The Empowerment of Being a Strong Woman

For decades, women have been told to eat less, weigh less, and take up less space.

If you grew up in the 1970s, 80s, or 90s, you probably remember the messages. Fat was the enemy. Thin was beautiful. Exercise was about burning calories, and the bathroom scale was the ultimate judge of whether your efforts were paying off.

We tried low-fat diets, counted calories, attended aerobics classes, and spent hours on treadmills. Many of us became quite good at ignoring our hunger, too.

Strength training, meanwhile, was often treated as something men did. Women were encouraged to stick to cardio and light weights to avoid getting bulky.

Unfortunately, that advice has been proven to work against our long-term health. Severely restricting calories, particularly without enough protein or strength training, causes us to lose valuable muscle along with body fat.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to lose excess body fat or feel better about how you look. But pursuing a healthy body composition is different from spending your life trying to make the number on the scale smaller, especially when that number tells you so little about how healthy you actually are.

What if, instead of spending so much of our lives trying to make our bodies smaller, we'd focused on making them stronger?

Muscle Becomes More Important as We Age

By now, you've inevitably heard that building muscle becomes increasingly important as we age. So what are you doing about it?

Muscle helps regulate blood sugar, supports our joints, and makes everyday activities easier. As we age, maintaining muscle and strength becomes more challenging,

particularly during and after menopause, when hormonal changes also affect bone health. Strength training helps preserve both muscle and bone density.

The good news is that women can build strength at any age, including well into their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond.

That requires strength training that progressively challenges our muscles. Whether we're using barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, or bodyweight exercises, the goal is to provide enough resistance for our muscles to adapt and become stronger.

I have to admit, I feel a little offended when I hear a woman say she doesn't want to "look muscular or bulky." I understand where that thinking comes from because I grew up with those same messages. But as a woman in my fifties who started CrossFit at 39, I have an entirely different perspective now.

I love getting compliments on my arms when I'm wearing a sleeveless top. And it's certainly not because they're skinny! I have broad shoulders and visible muscle definition. My legs are the result of squatting to full depth and with weights. And my stomach? Well…let's not go there. The six-pack continues to elude me.

I've invested a lot of effort in lifting heavy, eating well, and prioritizing my health and fitness. Sure, there have been setbacks along the way, but overall, I've been good to my body, and I hope it shows.

And for anyone worried that lifting weights will make them bulky, substantial muscle growth doesn't happen overnight or by accident.

We don't need to be afraid of lifting heavier weights. We need to learn how to lift them properly.

You Can't Build Strength Without Fueling Your Body

For women who have spent decades dieting, eating more food can feel surprisingly uncomfortable. We've been conditioned to think that less is better.

Strength training gives our muscles a reason to grow, but without adequate nutrition, our bodies don't have everything they need to recover and adapt.

Protein is especially important because it supplies the amino acids required for muscle repair and growth. We also need carbohydrates to fuel training, healthy fats, and sufficient overall calories to support recovery.

Continually pushing through intense workouts while underfueling can compromise recovery, reduce performance, and, in more severe cases, contribute to hormonal problems and declining bone health.

You cannot expect your body to perform at its best while continually depriving it of what it needs.

That doesn't mean body fat loss is off the table. It's possible to lose body fat while preserving muscle and getting stronger, particularly for women who are new to strength training. The key is combining strength training with adequate protein and appropriate calorie intake, rather than pursuing aggressive weight loss at the expense of muscle.

Food isn't a reward for exercising, and exercise shouldn't be a punishment for eating. It's time to start thinking of food as fuel for the strong, healthy body we want to have.

Strength Builds Confidence, Even When You Don't Feel Confident

Walking into a gym can be intimidating, especially if you've never lifted weights. You might look at a barbell and think, "There's no way I can lift that." And perhaps today, you can't. But with practice and proper coaching, you gradually get stronger. Eventually, you're lifting a weight you never imagined you could.

I had a moment of pride when my brother-in-law called to ask me to help him move a sofa. Not because I have a desperate need to move furniture, but because someone recognized me as a person who was physically capable of helping with the heavy lifting.

For a woman who grew up in a culture that placed so much emphasis on being thin, there's something wonderfully satisfying about being recognized for being strong.

You don't have to feel confident to start building strength. Sometimes strength comes first, and confidence follows.

I Want to Drag My Own Suitcase Across Europe

I want to be able to travel across Europe, drag my own suitcase up a flight of stairs, and spend days hiking without worrying whether my body can keep up. As I get older, maintaining that kind of independence matters more to me.

Of course, independence isn't just about traveling. It's carrying our own groceries, moving a mattress between bedrooms, playing an impromptu tennis match, getting up off the floor without assistance, and keeping up with our children or grandchildren. It's being able to continue doing the things we enjoy without physical limitations getting in the way.

The strength you're building today can make a difference in your quality of life 30+ years from now.

How Strong Can You Be?

After spending so many years being told what our bodies should look like, perhaps it's time to put more emphasis on what we want them to do.

Being a strong woman isn't about achieving a particular appearance or lifting a certain amount of weight. It's about taking proper care of your body, challenging yourself, and appreciating what you can accomplish.

At CrossFit Downtown Atlanta, we work with women of all ages and fitness levels. Whether you're new to lifting weights or returning to exercise after years away, our coaches will help you get started, learn proper technique, and build strength.

You might be surprised by how much stronger you can become. We'd love to help you find out.

Try a Free Class at CrossFit Downtown Atlanta and discover what you're capable of.