Strong Fitness – September-October 2023
English | 84 pages | pdf | 13.28 MB
Welcome at Strong Fitness Magazine September-October 2023 Issue
This cover is stunning. Everything from the feel-good vibe of the iconic photo, to the elegant color palette with the perfect pop just works. The pieces come together seamlessly to create a flawless, captivating look… And that got me thinking. About what we put out there. Beyond the look.
The message that comes with it, cueing ideas and behaviors. Just before school was out last season, I visited my daughter’s (then) first grade class during career week to talk about what I do as an Editor-in-Chief. When I held up some of the magazines to show the students, one of the girls shot her hand up to comment immediately. “Yes?” I asked. “They all look like beautiful cover models!” She exclaimed.
I paused, weighing the right answer to give her, the other little faces staring up at me, and the teachers waiting anxiously on the edge of their tiny elementary-sized school chairs. “They do,” I said thoughtfully. “But this is just one type of beauty, a very artistic one, and none of these women you see wake up just looking like this, you know? They look naturally beautiful, like your mommy, or your teachers until our team of professionals—like makeup artists, hair stylists, wardrobe stylists, and photographers—put their creative skills and talents all together to make a really fancy picture. Kind of like when you make a piece of art,” I explained. Hoping she (and the rest of the room) would get it. She nodded, knowingly, and I felt a sense of relief. Interviewing our formidable cover athlete Kelsey Wells for this special issue—the follow up edition to her inaugural 2019 STRONG cover—helped calm my own (internal) questions about the messaging all girls, young and older, are getting these days about fitness. Kelsey is committed to keeping it real. Is she often pictured pretty perfectly? 100. And she should be damn proud to share her best looks from this shoot, or any other. A lot of mindfulness goes into her training, nutrition, and overall well-being which overflows into her bright essence that’s captured by the camera—she quite literally looks how she feels lately. But this inspiring strong woman also boldly shares the pieces that go into putting it all together. The everyday that women everywhere can really relate to. During production of this issue, Kels shared a video openly exposing the presence of cellulite on her legs to her social media followers. Because she wishes someone had shared that kind of stuff— the real, the raw—when she was younger and unsure about what to make of herself.
Are we interested in being the best version of ourselves? You bet. In body, mind, and spirit. And through our pages and platform, we’ll continue providing info and inspo to help you achieve it. Or opportunity to celebrate it. Like fun photoshoots highlighting your rockstar moments. But we’ll also keep talking about what things look like when the lights are low. When the pieces aren’t pulled together properly.
When things look messy. Whenit all feels ugly. The women, like Kelsey, featured in our pages (and on our feeds and stories) are leading an important conversation in our community about expectations, realities, goals, and growth. Since her first STRONG cover, Kelsey admits she’s changed. A lot. For the better. In her story on pg 50, you’ll learn why this renowned, elite trainer no longer prizes looking
ultra-fit as the ultimate goal, and why she thinks it’s imperative to allow yourself the opportunity to explore and embrace different seasons of your life. To redefine fit at every age and stage.
In her column on pg 35, STRONG President Jennifer Van Barneveld-Pe echoes that sentiment, emphasizing the need to embrace change— even when it’s challenging. Jenny maintains that by learning to accept and adapt to change is how we grow, and that’s when the magic happens in our lives. As we continually add layers of strength to ourselves, both literally and figuratively, working through resistance. September ushers in an ideal time to reflect on change, but transformation is a theme you’ll not only see vividly throughout this fall magazine issue in sections like Get Inspired, Transformed, and our columns— it guides us in every one. As we continue to share the message that committing to fitness is a proven foundation for a healthier, happier, more purposeful, and fulfilling life. Especially when we remember that our definition of fit will keep changing as we do through lifelong learning. Class is always in session.
KATHRYN LEKAS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
@by_kathrynlekas
Download from: