My journey began about a year ago with a free 10-week program from bodybuliding.com. I wasn’t overweight or underweight at the time, I started lifting simply because I wanted to be healthier. I became obsessed with lifting when I started seeing the changes in my body. After I gained some muscle, I considered doing a bodybuilding show. I wanted to do a show because I knew it would be challenging and I liked that. However, the more I thought about doing a show, the more I knew it wasn’t for me. My boyfriend has always lifted because of sports but when he started training for his first powerlifting meet I became more and more familiar with the powerlifting community. After meeting some really strong people and going to a few powerlifting meets, I decided to focus more on gaining strength. I started to incorporate squat, bench, and deadlift in my workout split more and more and I fell in love.
Now I am weeks away from my first powerlifting meet and I couldn’t be more excited. I love powerlifting because I love constantly working to be a better and stronger version of myself. I love pushing my body every day to see what it is capable of.
I was never into sports growing up, I tried but I never thought I was very good at them and always quit after one or two seasons. Looking back, I was always naturally pretty skinny but I never thought that. About three years ago is when I struggled the most with accepting myself and having confidence.
I hated my body because I thought I was too fat. I felt like I wasn’t good enough and that I was worthless. I starved myself thinking it would help me gain confidence but it didn’t. Now my relationship with food has completely changed and I love my body.
I stopped letting food control me, it was really hard to get my metabolism back to normal but I did it. I am no longer tiny and weak. I learned that I am good enough and I am worthy of happiness and love. I now look at food as fuel which I need to function and become stronger not as something bad that makes me fat. I no longer strive to be smaller; by growing my body I have learned to love it and feel comfortable in my own skin.
Ever since I started going to the gym, it has always been more than just lifting weights. When I’m at the gym I don’t worry about anything else but my goals. I don’t have to worry about not having the motivation to lift, I look forward to it every day. Living a healthy lifestyle is not hard for me, I take pride in being healthy. I love the adrenaline and endorphins that come with lifting weights. I love the energy I have after a good workout. I love the empowerment I feel being able to gain strength and muscle. I feel grateful everyday to be able to go to the gym and make myself a better human being. You don’t have to be miserable to get the body of your dreams. To me, making my body better is just a bonus.
My parents and boyfriend are my biggest supporters, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without them. These three people work so hard which inspires me everyday. Surrounding myself with supportive, loving people and walking away from toxic relationships with others has helped me so much in the last year. By surrounding myself with people who want me to be successful I’m so much more motivated and happy. It’s hard to let go of friends but sometimes people grow apart and have different values.
Always do what is right for your happiness and goals above anything else.
Up until now, I was always afraid to show off my progress in the gym because of my fear of others judging me. In this society, women are taught to look a certain way. Women are told to be small and weak which was exactly how I used to be. Men are taught that they are superior and that they are the only ones who can be strong. I know now that woman can be strong, have muscle, and be beautiful no matter how they look. I am no longer ashamed, but proud of my strength and muscle. I don’t care what others may think because I love and who I am. Don’t let fear hold you back from your dreams because then your dreams will never come true. Don’t be afraid to be different than others because being like everyone else is being weak. My journey is short so far but I have learned so much. Last year at this time I would have never guessed I would be where I am today. I hope my story will help motivate you to be yourself and be proud of who you are.
Brooke Dubois, Fitness Enthusiast.
Any individuals in sports and fitness who would like to share their voice, please submit to hank@hankfittraining.com