Show Notes
Cycle syncing, “women aren’t small men,” and female-specific workout plans have exploded online, but the science and the practical reality are messier than the reels make it seem. We’re breaking down what’s useful, what’s overhyped, and what can accidentally push a fragility narrative that makes active women feel like they need endless rules just to train. We talk through the difference between choosing women as your audience versus claiming women must train with totally different programmin...
More from The Barbell Mamas Podcast | Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pelvic Health
A nine-month pregnant athlete runs a 5:22 mile and the internet lights up. If that makes you feel inspired, skeptical, motivated, or weirdly pressured, you are not alone and that reaction is exactly why we wanted to talk about running during pregnancy with nuance instead of slogans. We walk through why impact exercise is often the most variable part of prenatal training. Strength work and low-impact cardio are usually easier to modify, but running can reach a point where your body simply say...
Running is supposed to feel harder in pregnancy, but what if it’s the only thing that makes you feel better? We dig into a handful of fit pregnancy questions pulled straight from Reddit and give you a grounded, pelvic floor PT lens on what’s normal, what’s a red flag, and what’s simply your body asking for a different plan. We start with first trimester survival mode: why easy aerobic activity like jogging, walking, or cycling can sometimes reduce nausea and boost energy, and why lifting can...
Your second pregnancy feels harder and you can’t figure out why. The workouts that used to energize you now wipe you out, your symptoms show up sooner, and the mental loop of “I was doing so much more last time” won’t shut off. We’re naming what’s actually happening and why it’s normal, especially for active moms who care about training, strength, and feeling like themselves. We walk through four big drivers that make later pregnancies feel different: your life logistics (because you’r...
A nine-month pregnant athlete chasing a five-minute mile sounds unreal, but it’s a perfect doorway into a bigger question: how do we talk about pregnancy fitness without turning elite outliers into pressure for everyone else? I’m Christina Previtt, and I’m weighing the headlines, the physiology, and the real-life decision-making that active people face when they’re training with a bump and trying to keep their pelvic floor, joints, and nervous system on board. We also get into the Hyrox mome...
The internet has turned pregnancy into a nonstop referendum. One scroll tells you birth should be effortless and “natural,” the next insists disaster is around every corner, and somehow you are supposed to feel calm, informed, and ready to deliver a baby. I sit down eight months pregnant with my third to name what many active women are experiencing: anxiety fueled by algorithms, polarizing birth narratives, and a real lack of support when recovery does not match the highlight reel. We dig in...