Anyone out there that has a hard time finding a fitness buddy

[Pippadog1]

Hi

Me again lol. I have agree about the attitudes here in the UK. I don't think I have ever met anyone (apart fro the sites) who workout like me at home. In the UK people either don't exercise or if they do, they go to a gym. Many get caught up in annual subscriptions and contracts that they don't use. I must say that many people run which is something. But I don't know anybody who works out to dvds at home.

I'm 47 now and have been working out with Cathe for years now. I went through an early menopause at 32, so I decided I needed to clean up my act, so as not to develop osteoporosis. I came across Cathes dvds online and the first dvd I saw of hers were Low Impact Circuit, Butts & Guts etc. I was blown away that there was women my own age lifting barbells and dumbells at home. I remember my husband asking if Cathes barbell was actually real or a toy lol. Once I found a supplier that could post to the UK, there was no stopping me. At the time amazon.co.uk didn't sell Cathe Friedrich dvds. I was in a minority then and even now there isn't many of us. As someone previously posted, we get the usual celebrity fitness drivell every December but the best stuff is still from the US.

I went to a gym once and took my gliding discs with me and firewalker band and everyone looked at me as if I'd gone mad. So now I just do it myself at home. Although I have to draw my curtains because people have laughed at me lol; I can't see me joining a gym soon. I would like some heavier weights, a squat rack and bench. But for now I'll just have to make do. Anyway Cathe has shown me that I don't need these things to have an efficient workout.

Laura

 

[nckfitheart2009]

Most of my friends, especially those that are close to my age, have no interest in fitness. Their attitude, fitness is only for someone younger. They have been on the planet so long that fitness is not, and should not be a priority. But then again, they are always whining about their belly fat, or the fact that they are always tired. There was a time, when I tried to talk to them about fitness.They told me I was a fanatic. I don't talk to them about fitness any more.

Same here... Many friends complaining about their belly and a laterally enlarged hip...sorry for the description.
They want the best posture and a good looking posterior chain
Yes it require work but for most of us we have gone passed the "lot of work" attitude.
It is FUN FUN FUN and fun.

My philosophie is it's always possible to found excuses striving to achieve something.
So why not just forget them, be positive, and go for it?

 

[nckfitheart2009]

Nathalie,

I am the OP here. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. I still remember you, cuz you gave me great advice on that one exercise in Turbo Barre I am still struggling to master. YOU ROCK! Thanks to a forum like this where I can get solid advice without sales pitch.

Thank you very much for sharing your feedback on your fitness/nutrition journey. I am lucky in a way that I am from a family of medical doctors. So at least on the nutrition and fitness part, no one gives me any headache. However, even then, medical doctors in general aren't well-versed in sports nutrition, etc. I still have to resort to other means to broaden my knowledge in the realm of fitness and nutrition.

I know about UK. I have a job that takes me to many countries. I don't travel as much any more, and lately only to Europe. So I know all about the European mind-set on fitness. Thanks again for confirming my personal observations. I was in France earlier last year. Most Americans have positive stereotypes of the French, particularly women, being slim. I have found the opposite in certain regions of France. I am not here to put a negative spin or single out any particular country. I am just stating the fact that most women there do NOT lift weights. If they do, most use pink db's. The refined carbohydrates dominant in the diet aren't helping, either. However, they do have less obesity problems compared to the States. In Asia, the same - skinny fat is quite prevalent there.

Nice to make your acquaintance here. I am so glad to see there's a Cathe fan outside the USA. ROCK ON!

Awww, thanks for the compliment.

you are spot on about european women. Uk is sadly headling toward US with regards to obesity.In France and Belgium it is very much in the culture to look after the silhouette by eating right. The problem is as we all grow up and start visibly seing signs of the fact that we
have to face gravity and the aging process, everything start to head south! That is when we see many skinny fat people.
Yes many do not lift and you are spot on about the pink dumbbells. I can not stand it!
Sadly those skinny fat are promoted in magasines!
You will hardly see a beautiful muscular woman in magasines.

 

[bzbnmom]

The bottom line is to stick with 'whole' foods. Ah, also, fitness is a fantastic way to achieve fountain of youth among other things such as mental/physical well-being, etc.

My mom! She is the only person I know who works out as a way of life. And she has always eaten clean. She is 81. She doesn't do Cathe but she likes to keep moving at her fitness club and has done Zumba and can do pushups on her toes. Unfortunately she lives clear across the US from me.

At home, my teen DD did 5 months of STS with me last fall and winter, and my teen DS did Body Beast with me last summer and has continued to do heavy weights (paper workouts) since then. My DH has been picking up weights a little more frequently too. So I guess I've got some homegrown workout buddies. And they're all for clean eating!

 

[nckfitheart2009]

Wooo Mary I wish my mother was like yours....

 

[Nanbo]

My mom! She is the only person I know who works out as a way of life. And she has always eaten clean. She is 81. She doesn't do Cathe but she likes to keep moving at her fitness club and has done Zumba and can do pushups on her toes. Unfortunately she lives clear across the US from me.

At home, my teen DD did 5 months of STS with me last fall and winter, and my teen DS did Body Beast with me last summer and has continued to do heavy weights (paper workouts) since then. My DH has been picking up weights a little more frequently too. So I guess I've got some homegrown workout buddies. And they're all for clean eating!

WOW! Your Mom ROCKS!!!!!What a great role model for you; how lucky you are to have know a woman like this!
(Can you imagine what life would be like for us if Cathe had been our Mom? )

 

[ilovefitness]

Hi

Me again lol. I have agree about the attitudes here in the UK. I don't think I have ever met anyone (apart fro the sites) who workout like me at home. In the UK people either don't exercise or if they do, they go to a gym. Many get caught up in annual subscriptions and contracts that they don't use. I must say that many people run which is something. But I don't know anybody who works out to dvds at home.

Laura,

Thank you for sharing again. I know it will be definitely odd for a woman to show up with gliding discs or fire walker bands at the gym in your locale. But I applaud you for showing up with these gadgets. I gotta say this....luckily here in USA, it's not too strange to see bands, discs, stability balls, or even bosu balls being used in the gym. Again, the main problem here in USA, IMHO, is that most people don't have lasting interest in fitness or nutrition. And some hold myopic views on fitness and nutrition.

Keep on trucking along! I understand the limitations of a home gym in your area. Personally, I think some of Cathe's low impact and body weight workouts are pretty tough by themselves. You are setting your own personal trend for yourself. That means you're cool in your own right.

 

[desertambrosia]

WOW! Your Mom ROCKS!!!!!What a great role model for you; how lucky you are to have know a woman like this!
(Can you imagine what life would be like for us if Cathe had been our Mom? )

We would all be sisters, love it!! You can't wear my shoes though.

 

[ilovefitness]

Awww, thanks for the compliment.

you are spot on about european women. Uk is sadly headling toward US with regards to obesity.In France and Belgium it is very much in the culture to look after the silhouette by eating right. The problem is as we all grow up and start visibly seing signs of the fact that we
have to face gravity and the aging process, everything start to head south! That is when we see many skinny fat people.
Yes many do not lift and you are spot on about the pink dumbbells. I can not stand it!
Sadly those skinny fat are promoted in magasines!
You will hardly see a beautiful muscular woman in magasines.

So true. Eating right is only part of the equation. You gotta exercise and move around to age beautifully and gracefully. Just take a peak at some celebrities....seriously, some just seem to age faster. (Of course, let's just exclude those who have clearly opted for extra help.

Believe it or not, here in America, most still hold views that heavy weights = bulk. IMHO, strong is the new sexy. It's far less work, IMHO, to be skinny and bones, cuz all you need to do is eat a lot less. To have beautiful muscle definitions, you and I both know, it takes a lot of work. I am an ectomorph in body type. It takes me a long time to build muscles. Muscle building is not as easy as one thinks and does not come as fast, either, unless again, there's some extra help - steroids, for example or because you are blessed with athletic genes.

 

[nckfitheart2009]

I completely agree with you Ilovefitness....

Yes definitions require a lot of work. I am mesomorph and I know to get those definitions out
i need a spot on nutrition and get ride of layers. steroids is a no no for me.

I agree strong is the new sexy...funnily yesterday i did xtrain legs and cathe quoted :"you are going to have a beautiful bum"
Cathe truly put us into double trouble . We have to work hard while working out and on top we have/need to
brush off boys lurking at results

 

[mkeefe]

To the OP, ilovefitness...I think to some extent it's harder with someone your age. I'm 47, and I guess by now now one criticizes me or my lifestyle. Maybe that's because I've weeded out un-supportive people and now I'm lucky to be surrounded supportive people in the things I do. But I think a lot of it has to do age. I think more people, of all ages, feel a right to question/criticize/snark at younger folk and their lifestyle choices, even if healthy, if out of the mainstream. I hope it gets easier as you age, as it has for me.

I guess I'm very lucky, because even though my SO is from the UK, he is very supportive of the working out of home idea and open to trying.


That being said, in full disclosure.....nckfitheart2009...I love me a good fish 'n chips too. (But I've been taught it has to be a good one, froma proper chippy!) The way I eat it though, is some of the chips, indulge in some of the batter, not much of it, and eat all the good white fish.

 

[nckfitheart2009]

wink mkeefe, if you like it and are happy to have , enjoy.

 

[ilovefitness]

To the OP, ilovefitness...I think to some extent it's harder with someone your age. I'm 47, and I guess by now now one criticizes me or my lifestyle. Maybe that's because I've weeded out un-supportive people and now I'm lucky to be surrounded supportive people in the things I do. But I think a lot of it has to do age. I think more people, of all ages, feel a right to question/criticize/snark at younger folk and their lifestyle choices, even if healthy, if out of the mainstream. I hope it gets easier as you age, as it has for me.

THANK YOU. I really hope that with time, I will find more support from my own gender. The guy friends I have are okay, ironically. I hang out more with them, but as you know sometimes it's nice to have female camaraderie.

My New Year's resolution is actually to learn to turn a blind eye or a dead ear to the naysayers. Life is too short to waste my energy on defending myself, especially I have done nothing wrong or even provoke anyone.

It's so nice to know that you have stuck to your gun. I commend you for your tenacity. May you have much more success in your fitness journey and whatever you choose to accomplish in your life. Thanks for the feedback.

BTW, did not mean to intrude. I also love fish and chips. You are correct. The indulgent food can be modified to a healthier fare.

 

[nckfitheart2009]

THANK YOU. I really hope that with time, I will find more support from my own gender. The guy friends I have are okay, ironically. I hang out more with them, but as you know sometimes it's nice to have female camaraderie.

My New Year's resolution is actually to learn to turn a blind eye or a dead ear to the naysayers. Life is too short to waste my energy on defending myself, especially I have done nothing wrong or even provoke anyone.

It's so nice to know that you have stuck to your gun. I commend you for your tenacity. May you have much more success in your fitness journey and whatever you choose to accomplish in your life. Thanks for the feedback.

BTW, did not mean to intrude. I also love fish and chips. You are correct. The indulgent food can be modified to a healthier fare.

while we are on fish and chips topic...I do like and occasionally enjoy French fries.
Yes I actually grew up having french fries freshly made by my mother once per week.
Yes with mayonnaise, the most fattening sauce...

 

[ilovefitness]

while we are on fish and chips topic...I do like and occasionally enjoy French fries.
Yes I actually grew up having french fries freshly made by my mother once per week.
Yes with mayonnaise, the most fattening sauce...

Haha...it's all about balance, isn't it? Nothing to shame upon. Mine is home-made banana split with gooey melted organic peanut butter and dark chocolate drizzled all over it. A picker-upper in the gloomy winter weather. Good for the soul.

 

[Stebby]

My real-life buddies are fitness people, because that's whom I've chosen to hang out with. I first joined a gym at age 19 in 1980, and made friends there. When I went to university, I spent a lot of time in the weight room and the pool and made more friends there. I also took a fitness instruction course, got certified when certifications first came out in 1986, and spent 23 years as a part-time fitness instructor - also met a lot of people through doing that. Those are the people I've kept in touch with. When I turned 50, I took up karate and met a whole bunch of new exercise nuts there! So everyone in my circle knows I love fitness and being healthy. I don't think, in my whole life, that anyone has ever questioned my choices (at least not to my face ), made comments on what I was eating, said I was too thin, etc. Maybe I am just lucky! I do know people who are not "into" fitness, but they are just acquaintances rather than friends and I don't really socialize with them. I don't care about their lifestyles, as I am sure they don't care about mine.

ilovefitness, you sound like a very well balanced person who knows what she wants. Just keep on doing what you're doing, and take the attitude that you expect support from your friends & family. Be a good example to the people around you. mkeefe is absolutely right that things get easier as you get older - you care less what people think, and others are less likely to pass judgment! About everything, not just your fitness and lifestyle choices.

Stebby

 

[mkeefe]

THANK YOU. I really hope that with time, I will find more support from my own gender. The guy friends I have are okay, ironically. I hang out more with them, but as you know sometimes it's nice to have female camaraderie.

My New Year's resolution is actually to learn to turn a blind eye or a dead ear to the naysayers. Life is too short to waste my energy on defending myself, especially I have done nothing wrong or even provoke anyone.

It's so nice to know that you have stuck to your gun. I commend you for your tenacity. May you have much more success in your fitness journey and whatever you choose to accomplish in your life. Thanks for the feedback.

BTW, did not mean to intrude. I also love fish and chips. You are correct. The indulgent food can be modified to a healthier fare.

I think you have reached a level of wisdom that many people with 2 or more decades on you have yet to reach.

Thank you for your kind words, too, and I wish all the best for you. I too have had problems finding female friends. I tend to think it's the female group mentality sometimes, but then I see that sometimes men struggle with other men, too. I've always had more male friends than female, like you (and like you, I think, work in a male-dominated field). Anyway, keep on with the positive energy and focus and direction. Life IS too short and too precious to waste on the negative!

I don't know if you have the time/inclination/climate to maybe start participating in a group activity like skiing or cycling that would introduce you to some like-minded female friends, but I'm just throwing it out there if it's a possibility. Where I live there active cycling clubs for all levels, recreational/newbie riders to very fast, all-decked out cyclicsts. Maybe eve training for a long-distance charity ride? Just a thought. As I've heard Cathe say...'Just a suggestion. Take it or leave it."

 

[ilovefitness]

My real-life buddies are fitness people, because that's whom I've chosen to hang out with. I first joined a gym at age 19 in 1980, and made friends there.
Stebby

Thank you Stebby for your feedback. I appreciate it. You are indeed lucky to find like-minded people. I hang out with guy friends more often, and I can seriously call a lot of them my best friends. For some odd reason, I have not found someone of my own gender that takes fitness seriously. Most are very casual about fitness and some are naysayers to the core. I even had an older female co-worker, a casual rock climber (indoor climbing at REI to be exact.), highly critical of me almost on a daily basis. I always responded to her nagging and snide remarks with silence. My revenge came when we had to play this game about something you did not know about your co-worker. I showed a video clip of me doing full extension pull-ups and walking pushups front and back on gliding discs. That sort of shut her up. That said, I am still pestered with lots of negativity. I am an ectomorph in body type, so people always assume I don't eat because I suffer from orthorexia. Little do they know.

Thanks again for your response. You're an inspiration.

 

[ilovefitness]

I think you have reached a level of wisdom that many people with 2 or more decades on you have yet to reach.

Thank you for your kind words, too, and I wish all the best for you. I too have had problems finding female friends. I tend to think it's the female group mentality sometimes, but then I see that sometimes men struggle with other men, too. I've always had more male friends than female, like you (and like you, I think, work in a male-dominated field). Anyway, keep on with the positive energy and focus and direction. Life IS too short and too precious to waste on the negative!

THANK YOU! And thanks for your suggestions. Very much appreciated. You are absolutely correct. I grew up with a bunch of boys and even in university, I hung out more with men. I also work in a male-dominated world. I have a technical mind and my training is in science. So that sort of explains the dilemma I have. Most of my male buds do compare to each other, but they don't tend to have as much acid talk all that much. To them, it's competition and it's fun.

Thanks for your suggestions on where to find local female camaraderie. Any suggestion is always welcome. You are right. Life is short to waste energy on defending myself.

 

[sjdavis]

It is a lifestyle, a commitment and a DISCIPLINE only few people understand!

This is why I love this forum. I live in the Pacific NW where people are supposedly so "outdoorsy and fit", but I don't know anyone I can talk to about fitness. I love being able to connect with others who love fitness and understand that we love it, because we do. And we love it enough to workout on our own, at home, to our max, almost everyday, with no one telling us what to do, or when to do it. I love that about this forum. Keep up the good work Cathletes!