We post a bunch of content on our social media showing our members doing some pretty amazing things. We post these things to highlight their hard work and to show others what is possible when you find great coaches who understand how to teach and implement proper barbell training. For those who have never strength trained in our gym you only see the end result. You only see what months or years of hard work has produced. Only sometimes do we give you the back story of how and when the person started training with us. Even then you don’t get to see what that first day looked like. You don’t get to see the person who walked in the door 6 months ago- weak, 30 pounds overweight, and lacking confidence.
In an effort to provide a little more of the back story we have decided to expand on some of the awesome stuff we put up on Instagram and Facebook with the hope it will inspire more of you to find a Starting Strength Coach or gym in your area and get started. Maybe if we highlight enough of our awesome members success more of you will find a person you relate to and gain the confidence you need to walk in the door and pick up a barbell.
Jessica is one of those cool stories I think a lot of people can relate to and a great example of the type of person we help every day.
“I started coming to Westminster Strength and Conditioning because of my sister. She
wanted me to try it out with her. I had no idea what to expect. We had gone to 24 hour “do it yourself” gyms before and neither of us had any idea what we were doing so it didn’t last for either of us. At WS&C Beau explained the Starting Strength method they use and how they are different from most gyms. It all made sense to the practical nurse in me and I started to realize just how far I had let myself go after my first child. I was twenty pounds heavier than pre-pregnancy and my daughter was five months old. For the first time in my life I felt weak.”
Jessica’s first couple weeks with us were spent learning to squat, press, deadlift, and bench press. We started with a weight she was comfortable with and as she became more proficient the weight on the bar was slowly increased. For the first time in her life she was training. Each session in the gym had a clear goal and she could see progress every time she walked in the door. At 24 hour “do it yourself” gyms she had exercised. Now she was training.
After the first couple weeks we began to talk about the importance of nutrition with Jessica. Most women who come to see us are not eating enough protein and its one of the first dietary adjustments we make. We looked at Jessica’s diet and established a goal of increasing her daily protein. Making small adjustments over time work better than trying to make drastic dietary changes and getting overwhelmed.
“WS&C showed me how to be successful and I feel better than I ever thought I would. The coaches helped me every session and I didn’t worry about feeling stupid or not knowing how to work a machine. They helped me focus on more important priorities like nutrition to become stronger rather than just focusing on losing body fat. I learned that when I made the nutritional changes they recommended not only did my body composition change (I am two pounds less than my pre-pregnancy weight) but I was also stronger and feeling better physically than I ever had. I am now stronger and more capable than I have ever been and it feels amazing.”
If you are trying to lose weight, focus on the things that matter. Gaining muscle and making small dietary adjustments are how you should concentrate your efforts. Stop thinking you need to run or do “cardio” to lose fat. Find a coach who can teach you the basic barbell lifts and prioritize your time spent in the gym to getting stronger. Ensure you are eating sufficient amounts of protein to gain strength and support training. Keep caloric intake at levels that support losing pounds on the scale or inches. Remember, when you start training the scale only tells a small part of the story.
If you have tried to lose weight or get stronger in the past and it didn’t work it may be time to find a coach. A good coach can save you time and effort by optimizing the time you spent in the gym and eliminating the mistakes. Find a Starting Strength Gym or coach in your area and get started.