For the Girl Who Wants to Start Lifting With Confidence

I still remember my very first days on the weight side of the gym. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was curious and willing to learn. I joined a new gym the other day and saw a few women who were clearly in those early stages. It brought me right back. I can relate deeply, and it genuinely makes me excited because simply being in that room already tells me you know there is value there.

Stepping into the weight room takes courage, curiosity, and a willingness to try something that might feel unfamiliar. And if you are anything like most women I work with, you may still approach strength training the same way you have approached cardio. Fast movements. High reps. Light weights that feel comfortable.

Both forms of training matter. Cardio keeps your heart healthy. Strength shapes your physique. They work together, but they ask very different things of your body. Learning to separate the two is where real progress begins.

Here are three simple shifts that change everything for you as a new lifter.

Slow down. Strength sessions are not the place to chase a fast heart rate. When you rush through reps, you lose tension on the muscle. Slow and controlled movement is what creates strength. More importantly, slow and controlled movement helps you move properly, perform each exercise with good form, and ultimately see better results. Approach every rep and every set with intention. Focus on your breathing. Focus on your form. Bring awareness to how your body moves through each part of the lift. This does not mean you need to move at a painfully slow pace. It means that when you begin a set, you are present, intentional, and committed to doing the movement well.

Match your reps to your goal. There is a time and place for higher reps, and you can absolutely build strength across a variety of rep ranges. What matters most is understanding the intention behind each set. The lower end usually supports higher loads and more maximal strength. The upper end supports more volume and hypertrophy. Both matter and both contribute to a well-rounded session.

Inside the Hoopie app, every workout is structured with this intention in mind. The warm up prepares your body. The primer includes one explosive movement and one core movement to help you feel athletic and engaged. Strength is your main lift with lower reps and heavier weight. Build includes two movements in the eight to twelve rep range that focus on hypertrophy. Pump brings higher reps for muscular endurance and a finishing burn. Flow closes your session with mobility and presence. Each phase has its place. Each rep range serves a purpose.

Choose weights that actually challenge you. To build muscle definition, you need resistance that requires effort. A helpful starting point is choosing a weight that feels like a seven to eight RPE. In simple terms, you could do two or three more reps if you absolutely had to, but not many more. If heavier weights feel intimidating, increase gradually. Begin with machines or simple movements like bicep curls or front raises so you can explore what challenge feels like in a safe way.

Strength training will not make you bulky. It will give your body shape, structure, and confidence. Inside the app and in my own training, I aim for a minimum of two but ideally three cardio sessions each week. These sessions support heart health, help you meet your weekly minutes, and allow for a mix of steady state and speed work. They matter and they deserve a place, but strength training is where your muscle definition is built.

If you want guidance on how to do this the right way, you can try a free week inside the Hoopie app and experience what true strength training feels like.