More Female Strength

We finally tackle the tricky but simple subject of nutrition and food. For this first conversation about eating and training, we introduce the basic concepts of nutrition, from the most important aspects to the least. We talk about what we actually eat, and what we struggle with when planning our own meals, and our perspectives on how to stay sane and happy while eating to support our goals.

The people have spoken: we’re talking about leggings! We’ll give you an overview of the other essential equipment for lifting: what we personally use and what we recommend for our lifters. We talk a lot about shoes, plus belts, sleeves, and the the other bits and bobs you might want to pick up to support your training, and finally, a leggings review. Plus, we tell you what TV we’re obsessing over.

Motivation is a hot topic in lifting circles because training is so sweet when we have it, and such a chore when we don’t. We get real about what motivation can offer, how to deal when it leaves us, and how to get it back. Plus, lifting in birkenstocks? Totally. And how to add to our Ultimate Deadlift Playlist on Spotify.

Cassi and Katherine talk about what makes Instagram so addicting - and potentially harmful. Why do lifters love Instagram? And why do we sometimes feel bad about ourselves after a mindless scroll through our feed? We get into all of this, and discuss strategies for freeing ourselves from Instagram jealousy. Plus, competition recap and some of our favorite social media follows.

When your online trainee comes to visit, what do you do? Interview her for the podcast! Coached by Cassi through SSOC, Demetra is a lifter, strength coach, pole dancer, and creator of Witches Get Strong. Demetra’s coaching practice integrates strength training according to SS with empowerment & awareness practices that teach women to experience more pleasure in their bodies. We talked about her journey, what inspires her, and how she fits the principles of SS into the Witches Get Strong program.

Cassi and Katherine talk about competition, but they start with collaboration. They discuss the value in building bridges between coaches, connecting networks and most importantly, learning from others. Then they break down what it means to be a strength athlete. Who “gets to” compete, the benefit of competition to your training and community, and how you can incorporate some competition into your training even if you don’t want to get on the platform.

In this discussion with Dr. Austin Baraki, we talk about his recent research on the topic of psychosocial influences on training. He tells us what the data says about their effects on performance. We explore how expectations and management strategies can mitigate the effects of Our Feels on our recovery, adaptation, and performance, including some specific strategies coaches and lifters can use to keep training on track in the face of high stress or strong feelings.

Join us in a conversation with therapist and strength athlete Molly Merson, discussing mental health and its effects on our training. We all get The Feels from time to time - what happens when those feels get the better of us, in and outside the gym? How can we as lifters make friends with our mental state, and how can we as coaches better serve our trainees in managing these struggles? We get into this and more including a recap of USSF Nationals weekend and Cassi and Katherine’s reunion on the West Coas

Why do we squat, bench, deadlift, and press? How did we chose those exercises, what benefit do they have, and how do we decide how to perform them? In this episode, Cassi and Katherine break down the Big Four barbell lifts, from selection to execution, including some helpful tips on how to approach each lift. Plus, Mail Bag, Awesome Gym Shout Out, and A Cool Thing On The Internet.

On this freewheeling episode, Cassi and Katherine get deep into the weeds to talk about body stuff - having one, dealing with expectations, saying no to bullsh*t, and of course, how strength can help you be more awesome in your physical existence. We hope this broad and sometimes rambling discussion can spark more conversations, with us, with others, and with yourself.

Cassi and Katherine dig deep into their personal histories and share their strength training beginnings. We talk about our athletic backgrounds, how we got into this crazy world of barbells, and why we decided to leave our careers to become coaches. We get real about our struggles with other sports and exercise methods, and wax poetic about the benefits of barbells. Katherine manages not to cry, and Cassi manages to talk about Harry Potter.

In our first full episode, Cassi and Katherine break down the steps you need to take to begin getting stronger using barbells. We talk about what strength actually means, how to choose a program, find a gym, and make gym friends (which is the most important step of all.) We’re throwing all the resources at you, so have a pencil handy, or check out the links below for our quick and dirty primer on how to begin YOUR strength journey.

Coming Soon! Starting Strength Coaches Katherine Bickford and Cassi Niemann offer candid conversations on strength and its culture for the more female lifter. Together these two women will discuss barbell training topics (how to start, what to do, why it's important, etc) with a healthy heaping of perspective, feelings, and humor. Episodes will launch soon so stay tuned and start getting strong!