As a woman who has been lifting weights in the gym since my late teens, I had never put much thought into the gym environment. For instance, when you walk into most gyms you will notice an area with weight machines, another area with free weights (dumbbells), and then the area for cardio equipment. If you look closer, the majority of people in the lifting areas, whether it is machines or free weights, are men. If you look to the cardio section, most of the time it is crowded with women. Sure you get those random people that dare to cross those lines, but it often is done timidly.
When I walk in the gym I go straight for the weights. Sure when I first started I knew much less and was a bit more conscious about where I was in the gym; then again that was way back at the beginning of college. But regardless of how I felt, I knew I loved to lift heavy and I knew I liked to shock the people around me, especially the guys. No guy expected me to lift as much or more and with better form than them!
The feeling of being strong is a great one, and the rush you get from lifting the heavy weights you never would have dreamed of lifting is unmatched! I love strength training with clients, especially women, because there is a new sense of empowerment in each rep they complete and set they finish.
Last night I had a session with a client I have worked with for a little over a month now and so far she has pretty much stuck with 8 and 10 pound weights, sometimes 15 pounds. But yesterday she pushed herself beyond what she thought possible.
She walked into the gym and told me she was so exhausted, but as we started lifting she looked at me and said “I think this is helping me wake up!” I had to laugh at the excitement of her realization. I told her that is just one way exercise helps when you’re feeling tired or stressed or frustrated.
As we got more into the workout, I gave her a challenging seated dumbbell shoulder press exercise. We did a set of 12 reps with 10 pounds and then we moved to a set with 15 pounds. I asked her to complete 10 repetitions, knowing that would be challenging. As she was lifting, I counted 10 and she decided to keep going to 12. When I asked her about it, she said she felt like she could keep going. I then told her, “You know what that means, right? That means you can go up in weight.” She gave me a funny, “you’re crazy” look, but proceeded to sit down and get ready. She was about to lift 20 pound dumbbells overhead head. She took a deep breath and got to it. She completed the eight full reps I had assigned.
When she was finished she was so amazed that she could do that. “I never imagined I would be able to do that! I never know you could get a rush like that! I always thought working out was just that (pointed to cardio equipment). But it is not. I love lifting! ”
Hearing her talk about how much she loved lifting was so inspiring and exciting for me. She is diving into a new world of strength and fitness and feeling good about yourself. The empowerment that comes from developing your body’s strength is so rewarding because it simultaneously builds your inner strength.
As you go into your gym, I challenge you to try something new! Lift a few weights that are heavier than you would normally lift. Push yourself and your comfort zone. And if you need tips, contact me! I would love to help you get into the weight room and do it confidently. No matter who you are, you can always learn something and get stronger. Email me at [email protected] and follow me on instagram: chynnasky
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