training

WARRIOR DAY- June 16th

O.W.N. Fitness was created from the beliefs instilled in me throughout my life. I was raised to be driven, kind, caring, empathetic, and among other things, to be strong. Several people influenced me throughout my life and I would not be the person I am today without them. My father helped me with dedication and determination. My mother helped me with creativity and patience. My grandfather helped me see that learning never stops and you decide your future and nobody else. These are just a few people I have mentioned in the past, but today, on June 16^th, 2020, I want to talk about my Godfather, Warrior.

This day is and will always be important to me because today is his birthday. Although he passed away a few years ago, I will always treat June 16^th as a day of celebration. I will always celebrate the time he was in my life, starting when I first met him on Easter when I was 6. I remember my parents telling me that Dana (my Godmother and one of the most B.A. women ever) was going to be bringing her new husband over. I heard the doorbell ring, peeked through the stained glass by our front door, and told my parents “he has long hair,” and didn’t open the door. Not sure why THAT was what I noticed first, but kids are weird and I remember that.

When they came in, I realized that he not only had long hair, but he was tall, had a giant voice, and was super nice. I was shy at first, but that almost immediately flew out the window. I had a bag of gummy bunnies that I had received in my Easter basket, and I sat on his lap and probably fed him the whole bag. This was not a man who eats candy, ever. But he sat there with me and ate ever one that I handed him. From that moment, I decided (at 6) that he was okay to be in our family and that I was happy Dana was with him.

Easter was just the starting point to having this wonderful man in all of our lives. He was there for dance recitals, holidays, birthdays, and sometimes just to hang out. He and Dana would let me stay with them when my parents had to travel a few times, and it felt like such a cool sleepover instead of being “babysat.” He and Dana both encouraged me to be strong and creative. They would tell me that I was brave and beautiful, but also smart, strong, and many other things. They would tell me to always believe in myself and what I do.

When I was 11, Dana and I were reading the same book so we could talk about it. I told her that I didn’t understand some of the words but I could figure it out. Warrior got me a dictionary so that I could look up and learn the ones I didn’t know, and better understand what was going on in the story. Instead of just telling me what it meant, he wanted me to figure it out and gave me the tools to do so. He was always there to be extra support, and be in my corner no matter what. I know that I am not alone in that feeling, and he changed thousands of lives during his time.

Anyone who met him was inspired in their own way. For some, it was through his wrestling career. Some knew him through his public speaking, and some knew him through his writing and art. But only a few people knew him just for him. Honestly, he was just as great as anyone could have hoped. He was grateful for the life he had, and also knew that he earned it through hard work, perseverance, and by doing things his own way. O.W.N. stood for One Warrior Nation because he didn’t have a team of people doing the hard work for him, he did it. He’d come charging into the ring, shake the ropes, and do what he wanted to let everyone know something big was about to happen.

I chose to call my business O.W.N. Fitness for several reasons, but basically, I wouldn’t be who I am without all of the wonderful people in my life. Warrior was one of those people who encouraged me to be bold and brave. He saw something in me even I didn’t see at the time, and may still not fully grasp. I chose O.W.N. because I am a warrior woman fighting to make my company in my own vision despite going against a majority of how the industry operates. I chose O.W.N. because I not only want to enjoy the end result, I want to enjoy and own the process of getting there. I chose O.W.N. because nobody is going to do the work for me, and I can’t do it for anyone else. I can, however, help inspire them to find their inner greatness just as Warrior did for so many and help them O.W.N. the process.

He truly was not only a great athlete, but he was such a wonderful man, fantastic father, great husband, and the best Godfather I could have had. I am thankful for those who have helped make me strong, brave, and bold, and I can only hope to inspire people the way they have all inspired me.

June 16^th, 2020 will be the first official ‘Warrior Day’ with O.W.N. Fitness. Today I invite you to write down goals that you want to accomplish this week, month, or year. Be bold and brave with these goals, and write down how you are going to O.W.N the process. Be a warrior and O.W.N. your strength!

My goal for this year: Open my facility and take the next step towards spreading a positive, sustainable message in the fitness industry. I’m gonna shake the ropes, put on my warpaint, and handle what needs to be handled!

Want to share these goals? Message me with them, or post them on Facebook or Instagram and tag @ownfitnesspnw. How will you make Warrior Day your O.W.N.?

It’s Baking Season, Wha Whaaaa?!

Warning: It’s a long one!

It’s the best time of year! No, not Fall/Autumn, although I won’t argue with that, but no. It’s baking season. The time of year where you can bake homemade goods to your heart’s content, and not overheat your whole house!

If you have met me, you know that I really enjoy baking, and have been doing so for over 20 years. It started with my Grandma Leonard when I was around 5 or 6. She always made pies and would let me help by “crimping” the crust (shaping it to look pretty/ sealing the top and bottom crusts together.) From there, she taught me how to make the crust from scratch, and her tricks for kneading the dough just enough to make it super flaky. I would make some gross creations as a kid (all edible, just odd combinations and a chance of raw cookie dough as a “crust,”) but it taught me patience and provided an outlet for creativity. Now, it is one of my favorite ways to “disconnect” and take time for myself.

I love baking for the same reason I love lifting weights- it’s amazing what you can do/create, it involves failure which provides opportunities to get better, and it brings people together. It’s a way that I can show that I genuinely care, and it comes from the heart. I have tried new ways to make things have more nutritional value (less added sugars, possibly some protein,) but not seem like the recipe is altered at all. I have modified recipes for food allergies, and I have definitely made some “protein brownies” that the texture and taste of a dry sponge. It’s all exciting and once a bake is complete, I feel a sense of accomplishment, just like after a lift.

I know what you’re thinking- having your trainer talk to you about baked goods can be conflicting right?

My opinion: I have mentioned “balance” several time before, and this is a perfect example. Some people have an “impending doom” feeling around this time of year because of all of the delicious baked goods and desserts that will be readily available and seemingly irresistible. I hear what they’re saying, BUT… you need to be able to live your life, and that life might include a homemade pie or some cookies here and there, and that is OKAY! I like talking to my clients about this stuff because it provides a platform to educate them about how to have balance in their life. I can hopefully encourage them to trust themselves when making food decisions, and educate them on how their bodies process what they put into it. It is important that they have established that inner trust and do not need to feel restricted or have “guilt” around certain foods.

The three main arguments I hear are usually: 1) So you tell your clients to eat pie all the time?! 2) That’s dumb, aren’t you a trainer, is that just job security? 3) Isn’t that just giving them an excuse to eat crappy food and never get better?

My answers to those: I can’t make a decision for anyone, but I can help make sure they are knowledgeable about how their body works and what happens when they eat different things. I make sure they know that it is okay to have some pie as long as they are listening to their bodies, and paying attention how things make them feel. If they need to eat a whole pie and feel sick to their stomach to learn, guess what, they learned and hopefully now they are self aware enough to not do that again- NOT because I told them, but because they now know how THEY feel.

Encouraging them to make their own decisions is why I have job security. We are in a time that it’s easy to get caught up in the “no pain, no gain,” “Low calorie ice cream so you can eat the whole thing,” “food guilt,” nonsense, and I have definitely taken part of that myself. This is why I coach people through their workouts, and let THEM control what they eat. I am happy to give advice or my opinion on foods, but I do not dicatate what they can/can’t eat, and I refuse to cause the endless cycle of restricting> binging> guilt> restricting> and so on!

And on that note, favorite pies to make:

Savory- Chicken Pot Pie

Sweet- Chocolate Cream Pie (to eat), Marionberry Pie (to make)

Live your lives and revel in the season of baking!! What is your favorite thing to bake, or something that you have always wanted to try?

When the sunshine calls

It’s hard to keep up with any routine, let alone one that keeps you inside during the summer. This is especially true in the PNW, am I right? We enjoy our sunshine and want to be in it as much as possible.

It’s fun to have more daylight and be able to spend time outside with friends, but you have worked too hard on your health routine to give up now. Think about incorporating a few of these ideas to keep you on track with your health and fitness goals.

-Indoors killing your summer vibes- Instead of going to the gym to do your conditioning, why not take it outside? If you normally run on the treadmill, try going for a run in your neighborhood. If you normally take the bus to work, try to ride a bike part of the way. The best part- YOU are the resistance and speed so adjust as needed to fit your goals.

-Playgrounds and parks aren’t just for kids- If you have access to a park with stairs, try creating a workout on there. Step ups, Single leg drop downs, Push ups, Bear Crawl, Toe Taps, etc. Don’t even get me started if you have a resistance band; you can do a total body workout with those!

-The buddy system- Before you guys celebrate “Taco Tuesday,” make a date with your activity of choice. Not because tacos are “bad,” (they are most definitely not bad!) Do it because you care about your body, and as wonderful as tacos are, you shouldn’t turn your back on your goals for them. Balance is key and it helps to have an accountability buddy!

-Modify frequency- If you used to go to the gym 4 days a week, try to keep 2 days in the gym for full body days. That way you at least get a little bit of everything and can keep up with your routine.

If you know that you won’t do any of these on your own, there are options for you. You could try a group class just to keep something in your schedule and still have community. Some even have outdoor classes! Groups not your thing? Try reaching out to a fitness professional in your area for private sessions. Accountability is hard and it’s okay to need help with it!

Enjoy the sunshine Peeps!

-Shea