Women can add 20–50 lbs to lower body lifts
Female clients chronically underestimate lower body strength; coaches routinely add 25–50 pounds to squats or deadlifts with no loss of technique.
Snapshot · Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth
2900: 6 Mistakes Women Make When They Start Lifting
Explore episode
Jul 13, 2026
Where this was said
Mistake 2: Lifting Too Light
At 11:23 · chapter starts 10:44
The second mistake is almost universal in Sal and Adam's coaching experience: female clients habitually select weights that are far too light for the sets they're performing. Sal describes watching friends train in his garage gym and adding 10–20 pounds to their lift mid-session, with form remaining perfect. Adam takes it further, noting that female clients' lower body strength often rivals male clients once they're coached to load properly — he's seen women squatting, leg pressing, and deadlifting as much as the men in his roster. The gap between perception and reality is wide, and it directly limits results. The mistake likely stems from a culture that emphasizes technique and a fear of injury, but when technique is already good, adding load is the signal the body needs to grow.
Women Chronically Lift Too Light
Female clients almost universally underestimate how much they can lift, particularly in squats, hip thrusts, and deadlifts. Coaches routinely add 25–50 pounds to a woman's bar with zero loss of technique. Women's lower body strength can rival male clients' numbers once they're coached to load properly.
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