Conquering the Weight Room as a Woman

If you’re anything like me, the weight room at a college gym can be a scary and intimidating place. At Skidmore, we have one gym for everyone to use, so it can get pretty cramped when multiple sports teams are training at the same time. If you want to do anything other than cardio and a few exercise machines, you’re forced to cram in with the whole Men’s Lacrosse team downstairs while they have team lift. Going to the gym as a beginner can be nerve-wracking for anyone, but walking into a (typically) male-dominated space as a woman can be unsettling on many levels. I know this because I have experienced it myself and so have my friends. 

I would not proclaim myself a “gym girly”, but I do try to get a solid workout in from time to time. Walking into a crowded weight room with a whole varsity team working out keeps me at home on days I want to lift weights. Embarrassingly, I often find myself peeking through the glass window, seeing a sea of gym buffs with no open space, and then marching right back up the stairs. If this male-dominated, sweaty, loud environment intimidates you too, here are a few tips on how to feel comfortable in the weight room as a woman. 

1. Go with a buddy! 

Befriend someone who goes to the gym regularly and is already at ease in the space. If it makes you more comfortable, go with a guy friend or partner. This can also be nice if you don’t know what exercises to do because you can just copy your friends routine and work in with them. 

2. Schedule a time to go when it’s not crowded 

Avoid team practices when the weight room is packed. While 5:00 pm may be a convenient time in your day to workout, everyone and their mother has the same idea, so the gym will most likely be a zoo. Try to utilize times when fewer people are at the gym like in the mornings, especially as the gym opens at 7 am, after lunch, or after 8:00pm. 

3. Go in with a plan! 

Having a workout plan and routine that you’ve already practiced can help you feel more confident so you know what you’re doing. Look up videos on Youtube or other social media outlets for exercises. Start basic, and look at tips on form so you don’t injure yourself and so you look like a pro (even if you don’t feel like it). 

4. Pick a corner and stick to it! 

If the middle area feels too chaotic, try staying on the sides or a corner of the room to set up your spot. You can bring hand weights to the area or whatever else you need so you don’t have to run back and forth with equipment too much. This can also help you feel like you have your own space and can focus on yourself.

5. Bring your music!! 

I highly recommend bringing earbuds or headphones so you can listen to your own music if you don’t vibe with the club beats they’re blasting. Having your own playlist that empowers and hypes you up is key to making the weight room your own. 

So next time you’re at the gym and feel like venturing into the weight room (or even if you’re a frequent lifter), just know that you’re not alone if it feels intimidating or uneasy lifting in a testosterone filled environment. I hope these tips might encourage more women to go to conquer the weight room and make it a more feminine-friendly place! 

With all this being said, the incoming fitness center will be opening soon in the spring. This new space could be a refreshing start to the gym culture and hopefully crammed weight rooms will be a thing of the past!