All Strength Training Guides, by Topic
Index updated .
Every guide on this site, grouped into five sections. Each guide covers one specific strength-training problem, tells you exactly what to do, explains why it matters, and ends with something you can feel or check to confirm it worked. If you only do one thing, check your readiness before you lift — it shapes every session you train.
How these guides are laid out
Every page follows the same shape, because it makes them faster to use and easier to trust. A short, quotable answer sits directly under the heading. The body gives the actual actions, each one paired with why it helps and how to verify it. Then the method is explained in words — not just what to do but why it works — and a worked example runs through a case with clearly hypothetical numbers. Figures that cannot be verified are written “not reported” rather than estimated, and every page links the official sources it relies on alongside a visible last-reviewed date. Advice that differs by experience is labelled for beginners (A), intermediate lifters (B), advanced lifters (C), coaches (D) or lifters returning from injury (E); the editorial standards are on the About page.
The five sections
Injury Prevention & Recovery for Women Who Lift
Four injury-prevention guides for strength training: knee and hip protection, lower-back care, shoulder, elbow and wrist care, and pelvic floor and lifting.
- Knee and hip protection in squats and lunges
- Spine and lower-back care for squats and deadlifts
- Shoulder, elbow and wrist care in pressing and pulling
- Pelvic floor and lifting: pressure management
Training Readiness & Recovery
Four readiness guides for women who lift: sleep, stress and the push-or-pull-back decision, cycle-aware training, perimenopause and menopause, and energy availability.
- Sleep, stress and the push-or-pull-back decision
- Cycle-aware training: what the evidence does and does not show
- Strength training through perimenopause and menopause
- Energy availability and RED-S warning signs
Strength Programming for Women
Four programming guides: the first six months of lifting, progressive overload with sets, reps and RPE, weekly volume and frequency, and deloads and plateaus.
- The first six months of lifting
- Progressive overload: sets, reps, load and RPE
- Weekly volume and training frequency
- Deloads, plateaus and fatigue management
Technique & Movement Skill
Four technique guides for strength training: squat technique and tempo, hip hinge and deadlift, bench and overhead press, and row and pull-up technique.
- Squat technique and tempo
- Hip hinge and deadlift technique
- Bench and overhead press technique
- Row and pull-up technique
Coaches & Returning Lifters
Four guides for coaches and lifters returning to training: coaching cues, running a safe group session, returning after injury or postpartum, and equipment fit.
- Coaching cues and cueing language
- Running a safe group strength session
- Returning to lifting after injury or postpartum
- Equipment fit and gym setup
Tools that go with the guides
Four free calculators handle the parts of these decisions that involve arithmetic — one-rep max estimates, plate loading, RPE-based loads and weekly set totals. They run in your browser, show their formulas, and use only the numbers you enter. Open the tools.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I start if I only do one thing?
Check your readiness before you lift. Ask how you slept, how stressed you are and how your joints feel, then choose between the planned session, a lighter version of it, or rest. The sleep, stress and recovery guide walks through the check.
Are these guides written for a particular experience level?
No. Each guide labels advice by profile: A for beginners (0–6 months of lifting), B for intermediate lifters (6–24 months), C for advanced lifters (2+ years of structured training), D for coaches and trainers, and E for lifters returning from injury. Where advice is the same for everyone it is written once, without a label.
How current are the guides?
Each guide carries a visible last-reviewed date and links the sources it relies on. Guidelines and research evolve, so check the linked sources when a decision matters.
Do the guides replace medical or coaching advice?
No. They give general training, safety and performance guidance. Modify them to your health status, your equipment and your training environment, and see a qualified clinician for persistent or severe symptoms.
Do I need to read these in order?
No. Each section is independent and each guide stands alone, though within a section the guides are ordered so the highest-value one comes first.
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