Cynthia found out she could

Cynthia Annest wanted to try something she’d been telling herself she couldn’t do. Approaching 40, she decided to start doing things outside her comfort zone. That decision brought her to Timber & Steel.

“I guess my brain would limit me and say, you can’t do that,” she told me at her 90-day review. “This little frame, this little person can’t do this? Are you kidding me?” She came in willing to find out, even with that doubt in her head.

Ask Cynthia what she’s proudest of, and she brings up the barbell. Lifting 45 pounds overhead meant a lot to someone who’d always considered herself a little dainty. She’d done something she hadn’t expected herself to be able to do, and she wanted to tell someone about it.

“I still feel like really, really proud of myself,” she said. “Look what I’m doing.”

The way she got there matters. Cynthia likes hearing her coaches talk about scaling, which means adjusting the work to fit what she can do today. She can practice the technique, add weight when she’s ready, or take some off when she needs to. That gives her room to learn without feeling rushed.

“I really have enjoyed hearing that word because it gives me the confidence of like I don’t have to be up here each time,” she said. “I can work on the technique.”

She remembers a coach working with her on squats early on. Getting down into a squat felt out of reach, but the coach had her practice a little at a time. Now she can get into a deep squat. She talks about that with the same surprise and pride she brings to lifting the barbell.

“You come in and you work on some things and no one’s here to rush you to do it,” she said. If you’ve ever looked at a workout and wondered whether you’re ready for it, that’s worth knowing. A coach can help you find a version you can practice and build on.

The people at Timber & Steel have also been part of what made Cynthia comfortable here. When I asked what had surprised her about her first 90 days, she talked about enjoying the people who come to the gym. Along with the coaching, that comfort has helped her keep trying.

She’s noticed more energy and more confidence to go do things. Feeling comfortable trying something new here has carried into trying other things, including piano and kickboxing. She describes doing a whole lot more, and her days feeling less mundane.

What’s next? Cynthia wants to keep getting stronger and moving well as she gets older. Her overall goal is still to be healthy and keep doing things, rather than gradually sitting more and moving less. “I’m just like, yay, I’m happy I can move.”

If you’d like a coach to help you figure out where to start, book a Free Intro Call with Timber & Steel. We can talk about what you want to be able to do and what kind of training would fit you. I’ll leave the advice to Cynthia: “You can do it and you don’t have to push yourself so hard.”