By: Melissa Charlton

Ladies, it’s time to raise the bar.

My whole gym-life, I’ve been told to be slimmer, not to get bulky, not to seek attention or be too loud, not to be “in the way” on the men’s side of the gym, and not to question why I don’t belong.

I’ve always fought it, but I also kind of thought I was the weird one, because no one else seemed to complain.

What I didn’t know was how many other women had already internalized that same messaging, but deep down wanted to fight against it too. It took entering the male-dominated field of personal training, to make me finally understand two things:

I was fucking right. Women want to be strong, look strong, and have strong voices.
I wasn’t alone. Ok, maybe not everyone wants to be loud. But everyone, especially women, wants to belong at the gym, and we all feel better after lifting heavy shit.

So let’s talk about our mission here at MBodied Strength. It’s pretty simple: to lift the status quo of women’s strength.
Because women are already strong.

We see you, lifting up the people around you. You’re a leader in your job, your family, and you carry heavy things every day. Baby carriers? Your dog who needs help getting to the vet? The conversation in the meeting, when people start pointing fingers?

Those things are heavier than you think. AND YOU DO IT. (This is why we give you 15lb dumbbells, instead of 8s)

What I’ve learned through working with strong women, is that my job as your coach is not to give you strength — only you can do that. When you show up, and speak up for what you want to achieve (and don’t want to achieve), and hold yourself accountable when your goals go off the rails… that’s the secret sauce that grants true confidence.

Nope. My job is to just teach you technique, activation, and how to make room for strength training in your already busy life.

Our mission drives everything we do, at MBodied Strength. But a mission without action is just fluff. What gives it life are the actions that support it and our values: Integrity, Collaboration and Growth.

Integrity: Speak Up and Stay True.

Integrity isn’t just about honesty — it’s about follow through. (And speaking truth to bullshit.)

The gym industry is filled with trainers who are ok when you late-cancel a session, because it gives them a paid hour off. We know that that’s a great way to lose a client, because when clients aren’t engaged, they quit. That’s why we call you. And follow up. And look for other time slots. And call again… until we find the fix. The program won’t have integrity unless we do.

We also won’t let you boss us around, if something you’re doing isn’t going to serve your strength.

Y’all, we get it. By appealing to strong women, we know that we’re going to attract people who are used to doing things their way. The good news is, strong willed women also know when they’re being given good value, so it’s usually a great match.

Integrity is about doing what’s right — even when it’s not as profitable or easy.

Collaboration: Strength Is Harder in Isolation

Collaboration is the glue that makes this not only effective, but fun!

It means we educate you about why we program certain movements. We explain muscle engagement and alignment, making sure you know how to activate your glutes before you use them, so you aren’t just using these skills in the studio, but also before you go on that big hike.

And within our team, collaboration means speaking up with each other. Whether that’s respectfully saying “no” to a project because we’re over-tasked, sharing knowledge, questioning a programming choice, or lending a hand outside our usual role.

What collaboration isn’t is assuming everything’s fine without checking in. It’s not leaving someone unsupported or shutting down opportunities to ask questions and improve.

We know that progress only happens when we have each other’s backs.

Growth: Always Evolving

Y’all, I hate failure. And I love it. Because it only happens when I’m trying something new or scary, and the growth that comes out of it? That’s where the magic happens.

Growth means being curious when a movement hurts you, and figuring out the solution. It means being willing to say that we don’t have all the answers, and being excited to do a little research. It’s the courage to be honest about our process and examine if it needs a tweak (or overhaul).

We invest in quality continuing education and development for our team — not just because it’s expected, but because our clients deserve to work with people who are always getting better.

What growth isn’t is staying stuck in what’s comfortable. Because when things get too easy? You check out. And that’s when you plateau.

We promise to lean into challenges, stay curious, and keep striving to find ways to improve our programs.

Living Our Mission Every Day

So this is what drives me, and what I try to do to connect my team. Because at the end of the day, we got into this business because we love people and want to help.

When we fail and learn, collaborate and connect, hear hard feedback and change afterwards, we are gifted with proof that we embody those values — all to remind women that they are already strong, capable, and deserving of a life on their terms.

Final Thoughts: Redefining Strength Together

At the end of the day, true strength isn’t about the heaviest weight you lift or how perfect your form looks.
It’s about how you keep showing up — with integrity, with support, with a willingness to change.

I’d love it if you join me in this mission.

If you’re already a client, what’s one new way you want to challenge your status quo?
If you’re not? What’s getting in your way? (hint, we’ll help you knock it down)

Let’s redefine women’s strength together. 💪

Lifting the Status Quo of Women’s Strength