Why I Stopped Chasing Heavy Lifts (And What I Do Instead)
Strength training should enhance your life not take over it.
Lifting heavy is having a major moment right now. And honestly? There's a lot of good that can come from building strength. But after nearly two decades of helping people get stronger, I've learned something that the fitness world doesn't always talk about:
"Lift as heavy as possible, every rep, every move, every month" doesn't work for everyone.
And for a long time, it wasn't working for me either.
When "More" Becomes Too Much
I love tennis. I love yoga. I love feeling good in my body and showing up fully for the activities that bring me joy. But when I started chasing max loads in my training, something shifted — and not in a good way.
I felt stiff. I was consistently sore. My tennis game suffered. My yoga practice felt forced. And in my conversations with clients lately, I keep hearing the same story: injuries, exhaustion, and a heavy, depleted feeling after pushing to the absolute limit week after week.
Sound familiar?
Here's the truth I keep coming back to: strength training should support your lifestyle, not compete with it.
A Different Way to Think About Lifting
I'm someone who is equally drawn to the science of training and the lived experience of how it actually feels in your body day to day. And what both of those things tell me is this there is no one-size-fits-all approach to strength. That's not a weakness in your program. That's actually a gift.
My goal with lifting has always been simple: to support the life I love, not make the things I love harder.
How I Structure Training (And How You Can Start Today)
Here's the framework I use personally and with my clients:
- Use 4–6 week blocks of the same workout sequence so your body can adapt and progress
- Start with a challenging weight — heavy, but not the absolute maximum you can lift
- Build gradually over the first several weeks, then intentionally taper in the week before your period or when life is calling for a little more grace
- Stop chasing a record every single session. The goal is steady, sustainable progress while staying in tune with how you feel
To some, this might feel obvious. To others, it might feel like the permission slip you didn't know you needed permission to stop white-knuckling every workout and start actually listening to your body.
And listening to your body? That will always be queen 👑.
Anyone telling you to push through every signal your body sends is likely selling you something that takes you further away from your own intuition not closer to it.
Strength That Works With Your Season, Not Against It
If you're ready to lift in a way that respects your energy, your cycle, and your schedule, I created something just for you.
Seasonal Strength is a 12-week program designed around the season you're in built to help you develop real, lasting strength without the burnout.
Here's what one member had to say:
"I'm absolutely loving these workouts and the yoga practices were an added bonus! It's helping me be consistent , I love being able to track my progress!"
✨ The first week is completely free. The full 12-week program is just $147.
If strength training has ever left you feeling worse instead of better, this program was made with you in mind.
