by April Lowe

I made the decision going into this season to break things off with the leaderboard. Our relationship over the years was a very unhealthy one- I allowed it to dictate my emotions and feelings. I even based my self-worth on that darn thing.

As with any break-up, it was messy, hard and I was tempted to go back several times. My first test was going through the WZA (Wodapalooza Fitness Festival) qualifier. Initially, I experienced the symptoms similar to an addict going cold turkey. I experienced feelings of restlessness, anxiety, and irritability. It was scary having no idea where I stood or how I matched up to the other competitors.

But then over time, I started to feel a sense of peace I had never experienced during a qualification period or competition...

by Sarah Wilson

It's kind of crazy how therapeutic the simple act of picking up and putting down various metal objects can be, right? 

For me, it was love at first lift, but it wasn't easy getting there...

When I was a little girl, I was extremely shy. I was especially shy at the gym. My parents started taking me to workout with them when I was in middle school (which in retrospect was incredibly awesome of them). I was really into running track at my school, and they wanted to help me become better at something I loved. They paid no mind to the fact that I was the only thirteen-year-old girl at the gym, whereas I couldn't help but notice. It was one thing to run laps with my team in the comfort of my own school, it was quite another to step into an actual gym with grown adults and heavy weights...

by Shondelle Solomon-Miles

I cringe whenever a woman says to me, ' I don't want to lift weights' or 'Strength is just not that important to me’.  Not so much because I think there is something inherently wrong with not enjoying strength training, weights but because of the REASON most women give as to why they don't...