Overcoming a Strength Plateau w/ Brittany Sterling

Hitting a strength training plateau is so frustrating, especially when you feel like there's nothing you can do to push through it. I'm joined by one of my students, Brittany Sterling, to talk about how she benefits from the support of her community to help her overcome her strength plateaus.   We also talk about cheering on other women, the surprising benefits of strength training, and why you need to eat more food! Key Takeaways What Can Change by Applying the Program Information: More compliments from your partner Huge strides in your fitness goals  Feeling like a nicer person with more stable emotions About Brittany Sterling Brittany Sterling is a member of my community. I asked her to come on to talk about her experience with Strength Nutrition Unlocked and how she's developed her fitness routine through strength training. The Support of Community is Second to None Strength training has always been a part of Brittany's fitness routine, but she talks about how she hasn't always been hitting her goals and often hit plateaus. One of the biggest things that Brittany can attribute her success to these days is the power of community.  Community is the best support system when you're serious about your fitness journey. It's there for motivation and support when you're feeling stuck or you're injured. And each community member brings their own resources, perspectives, and experiences that can help fuel you forward. Surprising Benefits of Strength Training When Brittany started working with me in my training programs, she learned how to apply the knowledge she knew from books in a more practical setting. She started seeing the gains she always wanted to and felt supported in all aspects of her life. One of the most surprising changes for her was that she started to feel happier and more joyful in her life - and her partner even said she was a nicer, more fun person to be around. When you're balanced in your fitness routine, including eating enough calories, you're going to notice those awesome differences! Your fitness journey doesn't have to be perfect. When you take that element out of it, ditch the all or none thinking, and start enjoying your body now! Let me know in the comments of the episode page what you're doing to overcome your plateaus and what role community plays for you.   In This Episode Why a support system or supportive environment is so beneficial [8:00] How community can help get you through rough periods in your training [11:15] Why it's so crucial for you to fuel your body and eat more food when you're working long, hard days [20:00] What prompted Brittany to seek help with her fitness routine [24:15] How calorie tracking might lead you into a scarcity mindset, leading to overeating [27:00] What happens when you apply your book fitness knowledge to your fitness journey [29:00] How following a balanced fitness plan with proper nutrition can help you lead a more balanced life [34:00] How your fitness journey can inspire other women [39:00] What happens when you remove the element of perfection from your fitness journey [41:30] Quotes "Having people that continue to support and push you, even when you feel down and out, you have people that you can learn from. You have people that have been there. That no what it's like to slog through things. Maybe what you need to do today is not what you want it to look like. Maybe it's just doing a little something. Anything's better than nothing. Then you come out on the other side feeling so much more accomplished and better about yourself that you were able to overcome the emotional obstacle." [9:06] "In the last seven years, I've had multiple physical injuries, both work-related and gym-related, and it feels like starting from scratch all over again. You get very frustrated because you know where you were going, how well you were doing, and think 'I know I'm capable, but I just can't right now, so what's the point?' That's where having that community come in really makes a difference. People who have been there, are there with you, can cry, suffer, hold your hand, cheer you on - it really makes a huge difference in your ability to keep pushing forward to the other side." [13:17] "Being well-fed makes me a nicer person!" [31:10] "We get so hyperfocused on how we look. For women, it's very much about appearances, skimpy bodysuits, and Lululemon head-to-toe. We do that to be noticed for how we look. How cool would it be to be noticed for what we can do? I don't feel like we do that enough as women. Giving and getting feedback from other women is so cool." [37:42] "I don't have to do cardio for an hour at one time in order to be effective and progress myself in my goals. As long as I'm moving. A little bit of jump roping or three sets of pull-ups on the squat bar in my backyard so I can do those things has really created this opportunity to not feel like I have to miss out on other things. I don't have to sacrifice one thing for the other, I can do both, it just may not look like I want it to." [40:51] "We get into those weird mentalities and vicious loops where we say, 'more is more, all or nothing, it has to be perfect.' We put ourselves up for failure and fall into these weird, sneaky hate spirals. When you're able to let those go and naturally allow yourself to find movement when you can, it makes it so much more enjoyable and so much less like a chore. When you're able to find peace and enjoyment in that, other people notice and want to be part of it."  [43:04] Featured on the Show Join Strength Nutrition Unlocked Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative