I had my first child at 42 years old. Like most women, my body changed after my son was born. Although he is my greatest accomplishment, I have lost confidence in my body and no longer like what I see in the mirror. I also wanted my son to stay healthy for as long as possible, so I decided to get serious about fitness.
As a former college track and field athlete, working out is no stranger to me, and training towards a goal was not new to me. However, after graduating from university, I completely stopped exercising. I was used to having a coach pushing me and programming my training, but after graduating I took a complete break.
I still worked out occasionally when I was in my 30s, and I was working out with a personal trainer when I was 35, but I wasn’t completely hooked. When I hit my 40s, I decided to go to the gym because I didn’t like going to the gym and didn’t necessarily want to go. Start running. Inspired by my fiancé, who runs marathons, I trained for a few half marathons and ran my first full marathon in 2021. Running was a way to get my body back in shape, but my routine was mostly cardio with no real structure. At the gym.
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It wasn’t until I watched my best friend transform her health that I realized I needed to change my strategy to see results.
My good friend Sarah Soliman introduced me to Wonder Woman, a company founded by Michelle, the daughter of 70-something fitness influencer Joan McDonald. I was so impressed by Sarah’s transformation in her own strength and was in awe of her way of thinking. She spoke very confidently about this program and I saw her lose weight and gain big muscles. I applied to the program and never looked back.
There were a limited number of coaches and a large number of applicants, so I wasn’t sure if I would be accepted. I applied in June 2022 and was accepted in December of the following year. Sarah motivated me to invest in comprehensive training. It was the first time I focused on my physical fitness, nutrition, and mindset.
I wanted to be strong. I wanted to look strong. I wanted to be the girl you stared at, and thought you’d find her at the gym.
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When I started working with a personal trainer, I identified specific muscle-building goals and created a plan to achieve them.
I started virtual personal training with coach Melissa McKenzie in January 2023 with the goal of building muscle. I was already in good cardiovascular condition thanks to marathon training, but I wanted to tone my body and grow my legs and buttocks in particular.
At first, switching from running to resistance training put stress on my knees. It was hard and swollen from literally slamming it into the ground the entire mileage. After cutting back on my running for about a month and increasing my strength training to strengthen my lower body, my knee pain completely subsided.
I started training in my garage using just a set of adjustable dumbbells and resistance bands. I typically used 5-30 pounds and focused on form and easy dumbbell training. I was immediately hooked. I felt stronger and loved the way my body was gaining muscle. Finally, we saw a big change.
About six months later, I joined a commercial gym. In addition to having access to more equipment, I also felt inspired by the people around me.
Currently, I train 4 days a week, 3 days for lower body and 1 day for upper body.
I’ve always been able to build up my upper body quickly, but lower body strength is my weakness. I had rotator cuff surgery in December and am currently in the recovery process.
For lower body training: one day to work your hamstrings and calves, another day to work your quads and glutes, and another day to focus solely on your glutes. My workouts are between an hour and an hour and a half, with five movements per session. I typically do 3-4 sets of squats, hip thrusts, leg extensions, leg curls, and leg presses, with 20-60 seconds of rest depending on the exercise.
Upper body training focuses primarily on the shoulders and biceps. I do six movements per session, ranging from band external rotations, biceps curls, front raises, triceps extensions, and pull-ups, doing 3-4 sets of each with recovery in between. I’ve cut down on my running, but my goal is to take 10,000 steps a day.
Day off: I have stiff knees and hips, so I incorporate a lot of stretching and mobility.
Shoulders are my favorite muscle to train (which makes them even harder to get injured). I love the different movements that work out your upper arms. Hip thrusts are my least favorite exercise. Driving a nail is not only an awkward movement, but also extremely taxing on the body. TBH, I feel like I need to finish the entire workout after one rep.
That being said, I started strength training 135 pounds and within a year I am now able to produce 310 pounds of strength. Hip thrusts are uncomfortable and challenging, but I’m very proud of myself for continuing to pursue them. Seeing progress is my motivation.
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I learned to count my macros and realized that there is a close connection between the kitchen and profit.
I knew the importance of a balanced diet, but a large part of the Wonder Woman program focuses on understanding nutrition labels, paying attention to portion sizes, and counting macros. It was very overwhelming at first. It took me some time to fully understand and implement how to create macro-based meals. There were a lot of numbers (I never liked math), but once I learned to actually read nutrition labels and understand serving sizes, things started to click and become second nature.
I eat five times a day, with three hours between meals. I focus on protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Before my injury, I would increase my carbohydrate intake on training days. During recovery, I reduced the amount of carbohydrates and added protein. Chicken, rice, cereal, milk and vegetables are some of my favorite foods.
After all, the benefits don’t just come from the gym. They also happen in the kitchen. I have seen it in my daily life and in my body.
These three were the keys to my successful strength transformation.
1. I emphasized the importance of comprehensive training to achieve my goals.
After my first workout with Wonder Woman, I realized the power of following a program tailored to my goals. Training yourself is a different thing, but I’ve learned how to properly and effectively set myself up for visible success and results.
Whether it’s gradually increasing the load in the gym and targeting specific parts of your body for muscle gain, or understanding when and how to eat to support your training, I’ll help you achieve your goals. I have a new appreciation for training holistically.
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2. I developed self-discipline to stay motivated and stick to a routine.
Balancing workouts, work, and motherhood isn’t always easy, but I’m willing to try. There are days when I don’t feel like training, but I can’t give in to the feeling right now. We know we need more than just motivation. It takes discipline to stick to a routine, create long-term healthy habits, and see changes.
3. My son has inspired me to try new things and model a healthy lifestyle.
As a mother, it makes me so happy to know that my little one is watching and learning the importance of taking care of his body, no matter his age. Life doesn’t end when you turn 40. It’s never too late to set new goals and accept challenges. I achieved my greatest accomplishments in my 40s, and as I approach 50, I’m excited to be stronger than ever.
I decided to enter my first bodybuilding competition and am currently training for it.
Bodybuilding was never really my interest until I joined Wonder Woman. I signed up to see Now Coach and went to a few shows right away. Since then, I have had more opportunities to watch more of my teammates play.
The idea of participating in the show was outside of my comfort zone, but I was motivated to conquer something I wouldn’t normally do. I also recognized my work ethic and the progress I had made as a result of constant training in a short period of time and decided to compete in my first show.
His original plan was to compete in July 2024, but due to shoulder surgery, he has taken more time and is aiming for November. You can’t give up just because you get injured. In fact, my goal to compete kept me motivated throughout the recovery process. Instead of sitting on the couch and waiting for my body to heal, I still go to the gym four days a week.
My training looks a lot different now, but I’m focused on getting on stage this fall and I’m very proud of myself for staying true to my goals.
Read now: How to practice self-compassion and gain confidence
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