Lisa
When Lisa first walked into Poseidon Performance, she didn’t walk in like someone who was about to start lifting her own bodyweight.
She walked in like most people do in their mid 50s.
A little unsure.
A little apprehensive.
Polite, capable but clearly wondering, “Is this really for me?”
Her goal was simple: she wanted to get stronger.
Not to compete.
Not to transform her physique.
Not to prove anything to anyone.
She just didn’t want to feel like she was gradually getting weaker.
The First Step: Just Turning Up
Initial assessments can be intimidating. New equipment. New terminology. Barbells instead of resistance bands. A structured environment rather than a casual “exercise class.”
Lisa was nervous and that’s normal.
But she committed to trying a group class.
That decision changed everything.
The environment wasn’t chaotic. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t ego-driven. It was coached, structured, and capped at small numbers. Everyone was there for the same reason: to improve, not to perform.
By her third session, I asked her how she was finding it.
Her response was immediate.
“I LOVE IT.”
Not “it’s okay.”
Not “I’ll see how it goes.”
“I LOVE IT.”
That shift from apprehension to enthusiasm is often the real turning point.
The Strength Came Quickly
Because Lisa didn’t need motivation. She needed structure.
With proper coaching, progressive loading, and technical feedback, her strength increased steadily. Movement patterns improved. Confidence followed.
Today, she is lifting her own bodyweight for repetitions.
For many women in their 60s, that sentence feels almost unrealistic. But it shouldn’t be.
Bodyweight strength is not extreme. It is functional capacity. It means:
You can control your own mass.
You have reserve strength.
Your joints are supported.
Your bones are being challenged in a positive way.
Your nervous system is engaged and adapting.
The most dramatic change, however, hasn’t just been the numbers.
It’s her presence in the gym.
She walks in differently now. She approaches the bar differently. She doesn’t look around wondering if she belongs.
She knows she does.
Why This Matters for Women Over 50
There is a persistent narrative that strength training is for younger people, or that after 50 the focus should shift to “gentle movement.”
That narrative is limiting.
The body responds to load at any age, when it is applied intelligently.
Strength training in your 50s is not about chasing records. It’s about:
Preserving independence
Protecting bone density
Maintaining muscle mass
Preventing frailty
Retaining confidence
Lisa didn’t need to be pushed. She needed to be guided.
And once she experienced what properly coached strength feels like challenging but safe, structured but supportive — the fear disappeared.
What replaced it was ownership.
The Real Transformation
The most important change has not been aesthetic.
It’s psychological.
From nervous at assessment…
To committed in a group…
To lifting her own bodyweight for reps…
To confidently saying, “I love it.”
That is what strength for life looks like.
Not extreme.
Not intimidating.
Just progressive, coached, and sustainable.
For women in Dartmouth in their 50s, 60s and beyond who are unsure whether they can lift, whether they should lift, or whether they’ll “fit in”
Lisa is your answer.
You can.
And you might just love it too.
