Cool article in The Toast

[rydra_wong]

How I Learned to Love Pumping Iron by Hieu Truong

It discusses her experiences as a "a self-identified (and helpfully identified by my peers) small Asian female nerd" getting into powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting.

Barbell sports also reinforces the idea that different body types are okay. That may sound strange in a sport where there are weight classes and where you have to weigh-in to ensure you make weight. However, because of weight classes, I better appreciated the breadth of body types that can exist within a particular weight range. Also, different body types provide different strengths and weaknesses to your ability to execute different lifts. I can squat more than my other lifts because I’m short, and my hips have significantly less distance to travel with lifts. I also have big ol’ thighs and a butt too, relatively speaking for my height/weight. You long-limbed folks that seem so graceful and elegant? You’re probably going to have a hard time with the squat but you’re probably fantastic at the deadlift. Short-armed folks? Bench press. Bench press is your friend.

Also, I love her thoughts on "pretty numbers".

Also there's a link in the comments that may be relevant to people's interests:

Decolonizing Fitness: An anthology on Women of Color, Feminism, and the Politics of “Fit” Bodies

Comments

[mongrelheart]

Great article, thanks for the link! Hehe yes I blame my unimpressive squat & bench on my long femurs and "ape arms" =D That's my excuse & I'm sticking to it hehe.