Old stereotypes die hard in the fitness world.
Note: These kind of tongue ion cheek blogs are the hardest to write. I don’t want to come off as an ass this needs to been talked about. I live in a very insulated world. My social media of choice is Instagram and I follow athletes and experts in all different fields of athletics, physical therapy. I also love runners and everyday people posting their workouts. Every once in a great while I will look at Facebook and the drop in quality of information is shocking. Worse than that was last week when I woke up at 3 am and couldn’t go back to bed. I put on the tv and saw some fitness infomercials. Wow! So that is the inspiration of this story. I have seen the dark side of fitness and it truly is the late night infomercial.
Here we are in the 21st century and you can still see some “Fitness Professionals” talking about the different ways women should train from men. Some of these people were big in the 80’s and 90’s and they never escaped from those decades. If we were talking about music I would be jealous but these trainers are relics of a bygone age. They actually think lifting weights will make you “Bulky”. I think I actually heard the word “Musclebound” being used. 🙂
If I worked as a geneticist, I would I trace the DNA of these people to the Jane Fonda/Thighmaster generation. Unfortunately their philosophy still appeals to a select but dwindling group of people. Whoever it is, they still buy that stuff.
The idea, at first glance, maybe makes a little sense. Women are built a little different, have different levels of hormones and generally don’t want to build too much muscle. Guys want to get big and strong.
Different goals mean different exercises right?
That is what these “Olde Tyme” fitness gurus will tell you. But then again they also tell you:
- You can shape your muscles.
- You can lose fat in certain trouble areas.
- You can take a pill to burn fat.
- You can take a pill to raise testosterone.
All of which is complete garbage.
In this picture the race officials are pulling Lynne off the course because women weren’t allowed to run marathons. Too dangerous. Her coach is also pictured trying to protect her. This wasn’t that long ago.
Now if you are under 30, you probably know an effective exercise is an effective exercise.
So what exactly is an effective exercise?
My version of effective movements can be defined as stuff you have to do in life.
- Squat down and pick up things.
- Bend over without using your lower back.
- Pushing things away from you.
- Pulling things into you.
- Lifting things overhead.
- Twisting.
Step 1: Do these movements correctly without pain.
Step 2: Start adding resistance with bands, weights and kettlebells.
That is my job in in a nutshell.
If you can move properly, you can lift properly. That means you will have fewer injuries, get more consistent with training and ultimately shape the body you want.
Most of my clients are over 40 and grew up in an age with the idea of segregated exercises and using machines because weights were “Dangerous”. Machines are a great marketing tool because they are comfortable to sit on and make exercising easier.
In fact, when I was growing up there were separate sections in the gym for men and women along with a common area. This may seem really weird to anyone under 30 but there was a time when women were told not to lifts weights. It was “too strenuous”.
They were also told not to run long distances or their uterus would fall out. True story, look it up. Jane Fonda was also seen as a beacon of fitness. Strange days, huh?
In the end, you can do whatever you want to do. I am not here to change the world. But when people start paying me for results, I need to deliver. Part of accepting a new way of working out is realizing the old ways are not as effective as you once thought.
Let Me Prove This To You.
This is the no B.S. Zone, so let me state this simply and clearly. If you leave the realm of the Home Shopping Channel and infomercials and step into the modern world, you will see this.
- Women Crossfitters do the same exercises as men.
- Women powerlifters do the same exercises as men.
- Women physique competitors do the same exercises as men.
- Women Strong man competitors do the same exercises as the men.
- Women runners do the same exercises as men.
- Women yogis do the same exercises as men.
- Women in pilates…honestly, I don’t know about that one. 🙂
- Women soccer players do the same exercises as men.
- As so on and so on….
In fact, I can’t think of a sport where women train differently than men. Modern science has determined that women can train as hard as men and get outstanding results. Bulkiness is a result of eating too much and putting a layer of fat between the skin and muscles. That is a nutrition issue.
I understand how this can be intimidating. If you grew up with Jazzercise, my training is going to be very different. But functional training is very natural once you get used to it because we are using natural movements you do everyday and adding resistance.
My training makes you tough and gritty. It also gives you confidence in yourself and gives you a strong body that looks good.
The Bottom Line
I am a coach who sells the benefit of hard work. This is probably the least glamorous website you will ever see and I am fine with that. These workouts will give you results as will my nutrition plan. This fitness is for everybody so jump in, don’t be shy.
