So there I was—about three-quarters of the way up a 100-foot rock formation in California’s Joshua Tree National Park. I was tired. But more than that, I was pissed off that this one section, which I dubbed “the Crack,” was giving me so much trouble. Below, my crew of strong women was cheering me on. Above me, Savannah Cummins, an adventure photographer and expert climber, was balancing on a rope like a ninja. She was offering me tips while capturing my every move, but with fatigue and frustration setting in, it sounded more like Charlie Brown’s teacher—“whaa-whaa-whaa.”

This particular rock face was nothing like the indoor climbing walls I had practiced on back in New York; it was infinitely harder. You see, in the gym, there were defined routes marked by colors, which represent degrees of difficulty, as well as pronounced nubs you use to grab or step on. But in the outdoors, I was unable to map out a clear path. So each chalky-hand move or toe placement felt like trying to fit a piece into a challenging puzzle—and my guess was often wrong.

Knowing that I needed to make a move, I gripped a section of rock, and it peeled away like a pistachio shell. I fell a bit before feeling my rope tighten. It was then I was reminded of my mortality. I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against the rock. “You can do this,” I said to myself. More important, I told myself to trust my belayer (the person on the ground charged with securing me).

Fundamentally, the art of rock climbing is about two things: overcoming physical obstacles and trusting in people. For me, the first part was no big deal. I’m not saying that using every muscle in my body to grip tiny crevices and sliding my frame along rock surfaces is easy, but I’ve run several marathons and even trekked through the Alps. Translation: I’m comfortable with physical discomfort and have taught myself how to persevere. But trusting others is tough for me. So the fact that the rope I am attached to is literally tied to the waist of another person and that is the only thing keeping me from smashing into this mountain, or worse, freefalling 100 feet? Yup, it’s my worst nightmare.

Knowing that, you may wonder what possessed me to try a sport that consists of putting my life in the hands of another person. Well, “sport climbing” is making its Olympic debut in 2020. For the most part, it’s male-dominated, and the North Face wants to change that, so it invited a group of female editors on a trip to explore the activity. Honestly, it seemed like a good idea while sitting at my cushy desk in New York City. I love athletic challenges and was into the whole female-empowerment angle. I didn’t even think about the trust aspect.

So on that rock—torn between giving up and fighting like hell to finish—I gave myself a moment to regroup…

I’m not your average exerciser. I grew up playing varsity sports (soccer, swimming, more soccer). I played on a nationally ranked rugby team in college. And I now CrossFit six days week. I have shapely arms and a strong core–yet, I hate my tush. (And I hated it even when my parents still called it my "patootie”.)

It’s the butt my relatives used as an excuse to kick me off their laps. “It’s too bony!” they'd say. The butt whose absence became even more apparent when I started strength training, the butt that’s the reason I wear long cardigans whenever I shimmy into a pair of jeans.

The truth is, the appearance of my butt is partially out of my control. “Genetics is a major component of where we store our fat and how we develop muscle, so genetics is a huge determinator of the size and shape of your butt,” physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist Grayson Wickham, founder of Movement Vault, told me when he overheard me complaining of my flat rear.

Still, I thought there must be something I could do to make my bum a little more JLo and a little less JFlat. Besides, in addition to filling out pants, there are a ton of benefits of having stronger, bigger glutes: increased metabolism, improved posture, faster running, and lifting heavier weights during my CrossFit workouts.

So when I found out my CrossFit box was starting a nine-week squat challenge with CrossFit coach Ian Berger, founder of Altrufuel and the Endure Podcast, I was in. Could my peach really be just a couple months away? I decided I would squat (and squat hard) to find out.

RELATED: 11 Celeb-Approved Workouts for a Toned, Sculpted Butt

The plan in full is below, courtesy of Berger. The TL;DR version? On Mondays we front squat, and on Wednesdays we back squat, for eight weeks. On the ninth week, we test ourselves. 

9-Week Squat Cycle

Monday

Wednesday

Front Squat

Back Squat

Week 1

5 rep max (5RM)

5 rep max (5RM)

Week 2

4 sets of 9 reps at 75% of 5RM

4 sets of 9 reps at 75% of 5RM

Week 3

5 sets of 7 reps at 80% of 5RM

5 sets of 7 reps at 80% of 5RM

Week 4

7 sets of 5 reps at 90% of 5RM

7 sets of 5 reps at 90% of 5RM

Week 5

10 sets of 3 reps at 100% of 5RM

10 sets of 3 reps at 100% of 5RM

Week 6

3 sets of 10 reps at 65% of 5RM for speed

3 sets of 10 reps at 65% of 5RM for speed

Week 7

1 set of 5 reps of 90% of 5RM

2 sets of 4 reps at 92…

Monday just got a whole lot better. American tennis star Venus Williams is launching the newest EleVen activewear collection today, and it is so good. The best part? You don't have to be even the slightest bit good at tennis to appreciate it. 

The EleVen line may have kicked off in 2012, but we are super excited for the new Starlet collection, which is being released just in time for fall. Blue hues melt into crisp winter white, mimicking the night sky as it transitions from light to dark. Romantic, right?

"When designing this collection, I was inspired by one of my favorite parts of day, right after dusk when the stars and moon first become visible, and the hues of blue settle into the dark night sky," Williams told Health. As a result, her newest fitness capsule is romance, sophistication, playfulness, and edge rolled up into one spandex look.

Shop the collection: elevenbyvenuswilliams.com

In the latest drop, you'll find everything from comfy tanks and long-sleeve tees to fierce leggings and anything-but-basic jackets. Of course, it wouldn't be a Williams line without a few nods to the sport she's most passionate about: Adorable tennis skirts and dresses? Check and check.

The pieces in the Starlet collection also have eye-catching details such as back cutouts and sexy mesh panels, and were designed for layering—so transitioning from summer to winter is easier than ever. Sport these versatile, gym-to-street pieces all day long, whether you're heading into a fitness class, grinding it out on the courts, or running errands on the weekend.

Not only is the collection fashion-forward, but it's also functional. The brand uses technology that helps you perform at the best of your ability. EleVen Ozone provides protection from UVA and UVB rays, EleVen Pro-Dri offers breathability and quick-dry performance, and UPF 50 blocks 98% of harmful ultraviolet rays. All you have to concern yourself with is unleashing your inner athlete and crushing your sweat session.

Venus Williams's EleVen Starlet collection is available to shop today at at 1p.m. EST. Don't mind us: We'll be very, very busy adding our most coveted looks into our shopping carts.

A South Carolina nail salon is making amends after they turned away a woman because she weighed over 250 lbs.

Amanda Wolfenbarger went to Nail Spa in Conway, South Carolina for a pedicure, and said a man took her over to a chair and had her soak her feet for ten minutes before returning and asking how much she weighed.

“It was embarrassing,” Wolfenbarger told WMBF News. “You get that knot in your stomach and your heart drops a little bit.”

After she told him her weight, Wolfenbarger said he pointed to a sign that stated, “We are not accepting any person over 250 lb. for pedicure service, sorry!”

“Why even sit me?” she questioned afterwards. “There’s a more tactful way of approaching someone and he could have explained it at the counter.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Nail Spa for comment.

According to WMBF, Tina Bui, the owner of Nail Spa, was immediately apologetic and talked to Wolfenbarger in the parking lot. Bui said that the policy is in place because the chairs have a weight limit, and they want their customers to be able to safely sit in the chair.

“[I’m] sorry that happened today and made my customer [who] came to my nail shop unhappy and hurt her feelings,” Bui said. “I tried to say sorry … that happened to her. But something if I can do, I’m really happy to do.”

Crystal Smith, another Nail Spa customer, offered to remake the signs.

“It was inappropriate how it had been placed on there … it was actually in a rude manner,” she said.

But she said Bui wants to do the right thing.

“Tina feels horrible about the way it was addressed to her, but she has looked into other chairs from different companies for higher weight limits,” Smith said.

Regular gym-goers know that consistently hitting the squat rack doesn’t always equal perfectly smooth, sculpted legs. Cellulite is a fact of life for just about all women—and fitness gear brand Outdoor Voices is telling the world that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

RELATED: 6 Women Share Why They Don't Let Cellulite Keep Them From Wearing a Bikini

The company recently posted a photo on Instagram of a model showing off her cellulite while wearing the brand's Hudson Short. Even better, Outdoor Voices didn’t feel the need to justify the image by labeling it as unedited. They're letting the photo speak for itself.

Fans of the company were thrilled to come across this post in their feeds.

“I thought this post was gonna be one of those ‘love yourself because we all have imperfections.’ Nope. Actual realness. LOVE THIS,” one user commented.

RELATED: These Influencers Are Posing in Swimsuits That Show Off Their Scars and Cellulite—and It's the Message We Need for Summer

Another weighed in to share her own experience: “I struggle constantly with comparison to the ‘perfect’ bodies I see in social media, knowing that no amount of work has gotten rid of my cellulite. This made my day!!”

People are done putting up with Photoshopped ads that look nothing like reality, and Outdoor Voices is one company that’s proving to us it’s done with it too. By supporting body-positive brands like this one, we’re pushing others to catch up to the new norm.

Four years ago, Deborah J. Cohan went to her primary-care doctor with excruciating pain throughout her midsection. “I wasn't able to stand up straight. Eating and going to the bathroom were uncomfortable,” Cohan, who lives in South Carolina, tells Health. She had a hunch it was gynecological, but her doctor dismissed the idea. Declaring it to be back pain, she prescribed Cohan muscle relaxants.

They didn’t work. Neither did over-the-counter pain relief, ice, heat, chiropractic care, or stretching.

A few days later, Cohan’s pain was so bad, she went to the ER. But instead of getting help, she only encountered more pushback.

RELATED: 12 Horrifying True Stories of Doctors Behaving Badly

The doctor on duty confidently announced that Cohan had uterine fibroids. When she pointed out that she didn’t have a uterus anymore—it had been removed in that same hospital the year before—“the doctor was adamant I was mistaken,” she remembers.

Not until Cohan’s ob-gyn came onto the scene was the right diagnosis finally made. Cohan’s ovaries had twisted and fallen from their normal position—a condition called ovarian torsion. It’s considered a medical emergency and, if left untreated, can be fatal.

After immediate surgery to remove both her ovaries, Cohan recuperated quickly. Still, “this experience confirmed what I’ve long believed,” she says. “Women need to embrace, trust, own, and protect their own bodies.”

In other words, doctors won’t always do that for you. In fact, your doctor might even try to gaslight you.

"Gaslighting" happens when one person tries to convince another to second-guess their instincts and doubt their perception that something is real. Medical gaslighting happens when health-care professionals downplay or blow off symptoms you know you're feeling and instead try to convince you they're caused by something else—or even that you're imagining them.

A disconnect—or disrespect?

As the #MeToo movement continues to bring allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault into the daylight, it’s illuminating another unsettling gender-based offense: how women’s health issues often go ignored, undertreated, or misdiagnosed by doctors.

“It’s a true phenomenon,” G. Thomas Ruiz, MD, lead ob-gyn at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, tells Health. “Gender bias is a harsh opinion as to why [it happens], but there’s some pretty good research to support that.”

RELATED: 4 Signs You Should See Another Doctor for a Second Opinion

Granted, some gynecological disorders, like endometriosis, are notoriously tricky to diagnose. But it’s not just women’s health issues that doctors tend to downplay.

For instance, women with heart disease are prescribed less medicine and offered surgery less often than men…