10 Things a Fit Girl who starts lifting should know
On the hunt for some much needed pointers on starting your own lifting journey ? Search no more as I hook you up with the tips I found here, which helped me when I started taking my lifting game seriously. These 10 things a Fit Girl who starts lifting should know will have you up and running no time.
1. Lift with guys and with other girls.
Lifting with men is very motivating; however sometimes they just don’t understand certain things. Such as, why we act crazy in the gym. Only girls can understand why you have to turn up Beyonce, why you check your booty and mascara in the mirror to pump you up and why you break out in your PR dance every time you hit it. I think other girls, especially those who you have built a strong friendship with and have a sense of loyalty to, will keep you motivated even on the worst of days, and be smiling and cheering with you on the best of days. It’s like opening a fresh jar of Nutella, but better.
2. Know that you will cry.
Weightlifting digs down in to the deepest parts of your soul, and can dig up some fierce emotions. You will cry because you made a lift you have been working so hard for and on the other hand you will cry when you miss one. You will cry when your trainer yells at you, and you will cry because your BFFF just had a break through. You will cry because you want to quit, and you will cry because you don’t. You will cry because you’re afraid. These crying episodes do not make you a cry-baby-titty-mouse; they make you passionate about what you care about: the barbell, 'dem plates' and lifting all of it, just because you can.
3. Your fave skinny jeans aren’t going to fit anymore.
Your body is going to change. You are going to build muscles, develop traps, tris (triceps) and back muscles and your legs are going to get bigger. This doesn’t mean you can’t be sexy and feminine. There is a big misconception that lifting will make girls manly. I don’t agree - duhhhh! You just have to know that you’re going to have to give up the size 0 runway model look, and recognize your ass is going to be more like Serena Williams' and your quads are not going to squeeze into skinny jeans anymore. You’re going to start living in your Jogha tights and want to wear jeans less and less. You see, you’re going to have to move up a few sizes, simply so your ass and legs can fit. And then you are going to have 4 extra inches of waist just hanging out all loose and poking out above your booty because your waist will likely still be pre-lifting small. You will have to wear long shirts; otherwise when you sit down everyone will see your butt crack as the jeans ride half way down your ass. This will happen. Just accept it now. But despite your problems with finding jeans, you can still wear high heels and dresses and look hot. You will have a nice rear end, quads and a sexy back— just flaunt that sh*t!
4. You will more than likely pee a little when you squat or clean heavy.
It will happen eventually; don’t be embarrassed. You will likely pee a little or squeeze out a fart at some time. Hey! This stuff happens when you are squeezing and pushing. It happens to all of us. You are just human.
5. You need to have patience.
Snatching and Clean & Jerking can be frustrating, painful, scary, rewarding, hard, easy, tiring, and exciting. If you go into weightlifting thinking you are going to be a world champion in 6 months, I hate to burst your bubble. You have to learn to be patient and not get frustrated every time something goes wrong. This is easier said than done, but really try to go into the gym every day and set little daily goals for yourself. Remember the good things that happen in the gym, and hang onto those on days you are feeling broken. Always remember that setting yourself up with good technique and patience will get you a long way. Don’t just stack the weight on and lift it with shitty form. Trust that all the time you spend working your technique, movement and body awareness will totally pay off.
6. Have a life and interest outside the gym.
Whether it be cooking or baking, shopping, hanging out with friends, reading, serial dating, being a cat lady or chasing unicorns, try to have interests outside the gym. This will help you stay sane. If your life is 100% weightlifting all the time, you will never stop thinking about your bad benchpress practice or the fact that your deadlifts suck right now. You have to have some time outside of the gym so you can regroup and not dwell on your frustrations.
7. Shorts and tights.
If you wear booty shorts to the gym, which of course are uber comfortable, make sure there are no men sitting directly behind you unless you want to bend over to grab the bar to snatch or clean or pull and give them a show. The same goes for thin tights.
8. Nails.
If you go get a manicure, know that once you chalk up your hands a couple times, snatch 5 sets of triples, and do some jerks, your manicure is going to be chipped and you are going to be freaking PISSED. If you go get a manicure use something a little more sturdy like gel. It costs a little extra, but your nails will look freshly painted for 2 weeks, and they won’t chip or peel that easily.
9. Knee sleeves & gloves.
If you wear knee sleeves or gloves, they are going to stink badly. You will start to have stinky knees and hands after training. My advice is to not put them in your gym bag straight away, and instead let them air out. I have a small gymbag that I use to put them into so I can keep them from smelling up my bigger bag. You can also put them in your trunk to let them dry outside your gym bag so they don’t taint all your other belongings. I also keep baby wipes handy to wipe off my knees and hands after training so you don’t walk around with fresh stink.
10. Have fun.
Have fun in the gym. Have fun feeling strong. Weightlifting will make you strong mentally and physically, and it will make you feel empowered. In the gym, or through the sport, you will meet some of the greatest people. I have met some pretty awesome people in the gym and through spreading my love for it here and on Instagram. I even found the girl in most of the pictures there; my new hero Quiana Welch. That, along with all the lifting I have done amazingly, makes it all worth it.
