Anniversary treats for you

It’s Out Fitness’ anniversary week, so happy four years to you and 559 other subscribers! As my gifts to you, I'm writing about cable rows, what I ate at VegFest, finding your motivation, and a queer-owned spin studio.

First, let's celebrate

Out Fitness is turning four years old this week; I can hardly believe it! This tiny idea has grown out of its toddler stage because of your love and support.

I've started a membership drive to launch our fifth year. We need 60 members to keep Out Fitness going. We're currently at 50, which is exciting!

⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜  83%

Now is a great time to join, because our studio has grown to three strength training rooms. I also created a virtual membership for only $14, so you can join our community and work out from anywhere.

If you're already a member, invite somebody from our app. I'll give them $25 off their first month of a studio membership, and you'll get 25 points (for our new leaderboard with prizes).

Celebrate with us by getting coffee this Saturday, 10am, at Ready Set, right across from the studio. Event info is here, and all are welcome!

Thank you to all our members and supporters for making this passion project possible. I can't wait to see you.

Exercise du jour: cable rows

The seated cable row, a type of horizontal row movement for strength, is my most-recommended back exercise. It targets the upper back muscles and also works your biceps and rear shoulders. It’s simple enough for beginners.

Why I love this exercise: Strengthening your upper back is useful for everyday actions, like pulling a heavy container from the back of a shelf. These muscle groups also help with posture, by keeping your shoulders down and retracted, if you frequently hunch forward like I do.

How to perform

Setup: Attach two handles or a "triangle" attachment to one cable, the height of which should be level with your stomach when you sit on the bench. While holding the attachment(s) with palms facing each other and arms extended, plant your feet and lean back slightly for the starting position.

1. Pull the handles toward your stomach (as you exhale), with your elbows sliding past the sides of your torso. When your shoulders are retracted, imagine squeezing your shoulder blades together.
2. Slowly return to the starting position (as you inhale). Repeat with control for about 8-12 reps, stopping when you feel you could only do 1 more good rep.

First-time tips: Start with a light weight, and slowly practice the movement with good form. Pause at the contraction to try to feel your shoulder blades squeezing together.

How to avoid common mistakes: Don't create momentum by swaying your torso forward and backward or by bending and extending your knees. (The row movement for strength training is different than that other rowing machine for cardiovascular exercise.) Also, don't raise your shoulders toward your ears.

Alternative exercises: Bent-over single-arm row with a dumbbell and bench, resistance band row, or a machine horizontal row with a specific machine that has lever arms to pull.

Let me know if you have questions about cable rows or if there's another exercise you'd like me to demystify next.

Veg-ing out

I'm vegan, yes, and I love to eat. It's not much of a sacrifice, eating vegan.

Cleveland VegFest is tailor-made for me, and it has become such a slice of heaven since it expanded into an outdoor festival in the Tremont neighborhood. Here's a peek at what I ate at this year's festival...and ate and ate, until I was stuffed and sleepy.

Why show this off? Besides the outright deliciousness, VegFest manifests a few of my fitness philosophies:

• Foods from plants can provide all the nutrients, including protein, that you need. And those meals and snacks are surprisingly diverse.
• You don't have to be vegan or vegetarian to enjoy plant-based foods.
• Indulging in desserts or "junk" food shouldn't be a daily routine, but treating yourself is key to a flexible approach to nutrition. Diets are especially harmful when they try to eliminate foods you enjoy.
• We're stronger as a community when our food choices support more small businesses and fewer industrial, animal-killing corporations.

Hit me up when you go to VegFest 2027, and, in the meantime, support Cleveland Vegan Society to help them plan it.

What motivates you? (Part 1)

I was struck by a paradox about motivation while listening to a weightlifting podcast that I trust.

Most people who aren't already strength training do not feel motivated to train. (Duh.) But personal trainers, me included, often forget this, because they are so self-motivated toward fitness...that they became a trainer.

If you see a personal trainer complain that clients "aren't committed" or "don't want it bad enough," that may not be any client's fault. They aren't starting with the same motivation that created the trainer. Otherwise, we'd be in a (scary) world full of personal trainers.

In an upcoming newsletter, I will explore different types of motivation for fitness. I think it's important to check in with your motivations periodically. Then you can stoke the fires that are most likely to fuel your strength training.

But first, tell me, what motivates you right now? (Email me or reply to this email.) Why do you do that exercise? Or why do you feel like you "should" be going to a gym? Cocky answers, like "I wanna be stronger than my friends," are valid. Vulnerable answers, like "I hate feeling fat," are valid and even necessary to identify — but not because anything is wrong with you. Without acknowledging your motivations, your practices will not last for years.

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts with me.

Better world builders

Here are more people whom I'm seeing use their strengths in ways that I find inspiring.

Everybody Cycle is like a queer sister business to Out Fitness for folks who want to try spin class! Nathan started Everybody Cycle around the same time as our studio, so now it's their fourth anniversary, too. Their indoor cycling spot is just down Detroit Avenue, and your first ride is free. It's a great, welcoming community where you can learn to ride from instructors like our own member Matty! There's also an anniversary deal for 2 weeks of unlimited spinning.

Thank you for supporting my writing, being part of Out Fitness, and working out for a better world.

Until next time, claim and enjoy your strength!