What to Expect in the Gym When Expecting
There’s a wide range of advice out there about training during pregnancy, and much of it feels recycled or outdated. After coaching and training many pregnant women over more than two decades, I want to share a perspective that emphasizes the woman’s comfort, safety, and empowerment. This isn’t about chasing impressive numbers every week; it’s about building strength and confidence for a major life event, while respecting each pregnancy as its own journey.
The guiding idea is simple: the woman’s comfort level comes first. Whether you’re a seasoned gym-goer or new to training, listen to your body. The goal isn’t to hit deadlift PRs or snatch big weights every session; it’s to maintain or improve function in a controlled, thoughtful way, so you’re prepared for childbirth and recovery. A strong, stable body tends to be safer and more adaptable than a fragile one.
Key sources and perspectives that shape this approach include respected trainers and clinicians who have written extensively about training through pregnancy. There are excellent resources from experts like Dr. Laura Latham, Julia Ladewski, and Stacey Schaedler, as well as Dr. Sarah Duvall’s Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist Certification, which many trainers consider the best guide on the topic. The overall message from these voices is clear: lift with intention, progress safely, and prioritize core stability, breath work, and individualized programming. If you’re a trainer, strength coach, or physical therapist, these concepts apply to a large portion of your client base.
On nutrition, there’s a temptation to think “eating for two” means you must double your intake. Most research supports a modest increase—about 400 extra calories per day is plenty to support both mother and baby. That’s roughly the amount in four standard tablespoons of peanut butter. It’s not a license to binge on pizza or sugary treats; it’s a reminder to fuel adequately without overdoing it. Cravings happen, but balance still matters. The big takeaway is to focus on adequate calories and especially ample protein, while recognizing that some variation fits individual needs and preferences.
The training approach should be simple and practical. The emphasis is on what the client is comfortable doing, with appropriate progressions and regressions as the pregnancy progresses. For many, that means continuing to squat, hinge, press, row, and carry—just with adjustments to load, tempo, and range of motion. In practice, you’ll often start with fundamentals like diaphragmatic breathing, core stability work (planks, anti-rotation chops, carries, Pallof presses), proper push-up patterns, goblet squats, and controlled hip thrusts with bands. Single-leg work and gentle but effective loading help maintain balance and stability.
Here are some concrete ideas for programming, especially for someone brand new to training during pregnancy:
– Teach proper breathing mechanics and emphasize core engagement from the start.
– Build a solid base with goblet squats, a strong push-up pattern, single-leg exercises, and hip hinge work.
– Prioritize core stability: planks, anti-rotation movements (like Pallof presses), farmer carries, and chops.
– Use band resistance for hip thrusts and other hip/floor-work to control load.
– Progress gradually with loads and always check in about comfort, pain, and fatigue before and during sessions.
The real-world examples help illustrate what’s possible:
– Whitney, training around 32 weeks, demonstrated that heavy-ish deadlifts could be done safely when the body felt ready, with appropriate control and support. The weight wasn’t a best-effort maximum; it was a informed, careful effort within her comfort zone.
– Cara, at 34 weeks, continued significant lifting with tweaks as needed. She trained consistently, and her experience reflected that a well-planned program can still yield meaningful training effects late in pregnancy.
– Laura’s perspective, shared after her own pregnancy, highlighted that there isn’t a universal ceiling. Some women lift heavy, while others prefer different pathways. It’s about paying attention to what feels right, taking longer breaks when necessary, and adjusting weights and positions to suit the moment.
Postpartum considerations are also part of the conversation. With good programming, women can return to training after birth, sometimes sooner than expected. The key is to have supported, progressive plans that respect both healing and ongoing fitness. A supportive medical team, including physicians and midwives who understand exercise, can make a big difference. Some women rely on books like Exercising Through Your Pregnancy to guide their decisions, but the overarching message remains: pregnancy is not a disease, and many women can continue to train effectively with proper guidance.
Stretching and flexibility are worth discussing. There’s been debate about stretching during pregnancy. Relaxin increases ligament laxity as the due date approaches, which can influence how joints cope with movement. That doesn’t mean you should avoid activity entirely, but it does mean selecting movements that are controlled, purposeful, and safe. A weight-training approach—focused on stability, control, and gradual progression—tals with a safer profile than many forms of cardio or high-impact workouts, particularly when individualized to the person and trimester.
Heart rate and overall loading require thoughtful management. The goal is to stay below levels that would create excessive fetal stress and to avoid sustained anaerobic effort. In practice, this means keeping intense cardio at a level where fatigue doesn’t spike, and adjusting resistance training to maintain a training effect while respecting changes in balance, core stability, and pelvic load as pregnancy progresses. Some athletes adapt their approach by modifying stance and load in the later trimesters, for example shifting from a conventional to a sumo-style stance for certain squats and avoiding aggressive loading late in pregnancy.
It’s important to recognize that no two pregnancies are the same. Some people can maintain high training loads deep into pregnancy, while others may need to scale back earlier due to medical or biomechanical factors. The key is a thorough assessment, awareness of contraindications, appropriate progressions and regressions, and continuous communication about comfort and safety.
In closing, this topic deserves thoughtful, individualized action. The best approach honors the realities of each pregnancy, supports the mother’s goals and well-being, and treats training as a way to empower—not endanger. If someone sees a pregnant woman lifting weights, it’s worth considering the long history of human resilience: people have walked across continents, farmed, hunted, and thrived long before modern gym equipment existed. Strength, when guided by care and judgment, remains a powerful ally through pregnancy and beyond.
