Lifting for Hormonal Balance: What Every Woman Should Know

I’ll never forget the season of my life when I left hockey and followed the traditional “cardio is the answer” advice. I was no longer training for sport - just for lifestyle - but I pushed my body to extremes without even realizing it.

I was doing endless HIIT workouts, under-eating (not intentionally, just genuinely not fueling enough), and thought I was being “healthy” because I looked lean. But looking lean and feeling healthy are two very different things.

On the outside, I looked fit.
But I wasn’t toned - I was skinny fat.
And on the inside, things were completely out of balance.

My digestion was off.
My sleep was horrible.
My energy was unpredictable.

And as someone constantly on the go and wanting to feel strong and capable - not depleted or burnt out - I knew something had to shift.

The turning point came when I finally found balance and started prioritizing strength training over cardio. Once I incorporated the barbell, followed a structured progressive overload program (shoutout to The Fitness Lab for making me feel so comfortable starting that journey), and actually fueled my body properly… everything changed.

I started to feel like myself again.
My strength improved.
My body composition transformed.
My confidence came back.
And for the first time in years, I felt truly energized - not just “keeping up.”

That’s when it became SO clear to me:
Strength training isn’t just about building a toned body - it’s about supporting your hormonal health.

Why Hormones Matter for Women

Women’s hormones regulate everything:
Energy, mood, metabolism, sleep, appetite, cycle health, cravings, recovery, stress levels, and even fat storage.

When your hormones are off, you feel it:

• Low energy

• Bloating

• Mood swings

• Cravings

• Irregular cycles

• Stubborn weight

• Anxiety or restlessness

• “Doing everything right” but not seeing results

Strength training is one of the most powerful (and natural) tools women can use to restore hormonal balance.

How Strength Training Supports Hormonal Health

1. Supports Balanced Estrogen & Progesterone

Too much high-intensity cardio can overstress the body and disrupt your cycle.
Strength training helps regulate key female hormones, leading to more predictable cycles and calmer PMS symptoms.

2. Boosts Healthy Testosterone (YES, women need it too)

Strength training naturally increases testosterone in the exact amount women need to feel strong, energized, and confident - without ever becoming “bulky.”

3. Lowers Your Stress Hormone

Back in my HIIT-only era, my cortisol was sky-high.
Chronic stress = poor sleep, cravings, irritability, fat storage, and burnout.
Strength training paired with proper recovery helps calm the nervous system and stabilize cortisol.

4. Improves Insulin Sensitivity

Muscle is metabolically active tissue.
The more you build, the better your body regulates blood sugar… which means fewer crashes, fewer cravings, and better long-term metabolic health.

5. Supports Thyroid Function & Metabolism

Your metabolism LOVES muscle.
It keeps your metabolic rate higher even at rest, helping you feel energized and making fat loss far more sustainable.

Why Eating More Is Key

One of the biggest lifestyle shifts for me was realizing my body needed more - not less.
You cannot build muscle, support hormones, or feel energized while under-eating. I was shocked at how much food I truly needed in a day!

When you fuel properly:

• Your energy stabilizes

• Your sleep improves

• Your hormones regulate

• Your strength skyrockets

• Your body composition improves

• You stop feeling constantly hungry or burnt out

Training without fueling is like trying to build a house without any materials. Your body simply cannot give you results you’re not supporting.

Getting Started With Strength Training

If you’re new to lifting, here’s exactly how I recommend starting:

1. Start with 2–3 strength sessions per week

Not five. Not six.
Two to three intentional sessions are all you need to begin seeing changes.

2. Keep your workouts 45–50 minutes max

Quality > quantity.
Short, effective, structured.

3. Focus on compound movements:

• Squats

• Deadlifts

• Shoulder presses

• Rows

These give you the biggest hormonal and strength return.

4. Use progressive overload

Each week, aim to:

• Add a little weight, or

• Add 1–2 reps, or

• Slow down your tempo, or

• Improve form and range of motion

This is how muscle grows and your body adapts.

5. Prioritize rest days

This is a HUGE one.
Your hormones thrive when you recover, not when you burn yourself into the ground.
Recovery is where muscle is built, strength improves, and your metabolic health resets.

In the end,

Strength training gave me so much more than muscle tone.
It gave me my health, my energy, and my life back.

For women, lifting weights isn’t just about looking fit - it’s about supporting your body at a hormonal level so you can thrive in every single season of life.

If you’ve been stuck in the cardio-only cycle, this is your sign:
Pick up the weights.
Fuel your body.
Get stronger - inside and out.

And stay tuned …because my progressive overload programs are coming soon, and they’re designed to take you exactly where you want to go!