Melanie Roach
We Dare You!
HIT THE WEIGHT ROOM
Improve aspects of your health, increase your strength, coordination, energy and stamina, and boost your metabolism. Know the facts:
MYTH: Weight training will make me big and bulky.
- Women simply do not produce enough testosterone to build bulk the way men do. When the average woman starts a weight lifting program, her muscles become more compact and dense, and the circumference of the area being measured is smaller.
MYTH: Weight lifting turns fat into muscle.
- Fat and muscle are two completely different tissues on our bodies. Body fat is yellow in color, voluminous, and soft. Muscle is red, lean and hard. When you lift weights, your higher metabolism allows your body to burn off and thin out that layer of fat sitting on top of your muscles.
MYTH: I need to do cardio exercise to burn calories, not lift weights.
- Weight lifting increases your metabolism so your body is burning calories throughout the day. Cardio exercise raises your metabolism only during the time that you are actually doing the exercise, maybe for a few minutes after. It’s important for strengthening your heart and lungs, but it shouldn’t replace weight training.
MYTH: Women should lift only light weights.
- A weight should be chosen that will allow you to do up to 12 repetitions of the exercise, and no more, with proper form. If you feel like you can lift the weight more than 12 times, then it is too light. Next time step it up.
Donna L. Mincieli, RD, is a nutrition counselor specializing in weight management, sports nutrition and exercise counseling. She is PTI certified and an ACE certified personal trainer.
Mrs. Incredible
August 2011
At a mere 5’2" and 117 pounds, the bubbly Melanie Roach does not fit the stereotype of what you’d expect from a female weightlifter. This Olympian, entrepreneur, mother, and politician’s wife, overcomes hurdles and accomplishes it all.
Melanie began her athletic career as a gymnast at age 12 with bold ambitions to be like Mary Lou Retton. Her dream came to a halt because of a severe elbow injury during high school. Accepting what happened, she began weightlifting to get back into shape and ultimately entered a field most women wouldn’t dare to pursue.
In 1994 Melanie met John Thrush who remains her coach and mentor to this day. Six weeks later she participated in her first competition and qualified for the American Open. By 1998 she became the highest ranked female weightlifter in the United States, breaking several records including being the first American woman to lift double her body weight.
A severe back injury prevented Melanie from competing in the 2000 Olympics. Sidelined once again, she set her sights on coaching kids. In 2003 she and her husband Dan Roach opened Roach Gymnastics, a “fun-loving and kid friendly” studio, which now serves over 550 students. As a successful entrepreneur, Melanie oversees all daily operations—from creating its unique curriculum to personally attending to customer satisfaction.
Having children strongly revamped Melanie’s competitive spirit. Prior to having kids, she was intimated by competition. Now the time she spent in the gym were moments she had to herself. “It became like a safe haven for me, and the process of training became even more enjoyable.”
In the summer of 2005, the noble competitor set her sights on the 2008 Olympics. She underwent state-of-the-art back surgery in 2006 that was not available when she left the sport years earlier. “Although I was physically stronger in 2000, I came back in 2008 and broke the previous record that I had set. The growth of my mental capacity had a lot to do with my improvement.” In Beijing, her combined lifts totaled 425.6 lbs, which broke the American record set by Melanie at 1998 National Championships.
Melanie also travels around the country to speak at high schools, colleges and business groups encouraging young people to enjoy the process. “Athletes often get end-result driven, and they lose sight of their day-to-day accomplishments,” she says, having learned this lesson from her son Drew, who is autistic. “I have learned to enjoy his daily progress, instead of focusing on the long-term things he will never do.”
As Melanie excels as an athlete and businesswoman, her priorities remain with her family. “It’s important for me to dedicate as much time to my kids as I have for training,” she affirms. Her husband is a politician; together they manage their “organized chaos” by maintaining good communication. Their combined goal is to teach their children that achievement requires hard work and sacrifice.
Daring: In Her Heels
Daring: Art Without Borders
Daring: Chocolate Girl
Daring: Committed to Change