Why are so many women SCARED of weights? LMAO.
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Misinformation.0
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I LOVE strength. I actually prefer it over to cardio. I do cardio for 10 mins on bike to warm up, strength training for my full amount and then I'll go on the treadmill for 15-30 mins because I'm trying to train to do a run for charity. I do do classes as well but I try to take classes the incorporate strength/resistance training more over cardio!
Strength training gives you a buzz and when I feel a bit stiff in certain muscles the next day, I LOVE it. It lets you know those muscles have truly been worked and are on their way to building up and getting stronger. Bigger muscles = tighter body and bigger fat burn!0 -
First of all forget the smith machines, they only limit your movements and you don't make full use of your muscles so you end up unbalanced. Squat racks are far more effective.
About your question, it is because of the never ending myth that weight lifting will turn a woman into a female Arnold Schwarzenegger. To make things worse, fitness magazines and media keep on preaching this false myth. Little did they know that a lot of hot female Hollywood celebrities such as Scarlet Johansson, Jessica Biel, Halle Berry etc. actually got their svelte bodies and awesome curves from lifting weights.
In my case, I squat and lunge a 75kg barbell (165 lbs.) and deadlift a 66kg barbell (150 lbs.) but I'm only a size 0-2 and don't look like those roided bodybuilders you see on fitness magazines, not even close.
How much did you weigh when you started lifting? I've heard of many women losing a ton of weight via cardio and diet first before hitting the weights.0 -
I have been lifting heavy for almost 6 months now. It is truly amazing to watch your body change with heavy lifting and a clean diet.
I remember how hard it was to commit to lifting and how intimidating it was to walk into the "man area" of the gym. I found a program on bodybulding.com (Jamie Eason's 12 week live-fit) and went to work. The best part about using a program like that was all of the guess work was done for you. There are pictures so you know how to do the lifts and it tells you how many reps to do.
Since lifting 6 days a week for the last 6 months I have met so many amazing people at my gym (men and women). Many with the same goals. That is where I met my workout partner (Djness20) who pushes me through our lifting workouts every morning. It is a great idea to spend some time with a personal trainer, even if you have been lifting for awhile. Djness20 and I both use the same trainer (so amazing) who has shown us different workouts and ways to increase weight and lean out.
Its ok to be the new person in the weight room and ask for help. We have all been there.0 -
it's not that i'm scared to do weights, it's that i honestly don't know what i'm doing. None of my friends would lift weights with me and I did buy a weightlifting book, but sometimes the exercises are kind of confusing. If I had someone showing me what to do/ going to do weights with me I'd be fine.0
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Because women have been told, from birth that they are weak.
Aww :hugs: I don't know who told you that but it makes me sad.
Society tells women that. Look at any "women's" magazine cover. It says tone and lose. It doesn't say get strong. Then open said magazine and there will be pictures of 2lb pink weights and trainers like tracy anderson who tell women not to lift heavier than 2lbs.She also says one can spot reduce. *sigh*
Since when does losing weight and toning = weak??
I have no idea who Tracy Anderson is. I'm not a huge magazine reader, but I've read more than a few in the past half century. I don't recall ever reading one that said don't use more than 2 lbs of weight, unless perhaps it was talking about during a specific exercise. But weights are not required to be strong.
Losing weight and toning = weak when the cover model looks as though they are about to break. Tracy Anderson is a celebrity trainer that gets a lot of publicity in many magazines geared toward women. She also has been known to say that lifting heavy weights will make your skin sag as you age.
The best way to gain strength and to keep your bones healthy is to do weight bearing exercises. I've done plenty of body weight exercises and been stronger than the average woman. I know I'm a lot stronger when I left heavy. That means being able to lift 50+lbs easily when life requires it rather than asking someone for help. I couldn't do that as well without the weight lifting.
To each their own. We all have an ideal body type and opinions about what is best for us. I am not here to tell anyone what is best for them. I do believe that society conditions women to think the ideal body type is not in the least bit muscular looking and skinny. I know what the benefits are with weight training and I will continue to do it.0 -
I'm new here and just wanted to say I'm not scared of weights but they bore me to death. So I recently tried a Les Mils BodyPump class - it's done with barbells, and combines weight training with cardio. I was really impressed, I LOVED IT! The first 15 minutes are always careful instruction on proper form, and the instructor gave lots of direction on form throughout the one-hour class. (She was six months pregnant and doing it right along with the class!) These classes are offered at my local YMCA. Anyone who has these available - try it! Do not be afraid!!! I am a 61 year old grandmother, and I surprised myself and did the whole one-hour class!0
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The best way to gain strength and to keep your bones healthy is to do weight bearing exercises. I've done plenty of body weight exercises and been stronger than the average woman. I know I'm a lot stronger when I left heavy. That means being able to lift 50+lbs easily when life requires it rather than asking someone for help. I couldn't do that as well without the weight lifting.
Life does not require a gym. People have been lifting the things required in life without a gym since people have existed.0 -
I do Zumba on my cardio days because it's fun. I get a good workout from it, but i enjoy it much more than the typical cardio machines or running. i strength train 3 times a week. i'm on week 3 of stronglifts 5x5 and i love it. i feel that i can get stronger without getting huge, and the LBM i will have to burn more fat is an added bonus.0
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I have to admit... I was intimidated (not scared, exactly) by weights. But the gym offered some free instruction, I took it and decided to get over myself. (lol) Granted I'm not lifting heavy (yet)...or doing strictly free weights, but doing a combination of machines and free weights (plus cardio on the treadmill, etc)
I'm still only just getting started (only 2 or 3 weeks so far) but hey... I started! And I can't wait to see how it changes my body. In fact, I think I'll take my measurements since its been awhile for that anyway...and god knows the scale hasn't cooperated lately. (Maintained this week, but much better than the bouncing up and down I had been doing.)
One day, I will be badass. lol0 -
I'm grateful they stay in the cardio are, more space for me at the free weights. Yea, I'm selfish that way.0
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I think a lot of women (myself included at one point) are unsure of where to start or how to use the equipment and worried that they'll look silly if they have to ask for help (I have to admit, this was a big stumbling block for me!).
This is me...I don't have a clue, and can't afford a trainer....
This isn't exclusive to women. Same goes for men that havent had some sort of weight training in college/high school for sports. Everyone has to start somewhere.
Also, youtube is your friend you can watch a lot of videos on proper form so that you're doing it correctly.
Look online find a plan before you go into the gym and stick to that plan. Overtime as you get comfortable you will be able to modify it.0 -
I'll tell you right now it's hard sometimes to go to the weight side because I'm such a wimp. Here I am huffing and chuffing over these tiny weights while the guys and ladies who have been doing this for years muscle around huge amounts without breaking a sweat.
But they started somewhere, too, so I go over there and do my weeny weights anyway. Because I'm never going to get better at it if I don't keep doing it.
Besides, if anyone laughs at me I'm going to oopsie drop my little weights on his foot!0 -
I'll tell you right now it's hard sometimes to go to the weight side because I'm such a wimp. Here I am huffing and chuffing over these tiny weights while the guys and ladies who have been doing this for years muscle around huge amounts without breaking a sweat.
But they started somewhere, too, so I go over there and do my weeny weights anyway. Because I'm never going to get better at it if I don't keep doing it.
Besides, if anyone laughs at me I'm going to oopsie drop my little weights on his foot!
Heee! Love this!0 -
Maybe some women aren't scared, but just don't know what to do so they go where it's easiest. I didn't think weights would be any fun at all, until I joined a gym and tried them. I only planned to use the pool and maybe a low-impact exercise class, but I keep finding new options that I enjoy. The gym I use is a great place, and no one has ever made me feel out of place in the training room, exercise studio, or pool for any reason at all. I still don't know much about free weights, but I'm learning. I encourage any person, male or female, to reach out and try new things. Get the support of the staff, personal trainers, or a more experienced member. It's worth it, and you may find you can do things you never believed you could.0
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There is a class in my gym where all you do is lifting, 90% are women. Even there are more women going into the weights room now. Women are not scare of weights.0
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I follow a lot of models around on Instagram that I would like to look like (these are rap video models, Kim Kardashian types) like Claudia Sampedro, Valeria Orsini and they ALL lift and lift heavy. They post photos of themselves lifting heavy, like 135 lbs and up etc and that's what I strive for. I'm super petite (I'm Asian) but I like super curvy/big booty look and ALL these models lift and I think it is awesome. Heavy squats, lunges, deadlifts etc are must if you want a toned, bigger, perky *kitten* which is what I want.
A home gym is not an option for me since I do not have room for a squat rack and I like to eventually lift extremely heavy and won't be able to do a clean and get the bar behind my back. I'm also going to increase my weight weekly etc... so will need heavier weights all the time. It's just easier to go to the gym despite having to deal with the annoyance of being in the presence of 99.9 percent men....
I've never felt weak or intimidated and I'm not traditional so I like to defy societal norms. However, it severely irritates me to be around a bunch of guys in order to lift since there are hardly any women in the weight room. I actually feel SEVERELY irritated and annoyed and pissed off at this; maybe that's good, my anger can fuel my workout.
I am not scared of weights; I just get pissed off by the men in the weight room. It is annoying to be around a bunch of guys; it's like a sausage fest.
I think many women are like me; not afraid of weights or lifting heavy. Not afraid of the weight room but don't like to be around the MEN in the weight room. It is the presence of the GUYS that holds some back.
Most female gyms are for overweight or out of shape people and don't have squat racks or super heavy barbells for people that wanna go hard so we have no choice but to go to a coed gym where men dominate the weight rooms.0 -
And as for why I like to lift heavy? For me it's ALL aesthetics. I don't care at all about functional strength or carrying groceries. I care about looking good in clothes and looking good naked. That's about it. My *kitten* and legs look better when they are toned; arms look better. It's just much more sexier than being mushy or skinny/fat and having no muscle tone. I enjoy lifting and don't find it boring. I am aggressive like a guy; I have a lot of anger/aggression inside of me and like to get it out by working out hard.0
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There have been a lot of reasons folks have posted in this thread for why they don't use the weights at the gym. I'm a 5'2" woman. I lift heavy every day I'm at the gym. I am usually one of the only women in the free weight area. Most women stick to the machines, even if they venture outside of the cardio areas.
My two cents (okay, more like 25 cents):
1) Free weights do a completely different thing than zumba (or other classes). Free weights build muscle, which helps boost your metabolic rate, promote fat loss, and make you look leaner. They're also badass.
2) Most men are not looking at you. Most men in the free weight area are just as insecure as the women are. They either are beginners who have no idea what they're doing, or they were beginners once and hung out in the free weight area long enough to have figured out a program they can do. I've seen men with great form, lifting a bunch of weight. And I've seen timid men on entirely biceps-focused programs and terrible lifting form wishing they could hide under a bench because they're so intimidated. In general, though, most people have their earbuds in and are ignoring everyone else around them. They don't really think of the free weights as "their territory", they think of the free weight area as the place that has the weights in it.
3) Men, when they DO notice a woman in the free weight area, are totally impressed by us. It's true that, unlike my boyfriend, I typically wander into the free weight area and no one feels like they can approach me. My boyfriend has made quite a few friends that are all guys who just struck up conversations with him; nobody has felt like doing that with me. It *did* make me feel a little unwelcome... until my boyfriend told me how one guy he met at the gym randomly said to him in the middle of their conversation, "By the way, dude, your girlfriend is amazing. She lifts more weight than some men. That's just awesome."
4) It's okay to not lift that much. Every guy started as a beginner with an empty bar. Every single one. So what if you can't lift 300 lbs or you're still learning or whatever? Every lifter was in that boat. People appreciate people who are trying, not people who are afraid to give it a shot.
5) The internet is amazing. Free weights seem terrifying or dangerous or like you need some form of skill to do them. It does help to have someone show you the ropes. But we live in an internet age where there are youtube self-help videos for everything. There are exactly 4 basic moves you need to learn to start a strength training program, and ALL can be done safely without a spotter -- bench press, squat, deadlift, and row. The internet abounds with videos to show you how to do these exercises heavy and with good form. The squat rack will safely spot you in a barbell squat, and dumbbell versions of all four exercises are basically spotter proof, especially at the light weights that most beginners start at. If you still feel insecure, most gyms offer a free training session that you can use to check your form and learn these exercises, and in my experience, almost every person in the free weight session of a gym is willing and eager to give form tips and spot people if you ask. ESPECIALLY if you are a girl.
6) Lifting weights may be boring. And, I definitely don't think you should do things in the gym that you think are dull. But, one could argue that 60 minutes on a treadmill staring at the paint chips on the wall is boring. I find that setting a lifting goal helps with the boredom, the constant stimulation of moving from free weight station to free weight station is mentally stimulating, and that it's hard to be bored when you're straining under a heavy weight close to failure. I find that free weights are boring when they aren't challenging enough; if you're bored, perhaps try adding more weight or building a structured program so that you have a defined goal?
There's nothing about the Y chromosome that gives men an exclusive pass to free weights and strength training.
If you're a woman who wants to 1) lose weight, 2) get healthier, and/or 3) want to look fabulous, you should be lifting heavy. We pay for the free weight section too, and we have just as much a right to be there as any guy. Also, we make that lifting stuff look good.
THIS ^^^^0 -
They don't really think of the free weights as "their territory", they think of the free weight area as the place that has the weights in it.
Exactly! Most of the "they're thinking this or that" stuff is only in our own heads - the only way you know what someone is actually thinking is if they tell you. So why not assume they're in the weight lifting area to... lift... weights? If they *were* going over there to be all judgy, they'd probably be pretty bored. And occasionally shamed, because there's always someone better somewhere.0 -
Bump to read later.0
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x2......Just curious…
At my gym I’m usually the only woman on the floor w/ weights, I’m the only one uses the Smith machine etc. All of the women are in classes (Zumba, Pilates…more Zumba). Guys are NEVER in classes (with the exception of the 2 or 3 that may go to the spin class). I don’t understand why classes (and the cardio machines) are always overflowing with women but it’s so rare to see one with a dumbbell.
Please explain.
Not all women wish to be muscular. They want to have smaller muscles and don't want them to grow. There is nothing wrong with that.
I have a lot of respect for women at the gym who lift heavy b/c it's very difficult to do. I often praise them for it b/c it's amazing to watch.
I hope those same women who I praise don't secretly make fun of me when I lift my 10 lbs dumb bells b/c I prefer a smaller physique for myself. I'm 18 % body fat and I have good muscle tone...I just don't want it to grow.
LOL
Lifting heavy is not difficult.
We don't make fun of you we are too busy pushing our own weights up.
Lifting 10lbs for more than 10 reps will increase muscle ensurance it will not do what you think it's doing.
Woman who lift who are the same height and weight as those who do not lift are often smaller...
The visible muscle and low BF% comes from diet not lifting
Muscle wont grow unless you want it to, are eating at a surplus and lifting heavy...trust me it doesn't happen by accident.
As for the rest...yes women are scared of the weight area most of the time either due to lack of knowledge or misinformation.
But that being said the people in that area aren't going to make fun or squish you ...they are often very helpful or into their own workout.
to learn there are many options out there from starting strenght, strong lifts (book) and new rules of lifting for women (book) there are tonnes of youtube videos that show proper form and groups here that help as well.0 -
I think a lot of women (myself included at one point) are unsure of where to start or how to use the equipment and worried that they'll look silly if they have to ask for help (I have to admit, this was a big stumbling block for me!).
This is me! I don't even know where to start and I don't want to have to ask one of the guys in the gym. I do the weight machines but not free weight lifting.0 -
I'm not
I love to lift and the muscles that I get from it. I also love to do cardio.0 -
ugh zombie thread.0
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I personally prefer weights to cardio, but when I first started resistance training, I used the machines because I didn't know proper form. I don't think women are scared so much as they don't know what to do, don't necessarily have someone to ask or have a partner.
I went from an all-women's gym with limited and dated equipment to a brand new co-ed gym, and some of the equipment I wasn't familiar with or knew which exercise was appropriate for that piece of equipment. Because I would have been the person doing curls in the squat rack, as we only had two heavy bars at my old gym and one rack that we used for everything. I honestly can't remember anyone even acknowledging my presence unless I asked them to move or if they were using something at the brand-new place. So yeah, working out alone, in an area full of groups who won't even make eye contact with you or give the "courtesy nod of acknowledgement" didn't exactly make me super excited to go workout.0 -
I love kettle bells , they are great ! If u want to loss and tone ....0
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ugh zombie thread.
Ah, damn, I responded as well. Saw the January 9 but forgot it was now 2014.0 -
I think a lot of women (myself included at one point) are unsure of where to start or how to use the equipment and worried that they'll look silly if they have to ask for help (I have to admit, this was a big stumbling block for me!).
^ Exactly how I feel. I don't know where to start. I want to start lifting in the worst way. I am scared because I am uneducated about form, reps ect. It’s intimidating … I’m sure after gettingstarted and pointed in the correct direction I will be more comfortable. For now,, I keep away because I am nervous about not doing things properly.0 -
ugh zombie thread.
Ha!
But it's hard to tell since these types of threads are so regular. I always forget to look before posting. :laugh:0
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