Do you hate the gym? This might be diet cultures fault.
Today, I’m chatting with Maggie Lawlor, owner of Simple Strength Gym in Leixlip, who specialises in non-diet fitness for women.
Maggie first got into gym-based training as a runner trying to avoid injuries, but over the years, her passion grew. She eventually became a coach, left her job as a nurse, and took the leap to open her own gym.
We talk about:
- Making the move from nursing to coaching and how she gradually built her client base before going all in
- Her first pregnancy and how it led her deep into research on strength training for women
- The pressure on women to “bounce back” after pregnancy and why that mindset needs to change
- The physical benefits of strength training before and after birth
- How experienced lifters sometimes struggle to adjust intensity during pregnancy
- Listening to your body and why rest is not a sign of weakness
- The grip of diet culture on women and the fear of losing fitness or gaining weight instead of focusing on growing a human
- Why every woman should see a pelvic floor physio postpartum
- Running a marathon while breastfeeding (!?)
- The dangers of comparing yourself to celebrities or athletes with completely different circumstances
We then dive into Maggie’s approach at Simple Strength Gym:
- Why so many people think they hate gyms when really, they just hate the association with punishment and guilt
- How she reassures new clients—no weigh-ins, no unrealistic expectations, just movement that feels good
- The health benefits of exercise we all take for granted until they’re gone
- Why smaller studio gyms can be a better fit for people nervous about starting
- The importance of paying attention to the content you consume and how it shapes your self-image
- The sneaky ways diet culture hides in fitness challenges—if it looks like a diet, it probably is
- Why true healthy habits aren’t flashy, but they actually work
- How fitness should be simple—if someone overcomplicates it, that’s a red flag
- Accepting that some days will be better than others and that doesn’t make you a failure
Maggie finishes with some brilliant advice to leave you thinking.
To find out more or work with Maggie, you can find her at:
@simple.strength.leixlip
https://www.simplestrengthleixlip.com/
If you are interested in working with me you can find me :
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