I am a big advocate of women lifting heavy stuff.
Obviously.
It’s been a mission of mine for several years now to help inspire other women and teach them to empower themselves. We have it hard enough these days dealing with all these crazy expectations from outside sources of how to look, feel, act, and think – it’s time we did things for ourselves that made us feel like superheroes.
Now this might sound weird to some, but…striving for a stronger body is one of those things. And not for any reason other than to boost our own self-confidence. When we look good and feel good, we exude energy and a better spirit.
From a specifics standpoint, if anyone knows me well enough, they know that I am a huge advocate of glute training. And not only for the purpose of aesthetics, but also for strength gain and injury prevention. Weak glutes can cause all sorts of back pain and knee pain. Strong glutes however, do not. They look great, and they perform great.
Stronger glutes = stronger athlete; regardless of sport.
I had first heard of Bret Contreras back in the day when I used to visit T-Nation regularly (well, the Figure Athlete portion anyway). I followed a lot of logs and read a lot of articles, much of which were from our favorite glute specialist – you guessed it – Bret Contreras!
Now let me tell you – I don’t know too many other people who are more dedicated to their research and the success of their clients and people around them as Bret. He is one hell of a great trainer, and is also quick and happy to help when needed. He has loads of free articles and resources available to the public at all times, and some great results with all of his clients to back up his research. If you are looking for a great rear, look no further – Bret is who you want to tune into.
Luckily for all of you, I found the most flattering picture of Bret Contreras for your viewing pleasure.
Kellie Davis was a hot figure-competing-multi-tasking-super-hero-mom I had religiously followed on that site, and later on another women’s fitness site for awhile. When I had seen later that she collaborated with Bret Contreras for some workouts and exercise demos, AND that they would be putting together a book in the future, I knew shit was GETTING REAL and it was going to be good.
And that’s when I was introduced to “Strong Curves”.
I will admit I am rather terrible and doing book reviews, and this is really the first one I have ever done in writing outside of school projects years ago. But I will do my best to give you a brief run-down on my views and some basics of what Strong Curves is all about.
This book, at first glance, appears to be a book dedicated only to achieving aesthetic goals for your gluteus maximus. However, delving beyond the surface, you will find that Bret very thoroughly covers WHOLE body training, proper nutrition, female anatomy, strength gain, and WHY building a good set of glutes is important.
Yes, that means not only for the sake of looking hot in a bathing suit.
It is one thing to just say, “Pick up a barbell, you sloth!!” and it’s quite another to teach women how to feel strong and powerful, and teach them how to do all of the proper movements effectively and efficiently. Sometimes the will to train isn’t enough if the knowledge isn’t there.
There are several different training programs outlined, varying from beginner to advanced, as well as some bodyweight/home workout routines. Every exercise is explained in detail, and demonstrated in HQ pictures by the beautiful Kellie Davis, making it far easier to grasp, especially for beginners who are not familiar with the certain exercises. And of course, if there is terminology you are not familiar with, a glossary is provided at the end. I approve.
There is an entire section dedicated to warming up and stretching, as well as several pages of sample training logs that you can photocopy/print to track your workouts. Especially for those of you who do not have a trainer, keeping track of your workouts is the absolute best way to ensure you are making progress, so I am glad they included this in there as well. Towards the end, Bret and Kellie discuss lifestyle and how you can find the time to fit your workouts into a busy schedule, handling outside negativity, and self-appreciation.
Bret does an excellent job throughout of breaking down topics in a way that is simple to understand, yet still packed full of juicy details and knowledge. There is something in this book for everyone, and even if you think you know all there is to know in this area, I am sure you will find things you didn’t know, or that will still make you think.
All in all, this book is very comprehensive and covers quite a lot of different topics. It isn’t simply a book with exercises, or someone telling you to get fit. It is a detailed, thorough guide for women (and men!) for developing fit, strong, healthy bodies. And of course, gaining confidence in the process. It’s a total win/win.
Plus, Kellie’s glutes are fab – can’t argue with that.
I highly recommend this book, and I am quite excited to see the turn-out for those who follow the programs drawn up in here, as well as simply seeing more women getting involved with weight training and experiencing the mental and physical benefits like I and so many others have!
Big thanks to Bret and Kellie for taking the time to write all this up. Truly a gem of a book!!
Oh, and here’s a better pic of Bret.
I now command you all to go out henceforth and build yourself some glutes!!
Happy training.
I Lift So I Can Eat. 