Three reasons your female clients aren’t getting the results they want—and how to fix them
1. Your programming is incomplete or not tailored
Even if your clients can perform squats, deadlifts, push-ups, and other movements, there are important checks to make:
– Do you assess each client as they come in, watching posture, body awareness, and basic movement patterns?
– Do you start with the basics for every movement—bodyweight squats and hinges, incline push-ups—to build a solid foundation before advancing?
– Is the programming tailored to each assessment? For example, if a client has a pronounced anterior pelvic tilt, do you include more hip, hamstring, and glute work rather than quad-dominant movements? Do you emphasize anterior core stability?
If you can answer yes to those, you’re close to being excellent. A few more questions to consider:
– Do you teach breathing and include breathing drills in workouts, even for a quick cooldown?
– Does the client foam roll or perform other soft-tissue work for a few minutes before training?
– Is there a solid dynamic warm-up before every session?
– Do you include thoughtful energy-system training (a mix of short HIIT and moderate cardio) 1–2 times per week, with heart rate in the 120–150 bpm range?
All of these elements help female clients get the best results with less time and effort. If any are missing, you’re leaving gains on the table.
2. You’re pushing your clients in the wrong ways
Pushing hard is fine when your client is prepared, but the approach must be appropriate. Examples:
– A client who’s trained for a year with excellent deadlift form can be tested on a heavy triple—great opportunity.
– Pushing for endless burpees until a client is overwhelmed or uncomfortable isn’t helpful.
– Some tough sets on dumbbell bench press can be beneficial if done with proper form; bragging about a client’s post-workout misery is not.
– Encouraging a client to push through a few very hard reps or a challenging last set can be good when it’s safe and smart.
– For some workouts, extra volume like 100 box jumps or jump squats just to look impressive isn’t wise.
Prepare your clients to be challenged in a way that’s appropriate and sustainable.
3. Your clients aren’t recovering properly
Recovery is essential to progress. A client’s success in the gym reflects how well they recover from overall stress, including life events, not just workouts.
If life stress is high, they may need less gym work unless they have time to sleep, eat nutrient-dense foods, and recover well. If you don’t talk with your clients about recovery, you’re doing them a disservice. Key recovery ideas:
– Eat nutrient-dense, whole foods 80–90% of the time.
– Manage stress effectively.
– Get regular, moderate sunshine.
– Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep in a cool, dark room each night.
– Use recovery methods such as massage or other soft-tissue work, Epsom salt baths, light cardio, and contrast showers.
When recovery is prioritized, your female clients will look and feel better than ever.
A resource to help address these points
Molly Galbraith and the Girls Gone Strong team have released The Modern Woman’s Guide To Strength Training to help coaches and their clients apply these principles and more.
What the guide offers
– Getting Started Guide: A step-by-step introduction to the program.
– Manual: What strength training is, why it matters, a glossary, and sections on recovery, sleep, and stress management.
– Programs: Three 16-week plans for beginners, intermediates, and higher-level intermediates, with multiple exercise substitutions.
– Video Library: 90 minutes of high-definition video coaching Alli McKee through 70 exercises, covering proper form, common mistakes, and corrections.
– Exercise Glossary: A ready reference for how each exercise should be performed.
– Progress Tracker: A guide to tracking measurements, weight (if desired), mood, sleep, stress, strength, and energy to get a full picture of how the body is responding.
In addition, there is a nutrition package from Dr. Cassandra Forsythe with:
– The Modern Woman’s Guide To Good Nutrition Manual: Calorie and macronutrient guidance, food sources, beverages, and advice on medications that may affect fat loss.
– The Modern Woman’s Guide To Good Nutrition Meal Plan: Done-for-you plans for fat loss and maintenance at multiple calorie levels, plus a FODMAP plan for digestive issues, a Paleo plan at multiple calories, and various If It Fits Your Macros options.
Bottom line: this resource aims to cover every base imaginable for women who want to train smarter and see real results.
About the author
Molly Galbraith is the co-founder of Girls Gone Strong, a movement focused on helping women improve physical strength, mental strength, and character through strength training. She also co-founded J&M Strength and Conditioning, a private studio in Lexington, Kentucky. Her mission is to help women discover and embrace their best body with minimal time and effort, and to approach it with grace and compassion.
