BROADCASTS.com

Published: July 2, 2014, 7 a.m.

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This week on Barbell Shrugged we have the pleasure of welcoming\\xa0Lindsey Valenzuela\\xa0to the show, professional fitness athlete and current member of the\\xa0Los Angeles Reign.\\xa0

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Lindsey is in an incredible position. First, she\\u2019s one of the very first women ever to sign onto a professional fitness team. Better yet, the Reign, and all other founding members of the\\xa0National Professional Grid League, are actually coed.\\xa0

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That\\u2019s right. For the first time there is a mainstream professional sports league featuring women and men competing together on the very same field, or in this case, the very same \\u201cGrid.\\u201d

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In competitive fitness, right from the start, men and women have both received equal spotlight and attention. The same can\\u2019t said for any other professional sports league, or quite frankly, our culture as a whole. Despite our progress, most playing fields are anything but level.\\xa0

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The truth is that women and men are equally capable when it comes to moving heavy barbells, crushing races, and entertaining an arena full of cheering fitness fans. Also, as Lindsey herself pointed out, those incredibly fit, powerful and beautiful ladies - the coed angle - might just be the NPGL\\u2019s secret weapon when it comes to breaking into brand new markets.\\xa0

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That\\u2019s really the most exciting part of this entire movement. Consider the classic sports fan with their weekend fantasy leagues and pick-up games, or maybe the aspiring young athlete who might not fit in or dig traditional sports like Football, Baseball or Basketball. Think of the influence an athlete like Lindsey could have on the average young girl who\\u2019s seeing a strong, successful woman slam barbells in front of a packed arena for the very first time.\\xa0

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That\\u2019s a damn incredible thing, indeed.\\xa0

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In all fairness it\\u2019s too early to know. There are no guarantees that the\\xa0Grid\\xa0thing will catch on. But it just might, and that could mean an incredible future where\\xa0Eleiko barbells\\xa0start arriving under Christmas trees during the holidays, right alongside shiny new bicycles and video game consoles (one can hope!). It could also mean waves of brand new, inspired clients pouring into local gyms and boxes, which is great for absolutely everyone.\\xa0

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That\\u2019s really the main point now. There\\u2019s no room in this movement for a scarcity point of view. It\\u2019s time that we stop trying to compare Crossfit and the NPGL, because really, they\\xa0 are fundamentally different things.\\xa0

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As Lindsey points out, \\u201cCrossfit is about finding the fittest men and women in the world, period. The NPGL is all about putting on a show. It\\u2019s spectator friendly. It\\u2019s fast moving. It\\u2019s entertainment, like the NBA or NHL.\\u201d

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She nails the point, concluding, \\u201cThe Crossfit Games are basically like the Olympics. There are players who play in both - The NBA and the Olympics, for example - But nothing can replace the Olympics.\\u201d\\xa0

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We agree. In our point of view the emergence of professional fitness can only create more great opportunities for athletes, coaches and business owners. That\\u2019s really all that matters.\\xa0

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To learn more about the NPGL make sure to check out our interview with league founder and CEO,\\xa0Tony Budding. We also had a great chat with\\xa0NPGL President Jim Kean, where we talk all about the technology and future of this brand new sport.\\xa0

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For more Lyndsey, make sure to check out her website at\\xa0B3LV.com. You can also follow her on\\xa0Instagram,Twitter, and\\xa0Facebook\\xa0at @LiftLikeLindsey.\\xa0

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Lindsey, please keep inspiring folks and kicking ass! We look forward to seeing it all unfold.\\xa0

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Cheers,\\xa0

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Chris Moore

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