Strong is the new Sexy

I had an epiphany the other night. No, it wasn't just that strong is sexy; I've been aware of that for a while. We all know that women who lift are hot.

I know a lot of people who "work out". I know very few people who train; people who get after it with a purpose and a plan. Two of the women I know who train with a passion (incidentally both current/former Crossfitters) are also the two women I know who I would say have the closest to ideal bodies. They have both spent several years training heavy with compound movements (squats, deadlifts, presses, snatches, cleans) and have achieved pretty respectable strength levels, as well as achieving pretty low body fat percentages through proper nutrition. They also are the only two women I know who never complain about their bodies. I've never heard either one of them complain about their weight, or the size of their calves, or their arms being too bulky for their shirt. The two of them ooze confidence because they know they are strong, capable and sexy.

I had this epiphany when talking to a female friend about training. She kept insisting that she didn't want to get big and bulky (ugh). (Note: TG said the other day that "not lifting so you won't get big and bulky is akin to me saying 'I don't want to sprint today because I don't want to win the 100M gold medal next week'"!! Epic) I showed her a picture of one of my friends who trains (she was doing a rope climb) and she insisted that she looked "too muscular". I nearly reached through the computer to shake her. Here is a woman putting on an amazing display of total body strength and skill by climbing up a rope, and someone else feels the need to judge? Not only that, but the one with the long list of goals is the one judging? Is this bizarro world?

Yes, I know its an upside-down femur. Relax, it's funny!

Isn't todays world all about empowering women to do more? Aren't we supposed to be all about breaking down gender barriers, and "allowing" women to do anything men can do? Why try and knock down a woman has achieved something, then? The F'd up ideals of beauty that society has provided have taken such a strong hold that we can't appreciate the dedication and hard-work that it took a person to get to where they are physically. The funniest thing is that while this girl is sitting here judging another female on her muscularity, 9.5 out of 10 guys would walk by either of my friends on the street and trip over their tongue on the way by. Interesting that the two women who participate in heavy weight training are completely comfortable with their bodies and are free of any insecurities or food disorders.

Enough of this, go lift something heavy. Set a PR today. Eat meat. Be happy!