What ACTUALLY Gets You Results in the Gym - The Truth Women Never Get Told

Poppy Hawe
2 hours ago
2 min read

Most women are training hard…But very few are training effectively.

And that difference is everything.

This week on the Fuelled Female Podcast, I broke down the exact principles that genuinely move the needle, the ones that turn “I go to the gym” into “my physique is changing”.

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth:

✖ Women are trying.

✖ Women are working hard.

✖ Women are disciplined.

They’re just following the wrong rules.

The Mistakes Holding Women Back

These are the patterns I see every day:

Constantly switching workouts
Doing 5 classes a week but no actual strength training
Choosing light weights to “tone”
Resting 20–30 seconds between sets (way too short)
Eating like they’re always on a diet
Wanting the lean, toned look but skipping the build phase
Training legs once a week and wondering why glutes don’t grow

It’s not a motivation problem.It’s an education problem.

So what actually gets you results?

1️⃣ A Build Phase (yes, even if you want to be lean)

You need muscle to look toned.No muscle = nothing to reveal during fat loss.It’s that simple.

A proper build phase looks like:

Higher calories
Higher carbs
4 strength days per week
Training each muscle group 2–3 times weekly
Progressive overload
Repeating the same movements for 6–12 weeks
Resting 2–3 minutes between heavy sets
Pushing close to failure

It feels uncomfortable at first, eating more, lifting heavier, sometimes sitting a little “fuller”.

But the payoff? Unreal.

2️⃣ A Strategic Cut (not a lifestyle)

When you’ve built the muscle?

Now you lower calories slightly, keep protein high and maintain intensity in the gym.

This is where definition shows.Waist tightens.Arms pop.Glutes lift.

Not because of magic…But because the foundation was built.

3️⃣ Training Like It Matters

The details that genuinely transform physiques:

Tempo
RPE
Full range of motion
2–5 working sets
6–15 rep ranges
Tracking your lifts
Adding weight or reps weekly
Enough sleep
Enough food
Enough rest
Enough patience

These aren’t “nice to haves”.These are the difference between spinning your wheels and finally seeing change.

If you want to change your physique in 2026…

This is the blueprint:

✔ Build for 4–6 months

✔ Eat more

✔ Get strong

✔ Stick to one program

✔ Stop chasing random workouts

✔ Then do a cut

✔ Then reverse diet back to maintenance

✔ Maintain your new physique without extremes

Want the full breakdown?

🎧 Listen to this week’s podcast: What ACTUALLY Gets You Results in the Gym

Fuel Her Fire — launching 19th Jan

A 12-week hybrid program for women who want:

structure
strength
fitness
accountability
physique change
without 1-1 coaching

If you want to join the first intake, DM me “FIRE” or join the waitlist.