Strong Is The New Skinny

I have to say, I have the most awesome clients.  Seriously, they ALL kick some serious butt.  They work hard, do what I ask and are a huge part of why I love my job so much.  Beyond that, they also bring me stuff.  Which totally rocks.  They bring my more clients, homemade soups and breads, farm fresh eggs, gifts for my daughter and on and on.  Yesterday was a double whammy bring-something-to-mike day.

In the morning one of my clients stopped by the gym and had a batch of homemade pumpkin cinnamon scones, and they were crazy good!  Then in the afternoon, one of my clients came in for her session.  She said “I have something for you”, and handed me what could possibly be the coolest t-shirt ever made.

I mean, c’mon, how freaking cool is that?

What I love most about this is that she was wearing a shirt that said the same thing and she was wearing it with pride.  Why?  Because that’s what we are all about a Gray Fitness.

I’ll be honest, I don’t ever try to make someone skinny.  EVER.  My goal is always to get them moving better, healthy, strong, lean and less prone to injury.  This isn’t to say that I don’t help clients lose body fat.  In fact, helping people lose body fat is kind of what I’m getting known for.  But the truth is, that even for clients who have no interest in strength and solely want to get their lean on-I am still always getting them stronger.

Why?

Two reasons.  First, the more weight you move, the more calories you burn.  It’s simply physiology.  Second, the stronger you are the longer you will be able to enjoy your body because you’re not getting hurt all the time.  Now, don’t “burning more calories” and “less ouchies” both sound like really good things?

The thing about this is that the clients who I have had made the greatest body transformations have been the ones who have dove head first into getting stronger.  They move a ton of weight and eat right and lo and behold…good things start to happen.  They get more definition.  They get leaner.  They have curves where they want them.  They feel more confident during the work day and in the bedroom.  Their self esteem improves.  Their relationship with spouse improves.  Oh, and not to mention, they get envious looks from everyone on the treadmills who are doing their best impression of a hamster on a wheel, and getting nowhere.

So here is my point.  Quit focusing so much on getting smaller, getting skinny, etc.  Focus on getting as strong as you can and making quality nutritional choices.  If you do, there is a good chance that the whole “skinny” thing wont matter to you much because you will be rocking a body that everyone else in your gym will envy.

Did you find this post helpful or enjoyable?  If so, please feel free to share on Facebook!