Inspiring Women

August 7, 2012

Every time I log on to Pinterest, I inevitibly see pictures of super-ripped men and women that have been posted from friends of all shapes and sizes. The captions often read: “inspiration” or “fitspiration” or “I want these ripped abs!”

I don’t get inspired by these idealistic images. Really, it’s all fine and dandy if people want to post them as long as they don’t use that inspiration to go to the extreme with their fitness or eating regimens. So many of us just genetically aren’t able to look like those hardbodied, sweaty athletes, as one of my trainers Molly so awesomely explained in a blog post this week in a post about getting defined abs.

I did come across some pretty large inspiration this weekend when I live streamed the women’s super heavyweight weightlifting competition from the Olympics. I sat in front of my laptop sipping coffee while I watched these women lift crazy amounts. Previously, I shared my virtual fistbump to Holley Mangold, and I was cheering on fellow American Sarah Robles as well. These women don’t do the sport for physical appearances or for endorsement deals (as it has been a big story how Sarah was living in poverty on $400 per month). They push themselves to be better, and have to deal with ignorant people commenting about their size. (Seriously, don’t read the comments on any stories about Holley or Sarah – you’ll want to vomit.)

Click to watch the video recap of their Olympic performances.

The characteristics these ladies have that inspire me?

  • Confidence
  • Determination
  • Hard work
  • Strength
  • Achieving dreams
Thank you Sarah and Holley for doing what you do. And thank you to the women in this article about other Olympians who are enduring scrutiny from the media about their bodies. It’s craziness.

What characteristics or images inspire you?

  • Honeybee

    Before and after weight loss picture. Being on a weight loss journey myself, seeing other people’s transformation picture inspires me alot! I blog their stories to keep me motivated. Your progress picture has inspired me as well. Keep up the good work =)

    Best,
    Honeybee
    http://healthybeautifulblog.blogspot.com

  • http://www.lifeplusrunning.com/ calee himes

    I love this! And I’m with you … there’s something inspiring about some of those women, but I just pinned a ton of olympians with “real” bodies to my fitness board. These power lifters are badass!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=28405574 Kelly Crissy Nickerson

    I so agree!! Loved watching the women’s weight lifting. It’s the determination and spirit that inspires me the most. While I love working out with my Jillian Michaels dvds the most and I feel comfortable having her and her exercise models in the vids as inspirations when I see the pins on pinterest and people like the girl who does the Body Rock videos I know that’s completely unobtainable for me. I’m working out to feel healthier and have a stronger body but I can’t look to the ultimate buff athletes for inspiration.

  • Andrea – Making It Healthy

    I’m totally with you on this! It really bothers me how the media has so much power. Who cares if these women are “fat”? They’re OLYMPIC ATHLETES! Are any of the people criticizing them olympic athletes? I doubt it. They should be applauded for their accomplishments, not for their looks or their weight.

  • http://twitter.com/saladsnsparkles Susie

    You inspired me to check out Holley, which led to watching her show on MTV.

    I like all the fitspiration pics and I don’t mind the ones with six packs and tiny waists – I suppose I see them as motivation to work hard and push myself to get what I want.

    Holley encourages me in a different way, to try and appreciate every day even whilst I’m not happy with my size and to stop using fat as an excuse to never try.

  • Need to Get Me Back

    Hmm I have to admit that I totally love those Pinterest pictures. I guess most of them are the crazy extremists that are a hard image to live up to… but the most inspiring ones are the before and after ones. If there is a woman with ripped abs, all thin and toned, who shows off her before picture, then you can really see the work put in! I’ve found good blogs that way too!

  • http://www.wardrobeoxygen.com Allie at Wardrobe Oxygen

    I stop following boards that have those sorts of pins because they aren’t inspiring to me. I want to be strong but in a way that lets me keep up with my daughter and live a long life wit as few surgeries and medications as possible. And thank you for bringing attention to the female weight lifters – they are truly inspiring and don’t get the money and recognition they deserve because our society cares more about a six-pack than true strength!

  • http://twitter.com/StarvingDiva StarvingDiva

    I know that I may never get a set of 6-pack abs but I do like the pictures of really fit women and men, it keeps me motivated, it keeps me pushing play on my DVD, it keeps me upping my weights, and it keeps me trying my best. It’s not for everyone. As Tony Horton says Do your best and forget the rest!

  • Jane J.

    With all respect, Emmie, there is nothing at all inspirational about a dangerously, morbidly obese woman who finds her size amusing and joke-worthy. Mangold’s natural ability to perform a few very impressive weightlifting tasks no more makes her an athlete than someone like a “Rainman” ‘s ability to calculate complex math in his head makes him a genius. She is, at a conservative estimate, carrying over 200 pounds of fat on her body (let’s give her the benefit of the doubt and generously guess that her skeleton weighs 45 pounds, internal organs about 45 pounds, and maybe — maybe — she’s got 45 pounds of muscle on her, plus 15ish pounds of the internal fat that protects and cushions the organs). Athleticism and fitness are comprised of strength, cardiovascular endurance and flexibility. Again, she can perform a great weightlifting feat (she did come in, what, 10th?) which is in itself amazing but it is not BECAUSE she is fat; it’s IN SPITE of it. There is No Way in Hell Mangold could run a mile, do an endurance event like a skyscraper stair-climb, do push-ups, achieve a yoga pose or even paint her own toenails. There is nothing inspirational about her whatsoever; she has a freakish natural talent that she has developed at the expense of her overall health. I don’t need to deadlift 500 pounds to be an athlete; I *do* need to be able to keep up an hour of sustained, intense activity and live daily life in a body that doesn’t prohibit my engaging in normal activities.

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com/ Emily Sandford

      While I’m all for discussion on things, the only other comment you’ve left me before was about how “the road to hell is paved with cookies” and that “I still don’t get it.” You are completely entitled to your opinions, however I have quite a few of my own on this topic, considering Holley Mangold and I are the same weight. I am not trying to glorify her because of her weight, but I do support her as I would anyone who has a dream and makes it happen – irrelevant of size.

      You say there is “no way in hell” that she can “run a mile, do an endurance event like a skyscraper stair-climb, do push-ups, achieve a yoga pose, or paint her own toenails.” This is where I take serious issue because you are making accusations and assumptions. I can do all of those things you listed, and I am her weight. Perhaps I’m not the fastest or strongest, but I can do those things, in this body that I have. I work hard for these things, no matter what the scale says. I know many people who aren’t carrying around the “over 200 pounds of fat” on their body who can’t run a mile, do a skyscraper stair climb, or do pushups. They can look perfect and without excess pounds on their frames, yet be completely unhealthy. It’s easy to point the finger at those who don’t “look the part” and claim they can’t do certain things. It’s ignorant to judge a book by its cover and make assumptions about ones abilities because they don’t look like you. Kudos if you’re the picture of health and fitness, but don’t knock others because they don’t meet your standard.

    • Gracie

      With all due respect to Jane J. . . . you need to educate yourself.

      Because someone is larger than you and appears to be fat, does not make them less of an athlete.

      I am 5’5″, 220 pounds, 52 years old and I am very healthy, I CAN bend down flat footed and put both hands on the floor . . in fact, I teach Yoga three days a week and achieve many yoga poses (I can even reach all my toenails). I can and do run 5K’s (that’s 3.1 miles, not 1). I strength train with weights and also teach a kettlebell swing class 2 days a week (swinging a 14k bell which is 38 pounds). Oh, and by the way, I have a waterrower rowing machine at home and row a minimum of 30 minutes each and every day (every tried it? It’s one kick ass workout)

      I consider myself to be an “Athlete”, regardless of the fact that I appear to be “heavy” I most certainly live my daily life in a body that doesn’t prohibit me from ANYTHING.

      I am in the process of finishing up my personal training certificate to specifically work with larger women and get them to where THEY want to be and to be comfortable in their own skins . . regardless of their size.

      Be careful who you judge until you walk in their shoes.

      • bizeecat

        Gracie, this is not intended to be rude at all but how is it that you do all that amazing stuff you mentioned and still weigh 220 lbs? I can’t do one tenth of what you do yet maintain my weight (I’m 5’5″ and 130 lbs). I don’t diet or exercise regularly (just chase kids) but would imagine if I taught Yoga and fitness classes, ran 5ks and met with a trainer regularly I would weigh less than I do now.
        When I was a teenager I struggled with my weight but found that it was related to eating junk food and not exercising. When I changed those habits I dropped the weight. I understand that their are a variety of reasons that people are overweight and have trouble losing it but at the end of the day isn’t it about calories in and calories out?

        • KCLAnderson (Karen)

          I can’t speak for Gracie, but will say that there are different types of bodies and that they carry weight differently and exhibit strength differently. And Gracie may not be trying to lose weight. This is why judging someone’s *health* based on a number or how they look doesn’t make sense. For example, my husband has a small frame (bone structure) and is 6’4″ tall. I am 5’6″ and have an extra large frame (my wrists are larger than his!). We both workout with kettlebells. I can deadlift 106 pounds and swing 70 pounds. I do squats with 53 pounds. I can press 31 pounds. My husband struggles with several of these moves…I am built for it and he isn’t. That said, he is very strong in ways that I am not.

        • Layna

          Like Karen stated, only Gracie can speak for Gracie, but I’m actually in a similar situation as she is (very fit, training regularly, teaching fitness classes, but still large). I know that for myself and actually for most people, the amount of exercise I do has very little to do with my weight. If I want to drop weight, I have to severely limit my calories (which tends to negatively affect the quality of my workouts) and obsessively watch what I’m eating. I hate living like that, so I choose not to.

    • Amy C.

      Careful Jane. Your ignorance is showing. Even when I weighed 320lbs, I could run a mile, ride my bike for miles and miles and certainly do yoga. You would be surprised how many fat women do yoga very well. I quite easily painted my own toenails. Your comments are not only ignorant, but damaging in that they support prejudice. You can see my fat. My, doesn’t it make it easy for you to judge. I wonder what you do that is harmful to your health? I guarantee you that Holly did not get to the olympics by sitting on the sofa, eating all day. The time and dedication it took her to commit and carry through all the way to the olympics is very commendable and you should not cheapen that. As someone who has spent time in the gym where olympic hopefuls, of all skill sets are trained, I am very sure that Holly’s training regime was balanced and not focused on lifting alone.

    • Annamariebreedlove

      I have to agree with all the other ladies, here Jane. When I weighed over 300 pounds, i could still run a mile, paint my toenails, do pushups, and do endurance exercise. I also did yoga regularly, and was successful at it. Keep in mind that I am 5’11 and very muscular and when I am in shape I still weigh 215 (that is having my bmi measured to be 20 percent). Not everyone over 300 pounds is carrying 200 pounds of fat. I think you need to realize that big people may very well be strong and fit, just like thin ones. Carrying extra pounds does not make anyone any less inspiring.

    • http://twitter.com/marytairua Mary Tairua

      You don’t have to be skinny or a “normal” weight to be athletic. It’s disappointing that you assume even though she can lift a ton of weight and compete in the olympics she can’t do daily activities like yoga or painting her toenails.

  • Mari

    These women are awesome! :)

  • Lynda Schrader

    Very interesting conversations here. I, too, struggle with my weight. I have to say the bad part of being overweight is not the number but the health. Every part of our body must work harder to compensate for the extra weight. I’m not looking for a low number, per se. I am looking to be healthy. I don’t care to run a mile or do most of those other things. I just want to perform a simple task without wheezing or my back giving out. To be able to walk a mile without my legs and feet aching. My heart to work without straining. My cholesterol to be normal. Healthy is all I want.

  • Laurel

    Great blog, Emmie. Adding my two cents as a female weight lifter (though nowhere near the caliber of these athletes!) I can attest that lifting heavy weights doesn’t sculpt the fitness magazine bodies we see everywhere. It gives me excellent health benefits, is a crucial part of my overall fitness, plus I enjoy it, but in order to get those little hard bodies it’s more about low weights and reps, not to mention genetic predispositions. So the point I’m trying to make is that these women are competing in a particular event, and they’ve cultivated the fitness they need to be successful in it. I find it incredibly inspirational, and am disgusted by all the judgment on appearance that has been going on. It’s the same thing with gymnasts – the training they do results in a particular figure. Well done ladies, and well done Emmie.

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