New rules for building a super body
The generally accepted view of how women should eat, play sports and look, often negatively, is suicidal and completely humiliates. Magazines and overly publicized media encourage women to eat less, warn us not to lift too heavy a weight and offer many “secrets” about how to lose weight. Because, you know, the happiness of a woman is inexorably connected with the number on the scale. Duh.
Women are often given quick fixes, diets, cleaning and other ridiculous fitness tips that will help us realize all our dreams of school jeans. When we doubt, we are told, just make more time on a stepped mill and make more cabbage salads … oh, and stop eating so much.
It is not surprising that many women are unhappy, too exhausted by marathon workouts and suffer from hunger from constant attempts to eat less and less calories. Many of us are frustrated, confused and tired of constantly looking for a simpler solution.
The explosive popularity of superhero movies, culminating in Avengers: The Endgame, reveals changes in the air. Actresses such as Gal Gadot in the role of Wonder Woman and Brie Larson in the role of captain Marvel, argue that women can get power not only for their appearance, but also at the expense of power, and force the captain America to chase their money. It's time to pull your hero's costume from the back of the closet, shake it off and wear it proudly. It's time to fully accept the role of the heroine, which kicks ass, which, you know, you can play. You are going to start to pave the way for a more positive approach to female fitness.
From a girl in distress to a superhero
Most of the usual fitness tips for women revolve around a strict diet and a strict exercise schedule in the gym, as well as a careful count of every gram of carbohydrates, fats and proteins that fall on our lips. Unfortunately, most of us cannot practice such an inflexible regime for a long time without any negative consequences.
I know this because I risked going to the dark side and tried several “diets” with the hope of creating a more attractive body. When I finally came to my senses and returned to the normal and simple principles of nutrition, I had to correct obsessive eating habits. After a little time, patience and consistency, I found my way back.
As soon as I replaced my worries and doubts with a superhero cape, I began to follow the positive, motivating, empowering principles of fitness. I want to share them with you.
Here is the Superhero's Creed:
1. I will break the limitations of my own power
Unfortunately, many women still believe that pulling up weight (not to mention a few) is something that they will never do. They think that barbell weight, which is twice as heavy as their weight, is not a realistic goal. The restrictions you put on yourself are not real. It's time to say to yourself: “Yes, I can” instead of “No, I can't.”
By applying this mindset to training, you will not only increase your physical strength, but also your mental strength. The easiest way to get rid of restrictions and free your inner superhero is to let go of your fear and take action. Forget you know what women are capable of. Ask yourself: “What else can I do?”
Raise heavy barbells and dumbbells – the real superhero Meg Squats will show you how in her program “Raised”. Exercise for strength, not weight loss. Do not be afraid to squat from Smith's car. Unleash your power.
2. I will eat real food
Eat hearty, tasty dishes that make you feel great. Do not apologize for the food and do not force yourself to eat foods that you do not like just because they are supposedly useful for you. There are many delicious, completely natural and healthy products, so eat those that you like.
Although some “dietary” principles would make you believe, eating whole foods is really quite simple. All you have to do is apply common sense and not be tempted to stay over trifles. Create a diet of red meat, poultry, fish and seafood, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, legumes and legumes, herbs and spices, as well as healthy fats such as nuts and seeds.
If you keep your nutritional recommendations simple and stress free, you will be in a much better position and more likely to stick to them throughout your life. Not only that, you get more from workouts. In the end, the muscles need to be fed to become stronger. Delicious and hearty real dishes are not complicated, especially if you follow some wonderful recipes.
3. I will focus on performance
Instead of working with the sole purpose of changing the way your body looks, focus solely on what your body can do and work to continually improve your workout in the gym. We all want to look great, how we feel, and this is one of the great benefits of performance training: creating a great looking body is a huge side effect.
To become the captain of Marvel, Brie Larson was trained in functionality, practicing weight lifting and skill-based training to be able to perform tricks and fights. Follow her lead and focus on achieving your goals.
Most women want to have a sexy pair of arms that look great in a tank, but instead of doing them with military benches, curls of biceps and triceps stretch, try performing several body braces and 10 or more pushups with perfect shape. These exercises create arm muscles as well as muscles in the back and chest, creating true functional strength.
By the time you reach these goals, your hands will look absolutely unbelievable, and you will develop some real muscle strength in your upper body. This is really a win-win option!
Another amazing feature of workouts to improve performance is that you have a bunch of variations in workouts. Use the entire gym. For example, you can train mainly with your own weight training, you can use a combination of barbells and dumbbells, you can use weights, and you can use strength exercises. Ultimately, the possibilities are endless!
Remember, train to become a superhero! Try to build the strongest, most amazing version of yourself. When you focus on this goal, the bonuses will include a more slender, slim and beautiful body. You should also have lower heart rate at rest, stronger bones and more athletic skills!
4. I will accept the truth that I am amazing right now
Even if you are overweight, you just started to train, or you still have a long way to go, you can still be happy with where you are right now. Forget about planning to be happy once you reach your main goal in the distant future. Being a superhero means living fully every day and making healthy decisions because you love yourself the way you are at this very moment.
5. I will follow simple, sustainable lifestyle habits that enhance my happiness.
Like any superhero, you will have to fight your fair share of villains. Skeptics will say that women should not lift weights. "Experts" will tell you that you will have to follow a diet for the rest of your life. Even that quiet voice inside you will say that your happiness and self-esteem are determined by numbers on the scale.
Trust yourself and do what you know will strengthen you. Focus on what really matters: your health and sustainability. Every battle you win will make you much stronger, much smarter and much better. In the end, you will be a winner.
The young generation needs superheroes
When you go through the transformation of your hero, it is important to remember that you will be watched.
All young girls have their own role models. Adult, and even to this day, the most prominent woman in my life is my mother. From a young age she taught me that physical and mental strength are qualities that should be desired, and that my self-esteem does not come from numbers on a scale. It is because of my mom that I am the woman I am today.
The young women in your life are watching you. Be a superhero they can look at. Show them how to be strong and confident. Talk more about building muscle and less about fat loss. Show them that being a woman is an amazing and powerful thing.
Ready to train superheroes? Train for superhuman strength with Meg Squats in Raised or build up strength and tactical agility with red-haired Hannah Eden in FYR only at Bodybuilding.com.