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https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/

Meet Fabienne!

 

Name:   Fabienne Marier

Age: 37

Location: Montreal, Canada

What does being a Girl Gone Strong mean to you?

It means being part of a movement that is positively changing the game for girls and women everywhere. It means owning my voice, and using it to speak up about the things that matter. It means working at lifting other women up, because we can all benefit from it. A rising tide lifts up all boats.

How did you get introduced to strength training, and how long have you been training?

Back in the early 80s, my mother was an aerobics instructor, and I’d tag along when she was teaching classes. I was always fascinated by strength training, but the myth according to which women shouldn’t lift heavy was very pervasive! I also danced from the time I was a toddler until my late teens. Back then, the focus in dance culture was on getting smaller, not stronger, and disordered behaviors were rampant. It wasn’t until my early 20s that I found the courage to walk over to the free weights section of the gym, and started to try to figure out what to do!

With so much contradictory information available, I spent several years navigating some very confused waters. Girls Gone Strong was created around the moment when I was pregnant with my son, and I was immediately drawn to it! Women passionate about strength—it felt like a revelation! As soon as my son was born and I was cleared to start exercising again, I started my strength training journey in true form!

What does a sample workout look like for you?

I like to have a dedicated workout period on a daily basis, so I typically alternate between strength training days and yoga days. On strength training days, I’ve recently been focusing on one big lift (i.e. bench press – 8 sets of 3 @85%), followed by a metabolic conditioning circuit, often with kettlebells. On yoga days, I stick to 60-minute flows. I like how yoga and strength training complement each other, both mentally and physically. I think my yoga practice has been enhanced by getting stronger. Yoga, in turn, has helped me cultivate the patience required to get results, as well as the playfulness required to try new things.

Most memorable PR:

A very memorable PR came quite unexpectedly at the first Women’s Fitness Retreat in 2014. Jen Sinkler was leading a hands-on clinic on Jefferson Deadlifts and, after the event, I saw that there was a picture of me performing the lift. Only then did I realize that I’d lifted a weight much greater than what I had told myself I was able to lift, and that really opened up something inside of me. I understood that I’d been feeling constrained by barriers which were only inside my head!

I also burst into tears the day my squat broke into the three digits!

Do you prefer to train alone or with others? Why?

I typically like to train alone, in my home gym. As an introvert, training time is also recharging time for me, so I’m very happy to be in my little bubble.

Best compliment you’ve received lately:

Being told I was inspiring. I figure that if I can bring something positive to the world, even if it’s just to a single person’s life, then it’s all worth it.

Most recent compliment you gave someone else:

Telling my 6-year-old daughter how much I admire her spirit. I really do.

Most embarrassing gym moment:

Two equally embarrassing moments come to mind! The first one happened two years ago, when I was working out in a corporate gym. The trainer in charge of the music also coached rhythmic gymnastics to little kids, and suddenly her playlist switched to extremely loud marching band music with superimposed cartoon voices. Everyone on the floor burst out laughing, myself included, except I was in the middle of a dumbbell fly set, and I totally got stuck. I also recently managed to hit my pubic bone with a heavy kettlebell while performing a (clearly ill-timed) goblet clean. I was VERY happy to be alone when that happened (I managed to walk it off).

Favorite meal:

Give me pretty much any meat-and-vegetable combo, and I’m a happy lady! I’m not only passionate about food, but also extremely curious, and I love to taste new things. Furthermore, my husband and I are—I say this very unabashedly—terrific cooks, which means that we make sure most of our meals are fall-off-your-chair good. The latest home-cooked meal with which I fell in love was lamb shanks braised with tomatoes, carrots, dates, chickpeas and mushrooms, served over mashed potatoes.

Favorite way to treat yourself:

Uninterrupted time alone to read fiction for pleasure is a rare treat! Getting new equipment for my home gym also usually makes me kind of giddy.

Favorite quote:

My mantra is “Think and act from a place of love, not from a place of fear”. I came up with it at the beginning of 2015, and it’s been guiding me ever since.

What inspires and motivates you?

Knowing that mindset is one of the most determining factors of the way we can experience life. Once you start digging, the opportunities for growth are joyful and radiant.

What do you do?

I’m a professional writer and communication specialist, and I’ve just gone back to doing freelance work after having spent the last decade in the corporate world. It’s quite the adjustment, to be perfectly honest, but I’m grateful that I was able to make the move. Things are equally exciting and terrifying, but I know it was the right thing to do. I’ve also started my own blog, Wholly Fabi, where I discuss mindset matters. Having the opportunity to write authentically, in my own voice, is incredibly fulfilling.

What else do you do?

I’m working on getting certified as a personal trainer and mindset specialist, and I’m hoping to increasingly integrate these aspects in my professional life. I’m also a parent to three kids—my son is 3, my daughter is 6, and my stepdaughter is 15. There are honestly very few dull moments!

Your next training goal:

Perform an unassisted bodyweight pull-up! It’s been a long-time goal of mine, but I have to be extremely patient with my progress. I have hypermobility in most of my joints, which means that lot of stabilizing work is required before I can safely move to higher loads, even if it’s just my bodyweight!

What are you most grateful for?

So much! Since I’ve implemented a rigorous gratitude journaling practice in late 2014, gratitude is what fuels a lot of my thoughts! I could go on for ages, because the things for which I’m grateful range from being able to raise my family in a peaceful, accepting place, to having the opportunity to spend entire days without wearing pants!

Tell us about a time when you overcame fear or self-doubt.

I’m a self-professed recovering perfectionist, and I missed out on a lot of opportunities because I was afraid of putting myself out there. Then, two years ago, I decided to shave my head for a pediatric cancer fundraiser. It forced me to actually (gasp!) ask people for support, not to mention taking what many considered to be a pretty radical action. From that moment on, I decided that I would approach life differently, and seek out opportunities rather than shying away from them. This has led me to attempt sports I’d never considered trying, like curling (which I love) and sumo soccer (which I don’t love), to travel alone to conferences and events and be ok with not knowing anyone there, to apply for workshops and mentorships in order to increase my knowledge and expertise, and even to take part in social media fitness shenanigans. It’s been fantastic. I think that choosing to go forward despite the fact that you may actually fail is one of the most freeing things one can do!

What’s the coolest “side effect” you’ve noticed from strength training?

My relationship with my body has changed: being stronger has given me more independence, which has also translated into increased confidence. It makes me want to celebrate my body instead of hiding it. Another great side effect is that it’s helped decrease my incidence of chronic pain and injury! I spent most of my twenties and early thirties dealing with serious knee and hip issues. Gaining strength and adopting better movement patterns has definitely helped alleviate this!

How has lifting weights changed your life?

Lifting has strengthened both my body and my soul. It has allowed my mindset to switch from “I can’t do this!” to “Can I do this?” (and sometimes I just can’t… yet!). Lifting has helped me realize that strength isn’t reserved to people of a certain age, size or background—it’s for everyone! It has forced me to finally work with my body, instead of against it. Lifting opened up my world to a whole new universe, full of wonderful people with whom I wouldn’t have crossed paths otherwise. It has allowed me to foster deep connections with amazing women, and to find my own voice in this conversation.

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

Come over to the dark side, we’ve got cookies!

In all seriousness, though, I want women to know that embarking on a strength training journey can have surprising, joyful repercussions in all areas of their life, way beyond the physical aspect of it!

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

PaleoDork is giving away a $100 gift certificate to the Primal Blueprint store. Enter to win here. Ends tomorrow at 11:45 PM, EST.

Romy Dolle, author of Fruit Belly, is putting on a small PaleoFX-esque convention in Spreitenbach, Switzerland next month on April 9. Get your tickets to Pure Food Fitness now!

Research of the Week

Sunbathing is good for you.

Lateral squats improve sprint performance.

People with intermittent explosive disorder (more common than bipolar and schizophrenia combined) are more likely to carry a toxoplasmosis infection.

The more readily available a food, the more you’re driven to consume it.

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 112: Todd White, Dry Farm Wines: I chat with my friend Todd White, founder of the revolutionary new wine company I featured in the blog earlier this week. You’ll learn why wine causes early morning awakenings, how much alcohol is too much, what additives and chemicals conventional wine producers are adding to their bottles, why natural wines are different (and better), and much much more.

Each week, select Mark’s Daily Apple blog posts are prepared as Primal Blueprint Podcasts. Need to catch up on reading, but don’t have the time? Prefer to listen to articles while on the go? Check out the new blog post podcasts below, and subscribe to the Primal Blueprint Podcast here so you never miss an episode.

• Why Are Some Wines More Primal-Approved Than Others?
• How to Handle Constructive Criticism as a Primal Advocate

Interesting Blog Posts

What makes mashed potatoes with butter more satiating than potatoes fried in canola oil?

The man without a cell phone.

Why celebrities are fasting.

What’s wrong with Science-Based Medicine (the blog)?

Media, Schmedia

Accidental deadlift world records are the best.

Time covers the benefits of skipping showers.

More fasting coverage, this time in the NY Post.

Everything Else

Maria Emmerich just released an excellent new ketogenic cookbook. If you thought keto dieting was boring and monotonous, think again.

Kids gone wild (SFW).

Pay attention.

Prairie dogs practice infanticide and manage to look really cute doing it.

Early Irish were scraping bear patellas during the Mesolithic almost 13,000 years ago. This pushes human presence in Ireland back about 2500 years.

Prozac probably isn’t very safe (or effective) for depressed children.

Bacteria that degrade plastic.

Istanbul farmers are fighting to keep their 1500 year-old urban gardens going.

Not your average house cat.

Simplifying childhood isn’t just easier for everyone, it may produce healthier and happier children with fewer mental health issues.

Recipe Corner

• The Nordic Food Lab is doing some incredible things with edible insects. Its latest is a series of insect garums—fermented insect sauces in the style of fish sauce.
• Abel James’ take on the Big Ass Salad is legit.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Mar 30 – Apr 5)

• 25 Ways to Improve Your Insulin Sensitivity – How to use insulin more efficiently.
• Self-Control: The Ultimate Exercise of Freedom – Discipline begets freedom.

Comment of the Week

Better get several cases. You know, to make sure you get enough data points for statistical significance…

– I always appreciate your rigor, Paleo Bon Rurgundy.

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Pin it

The comic essayist David Sedaris perfectly captures the absurdity of ritual in his famous French-class skit. Sedaris, an American, attempts to describe in broken French how “the rabbit of Easter … he bring of the chocolate … he come in the night when one sleep on a bed.” His Polish and Italian classmates scoff at the idea of a small, long-eared mammal that sneaks into children’s homes each spring to lavish them with sweets.

“No, no,” counters Sedaris’s teacher. “Here in France the chocolate is brought by a big bell that flies in from Rome.”

READ MORE »

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

15-Minute Spicy Braised Cabbage

Pin it

Electric pressure cookers have quickly become popular, taking over the niche that stovetop pressure cookers once held. That’s because, even though they’re less powerful and durable, electric pressure cookers are more convenient to use and can replace multiple appliances. In addition to pressure-cooking, the electric cookers brown the food directly in the bowl (unlike slow cookers) and make rice, too. Some electric pressure cookers will also slow-cook, make yogurt, delay cooking for hours (or just until you get home), and keep dinner warm until everyone makes it to the table.

READ MORE »

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

Welcome to our brand new weekend roundup, Three of the Best! Every Sunday, we’ll post up Breaking Muscle’s top three articles of the week. These pieces have caught your attention throughout the last seven days. So here they are in one place for you to consume, digest, and enjoy.

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