Sore

You know the feeling, when You do something incredible and you feel incredible for HOURS and sometimes DAYS after you accomplish whatever said something was?
Yeah, me too.
I LOVE that feeling.
It's what I am feeling today.
I am taking a weight training class. I have never really understood the importance and benefit of weight training until this class. I always heard that lifting can improve your fitness and weight loss goals substantially, but I didn't really buy it. What I did but into were the myths about women and weight training.
The top myth is that weight training will make you bulky and manly.

Now, not very many women want to look like men, so this one turns a lot of people away. The problem is that it is NOT true. We don't have enough natural testosterone in our system to facilitate a huge growth rate in muscle bulk. The women who do bodybuilding are usually on some kind of supplement to help their bulk along
p.s. yes I do find that picture a little disturbing, but fascinating at the same time....

Myth number two:
I didn't necessarily buy into this one, but apparently some women believe that weight training will increase your cup size. Fortunately I have a good mom who taught me early what my girls are made up of...mostly fat. In fact many times when implementing a diet and exercise program, your cup size will decrease....I am not going to post a picture for this one, I am sure you can all do the imagining yourself....

Myth number three:
Lifting will decrease your flexibility. If you are anything like me, you take pride in your flexible legs and arms. I didn't want to lose this, especially because it is incredibly important as a runner to have flexible joints and muscles. Since I have started lifting, I have become more flexible and stretching feels even better.

Myth number four:
This one isn't necessarily one to stop me from lifting, but women often believe that weight training turns fat into muscle. This is ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE. Fat and muscle are made up of different compounds and they do not flip flop (apparently it is also believed that if you stop training your muscle turns to fat)...

Fat is created for different purposes than muscle. I am not an expert in anatomy, but I do know that muscle is gained with work, and fat is lost. Muscle is lost through inactivity, and fat can be gained...this has to do with the way each tissue interacts with calories...fat stores them and muscle burns them. 

So anyway, I hadn't meant to go off on a tangent, but I did want to explain that weight training does more good than harm to the human body. My body is incredible and everyday I am amazed at this creation God blessed me with.

 Today for example, I was getting ready for the strength test we are having in class tomorrow. I hadn't seen much improvement in my strength until today. I ended up bench pressing 30 more pounds than i thought possible, and flying through the other tests. My body amazes me at it's strength. It is such a blessing to have a body that is healthy and works for me. I have made a promise to continue to treat my body with the respect that I would give to someone else's. I will encourage it and feed it with good things.

So back to my original thought: SORE
My muscles are feeling strong because of how sore they are. I have pushed myself hard this week and I feel the rewards. I have been able to do exercises that I have always had troubles with. Crunches are becoming easier and I have needed to improvise with either more weight or diverse movements to get the work I need...that has NEVER happened for me. Also, I am that girl in my class that just keeps wanting one more exercise. This has been an accomplishment just because I have NEVER been that girl.

Usually I am the first to give up, but since I've seen what my body can do, i don't allow myself to give myself excuses. Of course, I am not all the way to my goals, but everyday I get a little bit closer and that encourages me more than anything.
I still need to lose some inches around my waist and continue to burn the fat cells that are in around and on top of my sweet muscles...as they say, get fit in the gym, lose weight in the kitchen.
I fudged a little yesterday. I went to a friend's house and we ended up eating Taco Bell for dinner...that was a mistake. It gave me a stomachache and made me feel sluggish yesterday...but I think today I drank enough water and ate well enough to start flushing the toxic chemical enhanced food out of my system. The benefit of this is that I ate it, and then suffered the consequences, so now I will know that eating it will make me ill. Knowing that and having experienced it first hand will make it that much easier to say "no" next time.
So there you have it:
I am getting stronger
My addiction to endorphins is getting stronger
I have an incredible {very sore} body
Life is wonderful
H.