Welcome!
sportygal
Posts: 221 Member
Hello Tomboy Gals!
If you here, you care about health and performance, and less about what society thinks you should be! I define myself as a beast in gym, even while I fight through back and hand injuries and dealing with some extra weight. I frankly, could care less about my weight, but I know it is effecting my performance. Granted I focus more on improving strength, than watching the scale.
I've always loved sports and athletics, and I love being in the gym! Unfortunately, nutrition is the weakness. I do by far have better eating habits than the past, but even too much of healthy food is not good. Plus you add the fact I'm over 40, and lack of sleep and mild nutrition slips can get you in trouble!
Anyway, I hope we can get some other tomboy gals & fun guys where we can talk fitness, strength, and whatever!
If you here, you care about health and performance, and less about what society thinks you should be! I define myself as a beast in gym, even while I fight through back and hand injuries and dealing with some extra weight. I frankly, could care less about my weight, but I know it is effecting my performance. Granted I focus more on improving strength, than watching the scale.
I've always loved sports and athletics, and I love being in the gym! Unfortunately, nutrition is the weakness. I do by far have better eating habits than the past, but even too much of healthy food is not good. Plus you add the fact I'm over 40, and lack of sleep and mild nutrition slips can get you in trouble!
Anyway, I hope we can get some other tomboy gals & fun guys where we can talk fitness, strength, and whatever!
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Replies
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HI
I like your idea for a group for women that put health, strength and performance ahead of aesthetics. That's me :drinker:
I'm currently into powerlifting (albeit a total noob), doing the stronglifts 5x5 programme (i.e. beginner's programme). I used to play ice hockey once upon a time, would love to get back into it again but don't live in the right part of the world for ice rinks. And I've done a few martial arts over the years. I have gone through phases of being obese, but I'm currently at a healthy body fat percentage and decided not to go below 22% bodyfat (i.e. no visible abs for me) for a whole bunch of reasons, including the fact that once your body fat percentage is in the healthy range, cutting is likely to result in loss of strength and that's not what I want at all. when I was losing fat, I wanted to look like Camille impossibly-long-surname-crossfit-champion, but it occurred to me if I had to choose between looking like her or having her strength, fitness and athletic ability, but I could only have one and not both... well I'd go for her strength, fitness and athletic ability every time.
My current fitness goals are:
- to complete the stronglifts programme
- for my working weight at squats to be my bodyweight or heavier (almost there with that one!!)
- for my working weight at squats to be my husband's bodyweight or heavier, and to actually squat my husband lol
- for my working weight at deadlifts to be 1.5x my bodyweight (not far off that one either)
- to not suck at the overhead press (my worst lift)
- to be able to bench 0.75% bodyweight
of course once I achieve those then the targets go up, i.e. squatting 1.5x bodyweight, benching 0.85x bodyweight, deadlifting 2x bodyweight, etc. and after I complete the 12 weeks of the strongliffts programme I'll either keep at 5x5 or switch to an intermediate lifting programme.
I have a goal weight. It's whatever weight my wilks score is best at, i.e. where further increases in bodyweight don't result in enough strength gains to compensate for the weight gain. I'm currently eating and training to gain lean body mass. I was 130lb, currently hovering around 133-135lb. I'd like to be 140lb if possible, without gaining too much body fat.0 -
Hi, My name is Cristina I am 5'2'' 115 lbs, I started resistance training about 3 months ago and fell in LOVE! I love seeing the changes, I recently got a trainer/nutrionist and I am even more happy.. I really don't care how much I weigh. In my eyes I am too small.. I want to increase muscle mass.. and of course lose whatever body fat I have.. My secret fantasy is to enter a figure competition just to say I DID IT!
I am doing this all for me! I want to transform myself just to prove to myself that I can! I have always worked out but I jumped on that cardio train and jumped off when I noticed the results where never going to be what i wanted. I have 3 children and 1 of whom is severly disabled, she is 4 and is finally stable and I noticed I was leading myself into a very unhealthy lifestyle.. eating late, not sleeping..etc.. and wanted a change.. I am here for extra support.. besides my husband I have NEGATIVE all around me.. Crazy how people have alot to say when others are trying to improve themselves.. I will not let that bring me down.. so glad I found this group.. 0 -
@ Neander...! I love powerlifts...granted I'm injured so I'm reduced to little weight, but I try to keep with proper form.
CrossFit is great! Ann Thors...whatever her last name is...she's awesome! I am level I trainer certified, and am trying to work to my 180-200 lb deadlift...
@Cristina.....glad you are motivated for the transformation! It is a struggle at times, but SO worth it! I love the energy and muscle burn of training! Gives you a great boost!
for the both of you, and anyone else....I have a blog http://tomboyfitnessclubs.blogspot.com/ if you want to read some of my stories....Maybe I'll start posting them within here.
So great to meet you! 0 -
I know the one you mean, her name means Thor's Daughter... I think she's Icelandic...? or somewhere Norse anyway.... I'm currently stalled at 180lb on my deadlift... did 1 rep first time (failed on 2nd and 3rd) then next workout managed two... if I don't manage five next workout then I deload by 10% and work up again. I'm determined to lift it though! My deadlift is my best lift, the others are quite far behind (and don't even talk to me about the OHP!!!!!!)
I like your blog... that's sad about that girl not being able to play soccer in her school... when I was at school, I wanted to play soccer (aka football cause I'm a Brit), rugby and cricket, but they wouldn't let the girls play at all, even though I played cricket and football (soccer) in the street with the boys and was pretty good at it. And I would have loved to learn to play rugby... still would given half a chance lol.0 -
It is cool that she is known as Thor's daughter! I went to the CrossFit games in '11 & '12 and it was awesome to see her and the other women compete!
It is frustrating to be stalled on a lift. Have you ever tried to do more reps at a lower weight? I'm just envious that you are lifting heavy...I'm lifting like 65 lbs!
Not like my 150 lb-180 lb days! Having a torn disc in the lower lumbar & a messed up hip joint has took a lot out of me, but I can build it back. Lifting is such an awesome rush! I feel like Thor's daughter! Like a superhero! Right now I just try to keep form and do what I can.
It is sad that we've all faced sexism, and very tragic that it is still condoned. I overheard a substitute kindergarten teacher ask the kids, "I need a muscle man to hold the door." I little girl walked up and said, "I'll do it" The teacher said, "Oh no, I need a boy to do it."
GRRR! I was ready to lose it and punch out the teacher. (Granted since I teach, I'd lose my job, so I walked away in disgust, but did talk to my 6th graders about it, and they agreed it was wrong.) If that teacher would have said, "Oh you can't because you are (race/culture) there would be a lawsuit. Since it was a sub. I didn't confront her, but I do correct a lot of teachers when they say, "I need a few boys to carry some..." I reply, "You MEAN you need some STRONG students?"
I'd say the only good thing from sexism as a kid, is I had to work hard to prove myself on the playground, and it made me stronger. I wanted to be a professional baseball player was I was little, but my mom wouldn't even let me play little league. There is a female professional (American) football league out here, and I really want to try out, but with this back, it's probably not a great idea. I still have hope though, even if I was the third string quarterback. My gal friend and I would play football in the street for hours.
Rugby is awesome! I don't understand it, but I enjoy watching it. My friend's daughter plays on her high school team. You never know, there could be a chance for you to learn and play rugby. I'm aspiring to fight one fight in the ring and @ 42 it's a long shot, but you never know, I could get a chance!0 -
that's really bad... I think teachers in the UK would be called out for that degree of sexism. I know when I taught in the UK the kids in the class would have called the teacher out on it. UK schools are pretty good now, including boys and girls getting to play the same sports, although I'm not sure if all schools offer rugby for girls.
I did play rugby once, in the 6th form (i.e. year 12-13) but it was extra-curriculuar, it was in a charity match at high school, upper 6th (year 13) v lower 6th (year 12) girls, but it was organised by 6th form boys (in particular one whose younger sister played for the local club) not the teaches, as part of rag week (UK schools and university charity event thing, i.e. students doing crazy stuff to raise money for charity)... that was a lot of fun and I scored a try. Loads of girls joined in, which kind of nullified the teachers' excuses that they don't do girls' rugby in schools because girls don't want to play. So that was the only time I ever played rugby, and also we didn't play with proper scrums, because it's dangerous for inexperienced players to do scrums (as in you can get your neck broken kind of dangerous, there's strict rules on it even in professional rugby).
I get what you mean about fighting for stuff makes you stronger. I've been the "only girl" for so many things, I think it does make you more determined to succeed and not let others stop you.
That's good that there's a women's professional league for American football. I'm not sure what the situation is for football (soccer) or rugby in the UK, but I know lots of the men's professional teams have women's teams, but I don't know if they're actually professional or just part of the same club. When I played ice hockey there were no professional women's teams, but ice hockey is a minority sport so it's not likely that there would be. Even the men's professional ice hockey teams are mostly imported players with not that many British guys playing in them.0 -
"Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness,heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.”
― Bethany Hamilton
I just got this quote on a tank top...with first sentence on front, and 2nd on back. I think that's where we all. We define ourselves, not by society. It's funny about being the only girl. When I was little, I knew a lot of girls that were so caddy, manipulative, and cruel, I tended to gravitate to the guys. Even today, if a woman is gossipy or shallow, I just walk on. Most of my friends are fellow tomboys, and/or guys. I think also when women put so much emphasis on their beauty, I just think that is silly. I want to be know for my mind, and character. Nothing wrong with looking nice, but its not what defines me.0 -
society's definition of feminine is messed up. feminine = weak??? that's rubbish. in the palaeolithic era, weak = dead whether you're male or female. we would not even have evolved if women were supposed to be weak.
I've always thought that a lot of the *****y, manipulative, passive-aggressive behaviour you see in many girls and women, comes from the fact that they've been conditioned out of being strong, and taught from a young age that women are supposed to be weak and passive... but it's not in their nature to be like that, so their natural aggression comes out as *****y and passive-aggressive instead.
it is sad how society just judges women by looks. even in sport, that stuff in the French papers about Marion (famous tennis player) being fat.... she's no way fat. She has a large frame and is solidly built, and also has a thick waist, because that's her natural shape. they were suggesting she's too fat to win wimbledon.. that's ridiculous, because up to a point having more body fat = being stronger (provided you're training hard while you put on the weight), and if she was to lose weight to staisfy the French press's idea of what a woman should look like (i.e. waif like) then she would lose a significant amount of strength, enough to cost her international titles like wimbledon. But what annoys me even more than their ignorance about that, is just how much even female athletes are judged more from what they look like than their ability in the sport they play. there was some of that in the olympics as well, with an Australian swimmer. So what if she doesn't have 6 pack abs, that doesn't mean she's not at the weight where she's the fittest she can be. Because the weight when you're at your fittest and strongest probably isn't the same one where you have 6 pack abs anyway. I guess it depends on the sport, but if you need a lot of strength, then trying to get a 6 pack is counterproductive.
*sigh* (rant over lol)0 -
Funny, that's a rant I have done more than once! And sad thing is, this discrimination keeps happening!! In an earlier blog, I talk about this woman that was attacked by another woman about being too fat to be a pro basketball cheerleader!
You are totally right about women being conditioned to be weak. The boys on the playground would always pull, "you can't cuz your a girl" so I showed them that I could be strong and play with them. I almost lost it once when a boxing trainer I respected said, "Girl push ups" Uh NOOOO they are knee push ups! GRR!!
I am trying to start a physical training business, called Tomboy Fitness Clubs....and basically show women that you can be strong and fit, and redefine what being a woman is! It's been slow to start up because I don't have money, but it's coming around...just slower than I'd like.
It is amazing that if you are strong and a woman, people get intimidated, think you are automatically a lesbian (which is not a big deal to be a lesbian, but strength isn't = to lesbianism) or they think you want to be some gorilla or a man. Even when I was lifting heavy, I never looked like a gorilla. It's funny it goes the other way for men that are lanky and skinny. They are stereotyped as weak, wussy, and feminine...I know plenty of skinny guys that are lean, fit and strong!
It is truly ignorance....just as bad as racism. I can be strong, kick butt in the gym, and also be a feminine sensual woman when that time presents itself. Also I am confident enough in myself to know that I can be sexy even when boxing or working out.
All we can do is educate people, clarify things when they say sexist remarks, and ignore the truly ignorant that aren't willing to listen.
It is hard to hold back when I want to just throw a left hook at an idiot! 0
