Beauty In Strength

I'm very lucky to have so many ladies that I get to see grow with their health and fitness everyday. And I have had the opportunity to see these ladies put many men to shame with their incredible strength! So with that being said, I felt like I needed to write about this issue this morning because I love my girls and want them to remember that regardless of what the number is on the tags of their clothing, there is much more to them than that number.

There's been a lot of "buzz" on Facebook lately about the controversy surrounding what constitutes a proper size versus plus size for women. Apparently SICFIT put together a video regarding the staggering news that the fashion industry considers a size 6 to be Plus Sized! I won't even go into the silliness (trying to be polite here) that is SICFIT, but honestly, is this ground breaking news folks? Society, especially the media, has consistently pounded into the female brain that unless our hip bones are protruding and our collar bones are visible, then we aren't fit, healthy or beautiful enough to walk down a run way or grace the cover of a magazine.


But I would really like to believe that many people are beginning to realize that curves, especially those that contain lean muscle, are beautiful and more importantly reflect the hard work and dedication that was required to create those beautiful curves. I will admit that I still fall victim to the mirror sometimes and find myself "squeezing" areas that I find undesirable or that I feel may not be up to standard. But when I think about the fact that I can take 135 pounds from the ground to my shoulders or take 210 pounds on my back and squat with it, I'm pretty damn proud. So while I may have to shimmy my thighs into my jeans, I know that those thighs can move a lot of weight and are pretty darn capable.

What I hope to extend today is that society will always be fixated on the female body and what it thinks should be the standard or be considered beautiful. They may fluctuate those standards from time to time, but primarily the standards will be unrealistic and who wants to try to live DOWN to those types of standards anyway? I'm proud to say that I'm a size 4/6 - plus size or not - and will continue to look up to who I think is beautiful, like Annie Sakamoto and Miranda Oldroyd who have worked their arses off to forge their strong, healthy bodies. Society can have their stick figures. I'll take my capable and strong size 4/6.

My WOD Wife

Today I had the pleasure of WOD'ing with one of my best girl pals and WOD Wife, Stephanie. Because she and her husband are getting ready to PCS to another military installation in the next month, we have been trying to get together and we were finally able to do that today. With my husband's schedule it can be tough for he and I to workout together - that darn job of his keeps getting in the way! (Not that I'm ungrateful for his job, I'm just selfish!) Additionally, many of my friends have also had other responsibilities as well as myself that have made it difficult for our schedules to line up allowing us to WOD together. So I was very grateful to get to throw down with Steph like old times!

Today's workout wasn't anything too aggressive: 10 minute AMRAP: 30 Double Unders & 15 Power Snatch (75/55). Light weight and smooth sailing on the double unders, right? Well, what I always seem to forget because I workout alone for the majority of my workouts, is that having a partner really kicks up that competitive nature - not necessarily to compete against Stephanie, Donny or whoever I may be working out with, but mainly against myself. Working out with my husband or Stephanie requires me to dig deeper and really push for those repetitions. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that when WOD'ing alone I seem to allow myself excuses as to why I may "need" to rest for just an extra 10 seconds versus trusting that I have what it takes to stop sabotaging myself and give it 120%.

When I workout with another individual I am reminded of how much harder I really can push myself and I'm sure many of those who are CrossFit addicts (or are passionate about their fitness) can relate. Unfortunately I have to face reality that Steph is leaving soon - WAAAAAAHHH!!! - and I will more than likely have to continue WOD'ing alone the majority of the time. But looking forward I am going to make a promise to myself to remember how hard I worked today and strive for that determination every time (and I'm going to miss my Stephers terribly!).

Goodbye New Year's Resolution

So how are those New Year's Resolutions holding up?

While I hate that CrossFit has begun to spread like wildfire - it was a much stronger organization when it was considered a cultist community - I still think that it's the most adaptable and maintainable form of exercise there is. While Greg Glassman didn't invent the concept, he did provide a huge platform for many of us who have never been athletes or performed such complex movements before and I am definitely forever grateful for starting two years ago. And with no prior history of real athleticism or sport, I was definitely new to the community and was not only able to adapt, but I am still maintaining and continuing to grow with it everyday.

With that being said, I know that for many people the new year can provide an opportunity for some to make the decision to change their health but don't realize that it isn't a temporary change - it must be a lifestyle change - one that will continue for the rest of your life. And while I am guilty of making those resolutions only to see them putter out a few months later, I can now say that I will never have to make a resolution to change my health & fitness for the rest of my life. I have seen what CrossFit (in conjunction with being aware of my nutrition) can do for someone who had never lifted a barbell in her life and would recommend this lifestyle to anyone. It isn't easy, but like anything that we strive for, it takes hard work, dedication and most of all heart. It also requires being realistic and understanding that it will take time to reverse whatever "damage" has been done, and there will never be a day that won't challenge you in one aspect or another. Everyday that I step into the gym, I gain greater knowledge, strength and experience.

So if you are finding that your new years resolution is getting more and more difficult to stick to - or if you're like me, you are getting bored with that treadmill - take the time to look up local CrossFit facilities in your area via www.crossfit.com. It isn't going to be cheap like many of the bigger gyms - it will require a financial commitment. But if what you're looking for is cheap, then CrossFit may not be in the cards for you and unfortunately you will just continue to question why you aren't achieving a long, lean, STRONG, healthy body like those who have made that commitment to their health.

My Little King