To think some women could lift heavier in the gym?

From what you say, there is a teacher there whose job it is to make sure people get the most out of the class.
Either the teacher is rubbish, lazy or just knows something about the others that you don’t.

If you care that much, teach your own class and advise them. Otherwise, what business is it of yours if strangers are doing exercise wrong ?

Exactly

you clearly haven’t read my posts.

im severely physically disabled.

thanks for that post though. It has made me feel just great.

I don't think you're unreasonable to notice & puzzle about this, OP.
I don't hear you as being critical just curious.

Although the class is designed to challenge and increase, it might be many are there for maintenance. Maybe the huge challenge for them is simply to get there and do the reps. There wasn't a good alternative class for maintenance or they like this instructor best, etc. Maybe every week they fall into thinking "at some point I'll push my ability and try lifting harder but today I'm just doing a basic routine because today I'm stressed/knackered/no head space to think further".

I am not a lifter & never will be btw, nor a gym person.
Given how many people have gym memberships or exercise class subscriptions that they barely use, the ones who turn up at all are doing brilliantly.

Sometimes I lift heavy and sometimes I don’t, I think it’s weird that you are watching other people to this extent.

If I want to lift heavy I am not going to be doing that in a class, I will be doing it to my own plan targeting a balance that suits my body.

Why don't you just mind your own business?

I lift pretty heavy, but that’s for fewer reps, concentrating hard in the gym

If I went to body pump I’d go a lot lighter as classes like that are different, with the reps and exercises expected

I’d concentrate on good form and time under tension

So my weights would look very different in a class

I naturally have “strong” thighs. I remember years ago when I started the gym, the PT kept encouraging me to lift more. I went to the gym to tone and slim, not to bulk up and I was mortified that my thighs were expanding. I’ll never forget the response from the PT when I aired this concern, she stated that “men love women with big thighs” well that’s great, but I can’t fit in my size 10 jeans!

No, no , no!!!
Don't listen to the OP.

Consistent weight bearing exercise has marvelous benefits for your body.
Not everyone has to train to fail every time.
That is BS.
Please keep going and enjoy yourself and the benefits your classes are bringing you.

5x a week was a lot!

Obviously you must do things at your own pace, but what I'm challenging is the idea that it's bad for women to lift heavy weights. Of course not all women will be able to do that at all points in their life, but if you are in a good condition for that, then you should try to lift heavy, especially if you are going to a strength training class!

No one is watching and judging you. The issue is women who are perfectly healthy who go to a strength class and lift only 2kg and refuse to push themselves and attempt to progress, when that is the whole point of strength training. Why are so many women so afraid to lift heavy?

There's a bit of confusion here: women who for various reasons cannot lift heavy vs women who go to a gym to lift weights yet lift the minimum possible and make no effort to progress.

Why do you care? Your sort is the reason lots of people stay away from the gym. Get on with your own life and stop judging others. Jesus.

For all you know OP, the women in question don’t lift anything heavier than a cup of coffee all day long. So it might well be a case of pushing themselves to their level that they are happy with.
What a ridiculous thread!

Try using a hex bar. The weight is better balanced.

Yes, Body Pump is cardio and the idea is to keep you active at an intense level throughout. I agree the poster should talk to the instructor about her shoulder. In my experience of strength training classes, there is a lot of rest time between reps and moving on to the next unit.

Bollocks to them all, honestly. You have every right to take up space in a gym, all bodies need exercise and fuck the judgy mcjudgy pants.

I was 3 stone overweight and unfit and stepped into a functional fitness gym 2 years ago for the first time and felt so nervous, but it's honestly been life changing. A smaller gym might work better for you if a bigger gym is daunting. Small group classes mean any wankers stick out like a sore thumb and are soon sat on, the idiots are honestly few and far between where I train because the culture is one of support, not competition. I'm now one of the fitter ones in my age group and I am honestly one of the first to be welcoming, celebrate new people's achievements and tell any eejits to pipe down if they moan about someone being slower or anything because I know how it feels. There will be others who have walked the same path, I promise you, even though we might not look or move like we once did.

Strength training is important, but it's not everything. I was still able to deadlift 160kg, squat 130 and bench 75 as a powerlifter while in an overweight, verging on Type 2 diabetic state and struggled with any cardio more strenuous than dog walking (and before anyone says anything, no, I never doped, just ate badly and only ever lifted, never did cardio). You can be really strong but unfit and unhealthy in other ways. Transferring to functional/hybrid fitness has given me a more balanced approach even if I can't push those same weights any more.

You are welcome to pm me if you want any support finding a place, what questions to ask, etc.

Yes, all 12 other women in OP's strength class are recovering from surgery and health problems. It's amazing how the vast majority of women doing strength classes have health problems that means they can't life heavy weights.

By the way, I'm not sneering, I'm challenging the view that women shouldn't lift heavy weights (as evidenced in this thread and society in general), when women should be lifting heavy weights!

Also, if you've done any strength training you will notice that it's quite easy to progress the amount of weight you can lift.

I used to lift really heavy, training 5x a week and thoroughly enjoying myself.

Then I had an unrelated shoulder injury and lost all my strength, tone and confidence. Three years on, I’ve still not fully recovered so I’m still lifting baby weights so I don’t hurt myself again. I had no idea there were arseholes like you watching and judging me for protecting myself when I’ve probably lifted heavier in the past than you ever could.

The only reason I fear the gym/weights is the idea that other people there will be watching and judging what I am doing.

I think body pump is really a cardio class. And the reason you’re getting injured (probably) is that there is no individual help with form in these classes.

I would keep going though if you enjoy them.

Speak to the teacher at the start about your shoulder concerns and they should come and help you on those sections.

I hear what you’re saying in that you need progressive overload to increase strength, but consistently showing up for 6+ months is worthy of praise. The coach should be encouraging/guiding trainees to pick appropriate weights for max benefits, but ultimately it’s up to the individual.

Never judge someone for showing up.

Oh, please. If you don't want to do strength training, then don't go to a strength training class. If you do want to increase your strength and gain all the benefits that go with it, then why should you care what other people are thinkng?

I'm really not sure what my "attitude" is and why it's the sort of thing that upsets you and prevents you from going to a gym. Do you want me to lie and say "not everyone can benefit from strength training"? It is a fact that everyone can benefit from strength training. I do think strength training is essential for women, especially as we get older, but let's just say that's a personal opinion so you can ignore it if you like. But, if you did strength training then you would know what I mean.

When I started out doing functional and strength training classes at the gym I was way, way fatter and could barely lift more than 4 kilos. Other women were lifting 12 kilos and more. Now I can lift 12 kilos easily (this is for functional exercises, with deadlifts I can lift 75kg and am working on increasing that). In a gym no one is sneering at someone who is trying to get themselves into shape and improve their perfomance and health.

It’s a virgin active class that’s included in my membership. They run multiple times a day. There are many women there lifting very heavy. It has massively encouraged me to lift and lift heavier.

@Ilostallthepens when you’ve been going to the gym a bit longer you’ll learn to a. mind your own business b. Realise that people have stuff going on that you know nothing about c. Understand that people do things that you don’t, often for perfectly valid reasons d. people do bonkers things at the gym for bonkers reasons e. Stop judging

Because they don’t want to?

I am now feeling quite down about the Body Pump classes I attend due to reading this thread.

I have been going for about 6 months, 3 times a week when I wasn’t working and now 2-3 times as I have a part time job. I go for a few reasons- DM has severe osteoporosis and having seen what that does to you I want to avoid it, I really enjoy the classes as I like lifting weights but find the gym really boring and I want to build a bit of muscle.

I try to increase weights occasionally but in the past when I have increased weights I always end up with a shoulder injury, plus even with keeping the weights relatively constant I still find the class tiring and some of the exercises are a challenge for me. Am I just wasting my time then ? I thought that even the lower weights with multiple reps would fight off muscle loss as I age (mid 50s) and hence would help. Is that wrong ?