Strong is trainer Krissy Cela’s new and improved gym workout program, created for the EvolveYou app. Designed with research and feedback from over 100,000 women using EvolveYou workouts, Krissy has curated beginner, intermediated, advanced and expert level workout programs for every woman wanting to strengthen their workout routines!

Strong is a mixture of hypertrophy and strength training, with progressive overloading. Let’s take a closer look at what this all means:

What is hypertrophy training?

Hypertrophy training focuses on an increase in muscle strength, size and growth. Hypertrophy training supports the definition, tone and growth of muscles during and after exercise. By challenging yourself with heavier weights (imagine a score of 7/10 in terms of how heavy it feels for you) you will strengthen and build your muscles, improve your endurance and over time, see muscle definition too.

Hypertrophy training also focuses on experiencing muscle fatigue - this doesn’t mean pushing yourself until failure, it means challenging your muscles and putting them under tension as you exercise. For example, it may mean performing a tricep extension and slowing down the movement to keep the muscles under tension for a longer period of time (around 3-5 seconds).

Hypertrophy training will challenge, strengthen and define your muscles with the appropriate nutrition too. It’s a great way to train to feel strong, confident and empowered!

What is strength training?

Strength Training is usually defined as heavy lifting, where you can perform a maximum of 3-7 reps at a time. This type of training focuses on fewer reps, with heavier loads. It’s important to prepare your body as needed before each set, followed by 2-3 mins of rest.

Strength training is designed to improve muscular endurance throughout your whole body and, of course, your strength. Make sure you pay attention to the video demos in the EvolveYou app to ensure you are performing each exercise properly and safely.

What is progressive overload training?

Like its name, progressive overload is challenging your body to progress within your workouts over a period of time. This is most commonly by increasing the ‘load’ (weights), however it could also be increasing your sets, reps or changing the exercises in your workout too. The key principle behind progressive overload is to continue to challenge your body and avoid a plateau. It keeps you on track and feeling stronger week by week.

You would usually incorporate progressive overload into your workout routine every 3-4 weeks. This ensures discipline and consistency are maintained as you go from strength to strength!

What does Strong with Krissy look like?

The Strong plan will still give you the option to choose between a 3 day or 5 day workout split. You will also be able to choose your level.

Beginner: choose this level if you’re new to the gym, want to build your confidence with minimal equipment and would like to start building some confidence. The alternatives also mean you can start it at home too!

Intermediate: This is the level for you if you’re feeling fairly confident in the gym and have been training for 8-12 months with free weights.

Advanced: the perfect level for those who know their way around all gym equipment and have been training for a good 2-3 years

Expert: for those with a great deal of experience and confidence in the gym with a range of workout styles, including progressive overload and hypertrophy. If you’re looking for a new challenge, then this is the level for you!

Across all levels, each workout ranges between 40-50 minutes and the brand new optional ‘Burners’ (replacing finishers) will increase with intensity as the program develops.

Every exercise comes with an alternative and the guide will take you through a range of equipment, form and technique. Krissy swears by compound movements and has gone from strength to strength by making compound movements foundational in all of her workouts. Expect a range of squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts and shoulder press movements too! This is the guide you absolutely need to build your strength!

Every workout in Strong with Krissy has been designed with the EvolveYou community in mind: a diverse and wholly inclusive community of wonderful women. This guide will make every single woman feel strong, empowered, confident and ultimately happy. Krissy wants you to know strength training is for women and women can train to be strong and be themselves at the same time.

Krissy is determined to break the barriers associated with strength training for women. She wants to dispel the myths around ‘muscles are just for men’ and show women just how beneficial strength training is for female health. This guide normalises lifting heavy, embracing the burn and feeling strong and confident for all women!

Try Strong with Krissy now and join a wonderful community of like-minded women who will encourage, support and lift you up every step of the way!