Redefining Strength,
the Liz Wei “Way”
For our latest Culture Coverage feature, we caught up with Liz Wei — known to many as LiftsWithLiz — a fitness model, personal trainer, and competitive bikini bodybuilder whose presence in the gym goes far beyond reps and routines. With an honest sense of humor, a love for breakfast food, and a mindset rooted in growth, Liz represents a new generation of fitness culture built on balance, resilience, and self-trust.
But her journey didn’t start with trophies or stage lights. It started with healing.
Finding the Gym When Everything Else Fell Apart
Liz’s fitness journey began in 2017, at a turning point in her life. After her sports career ended, she found herself navigating mental health struggles and searching for stability. The gym became her safe space — not just a place to train her body, but a place to quiet her mind.
What started as a coping mechanism slowly evolved into a passion. Training gave Liz structure, confidence, and a sense of control during a period when everything else felt uncertain. Over time, those early workouts laid the foundation for a career rooted in discipline, education, and empathy.
Today, Liz is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, competitive bikini bodybuilder, and fitness model, but at her core, she’s someone who understands what it feels like to start from the bottom.
The Realities Behind the Reps
Spend five minutes with Liz and you’ll quickly learn she keeps things real. Her favorite food? Oatmeal — though she jokes it was “literally taken away” from her that day. Least favorite exercise? Bulgarian split squats. No hesitation. “Rep one, my quad’s already on fire,” she says. “I know I’m done.”
That honesty is what makes her relatable. Liz doesn’t glamorize the grind. She acknowledges the struggle, the soreness, the days where motivation isn’t automatic. But she also embraces the process, the discipline of showing up, the confidence built through consistency, and the small wins that compound over time.
Her approach to fitness isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress.
More Than a Physique
While Liz competes on stage, her definition of strength extends far beyond physical appearance. She emphasizes mindset as much as movement, encouraging others to stop limiting themselves with language like “I can’t.”
“You can’t do it now,” she says. “But you can’t do it yet.”
That philosophy shapes how she trains clients and connects with her audience. Fitness, for Liz, is a tool — a way to build self-belief, confidence, and mental resilience. The results may show up in the mirror, but the real transformation happens internally.
Building a Safe Space Through Strength
At its core, Liz Wei’s mission is simple: help others find a healthy, sustainable relationship with fitness, one rooted in self-respect, patience, and belief. She knows firsthand how powerful the gym can be when it’s treated as a place for growth, not punishment.
Through her training, competition journey, and online presence, Liz continues to create a space where people feel seen, supported, and capable of more than they thought possible.
Strength isn’t just something you lift.
Sometimes, it’s something you build.
Where to find Liz:
📲 Instagram: @liftswithliz
🌐TikTok: @liftswithliz
🎙️ Podcast: Confessions of a Gym Rat