To think some women could lift heavier in the gym?

I work to the limit of good form in various rep ranges but I don't really huff and puff or look visibly sweaty or like I am struggling with the weights. I breathe steadily, have good cardio fitness from running, maintain good form and I've been a light sweater since peri. I was progressing my weights nicely until I got frozen shoulder (which often lasts for over a year) and I am now coming back very carefully using light weights for anything involving my arms. So you'd probably judge me like crazy.

I think there is a valid point that for years women have been encouraged to use little pink weights and many women still worry unnecessarily about getting bulky. But unless you're their PT or class leader it's none of your business.

i use the ladder app & had to drop to 2kg weights for some of the exercises I did yesterday. I can bicep curl 8kg though.

Also why would you notice - if you are pushing yourself as hard as you can, how do you notice what others are doing

Because they want to. It’s no more complex than that. You are sneering at people because you think they are ill informed (‘it’s a shame for them’). Maybe they don’t want to be ‘huffing and puffing’.

If you or the OP really want to know what’s behind it, just ask people instead of being mean spirited about it.

I have a shoulder injury which apparently would benefit from going to the gym. However you wouldn’t have to judge me because I wouldn’t dare set foot in a gym.

OP, they maybe enjoy the social life or they’re just starting out. With luck, they might decide to have a personal training session or watch some YouTubers. You and I probably know that weights are great for bone strength and a lot of other things but if other people don’t know or it’s not important to them that’s ok too. Everyone finds their own path.

I have young kids who I have to look after the rest of the day after the gym. So I probably only push myself to 70% because I have to conserve energy for the hours ahead. Probably not the most beneficial use of gym time, I know.

You were taught wrong, low weights and high reps does sweet FA. But you’re clearly happy being thick because you use “bull dyke” as an insult. Stupid and homophobic go together like peas and carrots, or low weights and high reps.

If most people know it, why lift a 2 kg weight that does precisely __nothing?

I don't agree it's patronising to just say what's true. I would never sneer at someone for doing useless workouts, I just think it's a shame for them, that's all.

@LiviaDrusillaAugusta that’s really annoyed me on your behalf. Plenty of us pay zero attention to what others are doing and don’t judge.

How patronising. Most people known that. But the right response is to say ‘it doesn’t affect you so why care’.

Like a PP said, posts like this are a reason I wouldn’t join a gym (even though I’m overweight and unfit) because of the level of judgement from other women. I haven’t stepped into a gym or leisure centre for 30 odd years because of this. I used to like going in the swimming pool. But there is always someone sneering.

I agree - quite a few gym users have health issues or prior injuries.

Some might have had heart attacks and be on cardiac rehab, some might have had shoulder operations- you don’t know.

Thank you, OP, for giving me a good chuckle with my morning coffee.

That's not very nice.

Yeah OP I think it's a perfectly reasonable question - people are getting very defensive, but I see this as a feminist issue. I remember reading a quote from a strength trainer:

"Women aren't weak. Weakness is marketed to women".

We were endlessly told that heavier weights would make our muscles look bulky and that heavy weights make a woman look like one of those terrifyingly manly female bodybuilders, but that isn't the case. You have to take anabolic steroids to look like that. 2kg weights are absolutely fucking pointless and ridiculous and women should care that something pointless is being sold to them, that they are wasting their time using it. But it just becomes another "why do you care" and "mind your own business" issue here. Women will never be as strong as men, but we have so much more potential for strength than we think. It's a shame so few of us know that.

Not RTFT, just responding to OP

Judgy people like you are the reason my chubby arse is too scared to go to the gym.

Hope that makes you feel better!

So what results do these women want by lifting a weight that (by the looks of it, obviously I can’t know for sure) doesn’t provide any kind of resistance, so therefore doesn’t work their muscles at all

If you isolate the muscle & use that to lift the arm/leg etc you can still feel it even without a weight at all.

I really don’t understand why the weights other people lift affect you/OP?

The pile on is because the post is mean spirited and serves only to criticise people who dare to do things different

Why turn it into a competition? I could bicep curl with a lot more than 8kg - should I judge you for the fact that leaves you huffing and puffing?

the best thing about the women’s only strength training class I go to is how supportive everyone is of each other irrespective of what they are capable of lifting. Every success is cheered!

You’re not going to get those results if you don’t challenge yourself a bit

But maybe they want different results to you?

I agree OP. I’m very small build size 6 and I push myself to lift 8 kg for bicep curls. 2 kg does nothing. It’s almost not worth it. There will be a pile on but I think it’s because it’s harder and most can’t be bothered. 🤷‍♀️ Well done for pushing yourself. It’s not easy to do.

The person taking the class should be encouraging them to increase and suggesting doing half the reps with a heavier weight then dropping if necessary etc

If the class is designed for those who want to go heavier then it needs to include advice on how to do it.

You can't bulk out just by lifting heavy weights.

Second this, it can also be helpful to use a trap bar if you have access to one.

Get a good pair of lifting straps. I have arthritis in my hands and wrists so had to introduce them once I started lifting past 20kg dumbells and 50kg bars. Game changer!