It’s time to craft a new vision of yourself, and what you believe you’re capable of. We all have beliefs about what our bodies can and cannot do, and most of us seriously underestimate ourselves. For example, for years I believed that I couldn’t do a full ‘boy’ pushup. I’d trained as a dancer for ten years and knew my legs were strong, but I thought my arms were mostly decorative. I was the wimpy girl who had to ask a neighbor to open the peanut butter jar. Or so I thought.

When I finally got serious about getting in shape, I had to create a new vision of myself. I started with a ‘body board,’ or collage made with pictures from magazines that represented my goal. The images I selected weren’t of skinny models, but strong women, with serious lats, and visible biceps and triceps. I wanted to look and feel strong like these women, and the pictures helped me focus on that desire.

Once I had a vision of my goal, I had to figure out how to get there. Women with serious muscle do not spend twenty minutes on the treadmill reading a magazine, then go home. To get the muscle, you have to use it. That meant releasing the belief that I was a wimpy girl. I had to believe I was strong and capable of many new physical feats, including the dreaded ‘boy’ pushup. Changing the belief and deciding that it was possible was the first step. The next turned out to be developing more core strength, then practicing ‘negatives’ (starting on hands and toes and lowering to the floor), which eventually made me strong enough to complete a full pushup.

If you’re an experienced gym monster who has mastered the basics, there is still uncharted territory out there for you. Perhaps it’s the one-arm pushup, or an endurance event like the duathlon or triathlon that will take you to the next level of fitness. Don’t just put in time at the gym. Craft a bigger vision of yourself that includes new challenges that will stretch your limits. It’s an incredible rush to summit a mountain you once thought beyond you. Completing that first perfect ‘boy’ pushup was a big deal for me. It symbolized the ability to bust through perceived limits, and it made me start to question beliefs holding me back in other areas of life. What physical challenge would make you feel powerful? Think big, plan, and take action. That said, this seems like a good time to drop and give myself 20.

About the Author

Brandy Stewart