Despite the stereotype that weightlifting is a masculine sport, more women and girls are getting involved in the gym and lifting weights. According to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association Global Report, from 2010 to 2019, women’s memberships at health and fitness clubs increased by over 32.2%. Whether it’s training for a sport during the off-season, lifting weights with a team or going to the gym on their own, the women’s weightlifting community is growing.
Junior Karlie Vince (she/her) is a rower on the girls crew team. She started focusing on weightlifting more this year to build strength before the season, and she plans to keep weightlifting when the season begins in spring.
“I think a lot of the girls that get really strong at rowing tended to lift, and that’s a big part of college programs,” Vince said. “I think I’m trying to sort of customize myself a little bit with it while I’m in high school, so that I’m more prepared for college.”
For some athletes, weightlifting is a way to gain more skill in a sport, especially for smaller athletes. As a soccer player, senior Payton Hathaway (she/her) said that she was very discouraged and struggled to compete against bigger girls because of her height. Standing at 5’1”, she realized that many players had an advantage against her because they were bigger and stronger. Hathaway said that she was able to balance out the size difference with the strength she gained through weightlifting.
“All of my friends can kick a ball super far, and I was never able to do that,” Hathaway said. “So the only way I was going to be able to do that was by working on myself.”
For Hathaway and Vince, starting to weightlift was the hardest part. Although she said that weightlifting was daunting at first, Vince found motivation and strength to start weightlifting and was soon motivated to go even further with it. According to the National Library of Medicine, weight lifting can increase and preserve bone density, which lowers the risk of serious medical conditions and bone fractures.
“I didn’t really think I could see myself there. I feel like initially, weightlifting was always kind of thought of as this very gruff, manly thing,” Vince said. “I didn’t think I’d be interested. But as I’ve seen more people that are like me and have similar goals to me do it, it’s motivated me to get into it more.”
Vince’s efforts have paid off — both for her self image and for her athletic success in crew. Vince said that weightlifting has really helped her gain her confidence, and she believes that she can continue to improve her rowing ability through weightlifting.
“I think it’s really helped me feel stronger in myself and feel more capable and more confident if I know I can do things,” Vince said. “So I think it’s a very beneficial thing to have that trust in yourself.”
Hathaway has also found a similar confidence in the gym, her sport and her daily life. In addition to making her a lot more self-reliant, she said she has gained way more self confidence and believes that weightlifting can keep her healthy even as she gets older.
“When I move into my dorm for college, I’m going to be actually able to move things myself instead of getting somebody to help me,” Hathaway said. “I’ll just be a lot more capable on my own.”
However, both Hathaway and Vince said that sometimes they felt uncomfortable or judged in the gym.
“I do feel comfortable at the school gym if I’m with my friends, but if I go by myself, it’s definitely still something that I’m getting used to,” Vince said.
Hathaway has previously changed gyms in search of a smaller, more comfortable environment. She said that she did not like big commercial gyms such as Planet Fitness because the space is often male-dominated. Even though it is a growing sport for women, Hathaway said that she still does not see that many women weightlifting in gyms.
“It was kind of an uncomfortable environment for me, and there’s just like a bunch of guys. There are girls there but there’s definitely a clear divide between the amount of girls and guys,” Hathaway said. “Then I started going to a new gym that is smaller. I barely see girls there, but it’s a lot better environment and nobody really cares what others are doing. I’m able to just do my own thing and try new things without worrying about what other people are going to think.”
Both Vince and Hathaway recommend weightlifting, especially for beginners. Hathaway said that the only difficult days are the first few, but once it becomes part of your routine, weightlifting becomes much easier and more fun.
“It’s a good hobby for anyone to pick up, no matter what stereotypes about it are, because I think it can benefit so many different types of people in different ways,” Vince said.
