She starts out with workouts by Kathy Smith and Tammy Lee Webb. After a few months, she gets bored and starts pining for a bigger challenge. She does an online search and finds Cathe Friedrich, her Pure Strength series, and her Intensity Series. The rest, as the cliche goes, is history.
I write this today as if I were peeking into someone else’s life. I can now row an 85-lb. barbell. It took me many years to get here, very slowly but with a lot of confidence under Cathe’s guidance. I no longer fear ending up on a walker in my 40s. I AM 40, and I’m stronger than I was in my 20s and 30s. Not only that, I have a community of smart, funny, and strong women whom I exercise and laugh with everyday.
My journey has been mostly mental. I’ve had to modify exercises that require my body to be in a tabletop position. I’ve had to work around high-impact rotations. I can do step but only with the topper. I can kickbox but I have to be careful about doing too many jump kicks. Plyometrics is my nemesis. I’m physically limited, but I’ve never allowed myself to doubt. The alternative would be tragic.
“Think about what you want to accomplish,” Cathe says all the time. I’ve accomplished every fitness goal I’ve ever set. This doesn’t mean I’m done. It only means I need to set more goals. Cathe has taught me so much. Her dedication and inspiration never cease. Her optimism and support keep me going. Here’s a lady who’s got my back – in more ways than one
