Sound like a bold motto? It’s one to live by, according to Adam Farrah and Marsha Tieken. They are the founders of the new concept on a healthier body image for society to embrace.
Farrah is also the author of 'The Paleo Dieter's Missing Link.' Tieken is a personal trainer and CrossFit instructor.
Farrah and Tieken’s new way of thinking aids women to be comfortable with having a fit body and breaks down society’s perception of the perfect body. Most of society’s view has changed over the last 10 years - from thinking "beautiful" is thin, to "beautiful" is fit.
“’Strong is the New Skinny’ is about women being strong and training hard,” Farrah said.
Tieken believes that women can be strong and still be feminine.
“When I hear the term, ‘strong is the new skinny,’” said CrossFitter Andrea Leonard, “I am filled with hope that the girls growing up today will never feel pressured to measure their worth based on what size jeans they wear.”
Amongst the CrossFitters there has been a shift in society’s ‘perfect’ image.
CrossFit, according to instructor Joe Commisso, is highly beneficial to both men and women, but also helps improve women with their self-image. CrossFit’s training style minimizes the primary goal of working out to look good and it creates an emphasis on becoming fit and healthy.
“CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program that’s basis is training methodologies on constantly varied functional movements,” Commisso said.
“I think CrossFit develops amazing bodies,” Commisso said. “However, our primary goal is not to look good in front of the mirror. We desire functional, strong, and well-rounded individuals.”
When Marybeth Vasiloff first heard of CrossFit she felt timid and unsure, but after trying it she fell in love with the feeling of completion, of doing something she didn’t believe she could.
According to Tieken, women were nervous about becoming too muscular because they thought it was unattractive.
“I don’t want muscles to be confused with CrossFit women,” Commisso said. “CrossFit women do not look like body builders, they look like athletes.”
This new way of thinking, said Farrah, is that a muscular, fit body is the way we should think that a healthy body should look.
“I like the implication that a strong, athletic body is a healthier body image than the ‘heroin chic’ look of the skinny print and runway models,” Vasiloff said.
According to Commisso, CrossFit is beyond weight loss and appearances, but more about how to execute a move.
“CrossFit is kind of changing all of that,” Commisso said, “society’s take is what can I do to look good. Crossfit’s is how can I get better.”
“CrossFit has seriously changed my life,” said Dannielle Loranger, a CrossFitter.
“Body image is how I perceive myself when I look in the mirror,” Vasiloff said. “If I look in the mirror and I’m happy with what I see, then it doesn’t matter what anyone says to me about how I ‘should’ look.”
“’Strong is the new skinny’ is about being healthy, a healthy weight, and a healthy lifestyle,” Loranger said. “As long as you feel good about the way you look and you exercise daily and eat right then you should be OK with how you look.”
CrossFit gyms and the Paleolithic way of eating have really help form this concept. Paleolithic is the concept of eating meats, vegetables, fruits and nuts, which is also known as the ‘caveman diet’.
According to Farrah, a practical Paleo diet is an effort to get back to foods we evolved on as a species. He says that an average American diet contains virtually nothing our bodies would actually recognize as food from our evolution.
“Our diet needs to be a living, breathing and evolving thing,” Farrah said.
The Paleo diet is about getting your nutrients from ‘real’ food.
“This is the first time in its life,” Leonard said, “my body has had the luxury of full access to all nutrients. The kind of stuff it’s supposed to have.”
Between CrossFit, Paleo, and the concept 'Strong is the New Skinny' society’s perception of body image is changing for a healthier outlook.
“I think we are starting to get a healthier body image,” Loranger said. “I don’t think that people think the Barbie image is real, like they use to in the past.”
“Your body is going to be with you for the rest of your life,“ Leonard said. “Feed it well, exercise often and take pride in the beauty of its accomplishments – it is an amazing machine.”
“'Strong is the New Skinny' is about increasing everyone’s awareness,” Farrah said. “We as individuals, have a serious level of control over stereotypes and norms and what is accepted and what future generations see.”
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