Tina McInnes Coaching

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

“It’s been studied” and “it’s evidence-based” are not the same thing.

The existence of a study doesn't tell you whether it was well designed, whether it included enough people to produce reliable findings, whether other researchers found the same thing, or whether the evidence as a whole actually supports the recommendation being made.

And authority isn't a substitute for evidence. A doctor, scientist or other health professional calling something “evidence-based” doesn't make it so. Credentials and confidence don't transform weak evidence into strong evidence.

One more caution: pay attention when you—or someone else—become deeply invested in a particular conclusion. Personal experience and strong beliefs don't make something wrong, but scientific thinking requires being willing to change your mind when better evidence points somewhere else.

If we're defending a recommendation because “this worked for me,” looking only for evidence that confirms what we already believe, or dismissing evidence that challenges it, we've moved away from scientific reasoning.

Science isn't about proving what we believe.

It's about being willing to discover that we're wrong.

09/01/2026

“Am I eating enough protein?”

It is a good question—but it should not come before this one:

“Am I training in a way that gives my body a reason to build muscle?”

Progressive strength training provides the stimulus. Protein supports the response. It does not build or preserve muscle on its own.

The adult RDA is 0.8 g/kg/day, but women who strength train may benefit from closer to 1.6 g/kg/day. Beyond that, the benefit tends to flatten. Most women do not need to force down 1 gram per pound through extra snacks, bars and shakes—especially if fat loss is also a goal.

You also do not need to panic about a 30-minute “anabolic window.” Regular protein-containing meals across the day will do the job.

First, get the training right: structure, consistency, progressive demand, sufficient volume and effort, good range and control—and recovery.

Then eat enough protein without letting it become another source of anxiety.

This is post 10 in my summer series on what actually works in women’s strength training.

Save or share this reminder: protein supports the signal. It does not create it.

08/26/2026

How often should you lift?
Training frequency is one of the most common questions I get — and it matters, but not in the way most people think.

A great place to start is 2 full-body strength sessions per week.

This gives each muscle group a quality signal to adapt about twice per week, which is enough for most people to see results, especially when you are building consistency.

If your goals go beyond general strength for healthy aging — like building more muscle, improving body composition, or enhancing performance — you may benefit from 3 or even 4 sessions per week.

But here is the key: more is not always better.

Your ability to recover from training is the real limiting factor.

Sleep, stress, nutrition, life demands, and your training age all influence how much frequency you can handle. Pushing beyond your recovery capacity can stall progress, increase fatigue, and raise injury risk.

The goal is to find the right dose for you — enough to create progress, but not so much that recovery suffers.

Build the habit first. Then adjust frequency over time based on your goals, your results, and how well you recover.

This is the ninth post in my summer series on what actually works in women’s strength training.

Like this post if it helped clarify training frequency.

Follow for the rest of the series.

Save this as a reminder that more is not always better.

How often are you lifting right now?

08/19/2026

September registration for Women Who Want Muscle runs from **August 23–30**.

Registration will be available exclusively to women on the priority list.

Spaces are limited, and registration may close early if they are filled.

Visit www.coachmcinnes.ca
Registration access will be sent directly by email beginning August 23.

08/18/2026

Loading a movement is not the same as owning it. The goal is to challenge the intended muscles through a meaningful range of motion, with enough control to keep the work where it belongs.

More weight will not necessarily improve a movement if limited mobility, positioning, or control shortens the range or shifts the work elsewhere. This is why foundational strength and movement quality matter.

Progress is not measured only by the weight you lift. Better range, depth, and control are also progression—and often what makes greater strength, muscle growth, and more resilient movement possible.

Follow me for the rest of this series.

08/13/2026

Is marketing replacing judgement?

Something has gone badly wrong when saturated social media marketing convinces women that one particular certification should carry more weight than the education, experience and professional judgment of the coach standing in front of them.

I see this increasingly in the menopause fitness space.

A short course combining menopause and hormone education with nutrition and a particular framework for exercise cannot replace a deep understanding of physiology and progressive strength program design.

Hormones matter. Menopause matters. But neither tells a coach how the woman in front of them moves, what she is ready for, what needs developing, how much training she can recover from, or how to progress her wisely over time.

“Lift heavy” is a recommendation. Five sets of five is a prescription.

Knowing whether and when that is an appropriate part of a woman’s long-term training plan is real expertise.

When we stop examining the breadth of someone’s education, experience and reasoning and instead reflexively look for the credential we have repeatedly been told matters, we have outsourced our judgment to marketing.

Please don’t do that.

And if whether I hold a particular menopause fitness certification is your deciding criterion for whether I am qualified to coach you, we are probably not a good fit.

MENOPAUSE FITNESS CERTIFICATION
≠
STRENGTH PROGRAMMING EXPERTISE

Don’t let marketing do your thinking for you.