Subscribe to Earn Your Happy on iTunes. Holly Perkins is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with a degree in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition. She is the author of Lift to Get Lean (Rodale, 2015) and the leader of Women’s Strength Nation. Holly is a contributing writer and expert for Women’s Health, SELF, Fitness, Shape, Prevention, Men’s Health and LIVESTRONG. Holly’s mission is to empower women on a personal and spiritual level by leading them into the weight room on a journey of physical strength. Shape magazine named Holly as one of the “Top Trainers to Follow” in 2015. Raised in a small town in Pennsylvania, Holly’s mom was pressing to make sure she chose a career path and was adamant that she pursued whatever she dreamt. With that being said, around the time Holly was in high school, she had no choice but to start to think about her future. “I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. All I knew was that I loved fitness!” Following her bliss, as she calls it, she eventually graduated with a degree in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition, beginning her career as a personal trainer at a high-end, celebrity focused gym in New York. Although her work life couldn't have gone better, Holly hit a low point in her personal life, escalating her passion even more, for fitness and strength training. “During that phase, the only thing that got me through was my practice and commitment to strength training.” Fast forwarding to present day, her main message is now to help specifically women, cultivate their personal strength thru strength training! She really hits home as she gets deeper into the “WHAT’S.” What’s really stopping you from loosing the weight? What’s the real reason you wont put on that bikini? She stated it perfectly…. “If it was as simple as just getting into those skinny jeans, you would have already done it. We all have the knowledge and the information out there to do it, it’s actually not that hard. Its all of the other aspects of your motivation and your happiness…what really drives you.” Getting in shape is just the icing on the cake, it is sorting thru the deep rooted issues and reasons and coming out on the other/better end, that will keep these results long-lasting and meaningful! “You have to expose your body to a challenge, in order for it to overcome and get stronger.” These challenges she speaks of, are most likely the ones that you think are “the end,” but let me tell you now…they are really jus the beginning! The job loss, the break up, the pay cut, the loss of a loved one, list the goes on. Let’s try to turn the “Why is this happening to me?” into “What will I learn from this?” Holly’s amazing advice is guaranteed to turn your frown upside down, dust the cobwebs off your inner strength and allow your Super Woman to SHINE! It’s about time! In This Episode You Will Learn About: Strength Training Conditioning Fitness Health Wellness Women Personal strength Challenge Leaps of faith Super power Resources: WomensStrengthNation.com Lift to Get Lean by: Holly Perkins Follow Holly on her most active channel, Instagram @Hollyperkins or find her on the web at HollyPerkins.com. Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook. You can also see more at my website: LoriHarder.com