Where being strong is a lifestyle
If you’re looking for positives about getting older, you may not see them until you’re actually there. I knew I was suffering badly during my 20′s, but it’s only now that I can look back and see how far I’ve come. I was a late bloomer; I didn’t develop true self-confidence until after I had my daughter and returned to strength training. My wiser, broader perspective made me realize that comparing myself to others is a losing game. While competing can be {Read More…}
Like a lot of women, even though I’d strength trained for years I was still afraid of using creatine. I’m careful about what I put in my body and had more than a few questions: Would this “natural” supplement cause my already sensitive stomach to balloon? Would it turn me into the Incredible Hulk? Was it even safe? After some research, I decided to give creatine a try to see just how far it could take me with my muscle-building {Read More…}
I often hear people say they want to “maximize” their strength-training workouts. The translation of this statement is usually “my workouts aren’t giving me what I want.” If this is you, you’re smart to think you should be doing something differently to build muscle or lose fat. But what is that “something?” You can improve your workouts – and your body composition– by changing an almost endless array of variables. Here are just three ways to start seeing better progress immediately. Avoid Ineffective {Read More…}
Spring is upon us! It’s exciting to consider the fitness goals you could accomplish in the 12 or so weeks until summer. Just think: in 12 weeks you could: – Lose 10 to 12 pounds (or 3 percent body fat) – Gain muscle definition in your arms, legs, chest, or butt The secret is to have a fitness plan, so take a look at how you can spend the next 12 weeks accomplishing these goals. Your 12-Week Plan Can you {Read More…}
You might be surprised how useful calorie tracking software can be for goals other than weight loss. Check out these reasons to use MyFitnessPal (my personal favorite) or another tool such as Lose It!. 1. You Want to Build Muscle As a small-boned person who has to work extra hard to put on muscle, I’m interested in whether I’m eating enough. I track my food intake once every five or six months for one week (that’s as long as my {Read More…}
As I look back on my earlier weightlifting days when I wasn’t making significant progress, I can see my mistakes so clearly. Somewhat predictably, I realize now that it wasn’t until I became a personal trainer that I finally started seeing real results. I became educated about what works from an evidence-based perspective and began following through with that knowledge. Today, I see people doing exactly what I did: spinning their wheels, frustrated that they never see the results they {Read More…}
