If I were to ask you to come up with the name of a beautiful woman, what would you say?  Does a celebrity or supermodel come to mind?

As a twenty-something female, I’ve spent a good chunk of my life reading fashion and celebrity magazines and aspiring to look as pretty as a the women inside them.  Until the last couple years, I thought that spending an hour per day on the elliptical machine, eating less than 1200 calories a day, and FINALLY fitting into that size 2 pair of jeans would make me more confident and beautiful.

They say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, but the truth is, the media feeds America its definition of beauty in the form of magazines, print ads, commercials, even the Miss America pageant.  Many of the women you see in mainstream media are touched up, photoshopped, or altered in some way – giving us a distorted view of what a woman “should” look like.

Miss America 2012, Mallory Hagan

However, I believe that the standards of beauty are changing, and CrossFit is fast becoming a part of that change.  There are numerous celebrities that do CrossFit to be healthy and fit – Jessica Alba, Cameron Diaz, Vanessa Hudgens, Kelly Clarkson, and Miss America 2012 Mallory Hagan all include CrossFit as part of their fitness routine.  All of these women are beautiful and strong, and I don’t think anyone (male or female) would disagree.

I’d like to share a personal anecdote: when I started CrossFit in January 2011, I weighed 130 pounds at 5’4”, and was a size 6.  Today, I’m 141 pounds, and a size 4.  I’m actually skinnier and stronger than I was when I started, and I’m really starting to love the reflection in the mirror.  Until CrossFit, I had no idea what squats could do for my butt, or what pull-ups could do for my shoulders.  The bi-products of lifting and intense conditioning aren’t just physical though – CrossFit gives me the confidence to try new things and overcome mental obstacles as well.  And in my opinion, nothing compares to the feeling you get when you PR a lift.  I’ll take that over counting calories anyday!

My point is, ladies, don’t be afraid to be strong.  I promise, you won’t “get bulky” or look like The Hulk.  Just make it your goal to be physically and mentally healthy.  Love your workouts and love the changes being made to your body because of them.  The Foundry has a lot of different types of classes (including the new METCON-1 class and our upcoming yoga classes) to help you achieve your personal fitness goals and be the best “you” that you can be.  If you feel stuck in a rut, ask one of our coaches for advice on how to change things up.

Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and challenge your body, and see what it can do.

See you in the gym!

– Jenni