Run-Lift-Lace

This daily wear corset enthusiast isn't content to train with bones and fabric alone.

[chromat]

Score the Chromat Element Top for a perfect spring look. Available now at CHROMAT.CO

[corsetathlete]

Want.  For running.

[demonindistress]

57 to go. Made a short one, saw that the halloween missions were up, which had to be tried. Accidentally clicked the “play back-to-back” mode. Got stuck running for about 100 minutes. Lol. 

[corsetathlete]

I thought I was the only person who used this app. Talk about a great incentive to run longer!

Admittedly, sometimes it makes back-country running feel a bit more...eerie.

[corsetathlete]

February's Goal

As I work to get myself back into a fitness routine that gives me the same sense of satisfaction that I once felt, I'll be taking it in little steps. After all, it's well documented that modest lateral shifts are much more successful, long term, than sudden a lifestyle overhaul. This month I'm going to focus on building the workout habit into my schedule. Just two days per week, I'll take a trip to the gym. And I'll do one outside run each week. It's nothing compared to what I once did, but it's a bit of a challenge for my current state - mostly mentally.

[corsetathlete]

Back Again

Long time, no blog! It's been a few months since I last tended to this side-Tumblr, and in that same time, I've lost a bit of the steam in my once-usual fitness routine. So here I am, committing to getting myself back to where I was just six months ago (i.e. the actual strongest and leanest of my life). Admittedly, I'm not doing terribly, but I certainly miss the vibrance I felt at that point. It was downright reciprocally self-motivating! And since I'm the only one who can do this for myself, I'm committing to elevating myself from good to my very best. Expect to see more from me as I resume my muscular form.

[corsetathlete]

Proof that glamour is rarely the end goal of my endeavors: today I completed my first full marathon! Not only that, but it was the grueling Pikes Peak Marathon, which ascends and then descends over 7,000 feet in altitude in each direction. I was absolutely weepy at the finish line, realizing that I did something I didn't even fully believe I could do. Then I drank all the craft brews. Yep, corset loving folks are SOOO unhealthy.

[corsetathlete]

Are you also StraitLacedDame?

I am!

[corsetathlete]

Pikes Peak Marathon!

This Sunday I will be participating in my first marathon. Which also happens to involve running 1.5 miles up into the atmosphere and then back down. That's right, my race is from the little town of Manitou Springs, Colorado up to the top of "America's Mountain" at over 14,000 feet above sea level. Then the real fun begins when I get to turn around and let gravity lead me. Wish me luck! I need it!

[straitlaceddame]

“How does your snatch look?” This was a legitimate question asked of me today when I competed at my very first #crossfit #competition ! #snatch #powerlifting #strongwomen

[corsetathlete]

And for the record, a snatch is a type of lift!

[corsetathlete]

Paleo Update!

Well, I’m on day…25 of 30 (I had to think about that for a moment!) of the paleo challenge that my entire gym decided to do together. And I’m pretty pleased. If you had asked me a day ago, I would have growled at you, but since I let myself eat plenty of carbs last night (a sweet potato and a Larabar as a treat sound a little sad in retrospect) and a fatty (but not fattening!) breakfast this morning, I feel pretty fantastic. And it seemed to have a profound effect on my 9-mile run today. For whatever reason, I forgot to bring my water with me on the trail, so mild dehydration on a hot day like this slowed me down toward the end, but it was still a far more energetic run than I’ve had in quite awhile! So, I at least can’t say this kind of fuel is slowing me down.

In general, I feel that my performance has been slightly better, or at least is holding steady, when compared to how I have a tendency to eat while not paying much attention to diet. And, perhaps best of all, I’ve fully realized that fasting exercise is no more difficult than working out after eating. It’s nice to know that my body can accomplish the task at hand without needing food in some specific time frame.

So, how about the way my body looks and feels? Well, it’s tough to notice changes when you see yourself in the mirror everyday, which is, of course, what makes progress photos so important. I can tell that there is some amount of fat loss when I see how loosely my slacks fit or when I feel the more exposed contours of my quads and hamstrings. But the confirmation of visible change came in a very real way when my coach mentioned that I was looking leaner. I like to think that he’s just afraid that I’ll beat him! That is, he’s offering a 3-month membership to anyone who leans out more than him in this 30 day timeframe. Well, we will know for sure in the next week. In any case, I’m happy with how this has affected me.

[corsetathlete]

I'm about to head out on a long run. In public. In daylight. Yet this is how I dress myself. Once I'm back, I'll be sharing a bit of an update on how this paleo challenge has been going for me (simply put: well), but first it's off for some trail time. In the mean time, here are some muscles!

[antlerology-deactivated20260312]

The thing that turned me away from tightlacing was reading about Ethel Granger, who was a giant in the corsetry world and achieved a waist of around 16 inches. But the reason she started was because her husband loved it and he encouraged her to lace tighter and tighter until she…

[antlerology-deactivated20260312]

You swim in a corset? and run and box all in a steel boned corset? Corsets create the shallow breathing, which seems dainty but just means you’re not breathing using the full expanse of your lungs. This leads to more upper respiratory problems. A hijab isn’t made from steel bones. Neither is a suit. A corset is different from elasticated shapewear or underwear because their very reason for existing is to permanently change the shape of your ribcage.

[demonindistress]

Way to miss the point. No, I don’t swim and box in corsets, duh! I walk and bike though, which presents no issues whatsoever.

a) you don’t waist train in overbust corsets. The lungs are not situated at the waist. If you have problems breathing in a corset, you have the wrong size or shape.  You realise people of the working classes used corsets for centuries while going about their daily business, right?

b) we were talking about things that a man might try to make you wear for his pleasure, yes? and this in itself being one of the things you found problematic? hence the hijab/suit/shapewear/high heels/whatever reasoning: some wear it to please a man, many more to please themselves!

c) “their very reason for existing is to permanently change the shape of your ribcage”. No. Nope. You CAN train your ribs into a  more tapered shape over time, true. This is not the “very” reason corsets were invented. The first corsets barely cinched the waist and ribs at all, and were more to show off the bust and  help with posture (and support heavy skirts). Honestly! 

[antlerology-deactivated20260312]

Yeah and Victorian scullery maids were hardly known for their good health and long lives.

The working classes wouldn’t be able to afford boned corsets. They’d wear starched undergarments that would be easy to clean and allow the skin to breathe.

And high heels were made for men to keep them sturdy in stirrups, doesn’t mean they haven’t been manipulated to change women’s bodies in what are usually pretty dangerous ways.

And who wears a corset now to keep their crinoline up? No-one because we don’t wear crinolines. And the vast majority of users nowadays use them to give them a ‘feminine’ shape, i.e. change the shape of their body.

[corsetathlete]

Hi there.  I’m certain there’s nothing I can really effectively do to convince you that strength and waist training can exist in the same person.  You seem quite set in your opinion, but I’m happy to also stand here as living opposition to your mindset.  I’ll continue lifting massive volumes of weight, running up mountains (literally), and managing my construction sites - all while wearing a corset whenever I’m not breaking a sweat.

Here’s a fun little infographic on the subject, in case you’re interested (I’m sure you’re not): http://straitlaceddame.com/corset-training-and-exercise.html

And don’t forget that the motives for wearing a corset a just as often back support or even just a desire to feel like one is being hugged all day.  A corset doesn’t have to be tight.  It all depends on a person’s goals. And those goals ultimately come down to what they, as an individual, want or need.

[corsetathlete]

Accidental picture of my silly red face post-trail-run that perfectly illustrates how I feel ("Gawd, why did I decide this was the best way to spend my afternoon.") and a nice shot of my new sports bra love. VSX by Victoria's Secret impressed me from the first time I tried one on. They are sturdy, supportive, comfortable, and (as far as functional sports bras go) nice looking. When a coupon popped up, I was able to snag this " knockout" model for $35: a fantastic deal for what I got. I'm very average in my bust size, but the norm when running is usually 2 sports bras for me. This one let me completely forget about my usual concerns of jostling about, even when trotting downhill! Time to send my old sports bras to the scrap pile.

[corsetathlete]

Triceps, deltoids, trapezius, latissimus dorsi...  And a corset!

[corsetathlete]

Hello! I am in need of some help and you were the first person I thought of to ask. I'm very gradually toning up my arms (and hopefully all over), but I have what seems like excessive underarm fat and wearing a corset makes it noticeably worse and I was really hoping you could give me some way to minimise what ends up looking like a 3rd and 4th boob on either side. So far I haven't figured out a way to hide or eliminate it and I want to wear sleeveless shirts and dresses! Thanks so much

Hi anon!  Thank you for the question, and for thinking of me. :)

I hope you’re enjoying the process of growing stronger.  While I enjoy seeing the visible changes in my own body, learning that I can do new things (like handstand push-ups, what???) is also really exciting!  All in all, I wish you the best in your endeavors.

As for your concerns about the corset creating a bit of a flesh spill-over, you aren’t alone!  I tend to think of myself as a bit leaner than average, but I still get that, too.  However, I’ve found that there are a few things that can make it either better or worse.  Hopefully these technique will help you, too:

Well, of course, a corset that does not fit the curve of your back will press into your upper back (and possibly bum, too), creating a not-so-appealing lump where your rigid corset ends.  The solution here is to either modify your corset to better fit the curve of your spine (bending the back bones - be careful, though!), or seeking out a custom corset made with your body shape in mind.

You might also consider a longer corset.  One that extends higher from the waist to top edge, especially in the sides and back, may actually take care of most of your concerns!

Wear a tight “shapewear” type tanktop over your corset and under your shirt.  I know this might be tough, since the shirts and sleeveless dresses you will want to don are likely not to completely cover such a garment.  However, I have found this to be an incredibly useful technique.  While it adds another layer (not desirable for most, especially in warm weather), it does a fantastic job of hiding that line of the top of the corset.  And if you pick out spandex tank top (I use this one all the time) that covers no more of your skin than your dresses or shirts will, then you’ll be able to enjoy a dramatically smoother silhouette.  It’s not perfect, but definitely better!

Consider your posture.  Some of us (myself included) tend to tilt forward a bit a the hips and then pull our shoulders back to compensate.  If you look up “anterior pelvic tilt”, you’ll see what I mean.  It’s not too tough to correct if you are conscious of it: press your hips forward and tuck you abdomen back and in a bit, while still keeping the chest open and forward.  It’s awkward at first, but this little bit of posture modification can also really change the feeling (and look/fit) of a corset.

I certainly hope that at least one of the above was helpful.  The reason I don’t suggest any particular “trouble spot exercise” is, as I’m sure you could assume, because I don’t tend to think of that as the issue in this case.  Plus, as science has shown us over and over again, you can’t spot reduce!  In any case, the right corset, worn in the ideal way for YOUR body (different folks can wear corsets a little differently, like with the shape of their lacing gaps), should be able to perform in the way that you desire.  Best wishes to you in all of your efforts!

[corsetathlete]

Hi! As someone who recently made a steel-boned corset for a turret cosplay, and whose gym regimen is mostly weights based, I just wanted to say I'm in awe of your GLaDOS costume and physique! It's amazing all round :D

Aaaaahhh, show me!

I have sketches for a turret underbust, but it will be awhile until I can get to patterning for it.  Not for a costume - just as a fun creative challenge.

And thank you!  Please, I want to see your work. :)

[corsetathlete]

This is why I made the GLaDOS corset with a low back and no sleeves: to show off the weaponry.

In case you’re wondering, yes, I am a tad sunburnt!  That’s what I get for going on a trail run yesterday without sunscreen, forgetting that the clouds don’t last long in Colorado.

[corsetathlete]

You’ll accept a picture of flexing in a corset, won’t you?