Pirates High Performance Gym

Everyone seems to be blaming cortisol lately.

“Cortisol is why women can’t lose weight.”
“Cortisol is why strength training isn’t working.”

It’s become the answer to almost everything.

The problem is that it ignores how cortisol actually works.

Your body releases cortisol all the time. If work is stressful, cortisol goes up. If you’re sleep deprived, cortisol goes up. If you’re exercising, cortisol goes up.

That’s normal.

Every type of exercise increases cortisol while you’re training. That’s part of the body’s normal response to exercise—not a sign that your workout is “too stressful.”

Where I think the conversation goes wrong is that people focus on cortisol instead of everything else that actually determines your progress.

Are you eating enough to recover?

Are you getting enough protein?

Are you sleeping well?

Are you training consistently?

Is your overall stress high day after day?

Those things matter far more than the temporary increase in cortisol that happens during a workout.

Now, that’s not to say chronic stress isn’t a problem. Living under high stress for months or years can absolutely affect your health and make it harder to recover.

But saying women are gaining weight because they lifted weights and “spiked their cortisol” is an oversimplification of a much bigger picture.

Don’t let fear of cortisol stop you from strength training.

Build good habits. Recover well. Train consistently.

That’s what moves the needle.

There’s a big conversation around women needing to eat more protein, and I think that’s a really good thing. Historically, it wasn’t talked about nearly enough in the fitness industry.

But I think there’s something just as important if not even more important that doesn’t get enough attention.

Women need to eat enough calories to recover from training.

What I see all the time is women start strength training, they get stronger, they see great progress, but eventually they hit a wall. Their fatigue stays high, their performance stalls, and they feel like they constantly have to stay in a calorie deficit just to maintain their physique.

The problem is that can lead to something called low energy availability. That’s when you’re simply not eating enough calories to support your training, recovery, and your body’s normal day-to-day functions.

Strength training is a stress. To adapt to that stress to build muscle, get stronger, and recover well you need enough energy.

So yes, keep prioritizing protein. But don’t forget that calories matter too.

I love that we’re encouraging more women to strength train. I just think we’re doing them a disservice if we don’t also tell them they need to eat enough food to recover, perform well, and actually get the full benefits of their training.

Our Gym isn’t just for heavy lifting! Here at our gym has been hard at work ensuring our mammas are feeling strong and confident enough to lift weights with the help of our expert trainers!

If you’re a mom who is looking to get stronger, fitter and healthier drop us a message and let’s get you into our gym so you can feel great in your own skin - as all moms should 🔥

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