Pelvic floor: the muscle without which strength training doesn't work
A drop of urine when sneezing, heaviness in the lower abdomen by evening, a belly that protrudes despite a narrow waist — this is not “just what happens to everyone after childbirth.” This is a pelvic floor that has stopped providing support. Every woman has one; you don’t think about it while it is working, and without it, the strength component of the method is unsafe: squats and deadlifts put pressure on it from above. Section — women’s body: special situations.
What it is and why it weakens
The pelvic floor is a layer of muscles between the pubic bone and the tailbone that supports the bladder, uterus, and bowel and engages with every cough, jump, and heavy lift. It weakens due to childbirth, especially delivering a large baby and experiencing tears, constant straining, excess weight, declining estrogen after 45, and the habit of holding your breath under load. One in three women after childbirth and one in two women over 50 have some degree of weakness. Most remain silent.
Signs your pelvic floor isn’t providing enough support
- Leakage when coughing, sneezing, jumping, or running
- Heaviness or pressure in the lower abdomen by evening
- Abdomen protrudes despite flat sides, a “pregnant” appearance after eating
- Frequent urges, feeling of incomplete emptying
- Discomfort during intimacy
- Lower back pain without an apparent cause
Why this matters for the method
Squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses create pressure in the abdomen. A healthy pelvic floor receives it from below; a weak one gives way, and gets worse with every workout. Therefore, the order in the method is: pelvic floor first, then weight. Walking and low-carb nutrition remain — they do not create pressure. How to structure strength training after recovery — bones and muscles after 45 and posture, back, and core.
What to do
Find the muscle
Stop the flow of urine for a second — that’s it. Do it once to feel it; you must not do this regularly.
5-second squeezes
Squeeze as if you were stopping the flow and simultaneously pulling upward, hold for 5 seconds, relax for 10. 10 repetitions, three times a day. Relaxation is more important than squeezing.
Exhale with exertion
Any lifting, standing up from a chair, picking up a child — exhale, with your pelvic floor lifted. Holding your breath puts pressure downward.
Eight to twelve weeks
That’s how long it takes to feel a difference. If the leakage doesn’t go away — see a pelvic floor physical therapist or gynecologist: prolapse is possible, and it can be treated.
Then — add load
Bodyweight squat, then with a dumbbell at your chest, then a barbell. Take each step only if there is no leakage or pressure.
Diastasis
Separation of the rectus abdominis muscles after pregnancy is a common companion of a weak pelvic floor. Check it: lying on your back, slightly lift your head and feel along the line above your navel; a gap wider than two fingers indicates diastasis. With diastasis, crunches, a straight-arm plank, and leg raises make the situation worse. It is restored through breathing, the pelvic floor, and deep muscles, and only then is additional load added. If the gap is more than 4 cm or does not decrease within 6 months, see a surgeon.
Avoid until recovery
- Jumping, running, jump rope
- Heavy squats and deadlifts
- Crunches and leg raises
- Plank on straight arms with diastasis
- Holding your breath under load
Can and should be done
- Walking, including brisk walking
- Pelvic floor contractions daily
- Glute bridges, hip abductions
- Bodyweight squats on the exhale
- Low-carb plate and eating window as usual
Frequently asked questions
Can I fast with a weak pelvic floor?
Yes, food and the eating window do not affect it. Excess weight does — reducing it alone reduces the load on the pelvic floor.
How long after giving birth should I start?
Contractions — from the first days, if approved by a doctor. Exercise — no earlier than 8-12 weeks, and after a C-section or tears — with a doctor’s approval.
Can balls and trainers help?
They can, as an addition, but proper contractions with relaxation work without them. If you cannot feel the muscle, a physical therapist will show you how in one visit.
- Cycle and Hormones
- Insulin, Thyroid and Weight
- After 40: Perimenopause
- A Woman’s Body and Wellbeing
Reviewed by Anastasia Zhukova, Fitness Trainer • Author of a Nutrition and Training System • Creator of an AI Personal Support Platform
A human has reviewed this material against the method and real client practice.