My Trophies

Can I be a Wednesday only blogger?

Meaning one big bang of confessions with Melissa and all my greatest blog friends, where the mood would always be light, there'd be no subtext or worry, plenty of photos, lot's of links and gaggles of gifs!

Today's confessions could go so many different directions, but I thought I'd reserve the day for my MCM (Muscle Crush Monday) photo. Haha. Dang why didn't I think of "muscle crush monday" when I posted this? The best I could come up with was Gains > MCM everything.

Not only did I get instagram love, I had office love all day long: "How did you do it?," "Where did those come from?", "I saw your guns, I'm not going to mess with you", "Are you changing up your workouts?"

to which I say, "wait you don't follow me on instagram?" ha.

Listen.

:: It's easy to photograph muscle when you're flexing.
:: Black / white filter makes the gains look deeper.
:: It was actually leg day when I took this.
:: Nutrition and hydration are the foundation, weight lifting is the cherry on top.
:: The smirk is the best part of the whole photo.
:: No, real real best part is my pretty hidden bird for anyone who doesn't think strong is beautiful.
:: After all that demystifying, yes I do actually have those muscles and I work hard for them.

The confession? I still can't do a pull up.

These arms, while aggressive in the photo above, have been a part of a bigger plan. When I only pack a tank top option for the gym I'm reminded of how far I've come. "Making" these arms has been a way to erase years of insecurities, a way to turn my insecurities into trophies, a way to change the way I feel about my entire body and a pretty great way to expand my warm weather wardrobe.

I don't want to become a body builder, I don't want to get "jacked" and I don't walk around all day with this flex game. I walk around confidently and that's what matters.

Speaking of muscles, I tuned into Miss Universe after some pretty funny live tweets (no, funny Bachelor tweets don't cause the same reaction) and was a little surprised to not see more booty, more legs, more arms, more abs. Not saying for a single second that these women weren't gorgeous, poised and of course sophisticated - but after all of the squatspo I'm exposed to I've formed a specific view of what a woman's body looks like when she "takes care of it".

Full circle - life isn't just what we see on instagram.

Yep, that's all I've got. What do you think Channing?