Last night I posted a selfie of my flexing at the gym. My friends who support me gave me feedback like “you go girl!” or “yas slay!” but unfortunately I also ended up with responses like “just keep your arms down”, “lol you look like a guy” and “maybe boys don’t like to be out-lifted and that’s why you can’t get a guy”.
I went to circus practice and was told I shouldn’t strive to be a base but instead, strive to be a middle. Because I should be lucky I’m strong enough to do anything more than being lifted up in the air by some boy with biceps the size of my head. Because I am a woman. Because I am not supposed to lift. Because girls are supposed to be the flyers, not the bases.
I refuse to be taken down by those who don’t understand. I refuse to back down from who I am because of who others want me to be.
I am a girl and I go to the free weights section in the gym.
I am a girl and I can leg press 800 pounds.
I am a girl and I lift.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
There is no rulebook that says that just because I am a girl, the only thing I can do to take care of my body is getting onto a treadmill and run until the boys think I look good. Cardio is still crucial to my workout plan but it is not the only type of exercise I focus on. Actually, lifting weights actually accelerates the rate of progress when combined with cardio because calories are continually being burned even after the workout concluded. Lifting also has magical benefits for your physical and mental health. Keeping your heart and bones healthy and your headstrong are just a couple of benefits gained that don’t have to do with muscle gain.
Being afraid to try something new because of what others think could potentially be prohibiting you. It is easy to get caught up in the social situation of commercials or stereotypes brought on by peers that women are supposed to be focusing on cardio and leave the lifting to the men.
Lifting heavy will NOT make you look “manly”.
Do you want to know why? Because you’re NOT a man. Women do not physically contain the testosterone in their body to form the bulk that men gain when they lift. Yes, muscle gain will happen but guess what, girls that lift are sexy. Muscle is sexy. Strength. Is. Sexy.
Lifting will NOT make you unattractive. It will make you even more confident and beautiful than you already are. People will hate you no matter what you choose to do in life so if something that is considered “too manly” is what your passion is, get out there and do it.
As I’ve gotten older and more mature, I’ve realized that the only person's opinion that matters is mine. When I walk along the street, I ignore the people who obviously stare for whatever reason. If I get funny looks when I was into specific sections of the gym, I grab a 40-pound dumbbell, turn up my music a few notches and ignore them.
To any girls that want to lift but are too afraid to start, maybe because they’re intimidated maybe because they think their too weak, everyone starts somewhere. It’s a hard concept to grasp but it IS okay to better yourself even if that’s only using a ten-pound weight. Guess what, superstar. That’s ten pounds more than the girl who was too afraid to start.
So to all the girls out there who are too afraid to lift because of your fears of being judged for bulking up, get those gym shorts on and get your body moving. Today is a new day to be who YOU want to be. Shape your curves because every single one of us is beautiful and guess what boys, strong is the new sexy and we’re coming for our spotlight!