https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/
Meet Abby Clark!
Name: Abby Clark
Age: 30
Location: Westport, Connecticut – Rebar Fitness
What does being a GGS mean to you?
Being a GGS means unleashing your feminine, fierce, nurturing, sensual, and untamed goddess within to become a powerful, confident, and strong woman who’s completely unapologetic for her strengths. You are at peace with yourself no matter what your body looks like. You’ve dived deep within yourself and tapped into your intuition and feminine spirit, and your beauty just radiates from the inside out. You become this Goddess who beams with self-love. Your words are kind to others, especially other women, and your actions reflect your thoughts. You are a 21st Century Feminine Badass.
How long have you been training?
I have always been a “free mover.” As a child I could always be found either high up in a tree, scrambling river rocks, or swimming in the lake. Organized sports never really grabbed my attention the same way the outdoors did, so I was never a traditional athlete. I started to lift weights when I was 19, after working at a gym and seeing women who looked so strong and confident. I have not stopped training or exploring different areas of movement (kettlebells, barbells, yoga and most recently and ironically, natural movement) since.
Favorite Lift:
Anything that requires climbing and pulling, like pop-ups, pull-ups, and muscle-ups.
Most memorable PR:
When I got my first Tuck-Pop Up!
Top 5 songs on your training playlist:
- Anything by Lindsey Stirling
- Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
- Hey World (Don’t Give Up) by Michael Franti
- Intro by The XX
- Second Chance by Shine Down
Top 3 things you must have with you at the gym or in your gym bag:
- Water
- My DIY dry shampoo. Organic corn starch, 5 drops of rose geranium for smell, and cocoa powder.
- My MovNat sprawl shorts. These are the MOST comfortable shorts to wear when doing things like squats, jumps, climbing, rolling, running. Umm…I guess they are the most comfortable training shorts for anything!
Favorite post-workout meal:
A protein shake with fruit, coconut milk, and cocoa powder.
Best treat way treat yourself:
A massage and soaking in mineral springs.
Favorite quote:
“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Favorite book:
Right now I am enjoying Move Your DNA by Katy Bowman, and Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D.
What inspires you and motivates you?
I truly believe that we experience life through continuous movement. Living life is what inspires me. I think that it’s totally OK and totally healthy to not always chase after aesthetic goals and to view exercise as a way to “fix” something, but rather to exercise because it’s a form of self- expression and an opportunity to unleash the wild, fierce, and strong woman that you were born to be. Being a capable human being motivates me, so that I can be the best mother to my son, wife to husband, and woman to all other beings.
Next training goal:
To be able to do 3 consecutive Tuck pop-ups and improve the landing in my precision jumps.
Three words that best describe you:
Loving, authentic, and adventurous.
What do you do?
My husband and I own a premium private training facility in downtown Westport. I train a couple of clients per week and help in some of the behind-the-scenes work of operating a small business. Other than that, I am at home with my 1½-year-old son, Lochlan, and our dog, Kona. I am also an activist for MovNat and passionate about teaching more women about the many benefits of natural movement. My goal is to get more women involved by hosting women’s only workshops and being a strong voice within the fitness community.
What else do you do?
I spend lots of time outdoors hiking and playing with my son. I love to sip on good red wine, meditate, move as often as I can, and color in my “adult” coloring book—it totally helps me to relax! Try it! I am also a student of biomechanist Katy Bowman from Nutritious Movement and am currently taking her two-year Restorative Exercise Specialist (RES) program.
Best compliment you’ve received lately:
I had a dear friend who I respect greatly tell me recently that I am a Goddess and that I am going to do amazing things once I really tap into my inner strengths. The fact that she sees something in me and believes in me empowers me to be the woman I want to be.
Most recent compliment you gave someone else:
I saw one of my husband’s client doing broad precision jumps for at least 5 feet and they looked awesome! I told her that she was a badass, and she totally blushed and lit up! This is a woman in her 40’s who’d had chronic lower back pain! Now she is pain-free and moving like a real badass mama!
Tell us about a time when you overcame fear or self-doubt, and how it turned out.
Oh, fear and self-doubt! They can really hold one back from living fully, that is for sure! I have always been the type who lives in the moment. I don’t really think too much about something if I feel intuitively drawn towards a certain place, person, or direction. I know myself well enough that if I listen to my own intuition I’ll never regret the steps I need to take to do something, or the outcome. I know that there is always a purpose. If I allow fear or self-doubt to control my thoughts, and therefore my actions, I always end up not where I wanted to be/go. I have a huge fear of death and those around me dying. So every time I travel or leave my son with my parents I freak out for a moment (big time) but then I remind myself that living in fear is not living at all.
What do you want to say to other women who might be nervous to start lifting heavy?
Lifting weights can come in all different shapes and sizes, and in different environments. You can start with just natural movements with your own bodyweight and climbing techniques. Then work up to manipulative exercises (lifting) with some kind of object (a barbell, medicine ball, dumbbell, kettlebell, rock, log, etc).
Find something that moves you, and you’ll be more likely to start and stick with it. Just start moving and know that strength training can help you become a better mover and a stronger, more confident woman.
This is a guest post from Diane Sanfilippo, author of 
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