Lift Your Way To A Strong Rocking Bod!
After leaving the military and following her husband to each duty station, Cassie Lambert quickly found herself out of work for the first time since she was 15. Despite having served for six years as an Interrogator in the Army with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as well as having a Masters degree, she could not get hired at the new duty station which at first broke her spirit.
She then took the decision to take her career into her own hands and never let another move dictate her career path again. She received personal training certification through NASM and started her own personal training business. After one year and another military move, she took that business completely online creating strength driven programs such as Lift Like a Boss. She also has a FB group of over 3,000 women that she mentors, called the Lady Lifting Community.
Women Fitness is #CelebratingWomen this International Women’s Day, with a new story of an inspirational woman going out every day. Lets check out the next one of the army woman Cassie Lambert.
Women Fitness:
You made the decision to take your career into your own hands and received personal training certification through NASM and started your own personal training business. Tell us about the milestones that you faced on this journey.
Cassie Lambert:
When I first started my personal training business I had no idea where to start. I felt confident in my skill set as a trainer but not as a business woman. So I started simple I purchased a few sets of dumbbells, kettlebells and a yoga mat. Scouted some local parks for a meet up and then posted my services in local FB groups And it worked. I had 5 clients within my first month. But I made a lot of mistakes by charging way too little (below industry standard). I also offered to accommodate people 30-40 mins away which meant I spent a lot of my day driving (not getting paid) and then would have no shows. That first year was tough, I loved so many of my clients but I was worn out going from 6am to 6pm and barely making enough for childcare.
Raising my prices, standing up to clients who did not pay or show up, and owning my self-worth as a fitness professional was a tough hurdle to overcome but when I made that transition from “I just want to help” to an empowered business woman I became a better coach and trainer because I fell back in love with why I chose this path.
Even today I make mistakes, I don’t always hit the goals I have set for myself but falling short only builds a stronger foundation for all the success and growth that is yet to come.
Women Fitness:
How has fitness changed your life?
Cassie Lambert:
I started weight lifting because I did not like to be seen as weak when I served in the Army and to earn the trust of those I served with that I could carry my own weight if ever put in harms way but what has kept me going is the peace and confidence it gave me to take on every single one of life’s challenges. My workout is not just a routine to stay fit…it is the place I go to relieve stress, to clear my head, to strengthen my mind so that I can be a better mother, wife, coach, and human being to those around me.
Women Fitness:
How have you been able to help women through your FB group called the Lady Lifting Community?
Cassie Lambert:
I created the Lady Lifting Community to provide three main things:
- The “how to” on how to start strength training in order to empower women to overcome their fear of the weight room.
- Break through the white noise in the fitness industry of fads and quick fixes and focus on the science
- Help Women shift their focus away from the weight on the scale to the weight they hold in their hands with every single rep.
Here are a few words from the women inside the group:
This group has been fantastic! When you head to the gym and it’s filled with guys it’s very intimidating, but this group has given me confidence in the gym and let me know there are a whole bunch of inspiring weightlifting women. I feel people are so open to helping one another out. And you are so great at answering questions Cassie”
This group has helped me become a lot more confident in myself. Anytime I feel like I’m struggling with anything, I can post in the group with my concerns and these ladies help me through it to improve myself. We boost each other up when we’re down and overall help each other overcome obstacles. I don’t think I’d be who I am now in the gym without the amazing support of the lady lifting community”
There is always someone there with support or advice, it helps myself and others to enjoy and celebrate being a strong woman who has weak moments. There’s always encouragement, there’s venting, there is just a place for us to feel like we belong even if we doubt it outside of the group and I don’t post much but I see it all happening in this tiny corner of the Internet and it helps me to not give up on my own goals, no matter how small they are.”
Women Fitness:
Share with us your top 5 tips from the strength training program, Lift Like a Boss.
Cassie Lambert:
- Quality over quantity: Building muscle does not require a 2-hour weight lifting marathon. Simply put, too much of a good thing can have a negative impact on your progress for both muscle gains and fat loss. 45-60 mins of well thought out training plan is all you need to build muscle and strength.
- Prioritize weight lifting over cardio. Think of weight lifting as the centre of your workout and cardio is dessert. You can sprinkle some in at the end but it’s not always needed.
- There is only one path to building muscle time, consistency, and effort.
- Fuel your body to build muscle, perform, and recover. You have to properly feed your body to build the muscle you are working so hard in the gym to gain.
- Focus on form not weight. Once you get hit by the weight lifting bug you will naturally want to increase weight but do not sacrifice good form in order to boost your ego.
Women Fitness:
This International Women’s Day, what advice would you like to give to the women out there?
Cassie Lambert:
Never let fear of what people may think keep you from achieving your own goals. You are stronger than you think.
For more such real inspiring stories on this Women’s Day, click here.
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