Strength Training Through Pregnancy: What NEW Research Really Says — with AMY MOOLYK

Send us Fan Mail💥“Wait…you’re STILL lifting?” “Won’t you hurt the baby?”If you’ve ever picked up a barbell during pregnancy & felt the judgment—or second-guessed yourself thanks to outdated advice—you’re not alone.On this episode of the #ActiveMomPodcast, I’m joined by @amymoolyk—certified strength coach, clinical exercise physiologist, & former Canadian National Olympic weightlifter—who lifts the lid on what it REALLY looks like to train heavy during pregnancy & return to sport postpartum.Amy’s not just talking from experience—she’s also a grad student in the Program for Pregnancy & Postpartum Health at @ualberta & lead author on the 2025 @bjsm_bmj study:🔍 “Maternal & fetal responses to acute high-intensity resistance exercise during pregnancy.”This is the FIRST study to directly measure fetal AND maternal responses to heavy lifting (yep, including the Valsalva), & guess what? It found high-intensity resistance training is safe and well-tolerated by both mom AND baby. We cover:🔹 Competing at the national level navigating pregnancy🔹 What research actually says about lifting during pregnancy🔹 How to filter smart modifications from straight-up fear-mongering🔹 Climbing out of the anxiety spiral around exercise🔹 Why we all deserve better than “just walk and do kegels”🔹 How strength sports CAN be safe and empowering for pregnant/postpartum momsAmy also co-authored a 2025 BJSM "Impact of postpartum physical activity on cardiometabolic health, breastfeeding, injury & infant growth and development: a systematic review & meta-analysis"This episode is science + real talk + zero guilt. Whether you’re a coach, a curious mom, or a barbell-lover navigating pregnancy—this one’s for you.🎧 Hit play. Learn. Lift.💬 Ever felt judged or unsure about lifting while pregnant? Drop your story in the comments—we’re listening.#PregnancyStrength #PostpartumAthlete #StrongMomsLift #OlympicLiftingMoms #PrePostnatalTraining #PregnancyFitness #ActiveMomPodcast #EvidenceBasedPregnancy #PelvicHealthMatters #WomenInStrength #FitnessWithoutFear #paglianopregnancyTime Stamps1:00 Introduction3:55 how weightlifting changes in pregnancy7:12 systematic review on postpartum injury11:12 researching how how heavy lifting affects pregnancy22:50 choosing exercises for the study27:26 considerations during a training session36:33 advice for first time moms38:30 rapid fire questionsCONNECT WITH CARRIEIG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/Website: https://carriepagliano.comCONNECT WITH AMYIG: https://www.instagram.com/amymoolyk/IG: https://www.instagram.com/connectptex/Website: ksr.ualberta.ca/exerciseandpregnancy/Website: connectpt.caThe Active Mom Podcast is A Real Moms' Guide to pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause & beyond for active moms & the professionals who help them in their journey.  This show has been a long time in the making!   You can expect conversation with moms and professionals from all aspects of the industry.   If you're like me, you don't have a lot of free time (heck, you're probably listening at 1.5x speed), so theses interviews will be quick hits to get your the pertinent information FAST!  If you love what you hear, share the podcast with a friend and leave us a 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and review. It helps us become more visible in the search algorithm! (Helps us get seen by more moms that need to hear these stories!!!!)