Gyms and Gender

[Charlie11223]

Hi,

This is just a quick post to get some opinions on what people think of - Women only gym areas and Women only training Hours?

Along with this any opinions of Men only gym areas and Men only training Hours?

Many thanks :)

The feed back seems to be that - Both are equally wanted and accepted then :) however specific time for training only for one gender are as some of you have said inconvenient.

Some reply's are wondering as to whether men get as self conscious as women when in the gym the answer to that is yes.

Yes they do get as self conscious as women. As a young man going into a gym I may get the same intimidating feeling walking up to the free weights area. Its an intimidating place no one can help that. And I've been in a gym for as long as i can remember.. Sure and i agree we don't have the added pressure of men staring at us as we workout. But we do on the other hand have women occasionally staring at us. This is something that is never going to be abolished in a gym.. for very simple and natural reasons - Straight Men like to look at women and straight women like to look at men. Its something that can't be stopped. I don't agree with it but its something that realistically isn't going to be stopped. So maybe separating sexes is the best way forward to avoid this. Our female members at the gym love the fact they can work out without having to be watched by men in the weights area. And for some men they envy having a smaller quieter gym in which you get less, "Gym Heads" who know what they are doing. And in turn it leaves our free weights area in the main gym dominated by men. Leaving it quite and intimidating place for a lone women to walk into, especially if they are new to weight training. Or this is what i believe anyway.. so my next question is this - if the was no Womens only areas or Mens only areas do you think you would see an increase in the number of women using the free weights areas of the main gym? Therefore making it a more appealing place for women who have never lifted before to train? Or would the medium stay the same?

perhaps have a newbies session? so they can learn to use weights and build up a bit of strength before being put in the experts room. you could have an intermediate session too. It could be in the separate area.

Yes they do get as self conscious as women.

With respect you have no idea if that's the case. And women might stare at men as much as men stare at women but I'm willing to bet women harass and assault men far less.

I travel a lot for work and work out early in hotel gyms. When I use a key card to get in and see one man in there, what I'm worrying about ain't being stared at or looking silly.

That doesn't mean there isn't a place for men only sessions, areas or classes. I'd support them if men want them. But let's not pretend all 'sexism' is created equal.

Yeah I’ve been assaulted in a gym before. Well in the pool/jacuzzi rather than the actual gym floor but yes it’s made me nervous. I feel safer in the actual gym because normally there’s more people. Sometimes if I’m there early though I’d be scared to go upstairs if nobody else is about incase a bloke gets his knob out and starts wanking over me again.

sorry Josh

I go to a mixed gym & im happy to train with men around.

(Especially the muscly types!!)

I don't go to the spa though, not sure about sharing a hot tub with strange men.

The thing that would influence me most to use a gym is having security such as trustworthy staff around. Ime, incidents happen when men think they can get away with it.

The only time I won’t use the spa at the gym is during the aqua aerobics classes because then it does seem to be full of men who make me feel uncomfy.

In general though I have no issues

Thanks MrsPratchett. I go to a much nicer gym now and I do feel safer in my new gym. That happened to me 20 years ago in a rather dodgy gym. I think most of the time I put it out my mind.

One HUGE thing is changing rooms - especially if men are going to be allowed to self ID now - do your changing rooms have proper cubicle areas? Or just open benches? Many women really do not like getting changed out in the open and so many gyms seem to have open plan spaces.

I think small women only/men only areas if you’re going to have any segregated areas you need both. Absolutely agree with the PP above who says that present (but not intrusive) staffing is key as well. I don’t want staff chatting to me and distracting me unless I initiate but I do appreciate having staff present. especially in water areas - I’ve never encountered behaviour that’s made me fearful on the gym floor (plentybof twatty behaviour though) but I have been repeatedly grabbed, perved at etc in pools and steam rooms and I NEVER use hot tubs after seeing men masturbating in them. Frankly the behaviour of some men around pool areas is criminal. You need a lifeguard AND an attendant there imo.

Yes, changing rooms where I am has one cubicle and otherwise is open plan. For a massive, busy gym. No way would I be happy with any skirt wearing men in there.

Another open plan changing room here, and I would not be happy with any TIM in here, GRC or not. The showers just have frosted doors that are not lockable too.

OP, you seem to be using sex and gender interchangeably and I think it's important to be clear in the difference. Sex is about biology, gender is about what people identify as. Or claim to identify as.

When you say single-sex, what are you going to do, for instance, if the first one of these people says "I'm a man and I want to join the men's session?

www.google.co.uk/amp/metro.co.uk/2018/03/19/group-women-self-identify-male-infiltrate-men-swim-session-7398106/amp/

Or if the second one wants to be with the women? www.google.co.uk/amp/s/gendertrender.wordpress.com/2012/10/07/olympia-wa-school-officials-state-gender-identity-provision-overrides-title-ix-equality-for-girls-swim-teams/amp/

Also, I go to the gym with my DH, so how would that work?

There would still be mixed sessions. It wouldn't be much different to how it works at swimming pools that have women only sessions I'd imagine.

well, as long as the gym are prepared to lose members like me, who would be getting less time that I could use the gym, especially if I go with my partner. (and I'll go and join a saner gym). I find it shocking that we are seriously thinking of separate sessions.

Hmm what i was trying to say may have been getting miss interpreted.. We believe the best way forward would be if everyone felt comfortable to train together and the was no gender difference.. However this isnt always the case and is very had to accommodate for everyone. I to train with my partner and wouldn't want it any other way! Its an incredible way of motivating each other.

MrsTerryPratchett - On a side note you mentioned that we may not feel insecure the same way as women do and you mentioned the hotel situation. I am not dismissing your point by any means, However as a young man we do also face issues when it comes to situations.. one i have experienced at the moment is that it seems to be okay for women to grope men. I know people will say its not okay. However from real life experience its seems to be that no one cares if a woman touches me and i don't want them to... I am in a stable relationship and love my girlfriend i don't want other women touching me... A example of this is i used to work in a bar, i remember i was carrying glasses on a tray - and had some in my other hand. When walking past the bar the was a group of women stood having a drink, as i walk past i was groped - several times in numerous areas... not to my consent. I politely asked them not to, this was ignored and i therefore had to avoid that area of the bar. As someone who would never even think of groping someone i wasn't impressed to say the least. I told my boss, the reaction to it was the following - "Well played lad u have pulled". A few weeks later one of my co workers who is a girl had their bum squeezed.. the man was removed by bouncers and barred from returning. the difference in reaction to this puts you in a position of feeling like no one rely cares what happens.. This is just one example of many things i have experienced that don't make me feel 100% secure around women. Yes not for the same reasons as females perhaps. And i do have the security of knowing that if they tried to put me in a position i rely wasn't comfortable in, i would probably be able to remove myself from the situation. Men and Women will never have the same insecurities because we are different and the is no way of changing it but we certainly do have insecurities that often we wont voice as it is seen as not being masculine to do so.. I apologies if that sounded like a rant but its something that does bother me.

EmpressOfJurisfiction - I am sorry but in my view i don't actually agree with that. Its just my opinion which i believe i am entitled to have. Its an interesting view to say that there are more genders. Then the traditional Male and Female. However my views on this aren't the most in depth. I done a small bit of reading on the matter but nothing to dramatic. However as someone who i assume is well educated on the subject - May i ask you this from pure curiosity of your standing on it.. If a male was to class themselves as a female (i don't know the correct terminology please excuse that). And then wanted to use the female changing area or go into a female only swimming session. What would the reaction be in your opinion? or vice versa If a female was to do the same? As was done in the Article you refer to?

Do you think both of the situations would be taken the same way? Or would one different to another?

I am not challenging the view i am merely trying to understand the view, i find the opinion very interesting but am unsure as to weather it would be seen as okay from all parties.

I know this has gone off topic of the original post :)

Forget all the gender and ID stuff for a second - why can't you survey your actual members and do some market research? It might be that everyone here would love a women's only gym etc but it flops hugely in your area.

Unnecessary for me. I also cycle a lot and avoid the women only cycle stuff. We've recently had a Puregym open and it's great. I don't feel intimidated at all by the men. I like the fact that it's open 24 hours for everyone.

This isn't for the actual gym. I work there but I didn't state it was for them. I am asking on both main women and mainly men forms and seeing the response given. And looking at the responses this is just a question on something that's interested me. I am a sociology student and views on social aspects of our everyday life interest me.

I used to go to a women’s only gym and I loved it. Totally different atmosphere to the mixed gym I go to now.
Far more older women and postnatal women in the women’s only gym.

Do men get as self conscious as women in a gym though?

Yes. We do. I don't know if it's as much, because we aren't 'supposed' to talk about those sorts of feelings, but I suspect it is.

For that reason I imagine there is more demand for women only areas. I don't see a big problem if a gym can only manage a small area for women, not men. I don't think gyms should always have a same sex option, but in big gyms it would be nice if it were possible.

OP, you seem to be using sex and gender interchangeably and I think it's important to be clear in the difference.

Because that's how normal people talk. Depressingly, in the current climate, I think it's important that a sociology student does use the precise terminology.

I am sorry but in my view i don't actually agree with that.

Did you read empress' point clearly. How can you disagree that the term 'sex' means biology and 'gender' means the associated social construct? Those are just the accepted definitions.

I think if you want to know what the people of MN think on the gender/sex issue you should have a look on the rest of the feminism forum- I seem to recall a couple of threads on this topic.

My gym is women only. Previous gym the weights section was heavily populated by teenage boys hanging about chatting. I see no issue with women/men only sessions. It's no different to swimming sessions or whatnot.

Sociology is a subject with many different branches Yes feminism its a massive part of it. However Feminism itself is HUGE and the are so many different areas of it, its completely acceptable for me to being trying to educate myself on a new subject and not know the specific terminology. It doesn't take away from me trying to get to grips with the arguments given.

Secondly this was in reference to the statement that i was using sex and gender interchangeably not that i don't agree with the statement.
As of yet i am unsure if i agree with the statement given. on a basic level i do. Yes there are more genders then male or female - transgender being one of them.

its completely acceptable for me to being trying to educate myself on a new subject and not know the specific terminology.

Of course. As I stated in my post, you are using the terms sex and gender interchangeably, in they way that most people still do. That said, the difference between the two (in general english, not just in sociology) is pretty fundamental in order to ask the question you are asking.

/As of yet i am unsure if i agree with the statement given. on a basic level i do. Yes there are more genders then male or female - transgender being one of them.

I'm really not sure what this means. To clarify: there are two biological sexes, male and female- anyone who isn't sure about that is nuts. Gender does not exist in any objective sense, it is about classifying cultural norms of behaviour. Some models describe multiple genders, but it's important to keep in mind that they are just sociological models. They will vary depending on the society and era discussed.