Fitness for Men

When Life Hands You Lemons…

Arielle Miller / Abundance, Acceptance, Adversity, anger, Build connections, Challenges, Community, Fitness, Fitness for Men, Married Life, mindfulness, School, Teacher Life, Teaching, Updates, Yoga / Autoimmune, Autoimmune Disease, Blessed, Chronic Illness, Community, Disease, Donation Yoga, Fitness, Giving Back, Helping Others, Never give up, Positive Mindset, Positivity, Scleroderma, Southern California / 12 comments

July 17, 2017

One of my beloved honor’s students from 2016-17. She bought us matching dolphin necklaces after our unit on marine mammals, their rights, captivity, and activism.

My relationship with my job as a public school teacher is touchy. Many days I love it and I am emboldened by the work I do. Many days I am angry and bitter about the work that I do. And many days I am too depleted to even process emotions other than count down the seconds from waking to sleeping. But as my life evolves and the more I think about the legacy I want to leave behind; working with children to improve themselves to be better humans socially, emotionally, and academically seems to routinely hit the nail on the head as far as fulfilling me.

Despite that fullness though, for years I have complained and begged my husband to let me quit my job to work exclusively in fitness. And for years, he begrudgingly agreed I could leave my teaching position, so long as I could make enough money teaching group classes, training clients, and even with my writing. It finally seemed like 2017 was going to be my year. My group fitness schedule swelled, my classes were packed, I was getting good feedback, and I was so swamped that I had to start turning down personal training clients! I was so close. Sooooooo close to finally getting what I wanted when the universe had different plans.

[More on my teaching job later]

Four months ago, my beloved husband was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Scleroderma. To say the diagnosis rocked our worlds is an understatement and immediately thoughts of fear and terror took over.

How much time do we have left?

Would my husband die?

Would I have to morph into a caretaker?

What’s going to happen to Greg’s body…?

The day of Greg’s diagnosis, we left the doctor’s office in shock. I found myself unable to really process much and Greg kept pushing me to ‘talk about my feelings’. I came straight home and crawled into bed—jeans and all, immediately falling asleep. For me, sleeping is my escape and avoidance behavior. It’s my way of running from things I choose to not address or cannot face. Perhaps Greg needed me in that moment to hold him as he cried, but what I needed was stillness to allow things to fully sink in.

The days that unfolded consisted of lots of crying. Much of that time I held my husband as he divulged how scared he was of dying and leaving me. As a newlywed of only 2 years, the thought of losing my husband is completely unfathomable. But during this time, through the tears and initial distress, something magical happened.

Greg sprang into action instantly and started reaching out to members of the Scleroderma community. He spent hours online conducting research, learning about his disease, finding support groups, learning about treatments, etc. Through his search, we connected with the Scleroderma Foundation of Southern California where we met Tina, a patient advocate not afflicted with the disease. Tina spent hours talking to Greg and sent us both many emails during those early days of his diagnosis with support groups and other resources. In one of her emails, she invited us to attend a patient information day at Cedars-Sinai so we could meet others battling Scleroderma, learn more about how to live, manage, and treat the disease. Both nervous and excited at the same time to attend the patient day, we signed up immediately.

While attending the patient day at Cedars, Greg and I looked around the room and both had the same thoughts: How could we help these people?

Scleroderma affects mobility in its patients. It targets connective tissue and the skin thickens, making it hard for many people to move their faces, hands, and bodies. Some patients suffer internal organ complications, gastrointestinal distress, and some may struggle to breath as a result of pulmonary fibrosis. Sure, Scleroderma could be devastating and ravage someone’s body, but the spirit of the people I kept meeting touched my heart. Their indomitable will inspired me to my core.

I kept asking myself over and over and over again, how can I help?

The answer I kept coming up with was yoga.

Chair yoga.

Yin yoga.

Restorative yoga.

Yoga with props and balls for myofascial release.

Yoga.

Yoga!

And so, things come full circle (remember all that stuff about me being a teacher and all…).

My heart right here. Sam and Nadia, two beautiful young souls that without fail always made me smile and happy to inspire them!

Whether it’s in my full time job as an English teacher to underserved minority youth in Los Angeles, as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, or coach; everything about my life has been and shall be dedicated to lifting others up (literally and figuratively).

I have spent so darn long trying to suppress my gifts, hell even run from my gifts while trying with every fiber of my being to NOT BE A TEACHER, but as life would have it; I AM A TEACHER. Being a teacher simply IS my path. And truly in recent months it has become more obvious than ever that my place in this world is a bold call to action to serve others: To teach children how to analyze text, think critically, be socially responsible. To empower others to take control of their lives and bodies, to move with joy, to sweat, and above all—to love themselves unconditionally.

So I am not working exclusively in fitness. This duality and polarization of my life has been tough for me to wrangle over the years, but the more and more I moved forward with my life I have realized that being a teacher has made me a better fitness professional and working in fitness has in turn made me a better English teacher. Being a school teacher has allowed me to do so much more than I could have imagined with my life. At times, I feel burdened to elevate my community and those kids in my efforts to get them to college so they can change their lives, circumstances, and this world. Other times—well, much of the time, I feel bestowed insurmountable power to positively touch peoples lives. But I need to be totally honest here, that is all I know how to do: Push people to strive for excellence at all times—regardless of the modality.

Photo credit Craig Stubing

And while I chose my career in education, and I chose my incredible husband, Scleroderma chose us. We could very easily succumb to the diagnosis or we can rise up and channel our efforts positively because friends, never forget—positivity is a choice. Ultimately, we’ve decided to use our presence in our community and talents as fitness professionals to help others afflicted with this rare and little-known, and little-talked about disease.

Both Greg and I truly feel a higher calling and pull to help others feel better in their bodies while raising money for research and patient support. Talk about turning something seemingly negative into a positive!

In a few short weeks, I will be leading a donation yoga class for those fighting Scleroderma with my husband and our new friends. I couldn’t think of a better way to use what I know, while sharing what I love to do while doing some serious good in this world.

I am going to say it again because it never gets old, but I feel honored and blessed right now. I am grateful that my job as a teacher affords us phenomenal health care and treatment. I am grateful that my work in the classroom transforms kids lives. And finally, I am also grateful that my work in fitness enables people to feel better in their bodies, to get healthy, and stay healthy.

How we choose to look at our lives and circumstances are a choice. Things do not happen to us; they happen for us. Being sad and angry about something is ok—but we must not allow those emotions to overrun our lives and existence. And trust me, there are times we cry and crying is allowed but wallowing is not. I promise even amidst the darkest days there will always be light, and sometimes rather than constantly seeking the light can choose to be the light.

Lean on others. Ask for help. Find your people. Let your community support you. And remember, when life hands you lemons; make lemonade.

Good Things Come to Those Who WORK

Arielle Miller / Audition, Body Building, Celebrate, Celebration, Challenges, Commitment, Community, Fitness, Fitness for Men, Goal Setting, Hard Work, Motivation Monday / Audition, Fitness, Fitness in LA, Fitness Studio, Glendale, Goal Setting, Goals, Hard work, Los Angeles, Never give up, New Studio, Orangetheory, Orangetheory Glendale, OTF, SoCal / 4 comments

February 26, 2017

A year and a half ago, my husband Greg and I auditioned for a shot to be coaches at the new Orangetheory (OTF) West Hollywood location. As members of the Brentwood location, we loved the workout. It was fast, fun, and the perfect blend of cardio paired with strength work. For those of you whom are unfamiliar with OTF, it’s a 5 zone heart rate interval training system that includes wearing heart rate monitors, treadmills, rowers, and weights.

Prior to the audition, we were given some ‘homework’ which included memorizing some information. In total, there must have been 40-50 people at this audition, but we both gave it a solid go when our shot came. We left OTF Brentwood that day feeling confident and hopeful we’d be offered spots to go through training. But as fate would have it, neither Greg nor I were invited to the next phase of the audition process. I must admit, initially, it was a huge let down. No matter how many times I’ve been rejected from something the sting of not being good enough or not getting something never lessens.

Nonetheless, we were still happy to be active members in the OTF community and continued working out at the new West Hollywood location. Eventually, as my fitness goals changed and I moved into heavy weight lifting in the body building and power lifting sector, Greg and I cancelled our memberships.

All while both Greg and I couldn’t shake it—we still wanted to be team members. We just couldn’t give up on something we wanted so badly.

On a lark, Greg reached out to a contact at OTF and through the channels put us in contact with the brand new Glendale team. We both interviewed and were offered the opportunity to train, or shall I say audition, for a spot on the team.

Together as husband and wife we navigated a process that threw us wildly out of our comfort zones and into a whole new world. We’d debrief on the day’s learning and hashed out things that confused us, our fears, and our insecurities. It’s funny, because when you are in the thick of something; it’s so easy to let it run away with you. So, for me it wasn’t until a dear friend reminded me that above all ‘to have fun’ that it all finally clicked. That’s what coaching, training, and working with every single person I encounter is—it’s FUN.

Finally, our mock class in front of actual members came and went. We anxiously awaited, clutching our phones for the final call—did we get it??!?!

Greg’s call came first—he got it!

Then, I received a text, “Please call when you have a chance.”

And like Greg, I too was on the team!

I was so happy there was a moment where I couldn’t react. Time seemed to slow and my hearing muted. Was this really happening?! Did I really just earn a spot at OTF Glendale as a coach?! I held back tears of joy as Greg and I bounded out the door of the ice cream shop (hey, cut me some slack, it was my cheat meal).

Here we are after teaching our mock class

The moral of the story here is you absolutely cannot ever give up on something you want—ever. You cannot allow a setback, rejection, or bumps in the road to deter you from your goals. To further put it into perspective, I have been rejected from the following fitness brands:

Cycle House
Flywheel
Soulcycle
Equinox*
Orangetheory*

*Re-auditioned at a later time and offered the job!

Yea, those are some pretty high profile brands, huh? In some cases, I bombed completely and was cut after the first go of it. And in others, I made it relatively far in the audition process to eventually be cut. But it really doesn’t matter, does it? What matters is one’s desire and unwavering intensity to chase something they want at all costs.

For example, take Equinox. When I auditioned my first time I did not get offered an opportunity to teach cycling for them. However, I didn’t let that stand in my way. Rejection is good for the soul. It builds character and reminds you why you do what you love because you have to fight for it. Shortly thereafter though, I did earn a slot to teach for Equinox. Simply, I re-auditioned with a clean slate, showed them my stuff, and nailed the job. And now–look at me?! I have grown so much in my time with the company that I now teach multiple formats beyond the cycling room! Who knows where and what I’d be teaching if I never took that second chance on myself.

That’s how you’ve gotta live your life. You cannot allow a few things that do not go your way to define you or hold you back. Make the conscious choice to pick yourself up and know that rejection is always part of the pathway to success. Never, and I mean never give up on something you want because you are worth it.

So ladies and gentleman, it is with pride and my honor to share with you my latest fitness gig at Orangetheory Glendale. You can catch me there Monday and Wednesday nights at 6pm and 7:30pm.

Now team, let’s get BURNING!

This is Me

Arielle Miller / Body Building, Build connections, Celebrate, Celebration, Community, Fitness, Fitness for Men, Goal Setting, Hard Work, Lifestyle, Strength Training / art, art exhibit, Body Building, confidence, empowerment, feminism, Fitness, girl power, girlgaze, Jen Rosenstein Photography, Lessons, Photography, the Annenberg Space for Photography / 1 comment

October 23, 2016

I’ve worked in fitness for years. And for many of those years, I coveted the success of others with thousands and thousands of Instagram followers and envious of those given the opportunity to shoot for fitness brands I emulate. Often, I angrily scrolled through my feed not double tapping in protest of my own jealousy wishing and wanting so desperately to be someone—anyone else other than myself with a body that could wear clothes in a way that companies would want me to shoot for them. It was a horrible cycle and I was so entrenched in it.

As the years of envy and self-loathing plagued me, I continued to wonder in vain, why not me?

Why couldn’t I be picked for this or that, or why couldn’t I be her? Why, why, why?!?

It wasn’t until I finally realized that I didn’t really actually want to be a model per say. Sure, it’s super cool and great to be heralded for your body and beauty, but when I think about the legacy I want to leave behind in this world; it certainly isn’t with respects to what I looked like, wore, or even my purple hair.

I want to inspire people through my words, my wit, my power, my physical, emotional, and mental strength. I want to help empower people to take back their lives. Free themselves and really live. But most of all, the ripples I want to leave echoing for eternity are ones that celebrate who we are in our infinite power—whether that be physical, professional, or personal. So I didn’t want to be a model; I simply wanted a platform to be heard. I wanted the world to see me, to hear me, and let me change their perspectives by the life I lead.

So in an effort to try to clean up my life, I stopped doing things that were motivated by external validation. I stopped wanting ‘it’ [I mean what is ‘it’ even anyway?] so bad and turned my back on the Instagram yogi. I decluttered my Instagram feed of people that didn’t inspire me and frankly, made me feel bad about myself. And then something remarkable happened—I felt better! I really did. I opened a door to my soul and asked myself what I really wanted to do and wondered how I was going to do it. And then, just like that, on some idle morning I woke up, rolled over and stated to my still sleeping husband, “I’m going to be a body builder.”

I spent 11 weeks preparing for my first show with countless hours in a gym, food shopping, meal prepping, and talking about what I was going to eat, when I was going to eat, and my workouts. Every step of the way, I posted my progress for the world to see. And by progress, I mean the gritty sweaty selfies on the stair machine after leg day and the realities of breaking down into tears when I dropped my food all over the floor. I shared it all and held nothing back. What I received in return from the world of social media was applause for my honesty and what I had been looking for all along; that platform to inspire others to try new things, love their bodies, and live life on their own accord.

So in the midst of this process, when dear friend and famed photographer Jen Rosenstein offered to shoot me before my show to document my journey—I jumped at the opportunity. But what happened next, we could only imagine in our wildest dreams.

Arielle: The Body Builder Photographed by Jen Rosentein

A few weeks after our photo shoot, Jen was approached by the girlgazeproject to have one of the images we shot curated in their exhibit: #girlgaze, a frame of mind at The Annenberg Space for Photography. We couldn’t believe it. THIS WAS IT. THIS WAS THE PLATFORM WE WERE BOTH SEEKING. This was our chance to show the world that women need to be proud of their bodies, accomplishments, and mustn’t allow their voices to be silenced by others and self-doubt. Holy shit, we did it—people will now hear and see me, see us, and be inspired on a visceral level. This. Was. It.

On the eve of October 21^st, 2016, I walked into a museum to see a portrait of myself [in my underwear and bra] hanging on a wall.

I cry as I type this and I have to keep stopping to wipe my eyes.

To see myself immortalized in such a way—the way I always wanted to make waves in this world was so surreal, or shall I say real? I spent the evening with Jen, her friends, meeting others girls in the exhibit, and of course with my husband—for without him, none of what I do could ever be possible. I felt loved, celebrated, honored, and humbled all at the same time knowing that in this moment in time I am truly part of a movement and change in taking back the word girl.

To quote one of the placards at the exhibit:

“We are pushing back against the cultural projections and traditional gender roles imposed upon girls from the outside world, media and culture. Instead, we aim to represent the intelligence, creativity, complexity, and diversity of girls’ experience—across nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation and economic background—by taking back the camera into our own hands. It is up to us—those who identify with being a girl—to show our perspectives, tell our stories, and determine our own identity, sexuality and beauty.”

Arielle: The Body Builder is a piece of raw emotion. It is me, you, your best friend, and the girl at the gym who just joined and is terrified of not knowing how to use the equipment. It is every single girl who dared to take a chance on a dream without worrying about the outcome. It is a timeless story of a girl who said, “Screw what you think, what you want me to be and do. I am me and that’s all I know how to be.”

It is my hope that through this photo you can take something away from it. For me, I look at it and I don’t see the girl who spent years as the ‘fat funny friend’, the slowest one on her college lacrosse them, the anorexic, or the girl who’d be prettier if she just smiled a little more. I see a survivor.

I see a girl who took back her identity, rediscovered her self-confidence, and is truly proud of the scars she wears on her heart and sleeve.

Thank you Jen for giving us a chance to bring others into our worlds, and for giving me a platform to be seen and heard.

Thank you Greg for your undying support of my ceaseless need to constantly push the envelope.

And thank you to my friends, family, as well as those I have yet to know and meet [via the interwebs] who always cheer me on and offer support.

I hope you will continue to be part of my journey. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook and make sure to check out #girlgaze, a frame of mind at The Annenberg Space for Photography. Admission is free and the exhibit runs through late February.

Remember, who run da world.

GIRLS.

The Portrait of a Body Builder, Part II: Finding Your People

Arielle Miller / Abundance, Accountability, Body Building, Build connections, Challenges, Commitment, Community, Confidence In Movement, Fitness, Fitness for Men, Goal Setting, Hard Work, Lifestyle, mindfulness, Strength Training / Body Building, Figure, Figure Competitor, Lifting, Los Angeles, Muscle Beach, New friends, SoCal, Strength, Support System / 0 comments

September 10, 2016

I’m the kind of person that when I set my mind to something there is no stopping me. I literally live my life in GO. There’s no down time, no rest, no breaks, and most certainly no sleeping in or slacking off. And while this intensity can be a great thing to get things started and fuel my efforts, it often has its downside. My impulsivity at times is my Achilles Heel.

For example, when I committed to competing in my first body building show I hired an inexperienced coach to save money. She was a referral from a friend and though I was her first client, I had the utmost faith that everyone has to start somewhere (hence my first show) and that this person could help me grow. Unfortunately, as time unfolded, I learned she was not equipped nor prepared to train me. I felt completely duped as I put my full and complete trust in this person because she was a competitor. In spite of these gut feelings, I went along with the diet and workouts she sent me because wanted to embrace the process fully. I blindly followed her lead because simply I am too trusting a person. It wasn’t long before my husband Greg and I started scratching our heads in response to her meal plans (which included fruit and while on prep, body builders DO NOT eat fruit) and workouts. We couldn’t wrap our heads around how or even why we were paying someone to send me meal plans and workouts late, who couldn’t answer many of my questions, and frankly wasn’t there for me. But alas, I stayed the course.

When I set out to do this, what I was looking for was more than a coach. I was looking for someone to guide and educate me. Someone to bring me into the world of body building and its culture. Someone who could empower me to calculate my own macros and truly understand hypertrophy. What I got instead was someone who spent an hour with me in the corner of a gym teaching me how to pose INCORRECTLY and dropped me with 4 only weeks to my show left claiming she didn’t think I understood and “have what it took to really be a body builder.” Ummmmm, really?! Clearly, this chick didn’t know who she was dealing with.

I wish I could say I felt defeated when my ex-coach dropped me so late in the training process but really I was relieved. It wasn’t working out but who does that kind of thing to a person? Like any other industry, body building is saturated with people who think they’re equipped and qualified to work with eager novice athletes. The truth is you need to do your research. Sometimes looking to save a buck here and there isn’t necessarily the best route. Moving forward, I have learned the value in taking the time to find the right person to help me achieve success and while it may come with a high price tag, it’s worth it.

Unable to dwell to on being coach-less en route to my first show, I posted a vague and inspiring photo on Instgram. What I received in return from people in my circle was not just empathy, but people stepping up to the plate to help me reach my dream of being on that stage. Sometimes, out of darkness grows something so beautiful that it sparkles brightly in the sun. Hell, ain’t nobody gonna dull my shine—that’s for sure.

Years and years ago, I was taking a UCLA Extension class to clear my California State Teaching Credential. My teacher was a petite, sharp, and incredibly likeable woman named Rebecca. Hands down to this date it still reigns as one of the best classes I have ever taken in my life. We remained in contact after the class ended where Rebecca continued to support me in my educational endeavors. She even pushed me to apply and present at a national teaching conference and attended events I hosted at my school. When I say Rebecca is a special woman, special is really an understatement; she is amazing. My newsfeed on Facebook from Rebecca was often filled with pictures of marathons and fun education anecdotes. Until one day it changed when she found body building.

Posing with Rebecca and of course, my trophy

Inspired by Rebecca’s entrance into body building at 50, it gave me the courage to commit to entering my first show. But what’s more, Rebecca proved to be so much more than an inspiration for me. She became my unofficial coach spending her time teaching me how to pose, answering all my questions about peak week, and coming to support me on show day which also meant gluing various parts of my body into my suit [lucky her]. I am so grateful for this woman and the ability to be reconnected with her after all these years and to bond in a different way. Sometimes, you don’t have to look very far to find your people—they were right in front of you the whole time.

Follow Rebecca on Instagram by clicking here.

The age of Instagram and social media has made it easy to befriend like-minded people. Lizzy is one of those people in my realm of fitness and all things yoga, lifting, and inspo. A crossfit coach, power lifter, yogi and major badass—she’s the real deal. Her videos and photos are some of my favorite floating out there in cyberspace, so when I needed help with my workouts—she stepped up and wrote me a program. Not only were her workouts amazing; but they were more demanding than the ones I had initially been prescribed by my former coach. Maybe it was because Lizzy just got me, maybe we are just cut from the same cloth, or maybe Lizzy is just friggen amazing at what she does. Yeah, it’s that. Lizzy, like Rebecca served as a sounding board for me during this process but what’s more is she kindly shared her expertise to help me out because she could. In my eyes, sharing something with someone because you can, without needing nor wanting anything in return is what personifies true kindness and community. Sometimes, you have already found your people if you just look a little closer and forge a connection with the people in those photos we double tap…I imagine there are other Lizzy’s out there willing to help you soar.

Lizzy proves that there is great beauty in physical and emotional strength

Follow Lizzy on Instagram by clicking here.

Show day was something I eagerly looked forward to. I was worried though that I would be spending my day alone since I didn’t know anyone. Were body builders friendly? Were they the kind of people who scoffed at you because you were their competition? Would I be able to make friends? I had no clue and was anxious that I would struggle to connect with others. Oh, how wrong I was. Early into the day I met Julie. I had eyed her from the get-go; a small, gorgeous, girl with curly hair, and the best arms I’ve ever seen. From the instant I saw her, I knew immediately she was competing in the same class and category and I also knew—she was going to win. We were in hair and make up together chatting, giggling, and having a blast when we learned we had much in common like we both worked in fitness. And so, our friendship was born.

Much flexing after my 4th place finish and Julie’s KILLER 1st place showing!

Julie and I spent the entire day together. The more time I spent with her, the more and more I liked her. She is funny, kind, humble, and hard-working. We walked around Muscle Beach and spent the day taking photos with strangers who kept asking us if we were related [which is ridiculous since we look nothing alike, but I’ll take it]. We pumped together before the stage, shared photos, food, and cell phone chargers. And the best part of it all? Sharing the stage with my new-found friend! But it got even better. We were also next to each other on stage; so when Julie took first place in our division, I lit up with excitement and was able to hug her! While we had only been friends for hours at this point, the insta-macy of being together all day for our show made it feel like we were age-old friends. I am beyond excited to have met this radiant soul and I am looking forward to our new friendship. Sometimes, finding your people means you need to do something completely and utterly out of your comfort zone!

Follow Julie on Instagram by clicking here.

Stay tuned for my third installment of The Portrait of a Body Builder, Part III: The Power We Possess. Remember if you don’t already subscribe to my blog to do so by clicking here so you don’t miss a post!

The Portrait of a Body Builder, Part I: Learning How to Love Myself [Again]

Arielle Miller / 200-hr RYT, Abundance, Acceptance, Accountability, Ashtanga Yoga, balance, Body Building, Celebrate, Celebration, Challenges, Fitness, Fitness for Men, Goal Setting, Hard Work, Lifestyle, mindfulness, Strength Training, Teaching, Yoga / Body Building, Figure Competitor, Fitness, Growth, Learning, Lessons, Muscle Beach, Portrait, Strength, Strength Training, Weight Lifting, Yoga / 7 comments

September 7, 2016

It wasn’t until very recently that I realized much of what I do and how I spend my time in my adult life is a reflection of my desire to ‘prove something’. I am not really sure what exactly it is that I feel like I need to prove or why I feel that way, but there’s this insatiable void deep within my heart that feels like I am never good enough, strong enough, pretty enough, or just enough. So when I set out a few months ago to reclaim my body, I thought body building would be a great way to leave my mark on this world exclaiming, I have arrived! While my hope in body building was to initially acquire a slamming body, what I learned through my dieting and training was more than I could have imagined. Some of the most transformative lessons of my adult life happened in the wee dawn hours before the sun slipped above the horizon to wake the world. Body building gave me a purpose that I desperately longed. Perhaps most importantly though, it gave me the self-confidence to find myself again and the permission to finally and truly love myself.

Throughout my fitness career, I have been blessed with abundant opportunities to teach for incredible companies and studios while maintaining my fulltime position as an LAUSD English teacher. And for years, while my schedule swelled with group fitness classes, I constantly defaulted to simply teaching my classes and then heading home after a long day. Depleted mentally, emotionally, and physically drained from my work as a teacher in so many capacities; I told myself that I couldn’t possibly build myself up to work out. I just didn’t have it in me. I was completely empty. What I also told myself was that there wasn’t enough time for my own workouts—I mean, after all, I work full time, teach multiple group fitness classes and formats a week; when was I going to workout? Certainly I wasn’t going to workout in the morning because, well [enter yet another excuse and insert eye roll here]; I’m not a morning person.

Sound familiar? Sound like you and every single other person we all know? Plagued by excuse after excuse, I dimmed my own light. Like so many others, I stood in my own way preventing my light from shining bright. In spite of this, I have concluded and now believe we intentionally thwart our own success. Yes, we actually willingly do this to ourselves. Honestly, I think it’s because we are just afraid of our power. I really do. I think we are afraid that if we unleash our true potential on the world that we’ll have something to uphold and live up to. So rather than aiming high and striving for excellence to constantly improve ourselves; we hold back and restrict, constrict, and suppress our greatness in favor of mediocrity because it’s just easier that way. More safe, more secure, more ordinary rather extraordinary. But for me, committing to a body building competition was my way of telling myself enough of this bullshit—you are better than that. It is your time.

Like most things I do in my life I don’t have any breaks. I just jump in fully and commit absolutely, full speed ahead. I took to my 6-day a week training regimen instantly and never skipped a day or workout. This sometimes meant after a day filled with traveling, hungry, and jet-lagged; I still made it to the gym. Other times it sometimes meant finally getting to the gym as late as 10, 11, or even midnight! I even attended my own birthday party and drank water. I sat through countless family gatherings with chicken cutlets, homemade pizza, and BBQ’s munching on chicken breast and broccoli. I totted a cooler around NYC, onto airplanes, and to friends houses. I made no excuses because this time I was going to do this right; I wasn’t going to give up or quit on myself.

Photo credit: Jen Rosenstein Photography

The more I trained, the less it became about the outcome. Sure, placing in my first show would be really great but I had to detach from that. The work I was doing wasn’t to achieve any sort of external validation, it was only for me. A means to use my body as a vessel to tell a story for the world. To inspire others to find their path and to walk it. To prove to myself that I was so damn worthy of greatness. And perhaps on a level to tell that little chubby girl inside me—the one who haunts me every time I look in the mirror that you are beautiful, smart, talented, and so much more than the number inside your jeans. This journey was about me taking control of my life [for real], taking ownership, and finally proving to no one other than myself that I am effing fantastic. This was my battle cry shouting to the world that I indeed have nothing to prove.

As my training progressed, my yoga practice waned as lifting and cardio started to fill my time. While I may not have been able to practice as much as I typically do or would have liked, my yoga never disappeared. For yoga is so much more than asana (poses). Yoga is something celestial that lives within your heart and the fibers of your being. It’s not really something that you can quantify as it’s an awareness of your body, mind, and spirit—it’s simply just a part of you. My ritualistic yoga practice of staking out my spot in a yoga room, unrolling my mat, and moving my body to my breath was replaced by meditatively portioning out my supplements, packing my gym bag, and pushing, pressing, and pulling weights to my inhales and exhales. So you see, I never abandoned my yoga practice, it transformed.

With my yoga practice nestled closely to my heart, I started to experience something I never could see nor find in a yoga room. Well, actually let me refine that. What I initially found when I discovered yoga was I felt beautiful while practicing. It didn’t matter how big or small I was (as my weight tends to fluctuate pretty drastically). I was boundless on a yoga mat and no one could strip that from me…Until I became a yoga teacher. The competitive nature of the yoga industry, the body shaming, the handstands, fancy arm balances, and the age of the Instagram Yogi made me nauseous. The things I loved and felt while practicing seemed to be replaced with the need to nail an inversion somewhere cool to post on the Interwebs with the hopes of gaining more followers. I found myself swept up not even in the hub-bub of it all but feeling inadequate and frankly, empty on the inside. But body building gave me back something I was seeking and lacking: self-love, acceptance, and it made me feel invincible. Nothing could touch me when I was lifting. No one could hurt me when I was lifting. And no one, and I mean no one made me feel like I wasn’t worthy of something when I was lifting. It was just me, a barbell, and some plates. No bullshit about it. No staging of my photo. No stressing on the perfect alignment. Just grit and determination.

Photo credit: Jen Rosenstein Photography

So if you’re wondering what I learned from training for my body building competition, I learned that I don’t have anything to prove to anyone or myself. And most importantly, I don’t need to proclaim to anyone that I’ve arrived because well, I have purple hair and you can’t miss me. No seriously though, what I’ve taken away from this all is regardless of my placement in the show; I had already won.

Stay tuned for my second installment of The Portrait of a Body Builder, Part II: Finding Your People. Remember if you don’t already subscribe to my blog to do so by clicking here so you don’t miss a post!

Stop Making Excuses and Get Moving NOW

Arielle Miller / Accountability, Adventure, At Home Workouts, balance, Challenges, Commitment, Fitness, Fitness for Men, Goal Setting, Hard Work, Lifestyle, mindfulness, Motivation Monday, Strength Training, Yoga / Believe In Yourself, Body Building, Buddha, Fitness, Making Time, No More Excuses, Results, Set Goals, workout / 0 comments

July 11, 2016

For just over the last month or so I have been working with a body building coach to prepare me for my first-ever competition in early September. My workouts are 6-days a week, my nutrition is 7-days a week, and there is no room for cheating, slip ups, or excuses. Period.

People constantly tell me how amazing they think it is that I am taking on such an endeavor. They praise me for being an inspiration which is most always followed by a statement like “I’m not in good enough shape” or “I could never do that” or “I don’t have the time.” Well, I am here to tell you that all of your excuses regarding why you cannot do something are bullshit. That’s right, I just totally shit-talked you. It is time to get a handle on your relationship with your physical-self. Stop making excuses for yourself to rationalize your own lack of want and/or desire.

Now, I’m not saying to go out and hit your first body building show—I am not saying that at all. What I am saying is that marathon you’ve been meaning to train for, that cardio yoga class you’ve been working up the courage to attend, that Crossfit box that everyone loves but you’re too scared to even walk through the door…I am saying the time is NOW. Sign up for something to train for, register for a class, drop in at a new studio. Stop making excuses why you cannot and should not, and tell yourself that you can and you will.

Here are some real-life applications from my personal experience to help motivate and in turn inspire you to make some new and lasting changes in your life.

Bullshit Excuse #1: “I’m not in good enough shape”

No one is born ‘in-shape’. Ok, scratch that. Some people are more inclined to be more naturally cardiovascularly fit or muscular than others; but no one is born shredded, able to run an ultra marathon, and prepared for a floor routine with the USA gymnastics team in Rio. Every single thing in this world worth having requires hard work, grit, and determination. And I mean everything, not just fitness related stuff.

It all starts with committing to yourself and under no circumstance giving up or quitting. To bring this to real life, as I mentioned earlier I started training for my first body building show. Not close to being in the best shape I have been in, not knowing a soul in the industry, and unaware of the work I would need to put in; I committed to something so huge to grow myself. In just one short month, you can see my progress.

After all, as Lao Tzu said “The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.” One foot in front of the other. We all start somewhere and it’s most certainly not where we want to be–so why keep putting it off? You’re worth it, so start striving for greatness.

Bullshit Excuse #2: “I could never do that”

Negative self-talk is about as effective as trying to solve an algebra problem by chewing gum. If you want something, and I mean anything you could ever possibly want to achieve, you’ve gotta get that mind right. Not believing in yourself is defeating and damning—do not allow it to be your downfall.

For me it’s simple, when I am in a workout I look in the mirror to see the sweat pouring down my face. I think to myself, “Hell yea, badass!” It starts there. Then I keep moving and when it gets hard I repeat to myself over and over and over and over again in my head “I can do this, I can do this, I can do this. I am strong. I am making progress. I can do this.” When you are hustling your butt off for something you want so deeply, you cannot allow the word ‘never’ to pollute your mind. You certainly can do whatever you want, you just need to make the choice to want it.

Bullshit Excuse #3: “I don’t have the time”

We all have the same 24 hours in each day. What you do with it is what separates you from everyone else. Whether you work full time, have children, or are simply overwhelmed by life and its responsibilities; congratulations. You are just like everyone else. We all have lives, people that love us, need us, and demand our attention. We all also have interests that we pursue, or waste countless hours on social media scrolling, refreshing our feed, then scrolling some more, to open Instagram and repeat the same god-awful process (GUILTYYYYYY). We all have lives. But how often are we using our time effectively? I know, as an adult having someone call you out on not using your time wisely totally sucks BUT, are you maximizing every single day to its utmost potential? Chances are you are not because you don’t want it bad enough. Here’s a story to help hit home for ya.

Buddha was wondering through the forest. He was carrying a very heavy sack when he happened to come across another traveler in the woods. Tired from carrying the sack the Buddha (unbeknownst to the traveler) asked if the traveler would help him. The traveler responded by telling Buddha that sadly he could not, as his own journey was very long and his own belongings were heavy. Finally, Buddha opened the sack to reveal its contents to be filled with gold. Interestingly enough, the traveler could now find the strength to help the Buddha.

I love this story for its simplicity reveals mankind’s truest nature of being self-serving. We are more inclined to help someone, get involved in something, or take action when the end result will somehow benefit us. Well, when it comes to yourself it all should benefit you. Make the time for yourself because you deserve it. Get up before the kids and go for a run in the brisk morning air, hit your yoga mat, or have breakfast alone relishing in the stillness of the day that is yet to come. Stay up late reading your favorite smutty romance novel for no other reason other than you like it and want to, go for an evening walk after dinner, or lift some weight in the garage. Stop telling yourself that you do not have the time to things, you do, you just need to make the time by making time with yourself a priority.

Yoga for Runners

Arielle Miller / balance, Fitness, Fitness for Men, Lifestyle, Sports, Yoga / At Home Fitness, at home workouts, athlete, Balance, Fitness, running, stretching, Yoga, yoga for runners / 2 comments

July 8, 2016

Running is a great way to get fit while blowing off some major steam. But as awesome as that runner’s high is, running can wreak havoc on our muscles and joints. So to counter that intense pounding of the pavement, kick off your shoes and restore some balance to your body. Incorporate cross-training into your running regimen to prevent injury and aid in recovery. Yoga is a wonderful way to get your body moving differently and keep it moving. Help preserve your body by integrating this short yoga sequence designed specifically for runners into your life 2-3x a week and thrive!

Tackle these poses after a short warm up such as a light jog or another basic yoga flow. Try to hold each pose for a cycle of 5-8 breaths and repeat the entire sequence 3x on each side. You will feel and experience some intensity in many of these poses, but keep breathing and ease up as needed.

Low Lunge

Benefits: Stretches hamstrings, quadriceps, and groin. Releases tension in the hips and strengthens the knees. Other cool facts: Cultivates balance and helps build mental focus and clarity.

The Deal: Start in a runner’s lunge with your hands framing the front foot. Make sure that the knee and ankle are stacked, and in line with the first 2 front toes—be careful to make sure that the knee slides forward past the ankle to protect the knee. Scissoring the thighs together, sweep the arms above the head while focusing on stacking the vertebrae.

Modifications: Rest the hands softly on the front knee, keep the hands on your waist, or join the hands in prayer at the heart.

Variations: Join the hands together above your head, and/or drop the hands behind the head, with the elbows aimed towards the sky cradling the head for more of a backbend.

Quad stretch

Benefits: Stretches the quadriceps of the back leg and opens the hip flexors. Other cool facts: Opens the shoulders and chest, releases the back muscles with a gentle twist.

The Deal: From your runner’s lunge, carefully lower the hands back down to the earth to frame your foot again. With your left foot remaining forward, slowly drop your right knee to the ground. With the right arm remaining planted, circle the left arm back and reach for your toes. When coming out of this pose be careful to slowly release the leg down towards the earth.

Modifications: If reaching for your toes is challenging, use a yoga strap hooked around your foot as you gently pull your foot towards your body. If you experience knee tenderness, place a blanket under your back leg.

Variations: To intensify this stretch, lower onto your forearm.

Revolved Lunge Pose

Benefits: Stretches the psoas and hips, stimulates strengthening and stretching of the quadriceps and gluteus muscles. Other cool facts: Stimulates abdominal organs, improves digestions and elimination, and improves balance.

The Deal: From your runner’s lunge, bring the hands to your heart in prayer. Twist at the navel and bring the right tricep across your body to the outside of your left thigh. Press the top hand into the bottom hand and peel the right rib cage towards the sky.

Modifications: If taking the twist is challenging, try manually moving the right arm across the body with assistance from the left hand to find some depth. Also, if you have a neck injury, keep the gaze down.

Variations: Straighten the back leg to work your balance in a different capacity and/or open your arms.

Pyramid Pose

Benefits: Stretches the hips and hamstrings while lengthening the spine. Other cool facts: Decreases pressure in the upper body and relaxes the shoulders and neck.

The Deal: From your runner’s low lunge, shorten your stance by walking the right leg in towards the left so that both heels can touch the ground. Turn the right toes away from the body slightly for stability. Bring the hands to your waist and lift yourself up to standing by straightening the left leg. Bring the hands to prayer at your heart and lower with with a flat back, placing your palms on the ground.

Modifications: If your palms do not reach the floor, you may come to your fingertips, or place your hands on blocks. You may also keep a flat back if lowering all the way down is too intense and/or keep your hands at your waist.

Variations: Bring the hands in prayer behind you for reverse Namaste or prayer.

Standing Pigeon

Benefits: Increases mobility and range of motion by relieving tension and discomfort in the hip area. Strengthens knee and ankle joints, as well as the thigh muscles. Other cool facts: Increases circulation.

The Deal: From your pyramid pose, bring the back foot to the front of your mat. With the hands at your heart, lift the right leg towards the sky by bending the knee and flexing the toes. Bend into the left knee and carefully lower the right ankle atop the left thigh. Keep a deep bend in the standing leg.

Modifications: Take this pose laying on your back and thread the left hand through the opening in the legs, then met the right hand by interlacing your fingers. Gently press the thigh into the clasped hands.

Variations: Play with the arms—lift them to the sky or bring them straight in front of you. You can also hold onto something stable to sit back into and intensify the hip stretch.

A Beginners Guide to Yoga for Men

Arielle Miller / balance, Blog, Fitness, Fitness for Men, mindfulness, Workout Wednesday, Yoga / Beginner Yoga, Fabletics, Fabletics Master, Fitness, Try New Things, Workout Wednesday, Yoga, Yoga for Men / 0 comments

June 22, 2016

I hear it all the time from the women who come to yoga, “My husband won’t come because he thinks yoga is for chicks”…”My boyfriend isn’t flexible”…”My so and so is afraid of looking silly and not knowing what do…” And the list goes on and on why men can’t and don’t do yoga. But the truth is, most men don’t do much cardio either—does that mean they are healthy? The answer is no. Sure your bulging biceps are banging but if you can’t touch your toes how is that serving you, comfortable, or functional? Yoga helps us live in our bodies better. Yoga helps lubricate our muscles keeping them limber and providing an ease with which we can move through space effectively in the long term. But aside from the physical benefits of increased mobility, myofascial release, and stretching; yoga’s mind-body connection helps facilitate an internal dialogue that for many would never occur if they weren’t forced to look inward. Simply put, yoga helps make us better humans, period. I get it, many dudes aren’t into that woo-woo stuff [yet]. Start with the basics: movement then breath, all the rest will fall into place in its own time. All the same, here’s a piece I wrote for Fabletics to get you boys more balanced mentally and physically by giving you tips to hit your mat, from what to wear, where to buy it, and how to get your yoga on!

ENJOY!

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO YOGA FOR MEN

06.21.16 Fabletics Masters

We all have heard the many benefits to yoga, but if you’ve never been to a studio, taken a class, or learned the crazy language is that’s used in class, the sheer thought of just starting seems daunting. In this piece, I’ll demystify your first time in a class, while giving you step by step instructions on how to tackle your own mini-yoga flow to familiarize you with some basics. Now, get your mat and let’s get moving! First, find a studio or class that interests you and choose a class that is geared towards beginners. Not all classes are suitable for beginners, so make sure to read the class descriptions ahead of time.

After you have selected a studio and class, now it’s time to figure out what you are going to wear. Since yoga is the type of fitness class that emphasizes movement of your body in all sorts of awesome ways, you want to be comfortable. Ideally, something a bit more form-fitting to avoid your shirt from getting in your way. Avoid anything too heavy like sweats, unless you are taking a gentle or restorative class. I also recommend bringing a light long sleeve in case you get cold towards the end of class or during your workout.

Upon arriving to your class, make sure you get there early (15 minutes works) to fill out any paperwork that maybe required, change if needed, stow your things, find parking, you know the drill. Introduce yourself to the instructor. Let them know you are new and if you have any injuries or limitations. I suggest setting your mat up somewhere in the middle of the room to allow for the best vantage point of other participants.

Don’t be afraid to say hi to the person next to you. Ask them about their practice, the studio, or even life. Yoga is all about building community and connections, so don’t be afraid of your neighbors.

If you are just not ready for a class or want to tackle some basics on your own, Sun Salutation A, also known in Sanskrit as Surya Namaskara A, is a sequence used to frame the early portions of most types of yoga classes. While there are many variations, it covers many poses that are called upon frequently during one’s practice. So this heating introductory flow is a great starting point for newer yogis and seasoned ones to incorporate when hitting their mats.

Yoga for Men

Start by standing at the top of your mat in what is known as Mountain Pose, or Tadasana. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms at your sides. Turn the palms to face forward and lengthen your fingertips by spreading them apart. Take 5 breaths here to settle into the space.

Yoga for men

Inhale as you sweep your arms out to the side and overhead into your Upward Salute, or Urdhva Hastasana. Gaze toward the sky, then bring the hands to rest at your heart in prayer for one breath.

Yoga for men

Repeat the sweeping of the arms upward, then exhale as you fold in half at the hips into a Standing Forward fold, or Uttanasana. Bend the knees if needed and rest your hands beside your feet while drawing your nose towards your knees.

Inhale as you lift your chest halfway, lengthening into a flat back. Shift your weight towards the fronts of your feet while keeping your finger tips on the floor or press your hands into your shin for Half-Standing Forward Fold, or Ardha Uttanasana.

Yoga for men

Exhale as you step back into a plank pose with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and feet hip-width part. Inhale and shift your entire body forward so that you are on the fronts of your toes, and exhale as your lower your body to the ground for Four-Limbed Staff Pose, or Chaturanga Dandasana. Remember, as you lower, keep your elbows close to your body, almost as if your inner biceps are skinning your ribs.

yoga for men

Uncurl your toes for Cobra Pose, or Bhujangasana as you press the tops of the feet into the earth, inhaling as you draw your chest forward and straighten your arms. Relax the shoulders, letting them fall away from the ears and relax the glutes.

Yoga for Men

Re-curl the toes and exhale, while lifting the hips to Downward Facing Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana. Ground down through your hands and heels as you lift your sitting bones to the sky. Close your eyes or gaze through your knees for a cycle of 5 breaths while workings to lengthen your heels towards the earth (it’s ok if they don’t touch, but work to elongate those hamstrings).

Bring the feet to touch, and on an inhale, lift your heels, then bend your knees. Exhale as you walk your feet to meet your hands and repeat steps 2-7 about 10 more times.

Arielle Miller, Fabletics Master

Fitness for Men

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO YOGA FOR MEN

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