This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Notre Dame chapter.
We’ve all been there. We’ve all been the only girl – you know, the one who gets
awkwardly stared down by all the sweaty, meat-headed men – in the free weight
section at Rolf’s. Boys, we see you doing it: staring at us like we’re lost and
confused. Maybe you don’t realize this, but we’re allowed to use that section,
too…and it’s also rude to stare.
Perhaps it’s different at The Rock. I wouldn’t know, because I’ve worked out
there a grand total of about three times in the past eight semesters that I’ve spent
here. But I can definitely say that if I had a nickel for every time I’ve felt waaaay
out of place while using the free weights during peak hours, I’d have enough
money to buy about six pairs of Louboutins by now.
The fact of the matter is you won’t get toned on cardio alone, so this particular
area of the gym is essential to your workouts. I spend a good portion of my
workouts using free weights and eventually I just got really sick and tired of being
stared down like some sort of foreigner every time I lifted a dumbbell. So, I came
up with a few techniques, if you will, that I’ve found to be helpful for avoiding
uncomfortable instances such as these.
Rule Number One: Know your workout plan. Please, for the love of everything
that’s holy, do not contribute to the stereotype that chicks don’t belong in the free
weight section by being that girl. You know the one. Are you doing three sets or
four? Fifteen reps or twenty? Will you need to use a bench? How much space
will you need? Map this out in your head before entering said free weight section.
Know what you need to do, get in there, and go do it.
Rule Number Two: Go in with confidence. This ties back to Rule Number One.
Now that you know exactly what you’re going to be doing, do it with confidence.
Be sure of yourself. Don’t allow yourself to be intimidated by the perfectly
sculpted figures heaving around weights comparable to the size of our bodies (I
mean, a sneak peak every once in a while can’t hurt…). But seriously. Act like
you know what you’re doing, because you do know what you’re doing.
Rule Number Three: You can feel them staring…but resist the urge to make
awkward eye contact! Either make eye contact like a boss, or make no eye
contact at all. Making awkward eye contact is in direct violation of Rule Number
Two, and it detracts from your assertiveness.
Rule Number Four: Clearly mark your territory. This was probably a poor choice
of wording on my part, but make sure others know that this designated space is
your space. I usually gather most of the weights I know I’m going to need (ahem,
Rule Number One!) before I begin and arrange them so that people know that
a) I’m using them so don’t touch my stuff, and b) this is my area so step aside
accordingly. Likewise, respect the territory of others. Pay attention to what’s
going on around you to avoid injury and death stares.
Rule Number Five: If all else fails, head upstairs to the stretching area and
continue your free weight usage there. I wouldn’t recommend this unless it’s
absolutely necessary, because aside from admitting defeat, it’s slightly annoying
to haul a 40 lb barbell up a flight of steps.
So there you have it. I’ll follow up next week with a killer arm workout specifically
designed for women!