Lately I’ve been noticing a lot of shifting trends in women’s fitness and physique that influence some of our clients when it pertains to their goals. Whereas 10-15 years ago “skinny was the new black” and majority of women wanted to fit in size 2 pants, today we see a lot of ladies being more concerned about curves, while others wanting to get REALLY strong and aim to dead lift 300 lbs.
After talking to many of my female clients, friends, and family members, I noticed that different generations of women usually align with what was or is “hip” in their day when it comes to fitness and self-image. Ladies who were born prior to the 80’s and 90’s almost always want to lose fat and look thin. Millennials and Generation X, on the other hand, seem to move toward the “girls gone strong” wave and/or want bigger, firmer booties.
Personally, I think that any goal a client sets is valid and I am always going to support the crap out of what they believe is important and most beneficial to them. As a good caring coach though, I always encourage my female clients to think about the “why” behind their objective and intention, in order to truly figure out what is best for them.
The truth is that many of the fitness and image “trend-setters” are celebrities we see on TV and Instagram trying to market themselves and their products. Ever since Sir Mix-a-Lot came out with the song “I Like Big Butts” and Kim Kardashian inserted a silicone implant in her bum, I started seeing a lot more ads geared towards toning up women’s bottoms in the media. Coincidence? I think not.
Now, how does this relate to women, body image and physical fitness goals we set for ourselves? For starters, I think that when setting solid fitness and health objectives we need to ask ourselves an important question “What do I really want to achieve and why?” Another thing to remember is that our bodies and booties were designed to carry out fundamental, primal functions in order to survive in then-green-now-concrete jungle.
Even though we don’t exactly need to go out and hunt for food anymore, climb trees or carry heavy logs to build wooden shacks, I believe that we should still take our functional needs into consideration when setting a goal of what we want to accomplish. This means shifting our thinking away from “what is cool” into what is important and aligns with our values.
I have many moms telling me they want their pre-baby bodies back because they felt like they just “looked” so much better before gaining all that extra baby weight. Often times, their goal is to lose 30 lbs plus when they really just need to drop 10 so that they can improve energy, and strengthen their core for their back to stop aching from constantly picking up their kids.
What usually happens after a few weeks of working out consistently, the aforementioned client is brought to a cathartic moment when they come to Haylin, Jim or myself and say:
“You know what, even though I haven’t lost as many pounds as I wanted, I feel so much better!” They usually report an increase in stamina, improved mental well-being and focus, and a difference in how their clothes feel.
They slowly start realizing that what they once believed was so important i.e. dramatic weight-loss, is not really that valuable, and feeling strong plus having energy is much more significant than fitting in their pre-baby dress. Some women burst into tears because they feel so liberated and find that true happiness comes from within! It’s a beautiful thing!
Back to my original point… When you set goals and sit down to assess what you really want, SCREW what society thinks you “should” look like, and focus on what makes YOU feel good and what YOU want to look like.
If you feel like losing weight is going to help you improve self-confidence to go out and do the things you love, then go for it! But set realistic goals and expectations on how many pounds you want to shed and why.
If you discover a new-found love for power-lifting and want to focus on hypertrophy training, let’s make it happen! But don’t do it to impress your cross-fit coach or because Sally from Instagram says that “strong is the new sexy”.
If you feel like you just need to a gym to workout because you want to maintain your current physique and health, that’s cool too! Don’t feel pressure to do more or compare yourself to others if you’re happy with the way you look and feel.
Finally, if you find yourself constantly obsessing over your goals and want to fit into your College jeans but haven’t been able to on your current program, don’t get down on yourself, reassess your current goals to ensure they’re realistic, come back to your “why”, and/or talk to your coach about a better strategy.
If you have a specific goal in mind, want a healthier lifestyle and positive results, join Core Principles for a 4 Week Body and Mind Makeover – The Empowered Women Project. Click HERE for details or email us at info@coreprinciples-sc.com to find out more!
-Coach Jojo
