Topic: weightlifting

Olympic Weightlifter Zoe Smith Explains Why Trolls Suck, Makes Me Want To Be Her BFF

Olympic Weightlifter Zoe Smith Explains Why Trolls Suck, Makes Me Want To Be Her BFF

If 18-year-old weightlifter Zoe Smith, who broke British records yesterday by lifting twice her body weight, ever decides to take a break from being a super-strong Olympian, I’m pretty sure she could have a career in writing about feminism, athletics, and the female body. In a personal blog post, Smith addressed trolling and the criticism of female athletes (who, since her appearance in the BBC documentary Girl Power – Going For Gold, have called her all kinds of mean names and basically been horrible) in a pretty bold and awesome way. Also, if she’s got an opening for a new best friend, I’d like to apply. More »

Sarah Robles, Olympic Weight Lifter, Is Broke; Would It Be Different If She Was Hot?

Sarah Robles, Olympic Weight Lifter, Is Broke; Would It Be Different If She Was Hot?

Olympic hopeful in weight lifting, Sarah Robles, is the strongest woman in America. She can lift 568 pounds—that’s the equivalent of five Ikea couches, or an adult male lion. But she’s living on $400 a month, struggling to pay her bills and buy food. How is it that this amazing world-class female athlete is basically living in poverty? Companies should be lining up to sponsor a successful, 23-year-old Olympic athlete, right? Wrong. Because Sarah isn’t a “conventionally attractive” woman, the sponsorship deals aren’t exactly rolling in. More »

Yes, Women Can Be Pretty AND Strong (Even The Media Won’t Show It)

Yes, Women Can Be Pretty AND Strong (Even The Media Won't Show It)

Will the media ever stop portraying beautiful women as those who are skinny, frail and dainty? Will we ever see an athletic body walk the runway? We hope so! Occasionally stars like Noomi Rapace (in this month’s Prometheus) or Angelina Jolie (in Mr. & Mrs. Smith–where she had the best line ever, “wait, why do I get the girl gun?”) are given the chance to challenge those norms, adding a little diversity to the big screen. It’s a start, but not nearly enough from an industry that more often tells women that thin and weak equals pretty. More »

Real Women Speak: ‘This Is What Weightlifting Means To Me’

Real Women Speak: 'This Is What Weightlifting Means To Me'

Ask anyone who lifts weights and they will likely tell you that it does a lot more than just build strong muscles. Pumping some iron–whether it’s 5-pound dumbells or a 100-pound barbell helps women feel empowered, strong and capable in so many ways. To find out exactly what it does for us, we polled some everyday women who lift weights and asked them, “What does weightlifting mean to you?” Take a look at their awesome responses and be inspired: More »

Kick Butt: 4 Simple Steps To Start Weightlifting

Kick Butt: 4 Simple Steps To Start Weightlifting

In honor of “Get Pumped” month (we love that!), how about incorporating weightlifting into your fitness routine? Not only will fight fat and build lean muscle mass (no, you won’t end up looking like a man–promise!), but you will build a strong mind knowing that you are powerful and capable of kicking some major ass. Booya!

To help you get started, we talked with Dana McMahan, a competitive powerlifter who says finding her inner strength has changed her life and made her incredibly confident, happy and fearless. Here’s how you can get started lifting weights: More »

That Girl: Meet Powerlifter, Dana McMahan

That Girl: Meet Powerlifter, Dana McMahan

Continuing with our weekly column, “That Girl”, we are celebrating the accomplishments of real women who make health and fitness a priority because we know that true athletes come in all shapes, sizes, ages and athletic abilities from around the world. So this week we’re celebrating Dana McMahan, an inspiring powerlifter who reminds us of how powerful it is to be strong–mentally and physically. She says if you really want something bad enough and work hard enough for it, you can get it. We love that! More »