Home / Coaching

Strength coaching for women

Strength coaching for women who are done starting over

Not a class, not an app, and not a trainer who only sees you for an hour. One-to-one coaching built around the life you actually have, so you get visibly stronger, feel great in your clothes and stop starting over.

Apply for coaching

A short application, then a free 30-minute Wellness Strategy Session. No pressure, and you'll leave with a game plan either way.

Zoe Schwartz coaching a client on the cable machine at Good Reps in Prospect Heights — A mental load lifted
"Zoe has taken a large mental burden off my plate."
Kim K.

How it works, day to day

What a week of coaching actually looks like

Monday: set your week up for success

Every Monday I send a voice note, video or message with your focus for the week: what to work on, any plan updates, and the one thing that will move the needle most.

A plan built around your life

Your workouts are in the app, built for home, your gym or your hotel. 2 to 5 days a week, your call. Every exercise has a video, and your weights are tracked automatically.

An accountability partner throughout

I'm with you throughout: in the app, by phone or video, whatever the week calls for. When you're stuck, we talk it through. You're never figuring it out alone.

Friday: your check-in

Five minutes on Friday. What worked, what didn't, and how you're feeling. That's what I build your Monday note from, so every week gets a little more dialled in.

Every week: the habit that matters most

Nutrition, sleep, mindset, recovery: we focus on the one thing that's actually holding you back, one change at a time. One client's breakthrough was protein. Another's was fixing her sleep.

At week 8: what's next

We look at your progress together and decide your next step. Most clients keep going after their first 3 months, not because they have to, but because they want to keep building.

What it looks like in real life

No two plans are the same

A client telling Zoe she moved a workout to Friday to fit her new office schedule, and Zoe cheering the gym time with her coworker — Her week changed, so her workouts moved with it

A client saying a hotel-room workout was perfect while traveling — A workout that fits a hotel room

A client saying she loves inversions and did extra handstands, and Zoe noting it for her next cycle — She loves handstands, so they go in her next plan

A client praising a new upper body workout built from her ideas — Her ideas, built into her next workout

A client saying she used the barbell on her own for the first time — Her first time on the barbell on her own

A client saying short snack workouts made squats much easier — Short "snack" workouts made squats easier

A client saying her house rules are always helpful — Her few simple house rules keep her on track

A client planning to keep resistance bands in her suitcase, and saying she is really loving FBZ — Training bands packed for the next trip

Real messages from clients. Names and photos are blurred for privacy.

Apply for coaching

Results

Done starting over

Visibly stronger in your first 3 months

A working mom in her 30s, back to training after her first baby. Now she lifts her kid with ease.

Read her story 25 lbs lost in 8 months

A high performer in her 50s with long, unpredictable hours. Her goal was 20 pounds, when nothing else had worked.

Read her story "This changed my long-term health."

Beth N. was diagnosed with osteopenia in her 20s, and saw her DEXA scans improve with strength training and support.

Built for women's lives

Most fitness isn't built around women's lives, so I built Fitness by Zoe as the program I wish I'd had.

You might be wondering

"I've never lifted a weight."

Many of my clients start as complete beginners. Every exercise has a demo video, and you can send me a short video of your form for feedback.

"I'm a busy mom."

Many of my clients are moms. We build around your real week: shorter workouts, workouts at home, and a plan B for the week a kid gets sick.

"I'm over 40."

Many of my clients are in their 40s, and I'm in my 40s too. I also coach many women in their 50s and 60s, from former athletes to women who've never lifted.

"I haven't worked out in years."

Many of my clients come back after 10 or 20 years. We start with where you are today, not where you used to be.

"Is it online or in person?"

Online, so it works wherever you live. If you're near Prospect Heights, you can add in-person sessions with me on top.

"I don't have much time."

Most clients train 2 or 3 days a week. Short on time? We use 10-minute exercise snacks, or two workouts back to back on the weekend.

Four pillars, one well-paced plan

Fitness, nutrition, mindset and recovery, planned together so they fit in the same week. Here is what each one looks like in practice.

Fitness

No random acts of fitness. Your training is built on four movement patterns (squat, hinge, push, pull) with progressive overload, so every session has a reason to be there.

Nutrition

Clear protein go-tos, a meal prep structure, and a strategy for weekends and travel. Tailored to your needs, not a list of rules.

Mindset

Your program includes a backup plan for when the original plan falls apart. Because it will, and that's not a failure. It's just Tuesday.

Recovery

Recovery is built into the plan, not added on when you're already worn out. It has a place in your week, the same as your training days.

You don't need more willpower. You need better systems.

What you get

Everything in Strategic Strength

A personalized strength program. 2 to 5 training days a week, you choose (most clients do 2 or 3), delivered through a coaching app.
Nutrition coaching. Protein go-tos, meal prep structure, and a strategy for weekends and travel.
A backup plan. What to do when the original plan falls apart.
Weekly check-ins. Plus regular touch points with me, so you stay accountable and on track.
Mindset and recovery, built in. Part of the program, not extras.
A program that keeps up with you. It evolves monthly and is formally re-evaluated every quarter.
A community forum. Other women working on the same thing.

Zoe doing dips on an outdoor rig on a rooftop

How it compares

What you may have already tried

Each of these can work, and if you love one, we can keep it. This is what I commonly see missing when women come to me after trying them.

Option	What you get	What is usually missing
An app	Workouts on your phone, whenever suits you.	Often, nobody adjusting the plan to your life or noticing when you stop.
Boutique classes	A set time, good energy and other people in the room.	In my experience, a progression that is built for you. The class is planned for the room.
An in-person trainer	Hands-on coaching while you are in the session.	Often, the hours in between: nutrition, travel weeks and what to do when you can't get there.
A nutrition challenge	Clear rules and a short burst of focus.	Often, a plan for what happens after it ends, and strength training alongside it.
Strategic Strength	A personalized strength program, nutrition coaching, a backup plan and weekly check-ins, in one place.	Hands-on form work, because it is online. If you are Brooklyn-based, in-person sessions and monthly workshops are there too.

If this sounds like your life, let's talk.

Start with a short application, then book your free 30-minute Wellness Strategy Session. We look at where you are, what has got in the way before, and what would fit the life you have now.

Apply for coaching

5.0 from 37 Google reviews

A short application first
Then 30 minutes, by video
No pressure to sign up
You leave with a next step either way

Not ready yet? Come to a $10 workshop in Brooklyn, or get The Strength Edit newsletter.