To think some women could lift heavier in the gym?

Why don’t you ask them to their face if you are so interested?

I mean, they could.

Doesn't mean they should.

Any why would they? To satisfy your odd standards?

What business is it of yours? Maybe they don’t want to and are just going for fun!?! Worry about yourself, not everyone around you!

Absolutely! But your question is so judgy and unpleasant that you're mainly getting a hard time! By all means ask questions but if your thought process about the queston is essentially unpleasant, you're going to be found out

I used to lift heavy weights and I deeply regret it. Even though I trained extremely carefully I damaged my back. I’m 60 now and still physically strong but I wish I’d been gentler on my body.

I would mainly say the same for body pump, the insane amount of reps means most people can't lift very heavy or progressively increase which is what drives muscle growth but at the end of the day it's movement and weight bearing and will definitely be doing some good and I have absolutely nothing to say about how other people go about their activities, I've had periods where I barely move at all so body pump would have been a million times better than that and will help condition a lot of people

Im pretty sure there’s more to the thread than the categories you’ve mentioned.

And of course if you just go in the gym, you lift whatever weights for however many reps you choose to do. I think that’s partly the OP’s point- she is describing a class format where there is a specific training protocol, so if someone wants to do lots of reps with 2kg dumbbells, maybe Pump is a more suitable class for them as it offers the sort of training they want to do.

And there are different class formats for that. Bodypump focuses on low weights and high reps (and is choreographed to music so everyone is doing the same number of reps- with their own choice of weight). I also teach Strength Development which is designed for hypertrophy and strength gains so the rep counts are much lower. We’re often doing only 8-12 reps of an exercise, or sometimes as few as 6, with lots of recoveries, so in that class I do encourage folks to go heavier, because otherwise there’s not much benefit to lifting light weights for so few reps. To get the gains the class offers, you’d need to be reaching fatigue by the last few reps of each set.

Agree @MeridaBrave. Bodypump is designed to build muscular endurance. So Pump is light weights + high reps because that’s what builds muscular endurance (it also provides a bit of cardio as you say, especially when working the big muscle groups in squats and back work).

If people want their muscles to get bigger (hypertrophy), they need fewer reps and heavier weights than they’d use in Bodypump. And if they want to work on their pure strength, then it’s even heavier weights with even fewer reps.

A lot of people starting out in weight training don’t necessarily know about these different training protocols and their respective benefits, and they may not even be clear on what their own goals are. But maybe that doesn’t matter too much- any sort of movement or exercise is better than none. Some people never want to really push themselves physically and so be it. I might privately think they’re missing out because I know from years of instructing and coaching women in weight training, that pushing oneself can be so beneficial for women- especially our self image and our mental health (especially in middle age). But as an instructor, I don’t really ‘push’ my participants- I encourage them to make their own choices and adapt as needed- my aim is that everyone feels successful at the end- whatever that means to them personally. I will push those I know are wanting to progress.

I'd stop worrying about eyeing up what other people are doing and start being aware of how much attitudes like yours stop people going to the gym in the first place.

My arms are weak as fuck. 2kg dumbbells absolutely would provide some resistance for bicep curls for me. HTH
Plus in group classes like that I would always go low weight high reps rather than high weight.

I do bodypump as well as strength training. Most people in my class lift quite light so I doubt it would be enough for improvements bone density or muscle. If you pushed yourself over time and really did increase the weight then yes. but you’d get better results in the gym. I see bodypump as mostly cardio.

I go to bodypump. I lift heavy. Others don’t. Some will be due to injury, others just can’t be bothered. I make progress, they don’t. I see loads of women wasting time in the gym either light weights or endless cardio.

I think these classes are totally the wrong format for improvement. I also go to a free weights class with squat racks when the teacher encourages heavier lifting and in this set up women do lift heavier.

So I think the answer is that the class set up you describe is just not the right format for progress overload. It doesn’t give them the confidence or focus.

So bang the drum about that - great. But ultimately people have many reasons for not wanting to increase weights etc

Exactly, no such thing as tone. Fat loss and muscle gain

What culture are you referring to where women are not encouraged to do this? Genuinely curious as where people are being told (presumably via the patriarchy) that they can’t compete.

The only ones standing in our way are other women and their nasty attitudes to those who aren’t as good or dedicated as they perceives themselves to be.

I slipped a disc and ended up with nerve damage. Steroid injections and nerve blocks did nothing, constant physio and still in pain 2 years later. I wish I’d never set foot in a gym. I’m worse off than I was before and 2 stone heavier as I can’t do much now.

I have guidance. I had a PT with me. It was just one slight move that did it for me, very common the consultant told me.

I have never heard anyone say that women can’t run or lift.

And this isn’t aimed at you but some of the other posters - hiding behind ‘concern’ is a pretty crappy thing to do.

if people are really concerned about the messages that women receive then by all means address that. But do it honestly.

its mean spirited and nasty to just slag these women off and it does discourage others from going.

Apologies I’ve just reread and I think you meant demands and expectations on women? In which case I agree.

I treat Park Run as a fun/social event and not a competition. My friends and I chat all the way around.

What are woman demanding and expecting?