Weight Training While Pregnant

Morning girls, ok one thing I need to get straight before I start, this blog is about women who are ALREADY FIT and who have ALREADY been weight training BEFORE they got pregnant :)

So, you're pregnant, you are a gym bunny and your worried about continuing your training regime in the gym? Well the first this to do is;

- Talk to your doctor (if it's a-ok to continue what you've been doing) then
- Talk to your personal trainer

There are two things that are going to have to hit home (they sound obvious, but most women need gentle reminders about it throughout their pregnancy)

1. You body IS going to change
2. Your training goals CANNOT BE about achieving your fastest time or heaviest lifts aka you training goals HAVE to be about maintaining your existing fitness level, keep strength and having fun!

"combining regular exercise and pregnancy appears to benefit both mother and baby in many ways" American College of Sports Medicine

Training throughout the 9-months

Within the first twelve weeks, I seem to find that most mothers are too nauseous to train, if thats the case then that's ok! If it's not the case then you can continue to train. You need to make sure that you listen to your body when you're training and that you're taking much longer rests (where you used to take 45 seconds change to 90 or 120 seconds).

You do need to be careful that you're not doing a serious about of impact as you are now heavier and this is going to have an impact on your joints.

In general I would just recommend basic programs which allows you to release all your endorphins, keep you happy, keep you strong and keep you lean so that you're weight gain is baby weight gain which is awesome!

An example of a pre-natal program;  

a1. Stiff Leg Deadlift x 10 reps
a2. Incline Chest Press x 12reps
120sec rest, 4 sets

b1. Step Ups x 12reps/leg
b2. Lat Raises x 15 reps
120sec rest, 4 sets

Please remember that you should be sticking to very healthy diet, just because you're pregnant doesn't mean that you're eating for two!! You should be adding about 300kcal onto your diet and more if you're training hard. Make sure that all your food is rich in vitamins and minerals, avoid processed food and continue drinking lots and lots of water!

"A physically active expectant mother would therefore have a higher caloric need, in order to compensate for calories burned off during strenuous exercise...  

well hydrated, fit pregnant women regulate their core body temperatures more efficiently than sedentary people, and undergo less temperature variation during exercise. " American College of Sports Medicine

Classes & Pre-Natal Classes


To be honest, I don't really recommend a pregnant lady attending a general class unless your trainer know's exactly how to adapt the class to tailor your. You should really be doing one-to-one training.

However, in terms of pre-natal classes - go for them!! Pre-natal Yoga and Pilates are amazing for helping mums to be become aware of their body, their breathing and their pelvic floor!! Plus they're generally relaxing and when you're pregnant YOU DO need to do relax and chill!!

TIP for your PF:

Pull your PF up as high as you can at every red light!!

" participation in regular weight-bearing exercise has been shown to improve maternal fitness, restrict weight gain without compromising fetal growth, and hasten postpartum recovery. In addition, the psychological benefits of exercise are undeniable, and should be nurtured by all who care for pregnant women. " American College of Sports Medicine

Ps. Thank you to our model above (isn't she awesome training hard!) who is 7 months pregnant and looking, training and eating great!