BEYOND THE BLOG - Body Notes to My Younger Self
- Anna Ryan
- Nov 13, 2023
- 3 min read
The No. 1 thing I would tell my younger self is ....STOP chasing skinny and start chasing STRONG!
Now..... as someone who grew up chasing skinny (like pretty much everyone who is older that 30 did) I would tell myself that the look you are after will require you to have more muscle on your frame.
To get that toned look...you need more muscle.
"You will not get the body and figure you are after by trying to shrink yourself. Will you get smaller that way....well, yes.
BUT .....that tone, that definition, that shape that you are actually after will require you to get more muscle."
Women and some girls (less often though nowadays - thank goodness) are notoriously afraid of gaining muscle.
But the look that they are after, the firmness, the definition, the healthy look is MUSCLE!!!!!!
The predominant fear I encounter and push back on weekly (if not daily) is that women have the fear of getting BULKY.
It is actually quite hard for the majority of women to get bulky. The style of training and supplementation required to BULK is really quite specific and not easy to achieve.
"You will not get BULKY or look like you are entering a body building competition by ACCIDENT. To achieve that aesthetic takes months if not years of work"
What finally got me over the line in pursuing weight training (& gaining some muscle) was observing women in the gym whose bodies I admired.
Women whose bodies I thought were ASPIRATIONAL.
AND all of them would squat and lunge and do full body weight & resistance based training.
They were not cardio bunnies. They had shapely, strong and lean looking bodies with just that right amount of definition.
SO whats my specific advise to younger me....
GET into the gym. Its not full of gym bros like you might think. Most gyms are full of a vast cross section of humanity and can be a great sense of community. It needs to be said that a home gym is a perfectly fine option too - but my strong preference is an actual gym that you can go to - for that ongoing inspiration & motivation especially if you are competitive or rely on extrinsic motivation.
OBSERVE the people who's physique you admire and emulate how they train
THE HOWS .....How heavy you lift, how often, exact programmes and routines - will all be an ever evolving journey.
PRIORITISE protein in your diet - it will keep you fuller too and its a great eating philosophy - FOCUS more on what you need to ingest rather than what to avoid.
INVEST in a trainer that is knowledgeable, life experienced and CARES - a truly priceless investment and a gift that will keep on giving.
"I am very passionate about this topic- because in my experience - Muscle is the FOUNTAIN of YOUTH"
SO how does PILATES fit into this? - I personally incorporate pilates into the end of my gym sessions. Or incorporate it throughout if I am training in circuit style format.
Pilates, whether it be mat or Reformer is the perfect compliment to your gym sessions - but is not a replacement for them.
Don't mistake Pilates for "just stretching" though - it will challenge you in surprising ways (especially if you are able to access reformer pilates ).
And to round it all out walk, walk, walk & walk some more. Walking will burn calories in a low impact way, is super accessible and will not spike your appetite the way say a run might
And if you value your mind as well as your body (and I really hope you do) listen to a Podcast while walking - that way you will get smart and HOT!!!
"So to reiterate, the BODY THAT YOU ACTUALLY WANT WILL REQUIRE MUSCLE...."
And like my previous topic of motivation - this again is a BIG TOPIC and I'm certain to delve in deeper on the reasons to hit the gym and build some beautifying, anti aging , confidence building muscle!
Till we meet next,
xo Anna
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