Erica N. found she likes lifting heavy

Erica N. came to Timber & Steel looking for an outlet to release stress and meet some new people. She wanted a community, and she wanted to feel better in her own skin. Ninety days into training, she’s also found something she hadn’t expected: she likes lifting heavy.

“I think I didn’t realize how much I like to lift heavy. That definitely did surprise me.” She’s finding that her arms are stronger than she thought, too. Getting to pick up a weight and find out what she can do has become one of the things she enjoys about being here.

One recent group workout gave her another reason to be proud. Erica completed six full rounds, close to the seven she saw other women completing. The work was hard, and she had sweat dripping, but she could feel her fitness improving. As she put it, “It just didn’t suck.”

That distinction matters to Erica. She can work hard and still have a good class. And when we talked about the biggest change she’s noticed in her day-to-day life, her answer was simple: “everything just doesn’t feel as hard.”

There are still days when she doesn’t feel like coming. But she’s learned something about those days: “I know I don’t want to go, but I know I’m going to feel better because I came.” She keeps showing up with that experience behind her.

The people in the room matter, too. Erica described wanting a gym where someone knows you when you walk in and says it’s great to see you. “And that’s the gym environment that you’ve created.” She’s starting to find the community she came looking for, with room to joke, work hard, and have the workout adjusted to how she’s doing that day.

Her goals are still hers to keep working toward. She wants to continue getting stronger, lose some weight, and feel healthier and more comfortable in her own skin. “Continuing to feel better about me,” she said. She’s pleased with the direction she’s going and wants to keep going.

If you’re looking for a place to train, Erica’s advice is to pay attention to how that place supports you. For her, that includes people who welcome her on a hard day and meet her where she is. Her starting point is straightforward: “The place that’s right for you.”