Living Fit Mommy: “Lifting Heavy” is Revolutionizing The Phrase “Girl Power”

Strong is the new “Skinny” in some fitness circles as CrossFit Athletes like Camille Leblanc-Bazinet prove that women can be every bit as strong, fit, and sexy as their male counterparts. Photo: Bodybuilding.Com

You don’t have to sell me on the positive effects of lifting; I’ve been incorporating a structured strength training regimen into my fitness plan for better than two-years now, and I have no complaints about the result.

That said, there is a growing culture of women who believe that to look and feel strong is to break down the walls of what is expected of their bodies and show the world that you can be fit and strong without losing an ounce of feminine mystique.

…”Girl power” takes on a whole new meaning.

“There is so much empowerment in being able to lift and move heavy things – especially if it’s more than your body weight,” says Bikini Fit head coach Tricia Yap. “Putting fears of failure aside, attempting something one might not otherwise dare to do, and then achieving it – it’s a powerful thing that our community of women can apply to other aspects of their lives.” (Rachel Jacqueline, South China Morning Post)

For me, personally, it’s been about building confidence and stepping outside of my comfort zone. I’ve always been rather thin, but I didn’t have any strength or muscle definition. Now, I am proud to show off my “guns” in a tank top, and I feel confident that when I pick up a dumbbell or perform a rep on the bench I’m doing something good for my body.

It’s about so much more than just sticking to a plan that works—although the results do help keep you on track–it’s about challenging yourself to do more, and be more, than you ever believed possible; and if the CrossFit Games are any indication, there will continue to be a generation of women out there who are looking to take it to that next level, and beyond, so that any young women/girls that choose to follow in their footsteps know that it can be done.

Living Fit Mommy: When CrossFit Goes Horribly Wrong

CrossFit is hardcore fitness…just ask a CrossFitter.

I love CrossFit.

I don’t do it, but I love it, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for not only the A-List athletes who compete in the CrossFit Games, but for the average Joe/Joan at your local box who is AMRAP’n it out on a daily basis.

It takes a certain level of dedication to commit to doing something so challenging and the community of CrossFit is simply amazing.

That said, it ain’t all sunshine and roses when you start out and even the most experienced CrossFitter will tell you that form and knowing your limits is everything. Don’t do too much and always listen to your body…and the video below is an example of all the things that can go wrong when you fail to do either.

Living Fit Mommy: Gotta Keep It Varied

Never neglect your stretching. It’s a key element to maintaining your overall fit health—and warming up before hitting the weights is definitely a part of that process.

I was reading an article the other day about the five gym mistakes that even veterans make, and I was not surprised to see two of the mistakes—that I often make—on the list: 1) I tend to do a lot of the same strength exercises and 2) I don’t much care for warming up (although I do it more now than I used to and consider it a must).

Here’s the thing, I don’t like to waste time at the gym. My time is limited enough between the tons of other things I have to do, so I try to maximize my gym time as much as possible. That said, a 10-minute warm-up seems like an inconvenience, and an eternity, sometimes, and finding a new way to train my biceps, shoulders, back, etc., when everything I do works fine already is like…well, “why bother?”

However, two things come from continuing with that level of fit ignorance: 1) injury and 2) boredom.

The best thing you can do for your body is keep it flexible, and the best thing you can do for your regimen is to keep it fresh. If you can do both, you’re cooking with gas—as my late grandmother would say—and that’s a good thing.

 

So don’t skip your warm-up at the beginning and don’t get so obsessed with the result and feel of one particular exercise that you fail to challenge your muscles with something else. Change can be a good thing, if you’re doing it for the right reasons and with the right amount of guidance.