Illustration by Elnora Turner
Sick of clean eating, perfect gym outfits, and chiseled abs? A Swole Woman is here to help you be healthy, enjoy carbs, and get jacked.
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You can, of course, do all the normal things: invite her to go with you and show her the ropes; blindfold her as a “sexy surprise” and then when she takes off the blindfold, surprise, she’s at the gym; wake her at 5 a.m. using a trumpet and football coach whistle so she has time to train before work; plaster her office with posters of women doing physical feats of strength; try to move her arms to show her the right way to do a push-up while she is watching TV.
I know you love your girlfriend, and it’s hard to watch people we care about (or even people we don’t!) suffer unnecessarily. But tread with a lot of caution here. It doesn’t sound like her health is in grave danger, and you don’t want to create resentment between you over something that is a kind of sensitive topic for a lot of people, because it’s wrapped up in a lot of insecurities and shame. Maybe it isn’t, and you’ll be perfectly fine! But at minimum you should stay extremely wary and communicate carefully about it. I would say be prepared to reassure her a lot that this isn’t about looking a particular way, and to back off if she is triggered by this.
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Disclaimer: Casey Johnston is not a doctor, nutritionist, dietitian, personal trainer, physiotherapist, psychotherapist, doctor, or lawyer; she is simply someone who has done a lot of, and read a lot about, lifting weights.
You can read past Ask A Swole Woman columns at The Hairpin and at SELF and follow A Swole Woman on Instagram. Got a question for her? Email swole.woman@vice.com.