Where being strong is a lifestyle
By the time I walk into the gym I’ve already been anticipating getting my heart rate up, gripping the iron, and feeling my body come alive. I’m pumped for some crazy gym love. And I know my approach and goals. On this particular day I’m training my favorite muscle group – back. Earlier in the day I’d asked my Twitter community what it is about back day that feels so crazy good. I heard, “It feels powerful.” “You can go {Read More…}
Vanity rocks. I tweeted this a few months ago and knew it could be misinterpreted. But the response I got from a few women told me they understood. I love the word vanity. It’s filled with negative connotations, but I’ve taken ownership of it and changed its meaning. This word represents everything weight training has given me. And once you have healthy vanity, it changes your life forever. You can not go back. Vanity and weight lifting go together so {Read More…}
When I strained my back a couple of months ago, I figured I could still work out and just “take it easy.” You know – “back off.” This is actually called denial, because when you’re used to pushing it, it’s very difficult to do something with less intensity. The intensity is the fun part. My back is better, but it took much longer to heal while continuing weights. And while I’m not advocating continuing to exercise when you have an {Read More…}
If you’re injury free, how do you maintain this state of bliss? And if not, are you practicing these basic injury prevention principals? The first half of last year I had pain in my shoulder, knee, wrist, and elbow. I went to physical therapy and used wrist and elbow supports to help myself recover. Now that I’ve been injury free for awhile, I want to share what I’ve learned over the last year. Injuries prevent you from doing what you {Read More…}
Ever since my post about the hidden benefits of weight lifting, I have been intrigued by the barriers keeping people from lifting or getting the most out of lifting. I heard from people who echoed the following myths or said they’d heard them. Are you buying into any of these misconceptions? Myth: Runners should not weight train Many runners think bigger muscles will slow them down; however, weight lifting can actually improve your running performance and also help to prevent injuries. A {Read More…}
I’ve been lifting weights on and off for 15 years. I blog about what’s worked for me and what I’ve learned on my own and as a personal trainer. I know how to get stand-out muscle definition, how to lift safely, and how to eat clean. There are two more things I know about: How to have fun lifting weights, and how to be a woman in the weight room. Many, many women are intimidated by the weight room. Both {Read More…}
