Comments on: Gubernatrix manifesto

By: Pre-natal strength training - weight training, strength, fitness, weights, losing fat, women's weight training, bodyweight, free weights, powerlifting, dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, bodybuilding, olympic weightlifting

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 21:05:41 +0000

[...] stated in her manifesto that “I am more than ever convinced that there is a great need for support for women to get [...]

By: gubernatrix

gubernatrix — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:41:02 +0000

Deb, what you are doing sounds fantastic! There will be more about the Ladies Who Lift project on the site soon; we can swop ideas!

By: deb roby

deb roby — Sat, 01 May 2010 17:28:47 +0000

Love this idea. I am bringing the idea of women strength training to my gym in Oakland, CA. An entire part of my “intro to the gym” workout is specifically free weights. I walk women back among the men (where-thankfully- we usually get smiles and nods) and challenge them with fun free weight routines.

Eventually, I hope to know the guys there well enough to introduce clients and regulars and get them all accepting each other.

I have a 63 year old client who has decided she likes the idea of deadlifting (at the moment, 30# – but it’s a start); she’s thinking someday getting to 1/2 her body weight- and at that point, I know she’ll want more.

A teenager who loves the whole idea of strength training to improve her basketball and boxing.

A 20 something young exec. whose goal is to do a full-on pull up now that she’s met the gravaton.

Need to learn about the Ladies Who Lift project…

By: Justin_P

Justin_P — Sat, 01 May 2010 17:26:50 +0000

I’ve said it elsewhere and I’ll say it again…

Most Gyms aren’t really serious places to train. A large part of the reason why they’re fluffy and silly is because of the way that training women is approached. As long as the ladies continue to get not-serious training, nothing is going to change.

By: gubernatrix

gubernatrix — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:52:40 +0000

“I think it would be great if they moved some of these fitness classes to the weight lifting area and showed people how to use the free weights and how to design a program that will get them results.”
Ha, Sue I’m so glad you said that because this is just what I’ve done recently along with my friends Chantelle and Ade as part of the Ladies Who Lift project. I’m hoping to do more of these in the future.

By: Sue

Sue — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:36:32 +0000

Great post. I only recently started to lift free weights, and I was definitely intimidated hanging out in what I perceived to be the male only area. I’ve gotten over it, but I still notice quite a few stares when I enter the area. I think the gym industry needs to change. Most members that join never go, or never get the results they are looking for. The classes where there is instruction won’t actually get you results either. I think it would be great if they moved some of these fitness classes to the weight lifting area and showed people how to use the free weights and how to design a program that will get them results. Even personal trainers are doing a pretty terrible job at this. I see way too many men only doing bicep exercises day after day. The point of spending so much money on a gym membership is to train for results. If you get results your members will continue to come and pay.

By: gubernatrix

gubernatrix — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:33:16 +0000

Thanks for your honest reaction Scott. I had the experience the other day of finding an environment I thought I was fairly comfortable with suddenly turn threatening and it was very unpleasant.

I’ve had a lot of positive feedback from women since I started talking more about this stuff: which tells me that it most certainly does happen out there!

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:52:16 +0000

My first reaction (being a male between the ages of 20 and 60) was that the environment you describe is not indicative of any place I’ve ever lifted – But then again I wouldn’t have realized it.

As I thought about it, I felt that (not so) subtle disapproval while doing my student teaching in an elementary school. Which was, for lack of a better term, a “girls club” in which all men who worked with children were considered latent pedophiles. Hostile environments suck.

You’re talking about changing strongly ingrained cultural beliefs, which must seem daunting, But a very worthy goal. Best of luck.

By: Jules

Jules — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:26:13 +0000

Brilliant Gubes,

Passionate and inspiring,got my vote

By: Louisa

Louisa — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 07:20:28 +0000

Yet again….inspiring…. makes me wonder what I could do to try and get more ladies lifting in my gym