Lynda Jager hopes to inspire others with her physique, if she can do it, you can too.
The Strongest Women on Earth
The highly competitive world of female bodybuilding is stronger than it ever has been. That being said, female bodybuilding still receives a lot of criticism and hate from the media, trying to paint women as dainty and maintain the current standard for marketable beauty. Female bodybuilders are pretty rare, but Lynda Jager helped open the door for other women to pursue their dreams of competitive fitness confidently.
The Ultimate Grandma
Lynda Jager is a 61-year-old grandmother of 6 who breaks the “sweet grandmother” trope completely. You won’t find her baking muffins for the whole family (except on holidays, of course), but you can catch her working out all day in preparation for her next competition. Although it is hard to believe, Jager wasn’t always the person she is today, as a matter of fact, it’s taken her entire life to get where she is now…
Starting from the Bottom
Jager was a very shy, quiet, and anxious teen. She never liked being around people, so she stayed inside for the majority of her childhood. In her early teen years, doctors warned her to start being physically active, or she would be on the fast track to obesity and heart disease since it ran in her family. Jager was much too shy to play team sports, so she started lifting weights on her own in her parent’s house.
Easier Said Than Done
Anxiety held Jager back significantly in her young life. She loved to lift weights and was highly invested in fitness. Her social anxiety held her back from going out in public and becoming a member of a gym. However, Jager never let that hold her back from following her passion on her own terms…
The Journey to the Top
In her early 20s, Jager would alternate between working out, going to work, and watching workout guide videos. She would watch a video, and try to replicate that workout, and she would build a daily routine around the muscle groups targeted in the video workout, then she would repeat these workouts, increasing the intensity every time. The more results she saw, the more excited she was to attempt a more difficult workout.
Working Out the Specifics
Jager’s interest in fitness led her to become more involved with nutrition and body science. In her 20s, Jager began working out her own nutrition plan and workout calendar, based on her studies and how she wanted her body to look over time. Since she wasn’t working with a personal trainer, she became her own. As she got older, Jager’s confidence grew, and she started taking more risks to combat her anxiety…
Breaking Barriers
Lynda Jager’s appearance brought her more confidence than she had ever felt in her life. However, society’s perception of muscular women at the time was supremely negative, so Jager avoided going out in public without wearing layers, and didn’t dare join a gym. After 20 years of home workouts, society’s stigma of muscular women slowly began to dissolve. Although Jager still struggled with social anxiety, for the first time in her life she was able to join a bodybuilding gym.
Keeping Her Chin Up
After years of working out and studying on her own, Jager was confident in her gym, where she was the only woman member. Men constantly made comments about her appearance, some attempting to be positive, but most were negative. Although these comments did get under her skin, Jager kept plugging along, and as her muscles grew, the men at her gym became increasingly supportive of her drive and appearance. One man, in particular, went out of his way to make his presence known, and he changed her life forever…
A Match Made in Heaven
That man is named Mark. Mark met Jager while he was a personal trainer for a member of the gym Jager worked out at. After a few sessions of seeing Jager, and not having enough confidence to talk to her, Mark got a membership at that gym, although he won’t admit it, we can assume it was so he could slowly build up the confidence to talk to her.
A Flying Leap
After a couple of months of silence, Mark finally built up the courage to introduce himself to her. Much to his surprise, they hit it off immediately, and Jager claimed that she loved when he came in because she thought he was so handsome. Mark then asked Jager on a date, and a few years later, they got married. Mark was Jager’s right-hand man, both her personal trainer and supportive husband, and he was pushing her to do something that she had always been too terrified to approach…
Pushing Her Limits
Mark urged Jager to enter a bodybuilding competition, which is something that Jager had always wanted to do but never attempted because of her social anxiety. He trained with her, dieted with her, and worked on breaking down her mental barriers for an entire year until Jager felt that she was ready.
Turning Her Passion into a Career
Lynda Jager claims that she blacked out through her first competition. This was something that she somewhat expected since her anxiety about performing in front of onlooking people was so intense. A few hours, a lot of deep breaths, and plenty of shaky “mistakes,” Jager went home with a gold medal and an invitation to the next level of competition. She completed this unbelievable feat at the age of 51, but this wasn’t the end of her run of massive successes…
The Family is Expanding
At this point in her life, Jager’s daughter from a previous marriage had her first child, Jager’s first grandchild. Between the bodybuilding championship win, and the birth of her grandchild, Jager was the happiest she had been in her entire life. Even though these incredible moments were happening around her, Jager stayed focused on fitness. She could see that there was so much potential for her to succeed in this field, and she wanted to be the best female bodybuilder on Earth, no matter what the cost.
Making Big Moves
Jager definitely caught the competition bug, even though every time she stepped on stage she froze, she kept winning over and again. She began seriously training specifically for competitions, and winning so frequently boosted Jager’s confidence at the gym and at home. Even anxiety, Jager’s greatest challenge to overcome, couldn’t hold her back from chasing her dreams…
Building Her Legacy
Jager became a five-time national champion for her weight class and even took a leap into the modeling world. By taking herself out of her comfort-zone, Jager was able to achieve at the highest level. Many women viewed Jager as their inspiration to get into bodybuilding, but Jager wanted to have a more general impact than that. She was most concerned about fitness and wanted to inspire women to focus on what made them confident.
Some More Bumps in the Road
When Jager started her modeling career, she was 55-years-old. Her age never held her back, but the societal acceptance of her physique was what kept her from succeeding. Men were (and still are) intimidated by her muscles, and modeling agencies refused to hire her because she was “too fit to be a model.” Much like all the other challenges Jager faced in her life, this never deterred her from chasing her goals…
Success Through Determination
After a series of failed interviews, Jager found an agency that wanted to support her look. They put her on the runway, got her articles in magazines, and even put her on a Bowflex commercial as the host/test subject. This is when Jager’s fame really started to take off. The public was not prepared to see a 56-year-old who is in better shape than 99% of the people on Earth.
Overcoming All Obstacles
If anyone else were to be in her position, chances are they would have given up a long time ago. Jager chose to dedicate her life to defeating her fears, and she should be an example to those who also suffer from crippling anxiety. She still works as a fitness model, but she has taken a step back from being on TV to build her personal goals now that she’s in her 60s…
Leaving Her Impact
Jager still deals with all the negativity that she was faced with at the beginning of her career, but now she has the tools and confidence to brush all that off her shoulders. Now her main goal in life is to inspire women to make fitness goals for themselves, she understands that not all people can devote their lives to bodybuilding as she has, but everyone can take steps towards bettering their fitness.
Inspiring the Youth
Jager works as a personal trainer, nutritionist, and weightlifting coach for people of all ages who want to get into bodybuilding. She loves to take on clients who were in her position earlier in life and she helps build their personal confidence through exercise. She never let anxiety stop her from meeting her goals, and neither should you.
A Now, Some Inspiration
Despite her age, Jager is active online and is constantly giving individuals advice on the best ways to burn fat, get fit, and stay healthy. Even though she works as a personal trainer, she thinks that this information should be widely available. Here are some pieces of advice that she suggests everyone should start doing…
Establish Fitness Goals
When you start, you should be thinking of your desired end result. Do you want to get slim, toned, buff, healthy, happier? All of these ideas should be considered, and you should tailor your workouts to your ultimate desired results.
Push Out of Your Comfort Zone
Don’t fall back into old habits, and definitely don’t give up when you cant see results immediately. The hardest part of committing to something is starting, but once you start to commit to your new lifestyle, everything comes naturally.
Eat Healthy as Often as Possible
Variety is the spice of life, but when you’re committing to a healthier lifestyle, there are many sacrifices you must make. Cutting out takeout once or twice a week, or not eating red meat until the weekends are great starting points. Dieting is the hardest part about getting in shape, but if you put the time in, you will eventually love the routine.
Bring a Buddy
Exercising with a friend is one of the best things you can do for yourself. If you choose someone who is on the same level as you and is just as driven, you can push each other to get better every day. For those who don’t like competition, working out with another person is a great way to avoid gym anxiety.
Don’t Do What You Observe
Other people in the gym might know what they’re talking about, but doing the research is a much better system than just following the advice from some stranger. Always research your exercises before you do them, this will help you avoid injuries and develop positive habits that will get you stronger faster.
Make Sure You Warm Up and Cool Down
Depending on what exercises you’re doing, you should do targeted warmups to help prevent injury. Doing dynamic stretching, and 10 minutes of cardio will prepare you to take on whatever exercise you plan on doing. After you’re finished working out, doing static stretches, and more cardio if you can handle it, is imperative for recovery.
Pace Yourself
Don’t be afraid to push your limits, but do that in small increments until you feel more confident about approaching certain workouts. You never want to risk an injury, because that can ruin your fitness goals for the rest of your life.
Stay Hydrated
DRINK WATER, no soda, no coffee, no tea, no energy drinks, no alcohol during a workout. Diuretics will increase your risk of injury, and make your workout overall less enjoyable. Staying hydrated during a workout will make you feel better, and drinking a lot of water during the recovery period is just as important.
Pay Attention to Your Body
If you’re hungry, have a little snack. If you’re in pain, take a little break. If you’re dehydrated, drink some water. Never deprive yourself of amenities during your workout, taking care of yourself will not only help you work out more effectively, but you will feel more compassionate to yourself afterward.
Mix it Up
Don’t do the same thing every day. No, I’m not talking about focusing on individual muscle groups. If you like to run, lift some weights. If you like to lift weights, try rock climbing. Build your general fitness up by having fun, you’ll thank yourself for it.
Don’t Be Careless
Really focus on your workouts. Dropping weights, or improperly using gym equipment could seriously injure you or someone else. Be mindful of those around you, and you should be able to work out like a pro.
Most Importantly, Have Fun
Do what you want to do! If you like to play basketball, join a local league! Go mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, sky diving, whatever you want to do. The most important thing about maintaining fitness is staying active, and there’s no better way to stay active than enjoying what you do!