By Joy Davis
When someone mentions weight training, most people think of an extremely buff male. When you walk into a weight room, it is with the expectation that you will find the majority of people working out will be male. Gender roles are deeply ingrained in our subconscious that we don’t even realize it. Women sometimes feel uncomfortable doing “manly” activities such as weight training for fear of judgement. Men, in most cases, picture their workouts with bench-presses, pull-ups, and push-ups. Being lean isn’t manly. It’s all about being big.
This gender divide is not uncommon the TAMIU Recreational Sports Center. Even in the Rec. Center, you can see the gender roles in play. Women are often found in the cardio room and in the cardio classes than lifting weights.They’re on the bike, the treadmill, and the stair-stepper trying to lower their waist size and lengthen their stems. When women are in the weight room, most of them are doing squats to tone their butts. All of this makes a lady look hot in her cocktail dress, but why must women be confined to work out only for their sex appeal?
Fortunately, the Rec Center is currently holding a beginner level weight-training program for women. The class is called Women on Weights and is led by Edgar Trejo, a certified personal trainer and Rec Center employee. The goal of the program is to provide guidance for women interested in learning more about using weights and weight training.
In the program, participants are taught how to safely use both the cardio machines and the machines in the weight room. They are also taught how to use free weights, cable machines, and resistance bands. Circuit training is also covered in the program. It consists of two 40-minute sessions each week. The program is four weeks long totally for eight, hard-working weeks.
This is what I find most interesting about Women on Weights. The class allows for women to explore their inner physical strength. Being big is no longer just for the boys.
