One of the biggest requests I’ve gotten on the blog is more interviews with “real people”. Sarah has been tweeting about her progress doing the two kettlebell program of System Six: Easy Fat Loss, and I knew you’d totally be inspired reading about her training, diet, and some of the huge life challenges she’s overcome.
Hi Sarah! 
You’ve done totally awesome, look at your abs! I knew I needed to interview you after you posted that progress picture!
Thank you, Josh. I’m pleased to be on the right track once again. After a bit of a rough patch, I’m beginning to see the fat loss I have been working for, and I’m making strength gains as well.
You look awesome, what are a few of the things that have made the biggest difference in your fitness?
The biggest difference in my fitness has come from strength training, interval training and cleaning up my diet. Strength training literally transformed my body when I began challenging myself with heavy weights. I actually started lifting this way to gain strength, which is kind of an unusual way to get started as a woman, but I was rewarded with fat loss and a more athletic look in addition to getting stronger. My favorite way to train is with a combination of bodyweight and kettlebell exercises. Kettlebell training fits my life because the workouts are so quick and efficient. I can use kettlebells for strength and interval training at once, and kettlebells are easy to use at home. I also love to do heavy barbell squats and deadlifts so I head to the gym for those sometimes too.
Nutrition is also an essential part of my fitness. You hear others say that you can’t out-train a bad diet, and I totally agree with that. You can get stronger if you eat enough and train hard, but if you want to improve your body composition and perform your best, you must clean up your diet. The fitness rockstar ladies you write about on your blog have their nutrition and their workouts nailed! You have to, in order to look that good! When I began to pay attention to eating well I started to drop more fat and get even stronger.
One other thing which I ignored for too long, but have developed a real appreciation for lately, is the importance of adequate rest and recovery. You may be able to burn the candle at both ends for a little while, but long term, you can’t push yourself to the extreme every time you work out. You also need to sleep. That seems obvious, but most of us don’t get enough sleep. If you workout hard, you may be spinning your wheels unless you let your body recover as well.
You are such a fitness rockstar, sometimes I totally forget that you also beat cancer. And it’s amazing that you are willing to share about it with the world on your blog, strongersarah.com. I lost my mom to cancer, and I think everyone reading knows someone who has or has had cancer. Can you share a little bit about your story?
Yes, I was diagnosed with invasive mammary carcinoma (breast cancer) on February 12, 2010. I had no risk factors and no family history, and I learned that 70% of breast cancer patients do not. My cancer was Stage 1, but I made the decision to fight breast cancer as aggressively as I could, which in my case meant a bilateral (double) mastectomy. Because I chose this aggressive approach, my treatment was limited to surgery and drug therapy. I was able to completely avoid chemotherapy and radiation. However, doctors recommended 5 years on the breast cancer drug, Tamoxifen, because it would inhibit the growth of any leftover cancer cells. Unfortunately, I could only complete one year of Tamoxifen therapy because I was experiencing severe side effects. Nevertheless, my doctors feel that my chance of a recurrence is extremely low now.
Surviving cancer is never far from my mind, and definitely plays a role in my fitness. Eating well, exercising, and getting enough rest are even more important to me. I feel great now, and having completed reconstructive plastic surgery, I look a lot more like myself too!
Tell me a little about your fitness journey, have you always been rockstar fit? What were some of the turning points?
I have to smile at this question. My childhood friends would have voted me “Most UNlikely to be called Rockstar Fit” if they could have. Growing up I was average weight, but totally NOT athletic. I hated PE class. I avoided situations that involved me doing anything that resembled it. I was uncoordinated and weak. The last thing I ever envisioned myself being was (gasp) a TRAINER!
Then in 2006, I actually became a walking miracle! I had gone for a walk and was on the sidewalk next to a fairly busy road. A car came out of nowhere (the driver was suffering a seizure, had lost consciousness and was going over 75 miles an hour). The car drove up onto the sidewalk and there was no time to dodge it. I was struck by the car and was thrown several feet, landing in the grass. The miracle is that I survived a head on collision with a car and managed to walk away from it!! I wasn’t injury-free though. My right arm had been broken in 3 places. I needed surgery with a plate and screws to fix it. After the cast came off months later, I was left with a hand and arm that had lost nearly all function. I spent 5 months in grueling physical therapy just to regain that use. It was crazy-hard and required as much mental effort as physical, just to endure it. But, out of that experience I somehow developed a hunger for gaining strength. As soon as I was done with physical therapy I began working with a trainer at the YMCA in a special program for people overcoming medical problems. That’s where I learned about weight training. It was like someone ignited a fire in me, and I couldn’t get enough of it.
I soon began to realize that much of what I had read or been told for years about exercising was wrong. There were better ways to work out than walking or jogging for hours. I wanted to share my passion and my new education with other women, so I became certified as a personal trainer with ACSM in 2008. Later, a friend from twitter, Sandy Sommer, RKC (http://www.charmcitykettlebells.com) encouraged me to try kettlebell training, and he has been a mentor for me ever since. In 2009 I became certified with Dragon Door at the inaugural HKC. Combining bodyweight and kettlebell training has really worked for me for fitness and good health. My goals are really to be healthy, strong and fit. But “rockstar fit” works too!
What’s been the biggest difference with 
System Six: Easy Fat Loss?
When I watched your video explaining System Six, many of your main points clicked with me immediately. I had used a food journal in the past and had definitely seen more success when I stuck to that. I also had been struggling with some weight gain, probably due to the surgeries and drug therapy, and had been working out very hard for a while trying to get back to myself. Although I was completely healed and should really have been back on track by that time, I wasn’t. My weight was creeping up slightly every week and I was super-frustrated. Your program sounded right in many ways but was unconventional in its “easiness”. I was intrigued and hopeful that it would help me.
It has been seven weeks since I started System Six and it has already proven to be exactly what I needed. My clothes are looser, my measurements are improving and I’m seeing more of my abs! I think the combination of journaling my food and the workout plan have made the biggest difference for me. By following your plan I cut my training schedule down from 6 days per week to 3, which gave me more rest and less working out. I’m sure that a lot of people need to learn that “easy” can work for them, too. I don’t think my experience is all that unique. I’m amazed at the success I’m having in the “park bench” phase, and plan to stay with it for a good while. But I’m excited about my possible results from a future “bus bench” phase too!
You’ve done a great job with keeping score. How has that impacted your results?
It has made my results better! Keeping score keeps me mindful of all the components that are involved in the system. I wanted to make a good score, and improve on it if possible each week, so I had to make sure to do what I was supposed to do.
You’ve mentioned that you were in a phase before System Six: Easy Fat Loss, where you were basically hammering yourself with different fat loss workouts. How has backing off made a difference for you?
It has made a huge difference. My eating was mostly in line before, but you put it well – I was totally hammering myself with the workouts. I was training too hard in an effort to get results. The way I saw it, I was doing everything right with food, I was working out hard, and still things were going wrong, so it must be that I needed to workout more! I think I really knew better, but I felt like I was somehow caught in a trap.
When you described your program I decided I needed to try it as I really had nothing to lose. The first week or so I could barely stop myself from doing more than was required, but I really wanted to put the program to the test. In the second week I felt really good, was already sensing some change, and I made a commitment to doing NO MORE than you suggested in the program. After that I began to really see results. I was almost in disbelief – both amazed and thrilled that less work actually seemed to work better for me. I felt great: happier and more rested. I was able to get more sleep, and I wasn’t constantly draining myself with the workouts.
What do you think of the hard-medium-easy cycles of training?
I think this is another key to the program. Not only are there fewer workouts per week, but several workouts are actually pretty minimal. Although I wasn’t doing this with my own training prior to starting your program, I had experienced these cycles in the past when I had gone through “Rite of Passage” from Pavel’s Enter the Kettlebell. I had success with ETK, so when I saw your that your program was similar in that respect there was no doubt in my mind that you were right. It was a “duh, why didn’t I think of that?” moment.
Do you ever have thoughts like “is that really all I have to do?” or “did I really do enough?” on the easy days?
I totally thought that, as soon as I looked through the workouts in the program. Pavel’s “light” days in ETK were more work than most of your easy days so I initially thought you might be off a bit on what you suggested. On the other hand, I had gone through your 21 Day Kettlebell Swing Challenge in the past, and I saw some parallels between that program and System Six. You had earned my trust with the 21 Day Swing Challenge, so I decided to give this a try.
You know, I totally love working out: getting stronger, pushing myself, and seeing what I can do. But honestly, when I suddenly had the “permission” to do less, I was pretty happy too. I gained some time, and immediately I felt better, not exhausted.
What is your eating plan like on a day to day basis?
I’m pretty strict with my eating on a daily basis. As a cancer survivor my primary goal is good health. I am always trying to include the superfoods, the antioxidant-rich ones, to eat as much as possible. Fortunately this has been the way for me to get lean, too. My eating plan consists of whole foods: protein, vegetables, good fat. I also eat some fruit and dairy. I usually have three meals and one or two snacks each day. My favorite breakfast is oatmeal (the kind you have to cook) with egg whites, cinnamon and freshly ground flax seed, and sometimes banana or pumpkin mixed in. YUM! The rest of the day is protein, vegetables and fat. I don’t really like beans much, so they are out. I don’t eat sugar, grains or processed food. I do log my food into a program every day. (I use www.myfitnessplan.com) I have the routine down pretty well but it still somehow keeps things in line better to use a food journal.
That covers most of the week but once a week or so, I go “off plan” for a few meals (usually all in one day). I eat whatever I want for those meals, which end up making up about 10% of my meals for the week.
I have to give credit to my good friend, Julie (twitter @greenteagirl http://greenteagrl.com). She has been my “food coach” since I really revamped my eating about 2 years ago. Julie guided me toward Precision Nutrition for a foundation, and together we have evaluated and/or tried various programs like Paleo, Primal and others. It has really helped to be able to bounce ideas off a friend who knows her stuff. I don’t think I could have gotten going on this path without her advice. Going forward I’m moving into eating more organic and/or locally grown foods and making sure the meat I eat is grass-fed as well.
Do you feel like sharing your progress and also being a stand for other people’s fitness has made a difference in your personal fitness journey?
It definitely has. I have been blessed to be able to connect with others in various ways to encourage them to improve their health and their lives. That is both an honor and a responsibility. I thank my clients often for the trust they put in me and I try to earn it every day. I want the best for them, so I do my best to learn as much as I can and even experiment on myself to find new methods that may benefit them. In the process I find myself sticking more closely to my own routine and setting new goals for myself. It’s great motivation for me.
Do you want to share your last “hard” workout looked like? (sets, reps, rest, how you felt, ect)
My work ethic is strong – I give 100% effort when I work out! However, I am definitely not the strongest, fastest or fittest. I’m a girl who was pretty sedentary most of her life and then suddenly discovered this new world in her late 30s. My “hard” days would not be impressive when compared to many others, but I am happy with what I have achieved so far, and where I am going. As a benchmark, I am on my way to meeting the Strength Standards you outline in the System Six program and have already met several of them.
Can you tell me a little about your kettlebell classes?
Absolutely! I started my business, Intensity Works (http://www.intensityworks.com), in 2009 in order to have a way to share what I had learned with other women. I teach small group “boot camp” classes which focus on kettlebell and bodyweight training to create efficient and effective workouts in a short amount of time. The class is very empowering and encouraging. I show women that they are already strong, but that getting stronger brings a multitude of rewards, including the fat loss results they want. It happens fast with our kind of training, and soon they are getting leaner and are beginning to accomplish strength feats they never dreamed they could. We work hard and have a great time at it.
Sarah, I want to thank you so much for this interview. You are totally inspiring, you’re getting great results, and you are so totally generous in sharing your story. I totally, totally appreciate it! -Josh
Check out Sarah:
Sarah’s Fitness Blog: http://www.strongsarah.com
Sarah’s Breast Cancer Journey Blog http://strongersarah.com
Sarah’s Kettlebell Bootcamp: http://www.intensityworks.com
Great interview! I had the honor of meeting Sarah at the inaugural HKC in 2009, and she’s every bit as wonderful in person. Definitely a rockstar!
Great interview! Sarah just gets it. 🙂