If you are a Columbia or Barnard lady and have ever gone to Dodge recreationally, you may have run on the track on the top floor or used the machines outside of the track. Maybe you went to the mat area so you could admire your fine Lululemon decked out self in the mirror as you squatted, planked, and crunched. Perhaps you were feeling a little shy and went downstairs to escape from the commotion of that roaring floor (goooo lionsssss). We all have different preferences, and I have no idea which area you chose to claim, but I can probably guess where you didn’t go: the middle floor.
If you are like me and you go downstairs, you have to pass the middle floor. Whether or not you’ve dared to stray from the secure boundaries of the staircase, you have probably caught on to the frat bro testosterone vibe that pervades every inch of this free weight level on your way to the innocent gender-neutral lower cardio floor. The first time I came to Dodge, I wanted to explore the facilities it had to offer, especially since Columbia graciously blessed me with the cute $1,434 Student Life Fee, and so I nonchalantly strolled through the male-dominated space. I wasn’t surprised that I saw a bunch of hunks in AEPi and Delta Sig shirts lifting weights heavier than me because most gyms tend to have a high male to female ratio in free weight areas. But when I started coming to Dodge regularly, I realized that the weight area is always heavily dominated by males; I have seen no more than two females on that level outside of restricted hours which are designated for required physical education classes.
While dudes at the gym love to talk about which protein powder they’re using and how excited or distressed they are about bulking season, and girls enjoy sticking to their go-to cardio machine, there is usually a happy commingling of guys and gals in the free weight and cardio areas. In Dodge, this is not the case. Sure, many girls have no interest in going to the free weight level, but I have spoken to a plethora of Columbia lionesses who have told me that although they normally incorporate strength training into their workout routines, they simply feel uncomfortable going to the weight area at Dodge. I, myself, usually have no problem making a fool out of myself, so one day I decided to just suck it up and go do my thing. To cut a long story short, my gal pal and I exchanged an “act casual” glance as we confidently entered the daunting man territory, but as soon as we were spotted, we received the looks you give to the people who watch Netflix at Butler. We both agreed that we felt very out of place and awkwardly whispered about when and in which direction we would escape.
So what do you do if you’re a strong and independent, any race, ethnicity, sexual preference, GPA, Instagram following to followers ratio, etc. woman who just wants to lift some weights? I strongly urge you to: 1) Screw the haters and bless the boys with your presence, 2) realize that most of them don’t think you’re a weirdo and it’s just in your head, 3) go with a friend, and 4) consider going to the Barnard Weight Room. You can also do what Columbia students do best — complain about how Columbia is screwing us over. You can urge Dodge to distribute weights across all floors, especially the bottom floor where there are actually empty dumbbell racks. You can express that it is unfair for “the most comprehensive wellness facility on the Upper West Side” to have vacant rooms in which classes are held, but restrict members from accessing them outside of classes, even though most gyms make such rooms accessible.
I’m not going to lie. I am one of the people that watches Netflix at Butler and I completely deserve the raised eyebrow looks from the more studious Columbians, but I do not deserve such looks for wanting to get my hashtag fitness on. No female does. So if you’re a lifting lady and you have been intimidated by the macho men, I encourage you to reconsider dodging the Dodge Testosterone Surplus Zone. Be confident, put in werk with your ten pound dumbbells or your fifty pound dumbbells, and know that your presence will make other girls feel a lot more comfortable and willing to enter the DTSZ.
Don’t be afraid to:
-Make an entrance
-Look like you don’t know what you’re doing
-Show off your moves
-Strive to achieve your goals
-Call the boys out
-Do whatever the shit you want without caring what other people think