the hedda in the hustle
When you break an American powerlifting record for your squat, people tend to ask about how it all began. For me, it started with feeling intimidated by the big, grunty guys at the UC Davis gym.
The lifting area felt like it belonged to them, not to someone like me who had never even touched a barbell. So when I finally had the chance to ask the “meathead” from my German class—the guy who always carried a shaker bottle, lifting belt, and knee sleeves—I didn’t waste it.
Initially I worked out in hopes of losing weight and feeling skinny. Then I discovered something better: feeling strong.
Strength is more than physical. It’s confidence, capability, and the energy to take on anything. When you feel strong, you don’t just change your body. You change your whole world.
When people ask me where “hustle” in Hedda Hustle comes from, I’d love to say you learn grit and grind growing up in Oakland, California.
“Hustle” comes from my sister Huong. It was some time before my second powerlifting meet, and we were joking about alliterations with our name. (It’s quite challenging with H’s…)
The morning of that 2nd powerlifting meet, my siblings surprised me with homemade headbands with #HeddaHustle written on them.
At that time, my parents had no idea that I did powerlifting. When my mom found out we’d all been at my powerlifting meet all day, she yelled at me for “ruining” my body because women shouldn’t lift weights.
Even with two gold medals in hand I felt guilty and ashamed, but my siblings were there for me. They reminded me how incredible it was that I was lifting over 2.5x my bodyweight, more than some people will ever lift in their lifetime. It was encouragement that pushed me to pursue an outlandish goal: being a petite 5 feet tall powerhouse that can squat 300 pounds.
They say dream is free, and the hustle is sold separately.
how the hustle was born
Strength creates Possibility
I’ll never forget the moment I achieved my lifetime goal of squatting 300 pounds. I had been balancing a full schedule of classes at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and trained every morning before my 8:30am Needs Assessment class. It proved what I now teach every client: when discipline meets a smart training plan, your world expands.
I applied my growth mindset to competing in a bodybuilding show where I learned to meticulously measure my food. I placed 2nd overall in my first bikini show. I then challenged myself yet again with triathlon training to understand endurance from the inside out, competing in the iconic Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco.
Each challenge taught me something new about how the body adapts, grows, and exceeds expectations with the right strategy.
I blend my expertise in strength, endurance, and nutrition into a streamlined, evidence‑based system that helps women build the kind of capability that transforms every part of their lives.
Strength training has been the backbone of my achievements, and I know it can be yours too.
