Rep by Rep

Rep by Rep

How I survived narcissistic abuse and rebuilt my life through strength

There were no bruises to photograph. No broken bones. Nothing a stranger could look at and understand. Just a pattern so quiet and calculated that I struggled to see it while I was living inside it.

For five years, I was with a man who never once raised his voice, and I spent most of those years believing that meant I was safe. He was charming in public and cold behind closed doors. He slowly cut me off from my community, made me doubt my own memory, and wore me down one small moment at a time, until I barely recognized myself.

This is the story of how I got out, and how a barbell, a gym before sunrise, and a community of strong women brought me back to myself.

Rep by Rep is part memoir, part playbook. It's for every woman who has ever started her story with "it's probably nothing."

Inside this 31 page guide:

• My story, told honestly: how it started, how the abuse escalated, and what erosion really looks like from the inside
• What narcissistic abuse really is: overt versus covert abuse, the cycle of idealize, devalue, discard and pulling you back, and the tactics to know by name
• What abuse does to your brain: why you couldn't think clearly, why your memory felt foggy, and why you still miss someone who hurt you
• Why we stay and how we leave: safety planning, a private record worksheet, and who can help
• The Bar Does Not Gaslight: how strength training helped me heal, plus what research says about lifting and mental health
• You Were Never Meant to Heal Alone: why community is one of the most powerful tools in recovery, and how to find your people
• Trauma-informed training: how to start lifting when your body still feels unsafe, with a 4 week starter plan and calming tools to use between sets
• Rebuilding you: boundaries you can borrow, red flags and green flags, and learning to love yourself alone
• A 30 day Rep by Rep Rebuild Plan, with reflection pages
• Support resources, including the hotline numbers I wish I'd had sooner

This book is for you if:

• You're in a relationship that leaves you confused, anxious, and doubting yourself
• You've left, but still don't feel like yourself
• You're a survivor looking for a way back into your body and your strength
• You love someone who's been through this and want to understand it

About the author

Landri Peden is an elite international powerlifter, Army veteran, and strength and nutrition coach with nearly 20 years of experience. She is the founder of Grace and Grit and Power Queens Club, a community built to be the safe space she once needed. She is also the author of the upcoming memoir Still Standing: Grace, Grit, and the Cost of Survival.

You don't have to feel strong to start. You just have to start. Rep by rep.

Instant digital download (PDF).

Content note: This book includes descriptions of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and mentions suicidal thoughts. It shares the author's personal experience and coaching perspective. It is not a substitute for therapy, medical care, or legal advice. If you are in danger, call 911. For support, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.7233 or text START to 88788.