Hot take: Working with a fitness coach should make you feel seen, supported, and strong, not intimidated or overwhelmed.

Okay, so maybe it’s not that hot of a take, but I’ve worked with many clients over the years whose primary goal in training is to feel comfortable (read seen, supported, and strong) in traditionally male-dominated spaces like the gym. And I get it, even as a female personal trainer, gyms are damn intimidating.

As a certified personal trainer who helps women build fitness routines that work for their schedules and the phase of life they’re in, from pre-pregnancy to menopause, I believe women belong in and can thrive in those spaces. My work is centered around partnering with my clients – in whatever stage of life they’re in – to help them build confidence in their bodies and their training through consistent fitness routines.

Building a consistent fitness routine can be no easy feat, either. I know the ebbs and flows that can come with life and our bodies changing, and I’m passionate about helping women maintain their movement routines in ways that work for them.

In fact, my own relationship with fitness has evolved from being a busy professional obsessed with running to a small business owner who loves to strength train and becoming a mom seeking gentle movement and calm in yoga. I believe our training (and our mindset) can adapt as long as we find movement we like that works for us.

But that can often contradict what we hear constantly from society and culture: women’s bodies should be small. Women’s bodies shouldn’t be bulky. Women’s bodies should be quiet. Ugh.

Here’s the thing: shrinking our bodies isn’t the answer to strong and healthy bodies long-term. In fact, longevity is found through movements that challenge your muscles (and your mind), create stronger bones and give you energy – not to mention resilience – to get through whatever the day may throw at you.

Let’s dive further into why working with a female personal trainer can be beneficial, what you can expect in a session together, and how truly personalized training can help you reach your goals and feel your best.

Quick Answer

A female personal trainer specializes in helping women build strength, improve fitness, and feel confident through safe, effective workouts tailored to their bodies. Whether your goal is muscle tone, weight loss, or postpartum recovery, a certified women’s fitness coach can design a plan that fits your lifestyle — focusing on form, consistency, and long-term results, not quick fixes.

Why Work with a Female Personal Trainer?

Women’s strength training is far from one size fits all.

In fact, even if you’re someone who never experiences the pregnancy or postpartum stages, in all likelihood, you have faced the cyclical body changes that having a menstrual cycle can bring, and will likely experience menopause. That means the way you train deserves a strategic approach.

Women have unique physiology, energy cycles, and hormonal changes. And no two women are alike. Pregnancy may be a breeze for one person and a complete shitshow for another. Similarly, menopause may bring on hot flashes and insomnia for one person and frozen shoulder and increased inflammation for someone else. While more and more information is coming to light about all of these stages, the research is woefully behind. The best we can do while research catches up is to use the information and insights we do have. As a personal trainer for women, it’s one of the reasons I have prioritized investing in education and coaching programs focused on the female body, as well as the pre- and postnatal and menopause stages.

As a female fitness coach, I have the opportunity to see my clients at least once a week, sometimes even more. That time together means I get to really know them: how their bodies move, what aches or pains might be creeping in, how they’re sleeping, and what’s happening in their lives outside the gym. It gives us a full picture of their health, which can make a huge difference when it comes to knowing how to team up with their healthcare providers, what to ask a doctor, or what kind of specialist to look for.

At the end of the day, a personal trainer should be a guide whose goal is to help their clients feel empowered in and by their bodies and to ultimately bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to be, while providing a safe, judgement-free space with helpful observations and guidance (not to mention a little fun!) along the way.

How Training with a Woman Feels Different

So, what does working with a female-focused coach look like?

It’s different for everyone.

Just like our bodies aren’t one size fits all, our training shouldn’t be either. My approach to personal training for women is to coach the woman in front of me. That means that some days we’ll be ready to go hard, to grab those heavy weights and see where it takes us, and other days we may focus more on gentle movements, mobility, and stretching.

We won’t push the pace just for the sake of pushing. We’ll have a strategic approach to ensure we’re working with your body and where it's at.

After all, fitness is the long game, which – another hot take incoming – means that perfection isn’t achievable. Our bodies aren’t computers. The secret sauce is in consistency. In showing up however we are when we can. It might look like 20 minutes of movement to start, but over time might build into a 45-minute workout. That consistency might lead to another day of working out and another, and slowly, over time, you’re working out 3-5 days per week.

As we build that routine, we’ll use an evidence-based approach to reach the best possible outcomes. That means we’ll use the most up-to-date information and research to help inform our training decisions, and we’ll adapt as new information and research come to light. We’ll focus on traditional training methods like creating sustainable consistency, leveraging progressive overload, and working in recovery cycles in ways that fit the bounds of your body and lifestyle. And, we’ll work to build autonomy so that you, as the client, feel empowered in your body and in what it can do.

And it won’t just be about the fitness side either (because it’s never just about fitness). We’ll work holistically to help you tune into your body from a fitness perspective, yes, but also by incorporating other variables that can impact fitness training. Think things like mindset, stress, sleep, nutrition, and recovery.

What to Expect from Whitney’s Coaching

Strength and Confidence

Our strength and functional movement training will focus on a form-first approach through consistent check-ins, appropriate progressions, and personalized feedback.

Let’s dive even further into what this looks like.

Form and Injury Prevention

We may come into training together with several goals, but first and foremost, we’ll focus on form. Nailing the form for every movement we’ll do will ensure you’ll not only stay injury-free in and outside of the gym (an incredibly important part of training together), but also that when you move in your everyday life outside of training, your body will use proper form and mechanics. This could come into play when you lift a heavy box from the ground (squat), pick your baby up out of their crib (deadlift), or reach up to water your plant with that heavy watering can (press).

Accountability and Support

Our training sessions together will be focused on open communication and consistent feedback. As a trainer, I want to know how movements feel in your body, including how challenging they might be and where you are feeling things most. This allows us to foster the development of brain/body awareness and ensure we’re using the proper muscle groups and mechanics for each movement. Open communication helps us, together, figure out how to push or modify, and also creates a level of accountability for the session and each movement.

Flexible Programming

My programming takes a phased approach, which means we’ll spend four sessions on the same sequence of exercises. This doesn’t mean things will be easy. On the contrary, a phased programming approach helps us slow things down, allowing us to understand how each movement feels in your body. We’ll use that information to level up or down as we go, again always emphasizing proper form and mechanics. What this allows is for us to both ensure we’re safely progressing, tracking that progress, and leveling appropriately. I promise each session will be filled with sweat, endorphins, and some great challenges.

You can explore more about my coaching ethos and in-person or virtual training options here.

Personalized Training for Every Life Stage

I believe everyone can start a fitness routine, regardless of their age or stage of life. The first step is taking small action. Maybe it’s contacting a coach (here’s how to get in touch with me if you’re intrigued), going for a short walk, or fitting 10 minutes of gentle movements into your day.

As a new client, we’ll start with a conversation about your fitness history, where you’re at currently, the goals you’re looking to achieve, and anything else you think it’s important I know. From there, I’ll conduct a short movement assessment to help inform where we should start our sessions together. In addition to the goals you may have, my goal as your personal trainer is to make sure your body is moving well to set you up for success in your everyday life and to help you avoid injuries long-term.

Beyond that, here’s what you can expect training to look like (at least in the beginning) for some of the larger life phases that women may experience:

General Beginner to Advanced Clients

We’ll start with a customized program that builds a solid base of strength, focused first around fundamental movements (think squats and deadlifts), developing or advancing core stability, and integrating mobility work into every session. We’ll work with your body and the phase it’s in to protect your bone density, build muscle, and boost your energy in every session.

Prenatal & Postpartum Training

Movement in the prenatal and postpartum periods can be varied by session (and honestly even by day). In the prenatal period, we’ll move in a way that helps support your growing body and baby with a focus on “prehab,” meaning our programs will be built to prepare you for the next stage of pregnancy, birth, and help build a level of strength that can support you in the early days and weeks of the postpartum period. Similarly, we’ll focus postnatal recovery on strengthening the core (and often the brain/body connection) through breathwork, gentle movement, and mobility work that supports your body and the movements you’re doing in your everyday life as you adjust to life with a baby.

Strength Training for Women Over 40

Strength training is an incredibly important part of any well-rounded fitness program, especially in your 40s and beyond. Strength training not only feels empowering, but it also challenges and ultimately strengthens muscles, which increases pressure on bones, making them stronger. In this phase, we’ll also focus generally on keeping your body mobile and increasing core strength and stability.

Remember, if you’re new to fitness or restarting again, the key is to take that first step. Action always precedes motivation. By taking one small step, then another and another, over time, you’ll find you’re more motivated to workout and feeling stronger and more confident in what you and your body can do. You’ve got this!

Success Stories and Results

Here are some recent clients I’ve worked with and the changes – including building strength, energy, and confidence – they’ve experienced:

"I would highly recommend Whitney to be anyone’s personal trainer. Especially if you’re new to personal training like me. Admittedly, I was a little anxious about taking the first step. I’m so glad I did, and now looking back, I don’t know why it took me so long! I’ve always been intimidated by gyms, especially the equipment, but Whitney helps you feel right at home. Strength training has given me such confidence in my life. What I didn’t realize is how much stronger this commitment would make me mentally. Whitney has opened my eyes to all of the benefits that working out has to offer. Having a fitness coach has helped me understand my body and its potential in ways I’d never get to on my own. Whitney is encouraging, funny, and very talented. I can say with pride this has been the best commitment I’ve made to myself." - Jemma C., Co-Founder and Creative Director

"I came to Whitney very much out of shape, feeling overwhelmed and lacking confidence in myself to start moving again. Whitney did a great job listening, validating, and easing me back into exercise while simultaneously building my strength and stamina pretty quickly! I look forward to my sessions and have seen my body and confidence change within a few months thanks to Whitney!" - Rebecca S., Psychologist

“Working with Whitney is amazing. She's understanding, patient, kind, and very flexible with varying fitness levels. I never felt shame for where I am or pressure to do more than what feels good to me. I HIGHLY recommend working with her! I did 1:1 training via Zoom, so I didn't have to leave my house and got in a great workout with her expert guidance. Definitely reach out to her!!” - Erin Leigh P., Digital Content Creator

How to Get Started

Ready to take that first step? Let’s do it together! Here’s how to get started:

Book an intro call here.
Come to that call ready to discuss your goals, schedule, and fitness background.
If you’re ready to get started, we’ll schedule time for your initial assessment, and I’ll create a customized plan for your first training session!

Book your free intro call here.

FAQs

A personalized, strategic approach to fitness training. I understand that no two women, and no two women’s experiences, are alike. My coaching philosophy is to train the woman in front of me and to adjust accordingly. We’ll use an evidence-based approach, combined with your own personal experience, to ensure you’re getting the most out of your training to help you achieve your goals and feel your best while you do it.
You can train as often as you like! Generally, if you’re new to training, I recommend starting with one session per week and progressing from there.
Absolutely not! We can work together to build a fitness routine, regardless of whether you’ve never trained or have been working out your entire life.
Yes! As an online personal trainer for women, I offer virtual sessions from anywhere, and we can work with the gear you have available to you.
Personal training is just that - a personal experience! You should have a level of comfort with your trainer, feel you’re able to openly and truthfully communicate with them, and feel confident in the programming they’re creating for you.

A great fitness trainer should make you feel seen, supported, and strong with programming that is tailored to your body and goals. Beyond that, though, they should help you feel more connected to your body and what it can do. Working with a female personal trainer can help you navigate whatever stage you may be in and help you adapt your training accordingly to fit your body and lifestyle.

Are you ready to feel stronger, more capable, and confident in what your body can do? Let’s work together to get you feeling your strongest through a customized approach that gives you more energy and sustainable results.

Set up an intro call today!