I go to a group strength training gym, almost all the group are women. I’ve started to notice how much many of them seem to play up to the stereotype of a weak, silly, giggly woman. When the (male) instructor is explaining a weights exercise many of them will look aghast, as if they couldn’t possibly do a bicep curl with the 3kg weight he’s demonstrating. Then they’ll act all flustered around the dumbbell as if they don’t know how to pick it up, or do a dramatic scream if one of the weight plates makes a loud noise on a machine when it goes down. Some will giggle and ask for a lighter weight before they’ve even tried to lift the one they’ve been given. Others do a really dramatic performance of lifting fairly light, manageable weights as if they’re trying to lift a car above their heads. There’s a lot of childish giggling and “don’t make me do this!” And “I can’t do anymore!” (After 2 or 3 reps). It’s so annoying! These are young & middle-aged, healthy looking women, who have been going to the gym for a long time, so clearly know what they’re doing. Why are they pretending to be so weak & pathetic?!