Set Muscle

Six months ago I finally ditched the endless cardio and tiny pink dumbbells and started training strength properly. Quick morning progress post because I'm genuinely buzzing about where I'm at. The biggest change isn't even physical - it's that I feel capable in a way I never did before.

Love this so much. The capability thing is real and it's the part nobody warns you about. You come for the body and you stay for feeling like you could carry the whole shopping in one trip and deadlift the car if needed.

Congratulations! Six months of consistent strength work is where it really starts clicking. What did your training actually look like - full body, a split?

Full body three times a week to start, now an upper/lower four days. Compounds first every session - squat, hinge, press, row - then a bit of accessory work. Nothing fancy, just consistent and progressive.

This is the exact path I wish more women knew about. The fear of 'getting bulky' kept me on cardio for years and it was such a waste. Strength training gave me shape, not size.

The bulky myth cost me years too. The reality is I'm leaner and more toned than any amount of cardio ever made me, and I eat more now.

That last point is huge - eating more and looking better. Fuelling the training instead of starving alongside it changes everything, both performance and how you actually feel day to day.

What's been your favourite lift to progress on? There's something special about watching one number climb over months.

Deadlift, easily. I started barely pulling the bar with plates and this week I hit bodyweight for reps. Watching that number climb has done more for my confidence than anything else.

Bodyweight deadlift for reps in six months is brilliant progress. That's a milestone to be properly proud of.