The BBC article about the benefits of strength training….why only women?

[ImNotAsThinkAsYouDrunkIAm]

I know the article says that the study was done on men and women, but you’d be forgiven for missing that when all the examples, quotes, and photos are of women.

So why do we think the BBC felt the need to give the impression that only women needed to find the time to do ‘many hours’ of aerobic exercise as well as two hours of strength training a week, lest we die an early death?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0r2lekenlpo

Perhaps because women care more about their health than men do, and so are more likely to be interested in an article about health benefits?

Wild stab in the dark here. Maybe because many men might read the article anyway, but the majority of women would skip over their article thinking it didn't apply to them. So the writers have gone out of their way to make the article more accessible to the people least likely to take that advice.

Perhaps you could contact the BBC and ask them.

Because women have the perception that it's only for muscle bound men in vests. By producing an article which only shows strong, healthy women, it is more likely to encourage women to give it a go. It uses the same approach as This Girl Can.

There are two quotes from women and one from a man. Women make up the majority of the population (just)

Perhaps you're just used to men being the default.

It's also reduces the risk of osteoporosis, which predominantly affects older women, and lowers your risk of falls, which also have a worse impact on women.

It’s the latest thing- women lifting weights. Men have been in the weights rooms since gyms were invented- it is taking time to get women there. Partly because women are worried about ‘bulking up’ and partly because weights rooms tend to be dominated by men who can have a tendency to hog equipment. Many women still feel intimidated by those environments.

Now that the benefits of strength training- especially for women- are better understood, the mainstream media are all over it. If it helps more women get interested and get involved, I’m glad. I teach weights classes and most of my participants are women. They tell me all the time about how much they love it; how good it is for their self esteem and how it gives them headspace from their busy lives. They love how they can be more independent because they can lift and carry stuff themselves and not have to rely on a man to do it. Those with long term pain conditions/arthritis often tell me how much it helps. I have a participant with Parkinson’s who tells me how much it helps her with her symptoms.

So I think the fact that the article is female-focused is simply a reflection of how many women now know about the benefits of strength training and are starting to take it up. Traditionally, men didn’t need to be told to lift weights. Lots are in manual jobs which involve lifting and carrying heavy things. And those that aren’t have never needed to be encouraged to go and lift weights- they’ve already been dominating those spaces for decades!

Women tend to shy away from lifting heavy weights and building muscle … they think it’s easy to build muscle and dont want to become bulky and show muscle tone, which is a complete myth. It’s very difficult to build muscle as a woman but essential to longevity.

Women have historically not generally lifted weights but we now know how important weight bearing is for maintaining bone health and general wellbeing. With women particularly at risk of osteoporosis and living longer, it makes sense to make sure women are aware of the benefits.

The real life examples of the benefits are all of women though.

Where are the examples of strength training making men more ‘vibrant and energetic’?

I do agree that strength / weight training has typically been more male focussed. But I know plenty of men who do next to no strength training or weight training and are at just as much risk of frailty and early death as plenty of women. I reckon I know more women working out, because as someone commented, it’s the latest thing. I don’t know, maybe I’m just feeling fragile (not physically, actually, as I do strength train!) but it just feels like yet another stick to beat women, and not men, with. Women! As well as all the other things we expect of you, make sure you’re not neglecting the strength training and many hours of aerobic exercise or you’ll die early. Men, we don’t need to worry about you, because although most of you don’t bother either, some of you do, and the stereotype says you do, so we’ll focus on telling the women what to do.

Women were fed a rhetoric about avoiding carbs and not getting bulky in the 90s and 00s. I discovered weight training and was blown away - it has so many cognitive benefits.

I was like What The Fuck, why's this not been shouted about how good it is?

Historically studies have been male focused and women ignored so good to see an article/study which is more inclusive particularly in light of women's higher rates of osteoporosis and broken bones, followed by loss of independence, hospitalization and sometimes death. Statistic's show that more men lift weights and i see evidence of this in the gyms i visit. It’s important women know the importance of weight training … retaining muscle means maintaining independence and functional fitness. Statistic’s presently show that women live longer but have more years of ill health which could be avoided with exercises.

Because men are untrainable so a lost cause basically

Obviously your feelings are valid but I am certain that they were not the intention of that article. The article encourages women to do something that will improve their lives and their health in old age - that should be celebrated. There is plenty of evidence that a balanced article tends to appeal to/benefit men more than women if it's on a typically male coded topic. This was clearly written in a way to overcome that issue.

I read this article and felt the opposite to you OP. I think it's brilliant to see an article about a traditionally male pastime like lifting weights that centres and empowers women. I found the article quite inspiring. It's a shame that you read it as "a stick to beat women with".

Thats what I thought.

This is interesting research and I don’t doubt at all the benefits of strength training and of course aerobic exercise. And some people love it. But what women are going to realistically take up 2 hours of strength training a week? It’s research towards an unrealistic goal that suits a tiny minority, with very limited public health implications.

Half our country can barely get from the Tesco car park to the checkout without a near fatal cardiac event. We are in terrible shape!

The older women I see at my gym and health club who look amazing (and bounce about like teenagers) aren’t lifting weights every day (although they are sometimes.) They are having laugh with their tennis partners, getting on the golf course, swimming, at Pilates and talking about their sailing and walking holidays (yes, it’s a nice life!) And the women I see at our place in the Alps are skiing in winter (lifting ski equipment isn’t easy) and walking up mountains in the summer. And carrying their shopping bags up the hill from Carrefour. There isn’t a gym in sight. It’s enjoyable, social, functional activity.

In short, healthy people are those engaging regularly in the enjoyable and functional tasks that keep them active and well. ( Not those being given a two hour a week weights program they’ll give up on) For decades. I am convinced that this is more achievable, functional and enjoyable than formal strength training.

This. Plus use of contraceptive pill and menopause will affect bone density etc.

Also many of them know it all (and more). See the wankiest thing threaf

As PPs have said, because of osteoporosis. Lifting is so important for bone density. Men also need to do it to avoid frailty but the potential gains for women are huge.

BBC do lots of articles that feel like propaganda and maybe that's what's bothering you? Haven't read this one but the quotes you've shared sound a bit like one of those articles.

What's wrong with a female health slant?

This is a really weird take.

It's addressing an unrepresented group, FFS.

Probably because there’s a greater aversion to strength training among women than among men.

i’ve had a fair few conversations down the years in the gym with women who don’t want to strength train for aesthetic reasons, as they fear they’ll get “muscly.”

I’d say that in my gym about 70% of the people lifting weights are men.