Lift Heavy, Make it Beautiful, Take No Prisoners

Glory Days: Saying Goodbye to my Oly Bar

May 19, 2013 by Beth French

“Well the time slips away and leaves you with nothing, Mister, but boring stories of glory days.” – Bruce Springsteen When it comes to personal possessions, I’m a minimalist. I don’t like having things. I don’t like clutter. I don’t like junk. I am constantly giving things away or throwing things out. I am not sentimental. When I was a starving artist, I cleaned and organized people’s homes in between writing plays and attending rehearsals. That was when I learned […]

Categories: Beth's Fitness Journey, Fitness, Fitness Business, Functional Training, Mental Strength, New Blog Posts, Olympic Lifting, Personal Training, Strength Training • Tags: exercise science, fitness, fitness business, gym, Older Athlete, Olympic lifting, personal training, strength training, weightlifting

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Sex, Sales, and Sensitivities in the Gym

May 12, 2013 by Beth French

Recently, a CrossFit gym in South Brooklyn refused membership to a woman who questioned why the gym named one of their classes “Tough Titsday”. She felt that the name objectified a woman’s body, was misogynistic, offensive, and unnecessary. Did they have an equally demeaning name for a men’s class, such as “Tough Cock Day”?, she asked them. After an email exchange with the gym coach who named the program and the gym owner, the prospective member was told by the […]

Categories: Beth's Fitness Journey, Coaching, CrossFit, Fitness Business, Gym Etiquette, New Blog Posts, Professionalism, Relections • Tags: coaching, CrossFit, exercise, female empowerment, fitness, gym, personal training, training, trust

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“Heavy Shit” – Powerlifter Dave Tate Keeps Lifters Honest (and Humble)

April 20, 2013 by Beth French

Introduction In my recent interview with Canadian elite powerlifter, Stephen McKenzie, I asked him to comment on remarks made by American elite powerlifter, Dave Tate, about lifting “heavy”, which he did. I also wanted to give Dave Tate the opportunity to contribute to the discussion about his own words, if he wanted to, so I sent him a Tweet and, within 24 hours, he responded. Below is an excerpt from my interview with Stephen McKenzie, followed by Dave Tate’s response, […]

Categories: Beth's Fitness Journey, Coaching, Determination, Fitness, Gym Etiquette, Inspiration, Interviews, Most Popular, New Blog Posts, Personal Training, Powerlifting, Relections, Strength Training • Tags: blogging, coaching, competition, exercise, fitness, gym, personal training, powerlifting, sports, strength training

Lifting Heavy with Stephen McKenzie, Canada’s Five Time National Powerlifting Champion

April 10, 2013 by Beth French

“As soon as your hands touch the bar your brain turns off. There are no thoughts. There’s no anything. You just do what you have to do.” – Stephen McKenzie, Elite Powerlifter I arrived at my gym one Saturday to be met at the door by my son, Will, who worked there. Something was up. “Stephen’s here,” Will said. “Great,” I replied. And then, “What’s wrong?” I couldn’t figure out why my son looked so serious. Stephen was my Personal Trainer. […]

Categories: Beth's Fitness Journey, Bodybuilding, CrossFit, Fitness, Fitness Business, Interviews, Mental Strength, Most Popular, New Blog Posts, Personal Training, Powerlifting, Professionalism, Rehabilitation, Strength Training • Tags: bodybuilding, competition, CrossFit, exercise, fitness, fitness business, gym, health, healthy aging, inspiration, muscle, Older Athlete, personal training, powerlifting, sports, strength training, training, trust, weightlifting

If It’s True, Why Isn’t It Obvious? – My Ten Gym Truths

March 29, 2013 by Beth French

“Nobody knows the answers because the question’s fucked up to begin with.” – Dave Tate, Elite Powerlifter, EliteFTS (and Ludwig Wittgenstein, Analytic Philosopher) Last night, as I was walking to the change room at my gym, I noticed a message on the overhead TV: “Water keeps you hydrated.” In that moment, it occurred to me that much of what I have spent the past six years learning about in the gym is much like the “water keeps you hydrated” message. It’s […]

Categories: Beth's Fitness Journey, Fitness, Fitness Business, Most Popular, Relections • Tags: exercise, fitness, fitness business, gym, health, personal training, strength training, training, trust

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Coming Soon: Lifting Heavy with Stephen McKenzie, National Champion Powerlifter and Personal Trainer

March 13, 2013 by Beth French

It is a privilege to welcome Stephen McKenzie back to Lift Heavy, Make it Beautiful. He is a true Renaissance man of the gym. Stephen McKenzie is a 5-time national and 9-time provincial Canadian powerlifting champion. He has also attended the World Powerlifting Championships four times, placing 6th at Osaka, Japan in 2000 and winning the Silver Medal at the Pan-Am Championships in Chicago in 2002. At the age of 43 and weighing 231 pounds, Stephen squats and deadlifts 731 pounds and […]

Categories: Bodybuilding, Boxing, Coming Soon, Exercise Science, Fitness, Fitness Business, Functional Training, Inspiration, Interviews, Mental Strength, Personal Training, Powerlifting, Professionalism, Rehabilitation, Strength Training • Tags: bodybuilding, boxing, exercise science, fitness, fitness business, gym, healing, health, healthy aging, inspiration, muscle, personal training, powerlifting, strength training, training, weightlifting

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Is Functional Training Functional? – Interview with Biomechanics Specialist, Adrian Choo

February 8, 2013 by Beth French

“We should just stop asking ‘Does this exercise transfer?’ because exercises don’t transfer. Adaptations from exercise transfer. A child learns to crawl before they learn to walk.” - Adrian Choo, BPHE, CK, RTSm MAT Master Specialist, Personal Trainer I returned to the Adelaide Club in downtown Toronto yesterday for Part Two of my interview with personal trainer and biomechanics specialist, Adrian Choo. It was time to talk about the most important reason that we go to the gym: the exercise itself! I asked […]

Categories: Beth's Fitness Journey, Bodybuilding, Coaching, CrossFit, Exercise Science, Fitness, Functional Training, Interviews, Most Popular, Olympic Lifting, Personal Training, Powerlifting, Strength Training • Tags: coaching, CrossFit, exercise, exercise science, fitness, goal setting, gym, healing, health, healthy aging, muscle, pain, personal training, sports, strength training, weightlifting

What Am I Paying You For Anyway? – Conversation with Personal Trainer Adrian Choo

January 20, 2013 by Beth French

“The personal trainer who is a professional consultant understands that this is a long journey, a road toward mastery. You have to stay humbled by how much there is to learn.” – Adrian Choo, BPHE, CK, RTSM, MAT Master Specialist, Personal Trainer Well, I love a personal trainer who is prepared, who’s ready to lead the session. I arrived at the Adelaide Club today armed with Part One of my interview questions for Adrian Choo about the value of personal training. […]

Categories: Beth's Fitness Journey, CrossFit, Fitness, Fitness Business, Interviews, Most Popular, Personal Training, Professionalism, Rehabilitation, Strength Training, Trainer Education • Tags: coaching, CrossFit, exercise, exercise science, fitness, fitness business, goal setting, gym, health, MAT, personal training, professionalsim, strength training, training, trust

Coming Soon: What Am I Paying You For Anyway? and Is Functional Training Functional? – Conversation with Adrian Choo, Personal Trainer

January 6, 2013 by Beth French

I met with personal trainer Adrian Choo yesterday to discuss plans for another interview for Lift Heavy, Make it Beautiful. Adrian was the very first expert to be interviewed for my blog a year ago. My discussion with him, OK, Here’s My Follow-Up Cross Fit Post, is one of the most popular interviews on my site and is still being read today. Although I arrived for our meeting prepared to talk about “functional training”, a topic I’ve wanted to discuss with Adrian for some […]

Categories: Beth's Fitness Journey, Coming Soon, Fitness, Fitness Business, Interviews, New Blog Posts, Personal Training, Professionalism, Rehabilitation, Strength Training • Tags: coaching, fitness, fitness business, gym, health, MAT, Muscle Activation Techniques, pain, personal training, sports, strength training, training, trust, weightlifting

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TRUST IN ME: Interview with Champion Bodybuilder and Industry Promoter, Tina Goinarov

January 4, 2013 by Beth French

“Love that my coach believes in me so much and has so much faith and confidence in my strength and abilities. He pushes me past what I think I can do, and proves to me that I can do so much more. Just have to trust and believe in myself more. Coach has truly been a blessing for me on all levels.” – Tina Goinarov, December 2012 I am grateful to champion bodybuilder and industry promoter, Tina Goinarov, for agreeing to […]

Categories: Bodybuilding, Fitness, Fitness Business, Interviews, New Blog Posts, Personal Training, Supplements • Tags: art, beauty, bodybuilding, coaching, competition, female bodybuilding, fitness, fitness business, friendship, personal training, professionalism, sports, steroids, trust

Bodybuilder Tina Goinarov Responds to Interview Questions

December 30, 2012 by Beth French

Yesterday, I sent bodybuilder and industry promoter, Tina Goinarov, her interview questions for Lift Heavy, Make it Beautiful - and then I held my breath! I am well aware that many people do not want to discuss in public the issues I raise in my interview. Here’s what she had to say on her Facebook page. “I am super excited! I just saw the questions that I will be asked for my interview and they are definitely on themes and topics that […]

Categories: Bodybuilding, Bodybuilding Industry, Coaching, Female Bodybuilding, Fitness Business, Interviews, Professionalism

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Whatever it Takes

December 26, 2012 by Beth French

Twenty-three years ago today, I was preparing for the biggest event of my life. A blizzard was raging outside, I was having frequent contractions, and I was worrying about how long I would be unemployed after my baby arrived. As my girlfriend sat on the edge of my bed in my new apartment, my sister drove my mother hundreds of miles through the blinding snow from Kingston to Toronto, escorted by a team of side-by-side snow plows. Nothing was going […]

Categories: Beth's Fitness Journey, Determination, New Blog Posts

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Coming Soon: Trust in Me – Interview with Champion Bodybuilder and Industry Promoter, Tina Goinarov

December 22, 2012 by Beth French

“I have made many great friends along the way – people who have guided me, seen my potential, and trusted me. That is a huge factor in the industry…trust.” – Tina Goinarov I am proud to announce that an interview with champion bodybuilder and industry promoter, Tina Goinarov, is in the works. Tina has been involved in the sport of bodybuilding since 2007 when she won in the Heavyweight Division. Since 2011, Tina has also worked tirelessly as a media […]

Categories: Bodybuilding, Coming Soon, Female Bodybuilding, Fitness Business, Interviews, New Blog Posts • Tags: bodybuilding, competition, fitness business, friendship, trust

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Catch-22: My Anabolic Obsessions and Catabolic Reactions

December 15, 2012 by Beth French

“Anabolic… The word itself means chemical reactions where small molecules are combined to create larger molecules. The best example of this occurs when amino acids are combined to form polypeptite chains which in turn are combined to form protein strands and ultimately muscle tissue…. Some compounds do just the opposite. They break down large molecules into smaller molecules, and the best example is the hormone cortisol. During times of stress, the body releases large amounts of cortisol.” – Robert Kennedy, […]

Categories: Beth's Fitness Journey, Fitness, New Blog Posts, Strength Training • Tags: bodybuilding, fitness, healthy aging, muscle building, perfectionism, strength training

The Bodybuilder: Interview with Champion Reza Poursaleh

December 7, 2012 by Beth French

“I’m stepping on the stage fearless, egoless, and with lots of love.” – Reza Poursaleh BETH: Reza, thank you for agreeing to a second interview for Lift Heavy, Make it Beautiful. You are the first male bodybuilder to be interviewed for this blog and, at age 22, you are the youngest athlete interviewed. I wanted to speak to you again, in greater depth than before, because of your wide ranging experience as both a champion bodybuilder and champion CrossFit athlete, […]

Categories: Bodybuilding, CrossFit, Determination, Inspiration, Interviews, Most Popular, Nutrition • Tags: art, bodybuilding, competition, CrossFit, gym, inspiration, pain, training

For the Love of Roller Derby with Skater Liz Vanderkleyn

November 15, 2012 by Beth French

A whistle blows and the pack takes off. A second whistle blows and two jammers take off. And for the next two minutes all hell breaks loose as women dressed in fishnet stockings and short shorts block, jam, and whip their way around the track. Liz Vanderkleyn has been competing in the game of roller derby for six years. She is a member of Chicks Ahoy!, three-time champions in the Toronto Roller Derby League. Liz was voted Most Valuable Player […]

Categories: Determination, Inspiration, Interviews, Most Popular, Rehabilitation, Roller Derby • Tags: camaraderie, competition, female empowerment, fitness, friendship, grief, healing, injury, pain, Roller Derby, sports psychology, team sports, teamwork

Writing with Iron

November 14, 2012 by Beth French

“It takes pride and a strong sense of self to write for publication, to tell the world (or a small portion thereof) that we think our ideas are important, our experiences valuable – even at the risk of being contradicted, ridiculed, or ignored. Writers make themselves vulnerable the same way good teachers do: by taking what is innermost (an insight, an affection, an encounter) and exposing it to public view, struggling to make it as precise, as poignant, as persuasive […]

Categories: Blogging, New Blog Posts, Writing • Tags: art, blogging, inner strength, writing

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Food is Not the Enemy – Interview with Angelo and Virginia Greco, Certified and Registered Nutritionists

November 1, 2012 by Beth French

I would like to sincerely thank Angelo Greco, Sports and Fitness Nutritionist, for agreeing to an interview for Lift Heavy, Make it Beautiful. I met Angelo at Nutrition House, a supplement and health food store that he manages, which is located on my way to work. Like many other people, I rush into the store, yell “Help!” and expect Angelo to solve my nutrition problems in three minutes or less before I rush off again. Unlike some experiences that I have […]

Categories: Interviews, New Blog Posts, Nutrition, Supplements, Weight Gain, Weight Loss • Tags: dieting, health, healthy eating, nutrition, organic foods, Paleo, psychology, weight gain, weight loss, Weight Watchers

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Coming Soon: The Bodybuilder – Interview with Reza Poursaleh

October 30, 2012 by Beth French

He’s got that extra-special “something”. You’ll see it when he lifts, when he hugs a child, when he poses on stage, when the camera zooms in during a photo shoot. You’ll even notice it during the noise and commotion of a CrossFit competition when he’s leading his team to victory. His form is perfect, his focus is perfect, his dedication is second to none. Reza Poursaleh has been winning bodybuilding competitions since he was 17 years old. He is now […]

Categories: Bodybuilding, Coming Soon, CrossFit, Interviews, New Blog Posts • Tags: bodybuilding, competition, CrossFit, fitness, goal setting, gym, inspiration, muscle, perfectionism

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Liz Vanderkleyn, a.k.a. "Hoff", Chicks Ahoy

Coming Soon: For the Love of Roller Derby – Interview with Skater Liz Vanderkleyn

October 29, 2012 by Beth French

She’s soft-spoken, kind and gentle at the office. But, on the track, she’s known as “Hoff”. Liz Vanderkleyn, a member of Toronto’s 3-time champion roller derby team, Chicks Ahoy, will sit down with me to talk about her love of roller derby. Scheduled for hip surgery in February 2013, Liz is facing the possibility of not being able to continue to compete in the sport that she loves. Once a form of staged entertainment, roller derby is now recognized as […]

Categories: Coming Soon, Interviews, Previous Blog Posts, Roller Derby • Tags: competition, contact sports, female empowerment, fitness, Roller Derby, skating

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CrossFit: Does it Love You Back?

October 19, 2012 by Beth French

I walk past a CrossFit gym coming home from my “globo” gym almost every night. Many times, I have stood outside on the sidewalk and watched the breathless runners filing back into the building after exchanging “high fives” on the threshold. I’ve watched the silent shapes of the “athletes” doing kipping pull-ups, burpees, box jumps, and overhead presses beyond the glass walls of the former storefront. I have even gone right up to the building and peered inside when the […]

Categories: Beth's Fitness Journey, CrossFit, Fitness, Most Popular, Personal Training • Tags: coaching, competition, CrossFit, fitness, gym, health, Olympic lifting, pain, personal training, training, weightlifting

← Older posts

Lift Heavy, Make it Beautiful, Take No Prisoners

The Art and Science of Lifting

Glory Days: Saying Goodbye to my Oly Bar

Sex, Sales, and Sensitivities in the Gym

“Heavy Shit” – Powerlifter Dave Tate Keeps Lifters Honest (and Humble)

Lifting Heavy with Stephen McKenzie, Canada’s Five Time National Powerlifting Champion

If It’s True, Why Isn’t It Obvious? – My Ten Gym Truths

Coming Soon: Lifting Heavy with Stephen McKenzie, National Champion Powerlifter and Personal Trainer

Is Functional Training Functional? – Interview with Biomechanics Specialist, Adrian Choo

What Am I Paying You For Anyway? – Conversation with Personal Trainer Adrian Choo

Coming Soon: What Am I Paying You For Anyway? and Is Functional Training Functional? – Conversation with Adrian Choo, Personal Trainer

TRUST IN ME: Interview with Champion Bodybuilder and Industry Promoter, Tina Goinarov

Bodybuilder Tina Goinarov Responds to Interview Questions

Whatever it Takes

Coming Soon: Trust in Me – Interview with Champion Bodybuilder and Industry Promoter, Tina Goinarov

Catch-22: My Anabolic Obsessions and Catabolic Reactions

The Bodybuilder: Interview with Champion Reza Poursaleh

For the Love of Roller Derby with Skater Liz Vanderkleyn

Writing with Iron

Food is Not the Enemy – Interview with Angelo and Virginia Greco, Certified and Registered Nutritionists

Coming Soon: The Bodybuilder – Interview with Reza Poursaleh

Coming Soon: For the Love of Roller Derby – Interview with Skater Liz Vanderkleyn

CrossFit: Does it Love You Back?

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