I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that most of my co-workers seem to be genuinely interested in my approach to health and fitness–even the parts where I tell people it’s ok to eat carbs and take naps. The other day I was chatting with one of the other trainers at the gym where I work. He was asking me about my story. How I came to my philosophy on fitness, and if there was a defining moment that flipped a switch for me. The truth is, there was more than just one moment, but really a solid year + of making some pretty big shifts in my life and mindset.

One of the biggest game changers of all? Strength training.

This might come as a surprise, because those who know anything about me know that I spent many years of my life as a compulsive exerciser. So how could MORE exercise possibly pull me out of that rut? It was less about the movement itself, all about the change in mindset it brought about. Strength training changed the way I looked at working out and helped me see that it was ok to be more rather than less. This was of course in combination with therapy, and rest, and food, and all the body positive books, podcasts, and Instagram accounts. Once I starting getting all that in order and was ready to repair my relationship with exercise, I knew I need to start thinking about it in a different way . That meant no more: working out to “earn” food, exercising to burn calories, obsessing over my weight, or waist measurement, or pants size.

To be clear, when I say “strength training” I mean learning how work with equipment like barbells and kettlebells. Depending on who you are, it might mean that for you. But it could also mean lifting any sort of weights. Or doing body weight exercises. Or whatever activity makes you feel strong and gives you the feelings that I’m about to mention. If it makes you feel like crap about yourself, involves getting ready for “bikini season”, or restricting yourself to only specific foods that go in special tupperwares? Yeah that’s not what I’m talking about.

Here are the 13 surprising ways strength training changed my life:

1. It helped me embrace my natural body type.

My whole life, I worked my a$ of so I could be a dancer. And all the while I was told that I needed to be more graceful. Softer. Lighter. Less aggressive in my movement. Lifting weights showed me that it’s ok to be ugly. Gritty. Powerful. It showed me that it’s ok to show the effort and exist exactly as I am.

2. It taught me that it’s ok to be different.

When I go to the gym, it’s rare for me to see other women in the free weights section. Once I learned how to use the weights and figured out that I preferred it to other forms of exercise,  I got pretty comfortable doing my own thing. There’s something really cool to me about being able to choose my own adventure at the gym while most other people are hanging out on the cardio equipment.

3. It helped me feel like I belong.

I’ll be honest, I felt a little intimidated the first time I decided to use the squat rack at the gym by myself. (I know this feeling of intimidation is 10x worse for other people who don’t commonly see themselves represented in fitness marketing.) But once I realized that I was ok getting out of my comfort zone in that way, it was easier to put myself in other uncomfortable life experiences and be ok there too.

4. It gave me a new reason to work out. 

As I mentioned above, I had previously used exercise mostly as a way to “earn” food. And maybe just a little bit for stress relief. But strength training turned me on to a bunch of new ways to think about exercise. Like getting stronger so I could help my husband move furniture. And pressing heavy pieces of metal over my head for the fun of it.

5. It increased my self sufficiency.

Functional strength training has helped me be more self-sufficient in my life. I like that I can get my own bike down from the ceiling rack in the garage. Or carry my suitcase through the airport when the wheels break. When I grow up I want to be the old lady who does all the things.

6. It helped me learn new things about my body.

It helped me learn the ways that I am already strong, and uncovered some ways that I wasn’t. Knowing those things about myself is cool because it gives me new goals to work towards. Like strengthening my gluteus medius so I can avoid future injuries. (Story of my life.) Or increasing my ankle mobility so I can squat lower.

7. It proved to me I could do hard things.

Strength training is hard. Especially when you’re trying to lift really heavy stuff. But it taught me that I can do hard things. And that translated into doing hard things other areas in my life too.

8. It gave me the courage to stand up for what I believe in and stand up to bullies.

Physical strength can often translate into mental and emotional strength. When I’m feeling strong I feel brave. When I feel brave I have the courage to speak my truth. Here on my blog and in real life. Even when it’s not the most popular choice or makes people uncomfortable.

9. It turned me into a feminist.

Or at least got the wheels turning in that direction. It showed me that if people like me could hang with the guys in the gym, that we could (and should!) also do other things that most women haven’t done historically. It made me expand my views of what was possible for me and made me want to support other women with big dreams.

10. It connected me with different types of people.

Prior to starting strength training, my circle consisted mostly of dancers and yogis. Specifically, a lot of people who look like me and have had similar life experiences. The people I’ve met through strength training are a bit more diverse. And that’s awesome.

11. It helped me renew my sense of purpose as a personal trainer. 

I started focusing on strength training a few months after I found out I was hypothyroid. I had finally surrendered to the fact that I had ZERO control over my size and weight. As a fitness professional and dancer, that was a scary realization. But I could show up to the gym anyway. Learn how to execute new skills with new equipment and reframe my views on “fitness”. And that was just what I needed.

12. It helped me give fewer F!%#$ about how I look.

I often hear other women talk about their fear of looking too “bulky” from lifting heavy weights. While I don’t necessarily think this is the truth, I also no longer care if it is. I enjoy lifting heavy weights more than I like doing things like cardio or pilates or barre classes. So I’m gonna keep doing it. And if it happens to make me a little less “long and lean” I really don’t care. Because everything else it’s done for me has been worth it.

13. It made me more confident as a professional.

When I first became a personal trainer, I actually hired a trainer for myself so I could experience what it was like to be the client. I asked to be set up with someone who was the total opposite of me (a yoga teacher/dancer) and wound up with someone who taught me how to use barbells. That led me to dabble in CrossFit for a bit. At the same time I was also learning kettlebells from a friend of mine who encouraged me to get my StrongFirst certification. All skills I probably never would have learned if I’d stayed stuck in my rut of only doing the things that “burned the most calories”.

To be clear, strength training is not meant to be a substitute for medical or mental health advice.

If you’re struggling with something like compulsive exercise or disordered eating, definitely seek help from a qualified therapist. Sometimes, if you’re really deep into these sorts of destructive behaviors you may need to take a break from working out altogether. But once you get that in order and are ready to repair your relationship with exercise, strength training (however it might take shape for you) can be a game changer.

 

Wanna get better at push-ups? Whether you’re trying to get your first one without using your knees, training to beat the entire patriarchy in a push-up contest, or just create better memories around push-ups than 5th grade gym class gave you, this program will help get you there.