I am in the middle of writing my final exam for my personal training certification. The exam that will certify my bad-assery. After four years of teaching bootcamp for women, I will soon be official. I have been thinking a lot about how I want my gym to be, how I want to train, and how I can inspire real change. I don't want you to come to me because you think you are too fat and need to be thinner. I want you to come to me to get stronger, faster, braver. I want you to be fearless! I feel this in my bones. There are too many women who don't believe they are great. Too many women who believe they have to change to be awesome. Too many women who hate their bodies or think there is something wrong with them. Or somehow think stretch marks mean something significant.
I have been to many gyms in my lifetime. There were many different workout programs, there were many body fat tests and weigh ins, there were so many measurements of skin. I was given "do's & don't" lists for what to eat and I was told that I have a lot of work ahead of me, but "You'll get there!" Not once was I told that there was nothing wrong with me. Not once was I told that my body was great or beautiful. Not once was I every accepted with my current weight and size. I was continuously fed this lie that I wasn't good enough. And that is what is wrong with the fitness industry. For once I want to walk into a gym and be accepted for me. I don't want people excited for me to finally get rid of that baby weight! Cant I just walk into a gym and work out to be strong? Does it have to be about weight or size? I needs to be about acceptance, body positivity and self love.
An interesting thing happened yesterday. I was doing a fitness test on three women and myself, as part of my final exam. (!!!!) I tested our one rep maximum, our strength endurance, our flexibility and our cardiovascular health. We are all completely different shapes and sizes. We are tall and thin, short and heavy, muscular and in between. Just by looking at us, you would assume that some are more fit than others. But my fitness test proved that its just not true. Aside from the flexibility, an area where I need serious work, we were all at the same fitness level.
My body isn't perfect, but its damn awesome! I have wrinkles, cellulite, thunder thighs, I have grown and given birth to two tiny humans, and I have one boob that hangs way lower than the other....I carry extra weight and I may not look healthy or fit, but I will kick your ass. And that is why I want you to come see me. Because you want to kick some ass! Don't train with me because you hate your body and want to change it. Do it because you love your body and want to be strong. Do it because you want to run. Do it because you want to be awesome. I will be officially accepting clients in February. Get ready to find your inner badass.
