Comments on: Tuesday, April 28, 2009

By: Ali Incredible

Ali Incredible — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:21:58 +0000

I second Katie.

By: Tabitha

Tabitha — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 06:00:45 +0000

The wonderful thing I see in the CrossFit women around me is a great balance. I love finishing a brutal work out along side (or rather behind) E.T. and I love getting together for the potlucks and parties where I get to see everyone dressed up with their skinny jeans and makeup on looking beautiful. No matter what our different goals are, it takes a consistent effort to get there and that’s what I believe should be celebrated. That we are working hard to be active, healthy, and physically fit every day of our lives.

One last thing.. Dani was a ballerina, could easily handle and hour of kick boxing, looks fabulous in skinny jeans, and brought me to tears deadlifting 2x her body weight in the inspiring games performance last year that none of us will ever forget. In reading the varied attributes of a beautiful woman, she kept coming into my mind.

“Strong is Beautiful” and so are you, D

By: christine

christine — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:39:48 +0000

Yes I can do 50 push-ups and endure an hour or more of kick-boxing but does it really matter? The hard work and mental toughness it takes to keep moving forward in all areas is what makes me feel good.

Personally, I can barely fit into my jeans, my hands are all beat-up and I really DO NOT like weightlifting. I do, however, love the challenge to improve… and I always leave my crossfit workout a happier person.

By: Mark Riebel

Mark Riebel — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:42:56 +0000

Katie, I think a lot of what you said is absolutely right. All that we are trying to do is reshape the idea of fitness to be more all-inclusive and not ignore the strength piece of that equation which is often neglected. We want the idea of fitness to be about what someone can do, not what they look like, and that’s what I was trying to get across. Not that a woman shouldn’t embrace being a woman, just that being strong isn’t something that’s reserved for men.

By: wayne

wayne — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:28:04 +0000

Makeup or not, I check to see if a girl has calluses on her hands before talking to her…

By: M

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:08:36 +0000

Maybe that’s why I never get asked out on dates.

By: Katie

Katie — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:39:35 +0000

“Yeah, I can do that.” But, do I want to do that? Maybe not and that doesn’t make a woman less beautiful or less strong. Female strength is not measured by how many pounds she can lift. Athletes, particularly female athletes, come in all shapes and sizes and with varying skill sets. A ballerina, a water polo player, and a marathon runner are all athletes. Moreover, neither would likely be very good at the other sport. That fact does not make her less of an athlete nor does the fact that she may not be able to lift that much weight. Similarly, a female Crossfitter may be able to bust out 50 push ups easily, but can she endure an hour of kick-boxing? Maybe not. While you may be thinking…ballet, kick-boxing, those aren’t athletic activities. To that type of thinking I respond: “Can you do that?”

A woman can be a strong athlete and be beautiful by society’s standards. Gabrielle Reese is a model and an Olympic volleyball player. She is stong and stunning! I’m not saying that a waif figure and bleached out hair is beautiful or that a woman has to be a supermodel to be beautiful. I am also not saying that a woman has to wear makeup or conform to society’s standards of beauty to be beautiful.

However, there is nothing wrong with embracing being a woman, being an athlete, and being able to walk into a room in a dress and heels, and have every head in the room turn. Men and women alike are looking because that woman looks beautiful. They aren’t looking because she can or cannot deadlift 2x her body weight. If any man says differently, he’s lying. If a woman likes being a girly girl, more power to her! If a woman doesn’t, she’s still beautiful! What’s important to remember is that neither “type” should criticize the other or be so narrow minded.

People have different values and goals. A woman who wants to fit into her “skinny” jeans deserves just as much credit and respect as a woman who wants to be able to run a half marathon, the woman who wants to be able to finally do a pull up or the woman who wants to be able to lift 2x her body weight.

On a final note….I agree with Cynthia, Kristan Clever is not a conventional beauty but she is fabulous in her own way. However, I wonder how many of the Crossfit males would walk up to Kristan and ask her out on a date without knowing her first and only because she is “strong”? Sadly, you contribute to the idea that a woman has to wear makeup, etc. to be beautiful.

By: Jessie

Jessie — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:32:41 +0000

Very well written!

I am with Jullianne….let’s get those tank tops!

By: Jillianne

Jillianne — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:12:56 +0000

Yes! Thank you, Mark!
Here’s the thing: we can’t make ourselves “sexy” in terms of what we’ve been given in build, height, measurements, complexion, etc. But *any* woman can make herself strong! And how cool is it that “strong” comes in so many different shapes and sizes.
I just read online a “celebrity trainer” rating a reality starlet in a bikini: “She has nice, lean thighs. You don’t have to lift heavy weights for that, but you really gotta watch the diet.” Meaning you don’t have to exercise, but you do have to starve? Come on people!
Let’s get an order in for those “Strong Is Beautiful” tank tops!

By: christine

christine — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:29:24 +0000

Men who voice this opinion of women……. are pretty damn sexy themselves. Thanks for the great article Mark.