Why You Should Never Compare Yourself to Other Women

Today “fitness” or “strength training” is huge. It has become popular and sexy and empowering and beautiful in the eyes of women and men alike. I remember when I first came to the States in 2007, I was the only girl lifting in the weights section. I was the oddball. Today, I’m part of a group. A group of strong and motivated women who aim to strengthen their body and mind. Witnessing this ‘movement’ developing over time is empowering. And I’d like to think that I had a small part of popularizing strength and muscular curves among women. Unfortunately, I noticed a big downside to the rise of the muscular and fit look. I noticed this downside after talking to numerous friends, clients, and family members. Even though more women seem to embrace their muscles, many women feel pressured to look a certain way because of all the images portrayed on different social media platforms. Because the ‘fit look’ has become mainstream, more and more women look for shortcuts in order to achieve that fit physique. I mean, who wants to squat and deadlift and lunge for years, if one appointment at a doctor’s office can grow you a bootie, right ? ;)

This definitely beats the purpose of strength training and all of its benefits on one’s physical and emotional health, but I digress. I believe that because these expensive physical enhancement procedures have been disguised as hard work at the gym, most women are completely ignorant about what really to expect when they strength train. Since nowadays you can buy a shapely looking butt (and yes, a lot of women who do, in fact, strength train, choose to further enhance their physique that way), comparing yourself to women on IG or FB makes no sense.

What you see on social media isn’t the honest truth, it never was, and it never will be. Beating yourself up for having unrealistic expectations of what your body ‘should’ look like because of this girl or that girl’s physique can lead you to develop an unhealthy relationship with your body. Your body is your temple, and the whole idea of strength training is to strengthen your body and become better than YOU were before. It is always ‘You Against You’. It is never ‘You Against Her’. For those who’ve been reading my blog or FB and IG posts throughout the years, know that I’m all about hard, smart, and consistent work. Developing a fit physique takes time; it takes years. Some women choose to take a different road, and that’s their decision. But you? You should be proud of everything you’ve accomplished so far, and how strong you have become. Your best physique is yet to come. Interested in taking your physique and mindset to the next level, but unsure how? hire me for distant coaching. No guesswork involved.