Lady Lifter Spotlight: Audrey!

Name: Audrey Chapuis

Blog: www.audreymarychapuis.com/blog.html

Twitter: @audchaps

Instagram: @audreymarychaps

Pinterest: audreymary27

Facebook: audreymarychapuis

Location: Originally from Austin, TX, now living in London, UK

Age: 34

What types physical activity do you enjoy? 

Lifting, walking, hiking and working up a sweat on good old-fashioned cardio machines at the gym (even though that’s not so cool these days). Really any sport that I can do solo and that doesn’t involve objects being thrown in my direction.

How did you get started in weight lifting? How long have you been lifting?

I’ve been lifting for two and a half years. I’d always been a gym dabbler, but I was introduced to the big lifts by the New Rules of Lifting books. Before that I’d never attempted a proper deadlift and had avoided the most intimidating apparatus: the squat rack.

Doing cardio and lifting the odd, tiny weight here and there I hadn’t seen much progress, but following a prescribed, progressive program, I was floored by the strength gains I made. According to the BodPod body composition test I gained 5 pounds of muscle and lost 10 pounds of fat. If you’re considering the New Rules programs, I chronicled my experience with them here.

Favorite lift? 

The master of all lifts: The Squat. To attempt the squat, you have to buck up and make your way into the Testosterone Zone, that part of the gym usually inhabited by sweaty, grunting men who know their way around the iron. Don’t worry, they won’t give you a second glance, because they’re concentrating on their own reflection (“How’s my pump? My vascularity? Am I getting swole?”) and that’s perfectly fine. In fact, once you’ve built some muscle yourself, you might just ask yourself those same questions as you look in the mirror with that Olympic Bar on your shoulders.

First, you take time setting up the rack to your own specifications. It’s part of the ritual. Getting it the right height, finding the weight clips that you like. Then, you’ll back up to the bar, nestle it snugly onto your now-built traps and squeeeeeze on your way down. Your glutes will curse you, and then later, over time, they will salute you. And, of course, there’s a specific art and science to the form of the squat. I recommend Becoming a Supple Leopard for technique).

In addition to the traditional barbell version, I will take any old squat. Give me a body weight squat, dumbbell squat, prisoner squat, split squat, goblet squat or sumo squat, and I am a happy woman.

Current lifting-related goal:

That first elusive pullup. Perhaps one of the reasons I like squats so much is that my glutes have always been pretty strong. Conversely, I sported Tyrannosaurus arms when I began lifting, so I still have a way to go in terms of upper body strength. I’m still working toward a proper pullup with lat pulldowns, negatives and assisted pullups.

Advice for new lifters or those reluctant to try: 

Don’t be intimidated by the oceans of advice on the internet. Pick a program, stick with it and measure your results. As they say, what gets measured, gets managed. You will learn as you go naturally and you’ll seek advice when you need it. Also, you don’t need to be perfectly equipped when you begin; there are some fantastic programs out there using just bodyweight or a few kettlebells. Josh Hillis has some great ones.

Progress is not linear. Lifting, or any fitness pursuit, becomes more about getting to know your body and getting comfortable with it than just getting fit or shedding fat. In fact, your ideals about your body and bodies in general might change. Your concept of beauty might shift as you become stronger and feel more at home in your body. I wrote more about my changing ideals in a blog post: Deliberate Body.

Most importantly, it’s fun to be strong! You can impress your friends with your pushups, offer to carry someone’s heavy groceries, or just appreciate your own pump in the mirror by the squat rack.

To Weigh or Not to Weigh, that is the question: 

The scale has gotten a justifiably bad rap lately. Fitness professionals across the blogosphere are shouting, “Ditch the scale!” And, I agree with them if you personally feel harassed by it. If you notice your heart sinking when you even approach the scale, then ditch it, at least for awhile. But, I do believe strongly in measuring your progress. So, take that body comp test, snap those bikini selfies, try on those thermometer jeans as Rachel Cosgrove calls them, and if you’re comfortable with it, step on the scale to track your progress. With technology, we’re moving into an age of the Quantified Self, and if you’re working on building strength, you are your own grand experiment with fascinating changes to measure.

Speaking of bikini selfies, I didn’t include any shots in this profile (even though I do have a secret cache of progress pics) because:

1) I’m shy.

2) Since starting lifting, my body has been all over the place. If I posted a bikini picture on the internet I would find the one taken at my leanest with the best light on the perfect day in the hormonal cycle, and it would be disingenuous. And, I don’t yet have the courage to post a “before lifting” pic, but bravo to those who do!

Two and a half years is a long time, and I’ve been up and down in weight, my shape changing all the time. I’ve leaned down after a month of clean living, and I’ve packed on the pounds after indulging in too much guacamole and beer on vacation. We’re all human. But, lifting is the art that brings us back to the important things, the pursuit of health and strength and an improved relationship with our bodies.

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How would you like to be the next in the spotlight? I love to spotlight ladies in all fitness levels; it does not matter if you are a brand new lifter or a seasoned veteran! Check out the past spotlights and contact me for details!