Today we have Maryam Aarang on the blog.
Lauryn and her were introduced by Brent Hruska, their joint coach. Brent is all about balance, being healthy in all aspects of life, and an advocate for women’s weight lifting. If you haven’t listened to his podcast yet, you can check it out here and in the meantime, his scope blog post too.
Either way, Maryam has such a good story that she’s here to share with us and it’s all about fitness, and especially weight training with Brent that has changed lives and bodies how is hers.
From her two pregnancies to her near-death experience of pneumonia, to taking her health seriously, to starting her own salsa company (which Lauryn says died from!!), Maryam is in here to share all the benefits she experienced from weight training, yoga, sauna/ice baths, healthy eating, and taking your health seriously.
With that, let’s welcome Maryam to the blog.
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Hello TSC!
I’m Maryam, a woman in the process of becoming & growing, mother of two sons, Mexican-Persian, businessman and yogi. I am very curious about this human experience and I am always looking for ways to live better.
I am constantly learning how to guide myself by listening to my body and following my intuition.
My fitness journey started when I was growing up watching my dad run every day at 6am in preparation for marathons; I can still smell his sweat and hear his morning speeches about the importance of health.
After giving birth to my second child in 2020, I became very ill with pneumonia. I feel the line between life and death and life feels completely different after going through this experience. I got a second chance and this is a wake-up call.
I felt an undeniable desire for change so I took advantage of the momentum and started making new decisions. I started by doing some childhood work in therapy, opening up old wounds and old beliefs. I know that much of my depression and sadness is due to my own self-talk. I feel like I’m not enough and I don’t believe I deserve the life I want. Deep down I know that in order for me to be who I want to be I need to believe, love, and accept myself.
Feeling good in my body was a priority and I needed to make a big change to feel happy and provide this new energy to my children and family. I’m a fitness junkie and I love pushing myself to the limit; so trying new exercises is fun. I’ve tried HIT, Pilates, dance, and other cardio exercises but I haven’t seen a big change.
Finally, I started weightlifting with Brent Hruska from Brent’s Bodies. You may have heard him on TSC HIM & HER audio files or read his blog post. I started seeing him in March 2021 and I started to notice my body change immediately. I started to feel very strong and motivated and I knew I just had to keep going.
I used my motivation and consistency to change up my daily habits like drinking more water, no caffeine or alcohol during the week, sauna sessions/cold water dips (more tips on that here), eat plenty of nutritious and protein-rich foods, practice yoga daily, stretch, working breath… You have an idea.
Before weight training with Brent, I tried different fitness methods. I joined LA fitness and did some cardio + weights on my own, I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing so I joined Barre and dance fitness. I like to burn with certain exercises, focusing on specific muscles and making them work. I like to sweat, move my body to loud music and feel my feminine energy. During this time of my life, these exercises have benefited my mental health. I don’t focus on changing my body, too much when I focus on changing my mind.
During my pregnancy, I wanted to exercise to feel good so I continued to dance, increasing my serotonin levels to make me feel better. Exercising when you’re feeling low or sad is the best medicine.
Also, setting goals in your fitness journey is very important, for me, I want to completely change my body after having a baby. I truly believe that at 34, I can wear a bikini and feel comfortable. I want to start a new routine that fits my lifestyle and will help me feel comfortable as I get older.
The combination of strength training and yoga is the perfect match for my body and lifestyle. Brent has helped me combine different activities that will help with my weight journey like rush into the cold and sauna, reading comprehension and meditationtherapy, herbal medicine, alcohol-free and mostly caffeine-free.
I’ve learned a lot about my body and health, and now I feel like I have a great routine that works perfectly. This year, I changed my body, I also did yoga.
It all depends on your fitness goals but, my advice is to focus on an exercise that feels good in your body, gives you results, keeps you motivated and most importantly makes you feel good mentally and physically.
Weight training helps me feel healthy inside and out and I can go on with my day feeling energized. I never felt so disciplined and focused until I started working with Brent. It’s fun and energizing to be around other women who push themselves. I love challenging myself and creating new goals every month. It keeps me motivated and curious to feel better.
I started this journey because I wanted to feel happier, healthier, happier. I feel better than I’ve ever felt before. The idea of getting the body you want is POSSIBLE. With consistency and focus, the weight changed my body completely. My muscles are leaner and toned than ever. I have never felt more confident, strong, feminine and beautiful.
My favorite exercises are chin lifts, squats and deadlifts; Also sprinting, training outside in nature. It has been more than a year of persistence to improve my health and body. Brent is a great coach, trainer and instructor. He believes in me and reminds me of my strength and how strong I am.
That is the key to TRUST your coach and AGREEMENT. You can achieve anything you want in your life, but first you have to BELIEVE that you can get it.
In the process of ‘becoming’, I began to feel my own strength. I let the feminine energy run through my creative self, feeling my passion, I started cooking in the kitchen with all the flavors I was missing from my homeland and culture; I started my own salsa company. Chulas Salsas, healthy, spicy, rich and fun flavors to add to your dishes. You can always find us at @chulassalsas either at Tiny Grocer in South Congress (Austin, TX) or very soon you’ll be able to buy them via our website www.eatchulas.com.
This is your story, your life. Believe in yourself and know that the universe will conspire for you to get there. YOU can make your choice. Live by commitment, commit to sobriety, commit to living life to the fullest, commit to courage, commit to developing an unconditional friendship with yourself, pledge to never stop until you get there.
Maryam.
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We hope you enjoyed this post, and if you’re in the Austin area be sure to pick up some of Maryam’s salsa at Small grocer. And if you want to start lifting weights, increase Brent @bodiesbybrentatx.
x, Skinny’s Secret team.
+ stalk these tips to keep meals healthy at restaurants.
++ payment Lauryn’s Favorite Sugar-Free Wine. (like no hangovers, guys).
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