The last time I went to the Texas Tech Recreational Sports Center the majority of the people around me looked miserable. One guy on the stairmaster was huffing and puffing while the girl across the way looked as if she was training for the Olympics — unwillingly. Many people view fitness as something that’s a chore. This week I met a woman who treats fitness not only as a lifestyle component, but also her full time job.
“I don’t post anything on my blog that I know is not going to work.
I don’t put a workout on my blog just because I’m bored. People trust me, I have to build that trust and know that it works.”
Mattie Steger, a 25-year-old Lubbock resident, thinks being fit is chic. In fact, she manages a fitness/lifestyle blog that is nothing close to being full of torment and redundancy. But Steger will tell you that she has not always focused on the healthier side of life. Steger said she grew up being a ballerina and transitioned into being a cheerleader in high school. When she finally got to college (at Texas Tech) she realized the freshman 15 was not a myth.
Meet Mattie Steger — Fit is Chic blog creator.
“I got big. I was miserable with myself,” she said. “I hated it. I made a goal because I was so sick of it. I started working out and dropped the weight I had gained and that was when people started asking me what I was doing.”
Steger said she started telling her friends by word-of-mouth what techniques she was using in the gym. She said she had never considered writing it out and sharing it worldwide. Steger said when she graduated from college she got really passionate about fitness. She said her epiphany moment to start her blog “Fit is Chic” came to her when she started getting multiple Facebook messages from different people who would ask her what she was doing to stay so toned and slim.
Finally, she said she put up a status on Facebook saying if anyone wanted a written-out version of her workout they could send her their email. Steger said around 200 people sent her their emails along with very forward messages to start blogging her fitness routines.
See people, this is perfect proof that social media makes the world go round. Well, maybe not, but the response Steger said she got once she officially debuted her blog was more than she said she could have ever imagined. She said she started writing the blog during Thanksgiving and hadn’t spread the word to many that she was in the process of bearing her soul and workout moves.
Copyright “Fit is Chic.”
“I launched it on Dec. 1 with ’25 days of Fitness,'” she said. “I kind of followed along the path of ABC Family’s ’25 days of Christmas’ so it was a hit. Within two weeks I got over 200,000 hits. It was nuts.”
She told me she’s not famous. I find this hard to believe. With her Facebook page growing at a rapid pace as well, Steger is starting to get more recognition than ever. In my opinion, she has earned it. Steger posts all kinds of workout plans on her blog. She said if one were to walk into her house they would think they had entered a makeshift gym.
Her graphics are awesome. Anyone can send them to a friend or even share them on another form of social media. (Plus, they’re so bright and colorful they make you want to try them for yourself.) Steger said she decided to look into blogging instead of YouTube because she wanted to be different. She said if you go to YouTube, many of their workout videos are redundant and similar. For hers, Steger said she wanted it to be humorous and sophisticated. She said she wants girls to know that being fit truly is chic.
“You don’t have to look like a man to be in shape, you can be girly if you want.”
So what’s Steger’s secret to fitness success? She said she is a fan of using low weights with a lot of reps. Steger said she is constantly experimenting with different exercises and the amount of reps to accompany them. Okay, that’s cool and all, but what about the people who are nervous to start working out or are professional couch potatoes for a living? (And hi, formal season is right around the corner.)
Steger said it varies from person to person, but her advice is to simply get up and get going. She said planks are another killer workout that she suggests. Steger said planking will change your body because you’re using your core, and your arms.
Copyright “Fit is Chic.”
If you’re looking for more than just toning and are focused on a specific fitness goal, Steger said she offers personal training as well. She has 30-minute sessions and 60-minute sessions. Steger said her 30-minute sessions are $25 and her 60-minute sessions are $30. She said she currently trains four people individually, but she also offers a package where you and a friend can work out together.
One of the things you will instantly notice are Steger’s photos — especially her “Fit is Chic” logo. It’s a combined image of a dumbbell and a stiletto. She said she has a friend who is a graphic designer that made it for her, but all of the other images and graphics that she posts she creates on her own. Steger said she majored in public relations when she attended Texas Tech so she knows how to work Photoshop. She said her major has also helped her promote her blog — which has been helpful.
“My passion for my blog comes from my passion for writing. I love to write. I found that out through my PR degree. I mean if I hadn’t gone through that I would have never known. It’s the fuel to my fire.”
Copyright “Fit is Chic.”
Steger doesn’t just blog about fitness, she also knows her stuff about healthy food and style. She recently posted about a healthy green smoothy and her favorite sweet and salty snacks that seem like they are to die for. When you look at all of her sections it seems like she is writing from the heart and that she truly means what she says, and Steger will tell you it’s all for the people who read her blog.
“My followers on my blog keep me going,” she said. “You have no idea how much they tell me that I motivate them. They motivate me 10 times more. I get so many messages a day saying thank you so much for this workout, thank you for this food regimen that is easy to follow. Knowing that people are keeping up with my blog and actually using it keeps me motivated.”
About Lauren Estlinbaum
