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Embrace Your Real

The 3 Phases of Training + Why and How to Cycle Through Them

Embrace Your Real

Julie Ledbetter

Fitness, Health & Fitness, Nutrition

5.0 • 982 Ratings

🗓️ 23 February 2026

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Today I want to talk about something that, once it clicks, is such a relief. Your training is not supposed to feel the same all the time. Even when you're consistent. Even when you're doing everything "right."
 
There are seasons where pushing feels amazing.
There are seasons where holding steady is exactly what your body needs.
And there are seasons where pulling back is actually what helps you move forward.
 
If you've ever noticed that some weeks you feel strong, energized, and excited to train, and other weeks the same workouts feel heavier or harder to get through, I want you to hear this clearly.
 
So today I'm keeping this really simple and really practical. We're talking about the three training phases every woman should cycle through, how to tell which one you're in, and why recovery is not optional if you want long-term results.
 
What's discussed

  • Why your workouts are not supposed to feel the same all the time — and why fluctuations in strength and motivation are normal, not failure.

  • How your body constantly gives you feedback through energy, recovery, hormones, stress, and performance.

  • Why staying in "push mode" year-round leads to plateaus, frustration, and burnout.

  • The importance of cycling through three intentional training phases instead of training randomly.

If this episode resonated, you may also enjoy:

Episode 566: What Most Women Get Wrong About Progressive Overload

Episode 263: How to Keep Yourself Challenged When You Don't Have Access to Other Weights

Episode 555, 3 Reasons Why Your Maintenance Phase Isn't a Failure, It's a Strategy.

 

If you want more from me, be sure to check out… 

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter,

0:05.4

a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk

0:11.4

and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving

0:16.6

your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get it. Let's go.

0:28.7

Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace for a podcast. Today I want to talk

0:33.9

about something that once it clicks, I think that it's such a relief.

0:42.1

And that is that your training is not supposed to feel the same all the time, even when you're consistent, even when you're doing everything right.

0:44.3

There are seasons where pushing is going to feel as amazing.

0:47.3

And then there are seasons where holding steady is exactly what your body needs.

0:51.1

And there's also seasons where pulling back is actually what helps you move forward.

0:54.7

If you've ever noticed that some weeks you just feel super strong, energized, excited to train

0:59.7

in other weeks, the same workouts feel heavier and harder to get through. I want you to hear

1:04.9

this clearly. That is not a failure. That is information. Your body is always communicating with you. We have cycles,

1:12.4

hormone shifts, life stress changes, recovery capacity changes. And when we try to change in this

1:17.9

one mode all the time, that's when frustration is going to creep in. Not because you're doing

1:22.8

something wrong, but because your body was never designed to stay in push mode year round.

1:27.7

So today, I want to keep things very simple and very practical.

1:31.5

And we're going to be talking about the three training phases that every woman should cycle through, kind of how to tell which one that you're in.

1:38.5

And why recovery is not optional if you want long-term results.

1:43.2

Before we dive in, though, I want to share this review.

1:45.5

She gave a five-star review and said, I feel normal now. This podcast has helped me be kinder to

1:50.7

myself. Julie has made me feel like a human being. I didn't feel like I have to punish myself,

...

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