New years can feel loud and demanding, especially when you’re juggling motherhood, training, and a nervous system running hot. We’re choosing a different path: intentions over resolutions, performance over punishment, presence over perfection. In this candid reflection, we map out eight intentions for 2026 that help active moms and pregnant or postpartum athletes build progress that lasts. You’ll hear why performance goals—like running a half marathon, nailing five push-ups, or squatting consistently—often bring the body composition changes people chase, without the shame spiral tied to a scale.

We also flip the diet script from restriction to addition. Think Mediterranean-inspired meals, more fiber, and simple upgrades that improve satiety and gut health. No moralizing food, just practical ways to nourish busy bodies. To make changes stick, we lean on habit stacking and micro-adjustments—prepping coffee at night, waking five minutes earlier each week, and pairing new routines with ones that already exist. It’s a gentler approach that still builds serious momentum.

Stress and grief don’t wait for our calendars, so we prioritize mental health and nervous system care with 10-minute mindfulness, a couple of yoga sessions around the kids, and breathable moments in the middle of hectic days. We talk about expecting setbacks, acknowledging hard seasons, and redefining success as showing up for the smallest possible step when life hits. Finally, we invite you to choose a word for the year—your compass when plans get loud. Ours is calm: steady, consistent, and sustainable.

If this resonates, follow along for more conversations on training through pregnancy and postpartum, pelvic health, and performance. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs permission to slow down, and leave a review with your word for 2026 so we can cheer you on.

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What if the advice you’ve been handed about training through pregnancy and after birth is more fear than fact? We close out a bruising year with honesty about grief, miscarriage, and the quiet ways movement held us together—then channel that hard-won clarity into a smarter 2026 playbook for active moms and moms-to-be.

We unpack culture shifts that finally stuck: pregnant lifters drawing fewer trolls, more families sharing pregnancy loss without shame, and a growing acceptance that early postpartum movement can be both safe and sanity-saving when guided by symptoms. We spotlight 2025 research milestones—high weekly intensity minutes, low energy availability before conception, and new postpartum return-to-exercise guidance that removed unnecessary “clearance” barriers—plus policy wins like ranking protection during IVF and public funding pathways for pregnant and postpartum athletes.

From there, we get specific about what needs to change. The safe versus unsafe binary flattens complex realities and breeds self-blame when injuries or pelvic floor symptoms appear. We argue for individualized planning that considers training history, load tolerance, sleep, stress, and support, and we call for better data on what modifications actually do: running volume, valsalva, supine work, core progressions, and impact. Early postpartum reconditioning isn’t a badge of toughness; it’s a practical path to mood support, capacity building, and confidence—especially where leave is limited.

If you’re ready to trade fear for nuance, and absolutes for agency, this conversation is your map. Listen, share with a friend who needs permission to move their way, and help us build the research and community that mothers deserve. Subscribe, leave a review with your biggest training question for 2026, and tell us what you want to hear next.

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Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter

You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes.

Interested in our programs? Check us out here!

The loudest voices on the internet say “don’t lift heavy when you’re pregnant.” We say: let’s look at what the body does, what the research shows, and how to train with confidence. Christina Previtt, pelvic floor physical therapist, researcher, and mom of two, unpacks three persistent myths—weight caps, benching on your back, and never holding your breath—and replaces them with clear, symptom-led guidance that respects both performance and pregnancy.

We start by clarifying the landscape: strength training is not one thing. Powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, strongman, and CrossFit all stress the body differently, and pregnancy asks you to meet those demands with smart adjustments. Christina walks through new data from hundreds of recreational lifters training above 85% of their one-rep max and explains why the old 20 to 30 pound rule came from a lack of data, not evidence of harm. She also breaks down supine hypotensive syndrome, how to spot symptoms like dizziness or nausea, and simple fixes like using an incline for pressing so you can keep the bar moving safely.

Breath is the other lightning rod. The valsalva maneuver increases stability and load capacity, and recent studies show no adverse fetal effects during short efforts. Christina shares when exhaling on exertion can reduce pelvic floor strain, how to decide between strategies based on symptoms and goals, and why birth prep means practicing the opposite of max bracing. If you’re great at holding tension, you’ll benefit from learning to let go—especially in late-stage labor when pelvic floor relaxation matters most.

This conversation is built for lifters, coaches, clinicians, and curious partners who want evidence, not fear. You’ll leave with practical benchmarks to scale effort, scripts to collaborate with your provider, and a mindset shift: adjust your strategy, not your identity. Subscribe, share with a training partner, and leave a review to help more strong parents find real guidance. What myth should we tackle next?

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Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter

You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes.

Interested in our programs? Check us out here!