Resilience Online: Women’s Strength Program

This online programming is designed specifically for female athletes who want to build strength, confidence, and resilience as they move into midlife and beyond. It is built for women who are already consistent with recreational activity and cardiovascular fitness, and who want a structured strength program to support long-term health, performance, and durability. We will use the TrainHeroic App to guide you on progression with dosage through video and text for progressive loading. This is for women with a gym membership or a home gym with progressive weights looking for guidance with exercise progression.

Programming will include:

Strength
Mobility
Bone loading
Speed and power training
Core control
Recovery and nervous system quieting

As we age, it becomes even more important to move well, move through our full range of motion, and move at a variety of speeds. We also need to place enough safe strain on our muscles, bones, tendons, and connective tissue to keep our system adapting, remodeling, and building resilience. We are doing the heavy lifting of organizing and checking all these boxes for you. You just need to show up and do the work!

Program Structure

This program includes:

2 lower body strength days
1 upper body strength day
1 mobility, core, and autonomic nervous system quieting day

This program is meant to be comprehensive from a strength and movement perspective, assuming that cardiovascular training is being completed independently. You can skip a lower body day if desired, but we strongly encourage showing up for upper body day since this is often under trained for women.

Multiple Levels

Compound barbell lifts can feel intimidating, especially if you have not done them before. This program includes videos that explain setup, equipment, mechanics, and movement options.

Each major movement will include Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 options so you can choose the best starting point for your body, experience, and equipment.

Level 1

Start here if you are new to strength training.

Do not feel pressure to advance quickly. Tissue takes time to adapt to strain safely. Give your body time to develop consistency and confidence. Think months, not weeks.

Level 2

Start here if you have been strength training consistently for 2–3 years, but have not been lifting with barbells.

This level will help you learn the movements, build tolerance, and give your tissue time to accommodate during the first 6-week block. This is also the level to build on if you are at home and don’t have access to barbells.

Level 3

Start here if you have been consistently lifting with barbells and feel confident with compound lifts.

You can jump right into the Level 3 options and progress from there. A gym membership works best for this level.

All other exercises can be done with bands or weights. If we have an exercise dosed on a machine at the gym, we will give you a home alternative too.

Take Your Time

The goal is to do this forever.

If you go too hard too fast, your tissue is more likely to shift from adapting to positive stress into experiencing strain, irritation, or injury. Take your time. Build your confidence. Most importantly, do not stop showing up for yourself. :)

A Note About Pain

This program is meant to provide a framework for progressive overload. It is not designed to treat pain or replace physical therapy.

If you are experiencing pain, we strongly recommend reaching out to a local Physical Therapist you trust, ideally someone with a background in strength training women. They can help you with specific modifications, watch your form, and guide dosage based on your body and your tissue tolerance.

We are so happy you are here.

Let’s stay strong together.

— Jamie and Evie

FAQ

Can this be done at home?

Yes. You can complete this program at home, but you will need a way to progressively load the exercises. Resistance bands and dumbbells will be helpful and necessary.

Do I need a gym membership?

No. A gym membership is not required.

However, as you get stronger, a gym may become helpful or appropriate. You may eventually reach a point where your home equipment is not heavy enough to continue challenging your tissue and supporting adaptation.

Do the exercises change during the 6 weeks?

Yes. Exercises will change in dosage and form from week to week.

Some exercises will stay the same, especially the compound lifts, so you can build skill, improve form, and increase tolerance over time. The goal is to progress weight, reps, or time under tension as your body adapts.

Prep work, plyometrics, power training, and accessory exercises may vary week to week with different movements, dosage, or emphasis.

How Hard Should This Feel?

We will use Rate of Perceived Exertion, or RPE, to guide how you increase weight, reps, time, or intensity.

Think of an effort scale from 1-10 or 1-100%. We will guide you on the target RPE for each exericse.