Hello all,
So, no matter where you are in the country, you know that the Midwest has been blanketed by a "Polar Vortex" which is more commonly known as Winter. I find the rather overpowering need to mask or classify things in a way that makes them sound uncommon or a "phenomenon" fairly amusing. So when I hear things like "Polar Vortex", or "overwhelming precipitation" (snow), or "radical temp shifts" I wonder why we are so afraid to just call it what it is. Its just winter. As someone who spent 4 years in Minnesota, this was pretty much par for the course. It wasn't pleasant, but it eventually ended and life went on.
However, this winter has been tough, I haven't experienced one like it since 1995, at least not that I can recall, but this winter, I haven't been spending my time finding ways to artfully avoid class, prepare for nasty cold track practice, while my roommates and I spent most evenings staying warm at one of the many local pubs, which were always warmer than our apartment. No, this winter, I have been training, working, researching and reading. The one thing that has caught my eye the most is Fitspo or "Fitspiration" - better known as quotes or short anecdotes of tales of fitness designed to encourage people to get in better shape. I'm sure many of you have seen them, especially the ones that are targeted at females - which seems to be 90% of Fitspo - quotes like, "Strong is the new Skinny", "Strong is the new (fill in the blank)" or other seemingly positive statements that would motivate women to work out.
On the surface, it would appear all good, very positive, very "you go girl!", very rah rah, lets go sweat. But if you peak just below the surface, what I've seen is that all this bullshit Fitspo is really just another way of talking "Thinspo" - which are quotes designed to focus on staying skinny, to shame women for the way they look, they way they train, for stepping outside their comfort zone and try something different. Its not getting women off the treadmills, or the ellipticals, or the ridiculous carousel of aerobic equipment or classes; its not getting women to stop demonizing food, to flock the magazine stands trying to look at magazine covers like Glamour, or Marie Claire or Cosmo, or Vogue, looking at the ridiculous, and actually offensive pictures of what "beautiful" is supposed to be. Has anyone noticed that all this talk about getting "strong" basically just shows a woman who has some muscle, but it looks to be a product of simply eating less and doing some core work? Does it really look like they are lifting weights - and let me clarify what I mean by lift - utilizing the power and Olympic lifts to improve their fitness, health and overall well being, where the by product is not only functional strength but also a great figure? No. These supposedly "strong" women are still air brushed, counting calories, demonizing food, shaming themselves for not looking a certain way, shaming each other for attempting to truly get strong, inside and out, and basically keeping the old, stereotypical views of women and fitness alive and well.
As a male, I'll never know what women go through on a daily basis, the obvious and subconscious, societal, personal,and professional pressures of needing to "look good", of the twisted value placed on being skinny instead of healthy, of this absolutely maddening juxtaposition of appearing independent, yet physically glorifying weakness, looking as if picking a towel off the floor might literally require them to sit down. I also don't completely get this, because the women in my family were and remain strong, physically and mentally. My grandmother is 101, is physically well and mentally clear and she didn't get to that age by focusing on counting calories, or getting on the treadmill. My mom was very much like her, and my sister crossfits and loves every second of it. And I'm proud of her for it. She shook off the shackles of what society expects a woman to look like, and has redefined beautiful, much in the same way my goddaughter Kara has, another avid crossfitter, as well as many of my female clients. Building a community of strength through thumbing their noses at all the bs that inhabits every corner of their world and stepping into the unknown, the uncomfortable, recognizing true strength and beauty lies on the other side. Becoming revolutionaries to institute real change - the golden ring of that paradigm shift that society really needs.
I was fortunate enough to come across some great blogs recently that speak to this - to the importance of strength, and what it does for us. I hate the fact that we have become deconditioned, that we are actually physically, and most likely mentally weaker than our grandparents. That are generations behind us that are even worse. When I read about 10 year old girls in Texas trying to "catch anorexia", I am frightened at the messages being sent by social media, parents, teachers, etc, anyone that influences our youth. I'm including a great piece below, and I hope you read it. I hope the women who read this blog have a sharper eye when reviewing all that super cool Fitspo talk. You're all better than that. Start believing it.
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/03/16/iron-and-the-soul/
Guy
