Stephy, Full of Grace, Full of Beast. (Sunday Inspiration: Don’t Mind If I’m “PUDGY”).

I loved this post. Ideals of what is considered beauty and healthy change all the time. I look at these pics of ‘pudgy stockton’ and think — no way would that be pudgy. That’s a strong, lean person.  So — although I am not going to flat out say, the heck with what the scale says — I know that looking lean and toned is what I am after rather than a certain number on the scale.

Since becoming involved in Strength Training through CROSSFIT, I have gained a new profound perspective on what is beautiful. I used to want to be “skinny” and thought that by just getting down to a size 2 that I’d be thoroughly content and “beautiful”. Well, thanks to lifting iron, I have changed that belief entirely. Now, I choose to be strong. Strength for me is beautiful. It’s empowering. Women shy away from heavy lifting because they believe it will bulk them up and make them appear too masculine, but of course this is all a farce. Strength training, especially for a person like me who was a medically fragile and sedentary child, has caused this emergence of POWER that I never thought possible. I fully understand Henry Rollin’s ode to the iron now more then ever. Better than any anti-depressant, better than starving myself to be a weakly size 2, better than diet pills, diet plans, etc.

Along with my obsession and admiration of Rosie the Riveter, Frida Kahlo, and others, I have recently added the legendary PUDGY STOCKTON to my list of inspirational and powerful women.

Pudgy was a professional strongwoman in the 1940s. She was sexy, beautiful, feminine, and STRONG! She was athletically built and definitely had curves to envy!

Lanky Supermodels just don’t cut it for me anymore. I rather be PUDGY.