women vs. men in the weight room.
6550mom
Posts: 206 Member
Back at it with significant deload- boo. Usually work out in my basement, but went to the gym today. When I got there, it was 3 dudes and me in the room (I was only one on squat-rack- yay). By the time I left, it was me and 2 other chicks and one dude. And both of the other girls were serious- doing real workouts and were strong and fit. It was quite motivating to see them.
However, has anyone else had the experience that other women aren't very friendly. Even when I smile and say hello, it isn't received warmly. I wonder if it's because they are younger, in better shape than me, or they just don't want to smile back or what...I dunno.
The guys are fine (ironic since the big, burly dudes are often cited as the source of intimidation for women who are new to the weight room), but the women seem to be less friendly, with more sideways glances and so on.
Nothing too bad, but was just wondering if anyone else has noticed this? or if I'm being too sensitive to it or it's different gym by gym? LIke I said, doesn't matter much and doesn't affect my workout, but just wondering if anyone had any insight into the psychology of this if it's real.
However, has anyone else had the experience that other women aren't very friendly. Even when I smile and say hello, it isn't received warmly. I wonder if it's because they are younger, in better shape than me, or they just don't want to smile back or what...I dunno.
The guys are fine (ironic since the big, burly dudes are often cited as the source of intimidation for women who are new to the weight room), but the women seem to be less friendly, with more sideways glances and so on.
Nothing too bad, but was just wondering if anyone else has noticed this? or if I'm being too sensitive to it or it's different gym by gym? LIke I said, doesn't matter much and doesn't affect my workout, but just wondering if anyone had any insight into the psychology of this if it's real.
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Nobody is friendly at my gym. It's New York.
But I also have not seen that many women regulars in the weight room. Maybe two or three, and neither of them are what I would consider serious--one uses the leg press, and another has been doing the same 65 lb deadlift for the past two months. There aren't that many serious men lifters at my gym, either. I saw a guy deadlifting 400 lb this past Saturday and was actually surprised to see someone that strong there.0 -
I have noticed this hostility. I'm not sure if it's born of competitiveness or what. I always smile when I see other women lifting because I feel almost like we should have a camaraderie amongst us. Apparently, that is not a universal sentiment!0
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I have noticed this hostility. I'm not sure if it's born of competitiveness or what. I always smile when I see other women lifting because I feel almost like we should have a camaraderie amongst us. Apparently, that is not a universal sentiment!
That's so sexist.
[just kiddin']0 -
I have noticed this hostility. I'm not sure if it's born of competitiveness or what. I always smile when I see other women lifting because I feel almost like we should have a camaraderie amongst us. Apparently, that is not a universal sentiment!
That's so sexist.
[just kiddin']
Well, when I try to have camaraderie with the men my boyfriend just gets mad.
(And the women don't like *that* much either!) :laugh: 0 -
My gym is a tad cliquish because the same people go at the same time every day. They're friendly, they just have their groups. I don't talk to anyone unless they're using something that I want to use or if they talk to me first, so I'm probably the *****y one. I'm the only female (that I know of) that sticks to barbells. The rest of the women that use weights primarily use dumbbells and the machines.0
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Everybody at my gym is friendly enough but they concentrate on their own workouts and usually have earphones on. There are a few regulars that will nod in acknowledgement but they are generally a serious bunch. I don't exactly go out of my way to be friendly either.0
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Everyone at my gym is super friendly. It's pretty common to introduce yourself of you don't know someone. It's a small strongman gym so I'm sure that's 95% of it, but women at my last gym would at least return a smile in the weight room. In fact I met one of my fitness pals working in on the power rack.0
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**** 'em.0
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I'm one of those irritating pollyanna/glass-half-full/see-the-best-in-everyone types, so I tend to smile and nod and make the occasional wisecrack, no matter who it is. However I still get my game face on when I'm in the rack, or waiting for one!!
not many other girls but I tend to chat if I can (mainly cos I'm nosey!) and I don't think I'm much of a threat to them anyway!
the thing that makes me laugh at the moment is the gym I'm at is part of a large group (about 40), but doesn't have a pool (only 3 of them don't). Every half an hour or so an advert comes on for their swimming lessons.. I said to one of the bros there the other day 'what are we supposed to swim in, the pools of sweat?!' I amuse myself, if nothing else - I think I confuse the bros!0 -
I train at home a lot but also use a small powerlifting gym where everyone is super friendly
I'm the only woman there but everyone chats and helps each other 0 -
The (very few) women in my weights room are friendly. However, I can understand it when that's not the case. It could be (speaking from my own experience) that your ladies have a sort of "head down, in the zone" mentality thing going on, because weights rooms can be quite intimidating places and there's an unspoken pressure to hold your own (and maybe even more so) against the men to "prove" you are supposed to be there - the flip side being when you're working out like a bad *kitten*, it's easy not to be especially sociable. I know for me, it's headphones on, head down - I just want to go in, do my work, and get out.
Obviously just my personal take on it.0 -
Yet to see any other women in the free weights, which I don't mind at all, we only have one power rack!0
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No other women in my gym in the weight area except the annoying types. Thank goodness, I really don't get along with other women :P0
