into the gymand you are exploring, is this a
heavy weight for a bicep curl, asquat, et cetera, it's okay if
you're like, well, the firstset, I didn't quite feel it.
Okay, well go up and weight ormaybe the opposite, which would
(10:54):
be amazing.
Too often I find, and I do thismyself, we choose a weight that
is on the lighter side, one thatfeels comfortable, that we know
we can handle.
But I want you to embrace thatidea of, I really picked up a
heavy weight here.
I need to drop down.
That is not a weakness.
As I tell my clients, we can goup or down in any weight.
(11:17):
It is totally fine.
There is no metric out therethat states if you have to go
down in a weight you havefailed.
That is not strength training.
So you can pick up a weight.
I'm gonna just say pick up 25pounds to do shoulder press.
The first set, you finish andyou're like, I don't know if I
can do a second set.
(11:37):
You go into the second set andlet's say there's eight to 10
reps and you finish eight reps.
Okay, awesome.
It was challenging by the lastcouple reps, but you could still
complete it.
Then you go into the third setafter the recovery and you
complete six.
Fantastic.
That means you are lifting heavythere.
If you pick up a weight that ispicking random weights here, so
(12:01):
10 pounds and the first set,you're like, whew, that was
easy.
The second set, you pound outthe third set doesn't feel that
challenging.
Maybe you're like, oh, I feellike I did something, but not
much.
We want to increase that weight.
Another way to do that is whenyou do each set, and I would say
on the last set we want to thinkabout if we needed to, we could
(12:23):
do.
Two more reps.
That's called reps in reserve.
RIR is what you might see itcoded as in a training plan.
So if our RPE rate of perceivedexertion is around seven to
eight, then we should be able tohave.
Two reps in reserve, so twoRRIR, so seven eight of RPE, two
(12:48):
of RIR.
The way I tell my clients is ifyou needed to or if you
miscounted, you still had thatability to get the extra rep in
with solid form.
Let's transition into pelvicfloor and core.
A lot of women that I work withare moms and I really wanna
(13:10):
press upon that.
Having a child does not breakyour body.
Yes, it can alter your body.
Yes, there are things that cancome along with having a child
like dias recti prolapse or weakor tight pelvic floors.
That does not mean you cannotstrength train or lift heavy.
(13:31):
What we wanna focus on is thatwe are teaching proper technique
that is incorporating the core,the breath, and the pelvic
floor, we want to make sure thatwe're having good coordination
in what's called the corecolumn.
So from the diaphragm, which isunderneath the ribs at the base
of the ribs, all the way down tothe pelvic floor.
(13:51):
So think about the bottom of thepelvis.
To make sure that it is allworking together.
When strength training is doneproperly, it actually helps
improve pelvic floor function.
The key is breathing and coreengagement.
We're not gripping with our abs,so think about when a cue I.
I used to use when I firststarted out and I'm like, I no
(14:14):
longer use is thinking aboutdrawing in that belly button.
So that can encourage upper abgripping meaning your think
about like the top of yourabdominal near your diaphragm
grips down and it actually.
Points your rib cage downtowards your pelvis.
The reason why this isn't goodis because it breaks up that
(14:36):
kinetic chain in that corecolumn from the diaphragm down
to the pelvic floor, and putsmore pressure on that pelvic
floor causing a potentialleaking or could cause.
Or if you are someone who hasprolapse, could encourage more
pressure on that prolapse.
So.
We wanna make sure, again, likea good cue I use is breastbone
(14:59):
in line with pubic bone.
So if your breastbone is in linewith pubic bone, that core
column is able to function andget that kinetic chain that it
needs when you are liftingheavy.
Another cue is like bracing.
So we thinking like.
When you pick up something heavyfrom the floor, whether it be a
child or dumbbell or groceries,our instinct is to bear down and
(15:25):
push and put all that force onthe pelvic floor.
That's oftentimes when leakingcan happen.
Research shows that heavylifting teaches coordination
between the core breath andpelvic floor.
So again, this is wheretechnique, this is where when I
program for clients, I'm lookingat the core, the biomechanics of
(15:49):
the core, how they're shifting,how the hips are moving so that
I can tweak the differentexercises.
So you're think.
Squats, deadlifts any sort ofpushes, carries, pulls that we
are being in tune with that corecolumn with our breath.
With our pelvic floor so thateven if you don't have Diasis,
(16:11):
recti, prolapse, weak or tightpelvic floor, that we are moving
connected through that pelvicfloor just because it didn't
happen after I.
Having kids or maybe you neverhad a child, doesn't mean it
can't happen.
And I don't want to instill fearhere.
This is, this is the truth.
(16:32):
Men can also have issues withtheir pelvic floor.
Obviously their anatomy isdifferent than our anatomy, but
if they are not lifting withproper form, they too can have
issues as well.
So it's not isolated to only afemale issue, or a.
Mom issue.
It is a human issue because bothmale and female do have pelvic
(16:55):
floors and with improper corebreath and pelvic floor
techniques, while putting on aload to the body can cause these
issues, doesn't mean it willhappen imminently.
Could happen later.
Again, that's not a reason notto lift tavi.
It is a reason to.
Work with a professional likemyself who understands the core
(17:19):
and the connection from the corebreath and pelvic floor so that
you are decreasing aches andpains in that lower back.
Helping if you do have a weak ortight pelvic floor prolapse or
diasis recti.
It is something that I, I, likeI said, I do.
Watch with my clients.
I do also ask questions and Irefer out to pelvic floor
(17:43):
therapists and work with thepelvic floor therapists in which
my clients are seeing so thatthey have a better quality of
care.
Because having these issues canbe a limiting factor in getting
back to the things that you loveand moving your body where you
feel sidelined because.
Running or walking too fast,could cause or trigger leaking
for you I really want you totake away that pregnancy does
(18:06):
not break your body, but it canexpose some instabilities and
they can still be present evenif your kids are in grade school
or college.
So it's not just an isolatedcondition to the first year or
24 months postpartum.
It can come out later.
This does not mean.
(18:27):
At all that you cannot findsuccess if you do have diasis,
recti, prolapse, weak, tighter,weak pelvic floor that goes
undiagnosed, and you're like, mykids are in grade score or
college, did I erode my body?
Absolutely not.
And to be quite honest, it canalmost be easier.
(18:47):
To help.
Correct, because you are furtherpostpartum.
If you are in that newlypostpartum area and you are
considering having another childand you aren't sure if you have
prolapse or diasis recite ortight, a weak pelvic floor, or
you might be experiencing someleaking or you know, pelvic
(19:08):
pain, I would highly recommendgo see a pelvic floor or a
physical therapist if you don't.
Know of one messages show I canconnect to with a great one.
If you are in that newlypostpartum time period and you
are experiencing these thingsand I know I just said it does
get easier when your kids getolder to correct them does not
(19:29):
mean that there's no hope foryou.
The reason why these pelvicfloor symptoms get easier when
your kids are older is you aremore rested.
And your hormones, for lack ofbetter terms, are a little bit
more balanced.
You are out of that drastichormonal change the first 24
months of being postpartum.
(19:51):
Let's get into how to startlifting.
Mastering the basics.
We wanna start with functionalfoundational movement patterns.
When a client comes in, for me,I really look at let's master
the basics of movements, squats.
We do squats every day, gettingup and down off of a chair.
Deadlifts.
Deadlifts are a hingingexercise, and they are so vital
(20:14):
for not just everyday life, butalso for our kinetic chain in
strengthening our body.
One of my favorite ones ispharma.
Carrie ies Carry, Dumble Carry,however you wanna label it, but
carrying a weight across asurface is really great load on
the body.
Progressive overload is amazing.
(20:34):
The reason be behind progressiveoverload and why you might see
it talked about on social media,why I talk about it, why I
incorporate it in my trainingwith my clients is it gradually
increases weights, reps, orintensity over time.
We're talking about liftingheavy, and I have mentioned we
wanna keep increasing thattension or that external
(20:56):
resistance on that muscle.
Going back to that overlymuscled individual with a big
barbell with all the weightplates on it does not mean that
is the end game for you wegradually increase weight reps
or intensity over time, so.
I don't want you to think is ifyour starting point is five
pounds, that in a year you'regonna be lifting 500 pounds.
(21:21):
The way we progressivelyoverload the body is tweaking
weight reps and intensity.
So there's many different waysto target that so that it's not
preventing you from liftingheavier, but it also works on.
Making sure that we're gettingmaximum muscle recruitment in
each muscle, that the load onthe body is appropriate
(21:45):
stressing the body in the wayswe want.
And that's why there's otherfactors than just increasing the
weight.
There's the rep's intensity overtime that help with that pairing
movement with breath control,inhaling to prepare and exhaling
on the exertion.
This helps with that core columnwith the way the body moves.
So for an example here is withsquats.
(22:06):
We wanna inhale at the top andexhale as you stand up.
So we're inhaling.
When we're in that startingposition and we exhale as you
start to stand up.
So I like to tell clients iswhen we are returning to that
starting position, that standingposition that we wanna think
about, we're exhaling and ourmuscles are starting to contract
(22:29):
to push our body up to thatreturn, that start position with
that lifts.
We're gonna inhale as we sendour hips.
Back and we're gonna exhale aswe come back up to that starting
position, keeping our breastbone in line with our pubic
bone.
So essentially those ribs arestacked over those hips, we're
(22:50):
contracting those glutes, glutesto return our upper body to that
starting position.
So common mistakes that tend tohappen is using weights.
That are just too light andwe're never ever progressing
from them.
So we get a weight in our handand it just feels comfortable.
It's like, I know I can do this.
I'm here.
This feels good, and you don'tmove up.
(23:13):
We want to be able to move upwith the weight.
I acknowledge that it can beembarrassing to go on and pick
up a weight and I really can'tfinish this set.
I've only done three reps andbeing in a public gym, it feels
like all eyes are on us.
Honestly, who cares?
Put the weight down.
Grab another one.
Like I encourage my clients, we,it can always go up or down.
You are in control.
(23:35):
There is no shame or guilt.
We are focused on meetingourselves where we're at, and
bringing ourselves up to thatnext level.
Another common mistake I see isover gripping that core or that
pelvic floor, and it causes thatunnecessary tension, which if
you don't have pelvic floor.
Symptoms of leaking but the mainthing is really focusing on the
(23:56):
breath, exhaling on thatexertion.
Thinking about liftingeverything up from pelvic floor.
Inhaling, when you are notexerting the body.
So we wanna reduce that load onthat pelvic floor when we are in
that exertion phase.
Think about contracting thelower abdominals in the pelvic
(24:17):
bowl.
So think about deep down at thelower part of the abdomen when
we are exhaling, we're exhalingcontracting up from that pelvic
floor.
Another big common mistake thatI see is skipping rest and
recovery.
This is a huge no-no.
There's a reason why rest isprogrammed into your sets and
(24:38):
reps.
The reason behind that is itallows the body to absorb that
resistance that was placed uponit so that the muscle gets that
benefit from those rep reps andsets.
Recovery is.
The time outside the gym.
So sometimes I see peoplewanting just to stack lifting
days upon each other withoutgiving, you know, at least a day
(25:02):
in between.
So strength isn't built in thatsingle rep.
What it is built is in therepair process, okay?
So it's not just built in thatworkout, it's built in that
repair process.
So focusing on getting greatquality sleep.
Getting that nutrient-densefoods, the animal-based or
plant-based protein, fiber,fruits and vegetables are all
(25:25):
going to help aid in muscleretention and building more
muscle.
That was a lot.
I threw a lot at you today, butI really, really want you to
take this away.
You are not fragile, you are notdelicate.
We are so strong and no matterwhere you are in the decades of
(25:46):
life, you have the ability tocontinue to build and maintain
strength.
So.
Lifting heavy reminds us thatevery time we step under a
barbell, pick up a kettlebell orcarry our kids without strain,
that we are epically strong.
It's not just about looking fit,it's about staying independent,
(26:07):
powerful, and really resilientfor life.
If you are new to strengthtraining.
Think about starting two to twoto three full body strength
sessions per week.
Focus on those fundamentals,progressively increase that
weight.
Really keep an open mind in thatfirst week when you are starting
out.
Play around with the weights.
(26:28):
It's okay if you don't finish aset.
It's a hundred percent okay.
I actually like it when myclients say, oh, I picked up too
heavy of a weight.
Amazing.
I love that you didn't finishthat set because you stepped
outside of that comfort zone.
You challenged yourself, whichis huge.
Progressively increase theweight.
You want to be able to increasethat weight in two to five pound
(26:52):
increment.
Every three to four weeks.
Again, don't be afraid to liftheavier than you think you can.
That is how we grow, is doingthings, stepping outside that
box so there's no guilt orshame.
If you pick up a weight that istoo heavy and you need to adjust
for the next set, absolutelynot.
(27:13):
That is actually a victory.
If you're like, this all soundsamazing, but I am totally
overwhelmed.
I have no idea how to evenstart.
I kind of get it.
You gave me some good actiontips, but I just, I'm
overwhelmed and I really wannastrength train.
Okay, cool.
This is what I do.
This is what my clients.
(27:33):
They get strength training thatmeets them exactly where they're
at while reducing the aches andpains.
My clients are in the thick ofdemanding careers raising
children, yet they can stillfind ways to get their workouts
in because it's designed fortheir lives.
(27:55):
It is designed to be effectiveand efficient so that it fits
seamlessly into their lives.
And it is always incredible.
I know they love it.
I see the messages that theysee.
Those once limiting aches andpains fade away and they're
doing the things that they lovedin their twenties or things they
(28:18):
never thought was possible, likerunning races, skiing, lifting
their kids with ease, and justhaving more energy for life.
Hop on a consultation call.
I would love to connect with youand see if we'd be a great fit
so if you love this episode,make sure you subscribe, share
it with a friend who needs tohear this.
And if you're lifting heavy thisweek, Tag me on Instagram at
(28:39):
KatFit strength.
I'd love to cheer you on.
Until next time, keep lifting,keep moving, keep showing up for
yourself.
Thank you for tuning in toMilesFromHerView, powered by
KatFit Strength.
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Hit follow or subscribe to stayupdated on the new episodes, and
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(29:02):
space.
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With a friend who is ready toembrace her strength.
Remember, fitness isn't aboutperfection.
It's about showing up foryourself and finding strength in
(29:24):
every step of your journey.
Until next time, keep movingforward one mile at a time.
I want you to think back.
(00:01):
Think back to when you werelittle and you were out in the
yard, or maybe it was gym classor recess.
You would think nothing to climbtrees.
Sprint across that field andclimb those monkey bars.
Skipping one or two bars at atime.
You would climb up that pole,climb up that wall, and it just
(00:22):
was a way of life.
But somewhere along the way, wewere told to slow down, take it
easy, and stick to thelightweights.
I.
Here's the truth.
If we want to keep moving, keepfeeling strong, and keep showing
up for the life we love, we needto lift heavy.
Welcome to MilesFromHerView, thepodcast powered by KatFit
Strength, where busy women likeyou find practical solutions to
(00:44):
fuel your fitness journey withauthenticity and resilience.
I'm Kat, your host, a mom of twoactive boys, a business owner,
and an ultra marathon runner anda strength trainer in her
forties with nearly two decadesof experience.
I'm here to help you cut throughthe noise of fads, hacks, and
quick fixes.
This is a space where wecelebrate womanhood and
(01:06):
motherhood.
All while building strength andresilience and reconnecting with
you from a place ofself-compassion and worthiness.
Whether you're lacing up yourrunning shoes to go out for a
run, driving your kids topractice or squeezing in a
moment for yourself, I'm righthere in the trenches with you.
Let's dive in.
(01:27):
Welcome back to Miles from ourreview.
I'm Kat, your host, and I am soexcited that.
We have sprung forward.
Not too excited about losingthat hour of sleep.
Lemme tell you, it did hit, ittook me about until Tuesday of
this week to really get into thegroove, but I am loving the
sunlight after 6:00 PM more, youknow, the sun setting closer to
(01:51):
7 30, it has brought me arenewed sense of, of energy and
I am looking for forward towarmer weather longer days, and
honestly, I'm, I'm also lookingforward to summer.
So today we are going to betalking about strength training,
if you've been listening to thepodcast before, I talk a lot
(02:13):
about strength training.
I talk a lot about cardio andmobility, but today we're gonna
be focusing on strength trainingand why it is essential, what
strength training is, andovercoming some of those fears.
I want to focus on it from thelens of womanhood and
motherhood.
Things we're going to go overis, if you've ever worried that
(02:33):
lifting weights is gonna makeyou feel bulky or bulk up also.
If you're sticking to like thefive pound dumbbells and you've
told, been told that's allthat's best for you, we're gonna
kind of debunk that.
And I'll admit it, I'm in myforties, I'm getting older.
I'm definitely not gettingyounger, that some individuals
have been told that as you getolder that lifting heavy isn't
(02:56):
safe.
But we're gonna go into a lot ofthat.
We're gonna go into why womenneed to lift heavy, and it's not
just for a aesthetics, butoverall health and how to get
started safely.
I know this is a big fear andlifting heavy can be
intimidated, but we're reallygoing to tackle.
How we can do this safely, andespecially if there's core or
(03:17):
pelvic floor concerns.
The other thing is it is thethings we're gonna be tackling
are science backed with benefitsthat make it non-negotiable.
If you wanna stay strong.
Active for decades to come.
So grab your coffee, throw onyour walking shoes and let's get
into it.
Couple episodes ago, I coveredMuscle and Metabolism that link
(03:40):
there.
So I'm gonna give a little bitof a refresher right here.
You don't have to pause this andjump back to that.
It is.
Linked in the show notes if youwanna go and listen to that.
But as a quick overview, when weget into our thirties and
forties, we naturally start tolose muscle mass in our
thirties.
It starts to decrease three to8% every decade.
As we get into our forties andwe approach that perimenopause
(04:03):
to menopause stage in our lives,the muscle mass starts to.
Increase in in the loss.
And that is mainly because ofestrogen is starting to
decrease.
It's a natural process ofperimenopause to menopause.
The term you know of muscle massloss is called sarcopenia.
(04:23):
If you've ever heard that termto thrown around it is the same
thing as muscle mass loss issarcopenia.
What?
Strength training does andlifting heavy weights.
So the emphasis is on the heavyweights, and we will decode what
it means to lift heavy.
So you might think in your head,oh, heavy weights, that overly
(04:46):
muscled, bodybuilder, grunting,and just lifting every single
weight plate in the gym.
That is not what it means.
Why lifting heavy helps is itpreserves and builds lean
muscle.
Okay?
Muscle is lean tissue in thebody.
(05:08):
It helps speed up ourmetabolism.
Maintain our metabolism.
It.
Increases that resting metabolicrate.
So when you're sitting in youroffice chair or in the car, if
you're in your mommy taxi era,it is going to utilize more
energy that caloric burn whenyou're active.
It will also utilize more.
(05:30):
Energy.
It also helps balance the bloodsugar levels, reducing the risk
of insulin resistance.
This is also key for womenbecause as we get into the
perimenopause menopause seasonof life, ushering goes down and.
We can become insulinresistance.
However, if you have good, leanmass, good muscle retention,
(05:54):
that is strong, you are going tohave a good, I'm gonna say armor
against that.
Insulin resistance you're goingto have have a good balanced
blood sugar levels.
So I know a lot of people lovedoing cardio to stay lean, but
lifting weights is actually whatshapes and sculpts your body
(06:16):
while keeping your metabolismfiring.
The other huge, huge aspect withstrength training is stronger
bones and fewer injuries.
We tend to think about fracturesand brittle bones, not until way
later in life we think, I don'thave to worry about that until
I'm in my seventies or eighties.
(06:37):
Well, that's not the case.
That starts now.
So the reality is, after 35 boneloss speeds up, and by the time
we hit menopause, we're at amuch higher risk for
osteoporosis.
So a lot of things shift in ourthirties.
And I wanna just stop rightthere and say, don't worry.
(06:58):
It's not all doom and gloom.
So if you are listening to thisand you're like, I have never
strength trained in my life.
Oh great.
And I am 40, what am I going todo now?
I've set myself up for failure.
You have not.
Okay.
So even though I'm throwing out.
The decades and the time andthese words, there is ability
(07:19):
and time for you to maintainyour current muscle mass and
build, increase that bonedensity.
So please do not think, there'sno hope for me.
'cause that is not the case.
So let's dive into.
How lifting heavy correlates tobone density.
So when you pick up a heavydumbbell barbell kettlebell, it
(07:40):
puts stress on the bones in agood way.
So it triggers bone buildingcells to make them stronger.
So we put a heavier stress, aheavier load on the body.
The muscles start to activate tobe able to lift and sustain that
load on the body, and ittriggers bone building cells.
Studies show resistance trainingsignificantly improves bone
(08:04):
mineral density, reducing therisk of fractures and injuries
As we age, and this is huge,they start to come into play in
our forties and fifties, and wewant to be active and
independent for as long aspossible.
Lifting heavy is where it's at.
Strength training is where it'sat.
(08:25):
Okay.
Let's get into what counts asheavy.
I've said it numerous times onthis podcast, lift heavy, lift
heavy.
You may see it on social media,and I love that it's getting
more mainstream, but oftentimesthe context around lifting heavy
seems.
Odd.
It's like, well, what does thatmean?
Am I lifting heavy enough?
And that that image that kind ofcomes to my head, I definitely
(08:46):
know, is this overly muscledindividual with this barbell on
their back with all the weightplates in the whole gym and the
barbell bending.
And they are just grunting andthey are overly just overly
muscled.
But that isn't, you know, yes,that surely is lifting heavy.
But that isn't what it means foryou.
(09:08):
A good test for this is if youcan perform an exercise with
external resistance, that meansa barbell, a dumbbell, a
kettlebell, whatever externalresistance you are putting on
the body, or a pulley machine,et cetera.
Doing 15 plus reps withoutfeeling challenged, that weight
(09:29):
is way too light.
So you want to be choosing aweight that feels moderately to
very challenging by the last twoto three reps.
When I program for clients andhow I utilize this for myself is
something called RPE.
That is rate of perceivedexertion.
(09:50):
We want to ensure we areexerting our body at the correct
challenge.
So oftentimes I will want aclient to be lifting at a seven
or an eight.
That means by the last two tothree reps in that set, it is
going to be challenging.
(10:11):
It might mean that they.
Don't complete the set of allthe reps.
That is a hundred percent finebecause with my clients, we work
in set ranges and rep ranges sothat we are making sure we are
lifting in that heavy category.
And this is with their strengthtraining programmed because it
is a progressive strengthtraining plan, meaning we're
(10:33):
building strength over time.
When you are going into the gymand you are exploring, is this a
heavy weight for a bicep curl, asquat, et cetera, it's okay if
you're like, well, the firstset, I didn't quite feel it.
Okay, well go up and weight ormaybe the opposite, which would
(10:54):
be amazing.
Too often I find, and I do thismyself, we choose a weight that
is on the lighter side, one thatfeels comfortable, that we know
we can handle.
But I want you to embrace thatidea of, I really picked up a
heavy weight here.
I need to drop down.
That is not a weakness.
As I tell my clients, we can goup or down in any weight.
(11:17):
It is totally fine.
There is no metric out therethat states if you have to go
down in a weight you havefailed.
That is not strength training.
So you can pick up a weight.
I'm gonna just say pick up 25pounds to do shoulder press.
The first set, you finish andyou're like, I don't know if I
can do a second set.
(11:37):
You go into the second set andlet's say there's eight to 10
reps and you finish eight reps.
Okay, awesome.
It was challenging by the lastcouple reps, but you could still
complete it.
Then you go into the third setafter the recovery and you
complete six.
Fantastic.
That means you are lifting heavythere.
If you pick up a weight that ispicking random weights here, so
(12:01):
10 pounds and the first set,you're like, whew, that was
easy.
The second set, you pound outthe third set doesn't feel that
challenging.
Maybe you're like, oh, I feellike I did something, but not
much.
We want to increase that weight.
Another way to do that is whenyou do each set, and I would say
on the last set we want to thinkabout if we needed to, we could
(12:23):
do.
Two more reps.
That's called reps in reserve.
RIR is what you might see itcoded as in a training plan.
So if our RPE rate of perceivedexertion is around seven to
eight, then we should be able tohave.
Two reps in reserve, so twoRRIR, so seven eight of RPE, two
(12:48):
of RIR.
The way I tell my clients is ifyou needed to or if you
miscounted, you still had thatability to get the extra rep in
with solid form.
Let's transition into pelvicfloor and core.
A lot of women that I work withare moms and I really wanna
(13:10):
press upon that.
Having a child does not breakyour body.
Yes, it can alter your body.
Yes, there are things that cancome along with having a child
like dias recti prolapse or weakor tight pelvic floors.
That does not mean you cannotstrength train or lift heavy.
(13:31):
What we wanna focus on is thatwe are teaching proper technique
that is incorporating the core,the breath, and the pelvic
floor, we want to make sure thatwe're having good coordination
in what's called the corecolumn.
So from the diaphragm, which isunderneath the ribs at the base
of the ribs, all the way down tothe pelvic floor.
(13:51):
So think about the bottom of thepelvis.
To make sure that it is allworking together.
When strength training is doneproperly, it actually helps
improve pelvic floor function.
The key is breathing and coreengagement.
We're not gripping with our abs,so think about when a cue I.
I used to use when I firststarted out and I'm like, I no
(14:14):
longer use is thinking aboutdrawing in that belly button.
So that can encourage upper abgripping meaning your think
about like the top of yourabdominal near your diaphragm
grips down and it actually.
Points your rib cage downtowards your pelvis.
The reason why this isn't goodis because it breaks up that
(14:36):
kinetic chain in that corecolumn from the diaphragm down
to the pelvic floor, and putsmore pressure on that pelvic
floor causing a potentialleaking or could cause.
Or if you are someone who hasprolapse, could encourage more
pressure on that prolapse.
So.
We wanna make sure, again, likea good cue I use is breastbone
(14:59):
in line with pubic bone.
So if your breastbone is in linewith pubic bone, that core
column is able to function andget that kinetic chain that it
needs when you are liftingheavy.
Another cue is like bracing.
So we thinking like.
When you pick up something heavyfrom the floor, whether it be a
child or dumbbell or groceries,our instinct is to bear down and
(15:25):
push and put all that force onthe pelvic floor.
That's oftentimes when leakingcan happen.
Research shows that heavylifting teaches coordination
between the core breath andpelvic floor.
So again, this is wheretechnique, this is where when I
program for clients, I'm lookingat the core, the biomechanics of
(15:49):
the core, how they're shifting,how the hips are moving so that
I can tweak the differentexercises.
So you're think.
Squats, deadlifts any sort ofpushes, carries, pulls that we
are being in tune with that corecolumn with our breath.
With our pelvic floor so thateven if you don't have Diasis,
(16:11):
recti, prolapse, weak or tightpelvic floor, that we are moving
connected through that pelvicfloor just because it didn't
happen after I.
Having kids or maybe you neverhad a child, doesn't mean it
can't happen.
And I don't want to instill fearhere.
This is, this is the truth.
(16:32):
Men can also have issues withtheir pelvic floor.
Obviously their anatomy isdifferent than our anatomy, but
if they are not lifting withproper form, they too can have
issues as well.
So it's not isolated to only afemale issue, or a.
Mom issue.
It is a human issue because bothmale and female do have pelvic
(16:55):
floors and with improper corebreath and pelvic floor
techniques, while putting on aload to the body can cause these
issues, doesn't mean it willhappen imminently.
Could happen later.
Again, that's not a reason notto lift tavi.
It is a reason to.
Work with a professional likemyself who understands the core
(17:19):
and the connection from the corebreath and pelvic floor so that
you are decreasing aches andpains in that lower back.
Helping if you do have a weak ortight pelvic floor prolapse or
diasis recti.
It is something that I, I, likeI said, I do.
Watch with my clients.
I do also ask questions and Irefer out to pelvic floor
(17:43):
therapists and work with thepelvic floor therapists in which
my clients are seeing so thatthey have a better quality of
care.
Because having these issues canbe a limiting factor in getting
back to the things that you loveand moving your body where you
feel sidelined because.
Running or walking too fast,could cause or trigger leaking
for you I really want you totake away that pregnancy does
(18:06):
not break your body, but it canexpose some instabilities and
they can still be present evenif your kids are in grade school
or college.
So it's not just an isolatedcondition to the first year or
24 months postpartum.
It can come out later.
This does not mean.
(18:27):
At all that you cannot findsuccess if you do have diasis,
recti, prolapse, weak, tighter,weak pelvic floor that goes
undiagnosed, and you're like, mykids are in grade score or
college, did I erode my body?
Absolutely not.
And to be quite honest, it canalmost be easier.
(18:47):
To help.
Correct, because you are furtherpostpartum.
If you are in that newlypostpartum area and you are
considering having another childand you aren't sure if you have
prolapse or diasis recite ortight, a weak pelvic floor, or
you might be experiencing someleaking or you know, pelvic
(19:08):
pain, I would highly recommendgo see a pelvic floor or a
physical therapist if you don't.
Know of one messages show I canconnect to with a great one.
If you are in that newlypostpartum time period and you
are experiencing these thingsand I know I just said it does
get easier when your kids getolder to correct them does not
(19:29):
mean that there's no hope foryou.
The reason why these pelvicfloor symptoms get easier when
your kids are older is you aremore rested.
And your hormones, for lack ofbetter terms, are a little bit
more balanced.
You are out of that drastichormonal change the first 24
months of being postpartum.
(19:51):
Let's get into how to startlifting.
Mastering the basics.
We wanna start with functionalfoundational movement patterns.
When a client comes in, for me,I really look at let's master
the basics of movements, squats.
We do squats every day, gettingup and down off of a chair.
Deadlifts.
Deadlifts are a hingingexercise, and they are so vital
(20:14):
for not just everyday life, butalso for our kinetic chain in
strengthening our body.
One of my favorite ones ispharma.
Carrie ies Carry, Dumble Carry,however you wanna label it, but
carrying a weight across asurface is really great load on
the body.
Progressive overload is amazing.
(20:34):
The reason be behind progressiveoverload and why you might see
it talked about on social media,why I talk about it, why I
incorporate it in my trainingwith my clients is it gradually
increases weights, reps, orintensity over time.
We're talking about liftingheavy, and I have mentioned we
wanna keep increasing thattension or that external
(20:56):
resistance on that muscle.
Going back to that overlymuscled individual with a big
barbell with all the weightplates on it does not mean that
is the end game for you wegradually increase weight reps
or intensity over time, so.
I don't want you to think is ifyour starting point is five
pounds, that in a year you'regonna be lifting 500 pounds.
(21:21):
The way we progressivelyoverload the body is tweaking
weight reps and intensity.
So there's many different waysto target that so that it's not
preventing you from liftingheavier, but it also works on.
Making sure that we're gettingmaximum muscle recruitment in
each muscle, that the load onthe body is appropriate
(21:45):
stressing the body in the wayswe want.
And that's why there's otherfactors than just increasing the
weight.
There's the rep's intensity overtime that help with that pairing
movement with breath control,inhaling to prepare and exhaling
on the exertion.
This helps with that core columnwith the way the body moves.
So for an example here is withsquats.
(22:06):
We wanna inhale at the top andexhale as you stand up.
So we're inhaling.
When we're in that startingposition and we exhale as you
start to stand up.
So I like to tell clients iswhen we are returning to that
starting position, that standingposition that we wanna think
about, we're exhaling and ourmuscles are starting to contract
(22:29):
to push our body up to thatreturn, that start position with
that lifts.
We're gonna inhale as we sendour hips.
Back and we're gonna exhale aswe come back up to that starting
position, keeping our breastbone in line with our pubic
bone.
So essentially those ribs arestacked over those hips, we're
(22:50):
contracting those glutes, glutesto return our upper body to that
starting position.
So common mistakes that tend tohappen is using weights.
That are just too light andwe're never ever progressing
from them.
So we get a weight in our handand it just feels comfortable.
It's like, I know I can do this.
I'm here.
This feels good, and you don'tmove up.
(23:13):
We want to be able to move upwith the weight.
I acknowledge that it can beembarrassing to go on and pick
up a weight and I really can'tfinish this set.
I've only done three reps andbeing in a public gym, it feels
like all eyes are on us.
Honestly, who cares?
Put the weight down.
Grab another one.
Like I encourage my clients, we,it can always go up or down.
You are in control.
(23:35):
There is no shame or guilt.
We are focused on meetingourselves where we're at, and
bringing ourselves up to thatnext level.
Another common mistake I see isover gripping that core or that
pelvic floor, and it causes thatunnecessary tension, which if
you don't have pelvic floor.
Symptoms of leaking but the mainthing is really focusing on the
(23:56):
breath, exhaling on thatexertion.
Thinking about liftingeverything up from pelvic floor.
Inhaling, when you are notexerting the body.
So we wanna reduce that load onthat pelvic floor when we are in
that exertion phase.
Think about contracting thelower abdominals in the pelvic
(24:17):
bowl.
So think about deep down at thelower part of the abdomen when
we are exhaling, we're exhalingcontracting up from that pelvic
floor.
Another big common mistake thatI see is skipping rest and
recovery.
This is a huge no-no.
There's a reason why rest isprogrammed into your sets and
(24:38):
reps.
The reason behind that is itallows the body to absorb that
resistance that was placed uponit so that the muscle gets that
benefit from those rep reps andsets.
Recovery is.
The time outside the gym.
So sometimes I see peoplewanting just to stack lifting
days upon each other withoutgiving, you know, at least a day
(25:02):
in between.
So strength isn't built in thatsingle rep.
What it is built is in therepair process, okay?
So it's not just built in thatworkout, it's built in that
repair process.
So focusing on getting greatquality sleep.
Getting that nutrient-densefoods, the animal-based or
plant-based protein, fiber,fruits and vegetables are all
(25:25):
going to help aid in muscleretention and building more
muscle.
That was a lot.
I threw a lot at you today, butI really, really want you to
take this away.
You are not fragile, you are notdelicate.
We are so strong and no matterwhere you are in the decades of
(25:46):
life, you have the ability tocontinue to build and maintain
strength.
So.
Lifting heavy reminds us thatevery time we step under a
barbell, pick up a kettlebell orcarry our kids without strain,
that we are epically strong.
It's not just about looking fit,it's about staying independent,
(26:07):
powerful, and really resilientfor life.
If you are new to strengthtraining.
Think about starting two to twoto three full body strength
sessions per week.
Focus on those fundamentals,progressively increase that
weight.
Really keep an open mind in thatfirst week when you are starting
out.
Play around with the weights.
(26:28):
It's okay if you don't finish aset.
It's a hundred percent okay.
I actually like it when myclients say, oh, I picked up too
heavy of a weight.
Amazing.
I love that you didn't finishthat set because you stepped
outside of that comfort zone.
You challenged yourself, whichis huge.
Progressively increase theweight.
You want to be able to increasethat weight in two to five pound
(26:52):
increment.
Every three to four weeks.
Again, don't be afraid to liftheavier than you think you can.
That is how we grow, is doingthings, stepping outside that
box so there's no guilt orshame.
If you pick up a weight that istoo heavy and you need to adjust
for the next set, absolutelynot.
(27:13):
That is actually a victory.
If you're like, this all soundsamazing, but I am totally
overwhelmed.
I have no idea how to evenstart.
I kind of get it.
You gave me some good actiontips, but I just, I'm
overwhelmed and I really wannastrength train.
Okay, cool.
This is what I do.
This is what my clients.
(27:33):
They get strength training thatmeets them exactly where they're
at while reducing the aches andpains.
My clients are in the thick ofdemanding careers raising
children, yet they can stillfind ways to get their workouts
in because it's designed fortheir lives.
(27:55):
It is designed to be effectiveand efficient so that it fits
seamlessly into their lives.
And it is always incredible.
I know they love it.
I see the messages that theysee.
Those once limiting aches andpains fade away and they're
doing the things that they lovedin their twenties or things they
(28:18):
never thought was possible, likerunning races, skiing, lifting
their kids with ease, and justhaving more energy for life.
Hop on a consultation call.
I would love to connect with youand see if we'd be a great fit
so if you love this episode,make sure you subscribe, share
it with a friend who needs tohear this.
And if you're lifting heavy thisweek, Tag me on Instagram at
(28:39):
KatFit strength.
I'd love to cheer you on.
Until next time, keep lifting,keep moving, keep showing up for
yourself.
Thank you for tuning in toMilesFromHerView, powered by
KatFit Strength.
If this podcast inspires you,don't keep it for yourself.
Hit follow or subscribe to stayupdated on the new episodes, and
leave us a review to help morewomen and moms discover this
(29:02):
space.
Your feedback fuels this podcastand I'd love to hear what's
working for you or what topicsyou want to dive into Next.
You can connect with me onInstagram at KatFit or share
this episode.
With a friend who is ready toembrace her strength.
Remember, fitness isn't aboutperfection.
It's about showing up foryourself and finding strength in
(29:24):
every step of your journey.
Until next time, keep movingforward one mile at a time.
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