Nicola Carless Fitness

Nicola Carless Fitness Helping women 40+ in Bromsgrove get stronger, fitter & more confident through Personal Training, Pilates & PAYG fitness classes.

Build strength, lose fat, move better & feel great. Join our friendly, supportive community & thrive at every age!

💪 Strength Journey – Week 7Seven weeks in... and I’m so pleased with how far I’ve come.This week I did 5 sets of 3 pull-...
22/08/2026

💪 Strength Journey – Week 7

Seven weeks in... and I’m so pleased with how far I’ve come.

This week I did 5 sets of 3 pull-ups and they felt stronger. I’m now back to doing them from a dead hang too, which feels like another step forward.

My focus has changed from achieving 5 pull-ups to making those 5 stronger, cleaner and more controlled.

Bench press also reached a new high, with my 1 rep max increasing by 5kg from my previous highest.

Friday brought more PBs with my heaviest squat increasing by 5kg and deadlift increasing by 7.5kg and in my own training this week I also hit my heaviest hip thrust for 8 reps.

When I look back at these seven weeks, I’ve now squatted, deadlifted, bench pressed and hip thrust more than ever before in my life... and I’ve got back to doing 5 pull-ups. 💪

But it’s not just about the numbers, I’ve improved my technique, confidence and how I move.

One thing I’ve really enjoyed about training with Mike is that it’s different to how I train myself. Some weeks we’ve pushed for the heaviest weight, while other weeks we’ve backed off, done more sets and focused on technique.

That’s the lesson for me: getting stronger isn’t about pushing harder every single session. It’s about having a plan, being consistent and knowing when to push and when to back off.

Seven weeks down, and this feels like the end of one chapter...but definitely not the end of the journey.

New goals are coming! 💪 What strength goal would you love to achieve if you gave yourself the time and consistency to work towards it?

StrengthTraining HealthyAgeing ConsistencyWins MidlifeMojo

22/08/2026

💪 Strength Journey – Week 7/8: Look How Far I've Come In Seven weeks.

Friday Wins 💙This week’s wins have really reminded me why I’m so passionate about women getting stronger.Strength isn’t ...
21/08/2026

Friday Wins 💙

This week’s wins have really reminded me why I’m so passionate about women getting stronger.

Strength isn’t just about what happens in the gym...

🏃‍♀️ My amazing 84-year-old client told me she can really notice the difference in her leg strength since working with me. She’s now walking confidently without her stick — something she had continued to use for confidence following her hip replacement around two years ago.

💪 My 79-year-old client has recently moved house and told me she can move furniture around more easily than she could 10 years ago! She’s been training with me consistently for several years, and I absolutely love hearing things like this.

🍑 My LIFT ladies have been hitting more hip thrust PBs again this week. They’re getting stronger and stronger — and I couldn’t be prouder of every single one of them.

✨ And one of my newer clients, who I’ve only seen three times over seven weeks, told me that her back and knee pain are practically gone since starting with me.

She’s keen to start weight training, but we’re not rushing it.

Right now we’re working on the foundations — getting her moving better, building confidence and getting her body ready for the strength training she wants to do.

Sometimes you have to build the foundations before you can build the strength and that’s okay.

You don’t have to jump straight into lifting heavy weights.

You don’t have to be “fit enough” before you start.

You just need to start where you are and build from there because ultimately, strength isn’t just about how much you can lift....

It’s about walking confidently without a stick.

Moving furniture when you need to.

Being able to enjoy your life without your body holding you back.

And feeling stronger and more capable as you get older.

That’s what I want for every woman I work with. 💙

What’s been your win this week?

Big or small, I’d love to hear it. 👇

💙 Strong women. Real wins. Every Friday 💙

Strong Wednesday 💪 — let’s talk about why movement patterns matter.Last week I talked about the 5 movement patterns that...
20/08/2026

Strong Wednesday 💪 — let’s talk about why movement patterns matter.

Last week I talked about the 5 movement patterns that I think are really important to include in our training as we get older.

So I thought I’d explain a little bit more about why I think they’re so important because strength training isn’t just about lifting weights and getting stronger in the gym…

It’s about being strong enough for everyday life.

Think about all the things we do without really thinking about them...
Getting up and down from a chair.
Getting up from the floor.
Carrying the shopping.
Lifting a suitcase.
Picking something up.
Pushing and pulling things.
Going up and down the stairs.

These are all movements we use in everyday life — and they’re movements we can train.

That’s why I love strength training so much for women as we get older.

It’s not just about how your body looks.

It’s about keeping your body strong, capable and able to do the things you want it to do.

I’ll be breaking down each of those 5 movement patterns over the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for those. 💪

And I promise I won’t make them complicated! 😂

Strong for life — that’s what we’re aiming for. ❤️

20/08/2026

You don't have to do it all — you just need to do what matters

17/08/2026

✨ Mindset Monday ✨

Imagine meeting yourself 10 years from now…

What would she thank you for doing today?

Would she thank you for getting stronger?

For going for those walks?

For looking after your health?

For making time for yourself?

For choosing to nourish your body rather than constantly putting yourself on another diet?

We can get so caught up in how we look today that we forget about the bigger picture.

But getting older isn’t just about the number on the scales or the size of your clothes.

It’s about being strong enough to carry your shopping.

Having the energy to travel and enjoy life.

Being able to get up and down from the floor.

Keeping your mobility.

Staying independent.

And having the confidence to keep doing the things you love.

Every time you strength train, walk, eat well, rest and make yourself a priority, you’re making an investment in that future woman.

So this week, when you’re deciding whether to take that walk, do that workout or simply take some time for yourself, ask:

“What would my future self thank me for doing today?”

Then do one small thing.
You don’t need to change everything.

Just make one choice today that your future self will thank you for. 💪

👇 What do you think your future self would thank you for doing this week?
StrongOver40 MidlifeMindset FutureSelf MidlifeMojo

17/08/2026

💪 Strength Journey – Week 6/8: The Goal Was 5... Now Let's Make Them Stronger

15/08/2026

💪 Strength Journey – Week 6/8

I DID IT!! 🎉

Six weeks ago I set myself a goal...5 unassisted pull-ups.

This week I did it! 💪

The fifth rep was a little shy of the top but Mike said my form was good and gave me the rep... so I’m taking it! 😂

I was absolutely over the moon because pull-ups have been my number one upper-body goal.

After that I did another three sets of three pull-ups and on Friday, when Mike was off, he gave me four sets of three to do.

But could I resist trying the five again?

Of course I couldn’t! 😂

And they actually felt stronger than Tuesday, although that fifth rep was still a challenge. I then did another four sets of three.

So technically I did a little more than I was told to...

Don’t tell Mike! 🤫😂

I’m also noticing that the strength I’m building with Mike is carrying over into my own training. My squats, deadlifts and other sessions are feeling stronger and more confident too.

And that’s exactly why I’m doing this.

Not to get smaller.
Not for a quick fix.
But to become stronger and more capable as I get older.

This is a long game. 💙

The goal was 5. I’ve achieved it and now I want to make those 5 stronger, cleaner and more controlled.

At 58, I’m still setting myself new goals and discovering what my body can do.

So if you think it’s too late to get stronger...It’s not.
Start where you are. Keep showing up. See what’s possible.

Week 6 win: 5 pull-ups! 🎉

Now let’s make them stronger! 💪

StrengthTraining HealthyAgeing ConsistencyWins MidlifeMojo

💙 Friday Wins 💙This week I’m celebrating something that’s been building for a while...🍑 HIP THRUST PBs!All of my LIFT la...
14/08/2026

💙 Friday Wins 💙

This week I’m celebrating something that’s been building for a while...

🍑 HIP THRUST PBs!

All of my LIFT ladies regularly perform hip thrusts in their training, and this week we’ve seen some fantastic progress.

💪 70kg — Lifting Bodyweight goal achieved
💪 82.5kg — a new PB
💪 100kg — goal achieved!

My PT clients Liz and Emma, who both reached 100kg some time ago, are now working towards their next goals!!

I couldn’t be prouder of every single one of my clients. Whether you’re lifting 5kg, 10kg, 30kg, 70kg or 100kg, hitting a new PB or simply becoming more confident with your technique, every bit of progress matters — and I love seeing each and every one of you getting stronger. 💙

This is what I love about strength training.

You don’t just do an exercise once and expect to magically get stronger.

You practise it.
You learn the technique.
You gradually increase the weight.
You build confidence.

Then one day you realise... Wow. I couldn’t lift this a few months ago!

The hip thrust is also a great exercise to have a strength goal with. It allows you to progressively increase the load in a controlled movement, making it relatively straightforward to track your progress and work towards a specific number.

We’re not doing hip thrusts just so we can say we can lift a big number.

Strong glutes and hips are important for so much of everyday life — walking, climbing stairs, getting up from a chair, carrying things and staying active as we get older.

So yes, we’re celebrating the 70kg, 82.5kg and 100kg+... but we’re really celebrating what those numbers represent:

Consistency. Progress. Confidence. Strength. 💙

This is why I don’t believe women should be afraid of lifting weights as they get older.

You are not too old to get stronger.

You might actually be surprised by just how strong you can become.

What’s your current strength goal?

It doesn’t have to be a huge number. Maybe it’s lifting a heavier dumbbell, doing your first push-up, improving your squat or simply feeling more confident with weights.

I’d love to hear yours. 👇

💙 Strong women. Real wins. Every Friday 💙

13/08/2026

Strong Body...Strong Mind...Stronger You! 💪

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Tardebigge

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