Beyond Status: Strong Arms Are Defining A New Age Of Women’s Fitness

Publisher:

mindbodygreen: well-rounded well-being for a life well lived

Published: 12/11/2025

Language:English

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Ziggy

Good morning, svhtcb2gxw. I'm Ziggy, and this is Goose Pod for you. Today is Tuesday, December 16th. The clock has just struck 20:08, and the world is turning, though perhaps a bit faster for some than others. I am joined, as always, by the luminous Holly.

Holly

Oh, Ziggy, you do have a way with words! Hello, svhtcb2gxw. It is such a pleasure to be here with you. We have a truly fascinating topic today: Beyond Status: Strong Arms Are Defining A New Age Of Women’s Fitness. It sounds absolutely empowering, doesn't it?

Ziggy

Empowering, yes, but also a fascinating shift in the visual lexicon of society. We are looking at a trend where the sculpted bicep is replacing the designer handbag as the ultimate accessory. But unlike a handbag, you cannot simply purchase it on a whim. It requires sweat.

Holly

That is a lovely way to put it. It is about dedication. The article mentions that strong arms are becoming a modern emblem of female empowerment. It is not just about looking a certain way, but about reclaiming strength and taking up space. I find that sentiment just wonderful.

Ziggy

Taking up space is a revolutionary act when history has told you to shrink. And the data supports this rebellion. Planet Fitness is removing forty percent of its cardio machines to make room for strength equipment. The treadmill is being usurped by the dumbbell. A changing of the guard, physically.

Holly

Forty percent! That is a massive shift. And Strava reported a twenty-five percent increase in strength training uploads among women in 2024. It is the fastest-growing sport for women on their platform. It seems women are collectively deciding that being strong is simply better than being small.

Ziggy

It is a shift from the aesthetic of deprivation to the aesthetic of capability. Kristin McGee, the yoga instructor, noted that we are no longer told to be toned but not too muscular. We are crossing a threshold. But, svhtcb2gxw, we must also consider the digital ghost in the machine.

Holly

The digital ghost? Oh, you mean the technology driving this? The article does mention apps like Peloton and EvolveYou helping women train smarter. Two million people are using Peloton for strength training now. Surely that accessibility is a good thing?

Ziggy

Accessibility is the golden key, certainly. But consider the double-edged sword. We have memories of fitness apps that promise health but deliver anxiety. They gamify our existence. You miss a workout, and the notification shames you. It is a pocket-sized drill sergeant that never sleeps.

Holly

I suppose that is true. If the goal is empowerment, feeling shame because of an app notification seems counterproductive. True strength should feel liberating, not like another chore on a to-do list. But I do love that women are finding their 'why', as Angela Gargano puts it.

Ziggy

Precisely. Gargano, the Ninja Warrior, talks about defining your own version of strong. Is it to lift your children? To carry the groceries in one trip? That is functional poetry. It is real. Unlike the curated perfection we often see, this strength has a purpose beyond the mirror.

Holly

And it is so much more inclusive. Senada Greca mentioned that strength is not reserved for those with privilege or perfect routines. It is built in the quiet moments. Five minutes a day. It is such a gentle, forgiving approach compared to the 'all or nothing' mentality of the past.

Ziggy

The quiet moments. I like that. It suggests that the revolution is happening in living rooms and garages, not just in high-end studios. But svhtcb2gxw, to understand where we are going with these strong arms, we have to understand the rather fragile history we are leaving behind.

Holly

You are right. It is not just a trend for 2025; it is a response to decades, even centuries, of being told to be something else entirely. It is quite a journey we have been on to get to this point where a woman lifting weights is celebrated rather than critiqued.

Ziggy

Indeed. It is a narrative arc that bends towards the barbell. The stats are clear: women account for over fifty percent of lifting platform usage at Crunch Fitness. The gyms are changing because the women inside them have changed. The architecture is adapting to the inhabitant.

Ziggy

Let us cast our minds back, svhtcb2gxw. Not too long ago, the very idea of a woman with visible muscle was considered a societal error. In the Victorian era, the ideal was the corset. A woman's body was a tool for marriageability, sculpted by male desire, not her own agency.

Holly

Oh, it sounds terribly suffocating, doesn't it? The article mentions that historically, a woman's body was her best survival tool in patriarchal societies. You had to fit the mold to survive. Literally shrinking yourself to fit into society's expectations. How absolutely exhausting that must have been.

Ziggy

Exhausting and damaging. It created what is called 'infiltrated consciousness'. You begin to believe the external limitations are your own internal truths. Even in the early 20th century, women were discouraged from strenuous exercise. They thought it would make them infertile! Can you imagine?

Holly

It seems so silly now, but those beliefs were powerful. I recall reading about the early Olympics—women were limited to just a few sports because others were deemed 'unladylike'. The 800-meter race was banned for decades because they thought it was too strenuous. We were considered so fragile.

Ziggy

Fragility was the currency. But then came the disruptors. Jack LaLanne, for instance. He was a voice in the wilderness, encouraging women to lift weights and challenging the myth that they would instantly become 'bulky'. He saw the human machine, regardless of gender.

Holly

And then Title IX in 1972. That was a watershed moment, wasn't it? Before that, fewer than three hundred thousand girls played high school sports. Today, it is over three million. That legislation literally opened the playing field. It gave girls permission to sweat and compete.

Ziggy

Permission to be physical. But even with participation, the aesthetic ideal lagged behind. Think of the 1980s and 90s. The Jane Fonda era. It was about aerobics, burning calories, being 'toned'. 'Toned' is such a polite, safe word. It means 'muscle, but don't scare anyone'.

Holly

Yes, 'toned but not too muscular'. That was the mantra. We admired Michelle Obama's arms, or Jessica Biel's, but they were seen as exceptions, weren't they? Almost genetic anomalies rather than the result of hard work that any woman could aspire to. It was admiration from a distance.

Ziggy

Precisely. It was a spectator sport. Now, with social media, for all its faults, we see the process. We see the sweat. We see the 'ugly' lifting face. It demystifies the result. But svhtcb2gxw, the shadow of the past is long. We are still fighting the 'stay small' undercurrent.

Holly

It is true. The article mentions that poor body image is still a public health crisis. A survey in Australia found nearly eighty-eight percent of adolescent girls were concerned about their bodies. So while we are lifting weights, we are still carrying the heavy burden of societal expectation.

Ziggy

That is the paradox. We have moved from the corset to the calorie counter to the barbell, but the gaze remains. The article speaks of a 'cultural awakening' where strength is self-leadership. It is a beautiful concept, but one that battles against centuries of programming that equates smallness with worth.

Holly

I think that is why this shift to 'performance' is so vital. When you focus on what your body can *do*—like that unassisted pull-up or carrying a toddler without strain—it changes the conversation with yourself. You are no longer an object to be viewed, but a subject acting on the world.

Ziggy

Subjectivity! That is the key. And look at the icons now. Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Tia-Clair Toomey. These are women who dominate space. They do not apologize for their quadriceps. They use them to fly. It is a visual language that young girls are finally learning to speak.

Holly

And it is not just about professional athletes. It is about the woman next door. The article mentions that women are realizing strength deepens their femininity rather than diminishing it. That is such a lovely realization. You can be strong and soft, powerful and graceful. They are not mutually exclusive.

Ziggy

We are dismantling the binary. But history teaches us that for every action, there is a reaction. The rise of the strong woman challenges the status quo, and the status quo often bites back. The transition from 'ladylike' to 'strong' is not without its friction points.

Holly

Yes, the 'bulky' fear is still there, isn't it? Senada Greca mentioned that there is still an undertone in the media that praises strength only when it fits a specific aesthetic—small and lean. If you step outside that box, you risk being labeled 'masculine'. We haven't quite escaped the labels yet.

Ziggy

Labels are sticky things. And this brings us to the present moment, svhtcb2gxw. We are in a time of great change, but the conflict between the old world of 'shrinking' and the new world of 'growing' is playing out in real-time, often on the screens in our hands.

Holly

It is a fascinating time to be alive, witnessing this evolution. From the Victorian fainting couch to the squat rack. It is quite the journey. And I believe understanding this history helps us appreciate just how significant those forty percent of cardio machines leaving Planet Fitness really are.

Ziggy

It is physical proof of a philosophical shift. We are witnessing the reclamation of the physical form. But as we shall see, the battle for autonomy over one's body is far from over. The critics have simply changed their vocabulary.

Ziggy

So, svhtcb2gxw, we have established that women are getting stronger. But let us not pretend the world is suddenly a utopia of acceptance. The media, that hydra-headed beast, still demands a pound of flesh. Or perhaps, demands that you have no flesh at all, or just the right amount.

Holly

It is terribly confusing, isn't it? The article discusses the body shaming of Lady Gaga after the Superbowl, calling her 'overweight'. And then, in the same breath, we have the commentary on Ariana Grande being 'too thin'. It seems no matter what a woman looks like, it is open season for public comment.

Ziggy

The Goldilocks syndrome. You must not be too fat, nor too thin. You must be strong, but not 'bulky'. It is a tightrope walk over a pit of crocodiles. The article mentions how comments on women's bodies, even when framed as 'concern', are just shaming in a cheap disguise.

Holly

Yes, the 'concern' trolling. 'I am just worried about her health.' It is so intrusive. Dr. Elizabeth Wassenaar points out that commenting on weight reinforces the idea that we are not worth more than our bodies. It tells every person listening that their value is tied to their vessel.

Ziggy

And this obsession with the 'vessel' has dangerous consequences. We recall the tragedy of the Russian fitness influencer who died after a stunt involving a ten thousand calorie diet. It was an extreme marketing ploy for viral fame. The digital coliseum demanded a spectacle, and he paid with his life.

Holly

Oh, that is just tragic. It highlights the dark side of this fitness boom. The pressure to be visible, to be extreme, to get the likes. It can lead to such unhealthy behaviors. The article mentions the fear of 'social contagion' of eating disorders, especially with young girls looking up to stars like Ariana Grande.

Ziggy

It is the mimetic desire. We want what we see. And if we see extreme thinness or extreme muscularity presented as the 'ideal', we chase it. Even if it breaks us. The 'Body Positivity' movement tried to create a taboo on body commentary, but the article suggests we are sliding back.

Holly

It seems we are. Concepts like 'wellness' and these new weight-loss treatments have brought bodies back into the conversation. It is almost as if we are allowed to judge again if we use medical terminology. But as Kate Manne says, 'My body is for me, your body is for you.'

Ziggy

A simple philosophy that is incredibly hard to practice. The media praises strength, but only when it fits a 'specific aesthetic'. Angela Gargano mentioned she was made fun of for her arms in elementary school. The very thing that makes her a Ninja Warrior now was a source of tears then.

Holly

That breaks my heart. To be teased for being capable! It shows how deep the programming goes. We associate femininity with smallness. If a woman takes up space, physically, she is challenging the order of things. It is a rebellion, and rebellions are always met with resistance.

Ziggy

Resistance is the correct word. We are fighting the ghost of the 'weaker sex' myth. And the conflict isn't just external. It is internal. Women are told to build muscle for longevity, but they fear looking 'manly'. It is a psychological tug-of-war. The mirror becomes a battlefield.

Holly

But I do hope that by focusing on how we *feel*—empowered, capable, healthy—we can quiet those external voices. The article says that defining your own version of strong means defining your 'why'. If your 'why' is strong enough, perhaps the critics matter less.

Ziggy

Perhaps. But we must remain vigilant. The line between 'fitness' and 'obsession' is thin. We have apps that track every calorie, every step. It is easy to lose oneself in the data and forget the human. We must ensure that 'strong' does not become just another impossible standard to fail at.

Holly

Agreed. We need kindness. Kindness towards ourselves and towards others. As Ariana Grande said, we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people's bodies. It is a simple request, but it would change the world if we actually listened.

Ziggy

Indeed. The silence of judgment would be a welcome sound. But let us move from the conflict of the mind to the impact on the world. Because this shift to strength is not just changing silhouettes; it is changing economies. Money, as they say, follows the muscle.

Ziggy

Now, svhtcb2gxw, let's follow the money. The wellness economy is a juggernaut. We are talking about a sector worth six point eight trillion dollars, projected to hit nearly ten trillion by 2029. That is not just a trend; that is a global financial power. Wellness is the new oil.

Holly

Ten trillion! That is simply staggering. It is fascinating to see that wellness now outpaces tourism and sports. It seems we are investing in ourselves more than ever. And strength training is a huge part of that. It is becoming a currency of health, as Senada Greca puts it.

Ziggy

A currency indeed. But notice how capitalism adapts. We have the memory of the 'Break' device—a sculptural stretching tool that gamifies posture. You sit up straight, you get a coffee. It turns health into a transaction. We are monetizing our own maintenance. It is clever, and slightly dystopian.

Holly

Oh, I see your point. It is a bit like we need a reward for taking care of ourselves. But if it helps people stand taller, is it so bad? The impact on health is undeniable. The article mentions grip strength as a biomarker for longevity. We are literally holding onto life longer.

Ziggy

That is the undeniable upside. The impact on women's health, specifically, is profound. We are talking about perimenopause and menopause. Strength training is not just vanity; it is a shield against bone loss, cognitive decline, and metabolic disease. It is armor for aging.

Holly

That is what I find most comforting. The idea that we can actively shape our future health. The study on twins showing that leg power correlates with more grey matter in the brain—that is incredible! Leg strength impacting the brain. It connects the body and mind in such a tangible way.

Ziggy

It refutes the Cartesian dualism that separates mind and body. We are one system. And the market knows this. Longevity clinics are popping up in malls. Biomarker testing is becoming as common as a manicure. We are entering an era of 'precision longevity'. But it comes with a price tag.

Holly

It does. Access is always a question. But the knowledge itself—that lifting weights helps prevent Alzheimer's and heart disease—that is free. And with 25% more women lifting on Strava, it seems the message is getting through. We are realizing that muscles are a 'vital longevity organ'.

Ziggy

'Vital longevity organ'. I like that phrasing. It rebrands muscle from a sign of brute force to a sign of enduring life. The impact extends to the workplace too. Studies show strength training reduces musculoskeletal pain for women in all occupations. It is not just for the gym; it is for the daily grind.

Holly

So the impact is economic, yes, but also deeply personal and societal. We are building a generation of women who will be stronger, more mobile, and more independent into their seventies and eighties. That changes the entire landscape of aging. It is a hopeful future, I think.

Ziggy

Hopeful, provided we can afford the entrance fee to the wellness temple. But yes, a stronger population is a more resilient one. And speaking of the future, svhtcb2gxw, what does the crystal ball hold for 2026? The article gives us a glimpse, and it is rather science fiction.

Ziggy

The future, svhtcb2gxw, is apparently full of peptides and electricity. We are looking at trends like the 'Wolverine Pack'—compounds like BPC-157 designed to accelerate repair. We are moving from 'fitness' to 'regenerative engineering'. We are hacking the biological code.

Holly

It sounds a bit intense, doesn't it? But also promising. The idea of recovering faster so we can keep moving is lovely. And Electrical Muscle Stimulation, or EMS? The article says it can help increase muscle mass for those who can't lift heavy. That sounds like a wonderful tool for accessibility.

Ziggy

Indeed. It democratizes the contraction. And then there is Urolithin A, trending for mitochondrial health. We are zooming in from the bicep to the cell. The focus is shifting from how we look in a mirror to how our mitochondria look under a microscope. It is 'inside-out' fitness.

Holly

And DEXA scans becoming standard! Knowing your bone density and body composition accurately. It empowers women, especially over forty, to track real progress, not just weight. It is about function and health span. Living healthier for longer, not just chasing a 'superhuman' status.

Ziggy

The article predicts that by 2026, strong arms will be functional, not just aesthetic. We will track grip strength and recovery time. We will compete against ourselves. It is a maturation of the movement. We are growing up, and we are growing strong. The 'strong-arm trend' is building to something bigger.

Holly

I love that. 'Women celebrating muscle and embracing what it does for them.' It is a beautiful horizon to look towards. Strength as a form of self-respect. I think that is a lesson we can all take into our own lives, starting today.

Ziggy

Self-respect with a side of heavy lifting. I don't know where I'm going from here, svhtcb2gxw, but I promise it won't be boring. Especially not with a pair of dumbbells in hand. Thank you for lending us your ears today.

Holly

It has been an absolute delight, svhtcb2gxw. Thank you for listening to Goose Pod. Remember to be kind to yourself and celebrate your strength in whatever form it takes. See you tomorrow!

Women's fitness is shifting from aesthetics to strength, with sculpted arms becoming a symbol of empowerment. This trend reflects a historical move away from societal pressure to be small, embracing capability and self-leadership. Data shows increased strength training among women, highlighting a focus on performance, longevity, and reclaiming agency.

Read original at mindbodygreen: well-rounded well-being for a life well lived →

What The Toned Arms Aesthetic Really Means For Women’s HealthAuthor:December 11, 2025December 11, 2025Take a look at your social feed, a magazine cover, or even your barista, and it’s clear that women’s upper-body strength is having a moment. From the viral “11 Push-Ups” challenge to the endless list of celebrities choosing biceps as their new favorite accessory, strong arms are quickly becoming a modern emblem of female empowerment.

I won’t deny there’s an aesthetic component, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting your body to look a certain way. But the trend of women with visibly toned arms signifies something deeper—dedication, consistency, and the reclaiming of strength as something worth celebrating. It’s a cultural moment we’ve been excited to witness, but we believe it’s only the first wave of the many new ways women are pushing back against old paradigms of body image, prioritizing their health, showcasing their hard work, and telling the world, “I am not afraid to take up space.

”In the coming year, we’ll see strong arms become less of a novelty and more of a standard, but we aren’t stopping there.To explore this exciting shift in the female form, I consulted a few fitness experts to understand how we got here and where it’s going. Meet our experts:World-Class Trainer Senada GrecaSenada Greca is a globally celebrated trainer, entrepreneur, and founder of WeRise, a world-leading fitness and self-development platform for women.

She combines science-backed strength training, intelligent nutrition, and mindset coaching to help women build not just stronger bodies, but stronger lives.Yoga & Pilates Instructor Kristin McGeeKristin McGee is a nationally recognized yoga and Pilates teacher, speaker, mompreneur, and author who pioneered the launch of Peloton’s yoga and Pilates program, and recently branched out on her own to launch Kristin McGee Movement.

6x American Ninja Warrior Angela GarganoAngela Gargano is a keynote speaker, 6x American Ninja Warrior, Miss Fitness America, 3x Covergirl biochemist-turned-coach, and founder of the Pull-Up Revolution.Behind the aestheticWhen a woman has visibly defined arms, it’s not just genetic luck. You can’t be given sculpted shoulders and triceps that pop.

It’s also not a status symbol of money and privilege (though of course, having a personal trainer couldn’t hurt). After all, push-ups, tricep dips, and pull-ups are free. But building strength certainly does take time. If you see a woman with noticeable muscle tone in her arms, or lifting some seriously heavy things (beyond the mental load, of course), it’s the physical manifestation of months or years of hard work.

She is showing up again and again and consistently prioritizing that part of her health.“I love it. Strong arms on women signal confidence, capability, and the shift away from shrinking ourselves. We’re no longer told to be ‘toned but not too muscular.’ We are claiming our strength and visibility,” says Kristin McGee, renowned yoga and Pilates instructor and founder of Kristin McGee Movement.

It also represents a shift from a culture that (rightfully so) long admired Jessica Biel and Michelle Obama’s arms in a vacuum to one that now understands what it takes to build and maintain strength.“Strength and muscles are not reserved for people with extra time, privilege, or perfect routines. They are built in the quiet moments no one sees, when you choose yourself even in small ways, by showing up, no matter what, even with five minutes a day,” notes Senada Greca, celebrity trainer and founder of WeRise.

“This shift is such a beautiful sign of where we’re headed in women’s wellness. For so long, fitness messaging focused on shrinking. Now women are embracing the idea that building muscle enhances health, boosts longevity, and supports hormonal balance among many other things,” she adds.Strong arms on women signal confidence, capability, and the shift away from shrinking ourselves.

We’re no longer told to be ‘toned but not too muscular.’ We are claiming our strength and visibility.A revolution for body imageFor decades, women have been told their bodies need to check a series of boxes. And even in recent years, as strength training began to take hold of women everywhere, the general consensus was that they should be “toned,” not bulky.

The undercurrent of the message is the same as years prior: stay small.The increasing visibility of strong female bodies matters. It chips away at the long-held belief that fitness equals smallness. Greca believes this shift reflects a cultural awakening.“When women show their strength, it’s not just physical, it’s a reflection of ownership, confidence, and self-leadership.

It’s a statement of feeling proud for taking up space and being visible,” she explains.Still, media representation can lag. Many women feel that muscularity is only celebrated when it fits a particular mold.“There’s still an undertone in the media that praises strength only when it fits inside a specific aesthetic… small, lean, and narrowly defined… otherwise you’re labeled ‘not feminine’ or ‘masculine,’” says Greca.

“Personally, I was made fun of for my arms so much when I was in elementary school that I left crying,” 6x Ninja Warrior and founder of Pull-Up Revolution, Angela Gargano recalls. “Now, I love the change. It’s just really helping women step into their power.”The true value of strengthUpper-body strength goes way beyond showing off that backless dress or high-neck tank; it offers tangible health benefits.

“Muscles are a currency of health. It’s how well we support our future self and our quality of life and longevity,” says GrecaGrip strength, in particular, is a validated biomarker of longevity, and it’s something that we simultaneously support every time we pick up a dumbbell or do any other form of lifting.

“Strength training improves bone density, metabolic health, posture, mood, long-term vitality, and not to mention that it reduces so many disease states, from cardiovascular disease to Alzheimer’s,” says Greca. “Body shape has little to do with it.”With the rise of women embracing perimenopause head-on and learning about the associated health risks, from bone and muscle loss to cognitive decline, sleep problems, weight gain, and mood dysregulation, it’s important to keep strength training in our back pockets as an extremely valuable ally as we age.

Markets & muscles, growing togetherThroughout 2025, we saw a surge in women embracing hypertrophy training and functional fitness, and we anticipate this is only the beginning. Women are now driving record-high interest in weightlifting while training smarter for their unique frames. This growing demand for strength has led Planet Fitness to plan to remove >40% of its cardio machines across 1.

7K locations and replace them with strength equipment. And Crunch Fitness CEO Jim Rowley says that women now account for 50%+ of their lifting platform usage. On Strava, strength training uploads climbed 25% in 2024, making it the fastest-growing sport among women. Peloton reported, as of the start of Q4 2025, that 2 million people use their app for strength training, which is now its second-most-popular category.

Globally, the health and fitness club market size was valued at over 104 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach over 202 billion by 2030. The data reflects a cultural pivot and something we’ve excitedly been tracking for years: Strength is for the long-haul. In our 2023 Well-Being Forecast, we highlighted the rise of muscle as a vital longevity organ, and in our 2024 Well-Being Forecast we anticipated that weight lifting would gain new traction in women’s fitness.

Now, we’re seeing the results pay off and get the attention they deserve. Once someone gets the muscle-building bug, they aren’t going to quit—they’re hooked for life. Strength is now a mainstream pursuit, women are here for it, and aesthetics are only a byproduct of the full-body benefits. Women are realizing strength deepens their femininity rather than diminishing it.

It helps them feel more confident, more capable, and more at home in their bodies.Muscles are for everyone“I truly believe women are entering a new era of wellness, one where upper-body strength becomes essential, not intimidating,” says Greca. “What excites me most is that women are realizing strength deepens their femininity rather than diminishing it.

It helps them feel more confident, more capable, and more at home in their bodies.”“This trend signifies empowerment. Women are embracing muscles as symbols of vitality and self-respect, not something to hide. I think it’s a beautiful cultural moment,” McGee adds.So, what does strong look like for you?

Maybe it’s one unassisted pull-up. Maybe it’s 10 pushups. Maybe it’s simply carrying your toddler upstairs without strain.“I encourage women to define ‘strong’ based on how well and empowered they feel: Are you more supported? More healthy? More confident? More capable? Strength isn’t just about how we look… it’s the most personal form of wellness,” says Greca.

“I think that defining your own version of strong means really sitting down and defining your why,” says Gargano. “Is your why that you want to work out so that you’re stronger and healthier and can play with your kids and lift them over your head?… It really comes back to the deeper reason as to why you’re doing it."

What's to comeAs we look ahead to 2026, the strong-arm trend is moving from aesthetic to functional. We’ll see more women track grip strength, progressive overload, pull-up progress, and recovery time and, most importantly, compete against themselves. We’ll see them post about their gains and celebrate their strong bodies, despite the number on the scale or their dress size.

Strong-arms might have been the chosen visual aid of the women’s strength movement this year, but they’re building to something bigger (no pun intended): Women celebrating muscle and embracing what it does for them, not just how it looks on them. Perhaps sculpted quads and powerful thighs will be next, as women challenge themselves with heavier loads and lean into the unobvious but proven benefits of growing specific muscle groups.

Leg strength1, for example, directly impacts brain signaling and neurological function. Studies on twins2 even show those with greater leg power have more grey matter and better cognitive aging than their sibling—something definitely worth considering if we’re going to pick a new body part to praise.

But better yet, let’s prioritize muscle as a whole and spread the message to every women that she can build it. As the coming year unfolds, may we continue to choose strength as a form of self-respect, see it as the standard and not the exception, and enjoy the reminder that we are allowed to take up space.

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