#LiftBoston: Lift, Laugh, & Learn

Posted on October 23, 2014 By Artemis Scantalides

Last week I taught a workshop to the trainers at Mark Fisher Fitness in New York City. While I was there, Brian Patrick Murphy, Co-Owner of Mark Fisher Fitness asked me if I would be willing to record a podcast with him for MFF Best of Life Radio. I was thrilled by his invitation, so of course I said “YES!”.

We talked about my Lift Workshop, Xena, empowering women through strength, the Iron Maiden Challenge, Iron Body Studios, a recent Facebook rant I had about how some people are always looking for a bargain or a discount, making your health and fitness a PRIORITY, my business and personal life with Eric, and on being HUMAN!

We laughed, we cried, we cursed, and we had an AMAZING TIME! If you have never met me before and if you would like to learn more about my background, a little about my journey, my training and life philosophies, then I hope you’ll listen in and join us for this fun filled podcast because it will help you to learn about me, where I come from, and what #BeXena is all about!!

Check it out here in Episode 9 of MFF Best of Life Radio –> http://bit.ly/1oxxiFa

Now, I’ve received some inquiries about my workshop “I Am Not Afraid To Lift” on November 8, 2014 at Iron Body Studios and I thought it would be a good idea to answer these questions in this post.

“What will I learn at the Lift Workshop?” Read more in my post “What Will I Learn At The Workshop I Am Not Afraid To Lift?”

“Is the workshop too advanced for me since I am a beginner lifter?”

I Am Not Afraid to Lift is for ALL levels.

For each “goal movement” taught, I will also teach regressions for that movement, and then also how to progress from step one so that you can work towards and complete the goal movement.

For example:

If you are an experienced lifter you will learn how the double kettlebell dead-lift can improve your barbell dead-lift.

If you have never dead-lifted before you will learn the hip hinge and kettlebell dead-lift.

If you are an experienced lifter you will learn techniques to improve your kettlebell press.

If you are new to lifting, you will learn HOW to do a kettlebell press.

For the workout segments if we are doing a group workout that is squats and pull-ups and you have never done a pull-up before, you will work on assisted pull-ups or flexed or straight arm hollow hangs.

There were many women at my I Am Not Afraid To #LiftNYC workshop who had never done an assisted pull-up before and they did an assisted pull-up for the first time at the #LiftNYC workshop. It was an amazing moment for them!

Here are some excerpts of feedback from two women who attended the #LiftNYC workshop, one of whom was very new to lifting weights:

“I am quite thankful to have taken your workshop, that was a gift that keeps giving.” ~Melanie T.

“I wanted to thank you for a really interesting day on Saturday. I have been steadily working on at getting out of pain and gaining strength. I have been doing all of this work in my apartment! So, it was quite a revelation to be in a room full of women with similar goals.

As a teacher, I know how hard it can be to accommodate students who are on the extreme end of the spectrum-experts and novices. Compared to the other women at the workshop, I was definitely in the novice category. Even so, I never felt like I couldn’t participate and I came away with so much knowledge and a renewed sense of purpose. You and your boyfriend were patient and attentive and I so appreciated your guidance throughout the day.” ~Emily S.

If you are new to lifting and working towards your first pull-up, you will learn how to get there. If you have been training bodyweight pull-ups for some time, you will learn how to progress to weighted pull-ups.

The Lift Workshop is an opportunity to come together to lift, laugh, and learn.

It’s an opportunity to empower and inspire each other through strength goals, strength training, our own personal journeys, and to show that we are Not Afraid To Lift.

I Am Not Afraid To Lift Workshop Trailer