Not Hating, Why Do Women Struggle With The Gym?

KatrinaWilke

I get discouraged. I don't know much about working out. I have tried to do my research but when I'm in there with machines and free weights and people floating around doing intense workouts, I get overwhelmed. I don't understand lifting much and cardio gets boring for me. I just get stressed in there and feel hopeless. I did much better when I had a friend to go with

this makes me sad- all these posts... I want to come work out with ALL of you ladies feeling like you are floating around hopelessly at the gym.

sigh. I want super hero costume to come help women train with weights. seriously that's what i want to make my life's mission! It's SO satisfying... seriously. come to NJ- I shall help you all!!!

I want a super hero costume too!! But I need it to help the men in my life too. They say they are too intimidated to work out at the gym with me!! I DON'T GET IT!! I feel so good at the gym!!

FrnkLft

Well, I used to hate the gym because it was boring. I don't like cardio. Well, actually, I do, but I don't like the boring treadmill/elliptical/stationary bike/treadmill cardio. Which is what most women are told to do. And I need variety.

I like the gym now. Because lifting is fun. :happy:

^THIS! I think its because a typical woman's experiance/motivation is aesthetic in it's entirety. There's no focused strength demension, so it's a drain with such slow progression.

da_bears10089

I don't hate the gym myself - I love it! But I know a LOT of women who hate it because they spend so much time comparing themselves to other women. They aren't as strong or fast or fit or skinny.... and they don't like to go to the gym and look like they don't know what they're doing. That's what I'm gathering from most of the girls I'm trying to get to come to the gym with me (and I'm certainly not the skinniest or fittest girl in the gym by any stretch either LOL)

I spend my gym time in the free weights section so there aren't many women to compare myself to. I usually sit there and think... dude, you NEVER do leg day!

mdn15

I love the gym. I love how I feel after the gym. There will always be creeprs and stalkers at the gym. I notice that guys look once I step into the weight room floor. But when they realize this 5'0 women can lift more then them, they stop looking. I can do real pull up, dips, squats etc.

I think the gym is intimidating if you are unfamiliar w/ it. But once you get over your fears and focus on why you are there, you will get over it.

I also have tunnel vision at the gym. I just go in to do what I need to do and don't pay attention to everyone else.

Added benefit: showing a "cocky" guy that a small female is fitter that he is!!!!!! I love that feeling

husseycd

I love all the women responding here that they love the gym, so what on earth could the OP be talking about? Well, I'm female, I have no problem with the gym, but I have very few female friends that will step foot anywhere near the weights. They'll ride the elliptical for 45 minutes though. I also do aerial fitness and I hear women say all the time how it looks like so much fun but they have noooooo upper body strength and would never be able to build it.

So, from what I've experienced, it does seem that many women stick to cardio, yoga, and small, light weights. The reasons (from my experience): 1. They don't want to get bulky (rolls eyes) 2. The free weights are intimidating. 3. Their main purpose for working out is to lose weight and think cardio is the best way to achieve that.

And to be honest, until I started aerial, I didn't focus much on strength either. I had skinny arms, so why work them? I had a flat belly, so why do ab work? I did work on toning my lower half because that was my "trouble area". So until I had a hobby that required I be strong, I didn't worry about it.

emilydiehl08

I get discouraged. I don't know much about working out. I have tried to do my research but when I'm in there with machines and free weights and people floating around doing intense workouts, I get overwhelmed. I don't understand lifting much and cardio gets boring for me. I just get stressed in there and feel hopeless. I did much better when I had a friend to go with

this makes me sad- all these posts... I want to come work out with ALL of you ladies feeling like you are floating around hopelessly at the gym.

sigh. I want super hero costume to come help women train with weights. seriously that's what i want to make my life's mission! It's SO satisfying... seriously. come to NJ- I shall help you all!!!

Lol I wish I could! I tried signing up for this coaching program they have at my gym, but all the girl did was point me to a machine and says "Ok, just do this. 3 sets of 12" and then walks away, comes back and does the same thing for another machine. And it is always the same machines everytime and I am never sore. I wanted to use the free weights and do things using my body weight because the machines and me don't get along but she said that "beginners should stay on machines". Soo after 4 weeks of machines and the same thing each time I got fed up. And now I'm nervous to go back in there because I haven't been in so long.

MercenaryNoetic26

Yes, it's sad that so many women get hung up on looking stupid at doing an exercise rather than being go getters and actually trying. It doesn't hurt to try ladies! Get out there! Watch training videos and practice, practice, practice! Or hire trainers OR go out there and work it and a trainer will train ya for FREE (well, maybe for a bootycall).

I love state of the art gyms. I'm working out at home, though. Sometimes I pay a la carte daily admission fees when I want some scenery or to use machines such as leg press or an indoor track. Eye candy helps

JoRocka

Lol I wish I could! I tried signing up for this coaching program they have at my gym, but all the girl did was point me to a machine and says "Ok, just do this. 3 sets of 12" and then walks away, comes back and does the same thing for another machine. And it is always the same machines everytime and I am never sore. I wanted to use the free weights and do things using my body weight because the machines and me don't get along but she said that "beginners should stay on machines". Soo after 4 weeks of machines and the same thing each time I got fed up. And now I'm nervous to go back in there because I haven't been in so long.

well if you are ever in NJ- come visit me- I shall take you to ze gym and teach you proper lifting. we will have fun. and then you will drop weights on your feet because you laugh to much- which is why people refuse to lift with me.

If you are paying for a coaching program- insist on someone to teach you BARBELL training. Seriously. If you are paying for it- you better be getting what you want out of it.

Machines are great for injuries or just getting started- but they are limited- and given the right amount of time and some situational awareness- anyone can figure out how they work. BB training can be learned via internet but coaching is better- but if you are paying for something- get what you want- tell the sales manager you don't appreciate it- because anyone can EVENTUALLY figure out how to use a machine.

Seriously- all of you if given that machine- in your own home- you would be able to figure it out- you don't because it's nerve wrackign doing it in front of strangers- which I understand- but paying someone to put you on it and tell you reps then walk away is waste of your money and time. Insist on proper coaching with free weights and bar bells. Seriously. You don't need someone to slap you on a machine.

fbmandy55

I like the gym but my life is hectic right now and I hate not having enough time to get in a good workout. I mostly go on my lunch break or on the weekends. Since road construction has started on the highway i take to my gym, I can no longer go on my lunch hour since the traffic now takes me 25 minutes each way.. I try to go on weekends but then feel guilty all week about the things I didn't do at home and the time I didn't spend with my family.

I just have to force myself to go when I can and I always enjoy it when I do.

MABoxall

I have struggled with the gym because I always feel like I could be doing something else. That is a woman thing!

leannerae40

I was definitely intimidated by the gym. When intimidated, stick to what you know was my motto, so, I walked on the treadmill. All through my 20's I was, quite frankly, horribly misinformed, and all I could think about was looking like Barbie. It was too bad, I could have had a lot more fun.

Now that I'm close to 40 I have now hired a personal trainer, who is competing at Nationals in Figure. I am so NOT worried about the gym anymore. Confidence has grown 1 million percent. NOW - if I do end up attending a busy gym, I will just ask someone if I'm not sure. I pay the money for a service, and I aim to get the most out of it.

Also, the only reason I'm not attending a gym now (besides my trainers classes which is her converted garage) is because I purchased Kettle Bells and a treadmill) and would prefer, when I'm not lifting weights to be outdoors, obstacle training for a Spartan race next year. I AM SPARTA!!

veggievixen79

bumping for later coz I have this problem

jr235

Whatever. When the zombie apocalypse comes I will be gazzelling it the hell out of dodge while you are having your muscley brains eaten out.

*hair flip*

On a serious note I would like to learn some lifting. I got myself some hand weights and do a few exercises with those. I find cardio a lot more enjoyable but also don't know enough about what I am doing with weights to give myself the variety I need. Not having access to a gym or personal trainer (and I want a personal trainer if I'm going to be lifting - at least to start) its just me, my shoes, the road, and the occasional zombie mission.

bumblebums

Both men and women have trouble figuring out what to do at the gym. You are more likely to find them on a site like this, where people make a decision to change their lifestyle and lose some weight and improve the condition of their bodies--sometimes for the first time in their lives.

*Edit: But women are more likely to admit that they are having problems and ask for help. The reasons for that would be cultural. At least in the US, men are conditioned to not ask for help and to pretend that they know everything.

CantStopWontStop92

Love love love the gym on campus. Not so much the ones I've looked at in the community sadly. I get that creepers gon' creep but there's a limit to how much I can deal with. I'm 20 so no, Mr. 45-year-old-with-kids, I'm not looking for a new bestest friend. Going to the gym is my personal time to forget about everything but killing my workout. Guys don't have a place in that, sorry fellas. I'd love to start working with a trainer again, but all the ones I've talked with so far have ignored my request to learn lifting techniques and insisted on starting with cardio. *facepalm* I don't need to pay someone exorbent amounts of money to tell me to run, thank you very much.

footiechick82

At first it was because I felt out of shape - so I got a trainer.

Then I had more confidence.

Now, I just hate being stared at! But, I go anyway.

MsEndomorph

There aren't very many situations in life where I get skantily clad and go hang out in the same place as a bunch of strangers and demonstrate how strong, fast, and knowledgable about my body I am. Add in the extra pressure of being a woman and having no idea what you're doing and it's a pressure cooker!

My little brother is in great shape and totally confident at the gym. He's never been overweight, but he's been lifing weights since he was 13. Why? Because the other boys were doing it, he played sports, AND there's that pressure to be muscular. I was not lifting at 13. I wasn't at the gym at 13. I played basketball, but we didn't hit the gym for that. Girls maybe went to the gym if they were overweight and hung out on the elliptical and that's about it. I think

So here I am, 28 years old, and I'm walking into the gym for the first time at 28 years old (because why would I before I was overweight or an athlete, according to society) and I have no clue what the heck I'm doing. It sucked.

Plus, there's always a guy that decides the bench press IMMEDIATELY behind me while I'm squatting and deadlifting and states at my *kitten* the entire time he's resting.

I am just curious becaue I have never had a bad experience with the gym. Why did it suck? Were people mean to you or did you hurt yourself? Again, I am asking out of curiosity just to see what other peoples experience have been like.

It sucked like losing my virginty sucked. No clue what I was doing, worried how I looked and what people (ok, in the virginity scenario "person") thought, and got out of there as fast as I could.

Here's what my tour was like: So, this is the child care area. Blah blah blah 10 minutes about it. This is the group fitness area which is probably what you're most interested in. Blah blah blah 10 minutes about it. And here's the cardio stuff. When you're more advanced you can work your way over to those machines over there and follow the circuit (seriously a circuit of at least 30 machines.). The end.

HAHA!! I love the analogy! Thanks for the response! What you need is a gym buddy. Find someone who is more comfortable with the gym and have them show you a few things. You will realize (like sex) that it's easier than you think!

Hah! Well I'm all good now. I love the gym - I'm oddly sad on my days off. I hired an amazing personal trainer (she outlifts most of the boys there, spends as much time on form as I need, and hasn't put me on a machine once) and I found that confidence that was missing. I do wish I had a gym buddy, but I have no local friends that do anything other than cardio and MAYBE machines.
But my results are starting to get people interested... I'm just waiting for the right moment to pounce

missinspi

Well one sometimes it's uncomfortable because some men stare. . . Other times it's because some of us are not exactly sure how to work the machines so we feel funny (especially in the free weight area)- lol! Also, I've always been pretty toned but I imagine because we are held to a certain type of image some women may just feel uncomfortable with their bodies.

peachfigs

I don't like the gym because it costs money for things that I can do at home or outside. Body weight exercise is free and everyone should be able to workout without having to buy expensive equipment or a gym membership.

petersonabt

I had issues with the gym, cause whenever i went in i swear i was the ONLY big person in there, which i am sure is not true but that's how i felt. i realized that people didn't get fit and in shape by sitting on their butts, they were in there doing exactly what i wanted to do. So i got my butt in there and started my journey, i realized i didn't pay attention to other people working out and didn't judge anyone, so why was i so worried about others doing it to me. and now i LOOOOVE the gym. however i do get a tish self conscious in the weight room, cause 98% of the time im the only girl in there.