Women in the Weight Room

[danipat]

How do you girls deal with all the guys in the weight room, grunting and sweating haha. I feel so timid. I need help, this little fear is keeping me out of there and on the nautilus. I want to get into the free weights and benches.

[Trackat]

Originally Posted by danipat

How do you girls deal with all the guys in the weight room, grunting and sweating haha. I feel so timid. I need help, this little fear is keeping me out of there and on the nautilus. I want to get into the free weights and benches.

if I can do it you can do it.

5'1 and beating off the entire sweaty football team. It all depends on how much you want it, you should be focused to the point where they hardly exist.

[dvsness]

I worry about me and not them. Plus, I grunt and sweat. I've earned my respect on the gym floor.

[gfundaro]

If you can't beat em, join em hehe

What are you afraid of? They're not going to bite. If you want to go lift, just go lift. Most people won't care, and if they do, they're probably not going to say anything. Eventually you'll be lifting enough to intimidate them.

[rich1234]

If you feel intimidated try goin to the gym at off peak times when less people are there. Im sure that after a while you'll get used to using the weight room and will hang with the biggest of em

[deapee]

Honestly, if you go to the gym wearing respectable gym attire, and just be normal, I don't think anyone's going to bother you. It's easiest to just pay attention to yourself, put an mp3 player in your ears, and just assume that everyone else is worrying about themselves, like they should be.

[Diana Meeque]

if you wanna use the stuff just use it.

you're paying for it, you should use it.

when i trained at a commercial gym i didn't care if a woman was in the free-weight section or using a bench or anything as long as she wasnt just using it as a place to put her purse and whatnot.

[John Prophet]

Originally Posted by danipat

How do you girls deal with all the guys in the weight room, grunting and sweating haha. I feel so timid. I need help, this little fear is keeping me out of there and on the nautilus. I want to get into the free weights and benches.

look at it this way....there are GUYS in there who r smaller than you. from a guys point of view...we notice girls in the gym etc but its not like we bother them if the are in the free weight area.

U dont have any guy friends in the gym who could sort of chaperone you your first few times?

One possible tip...its probably best to sort of keep to yourself at first and/or maybe wear an mp3 player/earphones....if u are there like asking guys questions etc youll probably end up with like 20 "helpers" that will be impossible to get rid of.

Just ACT like u know what u r doing and generally people will barely notice u there. Act lost and 20 smelly prince charmings will come out of the woodwork to 'rescue" u

[danipat]

Ha Ha I love it! Thanks for the support everyone. I certainly go to the gym to sweat (a lot). I'll just add grunting to my routine. I always have my ipod on but for some reason certain people don't get the point that I'm not there to chat. O well maybe the grunting will scare them off.

[klo200]

good for you! just go in there and do your thing. they'll get out of your way =) i usually go into my own world with my headphones on in the weight room anyway...

[Rivendell98]

I remember when I was lifting one time a girl came in with a pink sports bra and tight shorts. There was a guy bench pressing and he added more weight. Then he he was mega grunting/yelling and his veins were popping out. There were these 2 old guys in their 60's saying hey boy you are not going to get laid, she works here at the YMCA and she does not care about guys who can lift like that. I was laughing when I heard that lol.

[Donica]

If you want to know the truth, I think I grunt and exhale louder during my squats than most of the guys who I see working out around me in the gym, barring one or two more 'serious' gym members. Actually, the only time the men are louder than me is when the training partner is hyping up the 'lifter to get up those last three reps--then they shout! It makes me wonder if I had a partner, and female, if she would yell that loudly at me?

[Npeart]

Originally Posted by Trackat

beating off the entire sweaty football team.

Say what??!! LOL!!

Just ignore them. Put your earphones in, total focus on what you are doing. If it's too much of a distraction join a girly gym.

[precisou2004]

Originally Posted by Trackat

if I can do it you can do it.

5'1 and beating off the entire sweaty football team. It all depends on how much you want it, you should be focused to the point where they hardly exist.

how CAN we focus when something like this trains right besides you ;-) hmmm hmmm


http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=WRaC5Myl3SA

and yes he trains at my gym and is my trainer's training partner YEAH BABY

[precisou2004]

Originally Posted by Rivendell98

I remember when I was lifting one time a girl came in with a pink sports bra and tight shorts. There was a guy bench pressing and he added more weight. Then he he was mega grunting/yelling and his veins were popping out. There were these 2 old guys in their 60's saying hey boy you are not going to get laid, she works here at the YMCA and she does not care about guys who can lift like that. I was laughing when I heard that lol.

lmfao..... omg... this is making me pee in my pants.. thanks for the giggle..

[Revmachine21]

I go to the gym a little early, I stake out my territory (bench / cage / whatever) and god help the man that tries to take my space. Teh Mens, they tend to get in there and just assume that the place is all theirs.

[mavrick77]

Originally Posted by danipat

How do you girls deal with all the guys in the weight room, grunting and sweating haha. I feel so timid. I need help, this little fear is keeping me out of there and on the nautilus. I want to get into the free weights and benches.

Speaking from a guys point of view...just get out there. We are not judging you in any way. I really enjoy seeing a woman use free weights, I know she is serious then. Any guys who stare or try to talk to you are there for the wrong reasons, and are ussually the weenies.

also try to make friends with some of the bigger guys, there have been several times when my female friends are working out, I have told the weenies to "leave her alone, she is there to work out, you should try it yourself"

[TGarcia]

I was that way when I first went to the gym a few times. I didn't really know alot about using the free-weights either. So I was really scared to make a fool of myself. But I hired a trainer and he showed me the ropes as far as how to use each machine, and what specific exercises I could do with the free-weights. After a few sessions I was alot more comfortable and went about my workout, and didn't give it a second thought. I can't stand going to the gym and you see the girl that goes, and NEVER breaks a sweat. Or the guy that's there only to act like a big show off.

Actually got back in the gym YESTERDAY....Yeah!!!!! And it felt good to get back too. Been out of circulation for a few months.

[beby24]

Originally Posted by danipat

How do you girls deal with all the guys in the weight room, grunting and sweating haha. I feel so timid. I need help, this little fear is keeping me out of there and on the nautilus. I want to get into the free weights and benches.

Why? You are there to train, focus and forget who is around you.
I just put my ipod on and work. You'd be surprise, once they see you are there all the time and a regular they will even say hi, ask to work in a set and you are just like them.

[meangela010]

I turn my Music up and ignore everyone. I couldn't even hear them if they talked to me. Now that I have been dong it for a while I am getting more comfortable. I am there for me not them.

Keep in mind that most people are very self involved when they are lifting, They are probably focusing mostly on their own body, or the girl in the corner with the bright red booty shorts doing squats. :-)

[Spottydog]

Originally Posted by danipat

How do you girls deal with all the guys in the weight room, grunting and sweating haha. I feel so timid. I need help, this little fear is keeping me out of there and on the nautilus. I want to get into the free weights and benches.

You could always start chatting with 'em, to break the ice and tension.
Worked for me.

[morgansd12]

Originally Posted by danipat

How do you girls deal with all the guys in the weight room, grunting and sweating haha. I feel so timid. I need help, this little fear is keeping me out of there and on the nautilus. I want to get into the free weights and benches.

Seriously this always amazes me (as a guy). Soooo many chicks are scared ****less of the weight room and so they just stick to cardio.

FYI - Guys are not angry at you for coming to the weight room and you are not going to get yelled at or busted in the ribs with a phonebook. If it wasn't for the fact that they will check you out just because,(as they will ANYWHERE else too) you won't even be noticed.

Don't worry about not using the machines properly or anything. As long as you allow someone the opportunity to work in with you it is fine. And if you ask the guy for some help on how the machine works you might make a new friend.

[Paulena]

I do my weights at a womens only gym. I have done weights at a unisex gym but I do feel very intimated hanging out in weight area in a unisex gym. Guys do stare when youre the only female and I dont know if it makes them feel uncomfortable too, but I definitely dont feel as at ease as I do in a female only gym where I feel as comfortable as if I was in my own home.

[ironman1964bc]

There was a woman acting a little timid at my gym yesterday, so I told her that despite having IQ's of rocks, us guys encourage everyone to lift free weights. The more the merrier. She was kind of paranoid about being in the way, but I hopefully cured her of that. I think the girls in my area think that anyone that lifts weights lives in a cave, grunts, and hits girls over the head with a club and kidnaps them.

[MashkaNY]

can also go with a friend that takes the pressure off


i think thats when i 1st started training with free weights seriously is when me and my co female worker started going at lunch time and that all we did were free weights

then i knew what i was doing and have been working out alone in weight room for some time now

but you still feel akward sometimes if you come in at a different time or to a new gym.... being new to almost anything you're gonna feel a little weird/ out of place

[goodapollo]

protip to girls : you'll intimidate most guys if you even make the effort to use free weights.

wear some longish basketball shorts and a tank top. that will keep you looking decent without guys gawking at you.

just remember that the gym is a place where everyone loses all their dignity. you're working in the gym to look your best outside of it.

[madisongrace]

I think you'd be surprised by the number of fellas who appreciate a woman in the weight room not lifting the pink db's. The guys at my gym love me and in fact, I've been asked to spot THEM a number of times. Just go in there and don't be afraid!

[parsnip1965]

>protip to girls : you'll intimidate most guys if you even make the effort to use free weights.

Respectfully disagree. You'll impress the guys who are serious about lifting if you are serious and act that way; and they will respect you and treat you as an equal. Just get out there and do what you want!

[ozfiz]

Originally Posted by madisongrace

I think you'd be surprised by the number of fellas who appreciate a woman in the weight room not lifting the pink db's. The guys at my gym love me and in fact, I've been asked to spot THEM a number of times. Just go in there and don't be afraid!

2nd this. I get respectful nods and thumbs ups sometimes, lol and have been asked to spot many times when there were other guys around which makes me feel I am being treated as an equal. There are always a few chauvinistic men that I can tell don't appreciate my presence and pretty much just look right though me (probably just because they are bitter that I am more dedicated and work harder ) but just don't let them own the weight room or your behaviour! Also, once they see that you aren't there to lift pansy 3 pound dumbbells and you do bust your ass, their view of the 'stereotypical' woman in the weight room might change for the better.

[javyn]

5'1 and beating off the entire sweaty football team.

Man I love taking things out of context!