Fitness!

[spectastic]

yea I knew there were women out there who did these things competitively. I didn't say women are incapable of doing pullups and deadlifts. I said they're in the minority based on my observations. and I guess my delivery pissed off some of them

[music]

yea I knew there were women out there who did these things competitively. I didn't say women are incapable of doing pullups and deadlifts. I said they're in the minority based on my observations. and I guess my delivery pissed off some of them

 

Yeah I think it was the 'cleaning' joke and the fact that you strongly implied that your observations were representational of all women when you said 'they always stick around the floor mats or treadmills, and only really wonder towards the free weights with their guy friends or bff'.

 

Whoops.

 

I'd strongly recommend you keep those kinds of misinformed and sexist ideas in your mind and not express them to anyone IRL/on the interwebz. 

[AAdAAm]

Yeah that cleaning “joke”… I mean… I guess the really sad part is not that he espouses those limited views but that he thinks OTHER people (particularly in here) subscribe to them as well. When I read it I thought “well… what the F is he thinking? How is that supposed to even be funny?”  

[EliaEmmers]

Well, on his defense, he states his location to be 'Texas' and I believe Texas is one of those states known for its strong rhetoric against women's rights, isn't it? Maybe he thinks this kind of comments are acceptable not because he's trying to be mean, but because that's the only viewpoint he's used to and that's why he believes other people think like that. 

[Igotnothin]

Dude's just trying to get people riled up... Although it is fair to say that usage of free weights is more common in males than in females. Doesn't mean that some women aren't doing it and doing it well.

[themmases]

I would just add that sexist attitudes about exercise are a big reason I, and probably plenty of other women, don't branch out more. My boyfriend goes to a gym near our apartment that is mostly geared towards weight lifting, and he likes the atmosphere where more experienced people will spot him or tell him when his form is wrong. I think it would be hard for me to enjoy that even if it were completely helpful and friendly, just because it's so common for men to actually be judging women in that setting. I find it really ridiculous and unproductive that anyone would put down someone else's chosen form of exercise. Everyone you see at the gym is doing the exact same thing you're doing: reducing their risk of all-cause death. The rest is really just details, and frankly, it's personal.

 

On a more positive note I got to use my campus' gym for the first time last night and it was amazing. Clean, quiet, easy to get in and out even though I went right at 5. I've been counting down until I can go back today.

[maelia8]

Wonderful to hear that! I registered at my awe-inspiring campus gym yesterday, and I can't wait to check out some of the fitness class offerings soon. It seemed huge and pretty full, but that could just be because it was the first week and everybody was there registering.

[hippyscientist]

I've never seen a chick do a pull up, proper deadlift, or clean in my life. they always stick around the floor mats or treadmills, and only really wonder towards the free weights with their guy friends or bff. granted, I don't visit the gym all the time, but the pattern is pretty obvious. 

 

by clean I mean power clean. I've seen them do cleaning a lot hehehehe

I had to resurrect this board. This quote hasn't quite enraged me but certainly has motivated me to comment. Attitudes like this frequently put girls off weightlifting. My undergrad university was very sports focused as was top 2 in the country for most sports, and a Team GB training base, so we had a lot of pro athletes train in our gym. I'm a S&C coach, PT and am hoping to do my PhD in sports injury prevention and rehabilitation...and I'm female. I also have never competed as a weightlifter, but can hold my own in our gym. The first few times I went into the weights section, I went with the guy I was training. Yup. I was training this 6ft 250lb guy with olympic lifts, and showing him correct form  but the amount of guys there who made out like they had an issue with me was amazing. I told myself that they were just jealous I had good technique   I love the weights section, I deadlift double my bodyweight, bench my weight, squat my weight and a half and have encouraged all my friends who have shown an interest in the gym to accompany me and see that the guys who look, for the most part, are the ones with the problem!

 

With regards to the original theme of fitness - we put so much focus on what we should be doing with exercise these days. When we were kids, we'd run around, kick a ball, do cartwheels, play tag...all of this was exercise but it was PLAY. As adults, we lose this sense of fun and make exercise a chore. Find something you enjoy, go with friends, go by yourself, but most importantly - have fun! I frequently blast my music and have a dance around the kitchen. If I'm annoyed I'll run in circles in my garden if I can't get out on the road. If I've got a spare hour, I'll go for a swim. If my friends are here I'll go for a walk. Moving should be FUN, and should be something we look forward to, rather than "build into our schedule". If we can make playtime fit into the adult world (sex anyone?) we would be so much fitter as a nation. /end rant

[spunky]

I had to resurrect this board. 

 

 

sorry... couldn't help myself

[Saggy]

I do weight lifting when I wake up, it really wakes me up.