Gym Routine for Weight Loss & Toning (Women)

Aug 22

Let’s bust the biggest myth in women’s fitness right now: lifting weights will not make you bulky. In fact, it’s the single most important thing you can do to achieve a lean, sculpted physique. Strength training builds muscle, and more muscle means a higher metabolism—helping you burn more fat around the clock. Forget the old advice that tells you to stick to light weights and high reps. We’re here to show you how to build a powerful and effective gym routine for weight loss and toning female bodies by embracing strength, so you can feel strong and see lasting results.

Key Takeaways

Strength and Cardio Are a Power Couple: For a strong, toned physique, you need both. Strength training is what builds the lean muscle that creates shape, while cardio is your most effective tool for burning fat to reveal that hard work.
A Smart Plan Beats Random Workouts: Lasting results come from a consistent, balanced weekly schedule—not from occasional, intense sessions. Plan your strength, cardio, and non-negotiable rest days to build a routine you can actually stick with.
Work Smarter with Proper Form and Fuel: Get more from every workout by prioritizing correct form to target the right muscles and prevent injury. Pair your training with smart nutrition to properly fuel your performance and help your body recover and grow stronger.

Why You Need Both Strength and Cardio

When it comes to getting that strong, toned look, you don’t have to pick a side: Team Strength or Team Cardio. The real magic happens when you bring them together. Think of them as a power couple—great on their own, but unstoppable as a team. This combination is the core of what we do at Armourbody because it’s the most effective way to build lean muscle and burn fat. Let’s break down why you need both.

How They Work Together for Weight Loss and Toning

A toned physique comes from two key actions: building muscle and reducing body fat to let that muscle show. Strength training is your tool for building muscle, which creates the shape and definition you want. An amazing bonus? More muscle means your body burns more calories, even when you’re resting. Cardio is your engine for burning calories and improving your cardiovascular health, helping you shed body fat. When you combine them, you get the best of both worlds—losing more fat while preserving the muscle you’ve worked so hard to build.

Set Realistic Fitness Goals

While we all want instant results, a sustainable approach is what truly works. A healthy and realistic goal is to aim for one to two pounds of weight loss per week. This pace is manageable and makes it more likely you’ll maintain your results long-term. Consistency is your best friend here; sticking with your plan is what creates lasting change. You’ll likely start to see and feel differences within the first few weeks. Remember to set goals that are specific and achievable, focusing on progress over perfection.

What's Your Body Type?

Let’s clear up two common myths. First, you can’t spot-reduce fat. Doing endless crunches won’t melt belly fat; fat loss happens all over when you’re in a calorie deficit. Second, many women worry that lifting weights will make them "bulky." The truth is, it’s incredibly difficult for women to build bulky muscles by accident. That look requires a very specific, high-calorie diet and intense training. For most of us, strength training builds lean, strong muscles that create a toned, athletic look. So, don't be afraid to lift heavy—it’s one of the best things you can do for your body.

Your Go-To Strength Exercises

When your goal is to build muscle and burn fat, not all exercises are created equal. The most effective strength routines are built around compound movements—exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. Think squats, deadlifts, push-ups, and rows. These powerhouse moves give you the most bang for your buck, helping you build functional strength and fire up your metabolism in less time. Instead of spending an hour on isolated movements like bicep curls or calf raises, you can get a full-body workout that builds practical, real-world strength. This approach is not only more efficient, but it also triggers a greater hormonal response that aids in muscle growth and fat loss.

At Armourbody, our strength circuits are designed around these core principles. By focusing on exercises that recruit several muscles at once, you not only build a balanced, toned physique but also burn more calories during and after your workout. Forget spending hours isolating tiny muscles. Let’s focus on the foundational movements that will give you the strong, lean results you’re looking for.

Build Your Upper Body

A strong upper body is essential for everything from carrying groceries to maintaining good posture. To build toned arms, shoulders, and back, focus on movements like push-ups, bench presses, and rows. These exercises target major muscle groups, creating definition without adding bulk. For example, a proper row strengthens your entire back and biceps, while push-ups work your chest, shoulders, and triceps all at once. The key is to challenge yourself with proper form. If you can’t do a full push-up yet, start on your knees. The goal is to build strength over time, not to be perfect on day one.

Power Up Your Lower Body

Your legs and glutes are home to some of the largest muscles in your body, which means working them effectively is a game-changer for your metabolism. Foundational exercises like squats, deadlifts, and lunges are non-negotiable for building lower-body strength. Squats target your quads and glutes, deadlifts work your entire posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings), and lunges improve balance and single-leg strength. Mastering these movements will not only help you build a strong, powerful lower body but will also support your performance in every other physical activity you do.

Fire Up Your Core

A strong core is so much more than a six-pack; it’s the foundation of your stability and power. While exercises like planks and crunches are great for directly targeting your abdominal muscles, you’re also working your core during big compound lifts. When you hold a heavy weight for a squat or maintain a flat back during a deadlift, your core is working hard to keep you stable and safe. A strong core protects your spine and helps you transfer power more effectively through your body. So, while you can add in specific core work, remember that you’re also building core strength with every major lift you perform.

How to Keep Getting Stronger

To see continuous results and avoid hitting a plateau, your muscles need to be consistently challenged. This principle is called progressive overload. It sounds technical, but it’s simple: you have to gradually make your workouts harder over time. This doesn’t always mean lifting heavier weights, though that’s one great way to do it. You can also add another rep to each set, perform an additional set, or reduce your rest time between sets. The idea is to constantly give your body a new reason to adapt and grow stronger. This is how you’ll continue to build muscle and see changes long-term.

Add Cardio the Smart Way

Cardio is a key player in any weight loss plan, but running endlessly on a treadmill isn't the only way—or even the best way—to get results. The secret is to be strategic about how you incorporate cardio into your routine to maximize fat burn without sacrificing the muscle you’re working so hard to build. When you approach cardio with a plan, you can get more out of every minute you spend sweating. It’s about working smarter, not just harder, to achieve the toned, strong physique you want. Let’s break down the best ways to add cardio to your strength routine.

HIIT vs. Steady-State: Which Is for You?

You’ve probably heard these terms, but what’s the real difference? High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) involves short bursts of all-out effort followed by brief recovery periods. Think sprints instead of a jog. This method is incredibly efficient at burning calories and triggers an "afterburn effect," meaning your metabolism stays elevated for hours after your workout.

Steady-state cardio is more traditional—like going for a 30-minute run or bike ride at a consistent, manageable pace. It’s excellent for building endurance and is a great lower-impact option for beginners or for active recovery days. The best approach? Use both. HIIT is perfect for days when you’re short on time and full of energy, while steady-state is ideal for longer, less intense sessions.

Pair Strength and Cardio for the Best Results

Think of strength and cardio as the ultimate fitness power couple. While cardio is fantastic for burning calories during your session, strength training is what truly reshapes your body. Building lean muscle increases your resting metabolic rate, so you burn more calories around the clock—even when you’re not at the gym.

Combining the two is the most effective strategy for losing fat while preserving the muscle you’re building. This is how you achieve that strong, "toned" look. Instead of keeping them separate, integrate them. You can do a short cardio session after lifting or dedicate specific days to each, but make sure both have a place in your weekly plan for the best results.

Find Your Cardio Sweet Spot

So, how much cardio do you actually need? A great target to aim for is at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week. You can break this down however it fits your schedule—30 minutes five days a week is a popular and manageable approach.

To keep your body challenged and avoid hitting a plateau, mix up your intensity. Try incorporating two HIIT sessions on your strength days and two or three longer, steady-state sessions on other days. Ultimately, the perfect amount of cardio is what you can do consistently. Listen to your body, find activities you enjoy, and create a sustainable routine that works for you.

Build Your Weekly Workout Plan

Consistency is the secret sauce to reaching your fitness goals. But consistency doesn't mean you have to spend hours in the gym every single day. It’s about creating a smart, sustainable schedule that works for you. A great plan balances intense work with intentional rest, giving your body exactly what it needs to get stronger, leaner, and more toned. Having a plan takes the guesswork out of your workouts and ensures every session has a purpose. Instead of wandering from machine to machine, you’ll walk in with a clear goal, which is the fastest way to see real change.

A structured routine ensures you’re hitting all your major muscle groups throughout the week and getting the right blend of strength and cardio. This combination is critical for toning and weight loss. Strength training builds lean muscle, which increases your metabolism and helps you burn more calories even when you’re not working out. Cardio torches calories and strengthens your heart. When you put them together in a weekly plan, you create a powerful formula for transforming your body. Whether you can commit to three days a week or are ready for four, here’s how you can structure your routine for amazing results.

A 3-Day Plan to Get You Started

If you're just getting into a routine or have a packed schedule, a three-day-a-week plan is a fantastic place to start. This schedule gives you enough time to challenge your muscles and get your heart rate up, with plenty of recovery time built in. For the best results in weight loss and toning, you’ll want to mix strength training and cardio. Aim for two to three strength sessions a week, focusing on compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once—think squats, lunges, deadlifts, and rows. These movements are efficient because they build metabolism-revving muscle all over your body. A great group fitness class will often combine these elements for you, taking the guesswork out of your workout.

A 4-Day Plan to Level Up

Ready to take things up a notch? A four-day split allows you to dedicate more time to specific goals. You can focus on different muscle groups or types of training each day, which helps prevent burnout and keeps your workouts interesting. A balanced four-day plan might look something like this:

Day 1: Upper body strength
Day 2: Lower body strength
Day 3: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) or cardio
Day 4: Full-body strength

This structure ensures you’re hitting all your major muscle groups while also getting in that crucial cardio work. Armourbody’s 50-minute classes are designed around this principle, combining strength circuits and cardio intervals to give you a killer full-body workout every time.

Why Rest Days Are Non-Negotiable

It might feel counterintuitive, but rest is just as important as your workouts. Your muscles don't get stronger during your training session; they get stronger when they repair themselves afterward. Skipping rest days can lead to overtraining, injury, and burnout. Plan for at least one to two rest days each week. This doesn't mean you have to be completely sedentary. You can opt for active recovery, like a gentle walk, stretching, or light yoga. And don't forget about sleep! Aiming for seven to nine hours a night gives your body the time it needs to recover and come back stronger for your next workout.

Make Your Plan Fit Your Life

The best workout plan is the one you can actually stick with. Your routine should fit your schedule, your energy levels, and—most importantly—your personal preferences. If you dread your workouts, you won't do them for long. Find activities you genuinely enjoy. And remember to celebrate progress that has nothing to do with the number on the scale. Feeling stronger, having more energy, or noticing your clothes fit differently are all huge wins. These are the signs that you’re building sustainable habits and a healthier, more powerful body. Find a gym community that supports you, and you'll find it's much easier to stay on track.

Master Your Form

Working out is one thing, but working out correctly is what gets you results. Proper form is your best friend at the gym—it ensures you’re targeting the right muscles, getting the most out of every single rep, and keeping yourself safe from injury. Think of it as the foundation of your entire fitness plan. When your form is solid, you build strength more efficiently and see the toned results you’re working toward. It’s not about lifting the heaviest weight in the room; it’s about moving with intention and control.

Nail These Key Movements

To get that strong, toned look, you need to do two things: build muscle and reduce body fat. The most effective way to do that is through strength training that targets your major muscle groups. Instead of getting lost in dozens of complicated exercises, focus on mastering a few key compound movements. Exercises like squats, deadlifts, push-ups, and rows work multiple muscles at once, giving you the biggest bang for your buck. When you execute these movements with great form, you’re building a strong, functional body from head to toe.

Common Form Mistakes to Avoid

It’s easy to let a few bad habits sneak into your routine, especially when you’re just starting out or pushing yourself hard. One of the most common mistakes is letting your ego take over and lifting too much weight too soon. This almost always leads to sloppy form and potential injury. Another pitfall is rushing through your reps without controlling the movement. Remember, the muscle-building magic happens on both the lift and the release. Also, never skip your warm-up. Your muscles need to be prepped and ready for action. In our Armourbody classes, our coaches are always there to help you correct these little things in real-time.

Choose the Right Equipment

Picking the right weights can feel like a guessing game, but it doesn’t have to be. The goal is to find a weight that feels challenging by the last two or three reps of a set, but not so heavy that you have to sacrifice your form to finish. If you can breeze through all your reps, it’s time to go a little heavier. This concept is called progressive overload, and it’s the key to getting stronger. As your muscles adapt, you need to keep challenging them by gradually increasing the weight, reps, or sets.

Stay Safe at the Gym

Your body is smart—you just have to listen to it. There’s a big difference between the burn of a good workout and the sharp pain of an injury. Never push through pain. It’s your body’s way of telling you to stop. Rest and recovery are just as important as the workout itself. Be patient with yourself and stay consistent. Real, lasting results don’t happen overnight. Prioritizing safety means you can keep showing up for your workouts week after week, which is how you’ll ultimately reach your goals.

Fuel Your Body for Better Results

You can give it your all in every workout, but if you aren’t fueling your body correctly, you won’t see the results you’re working so hard for. Think of food as the fuel that powers your performance in the gym and helps your muscles repair and grow stronger afterward. What you eat is just as important as how you train. Getting your nutrition right doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s about making smart, consistent choices that support your fitness goals, whether that’s losing fat, building muscle, or just feeling more energetic throughout your day. Let’s break down the simple, effective ways to eat for better results.

Get Your Macros Right

You’ve probably heard the term "macros," which is short for macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Getting a good balance of these is key to transforming your body. Protein is essential for repairing the muscle fibers you break down during strength training. Carbs are your body’s main energy source, powering you through those tough cardio intervals. Healthy fats support hormone function and overall health. While a calorie deficit is necessary for weight loss, the quality of those calories matters. Focus on filling your plate with nutrient-dense foods that keep you full and energized, rather than just counting calories from processed snacks.

What to Eat Before and After Your Workout

Timing your meals around your workout can make a huge difference in your performance and recovery. About 30 to 60 minutes before you head to the gym, have a snack that’s rich in easily digestible carbohydrates with a little bit of protein. This gives you the quick energy you need to push hard. Think of a banana with a spoonful of peanut butter or a small bowl of oatmeal. After your workout, your priority is to refuel. Within an hour or so, have a meal that combines protein and carbs to help repair your muscles and replenish your energy stores. A protein shake, grilled chicken with sweet potatoes, or scrambled eggs are all great options.

Plan Your Meals for Success

Let’s be real: when you’re hungry and unprepared, it’s easy to reach for whatever is quickest, and that’s not always the healthiest choice. Meal planning is your secret weapon. It takes the guesswork out of eating well and ensures you always have nutritious options on hand. Since your goal is to build lean muscle, make protein the star of your meals. It helps you feel full and supports muscle growth. Great sources include lean meats like chicken and turkey, fish like salmon, eggs, Greek yogurt, and plant-based options like lentils and tofu. Planning your meals for the week helps you stay consistent and makes achieving your fitness goals feel so much more manageable.

Don't Forget to Hydrate

Staying hydrated is one of the simplest yet most effective things you can do for your body. Water is crucial for just about everything, from regulating your body temperature during a sweaty Armourbody class to helping your muscles function properly. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, cramps, and a serious drop in performance. Aim to drink two to three liters of water throughout the day, not just when you feel thirsty. Carry a reusable water bottle with you everywhere as a constant reminder. If you find plain water boring, try infusing it with lemon, cucumber, or mint to add some flavor without adding sugar. Proper hydration will keep your energy levels up and your body working efficiently.

How to Track Your Progress

Seeing the results of your hard work is a huge motivator, but progress isn't always measured by the number on the scale. When you're building muscle and losing fat simultaneously, your body composition changes in ways that weight alone can't capture. Tracking your progress is about looking at the complete picture—how you feel, how you perform, and how your body is changing. This helps you stay focused and appreciate every step of your fitness journey. At Armourbody, we see these transformations happen every day, and they start with celebrating small, consistent wins. It’s about recognizing your strength, not just your weight.

Use Measurements and Photos

The scale can be misleading. As you get stronger, you build lean muscle, which is denser and takes up less space than fat. This means you could be losing inches and getting leaner even if your weight stays the same. Instead of weighing yourself daily, take progress photos and body measurements every four to six weeks. Snap a few pictures from the front, side, and back in the same outfit and lighting. Use a tape measure to track your waist, hips, and arms. These tools give you a much more accurate visual of your hard work and can show you changes you might not notice just by looking in the mirror.

Track Your Strength Gains

Feeling stronger is one of the best indicators of progress. Are you able to lift a heavier dumbbell, complete more reps, or hold a plank for longer than you could last month? Keep a simple log in a notebook or on your phone to track your performance. Note the exercises you did, the weight you used, and how many reps you completed. Watching these numbers go up over time is incredibly rewarding and proves your body is adapting and getting more powerful. This is the kind of progress we focus on in our strength-driven workouts, where every class is a chance to hit a new personal best.

Celebrate Wins Beyond the Scale

Your fitness journey is filled with victories that have nothing to do with your appearance. These are often called non-scale victories, and they’re just as important to celebrate. Maybe you have more energy to play with your kids, you’re sleeping more soundly, or your favorite jeans fit a little better. Perhaps you feel more confident walking into the gym or you finally nailed an exercise that used to feel impossible. Pay attention to these moments. Acknowledging these wins helps you build a positive relationship with fitness and appreciate all the ways that moving your body improves your quality of life.

Know When to Adjust Your Routine

Listening to your body is a skill, and it's crucial for long-term success. Some days you’ll feel energized and ready to crush a workout, while other days you might feel tired or sore. That’s completely normal. Pushing too hard on off days can lead to burnout or injury. It’s important to learn the difference between muscle soreness from a great workout and pain that signals something is wrong. Don’t be afraid to take an extra rest day or choose a lighter activity like walking or stretching when you need it. A sustainable routine includes both intense effort and intentional recovery.

Stay Motivated for the Long Haul

Starting a new fitness routine is exciting, but let’s be real: that initial burst of motivation doesn’t last forever. Life gets busy, you get tired, and some days, the couch just sounds better than the gym. The secret to getting the results you want isn’t about having perfect, high-energy workouts every single day. It’s about building habits that keep you going even when you’re not feeling it.

True, lasting change comes from showing up consistently, finding your people, and learning how to push through the inevitable slumps. It’s about creating a system that supports you on your good days and your not-so-good days. Think of motivation not as a spark you have to find, but as a fire you learn to build and tend. By focusing on a few key strategies, you can turn your fitness goals into a sustainable part of your life, ensuring your hard work pays off for years to come.

Build a Consistent Routine

Consistency is your superpower. Sticking with your routine over time is far more important than having a few perfect workouts. Don't get discouraged by an off day or a missed session; what matters is getting back to it. The best way to stay consistent is to remove as many barriers as possible. Treat your workouts like important appointments you can’t miss. Check out our schedule and block off those 50-minute classes in your calendar. Pack your gym bag the night before. If you work out in the morning, lay your clothes out so you can get dressed and go. Making fitness a non-negotiable part of your week is how you build momentum and create lasting habits.

Find Your Fitness Community

Going it alone is tough. Having a community to support you can be the difference between quitting and crushing your goals. When you’re surrounded by people working just as hard as you are, their energy becomes your energy. You’ll find yourself pushing a little harder and staying accountable because you know others are expecting to see you there. Whether it’s a workout buddy you meet in class or the collective vibe of a group setting, sharing the experience makes the journey more fun and sustainable. You’re not just showing up for a workout; you’re showing up for your people, and they’re showing up for you.

Break Through Fitness Plateaus

At some point, you might feel like your progress has stalled. This is called a plateau, and it’s a completely normal part of any fitness journey. Your body is smart and adapts to the demands you place on it. To keep seeing results, you need to keep it guessing. The key is to change up your exercises to keep your body challenged and avoid getting bored. This could mean grabbing a heavier set of dumbbells, focusing on your form to get deeper into a squat, or pushing your pace on the treadmill. The varied strength circuits and cardio intervals in our classes are designed to prevent this, ensuring you’re always challenging your muscles in new ways.

Celebrate Your Wins, Big and Small

The scale is only one measure of progress, and it doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s so important to celebrate all the other wins along the way. Are your clothes fitting better? Do you have more energy to get through your day? Are you lifting heavier weights than when you started? These are all huge signs of progress that deserve to be acknowledged. Recognizing these non-scale victories helps you appreciate the journey and stay motivated. Take a moment each week to reflect on what you’ve accomplished. You’re getting stronger and healthier with every class, and that’s absolutely worth celebrating.

Fitness Myths, Busted

The fitness world is full of confusing advice, and it can be tough to separate fact from fiction. So many of the "rules" we hear are outdated or just plain wrong, especially when it comes to women's fitness. Believing these myths can hold you back from getting the results you want and feeling your strongest. Let's clear up some of the biggest misconceptions so you can move forward with confidence and a plan that actually works. It’s time to stop guessing and start building a body you love, based on what’s real.

The Truth About Lifting Weights

Let’s get this one out of the way first: Lifting weights will not make you "bulky." This is probably the most persistent myth out there, and it keeps so many women from picking up a dumbbell. The reality is, women don't have the same hormonal profile (specifically, the high levels of testosterone) as men to build large, bulky muscles easily. Instead, strength training is the secret to creating that strong, sculpted, and "toned" look. By building lean muscle, you increase your metabolism, which helps your body burn more fat even when you’re not working out. So, don't be afraid to lift heavy; it’s the most effective way to reshape your body.

How Fat Loss Really Works

Have you ever done hundreds of crunches hoping to melt away belly fat? We’ve all been there. Unfortunately, you can't pick and choose where your body loses fat. This idea, called "spot reduction," is a total myth. Your body loses fat from all over when you’re in a consistent calorie deficit, meaning you burn more calories than you consume. Where you lose it first often comes down to genetics. The best strategy for fat loss is a combination of total-body strength training to build muscle and a solid nutrition plan. This approach helps you achieve fat loss in a sustainable way, revealing the strong muscles you're building underneath.

What Is Body Composition?

When most people say they want to look "toned," what they're really describing is a specific body composition. Being toned isn't about a certain type of workout; it's about having a healthy ratio of muscle to body fat. Essentially, you need two things: enough lean muscle to create shape and definition, and a low enough body fat percentage for those muscles to be visible. This is why focusing only on cardio for weight loss can be frustrating. You might lose weight, but without strength training, you won't build the muscle needed for that firm, sculpted appearance. Understanding your body composition is a much better way to track progress than just watching the number on the scale.

Create Habits That Actually Last

It’s easy to fall into an all-or-nothing mindset, where you feel like every workout has to be perfect. But progress isn't about perfection; it's about consistency. Sticking with your routine over the long haul is far more important than having one amazing workout followed by two weeks off. Life happens, and some days you’ll feel more motivated than others. The key is to build a routine that you can stick to even on the tough days. Don't let a small setback derail your entire week. Focus on showing up and doing your best for that day. Over time, these consistent habits are what create incredible, lasting results.

Frequently Asked Questions

If my main goal is weight loss, should I focus more on cardio? While it’s true that cardio is great for burning calories, relying on it alone won’t give you that strong, toned look. Strength training is what builds lean muscle, and the more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns throughout the day—even when you’re resting. The most effective approach for fat loss is to combine the two. Think of cardio as what helps you shed fat, and strength training as what sculpts the strong body underneath.

How do I know if I'm lifting heavy enough to see changes? The right weight is one that feels challenging by the last two or three reps of your set, but not so heavy that your form falls apart. If you can breeze through your reps without much effort, it’s a sign that you’re ready to go a little heavier. The goal is to consistently challenge your muscles so they have a reason to adapt and grow stronger. It’s less about the actual number on the dumbbell and more about the effort it takes to complete your set with good control.

I'm really busy. Is it better to do a shorter, intense workout or a longer, slower one? Both have their place in a smart fitness plan. Shorter, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is incredibly efficient for burning calories and keeping your metabolism working for hours after you’re done. Longer, steady-state cardio is fantastic for building endurance and is a great option for active recovery days. A balanced routine ideally includes both, giving you the benefits of high-intensity work and lower-impact conditioning.

The scale isn't moving, but I feel stronger. What's going on? This is actually a great sign that you’re on the right track! As you build muscle through strength training, you might not see a big drop on the scale because muscle is denser than fat. This means you’re losing inches and getting leaner even if your weight stays the same. This is why taking progress photos and noticing how your clothes fit are often much better indicators of your progress than the scale alone.

What's the most important thing to focus on when I'm just starting out? When you’re new to a routine, the single most important thing is consistency. Focus on showing up for your workouts and creating a habit, even if you don’t feel perfect every time. The second priority should be learning proper form. Moving correctly keeps you safe from injury and ensures you’re actually working the intended muscles. Don’t worry about lifting the heaviest weights or being the fastest in the room—that will come with time.

Reid Carver