Question for the men!! Women lifting.

I give much more respect to a woman who at least gives weight lifting a shot, vs a woman who just sticks to the cardio machines 100% of the time. Weight lifting is important and shouldn't be neglected, no matter who you are. Nobody is gonna look down on you for trying to use the weights, I guarantee that.

In my opinion everyone is welcome, and everyone who is trying deserves some level of respect.

Most of my problems with people lifting are with guys. Women seem to including "lifting etiquette" as another skill to learn. Some guys just don't get it.

In my opinion everyone is welcome, and everyone who is trying deserves some level of respect.

Most of my problems with people lifting are with guys. Women seem to including "lifting etiquette" as another skill to learn. Some guys just don't get it.

Same here! Yeah what is it guys, can you not communicate with people? How many times has a bloke started rearranging the equipment I'm using (alternating sets) rather than asking if I'm done? hahaha

Okay, I always see people going back and forth about females lifting weights or using the machines with weights. A lot of women say they are scared to walk twards the weights because they are afraid that the big guys will look at them like idiots.
I want to hear from guys themselves, what do you think about women using weights? I don't mean bodybuilding women either. I see so many women with amazing bodies vs women who do just cardio. Personally I think women should use alittle weight to help shape their bodies. It's hot

You're right, it is hot. I have respect for anybody man or woman that comes into the gym and works smart and hard. Although if you come into the free weight portion of the gym, again man or woman, and take up my power rack to curl I will be pissed at you regardless. LOL.

Free weights have been given the stigma as a man's exercise and Yoga is for women and it's total BS.

Any slight toward women would be imagined...unless they were performing horrible gym etiquitte like leaving weights all over, making love to one station (camping), jumpin in, etc.

I see more men with poor gym etiquette than women. Honestly, women typically clean-up after their selves while men are typically pigs in the gym. They're not too lazy to grab a stack of 45's to load onto a Hammer Strength Decline Bench Press that they're only doing a 1/4 of the range of motion on, but often the best they can do is strip the weights and leave them on the floor. Seriously? LOL

the guys in my gym love that I'm there....they are friendly and nice...there are only two *kitten* that are a little snarky about me being in there...and have made (I think as I didn't hear them directly) some comments about me being in there...but frankly those guys are douchy to EVERYONE....they feel superior to everyone and want all of us to feel it...

so I just don't pay attention to them anymore...

but for the most part the guys are awesome...they'll even ask me to spot. (really flattered)

Its not whether they think women are idiots for lifting...(I am a guy and I never really thought that deep)....its more the idea the the women are going to out lift the men...

I hate it when I see women in the weight section doing stuff like squatting, dead lifts, and rows with good form. How am I supposed to do my dead lifts after seeing that?!

Ladies and gentlemen, don't ever be intimidated by anyone in the gym, free weight area or not. Most guys in the free weights will help a lady. Those that don't or make rude comments are punks!!

Women lifting is awesome! However I would probably be afraid of a woman who could out bench me.

When I started going to the gym I spent a lot of time worrying about what people were thinking, when in reality they weren't thinking about me at all. I never heard anyone make any comments - I was imagining they were but they weren't.

I love seeing anyone who goes into the gym with a plan and shows some discipline with a training program, even if they don't know what I consider to be "gym etiquette." Everybody has something to learn; don't assume they know what you know. If they're creating an unsafe environment, talk to the gym staff. If they're just inconveniencing or annoying you, find a tactful way to address the situation or stop complaining about it!

And yes, lifting is necessary. So hit those weights, ladies; you rock.

I've been wondering about this a lot myself lately. I feel like I've hit peak with the cardio equipment and weight pulley machines, they are really good for support though and show you what and how to use them. Not that I've maxed out on weight or anything, just I think you'd get more range and a better overall workout with the free weights.

So going into the free weight area, how does anyone know where to start if they've lifted like that before?
I use small weights and dumbbells at home sometimes too, but I think it's different?
I'm wondering if this would be a situation where you'd buy a PT session or two or if you should just research and try it on your own?

I was/still am not comfortable using weights around the men folk at my gym. So I take my weights into the spin room or to the back of the gym. I find I get such a better workout without feeling I am being leered at.

Ok I'm going to pick on you lol Mostly because you're beautiful, and I can see how the guys might be distracted.

I personally try not to check out the women at the gym, because it's not a night club. I'm not thinking about women at the gym, I'm acctually go there to get work done, and I don't want to make the women there uncomfortable either. I am really enthusiastic about women getting in the weight section and doing some serious lifting, so I do what I can to avoid discouraging that.

What I would say though, is that it has a lot to do with what you're wearing too. I've seen some women go to the gym, who were gorgeous, and who wore those cut-off sweat pants with a normal shirt. They still look "cute" (I know that's important for a lot of women who workout, and there's no shame in that), but I've noticed guys just notice and move on, they don't leer so much.

On the other hand I've seen girls come in with those short tight shorts, and hey they look great and I really understand them for cardio, but in the weight lifting section it just get distracting, and you're going to get guys checking you out more.

So if you want to lift, and you want to avoid catching the guys's eyes, try wearing sweats or wearing workout pants (whatever suits you), oh, and try wearing a baseball cap. This helps too, makes you look more serious and focused.

And try not to get angry at us lol. If you come to the gym looking especially sexy, we're going to notice. Not our fault! lol