Tone Your Trouble Zones – Holly Perkins

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Recent Posts

Bare Minimum Strength Workout
The Struggle is Real. How to Get Out of It.
Should You Keep Your Heart Rate Up During Strength Workouts?
Anxiety | The Survival Guide
Nutrition Mistakes to Avoid in 2019

Holly on Instagram

hollyperkins

Helping you be better | STRENGTH TRAINING + MACROS + MINDSET
Author👉🏻Lift to Get Lean
Contributor👉🏻Women's Health+Prevention+SELF+
Buzzfeed+Shape

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K? Good 👍🏻
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And if you still worry that strength training will cause you to bulk up. Let’s chat.
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YES, some women can add muscle more easily than others. But, it doesn’t happen as often as you might think.
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MOST women confuse other adaptations as “bulk” when really the “fluffy-ness” is coming from other reasons than true hypertrophy.
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What is your personal attitude about strength training or adding muscle? Imma a big fat YES on both #strongwomen #strengthtraining .
#womensstrengthnation #fitness #strengthtrainingforwomen

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The best testimonial of them all.
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Mine.
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You’re looking at someone who barely survived 2019. No, really.
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I looked in the mirror just now and thought, “Geez woman, I know you don’t feel your best, but....you look darn good for someone dealing with some serious health issues that nearly took you out.
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I don’t say this to braggy on my own damn self. I say this as proof of the principles I teach. My habits and practices have kept me together this year, and allow me to appear better then I really am.
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The rules I follow are SO simple, and yet so powerful. These habits have kept me out of bed, on my feet, and moving forward.
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Because of this, these principles are the foundation to what I teach my clients.
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☝🏻STRENGTH TRAINING
I’m certain this is the most important part of my system. Even though I’m not in great shape right now, I know that the shape I do have is from the accumulation of years of strength training. If you want to be in shape FOR LIFE, strength train like your life depends on it. Because it does. I have been off track in my workouts for 5 months now. And yet, I’ve been able to keep more muscle than I did in younger times in my life. Because of smart strength training the past 8 years.
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✌🏻THE MACRONUTRIENT DIET
The foundation to true health is stable blood sugar. When you have thyroid malfunction, it’s even more important. I am conscious to eat a certain amount of protein, fat and carbs at every meal and snack, nearly religiously. Your brain and organs like nice stable glucose levels, and the easiest way to achieve this is by combining protein and carbs every time you eat.
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❤️MINDSET
For a long time I believed that good biology would cause good psychology. Meaning, when your bod is on point, your brain will be too. Your brain is an organ just like your muscles, heart, liver, etc. When your biology is balanced, your brain chemistry follows. But when your biology is disrupted, your brain chemicals may be too. And this can cause MIND problems 🙋🏼‍♀️This year I’ve learned the power of being in charge of the mind, when your brain is injured.
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CONTINUED BELOW

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HOW TO BE YOUR MOST CONFIDENT IN THE WEIGHT ROOM 💪🏻🏋🏻‍♀️💯
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☝🏻Dear friend...you deserve to be there just as much as any other person.
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✌🏻I know you might feel nervous when it seems like the weights section is filled with only men. But look around...there are other women too, hoping you’ll be the brave one. Lead the way, my friend.
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💪🏻One of my goals is to improve the ratio of women to men strength training in gyms around the world. YOU can help me accomplish this. Be the change 🥰
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❤️Strength training is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It’s PROVEN to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Are you going to let a bit of nervousness keep you from protecting your health and being the badass you want to be!?!? 🤔
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Be sure to checkout the full article over at LIVESTRONG - LINK IN BIO
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Thanks to my friends at @livestrong_com for giving me the opportunity to share my insights with the world, and to @bojanaxgalic for being my girl gang #inspo.
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#womensstrengthnation #women #strengthtraining #strongwomen #hollyperkins

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“What does lifting “heavy” mean, exactly?”
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In order to “strength” train correctly, it’s super important that you truly overload your muscles in a consistent way, progressively.
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Annnnnd this is the point when you might be thinking, “Huhhhhh?” 🤔
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☝🏻OVERLOAD | This means that you’re performing strength exercises at an effort level that truly challenges the current ability of your muscles and strength.
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In order to become #strong you literally have to force your muscles to work harder than they’re currently able to. And this is why rep range is so important.
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And now you might be thinking, “So, how many reps should I do?” and I vote: Get your hands on a well-designed program that tells you!
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There’s a lot of confusion on rep ranges these days. In my experience, my women get the best results through “myofibrillar hypertrophy” which is the result of “heavier” loads at lower reps ranges.
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✌🏻CONSISTENT | Pick a program and stick to it for 3-4 months, being religiously consistent in your workouts each week. Consistent number of workouts, consistent days of the week, consistent workout flow. Consistent allllll around 😬
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💪🏻PROGRESSIVE | Every workout you should be looking for opportunities to increase the weight load during SOME exercises.
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Strength is a bit mysterious. Some days you’ll feel strong as F#%! and some days you’ll feel sluggish. Welcome to being a woman in the gym 🙋🏼‍♀️
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“So, how much weight should I use?” is the most common question I get (other than, “Is that your natural hair color?” 😂😂😂) Your weight loads are dependent on your current ability! 50 lbs might be hard for me, but easy for you. It’s ALL about YOUR body and it’s current ability.
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1. Technique trumps EVERYTHING
2. Follow the rep ranges in your programming
3. The last 2 reps will tell you if you have the right weight load!
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YES, you can become stronger.
NO, it doesn’t mean you’ll get bigger.
YES, it’s hard work.
NO, it doesn’t matter what your age is!
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Ok, tell me your thoughts. Does this kind of post help you?
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#womensstrengthnation #strengthtraining #fitness #womenempowerment #strongwomen

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Quite possibly one of the biggest honors to date, being featured in my hometown newspaper. SUCH an honor! 💯🤪🙋🏼‍♀️💃
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I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, and it still holds my heart. I think the safety and community of a small town provided me with the confidence to expand my wings and fly. I loved growing up in Warren, PA, but knew that the things I needed to do required me to leave home.
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After 25 years in the fitness industry, I still LOVE every darn thing about it. I LOVE sharing my passion for strength training, nutrition and healthy living. I LOVE watching my community become stronger, leaner and happier.
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Thank YOU for being here with me, and giving me the great honor to be a part of your fitness journey. It’s SO much more fun to talk fitness and nutrition with an interested audience 😂😂😂
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And THANK YOU to all of my friends in Warren, PA, The Warren Times Observer, Jon Sitler and Heidi Carlson
@warren_times_observer
@jonsitler
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#womensstrengthnation #hollyperkins #strengthtraining #fitness

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Thursday night problems 🙋🏼‍♀️
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Can you relate? K, good 👍🏻

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WHAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU GET BACK UP
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Guess what? You’ll stumble. You will “fall off the wagon” (especially if you’re always trying to stay ON a wagon)
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Regardless of your mindset around healthy habits, you are going to experience times when you are off track. It happens to ALLLLL of us!
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Last time I was on track I said to myself, “Alright, THIS time I’m going to STAY on track! I am NOT going to stumble.”
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And guess what? I STUMBLED. What’s the saying...”Want to make God laugh, tell her your plans”? (...yes, God IS a woman...am I right!?)
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DESPITE a very sophisticated understanding of my body, despite a high level commitment to my health, despite an incredible ability to stay disciplined....I stumbled.
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Because life had other plans for me.
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I’m now convinced it was me against the universe in a brutal knock-em-down, drag-em-out battle to make me STOP.
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Stop and reassess. Stop to find out who my true friends are. Stop to embrace my nearest and dearest. Stop to ask myself,
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“What do I REALLY want in this go-around?”
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When I saw myself in the mirror just now I was like, “Hol, you look pretty darn good for someone who just had the shit beat of her.” Over the past few months I’ve had many people tell me I look good “for a sick person” 😂😂😂
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I attribute this to an entire life of taking really good care of myself. The habits that I’ve cultivated all these years have sustained me, even through the hardest of times. I’ve always said, adopt habits that you can stick with every day. Strength train religiously just like you brush your teeth. Eat like your life depends on it.
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Because it does.
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So I ask you...What do YOU really want in this go-around? Are your habits strong enough to sustain you even during the tough times? And if you’re off track, guess what? Me too. It doesn’t matter that you stumbled. What matters is that you GET BACK UP.
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Talk to me. Are you off track right now? What’s ONE SIMPLE habit you can do today that will start to get you back on track?
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From my heart to yours....
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#womensstrengthnation #strengthtraining

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My forever #MCM 🐶❤️
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Buckley Perkins, my friends.
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#internationaldogday

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MAJOR announcements are starting right NOW!
✨💫⭐️✨💫⭐️
First up: I am so beyond (like, BEYOND beyond) to be speaking at The Nook Retreat in September.
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The Nook Retreat is a unique, 4-day experience held at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch in Stanley, Idaho.
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Not an escape, but a place for women with nothing to prove and everything to create. It is a place for you to take a moment to pause and catch your breath.
🙋🏼‍♀️
And...spend some quality time with me.
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I’ll be talking about how you can build more personal strength through the art and practice of strength training.
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It’s going to be really special and I’d love for you to come along.
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Other session topics include
* Writing with Authenticity
* Accessing & Activating Your Dream
* Natural Leadership
* Mental Fitness for Extraordinary Outcomes
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Last I heard there are only 10 spots left. This is an intimate event, where you can connect with other incredibly influential women (and moi) and talk big questions, be challenged physically and be inspired mentally.
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DM if you’re interested in attending or want more info.
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You can also learn more via the link in my bio.
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@thenook_online

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🙋🏼‍♀️ Who’s with me???
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💯🍑👍🏻
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Happy Sunday, friend!
❤️❤️❤️

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The path of least resistance.
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Human is designed to innocently gravitate in this direction.
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But when it comes to changing your body that path doesn’t work.
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It just doesn’t.
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Homeostasis wants you to stay put. It’s why we are still here 1.8 million years after we decided (against the path of least resistance) to stand up on two feet after crawling around for millions of years before that. Take that in.
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But how will you progress in life if you stay put, crawling around on your hands and knees?
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Happiness comes from progress. But many of us are settling for happiness coming from security. Safety. A cozy tight bubble called your comfort zone. How could you fall if you stay low, on your hands and knees?
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You want change? You gotta stand up, put BOTH feet down, and demand it from yourself.
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I realize that could sound like masculine energy tough love. But I think as women, we do reside in our feminine. We wait. We receive. We are uncomfortable saying, “I WANT THAT AND I’M GOING AFTER IT.”
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You want to change your body? Your health? Your energy? Your strength? I hate being the messenger, but if I’m to serve you, I have to be honest.
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If you want change, you’ve got to MAKE it happen.
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Start saying YES to the path of MORE resistance. That’s the path to take you where you truly want to go.
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Cook the damn broccoli. Do the damn walking lunges when you hate them the most. Tell your demons to fuck off and go after what you want my friend.
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I’m in your corner, right here fighting the battle with you.
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And I’m cheering us on.
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Oh, and...
#nofilter #nonneeded
Thanks to the good people at @energyfitness_
#strongwomen #strengthtraining

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3 BODYBAR MOVES for Legs+Back+Biceps
⭐️💫✨
You know the times when you don’t feel like wrestling with a full size Olympic bar but really want to do certain moves? Enter: The Bodybar 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
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This happened to me yesterday. I REALLY wanted to do Romanian Deadlift but the only free bar was being used. I’m still regaining my strength from the health stuff that has been up for me this year, so the Bodybar was PERFECT for these three moves.
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ROMANIAN DEADLIFT (aka RDL)
* Hold the bar with a WIDE overhand grip
* Stand with feet directly under your hips
* Keep knees slightly bent as you push your hips back in space and slide the bar down your legs
* The goal is NOT to go as low as possible. Aim to lower down until the bar is mid to lower shin.
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BENT OVER BAR ROW
* Hold the bar with an underhand grip, hands directly below your shoulders
* Stand with your feet hip distance apart
* Keep knees slightly bent and a natural arch in your lower back, while bracing your abs inward .
BAR BICEP CURL
* Hold the bar with an underhand grip, hands directly below the INSIDE of your shoulders * Press your chest forward, and shoulders back and down (will be talking about this positioning cue during today’s LIVE with Holly)
* Pause at the top and consciously squeeze the biceps (front of your upper arms)
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Let me know if you try this workout and like it 💪🏻 Comment below and talk to me.....❤️
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#strongwomen #strengthtraining #womensstrengthnation #hollyperkins 🙋🏼‍♀️

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3 GLUTE MOVES
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Your Glutes are designed to be the largest muscle group in your entire body. And yet, 90% of the women I work with have severely weak and underdeveloped Glutes.
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Muscle is EVERYTHING when it comes to your overall health and long term wellbeing. Lean muscle mass is a huge factor in your body’s ability to optimize hormone production, manage and reduce body fat, protect and support bones and joint structures, and supervise carbohydrates.
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So think about that...if your Glutes are weak, your ability to do all the above is weakened too.
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This is why it’s so important to spend time each week on exercises that target your Glutes.
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Strong Glutes...
* Stabilize your hips and pelvis
* Provide a better foundation for your spine
* Improve how you use your legs, helping to protect your knees
* Support your lower back
* Look fantastic (jis sayin, nobody complains about a good lookin booty 💯)
* Help to optimize hormones
* Help you perform better in nearly all other activities
* Make you feel confident and 👌🏻
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In order to effectively train your Glutes, they first have to be electrically alive and firing.
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I use these 3 moves in two ways:
1. To activate Glutes
2. To build Glutes when someone is super de-conditioned.
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If you are new to Glutes training, use these as your strength-building moves. If you are a seasoned booty queen use these at the beginning of your workout to fire up dat 🍑
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Aim for 2-3 sets of each for 10-20 reps, depending on your ability. You can also do these without a band if you’re just starting out, or have been sitting for an extended time!
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Comment below if you’ve tried these moves, or if you have questions!
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#strongwomen #womensstrengthnation #strengthtraining #hollyperkins

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🙋🏼‍♀️- you too?
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#fitness #fitspo #fitfam #strengthtraining #strongwomen #liftingweights #weightlifting #hollyperkins #womensstrengthnation

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Want to feel stronger?
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Ummmm YES 🙋🏼‍♀️ Who doesn’t, right!?
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Physical strength transfers over to INSPIRE personal and spiritual strength.
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By strengthening your outside (your bod) you will strengthen your INSIDE (how you think and feel)
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When your muscles are strong you feel INVINCIBLE ✨You walk into a room differently. People treat you differently. You confront problems with the strength of a warrior...because inside you feel like one.
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There is a concept that in order to truly change your outside, you must first change your inside. That your mind and emotions are in charge, and that you must first get them straight in order to succeed.
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While I DO believe this is one approach that works, I also believe that it’s not the only way. Remember that day when you felt AWESOME physically? (hello, day 10 of your cycle when your hormones shut the f-up 😂) Didn’t feeling good influence you on a mental and emotional level?
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And remember the days when you didn’t feel so well physically? How about those days? For me, my mood is very much connected to how my body feels. Is there anything worse than when you feel physically poopy!? 🤔
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Alrighty, so moving on....
TO CREATE STRONGER MUSCLES
☝🏻You MUST be exposing your muscles to progressively harder work. The most direct path here is to lift weights, increasing the weight loads every 1-2 weeks #strengthtraining
✌🏻Stay CONSISTENT for as long as humanly possible. This isn’t something you do to lose weight or get skinny. This is your new life. Forever, if possible 💪🏻 But if that feels too much of a serious relationship commitment, then stay consistent for at least 8 weeks please 😊
👍🏻 Be strategic with your cardio and don’t over do it. Too much cardio is one of the most common reasons why women fail to improve muscle.
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TO IMPROVE YOUR STRENGTH ON THE INSIDE
☝🏻SEE ABOVE 😝
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But fer-real, the fastest way to feel strong on the inside is to remember...
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There has never been, and never will be another you.
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You are worthy. Period.
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You have special superpowers. Share them.
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What say you!? Tell me about your superpowers below.

© Holly Perkins 2019

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