Redefining Strength

Move and feel your best at any and every age

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

We spend a fortune on anti-aging creams…

When building muscle is honestly one of the best anti-aging tools we’ve got.

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

Should you lift heavy or do cardio as you get older?
BOTH.

But I think we've gotten so caught up in debating which is BETTER that we've forgotten they serve different purposes.

And if we want to build muscle, maintain our POWER and stay capable as we age…

We need to train for more than just burning calories.

5 things I wish more women knew 👇

1. Lift HEAVY. But don't ONLY lift heavy.
We need to challenge our muscles to build strength and definition. But that doesn't mean sticking to one rep range or always chasing heavier weights. Use different rep ranges and training techniques to create the stimulus your muscles need to grow.

2. Don't forget to train POWER.
We don't just lose muscle as we age. We also lose the ability to produce force quickly. And power often declines faster than strength. Sprints, jumps, throws and explosive movements (scaled to your ability) deserve a place in your training too.

3. Stop treating lifting and cardio like you have to pick a side.
You need BOTH. But the type, intensity and amount matter. Walking, aerobic conditioning, HIIT and sprint intervals serve different purposes. Use them strategically instead of just trying to burn more calories.

4. Stop trying to build muscle while eating as little as possible.
Protein matters. But so do total calories and carbs. If you're constantly underfueling, you're making it harder to train with intensity, recover and actually build the muscle you want.

5. Stop measuring a workout's effectiveness by how exhausted you feel.
More soreness, sweat and fatigue don't automatically mean more results. Especially as we get older, we need to be intentional about the balance between training hard and recovering enough to adapt. You can only train as hard as you can recover from.

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

Want to improve your metabolic health as you age?

Stop thinking ONLY about how many calories you can burn.

Start thinking about how much muscle you can BUILD!

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

Lifting heavy won't make you bulky.

But it WILL make you capable. Confident. STRONG AF.

And help you build the muscle and support the metabolic health you need to age strong.

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

We don't just lose muscle as we age. We lose POWER.

I wish more women realized that training to be strong isn't enough.

We need to keep training to be FAST and powerful too.

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

It's interesting how quickly we'll blame a slow metabolism when we're struggling to lose fat...

But rarely question whether we're doing enough to BUILD muscle, fuel our training or prioritize recovery.

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

Tracking isn’t about controlling every bite you eat.

It’s about having the information to stop guessing what your body actually needs.

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

We worry so much about gaining a few pounds of fat as we age.

I wish we worried just as much about losing a few pounds of muscle.

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

I think sometimes we spend Monday through Thursday trying to be SO good that by Friday we're ready to be completely DONE with our healthy habits.

Maybe the problem isn't our lack of weekend discipline.

Maybe it's how restrictive we're being all week.

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

It's kind of crazy how much we celebrate losing weight...Without always stopping to question WHAT we're losing.

Because losing muscle along with fat isn't exactly helping us build the stronger, leaner body we want.

I think we need to get a whole lot more focused on preserving and building muscle instead of just chasing a lower number on the scale.

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

It's interesting how quickly we'll blame our age for our changing metabolism...

But rarely question how our habits have changed as we've gotten older.

Aging absolutely plays a role.

But so does how we're training, eating and recovering.

And I think sometimes we give our age credit for things we actually have more control over than we realize.

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

There's something interesting about saying we've tried EVERYTHING...

Because often what we've really tried is a million different versions of the SAME approach...Eat less. Exercise more. Be stricter.

And when that doesn't work, we go looking for an even MORE restrictive version because effort feels like control.

Maybe we haven't actually tried everything after all...

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

I've definitely been guilty of trying to see body recomp results while eating as little as possible...

And all while thinking I was being GOOD by being so disciplined.

Then wondering why I wasn't seeing the results I wanted. 😂

It's funny how easy it is to add another workout or push ourselves just a little harder...

But the idea of eating MORE to actually fuel that training and recovery, even though we say we want those results?

Well, THAT feels scary...

Even when we know better.

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

We'll spend hundreds on supplements promising to help us age better.

But hesitate to pick up a heavy dumbbell.

I think we've gotten a little distracted about what actually matters for longevity.

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

Eat the Reese's if you love Reese's. Skip the candy corn if you hate candy corn.

And PLEASE don't turn Halloween into some weird test of your willpower.

Enjoy what is worth it to YOU.

And don't spend tomorrow trying to make up for it. It's one freaking day. 🎃

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

We talk a lot about losing muscle as we get older.

But what about losing POWER?

Our ability to move quickly, react when we trip, or catch ourselves before we fall...

Those fast-twitch muscle fibers need to be challenged too.

And that's why I want us sprinting, jumping and lifting with INTENT as we get older.

Not avoiding those things!

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

Lift heavy. Sprint. Don’t fear intensity.

Challenge your body to adapt based on where you’re starting from.

That's the magic for losing fat, building muscle and aging strong.

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

It's funny how we'll say we don't care what the scale says because we want to build muscle...

Until the scale doesn't move.

Then suddenly we're questioning EVERYTHING.

Old habits die hard.

[Redefining Strength @corilefkowith]

It's hard to admit that what worked for us at 20 or 30 may not be what we need at 40 or 50.

Especially when being the person who could eat less, train harder and push through anything became part of who we are.

But why are we so determined to prove we can still do things the old way instead of getting excited about finding an even BETTER way?