Have you ever looked around your local gym and noticed far fewer women in the weights room? This is not just your imagination – it is a fact. A 2019 study showed a typically 90/10% or 80/20% gender divide in the weights area. Here are 7 reasons why.
1. Lack of Knowledge
Joining a new gym is a little like starting a new job: the people are unfamiliar, the office is new, and the job itself might be intimidating. Starting a gym membership can feel pretty similar, and just as you may not be aware of all the skills required for a new job, you may not be familiar with the techniques required for weight training – at least, on your very first visit. This lack of knowledge could sometimes cause women to avoid the weights room and stick to the cardio machines they are familiar with.
2. Fear of Judgment
Lack of knowledge is one reason some women avoid the gym, but it could also lead to a fear of judgment from fellow gymgoers. Feeling self-conscious that others are watching them use the equipment ‘incorrectly’ is a common reason for women avoiding the weights area.
3. Unwelcome Attention
Of course, even the most confident gym enthusiasts and frequent trainers may dislike the weights area of the gym for another reason – unwanted attention from other gymgoers! It happens everywhere, but this feeling of unwanted and unsolicited attention can majorly put-off even the most regular fitness fanatics.
4. Lack of Confidence
Let’s be honest, the weights room of a gym can be intimidating, and it can take a good dose of confidence to walk over to the weight bench and start lifting dumbbells. Admittedly, this does not come naturally to all of us, and this lack of confidence may lead to some preferring to weight train at home. Or at least, until such time that the gym becomes a familiar environment and confidence blossoms!
5. A Preference for Cardio
Running on the treadmill or working hard on a Peloton may seem like the right thing to do for those on a mission to lose weight, and it’s a common reason why many women prefer to remain in this part of the gym rather than the weights area. However, a routine that combines resistance training alongside cardio workouts can have a far greater effect – and that is applicable for all genders and age groups.
6. Fear of Becoming ‘Bulky’
This is a common line, but let’s look at the facts. Even if you train incredibly hard and carefully monitor your food intake and nutrition, women are unlikely to gain significant amounts of muscle mass over a very short period of time – you won’t get bulky overnight. This has nothing to do with efforts but the simple fact that women have far lower levels of testosterone than men! Let ‘bulking up’ not put anyone off hitting those weights!
7. Uninviting Weight Rooms
It can sometimes feel like an unwritten gym rule; the treadmills and other cardio machines are in brighter areas of the gym, and the weights room is typically somewhere at the back, with dim lighting and in an enclosed space. Very often, they are not very pleasant-smelling either! Weights rooms are not always the most inviting, and it’s understandable to see why they may not always feel like the most inviting places to visit!
The Question Is….
Will you let any of these things stop you from hitting the weights room and gaining the many benefits of resistance training?
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