Do I Regret Having A Fitness Blog? Pros & Cons
By admin
Here’s a confession:
Sometimes I don’t want to sit down at my computer desk and blog.
Every blogger I know is different in terms of how much of their time they spend typing and editing posts.
Each blogger is different in terms of how often they hit the submit button each week.
And each blogger has a different reason for starting his/her blog in the first place.
I’ve gotten several request to share a bit more about my personal blogging journey. Since Dan was supposed to be away yesterday playing golf (due to weather it was postponed), I thought today would be a great time to indulge a bit into my blogging life since there would be no podcast.
Let’s cover the basics first…
LR’s 1st header
My Current Blogging Habits
- Each day I spend roughly 2 (sometimes more) hours writing and editing posts. Each post is written the day before for two reasons:
- I am terrible at planning
- I enjoy real time writing. I share what’s going on in my life at that time.
I am in the process of trying to use an editorial calendar to help better plan. After talking with Amanda when she was here for the Palmetto 200, I am convinced this would help me tremendously!
- I used to post 7 days a week, but I am slowly cutting back. For the past year, I’ve been posting 6 days/week (not on Saturdays), and recently I’ve been cutting back on Sundays as well. Why? Because I love weekends just as much as everyone.
And sometimes it’s better to actually live life that write about living life… you know?
Why Did I Start Lifting Revolution?
Here’s a second confession:
I used to hate writing… with a passion. Like really, really, really hated it.
When I was a biology student in college, I used to get giddy knowing that I wasn’t having to write extremely long papers like some of my friends. I loved writing lab papers because they didn’t have to sound good. Just the facts! All I had to do was follow an outline and be done with it.
When I became a trainer, I knew I wanted to get more involved with the online world and the best way to do that was to get started with a blog.
Those first 12 months were rough. I hated it. I hated it mostly because I knew I wasn’t a good writer. Dan always encouraged me, telling me that the more I did it, the better and more confident I would become.
Luckily, the blog didn’t take off right away, so there weren’t a ton of people to read my extremely poor posts. Basically, that year was practice.
After that something changed.
I went on vacation and took time off from blogging… it was then that I realized I missed it. Blogging had become a part of my day to day life and without it, it was if something was missing.
I didn’t care if people read the blog or not, it had become something more, a way for my to express myself and my passions.
And that’s what Lifting Revolution is to me now. It’s a part of me, an extension of my spirit and life. On days when I’m feeling down, it’s reflected in the posts (though you guys might not pick up on it). On days when I’m feeling great, the feel of the blog is happy too.
But having a blog that is such a part of your life can also stink at times. There are definitely pros and cons to having a fitness blog, and that’s what I want to share.
For those of you that are bloggers, I am sure you can relate. And to those of you thinking about starting a blog (which I recommend to a lot of people), think about these points before jumping in.
I’m a big fan of the Pro-Con-Pro method… always ending any critique with a positive. So we will start with some pros, put some cons in the middle and finish off with more pros.
Sound like a plan? Great!
The Pros And Cons Of Having A Fitness Blog
Pros List #1
You meet incredible people!
The blog world is HUGE and the fitness/healthy living blog world is REALLY BIG. Bloggers are extremely supportive of other bloggers. Simply by commenting and following others you build new friendships you never would have thought possible. I have friends I’ve never met face to face, yet I know I can contact them for help anytime.
It’s cathartic.
For a girl that holds in her emotions, writing a blog helps those emotions to come out in a healthy way. There are times when all I want to do is sit down and type. Sometimes the post will have nothing to do with how I feel, yet when it’s completed I feel 10x better and more at peace.
Gives motivation to experiment.
I don’t want LiftingRevolution to ever seen stagnant. I want to make it fresh and informational on a daily basis. To be able to do that, I have no problem experimenting with workouts, diets, foods, etc. I love trying out other bloggers’ workouts and tips to see how I can incorporate them into my own life and training programs.
A few experiments? Barr Class, Spinning, Chia Seeds, Athletic Greens, Juice Cleanses…just a few.
The ultimate accountability.
When I share my goals or plans, knowing that so many people are reading them keeps me on track (most of the time). It also helps when Dan reminds me… “Did you put on the blog that you were going to …? Then do it!”
I hate failing, so many times I will purposely share my goals (even if sometimes I don’t want to) to help keep my mind in the game. Staying motivated is hard… having friends (that read the blog) ask on a daily basis how I’m doing with whatever it is I’m doing at the time is pretty cool!
Con List
Activities are for the blog.
It’s too easy to make your blog the center of your life. Sometimes, activities that should be enjoyed get a bit stressful because pictures need to be taken, Tweets need to be posted, and Facebook posts need to be updated.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done something awesome and the first thing to pop into my mind is… This is going to be great for the blog!
It makes living in the present sometimes difficult.
The pressure to look/be fit.
I’m a personal trainer with a personal training business and a fitness blog… I want to look the part. With a blog where people see me on a regular basis, there is definitely pressure (sometimes just from me) to be in the best shape possible.
From time to time a Youtube comment pops up that isn’t the nicest and yes, of course those comments hurt.
Coming up with good content.
I will never be a blogger that shares my day and that’s it. That works for some, but for me, my goal is to provide useful information that you can take with you to improve your own fitness.
That goal is sometimes VERY hard! When you write 5+ days a week, every week for years it can be quite the challenge to come up with some new. It can be very mentally draining and there have been times when I have thought about cutting back to just 3-4 posts/week. But staying on a schedule is important too. People know that I post daily and I don’t want to take that away.
Sharing your vulnerable side.
Basically, having a fitness blog means I let you into my life every. single. day. I think that many of you know me better than some of my closest friends. Why? Because put me in front of a computer and the words/emotions often come out freely. It’s not quite that easy when talking face to face.
And then there is always the question of how much is too much to share?
Food guilt happens.
Yes, I am a healthy fitness blogger, but that doesn’t mean that I eat healthy all the time. In fact, I cheat sometimes. But from time to time, I find myself hesitant to share those moments out of fear of negative criticism. Just like I feel more free to share here, it’s a lot easier for people to criticize when they’re not talking directly to you.
By the way, this chocolate mousse was amazing! I need to make it again!
It’s time consuming!
Spending 2-3 hours every day is a big commitment. Those are hours when I could be out doing, I don’t know, workouts! Or training clients.
When you have a job, finding the time to juggle blog time can be hard. And it is! I would love to spend more time working with companies, doing giveaways, and doing more with social media but to tell you the truth with a studio to run and Fit Womens Weekly, I have to pick my priorities.
Pro List #2
You’re my testers.
I love this about having a blog. I can share a new idea or workout with you all and get immediate feedback. If it’s positive, I might take it back to my boot camp or to Fit Womens Weekly. If the feedback isn’t so great, then I know to move on.
Lifting Revolution is my own little test kitchen!
I love you all.
I truly enjoy reading all the comments, and creating the relationships with my readers. It’s because of you all that I work to provide great content (at least I hope you think so). This little blog would be nothing without you!
I’m a better person for it.
Having a fitness blog keeps the fire burning inside of me. It keeps me motivated for my workouts, for my clean eating and for my exercise education.
To anyone thinking about starting their own blog… I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Even on the nights when I’m up scurrying around to finish a picture, to upload a podcast or arguing with Dan about the newest video. It’s worth it.
Talk to me…
If you’re a blogger —> Why did you start blogging?
If you’re not a blogger —> Have you ever thought of starting one?