When I crossed the threshold into Global Strongman Gym for the first time, located in the heart of Brooklyn, my surroundings felt alien and challenging. The view of squat racks, chalk-filled bowls, tractor tires, and enormous Atlas stones seemed overwhelming and intimidating.
Fast forward a couple of years, and I’d find myself not only lifting those Atlas stones but also flipping a 375-pound tire with a determination that would’ve stunned my past self. Even the prospect of tackling the 450-pound tire didn’t seem too far-fetched. This is my transformative journey of swapping fitness goals from aspiring to be smaller to proudly owning my physical presence and embracing my strength.
In 2018, body insecurities and an unhealthy lack of physical stamina haunted me. Traditional gyms with their treadmill-centric routines didn’t appeal to me anymore. That’s when a friend introduced me to Global Strongman Gym, a space where she was building her strength through weightlifting. This recommendation was a turning point, where I decided to shift my fitness goal from shrinking in size to expanding my abilities.
Hans Pirman, the owner, and coach of Global Strongman Gym, became my mentor. Initially, I feared weightlifting would make me bulky, but Pirman redirected my focus from aesthetics to strength. He emphasized that my purpose was not to transform my appearance but to push my physical boundaries and witness what my body was truly capable of achieving.
Our training regimen involved mastering fundamental techniques like deadlifting, squatting, and bench-pressing. Pirman also incorporated core exercises and light weight training into my routine. The journey wasn’t easy. My hands developed calluses from lifting the cement Atlas stones, but surprisingly, my chronic backache began to fade as my core and back muscles strengthened. This newfound strength seeped into all aspects of my life, enhancing my reflexes, and making me feel more confident and capable.
My weightlifting journey, however, had its share of interruptions. The pandemic led to a temporary hiatus, and it took some time to regain my former strength when I finally returned to the gym. Despite these hurdles, the experience was akin to coming home.
For me, fitness and physical appearance were always intertwined. Being a plus-size woman in a world promoting the ‘thin ideal’ has its challenges. Society’s constant pressure to lose weight and conform to a certain size was ever-present, but weightlifting offered me an escape and helped me counter the mainstream narrative.
This transformative journey involved developing an appreciation for my body’s capabilities, regardless of its size. In this process, I had to confront the red stretch marks that bloomed on my arms and legs a few months into lifting. Accepting these changes wasn’t easy, but by being part of a supportive online community, I began to embrace my stretch marks as signs of growth and strength rather than flaws.
The understanding that fitness doesn’t equate to weight loss was crucial to my journey. Despite starting my gym membership in 2018 due to weight insecurities, weightlifting ironically led me to gain weight. This weight gain, however, was a result of muscle development, which facilitated my strength-training goals. Learning to prioritize function over form was liberating. I started focusing less on my physical appearance and more on my body’s prowess, a change that significantly shifted my perspective.
The fitness industry has largely been oriented towards weight loss, particularly for women, who are often deterred from weight training due to fear of gaining weight. But strength training has vast benefits that extend beyond physical well-being. It impacts our mental health, instills confidence, and decreases the risk of injury.
