I’m a Giant MF-er
July 29, 2008 by Kelly Turner
Filed under Fitness
As you have probably gathered thus far, I am a female. Its still weird to call myself a woman, but whatever. I’m 21. I’m a woman.
I also like to workout. It is my career, but I also like the way it makes me feel, look and gives me peace of mind that I am taking care of my health for the future.
I may have missed something, but I guess being a woman and being interested in fitness means, that I have to care about how my makeup looks, and wearing the cutest outfit to the gym.
Call me crazy, but I’m not interested in that. I’m not interested in “Getting Beach Ready in Four Weeks” or “Post Work-out Beauty Tips” or “Gym Soap-Friend or Foe?”
I can’t not laugh at that last one.
Sorry, but some people aren’t interested in losing weight and looking wonderful while doing it. You‘re lucky if I remember to shave my pits before I head to the gym. If that’s what you are looking for, good for you for making the decision to get healthy, but your first priority shouldn’t be to do it to look good in a bathing suit. Some people are interested in gaining muscle, or finding new ways to rip your abs. If I go by every women’s fitness mag, once I don’t want to lose weight anymore, I’m done! Class dismissed! I graduated!
I thought I was doomed to read about working out without putting a pony tail crease in my hair, or using a dish towel to upgrade my ab workout, but turns out I was wrong. Thank God, I was wrong.
I was rifling through the magazines at my work ( because if they aren’t fanned perfectly across the table I may burst) and stumbled upon a gem.
Muscle and Fitness: Hers. The tag line: For Women Who Want More Out of Fitness
Hey, that’s me!
There was wonderfully ripped, gorgeous woman on the front. She had anterior deltoids to die for (a complement every woman would love to hear. Take note, fellas) Now that’s what I want to look like. Not a skinny model in booty shorts.*
I flipped through and found articles like “PEAK: Organize Your Workouts for Optimal Muscle-Sculpting Results” and “Mint Condition: Build Strength and Power With IFBB Fitness Pro Amy Villa-Nelson’s Dynamic Full-Body Conditioning Program.” Amy Villa-Nelson is the cutest little woman that could bench press me I have ever seen. I just want to put her in my pocket.
Anyway, I promptly stuffed the magazine in my purse went to the store and bought my own copy.
I’ve been hooked ever since. Call me a life-long MF-er. The only thing close to a fashion or beauty article I’ve found is “A Better Sports Bra: Say Goodbye to Uni-Boob!” which I skipped because I really don’t even need to wear a sports bra. I’d kill for a uni-boob.
I’m girlie. I AM! I like clothes, and smell-pretties, and manicures, but I don’t want it mixed in with my workout. If I don’t leave the gym looking like I just spent 5 days in the wilderness running from wild warthogs, it was not a successful session.
Wart hogs are scary. Imagine one chasing you.
So if you are looking to blast away 500 calories in 8.5 seconds without mussing your hair, stick with the chick mags. If you want real workout tips that will get you strong and lean, pick up a Muscle and Fitness Hers.
*Who actually runs in a sports bra and booty shorts? I like in a nice neighborhood, but if I wore that to go for a run, I’d either be abducted or arrested.
Once again, thanks for the info! I’m going to have to look for that mag at the store tomorrow.
And I have to confess, I LOVE getting sweaty and gross at the gym, whether I’m running, spinning, strength training – whatev. LOVE IT. During training when I start to sweat I sometimes joke and go “Eeww, gross, I’m all nasty!” But we both know I secretly love it. :-) I’m so femmie.
LOVE M&F – both his and hers. I hear ya too about the “uniboob” problem. And you are 100% right about the booty short phenomenon. I’ve often wondered how those models can even get thru the photo shoot like that not to mention all the weird colors they put together.
BUT – I must shave my pits every day. I’m a Yeti, kelly. Truly.
I’ve never been an MFer, but I appreciate the play on acronyms. ;)
I’ll have to check it out, and, yes, I have definitely NEVER run in a sports bra and booty shorts. Let alone frolick around a park, like many of the consumer magazines show girls doing.
Thanks for the magazine review. I never know if magazines are worth their $4 cover price, or if they’re just going to be filled with junk I already know ro don’t care about.
Oooh, I’ve never seen this magazine, I’ll have to check it out. While I confess that do get Self, that is really my fluff subscription (it’s my Runner’s World that I look forward to most). I don’t think of Self as a functional fitness mag (for me) because I honestly can’t remember the last time I used a 3- or 5-lb dumbbell and most of their fitness advice tends to recommend things like, Ladies! Start with 20 min, 3 days a week! And I’m like LADIES, I EAT YOU FOR BREAKFAST.
I don’t think that last part made sense. But what I’m saying is, I’m with you Kelly. Preach it loud.
I love my workout clothes, they are usually really colorful, but they are NOT booty shorts and I would never wear just a sports bra as my top. I definitely don’t wear makeup when I work out, but if my Nikes match my shorts I’m not annoyed. And I’m kinda iffy on the shaving. I’ll definitely have to check out that magazine! :)
Who gets ready to work out?! I throw my hair in a pony-tail, grab whatever shorts and t-shirt are clean (or at least smell clean ;) ), put on the tennis shoes and I’m ready to go. Oh yeah, and the sports bra. I can’t forget that one because, unfortunate at times, I am blessed with breasts…and I get a uniboob sometimes. I love getting all sweaty and nasty while working out :)
Wow, this post kinda makes me look like a gross person, ha!
I’m wary of the word “HERS” but this is awesome! And by “this” I mean their website since I am too cheap to buy the magazine.
But is there a muscle mag out there that is designed for everyone? Kind of like Runner’s World is read by both men and women? Is it just that musclemen don’t want to see their precious exercises being demonstrated by women? If they look like that girl on the cover, I don’t know why not! Or do women need to see a curvy lady without too much “bulk” demonstrating the moves? Or should men and women really do different exercises?
Dude, I’m so buying this. I just banished Self from my life for all the reasons you described. I really like Women’s Health because it is more “fitness as lifestyle” although it does use the beach body motivation a lot.
Oh, confession, I work out in the skimpiest stuff ever but just cause I seriously am more comfy. I hate extraneous clothes hanging off me when I sweat. Only makeup though is sunblock (except when I go after/during work cause I’m too lazy to wash my face)
tfh,
I teach Women’s Studies at a university in Ohio. Two years ago, we did a project on men’s and women’s fitness magazines. This started because I noticed the local Barnes and Noble’s put the men’s fitness mags in the “sports” section and the women’s fitness mags in the “beauty” section. Two of the most interesting findings were the pictures of the exercises are much smaller in the men’s magazines and the men’s magazines contain — on average — 27 pictures of women wearing lingerie or topless. the women’s magazines contain no pictures of scantily clad men. the general conclusion was that readers of male fitness mags do not want to be perceived as looking too closely at the male physique (hence the small pics) and they do want to be perceived as very heterosexual (hence the semi-nude women).
Victoria- maybe they will send me a free subscription now so i dont have to take them from work ;) (after they get a few months old, of course.)
Alex- my favorite was the kitchen towel article. like im really ging to work out using a kitchen towel as resistance. psh. and it totally made sense to me. great minds think alike.
Justy2003- im the same way. i kind of like when i leave the gym and can say to myself: “wow, i smell REALLY bad.”
tfh- i have no idea. look at mary’s comment: i think thats why they seperate them. I dont like the guy mags because they are all about bulking and weight gain. funny enough, though, is i think their mags are the same as our Self’s and Fitness’s, except they have article about how to get rich and hown to score hot chicks. Thats like their makeup tips.
rebecca- i dont get the beach ready stuff. I like a 10 minute block from the beach and honestly, i think ive worn a bathing suit twice this summer, both of which were out of town. do people just live at the beach or something?
maybe i just dont have the guts to wear something smaller. i wear tight clothes, but not skimpy.
mary- thats so interesting. i also think that men like to look at women and dont give a crap about other guys- women like to look at other women and compare themselves and dont give a crap about what guys look like. i know i am WAY less judgemental of men’s bodies than women’s (not in a negative way, i just tend to notice women more than men. and yes, i am straight. I have a boyfriend. although he does have pretty long hair.)
I am totally with you on this one! One of your posts over at EGN said something about “smelling like an unwashed groin” after the gym and last made me laugh out loud! (Well, choke water through my nose, THEN laugh if I remember correctly). I look like hell both during and after the gym and I would have it no other way. My bf even thinks it’s kinda hot though I don’t know why…
I can never understand paying arse-loads of $$$ for gym clothes when all you do is sweat in them…. all the articles that say “cute gym clothes are a great motivation..” well, if you need some overpriced booty shorts to motivate you to work out then you need to re-examine your goals!
for some reason, I thought this magazine had stopped publishing?
I used to love it too…and now I must seek it out again. Thanks!
Thanks for the info on the magazine! Although I subscribe to some of the “chick” mags, I realize that I am totally one of those disgustingly sweaty people at the gym. My t-shirts are always soaked through and I am never concerned about what I look like because I know that the people who really enjoy working out are also not concerned – they’re too busy focusing on their workouts to give a damn about what I’m wearing. I’ll be on the lookout for Muscle and Fitness Hers -thanks Kelly!
P.S. I’d kill for a uni-boob, too.
This magazine looks like a gem. I want it! I actually skip the workouts in the girlie magazines, because they really aren’t what I’m looking for.
And I make sure to scrub off my makeup before I work out, not reapply it.
And what amazes me–girls that workout with a bunch of jewelry on. I would injury myself or knock someone’s eye with a flying ring if i did that.
*on a mission to find M-F to take on the plane with me Saturday*
sweetsandsweats
JJ125- i soend a lot of money on shoes because its important to prevent injury and i have to wear them to work, but thats it. i generally work out in the same clothes i sleep in. they are clean when i sleep in them, though.
workoutmommy- i htink the publish it every other month. im pretty sure.
Jenn- i subscribe to Fitness because its entertaining and i got a good deal, but for actual tips and workouts i stick with MFH
Fitzalan- i dont wash my make up pff before i work out which is probably bad. i sleep with it on sometimes too which is doubly bad, but my skin is fair to moderately clear, so i cant be bothered to wash it. if it suddenly explodes overnight, maybe ill start then.
Totally agree about the shoes… although I get sweet Nikes at a local Nike outlet for under $50 (originally 100-150). I steal my bf’s white t-shirts for my workouts!
uh oh.
MizFit in the HOUSE and she’s the lone voice of NAH.
I dont love em. the mag is STILL TOO FLUFFY for me (although reg ole MF isnt the M&F of yore either)/my tastes.
their articles are still too focused on the womanly stuff and not enough on the basics.
their NEWNEWNEW TRENDS! never seem to be all that cutting edge or current.
I dont know. perhaps (uh oh again. seriously an AH HA MOMENT) Im just not their age group target market?
just my .02 for what it’s worth as Im surely not producing a BETTER magazine :)
Ha! I love it. And the magazine sounds great! The only mag I subscribe to right now is Oxygen, and Hers sounds right up my alley. :)
Never heard of Muscle & Fitness Hers so I’m glad you’ve mentioned it! And I’m the same; I like to look pretty and I can be girly and all but I’ve never mixed that with my workout. If I’m not smelly and sweaty by the end of my workout, then it wasn’t much of a workout! I’m not in a gym for fashion. I’m in a gym for the exercise.
MizFit- “please to” produce a MizFit mag. It’d be all the rage in the blogging world!
I gave up looking nice while working out a long time ago. My philosophy is if I don’t look like crap after my work out, I didn’t work hard enough.
Thanks for the mag recommendation. Will have to check it out.
Along those lines, any thoughts on the new running skirt? http://seejessrun.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/skirt-culture/