Team FP flexes their thoughts…
By FP contributor, Sarah Moxham.
Ready for adventure? We are too. Follow along with the FP Movement team as we try new things, challenge ourselves, and get active.
I consider myself fit; I’m a lifelong runner, I played field hockey in high school, I do things. I am, however, not a weightlifter. I see women in the gym out-squatting men almost every day, and I silently cheer them on from my corner with my 10lb dumbbells. So when I walked into Steelworks Strength Systems on Wednesday afternoon, I was feeling uncertain of my ability to complete the weightlifting class we signed up for – but was pleasantly surprised to be welcomed into a warm, inviting environment instead of the cold, metallic, (sometimes) smelly gyms I envision.
While the health benefits of weightlifting are pretty intuitive (muscles are always in), it’s important to know that weightlifting can also improve cardiovascular health, joint mobility, and flexibility. Regardless of your activity level or experience, your body can greatly benefit from regular weightlifting workouts – and no, you don’t need to bench 100lbs to feel them.
Where We Went
Located in the Brewerytown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Steelworks Strength Systems is a large, multi-use gym space complete with racks of dumbbells, Olympic weights, kettlebells, and even gymnastics rings. Our instructor for the day was founder and owner Brian Terpak, who gave us a warm welcome and walked us through our warm-up and exercises.
What We Did
Once we arrived at the gym and put our things away in lockers, we began our workout with a whole-body warmup consisting of deep breathing exercises, eight World’s Greatest Stretches, and side body stretching. To conclude our workout and invoke harrowing gym class memories (anyone?) we ended with shuttle run drills.
After our warmup, our instructor Brian had us work through two circuit exercises with the weight of our choice. In the first circuit, we did front-foot elevated squats with dumbbells, then standing dumbbell rows, doing each exercise for 30 seconds. The second circuit included three exercises: standing dumbbell shoulder presses, kettlebell swings, and the agility ladder. We did each of these exercises for a minute which really got our heart rates up.
Ready for adventure? We are too. Follow along with the FP Movement team as we try new things, challenge ourselves, and get active.
I consider myself fit; I’m a lifelong runner, I played field hockey in high school, I do things. I am, however, not a weightlifter. I see women in the gym out-squatting men almost every day, and I silently cheer them on from my corner with my 10lb dumbbells. So when I walked into Steelworks Strength Systems on Wednesday afternoon, I was feeling uncertain of my ability to complete the weightlifting class we signed up for – but was pleasantly surprised to be welcomed into a warm, inviting environment instead of the cold, metallic, (sometimes) smelly gyms I envision.
While the health benefits of weightlifting are pretty intuitive (muscles are always in), it’s important to know that weightlifting can also improve cardiovascular health, joint mobility, and flexibility. Regardless of your activity level or experience, your body can greatly benefit from regular weightlifting workouts – and no, you don’t need to bench 100lbs to feel them.
Where We Went
Located in the Brewerytown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Steelworks Strength Systems is a large, multi-use gym space complete with racks of dumbbells, Olympic weights, kettlebells, and even gymnastics rings. Our instructor for the day was founder and owner Brian Terpak, who gave us a warm welcome and walked us through our warm-up and exercises.
What We Did
Once we arrived at the gym and put our things away in lockers, we began our workout with a whole-body warmup consisting of deep breathing exercises, eight World’s Greatest Stretches, and side body stretching. To conclude our workout and invoke harrowing gym class memories (anyone?) we ended with shuttle run drills.
After our warmup, our instructor Brian had us work through two circuit exercises with the weight of our choice. In the first circuit, we did front-foot elevated squats with dumbbells, then standing dumbbell rows, doing each exercise for 30 seconds. The second circuit included three exercises: standing dumbbell shoulder presses, kettlebell swings, and the agility ladder. We did each of these exercises for a minute which really got our heart rates up.
What We Learned
We all came to this activity with different levels of weightlifting experience, but at the end of the class we learned that weightlifting is all about YOU, your goals, and pushing the limits of what your body can do. Our instructor emphasized a holistic view of weight training, combining it with conditioning, mobility, breathwork, and mental wellness.
We all came to this activity with different levels of weightlifting experience, but at the end of the class we learned that weightlifting is all about YOU, your goals, and pushing the limits of what your body can do. Our instructor emphasized a holistic view of weight training, combining it with conditioning, mobility, breathwork, and mental wellness.
What We Thought
Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by how much fun we had (and how much we sweat!). It was a really empowering workout where we all felt strong in our bodies, and the breathwork at the beginning was a great stress reliever. The team was excited about adding more weight training into their daily routines and trying new exercises.
What We Wore
We all wore pieces from our Never Better Collection , with light layers for our warmup. With the Never Better leggings as a base, we mixed and matched a selection of tops and sports bras to create our look. The full-length leggings provided coverage where we needed it while the breathable fabric helped us stay cool, and our tops were super soft and provided just-right compression for combination movements. All of our clothes handled sweat really well, and trust me, there was a lot – but everyone knows FP Movement looks best with sweat.
Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by how much fun we had (and how much we sweat!). It was a really empowering workout where we all felt strong in our bodies, and the breathwork at the beginning was a great stress reliever. The team was excited about adding more weight training into their daily routines and trying new exercises.
What We Wore
We all wore pieces from our Never Better Collection , with light layers for our warmup. With the Never Better leggings as a base, we mixed and matched a selection of tops and sports bras to create our look. The full-length leggings provided coverage where we needed it while the breathable fabric helped us stay cool, and our tops were super soft and provided just-right compression for combination movements. All of our clothes handled sweat really well, and trust me, there was a lot – but everyone knows FP Movement looks best with sweat.
To learn more about Steelworks Strength Systems, visit them here.
More To Read
WELLNESS 101
5 All-Natural 5-Star Deodorants to Match Your Style
For the skincare enthusiast, the forest bather, the santal lover — there’s something for everyone…
6/30/2023 | FOUND
The New Leggings Our Team Is Obsessing Over
These leggings = our holy grail.
8/18/23 I TRIED IT