Learn to lift for ladies

[shanghaismog]

If your gym had a weekly (maybe twice weekly) class to introduce strength training would you go? Taught by a woman pt and for women only.

One hour class probably in the studio (although ideally in the free weights section), max 6-8 people, focussing on main compound lifts.

All thoughts welcome!

Yes, I would definitely

Yes, definitly!

If I could afford it, most definitely

Yes, for sure :) It wouldn't have to be taught by a woman though for me to go.

not if it said 'ladies' in the title

sounds like somewhere to wee, or the bearded characters from little britain

in fact am starting to hate anything that says 'ladies' unless there is a corresponding 'gentlemen'

I would - especially if it was centred around core work! Sounds good!

I might go along to check it out, but I loathe lifting so I probably wouldn't come back. I would be hoping that the class would somehow convince me that it could be fun.

Although actually I wouldn't because I don't go to a gym.

I've been into lifting weights / bodybuilding for 20n years if anyone asks my advice I tell them to train like a man.

Lifting for ladies sounds decidedly lightweight.

However in my experience the vast majority of women don't want to gain muscle or strength so lifting for ladies may well be a hit.

The fact that I would sneer is probably irrelevant.

Absolutely! We all know that lifting heavy is the way forward for definition and a strong body is better than a skinny one. Some women are put off through not kmowing the technique and what weights are suitable and which order to do weights. I would love to know the combos for compound lifting and would be there in a shot.

Yes, although like others I don't love the name.

A PT got me into weights a few years ago and I have been using them ever since and love it. He's since left the country though, and I would like to discover new exercises and techniques.

Great!

I hear you about the name, which is far from final. My worry is that a lot of women are scared of heavy weights, so trying to make it sound a little less daunting I suppose.

Would be proper strength training, don't worry! No pink 1kg dumbells here :)

The message that women need to strength train is definitely getting more mainstream, this would be an 8/10 week course to give people a good grounding in the basics, an overview of various strength training protocols and a plan to take it forward themselves (or even better, with me...).

Ok, now I just need to get it set up :)

this idea that women are scared of weights is just an (insulting) idea though, most women I know who exercise will do some sort of resistance training at some point

I'd be interested in a class but not one that started from the premise that I am scared of lifting anything heavy or afraid of 'bulking up' or whatever

Not meaning to be insulting to regular heavy lifters, but we are most certainly a minority amongst women. Sadly.

As a personal trainer I very often find extremely fit women who never lift anything heavy but could run all day long. Even those who do some kind of resistance training, often use machines and far too light weights.

I find that once people are introduced to it properly they love it and it becomes an incredibly empowering and confidence boosting experience.

I need to come to your class, am not a regular lifter (seem to hurt my joints especially wrists very easily) but would like to be! Anything that would strengthen and support my running would be great. Let us know how it goes!

yes totally, 99% of the time I'm the only women in the 'mens' part of the gym, even when they are there they never appear to want to get any stronger.

I dont blame them for not going in I am stared by the men pretty much the whole time I'm there, it's not a welcoming environment, I think I now do it to piss them off as much as anything :o

Then again I'm not a ferocious amazon, I'm petite and a rather reserved sort, if I can find the metaphorical balls I dont know why other women cant

Only my DH stares at me in our gym at home ;) That 's usually because I 'm grunting and he 's worried what the neighbours will think (as well as checking out my ass...).

'I find that once people are introduced to it properly they love it and it becomes an incredibly empowering and confidence boosting experience.'

shanghai, really? I worked in a gym for about five years, I gave up with women, they just didnt seem to want to exert themselves that much when it came to weights.

You may be right about this:
'The message that women need to strength train is definitely getting more mainstream'
but I still dont see the message interpreted in such a way that gets women to lift in a way that would actually see them put on some muscle.

I think women are criticized and told they look manly if they have any muscularity/muscle definition (unless it's ripped abs)

I think mostly they just want to be 'toned'

I used to powerlift in my twenties, went to a very spit and sawdust gym and was the only female there. Loved it.

Ff 10 years, starting back at the gym and it has a great freeweight section, however because im fat and older i find the 20 something males that frequent it in the evening pretty intimidating. 4 years of working out with proper weights 6 days a week means i know what i am doing and am still pretty strong. Still havent been in the fw section though, keep putting it off.

I would probably go to a class like that just to get me back in there and find a buddy. The fact that it was run by a female instructor is enough, i think, to indicate the target audience

Go for it. If you're at Falaise freedom leisure i'll book !

Mitchy, i see perfectly fit looking womem leg pressing 15-20 for dozens of reps. I ask myself "why bother". I rarely see women doing anything other than low weights and high reps. Total waste of time, they have bought into the fallacy that loads of reps = lithe mscularity.

Yes, you're right. My gym experiences have been a little alternative until now, as we've been overseas for ages. I generally hate them with a passion, classes yes (sometimes), but gyms no. Makes me think of hamsters running round their little wheels... Give me no frills, outdoor, rough & ready etc any day. No posing or pretentiousness, just a high basic level of knowledge and people getting on with it...

I guess whether women embrace weights or not depends on the total experience. My boot camp ladies would be fighting over the 20/24kg kettlebells. Group reinforcement and encouragement is vital I think - one reason why crossfit is so popular. That's why I think a small group class could be awesome.

To say I am struggling to find my niche now we're back in the uk is an understatement!

Sounds interesting. Particularly if you don't mind women with weak arms! I've joined a couple of gyms in my time and they've always tried to make me use my arms too much, too soon, iykwim.

You could call it Strong Women. Although that might also put people off.

My local gym does a 'weights to music' class which seems to be mostly women. I'd love to go if I could sort childcare.

I suspect it may always be a hard sell because of the deep rooted associations between muscularity and masculinity.
Muscular women tend to be viewed as transgressive and unattractive to men.

Also women often find it frustratingly difficult to develop much upper body strength

Yes, then there's the question of having enough barbells etc...

I'd be well up for it if it were at a time I could do. I think lifting more than tiny weights is getting more mainstream among women (the Olympics helped), but the "ooh, I don't want big masculine muscles" fear is still very common.