180: Why Women Need To Lift Heavy, Build Muscle & Eat More Protein | Stef Bare

**Nick Bare** (0:06)
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another episode of the podcast with my beautiful wife, Stef Bare.

**Stef Bare** (0:14)
I feel like I've been on quite a bit lately.

**Nick Bare** (0:16)
I love it, what do you think?

**Stef Bare** (0:18)
I don't know.

**Nick Bare** (0:19)
What do you mean you don't know?

**Stef Bare** (0:22)
You know how I feel about podcasts.

**Nick Bare** (0:24)
Well, today we're talking about something a little different.

**Stef Bare** (0:27)
Yeah, I'm really excited about today.

**Nick Bare** (0:29)
This is all about Stef's fitness journey and strength and muscle building experiment over the last year.

**Stef Bare** (0:40)
Yeah.

**Nick Bare** (0:41)
We'll dive into it. But I've watched you change your approach and perspective on training and diet this last year plus.
And you've been more focused, you've been more intentional, you've taken it more serious. Yeah. You've just done different things in the last year, and it's been really cool to watch and witness. And you haven't only changed the way you show up in the gym in the morning, but also the amount of protein you're consuming.

**Stef Bare** (1:16)
Yeah, everything.

**Nick Bare** (1:17)
So it's been really cool to be able to watch. And I want to share what you've learned over this last year.

**Stef Bare** (1:25)
Yeah, I'm excited because I feel like we haven't really talked about women's health and fitness here. And I know there's a lot of guys listening, so this would be a great resource for wives and sisters and daughters. Because, yeah, I've learned so much.
And I just haven't really dove into it yet. So I hope this is really helpful for the women that need to hear it.

**Nick Bare** (1:48)
So let's give some background, some context.

**Stef Bare** (1:50)
Yeah.

**Nick Bare** (1:53)
How would you describe your regular training over the last 10-ish years of your life? Yeah.

**Stef Bare** (2:03)
So I think I went to the gym for the first time with my older brother when I was 14
I remember he was like, what's the pre-workout? I always tell you it was the first time I ever took pre-workout.

**Nick Bare** (2:14)
And no explode?

**Stef Bare** (2:15)
No.

**Nick Bare** (2:16)
Jack 3D?

**Stef Bare** (2:16)
Craze?

**Nick Bare** (2:17)
Oh, craze, yeah.

**Stef Bare** (2:19)
Is that what it was?

**Nick Bare** (2:19)
Yeah, craze was one.

**Stef Bare** (2:20)
Okay, I think that's what it was.

**Nick Bare** (2:23)
Empetamines.

**Stef Bare** (2:24)
What?

**Nick Bare** (2:26)
It had some banned ingredients in there that were pretty much empetamines.

**Stef Bare** (2:29)
Yes. I remember it was like the summer my brother really got into lifting and he's like, if you take this, you're going to feel like you just want to run through the brick walls of lifetime fitness. I'm like, I don't know if I want to know what that feels like. I would take like a half a scoop. But that being said, that summer, I really fell in love with the gym, and he was really sweet enough to take me around, and he kind of showed me what lifting is. He was a college athlete, so he had a really good foundation. And he's really the first person that introduced me to fitness and lifting weights and strength training. And from there, 14, I'm 34 now. We were talking about this last night. It's been 20 years that I've been in the gym, which is just crazy. And it's always been something that has been a non-negotiable for me. Like I feel like from that moment when I fell in love with it, it just made me feel so good. And I knew that it was going to be just like brushing my teeth in the morning, just like something that I do every single day most days. And from there, it's been a big mix of trying new things from strength training, you know, bodybuilding style.
I would take like cakeboxing classes back in the day at Lifetime Fitness.
I was a big group fitness girl, Pilates, spin, F45, orange theory, berries, you name it. I've tried it. I've tried everything because I just, I love it all so much. But through that, I feel like I've really found what works for me, especially in this phase of mid thirties and what I need to prioritize to just really make sure that I am healthy and strong for my kid and for my family. I was saying to you last night, now it's just turned into like a fight against frail. Like I will do everything that I can to not be frail as I get older because I've just seen how much better your life and your health and just overall longevity, everything can be if you prioritize strength training. So kind of like your podcast episode last week, I'm the same way. I always come back to strength training.