In 2017, our world is in our hands, on our screens, and in our pockets. Everything we do and everyone we know can be done and contacted on our phones. We catch up with old friends and family on Facebook, upload our best VSCOd selfie to instagram, complete our forgotten last minute assignments tipsy in our Über on Blackboard, update our friends with our stories on Snapchat, and catch up with the parentals through FaceTime.
But social media has influenced my life in a different way.
Around last December I began joining my friend to her daily ventures to the gym. I was a “frequent” *cough* gym goer due to my weekly sessions with a trainer but I was not yet comfortable enough yet to go on my own. That workout changed my world.
My friend was participating in a workout challenge created and monitored by instagram an fitness guru called Katy Hearn. At the time I never even heard that name or knew there were people that offered programs like this on instagram. Her programs are an 8 week challenge that is a one time $200 fee. When you enroll in this challenge you receive a pdf packet that includes the workouts for the full 8 weeks, eating tips, and explanations of each exercise along with a #hashtag to search on instagram to find a video of the exercise exhibited perfectly. See below my demonstration:
But its not just her fit body and workout routines that inspired me, it was Katy herself. Katy is now married to Hayden Schneider and I began following them about a year before they were married. Their journey together from being a fit couple to opening their own gym together to getting married to expanding their empire together inspired me not only in the gym but in my personal life. Katy has taught me that it is sexy to be fit and muscular contrary to societal beliefs that lifting will make a girl look manly. Katy is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen both on the inside and out. Her commitment to God, her husband, her three adorable dogs, and her health has really motivated me to pursue a stronger physical and mental health.
Tammy Hembrow is another instagram fitness guru whom I have taken a liking to. Tammy Hembrow is around 22/23 and currently engaged to Reece Hawkins who has his own fitness empire. Even with their two kids under two, Reece and Tammy are dedicated to keeping fit and growing their brand. Tammy offers a Build a Booty Program, a Meal Plan, and an At Home Pregnancy Program for all those mamas who still want to be #FitAF. Reece also offers some programs on his website and not just for men! He offers a “fit mum” program and a personalized program for women who want to be fit in 8 weeks.
I currently am doing Tammy’s Build A Booty program for just under two weeks now and it is actually amazing. Just like Katy’s she gives you a PDF with step by step instructions of the exercises and even plans out all 8 weeks for you. She also offers advice in the first few pages along and she even uploaded a youtube video of her doing some of the booty workouts. But not only is Tammy ripped af after two kids, she is also the definition of #goals. Her and her DILF fiancé are definitely one of the hottest couples on the planet and even though their lifestyle looks lavish they are pretty damn normal. She recently started a youtube channel that I do frequent and she does an FAQ about her life and various daily vlogs and other cute videos with her family. Her daily snaps of her laying by the pool all ripped and glorious are definitely my inspiration for that extra 20 minutes of cardio.
With just a glance at her instagram you think you see another hot instagram model with her super hot husband, super perfectly adorable kids, and TDF closet. But in reality, she is just a woman in her early twenties who fell in love with fitness and Reece and never looked back.
Finally, my favorite person in the fitness industry would have to be Suzie B. Suzie B is a normal girl who got into the fitness industry by accident, as she says in her snapchat stories. On her website she tells the story of how she was never an athletic person but after meeting her boyfriend Micah she decided to change her life. She would go with him to the gym and just sit on the couch and wait or walk on the treadmill for a little. She said Micah loved the way she looked and never criticized her or pressured her to workout but one day she decided to change her life and lift weights.
Today Suzie has over 370k followers and it happened by accident! I follow her on snapchat and she said she never hash tagged anything or tagged anyone trying to get attention or famous, she simply just uploaded a video of her doing her workout and it took off. To this day she still uploads videos of her workouts and they are really simple to follow and add to your daily workout.
I bought two of her plans, Upper Body and Leg and Booty, during a black Friday sale and they are absolutely amazing. When you buy the plan, you unlock a video of Suzie executing each workout along with a PDF that gives you a chart to track your rep and weight progress over time.
The reason Suzie is my favorite fitness guru is because, she is just so real. I follow her on instagram and snapchat and she is just a normal girl who likes to workout and does not hold anything back! She is super down to earth and does not think she is this huge celebrity just because she has a huge following. She is very engaged with her fans and if you message her on instagram and snapchat or even comment on her instagram posts, she will definitely respond. She also likes to make sure everyone knows that your journey for fitness is YOURS. She says in her snapchat rants, frequently (and I love love love it), that she does not hold timed challenges or have her plans expire because you cannot track each person’s progress both physically and mentally in just a few weeks. She also has dipped into her personally life and told us that she has lived through severe anxiety so she knows that mental health is just as important as physical. She is truly an inspiration to me both physically and mentally and her goofy love with Micah is just the icing on the cake. Her daily snapchat and instagram workout videos are a constant form of motivation for me to get out there, better myself, and even try something new in the gym.
By following these women on social media and their workout guides and videos, I have crushed my own preconceived notion that girls who lift are manly. I am now in love with working out. I was a person who was obsessed with a number on the scale and looking as skinny as can be but now I get excited when I see muscles forming or when I can lift heavier than last time I did the same workout. These women have taught me that fit is sexy and how you look is not as important as being happy with yourself. Instagram may be a hot spot for your selfies but it is also a place to discover yourself wether through working out, fashion, or makeup. By simply clicking a follow button I have changed my life forever and am constantly growing and learning.