G.A.S - Girls Adventure Squad

14/09/2026

PART 2 – Do I REALLY need to lift heavy to build lean muscle? 💪

There’s a lot of messaging around women needing to “lift heavy” – and I love that we’re talking more about strength.

BUT… I don’t want you thinking you need to walk into a gym, head straight for the squat rack and start throwing around the heaviest weights you can find!

Heavy is relative to YOU.

It depends on your strength, your background and your ability to move well with good technique.

If you’re new to strength training, your “heavy” might be a bodyweight exercise, resistance band, light dumbbells or a machine. Start where you are.

And here’s something I want you to remember: You can build muscle across any rep range.

What matters is that your muscles are being challenged. I want you finishing a challenging set with around 1–3 reps left in the tank.

If you finish a set thinking, “Yep, I could easily do another 10", it may be time to increase the load or make the exercise harder.

So why include some lower-rep work? - Short Answer = Strength + Power.

As we move through midlife, we can see changes in muscle power, strength and muscle mass. Maintaining and building all three becomes increasingly important.

Power is particularly useful for the things we do outside and moments where you need to produce force quickly.

So yes, we want to include some appropriately challenging lower-rep work, and we can also include some explosive movements to help develop power.

But FORM COMES FIRST.

I would much rather see you lifting a slightly lighter weight with excellent technique than adding another 5kg and losing your form.

Then there’s progressive overload – gradually increasing the challenge over time.
That might mean more weight, another rep, a bigger range of movement, another set or progressing to a harder exercise.

And ladies – don’t forget your bones.

Strength training also provides an important stimulus for bone health – something I’ll dive into more in Part 3.

Find the load that challenges YOU, lift it well, and keep building from there.

💙 Check your emails for the full version of Part 2!

Next up: Part 3 – Strong Bones, Strong Adventures for Life

13/09/2026

Spirited Women - Our next Navigation Clinics are up! 🧭👊

Let's set Tekapo up to be an epic one! Our next round of Navigation Clinics are up, let's learn the skills now so we can take on the map reading with confidence.

4 hours of theory and practical skills - see all details and registration here: https://www.girlsadventuresquad.co.nz/upcoming-events

Reviews from our recent Clinics:
"I have undertaken 2 other courses but this one actually made sense and hopefully will be very useful in the next adventure. Thanks so much 😊"

"I’ve learned so much in such a short time. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to learn navigation skills."

"Highly recommend attending one of these clinics. Great experience and o
opportunity to learn tips and tricks. The girls running the course are amazing and super knowledgeable."

Spirited Women - All Women's Adventure Race

09/09/2026

Women's Health Series - Part 1: Strong for Life - and adventure! 💪⛰️

Over my 18 years as a coach, I’ve become passionate about helping women understand why strength training matters - and how much we actually need.

There is SO much information out there about women’s health, hormones, menopause, supplements, protein, bone health… it can feel overwhelming!

So we wanted to put together this 6-part series to break some of it down - giving you the tools and knowledge to make good decisions for your own body and goals.

For us adventure-loving women, this is about more than how we look. It’s about being strong enough to carry your pack, climb that hill, handle your bike and keep doing the things you love as you get older.

Why does strength training become MORE important as we age?

From around our 30s, we gradually begin to lose muscle mass and strength, and this can accelerate around perimenopause and menopause.

Maintaining and building muscle can help us hold onto strength, support how our bodies use and store energy, regulate blood sugar, maintain independence, improve quality of life and support our bones.

We can’t stop getting older - but we can influence how much muscle and strength we maintain and build along the way.
Perimenopause / menopause changes your physiology, not your potential.

So… how often do we need to strength train?
1 session a week can still improve muscle connection & control.
2 sessions a week is an excellent target for most women and enough to make meaningful progress.
3 sessions a week can be useful when building muscle and strength is a bigger priority.

For adventure athletes, we also need to consider our endurance training. During a race build or high endurance-load period, 2 intentional strength sessions can be a great balance.

What should an effective strength session include?

Think:
Squat/knee-dominant • Hinge • Push • Pull • Single-leg work • Core/trunk stability

Then progressively build!

And remember: getting stronger and building muscle aren’t exactly the same thing.

More on that in Part 2…

💙 Want the full version of Part 1? Check your emails!

Next up: Part 2 - Do I REALLY need to lift heavy to build muscle?

06/09/2026

A new series on Women’s Health is coming your way ladies!

We’re talking strength training, hormones as we age, muscle & bone health, supplements, recovery and so much more!

Keep an eye on the socials and make sure you’re on our mailing list so you don’t miss the great information coming through.

We also have our 9 Week Women’s Strength Series starting on the 4th October, find all information here: https://www.girlsadventuresquad.co.nz/upcoming-events

Strong Women. Strong bodies. Strong for life 💪

01/09/2026

Spring is here! 🌸 A fresh season, longer days and plenty of adventures ahead. Time to get outside, enjoy the sunshine and keep building towards those goals. Let’s make the most of it! 💪

27/08/2026

You don’t need to smash every goal to be making progress team. Celebrate the little wins! 💪 Maybe it was getting out for that session you nearly skipped, choosing the better fuel option, or simply showing up when you didn’t feel like it. Those little wins all add up! 👊

24/08/2026

Such a fun day yesterday at our Navigation Clinic! 🧭

It’s so awesome watching these ladies go from “I’m not sure what I’m looking at…”, to confidently finding their way around the course.
I love seeing that moment when things click and suddenly it all looks a little less intimidating! 😎

Awesome work ladies - you smashed it, now go and find some adventure fun! 🗺️👊

Next Clinic: 11th October

Find all details here: https://www.girlsadventuresquad.co.nz/upcoming-events

21/08/2026

Hey Crew, we have had 1 space open up for our Navigation Clinic this Sunday 23rd August - jump in quick to grab it!
Let's nail the map reading and go have some adventure fun! 🧭😎

All details and registration here: https://www.girlsadventuresquad.co.nz/upcoming-events OR send us a DM.

See you out there soon! - Coach Anna

19/08/2026

Lovely night for a Rogaine! 🏃‍♀️🗺️🧭
Great excuse to get out tonight and keep the map reading skills fresh - with 12 days left of winter (not that I’m counting 😉) let’s start building in the fun where we can!

Thanks for the wee adventure amanda_monty87 - let’s keep them rolling.

See you out there soon ladies - Coach Anna

10/08/2026

Get in quick ladies - this one is so worth it! 🏃‍♀️🚵🏼‍♀️🧭

🚨 Hurry, Spirited Women!

🚨Are you and your girlfriends still thinking about joining us for the next epic adventure in Tekapo?

Our Medium and Short Course entries are getting very close to selling out! If you want to experience the ultimate weekend of fun, challenge, and unforgettable memories in the great outdoors, now is the time to act.

Don't leave it too late and miss out on the start line!👯‍♀️ Gather your team of four🗺️

Choose your course✨ Find your inner spirit

Secure your team's spot on the start line now at Spirited Women. www.spiritedwomen.co.nz