We’ve been reading some studies about how unconscious gender roles have big real-world effects: one study had mothers discussing their daughters’ school results, and saying things like “I was never good in math, either.” OK — sounds like standard empathy from a parent to a child.
But the study found that these kind of statements reinforced certain gender norms, especially ones that tend to steer some girls away from subjects like math and science. While there are certainly lots of variables at play here, we think there really is something to these claims.
And that begs the question — is the same thing going on with fitness?
YOU’D BE SURPRISED AT HOW OFTEN WE DEAL WITH THIS.
This is an interesting topic, and one we feel quite qualified to talk about, as we get dozens of comments — both on our blog and on our YouTube channel — saying things like “I think it’s gross that a woman is stronger than a man,” or “why would I want a woman who is stronger than me?”
That’s why, in our recent article, we tried to get inside the head of a typical guy who holds those ‘strong women just aren’t sexy’ views. Hopefully, we showed you how both insecurity and an outdated sense of the ‘official’ male role underlie those opinions.
Now we want to talk a little bit about the female side of things — and how those same expectations can crop up — even without direct input from anyone else.
Think of it as a form of self-censorship, a way of ‘holding back’ on your true physical potential because of expectations you might not even consciously acknowledge — but expectations that are there, regardless.
HOW DO WOMEN HOLD THEMSELVES BACK?
It’s a given that mental focus and strength is crucial to getting in shape and staying fit. Every day and every workout require mental dedication — our bodies don’t just automatically expend a ton of energy unless we really know how to force them to.
But what if women have to fight with something subconscious, nearly imperceptible — a little voice that suggests they shouldn’t get too strong, or work out too hard, because it might make them less attractive to the opposite sex?
If you’ve ever tried to apply serious, concentrated dedication to anything — especially something physical, like sport at a high level — you’ll know that these kinds of psychological barriers can be absolutely deadly in reaching your goal.
So what can you do about it?
3 SIMPLE THINGS TO TRY.
Extend your independence to your body. Being confident and secure as a woman isn’t only a state of mind or an attitude — it’s also manifested in how you think about, treat, and use your own body. You get to make the decisions about how you’ll work out and get fit, and the rest of the world — well, they’ll catch up eventually. Don’t worry about them — don’t even think about them when starting a workout.
Look at who is reinforcing these rules. If you catch yourself lifting super-light weights and over-doing it on the cardio, even though you know good weightlifting will not bulk you up like a bodybuilder, stop and think about it. Why are you doing this? Who got these ideas into your head, and why are you adhering to them? Even just that simple level of self-analysis can be enough to overcome an unconscious bias.
Change your role models. It’s possible that the outside sources you look to for inspiration might not be helping. If you’re following celebrities who seem to have the ‘perfect’ body, really think about the resources that go into maintaining it. If Megan Fox or Jessica Alba suddenly decided to do a few more weight exercises, they’d literally have agents and studio executives telling them that any hint of lean muscle might cost them further parts. It’s a vicious circle.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH IT?
We really want to hear from the women on this one — have you ever found yourself re-inforcing these gender norms, maybe without even realizing it at first? Or have you been able to overcome them, to get past the outdated expectations and push your body in the direction you want it to go? Tell us about it!
Best,
Frederick
I am in my early 50s and was loving sports way back when girls weren’t allowed to run in Physical Education because it wasn’t good for them. President Kennedy should be given a lot of credit for creating the President’s gold and silver award in sports. We were challenged to do sit ups, pull ups, softball toss, 50 yard dash and 600 yard “walk/run”. I remember watching a girl run a “fast” mile and beat most of the boys…WOW! That was the first time I recall girls being challenged and rewarded for strength, speed and agility.
I think it’s fabulous what girls are encouraged to do in sports nowadays. It is a different world for them!! Each generation is pushing the limits further with the benefits of proper training and education. There is nothing as wonderful as feeling strong, lean, and healthy! The benefits are countless beyond measure. Being strong and healthy makes you ageless and gives you a strength of spirit to match. My best and most enduring friendships have been fostered through sports. Competing is great, too. It will challenge you to really extend yourself beyond what you thought you could ever do.
I don’t race or compete any more because my work is cut out for me trying to keep up with these younger kids who started serious training when they were practically still in diapers. Plenty of challenge to be found there!
This is a great website and I am telling everyone to follow it! Thank you for your hard work; it is appreciated!
oops pressed the wrong button. You may have got a partial message. I meant to say that i am 50 and just came across this site. I was curious since we are close in age if you feel your workouts are either more painful or if you have to balance them out with the rest of your day? I use to go all day long now I feel if I exercise I have to do less other active activity during the day. I am seeing my endurance decrease. My recovery is bad too. Sometimes I want to just take a nap. I know I am doing something wrong after working out. Do you eat certain things before and after for recovery? thanks
Well, sort of yeah… My body bulks up really fast, and in school they used to tell me that my legs look like those of a soccer player so it was really tough for me to get over it, but now I realized that it’s better to be muscular that unhealthy and skinny, and somehow it dawned on me that muscles are just a sign of a healthy body. But also, I am very tall and was always traumatized that I couldn’t date guys who were shorter than me… I don’t know…
We are full of cliches… But there comes a time in which either you kill yourself trying to look like a stick instead of a woman and being scared even to walk moving your arms “the wrong way” on the street or you just get over it and start thinking for yourself and create your own standards of beauty and else…
Thank you very much for this website, I just found it and I think it’s AWESOME :D
Hi,
my ex-girlfriend had this sort of problem, I believe, being especially sensitive about her legs. But in general, she believed she’s sort-of too big for a girl, always going on about girls with a small, delicate frame and so on.
It took me almost 3 years before she’d hit the gym with me for the first time. Although she really seemed to enjoy it every time we went there, she’d stay reserved to the amount of energy she’d put into the exercise.
I don’t know if the latter was caused by fear of getting too pumped-up or just lack of willpower to keep exercising, but I was sure she could go way further, had she wanted to.
I can’t tell now, as she’d split with me 2 months ago, so all I can do now is be happy about showing her that a gym is not exactly a torturing chamber, but I’d have liked to help her break these blocks, would she have had me.
Anyway. I don’t know how much a 23-year old guy’s opinion matters to you, but there you go:
A) I don’t exercise solely for the purpose of burning fat and getting pumped-up. This is a pleasant side-effect, yes. But alone, it wouldn’t be enough for me to exercise.
I work with my brain, so technically, I don’t need to use my body in any extensive way unless I desire so. But I can ensure you that if I kick my body up in the morning even with a 30min exercise (like the tabata workout that Zuzana shows on this site – my favorite), the brain follows. And so does the spirit.
After the exercise and, mostly, for at least half the remaining day, I just feel like a behemoth, strong enough to trample anything in my way.
Ridiculous as it may sound, this gives me the power to shake off stress and face things with cold logic and self-confidence.
If this state-of-mind appeals to you, then why not just screw the “general truths of the society” and go see what you can truly do with a kicking body and a powerful mindset?
B) If, say, I were going out with a woman and she grew significantly stronger than me, I would, true, consider that a shame. But mine, not hers.
I’d probably hit the gym more often and maybe push a little harder to catch up and reach a balanced state where each of us is better in something.
What I’m trying to point out is that the cliche that “women shouldn’t be stronger than men” is mostly based on guys who are frustrated that women can best them even in that. It pisses them off because it doesn’t fit their fossilized mindset.
Come to think of it, do you really want to act on behalf of the frustration of the macho part of the masculine society?
This goes against evolution! Come on, if you get to best us in these things, too, maybe we’ll finally start to think and try to get better! Worth a shot, I’d say :D
For the “it’s not beautiful” part, it’s a bit exaggerated. Yeah, I don’t find professional female body-builders beautiful. But neither the male ones! The way I see it, there’s a pretty thick line between fitness and professional body building, just about there where the body-building gets unhealthy. So so much for strong women not being beautiful…
C) I can’t stand the sight of a girl who looks like she’ll fall apart when she’s running. I know this is just me typing, but I know other guys who share the very same PoV with me.
Anyway, I think that health is what makes a woman attractive in the general scope. Although we guys are affected a lot by glams, fashion and other “example-girls” we see around on billboards, in magazines and so on, I doubt many would prefer a ‘wallflower’ over a ‘miss-sporty’, given the choice.
Well, enough rambling. Speaking for myself, I love challenge, it’s an important part in feeling attracted to a woman. What I want to say is:
Don’t be afraid to step up or go for something. It makes you attractive. For me, a relationship where challenge doesn’t work dies sooner or later. Emotionally, anyway, if not officially.
It’s not just about being a stick and wearing stuff that’s “in”. It’s about you.
Rad
Rad- what a fantastic response!! I agree with everything you’ve said. How wonderful to hear an enlightened male perspective! I haven’t read the rest of the posts in this thread yet- but by golly, this is a great site- I just stumbled upon it today! And regarding muscular women- I go to the gym about 4 times a week and cannot WAIT to get to the resistance exercises! Sure, my arms are quite muscular, but I think this is attractive on anyone- male or female. The strength you develop, the endorphin afterglow, the way menial tasks in daily life are made enjoyable.. It’s just the best.
I think that there are two big things that have helped me overcome those kind of negitve ideas. 1. My mother has always set a really good example for me. When I was little she was one of the top martial artists in canada. and 2. my guy friends and my husband; it’s always nice to hear what real men think of an athletic woman.
I totally think women/girls hold themselves back. Not only do they not want to appear bulky, but girls these days DON’T TRY! They completely do not understand what work goes into truly being “fit” and that that entails keeping a healthy balanced diet as well. most girls I know think that by running on a treadmill for half an hour is sufficient to get into shape, and I know some girls who have gym memberships and ALL they use at the gym is the treadmill. That is completely ridiculous and I love this site for the reason that it is completely true that you can be fit by working out at home, it is all a matter of effort. Most girls don’t want to exert all that energy or complain that it hurst to work out and they don’t want to do it, or they don’t want to get sweaty. Or they don’t understand the concept of toning their muscles and building muscular endurance versus building muscle… That is what I have noticed. This site is everything I have always wanted in a fitness guide I’ll call it. I’ve never been able to go to a website where I could not only get exercises with complete info on the reps and sets, but also pictures and videos for perfect form, and diet and fitness advice! This website is the best!
Somewhat… But it’s MY BODY, MY RULES. I love to lift. I couldn’t top that for anyone or any job. I look great in my clothes, and a little muscle-ish without them. Whatever.
hi Zuzanah luv ur vids and all the info u provide… i have some questions to ask you that would be great if you could amswer :)
1. I do weight training-and im a dance instructor and a model who is venturing away from regular modeling and have been told id do really well down the fitness modeling avenue. Long story short, so im always active, and im 18 % body fat my breast size is a D cup naturally, i want to be around 15-12 % body fat, but i want to know will i lose alot of my breasts fat and go down drastically in size? I just feel that this is not a topic widely discussed by women who are in the fitness industry, or who are fitness models. For us that are striving to look and feel better it would be nice to be able to get some insight and real girl talk going around this topic!
2. what type of breast implants would you recommend for fitness models (not bodybuilders) silicone or saline and why?, and how long have you had yours, and what has been your experience good or bad with them?
3. what is your body fat percentage and how do you maintain it, and still keep that beautiful, feminene and natural look you have?
4.I am vegetarian can you maybe do some more recipes and workout meal related plans that also cater to vegetarians?
I really look forward to your reply and i thank you so much for taking on my ‘millions’ of questions.lol
Hello ;D
I’m glad I found your youtube channel and this site, thank you very much for what you do, it’s very motivating!
Since early childhood I was rather muscular and I always thought I’m worse that all the slim girls around. I gave up being feminine then and took up martial arts, then a phisical job in the stable. Now I study and I was looking for a way to keep fit, but the best side I found was a bodybuilding site for men. I didn’t put my all to the workouts though being afraid I’ll get too ‘manly’, and I don’t really want to look like a female bodybuilder… Luckily I saw you and it simply blow out my mind. You’re so beautiful AND strong, I didn’t know it’s possible *^__^* I look forward to taking up your workout ideas, now I know what I can aim for ;D
I’m writing it as a reply because I don’t believe your breasts are not natural, am I naive? My breasts got a lot smaller when I begun exercising a lot, but I put it to my naturally heigh level of testosterone… Does exercising really make one’s breasts smaller?
When I turned 21 in July, I realized I was never going to be a skinny slim model-type. Instead, I started working on building and toning muscles. I have a muscular and curvy physique which I realized… the boys love! haha and of course i love it too because it represents me and all my hard work and dedication to being healthy. I can’t tell you how many times i hear women in the gym say they don’t want to lift weights because they think muscles don’t look good. Women should be anything we want to be.
I’m right their with you. I spent most of my teenage years trying to be on of the skinny girls because that’s what I thought I should be. It never worked. No matter how hard I tried I was simply never one of the skinny girls. One day my boyfriend asked, “Why do you try so hard to be bone thin when you are absolutely stunning when you’re curvy and fit?”
The weekend after that conversation I celebrated my 21st and as I stepped out to the limo my best friend (who is very slim and delicate) said, “I’m so jealous of you. You have and amazing body. I could never pull off a dress like that.” It was like a lightbulb went off in my head. From that day on I stopped trying to mold my body into something it wasn’t and starting molding it into the best it could be.
Hi Zuzana,
Let me start by saying thankyou for providing such useful information. You are a motivation for us that are busy mums and don’t physically have too much time, especially by being able to do these workouts at home, rather than wasting time driving to the gym. I would like to know a bit about your story, |I find little comments here and there, but I think it would really be inspirationaland helpful, how much do you workout (6 days?) only averaging 20 mins per day? How long has your journey taken you from being slim to becoming so toned and muscly. You see, I have a 6 month goal to get somewhere from a couple of kilo’s overweight (maybe 4 or 5 kgs) to looking more athletic, and trimming the fat (and that last bit of mummy belly after 3 kids) I am 35 and I know nothing is holding me back EXCEPT my love for chocolate. Realistically, if I do 4-5 days per week, 20-30 mins a day of cardio and weights, is 6 months very achievable combined with 80% good food?
If your workouts are intensive and you will make it a challenge each time to avoid plateau, then 6 months is more then enough time to lose 5 kg and tone your body. The key is in consistency. Be honest with yourself when it comes to diet and exercise. Make sure that you are pushing yourself hard enough and you will achieve your goal even faster. It took me quite a long time to get this muscle tone, but only because I was trying to find an effective way to work out. If I started to workout the way I do now for the past few months, I could have been in this shape much earlier.
Sorry, forgot to also ask, your thoughts on protein shakes, and which supplements you recommend, thanks again for your training videos and also, lurve the new outfit !!
Hi Zuzanna, I love all your videos and you’re an awesome motivator to me. I don’t know if you have ever mentioned it but I’d like to know if you take any supplements at all or have protein shakes. Thank you for all the videos and diet/fitness tips.
Hi Zuzana,
I recently came across your site and I love what you’re doing! You obviously are making a huge impact in many people’s lives! I workout quite often and am in great shape but after seeing some of the exercises you do, I will DEFINITELY be incorporating them into my own! To comment on the subject, it’s certainly not just women that hold themselves back, it’s everyone in general, women are just more outspoken about it. I show people how they can be more successful in life and of course one of the first things that has to be tackled is “self image,” their limiting self belief whether they feel that they don’t truly deserve or can achieve their desires! It’s about being able to recognize that voice in your head (the ego) with all its negative comments, that’s holding you back and it can affect your relationships, health, and financial foundations! It can make the difference of giving up or pushing yourself a little harder and breaking your limit barrier.
Here’s a golden nugget I learned from a famous mentor a long time ago.
“The 5 people you spend the most time with will determine your Health, your Philosophy, and your Income.”
“IF YOU BELIEVE IT, YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT!”
Have a wonderful day Zuzana,
Josh
I am 11 and I think that you all are people to belive in because you’ve proven that you don’t give up and Zuzana you rock I know it’s weird to hear that from an 11 year old but it’s true you’re so inspirational you do workout routines that I think not even some grown men can do your amazing I envy you so much and I just discovered you today well hope you all write back
Me,
Jack
You are all inspirational
Hello, Zuzana!
I’ve been subscribing for a while and have been watching your videos with real interest how human’s muscles can be so developed and so perfect. You are great! :) My question is whether those excercises you show in your videos and talk about in your articles are appropriate to start with? They look so hard to do. I want to start amateur sport, just for a better heath because I haven’t been doing any sports since a long time. Are they good for beginners or I should start with something easier first? :)
Kind regards
Ellie
Damn still no reply???.lol Anways keep strong, fit n healthy.xoxo
Hi, this site has motivated me into putting working out in a totally different perspective for me. I would like to tell you about my high school brother’s girlfriend. Looking at this 5′2 little girl, no one would think much of her, except that she is in on the power lifting team for their school. When my mom asked if my brother could do the same he said not a chance. Which makes me proud of my brother, he is not at all afraid of a girl who could kick his butt! Kudos to the girl’s parents for empowering her to do a sport that could be considered too manly, and that training will help her out more than she’ll ever know!
i’m a 16 year old girl with a passion for working out. but i’ve gained about 30 pounds in the past two years, and since i’ve started working out again.. all i’ve heard from guys that i know is that “nobody likes a girl with muscles” and that i’m fine the way i am, but to be quite honest i know i’m not, and no matter what anybody says, this is something that i need to do for Me. there are millions of guys in the world, so why should women hold themselves back because of the opinions of a few narrow minded individuals? i was watching a documentary about female body builders and one of them said that “if women are allowed to run for president and be doctors, then why aren’t we allowed to be as strong as we want to be?” if we don’t push ourselves, then we’ll never know what we could’ve been, so why not just block them out and go for it. i certainly am , and it’s people like you who keep motivating me to get there.
Just one remark here: Most of you (commenters) are saying things like “narrow minded” or for the opposite: “enlightened”.
To be frank, this is also a very narrow minded perspective. The key word here is: taste. We all have different taste and preferences and generalizing in the opposite direction is still the same and eventually even more stupid.
So here is my opinion and I hope it’s a little more rational:
There is a difference between holding back or even being held back and the taste and opinions of others.
There’s also a difference between training and being fit and extreme bodybuilding.
So why are these points so important? Well, that’s simple. First of all nature shaped us in a certain way, gave us shape and features. We can overcome these natural factors by hard training (in sports e.g.) but don’t expect nature to change along with that. We’re not robots. We can only be programmed and altered to a certain degree.
Secondly you should be a little more imaginative. Being fit doesn’t mean you need to be muscle packed. This is only a personal choice and hardly ever required (even mine workers don’t have the amount of muscles most sport-junkies have).
In the future we will be able to alter physical traits by genetical engineering, in fact we already do it and did it for millions of years (evolution). So yes, women of course have the right to train and alter their bodies but it will eventually be rendered useless.
What we achieve by hard training today can be totally different in the future. Artificial limbs, genetical traits, better training methods etc. will shape the next generation human. And don’t confuse this: we always did the same thing by being selective about who we partner with and thus our offspring gains the treats we have in our genes. It’s natural, it’s evolution.
Humans in general are being held back. And sometimes for the better. How will we solve the world hunger? Well, there would be options but most of these are not ethical. So should we do whatever we like? Well, I’d say we should do whatever we like that does not harm the world or other creatures. So that’d would mean it’s possible for a girl to just ignore the comments on her looks and train up to be the most muscular being in the world. However, it’d be more than naive to expect everyone to like that.
So in the end I’d say: go for it if you like it and like the consequences. For some parts of society to function the human species developed a number of signals and “rules” – basically similar to the rest of nature where mating rituals etc. are actually quite similar – to work. For example we don’t really have to use a fork but we do it because we’re used to it. So sure, go ahead and eventually the majority will see benefits or not in what you’re doing and either tag along or not.
Personally, and to be honest, the strengh that made us what we are is not physical at all. If you want to be strong start with your mind. You can train your whole life if you want to and you can look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his best days but still you’ll lose against an elephant or similar when it comes to sheer strengh. So in the end it’s all up to taste and preferences. Being fit doesn’t equal looking bulky. In fact you can achieve the maximum fitness by a middle ground (since massive training also takes a toll on your joints etc. as well). But you shouldn’t hold yourself back when it’s really your passion. This is not just something that applies to females – it’s a general problem due to our over-regulated and mass-media-influenced systems (at least in the industrialized world).
best wishes
I agree, if they wanna become a tone goddess like you Zuzana let them. If they wanna become the next Miss Olympia let them. Only things I’d probably do is make sure they are aware of the possible changes their bodies will go through but if they still want to do it. I’ll support them. Even if they “buff up” doesn’t necessarily mean they will look like a male. Any men that think that should look at Cory Everson, sure she can lose the fat and be Miss Olympia, but when she stopped competing and let a little of the fat come back, she got the curves, filled in and wow, shes an awsome looking lady
Back in the day when I ran my own small personal training business, I definitely found that women had no idea what they were capable of physically, especially when it came to resistance training. When I trained guys I used to get them to tell me when they felt they were going to fail and then sure enough, withing the next two reps or so they would fail, then we’d do negatives etc. However when I trained women, especially the older women who had probably had decades of believing they just shouldn’t be exerting themselves in this fashion, I/we found that they could often go at least 5-10 reps more than what they thought they could. It was a good demo for them to see that they were capable of much more than what they thought. Women were always my favourite clients because they almost always got more (relatively) out of their training than guys did and were often far more dedicated.
My two cents!
[...] Are women holding themselves back? [...]
Just because I have preference I have self esteem issue? Muscle doesn’t mean you are strong. Look at body builders, they have big muscles that’s what they strive for. In reality having too much muscles makes you slower and weaker. These big guys can barely put on or take off their own t shirts own their own.
Bruce Lee was a very strong person but he wasn’t very big like body builders. He could easily defeat a guy twice his size. There’s a lot of misinformation here.
People need quit blaming society for their problems or what others think or pointing fingers. If you want to workout and get big fine. But if you don’t then don’t! But I just can’t respect anything blaming someone else for their success. Only you can control you not others, if you let others control your life you will never be satisfied.
Same on your women blaming the guys for your own success. If guys did the same thing I would feel the same way.
I cut down on kayak competitions when I was 15, mainly because I was travelling for one year but also because I didn’t want to get a too masculine body, being that I was still growing. I started training and competing in beachvolley instead so I have never stopped doing physical activities. I love the confidence it gives and the way i feel :)
I have also unconsiously always competed against the guys I dated, I wanted to test them on their minds and physical abilities because I wanted a guy who had a strong mind and will! Now I have the best boyfriend and one of the first things he told me was that he liked seeing that I really pulled it to the limit at the gym! :)
Hello Zuzana & Frederick,
Thank you for your work, topics posts and routines. You have been a major part in my quest for mental and physical health. I am fairly new to your site, and have been reading through many of the topics and posts from your fellow bodyrockers. Though so many of the posts are posative and thankful, I am reading many that are negative and seem not to be focusing on the point of the site. Though I admire your wit and grace in your responses, I do not have patience that you do, so I am wondering… how do you keep positive, and in sight? I seem so easily gloomed.
All the best, and many thanks
I think the key is not to take anything what people tell you personally. Remember that it has never anything to do with you what people say to you or about you. It is always only reflection of themselves. You are the one who can choose how to react. No reaction, just keep going after your dreams and do exactly what do you want and what do you believe is the best.
Thank you :) Keep on being awesome.
This article is interesting because I believe I was doing exactly what it said not to do the other day. I’m in high school and I have gym class everyday; the other day we were in the weight room. I was using a machine for my arm muscles and as I looked at my muscles flexing in the mirror, I said, “Eeww, where did those come from?” It sounds so stupid, but I never really saw my arm muscles flex before, and I think that might be it. Girl’s really don’t want to look like boys, get sweaty and all that. But exercising and gym class are fun for me, and I think getting to know what your body looks like will make you like it more and improving won’t be that big of a problem. The same way that you look at your stomach ladies, you know, to make sure its getting flatter, is the same way you should look at your health and the rest of your body. That’s just a little bit on my opinion. BTW I love your workout vids Zuzanna! My mom makes me watch them and do them sometimes, lol.
I don’t look down on the girls who just want to be thin – if that is what they truly think looks better then they should be allowed to look that way. Then I hope they find a man who also prefers that look in a woman.
I am not really muscular yet, but I would prefer to be, having been the “skinny” girl all through high school and not really feeling too attractive regardless. Being fit, not just skinny, is what makes me feel good. Thankfully, I am with a man who also prefers this look, so my goal helps both of us. I think being compatible is important so that both people in the relationship think you look great and it’s not a constant battle with unnecessary pressure on what you “should” look like whether that opinion is skinny OR muscular.
When people say things like “I think it’s gross that a woman is stronger than a man,” or “why would I want a woman who is stronger than me?” That’s crap any one has a right to be fit and strong there are no limits, but some workouts are so hard for me I have to practice doing the exercise to be stronger and able to do it. I agree with this – Every day and every workout requires mental dedication — our bodies don’t just automatically expend a ton of energy unless we really know how to force them to. When you talk about this – Extend your independence to your body. Being confident and secure as a woman isn’t only a state of mind or an attitude — it’s also manifested in how you think about, treat, and use your own body. You get to make the decisions about how you’ll work out and get fit, and the rest of the world. Well, they’ll catch up eventually. Don’t worry about them, don’t even think about them when starting a workout. I have agree with you about this my workouts are my me time and it show’s you have self respect for yourself. I lift 4kg dumbbells and it has been great, to help my lower back. I don’t see a problem with some women building muscular bodies my own sister was a body builder years ago.
Hello,
I heard that heavy weight lifting can contribute to uterine prolapse in women. Is this true and if so what is considered too much strain?
I’ve been pushing myself harder in weight lifting workouts till where I feel like I can’t really do another rep. But I keep remembering a woman in my family who got a uterine prolapse… she thought moving heavy furniture by herself (like a piano) contributed to it.
Thanks,
Sara
Sara,
I personally don’t know anything about this particular problem, but it makes sense to me that lifting very heavy weights might be dangerous and might cause problems. You have to be very careful when it comes to strength training. I like intensive workouts, but I use only my own bodyweight which is already heavy enough. If your goal is general conditioning and body sculpting, then you don’t need to be lifting super heavy weights at the gym.
I’m Serbian and recently women got chance to be professional soldiers here, which I think is great. Anw, now I’m applying to be a soldier and I hope that your workouts will help me pass the tests :)
As for being attractive, I’ve been fat, like 30kg overweight, I’ve been skinny, few kilos below ‘model’ weight, and I’ve been muscular (reasonably). There was always more than enough men that wanted to be with me. Different man, though, but still, whatever you look like, it will appeal to someone’s taste. When it comes down to it, I think that charm plays the biggest role.
I’m 19 and I do these exercises in my room and students in my building are constantly asking what all the noise is about,hah! When I tell them that it is because I am doing my work outs (the mountain climber for example) they are always surprised. I recall having a conversation one time with my flat mates and the girls said they didn’t exercise because they wanted to be skinny and thought it was cute to be weak. I told them I though the idea of being weak would be like living in a trap. My body should not be some weak toothpick in heels with glitter only to attract the attention of men who prey on weak women- I am genuinely sorry for these girls and the images they aspire to attain. The boys I talk to about my work outs are shocked my arms are not huge b/c I can do more push-ups than they can! One of them told me that my work outs would bulk me up…I showed them this site and asked them what they thought of Zuzana (whether she is too bulky or muscular) and..surely they realizes that being fit is sexy! I have been in good shape for most of my life through cross country and strength training and no ones social norm will stop me, I am so happy for BodyRock’s influence on my life because it sets the CORRECT role model image. Thank you! I tell all my family and friends about this site!
With regards to the whole mothers-influencing daughters thing, I am an incredibly physical person. I work out a ton and actually really enjoy being in better shape than guys. But when I was a kid I begged my mom to let me play soccer and hockey and take dance lessons, and she wouldn’t let me because she’s not a very sporty person and I guess thought that I wouldn’t be either. This bothers me to this day, but I’ve tried really hard to accept that that’s just how my mom is and move on. This got easier when I left home and could play whatever sports I wanted and work out as much as I wanted, and now she grudgingly supports my fitness goals/obsessions. I just wish she would have done that when I was 6 or 7.