Embracing What Your Momma Gave You

I want to talk about this picture for a hot second. When I saw this pic — the first thought that came into my head holy shit, look how fat I look. No lie — and then holy shit, look at my Lats. Could I look more mannish?  I didn’t consider that maybe I look strong as hell and muscular until I caught myself in the middle of having those negative thoughts. I deliberately stopped myself and said  — Yeah hell look at those LATS — and I can do pull ups and I am strong as shit.

Do I look like a waify, model thin? No –and there is no way I will ever look like that.  Plain and simple. My body is not built to be small and willowy. I have two choices with how I am built –fat and out of shape, or toned and strong.  My arms are not going to shrink — with muscle or with fat.

I joked with Coach Conan to lay off the Lat work and he said –can’t help how you are built. I hope that by seeing pics like this, it doesn’t deter women away from strength training. How your body responds to it is a direct result of your body type and shape.  I seem to have a body shape that is more geared toward strength work –broad shoulders and back and it’s something I have to learn to embrace and accept. I can’t change it — and have to decide to be my own biggest fan –and a champion for having some serious Butterfly Wings.

And of course in light of all the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy – how big my Lats are is a really small non-issue and we need to grasp perspective.  People are recovering from the storm –and seeing the damage done to their lives. For most, it is just physical stuff and all of that is not really important when it could have been their lives –but it still is tough to grasp that when you are seeing your life unraveled within a matter of hours from Mother Nature. My thoughts are with them as they seek to re-assemble their lives.

workout today

12×2 
box back squats 125#
tabata shoot throughs