Women

Strong Keeps Getting Stronger…

April 30, 2013 by Adam 8 Comments

BOE 2012 Girl

Happy 100,000, Strong is the New Skinny!!!!

Strong is the New Skinny on Facebook just passed 100,000 followers!

Holy. Crap.

**Strong is STILL the New Skinny…**

Just last week I was talking to a close female friend. She’s beautiful and strong and muscular and quite a badass CrossFitter. And she was lamenting that she wasn’t “mainstream pretty” enough. Apparently, she’d even had a good cry over it the night before.

My advice? I told her to “be a Purple Cow” and sent her my “Is Strong the New Skinny?” blog post from 2010.

Here’s what I wanted her to see:

“…I say, to use Seth Godin’s term, be The Purple Cow. Now, I know women and the term “cow” shouldn’t really be used together, so before I get pummeled I’ll explain. A “Purple Cow” is something remarkable. In a world with more and more advertising “noise” and where there’s someone already filling virtually every need and every niche, a Purple Cow is something that stands out. A brown cow is boring, but a Purple Cow is REMARKABLE.

“If you’re a muscular woman, go after mainstream exposure. Let’s take muscular women out of the bodybuilding subculture and put them in the mainstream…”

- From my post: “Is Strong the New Skinny?“

A few minutes later she texted back: “YES! A Purple Cow!”

The message in that post still rings true. Probably now more than ever…

Stumbling Into Meaning and My Life’s Path…

Summer of 2010 I had no idea. No idea about anything, really.

My life had been falling apart for the few years before – arguably for the 10 years before – and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do next.

But, I was passionate about strength training, CrossFit and Paleo eating and living. And I was also passionate about writing.

Besides that, I’ve always felt that strong was the way to be – for women AND men…

I started blogging that summer with the crazy notion that I was going to make a living at it and write a Paleo Diet book besides. Everyone I knew thought I was out of my mind and needed to be “more realistic” and think about getting a “real job.”

Even crazier than thinking I would make a living at blogging was thinking that somehow my writing and work would “make a difference.”

I started this blog and spent that summer writing and Facebooking like crazy.

And, everyone thought I was nuts for spending so much time on Facebook. “Facebook is stupid!” “I don’t care what someone is having for lunch!” “It’s a waste of time!”

And CrossFit…

I had sold my CrossFit Affiliate earlier that year. But I was still training and most of my friends were CrossFitters. And, CrossFitters love Facebook…

So, many of my Facebook friends were CrossFitters. The CrossFit community was SMALL back then. A lot smaller than now. We’d basically friend request anyone with a profile picture that included anything CrossFit or Kettlebells.

Somewhere toward the end of the summer, I was inspired by a pic my friend Marsha posted of a shirt she made on Spreadshirt.

“Strong is the New Skinny, huh? That’s sort of cool. I bet there’s a blog post in that somewhere…”

There WAS one in there “somewhere…”

It took a few weeks before it came together in my head though. It came together after a run one morning and “Is Strong the New Skinny?” was written. I posted it and thought nothing more of it – I’d been “blogging for no one” most of that time. No reason to think that post would be different.

But it was…

Stacie Tovar

Going Viral…

Over the next few weeks I saw that post pass by in my Facebook feed here and there. I thought, “Cool – someone shared my post…” Then I started seeing it pass by more and more. And more. And more.

In its first two months on the web, “Is Strong the New Skinny?” was read and shared like crazy. Today, it has almost 25,000 views and over 7,900 shares. Wow.

It went “viral” as they say…

And, “Strong is the New Skinny” the Facebook group was born…

100,000 Middle Fingers at Stereotypes

I gave stereotypes the finger when I wrote “Is Strong the New Skinny?“ That summer I was into giving pretty much EVERYONE and EVERYTHING the finger. If it was status quo and mainstream, I was pissed off at it. That post was angry and ranty – and not even very well written now that I look back on it…

But there was raw passion and emotion in that post and I think that’s why it resonated with so many people.

Strong Keeps Getting Stronger…

I say “Strong Keeps Getting Stronger” because that’s exactly what’s happening here.

In 2009, “The Paleo Diet” had about 20,000 monthly Google searches. In 2010 when I started blogging seriously, it had about 80,000 monthly searches. Today it has over 600,000 monthly searches.

And, CrossFit is on ESPN. ESPN. And all the major fitness magazines – the ones that either dismissed CrossFit as a dangerous fad or just didn’t mention it at all – now have special CrossFit sections and features every issue. All of them.

I mention Paleo and CrossFit because both of those communities supported and were supported by Strong is the New Skinny (or SINS) on Facebook in the early days. I see this all as the rise of intelligence in training, eating and role models and stereotypes.

Adam Farrah and Carrie - Strong is the New Skinny

Me and my awesome friend Carrie Chase at CrossFit Relentless in West Hartford, CT.

The world is changing rapidly and dramatically and thinking about eating, training, health and what a “fit” or “attractive” body is for a male or a female is changing right along with it.

Strong is Everywhere…

Here’s a video from CrossFit HQ called “Beauty in Strength.” It’s from September 2012. Not gonna say Strong is the New Skinny is what inspired it… But I won’t say we didn’t…

This is a great video of Christmas Abbott that’s made it’s way around the web. Nothing skinny about her…

And this is a post on TheAthleticBuild.com featuring the 20 best bodies in CrossFit – 10 male and 10 female. Not a skinny body in sight…

http://theathleticbuild.com/the-top-20-fittest-bodies-of-crossfit/

Gabe Subry OHS

Julie Foucher

And the guys aren’t left out either. Here are my thoughts from a while back on men and changing male stereotypes: “Body Image, Food Addiction and I’m Not Good Enough.”

The CrossFit and Paleo Connection…

Most of my best CrossFit and Paleo friends were made on SINS. And, my friends from the CrossFit Relentless family of gyms here in Connecticut were all around in the early days. They bought a lot of the first shirts and shared a lot of our early posts.

Through SINS I’ve heard from a lot of women who changed the direction of their lives with CrossFit, Paleo eating and the embracing of a strong and athletic ideal over a “skinny” one. Some of these women confided that they’d struggled with bulimia or another eating disorder.

Combine the “strong” ideal with CrossFit and Paleo and lives are shaped and changed.

A difference IS being made.

Strong is What You Build…

In the post “Strong is What You Build” I discussed at length the deeper meaning behind strong and building it. To me, strong is something you build over time. It’s about work and achievement and building character.

Strong is about self-definition. Deciding who you want to be and doing it and being it.

And strong women are becoming more and more mainstream…

I walked by Victoria’s Secret at the mall the other day. Here’s what was in the window. A workout top on a model with muscle. Mainstream. That’s an actual deltoid muscle!

Strong, muscular women are becoming more and more mainstream every day…

Now, I know she’s not going to deadlift 405lbs or rock a sub-4 minute Fran, but she’s got muscle and she’s showing it off. This wasn’t happening even a few years ago! It’s a Victoria’s Secret model!

YUP! That’s an actual shoulder muscle on a Victoria’s Secret Model…

And, on this same trip to the mall there was an Athleta store going in – right across from VS. That’s the first one in Connecticut. An entire store devoted to workout clothes for women. You can bet that a big company like Athleta has done their homework and knows it’s a growing niche. Corporations don’t gamble on stuff like that and they don’t build a new store in a new state if a market isn’t expected to grow dramatically. Especially in this economy.

In “Is Strong the New Skinny?” I actually said:

“I wanna see a girl with some muscles in the Victoria’s Secret catalog in the next few years. What do YOU think? If you agree, pass this blog post around and get busy!”

(BTW, I was actually attacked by a few feminist bloggers over that statement… Sigh…)

Lo and behold, a woman with muscles in the Victoria’s Secret catalog…

SINS Has Been About Learning and Growing…

We’ve all grown and changed in the past few years. I have. Marsha has. The Paleo Community has. CrossFit has. SINS has. You have too.

I’ve seen friendships and relationships come and go. I’ve had my successes – like a book publishing deal, two regular columns in Paleo Magazine and a lot of other great stuff. And I’ve had some pretty significant failures. I have plenty of regrets and things I wish I could do over. I’ve been hurt by people I thought were on my team and I’ve been supported by others who have always been on my team. And new and great people have joined my team and supported me. I’ve seen what’s real and who’s real and who isn’t.

But, “Strong is What You Build” and we’re all building and growing and changing. We’re all learning and we’re learning from each other. That’s the beauty of the community – or the communities that intersected on Facebook to create “Strong is the New Skinny.”

Less than 3 years into its existence, “Strong is the New Skinny” on Facebook has 100,000 followers. 100,000. I still remember when it was 10,000, then 25,000. 50,000 was a huge milestone.

Every single one of you voted with the “Like” button in favor of being strong, strong women, carving your own path and following your passion. It’s huge. HUGE.

Here’s to 150,000 and beyond.

And, A Personal Thank You…

Finally, this is a personal, heartfelt and very emotional thank you – to everyone.

The SINS community changed my life for the better. I’ve “met” and talked with hundreds of you. I’ve even met a few of you face to face. (Torrey!)

Me and Torrey at BOE 2011

All the likes and shares and comments and words of encouragement changed me, my writing, my life and even my self-image. All for the better. I’m grateful for all of you and I wouldn’t have missed even ONE of the conversations, messages or comments. The line between an “online” friend and a “real” one has blurred into nonexistence for me.

You’re 100,000 of my closest friends.

ttys

Adam

SINS Angel – Michelle James…

April 21, 2012 by Adam 3 Comments

I first ran across Michelle James on Strong is the New Skinny on Facebook. Michelle has a great story and is a great inspiration no matter what your sport or goals. She pretty much says it all here, so I’ll just get right to Michelle and let her do the talking… -Adam

Here’s Michelle James In Her Own Words…

I used to be made fun of for my Asian look, but now I embrace it. I was laughed at when I ran because of my flat pigeon toe feet that made me look like a (very slow) ostrich – but now I run 5k’s with accomplishments like getting 25th (23:37) out of 250 women at the Arnold Classics in Columbus, OH. I have slight scoliosis that physically made my back ache when I was just sitting in a car and was told how skinny I was like it was a disease. But, last week I was doing 400lb rack pulls and I’ve held the state record of 347.5lbs in the deadlift. I use to not be able to even bench the bar but now I have deep squatted almost 300lbs. I used to be humiliated by coaches, teachers, and peers, but now I have learned to forgive but not forget so I can have the empathy and motivation to help others that they are worth something and CAN accomplish anything they put their mind to.

I used to think you had to be the best at something to try it but now I am not afraid to try and am perfectly content to just share the platform or road with those who I consider at the top of my sport. I used to be depressed and lost but now I have faith, real Hope and an understanding that I’m not going to be perfect and that I can only be “MY BEST”. I try not to dwell on my flaws but work with what I do have! I have decided to claim my body, my mind, and my soul back!

Female powerlifter Michelle James pulling 325 in the Deadlift

I am Michelle James (age 39). I’m married and have 4 birth babies and 2 step-children ranging in ages from 2 to 20. Like a large amount of mothers out there, I have struggled with trying to be that Wonder Woman. Our role has changed so much. Were expected to take care of the kids, cook, clean, do bills, be a taxi service to our kids’ activities, remember everyone’s schedule, be a great wife, volunteer, work outside the home, AND look GOOD all at the same time. I have realized one thing though….”If mama ain’t happy, nobody is happy” as the saying goes. After giving birth to our 4th child I came to a turning point! I couldn’t be an office manager outside the home AND be the manager at home anymore otherwise I was going to be checked into the local loony bin!

Between working most all my life and the society stigma of mom’s that stay home, I struggled with my self-worth at first. When I realized how much less stress I had and how my kids weren’t getting me at the end of my day, I quit feeling so guilty. I also quit feeling bad about taking care of myself. When I do my 5 mile runs on my treadmill it is instant “happy hormones” and so much cheaper and better for you than drugs. I remind myself that when I lift heavy at the gym I am keeping my bones healthy, preventing future injury’s, and sustaining a youthful look and feel. And when I work out I want to eat better too. All this is contagious to people I come across – including my family!

Powerlifter Michelle James and her Family

How I Quit Feeling Sorry For Myself and Made a Change…

I started working out consistently after my first child was born. I was trying to quit smoking and heard it took 5 years for it to get out of your lungs. So I worked it hard on the treadmill walking. I knew I wasn’t healthy as my diet included a lot of pop, beer, and junk food. I was that skinny fat girl with cottage cheese legs! I didn’t know what I was doing with weights that much, but I dabbled in it as I knew it was good at preventing osteoporosis which two of my grandmothers had. PLUS, I was sick of being this “pear shaped” girl with a flat chest & scrawny arms. I wanted to look tough! I couldn’t do much about the flat chest (besides surgery) but maybe if I emphasized what I could work with I could get motivated and get that inner athlete out that nobody thought was possible! With a few ups and downs like gaining 45lbs with one of my pregnancy’s I achieved the impossible and stayed pretty consistent.

In 1998 my husband competed in his first powerlifting meet. I was surprised as all get out when I saw the women that were competing there. I thought you had to look like some she-man to compete as a woman in this sport, wow was I wrong! There were women competing who were slender, round, and all sizes/ages and not one of them looked like a man… They represented beauty and being feminine all the way around. One gal deadlifted like 400lbs or something and was in the 148lbs weight class! All the sudden I was empowered to do what they do! I had flash backs of my Wonder Woman underoos I would never take off, my Wonder Woman Barbie Doll, and the Wonder Woman poster on my closet wall that I would pray to God would jump out, come to life and meet me when I was a 5 year old girl…lol! Men naturally have that label as “STRONG” but now I was also motivated to help those with that weak label (especially teens and women) to be STRONG too both emotionally and physically.

I started reading everything I could get my hands on about health and working out. I became an ACE certified personal trainer and later an ACE Lifestyles & Weight Management Consultant. I found out you should never idolize that skinny girl who eats whatever she wants and doesn’t work out. Her days are numbered! I have done fat percentages on those kinds of girls and they had very unhealthy body fat measurements. And I have measured bigger girls who DO workout and eat right who had “athletic” healthy ranges of body fat.

The more I learned about my body the more I understand WHY you need to exercise and eat right. It wasn’t to be the best at some sport or to look like a super model – it was about living a healthy life! I ran programs specifically for women and weight training because I wanted ALL women to get lifting and not be intimidated by the gym or heavy weights.

Powerlifter Michelle James

Now I’m in the Best Shape Ever and Motivating Others to do the Same…

Now with three little kids still at home (the other 3 have graduated) I find it hard to do the personal training and teach classes like I used to, but I have found that through the computer and my actions I can still motivate others. I try to be a positive influence on things like Facebook and other events I promote. By doing so I keep myself motivated as well by meeting everyday people like me. Everyone has a story and nobody just starts working out one day and becomes that fit strong person they are hoping to be – it takes time, consistency, patience, goals, not being afraid to fail, dedication, and self-worth!

I don’t live at the gym. I spend 1 hour on average per day 5-6 days a week training. I don’t starve myself, I just eat more good calories – I eat what I feed my family.

Besides a vitamin, omega-3 and whey protein I don’t supplement. Powerlifting meets and 5k runs keep me motivated and on track. In the past, I have refereed national meets, directed meets, volunteered at meets, and lifted nationally as well.

After a 6 year break I recently qualified for the USAPL Women’s Nationals (DRUG-FREE) being held next year in Orlando, FL. I will be 40 then as well and will be able to be in both the Open and Masters Division in the 132lb weight class. The women at Nationals are amazingly strong and beautiful at all ages and weight classes and totally inspire me. Because of the great inspiration to be STRONG not SKINNY I’m definitely in the best shape ever! And like so many others, I’ve come a long way since being “picked last in the gym” …..See ya at the gym!

~Michelle from Alliance, NE

SINS Angel – Nikki Rinaldi…

February 26, 2012 by Adam Leave a Comment

The SINS Angel post for today is a slightly different spin on the series. It’s still about a strong woman, but with a twist – this strong woman is also professional photographer who has a cool project in the works. Nikki Rinaldi is not only passionate about being strong, she’s passionate about photographing strong women.

I’ve actually “known” Nikki for quite a while since she’s usually at the local CrossFit events taking pictures. I never knew she was a CrossFitter AND that she had a passion for photographing strong women. When I found all that out, I knew I had my next SINS Angel!

Here’s Nikki and what she has to say about her project followed by two of the strong women she’s done work with…

Nikki Rinaldi – Beautifully Strong…

Nikki Rinaldi in a front squat rack position

Nikki’s Vision…

“Crossfit has been a part of my life for about 3 years now. It has shown me to see that any type of transformation is possible. I have had the experience to compete and train with all ages – from college students to retired adults. From all these different people from different walks of life I have seen many get stronger mentally and physically. As I have observed these transformations I have learned that being “strong” comes in many ages, shapes, sizes and looks. It comes in all different levels and even activities.

Strong can be a CrossFitter, a yoga instructor, a powerlifter and beyond. With this said, I have a vision to capture photographs of women in ALL activities and ALL walks of life being strong!

What is your definition of strong and how do you show it? It is a ripped body from training and dieting … it is climbing a wall of rocks or holding that impossible yoga pose? Whatever it may be let’s capture it!

This project started out with two ladies of Crossfit – Janeil Stehr and Jen Bolduc … It started out capturing them at the time they were at the height of their of fitness …. So, I am asking women of all ages, stage and walks of life … BE MY MODEL .. Show me what YOUR strong is and collaborate with me in my effort to show the world what strong really is!

I’m in Connecticut so if you’re a strong woman in the area - or are willing to travel to work with me – I would LOVE to photograph you!”

Nikki’s Work…

Jen - CrossFit woman with chains

Jeneil - CrossFit woman snatch pigtails

Jen - CrossFit woman deadlift

Jeneil - CrossFit woman deadlift

Contacting Nikki…

If you want to get a hold of Nikki, you can visit her website: www.nikkinicolephoto.com

Strong REALLY IS the New Skinny…

When I wrote the original post “Is Strong the New Skinny?” this is EXACTLY what I was talking about. Images of strong women belong in the mainstream consciousness and in mainstream media. I have the feeling work like Nikki’s is going to have a lot to do with that becoming a reality!

That’s it for now!

ttys

Adam

SINS Angel – Missy Barnum

January 29, 2012 by Adam 5 Comments

Today is a big day for the SINS Angels Series. This is the VERY FIRST ONE! The plan is to feature a female blogger who is living the SINS ideal, blogging regularly and helping to spread the word that Strong is the New Skinny (SINS). It’s all about leading by example!

So, the first SINS Angel is my friend Missy Barnum. Missy is someone I’ve come to know this past year from her posts and participation on Strong is the New Skinny on Facebook. Missy actually STARTED her blog because of her experience on SINS and wanting to join the conversation that’s happening around that topic. Since starting her blog, Missy has had the opportunity to really expand her reach and her writing has been featured in print in Fytness Fanatik Magazine. Missy’s passion for blogging and writing was a major factor in her being featured as a SINS angel – She’s not only living SINS and being the change she wants to see in the world, she’s blogging and writing about it constantly to spread the word and inspire!

So, here’s Missy in her own words. And be sure to check out her blog here: http://mistransformation.wordpress.com/.

The Girl Picked Last In Gym Class…

I am the girl that was picked last in gym class. That is, if I even made it to gym class that day. I used to fake illness on gym class days as often as I could so I could avoid the horror, humiliation and brutality that I used to face when I would be ridiculed about my weight. I identify closely with the childhood obesity problem that faces us today. I weighed over 200 pounds as a teenager and I can tell you first hand that life was anything but fun during those years. Standing up in front of a group of your peers while being chosen for a team and then waiting while everyone else was chosen before you did not do wonders for a teenage girl’s self-esteem.

The summer before my senior year of high school I knew I wanted change. I embarked on a mission to lose weight before I graduated and had to go off into the world on my own. I dropped about 35 or 40 pounds before I graduated high school and continued on that path when I got out of school. When I went off to business school and was on my own, however, my mission turned into obsession and then developed into a full blown eating disorder. The fad diets and fitness preachings of the 90s weren’t always the healthiest and were, for the most part, counterproductive to a person’s fitness goals.

After enjoying a few years as a fit looking young woman, I got comfortable and the pounds started to creep back on even though I was still working out and trying to be mindful of the food I was eating. Then life happened. I had a triple whammy of bad things hit me all at once: My boyfriend at the time was transferred out of state with his job (later I found out he was also cheating on me), my grandfather died suddenly (he had bone cancer) and I was laid off from a job that I loved. I grew depressed and the pounds quickly piled on as I stopped working out regularly and instead I regularly consoled myself with chocolate and other goodies and on the weekends I numbed my pain with a huge bottle of wine. I became obese again.

During this time period, in my early 30s, I had the mindset that I was going to have to live with my “matronly” look for the rest of my life. The men that I dated during that time had the attitude that I should just be thankful that they would spend any amount time with me at all and that they were doing me a favor. They only wanted to see me “at their convenience,” and I bought into that attitude. I allowed them to treat me bad. Then I met someone who I thought was truly interested in me for me. He told me that I was the best decision he ever made. Then a week later, he dropped me like I was yesterday’s news for another girl.

After that blow, I knew I could not live like this for the rest of my life. I wanted change. I wanted to start treating myself with respect and I wanted others to start treating me with respect as well. I asked my mother to buy me a gym membership for Christmas that year. I was pretty timid at first. I just did the cardio machines for a while and then I started to venture into the weight room.

When the pounds started dropping, I used that as motivation to keep going harder. Soon after, I started finding all of these great resources online for workout routines and the use of free weights, barbells, kettlebells, and the cable machine. I found that my passion was with lifting weights. I like to lift. Not just because it makes me strong physically but because it makes me feel empowered and stronger on the inside. I like the way my body looks with muscle. I am still a work in progress but I am proud of how far I have come and where I am at in my journey today.

Some Q and A…

Adam: What would you tell a young woman who’s going through the same feelings and experiences you went through – regarding body image and health – that you were experiencing in High School and College?

Missy: I would tell all young women that they shouldn’t allow outside interference dictate how they feel about themselves which I know is easier said than done. I would say to focus on something outside of themselves. It may be fitness/sports related or it may be a hobby but I think one of the biggest things that is sorely lacking and contributing to the childhood obesity problem of today is a sense of accomplishment. When you feel proud of something you have done, it helps you to expand on to other things. When you don’t feel proud, you become unmotivated and stagnate.

Adam: What has blogging and resources like the SINS community and the Web given you?

Missy: Online resources such as SINS help me to obtain the information and knowledge I need to help reach my fitness goals. Plus there are the benefits of networking. I also belong to a fitness blogging group and we promote each others fitness/health related blogs. This in turn draws more traffic to each others blogs.

Adam: Anything else you want to add?

Missy: My blog has given me benefits that I wouldn’t even have dreamed imaginable four years ago. It is respected by the fitness professionals whose workout DVDs I review and they have posted my reviews on their own Facebook pages and Twitter. I also became a columnist for the online magazine Fytness Fanatik and have written several inspirational and thought provoking articles. The most exciting thing is that I realized my dream this year by having one of my articles go in the special print edition of the Fytness Fanatik magazine. The benefits of inspiring others on their own fitness journey are immeasurable. I have come a long way.

Thanks, Missy!

Great stuff, Missy. Thanks for all the hard work and for kicking off this series! I couldn’t think of anyone better to have done it!

Want to tell YOUR story?

SINS Angels is going to be a regular series on Practical Paleolithic. If you’d like to get featured all you need to be considered is to be living the SINS and ideal and be a regular blogger. Here’s more details on the SINS Angels series and how to get yourself and your blog featured: http://practicalpaleolithic.com/paleolithic-diet-blog/new-series-sins-angels

ttys

Adam

New Series – SINS Angels…

January 27, 2012 by Adam 19 Comments

Once every week or so, Practical Paleolithic is going to feature ONE OF YOU!

I’m calling the new series “SINS Angels” and the goal is to feature a female blogger who embodies the SINS ideal. This isn’t CrossFit specific or Paleo specific or anything-else-specific. It’s open to ALL women who can inspire others, have a blog and blog regularly and, most importantly, LIVE the SINS ideal day in and day out.

Every time a SINS Angel’s story is featured on Practical Paleolithic, she’ll get an autographed hard copy of my book, “The Paleo Dieter’s Missing Link,” some stuff from some other sponsors I’m finalizing things with AND, maybe most important of all, plenty of traffic from this site and Strong is the New Skinny on Facebook.

Woman doing Get Up at The Beast of the East

“In truth, there never was anything “wrong with me.” There was – and still is – something wrong with a culture where health isn’t a priority, foods we’re told are healthy by “experts” aren’t, disease is rampant, lifestyles are out of control with stress and strife and no one will look at the facts, tell the truth, drop the politics and create change.

Misinformation in the diet and health fields is ubiquitous. Almost no one tells the truth. Almost. Change is coming and there will be many established power structures that suffer and disappear when it does.”

-Adam Farrah

There are some major things happening in the world. I wrote the above quote last year in my Paleo Diet book, but it goes for a lot of other things as well. A LOT of established power structures are collapsing and it’s happening in virtually every segment of business and life and every area of the world.

And, it’s far from being “The End of the World” as some of the “Old World” power structures would have us believe – it’s just the end of THEIR world… I’m talking about Old World “institutions” like newspapers and printed media of all kinds, the major TV networks, the news and whatever dried up, bigoted Old World pundit is crying about the end of whatever obsolete medium or product or business this week. The world is changing in a beautiful way on so many levels.

There Are No More Gatekeepers…

Seth Godin says it beautifully in his book, “Tribes” and in this video:

Interestingly, Godin’s book, “Tribes,” and the video above is what inspired and guided the creation and building of the Strong is the New Skinny Community on Facebook in the first place.

At this moment, there are 41, 547 people who “spoke with the ‘Like’ button” and said ENOUGH IS ENOUGH with an emaciated, weak, under-fed and over-cardio’ed standard of women’s “beauty.”

Women Doing Yoga

Now WE Set the Standard…

The web is a BEAUTIFUL and POWERFUL thing. EVERYONE has a voice on the web. I LOVE when “old economy” types tell me journalism is dead. Dead? There’s a new blog born every half a second! That’s 175,000 a day! Far from dead, journalism – and the spreading of IDEAS – has never been HEALTHIER. If you want to know what the “old economy” people are REALLY crying about it’s this: CONTROL OF INFORMATION.

A bunch of 70 year old douche bags can’t sit in a board room, smoke cigars and run million dollar ad campaigns that convince us what beauty is, what fitness is, what success is or what’s valuable anymore. Well, they still can, but the web makes it a hell of a lot easier to ignore them and get REAL information now… Sucks for them, but it’s pretty cool for the rest of us…

It’s not even two years ago that I wrote the original blog post “Is Strong The New Skinny?” – based on an iPhone pic my friend Marsha posted on Facebook. All of YOU voted with your “Shares” and your “Likes” and your “Tweets” and, 6,800 shares later, Strong is the New Skinny on Facebook – SINS as most of you know it – is a thriving community. (BTW, when I read that original post, I don’t even think it’s that good! Far from a literary masterpiece, I think it was the idea and the raw emotion in it that you all responded to…)

If this whole topic of “Is journalism dead or not?” is interesting to you, check out this classic blog post by Seth Godin: “But Who Will Speak for the Trees?”

Woman stretching before the run at The Beast of the East

Beauty 2.0…

SINS has brought a lot of people together from a lot of different communities, ideologies and parts of the world. These people have gathered around that idea that STRENGTH IS BEAUTIFUL.

My partner Marsha makes her contribution and tells her story – AND wears her heart on her sleeve – on her blog: “http://strongisnewskinny.blogspot.com/” in support of a new standard for beauty and what women are capable of. And there’s a Wise Old Ape who posts a daily collection of images called “Team Gorilla” who supports the idea too.

Brenda Glidden at the CrossFit Regionals 2011

Now, It’s YOUR Turn…

Once every week or so, Practical Paleolithic is going to feature ONE OF YOU!

Let’s Turn Up the Volume on These Voices…

So, let’s turn up the volume on the voices that think skinny is obsolete and strong is where it’s at! Send me an email with a little about yourself and why you should be a “SINS Angel” and a link to your blog at adam@practicalpaleolithic.com and let’s rock this thing!

ttys

Adam

Ab shot of girl at The Beast of the East

Squat, Deadlift and Bench Press Guidelines for Women…

May 14, 2011 by Adam 65 Comments

In my last video blog on Westside and CrossFit, I mentioned the 300/400/500 Bench Press/Squat/Deadlift numbers Stuart McRobert advocates as a guideline for male athletes. At the time, I wasn’t sure what the numbers were for WOMEN. So, I did a little digging and came up with some answers. (Oh, BTW, by “Squat” I mean the Back Squat )

As Stuart says on page 88 of “Beyond Brawn:”

“The 300-400-500 figures are based on the prototypical, experienced and successful [drug-free male athlete] who weighs about 190 pounds and is around age 30, at about 5ft 9in height.”

I think that 300/400/500 is about right for any natural (not using steroids) male athlete with reasonable work and life commitments outside the gym. I know mostly CrossFitters (as opposed to Powerlifters) and can’t think of any off the top of my head who greatly exceed those numbers.

So, what does all this mean for women?

Stuart goes on to say that women should expect to achieve around 55-70% of these numbers depending on age and body weight. He also says that women tend to be weaker in the bench press relative to the Squat and Deadlift, in general. That might indicate that the Bench Press number below needs to be adjusted down even a bit further.

Here are the lower and upper limits for the three Powerlifts – for women – based on Stuart’s suggestions:

Bench Press: 165-210 pounds

Squat: 220-280 pounds

Deadlift: 275-350 pounds

These numbers are just a guideline…

I’d be very curious to hear what all the women who read this blog and follow Strong is the New Skinny on Facebook have to say about the numbers above.

Are they accurate in your experience?
How far away from or above them are you?
Are you working toward them as goals?

Either way, hopefully these numbers give you something to think about and – possibly – a reasonable standard to keep in mind as you work toward your training goals.

ttys

Adam

Article About “Strong is the New Skinny” by Joan Jennings…

April 25, 2011 by Adam 1 Comment

Andrea Leonard at CrossFit Dewitt

My friend Joan Jennings wrote this great article about the Strong is the New Skinny movement for her Journalism class. A really well done article and worth a read! There should be an online version soon as well!

The article deals with women’s stereotypes and changes brought about by CrossFit-style training, Paleo diet ideas and, of course, the SINS movement!

Here’s the article: Strong is the New Skinny by Joan Jennings

Thanks so much, Joan!

ttys

Adam

Blogs for the SINS Body Transformation Challenge…

February 21, 2011 by Adam 80 Comments

Here’s the current list of blogs I have for the SINS Body Transformation Challenge. If you’re not here, leave a comment below and I’ll add you to my list!

Here are the details of the SINS Body Transformation Challenge. Get involved. Get motivated. Make the best progress of your life!

http://yourbodyinmotion.webs.com/
http://outerstrength.wordpress.com/
http://krazykat9876.wordpress.com/
http://paleoandoverload.blogspot.com/
http://www.crossfitmommeghanphilpot.blogspot.com/
http://megsbodytransformationchallenge.blogspot.com/
http://myhealthychallenge.wordpress.com/
http://www.fitnessjunkieblog.com/
http://mypaleochallenge.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/my-sins-challenge/
http://mini-tee.blogspot.com/2011/02/one-sixty-one.html
http://bullcitycrossfitters.blogspot.com/2011/02/5-3-1-week-one.html
http://lkorpi.blogspot.com/
http://onearmstrength.com/

http://paleodrama.blogspot.com/

http://journeytofirebreatherstatus.blogspot.com/

http://couched.blogspot.com/

http://www.thebeautifullystrong.com/

http://provingsins.blogspot.com/

http://dorisinschallenge.blogspot.com/

http://betterthanyesterdayforme.blogspot.com/

http://blackeyedburpeas.wordpress.com

http://nothin2itbut2doit.wordpress.com/

http://cavemanking.wordpress.com/

http://smokinwodders.wordpress.com/

http://likethebreeze.blogspot.com/

http://girlsatthenextlevel.wordpress.com/

http://fnstrong.blogspot.com/

http://jannamo.wordpress.com/

http://keithdmartin.blogspot.com/

http://blogginwithjen.blogspot.com/

http://strive2bstrong.blogspot.com

http://www.judi2011.blogspot.com/

http://www.weloveburpees.blogspot.com/

http://morethanbigbones.blogspot.com/

http://brentscrossfitpaleolife.com/

http://dana.dccrossfit.com/

http://justrun4fun.blogspot.com/

http://secondbabysecondquest.blogspot.com

https://321paleo.wordpress.com/

http://malvs2walk.blogspot.com/

http://hcfchallenge.wordpress.com/

http://laurie-anythingbutfrumpy.blogspot.com/

http://malvs2walk.blogspot.com/

http://cavemanking.wordpress.com/

http://dana.dccrossfit.com/

http://all6ofthese.wordpress.com/

http://www.jbullsession.blogspot.com/

http://cogliendovita.blogspot.com/

http://forcannunn.wordpress.com/

http://weddlefamily.blogspot.com/

http://ahundredpockets.wordpress.com/

http://www.backroadsbride.blogspot.com/

http://www.hannahsins.blogspot.com/

http://cancerasmycatalyst.blogspot.com

http://malvs2walk.blogspot.com/

http://dorisinschallenge.blogspot.com/

http://jambysbigadventure.tumblr.com/

http://ashgreer.wordpress.com/

http://bullcitycrossfitters.blogspot.com

http://ibelieveinsins.wordpress.com/

http://www.amandakjones.com/

http://beckygetsdiesel.blogspot.com/

http://imnotskinnyimshredded.blogspot.com/

http://www.projectbeach.ca/

http://www.brummerblogs.com/redintheface/

http://strongtenaciousalwaysfocusedfemale.blogspot.com/

http://fitandfabulousforlife.wordpress.com/

http://lkorpi.blogspot.com/

http://facing50feelingfabulous.blogspot.com/
http://nevertooldforcrossfit.blogspot.com/

http://crossfithikergal.wordpress.com/

http://risehigher-britt.blogspot.com/

http://bobgarontraining.com/

http://www.mistransformation.wordpress.com/

http://crossfitraisesthebar.blogspot.com/

http://hcgitsjustyouandme.blogspot.com/

http://anaddictstransformation.blogspot.com/

http://fitforlife.tumblr.com/
http://www.brandilion84.wordpress.com/

http://kettlebellsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/

http://coachbeckyfreeman.blogspot.com/

www.intentionalconsumption.com

http://muscletea.yolasite.com/blog.php
http://www.cfandbeer.blogspot.com/
http://strongerfasterbigger.wordpress.com/
http://www.perfectmike.com/

http://cfqcrossfitbride.blogspot.com/
http://www.penrest.co.uk/
http://tyw-evo-me.blogspot.com/
http://fitorflach.wordpress.com

http://www.bikinitina.blogspot.com/

http://www.housefrouevolution.com/

http://rippedfuel.tumblr.com/

http://www.eatsleepwod.blogspot.com/

http://journey2strong.wordpress.com/

http://pdmartialarts.blogspot.com/

https://crossfithikergal.wordpress.com/

http://raquelsgettinpaleo.blogspot.com/

http://cyndi-midlifemakeover.blogspot.com/

http://thetrendyhippie.blogspot.com/

http://bodybycrossfit.blogspot.com

http://thelionsrealm.blogspot.com/

http://paleogateway.posterous.com/

http://bodybycrossfit.blogspot.com

http://findstrengthinpain.wordpress.com/

http://plumhealth.blogspot.com/

http://www.yourunlikeacavegirl.wordpress.com/

http://www.melgetsreal.blogspot.com/

http://ajourneybacktome.wordpress.com/

SINS Body Transformation Blog Challenge…

February 20, 2011 by Adam 44 Comments

OK, everyone! It’s early Sunday morning and some cool stuff is already happening on the SINS Facebook Page! Today we hammered out the start of something that has the potential to be seriously awesome. We’ve put together the SINS Body Transformation Blog Challenge (and, no, we didn’t spend a lot of time working on the name ). The point was, to do an “Open Source” body transformation challenge that’s fun and motivating and creates support for everyone involved with SINS. Also, Wild Gorillaman and Team Gorilla have stepped up and gotten involved – so we’ll be seeing a lot of the participants in the Team Gorilla updates that we all know and love.

The “Rules” are Simple and HIGHLY Open to YOUR Interpretation and Implementation:

Have a blog or start one – blogger.com or wordpress.com are two places that will give you a free blog if you don’t have one
Write an initial blog post saying you’re going to make the best progress of your life, when you’re starting, goals, before pics (if you want) training and anything else you want
Post that blog to the SINS Facebook Page as a NEW status update
Blog at any frequency you like to stay motivated – daily, weekly, bi-weekly, etc. and post those to the SINS Facebook page as a NEW status update
Create a final blog post with before and after pics, commentary, measurements and anything else you like and post THAT to SINS on Facebook as a NEW status

That’s pretty much it!

It’s open to women AND men
You can train any way you like – regular gym, CrossFit, powerlifting, kettlebells, endurance athlete
Eat any way you want – Paleo, Zone, high carb, vegetarian
You have to take $2000 a month worth of SINS and Team Gorilla Brand supplements - that’s a JOKE! We don’t make supplements

It’s All About Community and “Open Source”

Our hope is that the SINS community – that’s YOU – will take this and run with it and adapt it to their needs. If you’re starting a Paleo Challenge at your box, just blog it and use that. If you’re training for an event, use that. Use whatever YOU want. This is about creating support and getting everyone motivated and involved! Do what works FOR YOU. There’s no real time-frame here, but I’m thinking in the 6 month range for MYSELF. Others are doing 30 days, 6 weeks, etc. Use this as an opportunity to stay motivated and on track with what YOU’RE doing. If you need some encouragement, here are some body transformations to get you motivated!

The point is to put some positive pressure on yourself, interact with the community and get some support and encouragement. Summer is getting CLOSER! Let’s be in the best shape of our lives for this one! If you need help with goals this will help. Other than that – LET’S GET TO IT!

ttys

Adam

Kristi King – Proving Strong is the New Skinny…

February 17, 2011 by Adam 7 Comments

When I wrote the original “Strong is the New Skinny” post this past summer, I was talking about challenging womens’ stereotypes. In particular, I was suggesting that women who want to model and define THEIR OWN ideal body use the internet, Facebook and social media to take their look and their portfolio straight out into the world and bypass the gatekeepers and standard-makers. We live in a VERY different world than even 5 years ago and there’s nothing stopping us from tearing down outdated ideals and the big, bloated power structures that keep them alive and – worse – profit from them.

Making it happen…

A few weeks ago, I found out about Kristi King. Of course, I found out about her on our Facebook page and not on TV or in a printed magazine. Kristi is a prefect example of what I was talking about when I was inspired to write the original SINS post – a muscular woman using the freedom and leverage the online world has made possible to challenge stereotypes and pose a SERIOUS challenge to the status quo.

Kristi entered – and is already kicking serious ass – in the Sports Illustrated New Model Search!

I talked to Kristi recently and got more insight into her motivation. Kristi said: “As a former fashion model, I want to change the perception of skinny being attractive. I truly believe “Strong is the New Skinny.”

She went on to say: “I have always felt conflicted between fit and skinny. When I modeled for fashion I was always criticized for gaining muscle tone from playing sports. When I played sports, I always felt guilt for not being thin enough and being too fit for fashion modeling.”

Making Strong the New Skinny

And, Kristi has goals that involve influencing future generations of women too: “Joining this contest is a great stepping stone to fulfill my ultimate goal which is to inspire and motivate young girls to believe in themselves, not be afraid of failure, go for their dreams and really understand the importance of having goals. I want to create and run programs that help young girls to have a healthy body image and live a happy, active and balanced lifestyle.”

And, as always, Kristi had her share of negativity and small thinking to ignore and overcome when it came to going after what she wanted and what she believed in: “Before signing up for the contest I had people tell me I was too muscular for Sports Illustrated and maybe I should look into other contests for fitness models. It upset me that people would have the nerve to tell me I can’t do something. That made me all the more determined. Young girls need positive role models who are REAL and healthy – not people who are unrealistic and unhealthy.”

Let’s Give Kristi All the Support We Can!

What’s really cool about this whole thing is that YOU can make sure Kristi WINS and spreads the SINS message! Sports Illustrated has a website set up where WE CAN VOTE for the New Model Search Winner! This is Social Media in action – it’s not up to a few SI Executives who wins – it’s up to YOU. I think that rocks!

Let’s show the whole f’ing WORLD that Strong is the New Skinny! You can vote for Kristi here until April 30, 2011 and you can vote about every 10min or so, so if you happen to be around a computer a lot… Here’s the link. LET’S DO IT! http://www.sinewmodelsearch.co.za/model/?model_id=248#gallery

ttys

Adam

Strong is STILL the New Skinny…

Stumbling Into Meaning and My Life’s Path…

And CrossFit…

Going Viral…

100,000 Middle Fingers at Stereotypes

Strong Keeps Getting Stronger…

Strong is Everywhere…

The CrossFit and Paleo Connection…

Strong is What You Build…

And strong women are becoming more and more mainstream…

SINS Has Been About Learning and Growing…

And, A Personal Thank You…

Other Posts You'll Like:

Here’s Michelle James In Her Own Words…

How I Quit Feeling Sorry For Myself and Made a Change…

Now I’m in the Best Shape Ever and Motivating Others to do the Same…

Other Posts You'll Like:

Nikki Rinaldi – Beautifully Strong…

Nikki’s Vision…

Nikki’s Work…

Contacting Nikki…

Strong REALLY IS the New Skinny…

Other Posts You'll Like:

The Girl Picked Last In Gym Class…

Some Q and A…

Thanks, Missy!

Want to tell YOUR story?

Other Posts You'll Like:

Once every week or so, Practical Paleolithic is going to feature ONE OF YOU!

There Are No More Gatekeepers…

Now WE Set the Standard…

Beauty 2.0…

Now, It’s YOUR Turn…

Let’s Turn Up the Volume on These Voices…

Other Posts You'll Like:

So, what does all this mean for women?

These numbers are just a guideline…

Other Posts You'll Like:

Other Posts You'll Like:

Other Posts You'll Like:

The “Rules” are Simple and HIGHLY Open to YOUR Interpretation and Implementation:

It’s All About Community and “Open Source”

Other Posts You'll Like:

Making it happen…

Making Strong the New Skinny

Let’s Give Kristi All the Support We Can!

Other Posts You'll Like:

About Me…

Connect with Adam…

Latest Posts

**Strong is STILL the New Skinny…**