It’s national eating disorders awareness week. Sharing our stories is a powerful way to connect with others that are on the same journey and help educate those that are unfamiliar with eating disorders. I battled exercise bulimia for over ten years. Hiding it very well behind training for triathlons and working in the fitness industry. It would snowball the more compliments I received for being so disciplined and fit. I would exercise 2-3 hours a day and limit my calories intake for fear of gaining weight. Behind it all I was very sick. I also dealt with Orthorexia Nervosa and was obsessed with planning a perfect diet and would not eat certain foods, for example there were years I would not eat a fat, then some years I would not eat carbohydrates or freak out if something wasn’t organic. I still struggle everyday, but I am proud of far I have come. I know my triggers and I’ve learned that my weight and my body do not define me. I am always here to talk and share, and want our space at PDXSTRENGTH to be a place that does NOT perpetuate ED and is a welcoming place for those that are battling. 
ED Awareness
Kettle bell Swing Challenge
Here is our first challenge of 2023:
Come join the PDXstrength Kettle Bell Swing Challenge!
Starting January 23, 2023 and continuing until April 10, 2023 we will be holding a kettlebell swings challenge. The challenge is to get 100 consecutive/unbroken kettlebell swings at the most challenging/heaviest weight that you can SAFELY!
How To Participate
During any class or open gym where there is a coach present, let the coach know that you would like to attempt to get your 100 swings. The coach will count your reps and ensure that you’re doing the swings according to the standard (see details below). Once you’ve gotten 100 swings, coaches will let Mindy know and you will be added to the official “Swingers Club” roster – ideally if you are going to attempt this we would like to know in advance of your first attempt. We will have an exclusive shirt design available for pre-order too
You can make multiple attempts to join the club, with the final day for attempts being April 1, 2023. You can also try to increase your maximum weight throughout the challenge window.
Movement Standards
For this challenge, we will be using the Russian Kettlebell swing standard. The standard is as follows:
Arms must be straight during the upswing, arms can bend slightly during the downswing
Kettlebell must reach shoulder level during the apex of the swing: overhead/American-style swings are not allowed
Hips and knees must be fully extended at the apex of the swing
Bottom of kettlebell must pass between the athlete’s legs on the downswing
Double arm swings only.
Suggested Training
Week 1 (01/23/2023) – 3×10 swings, 3x per week
Week 2 (01/30/2023) – 3×20 swings, 3x per week
Week 3 (02/06/2023) – 3×30 swings, 3x per week
Week 4 (02/13/2023) – 4×25 swings, 3x per week
Week 5 (02/20/2023) – 4×30 swings, 3x per week
Week 6 (02/27/2023) – 3×40 swings, 2x per week
Week 7 (03/06/2023) – 3×50 swings, 2x per week
Week 8 (03/13/2023) – max reps, 1x per week
Week 9 (03/20/2023) – 3×50 swings, 2x per week
Week 10 (03/27/2023) – 3×50 swings, 3x per week
Week 11 (04/03/2023) – max reps, 2x per week
Week 12 (04/10/2023) – challenge!
Self Defense Classes
Why we use pronouns at the gym
Why we use pronouns at PDXStrength:
Fitness is highly personal to you, and you are the expert on your own body. Only you can tell if a movement is going to be too challenging, or if your knee feels wonky today. Only you can truly push yourself or give yourself a break if you’re not feeling fully recovered. At PDXstrength, we respect where everyone is at and give a lot of modifications for each movement, making sure everyone feels good about their workout that day.
It’s much the same with people’s gender identity and preferred pronouns. No person on Earth knows as much about you as YOU and we want to respect exactly where you are, where you’re coming from, and to help you get where you’re going.
At PDXstrength, we are driven by relationships and trust. Ultimately we ask about pronouns, because we care enough to ask. Nobody likes being called by the wrong name, right? Nobody likes being called by the wrong gender pronouns, either! Giving folks the space to share these two important pieces of info ensures everyone feels comfortable and welcome in the space. Nobody has to share pronouns, it’s always optional. However, we do ask our members/coaches/staff to make every effort to use the pronouns that people prefer.
We want each person to come in knowing we respect their boundaries and trust them to trust their own bodies, their own identities and their own journeys. We believe that folks need to trust the people around them, and feel comfortable with them, if they’re going to be OK being vulnerable and pushing themselves in the gym. Ultimately, feeling at home here will keep people coming back more often. Coming back more often will get better results and health in the long run.
Implementing this change to our class intros has been an easy win for our community over the past few years. We’d love to see more gyms follow suit!
There’s more than meets the eye
