Strength Training for the Soul

One day on the assault bike, which always feels challenging to me, my coach asked if I had one more bucket in me. He said, “If you had to empty Sebago Lake, how would you do it?” One bucket at a time. Sobriety can feel the same: just one day at a time. Do not worry about forever. Focus on what is in front of you, whether it is a tough interval on the bike or simply showing up for yourself.

Returning to Strength Training

I started strength training again a couple of years ago. It was not my first time. After I had my daughter 20 years ago, I fell in love with the gym for both health and connection. Life got busier after my son was born, and while I cared about wellness, it was hard to make it a priority when I was drinking.

A friend encouraged me to join their gym, and I quickly remembered how much I loved lifting. Now, almost seven years sober, training feels easier to prioritize. It has become an anchor in my life. I even worked with a coach for over a year who helped me improve my form and rethink what effort really means.

Finding Steady Ground

When I first quit drinking, I was motivated by shame and anxiety. I held on tightly and hoped something would change. Even though the cravings faded, I was not always putting myself in situations that supported sobriety. One of my favorite instructors always says, “You don’t have to get ready if you stay ready.” My motivation now comes from a steadier place rather than fear.

That shift did not happen in a single moment. It came slowly, like a tide inching in. Strength training taught me that kind of gradual transformation. In the gym, progressive overload means adding a little more weight or one extra rep over time. Sobriety works in a similar way. Each day without drinking, each time I faced discomfort instead of numbing it, built something I did not recognize at first. Rest mattered too. Muscles need recovery to grow. Sobriety needs stillness, reflection, and connection.

Accountability and Community

In the gym, accountability might come from a coach or training partner. In sobriety, it comes from the people who notice when something is off: friends, meetings, a sponsor, or anyone who keeps you grounded. Knowing you are not doing this alone makes the hard days easier.

Building for the Hard Moments

Strength training teaches that progress is not always linear. Some days everything feels heavy. Sobriety has those days too. The practice is continuing to return to what keeps you steady. Being sober is not only about avoiding alcohol. It is about creating habits and routines that help you respond with clarity instead of retreating into old patterns.

What began as a way to rebuild my body eventually became the way I rebuilt my life. Strength training gave me the structure to stay sober, and sobriety gave me the clarity to keep getting stronger, one bucket, one rep, one day at a time.

Monique Coombs has been sober for seven years. She lives in Harpswell, is part of a fishing family, and works for the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.