All my friends know that I love hitting the gym. It’s a kind of addiction for me. A majority of my workout consists of weightlifting. Even though weightlifting has been a recent trend on Instagram, many of my female friends are still intimidated by the thought of lifting a barbell. Although I’m not an expert in this nor do I claim to be, I’ve done my research and gotten advice from my personal trainer friends and I’m here to tell you all the reasons why weightlifting isn’t just for boys.
You won’t be super buff, like men are.
One of the biggest myths that prevented me from lifting is the thought of becoming super muscle-ly after lifting. What I’ve learned from my lifting journey is that yes, you’ll develop muscles but no, you won’t look like the Hulk. The average female body isn’t capable of developing these bulky muscles, unless women actively try to achieve this physique. Instead, you’lll actually become more toned and fit.
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Nobody will judge you if you can’t lift “heavy weights.”
One of the reasons why many of my girlfriends shy away from weightlifting is that they’re intimidated by the amount of weight that everyone is lifting around them. In the beginning, I was so embarrassed that I was only squatting 35 pounds. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself that there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Every single person in the gym has been where you are. On top of this, let me reassure you that nobody’s staring at you. Everyone who’s lifting is so focused on being able to lift the weight; the last thing on their minds is judging you.
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Boys won’t be intimidated by girls who lift.
Initially, I thought that many guys would be intimidated if I told them I enjoy weightlifting, but the response I’ve gotten is the complete opposite. Most of the time, they’re more in awe than not. In fact, many of my guy friends and I actually bond over our struggles and progress. When I tell the boys that I can lift x amount of weight, I feel a sense of pride because I get to prove that this little Asian girl is actually capable of so much more.
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You are much stronger than you think you are.
This is one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from my journey. Of course, there are limitations to this saying, but sometimes you just have to give yourself a little more credit. There are days when I stare at the plate on the barbell and immediately doubt my abilities before I even try. This is when I try to push those thoughts out of my mind as fast as I can because I know I am stronger than I give myself credit for. This mentality has also bled into my everyday life because if this journey has taught me anything, it’s the mind over matter mentality.
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