What is strong? That’s a good question, and I don’t have a tidy answer. Some questions are easy to answer: If there were a zombie apocalypse, my weapon of choice would be a samurai sword. If I could pick one career, I’d choose to be a professional Jason Bourne. And who’s the best Care Bear? Birthday Bear. But defining strength itself is more abstract.
For some, strong means looking a certain way; for others, it’s about how much you can lift. Maybe, to some, it’s about how many tacos you can eat in one sitting. As a strength and conditioning coach, I think strong is a sentiment—one that can take many forms. It isn’t just a number.
Showcasing Strength
Recently, actress Rosamund Pike shared a video from when we worked together in Boston, during the filming of her latest project. In the clip, she hits a personal best of a 100-pound deadlift for multiple reps, and she makes it look easy. And yes, I’m kidding about the celebrity trainer line—no big reveal there.
I can’t take full credit for Rosamund’s technique; she had plenty of experience and wasn’t new to the weight room. Still, I was thrilled she shared the video with her fans, because it shows women that they can lift meaningful weight and won’t turn into Conan the Barbarian after one set.
I have long championed encouraging women to strength train and to recognize the many benefits it provides: increased strength for life’s curve balls, improved performance, better body composition, stronger bones, boosted confidence and body image, and improved mental health and stress relief. Strength training also challenges outdated societal norms.
The message is often muddied by mainstream media. We’re flooded with images of women lifting light, dainty weights, which many interpret as “real” strength. A common stock photo search for “strong” can yield images of a slim woman lifting minimal weights, which feeds the stereotype that strength is gendered—and that’s simply not true. What matters is the individual’s history, abilities, and goals, not their sex.
Personally, the decision about how someone trains isn’t guided by their chromosomes. Strength is about the person, their needs, and what they’re capable of achieving.
Rosamund’s take in the video resonated with me: her character in the film, Marla Grayson, is portrayed as a lioness who must be strong. Her trainer, Tony, celebrates the strength of everyone he trains and helped her find more than she thought she had. It’s a reminder that strong is a feeling with many roots and inspirations, not just a number. And yes, having a target can be helpful too.
Honorable mention: a lighthearted nod to the idea of cures for baldness—maybe I’ll claim a sliver of credit there as well.
