University and Major: University of Missouri- Columbia || Exercise Science
Career Aspirations: I have not decided if I want to take a medical route with exercise, such as physical therapy, or if I want to manage my own gym. I am keeping my options open for now.
Fitness Role Model: Jamie Eason! She not only has a body to die for but also has a healthy mindset and kind heart.
Favorite Fitness Move: SQUATS!
Least Favorite Fitness Move: My chest is pretty weak compared to the rest of my body so I do not like chest exercises. The exercise moves you hate are the ones you need the most!
You run a tumblr fitness blog better known as a fitblr that is quite popular. How did you begin ‘weightlifting yogi.’
I started my blog in 2009 to help me find healthy inspiration. I was recovering from an eating disorder and decided that it was time for me to stop looking for unhealthy inspiration on pro ana sites, and start looking to set healthy goals for myself. You cannot starve yourself and lift heavy weights; nutrition and strength go hand in hand.
Your fitness journey which you detail is raw and honest. Can you share with the Her Campus Princeton readers how you made your way to fitness and why you think your story/blog resonates with so many young women?
I, like many of my followers, struggled with body acceptance. I get so many girls saying things like “I’ve ran 10 miles today and did Zumba class and an hour and a half of weight lifting. Can I have a bite of dark chocolate? I want it but I feel like such a slob.” And it just breaks my heart! First off, you need energy to power through intense workouts like that. Your body knows how to deal with the extra calories. Second, hating yourself and starving yourself to lose weight will get you now where. You will become depressed, fatigued, unmotivated, and feel unworthy of health. Loving your body at every weight will get you much farther, and you will reach your goals and sustain them. I think that is how I relate to my followers because I’ve been down that road and know how hard it can be.
The fitness tumblr community has so much variety. There is the pro-ana, anti-ana, pro-ED, anti-ED, fitspiration, thinspiration, and etc. It’s so much. Where does your blog fall and what do you think of the rising schisms in the fitness community?
My blog is pro health and pro fitness. I sometimes get messages from people telling me I’m not a fitness blog because some of the girls I reblog are thin, but fitness and health does not have a size!
What is the most annoying fitness myth that you’d like to debunk?
Oh, this is a good one. I have 2 though. First, when girls say they can’t lift weights because they will get bulky. It takes girls on average 10-12 weeks of intense weight lifting to gain just 3 pounds of muscle. Second would be when people say their fat converted to muscle and that’s why they have not lost any weight according to the scale. Muscle and fat are 2 very different matters. you cannot convert a cookie to a carrot, just like you cannot convert fat to muscle tissue.
You’ve expanded your blog to become sort of a business by selling fitness plans and etc. How did you know you wanted to go that route, how well received are these fitness plans, and how do they compare to Alexia’s ever popular plans?
I originally got the idea from Alexia. I have been following her for a while on Tumblr. My plans differ because all of them are customized, (except for the nutrition plan because that is outside of my scope of practice) there are health requirements and forms that you are required to fill out so I know if the plan will be safe for you, and you have the satisfaction of knowing your plan was made by someone who has the right knowledge of the science of training and how nutrition plays a roll in exercise. I am in no way putting her down. People buy these plans at their own risk. I just believe that it is safer to get the information from someone who is certified and has laws they have to follow to keep that certification, so you know that the information and service you get is of top quality.