On a typical day, the weight room at your local gym will most likely be occupied by a wide range of men. Scrawny men, old men, smelly men, men trying to outdo one another, business men, male trainers...you get the point. On days that aren't so typical, you may encounter what I like to refer to as a "gym unicorn." Gym unicorns are extremely rare and easy to spot; they are the most brave creatures of all. Gym unicorns are the powerful women who have taken a stand and said, "Enough is enough! I will no longer imprison myself in the cardio room. I am taking my strength into my own hands and showing men that the weight room is not a men's club."
In my eyes, women in the weight room are some of the most inspirational people that can be found at the gym. When I see a 70-year-old woman doing bicep curls next to a 21-year-old man, it just makes me want to scream out, "You go, girl!" Now, do not mistake my praise for woman weightlifters as a smug judgment toward female cardio bunnies. If your passion is tearing up the treadmill for 10 miles or pumping the elliptical for 60 minutes, then more power to you. Cardio bunnies, you are an inspiration to all of us who dread the 30-second walk from the parking lot to the gym's front doors.
That being said, if you are a cardio bunny by force and not by choice, do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try some light weightlifting. Making your way from the stair master to the smith rack may be easier said than done. I know, because I was once a cardio bunny by force. Throughout high school, I was incredibly uncomfortable in my own skin. I believed the only way for me to build my confidence would be to lose weight, and the only way I knew how to lose weight was to run. I ran four to five miles, seven days a week. Did I see numbers go down on the scale? Yes. Was I more confident in my body? Not at all, I still needed to find a way to build my confidence.
One day, after another grueling hour in the cardio room, I took a shortcut to the gym parking lot through the weight room. Light bulb! I knew it was time for me to try weightlifting. I am not one for lies, so I will honestly say that my first day, my first month even, of weightlifting was absolutely horrifying. I had no idea what I was doing. I had men in the weight room staring at me like I was a little kid lost in a grocery store. Many men took it upon themselves to "help me with my form," not to be friendly, but simply as a way to engage me in unwelcome conversation. Eventually, after much humiliation and failure, I began to become more comfortable in the weight room of my gym. The "men's club" began to recognize me as one of their own and eventually the gender barrier dissipated.
Five years ago, I left the cardio room and I have never looked back. Now, I can proudly call myself a "gym unicorn." Although I still struggle with disapproving looks from a handful of men at the gym, most of the men have stopped caring and some even offer to spot me when needed. I attribute weightlifting to the restoration of my strength and confidence. To all women who are afraid to leave their cardio bubbles, do not let your fear stand in the way of doing something that could potentially help you gain confidence. Do not be afraid to step off of the treadmill and into the weight room. Eventually, men will not be staring at you in disapproval, they will be staring at you in awe, because you just broke their squat record!
