n the not too distant past, women
were perceived to be the “weaker sex,”
but that perception has fi nally been
shattered by women like elite CrossFit
competitor and Oxygen cover athlete Brooke
Ence. Women like her pulverize the notion
that we are frail and weak.
When we talk about “strength” here in the
pages of Oxygen, we are usually referring to
strength as a physical power — how much
weight can you push and pull before you hit
failure. But it’s really much more than that,
isn’t it? Ultimately, it’s challenging yourself
to do the things you never thought you
could do. It’s about pushing yourself harder
in your workouts, doing more reps, adding
sets, sprinting faster or trying new exercises.
It’s moving out of your comfort zone. It’s
forging ahead when things get hard and not
giving up. Those qualities can all be devel-
oped in the gym.
Many women, however, still balk at
hefting weights, citing the age-old — but
inaccurate — myth that strength training
will somehow bulk them up. (As you know,
it takes much more than just lifting heavy
things to get big muscles.) We posted our
top three cover possibilities on our Facebook
page and asked our readers to weigh in on
which image they liked best. We were hop-
ing to get opinions on which pose they liked,
but what we got was so much more than
that. There was a lengthy discussion about
bucking conventional stereoypes and about
strength and power versus femininity, and
whether those concepts are in opposition.
Fortunately, the general consensus seemed
to be that women with muscles are also
feminine and sexy and beautiful. Many com-
menters admired and appreciated the hard
work and dedication that goes into building
a physique like Brooke Ence’s.
Developing physical strength leads many
women to developing a diff erent kind of
strength, one that has little to do with the
physiology of muscle. When we push our-
selves athletically, our attitudes change.
We frequently discover that we are stronger
than we previously thought. “Strong is
beautiful, strong is powerful, but it’s not just
strong in the physical sense — it’s strongWomen of strength
editor's note
Photo by Ian Spanier/ Hair & Makeup: Donna Gast / Bikini Top: VitaminA / Bikini Bottom: Model’s Own / Photo by Peter Lueders (bottom)“THE MYTH THAT WOMEN SHOULDN’T LIFT HEAVY
IS PERPETUATED BY WOMEN WHO FEAR WORK
AND MEN WHO FEAR WOMEN.” — BROOKE ENCE’S INSTAGRAM BIOin your attitude, it’s strong in your mental
game, in your compassion,” Ence says.
Women shouldn’t be afraid to be strong.
And I don’t mean we all have to look like
Brooke. (Although, I can’t wait to try her
workout on Page 46.) However, when we
work hard in the gym, pushing past fatigue,
testing our physical boundaries, we develop
a sense of confi dence in our abilities. Facing
challenging circumstances head-on is a mat-
ter of courage and determination. That kind
of strength is empowering and inspiring.Train hard, be strong.Maureen Farrar
Editor-in-Chief
@mofarrar