Why do so many ladies not lift?
Options
Replies
-
For me, anything I read in any teen/young adult magazine was to do aerobic type stuff and eat a salad. 20-odd years of having society beat that into my brain was hard to break from, but I finally did and I love to lift. That said, I don't care what anyone else does. You like to run? Great. You're a cyclist? Awesome. I'm worried about me.0
-
I hate it, and I don't want my arms to get more muscular (yeah yeah, women don't bulk, whatever, I've seen enough bulky women not to believe it - although granted, my notion of 'bulky' is probably not the same as everyone's).
I mean, I still do it, just not the progressive regimen that I see people do (mostly because I just haven't been able to increase my weights consistently), and 2x a week on a good week (plus I like cardio and my legs are tired all the time from it, which makes it hard to do leg exercises). But for what it's worth, I never see anyone lift heavy at my gym, as the trainers pretty much won't let you do it if they are not with you. But I see plenty of women use the machines.rainbowbow wrote: »Why the stereotype here?
I'll be honest, i'm kind of getting tired of this generalization coupled with the fact that women *must* lift weights if they want to be "cool, fit, attractive" and so on. It's perpetuated on MyFitnessPal so much that it's borderline ridiculous.
I personally lift weights because it's something i ENJOY doing. Lifting weights isn't a requirement for all women, hell not even men. If someone can find an activity that they enjoy and can maintain for life, why s##t all over it because it's not the same as yours?
If some woman prefers to dance, to run, to swim, to play tennis, to do WHATEVER, why is she barred from the *cool kids club*? I'm just saying.
Let's not even get into the fact not not everyone wants to look like a bodybuilder or a fitness model.
I totally agree with you. The 'you'll never be fit enough if you don't lift' mentality on MFP is getting really old!0 -
I think you misunderstand progressive resistance
0 -
Many women lift here
I don't lift, I don't want to. I lift myself and have no interest in weights
I am so jealous ! I have wanted to try this for so long, but I suffer from vertigo which I have been told is one of the very few reasons not to try aerial yoga
I have a friend who teaches, and even she would not let me.
I don't think inversions would go very well. but not inversion, maybe. but your friend knows better than I as she knows you better0 -
I hate it, and I don't want my arms to get more muscular (yeah yeah, women don't bulk, whatever, I've seen enough bulky women not to believe it - although granted, my notion of 'bulky' is probably not the same as everyone's).
I mean, I still do it, just not the progressive regimen that I see people do (mostly because I just haven't been able to increase my weights consistently), and 2x a week on a good week (plus I like cardio and my legs are tired all the time from it, which makes it hard to do leg exercises). But for what it's worth, I never see anyone lift heavy at my gym, as the trainers pretty much won't let you do it if they are not with you. But I see plenty of women use the machines.rainbowbow wrote: »Why the stereotype here?
I'll be honest, i'm kind of getting tired of this generalization coupled with the fact that women *must* lift weights if they want to be "cool, fit, attractive" and so on. It's perpetuated on MyFitnessPal so much that it's borderline ridiculous.
I personally lift weights because it's something i ENJOY doing. Lifting weights isn't a requirement for all women, hell not even men. If someone can find an activity that they enjoy and can maintain for life, why s##t all over it because it's not the same as yours?
If some woman prefers to dance, to run, to swim, to play tennis, to do WHATEVER, why is she barred from the *cool kids club*? I'm just saying.
Let's not even get into the fact not not everyone wants to look like a bodybuilder or a fitness model.
I totally agree with you. The 'you'll never be fit enough if you don't lift' mentality on MFP is getting really old!
The more you know...
It may be a good idea to start lifting heavy things now so you can open your own doors later.0 -
noobletmcnugget wrote: »Obviously I can't speak for all women, but I can speak for me. I'm not under the delusion that it would make me bulky or anything, it's more the fact that I have no idea how to go about it, I feel like I'd end up injuring myself, I feel like I'd feel quite intimidated by other guys using the weights, and it really just doesn't appeal to me.
You learned how to ride a bike and tie your shoes. Why can't you learn how to lift with proper form? You think lifting is the only form of exercise that you can injure yourself in?0 -
codsterlaing95 wrote: »noobletmcnugget wrote: »Obviously I can't speak for all women, but I can speak for me. I'm not under the delusion that it would make me bulky or anything, it's more the fact that I have no idea how to go about it, I feel like I'd end up injuring myself, I feel like I'd feel quite intimidated by other guys using the weights, and it really just doesn't appeal to me.
You learned how to ride a bike and tie your shoes. Why can't you learn how to lift with proper form? You think lifting is the only form of exercise that you can injure yourself in?
Well that was unnecessary.0 -
It might seem scary but it actually very safe if you have good form and judgement ( use rack, safety bars, don't add a crazy amount of weight before you are ready, etc)0
-
I have zero fear of getting bulky and admire women who do lift and was quite inspired by many of the women here on MFP; wanted to love it but find it quite boring. Have tried at home , group class, individual trainer but just didn't like it.0
-
No "heavy" lifting here. But I do the machines 3x per week and increase my weights as my strength improves. By all accounts, my results are great, so I'll keep doing what I'm doing. It also complements my athletic training. I see lots of women in the free weights section. I think more and more women do want visible muscles and aren't afraid of getting "bulky." Most women don't have the genetics to get much visible muscle anyway.0
-
They are for the most part, intimidated by the iron. It's sad, because they waste so much time doing Cardio, which will never give them the fat loss and muscle tone of pumping iron. A real shame.....but heck, it leaves all the best equipment for the guys!!!!
0 -
forwardmoving wrote: »I have zero fear of getting bulky and admire women who do lift and was quite inspired by many of the women here on MFP; wanted to love it but find it quite boring. Have tried at home , group class, individual trainer but just didn't like it.
I feel the same. And I still do some lifting, it's just not a major focus. But I've noticed a decent amount of condescension lately (not just on here, also in real life) from females who are into lifting and seem to suggest that what they're doing is better or that cardio is inferior. I'm not going to tear someone else up because they can't or don't want to run 5 miles so who cares if I think lifting is tediously boring?0 -
forwardmoving wrote: »I have zero fear of getting bulky and admire women who do lift and was quite inspired by many of the women here on MFP; wanted to love it but find it quite boring. Have tried at home , group class, individual trainer but just didn't like it.
I feel the same. And I still do some lifting, it's just not a major focus. But I've noticed a decent amount of condescension lately (not just on here, also in real life) from females who are into lifting and seem to suggest that what they're doing is better or that cardio is inferior. I'm not going to tear someone else up because they can't or don't want to run 5 miles so who cares if I think lifting is tediously boring?
Good thing this hasn't caught up here where I live. Some women lift, many don't, but I don't see this condescending attitude in real life. I guess it hasn't caught up yet as "the cool thing to do".
In my opinion this latest trend in attitude is a form of rebellion against the traditional concepts of exercise for genders, so a woman who lifts may be perceived as cool, empowered, nontraditional, strong...etc while a woman who doesn't may be seen as a slave for gender roles, weak, uncool...etc. Give it a few years and once the novelty wears off it will be all about about personal preference without value judgements based on personal choices.
I too find lifting to be extremely boring, so I don't do it (not to mention it's potentially dangerous for me because I'm not allowed to perform certain moves)0 -
At the commercial gym I go to all newbies are given the tour & shown the basic machines that work each body part in 20 minutes. On top of this The women's only area of the gym is stocked with lots of cardio machines, a smith machine & the basic resistance machines, it's no wonder I see only a handful of women lifting heavy.0
-
Most women and men around here at the gyms I've been to use the machines. They do usually use a progressive program, so I think it's great. It's about 50-50 in that nice, big room, and then there are other women who use the little women's room that ironically has more free weights (not enough)
For the actual co-ed barbell area to be more pleasing would take a lot. It is claustrophobic, stuck down a long, deserted hallway, and no trainers or anything are ever there, so you can never ask for direction. Very few men even use it, and the ones who did it at my time never worked out and were undeniably creepy (2 guy friends). They just watched me and sat around. That really is not pleasant when there's this whole rockin' unisex atmosphere over in the machine weights section, with good music and people watching TVs and not creepily deserted and dead quiet.
I have my own barbell at home now, so it's all cool (except for working around my chronic pain injuries ). I've weight lifted hypertrophy-style since 1986 in high school, lol! (Not with the proper bulk diet, as that's my hard part.) But that was back when Nautilus was still the rage and free weights weren't common at bigger gyms around here. I still love the machines, to tell the truth. Or heavy dumbbells. But you can't do some lifts I like with dumbbells, so a barbell is necessary for that.
I do think you can have great muscles with other athletic or dance endeavors and certainly with other programmes than the most commonly mentioned here. I think machines are fine for that, too. If you want to keep adding muscle with a sport or dance regime, I don't know how you do that, though. If something is hard to add resistance to, there is a wall you hit, imho. OTOH, not everyone is looking for more and more muscle and keeping what they have works perfectly for their needs. Nothing wrong with that!0 -
Reason #4378: some of the failure modes associated with lifting heavy seem pretty damn catastrophic
Haha, the first injury I had (recently) was from an elliptical! Whacked my hand warming up. Screwed up my wrist!
I think everyone should do what they love. What they can stick to. Lifting has less impact on my joints...helps them and therefore motivation is steady.
Understandable! I've had exercise injuries too, granted I kept spraining my ankle after the initial sprain totally outside exercise (unmarked step). I've also had rotator cuff injury and a hip thing. But some of the lifting injuries I hear about, I would be glad to know could be prevented by just being cautious: Back injuries, neck(?!) injuries, and someone on my FL once told a story about how he ran up to a lifter just in time to essentially prevent the guy from crushing his own neck
Then you have the stuff like scraping your knees and needing high socks, having to interact with people to share space and equipment - who is this person and why do I have to acknowledge their existence just to workout?? Aww damnit, I'm the problem here, aren't I? :bigsmile:0 -
Reason #4378: some of the failure modes associated with lifting heavy seem pretty damn catastrophic
Haha, the first injury I had (recently) was from an elliptical! Whacked my hand warming up. Screwed up my wrist!
I think everyone should do what they love. What they can stick to. Lifting has less impact on my joints...helps them and therefore motivation is steady.
... having to interact with people to share space and equipment - who is this person and why do I have to acknowledge their existence just to workout?? Aww damnit, I'm the problem here, aren't I? :bigsmile:
No, lol! I hate waiting for equipment. Maybe that's a woman thing I like some gym environments and not others, so waiting for certain folks can feel like being in line at the DMV. I do hate that, immensely.
I can see my TV from my weights set-up now. That works, and with only my dogs to bug me.
0 -
Wow thanks for all the responses and perspective.0
-
I'm one of those women who you would only see doing cardio at the gym. Because I do all my lifting at home. So just because you only see me doing cardio doesn't mean I'm not lifting.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392K Introduce Yourself
- 43.6K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 402 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 998 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions