The Fitocracy Member Spotlight highlights the exceptional people who make our site so great. Thanks to GalwayGirl for sharing her journey to a stronger self.
I stumbled across Fitocracy during a Google search for online fitness trackers and my inner geek was instantly hooked by the "Level Up, Be More Awesome" gaming approach. Over the past two and a half years Fito and its' community of knowledgeable and experienced athletes has given me the insight to completely revamp my entire approach to fitness. After countless years of torturing myself with hour upon hour of cardio classes and 1200 calorie meal plans in a relentless battle to reclaim my size 0 jeans, I discovered Powerlifting and the beauty of strength. I now take classes when I want to, just for the fun of it, eat twice as many calories and rejoice that my glutes refuse to fit into a size 10.
In September, I will begin my next strength cycle to prepare for my next competition (January 2017) which will hopefully qualify me to compete at the APA-WPA National competition late in 2017. After Nationals, I will switch focus and train my daughter to compete in her first competition in 2018. I will still train but it will be her time to shine.
Nutrition is key to everything in life. It dictates your health, how you feel, how well you can train. It's taken quite a bit of trial and error to learn what macro splits and food combinations work best for me during all cycles of training (especially in a bulk. WHY can't I live on gelato???). I'd like to invest some time in the future in obtaining a Nutritional Certification to help women raise their metabolic floor with reverse dieting.
Funny enough, my biggest weakness currently is my cardiovascular endurance (after all those years of cardio. :/) I'm not sure I excel anywhere just yet, I'm only 2 years into serious training and still have much to learn.
Being able to add more weight to the bar of course. ;) Seriously though, I've noticed the past year or so that the stronger I grow physically in the gym, the stronger I become emotionally and mentally. There isn't a damn thing that I can't accomplish for myself. This newfound inner strength is just as, if not more so, important as the physical strength. Too many generations of women have been raised to be weak; physically, mentally, emotionally, never being taught to stand independent and strong. Strength training motivates me to pass this gift to other women. There is nothing I love more than the look on their face when they realize just how strong they are. Whether it's flipping a monster tire that they never considered even touching or pulling a heavy deadlift off the floor, when their eyes light up and they realize what they can do, it just makes me want to get stronger. So I can help them get stronger.
Love yourself. You will stumble, don't let it stop you. Find a fitness journey that you will love. Love is what will get you going, it will keep you motivated until you have developed your dedication. If you Hate the treadmill, hours of running on it is not going to be a sustainable solution. Likewise, if you Hate the weight room, powerlifting is most likely not where you want to start. Fuel your body. If someone tries to put you on a 1200 calorie diet, punch them in the face and walk away. Seriously. Punch them in the face.
As the Hulk says "That's my secret Cap, I'm always angry". There is a deep turbulent river of anger that runs in the deepest recesses of my veins; powerlifting has finally given it the outlet that it needs.
Fitocracy has changed my life. It's helped me discover the athlete I've always wanted to be and is helping me help others find their path on their journeys. The community here is unlike any other social media community that I've seen. I've met some of the most incredible people here all trying to be their best and inspire others to be their best.
A video from my last competition where I pulled the 320 deadlift.