My Weight Training Realization :)

Okay. Second blog post. Leggo.

I hope you all read my first one and became somewhat acquainted with me. As I have said, I love to write and I am even an editor for my school's newspaper. It's just something I am very fond of!

Also, I figure I might as well delve into why I'm in a muscle-building phase. I did mention that one day I want to compete in figure competitions. Of course, you kind of need to build muscle for that, but there's more to it!

I used to do cardio a lot, and like most women I thought that it was just what I was supposed to do. After all, I don't want to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger by strength training! So, I'll leave the dumbbells in the weight room to the meatheads back there. And I'll just stroll away on this here elliptical...

Well, after awhile of pretty much doing only cardio and a few 'ab routines' (this is also common for women to just do ab exercises thinking they'll get toned like that), I lost pretty much any muscle I had and I felt like a sack of crap, for lack of a better phrase.

At my gym, I always saw this trainer who is super small (about 4 ft. 11 in.) but completely ripped. Her name is Mary, and often times I heard people call her 'Scary Mary,' so naturally, I kept my distance.

Eventually though, my good friend's mom started to see Mary for training. And then my friend also started seeing her because she needed to improve her endurance for cheer. I finally swallowed my pride and e-mailed Mary and told her about my dilemma. She replied with one of the nicest e-mails I have ever read, and in no time she became my trainer and one of the very few people I look up to.

Ever since training with her, I have built so much muscle and learned so much more about good nutrition and training, my favorite subject after all! I learned that I judged her too quickly, and believe it or not I learned that those 'meathead' guys in the weight room were some of the most down-to-earth, helpful guys I have ever met. They always help me when I am training on my own and give me so many tips. 

Now, the weight room is my second home! Here's me, a 15-year-old girl who struts into the weight room with a smile on my face. It's funny, because all the women on the cardio machines look at me like I'm crazy. They give me a confused and almost concerned look; one that almost says: "She realizes she's a young girl walking into a room with weights where there are a bunch of older guys, right?"

Yes, ladies, I am fully aware, and guess what? Those guys always say "Hey Britt!" the minute I walk back there, and they smile. They aren't meatheads people, they're genuine guys who could give a flying crap about what you're doing!

I know a lot of women are afraid to lift weights to get bulky, but women don't have the levels of testosterone that men do to build muscle like Phil Heath, plain and simple. Those huge bodybuilding ladies you see probably take a little something called steroids to build their levels of muscle. 

Also, I know women are 'self-conscious' about lifting because they don't know what they're doing. Well, do your research! Go browse the web for exercises and don't be afraid to ASK someone. No one is going to judge you. I'm going to steal Nike's phrase here: JUST DO IT. 

I hope you all enjoyed my little rant here, but it was all with good intent. :) Have a great Friday and weekend everyone! Train hard.

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