Rooted Fitness

Small group strength training, conditioning, boxing, and rowing. Rooted in community, inclusion, and fun!

11/09/2026

Yeah, PRs are cool (and we have those all the time), but have you ever picked up a 50lb bag of dog food and thought “that’s lighter than I thought it would be?”

10/27/2026

I think a lot of people (women in particular) write off strength training as something that they “aren’t interested in” or “isn’t for” them because they have no idea what a strength training program can actually look like.

They have an idea in their head of the aesthetics: a bodybuilder physique or a “bulky” body deadlifting 400lbs. Grunting. Neck veins popping. Gym bros sitting down for 50% of their workout time.

I need you to know that’s not what it’s going to look like for the average person who just wants to increase functionality and live longer.

You do have to lift heavy enough to end each set a couple reps shy of muscular failure in order for your muscles to get stronger and actually reap the benefits of your work. But *most* lifting that you do will not be throwing around 100s of pounds or require extensive rest periods. And some exercises won’t even require any weight at all, *especially* if you are new to fitness!

A good strength program will have a lot of the same exercises week to week, but the goal is to progress those exercise over time. That’s called progressive overload and is the entire basis behind strength training. Sometimes that means increasing your range of motion (strength training work *is* mobility work), sometimes that means slowing down the tempo or adding pauses (increasing time under tension), sometimes that means increasing the number of reps you do, and sometimes that means increasing the weight.

This past month we’ve been focusing on heavy controlled eccentrics, or lowering phases of the lift. The eccentric phase of a movement is the “easier” part of a movement because you’re working with gravity instead of against it, which means you can load it heavier than the concentric (lifting) portion of the movement. We did a lot of 2-up-1-down variations to maximize that. We also worked tempo back squats and tempo bench presses with a slow eccentric phase. Because of the tempo, people were used lighter loads, but because of the increased time under tension they were still using progressive overload.

Strength doesn’t have one look, but if done right you will not only end up stronger, but more mobile, functional, and independent!

10/21/2026

Here’s to Rooted’s strong women 👏 The marathon on Sunday got me thinking about what it means to be a woman in the fitness industry and what a privilege it is to be surrounded by strong women changing the narrative.

Women’s track and field wasn’t added to the Olympic Games until 1928. The longest distance women were allowed to run was 800m (1/2 mile). The next Olympic Games, that distance was reduced to 200m or less because people were concerned by the sight of women exerting themselves during the “longer” distances in the previous games. It was not until 1960 that women were able to run up to 800m again, but the women’s marathon did not become an Olympic event until 1984.

All of this was because there was a narrative that women are fragile. That they shouldn’t be doing high intensity exercise. That their bodies are so radically different they can’t handle the same things men can. That it was too manly, unfeminine. And that same f*cking narrative is still just as loud today.

To this day, women are discouraged from lifting heavy, from doing high intensity exercise, from eating enough to fuel the workouts they put in. To this day, there are people on the internet telling women to stay away from the very things that improve our health and longevity for the sake of “looking more feminine.”

All genders can and do come to Rooted, but this is why we will always be cheering particularly loud for strong women. Women who aren’t afraid of getting “bulky” (don’t get me started on that word). Women who aren’t afraid of their own bodies. Women who want bodies that function well and feel good to live in, and recognize that that’s actually the hottest body there is. Women who examine diet culture and call it out. Women who take up space.

This is also why I volunteer with Girls On The Run. It’s why we will always support the Women’s Barbell Classic. It’s why we’ll never shut up about why trans girls belong in girls sports. And it’s why you will always find us cheering so damn loud for other women who are doing the damn thing.

Younger generations are watching, and I hope we’re sending them the right message so they can live big.

10/19/2026

One year ago I found myself tearing up as I watched video after video of people completing their first marathons. They worked so hard and no matter how the race went, at the finish line they were always so proud of themselves. It always moves me to see people try big things, to openly struggle, and to decide to keep showing up, and to build their self-efficacy. It is just so dang inspiring to see people doing things they never thought they could do before!

Yesterday 4 of our trainers completed big things. Jaime, Alyssa, and I all completed a half (first time for me and Alyssa), and Robin did her first full marathon! It was the perfect day, and made all the better by all the Rooted members who came out to cheer us on (some pictured, some not; By the way, none of us knew each other before Rooted!).

I want people to know more than anything that fitness is supposed to enrich your life. Building your fitness opens up new possibilities. It doesn’t have to be running a marathon or hitting PRs, but your life does truly expand when you see yourself doing things you never thought you could before.

So, I hope you do big things.
I hope you do hard things.
I hope you do things that scare you.
I hope you show up for yourself and others, regularly, consistently.
I hope you aren’t afraid to be seen trying.

And when you do the big, hard things, just know we’re all rooting for you 🫶

- Hannah

10/08/2026

Today is my 34th birthday. I created “Rooted Yoga + Fitness LLC” when I was 28 and opened the doors to this space when I was 29. I love that younger, stubborn, slightly delusional version of me. She worked SO hard and she was really good at it too, despite knowing nothing about running a business. She just had a clear vision and followed it, and I’m so proud of her.

I’ve evolved and grown a lot over the past 5 years and the business has evolved and grown with me. Some of you have been here since the early days and some of you had your very first class today. Either way, thank you for being here. Rooted has always been my dream, even if it looks very different from when I first opened it. Every year I get better at business ownership and every year Rooted gets better. I’m finally in a space where I can say this really is everything I’ve ever wanted. I’ve truly never been happier.

This community has brought so much color to my life and it is an honor to have you in my corner and to see you all day to day. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We’re just getting started. ♥️

- Hannah

10/06/2026

So, you just signed up for your first class and you’re nervous/scared/feeling all the feelings. Here’s what to expect:

First, you’re gonna find some parking. There’s street parking all around the studio. Do NOT park in the lot on the East side of Beaver Ave; that is for Beaverdale Place businesses only. Give yourself some extra time especially between the hours of 4-6pm. It’s best to arrive 5-10 minutes early so we can meet you and help get you settled before class starts.

Next, the scariest part: you’re gonna walk in the door. We don’t have a front desk, but the teacher will smile a radiant smile, introduce themselves, and show you how to check in. They’ll show you where to leave your stuff, point you to any equipment you’ll need for the class, and maybe ask a couple questions about any previous experiences you’ve had with exercise. (I.E. “Have you ever used a barbell before?” Or “how comfortable are you using dumbbells?”) We’re not asking these questions to judge you, it’s just so we can provide the best experience for YOU!

Then you’re gonna take a couple deep breaths, meet some other cool people, complete a group warm-up, move through class at your own pace asking as many questions as as you want, survive it, and maybe even enjoy it in the process. You may still have some uncertainty around exercise and that’s okay, but you took a huge first step and that’s something to be proud of.

Depending on how new you are to this, you might be sore the next day(s). This isn’t a good or bad thing- it’s just feedback from your body that it did something new and it’s a sign your body is adapting! Soreness will significantly decrease over time, and so will your fears around working out.

You got this. And we’re all rooting for you.

10/01/2026

I hate to say it, but the new year is right around the corner and that means New Year’s resolutions are also right around the corner. I’m here to remind you that you actually don’t need a new year to happen before you practice building some healthy habits.

This is where our 10-week limited membership comes in. 10-weeks for $175. This membership allows you to take any 2 classes each week. That’s 20 total classes over 10 consecutive weeks for $175 (that’s $8.75/class!!!). It’s limited to 2 classes per week because the goal here is to build consistency rather than all-or-nothing. And yes, you can absolutely make progress with 2 hours each week!

The best time to build new habits and consistency is actually when you’re the busiest and when it seems the least convenient. This membership will take you all the way up to the holiday season and help you build sustainable habits now.

This is only available for purchase October 1-16th. Once it’s gone it’s gone (at least until next year!) 😉

09/22/2026

Happy to report that we are offering personal training services once again! We have traditional personal training and Pilates personal training available. Either way, it’s a private one-on-one session catered to your needs and goals. You can book directly from our main page in the FitDegree app, under “services.”

Price is dependent on trainer and length of appointment, but currently most range between $70-90 for a 50-minute appointment.

09/14/2026

Beaverdale Fall Fest is this weekend and we’re celebrating with an open house! Stop by any time between 11am-1pm on Saturday, September 19th for some snacks and drinks. We’ll also be teaching how to back squat, bench press, or deadlift to anyone who wants to learn!

09/09/2026

New here? We got you.

Address

2708 Beaver Avenue
Des Moines, IA
50310

Website

http://rootedfitnessdsm.com/

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