Men in the gym

[Big Chris]

i have got the keys to the gym i go to (in-laws own it) so i go usually before work or when it is closed (sunday afternoons) but if i do go after work most of the bods in there are actually ok and might even get advice, but i can see why some people would get paranoid.

[Leanness]

to use the gym when it's not too crowded, just to have space.

I've been in a gym where I've had the whole gym (weights, cardio, everything) to myself and it's a bit spooky - good to have a bit of a buzz going.

The posers (and even the ordinary folk) are too busy watching what they're doing to bother with what you're doing.

Having said that I do feel a little pang of pride when I'm benching more than a bloke. I know it's not a competition but still...

Once or twice I've gone up to other women and encouraged them to use heavier weights - most don't know what they are capable of.

[Indiscreet]

Heh Leanness, I'm with you. I wish more women would recognise that being strong is cool. Most are training to get thinner, rather than to get stronger, which is a shame. I like to take up some space in the world!

[Monkeybat]

I would love to train in a gym with strong women, sure would fill me with pride knowing a woman would actually know the feeling of getting stronger. My years as an instructor i allways felt woman did not have a clue in the gym. When i met a woman that did it knocked me for six.

[Mookal]

I only started doing free weights about four months ago. The mirrors are there for a reason, not for staring at yourself. I use them to check on my form, to ensure that I am doing the exercise properly.

I go by myself, as I cannot guarantee what time I have spare, but I try to go late as possible so that I can actually get a bench, etc.

It can be intimidating for anyone, when its busy. (not just the girls).

[MVHLady]

Hi guys, just registered on here and am dying to comment on this thread being a lady!!!

I do get intimidated by the men in the free weight section i must admit.
They seem to take up so much room!!
There are so many of them at my gym and they are often in 2's or 3's.
Even some of the weight machines they seem to sit on for ages, im always waiting to get on them, sometimes i just dont get a look in so i end up on the rower again.

Luckily my gym also has some dumbells over by the stretching and sit up area which is less of an attraction for the meat heads.

I do a lot of weights to shape my body but i do notice a lot of women just live on the cross trainers and walking on the treadmills barely building up a sweat.
Then they wonder why they have flabby bottoms and bingo wings!!
I do an Abs class every day and there is 3 girls about 18-20 who just giggle through the whole class moaning that they cant do it and messing with mobile phones, i wish they would just go elsewhere to chat!

Like the last post said, i use the mirrors to check my posture etc when doing weights. Its amusing watching people ogle themselves in the mirrors!!!

It does seem true that a lot of women think weights are just for men.
They don't realise that the women with the best bodies in the gym are because they do weights aswell as CV.
So women, lets start hogging the free weights

[Just a Girl]

I have to admit, I don't feel intimidated now, though I did the first time I went in there.

I work as hard, if not harder than most of the guys that use the free weights area so they should be intimidated by me really

When I first started working with free weights, I did notice I got a few stares but as the regulars got used to me, they started to chat to me and so many said how refreshing it is to see a woman going heavy on the weights.

I've started going at a different time of day so the stares are back, but my ipod is loud and my focus is on my training so I don't pay any attention to it

[comanight2]

Hi guys, I think its time i said something

I get intimidated by the groups of women in the gym. Im trying to work out and watch my form in the mirror and they keep staring over at me, probably laughing at my form. It gets to me so much that Im scared to look anywhere but in the mirror.

I cant even leave the weights section because they are always hogging all the cool machines, one time i left to goto the toilet and when i came back some girl had started using the free weights and i was too scared to get back to it.

I hate the way they stare at me when im on the squat rack like im some sort of sexual object - hello! im a person! Sometimes I can't take it and spend the whole session doing dumbell curls.

I can't even hang out in the body combat sessions anymore because every time i play with my mobile phone a bunch of girls turn around and glare at me like i just spat on their mothers

Come on guys, lets take back the CV section!

[MVHLady]

Ha ha, love it!!
Sorry, comanight2, i dont know if your post was supposed to be amusing but the way you say it is quite funny.

I do know what you mean though, i can imagine it could be like that with all the women on the machines.
The gym tends to be quite segrigated and intimidating for both sexes it seems.

I think the key is to just not worry about what other people think, but i guess thats easier said than done.

I get paranoid when i have done a run on the treadmill, im red like a beetroot and sweating like a pig!!
There iaren't many women in the gym that let themselves get like that so i do get a bit self concious.
But then i normally say to myself, 'your in the gym get a grip, you are supposed to sweat!!' ha ha

[MVHLady]

Just looked at your justgiving site, comanight2
I did the London Tri this year for Cancer Research
Will be there for 2010 aswell, cant wait.
How did you get on at Strathclyde?? have you got the Tri bug now?!!