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Women and IRON

Updated: Oct 7, 2021


A revolution in body image and self confidence for the ladies.


Iron-Noun. Something hard, strong, rigid, unyielding.

Who really would have thought that introducing women to a bar and some plates could change the lives of so many?  In a sport once dominated by men, the number of women that are gaining so much more than muscle from weight training is growing exponentially.

Iron changed my life.  If you would have told me ten years ago that I would be a lucky enough to help women change their lives and optimize their health through heavy lifting and real food, I would have told you that you are crazy.  But here I am, with the BEST job in the world that I am ridiculously passionate about.  I get to help women CHANGE THEIR LIVES with something so simple, yet so profound.


What can IRON do for you?

If you have been considering trying out some form of weight lifting, you REALLY need to give it a try.  I don’t care what size you are, what shape you are in, or what other reason you have to back away or excuse yourself from getting out of your comfort zone.  This can absolutely change your life and for the better, but you have to be willing to give something else, something different, a try.


Here are just a few of the MANY benefits of the IRON:

  • You will learn to do EVERYDAY movements safely and efficiently therefore decreasing your chance of injury in your day to day life.

    •  It is very seldom that someone comes to me knowing how to properly and safely squat down or pick something up off of the floor.  Learning the basics of these movements (and more) and eventually adding weight to them will make everyday life easier for you.  Hello!– I know you have squatted over a public toilet, lazily picked up a huge ass basket of laundry from the floor by simply rounding your back and heaving the basket up, or attempted to toss your luggage in the overhead bin on a plane only to have a guy take pity on you and get up from his seat to help.  Learn to do the movements correctly and safely and you’ll be amazed how many everyday things become SO much easier.

    • You’ll  likely notice you clothes start to get a little looser, or maybe you’ll see a little curve in your arms,  dimples of muscle in your back, or maybe your butt appears to have had a facelift!

    • Muscles are BEAUTIFUL.  What!?!?!  Did…I… just…type?!?  How many of us could stand to lose a little extra fluff?  Lifting weights will NOT make you big/bulky/insert other negative body image terminology here!  For most women when they first try weight lifting, the thought of having muscle scares the bejeezus out of them.  If you try weight lifting and stick with it, your body WILL change for the better (granted your diet doesn’t suck.  If it does, we’ll address that too.).  Muscle requires more energy to sustain than body fat.  What does this mean?  It means you will burn more calories at rest (i.e. watching The Bachelor) with the additional muscle you build.  Now don’t get me wrong, building muscle does not come easy for most women.  Actually, it’s quite hard to build.  You have to focus and really work when you train, but the benefits are worth it.  With building additional muscle, most women realize a recomposition of their bodies BEFORE they see a change on the scale.  Clothes begin to fit differently and you will likely notice a slightly different shape in the mirror.  Embrace it…here you go…falling in love with the iron like so many other ladies are doing!


  • You will reach a whole new level of awesome.

    • EVERY female has dealt with self confidence issues at some point or another in their lives.  Learning to pick up heavy shit and move a lot of weight is one of the most liberating feelings.  It’s hard. It’s tiring.  You might get nervous.  You might shake.  You might want to quit.  BUT…learning to push yourself at appropriate times (always under the guidance of a trainer or coach that knows their stuff and that you trust) and being victorious against that weight that just doesn’t want to budge is THE MOST AWESOME FEELING. EVER.


  • Being able to train and work hard at something that you didn’t think you could do and CRUSHING IT transfers over into just about every aspect of life.  It enhances your mood, can help you manage and relieve stress, build and strengthen relationships with others, motivates you to eat well and recover, and most of all- BUILDS confidence!  Next time you get on that plane, you’ll be able to press that heavy luggage into the overhead bin with ease while men stare with open jaw in disbelief.  You know what that will be like?  It’ll be awesome.

Iron-Noun. “Something hard, strong, rigid, unyielding.”

Yes, weightlifting is hard.  But it will make you physically and mentally strong.  The iron will push you to set rigid goals for yourself and you will find that though the iron is unable to bend and is unyielding, you can still defeat it.


If you are interested in getting started in weightlifting, there are many options for you!  Most gyms that offer weightlifting classes will let you come in and try a workout for free to see if you like it before you make a commitment.  If you are located in or around Louisville, Ky I’d love to meet you! Shoot me an email and we’ll set up a time to meet.


Has weightlifting changed your life?  I would LOVE to hear from you!  If you lift whether it be power lifting, olympic lifting, CrossFit, recreational lifting, or something else, I’d LOVE to hear how it has benefited you and changed your life.


Thanks so much to the beautiful and strong Autumn Cleveland of On-The-Grind Training and photo courtesy of Antonio Pantoja.

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