http://www.thealternativedaily.com/

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https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/

Meet Roxy Richardson!

Name:   Roxy Richardson

Age: 37

Location: Los Angeles, CA

What does being a Girl Gone Strong mean to you?

To me being strong is a mindset more than a certain weight I can lift or the number of reps I can do. It’s about deciding to be responsible for my own inner strength and not relying on, or blaming, anyone else for what I can or cannot achieve. Being strong is taking on challenges and not making up excuses. It’s about trying to get better everyday and never getting complacent about where I am. It’s also about sharing my strength with others and not being selfish or elitist with my knowledge. There are many ways to be strong inside and out. Being a girl gone strong to me is about listening to my true passions and pursuing them head on!

How long have you been training?

I started training Muay Thai in 2002. I was twenty-four years old. Before that I had not excelled at athletics. I had my first fight six months after I started training. That’s something I don’t recommend to my students today, but I did it then. I started competing regularly, and I trained obsessively almost daily. I made Muay Thai training my number one priority.

Check our Roxy’s Muay Thai Highlight Reel

Although I have been a certified personal fitness trainer since 2005, if wasn’t until 2008 that I was introduced to barbell and kettlebells through a strength coach that was helping me prepare for a fight. I instantly loved the feeling of the more explosive lifts like swings, cleans, and jerks. I only trained strength twice a week for my sport until I retired in 2011. Then I decided I needed other physical challenges. I had really taken to kettlebells, so I signed up to attend the RKC certification. My love affair with kettlebells grew and grew, and today I am a Level II SFG and can’t say enough great things about my organization.

How did you get introduced to strength training?

When I started competing I only knew what I had read in my ACE manual regarding weight training (which was not much), so I took it upon myself to hire strength coaches to help me. Although I usually had a height advantage I felt soft, weak, and too thin for my weight class. I am not exaggerating when I say that as a young Muay Thai fighter I could not bench 30 pounds or do one unassisted pull up when I started strength training. I got very excited when my coaches would set goals for me and I’d see the progress. The first time I squatted my body weight or I cleaned 95 pounds I was ecstatic!

What does a sample workout look like for you?

1. Lacrosse ball work where I need it, plus goblet hip prying, and kettlebell halos for warm up
2. Turkish gets ups or bent press skill work
3. Kettlebell or barbell front squats 5x 5 or 3 x 8
4. Lot of pressing at minimum a 5 x 5 with the 16kg bells, sometimes heavy bell work, sometimes clean and press ladders
5. Chin-ups, if I’m in the mood and/or have time
6. A kettbell complex for 10-15 minutes involving swings, cleans, snatches, push presses, jerks, and possibly more squats or lunges. If short on time, just 5 minutes of swings + plank super sets.
7. Ab exercise finisher (like the ab wheel), or barbell glute bridges

Favorite Lift:

Kettlebell Press

Most memorable PR:

Level II SFG cert pressing 1/3 body weight with one hand, 22kg.

Top 5 songs on your training playlist:

1. All My Life by Foo Fighters
2. Hideaway by Keiza
3. Genesis by Justice
4. Woman by Wolfmother
5. Almost anything by Jay-z

Top 3 things you must have with you at the gym/in your gym bag:

I own my gym, so I don’t need a bag, but I’ve gotta have:

• water bottle
• chalk
• my iPod shuffle

Do you prefer to train alone or with a training partner? Why?

It depends on my mood. I like having people around, but they don’t need to be doing the same thing as me. Many of the trainers at my gym train at the same time, all doing their own thing. When I need to be in my zone, that’s when my earphones go in so no one distracts me. As a gym owner, there are often questions for me when I’m around, so the earphones are my sign for “Please don’t bother me right now.” I miss the days where I just showed up for my hour and had a one-on-one session with my coach. Coaching yourself is harder, so sometimes if I need motivation, I’ll just take a group class at my gym, led by another coach.

Best compliment you’ve received lately:

My manicurist told me that I have nice nail beds!

Most recent compliment you gave someone else:

Every day I tell my boyfriend he’s my favorite person.

Most embarrassing gym moment:

All my embarrassing moments were from my early fight days. These days I don’t care when I make a mistake or have bad day. Always once during a training camp, usually at about two weeks out from fight night, I’d get super emotional and have a breakdown, usually while sparring hard. I’d start to cry while sparring. Then, when the round was over, I’d run out of the ring dramatically. My coach would tell me, “Roxy, there’s no crying in Muay Thai.” I used to think that was his original line, until years later I finally watched A League of Their Own while stuck in a hotel room and realized half the lines he used to coach me where from that movie.

Favorite meal:

Filet medium, with broccoli (I actually love veggies) and crispy garlic fries!

Favorite way to treat yourself:

Spa Day! Massage, Facial, Blow Out – the works!

Favorite book:

In High School It was The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I’m currently in search of a new favorite. I read a lot of memoirs these days.

What inspires and motivates you?

I’m inspired by anyone who loves what they do and works hard. I’m particularly inspired by people who make an effort to live a life that is both, productive and balanced. The work/life balance is a constant struggle in this modern world.

What do you do?

I own a gym, Function 5 Fitness. I’m the head Muay Thai Coach, and I manage and oversee my team of trainers and staff, plus all daily operations. I retired from personal training last year, and now I just teach one or two group classes a day and work with the fight team.

If you want to learn more about Roxy and her gym, click here.

What else do you do?

I write (blogging and memoir). My blogs are up on LiftFightLove.Com; my memoirs are not yet ready for publication. I enjoy reading or journaling while I sunbathe. I like to explore new restaurants. I’m always on a taste quest for delicious craft cocktails and gourmet ice cream.

What does a typical day look like for you from waking up to bedtime?

• 8:30am — Make coffee, feed cats, try very hard not to check my phone, and instead read a poem or something more thoughtful.
• 8:45am-11am — I work from home most of the day, so I start working right away, starting with the Priority List Action Item that I have set from the night before; anything from writing meeting agendas to returning emails or other admin tasks. Breakfast happens somwhere in this time frame. I’m always on-call for my team in case they need me.
• 11am-2pm (or 4pm depending on the day) — I break at some point to read and sunbathe on the roof. I live in LA, so I can do this year round. Then I’ll either keep working on my priority list or I write (blogging or memoir).
• 2-4pm — Walk to my gym and train. I check on my team and complete a couple of office tasks at the gym. Lunch happens somewhere before or after that. I just listen to my body when it comes to lunch.
• 6 or 7pm – 930pm — Teach classes, tend to any office details at the gym, help close up the gym.
• 9:30pm-1030pm — Walk home, prepare dinner, eat, set priority list for the next day.
• 1030-12am or so — Watch a movie or a couple of TV shows with my boyfriend.
• 12am -12:30am — GO to sleep. I always try to get 7 ½ to 8 ½ hours of sleep. If I’m feeling drained I’ll aim for 9.

What’s the coolest “side effect” you’ve noticed from lifting heavy?

I get to eat more food.

Next training goal:

I’m going to press the 24 kg bell.

What are you most grateful for in your life?

Being able to do what I love for work.

What life accomplishment are you most proud of thus far?

Becoming a professional fighter. Just saying that sounds insane. I never though that was something I wanted, or could, do. I made it happen!

Three words that best describe you:

Ambitious, hard-working, and open.

Tell us about a time when you overcame fear or self-doubt, and how it turned out.

At first I didn’t think I could ever get a level II SFG cert the pressing weight test seemed so far off, and my arms are ridiculously lanky; but the more I trained it seemed like something I could attain. The level II was such an amazing experience I’m so happy I did it.

How has lifting weights changed your life?

It has made me more confident and taught me the value of rest and recovery. Before weightlifting, I was obsessed with going harder and faster all the time in my training. My strength coaches used to have to physically restrain me to make me rest. One just gave up and gave me a jump rope so I had something to do during the 3-minute rest he enforced during strength sets. I have now learned to respect rest and recovery as part of the growing process and it has made me take that concept into my life and my work.

What do you want to say to other women who might be nervous to start strength training?

Lifting heavy will help sculpt your body in ways other exercise can’t. Lifting heavy doesn’t mean you have to give up cardio, if you like it. I still train Muay Thai and run sprints because I like it. There are many ways to incorporate lifting heavy into your individual program to get the results you want. You don’t have to become a power lifter if that doesn’t appeal to you. Lifting heavy is relative. Don’t think you have to lift what another strong girl lifts. Lifting heavy is a choice you make to push your own limits. There are no set rules about where you decide to go. Never compare yourself to others, only compare your individual progress.

Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

America’s favorite pastime beckons hundreds of thousands of young players each year to chase the dream of pitching in a Major League stadium. Unfortunately, the odds of making it to the big show are stacked against these young masses, and with each year play becomes increasingly competitive.

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http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

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Cooking for two has its pleasures and its difficulties. One of the great things about my and my husband’s current situation is that we tend to eat whatever we want, whenever we want, wherever we want. I can try out new recipes on a whim, using flavors and ingredients from around the world, and though I may get the occasional raised brow from my husband, the freedom is exhilarating. Every day is different.

But we still have our own challenges, even after all these years. You know, the dreaded “What’s for dinner?” text, when the last thing I actually want to think about is what’s for dinner. That’s when I fall back on meals like these: ones that are guaranteed to be satisfying and let me accept a little help from the supermarket.

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Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

America’s favorite pastime beckons hundreds of thousands of young players each year to chase the dream of pitching in a Major League stadium. Unfortunately, the odds of making it to the big show are stacked against these young masses, and with each year play becomes increasingly competitive.

read more

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Pin it

The smartest shoppers really know how to make the most of their trips to the store. It’s a skill, one I’m sure many of us wish we were better at. Smart shoppers know how to stretch their dollar further, avoid buying unnecessary items, and make their store work for them. Want in on some of their secrets?

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http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

This is a guest post from Autumn Smith, co-founder of PaleoValley.

Do you remember the time you had that amazing meal at your favorite local restaurant? Or, the time you splurged on a sumptuous steak at that 5 star restaurant? Well, you don’t have to break the bank or a sweat. Here’s a recipe you can try that will leave your guests raving.

As someone who has been creating recipes for the past 15 years, I had a slight adjustment transitioning into Paleo, but it was a truly enjoyable experience. I discovered how to take my favorite childhood dishes, and with a few “tweaks” I transformed them into mouth-watering 100% healthy recipes.

The genesis of the dish I am sharing (and one that you definitely need to add to your recipe box) comes from my Paleo Holiday Recipe Book. Last Christmas I really wanted to impress my family with a truly memorable entree that would leave everybody speechless as they savored this delicacy. I knew that my favorite steak recipe would fit the bill. My one caveat was that I wanted to be able to enjoy my family’s company and not feel confined to the kitchen tending sauce pans, sauces, and side dishes.

So here it is…Espresso-Rubbed Prime Rib Roast! It turned out to be the favorite dish of the holiday season, and one which I have had numerous requests to share. Of course, I gave my recipe to them—and now I give it to you!

Servings: 4-6

Cook Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds grass-fed prime rib roast
• 1/3 cup ground decaf coffee
• 2 tablespoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoons fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 vanilla bean, cut in half and seeds scraped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 °F.  Let steak sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In a coffee grinder, blend coffee and add to a bowl with sea salt and ground pepper.

Split the vanilla bean and, with your knife, gently scrape the seeds from inside the bean and add it to your bowl. Mix well and liberally coat your steak all over with the seasoning.

Place roast in the oven for 15 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325 °F and roast for about an 1 1/2 hour longer. For medium-rare the internal temperature should read 125 °F. Add 20 minutes per extra pound.

Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes to redistribute juices before carving into thin slices.

Not Sure What to Eat? Get the Primal Blueprint Meal Plan for Shopping Lists and Recipes Delivered Directly to Your Inbox Each Week. Now Available as an App!

Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

When most people hear “leg day,” they immediately think of heavy weights and exercise machines. There’s no doubt that a heavily loaded barbell or weight machine can build strong, muscular legs.

read more

Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

When most people hear “leg day,” they immediately think of heavy weights and exercise machines. There’s no doubt that a heavily loaded barbell or weight machine can build strong, muscular legs.

read more

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

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