“Sam, I am NOT going up there…that’s the boy’s part of the gym.”
…What?
For some reason there is this pre-conceived notion that the upstairs weight room in the Rec Center is for “men only.” Why is it that whenever I suggest a few sets on the leg press or the squat rack after cardio, I get this response:
“You mean… we go up there? Where the boys are?”
Yes, where the boys are!
Just because we are women does not mean that we can’t tighten up our booties with a few weighted squats, or tone our biceps with the correct dumb-bells. Do you think that Jen Selter or Gigi Hadid got their abs and their butts by just doing cardio and the “girl” weights? No. They worked their behinds off (literally) in the “men’s” part of the gym (which isn’t even a thing…men do not own that part of the gym) If anything, women who strut their stuff in that part of the gym own it.
Even though we think that it is completely preposterous that beautiful women like you need a confident booster to get you upstairs at the Rec Center, here are a few tips:
1. The juiceheads that are in the gym do not care if you are in there working out alongside them. They are worried about their own workout, not yours.
We cannot stress this enough. If you mess up, no one is going to laugh at you. Everyone in the weight room is on their own agenda and none of the juiceheads think you “don’t belong.”
2. Act like you own the place.
When we’re in the gym, we like to strut around like we’re fitness trainers who are gracing the gym with our presence. When you act like a fitness trainer, you feel like a fitness trainer. If we make mistakes, we fix them with pride. People who go to the gym and look scared to be there, are the ones that see no results in the end.
3. Have a game plan and complete your sets.
Go into the weight room with a game plan. Go on Pinterest or a fitness website, and look up different set amounts to get the type of results you’re looking for. When you have this plan, complete the sets. If you’re doing 15-15-20, do the 15-15-20. If it hurts while you’re doing it, then good! You’ll see results if you actually finish what you’re doing, and you will feel fabulous about yourself after completion.
4. Gym etiquette is key.
If someone is standing by the leg curl and you really need to do the leg curl to finish your workout, don’t wait to see if they actually use it. Walk up to that person and say “hey, are you using this?” The worst they can say is “yes,” and then you wait five minutes for them to finish their set. Everyone who is in the weight room has this weird sort of bond, like everyone is working together to reach that goal of “major gains.” Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Also while you’re doing your sets, limit the cell phone use. You never know who may be watching and waiting for you to finish up with your machine, so don’t be that person.
The gym is a community in which all are welcome; there is no “men’s section.” It’s a myth; we promise.
Hopefully with these few tips you won’t even need your squat-crazy friend to drag you into the weight room. You will be able to strut in there yourself and claim it as your own. Whose weight room is it? Yours.