Strong is beautiful: pumping iron is for women too

Posted on August 27, 2018August 26, 2018 by Laura

Strong is beautiful: pumping iron is for women too

One of the mottos we like to embrace at TrainingSpaces is “Strong is Beautiful.” This means we value mental and physical strength as our overall life goal. It’s about having that confidence to speak your mind and stand up for those around you. It means we aren’t interested in some fake, magazine, size 0 idea of beauty.

We’re invested in real people with real bodies. Being beautiful is carrying yourself in your body, pain-free, and creating a shape that helps you move through the world. We believe in functional fitness — and that can be achieved through weight training.

But so many women are afraid of weight training — a critical path to strength. Despite the benefits of resistance training, of the 12.7 million women who belonged to a commercial health club last year, only about half used weight machines, and only one-third lifted free weights, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA)!

The reason? Some women are intimidated by the weight room. Others don’t know where to start and don’t want to hurt themselves. But so many women are convinced that after one session of weights, they are going to bulk up like She-Hulk before going into battle. So they try to avoid weights and the benefits of weight training — instead focusing exclusively on yoga and cardio.

The truth is, women will never bulk up like men, because our hormones are different. If you are training for a bodybuilding competition, that’s a very different routine from your twice-a-week weights workout. Achieving this physique requires a serious commitment to changing your hormones, diet, exercise, and — really your entire life.

A benefit of weight training we rarely talk about is how it will make you feel. Watching yourself move up from smaller dumbbells to heavier weights is an amazing ego boost. For women who have been told that lifting weights is not good for us because it will make us aggressive or manly, picking up that big weight and holding it above our heads is a sense of pride and accomplishment. It’s about saying “no thanks” when the man next to you at spin class offers to swap your 8 lbs hand weights for his 2 lbs pink weights during the arms routine. And why are those little weights pink anyway? Because they are for girls. Haha … very cute.

Combining cardio, weights, and stretching will only help you to look leaner as you become stronger. Once you start lifting weights, you begin to build muscle, and the more muscles you have the more calories you burn. And the more you lift, the stronger you get.

And well, this goes back to Strong is Beautiful.

Life partner, workout partner: building the relationship by building fitness

Posted on August 20, 2018August 20, 2018 by Sol

Life partner, workout partner: building the relationship by building fitness

Working out is frequently seen as a solitary pursuit. If you’re not taking a group class — aerobics, yoga, dancercise — chances are you’re following an individual program, or at least making it up as you go along. If you’re not under the guidance of a trainer, getting all sweaty and out of breath doesn’t seem like the most social thing to do. But what if that’s not always the case? What if you’re comfortable or familiar enough with someone that you’re OK letting them see you as a work in progress — or vice versa? We’ve all heard the stories of gyms as singles cruising grounds, places where you’re just as likely to get hit on as you are to perfect your lifting technique, but what about established couples? What about couples who work out together? There’s plenty of evidence that two partners working together can achieve cumulative results greater than the sum of their parts. Your spouse / partner / significant other can encourage you. They can spur you to better results than you could achieve on your own by holding you accountable and giving you that extra bit of motivation. Whatever the goal — losing weight, building muscle, increasing flexibility, cranking up endurance — working with a partner can help you go harder, longer, and with more dedication. And there’s no shortage of fitness-related activities that couples can enjoy together. You don’t have to tie yourself to the gym. Try:

going for a bike ride
taking a dance class
hitting the tennis court
renting a canoe
rock climbing (if you’re OK with heights)

Not only are you burning calories — you’re getting in some quality time and (hopefully) building intimacy!

Doing things together can be great for relationships. As with most things, of course, a lot depends on clear communication. You want to be sure you’re sharing similar goals and similar approaches to achieving them. There’s nothing wrong with a little healthy competition, as long as you’re both on the same page. It’s important to work things out ahead of time, as much as possible, so you can avoid awkward situations or at least know how to deal with them if they arise. Will you be OK critiquing each other’s technique? What if one of you does well and the other doesn’t? Will you discover something that only one of you enjoys, and if so, will the other be supportive? As long as you and your partner approach these things with open eyes, open hearts, and open minds, there’s nothing but upside. Partners discover things they never knew they had in common. They can try things they never thought they were capable of. Better physical fitness never hurt anyone, and it can take a relationship to new heights. Now grab your partner, get out there, and get active! Further reading:

The Choose Your Own Adventure Cardio Workout

Posted on August 13, 2018August 12, 2018 by Laura

Cardio workout: guys playing basketball. Image credit: Tim Mossholder / Pexels

The Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Cardio Workout

When you commit to strength training, you are building muscular endurance and strength while keeping your bones and joints healthy and strong. Fat loss is a side effect.

To balance out the good work of strength training, I recommend that my clients participate in some kind of cardio exercise. And cardio is not an exact science. Thereu2019s no X times of week + Y speed = Results. Cardio does burn calories but it also helps you keep your heart healthy and prevents disease.

Should I do cardio in the morning or in the evening?

Studies say that you should exercise first thing in the morning. They also say you should exercise in the evening. I say you should exercise when itu2019s most convenient for you. If this means going for a quick run on your lunch break or waking up at 5 AM u2014 the most important part in finding a place for exercise in your day. Make it part of your schedule and find a time that works for you. You know whenu2019s not a good time to exercise? Never.

What kind of cardio should I do?

The kind of cardio you should do is the kind that you like. Forget about keeping an eye on the calories burned square on the machine. Those numbers are estimates and often exaggerations. This means thereu2019s no point looking for the machine that burns the most calories u2014 instead find something that you enjoy. Some people love spending the focused 30 minutes on an elliptical, catching up or rewatching their favourite TV show. Others would describe this as one of the circles of hell. For others, hiking on the weekend or taking a dance class contribute to their cardio.

Like my advice when it comes to finding exercise time in your schedule, the same goes for cardio equipment and type of cardio. The most important thing about cardio is that you do it.

How Long Should I Spend on Cardio?

If youu2019re getting started, you should spend 20-60 minutes on cardio, three to five days a week. If you are new to training, three days a week is a good start. If you are more experienced, I would aim closer to the five days a week to increase your heart rate. And this doesnu2019t mean that you need to run five days a week. You can mix it up with a combination of classes, activities, and cardio machines.

Cardio is one of the few things in life that really is all about you. So be selfish and find that me time. Itu2019s your adventure, so what will you choose? f

Strip away the scandals and focus on the benefits. There’s a lot to love about yoga

Posted on August 6, 2018August 6, 2018 by Laura

Strip away the scandals and focus
on the benefits. There’s a lot
to love about yoga

How could anyone who embraces fitness, wellness, and balance dislike a centuries-old movement-based meditation practice? Yoga is linked to so many health benefits including calming your mind, toning your body, improving flexibility, and finding overall happiness. Why do you hate yoga?

And the fact is that I don’t hate yoga. I just hate how it’s perceived and what it’s a short-hand for in our society.

Unfortunate associations

I hate the corporatization of yoga and its connection to affluence. To be a real yogi, you need the right four-way stretch fabric and a special towel made from bamboo and unicorn tears. Yoga clothing carries astronomical price tags and is often made in unsafe work conditions. I think we can all remember when the CEO of Lululemon was caught out fat-shaming and insulting the very people who bought his clothes. It’s embarrassing, but it was part of a larger snobbery that separated appropriate yoga bodies from unsightly ones.

I hate the gurus. There are teachers who use adjustments as an opportunity to subtly touch their practitioners in a way that crosses the line. What about the power-hungry narcissists and sexual assaulters who gaslight their students to make excuses for bad behaviour? Or the enlightened individuals who preach humility and charity with one hand, while pushing unnecessary classes and workshops with the other? They abuse the trust of people who just want to be a little better than they were yesterday.

But I love yoga

With yoga comes the acceptance that we are all different. Just like we all struggle in life with different things, you can leave it all on the mat. You can sweat, flow, breathe, or just lie down. Every practice is different. The expectations you set for yourself differ every time until you learn not to set expectations. You learn to be present and take each pose as a mini-challenge.

For many people, it’s hard to get back to the root of yoga because of all the bullshit. All the fake gurus and the cool clothes won’t take away the fact from the purity of breathing and focusing on the stretch. When you relax into a yoga pose, you’re treating yourself to some quiet time. You can tune out the world and all its violence, terror, and cruelty.

It’s easy to get caught up in the yoga lifestyle and the nastiness of it all. It’s easy to find ways to hate yoga. But it’s even better not to. Because yoga was here before the moisture-wicking fabric, and the predators, and the cool bags with extra pockets. And there’s something that endures about something that connects you to yourself — and challenges you to be a better person … one breath at a time.

Has yoga been good to you?

Tell us about your experiences with yoga! Any good stories? Any bad ones? An instructor you found especially helpful? A pose or position that was particularly difficult? Let us know in the comments!