This  is one of the charities that Girl Get Strong proudly sponsors.  Now a short word from, American Cancer Society.

Join people around the globe who are passionately committed to making a world with less cancer and more birthdays a reality!

The movement for more birthdays is about everyday people coming together to make a meaningful difference. There are so many ways to create a world with more birthdays. Whether you are keeping your family healthy to stay well, finding the best resources to help a friend or loved one deal with a diagnosis on their journey to get well, or becoming active in your local community to fight back and find cures for this disease, together we can help make sure that cancer never steals another year of anyone’s life.

Every day more people are joining the movement to create a world with more birthdays. Our strength and commitment fuels the movement’s growth, honors those that have been affected by cancer, and reminds us all how special one more candle, one more cake, and one more celebration with the people we love truly is.

Want a world with more birthdays? Join the movement today, because there’s no such thing as too many candles! 

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Naked Yoga?! Downward Dog in the buff? I’m no prude but really, is this necessary?  Diets in Review sheds some insight…..

Naked and yoga are not two words or actions that I would with any comfort place together. But obviously given the recent popularity of naked yoga classes and studios sprouting up all over the country, my resistance is clearly not shared by all.

Naked yoga’s main intention is to help Westerners get over their fear of nudity, both private and public nudity. Others flock to these sans clothing classes because it improves their own comfort and confidence with their body and it helps them accept their body, imperfections and perfections included.

While naked yoga has been around since the 60s, it has been steadily gaining practitioners.

One of the most popular naked yoga studios is Naked Yoga NYC. Many of the studios, like Naked Yoga NYC, offer both male-only and co-ed naked yoga classes. The male-only sessions tend to be more popular, particularly within the gay community. Most naked yoga studios request that you contact them before taking a class to filter out any potential pseudo practitioners.

And it’s not just the United States that is down-dogging without clothes. From Moscow to London and from Madrid to Sydney, naked yoga knows no borders as practitioners are attracted to the concept of shedding clothes and inhibitions while striking a pose.

Within the yoga community, there are split opinions. On one hand, naked yoga practitioners attest to the practice’s ability to do all that it claims to namely, improve body confidence and comfort, and others appreciate the intimacy it also offers. But on the opposite end of the yoga mat are those that feel yoga and nudity are fine in and of themselves, but together their function discredits yoga’s primary intentions, that of the ability to cultivate a sense of stillness in the mind by instead pulling the mind further away from its center.

For those who are curious about naked yoga, but are still bashful about baring everything in front of others, there are also naked yoga DVDs so that you can test it out in the privacy of your own home.

Thank you Diets in Review!

Now please, do tell, would you go?

After losing her husband to a rare illness in 2001, Laynie reached a weight of approximately 194 pounds.  Five years later in 2006 she was declared winner of the Sydney Women’s Natural Masters Physique Championsip.  If you aren’t familiar with her amazing story, click here to read it.

Laynie is currently training for the 2010 Australian Natural Women’s Masters Body Building Championship. She shares her ongoing fitness and training journey with Girlgetstrong readers. Below is her latest update ~ Melanie

I’ve been told that muscles have memory, so I was expecting to build back to where I was quickly.  I must admit I did find it hard at first, but once I got into it the entire process became a lot easier than the first time.  Now I’m pushing past those levels to grow more muscle size and density.

“Muscle memory” is a common phrase for the process your neuromuscular system uses to permit movement, or in my world, lift weights.  But really is it my muscles or my brain remembering how to do it? 

Of course, I know the longer I train the more knowledge I accumulate about nutrition and supplements, my body, and training techniques.  Knowledge is power after all.  So bravely I have developed my own training and nutritional programmes utilising all that I have learned.

Wow!  I’m learning a lot rapidly, and not in ways I expected.  I’m feeling more in control of my destiny and self to the point of eliminating self doubts, and that’s exciting.  This is having a positive effect in all other areas of my world as well.  “If it is to be, then it’s up to me!”

Knowing the powerhouse burning inside of me, laying in wait under a layer of fat, I recently had lunch with a few trainer girlfriends who I haven’t seen for some time.  One of the ladies has just gone into competition preparation for the 2009 competitive season in 13 weeks time, so we swapped stories, advice and of course support.  I came away even more determined as my friends acknowledged and praised my growth and size.  Now, remember, size is important to a bodybuilder particularly when it compliments our muscles - and doesn’t insult my bum or fat!

Fuelled with love and advice, I’ve continued on with my mission.  At the moment I’m gym shopping, to find the most appropriate ‘home away from home’ that will fit into my life and training needs.  This is about me not settling for anything that isn’t working or right, or compromising on my needs.

As a marketing and advertising agency owner, with limited time and huge ambition, I have several priorities that must be fulfilled.  It’s not just about equipment, but it’s also about the culture, the people in there, and the operating times of the facility.  Round peg, square hole syndrome; if it’s not the right fit, it’s not right.  There are plenty of different types of gyms, and there is one out there that fits me and my purpose.  I’m currently investigating the 24 hour gym facilities that are becoming available. Mind you, these evaluations are great for developing and testing my commitment level and mindset.  My determination is strong to overcome all challenges (and challengers).

I’m still not brave enough to stand on the scales or face up to the tape measure, but I am monitoring my changes.  I see them in how my clothes fit and the naked reflection in my mirror.  So if I’ve been in top condition once before, is it possible, and easier for me to do it twice?  I am happy to report that it is, so far.

Stay strong, stay training!  Dare to be remarkable.

~LAYNIE

The marketing muscle

 The gym is a place where we go to get in the zone: to work hard, sweat it out and enjoy some ‘me’ time. We all pay for our gym memberships but we must all share the space.  And sometimes we are sharing that space with someone who isn’t that um, fresh.  Or we share the space with groans and grunts that should surely be kept to the bedroom.

There are all sorts of things that can get under our skin when we work out in close quarters with other.  Our twitter friends let GGS know what sort of behavior is a real turn off. Here they are, in no particular order…

• Don’t hog the free weights and stay at home if you are sick @timothystephen
• Don’t stick a size 40 bust into a size 34 sports bra @deborahdunn
• A sports bra is a ‘bra’ don’t sweat in it without a shirt, you are soaking all the equipment-where it outside to run in @frenzyfit
• Don’t use the equipment and than not wipe with clean towel @mycrazywoman
• Don’t use three different machines at the same time while talking to your friends for 10 min @thexframe
• Don’t watch other people settings while you are on the treadmill-I don’t like to feel judged @kstrcklen
• Don’t stare at me @amerrylife
• Don’t put on lipstick while working out @sleepbettertips
• Don’t flaunt your muscles in the mirror-get over yourself @wordsby wendy
• Don’t leave your sweat drenched belongings all over the gym while chatting loudly and blocking the machines @sittaholic
• Don’t drop your free weights on the ground @monicashaw
• Don’t sniffle-blow your nose people @thedailybalance
• Don’t wear the tiniest workout clothes and fresh make-its a gym people you are there to sweat @pinkpalate
• Don’t leave your dirty towels and empty water bottles lying around @sorcheechee
• Don’t leave your nasty mark all over the machines @cherrytphoto
• Don’t bring in your cell phone @helenmj
• Don’t talk so loudly that I can hear you from the other end of the room @mindyourmanners3
• Don’t hover over the machine I am on that you are waiting for-back off  jack a#$ @girlgetstrong2
• Don’t wear perfume to gym it gives me a raging head ache @GGSFitFun

GGS Advice:  Ignore those “ew” moments at the gym as much as possible.   And whatever you do, don’t EVER think you don’t deserve to be there yourself.  Never think you are too big, not fit enough, not flexible enough. You deserve to be there just as much as the strongest, fittest person standing next to you. So put on your earbuds and tune in to how hard your body is working for ‘you’.  At the end of your session grab a mat, lie down and close your eyes and say to yourself ‘I deserve this and damn it feels good’!

What do you hate when you go to your gym?  Hoverers, stinkers,  starers, hoggers, talkers….?  Let’s air it all out!

The GGS crew are closing the office for Spring Break and will be away until March 24, 2010.  We have promised our families no computers or phones.  So we have some favorite encore posts until that time. 

~Happy Spring, from the GGS crew!

To give you some background information, eight years ago in late July 2001, I found myself alone one cold, dark and rainy Saturday morning.  My darling husband had finally lost his 12 year battle with a rare chronic disease.  We’d been together for 14 years when he suffered his fourth stroke, and died in my arms.  At the beginning, we’d only had three dates over two weeks before he got down on bent knee and proposed; we were soul mates from the start.

We were only married for 1 year before he was diagnosed with a very rare bone marrow disease, and it put paid to a lot of our dreams.  The medical merry-go-round started spinning us around and continued doing so for the next 12 years.  Our dreams of normal disappeared quickly, as did my hope for children.  I sacrificed having children for the sake of my sanity.  How could I do it all?  I was renovating a house, commuting up to 3 hours per day, studying at university, managing his health requirements, and NOT looking after me.

Without a support group, or family to lean on, I struggled to hold our world together.  Looking back now, it doesn’t seem real the things I did, but sometimes you’ve just got to get on and do, don’t you?  I slowly stopped looking in the full length mirror and before long the only mirror I looked in, really, was the one in my makeup bag when I sat on the train applying my makeup at 6.30am on my way to work.

The first twelve months after his departure was difficult, and I really didn’t care about me much at all.  But later, the day came that I had an epiphany.  I got real with myself.  I saw who I had become and I hated it. I’m 5ft 5” and I weighed 88kg (approx. 194lbs) and was at 44% body fat and I knew I had a big reason why to lose the weight.  Two and a half years later I stood on stage at my first competition in a sparkly bikini showing off the new body.  I had lost 25kgs (55lbs approx) and 28% body fat.  The nice people there even gave me a title – 2006 Sydney Women’s Natural Masters Physique Champion – and a trophy!

Unfortunately at the hands of my controlling, emotionally-abusive (now ex) boyfriend, incorrect habits overtook me again.  It’s taken me two years to heal his damage, as well my biomechanically dysfunctional hips.  I’ve made promises to some of the most incredible people I’ve met in this sport to come back.

I’m back into full training, dieting on whole natural foods, and supplementation (all natural and no chemicals).  GOAL – 2010 Australian Natural Women’s Masters Bodybuilding Championship.  I’m six weeks away from turning 50, and in the best state of my life!

I’d love to have you in my pit crew, and share my journey from here to centre stage with you, but only if you want to come along?

Laynie

Laynie@aanet.com.au