Story time! I'm sharing a personal story from my early triathlon days that still shapes how I coaches lifters today. What started as a scary open-water swim became a powerful lesson about progress, patience, and why perfection is not required to move forward.

In this episode, you'll reframe how you think about missed workouts, imperfect weeks, and all-or-nothing thinking in fitness. If you've ever felt like skipping one session meant you blew it, this episode offers a grounding reminder: that forward progress counts, even when it doesn't look pretty.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why stopping completely doesn't get you any closer to your goals – but imperfect effort does

• How all-or-nothing thinking quietly sabotages long-term strength training consistency

• What "just keep swimming" really looks like inside a lifting program

• Why flexibility is a skill – not a lack of discipline

• How minimum effective effort can keep momentum alive during hard seasons

• What strength training consistency actually looks like for women over 40

Enjoyed this episode and want more?

If this episode resonates and you're ready to stop guessing in the gym, you can try a free sample of Strong with Steph, my progressive strength training program built specifically for women over 40 who want structure and flexibility.

Try 7 days free at https://stephgaudreau.com/workout

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend who's lifting (or thinking about starting), and make sure you're subscribed to Fuel Your Strength so you don't miss future episodes like this one.

If I could go back and talk to beginner-me in 2010, there are a handful of strength training lessons I would absolutely whisper in her ear. Not because I did everything wrong, but because so much frustration, second-guessing, and spinning my wheels could've been avoided with a little context and coaching.

In this episode, I'm reflecting on more than 15 years of consistent lifting, coaching, and learning the hard way. Whether you're brand new to strength training, a few years in, or coming back after a break, these lessons will help you train smarter, progress more confidently, and stop getting stuck in common traps that hold so many women back, especially after 40.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why chasing "perfect form" can quietly stall your strength progress

• How staying in your comfort zone with weights limits adaptation over time

• What the research actually says about rep ranges for muscle growth

• Why recovery becomes a non-negotiable as we get older

• A surprisingly simple way to gauge whether your sets are hard enough

Enjoyed this episode and want more?

If this episode resonates and you're ready to stop guessing in the gym, you can try a free sample of Strong with Steph, my progressive strength training program built specifically for women over 40 who want structure and flexibility.

Try 7 days free at https://stephgaudreau.com/workout

Doors are currently open for enrollment at the time of this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend who's lifting (or thinking about starting), and make sure you're subscribed to Fuel Your Strength so you don't miss future conversations like this one.

Is it really never too late to start strength training – even if you're in your 80s and you've never touched a barbell? You'll hear from journalist Clare Johnston of the "Rebuilding Mum and Dad" project, about what happens when older adults begin true progressive strength training from scratch – and why the results can feel straight-up miraculous (without being magic).

Clare shares how her parents started lifting in their 80s after years of mobility decline, osteoporosis concerns, and "we've tried everything" frustration. Together, they built a simple garage setup, worked with a coach remotely, and documented the entire journey. If you've ever wondered whether muscle, bone density, balance, and independence can improve later in life, this conversation is for you.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• What actually happens when someone starts strength training for the first time in their 80s

• Why muscle keeps showing up in every serious conversation about aging well

• What surprised Clare the most once her parents started lifting regularly

• How slow progression and coaching changed what seemed "impossible" at first

• What this journey reveals about fear, confidence, and who strength training is really for

Enjoyed this episode and want more?

If you want a lifting program that tells you exactly what to do, try 7 days of Strong with Steph here >> https://stephgaudreau.com/workout

Share this episode with a friend looking to improve their strength training knowledge.

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