Lee - Eat. Lift. Thrive.

Sohee Lee

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Lee, Sohee, 1989- author.

Title: Eat. Lift. Thrive. / Sohee Lee.

Description: Champaign, IL : Human Kinetics, [2017] | Includes

bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017017225 (print) | LCCN 2016050380 (ebook) | ISBN

9781492545910 (ebook) | ISBN 9781492545903 (print)

Subjects: LCSH: Women--Health and hygiene. | Physical fitness for women.

Classification: LCC RA778 (print) | LCC RA778 .L464 2017 (ebook) | DDC

613.7/045--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017017225

ISBN: 978-1-4925-4590-3 (print)

Copyright 2017 by Sohee Lee

All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

This publication is written and published to provide accurate and authoritative information relevant to the subject matter presented. It is published and sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering legal, medical, or other professional services by reason of their authorship or publication of this work. If medical or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

The web addresses cited in this text were current as of February 2017, unless otherwise noted.

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Senior Developmental Editor: Cynthia McEntire

Managing Editor: Caitlin Husted

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Indexer: Andrea Hepner

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Senior Graphic Designer: Joe Buck

Cover Designer: Keri Evans

Photograph (cover): Human Kinetics

Photographs (interior): Human Kinetics

Visual Production Assistant: Joyce Brumfield

Photo Production Manager: Jason Allen

Models: Sohee Lee, Hyla Conrad, Karey Northington, Shelley Cook

Senior Art Manager: Kelly Hendren

Illustrations: Human Kinetics

Printer: Versa Press

We thank Eric and Karey Northington for their assistance in providing the location for the photo shoot for this book.

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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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E7002

I dedicate this book to my Umma and Abba for fostering my love for learning and to my mentors, Bret Contreras and Layne Norton, for believing in my potential, encouraging me to pursue my passion, and gently nudging me into the world of science.

Squat

Hinge Pattern

Bridge Pattern

Lateral Rotary

Upper-Body Push

Upper-Body Pull

Single-Joint Exercises

When it comes to the fitness industry, I dont envy women. Not because I think men are superior or that women are somehow inferiorquite the contrary. I dont envy women because they come into this industry facing more assumptions, expectations, pressure, and, quite frankly, nonsense compared to men. Ladies, at what age were you first told that you should be skinny? When was the first time you felt compelled to go on a diet? When was the first time you were made to feel guilty for having a bad food? For many of you, this would have occurred before the age of 10. Most males dont think about such things before high school or even later.

As a coach, I receive e-mails every week from women broken by the fitness industry. They dont feel good enough, they arent fit enough, they arent skinny enough, they dont eat clean enough. Why cant they look like their favorite fitness models, no matter how hard they try? Why does it feel like the harder they work, the further away from their goals they get?

Instead of helping these women build more confidence and improve health, and directing them to the correct things, the fitness industry attempts to exploit insecurities for a profit. Confidence is bad for business, because being happy with yourself doesnt sell. After all, if you feel good about yourself, why do you need what Joe Schmoe fitness guru is trying to sell you? Week after week, Im inundated with e-mails from women who have tried every fad diet, supplement, six-week challenge, weird piece of fitness equipment, and new it workout in an effort to find the magic piece of the puzzle. The result of this journey is an emotional roller coaster that leaves them bitter and hopeless, with their fitness goals sliding further away from them.

Ive been blessed to see women make their way back from rock bottom. To not only improve their physiques, but to reach a point where they were so confident going through the journey of fitness that they didnt care about other peoples opinions or judgments. Where they could crush weights during the day, have plenty of energy, and eat a piece of chocolate at night without feeling guilty or gorging on the whole bag.

The balance of mental fitness with physical fitness is often overlooked. I know plenty of women with ripped physiques who are beasts in the gym. Would I consider the majority of them healthy? Honestly, after working with many of them, I wouldnt. Even if you have a six-pack and can squat 250 pounds, are you really healthy if you call yourself fat, cant be happy in a relationship, constantly compare yourself to others, receive your validation only through likes on Instagram, and struggle daily with an eating disorder? No, I certainly wouldnt consider you healthy. There are women who achieve the balance of overall mental and physical fitness, but its not easy. Most women dont even know where to start.

Enter Sohee Lee. I was fortunate to meet Sohee early in her fitness journey. She was a young writer who wanted to interview me for her blog, and I was impressed with her approach to fitness and health. Her struggles with self-image and food issues pushed her to learn more in an effort to help others. At the time we met, I was drowning in client e-mails, and my business was growing so rapidly that I needed help. Sohee reached out to me, never asking for payment in return for becoming my assistant (of course, I paid her), and she made a huge difference to me. I knew that I wouldnt be able to keep her as my assistant for long. She was too smart, too talented, and too driven to settle for being an assistant. When she was ready to step out on her own, I couldnt have been more proud. And as my cohost on the podcast