#156: Strength Training Terms Explained: What Matters & What Doesn't

If you’ve started strength training, you’ve probably seen terms like RPE, RIR, volume, frequency, training to failure, unilateral vs bilateral, lengthened position training, drop sets… and wondered:

Do I actually need to care about this?

In this episode, I walk you through the most common strength training terms you’ll see online and explain them in plain English.

More importantly, I tell you which ones really matter if you're a woman in midlife whose goal is to build muscle, get stronger, improve your health, and prepare your body for the decades ahead.

If you’re in your first year or two of lifting, this will help you stop overthinking and focus on what actually moves the needle.

I cover:

1. What a program really is and why it matters
2. Sets, reps, rep ranges, and what “lifting heavy” actually means
3. Training close to failure vs going to failure
4. Frequency and volume
5. RPE and reps in reserve
6. Lengthened vs shortened training
7. Unilateral vs bilateral training
8. Partials and drop sets

And I’ll tell you what you need to care about, and what you can safely ignore for now.

If you want to lift in a way that builds real strength and muscle in midlife without getting lost in jargon, this episode is for you.

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