I am the woman in the freeweights section of the gym
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This is the most gorgeous thing I have read on MFP today.
I would add one thing:
HELLOOOooOOOOooo...eye candy ladies...I work out with some of the hottest dudes in the gym. They fist bump me because I am in the He-Man club, too.
I was recently informed by staff that they have even given me a nickname: The Squat Queen.
And it is fking awesome.3 -
Yup! Very well said!0
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My bench and weights are in my bedroom. Sometimes there's men in there but I'm ALWAYS the only woman. :laugh:
Seriously great tips.0 -
I have booked in for a trainer to set me up with a weights program. I tried it before after reading nrwlfw but I found it difficult to just read the technique without being shown. I had a blip with an operation on my arm in the summer so am hoping I'll be able to lift as I know I need to get strong. I was previously worried about getting bulky as I already have 'massive arm muscles' according to my friends. However, I realise they may just be jealous and I won't get any more massive, just hopefully be able to reduce my body fat percentage and get strong to support my joints which are a risk of dislocating due to hyper mobility. No gentle exercise for me in the yoga or Pilates classes as one trainer suggested I do! Can't wait to start, thanks for the post.0
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I started New Rules this week. My first workout I was a little uncomfortable and I was nervous but last night was much better.1
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Great post!! Well said OP.0
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Thanks for the book recommendations!1
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\o/
:drinker:
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And dont hog the damn squat rack.0
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And dont hog the damn squat rack.
I'll hog it if I like. kthxbai!0 -
I've only just read the first couple of paragraphs but I already want to thank you. I aske 3 PT's to show me how to lift heavy weights and they make crap up about how the machines are easier and do the same things. I know they are wrong. Starting to think I'll never get to learn. I just want someone to teach me because I'm a bit older and don't want to hurt myself. Never done weights before so I feel lost.0
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You're such an inspiration! I'm breaking into the free weights section although I do cop out a bit and go at off hours when I know it'll be quiet and I can work out in peace.1
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And dont hog the damn squat rack.
I'll hog it if I like. kthxbai!
This is why you get slapped on the *kitten* after each set.0 -
Awesome post is awesome. Want this in my feed.0
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And dont hog the damn squat rack.
I'll hog it if I like. kthxbai!
This is why you get slapped on the *kitten* after each set.
Why do you think I keep doing it?0 -
Nice post, saving for later! I want to do weightlifting someday, but I am definitely intimidated. In college, I signed up for a gym with my roommate and we got a personal trainer who was starting to help us with the weights. That was great because we were both girls in the weight room together, but now I've moved away and doing it totally alone is a lot more intimidating.0
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Excellent post! I am the woman there too, with a hand full of others
I follow my iMuscle workout on my iphone, and it shows how to do the exercises if you don't know. Also, the guys are super friendly and if you need help, ask someone who looks like they work out. They are always more than willing to assist!!
I have never been *kitten* slapped between sets...so I must be doing something wrong. lol.
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Nice post. Wish more women lifted in my gym. There are a few who do, and they at least try to have good form and rom. The men are mostly into moving bars a few inches, then talking about how they were awesome in high school.0
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Hello MFPers. I would just like to post about what it is like to be a woman lifting heavy weighs amongst the men, and how you can overcome fears associated with being a lone she-wolf.
1. Yep, it's almost all men.
There's very few gyms where women dominate the weight room. Some gyms have dedicated women's weight rooms, but from what I've seen they have less equipment. No thanks. I want access to every piece of equipment available. Quite frankly, I think dedicated women's weight section do nothing but foster the environment that the regular weight room isn't for women. It's like there is an invisible barrier that you're afraid to cross- don't be. Where I am at now, I can tell you from watching the guys that there's plenty of men that don't know what they're doing and a educated woman who walks in to the weight room has a leg up on an uneducated man.
2. How to get over the initial fear
Start with the book "Starting Strength". If you read that book in it's entirety, you will have the foundational knowledge to lift weights. Period. You can now go in to the weight room and be more knowledgeable than most of the men there. Also, you can read any of the "New Rules of Lifting" books (including but not limited to New Rules for Women). There is no difference between how men should lift versus how women should lift. Once you've started educating yourself, walk in and start giving things a try. If you're worried you won't know how to clip the weights on the bar or other small details (I know I get hung up on the small details myself) just know that after one single day of orienting yourself with the equipment, you'll know. The maximum uncomfortability is one day. Also, you can always post specific (even stupid) questions here on MFP and save a little face if you want to. If you're REALLY worried, hire a trainer for one session just to walk you through the equipment (after you've done your reading, so that you know what you're looking for)
3. Go in with a plan
Don't just go wander around, have a specific plan of attack. Use the NROL or Starting Strength or Stronglifts to plan your program, and every time you walk in the gym you will know what you're going to do in what order. When you start focusing on your program, you'll be less aware of goings on around you.
4. The men will look, and might even make comments. They're not necessarily creepers.
Just accept it, you'll be a novelty and an anomaly. One of the things that happens in the weight room is everyone has downtime between sets, and people watch other people. Men watch other men, they watch women, women watch men- it just happens. It's one of the ways we learn while we're there. They're not necessarily judging you or undressing you, they're just killing time between sets and observing.
For me, I lift a decent amount of weight, sometimes more than some men, and with good form. It's an anomaly. I *frequently* have men come up and say "Your squats are awesome, I can't get close to that low!" or a guy said to me the other day "I'm jealous, you can do more dips than I can". When I started lifting, I thought all these comments were coming from a place of creeping, but I've come to understand that it's just them generally appreciating what I'm doing, and now I graciously accept the compliments and move on. There are some creepers occasionally ("Hey, I have a really good two person ab workout I'd like to show you") but like 95% of the time it's non-creeping compliments. I genuinely really like the compliments now.
In my experience, you get pretty equal respect when you do equal workouts.
5. With equal respect comes equal treatment
You can't have it both ways, if you workout with the guys you're going to be treated like the guys treat each other. Guys aren't going to run over and offer to help you do things, but if you need help don't be afraid to ask a guy to spot your bench presses in between sets. (Don't ever try and talk to someone during a set. Ever.) If you take up a whole bunch of different equipment at one time doing some circuit workout, you'll get exactly the same annoyed reaction as if you were a man doing that exact thing.
6. Wear whatever you feel comfortable wearing...
...but don't come back here and complain if you're oogled when you're wearing a bra and booty shorts.
7. If you just suck it up and walk in with your head high and do your workout today, your fears will be greatly diminished by tomorrow. Just do it.
PREACH! The highest of fives to you! I am the only women in the free weights section too! What I love most is when a dude comes in and sees that I'm lifting heavier than he is, he ups his weights. heh heh. BRING IT BRO! I've also inspired a couple of other ladies to stop doing so much cardio and come to the weight side. They see by my results that lifting doesn't make you 'manly' looking at all. 2 -
Fantastic post!
x2
And Woooo, Lana! I love Archer...so inappropriate and juvenile. Right up my alley. 0 -
Hmmm...while I did have some anxiety my first time in the weights section 2 weeks ago, reading up on form helped, and the boys were willing to help, even though, some of them (many of them) didn't know what they were talking about. Lol! I didn't see anyone looking at me strangely. I've been to 2 different gyms, and I just asked guys, in the weight section, to help me find my way around, both times. They seem to enjoy being the authority on the gym, so it's pretty win-win, imo. :happy:0
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So glad that at my gym, there are almost as many females training in the weights section as men. And of course these aren't competitive fitness models or bodybuilders, but just average women who have learned that lifting is good for the body.
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Lots of women work out in the free weight section of my gym. Actually, at every gym I've been to.
Also men don't go up to you and tell you what to do. At least I've never seen it happen.0 -
Great post.0
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Awesome post! My plan is to start some weight training in 2014 and this is a great plan. Thanks!0
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I LOVE this!! I am so intimidated by the free weights in the gym because of walking into the 'man' cave. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone and giving some tips to overcome my hesitancy.
I honestly think many of the men, when they first start, feel the same way. People (not just women) tend to be afraid of being judged. You're probably not alone in the way you feel when you're there. Plug those headphones in and go to work! One piece of equipment at a time, even. xo
I will chime in on this one. Joined a gym about about 18 months ago and stuck to the cardio. Walked over to the free weights with no plan and kept walking right back to the treadmill. Felt completely intimidated by everyone who were in their workouts and didn't want to look like a fool. It is not like I didn't know what I was doing, I lifted regularly through high school both power and olympic lifts, but I had no plan as to what I wanted to do now.
Then two months ago I found StrongLifts (thanks the the boards here) liked that it was a simple plan and decided to try it. Took the advice and stuck to starting with the bar only. Still intimidating and felt like a complete tool squatting and benching the bare bar. But I went in and added the weight each time because I had a plan.
So I will agree with the OP and want to add that a lot of the same applies to us men as well.
Main thing for everyone is to have a plan before you walk in, and remember everyone in there felt like you at one point in time.0 -
I LOVE this!! I am so intimidated by the free weights in the gym because of walking into the 'man' cave. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone and giving some tips to overcome my hesitancy.
I honestly think many of the men, when they first start, feel the same way. People (not just women) tend to be afraid of being judged. You're probably not alone in the way you feel when you're there. Plug those headphones in and go to work! One piece of equipment at a time, even. xo
I will chime in on this one. Joined a gym about about 18 months ago and stuck to the cardio. Walked over to the free weights with no plan and kept walking right back to the treadmill. Felt completely intimidated by everyone who were in their workouts and didn't want to look like a fool. It is not like I didn't know what I was doing, I lifted regularly through high school both power and olympic lifts, but I had no plan as to what I wanted to do now.
Then two months ago I found StrongLifts (thanks the the boards here) liked that it was a simple plan and decided to try it. Took the advice and stuck to starting with the bar only. Still intimidating and felt like a complete tool squatting and benching the bare bar. But I went in and added the weight each time because I had a plan.
So I will agree with the OP and want to add that a lot of the same applies to us men as well.
Main thing for everyone is to have a plan before you walk in, and remember everyone in there felt like you at one point in time.
The bolded is really important, I wish I had included it in my OP. Everyone was in your shoes, feeling foolish at one time. Most people remember that and are willing to help beginners figure out what they're doing.0 -
I LOVE this!! I am so intimidated by the free weights in the gym because of walking into the 'man' cave. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone and giving some tips to overcome my hesitancy.
I honestly think many of the men, when they first start, feel the same way. People (not just women) tend to be afraid of being judged. You're probably not alone in the way you feel when you're there. Plug those headphones in and go to work! One piece of equipment at a time, even. xo
I will chime in on this one. Joined a gym about about 18 months ago and stuck to the cardio. Walked over to the free weights with no plan and kept walking right back to the treadmill. Felt completely intimidated by everyone who were in their workouts and didn't want to look like a fool. It is not like I didn't know what I was doing, I lifted regularly through high school both power and olympic lifts, but I had no plan as to what I wanted to do now.
Then two months ago I found StrongLifts (thanks the the boards here) liked that it was a simple plan and decided to try it. Took the advice and stuck to starting with the bar only. Still intimidating and felt like a complete tool squatting and benching the bare bar. But I went in and added the weight each time because I had a plan.
So I will agree with the OP and want to add that a lot of the same applies to us men as well.
Main thing for everyone is to have a plan before you walk in, and remember everyone in there felt like you at one point in time.
QFT. Can be intimidating for guys as well. But reading up to know what you're doing, and having a plan, makes it cake walk.0 -
Lots of women work out in the free weight section of my gym. Actually, at every gym I've been to.
Also men don't go up to you and tell you what to do. At least I've never seen it happen.
Some will, certainly (I've personally had it happen), and it's generally not out of any other feeling than trying to be helpful -- even when their help is wrong or their approach is a little abrasive. They do it, in part, because they respect you and don't want to see you get hurt, which can happen regardless of gender if your form is wrong.0 -
I LOVE this!! I am so intimidated by the free weights in the gym because of walking into the 'man' cave. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone and giving some tips to overcome my hesitancy.
I honestly think many of the men, when they first start, feel the same way. People (not just women) tend to be afraid of being judged. You're probably not alone in the way you feel when you're there. Plug those headphones in and go to work! One piece of equipment at a time, even. xo
I will chime in on this one. Joined a gym about about 18 months ago and stuck to the cardio. Walked over to the free weights with no plan and kept walking right back to the treadmill. Felt completely intimidated by everyone who were in their workouts and didn't want to look like a fool. It is not like I didn't know what I was doing, I lifted regularly through high school both power and olympic lifts, but I had no plan as to what I wanted to do now.
Then two months ago I found StrongLifts (thanks the the boards here) liked that it was a simple plan and decided to try it. Took the advice and stuck to starting with the bar only. Still intimidating and felt like a complete tool squatting and benching the bare bar. But I went in and added the weight each time because I had a plan.
So I will agree with the OP and want to add that a lot of the same applies to us men as well.
Main thing for everyone is to have a plan before you walk in, and remember everyone in there felt like you at one point in time.
The bolded is really important, I wish I had included it in my OP. Everyone was in your shoes, feeling foolish at one time. Most people remember that and are willing to help beginners figure out what they're doing.
Maybe, I had an edge on some people, because I realize that ANY time I do anything athletic, I feel foolish, because I'm so uncoordinated. Seriously, I'm still trying to get the hang of BREATHING while lifting. It's really pathetic. I just go out there, knowing I'll look like a goofball, and my expectations of myself aren't thrown off kilter. :laugh:0
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