Hey guys! It’s obviously been a while since I’ve regularly posted, but I’m going to change that. It’s one of my new years resolutions to get back to blogging about self care, self improvement, and self love. (Thanks for the encouragement, Alden and co.) ❤

When deciding my next blog topic, I wanted to make sure it was real, genuine, and something that I’ve been really excited about. So here it is… *drum roll*

Lifting!! AKA pumping iron. Power lifting. Weight training. Body building. (Well, maybe not body building but you get the gist.)

As you all probably know, I used to be the biggest cardio bunny out there. Jogging via elliptical for an hour straight, 5 days a week while I watched trashy TV on my phone. While that was beneficial for my weight loss goals 2 years ago, now I have different goals.

However in August 2020, I was introduced to lifting by my boyfriend, Jack. I also have a good guy friend named Matty — a fellow lifting bro ™. They keep me humble, and always competitive.

During my first few lifting sessions, Jack kindly took the time to show me all the weights, machines, and proper form. I started off with small weights because A) I wanted to develop good habits with my form and B) I was pretty weak. Duh.

Ever since then, I’ve been going to the gym pretty religiously. About a month in, I started to see the first real gains. My biceps were slowly growing and my thighs were way more toned. Several months in now, I have seen major gains in not only my physical strength, but my mental strength as well.

Today, I feel way stronger and more confident than I did a year ago. I know it probably sounds stupid, but I feel way more capable doing things in my everyday life. For example, I don’t despise carrying my groceries into the house anymore. I pack some power into each swing of my axe when chopping firewood. I walk down the street knowing that I could probably fight off a potential threat (or at least throw a few punches).

Most importantly, when I look in the mirror, I see a strong young woman in front of me.

I chose this topic on which to write my blog post today knowing that many women do not lift weights — and that’s perfectly fine. However you keep yourself active is awesome as long as you enjoy doing it. That said, I think at least this first section of the post can be applicable to many people and many different situations.

At first when Jack and Matty suggested I lift weights with them, I laughed. I did not think that I could lift a single dumbbell on my own, much less a barbell with plates. I thought it was just a “guy’s thing” and I would be made fun of for simply walking into the free weight section of the gym. My own mindset was weighing me down more than the actual weights.

The funny thing nowadays is that the same reasons I used to be scared of weight lifting are the very reasons that motivate me to go the gym now. I love lifting things heavier than I thought possible. I love crushing new PRs. I love walking into the gym and being one of the only girls there.

I think there’s a lesson to be learned here, which is that the things weighing you down half the time are just your fears and reservations. Sometimes, the things that bring you the most joy in life are those that you once thought were impossible.

Maybe for you, reader, it’s not lifting. (And that’s fine!) For me though, I seriously look forward to driving to the gym and throwing around heavy stuff. It’s like therapy for me. And if you have the means to do so, I wholeheartedly recommend trying it out sometime — you might become addicted.

My Routine

If you’re into lifting and curious what I do, my routine is currently a Push/Pull/Leg routine with approximately 3 days on, 2 days off. I drink protein shakes regularly but I don’t take creatine or pre-workout.

My push day includes bench, overhead press, incline bench, skull crusher/rope pulldown, lateral raises, tricep kickbacks, & medial raises.

My leg day includes squat, hip thrust, Bulgarian split squats, calf raises, & leg extensions.

My pull day includes deadlift, seated row, lat pull down, leg curl, DB curl, and 1 arm DB row.

I go to a 24-hour gym in Williamsburg, VA called Maxfit 24. The people who workout and work there are all really cool and the gym itself is really well kept. Plus, it’s open 24 hours which is great for me because sometimes I like to lift pretty late at night.

Follow me @ emmasophie.lifestyle on Instagram for updates on my strength training and all things, my life.