Recently, a client asked me a great question:
"What do you consider solid standards for women to get the best results?"

I loved this question — because it shows the mindset of someone who’s serious about their progress. So, let’s dive into it.

First and foremost, step one is simple:
If you’re getting better in the gym — lifting more, moving better, staying consistent — you’re winning.

But if you want a concrete set of physical standards to aim for, here’s what I recommend for women:

Strength Goals

• Squat: 1.5x bodyweight

• Deadlift: 2x bodyweight

• Bench Press: 1x bodyweight

• Overhead Press: 0.75x bodyweight

• Chin-Up: 5 bodyweight reps, plus 0.25x bodyweight attached

• Hip Thrust: 2.5x bodyweight

Conditioning Goals

• 5km run: Under 30 minutes

• 10km run: Under 60 minutes

Pro Tip: If you want to reach an elite level — make these your 10-rep maxes, not just single reps.
Achieving this means you won't just look fit, you'll be strong, resilient, and capable.

The Behaviours That Separate Winners

Having strong numbers is great, but your behaviours day-to-day will make or break your long-term results.
Here’s the foundation:

• Standardise all your reps: Good form, consistent tempo. It's fine if your last few reps get a little messy — but only on the way up (concentric phase).

• Follow rest periods: Use a timer, not your gut feeling.

• Protein at every meal: Non-negotiable for recovery, muscle building, and body composition.

• Prioritise sleep: A late night now and then is fine. Chronically undersleeping? Not fine.

• Daily step target: Walk with nasal breathing — it's not just about steps, it’s about quality breathing and recovery.

• Train to failure: You need to push to your real limits, not your "that feels hard" limits.

• If you do cardio, sweat: Effort matters more than just "doing cardio."

• Beat your logbook: Improve over time — not just one lift, but across the board.

• Pack your gear: If you have Romanian deadlifts planned, bring lifting straps. Be prepared.

• Track what you suck at: Be brutally honest. When I personally started tracking, I found I wasn’t drinking enough water. Easy fix, massive improvement.

Building Mental Toughness

Want to be not just strong, but mentally unbreakable?
Add these habits into your week:

• One 24-hour fast per week: It teaches discipline and hunger management.

• One uncomfortable exposure: Cold, heat, intense effort — your choice, but lean into discomfort.

• One true HIIT session: If you don't question your life choices during it, you didn’t go hard enough.

• One "wild card" workout: Something unexpected — run after leg day, push a sled until you regret it, a brutal finisher. It builds resilience and makes training fun.

• Nasal-only cardio or anaerobic threshold work: This will teach you the difference between "working hard" and "actually training your body’s limits."

Smart Training Around Your Cycle

One last — but very important — note:

Your menstrual cycle will affect your training — and that’s completely normal.

For some women, certain phases make lifting and recovery harder.
For others, there’s almost no difference — and some even find they get stronger around ovulation.

There’s no one-size-fits-all here. The smartest thing you can do?
Respect your own body and feelings.
Listen, adjust when needed, and stay consistent even when things feel tougher.

Final Thoughts

If you want world-class results, you need world-class standards, behaviours, and mindset.
It’s not about perfection — it’s about building relentless, adaptable progress.

Strong, resilient, smart — that’s the goal.
And it’s 100% achievable if you commit to the process.