“Your bones aren’t great, and you don’t have much muscle.”
These are the words that planted a seed that ultimately inspired the formation of The Strength Initiative. 

Despite “working out” for years, I was one of the millions of women in the US who are not meeting the recommended training guidelines put forth by the CDC and AHA. And it showed. Not in my BMI, or even recent lab work, but, in what I have come to learn is the true marker of health and longevity, my strength. 

I had confidently volunteered to be a part of a research study in order to take advantage of the free body composition scans, expecting to receive results that reflected my recent dedication to fitness. Instead, I learned that all the time spent on cold, dark mornings, before work and school drop off, were disappointingly, not building the healthy future I wanted. 

At 39 years old, I needed to make a change. But, I first needed to figure out what that change was! Pushing aside the targeted marketing on my social media feeds, I used tools I was familiar with as a physician: science and research. 

Learning that building muscle and lifting heavy were critical for longevity and bone health, I joined The Gym*. It was intimidating, full of metal, machines and bars I was completely unfamiliar with, and it was loud. I was yet part of another unfavorable statistic of women who face barriers to strength training. 

But, the community I felt and soon became a part of at The Gym, empowered me to push through the fears and challenges. It is because of this community that I participated in my first powerlifting competition at 42, and that the gym space, with all its metal and noise, now feels like home. 

From the interest and questions expressed by friends and family, as well as from information gleaned  from the scientific literature, I’ve learned that my journey is not unique. Women want to lift weights, but face numerous barriers to getting started or continuing, making this health promoting resource inaccessible. 

So, with the help of my community, The Strength Initiative was created. This is a place where barriers are broken, women are empowered to lift weights, and strength and community are built. 

I hope you’ll join us!

- Evie Frazier, MD

*The Gym was created by Justin Tooley (1978-2023). While The Gym doesn’t exist anymore, Justin, and the impact he had on my life and so many others, lives on.