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20
Nov
12

Female Body Building

By garagegym107 27 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
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I have a crush on female body building.  I have since I was in my early twenties when Cory Everson and Rachel McLish were so popular.  I still admire both of these women greatly for pushing the level of fitness for women.

Is it right for me?  I believe doable for me.  I’ve put my body through an incredible trauma by increasing my body weight to 328# over a two-year period.  That left marks, both physically and emotionally.  I used to consider those marks a negative reminder of the things I’ve been through.  These days, I just consider them reminders of victorious battles fought.

Anyway I digress.  Here is a picture of one of today’s more popular female body builders.  Her name is Dana Linn Bailey and she is awesome.  What’s more awesome than Dana?  The fact that my friend Katie wore one of the garagegym107.com sweat shirts to Xtreme Nutrition’s latest grand opening and Dana posed with her.

My friend Katie put this little photo together for me.  I adore it.  The poster will now be hanging in GG107.  It makes me feel famous and we all know that I’m not.  Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. 

If you want it, get after getting it.

16
Nov
12

No One Walks In Your Shoes

By garagegym107 21 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
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Friday Fun!  Now dance like a Boss!

Yesterday I found myself rather overcome with emotion the minute I set foot in Garagegym107.  There is powerful MOJO associated with this place.  I don’t question things in life that bring me joy and helping others surely does that.

Highlights from this week:

Two people commented on the progress one of the ladies that works out with me on the parking deck at work.  Progress being noted by people not working out.  Love.

One of the ladies that works out said “I see definition in my legs and I like it”.  Small pleasures!

The old man in the gym who now waves at me every morning after I commented to him that I missed him this last few days.  Just being noticed that you’ve been missed motivates some.

My friend said to me “treat yourself as good as you do your best friends”.

I got to speak to a group of women about nutrition.  Now they realize we all struggle at some point.  Realize that your journey is only about you.  What’s right for you may not be right for another.  Do not criticize their way because it’s not your way.  Respect our differences.

 

 

 

 

12
Nov
12

The Fat Chick In My Head

By garagegym107 5 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
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Today I had a visit from my old friend, the fat chick in my head.  The old me.  As I stood in the gym during my lunch hour she decided to pay me a visit.  She doesn’t come around as often as she used to.    As I stood there looking in the mirror, she said to me “I know you can see me” and in all honesty she was right.  I could see images of the old me flash in my mind.  Times when I wasn’t so comfortable in the gym, times that I wept thinking I would never get the weight off.

The fat chick in my head will always be a part of me, but she will never again be all of me. 

The days she shows up in the gym are few and far between.  It’s doubt that I might not get where I want to be.  It’s a reminder that in order to achieve what I want there must be sacrifice willingly given.  It’s a status check above all else.

Perhaps it’s just the fat chick looking for the long-awaited gratitude for looking out for me and keeping me safe all of those years.   So thank you for that.

I’ve got it from here, I promise you can trust me now.

08
Nov
12

Body Image

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
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I talk to a lot of women.  Both young and a little further along in their young.  Women who are fit and some who are just starting their journey.  The most common thread I find that intertwines all of us are body image issues.  Seriously, I have some BEAUTIFUL friends that allow themselves to see only their own perceived flaws.

Having traveled the journey I’ve traveled I have a whole bunch of stuff that I could go on about.  Sure, some of them I’m darned tempted to surgically change, I mean really.  You don’t go from 328 down to 165 without a thing or two hanging around.  But that’s not what I’m talking about today.

Today I want to talk about embracing your body for the things you don’t see…yet.

Over the past 12 years there have been numerous things I’ve wanted to change about my body.  I’ve worked really hard to change them.  Some have changed, some have not.  Ironically, the one thing I wanted to change the most still hasn’t really changed much at all. 

I have a friend who suggested that instead of constantly focusing on what I want to change, that perhaps I should focus on what is good about my body instead. 

Great things happened over the course of the following months.  Each day I would write down 5 things that I appreciated about my body with the one rule that I couldn’t repeat the same thing.

For example I have very wide clavicles.  I had someone say to me “I’d love to have your clavicles”.  Hmm who knew.

This exercise taught me to love things I’d never even paid any attention to and to not be so very critical of my own flaws.  You can bet there is someone out there right now that wishes they could be where you are today.

So start that little exercise today.  Write down 5 things you truly appreciate about your body.  If you can’t think of 5 try harder.  The way you look isn’t all that matters.

On a completely different topic, here is my friend Caroline rockin’ the GG107 sweat shirt.  She lives in Washington state and reads my blog and talks to me on FB and lets me send her son cotton fresh from the fields of Alabama.  Thank you Caroline!

aka RockStar

07
Nov
12

Getting Lost To Find Yourself

By garagegym107 4 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
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Funny how folks allow an event to alter their daily lives even when it is totally out of their own control.  I’ve seen more morose faces today than I care to.  But this is life and I’m going to live it.

There are several highlights already happening in my day.

I watched a beautiful sunrise this morning after successfully hang squat cleaning 100# for 5 sets of 5 reps. 

I worked out with a group of ladies at lunch that are all showing improvement.  They are happy about it.

I closed my office door and buried myself in my work while listening to music.  Thankfully I have a boss that understands on occasion I need to tune out interruption and focus.  Getting lost in music today was a blessing.

This song reminds me of when I was a young mother of three rambunctious little boys.  In fact this reminded me of the day the youngest got a Nerd candy stuck up his nose.

There are greater things in our lives happening everyday.  Choose to see the greatness.

05
Nov
12

Momentum Is Inside You

By garagegym107 2 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
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There are days in my fitness and nutrition where momentum is non-existent.  I mean literally, picking up a barbell and going through the movement with no momentum is hard, mentally.  

This morning I ran a few  minutes late getting to the gym.  Big deal, I was still there by 5:30am.   But my mental momentum wasn’t there the second I stepped in front of the barbell.  In fact it took a good ten minutes to warm up to the barbell.

As I got a little looser, the momentum started changing too.

The barbell seemed lighter, my badonkadonk seemed to go lower and the balance seemed to level out.

Squat snatching.  It is such a technical movement. 

A movement that has humbled me over and over again over the past 2.5 years.  Just when I thought I had it, I realized I was training in the realm of power snatch far more often than the squat snatch.  To the point I had literally begun to stop myself from squatting under the bar.  Needless to say, a very poor habit to develop.

This morning I did something that I rarely ever do anymore.  I put my ear buds in and listened to music while I was lifting.  Just me, the barbell, and the music. 

There is always music playing in the gym so it’s not like that part is new.  But this morning I literally closed my mind from distraction and lifted.  Over and over I lifted that barbell, slowly increasing the weight.   It felt good.  Really good.

Today I remembered why I love lifting a barbell.  Because I am able to.  For no other reason than that I am capable.

I have two friends who are injured and can’t lift.  Today I lifted for them as much as for myself.  Thinking each time I pulled that bar high against the front of my body that they would each do the same for me.  

Carol and Caroline…for you.

 

 

 

31
Oct
12

Be Authentic…Be You.

By garagegym107 4 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman

My most favorite blogger CultFit said that in a comment to me.  I love that statement. 

Be authentic:  true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.

Ever tried to be authentic?  Being who you are without pretense, without bending to someone else’s expectations can be very difficult.  Especially if you don’t like who you are.

I tried conforming to all sorts of things, the perfect wife, the perfect mother, the perfect employee.  Is there even such a thing?  The more I tried to conform the more miserable I became.

Don’t waste time trying to be perfect.  Instead enjoy spending time being who you really are.  If you don’t know who you really are, start trying to figure that out.  What are your moral values?  If you stand in always doing the right thing, that’s a great start.  What do you like to do when you are by yourself?

I used to be so jammed up trying to be what other people wanted me to be I had no idea what to do with myself when I was alone.  Now I find enjoyment in the simplest things.  Reading, really good coffee, studying and when I’m lucky, working out with friends.

I can remember when I used to feel like working out and eating clean were a temporary thing and would eventually be over.  I’m so grateful both of those things are part of me and my authentic life.  Not because others think I should be doing them, but instead because I know they are right for me.

29
Oct
12

Mmmmm…Eating Humble Pie

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
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I love my life and I love my friends and family even more.

Friday I wrote about my little adventure with the magazine in my chair.   Pay close attention because here is where the humble pie comes in. 

Bright and early this morning one of my most favorite people from work came in to my office and closed the door behind himself.  And don’t miss that…He is one of my favorite people! 

He said “I left the magazine in your chair so you would READ THE ARTICLES in it”.   Talk about taking a huge bite of humble pie!!   HE READS MY BLOG!!  🙂

You see the insecurity of “what if they think I have too much muscle” came floating across my brain at the moment I picked up that magazine.  Not once did I think that there was an ounce of good intention associated with the magazine being left in my chair.

Shame on me.  Jumping to negative conclusions is an old habit that I’m obviously still trying to break free from.  I have to say that 99% of the time I believe in the positive.  In that 1% of negative I always find a lesson.

I thought about the “too much muscle” topic over the weekend.  Working through my own mindset to see if some how my goals would change.  My goals haven’t changed and now that this contemplation has worked through the process I’m even more convinced that I’m on the right path for me.

This is a perfect example of morphing.  Ever changing, ever-growing.

Thanks to my friend for not opening the door and walking out.  He is really great at helping me to see the forest beyond the trees.

26
Oct
12

Haters Gonna Hate

By garagegym107 6 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
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I think too much.  Yes I do. 

Strange things happen that poke at me.  They also make me go hmmm.

Today while out on the parking deck working out with the crew someone left an anabolic steroid catalog in my desk chair.  I’m sure they were just being funny because that what’s people do when they think they will get your goat.

I’ve got my own goats, I don’t need their help with them. 

I posted that little quote “I’m not strong for my age. I’m just strong” evidently there’s a bit of truth to that.  🙂

Good for me.

Over the course of changing my life from being just a total train wreck to being a fit woman, there have been many haters along the way.

The funny thing about that is I didn’t realize that those haters could come in the form of people who I thought really mattered in my life.  So keep this in mind if your journey is just beginning.

It wasn’t until I began saying no to the buffet lunches, the weekly happy hours, the business lunches of pizza and the monthly birthday cake club did the original haters first appear.  I don’t hesitate to take my own food in to any training session now.  Once people got used to me being different, it became a non-issue.  This goes back many years and even a past job.  I am not the food police, I don’t criticize what others are doing.  That is not my place.

It took me a very long time to realize that choosing to be healthy has a tendency to make those who choose not to feel guilty.  Whether they ever admit it or not.  At first it bothered me but not any more.  Let ’em hate. 

I eat clean food, I work out 5-6 six times per week and I’m perfectly happy with it.  Not to mention that I am a much better wife, mother and employee.  Does that mean I hate on peeps who choose not to?  Absolutely not.  Remember I’m married to the Junk Food King.  He was that way when I married him, I changed.  I don’t expect him to, if he wants to he will.  He’s a grown man.

Back to the catalog left in my chair.  What most people I work with don’t realize is that I get up at 4:30am Monday thru Friday and I march myself in to the gym and I devote time to working hard on my body.  Whether it is Olympic lifting, body building or metabolic condition, I’m working HARD while most of my peers are sleeping, both male and female.

That’s a choice.  I’ve made mine and my choice is clean eating and working my butt off. Literally.

 

 

25
Oct
12

State Of Mind

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
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I have no idea who said that.  At this point, I like it so much it doesn’t really matter.  I believe I’ll be painting that on the wall of Garagegym107.

I’ve noticed a pattern among my peers.  At least among the ones willing to give working out a try.  It takes a good month or two for a middle-aged female to get off the cardio equipment and past the strong mental desire to lift no more than  5# dumbbells.  I understand, I used to be intimated by strength training too. 

The average woman spends hundreds if not thousands of dollars chasing youth through creams, clothing, and accessories.  Try investing in strength training for your body instead.  It will respond and not only will you look younger and more firm, you will feel younger too. 

Is it off the shelf quick like a pair of spanx?  Well no.  In time your jeans will be way more comfy without the spanx.

Perhaps we will be one of the last couple of generations of women that have been lead to believe that women shouldn’t lift weights and be strong.

I choose to set the example for my boys.  It’s quite acceptable to be strong even fiercely strong.  Not for a mom (a girl, an old lady), but strong in general.

Age is mind over matter.  If you don’t mind; it just doesn’t matter.

 

 

 

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