Anyone who works out knows how testosterone-filled the gym can be. It seems like everywhere you look there is another jacked-up guy, and as a female, this can be very intimidating. A sense of relief washes over me when I walk to the squat rack or collect my barbells and spot another girl: a minority in a sea of male gym rats. I feel so safe asking another girl to spot me, setting up my workout next to her, and taking a mental note of her routine for future workouts. These girls are my inspiration. They motivate me to continue my fitness journey while also making me feel comfortable in a male-dominated area.
Thank you to the girls who are more than willing to save my spot in the weight room while I run to fill up my water bottle. Thank you to the girls who give me legging recommendations and show me where they bought their workout tops. Thank you to the girls who offer to trade workout playlists and recommend new artists. The positive interactions I’ve had with other girls while working out are so genuine and I couldn’t ask for a more supportive community.
Also, thank you to the girls who I don’t talk to in the gym, but admire from a distance. Even when we make awkward eye contact and go our separate ways, it’s so uplifting to see a fellow girl striving after her fitness goals. So many girls are against lifting weights, in fear of “getting too big,” but now I feel like a proud mother every time I see another girl with strong thighs, broad shoulders, and toned arms. Gaining muscle is too often seen as a masculine thing, so when I see females breaking those gender barriers and also getting ripped, I am awestruck. There is nothing more badass than a woman who can match men both mentally and physically.
My whole life I have watched my mother workout with men: time and time again proving how women can out-bike, do more pullups, and jump higher than men. I used to be embarrassed by her exhausted warrior cries, her habit of starting pushup contests with my male friends because she knew she could beat them, and her need to always run just a little faster than everyone. Now, every time I go to the gym I not only see a younger version of my mom in the mirror, but I also understand her addiction to working out. She taught me how women can be feminine, sexy, and beautiful while also being absolute beasts. Because of this, seeing other girls in the weight room with the same mindset as me (and my mom) makes my heart warm and my soul happy. Thank you to the girls in the gym who show me every day how empowering it is to be strong.