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Off-Topic ladies - hormones, body image...

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elli

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Hi my fellow kettlebellas!
As the title says it, I want to talk about hormones in regards to training, appetite, mood and motivation.
What are your experiences? Do you feel stronger or weaker on certain days during your cycle? Do you break into sweat sooner in your workout before getting your period? How do men react to your strength? In how far has training influenced your self awareness or how you think of your body?
Yes, these are pretty personal questions, but I want to encourage you to post your experiences.
Why do I ask?- I am teaching a group of young girls about health and social issues of being a growing up girl in today's world. There are no "strong, aka kettlebellas" around in real world. Therefore, I ask YOU.
Men are welcome to chime in :)
 
Good for you, @elli! I hope your teaching of the young girls goes well. I'm sure you will be a great example for them.

In how far has training influenced your self awareness or how you think of your body?

Training has shifted my thoughts and awareness of body from: 80% appearance/20% capability, to now: 80% capability/20% appearance.
 
@elli that sounds awesome!

When I did a lot of running, I could always tell when my period was coming, because 2-3 days beforehand I would get awful cramps at about the 10 minute mark in my run. Once they passed I was fine, it was just that initial warmup period that would trigger it, and it was always linked to my period. It's mostly a steady state cardio phenomenon for me, as I don't notice it as much when kettlebelling or lifting. I will say that I don't have as many side effects from my period (tiredness, moodiness, cramps) if I am working out regularly in any capacity.

In general, strength training has given me a lot of confidence. I was never athletic as a kid, mostly because I was nerdy and clumsy, and also because I went to a huge high school (2,000+ kids), so if you weren't a strong athlete you had no shot at being involved in a sport. In college I stumbled into playing rugby (literally got recruited to come play in a tournament the day before because they were short one person and I was the right height/body type and was friendly with many players), and that was my first real experience at how being strong could make me feel amazing.

I ran for a while, but as life got busier, the appeal of working out at home using my own bodyweight and kettlebells won over running. And I've discovered that while I was always a mediocre, kind of plodding runner, I really love kettlebells and strength work, and feel like I make actual progress in those areas. It seems to come more naturally to me, and I can feel distinct improvement in my strength even when I am not upping the weights. I wish I could go back and tell my nerdy self that someday I was going to be so strong I could carry 35lbs of dog food on one shoulder and a 30lb toddler on the other, which, in the words of my son, means "you're the strongest mommy ever!" It just feels good to be strong.
 
How do men react to your strength?

I'll chime in...
Personally, I like strong women. I actually can't remember how I felt about it before I started my journey of strength. But I undoubtedly do now :)

In my close surroundings there are mixed feelings, but as I see things, it reflects more on the men than the women... Man with strong in character, which see the body as @Anna C said - 80% capability/20% appearance are usually both more capable (and real strong as oppose to look strong) and prefer more capable women. Those who see the body as appearance over capability usually prefer woman weaker, and more importantly that don't "look strong". These men are also more commonly weaker, might look strong, but weaker...

In a way I came to dislike women (and people in general) than don't appreciate their bodies capabilities. I don't care if someone can swing a 32kg, just appreciate your bodies capabilities over appearance. The funny thing is that people who appreciate capability, on the long run, usually looks better too.

Last year I coached four 17 years old girls when I volunteered at a local youth center and tried to get them to see their capabilities. Unfortunately it near the end of the school year and to many sessions were canceled due to exams and school related stuff...
 
Good for you, @elli! I hope your teaching of the young girls goes well. I'm sure you will be a great example for them.



Training has shifted my thoughts and awareness of body from: 80% appearance/20% capability, to now: 80% capability/20% appearance.

I have found this too. My initial foray into "getting fit" was about the age of 35 or so, entering an online transformation contest. I quickly found over the next few years that this level of intense exercise is not sustainable. The more I had started getting into Strongfirst principles, and that you "practice" strength (vs arms day, leg day, etc), the more I realized that for me it has become to be about self improvement (not appearance focused as so much in the fitness world is) in a physically-capable-for-real-life sense, and a discovering of things about myself and my capabilities, mentally and physically....like being determined to obtain the Simple goal as a start.

Something like building up your butt on glute and leg day takes a back seat in that approach, and the Strongfirst way seems so much more than that to me in so many ways. For instance, something like S&S looks an inch wide ("only" 2 exercises), but a mile deep! I learn that the more I do it.

@elli that sounds awesome!

When I did a lot of running, I could always tell when my period was coming, because 2-3 days beforehand I would get awful cramps at about the 10 minute mark in my run. Once they passed I was fine, it was just that initial warmup period that would trigger it, and it was always linked to my period. It's mostly a steady state cardio phenomenon for me, as I don't notice it as much when kettlebelling or lifting. I will say that I don't have as many side effects from my period (tiredness, moodiness, cramps) if I am working out regularly in any capacity.

In general, strength training has given me a lot of confidence. I was never athletic as a kid, mostly because I was nerdy and clumsy, and also because I went to a huge high school (2,000+ kids), so if you weren't a strong athlete you had no shot at being involved in a sport. In college I stumbled into playing rugby (literally got recruited to come play in a tournament the day before because they were short one person and I was the right height/body type and was friendly with many players), and that was my first real experience at how being strong could make me feel amazing.

I ran for a while, but as life got busier, the appeal of working out at home using my own bodyweight and kettlebells won over running. And I've discovered that while I was always a mediocre, kind of plodding runner, I really love kettlebells and strength work, and feel like I make actual progress in those areas. It seems to come more naturally to me, and I can feel distinct improvement in my strength even when I am not upping the weights. I wish I could go back and tell my nerdy self that someday I was going to be so strong I could carry 35lbs of dog food on one shoulder and a 30lb toddler on the other, which, in the words of my son, means "you're the strongest mommy ever!" It just feels good to be strong.

Well, as far as side effects of my cycle, I am fortunate that outside of my teen years (horrid cramps), and after my 2 pregnancies/deliveries, I haven't had much. I am sort of in that waning of my reproductive years though (at the age of 46, I am noticing more of a pattern the last 2 years or so in what I now realize are some peri-menopause symptoms) and the main thing as far as effects on training is that I find I have less capability to recover from hard exercise, and my sleep gets interrupted and is not as good quality as it used to be. Being hopefully wiser in addition to being older, I am learning that it is OK to listen to my body in that regard, instead of pushing through too hard and often.

I hear you @Questionfear about strength, and enjoying strength. It's great to realize you can be strong, as a woman, and be capable. I like being able to do heavy things that previously in a further in the past part of my life I had to ask help from someone. I think of my grandma who died 3 years ago at 91 (the last of a large Ukrainian farming family) who was strong as an ox, and very physically capable right up until just before she died....she is my inspiration. I also work as a nurse, and see so many people (old, and not so old actually) who cannot get up off a chair, who fall and break a hip, etc. I will NOT "go softly into that good night"!
 
I hear you @Questionfear about strength, and enjoying strength. It's great to realize you can be strong, as a woman, and be capable. I like being able to do heavy things that previously in a further in the past part of my life I had to ask help from someone. I think of my grandma who died 3 years ago at 91 (the last of a large Ukrainian farming family) who was strong as an ox, and very physically capable right up until just before she died....she is my inspiration. I also work as a nurse, and see so many people (old, and not so old actually) who cannot get up off a chair, who fall and break a hip, etc. I will NOT "go softly into that good night"!

Yea for Eastern European grandmas! My grandma is from Poland, and she's almost 90 and still trucking away working in a bakery, just because she likes to keep busy.

I have a theory that I lean towards strength because I physically take after my grandma's side, and we are pretty sure our last name is a reference to our family growing grapes and making wine. So presumably we're from Polish Jewish farmers? And I agree, my goal is to be a badass like my grandma. She lived through the Holocaust, immigrating to the USA, she and my grandfather ran a chicken farm for years before selling it and opening a shoe store, and after my grandfather died she started working in the bakery just to get out of the house. The woman is incapable of standing still for more than 10 seconds, and it doesn't matter what time of day (or the weather outside), if you come over she WILL try to feed you chicken soup.
 
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