What is strong? It’s a good question, and I don’t have a tidy answer. Some questions are easy: What would be your weapon of choice during a zombie apocalypse? A samurai sword. If you could pick one career, professional Jason Bourne. Who’s the best Care Bear? Birthday Bear. But answering what “strong” really means is more abstract. For some, strength is about how you look; for others, about how much weight you can lift; and maybe, in some circles, about how many tacos you can eat in one sitting. As a strength and conditioning coach, I know a lot of this comes down to perspective, but I’d say strong is ultimately a sentiment.
Recently, actress Rosamund Pike—famous for Gone Girl—shared a video on Instagram from a Boston shoot for her new movie, showing her hitting a personal best 100-pound deadlift for multiple reps with apparent ease. I might joke that I’m now officially a celebrity trainer. But I’m not taking all the credit for her technique—she had plenty of experience and wasn’t new to the weight room. Still, I was thrilled she shared the video, because it shows women that they can lift substantial weight and won’t turn into Conan the Barbarian after one set.
I’ve long championed women’s strength training and its many benefits: increased strength and readiness for life’s curve balls, improved performance, better body composition, stronger bones, more confidence and a healthier body image, improved mental health and stress relief, and a push back against limiting societal norms. Yet much of the mainstream media muddies this message, flooding us with images of women lifting dainty weights. Too often, a stock-image version of “strong” surfaces—one that suggests barbell work is somehow only for men. That framing is misleading.
What matters isn’t the gender of the lifter, but history, ability, and goals. It’s not about whether someone has a Y chromosome; it’s about what they can do given their background and aims. This is why Rosamund’s message resonates: “Marla Grayson—the character she plays in her upcoming movie—is a lioness, and lionesses need to be strong. Tony celebrates the strength of everyone he trains and pushed me to find more than I knew I had. Thanks, Tony.”
Strong is a sentiment with many roots and inspirations. It isn’t necessarily a number, but it’s not hurtful to pursue a bit more. Honorable mention: the person who cures male-pattern baldness. Okay, maybe I’ll take 12% credit.
