They may not be Amazonian princesses but they do wear spandex. They may not wear bulletproof bracelets nor utilize Lassos of Truth but in the seminar “Women in Weight Lifting,” hosted by the Strength Club on Wednesday, March 5 they proved those tools are not necessary.
These women, Danielle Barbato, Julia Morris, Jessica Eberhart and Amanda Albanese would make Wonder Woman proud.
Their mental training came from overcoming body image issues and utilizing weight lifting to help recover from the unhealthy toll the common problem took on them. Lifting not only gave them physical strength, but mental strength as well.
Their personal stories of how and why they began lifting weights were pure inspiration. Three out of the four girls who presented in the seminar shared that they have a history of eating orders.
The seminar itself featured myths related to women and weight lifting. Evidently it is quite difficult to get incredibly big as a woman due to the lack of testosterone. Barbato explained, that as a woman there will “always be a softness” which she is living proof of as she herself is a competitive bodybuilder.
They advised the room to “throw out the scale” because one may gain weight from lifting, but look better than before. Lifting weights increases metabolism against the popular belief that cardio itself is enough. Body fat percentages for women are naturally higher than men so men have a slight advantage in that sense.
If the seminar promoted any benefit of lifting weights over others, it is the increase confidence in a person.
“Confidence inside the gym grows the confidence outside of the gym,” they said. This seems inarguable, as a woman must fight through the overwhelming waves of testosterone concentrated in the weights area and the common stares from men on the floor to even get to the weights of desired use.
Strength brings independence in the aspect that a woman can lift things that they may have previously had to ask for help from a male. Strength from weight lifting is also a helpful in everyday life, whether it be the potential to carry a fridge up dorm stairs successfully or juggle kids at work, both personal experiences that were shared, lifting weights makes it all possible.
The Strength Club itself is a plethora of weight lifting knowledge. From nutrition to correct form, the group is diverse enough to answer almost any question that may come to mind. They are also kind hearted and down to earth in the sense that they are highly against mean people who make the weight room an intimidating place. They wish to make the weight room a safe place if it is not already a safe place for anyone and everyone who enters. They also have a sort of Hercules complex that enabling them to feel passionately obligated to help the people around them who are lifting and may need help or can improve their technique.
The Strength Club wishes to initiate more seminars such as the “Women in Weight Lifting” in the near future. At least one member of the club is in the weight room at all times, but they can also be reached through their facebook page.
Author
Ricky Patricia Soberano
