If you feel like you’re working out seven days a week just to get smaller but you still don’t feel confident, energized, or powerful in your own skin...this episode is for you.

The truth is, society has conditioned us to believe that "success" means shrinking. We’re told that if we aren’t exhausted after every workout, it doesn't count. But real, lasting transformation happens when you stop trying to disappear and start focusing on what you can build.

In this episode of the Redefining Strength Podcast, I sit down with Tara LaFerrara. Tara is a premier fitness coach, creator of the Broads app, and an expert at helping women move away from the "all-or-nothing" mindset to build real strength and confidence.

Together, we break down:

The "Shrinking" Trap: Why success isn't measured by a number on the scale and how to shift your focus to taking up space.

The HIIT Girly Phase: Why the "more is better" approach leads to burnout and how to transition to intentional lifting.

Identity Shift: Why building a habit takes 60 days, but building an identity takes years and why most people stop too soon.

The Challenge Gap: Why we stop challenging ourselves as we get older and how to regain the courage to be a beginner again.

Filtering Information Overload: How to put blinders on when social media tells you there is only "one way" to train.

The All-or-Nothing Solution: Practical strategies to win your day even when you can't get all ten things on your to-do list done.

Under-Recovering vs. Overtraining: Why rest and deload weeks are actually the fast track to breaking through plateaus.

If you’ve ever thought:
“It only counts if I’m dripping in sweat and exhausted.”

“I want to be strong, but I’m afraid of taking up too much space.”

“I’m an all-or-nothing person; if I miss one workout, the whole week is ruined.”

“I’ve built the habits, but I still don’t feel like I’ve changed who I am.”

This episode is for you.

Chapters:

00:00 – Stop Trying to Shrink!
01:50 – Leaving the "HIIT Girly" Mindset Behind 
14:27 – Why We Struggle to Be Beginners as Adults 
19:22 – Habit vs. Identity: The Real Timeline for Change 
25:21 – Filtering the "Information Overload" of Social Media 
31:52 – How to Finally Break the All-or-Nothing Cycle 
37:23 – Why Recovery & Deloading Are Non-Negotiable