Tina McInnes Coaching

Tina McInnes Coaching She is the creator of Women Who Want Muscle - an online women's strength program.

Tina McInnes is a physician, trainer (CSEP), Poliquin Level 1 Strength Coach Nutrition Coach (PN) with certifications in FMS (level 2), and Sleep Stress & Recovery (PN).

“Am I eating enough protein?”It is a good question—but it should not come before this one:“Am I training in a way that g...
09/01/2026

“Am I eating enough protein?”

It is a good question—but it should not come before this one:

“Am I training in a way that gives my body a reason to build muscle?”

Progressive strength training provides the stimulus. Protein supports the response. It does not build or preserve muscle on its own.

The adult RDA is 0.8 g/kg/day, but women who strength train may benefit from closer to 1.6 g/kg/day. Beyond that, the benefit tends to flatten. Most women do not need to force down 1 gram per pound through extra snacks, bars and shakes—especially if fat loss is also a goal.

You also do not need to panic about a 30-minute “anabolic window.” Regular protein-containing meals across the day will do the job.

First, get the training right: structure, consistency, progressive demand, sufficient volume and effort, good range and control—and recovery.

Then eat enough protein without letting it become another source of anxiety.

This is post 10 in my summer series on what actually works in women’s strength training.

Save or share this reminder: protein supports the signal. It does not create it.

How often should you lift?Training frequency is one of the most common questions I get — and it matters, but not in the ...
08/26/2026

How often should you lift?
Training frequency is one of the most common questions I get — and it matters, but not in the way most people think.

A great place to start is 2 full-body strength sessions per week.

This gives each muscle group a quality signal to adapt about twice per week, which is enough for most people to see results, especially when you are building consistency.

If your goals go beyond general strength for healthy aging — like building more muscle, improving body composition, or enhancing performance — you may benefit from 3 or even 4 sessions per week.

But here is the key: more is not always better.

Your ability to recover from training is the real limiting factor.

Sleep, stress, nutrition, life demands, and your training age all influence how much frequency you can handle. Pushing beyond your recovery capacity can stall progress, increase fatigue, and raise injury risk.

The goal is to find the right dose for you — enough to create progress, but not so much that recovery suffers.

Build the habit first. Then adjust frequency over time based on your goals, your results, and how well you recover.

This is the ninth post in my summer series on what actually works in women’s strength training.

Like this post if it helped clarify training frequency.

Follow for the rest of the series.

Save this as a reminder that more is not always better.

How often are you lifting right now?

September registration for Women Who Want Muscle runs from **August 23–30**.Registration will be available exclusively t...
08/19/2026

September registration for Women Who Want Muscle runs from **August 23–30**.

Registration will be available exclusively to women on the priority list.

Spaces are limited, and registration may close early if they are filled.

Visit www.coachmcinnes.ca
Registration access will be sent directly by email beginning August 23.

Loading a movement is not the same as owning it. The goal is to challenge the intended muscles through a meaningful rang...
08/18/2026

Loading a movement is not the same as owning it. The goal is to challenge the intended muscles through a meaningful range of motion, with enough control to keep the work where it belongs.

More weight will not necessarily improve a movement if limited mobility, positioning, or control shortens the range or shifts the work elsewhere. This is why foundational strength and movement quality matter.

Progress is not measured only by the weight you lift. Better range, depth, and control are also progression—and often what makes greater strength, muscle growth, and more resilient movement possible.

Follow me for the rest of this series.

08/13/2026

Is marketing replacing judgement?

Something has gone badly wrong when saturated social media marketing convinces women that one particular certification should carry more weight than the education, experience and professional judgment of the coach standing in front of them.

I see this increasingly in the menopause fitness space.

A short course combining menopause and hormone education with nutrition and a particular framework for exercise cannot replace a deep understanding of physiology and progressive strength program design.

Hormones matter. Menopause matters. But neither tells a coach how the woman in front of them moves, what she is ready for, what needs developing, how much training she can recover from, or how to progress her wisely over time.

“Lift heavy” is a recommendation. Five sets of five is a prescription.

Knowing whether and when that is an appropriate part of a woman’s long-term training plan is real expertise.

When we stop examining the breadth of someone’s education, experience and reasoning and instead reflexively look for the credential we have repeatedly been told matters, we have outsourced our judgment to marketing.

Please don’t do that.

And if whether I hold a particular menopause fitness certification is your deciding criterion for whether I am qualified to coach you, we are probably not a good fit.

MENOPAUSE FITNESS CERTIFICATION

STRENGTH PROGRAMMING EXPERTISE

Don’t let marketing do your thinking for you.

Address

1065 Wellington West Street, Suite 102
Ottawa, ON
K1S1Y9

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16137222272

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