#fit101

The first time that I ever found muscles attractive was when Ciara came out with her "Ride" video in 2010. I was honestly so amazed at her body definition and her abs of course! I seriously used that as motivation at the gym and wished I looked like that. Of course, that is the main thing that I did: wish.                                

  I went to the gym but honestly did not know what I was doing when it came to weights. I did squats but only with a barbell of 30lbs which back then I thought was super heavy. Nowadays I am squatting 155lbs which still blows my mind but it goes to show me how far I have come with my fitness journey. You know, being a female on the weight floor is something that is quite intimidating. There's a bunch of guys who basically think they own it and I personally have felt like I did not belong there and that there are eyes secretly burning rays of death into me. Lol. I know guys think that we take up space and sometimes I have to agree but you know what, we are trying and that is what is most important! It has been 6 months of concentrated weight lifting for me now and I can finally say that I feel confident going on to the weight floor. I have learned exercises and I know what I am doing, I mean I can squat more than some guys! ;) For you ladies who feel intimidated whether it is by guys or the weights itself, trust me it will lessen and one day you will feel like that whole weight floor belongs to you! I finally stopped wishing for it and worked for it.

       Pictured above to the left is my fitspiration: @Mankofit<3 A year ago, I honestly would have never thought I would look up to a woman with her body type. I thought figures like these looked manly which is the typical thought of most girls. I know why I had this perception and it was because I lacked knowledge. We as human beings always judge what we do not know. I am very grateful that I no longer think that way, fitness has honestly made me so open minded to different body types and to different types of beautiful. I know that women who are over weight and skinny are cruelly judged and to my findings, women with muscles get the same amount of judgement. When I am on IG, I see so many hateful posts: "Eww she looks like a man" "That's gross" Etc etc etc! I personally have received an anonymous message that said I look too buff and need to stop lifting. I took it with a grain of salt because I know that whoever wrote that simply lacked knowledge. People in general have no idea how much hard work and discipline it takes to look and be as fit as the two women above. They work out everyday even twice a day, stay on a strict diet and sacrifice their body to reach their potentials. Until you go through it first hand, you will not understand it. Some/many of you may not want to understand it or even look like that which is perfectly fine but what I do ask is that you learn to respect other people's body image and goals. Us women need to stick together and support one another. If you like to be thin, thick, muscular, etc..that is perfectly fine if it makes you happy :) Just be sure to be positive to others because they are going through a different journey than yours.