Motivation - Out Fitness Collective

Motivation

Claim your strength but check your pride

This newsletter is a new, imperfect work-in-progress that I'm trying as a creative outlet.

Motivation

10 years of lifting: a love letter

A funny thing happened on the way to my thirties. I fell in love, against the odds, with weightlifting. Last week I reached 10 years of strength training (and with seven years as a vegan). Unlike the lifters who were high school athletes or college gym rats, I didn'

Tools

Book recommendations [updated]

This is a list of my 9 favorite books for a thoughtful, inclusive look at fitness, exercise, and food! Over the last three years, I've learned loads from these authors and their often personal stories. I've included Bookshop links because independent bookstores (American Booksellers Association) receive

Motivation

My clinical depression (or feeling fit AND sad)

Exercise is one of my lifelines, and right now I'm dangling from the end of the rope. It's been 12 days since I last worked out. That might be the longest gap in my lifting in seven years. But nothing unusual caused this. When my day

Food

Why I'm a vegan who loves to eat

Four years ago in 2019, I made a New Year's resolution to eat less meat. I had read about the environmental impacts of meat production and the ways it wasted land and water. I heard the World Health Organization say bacon and salami can cause cancer. I was

Motivation

My 7-year training anniversary reflection

Today marks seven years since I began strength training! When I was approaching one year out of college, I decided to commit myself to lifting at least once every week, mostly out of dissatisfaction with myself. I must have thought I'd make it at least one year, because

Motivation

Learning affirming alternatives to "dieting"

Almost everyone I know has wanted to lose weight by dieting at some point in their life — me included. There is constant social pressure for people, especially women, to lose weight, and as a result, most of us have a negative body image. When I'm coaching someone, weight

Motivation

"No brain, no gain" — the psychology behind your workouts

I was as surprised as anyone when strength training became my hobby. My experiences with exercise had been varied, but I always remembered the negative ones and thought of myself as "unathletic." Overcoming that mental trap required rethinking my identity and finding the right motivations. It's

Motivation

What "fitness" means to me

My love of fitness was latent for a long time. Finally embracing that passion is part of my ongoing effort to accept my full self, and I've learned (and unlearned) a lot of core beliefs and values along the way. For the majority of my life, I felt