Episode 9: Stronger Than Before (BrigadeX): Training Through Grief, Birth & Breastfeeding
Description
We had to restart this conversation four times - because André cried, then Zerlina cried, then the light blew, and then André wanted Daddy.
This is motherhood. And this is what it looks like to rebuild strength anyway.
In this episode, I sit down with Rene - eight months postpartum and stronger than she was before having a baby. We talk about what it really takes to return to training after birth (spoiler: it’s not bounce back culture), how grief shaped her motivation, why bodyweight strength hits different after pregnancy, and what progress actually looks like when you’re still breastfeeding and sleep deprived.
We also get into:
Why dips are harder when you’re tall (and how she still nailed them)
How smart programming trumps “just doing more”
What strength means now—as a mother, an athlete, and a woman
The invisible mental gains that came from holding a handstand... and holding a baby
This isn’t a story about perfect routines. It’s about making it work - with less time, more purpose, and a system built for women.
Whether you're three months or three years postpartum, you’ll take something from this one.