Hi there, I just wanted to reintroduce myself to our new members and followers. I’m Jocelyn, the owner of our small but mighty gym in the heart of the St Johns neighborhood in Portland. Our goal at PDXSTRENGTH is to make everyone feel welcome. We strive to provide educational, fun, safe and inclusive workouts every time you step foot in our door. We are an anti-diet culture fitness studio. We’re anti-everything that makes you feel like you should always be trying to get smaller. You deserve to be here exactly how you are. We think that’s important, you deserve to be here exactly how you are. I’m always here for any questions/feedback. Thanks for all the support these past 10 plus years. Xoxo
We are an Anti-Diet Culture Fitness Studio
July 10, 2022 / By j0ssy
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We are not Crossfit!
May 3, 2022 / By j0ssy
Fitness for SPORT vs. Fitness for LIFE
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There is a more intelligent way to age athletically.
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Somewhere along the road we seemed to have lost our way. Olympic weightlifting and technical gymnastics crept their way into mainstream fitness, and a scoreboard disrupted an industry.
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An effective protocol intended for a very specific population – competent olympic weightlifters and/or competitive elite athletes (predominantly collegiate- or professional-caliber individuals involved in a contact sport) – started selling as a universal fitness program for the general public. Too much volume and too little recovery became the norm, and everyday people put trust in a program designed for the top 0.01%.
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Naturally, all sports carry risk. Fitness as a sport is no different, and unless you are actively competing in fitness as a sport, your training program should look nothing like it.
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Fitness for “Sport” needs to prepare an active individual’s mind and body for things such as competition, impact, and intensity.
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Fitness for “Life” should provide the building blocks to age in a vibrant and powerful way: free of injury, and chalk-full of strength and resilience.
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Training for sport means accepting specific risks, throughout a specific window (season/career), in order to chase a specific goal. However, training for sport is not a training program for life, and once we’ve graduated from our sport, the goal should be to thrive as we age. The secret? To balance the right amount of stimulus with an appropriate amount of recovery. This equation provides attainable progress and lasting results that sustain you for a lifetime.
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Everyday people training for a sport in which they do not compete had its moment.
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Everyday people training for the sport of life, on the other hand, is the present and the future.
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Our strength-driven approach helps establish the building blocks to allow individuals to thrive as they age. And our signature work-to-rest ratios provides a scaleable atmosphere and a level playing field.
•
Fitness as a sport leans on a finite scoreboard. We provide an infinite runway to a strong, sustainable, and active lifestyle.
•
•
There is a more intelligent way to age athletically.
•
Somewhere along the road we seemed to have lost our way. Olympic weightlifting and technical gymnastics crept their way into mainstream fitness, and a scoreboard disrupted an industry.
•
An effective protocol intended for a very specific population – competent olympic weightlifters and/or competitive elite athletes (predominantly collegiate- or professional-caliber individuals involved in a contact sport) – started selling as a universal fitness program for the general public. Too much volume and too little recovery became the norm, and everyday people put trust in a program designed for the top 0.01%.
•
Naturally, all sports carry risk. Fitness as a sport is no different, and unless you are actively competing in fitness as a sport, your training program should look nothing like it.
•
Fitness for “Sport” needs to prepare an active individual’s mind and body for things such as competition, impact, and intensity.
•
Fitness for “Life” should provide the building blocks to age in a vibrant and powerful way: free of injury, and chalk-full of strength and resilience.
•
Training for sport means accepting specific risks, throughout a specific window (season/career), in order to chase a specific goal. However, training for sport is not a training program for life, and once we’ve graduated from our sport, the goal should be to thrive as we age. The secret? To balance the right amount of stimulus with an appropriate amount of recovery. This equation provides attainable progress and lasting results that sustain you for a lifetime.
•
Everyday people training for a sport in which they do not compete had its moment.
•
Everyday people training for the sport of life, on the other hand, is the present and the future.
•
Our strength-driven approach helps establish the building blocks to allow individuals to thrive as they age. And our signature work-to-rest ratios provides a scaleable atmosphere and a level playing field.
•
Fitness as a sport leans on a finite scoreboard. We provide an infinite runway to a strong, sustainable, and active lifestyle.
•
Sharing is Caring!
Eating Disorders and the Fitness Industry
November 9, 2021 / By j0ssy
The fitness industry can definitely foster unhealthy relationships with body image, food and eating. From someone who has battled eating disorders from age 17, it’s filled with triggers – yet I’m still involved with an industry whose noxious breadcrumbs led me down a very dangerous path. So why am I still here? I’m in love with movement and I’ve learned some valuable lessons on how to tune into my own internal GPS instead of chasing hazardous ideals. This defiance has become part of my mission and why I choose to be here in this industry and why I fight for it to be more welcoming. But honestly with a history of toxic thoughts and unhealthy patterns, I have to be proactive about how I navigate and exist in the fitness space. Here’s some things we promote at the studio to help: 1. I do not participate in weight loss or body shaming conversations. 2. I don’t talk about an exercise being good for a better looking body part or looking good for bikini season etc. 3. I avoid labeling food and exercise as good or bad. 4. I check myself regularly. I can’t exist in a hole where eating disorder triggers are banished. So at times I need to reframe my thoughts from what my body looks like to what my body can do. 5. I listen intently to my body. For example if my body needs fuel, I give it fuel instead of overthinking what I should or should not be eating. ❤️ we are here to help protect your mental and physical well being at PDXSTRENGTH. There is a thin line between the healing power of movement and the detrimental impacts of the fitness culture and every day I try to stay sharp enough not to cross it. Xoxo Jossy ❤️
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KOIN News Movement Monday Segment
August 9, 2021 / By j0ssy
We were asked to do a quick segment on the Movement Monday Segment on KOIN news. My trusty side kick Zelmo joined in on the fun and we shared some fun bodyweight movements you can do anywhere. We always push for fun with our workouts, because if it is not enjoyable, it’s really tough to stay motivated and consistent. Thanks KOIN news for inviting us!
https://www.koin.com/am-extra/move-it-monday-fun-consistent-workouts-are-key/
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August Updates
August 5, 2021 / By j0ssy
Howdy Folks and welcome to August!
It’s been a busy (and warm) summer at PDX Strength with many new faces to get to know and welcome into our community. Speaking of “busy” our little friend COVID is trying really hard to live in the past and take us back to 2020. At this point there are no “new”requirements from the State, but we will start being a little more diligent with some of the safety protocols, which we have been using in the past. First, coaches are going back to wearing masks and we’d kindly invite any members to join us pre-pending mandate – think of it as our opportunity to remake the travesty that was The Mask 2: The Son of The Mask… We’ll call it The Mask 2: Return of The Mask for now as a working title. Second, we’ll be a little more diligent with wiping down our equipment. We’ve done a really great job of keeping this going as protocols have changed, but will be asking, and giving subtle reminders, throughout class to wipe down your own equipment. And last, for now, we may be popping that overhead door up (even just slightly) to help airflow as possible – Yes, it’s hot out. Yes, hot air is looking for more space to occupy. No, we aren’t trying to create some false environment to test your mental fortitude.
In happier times, I hope folks who were eligible were able to get to the Nike Employee Store. For those that weren’t on the eligible list (which was determined by a “member as of date”), don’t worry. We get passes regularly to both Nike and Adidas. Keep your eyes open for the next announcement there, and for more details around our upcoming Beer Olympics (October 8th 630 pm). For those wondering what that’s like, think about the Beer Mile, now think about it without all that damn running. Or think about the first high school/college house party you went to, now think about it without all the tears and drama.
Hopefully these are going to be the only changes we see, but as always, thank you for choosing and supporting PDX Strength!
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