I wouldn’t consider myself a “gym rat.” I’ve only been a frequent sweaty mess at my campus recreation center for about four months now. With the encouragement and guidance of a much-more-experienced friend, my gym life changed. The entire weight room downstairs is a whole new world, and I am ready to live or die in it. Here are 12 thoughts I've discovered every woman probably has in the weight room:
1. "Believe it or not, I am here."
I’m not lost or trying to snag a friend from the racks. I’m here for a reason, and that’s to get fit, just like the rest of us. Once I step into the weight room, it’s game on.
2. "Does he/she have to grunt with every rep?"
It’s hard not to cringe or chuckle at the sudden outbursts some people make when lifting heavy. I used to think the grunts were the sounds of struggle, but according to Drexel University, those shouts could actually increase strength.
3. "Don’t make me fight you for those weights."
Chances are the free weights I use regularly have already been taken. This leaves me bored and grumpy as I occupy my time with other exercises until they return.
4. "Are you done with the bench/squat rack yet?"
Weight rooms are either too empty or way too full to be comfortable in. All the popular equipment, such as the bench press or squat station, are rarely available. But when they are, it makes my day.
5. "Shout-out to the other uterus in the room."
Focusing on your gym routine while in a room that feels dominated by the male percentage can be intimidating. When other girls are in the room with me, it helps. They’re also great motivation.
6. "I look like a badass."
It’s true. The moments when arms are pumping iron and I look over to see my reflection, I see a strong healthy woman. And that’s badass.
7. "Does he/she really have to stare and pout?"
Sometimes people don’t want to go do other exercises when waiting to use equipment. Instead, they do what I like to call “vulture-ing.” They stand there, passively watching you and waiting to pounce the second you leave the area. This is annoying.
8. "If I sweat more than that person, then I win."
If you’re anything like me, you're highly competitive for the strangest of reasons. If another person at the gym is sweating buckets, I want to be sweating gallons. It makes no sense, I know.
9. "Can anyone tell I’m flexing and checking myself out?"
The men in the room are less subtle about this. If I counted the amount of men I have seen standing in front of the mirrors and posing, it would total far more than I can bench. But I understand; something about working out makes yourself do a double take in any reflective surface.
10. "Seriously? The gym is playing this song?"
The weight room I go to blasts music continuously. Sometimes they play rock and roll, other times it’s “Killing Me Softly” by the Fugees. No joke.
The next two are from the perspective of Western Washington student Sarah Toland. She’s been lifting seriously for five years and has experience in the weight room environment.
11. "No, I don’t need a spotter."
Spotters are important, and she know her limits. Approaching her in the middle of her workout asking to spot is certainly a nice gesture, but unless she's asked then it’s not necessary.
12. "Stop assuming I don’t know what I’m doing."
There are still stereotypes in the fitness world, especially with weights. She's been approached before with the assumption she lacks knowledge of the equipment or form. Just know: most people in the weight room already know what they’re doing, and hired professionals are there to help those who aren’t as experienced.
My best advice for those who feel hesitant on the weight room is to give it some time and try it out. Chances are you’ll forget about everyone around you and be too focused on improving your strength to really care. Remember, you’re there for yourself and no one else.
