A Simpler Approach to Strength Training for Women - by Tiara Desmarais
- Tiara Desmarais
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
Hey! My name is Tiara and I’m a local personal trainer here in Saskatoon. I’m also a busy mom and business owner. Earlier this year, I opened my private fitness studio, The Fit Clique, designed with women’s wellness at its core.
I’ve been working in the fitness industry for 13 years, and one thing I’ve seen over and over again is that women are constantly being told to do more.
As if the mental load we already carry isn’t enough, now we’re being told we need to exercise (as if we didn’t already know that)… and on top of that, the messaging around how we’re supposed to exercise is always changing.
Should I join a new Pilates studio?
Train for a HYROX?
Follow a new program I saw online?
Or is there another trend I haven’t even heard about yet?
It’s a lot.
And while I can absolutely appreciate the benefits and enjoyment that come from different types of movement, there’s one approach that consistently stands the test of time and offers huge benefits for women:
Strength training.
Strength training supports bone health (which becomes increasingly important for women as we age), helps build muscle, improves overall function, and can have a huge impact on confidence and mental well-being.
But for a lot of women, the question isn’t why strength training matters.
It’s:
“Where do I even start?”
I’ll be honest, I am a bit biased here, but if you have the means to do so, working with a personal trainer, even for a short period of time, can be incredibly valuable.
Learning proper form, understanding how to structure workouts, and knowing how to work around injuries or limitations can make a huge difference in both your results and your confidence.
That being said, I know that working with a trainer isn’t always accessible. So if you’re looking to get started on your own, here are a few simple guidelines to help you cut through the noise.
1. Keep it simple
When it comes to choosing exercises, you don’t need to get overly creative.
Each week, aim to include movements from these foundational patterns:
Lower body: squat, hinge, single-leg
Upper body: push, pull
Core: anything that challenges stability and control
If you’re covering these basics, you’re doing more than enough to build a strong foundation.
2. Repeat your workouts
This is one of the most important pieces.
Instead of constantly switching things up, decide how many days per week you want to train, build a workout for each of those days, and stick with them.
Repeat those same workouts for at least 4 weeks. Ideally, 6-8 weeks.
This gives your body time to actually adapt and get stronger, instead of always starting from scratch.
3. Progress over time
Once you’re repeating your workouts, you can start to make small improvements each week.
This might look like:
adding a bit more weight
doing a few more reps
improving your control and form
Progress doesn’t need to be dramatic to be effective. Small changes add up!
4. Don’t ignore pain
There’s a difference between something feeling challenging and something feeling wrong.
Sharp pain, joint pain, or anything that doesn’t feel right is a sign to stop and adjust.
Learning to listen to your body is just as important as the workout itself.
5. Challenge yourself (but don’t destroy yourself)
Your workouts should feel difficult by the end of your sets, but not completely exhausting.
A good guideline is to finish most sets feeling like you could still do 1-3 more reps if you had to.
You don’t need to leave every workout feeling completely drained for it to be effective.
If you’re reading this and thinking, “this still feels like a lot,” you’re not alone.
Having guidance and support can take a lot of the guesswork out of it and help you feel more confident in what you’re doing. This is exactly the approach I use with my clients. Simple, structured strength training that fits into real life and focuses on building strength in a way that feels sustainable.
I offer both private and semi-private training for women, with small group sizes (max 4 people), so you still get plenty of hands-on support. Everything is run out of my home-based studio in Stonebridge, where the goal is always to create a welcoming, non-intimidating environment.
If you’re curious to learn more, you can find me on Instagram and Facebook, or you can reach out via email!
Thanks for reading, and I hope this helped make strength training feel a little more doable.
Tiara Desmarais (she/her)
Owner of Fit Clique Studio
Facebook: The Fit Clique
Email: tiara@fitcliquestudio.ca