My passion for heavy weightlifting started with TikTok. A video popped up on my “For You” page of a woman who was strong, toned, and confident; she said her secret was lifting heavy weights (really heavy weights—think 200-pound squats and a 150-pound bench press). She had the body I’d always dreamed of, so I had to try out lifting for myself.
At first, the weight room really intimidated me. I was scared I’d be judged for the weights I was using, that I wouldn’t know how to use the machines, or that I’d do a move wrong and hurt myself. When I’ve tried to convince friends to come with me to the gym, they’ve expressed similar fears. Here’s what I wish someone had told me when I first started lifting.
- No one else will be paying attention to you. Seriously.
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I’ve been lifting for a few months now and can say earnestly that I never notice what other people in the gym are doing. I have music playing loudly in my headphones and I’m laser-focused on loading up plates or pushing out a difficult set of squats. No one will know if you’re using 5-pound dumbbells or a 250-pound bar; they’re all too focused on themselves.
- Everyone was a beginner once.
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I know how embarrassing it can feel to be bench-pressing just the bar when the guy next to you is lifting 200 pounds. Remember, though, that he was in your shoes once. No one is born with the ability to lift super heavy weights, they work up to it over months or years.
- There are tons of resources to help you build a routine.
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Maybe you know you want to tone your legs and glutes, but feel completely lost on how to create a routine. Don’t worry! A simple Google search like “complete lower body strength training routine” will help you out. If you feel stuck, there are a few exercises you can always fall back on: overhead press, rows, and bench press for your upper body, and squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts, and lunges for your lower body. These are known as “compound lifts” because they work multiple muscle groups at the same time. Once you find a routine you like, slowly increase the weight and/or number of reps you’re doing each time you exercise.
- You have just as much of a right to the weight room as anyone.
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As women, we are conditioned to shrink ourselves; we’re taught to take up as little space as possible, to stay out of the way, and to not ask for what we really want. The gym is a great place to work on breaking these habits and becoming a more confident, powerful version of yourself. Remember that you’re paying for the equipment and have the same goals as every man in the room. Perform your routine exactly how you want to—whether it’s big kettlebell swings or deadlifts—and you’ll see great results.
Heavy lifting has helped me feel more confident in my body than I ever have and has done wonders for my mental health. I highly recommended that every woman try it out. It can be intimidating at first, but you’ve got this.