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?

Maybe these women are giving maximum effort, they're just not as ...expressive as you. A lot of people hate it when others are loudly huffing and puffing!

I'm just not very strong, and a bit afraid of bad form and injury.

I suffer from endometriosis and it can be harmful to lift heavy weights due to triggering inflammation and flare-ups.

If you approached me and told me to lift heavier I’d simply tell you to fuck off.

I don't think 2kg weight for a woman with no health issues is going to make much difference at all. Maybe build some endurance, but unlikely to help look toned and defined and get much stronger.

I tend to use anything from 5kg to 12kg depending on the exercise.

I am absolutely not in the least bit bulked up, but have very good definition and am pretty strong (not weight lifting strong, just generally).

Maybe they could lift heavier.

But maybe they don’t want too.
Maybe they think lifting too heavy will bulk them out, maybe they’re mainly at the class as a social thing with friends or to get out of the house for an hour.
Maybe they can’t lift heavier because of injury, or maybe they’ve built up from a lower weight and aren’t strong enough for a higher weight yet.

But even if they could lift heavier, a half arsed workout is better than no workout so they’re still ahead of the game 🤷‍♀️

Just leave them to choose whatever weight they’re happy with and concentrate on what you’re doing!

Oh and I do see what others are lifting because it's a sort of circuit class so we get to a station with 2 or 3 others and have to pick our weights, often discussing which ones we want, swapping, using one big one if 2 smaller are not free.
No one is judging (it's one of the reasons I love this class), but I do know what others are lifting.

I did heavier weights, tore a ligament/tendon thing in my elbow, was in quite a lot of pain every time I used my dominant arm (!) for 9 months before a steroid injection into my elbow fixed it.
Lighter weights for me from now on.

That's untrue for most women. It's incredibly hard to bulk up with female physiology, and you're not going to get bulky from 8kg bicep curls!

You are the reason I'd rather go for a walk at lunch instead of wasting money at the gym. 😎

OP
Your attitude is why so many don’t go to the gym . Please be kinder - you don’t know what is going on with other people, what their goals are or how experienced they are

I listened to that and got bulky! I have had any friends who have been injured by bad trainers.
Trainers are not really trained in anything and should be largely ignored.
Listen to your body, if something hurts, stop.

It wouldn’t be any of my business though. Their money, their choice. Keep your beak out, you nosy trout.

Well my goal this year is to do all the reps in my classes. This means I'm choosing the lower weight/easier option so I can do more. I noticed toward the end of last year I was chosing heavy weights/options but only doing 1 or 2 and resting more. I'm spending this 12 months focusing on more reps. Next year I'll increase.

46 year old mum, active, fit but I suffered a stroke a year and a half ago. Luckily I recovered. If you met me you’d have no idea of what I went through. I’m active but I don’t use anything over 2kg,

You don’t have a clue what people have been through, keep your judgement to your self.

They are probably happy with how they look and feel and just want to stay like that.
Maybe they like the instructor, or their friends go to this class, or it's a convenient time or location.

Bull dyke structure? Are you in the 2000s? Reported.

Anyway, as well as being offensive your comment doesn't make sense. Women can push themselves without getting big muscles. And if they want to - why not?

This! Aside from the homophobic language, it's unhelpful to talk as if lifting heavy weights will give most women results they don't want. Women shouldn't be put off strengthening.

"I look over".

Stop looking at people. People like you are why some women feel so uncomfortable at the gym and eventually stop attending. Don't be that person.

Which would be...?

Exactly, aside from the weird use of slurs, the info us incorrect. The weightlifter Bev Francis shows how hard women who DO want to bodybuild have to work.

I only compared it in a different post, which you didn't quote, where I compared to people criticising people in marathons for not running the whole time.

It's people thinking they are the universal example. You're not. Leave them alone.

I don't think bulk is that likely from lifting heavy weights? Unless someone is actively trying for that & does other measures.

The result of having some time to themselves away from the demands of family. Because “going to the gym” is deemed as a more worthwhile use of time than “sitting in my car for an hour listening to an audiobook and eating chocolate”

Super judgy. There's a lot of this going around at the moment in women's fitness, lift heavy or don't bother. Don't run or you'll be skinny fat on and on.
I'm glad I don't go to the gym if I'd have to have other women judging me.I do weights at home, I just came back to exercise after 3 years of illness, 2kg was all I could do for exercises like lateral raises and shoulder presses. More for bicep curls, RDLs etc But I wanted to work very steadily up in weight. I wouldn't like being sneered at for being a weakling.
I used to be a super fit cyclist riding 70 hilly miles easily on a Friday afternoon after work. I never saw a person who was riding slower than me, un lycra-ed up and thought why even bother? Or what's the point in only doing a few miles. I was just happy seeing other people out getting some fresh air in. Especially if it was another woman. There are lots of barriers to women doing sport so it's rubbish to see posts like this.
Ultimately you don't know other people's bodies or motivations. Not every person is going for gains and all movement in my opinion is good movement.

Judging others in a gym is you being competitive. Have you ever wondered why the vast bulk of trainers in gyms are on the younger side? Most of the ones 50 plus have injured themselves out of the industry.