The Student Room Group

Why don't women lift?

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Original post by McHumpy92
I'm talking more about the very ripped bikini pics that was posted, that is a lot if Carb and calorie restriction there....you have to do something extreme to look like that because the body sure as hell doesn't want to go that low bodyfat.

I still haven't gone the gym yet because I keep getting boners, I'm going to be a right perv today....will probably snarl and growl at ladies in the gym while looking at their bums.


I'm afraid for all the women in your gym lol
Reply 141
Original post by Dark Horse
The only thing that looks really masculine about her is the vascularity of her arms. Put her next to a man with a good physique and good amount of muscle mass and she won't look "masculine" then, I bet.


This is more ideal imo. The other women posted look too sharp. Like the body could cut or poke you. And yes, too masculine.

(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by technocrat
i like a lady with fat on her bones, you bang a skinny chick and you get bruises from their bones

now the reason women do this stuff... because they dont want to excercise, no one does, not really...

eat all you want but run it off... people these days are too lazy, hell im too lazy! but its all changing soon, even so exercise is boring and people dont want to sweat infront of other people


lol. So much fail in that post.
Why don't I lift?

The pervy guys at the college gym (which puts me off from going to the gym to do anything, let alone lifting), who spend all their time in front of the mirror admiring their arms and shoulders, whilst using the weights. It's quite intimidating.
Reply 144
Original post by Chrisateen
I'm afraid for all the women in your gym lol


There was non there...I even went into cardio section in search of bums and still non...there was classes on so did a nice slow walk past the window, but they was facing towards me.
Original post by Dark Horse
The media is no excuse. Why do people blame media and social conditioning for everything? Don't you have a mind of your own or something? :rolleyes:

And no. I've honestly never seen a man encourage a woman to do zumba or low intensity cardio or salivate over the resulting physiques of such workouts. Face it...cardio is low stress, easy and it's easy to convince yourself that you're actually doing something and that one day you will "get there".


The cardio circuit training I do for boxing is definitely not easy. Don't generalise.
Original post by Firecrackerchild
Why don't I lift?

The pervy guys at the college gym (which puts me off from going to the gym to do anything, let alone lifting), who spend all their time in front of the mirror admiring their arms and shoulders, whilst using the weights. It's quite intimidating.


If they are lifting in front of the mirror it means they are making sure their form is correct, not to check themselves out.
Reply 147
I generally lift in front of the mirror to look at myself....I find I have better technique when not lifting in the mirror. It is really hard not to look at yourself. At my old gym in the summer it would be train with tops off season, doubt I will have that at my new gym.
I want to. I mess around with poncey 6kg dumbells in the gym, and do Kettlebell training classes (which I love!) at the moment and my body has definitely improved; but I know I could be making bigger improvements if I just took the leap and started lifting heavy.

Echoing the other people's sentiments about the weights area being traditionally male dominated, I'm also kinda scared to go in there and start throwing stuff around. I'll either hurt myself because I'm stupid or end up annoying everyone in there.
Until like three days ago, our Uni gym and had just ONE bench and so I always felt as though I would be just getting in someone's way as it is always very busy. Realistically, I know 90% of the men down there won't give a crap about what I'm actually doing down there, and the 10% who do are going to be idiots anyway, but there's still the feeling of 'I don't belong here, get me out!!'. Moreover, the gym staff's general idea that all girls want to do is get an exercise mat just to do some crunches, mess around with a Swiss ball for a bit, and then spend half an hour on the Powerplate reeeeally doesn't help.

Cannot wait until both me and my bf have graduated and can go to the same gym and he can actually start training me properly.
Reply 149
I know I said earlier in the thread that posting athletes was silly as most real people will never reach that level, but ...

This woman lifts. Doesn't look too masculine to me, or even slightly masculine at all. Aside from the fake boobs, I would have thought this is a body most 'normall (ie. women who don't lift) women would love to have.



(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 150
Original post by HARRY PUTAH
One thing is for sure, women great overestimate their ability to do things.

She worked hard and did stuff you dont even know the names of so tell me, how are you going to get her body or anywhere near it?

I've taught a few women how to lift properly and they look fantastic but nothing like the women posted.

Have you ever stopped and thought about why these women are in edited pictures? They're the exception, not the norm. :rolleyes::rolleyes:


What are you even talking about? I'm pretty sure i mentioned i DIDN'T want her body so why are you asking me what i would do to get her body? I'm not too bothered about having a really toned body - i just want to be healthy and look good, don't see why you're having such a problem with that. I never once said that the woman didn't put work into getting her body - i never even mentioned anything about her training, i just said i didn't want to look like that - is that a crime?
If they are lifting in front of the mirror it means they are making sure their form is correct, not to check themselves out.


Hmmmmm well a couple of them are good friends of mine, and they all say it's to admire themselves :/
I want to, but I can't afford to go to a proper gym. The gym at my work has some decent equipment, but no-one to show me how to use it properly. The guys who do use the weights never seem to be in there when I am, and I wouldn't want to bother someone in the middle of their workout, anyway. I've asked some people I know about it, who have replied "pffftttt. Just stick to cardio, love, weights aren't for girls," which is hardly encouraging.

Next year, when I go back to uni, I'll see what the gym there has to offer and see if I can get a PT to show mw the basics.
Original post by Philbert
I want to, but I can't afford to go to a proper gym. The gym at my work has some decent equipment, but no-one to show me how to use it properly. The guys who do use the weights never seem to be in there when I am, and I wouldn't want to bother someone in the middle of their workout, anyway. I've asked some people I know about it, who have replied "pffftttt. Just stick to cardio, love, weights aren't for girls," which is hardly encouraging.

Next year, when I go back to uni, I'll see what the gym there has to offer and see if I can get a PT to show mw the basics.


Why don't you go onto youtube or bodybuilding.com and check out some of the guides as to how to lift weights.

Ignore the guys who say weight lifting is not for women. They sound weak themselves
Another reason could be that they simply don't have to. There will always be a desperate guy who will hit on her even if she is in whale-mode.
Reply 155
Weight lifting isn't associated with femininity, but with masculinity. Weight lifting is just seen as a very male-oriented world, and people like to do things that fit their sex/class/nationality, whatever. It may not be a correct attitude, but there it is.

Anyway, I know TSR has quite a few people that lift, but I would imagine that the majority of men in this country don't lift weights, or even go to the gym at all, so it's not as if there's a massive difference between the two.
Original post by Chrisateen

Ignore the guys who say weight lifting is not for women. They sound weak themselves


Hahaha yes guys like this are scared that a woman will show them up in a few weeks because these type of guys are fooling themselves that they can actually lift proper.

Or if it isn't this then they are the type of guy who believes a womans place is in the kitchen (yes they are stuck in the 50s)
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 157
Original post by Dark Horse
Seriously, why don't they?

It seems to me that they're always banging on about "losing weight", even when they're underweight. Why do we keep hearing stories about young girls with eating disorders or reading idiotic facebook statuses about "feeling guilty" after eating a chocolate bar, even though their body was probably heavily catabolic and borderline Auschwitz-mode.

And why do they think that "losing weight" automatically means "look good". Why do they always talk about dress sizes and other irrelevant numbers instead of getting under a ****ing bar and squatting. Have most women ever seen pictures of a woman who lifts?

jodie-minear-11.jpg
zane-end-post-Copy.jpg
zane-end-post-Copy-Copy.jpg
zane-end-post-Copy-Copy-Copy-Copy.jpg

Notice that she doesn't have deeply cut muscles or much bulk? But she's lean and tight. She looks athletic and sexy. She'd be awesome in bed as well, I'd wager, purely because her lifestyle suggests that she has high energy and squats give the hip-thrust an extra "umph". Yes, my friend.

What are the so-called alternative girls are going for? Well they either diet themselves to this size and cover a flabby physique with flattering clothes or they just sit around declaring weights "not for them" whilst paradoxically wishing they had a physique like the woman in the attachment pictures.

And don't get me started on crash diets (special k lulz). Anyone who still gets sucked in by them after they seen what happened the first time clearlyneeds help. :rolleyes:


I lift, I've lost over two stone with a weights programme. I just don't like to tell other girls my secret! Half so that I'm thinner than them but mostly so they won't turn up, I like working out around men that don't even notice I'm in the room so I don't ever feel self conscious. It's not considered to be masculine at my gym at all. I'm in really good shape and have in fact never felt more feminine than I do now.
Reply 158
Original post by bretters
I lift, I've lost over two stone with a weights programme. I just don't like to tell other girls my secret! Half so that I'm thinner than them but mostly so they won't turn up, I like working out around men that don't even notice I'm in the room so I don't ever feel self conscious. It's not considered to be masculine at my gym at all. I'm in really good shape and have in fact never felt more feminine than I do now.


Personal reps for you, shebrah. :smile:
Original post by Philbert
I want to, but I can't afford to go to a proper gym. The gym at my work has some decent equipment, but no-one to show me how to use it properly. The guys who do use the weights never seem to be in there when I am, and I wouldn't want to bother someone in the middle of their workout, anyway. I've asked some people I know about it, who have replied "pffftttt. Just stick to cardio, love, weights aren't for girls," which is hardly encouraging.

Next year, when I go back to uni, I'll see what the gym there has to offer and see if I can get a PT to show mw the basics.

why dont u try what im doing. Push ups, but if u cant do a full one then concentrate on lowering urself really slowly. I aim for six of these, if its getting too easy i pause just at the bottom.

pull ups, same, if u cant lift urself lower urself really slowly, i can barely do that atm but it really uses lots more muscles than u think.

Squats, if u can manage more than say 10 increase the weight, i use a backpack full of books lol does the job, again pausing at the hardest point will increase the intensity.

I also got myself dumb bells, i lift 9 kg with both hands then lower with one arm. Exercising eccentrically (lowering instead of lifting) is meant to work ur muscles deeper. After my first workout like this i was aching for about 4 days after, saves money on the gym, good luck x

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