To think some women could lift heavier in the gym?

[Ilostallthepens]

I go to a strength training class a few times a week. It’s almost always all women, class size is about 15. I’m not especially strong or experienced at lifting weights but I notice I’m always lifting the heaviest (sometimes by a long way) than every other person there. I’m also working to my maximum capacity for the 8-12 reps we’re doing. I’m huffing and puffing and sweating doing bicep curls with an 8kg dumbbell in each hand and I look over and the woman next to me is lifting a couple of 2kg dumbbells with no visible effort at all. I see this in a lot of the women there. They don’t seem to push themselves to their limit or even that close to it. I’m talking about women a similar age to myself that have been going to the gym for at least as long as me. I get some people may not want to push themselves to their max effort for whatever reason, eg. an injury, but I’m seeing lots of women seemingly not putting in half the amount of effort that they seem capable of and over a long period of time. So this makes me think the reason must be they don’t believe they are capable of lifting heavier, or they don’t want to lift to their max ability for some reason. Why do you think this is? Have you experienced this? Do you not work to max capacity in the gym? If not, why not?

He? Most instructors are female and in 40 years of working in gyms and 28 years of teaching classes I can't work out what class you are talking about. A class designed to get women to their maximum lifting potential? Body Pump is the most common weights based class and that is designed for all levels and absolutely doesn't focus on heaviest possible weights with a decent instructor

Obviously work on your grip strength is one option but also, have you tried using alternate grip (or mixed grip) once your grip strength starts to fail? I rarely use straps for conventional deadlifts but have to use alternate grip from about 60kg onwards and I'm able to lift 120kg for multiple reps in a set without straps. I would try switching your grip before using lifting straps.

As I'm lazy, I've just copied the explanation from Google:

"An alternate grip (or mixed grip) deadlift involves placing one palm facing toward you (supinated) and the other away from you (pronated). This technique prevents the barbell from rolling out of the hands, allowing for much heavier loads than a standard double overhand grip, making it ideal for heavy, top-set lifts."

And, if you have particularly sweaty hands (I certainly do!), use chalk on your hands. You can buy bottles of liquid chalk to take into the gym rather than blocks of it.

I would try the alternate grip and chalk before attempting to faff around with straps at your current lifting level.

Hear hear 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 perfectly said. I was taught that cardio is for women, and if I use weights they should be light for 'toning'. Utter, utter bullshit. Women were taught to fear the gym/weights and it's a bloody shame

I totally agree with the OP. Bear in mind, she is in a strength training class - the women lifting only 2kg weights and not pushing themselves at all have chosen to do strength training! What they are doing is the opposite of with strength training.

The first culprit - aside from ignorance - is the instructor, who isn't guiding these women properly. This is a strength class, so they absolutely should be being pushed more by the instructor; otherwise, they are throwing their money away while gaining very few health benefits.

Strength training is essential for women, especially as we get older. Not only does it increase your functional abilities for everyday tasks (to carry things, pick things up from high shelves, get up off the floor, pick things up from the floor, move in a variety of ways) and increase your strength (very important), but it also strengthens your bones as well as your muscle and is extremely beneficial for your all-round health, particularly cell health and metabolism. It protects against diabetes, cancer, dementia, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, arthritis, heart disease and a whole host of other diseases and conditions. It can help deal with conditions such as arthritis (I have knee arthritis and the problems stemming from it have almost completely disappeared since I started strength training).

And for that, yes, you do need to push yourselves and lift as heavy as you can. If for some reason you can't push yourself to the max (e.g. my partner has a hiatal hernia and she has to be careful with breathing and her diaphragm) then increase the number of reps, but still always be trying to increase the load you can lift and progress to a higher weight.

When you're in your 70s, 80s and even later, you will be very grateful that you pushed yourself to the max!

But, if strength training isn't your thing, then don't go to a strength training class!

Please go. Please give yourself the freedom you deserve.

Nothing is easy. Ignoring the morons (because that’s what they are) is part of the battle.

I find it heartbreaking that people feel so uncomfortable in their own skin that they won’t wear the clothes they want or go where they want.

If you do go, please remember you are cheered on. You are! All power to you.

This sort of statement really upsets me.

strength training may indeed be important and it does protect against all sorts of things. But it isn’t essential. Not for everyone.

that sort of attitude is exactly why I don’t go to the gym and only work with my HCPs and under their guidance.

They could be people recovering from surgery, health problems and looking to increase their strength as they ho along.

Don’t think it’s a ‘raw nerve’ think it’s OP’s judgemental comments and assumptions about others.

If OP is in a small, quality class, involving correction and training on good technique that’s one thing. Not accessible to many women.

Les Mills, for example, or YouTube free tips, aretotally different.

I’ll mention that to the instructor at my Lift Club class tomorrow.

I've been inspired by this channel, seeing the real function difference lifting can make and its importance to aging well

How much does your class and any other essential costs (eg membership) cost @BitOutOfPractice ?

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 ?

Because they don’t want to?

@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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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, 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.

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

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!