The Strong Parent Litmus Test: Are You Training for Real Life?
So you’ve got a workout routine. You’re sweating. You’re showing up. That’s great. But here’s the real question I want you to ask yourself: Is your training actually helping you in your real life — or just wearing you out?
I work with parents full-time. And one of the biggest disconnects I see is between how people train… and what their life actually demands. We’re doing workouts that might have worked back in our 20s — or that look great on social media — but they’re not building the kind of strength and energy we actually need as parents.
If you’re unsure whether your training is really working for you, here’s a few litmus tests I use with myself and clients:
1. Can You Do the Stuff You Actually Do — Without Pain?
Let’s skip the fitness hype and talk about reality:
Can you carry your kid upstairs without your knees flaring up?
Sit on the floor to play and stand up without your back locking up?
Unload groceries without feeling like you need to recover?
If the answer is no, your training isn’t failing because you're not trying hard enough — it’s because it’s not addressing how you move through daily life.
Training should prepare you for the movements you repeat most, not just the ones that look good in a gym mirror.
2. Does Your Workout Leave You Stronger — or Just Sore?
I’m all for hard training when it’s appropriate.
But if every workout leaves you wiped out, stiff, or needing two days to recover — you’re not building capacity. You’re just burning yourself out.
Your workouts should:
Increase your energy (not deplete it)
Help you move better (not tighter)
Build strength that lasts longer than the workout window
More soreness ≠ more success.
Effective training makes you feel better — not beat up.
Are You Training Movements — or Just Muscles?
You don’t live life one muscle group at a time. So why train that way?
Don’t get me wrong — I love a good lift. But if your entire plan is biceps, abs, and booties, you’re missing the bigger picture.
Parents need to train:
Double Leg (symmetric stance)
Single Leg (asymmetric stance)
Pushing & pulling (opening doors, carrying kids)
Carrying (literally everything)
Rotating (life’s full of twists — your spine better be ready)
These are the patterns that protect your joints, build real-world strength, and keep you capable well into your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond.
4. Are You Getting More Capable — or Just More Tired?
Here’s the deal:
If your workouts are leaving you more drained, more irritable, and more discouraged, something’s off.
Training should enhance your life, not compete with it.
When done right, it:
Improves your mood
Boosts your energy
Helps you feel confident in your body — and in your ability to keep up with your kids
If your current plan isn’t doing that, it’s not that you’re “not trying hard enough.”
You probably just need a better structure.
Train for the Life You’re Living
If you’ve been training hard and still feel like your body is fighting you — you’re not broken.
You just need a smarter approach.
That’s exactly what I teach inside the Strong Parent Coaching Foundations and apply weekly in the Training Team.
We focus on training that:
Matches your schedule
Respects your energy
Builds long-term capacity for real life
Because strong parenting isn’t about having a six-pack or hitting PRs. It’s about having a body that lets you show up fully, every day.